It’s the 4th of July holiday weekend here in the USA. And the hot & humid weather July is famous for has settled in. Be we carry on. I<\/span>t\u2019s Saturday and time for another edition of our Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, the best tips and tricks are hidden in the published questions and answers. And rarely do we post questions and answers on this website. Today, we\u2019re featuring some of the questions and answers from past issues of our InfoAve Weekly<\/a> newsletters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These questions & answers were selected at random from past InfoAve Weekly newsletters.<\/span><\/p>\n Please help us to continue to help you with your Windows computer questions and help you to stay safe in the crazy world of the Internet. We need your support – even the smallest gift helps us. Please… help us by making a donation.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 070624<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Our Fourth of July Sale is Going On Right Now!<\/span><\/a> Computer Checkups for only $19!\u00a0 Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Keys – Buy One and Get One Free! Take advantage of our 4th of July Sale before it’s gone!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Sale prices are good through Tuesday, July 9, 2024.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Penny’s computer becomes non-responsive<\/span><\/strong><\/span> This has been going on for a couple of weeks now.\u00a0 It’s been doing this for 2 days now. Is there anything I can do to fix it? I am using Windows 10. Thanks, Penny.<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> It could be Windows corruption. You can try running SFC and DISM scans to see if they help.<\/span><\/p>\n It could be that your computer only has 4GB of RAM which is not enough to do extensive multitasking. You should have at least 8GB of RAM. To find how much RAM (memory) you have, type ABOUT in the taskbar search and press Enter when you see “About your PC” appear in the search results. Look next to “Installed RAM” in About Your PC. You can add RAM inexpensively.<\/span><\/p>\n It may be Windows search indexing and SysMain (SuperFetch) services using up too much CPU (processor) or RAM or disk.<\/span><\/p>\n It could be dozens of other things. Sometimes when we work on a PC it takes us a while to diagnose the problem. There is no easy answer.<\/span><\/p>\n I hope something in our answer helps you to pinpoint your problem. Or if you want us to look at it, we’d be happy to. You can buy our repair keys here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sandra wants to know how difficult it is to change the Wi-Fi password<\/span> Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> 192.168.1.1<\/span> Once the router configuration page opens you can log in with your router\u2019s username and your wireless password. If you don\u2019t know your router\u2019s login username (most people don\u2019t change that) see this page.<\/a> On that page, you can look up your router\u2019s default username and password.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you are logged into your router, find the Wireless section of the configuration page. It may be called \u201cWireless\u201d or \u201cWireless Settings\/Setup\u201d depending on the manufacturer. If you have multiple subsections, open the Wireless Security page.<\/span><\/p>\n Look for the box labeled Password, Passphrase, Security Key, or Shared Key, and enter your new password into this box. Some routers will ask that you type it twice. Make sure you use a strong password containing upper & lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. And make sure to use strong WPA2 or WPA3 encryption. Most newer routers offer WPA2 encryption but the newest routers now use WPA3. You might also want to change the network name while you\u2019re here.\u00a0Don\u2019t forget to save your settings before closing the page.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Sandra. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Diane wants to know how to get her Outlook.com email via her Gmail account<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Sign up for our weekly newsletter, it’s free! Sign up here.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Sign up for our InfoAve Daily newsletter – it’s free,\u00a0 informative & a quick and easy read!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Bil has a plethora of problems with his laptop<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> Here are our instructions for doing a Windows 10 reset and keeping all your files.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The reset should fix all the non-hardware-related issues, but if you still cannot connect to the internet after the reset it may be your wireless network card causing the problem. In that case, you might want to try using a USB Wi-Fi adapter. See our article about USB Wi-Fi adapters here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Bil.<\/span><\/p>\n Sue wants to know if she needs to use the software that came with her external hard driv<\/strong>e<\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> We are not going anywhere! <\/span> Robert wants to know if he cancels MSN (Outlook.com) premium how will affect his email accounts<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> You don’t need a separate antivirus to check your email if you have a good antivirus (like Emsisoft<\/a>) installed on your PC.<\/span><\/p>\n So, you won’t lose much by using the free versions of Outlook.com \/ Hotmail. And you also have the option to move to Gmail which we use for personal & business email.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you make a good decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Our Fourth of July Sale is Going On Right Now!<\/span><\/a><\/span> Computer Checkups for only $19!\u00a0 Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Keys – Buy One and Get One Free!<\/span><\/p>\n Take advantage of our 4th of July Sale before it’s gone!<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Sale prices are good through Tuesday, July 9, 2024.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Cathy wants to try a VPN<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> There are times when a VPN is necessary, for instance, if you work from home, and you are working for a company and dealing with sensitive information and you need to create a secure connection between you and your employer. This is common if you work from home for a doctor\u2019s office, hospital, government entity, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a home user who thinks a VPN is some virtual shield that will protect you from all the terrible things on the Internet, it won\u2019t. Once you install a VPN you may have trouble connecting to your Gmail account, credit card accounts, online banking, etc. These sites will ask you to verify that you\u2019re really you since you will appear to be connecting from a different location than you normally do. And if you keep changing VPN server locations (one of the features of the VPN that makes you \u201canonymous\u201d) you may be continually asked to verify your identity every time you try to log in to Gmail, your credit card accounts, or online banking accounts, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n If, after reading this, you still want to try a VPN, we recommend you try a browser-based VPN first.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s a free one that works in Chrome and Microsoft Edge.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n You can turn it off and on within your browser and you can switch VPN servers with a click. Since it\u2019s free and it\u2019s a browser extension you can turn it on and off or leave it on or off or easily remove it, it\u2019s an effective way to test the VPN waters without installing a VPN on your computer that changes all your network settings and browser settings.<\/span><\/p>\n Judy wants to know about cloud backups<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> The problem with ASUS backup and other cloud backups is most user Windows backups are very large- some are hundreds of gigabytes. And if your computer suddenly stopped working and you got a new computer you\u2019d have to download hundreds of gigabytes of data which would take hours and hours.<\/span><\/p>\n The best advice for dealing with ransomware is to not get it in the first place. Almost all ransomware is spread by clicking links in emails. So don\u2019t click links in emails if you\u2019re not sure who sent them and always use good security software like Emsisoft<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n So, if you don\u2019t use OneDrive, we suggest keeping your backups locally on an external hard drive using Windows File History backup. That way if something bad happens, all you need to do is plug the hard drive into the new computer and copy all the data you need from it.<\/span><\/p>\n If you have more questions about backing up your PC, please let us know.<\/span><\/p>\n John has a question about IMAP email<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> We hope this helps you. John, but If you have more questions, just let us know.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nMy two-year-old laptop keeps freezing and when it does, nothing responds. I can’t even use CTRL+ALT+DELETE.\u00a0 I have to shut down the computer by using the power button and just turn it off. After I restart everything responds normally. But then after a few hours, it becomes non-responsive again and I have to shut it off with the power button.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Penny. I wish I could give you a simple one-two-three presto answer, but I cannot. This is the kind of thing we work on almost every day with our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care service. It could be too many programs running at startup. Open Task Manager, click the Startup tab, and disable as many startup programs as you can. Be careful not to disable your antivirus, sound, or graphics.<\/span><\/p>\n
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<\/b>Hi… How difficult\/easy is it to reset the wifi password?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Sandra. It’s not too difficult. If you know your router\u2019s password you can open a browser to one of the following addresses. Just copy\/paste the address into the browser’s address bar and press Enter.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n192.168.0.1<\/span>
\n192.168.2.1<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI get much too much junk mail in my Outlook inbox…Yesterday I got 149 junk messages alone\u2026.I need to keep my Outlook address though because I get my bills sent there. Can I get my Outlook.com mail at my Gmail address? Since Gmail has better junk filters I don\u2019t have a spam problem with Gmail. Or should I change my billing address to my Gmail address? Please advise. Thanks, Diane.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Diane. You can check your @outlook.com email in Gmail by following the instructions below:<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2023\/checkgmail.png\")
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\nWe hope this helps you, Diane.<\/span><\/div>\n
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\nHi Guys, Knowing how really clued up you guys are, you may possibly be able to help me. I have a Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14\/15 laptop which is causing me significant problems. I have no internet even though it is working on other devices. I have tried adding a USB WiFi network unit to no avail. This however is when it becomes interesting! If I hover my mouse over the windows on the far left it says start but if I click the mouse button, nothing happens. Also if I hover over the search area the mouse turns to the I but again, if I press the mouse button nothing happens. My backups work and so does my automatic shutdown. Any programs on the taskbar and on the desktop appear to work as normal. I have tried to reload the software using, DVD, USB, and Media Creation tool. All have failed. Any ideas, or is it a simple case of a new laptop? Regards, Bil.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Bil. Why don\u2019t you do a Windows 10 Reset? A Windows 10 Reset saves your files (Documents, Pictures, Favorites, Music, Videos, etc.) and removes all programs and Windows 10. Then a clean copy of Windows 10 is installed and all your files are put back where they were. All you have to do is reinstall the programs you want. It\u2019s a lot easier than messing with installation media and backups.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI LOVE your Newsletters! In this day and age of scams and fake news, your Newsletters are so refreshing, offering trustworthy programs and answers to great questions! Thank you EVER so much!\u00a0 My question: I\u2019m running Ashampoo for backup onto a Passport external drive. Is it safe to uninstall WD Backup as well as their toolkit, etc.? I don\u2019t see the need for it unless I start having trouble with Ashampoo. Thanks so much, please stay with us, we so need you!! \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Sue. Thank you and thanks for being with us through the years! Yes, Western Digital software is completely unnecessary and can be removed.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nSusan wrote back: \u201cSo good to hear you\u2019ll continue to be helping us! Honestly, I don\u2019t know where we would all turn without you. Thank you so much for doing what you do! Thanks for answering my question so quickly, you guys are amazing! Faithfully yours, Sue \u201c<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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\nFirst, thanks for all you two do for us, non-geek people. I have been with you for many years and have learned a lot. Microsoft just raised my MSN premium to double what I was previously paying. My question is if I cancel MSN premium how will that affect my use of Hotmail, Outlook.com, Msn.com, etc.?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Robert. Thanks for your nice comments and your long-time support<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHow do I get a VPN? I would like to try using it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Cathy. We\u2019re all for people trying new things and usually, we\u2019d encourage this because we can all learn by trying new things. But in this case, I need to ask you why you want to try a VPN. Do you think it\u2019s going to make your browsing safer? It won\u2019t. Do you think it\u2019s going to prevent you from having your identity stolen? It won\u2019t. Do you think it will protect you from hackers? It won\u2019t. Do you think it will prevent you from being tracked? It won\u2019t. Do you think it will prevent you from tech support scams and malicious files and websites? It won\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI have an ASUS laptop computer. They recently sent me an offer for a backup of my computer in the cloud. Just not sure how this works and if you can advise if it\u2019s a good idea. Sometimes I just don\u2019t understand what services are out there and I would like the easiest way of avoiding loss if should lose my files or get ransomware. Thanks for your invaluable help!<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Judy. The only cloud (Web) backup we recommend is OneDrive but only if you have the 1TB plan that comes with an MS365 subscription. That\u2019s because it syncs perfectly with Windows since it is a Microsoft product. Otherwise, we recommend you buy a 1 TB external hard drive (around $50) and use File History (free- comes with Windows) to back up your computer.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHello TC & EB, I hope you can help me with this question, please. I have been using a Windows 10 laptop, using Thunderbird for years. I took a plunge and bought a MacBook Air a few weeks ago. Finally, after learning things about it, I installed Thunderbird on the Mac and got it working but I don\u2019t like it as well on the Mac. Both are set up using IMAP so they correlate OK. I want to delete Thunderbird from the Mac and just go to using webmail on it as it will be only secondary to my Windows laptop. My question is this: Can I delete (uninstall) Thunderbird on the Mac without suffering any loss of mail on the Windows Thunderbird? I am reasonably sure I can, but I need your professional opinion, please. For me, and the limited use the Mac will get, I feel better only accessing my main email on my Windows PC and if I want\/need to use the Mac, I can just use webmail. Thank you for any insight you can give me. I totally enjoy your letters every day and the weekly issue. Always looking forward to it. You two are the best. Thank You, John<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi John. Thanks! As long Thunderbird is set up as IMAP and not POP3 (and it most likely is) on all your devices (Windows, Apple, Android) then you can check your mail on any device without affecting the email on any other device. IMAP protocol synchronizes your mail with the mail server. Thunderbird on Windows won\u2019t be affected by what you do with Thunderbird on the MacBook. So, if everything is set up as IMAP, then you can uninstall Thunderbird from the MacBook without affecting Thunderbird on your Windows devices.<\/span><\/p>\n
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