{"id":28982,"date":"2024-08-31T09:42:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-31T13:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=28982"},"modified":"2024-08-31T09:42:37","modified_gmt":"2024-08-31T13:42:37","slug":"saturday-bonus-questions-and-answers-083124","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/saturday-bonus-questions-and-answers-083124\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 083124"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 083124
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Meteorological autumn begins tomorrow in the Great Lakes region of the USA… college football is in full swing today… and summer was hot but fleeting. And it’s Saturday and it’s time for a new edition of Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, as we do every Saturday, 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

\n

Please consider giving us a helping hand!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If our computer support & help or our tips and tricks have helped you or made your computer life easier or more productive, please help us with a small donation\u00a0 Your gifts allow us to continue to help you.\u00a0 Take a moment and help us if you can.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Help<\/a><\/span>
\nDonate today and help us to keep helping you!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Satur<\/span>day Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 083124<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Cathy wants to know if it\u2019s safe to order online with her tablet <\/strong><\/span>
\nI was wondering how safe it is to order online with my tablet. I always use my desktop computer when I order online, but I never order online with my tablet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Cathy. As long as you\u2019re careful and you order from your home wireless connection and not from public wireless (like a restaurant, airport, etc.) you should be just fine. If you do use public Wi-Fi be sure to use a VPN. There are many browser-centric and free VPNs you can install and turn on and off in your browser. Here’s one you can check out<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Jim wants to know what\u2019s wrong with LastPass<\/strong><\/span>
\nI have seen your article about leaving the free version of Last Pass. Is there something wrong with the paid version?<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Jim. I don\u2019t believe we disparaged LastPass in any way. We were just answering the dozens of people who are using LastPass on different devices and who asked us if there was a good free alternative. I tested BitWarden for about a week and at first, I was not impressed until I removed LastPass from one of my browsers and decided to cold turkey with BitWarden \u2013 then I was very impressed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That being said, it has recently been reported that LastPass for Android \u2013 tablets & phones is not exactly on the up and up. Read LastPass Android app has some sneaky tracking software hidden away<\/a>. It\u2019s bad enough when browsers track you \u2013 but I don\u2019t think I\u2019d want my password manager tracking me.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to pay for LastPass that\u2019s fine \u2013 all we are saying is that BitWarden is a great free alternative.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Christine asks about the Brave security browser<\/strong><\/span>
\nEmsisoft recently recommended the Brave browser. What is your opinion of Brave and does Brave have TOR built in? Thank you. Christine<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Christine. Brave is yet another security browser \u2013 and like all other browsers and so-called \u201csecurity\u201d browsers, it has its flaws. But it\u2019s definitely usable. But if you plan on using it for Gmail, Amazon shopping, or any online shopping, etc. you\u2019re going to have to get used to signing into those websites each time you visit. Some folks would find that annoying \u2013 especially with Gmail.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brave is a browser that is built on Chromium, just like Edge and Chrome, and dozens of other browsers. Brave has TOR built in. Keep in mind governments and authorities are very well acquainted with TOR and it\u2019s not as secure as it once was.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019d recommend Brave for advanced users who are aware of the disadvantages of privacy browsers. Additional privacy means less convenience. And I\u2019m not truly convinced that anything you do on the Web is \u201cprivate\u201d and sometimes I wonder if a false sense of security and privacy isn\u2019t worse than always being watchful, alert, and wary.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

\"CLOUDEIGHT<\/a><\/p>\n

We can fix your Windows computer… check out our low prices here!<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Darlene asked about IMAP and POP3 email protocols<\/strong><\/span>
\nI forgot the neat article on POP3 and IMAP. I don\u2019t remember learning that before. I remembered that Google kept messages, but I want to be sure my Comcast account is set up that way, as well. Question: How can I check my Comcast account to determine which system (protocol) it is using? Thanks a lot for explaining what the difference is. Darlene<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Darlene. You can look in your email program\u2019s server settings.<\/span><\/p>\n

IMAP will show the following:<\/span>
\nIncoming Mail Server Name: imap.comcast.net<\/span>
\nIncoming Mail Server Port Number: 993<\/span><\/p>\n

POP3 will show the following:<\/span>
\nIncoming Mail Server Name: pop3.comcast.net<\/span>
\nIncoming Mail Server Port Number: 995<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope this helps you, Darlene.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who have the same question, normally, but not always, IMAP or POP3 will be in the incoming server name.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Sue needs to clear her backup drive but she\u2019s having a problem<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi, I have gained so much insight from you in all these years and am so grateful you are still here for us! I have a question about File History and backups. My external drive is full (hopefully with backups) and now I need to delete most of it so I can continue to back up. I\u2019ve tried a couple of things that I found on the internet which haven\u2019t worked, I get an error: \u201cCould not clean up File History data. Element not found\u201d. Is there another way I can get rid of these files and not have to mess with having to repair Win 10 which was a suggestion?<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks so much, I always feel you\u2019ll have the answer \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Sue. You can right-click on the external (backup) drive and choose Format. Do a quick format on the drive, then set up File History again on that drive. You might need to reset File History for it to work correctly again.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you do need to reset File History, see this page<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We hope this helps you, Sue.<\/span>
\n\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/span>
\nSue wrote back: \u201cOh my gosh, TC, thank you so very much!! Of course, formatting!! Thanks for the link as well. Honestly, I hope you and Darcy know just how very much you are needed & appreciated, and how you have saved our hair from being pulled out and our computers from being invaded. You consistently smarten us up for scams and safe downloads. I can\u2019t thank you enough. I\u2019ll be making a donation today! Sue.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Darlene wants safe download sites and how to copy text from a touchscreen<\/strong>
\n<\/em> \u2026Thanks so much for all the time and effort you spend giving us the images to illustrate what you are telling us to do when you answer all our questions. With all the problems that can come with aging, reading print can sometimes be impossible. The visual screens are a blessing because countless times over the past 20 years when following directions telling me how to fix something, the screen that I am supposed to see doesn\u2019t turn up. With your illustration to follow, we will know immediately that the program is at fault and that this fix isn\u2019t going to work. I know it will save *me* a ton of frustration.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am having a great time reading back issues of the InfoAve Weekly and relearning a lot of neat stuff that my Swiss Cheese brain had allowed to escape, but I have two questions I haven\u2019t seen addressed so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is there a place (or maybe more) where we can safely download Freeware without a bunch of unwanted programming being bundled in with it? The only site I remember you warning us about was CNet, but I think there were more. (I think you also warned us about some anti-virus programs coming with extras added.)<\/span><\/p>\n

And finally, how can I highlight text to *copy* with a touchscreen laptop? One set of directions told me to touch the first and last words, but that did nothing. I am still googling. I hope you have the answer in your magical hat!<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m hoping you can come up with the answers! Muchas Gracias! Darlene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nThanks for your long-time support and your kind words.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than giving you a list of all the bad sites, we\u2019ll give you the download sites we trust the most\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Snapfiles <\/span>
\nhttps:\/\/www.snapfiles.com\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. MajorGeeks <\/span>
\nhttps:\/\/www.majorgeeks.com\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As for your question about copying from a touchscreen device. First for Windows touchscreens. Tap and hold the first word of text you want to copy until you see a circle icon, then move your finger to highlight the text you want.<\/span><\/p>\n

On tablets and smartphones, touch the first word you want to copy and then drag your finger across the text you want to copy. When you stop a menu will appear with \u201cCopy\u201d \u201cSelect all\u201d and \u201cShare\u201d to copy and a menu appears with \u201cCopy\u201d \u201cSelect All\u201d (on Smartphones & Tablets you\u2019ll all see \u201cShare\u201d in that menu.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think that should answer your questions, but if not, let me know.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Help<\/a>
\nDonate today and help us keep on helping you!<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Would you be interested in making an automatic monthly gift?\u00a0Visit this page<\/a>. Please help us keep on helping you\u2026 and help us keep you safe on the Web.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

John wants to know how to clean up years\u2019 worth of Gmail email messages.<\/strong><\/span>
\nQuite a long time ago you had an article showing how we could clean up our old emails very quickly rather than one at a time. I have probably got 10 years of emails in Gmail I will never read again. I would appreciate it if you could show us how to do this again. Many Thanks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi John. The article we wrote<\/a> was about how to jump from the newest to the oldest emails in Gmail. However, you can easily select all emails on a page just by checking a box.<\/span><\/p>\n

Open Gmail to the page containing the emails you want to delete and tick the box at the top \u2013 as below;<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you tick that box, all emails on the page will be selected. If there are any emails selected you don\u2019t want to delete, just remove the checkmark next to them. To delete the selected emails just click on the trash can icon at the top and confirm you want to delete the selected emails.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/span><\/p>\n

You can delete up to 100 emails at a time using this method.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We hope this helps you, John.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Mona has problems installing a scanner<\/strong><\/span>
\nWhen I try to install the software that came with the photo scanner that I purchased, I receive the following message:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cloudeight<\/span><\/p>\n

I had a \u2018live chat\u2019 with the scanner manufacturer, PlusTek, regarding the ePhoto Z300 scanner that I purchased. It was suggested that they suspect that the problem is a corrupted system file. Does that make sense? They gave me the link to download the driver. I am having no success and looking for help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks for your anticipated help. Over my many years on my computer, I don\u2019t recall ever having an installation problem like this. Mona.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Mona. We\u2019ll try to help. Here are some ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turn off your computer and leave it off for 5 minutes \u2013 then restart it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Run both SFC and DISM scans as outlined on this page<\/a>. Be sure to restart your computer after running both.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, right-click on the scanner installation\/driver exe and choose \u201cRun as administrator\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

If that does not work, restart your computer, re-download the installation software from https:\/\/plustek.com\/us\/products\/film-photo-scanners\/ephoto-z300\/support.php<\/a>, and try to install it. This is a zip file with an installer package in it. Unzip it, then right-click on the installer and choose \u201cRun as administrator\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s sad that the company blames you\/your computer \u2013 instead of helping you. I\u2019m sure they have heard of this issue before.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let us know if this helps you.<\/span>
\n\u2014\u2014-<\/span>
\nMona wrote back: \u201cGood Morning, TC. My most sincere gratitude to you for the \u201cextra mile\u201d that you did to help guide me through my installation problem. Your detailed ideas were exactly what did the trick, and my scanner is on a roll. I do admit that there are times when I read instructions online, and the technical wording leaves me \u2018clueless\u2019. I was able to follow your step-by-step instructions, and all is well. Even with the challenge, the scanner is A-1. I now have a reliable scanner for slides, and this one scans paper photographs, as well as tools for adjusting and rejuvenating the scanned photos. Enjoy your day\u2026 stay well\u2026 Mona B.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Raymond asks about getting MS Office cheap<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Darcy & TC. I hope you\u2019re safe and well. My wife and I have purchased a new PC. We need MS Office Pro 2019. It was about $440 from Microsoft. We have to have MS Office due to the nature of the work my wife does at her School District. I have been looking online and a download starts from as little as $40. I know there are a lot of scammers out there. We just need the Pro version for one PC. Do you know any reputable sellers out the that can save us a few dollars? Thank You, Raymond.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Raymond. If you see a copy of MS Office for $40 you can be sure it\u2019s not a legal copy. Many times, foreign actors buy up RTM bulk licenses which are valid only for the companies that purchase them then resell the bulk licenses as individual licenses. Microsoft has a team assigned specifically to look for and find these bad actors and then invalidate the bulk license. And if you purchase one of these if the illegal use of the license is discovered Office will stop working.<\/span><\/p>\n

The far better option is the one that Darcy and I use, and that is Microsoft 365 which you get directly from Microsoft. You can buy Microsoft 365 for one computer for $69.99 a year (or $6.99 monthly). It\u2019s the full set of Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Money in Excel, and more. And as long as your subscription is active you always have the latest version of all office programs. For $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month, you can use MS Office on up to 6 computers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another nice feature of Microsoft 365 is you get 1 terabyte (about 1000 gigabytes) of OneDrive cloud storage for backing up your files.<\/span><\/p>\n

We both have the $6.99 monthly subscription and we like it.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can learn more here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I hope this helps you, Raymond.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Reg<\/span><\/p>\n

Now a<\/span>vailable: Reg Organizer 9.40<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If you purchased or renewed Reg Organizer through Cloudeight within the last 12 months, you\u2019re entitled to a free version upgrade to Reg Organizer 9.40. It works great with Windows 10 and Windows 11!<\/span><\/p>\n

Save $14 on Reg Organizer right now!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Reg Organizer \u2013 A Swiss Army Knife of Windows Tools \u2013 Works Great on Windows 10 and 11!<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kai wants to reinstall the Weather Channel app<\/strong><\/span>
\nHow do I get The Weather Channel back on my PC? I have Windows 10. The Weather Channel app wasn\u2019t working very well so I uninstalled it, and now I would like to get it back again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHI Kai. Here\u2019s what I found out. The Weather Channel App is no longer available in the Windows Store. The Weather Channel claims they have no plans to support Windows in the future (they support Android & Apple devices). The only places I could find to download The Weather Channel App are bad download sites and malicious ones like Softonics. You can search and those but you do so at your own peril.<\/span><\/p>\n

I use the Windows 10 Weather App. It\u2019s excellent with a ten-day forecast, current conditions, weather history, local & regional radar, weather alerts, and more. And it comes with Windows 10. You can find it in your start menu under the W section, called simply \u201cWeather\u201d. We did a write-up about the Windows 10 weather app last April and it\u2019s still up to date. If you\u2019re interested check it out here<\/a>. I think you\u2019ll be surprised at how nice it<\/span><\/p>\n

And I also checked to see if Accuweather has a Windows 10 app. They once did, but it too is no longer available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Dawn accidentally deleted some important files<\/strong><\/span>
\nCan you tell me if it is possible to recover deleted PDF files? I tried to download a program and Emsisoft kicked it off. Thank goodness. My two-year bank statement PDF files have gone AWOL and now I have downloaded them from my bank I do not have access to them anymore. I am a long-time user, and you are my Bible gurus so any help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Dawn. Thanks so much for your nice comments and your long-time support. Whether you can recover those files depends on how long ago they were deleted. Our recommended recovery program is called \u201cPuran File Recovery. Please read our post here<\/a> about Puran File Recovery and see if it sounds like something that would work for you. There are download links to the program in the post.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Terry wants to send sensitive data<\/strong><\/span>
\nI need to send sensitive data. What would you use? 7zip encrypted file? Word encrypted file? Any suggestions? Thanks, Terry.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Terry. It depends on how tech-savvy the person you are sending the file to. Personally, I would not choose any of these methods. I would send a link to the file in my Google Drive (not totally secure but the file can\u2019t be edited). Or you can share files securely using Microsoft OneDrive. Either way is a lot easier for the person on the other end rather than having them fooling around with 7-zip encrypted files or other password-protected files. If you use OneDrive, read this article about sharing files securely.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

You can also send files securely using a site like https:\/\/www.sendfilessecurely.com\/<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We hope this helps you, Terry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

\"Help<\/a>
\nDonate today and help us keep on helping you!<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Please help us to keep on helping you!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When you support us with a small gift, you help us continue our mission to keep you informed, separate the truth from the hyperbole, and help you stay safer online. Plus, our computer tips make your computer easier to use.<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that we provide support to thousands of people? Every week we help dozens of people via email at no charge. The questions and answers you see in our newsletters are from the email answers and help we provide to everyone free of charge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to your gifts, we do a lot more than provide this free newsletter. We help you recognize online threats, fight for your online privacy, provide you with the knowledge you need to navigate the Web safely, provide you with suggestions for safe, free software and websites, and help you get more out of your PC.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please Help us keep up the good fight with a small gift.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Interested in making an automatic monthly gift?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Visit this page<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Please help us keep helping you\u2026 and help you stay safe on the Web.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 083124 Meteorological autumn begins tomorrow in the Great Lakes region of the USA… college football is in full swing today… and summer was hot but fleeting. And it’s Saturday and it’s time for a new edition of Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers. Today, as we do every Saturday, we\u2019re featuring some\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3770,3764,4440,1461,1683,1751,4383,1678,2509,1,2641,4494,4485,1670,4481,1656,4385,4353,3948,4221,4299,3602,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28982"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28982\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28983,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28982\/revisions\/28983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}