{"id":31321,"date":"2025-12-27T09:42:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T14:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/?p=31321"},"modified":"2025-12-27T09:42:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T14:42:23","slug":"saturday-bonus-questions-and-answers-122725","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/saturday-bonus-questions-and-answers-122725\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 122725"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 24pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 122725<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-31322 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026.png\" alt=\"Wishing you all the best in 2026! Happy New Year!\" width=\"499\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2026-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful NEW YEAR!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">This will be our last edition of Bonus Questions and Answers for 2025. We both wish you and those you love a very Happy New Year.. And let&#8217;s not forget, of course, that today is Saturday, and it\u2019s time for another edition of Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Today, as we do every Saturday, we\u2019re featuring some of the questions and answers from past issues of our <a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/join.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">InfoAve Weekly<\/a> newsletters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">These questions &amp; answers were selected at random from past InfoAve Weekly newsletters.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style9\"> <span class=\"auto-style1\"><span class=\"normaltext\"> <span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"> <strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"auto-style790 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/christmas2025a.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Christmas Holiday Sale\" width=\"600\" height=\"177\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style797\" style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #ff0000;\"> <strong>Christmas Holiday Sale<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong>Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair Keys Are Just $39 Right Now!<\/strong><\/a><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong> <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">You can get a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Key for just $39 during our Christmas Holiday Sale! You save over 20% off our regular low price of $50. Your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair key never expires; it&#8217;s good until you use it. It&#8217;s good for any computer repair that we can do remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">Buy a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair Key for just $39 during our Christmas Holiday Sale!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 24pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 122725<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Marie says her Windows 11 Start menu and taskbar\/Start menu search do not work..<\/strong>.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">I am running Windows 11. The start menu does not open at all, and cannot type anything in the taskbar search. I have no idea how to correct this. Could you possibly help? Thank you, Marie.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Marie. Try this first. Turn off your computer using the power switch\u2026 and leave it off for five minutes. Make sure there are no power lights on. Then turn on your computer. Now see if your Start menu works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If that does not work, try this\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Type CMD in the taskbar search and press Enter<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">When Command Prompt appears in the search results click on \u201cRun as administrator.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">When the Command Prompt opens, type the following at the prompt\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">SFC\/ SCANNOW<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">and press Enter. Make sure you type it exactly as shown. The System File Checker takes from five to ten minutes to run. It will scan for missing\/corrupted Windows files and try to replace any it finds. After the scan is complete. restart your computer and try your Start menu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Still not working? Make sure your computer is up-to-date. Type Windows Update in the taskbar search and press Enter. When Windows Update opens, click on \u201cCheck for updates\u201d and make sure your computer is up to date. If updates are installed and your computer has restarted, then try your Start menu.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">More solutions\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If the problem started recently \u2013 say, within the past 2 weeks, try using System Restore. Type RSTRUI in the taskbar search and press Enter. This will start System Restore. Select \u201cChoose a different date\u201d and click \u201cnext. If there is a restore point available with a date that precedes the date your Start menu problems began, select it, and restore your computer to that date. You won\u2019t lose anything except any programs you installed after that date.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">The one solution that we\u2019re sure will work is resetting Windows 11. A Windows 11 reset completely removes your Windows installation and reinstalls Windows, but keeps your personal files and folders. After a reset, you\u2019ll need to reinstall any programs that did not come with Windows. A reset will fix your problems, but it is also the most time-consuming and work-intensive solution of all the possible solutions we\u2019ve presented. If nothing else works for you, then we suggest you bite the bullet and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/how-to-reset-windows-10-or-windows-11-and-keep-your-personal-files\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">follow the instructions on this page<\/a>\u00a0to reset your Windows 11 computer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We hope this helps you, Marie.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><span class=\"auto-style1\">Mildred\u2019s taskbar search no longer works<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi folks. I need a little help. My taskbar search doesn\u2019t respond. I have done shutdowns. I can\u2019t do a system restore as it doesn\u2019t respond to create a restore point in the taskbar search. Am I making any sense? I still have a Computer care number. Thank you for all your help in the past and hopefully you have an answer for me\u2026 Mildred.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><span class=\"auto-style1\">Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Mildred. This could be a difficult issue to solve. But let\u2019s see if we can help you with this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Here are some things you can try.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">1. Run the Windows troubleshooter \u2013 Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can help identify and fix issues with the taskbar search. To access it in Windows 10, open Settings &gt; Update &amp; Security &gt; Troubleshoot &gt; Search and Indexing. In Windows 11, open Settings then click on System &gt; Troubleshoot &gt; Other troubleshooters &gt; Search and Indexing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2023\/sindex.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"600\" height=\"463\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">2. Reset Windows Search \u2013 resetting the Windows Search index can help fix issues with taskbar search. To do this, go to Settings &gt; Search &gt; Searching Windows &gt; Advanced Search Indexer Settings &gt; Troubleshoot Search and Indexing &gt; Advanced &gt; Rebuild.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">3. Check for corrupt files \u2013 use the System File Checker (SFC) tool to scan for and repair corrupt system files. Open a Command Prompt as an administrator, type SFC \/SCANNOW, and press Enter. You can also right-click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (admin), PowerShell (admin), or Terminal (admin), depending on your computer configuration. In Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Terminal at the prompt type, SFC \/SCANNOW and press Enter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">4. Disable third-party search software \u2013 if you have any third-party search software (like Everything Search) installed, try disabling it to see if it is interfering with the taskbar search functionality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If none of these solutions work, you may need to reset your computer which means reinstalling Windows but keeping all your personal files (pictures, documents, music, videos) and you\u2019ll need to re-install any software that didn\u2019t come with Windows like Google Chrome, Emsisoft, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Please let us know if this helps you \u2013 or if you need more help.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Mildred wrote back:\u00a0<em>\u201cThank you for the quick response. Reset Windows Search worked. Glad I didn\u2019t have to do a computer reset. That scares the pants off me!! Thank you again ever so much. What would I do without you? Mildred\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Steve asks about OpenDNS<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi. I\u2019m curious about OpenDNS. Is it really as good as it claims?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Steve. We wrote about OpenDNS in 2013 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/open-dns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see this page<\/a>). But that was nine years ago and as with computers and the Internet, nine years is a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">I just reviewed OpenDNS again and it looks to me like they\u2019ve decided to be your guardian or censor, depending on how you look at it. Parental controls are fine as long as you decide what is appropriate and not someone else. Having someone else decide what\u2019s appropriate never works out. The only free OPEN DNS service that you don\u2019t have to sign up for is the free service where OpenDNS decides what you\u2019ll see and what you won\u2019t see. The free version with no sign-up is kind of like having someone else decide what books you can read and which books you\u2019ll never see. Maybe you don\u2019t want to see \u201cAdult content\u201d but who defines \u201cadult content\u201d for you? You or someone else? The free, no sign-up Open DNS option, decides for you\u2026 and is that ever a good idea?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We\u2019ve tried several DNS services including OpenDNS, Google Public DNS, and Cloudflare\u2019s 1.1.1.1 DNS. I think Cloudflare\u2019s 1.1.1.1 DNS is the fastest, most private, and best. It\u2019s also fairly easy to set up and you don\u2019t have to give them any information or sign up for anything. We reviewed Cloudflare back in 2018 when it first came out. Today, I went back and took another look \u2013 and also set it up on the computer I am using. Again I was impressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">So, if you want to know what DNS services do and\/or if you would like to take a look at an alternative to OpenDNS,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/cloudflares-free-1-1-1-1-dns-service-may-increase-speed-and-privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">take a look at this article.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style66\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"auto-style790\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/xmasxup.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Christmas Holiday Sale\" width=\"569\" height=\"176\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style797\" style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Christmas Holiday Sale<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style1\" style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/cco.htm\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Computer Cleanup, Checkup &amp; Optimization Service<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><strong><br class=\"auto-style1\" \/><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">During our special Christmas Holiday Sale, you can buy a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Cleanup, Checkup, and Optimization service key for just $19! That&#8217;s right&#8230; for just $19&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">** We\u2019ll check your computer for malware and questionable programs<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">** We\u2019ll check and optimize your startup programs<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">** We\u2019ll check your computer performance to make sure your RAM and CPU usage are within normal ranges<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">** We\u2019ll check to make sure your Windows settings are configured for the best performance and privacy.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">** We\u2019ll review your installed programs and make sure no questionable programs are installed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Our Christmas Holiday Cleanup, Checkup, and Optimization can help ensure your computer is running at its best.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style1\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/cco.htm\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Take advantage of this special offer before it&#8217;s gone. Get all the details here.<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Laura says Bing has taken over<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Bing keeps taking over Google Chrome. Someone said I should use Restoro to check it out. Please do you have an answer? Thank you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Laura. Bing is a Microsoft search engine. I am guessing you added a Bing toolbar (extension) or some other extension to Chrome that keeps switching your search engine. It could be a search engine hijacker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Try this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">1. Type CHROME:\/\/EXTENSIONS in the Chrome address bar &amp; press \u201cEnter\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">2. Disable or remove any extension that contains the word Bing or Search<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">You can also remove Bing from the list of search engines available in Chrome.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">1. Type CHROME:\/\/SETTINGS\/SEARCH in the Chrome address bar &amp; press \u201cEnter\u201d<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">2. Make sure your default search engine is set to Google.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2020\/bingo.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight Google Chrome Tips\" width=\"588\" height=\"132\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">3. After you click \u201cManage search engines, you can remove Bing from the list of available search engines, if you choose to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2020\/bingo1.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight InfoAve\" width=\"574\" height=\"207\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If the above doesn\u2019t stop Bing,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/u7j7ltt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">reset Chrome by following the instructions on this page<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Resetting Chrome returns Chrome to its defaults. Keep in mind, this does not remove bookmarks. It disables all extensions, clears Chrome history and cache, and restores Chrome to its factory defaults.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Restoro is malware in our opinion. It\u2019s scammy and it can mess up your computer. Our advice is don\u2019t use it. It\u2019s certainly not the miracle cure it claims to be. If you have installed it, we recommend you uninstall it.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Mike\u2019s friend sent him a tip on how to make his computer lightning-fast<br \/>\n<\/strong>How to kill Win 10 apps\u2026 A friend of mine found on the web how to disable all the extra apps on Win10 to trim his PC down to the bare minimum and reported blinding speeds as a result. Rather than search the internet, I thought I\u2019d ask the experts \u2013 YOU! Where do you look to disable or even remove all the nonessential programs in Windows 10? A list of what to kill or keep and where to find those controls would be terrific.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Michael. There are a lot of myths going on here. Windows Store apps don\u2019t use any resources when they\u2019re not running. And you can stop any app from running in the background by going to Settings &gt; Apps &gt;Privacy &gt;Background apps and turning the switch at the top under \u201cLet apps run in the background\u201d to \u201cOff\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Some people refer to desktop programs as apps. The only programs that generally affect performance are the ones starting with Windows. The only programs that need to start with Windows are programs like antivirus programs or programs necessary for an essential function like the computer\u2019s sound. There are dozens of programs (many free) that help control startups. Generally, there should not be more than 4 or 5 programs starting with Windows.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Our two favorite programs to use to manage Windows startup programs are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/hibit-uninstaller-revisited\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HiBit Uninstaller<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/autoruns-the-ultimate-startup-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Autoruns<\/a>. You can also use Windows Task Manager to control start-ups. Hibit and Autoruns are more robust.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Cutting back on startup programs can make a big difference in computer performance, but \u201clightning-fast\u201d is probably more due to having a lot of RAM than it is to turning off background apps and keeping startup programs to a minimum, although it\u2019s always helpful to keep things under control.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Task Manager is also a good way to see what programs are using the most resources thus slowing down your computer.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/how-to-use-windows-task-manager-to-find-out-why-your-pc-is-running-poorly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See this article<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">And I can tell you this if a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC has only 4GB of RAM, there\u2019s no way on God\u2019s green earth, that that computer is going to be lightning-fast no matter what do. The more programs you open the fewer resources you\u2019ll have available. And most people don\u2019t realize that with most browsers, each tab opens as a separate process. So having 20 browser tabs open will slow down any computer that doesn\u2019t have enough installed RAM. We don\u2019t suggest running Windows 10 or Windows 11 with less than 8 GB of RAM.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">My $280 cheapie Windows 11 computer runs \u201clightning-fast\u201d because it has 12 GB of RAM. And even with more than adequate RAM, I still don\u2019t allow many programs starting with Windows<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">So, whenever I hear someone saying \u201cOh, you and do this and that and make your computer lightning fast\u201d I raise my eyebrows and think \u201csure\u201d \u2013 because this is the fallacy promoted by the many scammy One-Click-Wonder-Fix programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">So, I guess, my answer isn\u2019t what you wanted to hear, but we hope it\u2019s helpful anyway.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\u2014\u2014<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Mike wrote back: \u201c<em>Brilliant answer TC! You\u2019re the best! My friend does have heaps of RAM.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Larry says his \u201cwebmail\u201d adblocker no longer works<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hello, folks! I need some advice, and I know you computer wizards can help me. I used Web Ad Blocker for a long time, and it worked to block all the ads in all of my email programs (Outlook and Gmail), but then suddenly quit working. I uninstalled it and reinstalled it, and the ads continue to appear, especially in my Outlook mail. I remember you guys recommending this program and that is why I got it, and it has worked great for years. Reinstalling it did not help. Is Web Ad Blocker no longer viable? Is there another (easy) program that I could install to block ads in my mail, which are so distracting? Thank you both so much, I would be lost without you guys there to help and guide us old folks! I trust your judgment and know you will give me the best advice. Thank you, from your friend! Larry H.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Larry. Thanks so much.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We have never heard of a webmail ad blocker and we\u2019re not familiar with \u201cWeb Ad Blocker\u201d so we have no idea what\u2019s going on with it. The only two ad blockers we\u2019ve ever recommended are Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin. While we recommend installing them both, if you\u2019re only going to install one, then you should install uBlock Origin. It will block ads on all web pages including on webmail pages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/ublock-origin-can-help-keep-you-safe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You can read more about uBlock Origin here.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/ublock-origin-lite-an-excellent-adblocker-that-works-with-google-chrome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">If you\u2019re using Google Chrome, check out uBlock Origin Lite.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">If you\u2019re interested in adding the Privacy Badger extension to your browser also,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/privacy-badger-your-badger-of-privacy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">see this page.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We hope this helps you, Larry.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style9\"><span class=\"auto-style1\"><span class=\"normaltext\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"auto-style790 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2026\/christmas2025a.png\" alt=\"Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Christmas Holiday Sale\" width=\"600\" height=\"177\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"auto-style797\" style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: #ff0000;\"> <strong>Christmas Holiday Sale<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair Keys Are Just $39 Right Now!<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong> <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">You can get a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Key for just $39 during our Christmas Holiday Sale! You save over 20% off our regular low price of $50. Your Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair key never expires; it&#8217;s good until you use it. It&#8217;s good for any computer repair that we can do remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/direct\/2025\/christmas\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Buy a Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Repair Key for just $39 during our Christmas Holiday Sale!\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Dennis cannot figure out how to network his computers<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">I\u2019ve tried and tried, but I cannot set up a network among our 3 computers. 2 are Windows 11 and the other is an old MS Surface running Windows 10. Can you recommend some kind of reading material in regular English (and illustrations won\u2019t hurt) that will help this old fart accomplish something that I think most 3rd graders can do with ease?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Dennis. First, it\u2019s not true (anymore) that networking computers is something any 3rd grader could do. Maybe back in the days when Windows still had \u201cHomegroups\u201d, but Windows 10 and Windows 11 do not. Networking is not simple anymore, it requires a lot of steps and some time. Before you attempt to network 3 computers, you should network the two Windows 11 computers and then add the Windows 10 computer, following similar steps. There are some differences between what you need to do in Windows 11 and what you need to do in Windows 10, but they are still similar.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">It\u2019s a lot easier to share files and folders between computers (file\/folder sharing) than it is to network them. But since you asked, and since we are not going to get into writing guides for networking, we\u2019re going to point you in the right direction.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/helpdeskgeek.com\/networking\/how-to-network-two-computers-together-running-windows-11-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Here\u2019s a guide that may help you<\/a>. It shows how to network two computers \u2013 and that\u2019s what you should do. Once the two are networked, you can then add the third.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">To say that it\u2019s so simple any third-grader could do it may have been true back in the days of \u201cHomegroups\u201d but it\u2019s not that elementary anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We hope this helps you, Dennis.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Doris says her Windows 10 Start button has disappeared from her taskbar<br \/>\n<\/strong>I hope you can help me with this. My start button on my taskbar has disappeared. Can you tell me how to find it? Or maybe you can do it for me?\u00a0 I am an old senior citizen and have a hard time following instructions. I have a Cloudeight Direct service key from 2017 which I can use. Thank you Doris G.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Doris. This may be something I would need to look at since I don\u2019t know if you had your Windows 10 PC set up to look like Windows 7 or not. If you did and if Classic Shell was installed then we\u2019d need to reinstall it or remove it and just go with the Windows 10 Start button.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">But before we go through all of that, let me ask you to try two things for me:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">#1. If you press the Windows key (it\u2019s the key on the bottom of your keyboard with the Windows logo on it) \u2013 does your Start Menu open?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">#2. Shut down your PC. Power it off completely. Make sure you hold the power button in for at least 30 seconds so all power is off and no lights on your computer are lit. Leave your computer off for at least 5 minutes \u2013 then turn it back on. Is your Start button there?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Let me know the answer to those 2 questions and we\u2019ll go from there.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Doris wrote back: \u201c<em>Thanks so much! I turned my computer off for about 5 minutes and then turned it on, and the\u00a0 Start button was back on my taskbar. You two are great! Thanks again. Doris.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Barbara says her computer screen is upside-down<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">How do I fix an upside-down display? My desktop screen turned upside-down this morning. HELP!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Our answer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Hi Barbara. There\u2019s an easy fix. The works on any version of Windows including Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can make your upside-down screen right-side-up by holding down the CTRL+ALT keys and tapping the UP ARROW key on your keyboard.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">We hope this helps you, Barbara.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/donation.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2023\/gift23.png\" alt=\"Help us keep on helping you!\" width=\"540\" height=\"119\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/donation.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Donate today and help us keep on helping you!<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style809\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong>Please help us to keep on helping you!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style809\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">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<p class=\"auto-style13\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">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<p class=\"auto-style13\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">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<p class=\"auto-style13\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/donation.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> P<strong>lease help us keep up the good fight with a small gift.<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style8\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\"><strong><span class=\"auto-style12\">Interested in making an automatic monthly gift?<\/span><span class=\"auto-style12\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"auto-style12\">Visit this page<\/span><\/a><span class=\"auto-style12\">. <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"auto-style8\"><span class=\"auto-style12\" style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">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<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers \u2013 122725 Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Peaceful NEW YEAR! This will be our last edition of Bonus Questions and Answers for 2025. We both wish you and those you love a very Happy New Year.. And let&#8217;s not forget, of course, that today is Saturday, and it\u2019s time for another edition\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/saturday-bonus-questions-and-answers-122725\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/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":[3764,1462,4496,1461,1683,2247,3472,2270,4452,4353,3948,4221,4299,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31321"}],"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=31321"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31324,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31321\/revisions\/31324"}],"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=31321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}