Spring has unofficially and temporarily conquered winter, and we are enjoying the warm days of early spring. It won’t last. Another arctic blast is coming. But today, of course, is Saturday, and it’s time for another Saturday Bonus Questions & Answers edition.<\/span><\/p>\n Sometimes, the best tips and tricks are hidden in the published questions and answers. 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 Saturday Bonus Questions and Answers – 030726<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Dick wants to know what we know about DuckDuckGo<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> We find DuckDuckGo\u2019s search results are not as complete as Google\u2019s, but it is more private. We all need to keep in mind\u2026 nothing is private on the Internet -regardless of what you read or hear.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Dick.<\/span><\/p>\n Juvy has a problem with free MS Office alternatives<\/span><\/strong><\/span> One \u201cproblem\u201d I found with the free office program. I saved documents, but then when I had to use Microsoft Office, I could not open the file saved in FreeOffice. It works the other way around. You can save documents as a Word doc, but at the time, I didn\u2019t think I might need that in the future. Now that Microsoft has its programs online, making them a hassle, chances are that I will never go back to Microsoft Office again. Thank you again. Juvy.<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> For example, let\u2019s use *.DOCX (Word documents) as an example. It will automatically open in Microsoft Word regardless of any alternate office program you have installed. But you can easily change this in Settings > Apps > Default apps so that DOCX files (MS Word Documents) open in Open Office, WPS Office, Libre Office, etc. You can\u2019t save files in Free Office, you can only save them in folders on your computer unless Free Office offers some form of cloud storage\u2026 and even then you can still change your default settings so that DOCX, XLS, PPTX, and other MS Office formats open in Free Office, Open Office, WPS Office, Libre Office or whatever alternate office program you have installed. Some office alternatives may do this for you automatically, while others may not. You can change the default program to open any file type in Settings > Apps > Default apps.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Juvy.<\/span><\/p>\n Margie wants to know why, when she looks under \u201cDisk\u201d in Task Manager, it shows 100%<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/span><\/strong><\/span> My best guess is that something running in the background (such as a disk scan, malware scan, or Windows update) is causing your disk activity to jump. But unless you can tell me the name of the process, program, or app that is causing the issue, it\u2019s a hard guess.<\/span><\/p>\n One way to easily tell the processes causing high disk activity is by sorting the processes so they show from highest to lowest. You can by clicking on the column header (the word Disk in your case). So, click on the word Disk at the top to order the processes from those using the most disk to those using the least. Let me know what the top 3 processes listed are, and I\u2019ll try to figure out a solution for you.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember this, though\u2026 If your high disk activity is being caused by background scans or updates, the problem will resolve on its own when the scans\/updates have been completed.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you understand the problem and helps you get it resolved, Margie.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019ve helped hundreds of you with your computers since we started our Cloudeight Direct Computer Care Service<\/a>! If you\u2019re having computer problems \u2013 we CAN help you!<\/span><\/p>\n Get more information about Cloudeight Direct Computer Care and or get your repair keys here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Mary wants our suggestions for a VPN<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> We don\u2019t recommend VPNs for most people\u2026 they don\u2019t protect your identity, they don\u2019t protect you from being scammed, and they don\u2019t prevent your computer from being infected with viruses or malware. The advertising behind VPNs is mostly either false or hyperbolic.<\/span><\/p>\n If you work at home, your employer may require you to use a VPN, in that case, you\u2019d need one.\u00a0 And using a VPN when using public Wi-Fi is a must. Also, if you\u2019re living in a country where censorship is a problem, a VPN can disguise your location well enough to fool most censorship attempts. This would come in handy if you wanted to access certain websites that are restricted to certain countries.<\/span><\/p>\n But at home, a VPN\u00a0 is not necessary. And it\u2019s important to keep in mind, despite the advertising hyperbole, a VPN won\u2019t protect you from being scammed, or prevent your computer from being infected. Many VPN vendors claim they don\u2019t keep logs, but you have to take their word for it. And if they keep logs, logs can be accessed by third parties and law enforcement (with warrants).<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to try a VPN, you can install a free browser-based VPN like CyberGhost for Chrome\/Edge<\/a>. With a browser-based VPN, you can disguise your location and easily turn it on and off as needed.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Mary.<\/span><\/p>\n Annie wants a different picture on her sign-in screen<\/strong><\/span> Also, may I ask if there is a way to get different pictures upon signing into Windows? I find Microsoft\u2019s photos that they randomly force on you to be somewhat depressing and tedious! Thanks so very much for your wonderful help! Annie<\/span> As far as the Windows 11 sign-in (log-in) screen goes \u2014 here\u2019s how to change the picture, stop Microsoft from changing the picture, and\/or get rid of the picture on the sign-in screen altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Right-click on an empty area of your desktop.<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Chose \u201cPersonalize\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 3. In Personalization click on \u201cLock screen\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Next to \u201cPersonalize your lock screen\u201d change it to \u201cPicture\u201d (Spotlight allows Microsoft to choose Lock screen pictures). See the screenshot below.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Scroll down until you see \u201cChoose a photo\u201d then click the \u201cBrowse\u201d button to choose a photo from your PC. If you don\u2019t want any photo at all on your sign-in screen turn the switch next to \u201cShow the lock screen background on the sign-in screen\u201d to \u201cOff\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Annie.<\/span><\/p>\n Wayne gets an annoying message from American Megatrends when he starts up his computer<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> But if it is starting up without any input from you, you may have a problem with your hardware or your BIOS. Here\u2019s a page<\/a> that can help you determine what is causing the American Megatrends screen to keep appearing on your computer. As you\u2019ll see, there are many different causes. But what you\u2019re seeing is not a program -not something you can uninstall -it\u2019s your BIOS settings screen, and your computer cannot run without its BIOS (on most newer computers UEFI).<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Wayne.<\/span><\/p>\n Now available: Reg Organizer 9.88<\/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 9.88. 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 Robert buys a Lenovo computer, and now they want to sell him Wi-Fi Security & a VPN service<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> A VPN is not going to prevent someone from attacking your wireless network (your router). Your wireless network is protected by WPA2 encryption. All modern routers support WPA2. WPA2 has been used on all certified Wi-Fi hardware since 2006 and is based on the IEEE 802.11i technology standard for data encryption. And now it\u2019s been upgraded to WPA3.<\/span><\/p>\n When WPA2 \/ WPA3 is enabled, anyone else within range of the network might be able to see the Wi-Fi traffic, but it will be scrambled with the most up-to-date encryption standards. And this, your network is protected.<\/span><\/p>\n VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It does not protect the Wi-Fi traffic between devices in your home and your wireless router. It still depends on your ISP\u2019s internet connection service to work. A VPN works like this:<\/span><\/p>\n Home Wi-Fi network > ISP > VPN Server > Internet (websites, etc.)<\/span><\/p>\n Emsisoft<\/a> protects you and your computer from malware, viruses, ransomware, PUPs, and all manner of nasty things you might encounter on the Web, but it does not protect your Wi-Fi connection; it is an antivirus and antimalware.<\/span><\/p>\n Make sure you\u2019re using WPA2 ot WPA3 protection on your router to protect your home network and don\u2019t be tricked into buying a VPN thinking it\u2019s going to make your home network secure.<\/span><\/p>\n VPNs can be useful in some situations especially when using public Wi-Fi\u2026 but VPNs do not prevent identity theft \u2013 no matter what anyone says. Over 90% of identity theft occurs when people are tricked into giving up their usernames, passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and other highly personal information. And no VPN in this world is going to prevent you from getting tricked. The only program that\u2019s going to do that is YOB \u2013 You Own Brain.<\/span><\/p>\n Hope this helps!<\/span><\/p>\n Roy wants to know how to enable his Windows 10 touchscreen If you would please let me know, as I am baffled as to where to go to enable it again, did not think I used it that much till today, when I turned on the system and it did not function. I know that it did work on this personal computer.<\/span><\/p>\n Any directions or help is greatly appreciated. Have a good day, Roy<\/span><\/p>\n Our answer<\/strong><\/span> 1. Right-click your Windows 10 Start button (or use the Windows key + X shortcut).<\/span> 4. Select \u201cHID-compliant touch screen\u201d from the list.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Select the Action tab at the top of the window (as above).<\/span><\/p>\n 6. Select Enable device from the drop-down menu and confirm.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you, Roy.<\/span><\/p>\n Irwin doesn\u2019t have as many fonts on his new computer as he had on his old one<\/strong><\/span> Our answer<\/strong><\/span> If you installed a lot of custom fonts on your old computer, then your new computer would seem to have comparatively few. So, all you have to do is install more fonts on your new computer if you want a bigger selection of fonts.<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s an article we wrote about how to view and install fonts on Windows 10 and 11.<\/a> This article also includes some nice places to download (mostly) free fonts.<\/span><\/p>\n We hope this helps you.<\/span> THANK YOU FOR HELPING US! 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 more than provide this free newsletter. We help you recognize online threats, fight for your online privacy, help you navigate the Web safely, provide 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
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\nDo you know anything about DuckDuckGo? Thanks, Dick.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Dick. DuckDuckGo has been around for over a decade. We wrote about it back in 2011<\/a>. It was just a privacy search engine then, but now they offer a rowser, an AI chatbot, a mail service, and more. We\u2019ve tried the browser, the search engine, and the chatbot. All of them seem to work well.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHello. I\u2019m amazed you have time to send out replies! Thank you for that.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Juvy. It\u2019s incorrect that Microsoft Office forces you to open files with it. It depends on your default app settings. By default, if you have Microsoft Office installed (or use the online version) Windows will automatically set your default apps to open MS Office files with MS Office. But you can change this in Settings >Apps > Default apps.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHi. My question is in Task Manager, under the heading of the Processor tab, the Disk is showing a constant 100% and it is in red. Why is it red, and what could be causing it to be that way? I have opened Task Manager many times and never saw anything like this before. I was wondering why the P was starting so slowly, and was going to check my start-up items, they were ok, with only a few things starting up, but the 100% disk in red dumbfounded me. Any ideas? Thank you, Margie<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Margie. Disk means Disk activity or Disk usage. When you see 100% disk activity that\u2019s going to make your computer slow to respond or non-responsive but it wouldn\u2019t cause your computer to boot up slower unless whatever program or app that\u2019s causing the high disk usage is starting with Windows.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI am so involved in my family history genealogy work that a great many things get set aside. Some of my ancestors that I have researched go back to 1100 or earlier\u2013just a lot of verification must be done. I need to do better in checking things. And because I do extensive research, I so count on my Emsisoft to be working away. Now I need to investigate VPNs. Any suggestions?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Mary. Wow\u2026Wow back to the 12th Century? Great work!<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nHi Darcy & TC, \u201cManage your subscription\u201d keeps giving me an error message when I try to change my email address. What can I do to change my address?<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nOur answer<\/strong><\/span>
\nHi Annie. Please let me know what your new email address is and I\u2019ll change your InfoAve subscriptions for you. I\u2019m sorry you\u2019re having problems.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2022\/lock.png%20\")
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\nOf late, when I power up my computer I get an annoying message from American Megatrends that will not go away until I click my way through their program being very careful not to click anything too risky. How do I get rid of this program? Is it safe to use? Any benefits? Many thanks for all your help to us seniors. Regards, Wayne<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Wayne. American Megatrends makes the motherboard and the BIOS in your computer. It is not a program. It is not something you can uninstall. American Megatrends is the Basic input-output system, better known as the BIOS. It will show up depending on your machine if you press certain keys or a certain key.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nI am not a big fan of Lenovo, but they had a deal on a nice \u201cIdeapad320\u201d (8GB RAM 1TB Hard drive) that I couldn\u2019t pass up a month ago. I did one of their \u201csystem check-ups\u201d on the laptop today, and it said my device\u2019s security is well protected by Emsisoft\u2019s Anti-Malware and Windows Firewall. They of course, recommended McAfee, which we all know is like a \u201csnake in the grass.\u201d One thing the security scan did point out was what was termed a \u201clack of Wi-Fi security\u201d. Of course, then they try to sell you on their partner\u2019s Wi-Fi Security (Coronet) program and\/or a VPN purchased through them. I know all of it is garbage (my term); but if the machines using the Wi-Fi are already protected by Emsisoft, there is no need for a separate Wi-Fi Security is there?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Robert. It\u2019s funny how some people will start making up fairy tales to frighten people into buying something. It\u2019s all about the money. PC manufacturers are famous for low-balling the price of computers and then trying to add profit by selling unnecessary extras. That\u2019s why some computers come loaded with bloatware and trialware.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n<\/strong>Good morning. I was wondering if you could tell me where I should go to re-enable the touch screen feature on my personal computer. Not sure what happened or what I did or didn\u2019t do or if it came down as part of an automatic upgrade that happens occasionally to the system.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Roy. Here\u2019s how to Enable your touchscreen in Windows 10<\/span><\/p>\n
\n2. Click on Device Manager.<\/span>
\n3. Select the arrow next to Human Interface Devices.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Cloudeight](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2019\/touchscreen-on.png\")
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\nHi. I\u2019m finding on my new HP PC, I have nothing like the range of FONTS which I was familiar with on my earlier unit. I have noted your articles on FONTS but wasn\u2019t requiring help then. Could you please let me have your recommendation to assist me? Again, many thanks for your help on many occasions. Regards, Irwin T.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHi Irwin. Thank you!\u00a0 Windows 11 comes with several dozen fonts. If you\u2019re interested, \u00a0you can see a list of all the fonts that come with Windows 11 here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n
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\nIrwin wrote back: \u201cHi TC. Thanks again for your prompt response to my query. I\u2019m having fun just scanning through the multitude of fonts. All the best, Irwin T.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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