Computer Class Notes 3-25-2021

View the video https://tinyurl.com/5tn5536c

Read the notes https://tinyurl.com/b793v5mp

How to Open Multiple Websites with a Shortcut on Windows 10

If you open multiple websites regularly, you can create a shortcut in Windows 10 to open all those sites in a single click (or a double-click). This trick uses Windows 10’s batch-scripting capabilities, but there’s also a pretty easy way to do it in any web browser.



I demonstrated this by creating a batch (.BAT) file using the Notepad application that comes with Windows. I saved the file in My Downloads and then opened it. It then opened those two websites in the browser.
https://tinyurl.com/yh9n8wvs

How to Install Kodi on Amazon FireStick
In this step-by-step guide, I will show you how to install Kodi 18.9 Leia on FireStick within 2 minutes. The same guide will also work for Firestick 4K, Fire TV, Firestick Lite, and Fire TV Cube. Before we start the installation steps, let’s start with a brief introduction.
https://tinyurl.com/yfmxtekg



Hit Web Counter
Welcome to HitWebCounter. The most widely used Free internet Counter. These webpage counters are easy to use HTML counters. You just have to put the web counter code into your HTML and you are ready to go.
https://www.hitwebcounter.com/

How To Edit Webpage While Saving To PDF
Do you occasionally want to save a webpage as a PDF or print it? Have you been annoyed by parts of the webpage that you don’t want in the PDF but cannot exclude? For example, you might want to exclude advertisements, images, or other parts unrelated to the subject. After implementing this simple bookmark, you will be able to edit the webpage you are viewing while saving it as a PDF file or printing it by clicking on the bookmark.
https://tinyurl.com/yhyejcrq

The 10 Greatest Versions of Windows, Ranked
Over the past 35 years, Microsoft has released at least 30 major versions of the Windows operating system. But they weren’t all created equal, so we thought it would be fun to rank the 10 greatest desktop versions of this essential OS.

I missed showing this one. Take a look at it and enjoy the ride through the last 35 years of Windows.
https://tinyurl.com/yzz8ypkq

Foreign Language PDF to DOC
Question from Harold: A few days ago I did receive a PDF file from overseas and I wanted this german PDF document translated into english, I could "not copy and paste" this document on to a translatitation program -- what did I do wrong?

I have used pdf2doc.com to convert a PDF into an editable DOC file. Then the DOC file can be used to open a word processing program like MS Word, LibreOffice, Google Docs, etc,

I had never tried to convert a non-English PDF. So we tried it and it worked fine. Now the translation issue.



It was suggested that we open the foreign (German in this example) in MS Word. Then under Help search for Translate.



The entire document was translated into English and displayed in the default browser. Then it was a copy/paste to place it on the clipboard for use in an email, the original document, or elsewhere.



We could have selected opened a browser and searched for the word translate in the Google search engine.



Then paste the German text in the left box. The translation to English immediately appears in the right box. Just copy/paste the results into the application you need.

Windows 10’s Photos App Is Too Slow
Windows 10’s Photos app is too slow. It was too sluggish the day Microsoft released Windows 10, and it still is. Follow our advice and your images will open three or four times as fast.

As we have seen before, Photos does a lot including resizing images and editing movie files. It takes a long time to load and process the images. A faster program to use is irfanview which we have looked at in the past.
https://tinyurl.com/ybss4wfu

How to Switch to DuckDuckGo, a Private Search Engine
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that’s been online since 2008. Find websites, maps, videos, news, and more—without tracking your searches and serving you targeted ads. Here’s how to make the switch from Google, Bing, or any other search engine.

This stops your search on Amazon for a beach ball from showing you beach ball ads on the next series of sites you open. On DDG your searching is kept private.
https://tinyurl.com/y3jvm9rl

A Private Alternative to Google Maps: DuckDuckGo Maps
DuckDuckGo isn’t just a private alternative to Google and Bing’s web search. It has a built-in online mapping solution designed with privacy in mind. If you want to leave Google, you don’t have to stick around for Google Maps.
https://tinyurl.com/yc6wcteb

Computer Class Notes 3-18-2021

View the video https://tinyurl.com/upbzpbkd
Read the notes https://tinyurl.com/8e8rpjvf

Macrium Backup Failed
It worked on one computer for me (Shannon) but fails on the second computer!

I have no advice on how to fix that. I had a similar issue with the office computer and switched to EaseUS with no issues at all. I did not try to research the problem with Macrium or the forums. I just moved to what worked for me and have had no additional issues.

Kodi Update


Yea and Yipee - I (Rosemary) put a Kodi build on the Firestick yesterday and watched a wonderful movie last night! Followed a video on this website.
FirestickTricks.com

Applying A VPN
Have a question about the VPN. I will be getting the Express VPN (as recommended by son and grandson). I now know what a VPN is and how it works - just don't know how to apply it to my appliances?

Connect to a VPN in Windows 10
Select the Start button, then select Settings > Network & Internet > VPN > Add a VPN connection.

In Add a VPN connection, do the following: ...

Select Save.

If you need to edit the VPN connection info or specify additional settings, such as proxy settings, choose the VPN connection and then select Advanced options.

Expressvpn.com is recommended by FirestickTricks.com

Windows 10 version 1909 support ends in May
Support for Windows 10 version 1909 will end on May 11, 2021 for Home users. Each year, support runs out for two versions of Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system. Devices won't receive security updates anymore when the operating system reaches the end of life. Microsoft recommends that administrators upgrade systems to new versions that are still supported.

You can still run the older versions of Windows 10 just like you can still run XP, Vista, 7, and 8. You just have to realize that some future application upgrades might not work with the OS you are using. There will come a time when you may have to purchase a new computer.
https://tinyurl.com/c3h2bjpk

Technology for Dummies



Very British & difficult to understand. But funny.
https://tinyurl.com/jsdzj57z

MISINFORMATION



Warning
My (Harold B) friend just stopped over and confronted me with 35 messages even threatening to take his house etc. and wanted to know what to do. I had forgotten about the Police Dept--they had come to one of the club’s general meetings a few years ago and spoke on scams and what to do. I send him there and they were able to help him.

How do I encrypt an email attachment in Gmail?
Send messages & attachments confidentially

1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
2. Click Compose.
3. In the bottom right of the window, click Turn on confidential mode. Tip: If you've already turned on confidential mode for an email, go to the bottom of the email, then click Edit.
4. Set an expiration date and passcode. ...
5. Click Save.

TinyURL Changes
It used to be that I could create a shortcut on my bookmark bar to automatically generate a TinyURL. The bookmark still takes the URL in the address bar bu8t instead of making the TinyURL it opens for me to take an additional step. Still a great tool, just one more step.

Here is the code to place in the shortcut to have it build the TinyURL for you:



Create a shortcut and edit it placing this in the URL portion.

javascript:void(location.href='http://tinyurl.com/create.php?url='+encodeURIComponent(location.href))

Why You Should Not Use Your ISP's Email
When you sign up for an Interner Service Provider (ISP) you are assigned an email address with that provider. Around here the two major ISPs are Comcast and Century Link so you have either a yourname@comcast.net or a yourname@embarqmail.com address. Your ISP is the “cloud” for your emails and contacts and all works well.

If you decide to switch providers or you just move to another area and your provider is not available in the new location. No problem, you think. The new ISP assigns you a new address at their site but you no longer have access to your old emails or contacts. Your new address is yourmail@newprovider.com and not one of your contacts can find you unless you notify them of the change.

Many ISPs will allow you to continue to access the mail for a limited time period. Once that is overall your information is removed. This is why I always suggest using a cloud-based email service like Yahoo or Gmail. They are not dependant on your ISP. As long as you can get on a browser and have access to the Internet you can access your email.

Create A Custom Menu With Popsel
Is your desktop or taskbar full of shortcuts that you use regularly? While it may be a quick way to access your programs, it doesn't look neat. Forget docks, take the minimalistic approach instead.
https://tinyurl.com/ya8p9gks

Run a Safety Check on Google Chrome
We’re used to running antivirus scans on our computers, but that doesn’t cover your online safety. For that, Google Chrome offers a tool that lets you perform a similar checkup to secure your web browsing. Here’s how to run a safety check on Chrome.
https://tinyurl.com/ycvvts5c

Browser Extensions Are Looking at Your Bank Account
Whenever you sign in to your bank account, your browser extensions watch. They can see your account balances, your transactions, and your online banking password. They see everything in your browser: passwords, credit card numbers, private messages, and the websites you visit.
https://tinyurl.com/y757nuko

Dupe Clear is an open-source duplicate file finder tool for Windows
Running low on storage space? That's a common issue, especially on low-end laptops; you use various programs, browse the internet, and the number of files keeps getting higher. Try running Windows' Disk Cleanup, you never know how much trash accumulated in the Recycle Bin, and those Windows Update files, take up a lot of space. You may also try third-party applications such as CleanMgr+ or PatchCleaner to free up space.
https://tinyurl.com/y9a67e5y

Snapseed is a powerful mobile photo-editing app
Snapseed is a free photo-editing application by Google for the mobile operating systems Android and iOS. Third-party tools are often superior to those that ship with operating systems by default; this is true for desktop systems, e.g. Paint on Windows, but also on mobile devices, e.g. Google Photos on Android.
https://tinyurl.com/ybbon6av

How to Delete Your Old Online Accounts (and Why You Should)
You’ve probably signed up for a lot of online services that you no longer use. Most of those accounts probably still exist, and they likely contain a mix of your personal data, identity details, and credit card numbers. Don’t leave juicy targets lying around for attackers.
https://tinyurl.com/y9zlfxvm

Restarting Your Phone Makes it Perform Better
We’ve all heard it: “have you tried turning it off and back on again?” It’s the first step when troubleshooting any tech problem—it even makes your phone perform better when nothing is wrong.
https://tinyurl.com/y9x8rwcb



Truecaller for Cellphones
They say they are “The world's best Caller ID & Spam Blocking app”

Very often, we hear of incidents where Truecaller made a significant impact on someone’s life. These range from fighting crime with law enforcement agencies, to preventing financial fraud and even saving lives.

This is "nomorobo" for your cell phone. It will help with those annoying calls about extending your auto warranty and others.
https://www.truecaller.com/

Computer Class Notes 3-11-2021

View the video https://tinyurl.com/yeh8tcv5
Read the notes https://tinyurl.com/ygu5j7mh

Email Scam
Several of my contacts got a message that said it was from me stating that I need their Amazon account because I need to send somebody an Amazon gift card. I know it’s a scam and I sent a note out to everyone that I could think of. I am now running the super anti-spyware. Is there anything else I should be doing?


I got the same email from you. Somehow they got a list of your contacts which would have come from Comcast and not your computer since they are stored on Comcast.

The only thing I would do is change my email password just in case they were able to get into my email directly. Of courses, running all the maintenance programs is always a good idea. Include MalweareBytes as one to run as well as SuperAntispyware.

Transfer Your iCloud Photo Library to Google Photos
There are many cloud storage services available today, and Apple and Google offer two of the more popular options. Switching can feel like a daunting task, but Apple makes it easy to move your iCloud library to Google Photos.

What is great about this feature and the one below is that you do not have to first copy the images to your PC and then send them to Photos. The transfer is directly from Apple (Facebook below) to Google Photos.
https://tinyurl.com/yc2ynt89

Facebook Launches Tool for Transferring Photos and Videos to Google Photos
Facebook’s new Photo Transfer Tool is available worldwide and makes photo and video transfer as easy as possible. You can check out an in-depth guide at How-To Geek, but the gist of it is pretty simple. You just open your Facebook Settings, select “Transfer a Copy of Your Photos or Videos,” and log into your Google Photos account. Once you confirm the transfer, you can do whatever you want. Facebook will notify you when the transfer is complete.
https://tinyurl.com/ycokgtp2

Change the Default New Folder Name in Windows 10
By default, when you create a new folder in Windows 10, the folder is given the name “New folder.” If you don’t like this name and you’d rather use another name, you can change the default name for new folders in Windows 10.

This might be a little tricky for most of us as it requires making changes to the registry file directly. If you are going to give it a try, make an image backup beforehand.
https://tinyurl.com/y8fdfxdk

Disable All of Windows 10’s Built-in Advertising
Windows 10 has a lot of built-in advertising. This isn’t just about the free upgrade offer: Even if you purchase a new PC that comes with a Windows 10 license or spend $200 for a copy of Windows 10 Professional, you’ll see ads in your operating system. You can, however, disable a lot of it.

This removes a number of naggy popups and notifications from Windows 10. I stepped through all the suggestions and removed them from my PC as we talked about them.
https://tinyurl.com/z9udfek



Getting Started with Kodi
Complete Kodi Setup & Install For Windows Computer - 2021 Update

This is a good video on installing Kidi and applying a useful build to be able to watch pretty much everything at no charge. If it is available over the Internet you will be able to view it--movies, sports, tv shows, and more...
https://youtu.be/qs6SgyTsx9g

Got an Old Tablet? Put It to Work in the Kitchen
A lot of people have aging gadgets tucked away in a dusty drawer. One handy use that I’ve found for an old tablet is as a dedicated kitchen hub. This simple thing has really improved my cooking experience.

Instead of a tablet, you could use an old laptop that won’t upgrade to 10. All you will use it for is access to the Internet. If it ran XP it will upgrade nicely to a version of Linux like Mint.
https://tinyurl.com/y9m4ngxa

Email Part Of A Webpage
You are looking at a webpage you found or perhaps one that came as a link from an email you received. Perhaps it was a recipe or maybe an article in an online newspaper. All you want is to send a portion of that webpage to someone, not the entire webpage. Here are a couple of ways you might do that:

Select the portion of the page, then right-click in the selection and choose Copy. This will place the selected portion in the clipboard. Open your email app and compose a new email to your friend. In the body of the email, right-click > paste and the portion of the email you selected will be included along with any links.

Win+Shift+S and draw a box around the portion you want to send to someone else. This places it in the clipboard as an image. Open your email app and compose a new email to your friend. In the body of the email, right-click > paste and the portion of the email you selected will be included as an image. It will not have any working links.

The Shift+click Method
When selecting a portion of the page, remember the Shift+Click method. Select the first item, then scroll down to the last time you want to include, hold the shift key down and click at the end of the last word. Everything from the first word selected through to the last word will be selected even if it is down to another page on your screen.

Reduce A Photo Size



Locate the image that needs to be resized, then right-click it > Open with > Photos. Photos is an application that comes with Windows 10.



Click the three dots to open the menu and select Resize



Choose the desired size or click to “Define custom dimensions”

Save the results with a new name or you will overwrite the original.

Computer Class Notes 3-4-2021

Read today's class notes https://tinyurl.com/y8rmygaw

Watch the Video here https://tinyurl.com/yavbknf6

Greeting Cards
Last week we were talking about bad handwriting on an envelope, this time I would like to know and I hope others also, how to take a birthday card or whatever card and print a few personal words or sentences on the empty page! How to space it - get the printer to print in the correct space and don't mess up the card?
https://youtu.be/5gus3Pyk7RM

Harold told us what he does. He checks the dimension of the card and types up his message to fit in that size space on a blank sheet of paper. After printing, he cuts the results to fit inside the card. This was a great idea.

I suggested getting the Hallmark Greeting Card application to generate creative cards right from home. This is what we use at our house for all our personalized cards for all occasions.

CCleaner Discussion
Please review how to program CCleaner including checking the registry.

We took a look at a number of changes I make to stop nag screens telling me it is time to remove junk files or to download an update. Before I run the maintenance programs I run PatchMyPC to get the latest updates first.



I do not run the “Health Check”. Instead, I start off with “Custom Clean”. Then I Run the “Registry” section. “Tools” can be used to uninstall applications, disable applications from starting, and more. “Options” is where you can stop some of the automatic updates and nag screens from happening.

See details from CCleaner on how to change what settings at https://www.ccleaner.com/docs/ccleaner/ccleaner-settings

Grouping Emails
How to put old emails into special groups before deleting a Big needed bunch?

I demonstrated creating a new “label” in Gmail. In Yahoo, this would be called a folder.


In Gmail Settings > See all settings > Labels > Create mew label

The new label will now show in the left column. Locate the email you want to place in the new label (folder in Yahoo) and drag that email to it.

You can also select the email and, above the emails, click the move icon and scroll to locate the label you want the email placed into.

Google Keeps Its Hand Out of the Cookie Jar
Yesterday, Google announced that it plans to phase out the practice of letting companies track users across the web using cookies by next year.

Cookies are little crumbs of digital information that companies, advertisers, and websites have used to track your movement across the web. To a certain extent, the modern advertising businesses of internet giants like Google and Facebook are built on the buttery backs of cookies.

But in recent years, browsers including Safari and Firefox have restricted the use of cookies out of growing concern over user privacy. Google’s uber-popular web browser, Chrome, was one of the last major browsers to still support the practice. But now that Chrome (with its 60% market share) is phasing out cookies for good, the one-time tracking snack of choice is heading down the garbage disposal.

See the full article at the Morning Brew and 

Get your own FREE Morning Brew https://tinyurl.com/ympwd7et

Free PDF Editor Working Directly in your Browser
This online PDF editor will allow you to quickly add text and fill out PDF forms. Import files straight from your PC, Dropbox, or Google Drive to the toolbox above ...
https://smallpdf.com/edit-pdf

5 GHz Wi-Fi Isn’t Always Better Than 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
Are you having trouble with your Wi-Fi connection? Try using 2.4 GHz instead of 5 GHz. Sure, 5 GHz Wi-Fi is newer, faster, and less congested—but it has a weakness. 2.4 GHz is better at covering large areas and penetrating through solid objects.
https://tinyurl.com/y5ns2opm

What Is a Burner Phone, and When Should You Use One?
A “burner phone” is a cheap, prepaid mobile phone that you can destroy or discard when you no longer need it. In popular media, criminals often use burner phones to evade detection by authorities. You might use a burner phone for privacy reasons, as a last resort, or during an emergency.
https://tinyurl.com/y9w9wmxc

How to Safely Remove USB Flash Drives From a Chromebook
You’ve probably heard about how you should always safely “eject” a USB drive before unplugging it. On Windows, it’s a very simple process, but what about on a Chromebook? Should you still do it? How does it work?
https://tinyurl.com/y89jdnwc

How to Delete Almost All Junk Emails the Easy Way
Is your email account filling up? Don’t pay a monthly subscription fee just to store a bunch of newsletters, promotional emails, and other junk you’ll never look at again. Here’s how to quickly purge your email of the worst offenders.
https://tinyurl.com/yafk5bbc

What’s New in Windows 10’s 21H1 Update
When it comes to Windows, small updates aren’t necessarily a bad thing. These small updates are a much smaller download and install much more quickly without that long reboot process. They’re focused on fixing bugs and improving security.
https://tinyurl.com/y68h4bu4

Bypassing a Windows Login Screen Without The Password
From Computer Club Class Notes 8-27-2019

Set up your computer to automatically sign in



Win+R and type NETPLWIZ, then click OK. This will bring up the User Accounts dialog box. Uncheck the “Users must enter…” box, then click Apply.



Enter and confirm your Password, then click OK and OK. The next time you boot, you will not be prompted for a password.

NOTE: It appears that this does not work under 20H2.

Once you have a password, you can change it to something simple but you cannot remove it. You could create a new user and set that user up with a user name but no password.

Instead of using a password, I use a 4 digit pin number. This is very quick to sign in and you don’t even have to hit the Enter key. As soon as you finish the last digit it signs you in.

Convert PDF to JPG online
Our free PDF to JPG online converter is the simplest way to convert PDF to JPG. Nothing to download and install, the whole process takes place online. We process your PDF documents and convert them to produce high-quality JPG. Using an online service helps you convert your PDF to JPG quickly, without the burden of installing additional software on your PC.
https://pdf2jpg.net/

How to Check Your Yahoo! Mail Quota
Learn how much space you have left



Settings > More Settings > lower left corner show the results

These were my results and I have emails back for over 10 years!
https://tinyurl.com/yb3hmrhj