Technology Tips – published December 2015 in the Guide and Digest

by Don Trauger – Kennett

Personalize Windows 10

When you have purchased a new Windows 10 computer or you have chosen to upgrade your Windows 7 or 8 computer you may want to Personalize it . This something to consider after you have configured more important things like your email and home page of your browser.

Personalizing your computer is easy. Click the white icon in the lower left corner of the screen then click Settings just above it. When the Settings window opens click Personalization. When it opens you can select a background picture from either Microsoft’s selections or a picture of yours from the Pictures folder. Below, under Choose a fit, “Fill” is probably your best choice.

Next, click Colors. I suggest that you turn off “Show color on Start, Taskbar, and Action Center”. The other 2 selections should be turned on.

The Lock screen can display either Windows Spotlight, a Picture, or a Slide Show. It’s a screen that will pop up before the login screen. Windows Spotlight allows you to provide feedback about the screen. I saw no effect with the Windows Spotlight setting. Click “on” for fun facts, tips, and tricks although I have seen little if any notifications. Under “Choose an app for detailed status” and “Choose Apps to show quick status” you will supposedly place icons for your selected apps on the Lock screen when you boot. I found that this did not work. It looks like Microsoft has some work to do in the above areas. Scrolling down you will see “Screen timeout settings” and “Screen saver settings”. Click “Screen timeout settings” and choose 5 minutes for battery operation and 10 minutes plugged in. A screen saver setting should not be used for modern computers. I see no purpose to the Lock screen. You can turn it off by going into the Control Panel, click Power Options, click “Choose what the power button does”, then click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”. Scroll down and uncheck Lock and click Save changes.

Click Themes then Theme settings and choose one of the Windows default themes or stay with the existing theme in the My Themes space. Avoid the High Contrast Themes.

Click Start and I recommend the following to be turned on. “Occasionally show suggestions in Start”, “Show most used apps”, Show recently added apps”, “Show recently opened items in jump lists on Start or the Taskbar”. “Use Start full screen” should be turned off.

The last item to personalize is to click on “Choose which folders appear on Start”. These are folders you may frequently use and can be made accessible in the Start Menu. Recommendations are File Explorer (file manager program), Settings, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, and possibly others of your choice.

One last tweak or Personalization is to bypass the need to log in to your computer. You created a login when you created a Microsoft account. It serves no security purpose other than to keep other family members from using your computer without your knowledge.

To bypass the need to log in, right click the white icon in the lower left corner of the screen then left click Run. Type “netplwiz” (no quotes). Uncheck “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer”. Click Apply then fill in your password in both fields.

Click OK, then click OK again.

The PC Club meetings are open to all regardless of computer experience. If you have questions that need to be answered, be sure to attend on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 7 PM, upstairs in the Community Center. We’ll cover Windows 10 Personalization on Dec. 15.

Technology Tips – Published February 2020 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

The last time I wrote about buying a new computer was for the August 2016 Guide & Digest issue. Since then a number of changes have taken place. Desktop computers with a monitor are still viable and are often slightly less expensive than laptops with equal specifications. What can be confusing when shopping for a computer is the terminology and the technical specifications. Although space doesn’t allow for a complete primer on the subject, I’ll tell you what you need to know.

First, decide whether you want a laptop or a desktop. Laptops offer certain advantages over a desktop. You get portability with plenty of processing power. However there are disadvantages too. A somewhat smaller screen may strain your eyes over a period of time. A smaller keyboard makes for cramped typing. Glossy screens are great for sharpness and contrast but don’t sit with a sunny window behind you. The glossy screen acts as a mirror reflecting the light from the window thus making the screen harder to see. Another item to consider is the touchpad. A touchpad allows you to mimic the mouse. Some people have trouble using the touchpad and prefer to connect a real mouse to the laptop. That’s fine if that’s your preference.

My minimum hardware recommendations for both laptops and desktops require that they have 4 core processors. Four cores refers to 4 computer processors in one package. Names like i5 and i7 made by Intel are best. AMD, an Intel competitor, is also an excellent choice. AMD Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 processors are the best choices within the AMD brand. Computers with Intel i3 processors can serve for everyday computing single task needs such as Internet surfing, email, and word processing but are limited in processing power and don’t offer much to offset higher demands now or in the future. An i5 processor can handle almost all demands put on the processor. An i7 processor is the fastest and most expensive processor and is aimed toward serious gamers and multitasking. When buying a new computer choose a computer whose processor has 4 cores and 8 threads. Threads provide additional performance to the 4 cores. The speed rating of the processor also is important. The higher it is the faster your computer will run. A good choice would be a 3GHz or higher speed processor. Keep in mind that processors have a low idle speed that extends battery life when there are no programs running. An idle speed rating around 1.5GHz is normal. When a demand is executed the speed will increase to nearly the full rated speed. The higher the speed the faster the computer will run Apps (programs). 

Here’s how to find a processor that meets my recommendations. After making a choice on a new computer note the model number of the computer. Your choice may come from an in-store or online visit. Don’t buy on your first visit to a store. Google the computer model number online and look for the specifications. It’s best to choose the specifications from the manufacturer’s website. To keep up with technology the right processor and a SSD drive will add years to the usability of the computer. 

My recommendation for an Internet, email, word processing, photo editing and light gaming computer would have a 3 GHz or higher speed 4 core 8 thread Intel i5 processor, 8 GB’s or more of RAM, and a 256 GB or higher solid state drive such as a Dell 15 3000 model 3593. There are many other options available for computers that help personalize it for your needs and of course add to the cost. A DVD drive is now an option on some laptops but unavailable on most. What I’ve outlined here would be suitable for most HM residents. Other things to consider are the number of ports (USB & HDMI) for your needs.

WARNING: STORE CONFIGURATIONS FOR ANY MODEL COMPUTER CAN VARY FROM THE MANUFACTURER’S WEB SITE OFFERING. THE DELL 3593 IS NO EXCEPTION!

Both laptops and desktops feature the Windows 10 operating system. Shop for popular brands such as HP, Dell, and others. I favor Dell because of good reliability, easy online ordering and less junkware installed compared to other brands. Before going to a store become familiar with a manufacturer’s line of computers by visiting their web sites. HP can be found at www.hp.com, Dell is at www.dell.com. Avoid the low cost ($300-$400) computers or computers that have Celeron or Pentium processors. They can be annoyingly slow if speed is a priority for your needs. A higher priced computer also offers future proofing which means the computer will operate at nearly the same speed in future years as it does now. 

More help in purchasing a Windows 10 computer can be obtained by attending the PC Club meeting on the 3rd Tuesday at 7 PM of each month at the Community Center.

Don Trauger

There are well over a dozen popular toolbars that are available for download or come as part of other programs that are installed on your computer. For example, there are, the Yahoo toolbar, AOL, MSN, Ask, and Comcast toolbars, and of course the very popular Google toolbar. Basically these toolbars are convenient entry points for searching the Internet for almost anything you can think of plus a myriad of other buttons that whisk you off to specialized locations. They occupy a location in Internet Explorer near the top of the window you are viewing.  I’ve seen computers that have at least three of these toolbars installed. This reduces the ability of Internet Explorer to display the full height of the Web page. Although you can move the vertical scroll bar to the right of the window to see the full page, it requires you to manipulate the mouse more than you should. This of course is user preference but it can be annoying too.

A more serious problem with toolbars is that they have their own behind-the-scene agenda. Many of them offer anti-phishing, anti-spam, anti-spyware, and a pop-up blocker. This built-in protection scheme often conflicts with your own installed anti-virus software. In addition, some toolbars may link to 3^rd party sites of questionable integrity. My advice is to uninstall all toolbars. For Windows XP click Start, click Control Panel on the right, click Add or Remove Programs, click the name of the toolbar you want to remove, and then click on Change/Remove or Remove. For Vista and Windows 7 users, click the Start orb (lower left corner of the screen) then click Control Panel on the right. Click Programs and Features, click the name of the unneeded toolbar, and then click Uninstall. I can hear you now – “I really use my toolbar”. I understand, however, Internet Explorer can be configured to use any search engine you wish without using a toolbar. For Windows XP users, open Internet Explorer and click the tiny down arrow under the “X” in the upper right corner of the window. Click Find More Providers. Under Internet Explorer Gallery are the popular search engine providers. Google is the preferred choice. Click Google if it is not installed and choose to make it the default. Click Add, and then click the Add to Internet Explorer button. By clicking that same down arrow again in Internet Explorer, you should now see that Google has been added. You should also see Google in the grayed out search field of Internet Explorer. Type a search request in this field then click the magnifying icon next to the search field and you will automatically be taken to Google. The first ten search results will show in the opening window. Windows Vista, 7, and 8 users can click the gear icon, and then click on Manage add-ons, then Search Providers on the left side. At the lower left of the window, click on Find more search providers and then follow the above procedure for adding Google in the Internet Explorer Gallery. Vista, 7, and 8 users must type search requests in the address field of Internet Explorer.

            If you insist on having a toolbar make sure only one is installed to avoid conflicts. Look for where the Preferences or Options are in the toolbar and turn off or disable all the extra and unneeded security functions it offers.

            The basic rule is to not run your computer with multiple security programs of the same type at the same time. Only one anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, phishing filter, or pop-up blocker should be operational at a given time. More information about this and other subjects can be obtained if you attend our monthly PC Club meetings. They are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM upstairs in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

Note: Remember to visit our newly designed Web site at www.hersheysmill.org to discover information about our community.

Technology Tips – Published December 2018 in the Guide and Digest

By Don Trauger – Kennett

I don’t often make negative comments about anything PC related but in this article I will make you aware of very serious shortcomings with Windows Update.

Reliability with these updates has been in decline for months now. Patches on patches has been the routine for Microsoft. They have had to issue 2 or 3 patches to correct errors that the first one had. It’s obvious to me that Microsoft does not have control over their updates. They force these updates on your computer with no way to stop them or selectively allow only certain ones. It’s not just 1 or 2 updates issued that have problems and are cleared up with a new patch, it’s more like 4 or more that accumulate over months. HP laptops were affected by the faulty October updates but other manufacturers were also affected. Tried and true Windows 7 has also been affected. Strangely, Windows 8.1 has dodged almost all of the serious faulty updates. One of the October problem updates wiped out the contents of the Documents folder including Pictures, Music and Videos. Fortunately this faulty update only went out to power users that have joined Microsoft’s Insiders group but it came perilously close to world-wide distribution.

I no longer trust Microsoft to update my computers nor should you. If you think malware is a more serious problem then you need to rethink how to secure your computer in view of Microsoft’s inability to effectively control their update process. Of course use Malwarebytes free to scan for malware and Bitdefender free is the best anti-virus for your PC. That said, I have tested and recommend Windows Update Blocker V. 1.1 from Sordum.org. It’s a free program that effectively blocks any Windows Update from Microsoft. Other program updates, your browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) for example, will continue normally.

To download this program go to sordum.org and click Windows Update Blocker which is 8^th in the list on the right under Our Software. Read through the information about the program if desired and scroll near the bottom of the page and click the Download button. The program will be in your Downloads folder with the name Wub.zip. Double click it then double click the Wub_v1.1 folder to open it. Next, click Wub.exe to open the program. It comes ready to run – no installation needed. Click the Run button instead of the Extract all button. You should see the program window that displays a green shield with a white check. All you need to do is to select Disable Service and click Apply Now. The shield  turns red with a white X. You are now blocking these faulty updates from Microsoft. To turn the updates on simply select Enable Service and click Apply Now. You are now in control of Windows Updates to your computer.

I’m not totally against the concept of Windows Updates but the current situation demands more control by the user.

The following is my recommendation to control Windows Updates. With the Windows Update Blocker set to disable updates, wait for at least 2 months to install a major Spring/Fall update after it’s released to the public. This will allow time for major bugs to be corrected. To receive new updates open Windows Update Blocker and click Enable Service and click Apply Now. Click the Menu button and click Update Options then click Check for updates to download new updates. Normally, updates are issued starting the second Tuesday of the month with corrective patches on the following 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th Tuesdays as needed.  Remember to disable the Windows Updates in the blocker after you have received all the updates. Timing your updates is best done in the first week of the month following after the updates and corrections have been issued or 2 months after a major Spring or Fall update.

The major Fall update (1809) has been withheld by Microsoft since October 6, 2018 because of the aforementioned update problems. By the time you read this they probably will have corrected it and hopefully you will keep all of your documents. It’s always a good idea to back up your personal files. Use File History located in the Control Panel to back up your files.

For information on the Windows Update Blocker please attend our monthly meeting on the 3^rd Tuesday of the month at 7 PM in the Ardmore room of the Community Center.

Note added Dec 31 2018
Tech Tips Special Report – Dec. 31, 2018.
by Don Trauger – Kennett

Windows Update Blocker for Windows 10 (December 2018 Issue of the Guide & Digest)

It is now safe to update your computer but only to get updates that you may be missing. It’s not recommended to install the “October” Feature update (V.1809) although I haven’t seen anything negative about it recently. I have tested the updating process on 3 computers and all completed their updates without a hitch.

Here’s what to do: Open Windows Update Blocker, click “Enable Service” then click “Apply Now”. Close Windows Update Blocker. Reboot the computer, click the 4 pane white icon (lower left corner) and click the “Settings” icon (gear) just above the “Power” icon. Click “Update & Security” and click “Windows Update” if necessary. Click “Check for updates”. You can then watch the automatic updating process. After the updates are installed open Windows Update Blocker, click “Disable Service” and click “Apply Now”. This will block future updates until further notice. Close Windows Update Blocker.

DO NOT CLICK THE “CHECK FOR UPDATES” BUTTON MORE THAN ONCE! If you do you will receive other updates that are not fully tested along with the October (V.1809) Feature update. Perform this procedure before January 8, 2019.