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Showing posts from November, 2021

ZOOM - Auto Update feature

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  https://youtu.be/J9rdEQKFjg4 Set ZOOM to auto update. Once done, no more checking for an update before each meeting.

11-29-2021 Tech for Seniors Episode 88

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  Another well attended feature packed show. We covered cyber security news, 2 factor authentication part 2, setting up a Plex Media Server, bone conduction headsets, and scams targeting holiday shoppers, followed by a music sequence that usually ends the official show. A twenty min. Q&A session always follows to conclude the episode.

Weekly Security News Roundup w/e 11-26-2021

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  https://youtu.be/qQ1WL-q_ALs Security-related news thanks mostly to Avast Software. I'm just a messenger. They usually do most of the challenging work and research. https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

Secure Your Browser Against Online Threats And Phishing Scams

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  https://youtu.be/BoTwIWCD61k Some help in staying secure while browsing the internet. https://www.avast.com/en-us/avast-online-security Thanks to Grace Macej for putting this information together. https://blog.avast.com/author/grace-macej

Everything You Need To Know About Cookies

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  https://youtu.be/B3gh2l_SWY0 Just in time for the holidays, All About Cookies (Internet) Thanks to Joe Bosso for his excellent primer on this topic. https://blog.avast.com/author/joe-bosso

MS Edge - Super Duper Secure Mode

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  https://youtu.be/zl0ODKRC49I A more secure Edge Browser just by making a simple settings change. If you want to read some details take a look at: https://www.reviewgeek.com/104171/microsoft-edge-gets-a-super-duper-secure-mode-heres-how-to-enable-it/

7 Scams Targeting Holiday Shoppers

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  https://youtu.be/vroEAk7jCEs Steer clear of cyber-trouble this year with these seven scams to watch out for during the holidays. Thanks to Grace Macej for her excellent article on this topic. https://blog.avast.com/author/grace-macej

Windows 11 Empty folder creation mess Cleanup Simplified

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  Quote from: bob3160 on November 02, 2021, 08:56:55 AM Windows 11 Creating Many Empty Folders https://youtu.be/fqFgT6SzCbw This is something Microsoft needs to address. You'll find the empty folders here, C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData Let Ccleaner Clean Up this Reoccurring Mess Let Ccleaner clean these temp folders till Windows gets its house in order. Ccleaner  >  Options  >  Include  -  paste  the following for a default installation of Windows under  Drive or Folder : C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\tw*.tmp Next under  options   select "Include files, subfolders and the folder itself" Once that's done,  select OK Select yes  in the warning that comes up from Ccleaner. Next, Run Ccleaner. Here's the proof that it works. I knew there had to be an easier way than doing this manually every  few days. Thanks Ccleaner  You'll find Ccleaner here: https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/builds

Patch My PC Updater

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  https://youtu.be/oXuu2FiU-tE An excellent free tool everyone should be using to keep their programs and Apps up-to-date. Get it from here:  https://patchmypc.com/home-updater

11/22/2021 Breaking Security NewsFlash

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  https://youtu.be/ecknxFAlrqs Another security breach. This time it's Go Daddy. See the full article at How-To Geek  https://www.howtogeek.com/770477/huge-godaddy-data-breach-exposes-over-a-million-accounts/

11-22-2021 Tech for Seniors - Episode 87

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  Another enjoyable Monday viewed by a great audience. We again covered a multitude of topics from Cyber Security to part 2 of the Streaming services update. There was an episode on the Wayback machine website. Google 2 factor authentication and a new feature in Chrome ver. 96. The finally was a music segment and the show ended with a Q&A session to covered various topics.

Cyber Shopping Tips for the Holiday Season

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  https://youtu.be/ZJFoZ6y4onE This will help keep you and your money secure while shopping for all those bargains during the coming holiday season. Thanks to Stephen Kho for his excellent article on this topic https://blog.avast.com/author/stephen-kho Here is the link to the avast 70% off sale.  https://www.avast.com/en-us/store#pc (only till Dec 6, 2021)

4 Ways To Protect Your Computer From Online Threats

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  https://youtu.be/Prjm4u-iplw Most digital devices are vulnerable to online threats these 4 tips will help keep you safer. Thanks to Daniel Hall for his excellent article on this topic: https://www.bbntimes.com/daniel-hall Make sure to check out his many other interesting articles.

Why is my Android phone heating up?

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  https://youtu.be/UxSshZ9fnL8 What's causing the device to heat up and tips on preventing the heat. Thanks to Charlotte Empey for her excellent blog post on this topic. https://blog.avast.com/author/charlotte-empey

11/18/2021 Computer Users of Erie, PA - Remote

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  Last night I spent some time with the  folks in Erie, PA . The topic for the evening was all about Windows 11. This was a hands on demonstration of Windows 11 and all the new features that are part of this newest release from Microsoft. We started the evening with some basics that should be followed before the upgrade including creating an image backup, just in case. We all know that things only go wrong when we don't prepare for it. I was also sent a list of questions prior to the presentation from various club members that I answer and provided any needed material. Many of the questions pertained to compatibility with current programs and hardware. I personally haven't run into any of those types of problems. It's always nice when you can actually answer a question while demonstrating the answer directly on your system. A picture is still worth a thousand words.

Weekly Security News Roundup w/e 11/19/2021

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  https://youtu.be/r8WY8tPtfKY Security-related news thanks mostly to Avast Software. I'm just a messenger. They do most of the challenging work and research. https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

11-15-2021 Tech for Senior - Episode 86

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  Another happy monday morning starting off with Tech for Senior. We covered a lot of topic today including an extensive cyber security segment. That was followed by an update on streaming tv, internet archiving websites, getting ready for the big shopping days, the upcoming end of OneDrive support for Win 7. 8. 8.1, and a musical sequence. We ended with a Q&A session were we spent some time talking about OneDrive.

Chrome - Copy link to highlight

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  https://youtu.be/f7TQn8uiF3E A new feature in Chrome version 96 that makes sharing of information easier.

News Flash Update - FBI System Hacked

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  https://youtu.be/tzrAA81XLok On 11/13/2021 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) email servers were hacked to distribute spam email.

11/13/2021 Sauk Computer User Group, IL - Remote

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  I spent quite some time this afternoon with the members of  SCUG . It was a small but very interested group. They listened intently during the presentation and laughed at the jokes during and toward the end of the presentation. We had a very lengthy Q&A session after the presentation covery many topics including, Avast Hack Check, password managers, questions about how your AV keeps you safe, we also covered some of the features of PowerPoint, and some of the newer features of Zoom. We also talked about quite a few topics that have nothing to do with computers or computer security. Iceberg calvings was one of those topics. It was an enjoyable and interesting meeting.

Are you tired of Edge taking over as the Default Browser?

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  A new tool called MSEdgeRedirect.exe has just been released to solve that problem. I used to use EdgeDeflector but it's no longer working. Get MSEdgeRedirect.exe directly from GitHub at: https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect Once installed, right click on it's system tray icon and select: Start with Windows That's it, now your default browser is again your default browser.

Weekly Security News Roundup w/e 11-12-2021

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  https://youtu.be/tBvndGkeJDc Security-related news thanks mostly to Avast Software.  I'm just a messenger.  They do most of the challenging work and research.  https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

What would an online identity solution for older adults look like?

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  https://youtu.be/PTCLWYbCAdM Addressing our Seniors and their needs for their digital identity. My thanks to Emma McGowan for her excellent article on this topic. https://blog.avast.com/author/emma-mcgowan

11-10-2021 Madison PC Users Group, WI - Remote

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  This evening's presentation was for a small club that seemed to pay very close attention to everything covered in the presentation. The questions after the presentation covered Ransomware, smart devices,  Avast One , the upcoming merger and a few other topics.

11-10-2021 APCUG - Windows Q&A Wednesday Workshop

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  A well attended webinar and as the title implies, this was all about Windows. We started by answering some questions that were sent prior to the starting date and then followed with live general questions about any Windows topic. There were many questions about the update or upgrade to Windows 11 but, there were also many questions about other windows operating systems. Questions about backups, Windows mail, image being upside down, network questions, Avast - Norton/Lifelock merger, and many many more. It was an interesting way to spend the morning.

A New Toy Arrived Today - Shark IQ Robot Vacuum

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  https://youtu.be/UfHdkx0L4iw Shark IQ Robot? Vacuum with Advanced Navigation, Home Mapping, Self Empty Base, Self Cleaning Brushroll, Powerful Suction, Bagless, Perfect for Pet Hair, Wi Fi (RV1000S) I got mine a Walmart for $299.00

End of support for OneDrive desktop application on Windows 7, 8, and 8.1

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  https://youtu.be/XKKVZEYTwf4 OneDrive Support ends 1/1/2022 if you're not using Windows 10 or Windows 11 My thanks to Reviewgeek for most of the material on this subject. https://www.reviewgeek.com/102617/microsoft-will-break-onedrive-for-millions-of-windows-users-early-next-year/?

11-8-2021 Tech for Seniors - Episode 85

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  Another exciting episode that covered a lot of interesting topic. Cyber security, the Google, Roku, Amazon disputes, using PowerPoint to create photo albums, viewing your mail before it arrives, and our music nostalgia. In the Q&A session at the end of the show one of the topics discussed was the recent breach of the healthcare system in Newfoundland, Canada.

What does Facebook's facial recognition shutdown mean for its users?

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  https://youtu.be/RpoqWIQqlk4 Is there really any benefit to the average user in Facebook's move to shut down this service? How do you protect yourself from this technology? Thanks to Joe Bosso's excellent article on this topic.  https://blog.avast.com/author/joe-bosso

A stark reminder thanks to Google Maps

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Google reminded me today that even though October was a very busy month with many presentations, I never strayed very far from home. All presentations were done from my home via Zoom. Here's all the places I visited during October 2021, I can walk to the park and the other two places are within 15 miles from my home.

11-6-2021 APCUG VTC - Remote

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  This morning I was the guest speaker for the  APCUG's Fall Technology Conference Since this is a webinar, there really isn't the same audience interaction that's usually present during a normal Zoom presentation. Questions that were submitted via the chat function got addressed after the presentation and there were many. I'm happy to see that despite the fact that I just finished doing this presentation to over 30 member clubs last month that I still had a great audience. (113 attendees) APCUG  does an excellent job of keeping its worldwide member clubs engaged and well informed. Their Wednesday workshops and quarterly VTC's are a real benefit for all members.

Weekly Security News Roundup w/e 11-5-2021

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  https://youtu.be/n_unu7rpJ-4 Security-related news thanks mostly to Avast Software. I'm just a messenger. They do most of the challenging work and research.  https://www.avast.com/en-us/index#pc

11-4-2021 Cajun Clickers Computer Club, LA - Remote

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  This is my first visit with the  Cajun Clickers  in Baton Rouge, LA. I certainly would love to have done this presentation in person but most of the clubs are still only meeting remotely via Zoom. We had a lively Q&A session after the presentation with lots of questions on VPN s,email security, HackCheck ,Password Managers and many other topics. We also spent some time on procedures for removing another AV before installing  Avast . I'm looking forward to my next invitation.

11-3-2021 Sarasota Technology User Group - Remote

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  Tonight I spent an enjoyable evening with the members of  STUG . This presentation was all about Using  CCleaner  for more than cleaning your hard drive. I covered a custom install of  Ccleaner  and then showed the club members all the other features that are part of the product that most people didn't even know existed. Most are listed under the Tools option. This was a hands on demonstration that combined a PowerPoint presentation and a hands on demonstration using  Ccleaner  on my desktop to demonstrate all those tools.

Windows 11 Creating Many Empty Folders

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  https://youtu.be/fqFgT6SzCbw This is something Microsoft needs to address. You'll find the empty folders here, C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData

11-1-2021 Tech for Seniors Episode 84

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  Another fun week. This gets more interesting the longer we do this show. This week we covered cyber security, saving precious moments, website of the week which covered some image file formats, electric cars past current and future, we ended with Les Paul and Mary Ford. A twenty min. Q&A session followed to wrap things up.