Ventura County's PC Whisperer

The “General” privacy page contains a number of high-level options you’ll want to disable. 1. Let apps use my advertising ID for experiences across apps  (turning this off will reset your ID) – This enables a unique advertising ID that you can be tracked with across different “Windows Store”, or universal, apps. Microsoft can track your use of apps and show you targeted ads across different apps.  2. Turn on the SmartScreen Filter to check web content (URLs) that Windows Store apps use – This enables the SmartScreen filter in universal apps. As we point out below, it’s also enabled in File Explorer itself, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer with different settings. 3. Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future – This is related to the “Speech, inking, & typing” settings below. With it enabled, information about how you type and write is sent to Microsoft’s servers. 4. Let websites provide locally relevant content by acces

When you install an app from Google Play on a device running Android 6.0 and up you can control which capabilities or information that app can access—known as permissions. For example, an app might want permission to see your device contacts you location last time you opened the app. Once installed on your device you can make changes to and verify all app permission. Tip: To find which version of Android your device uses, go to your device's main Settings menu > About Phone or About tablet. When you install an app When you download apps from the Play Store, some apps will ask for permission to use information before you install. When you download apps that are built for Android 6.0 and up, you can allow or deny permissions once you start using them. Let's open Play Store Go to an app's detail page. To review permissions before installing, scroll down under "Developer" touch Permission>details>Install. Some apps will install right away. This is whe

Computer Maintenance Tips troubleshooting Understanding the features & more Understanding technical computer features Once you’ve settled on a computer style, you need to decide how you will be using this computer; for web browsing, image editing, DVD watching, plenty of text typing, heavy gaming, video editing? All these pursuits require different levels of power in a machine. Before you buy, consider major aspects of a computer Operating system (OS):  Arguably the biggest decision you have to make about your new device is what operating system it will run on. For traditional computers, your main choice will be between Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS, though Google’s Chrome OS is gaining traction in the marketplace and, for the technically savvy, so is Linux. If you find a tablet fits your needs, your big options are Android, Windows or iOS. The main difference between the operating systems is style, but feelings can run strongly for each choice. Spend

God Mode makes a return in Windows 10.  Activating it unveils a power user menu that brings together all of your system’s far-flung settings and configuration options into a single location. Make sure your system account has administrative privileges. Copy the entire line below GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} On your Desktop>Right click>Create New folder,  Paste the line above and hit enter

Google has launched Chrome 51 for Windows and Mac, promising that the Linux version will “ship shortly.” This release includes the usual slew of developer features, but users should benefit from some of the improvements right away. Google Chrome is arguably more than a browser: With over 1 billion users, it’s a major platform that web developers have to consider. In fact, with its regular additions and changes, developers have to keep up to ensure they are taking advantage of everything available. You can update to the latest version now using the browser’s built-in silent updater, or download it directly from the link below google.com/chrome .

Ghostpress is a free anti-keylogger software. It supports global key protection without any application limitation. Instead of scrambling the key presses this tool even hides any key press. The application is pretty simple to use. It is portable and does not require any installation. You can either carry it in USB pen drive or attach it in your email as it is just 150KB in size. All you need to do is to run the exe file and the protection is activated. So instead of scrambling the key presses on your PC, Ghostpress completely hides any key press actions from prying eyes. Download the file and double click on it to install Once installed it will open and that's it you're protected You can  temporarily block the access by clicking on the green icon, It will then turn red! You can also enable it in  Windows  start up. The app is pretty simple and easy to use Click on options and select Enable desktop widget, This will open a green chec

How do I connect to another PC with Remote Desktop? These instructions are for setting up a Windows 8.1 PC.  To set up the remote PC Go to the remote PC. Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Search (or if you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search), enter allow remote in the search box, and then tap or click Allow remote access to your computer.   You might be asked for an admin password or to confirm your choice. In the System Properties dialog box, under Remote Desktop , make sure the Allow remote connections to this computer button is selected. For more info about these options, see the "What types of Remote Desktop connections should I allow?" question in this topic. Tap or click Select Users, and in the Remote Desktop Users dialog box, tap or click Add. In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, do the following: tap or click Locations, and then sele

Google Chrome not syncing for ya? If you get a sync error or if you've made changes to your synced data but don't see it on other devices.     Try the steps below  First, try to see what caused the problem: On your computer, open Chrome. If Chrome found a sync error, the top corner of the screen will show a yellow Chrome Menu . Click the Menu. Click the error. Follow the instructions to fix the problem. So if the steps above don’t help, here are some easy fixes: Sign in to Chrome again. Did you update your Google Account recently? Lets see if that is causing the problem. Disconnect and reconnect your Google account to Chrome. Open Chrome on your computer. In the top right, click the Menu . Click Settings > Disconnect your Google Account. Close and quit Chrome completely, then re-open Chrome. Sign in to Chrome and turn sync back on. Update your passphrase. If you’ve set a sync passphrase on one computer, you’ll need to enter the same pa

How to use multiple desktops in Windows 10 In the Windows 10 Pro you can add a seemingly unlimited number of virtual desktops quickly and easily, thanks to the new Task View pane. Unfortunately, Windows 10's multiple desktop functionality is still very limited -- you can't drag and drop programs between different screens, you can't change the wallpaper for individual desktops, and you can't quickly jump to a particular screen without cycling through all of your open screens.

Set Up Exchange E-Mail on an Android Mobile Phone You can set up e-mail using an Exchange account on an Android mobile phone. From the Applications menu, select Email . This application may be named Mail on some versions of Android. Type your full e-mail address, for example tony@contoso.com, and your password, and then select Next . Select Exchange account . This option may be named Exchange ActiveSync on some versions of Android. Enter the following account information and select Next . Domain\Username    Type your full e-mail address in this box. If Domain and Username are separate text boxes in your version of Android, leave the Domain box empty and type your full e-mail address in the Username box. Note: On some versions of Android, you need to use the domain\username format. For example, if your e-mail address is tony@contoso.com, type contoso.com\tony@contoso.com. Your username is your full e-mail address. Password    Use the password that y

How to Disable OneDrive in Windows 10 Disable OneDrive Everywhere in Windows and Apps Press Win + R keyboard accelerator to open Run dialog box. Type GPedit.msc and hit Enter or OK to open Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> OneDrive.  In the right pane, double click on policy named Prevent the usage of OneDrive for  file storage .  Select the Enabled radio button. This policy setting lets you prevent apps and features from working with files on OneDrive. If you enable this policy setting: * Users can’t access OneDrive from the OneDrive app and file picker. * Windows Store apps can’t access OneDrive using the WinRT API. * OneDrive doesn’t appear in the navigation pane in File Explorer. * OneDrive files aren’t kept in sync with the cloud. * Users can’t automatically upload photos and videos from the camera roll folder. If you

Tips to resolve OneDrive sync issue - When OneDrive stops syncing to a local computer and you receive the following error message “Credentials needed, We need your credentials to sync some libraries.  Please click here to sync now”. If that does not work (i.e. if your sync issues do not go away),  Stop Syncing and follow this process: Go to the Onedrive cloud in the tray (bottom right hand corner) Right click and say Stop Syncing folder (it will give you a warning about permanently stopping this). Now Go to c:\users\%username%\onedrive @Yourinfo.com Rename the folder to onedrive@ Yourinfo.old. This will preserve the old data. Shut down any Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) Start Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) End the following processes: groove.exe, msosync.exe Check to make sure you have Hidden Files/Folders turned on by going to "This PC" and selecting the View tab. Check the box for "Hidden Items". Go to c:\users\%username%\AppDa

Back up and restore your files It's always good to have a backup. Keep copies of your files on another drive in case something happens to the originals. Set up your backup Select the Start   button, then select  Settings     >  Update & security  >  Backup  >  Add a drive  and choose an external drive or network location for your backups. All set. Every hour, we’ll back up everything in your user folder (C:\Users\username). To change which files get backed up or how often backups happen, go to  More options . If you’re missing an important file or folder, here’s how to get it back: Search for  Restore files  from the task bar and select  Restore your files with File History . Look for the file you need and then use the arrows to see all its versions. When you find the version you want, select the  Restore  button to save it in its original location. To save it in a different place, right-click (or press and hold) the  Restore  button, select

So your having some issues with Google? So first try removing and re-adding your Google Account,  because it's likely that something in your account (e.g. bookmarks, history contacts etc is having trouble syncing.. So let's remove it, Open the Chrome menu. Touch Settings. Touch your name. Under "Accounts," switch the slider to OFF. Touch OK. Open the Android Settings app on your device. Touch Apps > All > Chrome > Touch Force stop > OK. Now let's open Chrome and Touch the Chrome menu > Settings >Touch Sign in to Chrome.>Choose an account and turn sync back on. If the steps above don't work, check the Google Chrome sync settings on your device. Open the Android Settings app on your device. Under Accounts lets touch Google. Touch your email address. In the list that appears find "Chrome"and check to see if the check box next to it is selected.  Select the check box if it's not selected. Sign in to Chrome and turn syn

If you're getting the "Aw, snap" error page, this means that Chrome is having problems loading a webpage you're trying to see. Usually, you can reload the page to fix the error. On your computer: In the top left, click the reload button . On your mobile device: In the top right, touch the Chrome menu  > Reload. Or, drag the page down and release. Close other tabs Your computer might not have enough memory available to load the site. Computers rely on memory to run apps, extensions, and programs. Low memory can cause them to run slowly or stop working. Close every tab except for the one that’s showing the "Aw, snap" message, then try reloading that tab. Try Restarting your device (computer Android etc) and try loading the page again. Still not working? If most sites load normally but one site is crashing, that site might be causing the problem. Try refreshing the page a few times again by clicking on the blue Reload button on the "Aw, snap

Connect Windows 8 to an Xbox 360 If you have an Xbox 360 console in your home you can connect your Windows 8 computer to it. This gives you the advantage of being able to enjoy your music, photos, and videos on your TV. You   can   connect   your   Windows   8   computer   to   your   Xbox   360   console   through the   Xbox   Companion   App   which   you   can   download   for   free   from the   Windows   Store. Connecting to Your Xbox 360 Using the Xbox Companion App The Xbox Companion app allows you to remotely control your Xbox 360 console from your Windows 8 computer. This includes being able to easily manage your Xbox Live account settings and games, and to use a Windows 8 tablet as a remote gaming control for the Xbox console. When you first start the Xbox Companion App, you will be asked to make your Xbox 360 console available. You do this on the Xbox console itself from the Dashboard by opening Settings

What is one drive and how do you use it? What is OneDrive Useful for? OneDrive is useful for accessing your data from anywhere you have an internet connection as well as from various mobile devices. OneDrive offers 1 TB of storage as well as real-time collaboration. How do I access my OneDrive account? To access your OneDrive account, go to https://office365. and sign-in with your Microsoft account ID & Password What does it mean to Sync data to my local computer? Syncing your data means that you will have a copy on a local computer as well as in the cloud. You can easily save documents directly into your local folder. The data is then "copied up" to the cloud. Can I put sensitive data on OneDrive? OneDrive is an off-premise cloud based solution. What that means is that your files are stored in a Microsoft Data Center. If you find that you need to share sensitive information, you should turn on Auditing. This will give you a way to track your documen

If you can't sync files between your computer and One Drive, It might be due to problems with the One Drive Let's  make sure you do not have another machine trying to sync data. Always try Repair first (Repair creates an Archive folder in c:\users\%username%\OneDrive for Business Archive folder. Then it attempts to fix the issues).  Always try this first! Go to your tray (bottom right hand corner) and right click on your cloud and say "Repair". Go to your tray (bottom right hand corner) and right click on your cloud and select "Repair" Go to the OneDrive cloud in the tray (bottom right hand corner - see above) If that does not work (i.e. if your sync issues do not go away), Stop Syncing and follow this process: Go to the OneDrive cloud in the tray (bottom right hand corner - see above) Right click and say Stop Syncing folder (it will give you a warning about permanently stopping this)

Just when you thought it was gone! The Diagnostic Tracking Service Has been renamed to (Connected User Experience Telemetry) Microsoft finally went on record admitting that automatic spying within Windows 10 cannot be stopped. This sparked a lot of outrage and  it appeared Microsoft had done a sharp U-turn because the background service at the heart tracking ( the ‘Diagnostics Tracking Service’ aka ‘DiagTrack’ ) appeared to have been removed. Critics celebrated and it was another well deserved pat on the back for Microsoft. Well what Microsoft really did was just renamed DiagTrack . It is now called the ‘Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Service’ – which is both a) deliberately vague, and b) misleading (don’t ‘Connected User Experiences’ sound great). If you check Services after the last major update Windows 10 Build 1511, you will notice that the Diagnostics Tracking Service is gone. Well not really, It seems that Microsoft has renamed the service to (Connect

Disable OneDrive in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 One-drive in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 can be disabled through your computer's Local Group Policy Editor. This doesn't remove One-drive from your PC, but it stops it from syncing with the cloud or connecting with other apps, and removes it from the navigation pane in File Explorer. TIP Because disabling One-drive involves changing a Group Policy setting on your computer, it is disabled for everyone who uses that computer. If others use the computer, make sure they also want One-drive disabled. Press (Windows key) + R to open the  Run  box. Type gpedit.msc and click OK. In the Local Group Policy Editor, in the folder list under Local Computer Policy, navigate the folders to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components >OneDrive. NOTE If you have any files or data in One-drive, you will not lose them if you disable or uninstall One-drive o