Easus Backup Utility Free Ads

I've recommended EASEUS ToDo Backup Free.  This is a free version of this very good file and hard drive backup utility.  Something has changed in the way it works and, every time I reboot my computer I get the following ad:

It is a nuisance.  I've tried turning it off without turning of EaseUS and I haven't yet found a way to do it.  I've just downloaded a new version, so I'll have to work on it.  In the meantime, I can't recommend EaseUS for a running, automatic backup utility.  It is still good as an hard drive backup utility.  In that case, you run EaseUS at the time you want to create drive backup.

(The purpose of a drive backup is to save an "image" of your hard drive, especially the current operating system state and all the programs you have installed.  Once you have this, if you get infected with spyware and it can't be easily removed OR your hard drive fails, you can load this image and be back to the point of time when you created the image, instead of the time when your computer was shipped.)

Cookies and Security

Cookies are (usually) small files that internet sites use to store data about your visit to that site.  For example, if you go to yahoo, the code in the page you visit will store a cookie about that visit.  The next time you visit the site, before the page displays, the code will look up the cookie and, if found, will use the cookie to "improve" your site experience by speeding up certain actions based on your past behavior, which is stored in the cookie. (That was a long sentence.  Sorry)

For general information on where cookies are stored, you can google a phrase like "What are cookies"  You'll get lots of hits.  As an example, read this Microsoft Answers article.

If you are curious, this page discusses cookies and gives an example of web page code used to create a cookie.  As a prerequisite to understanding this page:  most web pages use the javascript computer coding language to display and manage the web page.  When you go to a site and you have javascript enabled in your browser (the default), the javascript code will run, both before and after the page is displayed.  (Note: there a tons of computer languages used by web designers to implement web pages, with javascript being the most popular language for coding "functionality," rather than the look of the page.

There are two types of cookies, those stored by the "flash player" and the rest.  Note that in the referenced Microsoft Answers article, flash cookies aren't discussed.  It talks about the two types of cookies being those that are persistent and those that are used only in that session. The reason flash cookies aren't discussed is that the article predates the rash of recent spyware infection methods that use flash cookies to infect your computer or to steer your browser to infected web sites.

Cookie security is a huge cookie jar of topics.  Most of the topics are too technical for the typical user.  It's not that the authors are lazy, but that cookies are inherently technical; it is very hard to come up with non-technical words that are instructive.  My challenge is to make the cookie topic understandable.

For Mac users, iPad users, etc... every kind of internet device has cookies.  That is because the cookie is a browser tool; in general, if you use a browser you will have cookies (unless you explicitly modify the browser controls to NOT process cookie code).

Does this make sense?  Let me know.  Ask your questions in the comment section below.

What I am going to do is to write separate articles on the major topics associated with cookies.  When I get to it, I'll come back to this blog entry and link to the articles.

There has been some confusion over whether or not Microsoft will terminate Vista support in April.  You may have run into something online that says it does end.  I contacted Microsoft and got this "official" answer.  The net:  April 11, 2017.  What ends is adding enhancements and new features to Vista. Security updates, etc continue until 2017.

Here is the complete response, in Microsoft language:

"Mainstream Support is what ends in April.  A further five years of Extended Support begins then.  Before February 20th of this year Microsoft had scheduled the Vista consumer editions for retirement and only Vista Business and Enterprise were scheduled to recieve Extended Support. 


On February 20th Microsoft granted Extended Support to all the consumer editions of Vista and Windows 7 as well. All Vista editions will now continue to receive security updates after the end of Mainstream Support in April. Extended Support for all Vista editions will end on April 11, 2017.  You have five more years of security updates.


The definitive answer is the LifeCycle Support Table for Vista here and the definitive column is the Extended Support End Date, which now lists April 11, 2017 as the end of support for all Vista editions.  Before February 20th that column listed Not Applicable for Vista Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, and Ultimate.  That is what has changed.


The difference between Mainstream and Extended Support is that Microsoft will no longer consider enhancements or make upgrades to Vista.  There will be no more service packs or any addition of new features.  There will only be critical and security updates."

Skype Settings for Privacy

I've had a question about getting annoying/disturbing pop up messages in Skype.  This will happen if you don't correctly set your security options in Skype.  Here is how to do it:
1. Open Skype.  Click on Tools, then on Options: (click pictures to enlarge)

2.  Click Privacy on the left side of the window.  For a reasonable level of privacy, the radio buttons should be set as shown in the following.

This allows those on your Contact list to 

• contact you by phone
• see that you have video
• automatically start a video session with you
• send you instant messages (IMs)

Note that it does not allow your online status to be shown and it does not allow Skype to use information about you to show 3rd party ads.  It does allow Skype to store cookies, which is a convenience so you don't have to reenter information when you restart Skype.

Note the Clear History button, which you should click if you are setting these Privacy options for the first time.

You can, of course, click other radio buttons, tightening or loosening your privacy.  If you have questions, please submit a comment below.  

IMPORTANT! What to do if your someone is using your email

Our communities have had a rash of "someone is sending spam/or worse emails in my name to people I know".   Everyone I know has a virus-clean computer AND uses an on-line email account, such as att.net or yahoo.   The standard "pat" answer from the email service providers is "change your password."  If you ask how this could happen, then say they don't know.

OK.  I've found a site that explains it all and provides appropriate instructions.  Start here.  I'm so glad I found this site, which was recommended by the denizens of bleepingcomputer.com.

There is another web page that has more detailed information.  It is written for AT&T/Yahoo customers, but the checklist is valid for all email systems.

The AT&T standard remedy is to change your password.  The instructions for doing this are here.   Changing your password does not remedy the problem.  Your userid and your contacts list has been collected by the perp; you can't recall that. 

My recommendation for a strategic solution is to not use AT&T yahoo as your email resource; use another option.  Delete all your contacts in your AT&T yahoo account.  Still use your AT&T email address as far as others are concerned, but you should redirect your email to that other option.  More detail?  Contact me.

HP Printer Problems...

HP is by far the most popular printer in our communities.  It stands to reason that this brand gives us more problems than any other brand.  BUT, I submit that it gives residents problems far out of proportion to the others.  In fact, I just got another call.   In addition to what I experience as poor quality, HP inundates your computer with blotted software.  Not only does it take up space on your hard drive, but it has several "startup" routines it installs that unnecessarily consume your available RAM.  All in all, though priced right and often up in the top tier in features and performance, I can't recommend the printer because of quality and poor service.

Neither can this soldier...

How To Print from Your Android Device

First, a disclaimer of sorts. The original design for the Android operating system did not have printing from the device as a requirement. It seems dumb, but the thought was that the device is truly portable and you would use your PC or other device to do any printing. Well, the designers were wrong and are now playing catchup. As of this writing, some third parties are providing some print capability, but with limitations. In this blog entry I'm going to talk about the only first party application available, called the Google Cloud. With a little "jumping through hoops" you can print just about anything. A key dependency is that you have Google Chrome on a machine that can print to a printer. For Windows, you also need a certain service. I am also assuming your email account is google. That doesn't mean other email accounts won't work. I just haven't tested other options.
The instructions I've written are a little to complex in format to put in a blog. So I've created a PDF document, which is here.