Thread: Computer Heads-Up!

Originally Posted by DemoWhip

Yes, and just as I was saying.

Back in the days when Norton and MacAfee were the predominant AV packages being used, there was a place for anti-spyware software such as Spybot S&D, since antivirus software didn't even attempt to protect against such malware. They didn't consider malware to be a "virus" since it was typically installed voluntarily by the user as part of a bundle with some other application that the user wanted to download for free. That's what presented an opportunity for the development of anti-malware applications and that's also why Microsoft originally introduced Defender as an adjunct to the AV protection that most Windows users already had installed on their systems. I don't know of any AV software nowadays that doesn't include spyware/malware protection, including MSSE and the newer MS security suite that is now labeled Defender. That's why I no longer bother to install separate software to counter such threats.

Of course, good judgement on the part of the computer user is, and always has been the first line of defense against having one's computer infected with unwanted software.

I use Dropbox for all my important data. It's cheap enough, and I like the fact that I can not only restore lost files, but I can revert corrupted files. Thirty minutes before one of my presentations, I discovered that my PowerPoint file somehow got corrupted (and uploaded to Dropbox). I was able to revert it to a working version in about five minutes. It would have been quicker - but I'd never restored a file before, and was figuring it out on the fly.

I'd like to know where my volume control thingie went. It just vanished. Gone one day and now I can't turn up the sound.

@Blueneck -

1) Create a new textfile called "Volumefix.txt"

2) Paste this text into the file, and save it:

(For some weird reason, PH is breaking up the "CurrentVersion" with spaces. Be sure to remove all spaces.)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideSCAVolume"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideSCAVolume"=-

3) Rename Volumefix.txt to Volumefix.reg

4) Execute Volumefix.reg to import the file into your registry.

This should restore your volume control icon. Keep Volumefix.reg handy in case the problem comes back.

Originally Posted by DemoWhip

It's ALWAYS a good thing to back-up your system no matter what it is be it computer, phone or other especially now in these days of cyberthreats and ransomware! One mustn't be careless in that regard or the evil forces that be could take the best of you and your system!

Before the days of the cloud, a friend of mine had some family pictures that can never be replaced on his phone. We're talking his son as a baby with his great grandfather, who died shortly after. The phone got stolen. He actually gets teary eyed to this day thinking about it

@Macduff - can you edit my previous post, and figure out why I can't remove the spaces in "Currentversion?"

Originally Posted by Djinn

@Blueneck -

1) Create a new textfile called "Volumefix.txt"

2) Paste this text into the file, and save it:

(For some weird reason, PH is breaking up the "CurrentVersion" with spaces. Be sure to remove all spaces.)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideSCAVolume"=-

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"HideSCAVolume"=-

3) Rename Volumefix.txt to Volumefix.reg

4) Execute Volumefix.reg to import the file into your registry.

This should restore your volume control icon. Keep Volumefix.reg handy in case the problem comes back.

Thanks. I've got an MUI class shortly, but will do this when I get back and let you know if it works. It would be nice if they made it that complicated to make it go away. I don't even know what I did. I was going to ask "Cortana" to fix it, but then I realized I wouldn't be able to hear what she told me! Plus I'm kind of afraid to ask her anything, lest she take over and go all HAL on me.

Here's some Important News!

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Samsung Phones Caught Spying on Users, Apple Also Doing It on Smaller Scale
By Bogdan Popa

"Samsung is dragged into another snooping scandal, as a British newspaper has discovered that the Korean phone manufacturer is using technology to monitor online activity and to collect data of users who purchased its devices."

"The Sun writes that Samsung phones come with a technology called beacons that’s being used to track user activity when connected to the Internet, but also to collect information regarding specific content on the phone or even email messages."

Originally Posted by Blueneck

Thanks. I've got an MUI class shortly, but will do this when I get back and let you know if it works. It would be nice if they made it that complicated to make it go away. I don't even know what I did. I was going to ask "Cortana" to fix it, but then I realized I wouldn't be able to hear what she told me! Plus I'm kind of afraid to ask her anything, lest she take over and go all HAL on me.

Oy, @Blueneck ... Did the registry edit work?

CCleaner News Update!

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CCleaner 5.31 Now Available with Improved Windows 10 Creators Update Support
By Bogdan Popa

"CCleaner has just received another important update, this time bringing improvements for users whose computers have already been updated to Windows 10 Creators Update."

"Currently at version 5.31, CCleaner is one of the top system optimization tools, coming with a rich feature pack that includes tools to remove invalid registry items, manage startup items, delete temporary files, and other utilities to boost system performance and keep it in tip-top shape."