Optimize Your Computer, E-mail and WEB Use

Optimize Your Computer, E-mail, and WEB Use

Windows 10 and 11 have built-in real-time antivirus named Windows Defender. It automatically runs in the background, protecting all Windows users against viruses and other nasties. To activate, you must remove existing security software Norton, McAfee, AVG… For details, refer to Uninstall 3rd party antivirus in Windows 11

Usability

If two or more individuals use the same computer, I highly recommend setting up a User Account for each. Creating user accounts is easy in Windows 10 and has many advantages. Our Individual Windows User Accounts & Individual E-mail Addresses page will guide you through setting up multiple user accounts.

Each user gets a personalized desktop.
It remembers your programs can automatically log you into accounts like Gmail.
All program files are saved to the personal userspace.
Remember, each User Account needs to be backed up when doing backups.

Consider switching to Gmail as your e-mail provider.
Reasons to use Gmail: Gmail blocks SPAM, archive unlimited Email, is easy to log in when traveling, the address book is protected, there are no animated web ads, is secure, is always connected with HTTPS (like your bank), and it’s free. Gmail makes Email easy and efficient. And maybe even fun. The Senior Tech Group will help you set it up and get started.

Each user should have an e-mail account.
An individual Gmail account will give each user the following complimentary services:

A personal email account with an individualized address book.
Google Calendar
Google Photos
Google Docs (in the cloud word processing and spreadsheet) with the essential features of Microsoft Word and Excel.
Google Voice – The last phone number you will ever need. All calls to this number can be made on any phone you choose. The voicemail can be transcribed and e-mailed to you.
Google Bookmarks – Synchronized to all computers you use.
Google Toolbar – Great web browser spell checker, e-mail checker,

Print Pages as PDFs Without Installing Extensions.

Open any web page inside Google Chrome, and press Ctrl+P to open the Print dialog.
Change the destination printer to “Save as PDF.”
Hit the Print button, and the current web page, document, or Email will instantly download as a PDF.

Alternate Browsers

Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and more natural.
Firefox Web Browser is the faster, more secure, and fully customizable way to surf the web.

Helper programs

Bitwarden allows you to create and manage unique passwords to strengthen privacy and boost productivity online from any device or location.
2FAS — open-source two-factor authenticator secure, private, and simple.

A Better Free PDF Viewer

PDF-XChange Printer Lite – Free for non-commercial use only. Hybrid conversion engine that prints to both GDI and XPS. Print to PDF from almost all Windows applications. This is the PDF viewer I use on all of my Windows computers.

Online Services

GotFreeFax.com – Free Fax Service – Fax cover page plus three pages per fax maximum free, two free faxes per day maximum.
magicJack PLUS costs $49.95 plus shipping and handling. – One year of free local and long-distance calling to the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, along with all the other great magicJack features included with your initial purchase. An additional year of service is $29.95 for magicJack PLUS.
Wikipedia– Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikipedia Foundation.