Adding storage to my Fire tablet

 
I needed more storage for my smaller Fire Tablet 7 (my newer one.)

The first SD card I tried was 256GB, but resulted in a message that the disk was corrupted. I googled this issue, and learned that for some fire tablets, there's a limit to the size of the SD you can use. So I returned it and ordered a 64GB SD card.

This one also said it was corrupted. But this time I clicked on that message, and it told me I have to format it first. So it's possible the bigger SD card would have worked.

It then formatted it. 

Then it asked if I want the storage for moving files and I said no. Then it told me that if I want to use it for apps and such, that I have to move the content, so I said yes. Then it said:

 
Your SD Card is ready to uSe. Your content was moved

To manage this SanDisk SD card, go to STorage Settings.

Enable 3D Mode in Google maps

Try this: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3031966?hl=en-GB&sjid=12801735407415340256-NA

Or this worked:

If you navigate to this link http://maps.google.com/?force=webgl and you then see an error at the bottom of the screen along the lines of "We’re sorry, only the lite mode of the new Google Maps is available at this time."  webgl is probably not enabled for your browser.
On Chrome, navigate to chrome://settings/ -> expand the Advanced settings at the bottom of the page -> under System, make sure "Use hardware acceleration when available" is turned on.

Notification Settings in Google Docs

1. Go into the document
2. Click help
3. Use "search the menus" to search for notification settings

Quizlet helps

 

1. To change visibility, go into the set, then the pencil for that set, and then the gear.

24-08-20 Bad contacts on my android phone

Theory: Bad contacts on phone could they be in verizon cloud

Had an hour long chat with Verizon about this. I had over 300 extra contacts on my phone than in Google contacts.

Found out these were added to the Verizon cloud by Verizon, back when I guess I used to have Verizon cloud active.

I used the 30 day free trial of Verizon cloud, cleared them all out, and got the chat guy, Aaron, to then cancel Verizon cloud.

Then I had to go into my phone, and delete them one by one.

24-08-17 Adjusting to my new lenses

 

At Lenscrafters I thought something was wrong with my new glasses that I came to pick up. Spoke with optician Anthony.

He said when they increase the distance, they increase the reading. I had thought I didn't need an increase in the reading, but only in the distance. The reading looked too magnified, and required holding my head in only one place to read clearly.

He expalined the science. Accurate statistics show that with age, the lens in the eye gets less elastic. And so at older ages they increase the reading even more.

He said this is more accurate than the measurements done on my eyesight in their companion office next door. 

He said it's possible but rare that I don't fit with those statistics, but he was firm that I should try them for at least a day because I need to come back to them with two reports: my reading AND my distance. This made sense to me and so did the science, so Ieft the store wearing my new glasses.

By the time I got home and started living my life (reading, writing on the computer, using my phone, cooking, and so forth) I forgot all about them. They were fine.

I went back on Sunday to pass along the good report.                                                 

Reset my HP Windows 10 and make it discoverable on my Windows LAN

I want to completely reset your Windows 10 laptop while ensuring it remains easily discoverable on your Windows 11 LAN. 

1. Assign a Static IP Address

To ensure your Windows 10 laptop has a consistent IP address after the reset, assign it a static IP address.

Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Ethernet > Change adapter options.

Right-click on your network adapter and select Properties.

Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

Select Use the following IP address and manually input the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway.

I used the current dynamic credentials to create the static credentials:

IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.209(Preferred)

Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

2. Enable Network Discovery

Make sure Network Discovery is enabled on both your Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers.

Go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings.

Expand Network discovery and select Turn on network discovery.

 

3. Reset

Run reset this PC, Select Rmeove everything, and say yes to clean data 

4. Reinstall Network Adapter Drivers

1. Install the latest network adapter drivers for your laptop.
2. Reconnect to Your Network: Connect your laptop to the network using the same network settings (SSID and password).
3. Verify IP Address: Check if the static IP address is still assigned correctly.
4. Enable File Sharing (Optional): If you want to share files, enable file sharing and permissions. 
5. Update Windows: After the reset, ensure you install the latest Windows updates.
6. Reinstall Necessary Software: Reinstall essential software and drivers.
7. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully reset your Windows 10 laptop while maintaining its visibility on your LAN.

 

Problems with NAS

Specifically, Obi-Wan

I tried using DHCP to renew the IP address. We'll see if that sticks.

Google Meet (Google Duo) crashes on Windows 11

 

I tried  turning off "Use graphics acceleration when available"
 
but I had to turn it back on because ontherwise 3d doesn't work in google maps

Use a local account in Windows 11

 

1. Open the Windows 11 settings app
2. Select Accounts, by clicking your profile picture
3. Select Your Info
4. Select "Sign in with a local account instead" (under Account Settings)
5. Windows 11 will then guide you through the process of switching to a local account on your PC

Notes from my changeover to Lenovo with Windows 11

Miscellaneous Stuff I Did

1. Note: at the earliest point you can, detach and uninstall OneDrive. Do this before you put any files on your new computer!
2. To see my NAS devices, the easiest way was to get a new copy from the web of the Buffalo Nas Navigator Utility which was here: https://www.buffalotech.com/support/downloads/linkstation-pro
3. Once I installed that, I could use it to instantly see the two devices and to map them from the utility. It still defaulted to L and then M.
4. Next I was able to copy the entire Windows software folder from one of the NAS devices down to my hard drive
5. From there I was able to install apps I still want such as the address book and Paint Shop pro.
6. I quickly realized I need to uninstall OneDrive. It's an installed app. I had to go through several machinations to completely get rid of it, including a registry edit. OneDrive should have been first in my list. Below are the instructions from Gemini, but I also did other stuff.
7. The file explorer menu put some important function into "more options" which was annoying. So I did a regedit according to these instructions: https://www.pcgamer.com/windows-11-context-menu-fix-right-click/.
8. I wanted to see this new Lenovo from my old Dell. Here's the credentials format. See Lastpass-->my microsoft account to get the exact credentials:
1. \\computername\sharedfolder
2. my current microsoft password
9. I found a possible reason why I can see obi-wan on the network but not Chidi. I thought it might be because obi-wan setting said don't use DHCP. But Chidi setting said do use DHCP. So I changed Chidi to not use DHCP, but after rebooting, I still can only see Obi-wan on the network. I do see another possible cause, which is that Chidi's workgroup is called workgroup, while Obi-wan's workgroup is called homenet. 

OneDrive Instructions from Gemini

Uninstalling OneDrive and deleting the folder are good first steps, but Windows 11 might still try to access OneDrive if registry entries or settings haven't been cleared. Here's how to make Windows 11 forget OneDrive completely:

1. Unlink OneDrive (if you haven't already):

• Right-click the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area (usually near the clock).

• Select "OneDrive Help and Settings" icon, then "Settings".

• Go to the "Account" tab.

• Click "Unlink this PC".

2. Clean Up Registry (This step requires caution, back up your registry before proceeding):

• Open the Start menu and search for "regedit".

• Important: Be careful when editing the registry, mistakes can cause system instability. It's recommended to create a backup of your registry before proceeding (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-back-up-and-restore-the-registry-in-windows-855140ad-e318-2a13-2829-d428a2ab0692).

• Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders

• Look for entries named "Personal" and "My Pictures" (might have OneDrive path).

• Right-click each entry and select "Modify".

• In the "Value data" field, enter the default location for these folders (e.g., C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents for Personal).

• Click "OK" and repeat for other OneDrive related entries you find (if any).

3. Group Policy Editor (For Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise):

• Search for "gpedit.msc" in the Start menu and open it.

• Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive

• You can disable OneDrive policies here (e.g., "Prevent the use of OneDrive for file storage").

After following these steps, restart your computer for changes to take effect. OneDrive should no longer be referenced by Windows 11.

Note: If you're unsure about any registry edits, it's best to seek help from a technician or skip this step.