Most internet developments have improved our surfing experience and made using the web faster and easier. One that isn’t going down quite so well is the website notification. You know, those messages that websites like to show asking you to let them show you notifications. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to turn those off. Here’s how to stop those annoying website notification requests.
What are notifications?
You may have seen the popups in webpages but do you know exactly what they are asking for? Notifications are the little popup messages in Windows 10 that show calendar entries, email arrival and other things you have configured it to show. They are often referred to as ‘push notifications’ because they are pushed to your device from somewhere else.
The idea of adding a notification is so the website can alert you via the operating system when they add new content, someone responds to your comment or other interaction, depending on the website in question.
Some of you might appreciate these kinds of notifications. They certainly do have value if you participate in debates, follow news stories or just like to interact. However, if you use your device for productivity, seeing notifications every few minutes for something can be a real distraction. Plus, being asked every time you land on a website is a pain in itself. Here’s how to stop them.
Stop website notification requests in Chrome
To stop website notification requests in Chrome, just follow these simple steps.
- Open Chrome and select the three dot menu icon in the top right.
- Select Settings and Show advanced settings.
- Navigate to Privacy and Content settings.
- Navigate to Notifications and make a selection.
Selecting ‘Allow sites to show all…’ will do exactly that. Selecting ‘Ask when a site wants to show a notification’ will tell Chrome to send a prompt every time a website wants to push a notification. Selecting ‘Do not allow…’ turns all notification requests off.
If you want to strike a happy medium, you can allow some sites to send notifications while blocking all others. Select Manage exceptions and add the URL of the site(s) you don’t mind receiving notifications from while blocking all others.
If you want fast access to the preference settings in Chrome, you can just type ‘chrome://settings’ into the URL bar and it will take you to a slightly different screen that allows you to control many aspects of the browser.
Stop website notification requests in Firefox
Blocking website notification requests in Firefox is similar to Chrome.
- Open Firefox and select the three line menu icon.
- Select Preferences and then Content.
- Select the checkbox next to Do not disturb me n Notifications to turn them all off.
- Otherwise, leave the checkbox blank and select the Choose button to select the URLs you want to allow and ones you want to disallow.
Setting Firefox to block all, allow all or allow some is down to personal preference.
Like Chrome, you can access part of the Firefox Preferences section by typing ‘about:preferences.’ into the URL bar. This will allow you to toggle a bunch of settings on or off.
Stop website notification requests in Safari
Like the other browsers here, you can block notifications in Safari too. The same as in Windows, making changes here stops websites pushing to Mac's Notification Center.
- Select the Safari menu and Preferences.
- Select the Notifications tab.
- Select Allow websites to ask permission to send push notifications to stop all websites annoying you. Check the box to block, uncheck to allow.
- Optionally, work through the list in the next window checking either the Allow or Deny box next to each website.
- You can also select Remove to revoke permission or Remove all to stop any website sending notifications. If you use this function, you will be prompted again the next time you visit the site.
As far as I know, Safari doesn’t allow quick access to Preferences with a URL shortcut. Instead, there is a keyboard shortcut of Command +, (comma) that sends you directly to the menu.
Stop website notification requests in Opera
Opera works very similarly to both Chrome and Firefox so blocking notifications is almost the same process.
- Open Opera and select the menu icon to access Preferences.
- Select Notifications and select an option. Allow sites to show notifications, Ask me… and Do not allow any site to show desktop notifications.
- Select Manage Exceptions to add specific websites you want to receive notifications from.
Opera also allows quick access to Preferences if you type ‘opera://settings.’ Into the URL bar. Like Chrome and Firefox, here you can change all sorts of things.
Stop website notification requests in Edge
Finally, Microsoft Edge. The bad news is that while Edge supports push notifications, it doesn’t yet allow you to block them. It is a feature apparently coming later this year. Internet Explorer doesn’t work with notifications so you shouldn’t get them in the browser anyway.
Stop website notification requests
All websites will usually default to allowing all websites to display notifications on the desktop. While this is fine for many users, it isn’t so great for those who want to get on with their work or who don’t want to see a notification every time someone adds something to Facebook.
At least now you know how to stop this happening in your browser, unless you use Microsoft Edge of course. They will get around to adding the feature eventually. It’s a shame they are so behind the curve here as it’s just another reason to not use the browser.
Push notifications might work for you and can certainly offer certain benefits depending on how you use your device. I find notifications on my smartphone incredibly annoying while on my work machine, mostly annoying, especially when I’m troubleshooting a client app or working on a complex problem. Your mileage may vary of course, but it is a setting well worth trying!
If you’re seeing the message ‘This App Has Been Blocked For Your Protection’, it means you are trying to do something Windows doesn’t want you to do. The message is part of SmartScreen, a feature of User Account Control (UAC) within Windows 10. It is an essential protection designed to keep core Windows files safe.
That’s not to say it doesn’t get things wrong sometimes because it does. Occasionally, even attempting to install a seemingly benign app can trigger this message.
Fix ‘This App Has Been Blocked For Your Protection’ in Windows 10
Before we go turning any system protection off though, it’s useful to remember that as much as it might get in the way or annoy you, it is there for your protection. Windows tries to protect its integrity as much as possible so it can keep working. While an app may seem harmless, it may contain something that causes problems with your machine. Disabling SmartScreen is simple, but should only be done if you’re confident of the app you’re installing.
- Right click on the Windows Start button and select Control Panel.
- Select System and Security and then Security and Maintenance.
- Click Change Windows SmartScreen settings in the left pane.
- Select Turn off Windows SmartScreen.
You may as well turn down or off UAC too while you’re there.
- Go back to the Security and Maintenance screen.
- Select Change User Account Control settings.
- Select the minimum protection or turn it off completely
Now you can install your app or do whatever it is you need to do without Windows getting in the way. I would suggest turning SmartScreen and UAC back on once you have installed it and everything is working as intended.
If anything untoward does happen, remember that Dave’s Computers is here to help. Call us at 908-428-9558 or bring your computer to the store for expert assistance.
Actual sticky notes made of paper are so last century. The time of the Post-It are long gone and the new digital sticky note is its replacement. No sticky residue, no wasted paper and no screens surrounded by multicolored squares to distract you from your work. Long live the sticky note!
Windows 10 includes a version of digital sticky notes in the operating system as it knows how forgetful the average user is. Those of us who need reminding constantly of appointments, meetings or chores can benefit greatly from their inclusion. So here is how to use sticky notes in Windows 10.
Create reminders with Windows 10 sticky notes
Rather than covering your sleek black monitor in cheap fluorescent colors, it might be easier on the eye to create them within the screen instead of on it.
- Type ‘sticky’ into the Search Windows (Cortana) box and a yellow square should magically appear on screen.
- Type into it to create your reminder.
- Click the three little dots to change the color and then the little cog in the bottom left to switch off sending usage statistics.
- Click the trash icon when you’re finished with the note.
That’s all there is to using sticky notes really. Each note is held in memory and is dynamic in that you can change or delete them on the fly. They will also make it through a reboot so you don’t have to worry about losing them either.
If you use Windows Ink, sticky notes take on a life of their own. If you write a date or time in the note, Windows will recognize it and can add it to your calendar. That isn’t available on the standard edition yet but we expect it to arrive soon.
I like Windows 10 sticky notes. Such a simple idea yet helps busy people like me so much!
If you cannot access Windows 10 sticky notes or something is going wrong with them or anything on your computer, contact Dave’s Computers today. We’re here to help!
The Automatic Startup Repair loop in Windows 10 is a frustrating place to find yourself. Your computer reboots constantly and doesn’t let you interrupt it or find out what’s wrong. It seems an endless cycle that you can only interrupt by powering off. Fortunately, there is a way round it.
There are a few simple techniques you can use to interrupt the cycle and troubleshoot it. I’ll show you how.
Fix the Automatic Startup Repair loop in Windows 10
To be able to troubleshoot the Automatic Startup Repair loop, we need to get the computer working and interrupt the cycle. For that we’ll use your Windows 10 installation media. If you bought your PC with Windows already installed or upgraded to Windows 10 from a previous version, download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool and create one.
Then:
- Set your computer to boot from the media you just created in the BIOS.
- Once the installer reaches the window that says Install, select Repair your computer in the bottom left corner.
- Select Troubleshoot, Advanced options and Command Prompt. This will take you to the Windows Recovery Environment.
- Type ‘chkdsk /f /r’ into the Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
- Allow the process to complete.
This will check your hard drive for errors. Once the process has completed, try this:
- Go back to the Command Prompt window.
- Type ‘sfc /scannow’ and hit Enter.
- Allow the process to complete.
This will utilize the built-in System File Checker to verify your Windows 10 boot files. If it finds any issues the process will automatically fix them. Reboot your computer and retest.
If that doesn’t work, try this:
- Set your computer to boot from the media you just created in the BIOS.
- Once the installer reaches the window that says Install, select Repair your computer in the bottom left corner.
- Select Troubleshoot, Advanced options and Startup Repair. The reason we don’t do this first is that it can be a little hit and miss.
- Allow the process to complete. If it finds errors, reboot and retest.
Those steps should have your computer booting into Windows 10 as normal. If it doesn’t, call us here at Dave’s Computers on 908-428-9558 and we’ll take care of everything for you.
Continuing on from yesterday where we covered Ipconfig, PING and Tracert, we continue our overview of home network troubleshooting tools. Today we’re going to look at Nslookup and Netstat.
Nslookup
Nslookup is an excellent tool for troubleshooting DNS (Domain Name System) issues. If you’re having trouble connecting to other computers or websites using their URL but can connect using an IP address, it can often be DNS that is causing the issue. Nslookup can help.
Nslookup finds the IP address linked to a domain name. If Nslookup works, DNS is working fine. If it doesn’t, your issue could be DNS related.
- Open a CMD window as an administrator.
- Type ‘nslookup and the domain name’. For example, you could type ‘nslookup www.google.com’ to find out the IP address of the server. Commercial entities will often have multiple servers, so the IP address may change.
If you see IP addresses, DNS is working. If you don’t, DNS may not be working and your investigations should go in that direction.
Netstat
The Netstat is our final network troubleshooting tool. Netstat allows you to display all of the active network ports on a PC. Ports are used to send or listen on a network and each program will have one or many port allocations assigned to it. Knowing what ports are assigned can help troubleshooting a local network issue or follow up on a security alert.
- Open a CMD window as an administrator.
- Type ‘Netstat -an’. This command will show you all the connections and ports. From here you can see which ports are open, listening or closed. You can also see the protocol each port is using and the destination address.
From here you can check destination addresses for ones that shouldn’t be there. It is time consuming but nobody said network troubleshooting was easy!
If you have any problems using these tools or anything useful to add, leave a comment below!The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error is a blue screen error that is caused by Windows not being able to find a piece of data it expected to find. It can indicate a memory error, physical memory issues, a driver error or Windows swap file issue. All but one of those is fixable without needing to buy new memory.
Steps to fix PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA errors
The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA manifests itself as a blue screen (BSOD). It may appear intermittently or it may appear regularly, it varies from computer to computer. I’m going to list a few ways you can troubleshoot it. As always, try each step individually and reboot. If the error stops appearing, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
- Remove any recently installed drivers, especially third-party unsigned ones. Drivers are a common cause of this memory fault so this is a good place to start.
- Uninstall any programs or hardware you added immediately before the error started appearing and retest.
- Open a CMD window as an administrator and type ‘Chkdsk /f /r’. Allow the process to complete and make any repairs it needs.
Reset Windows virtual memory settings
If the above steps didn’t work, try disabling and re-enabling Windows virtual memory management.
- Navigate to Control Panel, System and Security, System, Advanced System Settings.
- Select Settings next to Performance and then Advanced.
- Select Change under Virtual memory.
- Uncheck the box next to ‘Automatically manage paging file size…’.
- Perform all the above steps in reverse and recheck the box next to ‘Automatically manage paging file size…’.
- Reboot once more and retest.
Check your RAM
Once we have eliminated the most likely software culprits, it’s time to look at hardware.
Download and run MemTest86+. Run the tests, swap memory sticks and slots and run the test again. If the fault follows the memory stick, it is likely the RAM itself at fault. If the errors stay on the same slot, the memory slot may be at fault. Try moving to a different memory slot altogether and run the test again.
It is possible to ignore a fault memory slot if you have spares. Otherwise, you may need to consider a new motherboard.
Do you know of any other ways to troubleshoot ‘PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA’ errors? Let us know below if you do!
If your Windows computer keeps waking itself up during the night or when you’re not there, you’re not alone. It is a common issue with Windows. Many owners find both laptops and desktop computers waking up when they aren't there. Fortunately, as common as it may be, it is also easy to fix.
Having your computer wake up when not in use wastes power, drains a laptop’s battery and leaves it exposed to attacks from the internet if connected. If you’re troubleshooting seemingly arbitrary restarts, we’re here to help.
Usually, a computer waking itself up is either Windows update doing its thing or a device that has a wake timer enabled. We can quickly find out exactly if it’s your hardware with a console command.
Find out what's behind you computer waking
- Open a CMD window as an administrator.
- Type ‘powercfg -lastwake’ into the window.
- Look for the Wake History Count.
The wake history count lists the hardware device causing your system to wake up. Once you know what is waking up your computer, let’s stop it.
- Type ‘powercfg -devicequery wake_armed’. This will identify which devices are able to wake your machine.
- Open Device Manager and right click the devices noted in the steps above.
- Click Properties and Power Management.
- Uncheck ‘Allow this device to wake the computer’.
- Repeat for all devices identified in the first step.
Check Windows Update
Next let’s check Windows Update and switch it from doing whatever it likes to doing what we want. Windows Update has always been something of a law unto itself. Let’s change that.
- Navigate to Settings, System and Update & Security.
- Select the Advanced Options text link.
- Change the drop down box at the top from Automatic to ‘Notify to schedule restart’.
Performing both of those tasks will ensure your computer stops automatically starting up when you’re not there.
If you have anything to add or other useful tricks to stop Windows starting by itself, let us know below.Have you ever noticed that if you don’t have the current version of a type of software, then you can run into issues just because other types of software may not work properly with it? Often, you can rectify various problems simply by taking the time to upgrade software. In fact, if you don’t have the newest version of Internet Explorer, then you may not be getting all of the features available. Of course, how do you know if you have the current version of Internet Explorer or if you need to upgrade? With Dave's Computers computer help tips, it's easy to find your current version of IE.
This tutorial will help you find the right information so that you don’t have to contact a computer repair service. Of course, if you discover you do need to upgrade and you are unsure of what to do, then a computer support professional can help you.
You really only have to go through a couple of steps in order to find out what version you have of Internet Explorer.
Begin by opening your Internet browser.
Once you have it opened Internet Explorer, then the next step would be to click on the gear icon that shows up at the top right of the screen. If you don’t see a gear, that would indicate that you have a much older version of Internet Explorer and you would need to click on Help. Once a menu opens, then you should look for a button that says About Internet Explorer.
When you click on this button, then should see a screen with a big Internet Explorer logo on a window that comes up in the middle of the screen. Underneath the logo, you will see the version you currently have. To determine if that is the newest one, you can do a quick Internet search.
In addition to seeing the logo and the version, you will also see a checkbox that will allow Internet Explorer to automatically update itself. This way, you will always have the newest version of Internet Explorer on your computer without having to do anything or contact a computer help service. If you check this box, you will always have the updates, but if you leave it unchecked, then you will need to manually install the updates each time.
Right now, the newest version of Internet Explorer is 11, and if you have that version, then you will not need to perform any updates. If you have anything older, then you will want to update it. If you have any problems with that, then you can contact a computer repair service for assistance.
Contact us for More Assistance with Computer Help
Of course, if you need help with your Internet browser or you have other issues with your computer, then you can contact Dave's Computers. We offer a variety of computer repair services remotely so that you don’t even have to unhook your machine or take time out of your life. Contact us today for your computer support needs.
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If your computer ever crashes or something seems to be wrong with it, then it would be very helpful if you had already created a recovery drive for emergency data recovery. This is a set of files that you save on a flash drive that will allow you to access things like command prompt and system restore. This way, you can repair many problems that may be going on with your machine without the need to contact a computer repair service.
If you would like to create a windows data recovery drive so that you don’t find yourself with problems later, then you can do so with simple steps without the need for computer help. To begin with, you need to gather your supplies. In addition to your computer itself, you will need also to purchase a flash drive that is at least 500 MB in size. It should be dedicated specifically to your recovery drive and should not be used for anything else. If you would like advice on the size of your flash drive, then contact a computer help service, but 500 MB should be sufficient.
Here are the steps you will need to take in order to build your data recovery drive on a Windows 8 computer without having to contact a computer repair service.
Building Your Data Recovery Drive
Go to the charm bar on the right side of the screen and choose settings. Then, choose control panel from the settings menu. This will open your control panel. Once you have that opened, you need to look for system and security. Depending on how you have your machine set up, you may be able to bypass this by clicking directly on recovery. Otherwise, click on recovery next.
When you get to this menu, then you will need to choose the button for creating a recovery drive. When you do this, you will also need to pick where you want to save the recovery drive too and you will need to choose a flash drive from that section.
It is a good idea to disconnect all of your external drives before you get to this point so that you don’t accidentally confuse the computer and find yourself in need of a computer repair service. After choosing your flash drive, then click next and the wizard will begin, which allows you to just go through steps and complete the process.
When the computer states that the recovery drive is ready, then you can click finish, remove the flash drive from your machine, label it properly, and then put it somewhere safe.
Once you have this drive complete, you will be able to use your recovery drive if something goes wrong with your computer. If you still have problems with your computer or you didn’t create a recovery drive before issues arose, then you will need a computer repair service like davescomputers.com. Contact us today if you need any type of computer repair services.
If you found this article helpful, then be sure to share it below.Let’s say you install a new piece of software and then your computer starts acting up. You try to uninstall the software but something goes wrong. You have a problem and you aren’t sure what to do about it. Before you contact computer help professionals, keep in mind that there is a solution to your issue, and it is one you can manage right at home. All you need to do is know how to use system restore. This is a utility built right into your Windows operating system designed specifically to handle these types of issues, which is a convenient method of computer help for business owners.
Essentially, system restore allows you to roll your whole computer back to an earlier date before whatever went wrong. It will return files, settings, and other controls to the point in time that you choose. This can deal with many issues without you needing to contact a computer support service. So, how do you use system restore? We will discuss using the tool in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.
System Restore for Windows 8 or Windows 8.1
Start by going to your control panel. To get to this, open the charm bar on the right side of your desktop and choose settings. Once the settings menu opens, you can choose control panel.
In control panel, you will be looking for one of two things: system and security or just system. If you find system and security, you will need to click on system in the next window. The way your icons are set up will affect what you see here. If you have trouble with this, then contact a computer repair service for help.
When you arrive at the system menu, you will need to choose system protection, which will appear as a link. When you do this, a new window will appear and you can choose system restore. Once you choose this option, you will see a system restore menu come up and you need to click next.
After you do that, then you will see a list of restore points categorized by date. You will need to choose a date that will go back before when your computer started causing you problems. After choosing a date, click next. You will be asked if you are sure youw ant to perform a system restore and you should click yes and then finish.
You will be asked again if you want to do this, and this time it will remind you that you cannot use or turn off your computer until the system restore is complete. Again, click yes. You will have to wait for your computer to do several things until the system restore is complete and your computer restarts.
This can resolve many of the problems you may run into with your computer. However, if you are still having issues, then you can get computer help from a professional computer help service, like davescomputers.com. We can pinpoint the problem and then provide you with the computer help you need.
If you found this article helpful, then be sure to share it below.
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