How to Remove Google Gemini from Your Phone (and Your Life)
Let's talk about Gemini, Google's shiny new AI assistant, which nobody asked for, but everyone got shoved on their phones anyway. Google is now trying to roll it out as a replacement for Google Assistant on many Android phones, and while it's got a fancy name and a flair for drama, most folks are finding out the hard way: Gemini is all talk and no action. Point blank.. It sucks. Google assistant was way better and we want it back. Have you tried asking Gemini to do something simple like open Spotify and play Cletic Rock? (Dropkick Mu...

Two Solid Freebies from Ashampoo Grab WinOptimizer & Backup for Free with Registration!
Hey Geeks, we've got a solid freebie alert for you. Actually, make that two! Subscribers to our newsletter already know this, but Ashampoo is offering WinOptimizer 26 and Backup 25 completely free to the MajorGeeks Army. Yep, 100% free of charge as long as you register. That's it. No trials, no sneaky ''only free for 7 days'' nonsense. Just real professional software that is really free. What's the Catch? None really. Well, you need to do a quick registration wth your email. Ashampoo will need your email to sen...

How to Fix VMware Workstation "The Update Server Could Not Be Resolved" Error Installing VMware Tools
Fix the VMware Tools "update server could not be resolved" error fast. Discover why it occurs, learn how to manually install VMware Tools, and obtain the download link.

3 Ways To Add Everything Search To Total Commander
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/total_commander_for_android.htmlTotal Commander and https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/everything.htmlEverything Search have been our two top fan favorites for -- well, probably forever. Total Commander is one of the single best file managers on the planet, highly configurable, and a joy to use. Everything Search is quite simply the fastest way to search your Windows. In a recent video we did on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sFtIaL_A2gEverything Search UberGeek DavidHolmes167 mentioned the posibility...

Running AI Models Locally: What They Are, Where to Find Them, and How to Get Started
AI models are everywhere now. People are using them for creative writing, coding, making art, and answering your weirdest questions. But what if we told you you don't have to rely on the cloud anymore? With a decent PC, you can run these models locally and have total control with no subscriptions, token fees, or data leaks. But with anything new, many concepts and terminology can get confusing, so let's look at what AI models are, where to find good ones, and how to install and use them. Bonus: no coding degree is required. We promise you...

TikTok Ban: What Happens If the Supreme Court Upholds It?
The Supreme Court is deliberating a potential nationwide ban on TikTok, a move stemming from the US government's security concern over its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The ban is set to take effect January 19, 2025. With 170 million US users and thousands of creators, this decision has far-reaching implications not just for TikTok itself but for what this means regarding speech on the internet and how users might adapt to law and to change platforms. Here's what the ruling could mean for TikTok users and the broader social media lan...

2024 Black Friday Deals
Here's a list of Black Friday Deals sent to us for geeks, by geeks -- that you probably won't see anywhere else. We will keep this updated as they come in. Fortect, one of the most complete system repair and maintenance programs on the market, has given MajorGeeks readers https://secure.fortect.com/?trackid=24285680an exclusive 65% off!for up to 5 PCs with a 60-day money-back guarantee. You could get a license and repair all your family's PCs for the year as their Christmas gift -- and never have to touch their PCs! What more co...

Unlock Google's Hidden Powers: Search Tricks Every Geek Should Know
Hey Geeks! Let's talk search. You might think you've mastered Google, tossing in a few keywords and getting your results. Not anymore the recent Helpful Content Update from Google was supposed to prioritize content that genuinely serves users, but for many, it hasn't lived up to the promise. Instead, search results are often cluttered with low-quality, keyword-stuffed pages or AI-generated content that doesn't fully address real user needs or dominated by user-generated content from sites like Reddit, TikTok and Quora, which,...

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Deciding Between Idle State, Sleep Mode, and Shutdown: What's Best for Your PC?
When it comes to closing up shop on your computer for the day, you might pause and wonder whether to leave it idle, shut it down entirely, or put it to sleep. That is one of the most common questions I am asked by PC users. All the options have merits and drawbacks; choosing the right one can enhance your PC's performance for you and/or extend its lifespan. Let's explore the pros and cons of shutting down versus putting your computer in sleep mode or leaving your PC idle to help you make an informed decision based on your usage habits. Po...

How to Diagnose RAM Issues with Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool: A Step-by-Step Guide
Is your computer experiencing random crashes, freezes, or unexpected blue screens? Don't panic! Before tossing your machine out the window (figuratively), consider your RAM (Random Access Memory). A bad bit of RAM is like that one unreliable friend in a group project. Everyone else is pulling their weight, contributing their parts flawlessly, but this one friend needs to remember their task, mixing up details, or just randomly dropping out of the conversation. The result? A project (or computer operation) that's unexpectedly quirky, some...

How to Edit Audio in Your Videos Using Shotcut
This is a quick example of how to edit the audio volume in your video using Shotcut. In this example, you can also see how to split the video into usable sections to increase or decrease volume as desired in each setion. Added bonus is you get to see how handsome my dog is. Shotcut is an Open Source, cross-platform video editor capable of converting and editing video files in various formats. You can download the latest version here: https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/shotcut.html...

Using AeroShake To Clear Your Desktop
One of the features of Windows 10 / 11 is the ability to use AreoShake to grab an open Window and clear the screen. This means that you can quickly minimize all the other windows on your desktop by shaking the one you want to focus on. Even though this feature was first introduced in Win7, I have never used it until today. Turns out it's wicked handy. To do this, you need to click and hold the title bar of the window you want to keep and then move your mouse back and forth rapidly. This will make all the other windows disappear, leaving on...

Here's What You Need to Know About LogoFAIL
LogoFAIL is not a virus but rather a set of vulnerabilities in the firmware of many computers that allows attackers to bypass security measures and install malicious software. LogoFAIL affects the firmware when displaying the manufacturer's logo during the boot process. Firmware is software embedded in a hardware device, such as a computer, smartphone, printer, or router. Firmware controls the basic functions and operations of the device, such as booting, loading, and communicating with other components. Specifically, LogoFAIL affects the Unif...

MajorGeeks and Cheat Happens August 2023 Give-A-Way
Major Geeks and Cheat Happens Present 2023 August Giveaway ...

How to Install Threads on Your Windows Desktop
Threads is a new app from Instagram that lets you have closer, more intimate conversations with your close friends. It's currently only available on iOS and Android, but there is a way to install it on your Windows desktop using the Windows Subsystem for Android available in Windows 11. You can install WSA on Windows 10 using https://github.com/cinit/WSAPatchWSAPatch, but it takes a fair bit of know-how and likely outside the scope of the average user. So, if you have Windows 11 installed, here are the steps on how to install Threads on...

How to Change DPI Scaling Settings in Windows 10 or 11
If you are a Windows user, you may have noticed that some applications look blurry or pixelated on your screen, especially if you are running hires, like 4K + on your machine. Windows tries to scale the applications to match your display settings, but not all applications support this feature. This is where adjusting your DPI scaling comes in, and below I will explain how to override the DPI scaling behavior of Windows and make your applications look crisp and clear.

How to Block Spam Calls on a Samsung Phone
I have been getting bombarded with SPAM calls this week. Most are just hangups, but all of them are annoying. Looking into it, blocking Spammers is surprisingly easy on a Samsung / Android phone. Admittedly though, I need one of your iPhone users to chime in on how to do this on an Apple device. I won't have one. On your Samsung / Andriod Phone 1. Open the Phone app. 2. Tap the three-dot menu icon on the top right corner and select Settings. 3. Toggle on Caller ID and spam protection. Thats it. If you want to adjust further, tap the words ...

How To Remove the Bing Discover Button on Microsoft Edge for Windows, Mac and Linux
With the release of Edge Version 111.xxx Microsoft has added a new ''Discover'' Button, the gateway button, to Microsoft's version of ChatGPT. Clicking the button allows you to type a question and get an annotated answer or even write a few short paragraphs for an email of project. There is more than just a button, though - there's an entire bar taking up a significant amount of screen estate on the right-hand side of your browser with tools like coupons, calculators, and another search icon... If you find this annoy...

How to Set a New Home / Start Page In Edge
How do I change my home page in Edge and get rid of the MSN news page?

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MajorGeeks Deals Page
Hey There Geeks! This is as good a place as any to drop a few special offers available only at MajorGeeks.com. As with all sales, they change all the time, so check back often. https://www.idrive.com/idrive/signup/el/majorgeeks90 This one is close to my heart. I have always believed that backups are only slightly less important than your heart beat. However, the only good backup is one you remember to do. This is where iDrive comes in. iDrive is a cloud based, automatic, mutli-platform service that has additional features like versioning and cl...

How to Turn on or off Recommended Troubleshooting in Windows 10
Beginning with Windows 10 version 1903, Microsoft has added Recommended Troubleshooting to fix any problems that arise automatically. Unlike the previous attempts (Microsoft FixIt), the new troubleshooter are very good and can correct many issues or steer you in the right direction. That said, you can turn off Recommended Troubleshooting. Here's how.

How to Fix There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC Error on Windows 10
Windows 10 now includes "Reset this PC," which can reinstall Windows 10 without losing all of your personal files or if you want to reset your computer to factory fresh. It works well unless you receive a "There was a problem resetting your PC error on Windows 10" error. Here are the steps you can take to fix this.

Control When Windows 10 Updates with Kill-Update
Kill-Update allows you to control when updates happen. You can set up active-hours for updates in Windows 10 or by disabling the Group Policy Editor but for novice users and those that want more control; this may be a more straightforward solution. All that you need to do is right-click on the systray icon which will display the menu.

View Essential System Details with myResources
myResources was designed to quickly provide details about your machine's disk, CPU, memory, and network statuses displayed in either graph or active icons. You will be able to view the above-mentioned resources on a merged graphic chart (SumGraph), providing you with an informative option for monitoring your machine's internal processes. You can adjust the colors of the active icons to suit your taste, and by clicking on a specific resource icon, you will see the associated graph containing the values for the last 30 seconds. These v...

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