For decades now, we have been compressing files and folders to make them smaller to attach to an e-mail or archive. I have used many archiving programs over the years, but the best one I have found is 7-Zip.

7-Zip is one of the most straightforward archiving programs I have ever used. It can work with a ton of different file types and has a high compression rate.

7-Zip can create several different archive files, including ZIP, TAR, and of course, 7z. And it can also open over thirty (30) other archive formats, including CAB, DMG, ISO, and RAR.

The 7-Zip File Manager is straightforward to use and has a ton of features. Besides being able to create and open archive files, it can also edit them, including splitting and combining archive files.

But the best feature is the right-click context menu. You can right-click on some files or folders and quickly create an archive file from them (7z or ZIP).

Or you can right-click on an archive file and quickly open, extract or test it. And the cool thing is you can edit the functions that the right-click menu can perform.

7-Zip is an open-source program that began over twenty years (20) ago and is still going strong. It has been translated into over ten (10) different languages, including French, Spanish, and German.

7-Zip is available in either 32 or 64-bit versions and can run on all Windows versions from Windows XP and up. And it is free to use for either personal or commercial use.

For more information on 7-Zip, follow the link below.

7-Zip

Are you looking for an easy way to synchronize your files to another computer on your network? Or maybe you want to sync to an external drive or the cloud. If so, then take a look at Allway Sync by Botkind.

For years now, I have been using synchronization programs to make an exact copy of my files on network drives and external devices. Over ten years ago, Microsoft released a straightforward file synchronization program called SyncToy.

But Microsoft dropped support for SyncToy a few years ago, and eventually, it stopped working correctly. That is when I started looking for another synchronization application and found Allway Sync.

Windows 10 does have a built-in file sync program called File History, but it is pretty basic. With File History, you can sync to a network folder or external drive, but not to the cloud.

On the other hand, Allway Sync can sync to a local or network folder, FTP / SFTP server, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and several different cloud storage types. You can even sync to a single archive file.

The user interface inside of Allway Sync

The user interface is simple to use and easy to understand. The sync options are quite extensive and include data compression and encryption. You can set up multiple sync jobs and customize each job to meet your needs.

The sync job options menu inside of Allway Sync

The options for sync jobs include synchronization rules, automatic synchronization, inclusion and exclusion filters, file versioning, error handling, and custom actions.

I have several clients that use synchronization software for backing up files. The primary reason is that files can be recovered quickly, as they do not have to be decrypted. Just copy the file you want to be recovered back to the original folder.

Allway Sync is free for personal use, with a limit of 40,000 files per 30 day period. But for unlimited file synchronization, purchasing a Pro license is recommended. FYI - A pro license is not that expensive (under $30).

There are a couple of different editions of Allway Sync, a desktop edition for installing on desktops, laptops, and servers. There is also an edition, Allway Sync 'n' Go, a portable version for installing on external drives.

Allway Sync comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019. They even have versions that will run on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

For more information on Allway Sync by Botkind, click on the link below.

Allway Sync by Botkind

When it comes to editing text-based files, everyone has used Windows built-in text editor Notepad. But it is pretty basic and has very few features. If you are looking for a program that can do more than edit text files, take a look at Notepad++.

Notepad++ (Notepad plus plus) is a text/code editor based on the open-source editing component Scintilla and can be customized to a user's needs. It has an impressive list of built-in features like syntax highlighting, code folding, and extensive find and replace functions.

It includes support for over seventy (70) programming languages like HTML, JavaScript, and Visual Basic. Notepad++ can also record macros so that it can speed those repetitive commands.

Now one of the great features of Notepad++ is its customizability. You can completely change the way it looks and feels, from the font used to the background color; you can make it just the way you like it.

Notepad++ with the black board theme

You can edit the shortcuts for the pull-down menus, macros, run commands, plugin commands, and Scintilla commands with the shortcut mapper. You can even edit the right-click context menu.

Notepad++ shortcut mapper

But the best feature is the extension capacity using third-party plugins. Over 90 (ninety) plugins are available for Notepad++, including all sorts of coding tools and a spell checker.

Notepad++ comes in both 32 and 64-bit versions, and there are two ways to install it; the automatic installer or the portable stand-alone version. You can even modify the registry and use Notepad++ instead of Notepad, but you will have to go through the user manual to find the code.

And the best thing about Notepad++ is that it is free, but you can donate to the author to help support future releases. For more information on Notepad++, follow the link below.

Notepad++

Do you have a family member or friend who is always calling for help with their Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer? Do you wish you could easily connect to their system and take care of their problems fast? You can do just that with the Quick Assist program inside Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Now there is nothing new about being able to establish a remote connection from one Windows computer to another. The Remote Assistance program has been in Windows since Windows Vista, but it does require some detailed setup before you can use it.

On the other hand, Quick Assist is installed in Windows 10 and Windows 11 and is pretty much ready to go when you needed. Its requirements are pretty minimal: both computers have to be running Windows 10 or Windows 11, and the person assisting needs to have a Microsoft account.

Quick Assist does have a few great features. The first one has to be how easy and straightforward it is to use. It comes already installed, and all you have to do is start it up and follow the prompts.

The second feature that stands out is the ability to restart the remote computer you are giving assistance to and have the connection restart automatically. This feature is handy when installing and uninstalling software on the remote computer.

A couple of the other great features are the ability to view a single monitor or all of the monitors on the remote computer. You can annotate (draw) on the remote computer screen (great for illustrating how to do something). And there is even a button to start the Task Manager.

There are two (2) features that are not included that most remote connection software you pay for include. The first one is being able to transfer files between the two computers directly.

You can get around this by using cloud-based file storage like Dropbox or Google Drive. All you have to do is use a browser on the remote computer to log into your cloud storage and download files you uploaded from your computer.

The second feature that is missing is a shared clipboard. Quick Assist does include a chat window (instruction channel) that you can transfer links and text between the computers.

The downside is that the chat window gets cleared with every message that is sent. You can get around this problem by enabling the Clipboard history on the remote computer.

Then in the chat window on the remote computer, you can click on the Copy button, and have all of the pieces of text you send to the remote computer saved to the Clipboard. For more on Windows 10 Clipboard features, follow the link below.

How to use all of the Clipboard features in Windows 10

How to start a Quick Assist session

How to open Quick Assist inside of Windows 11

1. Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu.
2. In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps.
3. Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Windows Tools.
4. Left-click on Quick Assist.

or

1. Left-click on the magnifying glass to the right of the Start button to bring up the Search dialog box.
2. In the Search dialog box, type Quick Assist.
3. In the list of results, the Quick Assist should be highlighted.
4. Left-click on Quick Assist.

How to open Quick Assist program inside of Windows 10

1. Left-click on the Start button and scroll down to Windows Accessories.
2. Left-click on it to expand the contents.
3. Left-click on Quick Assist.

or

1. Using the search box on the right side of the Start button, type in Quick Assist,
2. Left-click on it in the search results.

Once Quick Assist is up on your screen,

there are two choices: Get assistance and Give assistance.

If you are getting assistance

1. Enter the 6-digit security code from the person assisting you and left-click on the Share screen button.
2. You will be prompted to allow access to your computer.
   
   Left-click on the Allow button to share your screen.

If you are giving assistance

1. Left-click on the Assist another person button. You will be prompted for the email address and password associated with your Microsoft account.
2. Once you are logged in, a security code will appear.
   
   There are some options on how to deliver the security code at the bottom of this dialog box. But the majority of the time, you will have the person you are assisting on the phone. Give them the 6-digit security code.
3. The next screen will ask you what sharing option you want.
   
   You can choose between Take full control or View screen. Make your selection and left-click on Continue.

The Clipboard is one of the most widely used features inside Windows. It used to be just for copying a small amount of text, but not anymore. Let's look at all the Clipboard features inside Windows.

In the early days of computing, users could store small amounts of data in the computer's RAM (Random Access Memory), which was called the Paste Buffer. You could only save one piece of data at a time, and every time you copied a new piece of data, the last piece was erased.

But over the decades, the Paste Buffer, now known as the Clipboard, has evolved into a valuable and essential tool for productivity. The Clipboard in Windows 10 and Windows 11 can hold multiple pieces of text and images. And how you access the Clipboard has changed over the years.

Before you can take advantage of the full capability of the Windows Clipboard, you have to do a couple of things. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that the Clipboard history feature is turned on.

With Clipboard history turned on, you can view and paste all of the different items you have copied to the Clipboard. You will need to go to Windows Settings to make sure that this feature is activated.

How to get to the Clipboard section of the Windows 11 Settings app

1. Open the Windows Settings app by either:
• Left-click on the Start button to bring up the Start menu. In the upper right-hand corner of the Start menu, left-click on All apps. Scroll down the list of programs and left-click on Settings.
• Right-click on the Start button to bring up the Power User menu. On the Power User menu, left-click on Settings.
• Press the Windows logo key + I.
2. Left-click on the System category in the left-hand column.
3. Scroll down the right-hand column and left-click on the Clipboard category.

How to get to the Clipboard section of the Windows 10 Settings app

1. Open the Windows Settings app by either:
• Left-click on the Start button, which will bring up the Start menu. On the Start menu left-click on the gear icon (Settings).
• Right-click on the Start button, which will bring up the Power User menu. On the Power User menu, left-click on Settings.
• Press the Windows logo key + I.
2. Left-click on the System category.
3. Scroll down the left-hand column and left-click on the Clipboard category.

Once you are in the Clipboard section, make sure that the Clipboard history is turned on.

You can also clear all of the items on the Clipboard from here.

Now copying text to the Clipboard has always been pretty straightforward, but there may be times you want to copy images to it. The second thing to do is to make sure you have all the programs you can use to capture images.

The first screen capture program built into Windows is the Snipping Tool, and it has been in Windows since Windows 7, and it works well for capturing anything on-screen (if you can see it, you can capture it).

And it automatically copies whatever you snip to the Clipboard. But it does prompt you to save your snip to a file when you close it.

And the second built-in app for capturing screen snips is the Snipping Bar.

Microsoft included it in Windows 10 Version 1809, and few people know about it. That's because you have to use a combination of three (3) keys on the keyboard to bring it up (Windows logo key + Shift + S).

The downside of the Snipping Bar is that it only captures one snip at a time. Every time you want to capture a screen snip, you have to press the Windows logo key + Shift + S keys. The Snipping Tool will capture as many snips as you like until you close it.

We are now all set to start copying items to the Clipboard. Remember that you can paste text from the Clipboard into almost any program, but you can only paste images into programs that can display images.

For example, you can paste text from the Clipboard into Notepad but not images. But can paste both text and images from the Clipboard into Paint or Wordpad.

There are several different ways to copy and paste from the Clipboard. Here are a few of the most common ways to do it.

Ways to copy text to the Clipboard

Highlight the text you want to copy and then:

• Press Ctrl + C on the keyboard
  
• Right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy from the context menu

Ways to copy graphics to the Clipboard

Highlight the image you want to copy and then:

• Press Ctrl + C on the keyboard

If you can not highlight the image then:

• Right-click on it and select Copy.
• Use the Snipping Tool or the Snipping Bar to capture a snip of it.

Ways to paste from the Clipboard

Select where you want to place the graphic or text in the program of your choice then:

• To paste the last item copied to the Clipboard, press Ctrl + V on the keyboard.
• To select an item on the Clipboard, press the Windows logo key + V to display the Clipboard history.
  
  Then use your mouse or keyboard arrows to scroll through the clips. When you find the one you want to use, left-click on it (mouse) or press enter (keyboard).

For more information on the keyboard shortcuts discussed in this article, follow the links below.

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 11

Windows logo key shortcuts for Windows 10

General keyboard shortcuts

Check out the following video for examples of copying to and pasting from the Clipboard inside Windows 10.