QUESTION: I have been reading about the new Windows and deciding whether to make the move. I have no use for a touchscreen operating system, so it was with relief to see it is now possible to launch Windows directly into the desktop mode. However, I still have a concern. It appears that when Windows 8.1 is installed it automatically sets itself up to save fi les to SkyDrive by default. This gives me great concern because I do not want to use any cloud servers. Is it possible to use Windows 8.1 without using a cloud server? —Bruce Noren
THE DOCTOR RESPONDS: Yes, you can disable SkyDrive, but it isn’t obvious. Once you’ve installed Windows 8.1, run gpedit.msc, either by typing it into the search bar on the Start screen or by starting the Run command (Win+R) and typing it there. Go to Local Computer Policy, then Computer Confi guration > Administrative Templates> Windows Components> SkyDrive. You’ll see options to save documents and settings to the local PC by default, instead of SkyDrive, but it sounds like you want something more drastic. The second option is “Prevent the usage of SkyDrive for fi le storage.” That’s the one you want. Double-click it and, in the box that pops up, select Enabled. This is somewhat counterintuitive; you’re not enabling SkyDrive, you’re enabling the policy that disables SkyDrive. Thanks, Microsoft!
We like BitDefender, but it dumps a whole lot of fi les related to its Rescue Mode bootable Linux environment directly onto the root of your C drive.
