793. Sam's Crystal Ball Market Prediction is back

1/30/18: It has been a long time since Sam sent any "change" signals back to earth re the stock market. Looks like we're going to see another 5-7% pull back and test 25000 resistance. The roller coaster is already partway down the big slope. Start thinking about what you want to buy. Avoid selling if you are a long-term  investor, but go ahead and sell some calls down about 3 % from current point. Of course, if you are playing with non-taxable accounts, play away if you are a gambler. Sam will be back again in 3-4 market days to help you get back up. Try not to vomit on the seats. Patience. This is end of month AND algorithm driven over-selling again.

Update 2/2/18: Whee-e-e-e. 25708 at the moment, down 475 or so. Closed at 26076 on day this was originally posted. Was 26617 on 1/26 before post. 25286 is -5% point from high. 24753 is down 7% from the high. My 25000 is mid-point or about 6%. I started some buying today on stocks that were even beyond current market stress. I'm a long-term investor and won't fret being wrong by 1%.

Minutes later....25619. You should be screaming by now. But, the bottom is near. We'll still get to feel the sharp curve ahead before leveling out and experiencing the smaller ups and downs until we return to the level wheelhouse, get on our feet, and rush off to a new ride. Maybe we should trek to the Kiddie rides or Merry-go-round. Naw. Need to clean out the guts and refill with good food once in a while. Sam did that by eating grass.

Update 2/5/18: At 24345 we are now over-sold. Start plopping your millions back into the market. 

Update 2/6/18 2pm - Up + 341 and rapidly rising ... thank you Sam for your foresight. 

Update 3/23/18: The bad Fed and Trade War vibes rekindled the fearmongers. Guess this wasn't completely hidden in the long-term crystal ball, but the overboard fear always hit the automatic triggers in the big-boy machines to continue the slide way down below what is sensible. They play the short-term swings and do it well causing this overreaction. Just sit it out as mentioned before. You can't fight the AI Machines that react in nanoseconds! Trump continues to "NEGOTIATE" best trade deals. You can't do this lying on your back when talking to other leaders. Let's wait and see what results come. We have a business man in charge who is flexible and intelligent. He'll cut bait and not be ashamed if he has to. As for the Fed: we knew inflation rates would rise and will again. Inflation is a result of improving the economy. Balance will level out again. The Fed's target is 2% inflation. Want to bet on whether we exceed this before they finally react and print more money? With China problems (they own many bonds and claim will not be buying more) the target is not steady I would say. However, long-term the stock market will always be better. Maybe in another 15 years I'll hide my investments in government bonds. But that will only be because I can no longer see, mentally incompetent, or the wife is already living off the trust I left her along with her weekly stipends. Life is a hoot.  Smile and think of your Sam.

792. Additional enjoyable books beyond post 779 (Books Category)

I'm going to put David Baldacci on the must read author list. His series about special agent John Puller were all extremely entertaining. Here is the order you want to read them in:
1. Zero Day
2. The Forgotten
3. The Escape
4. No Man's Land

Add to these his Robie Series:
1. The Innocent
2. The Hit
3. The Target
4. The Guilty ... a bit different from the others ... more domestic problem and action.
5. Last one is The Endgame and I am on HOLD.

Thank you Public Library systems from which I get to borrow all my books for free.

791. Creators Version 1709 Update Experiences & Problems

IMPORTANT -- 2/1/18 Update: You may continue to read and act on information below (Part 2), BUT,wouldn't you know MSFT found another way to turn the screws.! Today I received a large windowed message indicating that Security Updates could not be installed and won't be until an upgrade to 1709 is done! So, yes you can hide the update as above, but regardless, you will have to upgrade to get Security Updates. Well, I am biting the bullet as I type with the upgrade and will probably have its experience documented in another post.
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Part 1

Update 2/2/18. GO for it! The 1709 update is a breeze to install. Kudos to MSFT. Despite some very old software, e.g., Office 2003, Old MSFT games, etc. everything went extremely well compared to wmy initial expectations based on building my system on a new PC with Creators Version preinstalled! An UPGRADE appears to be the way to go. The following few items depict the issues I had to resolve after the upgrade:

a) Start Page needed to be rebuilt (customized) from scratch to please me
b) Old MSFT games had to be reinstalled. There is a post in this blog to do such.
c) Revisit Windows Defender settings and put ICON back in notification area if desired
d) Remember, control Panel link disappears from where it was (Right-click Start), but is now under applications under Windows System. I simply right-clicked it and pinned it to my start.
e) My wife's UAC system kept getting a disturbing message that first she was requested to give the administrator's password to make a change, then that a Service Start failed (Dell Inc). After viewing Event Viewer I finally found an error starting SupportAssistAgent. Don't know why my UAC system didn't get this, but removing the program via Control Panel Programs and Features, the error went away.
f) 2/4/18: Great! Now we both get Dell Support Assist errors. I reinstalled Support Assist, but then the Agent comes back and wife gets error. Removed Agent again and we both get Support Assist error! Goodbye Support Assist entirely! All fixed.
g) 2/4/18: After a Shutdown (something was still running and I overrode it to shutdown), the next morning the PC would NOT boot! black screen. A simple power off/on did NOT resolve issue. I then held power button for about 30+ seconds AND removed power (went to battery I suppose), then powered on successfully. Event log was no help.
h) 2/6/18: SyncBackFree used to to my backups saved profiles in hidden folder c:\Users\...\Application Data\Local. The upgrade did NOT save the profiles in Windows.old. I am wondering if it saved any content for any hidden folders!

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Part 2 - Avoid installing 1709 Update Recently I temporarily added a new laptop to my home with Creators Version 1703 preinstalled (see post #782 and 784 for issues and installation). I do NOT want to replace my Anniversary Version 1607 with Creators Version! Go here to see how to block the installation. Basically, there are at least two ways that work, but I can't guess how long:

1. Go to website above linked via the "Go Here" hypertext. Within you need to find the O/S version you are currently on and follow the instructions. My 1607 Windows 10 Home Anniversary Version had the simple instructions to:
  a) Download WUShowHide.diagcab from Microsoft as indicated there.
  b) Run it, but STOP on first screen and click Advanced and UNcheck the "Apply repairs automatically" box
  c) After a minute or two the current updates waiting to be installed will be displayed. If you see Feature Update          Version 1709 or 1703 they are Creators Version. CHECK the box and hit HIDE.
  d) You'll then get the Troubleshooting Completely Successfully message and you are done.
  e) If you later want to install it, repeat a-d, but for step b CHECK the box for 1703/1709 and it will get scheduled.

Note: This must be run daily, always checking for Microsoft's unannounced 1703/1709 Update!!! Otherwise, you are going to wake some morning with Creators Version installed and it's issues.

2. Another trick, if you are WIRELESSLY connected is to enable METERED wifi as explained here. You don't actually need to be on a metered wifi connection/service. Enabling Metering will result in Microsoft NOT sending large updates to you and prompting you first. 

If you don't like these options or are Ethernet connected (Wired), you'll have to search for solutions -- there are some, but more complicated. I switch between Wireless and Ethernet, so only option 1 will work for me EASILY.

790. Here's an easy fix for ICONS MISSING FROM NOTIFICATION WINDOW

Ever wonder where your notification Icons went? They disappeared from the lower right window! I was on my Old, old XP system today and ran into this. The following very easy fix works for XP, and worth a try on all systems:

Simply LOGOFF/signoff, NOT Shutdown or Restart. Now log back in. Presto, there they are!