67How do I stop Microsoft Edge on startup?
Flip the switch labelled ‘Automatically save my restartable apps...' to off (1); also switch off ‘Cookies and other site data’ (2)Q
When I start my Windows 11
PC, I’m confronted by
Microsoft Edge, uninvited. I’m
also presented with a message asking
me to accept or decline cookies. No
matter how I respond, Edge keeps
appearing, along with the cookies
request. So, first, how do I stop Edge
opening every time I start my
computer? And second, how do I get
Edge to remember my cookie
preferences?
Keith WoodardA
For the first problem, we suspect
you have enabled a feature that
allows certain apps to pick up
where they left off, even after shutdown.
To fix this, in Windows 11, click Start
followed by the Settings cog, and then
Accounts followed by ‘Sign-in options’.
Next, scroll to the ‘Additional settings’
section and, there, flip the switch labelled
‘Automatically save my restartable apps
and restart them when I sign back in’ to
its Off position (see screenshot^1 ).
For the cookies side of things, you’llneed to delve into Edge’s Settings. First,
click the menu button (three dots, top
right) and choose Settings. Next, on the
left, click ‘Privacy, search, and services’
and then, on the right, under the ‘Clear
browsing data’ heading, click ‘Choose
what to clear every time you close the
browser’. It’s up to you what switches
you flip here, but, if you don’t want to
be bothered by repeated requests to
accept cookies, you’ll need to ensure
that the ‘Cookies and other site data’
switch is in its Off position^2.Can I rewire my old
keyboard for USB?
This dual-input adapter
has been specifically
designed to offer
keyboard compatibilityQ
I have a well-loved HQK
BITS9001 keyboard, which has a
DIN plug. Due to upgrades, all
my current equipment uses USB. I
purchased a new USB keyboard, which
works but lacks the feel of the older one.
So, I purchased a DIN-to-PS/2 adapter
and a PS/2-to-USB adapter in the hope
that this would work. Sadly, it did not. Is
there a female DIN-to-USB Type-A
adapter that you know of? Failing this,
do you know of any wiring diagrams that
would let me manually rewire the DIN
connections to a USB plug?
Nic Bradley
A
The USB standard involves all
manner of communications
protocols, so you will not be able
to rewire manually – because it isn’t a
case of simply mapping the pins from the
DIN to USB. Conversely, that would be
possible for DIN to PS/2, as it is just a
pinout-to-pin conversion. However, you
already have a DIN-to-PS/2 adapter, so
there’s no need.
The hurdle, then, is the PS/2-to-USB
part. The trouble here is that many of the
cheaper adapters are ‘passive’ and
interpret the incoming signals, so they’re
good only for a PS/2 mouse. Instead, youIssue 630 • 27 April – 10 May 2022(^12)
need an ‘active’ adapter
specifically for a keyboard.
One that handles both mouse
and keyboard will be an even
better bet, as you know it’ll have
the necessary electronics to interpret
the more complex input of a keyboard.
So, with the strong caveat that we
cannot guarantee this particular example
will work, the pictured dual-input
adapter from Micro Connectors, Inc
(around £17, http://www.snipca.com/41512)) is
of the calibre that should do the job. You
won’t need the mouse connector,
obviously, but you can buy with the
assurance that a cable like this has been
specifically designed to offer keyboard
compatibility also.