Windows 10 - 2021 Learning Guide. How To Master Your Computer With 100 Best Shortcuts
Windows 10 - 2021 Learning Guide. How To Master Your Computer With 100 Best Shortcuts
How to
Master Your Computer with 100 Best Shortcuts
CONTENTS:
Description
Introduction
What is Windows 10?
Why would I want to upgrade?
Is there anything different with Windows 10?
What are privacy settings for Windows 10?
Does Windows 10 have a lock screen?
Lock your screen only when you need it
Can you customize your lock screen?
Customizing the lock screen
Customizing the lock screen with a password
Customizing the lock screen with the 'Windows Security' tool
What about Windows Hello?
Chapter 1 How to install Windows 10?
Upgrading to Windows 10
What you need
General advice
You should also back up important files.
Resetting your PC
Boot from disk
How to set up Windows 10?
Microsoft
Step 1. Find and install this driver.
Step 2. Next, select your brand of touchpad hardware
How to manually download and install Windows 10
How to manually download and install Windows 10
Subscribe to Windows Insider Program
How to get Windows 10 updates
How to disable Windows Update
Chapter 2 How to configure regional settings for Windows 10?
How to update Windows 10
How to change your regional settings
How to download and install Windows 10 updates
How to download and install Windows 10 security updates
How to uninstall Windows 10
How to upgrade your Windows 10 device to the latest version
Chapter 3 How to set up Cortana for Windows 10?
How to set up Amazon Alexa for Windows 10?
How to set up Google Assistant for Windows 10?
How to set up Apple Siri for Windows 10?
How to set up Yahoo AVA for Windows 10?
How to set up Office 365 Delve for Windows 10?
How to set up Amazon Alexa for Windows 10?
How to set up Apple HomeKit for Windows 10?
How to set up Chat X for Windows 10?
Chapter 4 How to set up privacy settings for Windows 10?
Change your screen saver settings
Protect yourself from driver updates
Control the way Cortana talks to you
Protect yourself from driver updates
Get started with interactive notifications
Chapter 5 How to customize the lock screen for Windows 10?
Tips for using the Windows 10 lock screen:
How to set up the lock screen for Windows 10?
Windows Hello
Windows Hello
Windows 8 is a little different.
Hardware Security Keys
How to customize the lock screen for Windows 10?
How to change the lockscreen for Windows 10?
How to show notifications for Windows 10?
Chapter 6 How to log in to the system for Windows 10?
Setting up Dropbox and Google Drive
Dealing with Google's search suggestions
Sharing files with OneDrive
It's a Google thing
OneDrive for Business: The streamlined admin interface
Mobile apps
Chapter 7 Windows control
How to configure Mouse for Windows 10?
Enable/Disable mouse for windows
Change the cursor behaviour in Windows 10?
How to install the mouse drivers in Windows 10?
How to change the mouse behaviour?
How to configure Keyboard for Windows 10?
How to configure Clipboard for Windows 10?
How to use the Clipboard for Windows 10?
How to configure Gesture control for Windows 10?
Chapter 8 How to customize the interface of Windows 10?
Reclaim screen space by going to the "Planner" tool
Set up your Office 365 OneDrive
Get rid of your drive letters to move folders between drives.
Go to My Computer to manually move files.
Enable a program that moves files between drives.
Use your Cloud storage to move files between PCs.
You can also give access to just the person who is speaking during a meeting.
Dedicated cloud storage solutions
Google Drive
Dropbox
Box
Hortonworks DataFlow
Chapter 9 How to set the Start Menu of Windows 10?
Change the size of the Start Menu
Set your default program
Change the default program
Add an application shortcut on the Start Menu
Create shortcuts in the Start Menu
Clear the cache
How to apply a boot prompt on your PC
How to clear the startup folder
How to find the registry key
How to take a screenshot on Windows 10
How to change how your computer gets into power saving mode
How to check your system updates
How to schedule system updates
How to enable Wi-Fi networking in Windows 10
How to change the size of the system tray icon in Windows 10
How to set a login screen
How to lock down your PC
How to disable Windows Update
How to create a system restore point
How to turn off the Internet
How to manage printer drivers
How to locate the printer in Windows 10
How to manage printer settings in Windows 10
How to restore the default PC settings in Windows 10
How to recover a Windows 10 PC
How to get to the cloud storage location in Windows 10
How to access files stored in the cloud
How to transfer files using OneDrive in Windows 10
Chapter 10 How to customize the home screen of Windows 10?
How to quickly hide an application or other window?
How to drag an application in windowed mode?
How to quickly turn on your phone’s Wi-Fi by swiping down from the top?
How to hide the address bar in Windows 10?
How to quickly get to the camera by swiping from left to right?
How to easily uninstall an app in Windows 10?
How to remove the one-handed keyboard in Windows 10?
How to change the lock screen picture in Windows 10?
Can I disable the Lock Screen image?
How to get rid of the icon in the taskbar for the Task Manager?
How to quickly switch between recent apps in Windows 10?
How to make the Taskbar icons white on black or dark on light?
How to easily pin multiple apps to the taskbar?
How to move the search box to the bottom of the screen?
How to turn off the red anti-virus button in Windows 10?
How to view all settings for a device on Windows 10?
How to easily share files between my devices on Windows 10?
How to create a recovery key for recovery on Windows 10?
How to edit or create an account on Windows 10?
How to edit or create a user account on Windows 10?
How to install Windows 10 updates or additional driver support?
How to install Windows 10 updates or additional driver support?
How to install Windows 10 patches or additional driver support?
How to add a custom icon or UI to your Start Menu on Windows 10?
Chapter 11 How to search in Windows 10?
How to add new media files to Windows Media Player
How to sync media from OneDrive
How to search in Windows 10 Movies & TV
How to use a Windows Media Center DVD player to play your files
How to run a hidden Windows 10 user account
How to launch Windows Media Player from the Start menu
How to show Windows 10 and Windows 7 Media Player options
How to change your system language
To change the language on Windows 10:
How to uninstall Windows 10
How to turn off updating Windows 10
Using SFC is not the end of the world
When you need to fix a Windows 10 issue
Chapter 12 Windows 10 tips
How to use hotkeys for Windows 10?
How to use the Narrator?
How to use the Intellipatientiane 10 hotkeys?
How to use PowerShell?
How to use the Display Panel?
How to access the taskbar?
How to switch between applications using the Keyboard Menu?
How to use the Action Center?
How to use Cortana?
How to use Windows Ink?
How to install and manage apps in Windows 10?
How to turn off Cortana?
How to see files in Windows 10?
How to keep track of your files and folders in Windows 10?
How to keep your files safe in Windows 10?
Chapter 13 The secret tips of Windows 10
What are the best hotkeys for Windows 10?
How to change your Windows 10 hotkeys
How to create folder shortcuts
Hotkeys to open specific applications
How to customise hotkeys
How to adjust the quick launch bar
How to resize the Windows taskbar
How to change the font
How to change the lock screen
How to close down apps
How to uninstall apps
How to make a user account
How to delete the Skype account
How to change the theme and skin
How to set a default browser
How to set up a search tool
How to set up search filters
How to control the accessibility options
How to block access to websites
How to prevent hidden files and other items from appearing
How to manage the default download sites
How to sync files
How to edit Windows desktop wallpaper
How to get rid of files you have downloaded to your computer
How to clear the search history in Microsoft Edge
How to access a secret section of Windows 10
How to access the Apps & features menu in Windows 10
Chapter 13 What most of the main buttons for Windows 10?
Press your start button to find a menu
Start button: how does it work?
Start button: easier ways to get to things
One-click access to folders
Quick access to applications
A program by program guide
Compose email from search bar
Tools in the Start menu
Manage your desktop
Launching programs from taskbar
Running multiple programs at once
Remote access
Sending email
Click the Exit button.
Chapter 14 What are the menu options for Windows 10?
How do I enable Windows Updates?
What if the computer stops responding after an update?
What if Windows Update fails to install an update?
What if Windows Update stops working after an update?
What if Windows Update doesn't run on my computer?
What if I can't reboot my computer?
What happens if I've already installed the Creators Update?
Is there a "Safe Mode"?
What if my computer freezes up?
Does running the Task Manager help?
Chapter 15 How to Create folders and documents for Windows 10?
How to create a folder in OneNote for Windows 10?
How to create a folder in PowerPoint for Windows 10?
How to create a folder in Text Explorer for Windows 10?
How to create a folder in Paint for Windows 10?
What file types are supported in Paint?
How to create a folder in Notepad for Windows 10?
What file types are supported in Textini for Windows 10?
How to create a folder in Microsoft Word for Windows 10?
What file types are supported in Paint for Windows 10?
What file types are supported in Textini for Windows 10?
Can I rename the folder before saving it in the file explorer?
How to create a folder in Notepad for Windows 10?
What file types are supported in Notepad++?
How to create a folder in Notepad++?
Can I rename the folder before saving it in the file explorer?
How to create a folder in Notepad++?
New Folder Display
File Navigation
How to renaming icons and documents for Windows 10?
How to hide “Open with” menus from Windows 10
Chapter 16 What is Microsoft Store for Windows 10?
What is a Windows 10 boot logo?
What is a weather update on Windows 10?
What is a Windows 10 lock screen?
What is the idea behind a "Community Remix"?
Why is this new "Community Remix" section of Windows 10 so different from the other
version of Windows 10?
How do you become part of the Community Remix?
How do I get the Windows 10 desktop for free?
What if I am running an earlier version of Windows 10 and still want to be part of the
Windows 10 community remix?
Why did Microsoft choose a relatively new version of Windows 10 such as Insider Preview
builds as the basis for the Community Remix?
How to Install classic programs for Windows 10?
Classic Shell
3D Viewer
Safe Mode
Using Virtual Desktops
Set Up Screen Sharing
Problems with Classic Shell
How To Install Classic Shell on Windows 8.x
Chapter 17 What is Navigation and control in File Explorer in Windows 10?
What is the File History feature in Windows 10?
What is the Universal Clipboard feature in Windows 10?
What is the Windows Search feature in Windows 10?
How to search within all OneDrive folders on Windows 10
A few other useful Windows 10 features
Chapter 18 What is the Address bar in Windows 10?
What is the Lock Screen in Windows 10?
When and Where is Windows 10 Released?
Can I get a Preview?
How Do I Upgrade to Windows 10?
How to Upgrade Windows 10
How to Upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10
What Are the Requirements for Windows 10?
How to Upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 on a Desktop
What are the available upgrade options for Windows 10?
What are the available upgrade options for Windows 10 Mobile?
What are the available upgrade options for Windows 10 Mobile?
What are Navigating folders in Windows 10?
How to use jump lists in Windows 10?
How to use quick search in Windows 10?
Quickly find where you stored a picture
Why shouldn't you copy over PC settings to a Windows 10 device?
How to back up Windows and apps to another computer
What are Explorer Commands in Windows 10?
How to Get to the Windows Explorer Options in Windows 10?
Windows Explorer Options in Windows 10
How to Access the Windows Explorer Options in Windows 10?
Final thoughts
Сhapter 19 What are Copying and transferring files in Windows 10?
What is a bootrom and why does it matter?
Will you still be able to use my old machine?
What do I need to do now?
Chapter 20 How to Connect Devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct in Windows 10?
Bluetooth Headset
Speakers
LED Remote Control
Bluetooth Mouse
Monitors
Audio Effect Control Key
Final Word
Chapter 21 How to Synchronize with a smartphone in Windows 10?
How to make Windows 10 PCs wake up on Android?
How to make a Windows 10 PC wake up on an iPhone?
How to enable ‘Get alerts’ for Windows 10 PC?
How to configure ‘Lock screen’ on Windows 10 PC?
How to use Glance to quickly see your PC’s current CPU usage?
How to prevent multiple users from logins on Windows 10 PC?
How to keep your PC clean?
How to delete the default apps on Windows 10 PC?
How to use Facial recognition on Windows 10 PC?
How to use Outlook Calendar and Tasks on Windows 10 PC?
How to create a Microsoft account on Windows 10 PC?
Сhapter 22 What is Windows defender in Windows 10?
What is the Windows Defender firewall?
What is Edge?
What is Windows Defender Antivirus?
What is Windows Defender LiveSafe?
Are You Prepared for Ransomware?
What is Windows Backup?
How to Back Up Files on Windows 10
Encrypt Your Disk with WD Security for PC
Encrypting Your Hard Drive With Bitlocker
Is There Free Disk Encryption Software?
Encrypting Your Hard Drive Is Not Easy
The Best Time to Encrypt Your Hard Drive
What is Safe to Keep in the Cloud?
Conclusion
How to сreate a new Microsoft account for Windows 10?
So, let's go through the steps of how to create a new Microsoft account.
How to set up Microsoft Hello for Windows 10?
Updating your biometrics
How to install and update drivers for Windows 10?
How to boot up the computer for Windows 10?
Configure your PC
How to lock a computer for Windows 10?
How to unblock a blocked user account
Description
Windows 10 is a feature-rich and practical operating system that brings together many of the best
professional capabilities, but on the other, it has some great home entertainment functions.
Under the new Windows as a Service paradigm, the company's current version of Office and
Windows 10 for mobile are all part of the service as well.
Here are some of the things you can anticipate see with future Windows 10 updates: a new user
interface, an enhanced search function, a better Cortana user interface, a new Skype integration
with Windows 10, and compatibility for the HoloLens augmented reality device.
Additionally, Microsoft is developing a “Windows Store” for its software distribution, with the
Microsoft Store being the company's platform for offering third-party programs and software to
customers. The company has also made it easier for customers to sign up to Windows 10 by
cutting down the ‘Get Windows 10' app signup procedure to just a few steps.
So if you are interested in this OS and the features that it can give, you can jump into learning
with this book.
Introduction
Windows 10 is the latest version of Microsoft’s popular operating system. When Windows 10
launches, the company’s users will not be able to downgrade back to Windows 7 or 8.1. Instead,
they will be required to upgrade to the new OS as soon as possible.
Windows 10 was first unveiled in 2015, and the software is based on the new Windows as a
Service philosophy, which also supports the company’s latest version of Office and Windows 10
for mobile.
Microsoft describes Windows 10 as the most secure version of Windows to date. The operating
system will start at $119 (around £90, AU$160) for users who want it as part of a new two-year
contract with a wireless carrier. Windows 10 Home, the cheapest of the new OS, will be
available for a free upgrade for users of Windows 7 or 8.1 when they purchase a new PC from an
authorized Microsoft reseller.
In fact, things are better than many of us had expected. Windows 10 has got a lot better for
enterprise customers, with security benefits and the ability to bring back features from Windows
7 and 8 that they may have let lapse.
For the consumer user, however, the OS is far from being a silver bullet. We'd never suggest a
Windows OS can be used solely to replace the buggy and confusing days of Windows XP, and
that still remains the case with Windows 10. However, it is getting steadily better at offering a
security-focused alternative to Apple and Google's mobile operating systems.
As it is, Windows 10 is a superbly-designed and practical OS that offers some of the best
enterprise features, as well as some of the best home entertainment options.
For those who want to upgrade, there's a Windows 10 free version that can be downloaded to a
computer for testing purposes. Although it will have limited features, it is a good way to find out
whether Windows 10 is the right OS for you.
Yes, a new user interface, an improved search function, an improved user interface for
Microsoft’s voice assistant Cortana, Windows 10 Skype integration and support for the
HoloLens augmented reality headset are among the additions to Windows 10.
A new ‘Windows Store’ is also in the works, with the Microsoft Store being the company’s
platform for distributing its software and third-party applications to users. The company has also
reduced the ‘Get Windows 10’ app signup process to a few steps, making it easier for users to
sign up to the new OS.
What are privacy settings for Windows 10?
Microsoft claims its Windows 10 operating system will be, from top to bottom, more secure than
anything else out there. With an ever-increasing amount of hacking around, you need to make
sure you're on the right side of those security features and settings. Read on to find out how you
can adjust your settings.
When your Windows 10 machine boots, it asks if you want to use the lock screen to keep other
people out. This happens automatically after a short initial time. For a lot of people, the question
is far too invasive and it will mean you miss updates and other important security patches.
You have the option to unlock your computer before you type in a password. This will
temporarily keep an alert at the top of your screen until you unlock your screen and type in your
password.
This is important if you're concerned about another member of staff or other thief getting into
your machine.
It is possible to lock your lock screen permanently. You'll need to install the 'Windows Security'
tool from the Control Panel.
Microsoft includes a shortcut to the 'Windows Security' tool in the System Tray.
Microsoft has created a lot of ways for you to customise your lock screen. This is all down to the
choices you make about how to unlock Windows 10.
Lock screen activation - As described earlier, if you choose to lock your computer using the lock
screen, then your computer will ask if you want to unlock it. This will also mean that if someone
opens your machine they will need to enter a password or click on the 'x' that is displayed to gain
access.
Locking your computer as you use it - If you're working and don't want anyone to open your
machine, you can choose to lock it after certain events. For example, you can disable locking
your computer every time the display changes to check for updates. You can choose to 'Lock My
Computer' after a certain period of time, or 'Lock After 15 Minutes of Inactivity'.
Lock and start up - By default, you get three options for your startup screen. You can start up
your computer without a password, use a special 'digital rights management' (DRM) unlock, or
you can start it up with a combination of these.
You can also choose whether to unlock your computer using a password or key. It's important to
know that Windows 10 will only unlock if you have a Microsoft account, an email address, or a
Microsoft ID.
If you've used Microsoft Authenticator and have a Microsoft account, you can choose to activate
your account by entering your password.
You can choose to create an authentication app, but make sure you only choose the option to
unlock your computer when you've selected your provider or email address.
Microsoft also provides an advanced tool called the 'Windows Security' tool. You can use this to
quickly lock your computer when a particular scenario is met. This allows you to lock your
machine so that no other user can access it and you can remain logged in. You can choose to lock
your machine before using a specific application, open an automatic email message to remind
you to log out, after accessing a file, or after modifying your account settings.
Windows Hello lets you log into your machine by entering your password or entering your
fingerprint. It uses the biometric data you enter to confirm you're the owner of your PC, which
means that you can continue using the computer.
If you have Windows Hello enabled, your display will be locked, and Windows will ask you to
either choose an option, press the key on your keyboard, or look into the camera on the touchpad.
Once you've chosen one, the screen will come back on and you'll be ready to use your computer.
Chapter 1 How to install Windows 10?
You'll first need to head over to Microsoft's Download Windows 10 website (here), where you
can download the Windows 10 ISO image to burn onto your computer. The process for preparing
the image to be run on the machine is described there.
If you're not comfortable with running software from a picture, Windows 10 is a good idea to let
someone else install it on a PC of theirs for you, as it's going to be delivered with Media Creation
Tool, which allows you to design the image to be burned to a DVD for the install.
Once the installation media is prepared, connect the PC to a fast internet connection and boot the
computer with the bootable media, followed by the boot menu and the Windows 10 ISO file,
Windows Installer, from the 'Live' menu.
Then you can follow the instructions on screen to launch the Windows 10 installer and follow the
installation process.
The first step is to go through the installation process, so you can set up your email accounts and
install apps you'll need. Then you can set up Internet Explorer 11 and Windows 10 features, such
as OneDrive, Skype and so on.
It's not all about apps, however. Windows 10 includes a range of new features, including a
keyboard-and-mouse-free Start menu that has been redesigned and 'ribbon' style apps called
Store apps. It also comes with Cortana, which is a voice-controlled digital assistant that can do
everything from search your PC to set reminders, use Bing as your search engine and provide
answers to any of your queries.
One of the key selling points of Windows 10 is that it's compatible with the smartphone version
of the OS, Windows 10 Mobile, and the tablet version, Windows 10 Mobile. As such, you can
run one on the other and use it in tandem.
Upgrading to Windows 10
If you already have Windows 8.1 installed, you can upgrade to Windows 10 by following the
steps in the Windows 10 Upgrade Guide (here).
If you've bought a new Windows PC from the Windows Store, you can go to the Store app, then
search for 'Windows 10', and then 'Install now'.
Windows 10 requires at least a 2GHz processor and 2GB of RAM. You can check your system is
compatible with Windows 10 by clicking here.
As with any new operating system upgrade, Windows 10 will demand your attention for a period
of time. It's advisable to leave your PC idle for a few days, with only non-critical applications
running.
Being familiar with your PC's settings beforehand will save time and headaches, and will help
avoid any problems in the first place. If you're migrating from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, it's a
good idea to back up important data on a network-attached storage (NAS) device before
upgrading.
General advice
First, check you have enough hard disk space. Windows 10 has an install file of 2GB, so to get
the most from the upgrade you will need at least 1GB more free space than you currently have.
The old Windows 7 and Windows 8 download files are a good guide on how much space you'll
need.
Once the Windows 10 upgrade has completed, Windows will reinstall all your pre-existing files.
Windows 10 does not support DRM-protected files, so you'll have to remove and reinstall any
such applications you currently have. This includes drivers, so if you rely on a certain application
you will need to download and install a new driver once Windows 10 has been installed.
Windows 10 has an upgrade to the Windows Defender security software that comes built in to
Windows 7 and Windows 8, so you may need to do this as well.
Resetting your PC
If you're upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you can reset the PC to start fresh, or you
can use Windows 10's Reset this PC feature to factory reset the PC. You can also use a different
method if you installed Windows 10 using a DVD or USB drive.
In this instance, you will have to restore the Windows 10 installation files from that media.
If your computer doesn't have an eject button, you can hit the power button and wait for the
computer to power off. The screen will then display 'Startup Repair'. Click on Start Repair and
Windows 10 will download the files for you and restart.
Another option is to launch the Download and Install again program. Click on 'Windows', then
'Download', then 'Download again' and Windows 10 will reinstall itself.
If you don't have an optical drive installed, or you want to remove the CD you installed Windows
on from your PC and install Windows 10 directly on the system, you can do this by booting from
a hard disk and then immediately ejecting the CD.
You will then see a pop-up window asking you to enter a recovery key. Enter the recovery key as
shown in the image and Windows will then install Windows 10 in a virtual drive in Windows 7,
Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 by using the 'Change Hard Disk'.
How to set up Windows 10?
Windows 10 has become one of the most prodigious operating systems ever created. But it's also
become so complex that it's easy to lose track of everything that happens behind the scenes.
In order to gain an understanding of all the moving parts, and to prevent yourself from thinking
you're doing everything "just right" or that "everybody knows," here's a bit of Windows 101:
How to configure the Ease of Access Center (EAC). It's the screen you'll use to tweak the PC.
Microsoft says the EAC is designed to "help people with disabilities get the most out of
Windows," but it can be a pain to use if you're not aware of its myriad features. Thankfully, I'm
here to walk you through the process of configuring the EAC to your own liking.
You can get the following instructions by going to the EAC's Help page. I can't provide this
information for you -- the EAC changes so often that I've never seen a complete guide to
installing or configuring it. The page you're looking for is the first one listed, which is dated June
2017. That said, the instructions below are still solid -- so long as you go back and follow them
exactly!
NOTE: Make sure you read all the comments to make sure you're not making any important
changes to your PC. There are multiple versions of the EAC. The one included with Windows 10
(technically the Pro version, but it doesn't cost extra) is simply a smaller, more bare-bones
version. It's the one most people will probably want to use -- at least initially. (For now,
anyway.)
The EAC, officially called the Computer System Display Environment (CSE), runs in the
background. It tracks where the mouse cursor is located (which might be surprising, given that
you can't actually see the cursor while you're running Windows).
The mouse cursor -- known as the "button" -- is one of the most commonly-asked questions for
Microsoft's EAC. Is it on the left or right side of the screen? According to Microsoft, you can
only see the EAC's cursor when you're using the pointing device -- and the cursor moves across
the screen much like a cursor does on a traditional mouse.
Regardless, the EAC provides a handy little window that gives you information about the cursor
position (including how often it's moved) as well as a constantly updating list of open programs
that use a certain method of navigation.
Microsoft
Windows has several helpful menu items to make this process easier.
Disable the EAC: Click in the top-right corner, click Settings and then Advanced System
Settings. In Advanced System Settings, click Computer and Accessories, then "Computer
Definitions." You'll be taken to the EAC's main page. Here, you can click a gear icon to "disable
the EAC."
Switch cursor size: Right-click in the top-left corner, then click Options and then Mouse and
Keyboard, and then select Control Panel from the resulting pop-up menu. From there, click and
hold your mouse over the EAC's window, and you'll see two options: "Compass type" and
"Cursor size." Pick the one you prefer. Note that the cursor size applies to Windows Explorer.
Switch between Input methods: If the EAC determines that your PC is using Input Method
Editor (IME) -- a text-based text-based interface for input that's generally used by developers -- it
will automatically hide this mode. If it determines that you're using WINDOWS® Copy, your
EAC will hide this mode, too. That's another thing to keep in mind: If the EAC identifies that
your PC is using a copy program, it'll hide the latter.
Here's the scary bit: You can't adjust either "copy" or "CELEBRITY DUO Keyboard System" --
or even the third, "REALKeyboard System" -- via the EAC. You must do it in the Control Panel.
That doesn't mean, however, that you can't customize what type of keyboard you use. Again, go
back to the EAC's main window and click the gear icon, then scroll down to System Devices,
and click your PC's built-in keyboard. From there, select the various keys -- middle- and right-
click to highlight them -- and choose one of the supported keyboard layouts. Note that this
information isn't stored in the EAC's main window; you'll have to find it by clicking Start > Run
and typing "global.htm" into the search box.
Also note that the EAC doesn't tell you which of those supported keyboard layouts your PC uses.
If you want to know, go to your PC's Control Panel and open the keyboard settings.
If your PC is using Input Method Editor (IME), Windows 10 automatically hides this method. If
it's using WINDOWS® Copy, it'll also hide the I/O Device. But if it's using WINDOWS® Copy
and either the "CELEBRITY DUO Keyboard System" or the "REALKeyboard System," you can
configure the tool to hide the other options.
If your mouse's pointing device is your laptop's touchpad, chances are good you don't have a
mouse that has a capacitive sensor. Instead, you've got two rubber nubs to detect where your
finger is on the pad and adjust its sensitivity. Unless you're upgrading to a newer laptop that has
a newer, more sophisticated sensor (typically a more accurate capacitive sensor), you'll want to
take advantage of those two rubber nubs by using the Display and Touch Settings from your PC's
System Properties.
The touchpad settings for Windows 10 aren't hidden by default. In fact, you can find them in the
same place where you'd find your PC's touchpad settings: Control Panel > System and Security >
Settings > Touchpads and Touchscreens.
Fortunately, there's an easy fix: If you're using Windows 10 version 1703, I'd recommend
enabling the Intel Corporation Software Sensor driver and restarting your PC. Then follow these
steps to get your touchpad working right.
Grab the current version of Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 and follow the directions
below.
To search for an updated driver that works with your specific touchpad, first, open the Control
Panel and go to Device Manager.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Compatibility. This shows you all devices compatible
with the current version of Windows.
Next, click the Drivers tab to open a list of available drivers. When you see one that supports
your device, click on the entry.
Once the driver is downloaded and installed, it'll appear in the list of installed drivers.
Click the entry you're looking for and click Next.
In the next window (Double-clicking the entry opens it in a separate window), check the boxes
for your specific device and then click Install.
If you were using the Display and Touch Settings from your PC's System Properties, select the
update and then reboot your computer.
The driver will update and install. The touchpad will then be working properly.
There’s no question Windows 10 is the most popular operating system, but there are people out
there who prefer using it. Luckily for them, there’s a solution for those who just don’t like
Windows 10.
If you’d rather avoid Windows 10 altogether, you can download a new version of Windows 10
called Windows 10 Classic Shell. It’s the exact same OS as Windows 7, but with the added
benefit of running on a computer running Windows 7.
Windows 10 Classic Shell doesn’t need to be installed, it just works. It works for the version of
Windows 7 and Windows 8 that’s still in use. So, you can install it on PCs that can run Windows
10, but for the version of Windows 10 that’s older than Windows 7, you won’t be able to.
So, the only downside is that you won’t be able to run Microsoft’s Bing and Cortana virtual
assistants, which you’ll get with Windows 10. If you want those apps to work you’ll need to get
an upgrade.
You’ll also need to install the Windows 10 Classic Shell update, which is available through the
Windows Insider Program. The difference between installing Windows 10 Classic Shell and
manually downloading and installing Windows 10 is that Microsoft pushes updates to Windows
10 Classic Shell, whereas it does so manually to Windows 10.
The easiest way to get Windows 10 on your PC is to download a proper update from Microsoft.
There are several methods available to download these updates. You can do so through Windows
Update or Microsoft’s Update Catalog.
Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program is a great way to get updates for Windows 10 as soon as
they become available. Simply go to the Windows Insider Program website and click Get started.
You can follow the simple instructions there and you should be able to download the update
automatically.
One annoying thing is that some users don’t want to have the Windows Insider Program pop up
with the Windows 10 Insider Preview builds. Microsoft doesn’t help people who want to install
pre-release software on their personal computers. The only solution to this is to upgrade your PC.
There are other options to upgrading to Windows 10, too. For example, you can install Windows
10 and then install any other operating systems you want, such as Ubuntu, or Steam. However,
you won’t get Windows Update to notify you of updates.
Some Windows users like to prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading updates.
Doing this is very easy.
In Windows 10, go to Settings and click Update & security. Click Advanced Options.
Click turn off auto-updates. This is a hidden setting.
Your PC won’t automatically download updates, so you’ll need to manually install Windows 10
updates when you need them. You can change your mind in the future, but if you have a
computer or laptop that you like to keep up to date, you can simply go back to the auto-updates
setting and click turn it back on.
Chapter 2 How to configure regional settings for Windows 10?
Windows 10 has changed many things. One of the best new additions is the ability to change the
regional settings, and Windows Update. Here’s how to do it.
Since Windows 10 was updated recently, it’s been rather rare that someone would want to do
this. Windows Update was a mess and it wasn’t very reliable, not even after the Anniversary
Update. And the notification settings weren’t even available.
The good news is that Windows 10 has since been updated. What’s even better is that it’s also
better than before. You can now download and install the Windows 10 November Update and
let’s take a look at the best new features in this update.
For starters, head to the Windows 10 update page on Microsoft’s website and make sure you
update. After you download the file and install it, it will prompt you to restart your PC. When
you do, Windows 10 will tell you that it has updated.
While your PC is restarting, head to the Control Panel and click Update & security. It should
show the April 2018 Update, which is a couple months old by now, but it’s the April Update. If
you don’t see it, download and install it.
After the Windows 10 April Update is installed, you’ll be at the Control Panel. Right-click the
Windows 10 Update icon and select Settings. Now, go to System and then Windows Update.
Once Windows 10 is updated, you’ll be prompted to restart your PC. After you’ve restarted your
PC, head to the Control Panel and click System and then Update & security.
Click Windows Update and it should show the Windows 10 November Update. Click to
download and install it.
Before you can do anything else, you’ll need to agree to the terms of Microsoft’s User
Agreement. Click the green Yes button and confirm your Windows 10 update.
Once the Windows 10 November Update is installed, head to the Control Panel. Once you’ve
opened it, right-click the Windows Update icon in the upper-left corner of the taskbar and select
Update & security.
Click Update & security and click System. The screen you’ll see is the same as above, but you
should see the Update & security icon in the top-right corner of the window instead of the
Windows 10 Update button.
Click the Details icon in the bottom-right corner of the window to go to the list of updates. Your
Windows 10 update has updated, so click Check for updates and let Windows Update do its job.
While Windows Update may be waiting for you to restart your PC, you may not want to wait.
Head to Settings and click Update & security.
Now, head to the Windows Update section. From there, it should show Windows 10 Version
1809 (the November Update). Click Check for updates and let Windows Update do its job.
Once Windows Update has finished, your PC should restart and Windows 10 will tell you that it
has updated. Head back to the Control Panel, right-click the Windows Update icon in the upper-
left corner of the window and select Restart Now.
Once Windows Update has finished installing your Windows 10 update, you can continue to do
what you’ve been doing. Just head to the Control Panel and click System.
Click the Update & security icon and click Check for updates. Windows Update should still be
there and should let you know that your PC is ready to update. Click to download and install it.
Depending on the severity of your software, you may need to install security updates. While
Windows Update will download the updates and tell you when it’s ready, there’s nothing more to
do here.
You can, of course, uninstall any and all software on your PC, but some programs have some
sort of default uninstall settings. However, if you don’t like those settings, you can change them.
Follow these steps to uninstall or disable any programs you don’t want around.
● First, go to Settings.
● Click System.
● Click Privacy.
● If you haven’t already, click Personalization.
● Uncheck the box next to Connected Devices and select the check box next to Remove
data from Cortana.
● Open the Control Panel.
● Select System.
● Scroll to the bottom of the window and click Start My Computer.
● Click the Computer tab.
● Find the computer you want to uninstall.
● Scroll to the bottom of the window and click Uninstall and disable this computer.
● Click Uninstall or disable this computer.
● Open Settings.
● Scroll to the bottom of the list and select General.
● Click the Start button and type disable.
● Close the Start My Computer dialog and open the Control Panel.
● Open the System and Security section and click Device Manager.
● Click the Computer tab and scroll down to find the computer you want to disable.
● Click the Remove item next to the computer name and press the Remove button.
To uninstall any apps that aren’t compatible with your device, you’ll need to go to the Apps &
features section and untick each one individually. Go through each program, untick each box,
and then click Uninstall.
Again, if you’d rather not use that program, you can uninstall it entirely.
As we said before, upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 is free. Just head to the
Windows 10 settings screen, click Update & security, and then click the Check for updates
button.
If you already have Windows 10, simply head to Windows Update. Windows 10 will start
downloading the update as you use it. When the download is done, you’ll be able to download it
on the PC you’re currently using. When the upgrade finishes, it will prompt you to reboot the
PC. That’s it. You’re now running Windows 10 version 1809.
If you’re using Windows 10 Home or Enterprise, you can get Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
for free through the Windows Insider Program. Just head to the Windows Insider Program page
and click Get Started.
Updating your device to the latest version of Windows 10 won’t be a hassle, and it will give you
access to the best features. If you’re not using Windows 10, however, you’ll want to avoid this
unless you know exactly what you’re doing.
Chapter 3 How to set up Cortana for Windows 10?
If you’ve used a desktop PC in the last couple of years, there’s a good chance that you’ve
encountered Cortana. The virtual assistant debuted in Windows 8 and, as you’d expect, made its
way to Windows 10 along with the operating system. With Cortana, you can easily perform a
variety of tasks without having to remember every single one of the commands, options, and
even the shortcut keys. And with Cortana, you don’t have to waste time pressing the Windows
Key and wondering whether you pressed it correctly or not.
Simply open up Cortana, which is in the Action Center at the right side of the taskbar. If you’re
using Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you’ll notice a new section, which you can access by
pressing Windows Key + E, followed by the Cortana button.
Alternatively, if you’re on Windows 10 Pro, you can access the Cortana Settings app. There,
you’ll find the Cortana section, which will show the commands you’ve configured, along with
the ones you’re not.
Want to get the most out of Cortana? Make sure to bookmark our full Cortana guide.
Alexa is another virtual assistant that allows you to perform a variety of tasks on your Windows
10 PC. So if you’re still using Windows 7 or even Windows 8, you’ll be able to take advantage
of Alexa. Simply head to the Alexa Skills store, which is located in the Windows Apps, followed
by Skills. From there, you can search for voice-activated apps that work with Alexa, and create
your own to take advantage of the voice assistant.
Once you’ve located Alexa Skills you’d like to use, simply search for a specific skill. Most of the
time, the results will be filled with results, but you can click the “Edit Skills” button and copy the
result to use in your own Alexa app. Once you’ve copied the skill, simply launch the Alexa app
and choose it from the Skills page.
It’s worth noting that Alexa for Windows is only available in the US at the moment.
If you’re using a Windows 10 PC that’s based on the operating system’s 2016 edition, you can
find Google Assistant by heading to the search app’s More tab and then clicking on the Services
option. This will take you to the Services section, where you’ll find the Google Assistant section.
That said, you’ll need to know how to log into your Google account to get access to Google
Assistant on your Windows 10 PC. Head to the Google website and, if you haven’t logged in
already, click on the Account tab. From here, enter your name and password to access the
account.
If you haven’t been logged in to Google already, you’ll need to make a Google account, and
follow the steps outlined below.
● Head to the Google website.
● Click on the Sign In button at the top-left.
● Use the top-right menu to select “Sign in with your Google account.”
● Enter your name and password.
Once you’ve created a Google account, you’ll find the Google Assistant section in the More tab.
From here, you can find the Google Assistant section and start using the service by simply
tapping the microphone icon.
Unlike Google Assistant and Cortana, you don’t have to use your Apple ID to set up Siri.
Instead, you’ll need to open up the Cortana app, which is located in the Action Center at the right
side of the taskbar. To open Cortana, press Windows Key + E.
If you’re using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, head to the Cortana settings, which is located in
the Cortana section, followed by the Skills, followed by Skills. Here, you’ll find the settings
section. From there, you can set up Siri to work with your device.
If you’re an Office 365 subscriber and want to access AVA through your PC, you’ll need to log
in to your account before you can begin using the Microsoft Graph service. You can go here to
add your account and then click on the “Learn More” button.
It’s worth noting that AVA is only available in the US for now, although you’ll be able to access
it through your Windows 10 PC without needing to sign into an Office 365 account.
In order to access AVA, you’ll first need to open the AVA settings within the Cortana app,
followed by selecting the Language & Voice section. The Microsoft Graph service is also listed
at the top of the section, where you can use the search bar to find it. Once you’re connected,
you’ll be able to access AVA through your Windows 10 PC.
If you’re an Office 365 subscriber and want to access Delve for Office 365, you’ll need to log
into your account before you can begin using the Microsoft Graph service. You can go here to
add your account and then click on the “Learn More” button.
To connect Delve for Office 365 to your PC, you’ll need to log in to your Office 365, navigate to
the Delve for Office 365 page within the Outlook app, and then select the “Join” button in the
upper-left corner. This will connect your Office 365 account with your PC, which will be able to
access the service.
This will allow you to see calendar updates from your Outlook calendar. If you have a shared
calendar, you’ll be able to view updates from other people in the Calendar.
HomeKit, which allows you to connect various smart home devices to your PC, is a great option
for those who are interested in accessing their home automation hardware from their Windows
10 PC.
If you’re using a Windows 10 PC and have an Apple iPhone or iPad, you can easily set up
HomeKit.
Here’s how to do it:
● First, open the Apple Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
● Select the “Developer” tab at the top
● Tap on the “Accessory” button to open the “Manage Accessories” screen
● Scroll through the available accessories and select your Apple TV
● Now, follow the steps to set up HomeKit for your Apple TV
● After that, open the Home app on your Windows 10 PC.
● Select the “Devices” tab at the top
● Navigate to the “Devices” menu
● Tap on “Devices”
● Scroll down and select “Apple TV”
● From there, follow the prompts to set up HomeKit for your Apple TV
If you’re looking to control HomeKit devices with an app on your Android phone, you’ll need to
purchase the Home app from the Google Play Store. You can download the Home app by
heading to the Google Play Store and then searching for “Home”.
Chat X, which is a freemium messaging app that allows you to text anyone in your contacts list
using your Windows 10 PC, will also allow you to use Alexa and Cortana.
Here’s how to set up Chat X:
● Open the Chat X app and click on the purple “Send Message” button
● Select the “Add Friends” option and enter the email address of a person you want to
message.
● Then select “Get Started”
● Then follow the steps to set up Chat X
First, open the Alexa app and sign into your Amazon account. Then, open the Chat X app and
click on the purple “Send Message” button. Select the “Add Friends” option and enter the email
address of a person you want to message. Then, select “Get Started”
● After that, follow the steps to set up Chat X
● After that, open the Cortana app and click on the taskbar.
● Click on the Cortana icon and then click on the “Get Started” button.
● After that, follow the steps to set up Chat X
Now that you’ve set up Chat X and Alexa and Cortana, you can use the remote commands you
set up. It’s all part of the continuing evolution of Windows 10’s voice commands.
Just tell Alexa to turn on your coffee machine or to use Siri to set reminders or alarms. You can
control the thermostat in your home or use Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant to set reminders.
Microsoft says that you can even turn on the lights. All you have to do is say “Alexa, turn on the
lights.”
Here are the commands you can use to set up Windows 10 voice commands:
● “Alexa, play music”
● “Siri, set a reminder”
● “Alexa, ask Cortana about the weather”
● “Alexa, open Cortana”
● “Alexa, what’s the weather forecast”
● “Siri, ask Cortana what’s my schedule?”
● “Alexa, play Jeopardy”
● “Siri, open Bing”
● “Alexa, play [relevant music service]”
● “Siri, open Spotify”
● “Alexa, open Pandora”
● “Siri, open TuneIn”
● “Alexa, play The Onion”
● “Siri, open Echofon”
● “Alexa, open NPR”
● “Alexa, open iHeartRadio”
● “Siri, open Stitcher”
● “Alexa, open TuneIn”
● “Alexa, open BBC news”
● “Siri, open CNN”
● “Alexa, open Shazam”
● “Siri, open Shazam”
● “Alexa, set a timer”
● “Siri, set a timer”
● “Alexa, set a reminder”
● “Siri, set a reminder”
● “Alexa, ask Cortana what’s my schedule”
● “Siri, ask Cortana what’s my schedule”
● “Alexa, open Tasker”
● “Siri, open OpenDNS”
● “Alexa, open Tasker”
Once you’ve set up the system, you can simply press the Windows button on your keyboard to
launch Windows voice commands and the microphone on the remote. Now you can talk to the
remote control to control Windows.
Eventually, Microsoft is planning to allow you to control your Xbox with your voice as well.
It’s not the first time that we’ve seen a company try to get control of two personal assistants.
Previously, Amazon tried to get control of the kitchen through the Echo and the Echo Dot, using
the TV command, “Alexa, turn on the TV.”
Chapter 4 How to set up privacy settings for Windows 10?
Update your privacy settings – When you install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you'll be
prompted to reset all your privacy settings. That includes the Microsoft Account that you use to
log into Windows 10, so make sure your settings are configured properly. To do that, open the
Windows Defender Security Center. Click Update & Security and select the Update & Security
tab. Click Privacy in the resulting pop-up window. Click Change my settings, then click Reset &
Reset my account. Click OK to save changes.
Understand the data that’s collected – Some of the data that Windows 10 collects when you use
it includes: your computer’s local internet connection and IP address, your location, and general
system statistics. Those can be used to help improve your PC, and can help with some of the
optional Microsoft apps, such as Cortana. However, any sensitive data you store on your PC will
remain in your computer – and can also be shared with Microsoft. As a result, make sure you set
your settings to only share information with Microsoft if you want to. Check out these privacy
tips for other Windows 10 features.
Microsoft’s built-in screen savers can be useful. But what happens when they’re switched off?
You can access them by right-clicking on the Desktop or putting your cursor on the screen saver
icon in the Taskbar.
You can also access screensaver by clicking Start > All programs > My devices.
You can also switch them off by going to Settings > System > Screen savers. The options listed
are under Automatic features, and include turning off Classic desktop, Windows theme, login
screen, Windows animations, restart after sleep, and some graphical effects. You can also enable
picture-in-picture by clicking the Picture-in-Picture option in the left-hand column. You’ll then
be able to view two apps side-by-side.
Windows 10 will start trying to install driver updates for your hardware. If you don’t want that,
you can simply disable driver updates from Windows 10. That could be a lot safer for your
system, though.
Go to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update > Advanced options. You can opt to
allow Windows 10 to update your PC without ever running a driver update, but that’s a risky
move, because driver updates often contain important security patches. You can also select the
Skip button, but that’s not ideal, because there are some important fixes that won’t be in the
driver updates that you’re skipping.
Microsoft’s voice assistant has gotten a lot better since it was first introduced. But sometimes she
can annoy you – especially when she talks to you without any invitation. Here’s how you can
control her voice.
Launch the Cortana app. You’ll need to sign in with your Microsoft account, which is already
registered with Cortana, in order to do this.
In the upper right corner of Cortana’s start screen is a blue bar that looks like a microphone with
a ring around it. If you click this, Cortana will give you a voice command. You can also do this
by clicking the microphone icon in the search box and typing in the command you want to use.
It’s also worth pointing out that if you have an Xbox One, then you can use Cortana to control
your games, too. This feature is called Xbox voice, and it works in much the same way. Just say
“Xbox on” to turn on your console, or “Xbox, go home” to save your progress, or “Xbox, bring
up this playlist” to see your gaming activities.
You can’t use the same voice commands for Cortana as you can for Xbox. To use voice
commands that work on Cortana, you have to use a virtual assistant on your smartphone or
another PC. You can do this using the Cortana mobile app, or Cortana on Windows 10.
Microsoft’s built-in screen savers can be useful. But what happens when they’re switched off?
You can access them by right-clicking on the Desktop or putting your cursor on the screen saver
icon in the Taskbar.
You can also access screensaver by clicking Start > All programs > My devices.
You can also switch them off by going to Settings > System > Screen savers. The options listed
are under Automatic features, and include turning off Classic desktop, Windows theme, login
screen, Windows animations, restart after sleep, and some graphical effects. You can also enable
picture-in-picture by clicking the Picture-in-Picture option in the left-hand column. You’ll then
be able to view two apps side-by-side.
One of Windows 10’s main features is interactive notifications, which allow you to interact with
your notifications by typing or talking to them.
For example, if you receive a new email message, then you can respond to it without even
opening the email message.
To create an interactive notification, open the Action Center, click the action center icon in the
lower left-hand corner, and then click New notification. You’ll be given a few options, including
Create a notification, Create a notification as a pop-up, and Delete notifications. If you want to
use the standard pop-up dialog, then click Create pop-up alert.
That’s about it. You’ll then be presented with a pop-up window that says Interactive notification.
At this stage, you can write your own content for the pop-up, or select text from an existing
message.
You can access interactive notifications by clicking the Action Center icon in the lower left-hand
corner. You’ll then be presented with a pop-up window that says Interactive notification. You
can write your own content for the pop-up, or select text from an existing message. That’s about
it. You’ll then be presented with a pop-up window that says Interactive notification. You can
write your own content for the pop-up, or select text from an existing message.
Chapter 5 How to customize the lock screen for Windows 10?
Windows 10 includes a lock screen on your PC that can be customized to show a specific image
or app shortcuts. This is the lock screen as displayed by Microsoft for example:
This is also one of the several Windows 10 lock screen customization options available from the
settings panel on your PC.
When the clock is visible on the Windows 10 lock screen the clock can be moved to the right or
left of the display. You can either drag it up or down to adjust the position.
Tip: Pressing the Windows key + “F11” brings up the lock screen settings page.
When the clock is visible but the background of the lock screen is shown you can set it to stay
hidden for specific times:
Once you turn the clock upside down, it is visible on the lock screen all the time:
When you swipe the Windows lock screen with your finger you can double-click the lock screen
to activate Cortana, open your installed apps or launch an online search:
Alternatively you can click the Start button on your PC and start typing. This activates Cortana.
When you want to install a program or remove it from the lock screen, the Lock Screen settings
contain options that allow you to do this:
If you want to install the lock screen, you can do so by clicking the checkbox in the Taskbar or
Desktop taskbar. You can also open the Lock Screen settings in the Lock Screen settings page
and click on the Download button in the Lockscreen section of the Settings app:
Finally, you can open a .zip file in the Programs and Features folder on your PC to download the
.lockscreenspk.exe file which is needed to load the lock screen on your PC:
If you are not familiar with Windows 10 user interface you can find more information on how to
use the Windows 10 lock screen by looking here and here.
In addition to setting up Windows Hello, you’ll need to configure the lock screen. To do this,
click the Settings icon, then scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Change PC Settings.”
Scroll down the page until you see “Change PC settings.” Next, click the “Device” link. Then
click “Security & location”.
In this page, you can see a list of your Windows 10 devices. Click the lock device to lock this
PC. You can also control settings for your PC or other PCs on your network with this page.
Finally, at the bottom of the page, click the “Privacy & location” link to review the various
privacy settings.
For some users, they’re only interested in seeing the device in Settings > Security & location >
Lock screen. For others, they’re interested in reading more about the choices made.
For example, the Windows 10 lock screen can help prevent others from unlocking your PC when
they’re trying to access data on the computer. However, these are the settings you should choose
if you want to see a lock screen with a clock or a battery status icon (more on that below). For
users who want to see the device in Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, they’ll want to
choose “Lock screen notification” to see the device in Settings > Personalization > Notification
Center.
Alternatively, you can select the “Show the battery status icon” option if you want the device to
always show the battery icon in the status bar. You can also turn off the light on the PC that
indicates when it’s in Sleep mode.
Windows Hello
Windows Hello is Microsoft’s facial recognition software, and it’s quite easy to set up.
Go to Settings > Accounts & privacy > Sign-in options > Sign-in options. At the bottom, click
the “Change sign in options” link.
From here, you can choose the “Face authentication” option. From there, you can change your
account settings and what your face is used for.
This means that if you choose the “Face authentication” option, it means that your computer’s
camera will be used for biometric security. You’ll need to be enrolled in the Microsoft Edge web
browser for this feature.
As for your face, Windows Hello uses an infrared camera. Just take a picture of your face with
the camera, then provide an ID with your fingerprint.
When you’re ready, you’ll just need to log into your Windows account. The computer will then
use facial recognition technology to verify your identity. You can change your password, but this
is an optional step.
While you have the feature enabled, you won’t be able to use Windows Hello unless you give it
permission to access your location. Windows Hello only collects your face and the time of day to
verify your identity.
That means your location won’t be shared to websites, though your location may be shared with
Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant.
Windows Hello
You don’t need to use a security key to set up Windows Hello. You just need to enable the
biometric options that require a fingerprint, iris scan, or face.
To enable the biometric options on your PC, click the “Privacy” tab, then click “Security
settings” at the bottom.
Click “Face recognition” under the Biometric items section. Then click “Set up Face
recognition” and make sure that you’re using a USB thumb drive to set up Windows Hello.
Keep in mind that if you want to set up Windows Hello on your PC, you’ll need to purchase and
download the biometric authentication software. You can buy it here or on the Microsoft Store.
In Windows 7, you don’t have a face recognition system, but there’s still a password and PIN
system that you can use to log into your PC.
To log into your computer, first click the lock icon in the lower-left corner of your screen. After
you click the icon, select the “Log on automatically” option.
When you’re done, you’ll need to set up Windows Hello. Click the “Log on automatically”
option and select your biometric authentication software.
You can set up a fingerprint sensor or a facial recognition system, but it’s a bit more complicated
than the password and PIN system in Windows 8.
Because the biometric option requires a hardware sensor, you’ll need to buy a security key or a
USB thumb drive to use it.
It’s also important to note that you won’t be able to use Windows Hello if your PC doesn’t
support biometric authentication. So if you haven’t bought a security key yet, don’t worry! It’s
available on the Microsoft Store, and it’s compatible with both Windows 8 and Windows 10.
The good news is that you can set up Windows Hello without purchasing a security key. All you
have to do is click the “Privacy” tab, then click “Authentication settings” at the bottom.
Click “Choose a secure login” to choose the account you’d like to use Windows Hello with. You
can choose to use Windows Hello as your primary login, or you can choose to use it with several
other accounts.
When you’re ready, click “Set up Windows Hello” at the bottom.
Right now, Windows Hello can be used with any Microsoft account, so it’s compatible with
pretty much every Windows 8 or Windows 10 PC out there.
Regardless of your PC’s version, the same steps will apply for using Windows Hello.
Your PC should recognize your face or fingerprint right away.
Facial recognition is definitely the easiest of the two.
Facial recognition and facial recognition with Windows Hello may not be the exact same thing,
but you’ll probably get the idea.
In most cases, it’s pretty easy to use facial recognition to log into your PC. To log into your
computer, all you need to do is look at the computer’s webcam.
The webcam will analyze your face and show you your saved logon options. If it doesn’t
recognize you right away, try looking a little bit longer, or perhaps in a different direction.
To set up your face or fingerprint, you’ll need to download and install the security key or USB
thumb drive. You can either download the key or thumb drive directly from the Windows store,
or you can use the USB key or thumb drive in your computer’s USB port.
If you’re going to use a security key, make sure that your PC supports USB authentication, and
make sure that you don’t use a USB key with a damaged microUSB port.
You’ll also need to go to “Device authentication,” then click “Add a security key.”
Click “Add a key to the computer” to select a security key that you’d like to use. You’ll need to
add a key only if you’re setting up Windows Hello for the first time.
Click “Finish” to add the security key.
Then, you’ll be prompted to configure your hardware security key. Click “Remove the key from
the computer.”
Next, you’ll configure your biometric security key.
You’ll need to create a secure PIN and log onto your PC with that PIN.
Go to “Settings,” then click “Account security” to see your currently registered device.
Click “System settings” on the left, then click “Devices,” then “Activate the webcam” to add the
webcam to your PC.
Next, you’ll need to create a secure PIN that you’ll use to authenticate your PC. To do this, log
onto your PC, then click “Devices” in the “Account security” window.
From there, click “Activate the fingerprint reader” and select a fingerprint that you’d like to use.
Click “Add a fingerprint” to set up your fingerprint.
You’ll need to create a secure PIN and log onto your PC with that PIN.
Next, you’ll configure your hardware security key.
You’ll need to create a secure PIN and log onto your PC with that PIN.
Click “Remove the key from the computer.”
You’ll need to create a secure PIN and log onto your PC with that PIN.
Click “Remove the security key,” then click “Ok” to close the window.
Next, you’ll need to log onto your PC with your secure PIN and unlock it using your fingerprint
or face.
When you’re logging on to your computer with Windows Hello, you’ll see the green “Secure
device” bar at the top. Clicking this button will prompt you to click your fingerprint, face, or
PIN, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter it.
If you’re using a USB security key or using a biometric security key, the green bar will say “No
camera detected.”
Your fingerprint or face will appear on the window that appears. Click “Use a PIN” to proceed.
Finally, you’ll be prompted to enter your biometric PIN and log into your computer with your
biometric PIN.
To log off, you’ll need to check the box that says “Logout on key press.”
When you sign in on your computer, you’ll be prompted to choose the biometric PIN or the PIN
that you used to authenticate your computer.
Once you sign in on your computer, it will tell you whether the authentication has worked or
failed.
Now, your computer can securely log in to Windows and sign in to Windows Hello applications.
This is a significant improvement over Windows Hello’s previous method of authenticating,
which required you to type in your PIN or enter your password twice.
We’ll soon introduce new ways to configure Windows Hello in a better way.
If you have an interesting idea for Windows 10, build it and let us know what you think. You can
contact me at [email protected].
Here are the steps for using your new PC with Windows Hello:
The machine we shipped you is the same computer that was tested for use with Windows Hello.
However, there are some changes in the way Windows Hello works.
In the past, you needed a hardware security key to sign in to Windows with a biometric scan.
That’s still true, but now there are different ways to use your hardware security key. You’ll need
to configure your key, and then configure your machine for use with it.
Starting with a new machine, you can use a physical USB security key.
You’ll need to buy a USB security key and configure it to unlock your computer using your
biometric scan.
You’ll be prompted to create a secure PIN that you’ll use to authenticate your PC.
Click “Remove the key from the computer,” then click “Ok” to close the window.
Next, you’ll need to log onto your PC with your secure PIN and unlock it using your fingerprint
or face.
When you’re logging on to your computer with Windows Hello, you’ll see the green “Secure
device” bar at the top. Clicking this button will prompt you to click your fingerprint, face, or
PIN, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter it.
If you’re using a USB security key or using a biometric security key, the green bar will say “No
camera detected.”
Your fingerprint or face will appear on the window that appears. Clicking this button will prompt
you to click your biometric PIN, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter it.
Finally, you’ll be prompted to enter your biometric PIN and log into your computer with your
biometric PIN.
When you sign in on your computer, you’ll be prompted to choose the biometric PIN or the PIN
that you used to authenticate your computer.
Your fingerprint or face will appear on the window that appears. Clicking this button will prompt
you to click your biometric PIN, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter it.
Once you sign in on your computer, it will tell you whether the authentication has worked or
failed.
Now, your computer can securely log in to Windows and sign in to Windows Hello applications.
This is a significant improvement over Windows Hello’s previous method of authenticating,
which required you to type in your PIN or enter your password twice.
Windows 10 has two different locks screens: the primary lockscreen and the lock screen theme.
The primary lockscreen is used for all the operations on your computer. For example, if you want
to sign out of the computer or close it, you need to use the primary lockscreen.
If you use a lock screen theme on your phone, you can use a similar lock screen on your PC. You
can check out our guide to lock screen themes for Windows Phone and Windows 8, and they all
work just fine on Windows 10 too.
If you are happy with the default lock screen, but want to have more customization, here is how
you can change the lockscreen for Windows 10.
Open the Settings app and go to Personalization > Lock Screen.
From the Lock Screen menu, click to open the drop-down menu and select Lockscreen.
When you first open this menu, you will see some different lock screen options available: Auto,
Full Screen, Icons, Gridlock, Menus, Lockscreen theme.
Choose “Customize lock screen”.
In the dialog box that appears, enter a name and select a color theme.
Click OK.
Choose a new theme for your lock screen, and click OK.
Customize the placement of your user picture, and click OK.
Now, you will see the default lock screen. Keep in mind that this is the default lock screen that
will appear when you first launch the PC or press any key on the keyboard, so it is usually the
most minimal and simple theme. You can disable it by heading back to Personalization > Lock
Screen and unchecking “Apply current lock screen settings''.
You can also add other themes from the drop-down menu (“Appears on primary lockscreen”),
and create a new wallpaper. For example, for a cleaner white desktop background, select the
“Lock screen Background” and apply a minimal black lock screen background.
Uncheck the “Apply current lock screen settings” and click OK.
You will see the new white background. Click OK.
Now, head back to the “Lockscreen” menu. Click on “Theme” and choose “Full Screen”. This
will lock your PC with a single button.
Now, all you have to do is press “Enter” to start the computer. To access the lock screen settings
again, just click on the notification area, select “Personalize” and you should see the new
lockscreen.
In the first installment of this series, we explained how to use the new notification area for
Windows 10.
By default, you have the notifications panel open. When you go into the notifications panel, you
will see all the notifications you received on the phone, and all you need to do is drag these
notifications into the notifications area in Windows 10.
Another way to get notifications is to set an app as your notifications panel. In order to do this,
go to the Store app and tap on the three vertical dots to open the “Apps and games” option.
Select “All apps” and you will see the list of apps.
On the Apps tab, find the apps that you want to set as your notifications panel, and uncheck the
notifications tab, and click “Apply”.
Now, all notifications from the selected app will show up in the notifications area on Windows
10.
Chapter 6 How to log in to the system for Windows 10?
Wondering how to log in to the new system? For starters, you need to make sure that the first OS
you're logging into is Windows 10. When you first use the new OS, you'll get a warning message
from Microsoft about Windows 10. To avoid it, go to "Yes, I'm in." Once you're in, you can
proceed to the Windows Store and install Windows Store. Once you've got Windows 10 installed
and signed in, head on to our guide on how to set up Microsoft Edge.
Once Windows 10 is installed, a red-colored Windows icon will be added to the taskbar. Simply
click on it, which will bring you to the following screen.
You're now ready to start saving files to the new cloud storage system. If you're on Windows 10,
go ahead and install Microsoft Edge. The browser is a good companion to Microsoft OneDrive,
as it can sync Chrome tabs with your OneDrive account, and you can store and retrieve PDFs,
PDFs of images and documents, Office files, and more.
If you're on Windows 7 or Windows 8, head over to Settings>System>Accounts &
Privacy>Store & Apps, then double-click the Microsoft account icon to get to the OneDrive
window. From there, click on the link for "Set up OneDrive" and follow the on-screen
instructions.
A desktop icon for OneDrive will now appear in Windows Explorer.
Once you've got Microsoft Edge installed and set up, go ahead and open a new tab and browse to
www.drive.live.com. It's basically just a placeholder site for now, but the real OneDrive site
should arrive in a few months.
It may seem confusing that the OneDrive site doesn't support two popular cloud storage services.
But the short version is that Dropbox and Google Drive aren't compatible with Microsoft
OneDrive, so you can't upload and download files from either of them.
Instead, Dropbox and Google Drive are supported on a new site called OneDrive Files on
Demand. On it, you can browse all of the files that are stored in your account and download them
to a folder on your hard drive. In other words, it's like having two different cloud storage sites,
but you can only access them through OneDrive.
The only issue with OneDrive Files on Demand is that it only works with desktop apps, so if
you're using a browser, you're out of luck. To try it out, download the Dropbox application for
Windows, which is available here and the Google Drive app, which is available here. Once
you've installed them, you can access the files on a file's named folder, rather than the default
view that shows a series of files. This is a little annoying, but not a deal breaker.
Instead of leaving it at that, though, I highly recommend you check out our complete guide to
using Google Drive and Dropbox in Windows, as there are some tips to make the most of the
cloud storage apps.
Dealing with Google's search suggestions
Google also makes the most of OneDrive's new features. If you use Google Drive for your online
storage, you'll find a search feature on the desktop version of Google Drive that will help you
find files you haven't stored in the cloud. By default, Google suggests Microsoft Office files,
images, PDFs, music files, and video files.
To get rid of it, right-click on a file's name in the Browse tab and select Unsubscribe. You can
also click on "Get even more suggestions" to get more variations of the search results.
Get rid of Google's search suggestions in Google Drive by right-clicking on a file's name in the
Browse tab and choosing Unsubscribe.
Now that we've had a chance to check out the new OneDrive features, it's time to look at how
they can be put to good use. One great way to do this is to connect OneDrive with a Windows
PC or Mac and then access them both from a web browser. This makes it easy to send files from
your PC to a OneDrive folder on your Mac, or from your Mac to OneDrive on your PC. You'll
be able to access and share files between your devices from any browser.
To do so, open OneDrive and sign in using your Microsoft account. Next, click on the menu icon
in the upper-left corner of the window, then click on the cog icon in the top-right corner and
select Settings. In the Settings window that opens, you'll see a section called Permissions and
Sharing, where you can configure whether OneDrive can sync across your devices, upload files
from your account, or share folders that you're a member of.
The ability to share any folder in OneDrive with any Windows device is a huge step forward.
Sharing OneDrive folders across your PCs is a great idea, but you might want to reconsider
sharing OneDrive folders to the web. Because OneDrive uses Microsoft's OneDrive for Business
cloud service, it's supposed to be a secure cloud storage service for business. If you share
OneDrive folders to the web, it raises the possibility that your files could be vulnerable to
hackers.
To keep your files safe, you need to connect to your OneDrive account with a password. To do
so, open OneDrive and sign in using your Microsoft account. Then, in the Account tab, click the
gear icon, select Settings, and click the Access your OneDrive account section. Under Account
Access, click on the Access your OneDrive account section to make changes.
With this change, your OneDrive folder on the web is no longer a drop-in replacement for the
OneDrive folder you have on your desktop. Instead, it must be opened using a password. If you
share folders with others, make sure they have your password.
OneDrive doesn't support file tagging in the Mac app.
One big drawback to using OneDrive is that it doesn't support file tagging in the Mac app. In
other words, you can't tag documents or images with information about who created the file,
when it was created, and so on. If you want to tag a file and allow people to search for that tag,
you have to set up tags in a web browser on OneDrive. You don't get the benefit of using a tag
when you're editing a file in the cloud.
Files in OneDrive can be viewed in full-screen mode, which makes it easier to read.
While you can't tag documents and images in the Mac app, OneDrive has a feature that allows
you to view your files in full-screen mode, as well as with a border around the file, and resize the
app to your liking. You can even set a background color, so your files are easier to find.
Unfortunately, you can't do these same things in the web browser.
There's also no way to share a document or picture with someone on OneDrive using a URL.
Although you can share a file on OneDrive using a URL, there's no way to send a file to
someone on the web that you've already saved to OneDrive. You have to open the file on
OneDrive, then upload it to a cloud storage service of your choice. For example, if you've saved
a file to Dropbox, you can email it to a friend via a link, but you can't send a Dropbox link to
OneDrive.
To upload files to Dropbox, for example, open Dropbox, then choose File > New, then choose
Upload file, and you can choose to upload the file to Dropbox, the Dropbox website, or a third-
party file host.
You can email files to someone who's a member of OneDrive. If they're not a member of the
service, you can still email them a link to the file.
OneDrive for Business doesn't just have the same features as OneDrive, it has a completely
different look and feel. The OneDrive for Business app was built from the ground up to be
compliant with regulations for small-business IT, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act). To comply with regulations, it has to be designed with privacy in mind.
It can't hold and track individual files, only the shared files in the organization. It can only be
accessed via secure HTTPS connections. And it doesn't have links to OneDrive for Business
websites or cloud storage accounts.
The OneDrive for Business app makes it easy to view and work with files stored on OneDrive.
Even with all these restrictions, OneDrive for Business gives you a more stripped-down
experience than the consumer OneDrive app, but it still has plenty of power and features that are
accessible from the home screen. The left sidebar contains links to people, devices, shared files,
and an Admin Console where you can manage basic functions. The right-side toolbar contains
tabs for Home, Library, and Files. The home page displays a preview of the person you're
emailing, a preview of the file you're editing, and links to the other tabs.
You can upload files from other locations to OneDrive for Business, but they won't be
synchronized to other devices or used as a connection target. To be truly compatible with Office
365, OneDrive for Business must use Windows Share, Mac Share, or an Office 365-certified
cloud service like Office 365 Groups. Microsoft plans to eventually introduce one-to-one file
syncing and business accounts, but for now OneDrive for Business works on a wide range of
devices, and is a viable option for anyone who needs to share and collaborate.
Mobile apps
The mobile apps for both the consumer and business versions of OneDrive work well, and
support a wide range of device types. They're very clean and take up just a bit of space on your
phone.
The mobile apps for the consumer and business versions of OneDrive work well, and support a
wide range of device types.
The mobile apps for the consumer and business versions of OneDrive both provide the same
capabilities, but differ in size and color. The consumer version of OneDrive for iOS and Android
runs only on phones, while the business version is available for Android and iOS tablets, PCs,
Macs, and Windows 10 devices. Each app is beautifully designed and feels slick and responsive,
while still providing the same advanced features available on the desktop.
Both mobile apps will be included in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which is coming this
summer and is widely expected to be the most important release of Windows 10 in years.
Now that you know everything there is to know about OneDrive, which is much more than just
the file storage service, it's time to move on to the inevitable question: Should you use
OneDrive? While the answer is more complicated than it appears at first blush, OneDrive has a
lot going for it. It's a standalone app and a snap to install. It syncs your data with OneDrive for
Business, but only in a secure way, and it doesn't store files you don't have permission to access.
And if you want to sync only files and folders stored on your local network, you can do so with
ease.
Whatever your needs, OneDrive provides an easy way to keep a single, unified file collection
accessible across all your devices. It gives you the option of sharing files easily with others,
whether or not those files are stored on OneDrive for Business. And, most importantly,
OneDrive for Business gives you team collaboration capabilities that are unmatched by any of
the other popular collaboration tools.
In its current incarnation, it's not the most useful way to share files on a network, but it's not the
most useless, either. If Microsoft can combine OneDrive with Office 365 Groups and Office 365
Groups with a true one-to-one file syncing and sharing experience, then OneDrive for Business
can change the way organizations share, collaborate, and work. If it does, Microsoft's cloud
service could go from nice-to-have to indispensable.
Chapter 7 Windows control
How to configure Mouse for Windows 10?
In Windows 10, you can right click on the taskbar, and click on Mouse. Then click on Manage. If
you can’t find Mouse in Manage, you can click on the View menu, and then click on Manage.
On the Manage page, you can click on Show in System Tray. Then you can right click on the
button, and choose Option from the dropdown menu. Choose Run as Administrator. Right click
on Mouse and choose Configure Mouse. It will redirect you to the Settings Page.
When you click on the Configure tab, you can see the mouse settings. You can change the
sensitivity, cursor speed, right click behaviour.
In Windows 10, if you have installed the mouse drivers, you can configure the mouse as you
want it. However, if you have not, you need to download and install the drivers.
However, you can disable the mouse. Right click on the taskbar, and click on Settings. Choose
Device manager. Click on the Disable button. Right click on Mouse and choose Configure. You
can also click on the Device Manager button on the bottom right corner of the taskbar.
In Windows 10, if you want to change the behaviour of the cursor, you can click on the
Advanced button. It will redirect you to the Advanced page. On the Advanced page, click on the
mouse tab. Click on mouse clicking behaviour. Then you can click on Change and adjust the
settings.
You can easily install the mouse drivers in Windows 10 by downloading the drivers for
Windows, and installing it on the computer. Just go to the Windows 10 store, download the
relevant driver and install it on the computer. Then right click on the taskbar, and click on
Devices. Then click on Troubleshoot > Advanced settings > Add a device.
You can also right click on the taskbar, and click on Settings > Change PC Settings. Then click
on Device manager. Then click on Add a device.
Click on Settings > Windows Feedback and scroll down to the Change mouse settings section.
Click on the change button to change the mouse behaviour.
There are many other useful tips and tricks in Windows 10 to manage your mouse. I hope this
guide helps you to work comfortably. Let me know if you have any questions.
In the Settings app on the Windows 10, open the Notepad app and write down the details of your
device.
For example, you might need to add a reminder for users to change the password for the account.
Set a timeout for the password change. Determine if a non-manager account should be required
to set the password in the first place. Choose how long a restart from password change is valid
before it is counted as failed.
Give the password back to the account from which it was stolen. Finally, ask the account what to
do if someone in the organisation’s network changes the password.
Keep in mind that even if you do all this and this doesn’t work, this is a measure that is intended
to prevent one account from being hijacked. It won’t affect someone else with a different device.
Before we move on, it is recommended that you have enabled an active internet connection and
activated Internet Explorer 10/Edge. To do so go to the File menu and select Options. Next to the
General tab, click on the Check for updates checkbox. The File menu then changes to something
like this:
Below, you will see that, if you did check for updates and it found that your Internet Explorer
10/Edge was up-to-date, it would prompt you to restart your computer. But, this would not
happen automatically so click the Restart button to restart your computer. After restarting your
computer, you should get a new version of Internet Explorer 10/Edge which is setup to use the
Clipboard.
You can access the Clipboard by right-clicking on the Start button or going to the Windows
menu and select Settings. Right-click on the Start button and select Settings. Then select the
System icon on the left-hand side of the screen. Scroll down and select System and Security.
Select the View tab. Under Clipboard and Other Devices, find and select the device name of
Internet Explorer 10/Edge. Scroll down and select Use a different clipboard and select Use this
instead. Under the additional options, you will see “Choose an image” and a checkbox labeled:
Copy image. Uncheck both to get a normal clipboard.
Now that you have added your image, you can use it to write and send email, make instant web
clippings and generally do anything you want!
Before starting, make sure that your PC has all the required peripherals connected. Here’s a
comprehensive list of USB keyboards supported by Windows 10. On a PC without these, these
are better left off.
That said, once you’ve finally got everything plugged in, launch your PC, go to Settings ->
Personalization -> Gestures, and enable the “swipe on desk surface” gesture on the “Give
Gestures” category.
Moreover, to enable swipe gestures with the traditional keyboard (mouse) gesture keys, do the
following:
1. Click on the Start button, and open the search window by holding down the Ctrl
key.
2. Now search for “Computer” and click on the results to open the search window.
3. Now click on the “Right arrow key” on the keyboard, and go to Settings ->
Language & Input -> Select all the “Keyboard Keypad”.
4. Now tick all the combinations of the Swipe keys “Shift”, “Tab”, “Command”,
“Ctrl”, and “Enter”.
Note: You can also change the key combination by tapping on the New key, or via the context
menu.
Now, scroll down, and enable the “Swipe to scroll” option on the “Peripheral devices” option.
You will now be able to swipe on a blank area to scroll through a web page in your browser. You
can also select individual items in the app you’re currently using to scroll up and down on the
page.
So, go ahead, use this innovative gesture option to browse web pages and easily operate apps on
your computer.
Chapter 8 How to customize the interface of Windows 10?
Windows 10 has a built-in taskbar on its left side, but this bar can be changed. To add a new
custom taskbar, open Cortana from the Start menu, choose Cortana from the drop-down menu,
and select "Use a taskbar from my computer." In the Customize taskbar section, click the plus
(+) button. The next screen displays a list of user accounts, and you can drag a user account onto
the list. Right-click the user account you want to use as a taskbar, select "Set as taskbar," and
click OK. You can now use the user account as a taskbar.
If you need to rearrange the functions of a single window, you can arrange it using Windows 10's
Planner tool. You can pin documents, documents, applications, or other user accounts as custom
actions in the Planner. Click the plus (+) button to view Planner. Afterward, you can drag-and-
drop a user account onto the plan in the Planner to add it as a custom action.
How to save files to your cloud storage? If you store large files on your personal cloud storage
such as OneDrive or Dropbox, it is a good idea to save them to an external hard drive. If you are
using your PC primarily to watch movies or stream music, you don't need to store everything
locally, as Windows lets you stream locally saved content on a network-connected media player
such as an Xbox 360 or Xbox One.
Although there are many programs that let you move files around from drive to drive, you may
not want to buy and install them. You can use WinDiskSense to move files between any drives
connected to your PC. Enter the Computer Management Console (in Windows 7 or 8) or the
Command Prompt (in Windows 10) as Administrator to run the program. Navigate to the local
storage device you want to move, then press the F3 key. You will see a progress bar. In many
cases, the file won't transfer, but you can exit the program by pressing F8. After that, you can
repeat the process with the other drive.
You can also use Windows' file transfer capabilities to move files between drives, such as a USB
flash drive or network share. To do this, you must edit a registry entry, and there are different
methods for doing that.
Instead of editing the registry, you can also add an item to the Scheduled Tasks list (in Windows
7 or 8), or the HomeGroup registry key (in Windows 10). With these methods, you can either
add a file to the storage device, or move the file to another drive.
"OneDrive for Business" lets you easily synchronize files between your work and personal
accounts.
Microsoft's OneDrive storage service gives you 5GB free, and if you pay for a premium version,
you can enjoy 20GB of space. However, if you need a lot of storage, you can add OneDrive for
Business, which is a business-only version of the service that comes with 100GB of space per
user and features such as mail and calendar integration.
Log in to the OneDrive service through Windows 7 or 8 as a member or through your online
account at OneDrive.com. You will see a list of OneDrive folders that you can download. Click
"Add OneDrive folder" to add the folder to your OneDrive storage.
At that point, you can download the file to your PC, email it to yourself, or even automatically
download it in the cloud when you connect to the Internet.
If you have Windows 10, you can also add the OneDrive folder to your home group, which is an
automatically synced collection of files that a user shares with other members of the group.
This trick is a two-fer. You can move files from a drive with the letter A to a drive with the letter
B without resorting to third-party programs or typing registry key entries. All you need to do is
delete the drive letter (in Windows 7 and 8) or group it with another drive letter. This also means
that you can move files from a drive with the letter B to a drive with the letter A.
To delete a drive letter, open Windows Explorer. Navigate to the drive letter you want to delete.
Double-click on it, then click on the "Delete" button that appears. To restore the drive letter, go
to File Explorer, select the drive letter, and right-click on the drive again. In the resulting menu,
select "Set as default," then select "OK."
Another way to move folders is to group drives, so that a file can be moved between them. To do
this, right-click on a drive letter, then select "Move to" and then "Manage Group" to open the
Move to group window.
If you need to manually move files between two drives, head to My Computer and navigate to
the storage devices you want to move. Right-click on the drive in question, then select "Move
To." Windows will make a copy of the files and move them to the storage device you selected.
Windows 10's Files app has the same functionality as the desktop version.
If you prefer to move files using a more specific application than Windows Explorer, you can
manually move files using a program such as AppSync, which is a free download for Windows
7. The program allows you to move any number of files from one drive to another. AppSync
works with Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
The cloud storage feature on Windows 10 is helpful for file sharing, but you can also transfer
files between PCs that are connected to the same cloud service through a program such as
Dropbox or Google Drive.
Go to the cloud service's site to download its app, which will open a menu of services. Select the
service you want to use, then click the blue "Send to PC" button to open the Send files to PC
window.
Right-click on any file you want to move, then select "Send to PC" again. You can copy the file
or have it sent as an attachment.
If you want to move only one file at a time, then right-click on the file and select "Send to" and
choose another file.
My Own Folder is a similar program, but it has some shortcomings. It allows you to add up to 10
folders to a storage account. However, the service can't see your other folders unless you
manually add them.
Yes, you can open and save Office documents from the cloud.
In Windows 8, you could also open Office documents from the cloud, but in Windows 10, you
can't. In fact, Microsoft removed the ability to save Office files from the cloud in Windows 8.1.
At the moment, you can only save Office files on your local drive by syncing with OneDrive.
But you don't need to do that—you can open the files from any PC. You can even open
Microsoft Word files stored in the cloud through the OneDrive desktop app.
However, the cloud sync options on a PC are limited compared with what you can do with
Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. In Google Drive, for instance, you can synchronize your
files to any computer, from any device, and from any browser.
Since you're able to sync with Microsoft Office Online, Microsoft has reinstated the option to
sync Office files from your mobile devices to a PC. You can do this by using the Word, Excel, or
PowerPoint apps on iOS, Android, and Windows 10, then choose "Share a copy" when you're
editing a document.
Once the files are synchronized, you can open them on any device with an Office 2016 or Office
365 subscription—for free, of course.
Note that if you use OneDrive, you can't access files that you've synced from the cloud to your
PC from a non-PC. You can, however, open any Office file on any device that has Office 2016
or Office 365 installed, but not on a device that doesn't have that software.
If you have both Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, you can share one or both with an
individual or a group of people.
When you have an Office file that's stored in OneDrive and you've also synchronized it with a
PC with the Office desktop apps installed, you can create a memo or a presentation, then share
that file with another user through SharePoint, Microsoft OneDrive for Business, or through
email.
However, the sharing options for other Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are a little
limited. For example, you can't have a person with Microsoft Word open your Word file and
comment on it.
You can share PDFs and other documents, too, but the system's sharing options for those files
aren't as robust.
If you're using an Office 365 account, then you're already able to email someone a document
from Word or PowerPoint, or you can send it by Dropbox, OneDrive for Business, or through
email.
So if you have to email someone a file, you can do that and then either give them access to the
file from a desktop app, or you can give them access to a folder inside the OneDrive cloud (if it's
a document that they own, then they can open the file within the Office desktop app).
If you have an Office 365 subscription, then you can share a file that's stored in OneDrive, but
not OneDrive for Business, with anyone in your organization, as long as the people in question
have access to Office.
You can access any document you've stored in OneDrive—you can even share the file with
someone and then have them download it to their PC if they need it. However, if you decide that
you want to edit it on your PC, then you need to open it from that PC.
So if you store a file in OneDrive and you need it on your PC, you can access it through the
browser, Word app, PowerPoint app, or Excel spreadsheet app.
Finally, if you're going to have someone else edit a document on your PC—say, if you and a
colleague have to meet to discuss an important issue, then you can have one of you edit the
document on your PC, then the other of you edit the document on a Mac or PC that you share
with the other person.
If you're a company user, then you can have a PC available that everyone in your organization
can use to edit the document. If you want to do this, then you need to set up two log-ins: one to
log into OneDrive and one to log into a specific company's Exchange Online email system.
Your organization's IT department will be responsible for ensuring that the devices in use at your
company are logged into the correct email system, and ensuring that the person using the PC is
logged into your company's email system.
In other words, if you want to have someone edit the document on your PC, you can share the
document in the SharePoint system and have everyone with access to SharePoint use the
Windows operating system.
In addition, if you have any in-house engineers or technical staff in your organization, then you
should make sure that they have access to the desktop apps.
This is the system that everyone with a Microsoft account has access to.
If you have a Windows device—laptop, desktop, or tablet—then you can share your documents
with anyone with a Microsoft account.
You can create a folder, name it, and then share it with anyone, as long as they have access to
Office.
If you use an Office 365 subscription, then you can create a document and share it with any other
user, regardless of whether they have a Microsoft account or not. If they already have the
document on their device, then they can download it to that device.
You can also share a Microsoft Excel document through the Microsoft Excel app.
And that's it!
Obviously, there are some cases where you don't want to give access to the document, such as if
your colleague is an IT department employee, and then you don't want to let them put a virus or
malware on the document.
In addition, if you want to protect a document with specific people in mind, you can also choose
to give just one person access to the file, but only if that person is not an individual who would
be authorized to have the file in their possession.
If you're giving access to someone else, then it will only be temporary: they'll be able to edit the
document, but not save it to their device.
In this situation, you can share the file on a per-document basis. For example, you can give each
of your team members access to the file, but only for the duration of the meeting. Or, you can
share the file per hour, per day, or per week.
You can also give access to just the person who is speaking during a meeting.
If you decide that you want to give access to everyone at the meeting, then it's up to you. You
could also create a document and share it in OneDrive, and allow everyone access, or you could
make the document public, and allow anyone access.
Note that all of the files and documents shared through OneDrive are backed up in the cloud, and
are automatically available on any device where you are signed in with your Microsoft account.
And that's pretty much it!
Though there are some cases where it would be appropriate to use different, or more robust
systems, OneDrive works very well for most people in most situations.
For most people, OneDrive is ideal: It's easy to use, offers lots of useful functionality, and comes
with excellent security and backup features. It's a great tool for individuals, for small businesses,
and even for larger organizations.
If you're curious about the other systems available to you, then the first thing to do is to find out
what your options are for online storage and sync.
Although OneDrive is an excellent option, you may also want to look into some of the other
options that are available. If so, then here's a list of some of the top online storage and syncing
providers in 2017.
Here are some of the most popular online file storage and synchronization solutions, in no
particular order:
Google Drive
What Google Drive does: Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage solutions, and it
is an open source system.
Google Drive does a few key things: it allows you to collaborate online with others, it offers
secure file syncing, and it is used by companies to manage information. Google Drive also offers
apps for a number of devices, including mobile phones.
One interesting feature of Google Drive is that it allows users to back up and sync their
documents, but only if they have permission. This way, you can keep your files off of your
devices, but you can collaborate online with your colleagues, without ever leaving your home
computer.
What you should consider before using Google Drive: Google Drive isn't cheap, especially when
compared to dedicated storage solutions. The paid version of Google Drive allows users to save
unlimited files, which is great for team members who want to save lots of files to a central
location.
Though if you only want a simple way to store and manage files online, then Google Drive is
certainly worth a look.
Dropbox
What Dropbox does: Dropbox is a file syncing and sharing solution that was founded by two
former Google employees in 2007.
Dropbox offers users all of the functionality that Google Drive and OneDrive offer, with a few
added benefits: One of those added benefits is a premium tier that allows users to link multiple
accounts and give users access to their files from any device.
Dropbox also allows users to share files with other Dropbox users, and they can also import their
photos and videos from any digital camera into Dropbox.
Dropbox also allows users to send links to others, which makes it easier for them to collaborate.
Dropbox is easy to use: it is available on virtually any device, and the interface is extremely
simple to navigate.
What you should consider before using Dropbox: Dropbox is a very powerful tool, and can be
useful if you are working with multiple collaborators, but it's not something you want to use if
you're just trying to store a few files in a secure place online.
Box
What Box does: Box is another online file storage and syncing solution that was founded in
2005. Box offers a number of attractive benefits: they offer strong security, advanced encryption,
and high-quality backup and recovery features.
What you should consider before using Box: Box is a good tool for team members to keep track
of important documents, and they offer mobile apps that make it easier for your team to
collaborate.
But while they can be useful for your team, Box is a less robust solution than dedicated online
storage solutions. If you are in the market for a secure online file storage solution, then you
might want to consider using OneDrive, Amazon Drive, or Google Drive.
Hortonworks DataFlow
What Hortonworks DataFlow does: Hortonworks DataFlow is a data flow visualization platform
that allows businesses to manage their big data.
What Hortonworks DataFlow offers: Hortonworks DataFlow offers the same functionality as
other data flow visualization tools, but it does offer some unique features, including things like
business intelligence and analytics and mobile and web apps.
What you should consider before using Hortonworks DataFlow: For teams that use big data,
Hortonworks DataFlow can be a good tool, but it is not meant to replace a solution like Amazon
Redshift, which is for most companies a more powerful solution.
Chapter 9 How to set the Start Menu of Windows 10?
Go to Settings on the Start Menu Click the Start button Select Change default programs Click
Yes on Change default programs Select Next Click Yes on Change default programs Select OK
If you wish to set the Start Menu to the standard, smaller size by default, click on Start and select
Settings from the menu. The first step is to select Reset All Settings on the main Menu Select
Change the size of the Start menu Check 'Smallest window' and select 'Small', click on OK to
Apply
If you use the same default program for many programs and want to change the default program
for one particular program click on Start and then select Change default programs Select Change
the default program that you want to set the default to Click OK
If you change your default program and want to know what has changed Click on the Action
Centre Select Settings Scroll down and select Startup
If you have changed the default program to another program, change it back to the default
program Click on the Action Centre Select Settings Scroll down and select Change the default
program Choose your program Click OK
If you want to add an application shortcut to the start menu from the Settings menu, go to Start
and then click on Settings from the menu. Click on Desktop & App Actions Scroll down and
click on Shortcut to open program, click on Edit under application shortcut Click OK
Create a new shortcut and then right click on the shortcut and then click on Properties Select
Taskbar from the menu and then click on Create shortcut Enter the program name that you want
to add under shortcut and then click on OK
If you want to clear the caches of your computer, you can clear the cache by going to Control
Panel Click on Control Panel Choose Advanced or start by unchecking the Registry Editor
Apply a boot prompt that pops up on the boot screen. Go to Control Panel Scroll down and then
click on System and then click on Show advanced system settings. Then click on Change the
start default program Click on Properties in the bottom right corner Click on Show advanced
properties Click on Change the start default program Under the Startup type box enter 'Start' and
then click on OK
Go to Start and then click on Run. The first thing to do is to find the folder Windows uses for
setting up files, whether they are in the C drive or the Program Files (x86) folder. You can clear
this by pressing the F10 key on your keyboard.
In Windows 10, the 'Screenshot' button is located on the Start menu. You can capture your entire
desktop with this button and also send the screenshot via email, but you should be careful not to
record something that may be offensive. To take a screenshot of just part of your screen, click on
the icon with three horizontal lines (the 'screenshot' button).
How to change how your computer gets into power saving mode
You can click on the Battery icon in the system tray on the taskbar to access the control panel.
Then go to Power saving options Click on Power saving options Scroll down and click on the
Power savings panel Under the Group Name, click on Details. Click the 'Change' button to the
right of the Current set of settings. Select the group name you want to use Click OK
You can access the updates in the system tray. Just click on the tray and then click on the updates
icon Click on Advanced options to reveal the list of available updates Scroll down and click on
the Updates pull down menu
Right-click on the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray on the taskbar Click on Settings on the next
menu. Click on Change Wi-Fi network settings to ensure that you have the latest Wi-Fi settings.
Go to Start menu Click on Run. Go to Control Panel Click on Display under Advanced tab Click
on System Tray Customization Click on the New icon icon to open the selection
If you want to enable a login screen, you can enable a login screen by going to the Start menu
Click on Settings Click on Accounts Click on Sign in, the next button is the Sign in options Click
on the Connect to Windows button to connect to your computer. Next to Connect to Your
Computer, click on a different button to select a different account.
Go to Start menu Click on Run. Go to Control Panel Click on Control Panel search bar Click on
Security & safety Click on Device management. Click on the 'Lock down your PC' button Click
on OK
In Windows 10, you can go to Settings > Update & security Click on Check for updates and you
will see a tab called Windows Update. Next to the Windows Update icon, click the Off button.
You can create a system restore point in Windows 10. Go to Start menu Click on Control Panel
Click on System. Select Restore point next to System Restore Now you will be brought to the
restore point page Click on Next Choose your backup location Choose an automatic backup
option Click on OK
In Windows 10, you can go to the network management page Click on the Internet connection
click on Settings Click on Network & internet services Click on Reset network settings Click on
Reset Internet settings Click on OK
Go to the Windows control panel Click on Printers. Click on the Device > Printers & printing
next to printer Click on the printer you want to manage.
Go to the Start menu Click on the Ease of access button. Click on Search and type "printer". In
the results, click on find.
Go to Settings > Printers and printing Click on the Configure button to configure the printer.
Go to Start menu Click on Control panel Click on Reset under Update & security Click on Reset
PC settings.
When a user loses their USB drive or the machine gets infected with a virus or malware, you can
still recover the PC. So go to the Start menu Click on the Settings cog in the lower-left corner
Click on Recovery. Click on Restart.
By default, Windows 10 saves all the documents in OneDrive. However, you can easily access
them using a folder of the same name that is located in the Documents folder. You can access the
documents folder using the same shortcut that you normally use to open the folder. So, to access
the OneDrive folder in Windows 10, go to Start menu Click on Control Panel Click on System
and Security. Click on Systems and Security. Click on Change where Windows stores my files
Click on Manage storage settings. Select the Storage location. And choose OneDrive.
It is important to note that a backup is not available in OneDrive. So you should make a backup
of all your documents before you make any changes.
After you access the files stored in the OneDrive in Windows 10, you can easily access those
files using the same shortcut you normally use to open the folder. So, to access the OneDrive
folder in Windows 10, go to Start menu Click on Control panel Click on Reset under Update &
security Click on Reset PC settings. Select the Storage location. And choose OneDrive.
If you use OneDrive for data transfer, then there is an option called OneDrive Files on demand in
Windows 10. You can access this folder by going to Settings > System > Data Transfer Click on
OneDrive Files on Demand. Under the File types section, you will find the one that you want to
download, then click on Download.
Chapter 10 How to customize the home screen of Windows 10?
To customize your phone home screen, you can swipe from left to right and long press on an
empty area or empty corner. Windows will give you the option to get more tiles in place, use a
different template, or add folders. You can also change the scale of the phone to make your home
screen work better for you.
If you're using the default tile size, the phone might look cluttered with too many tiles. There are
different scale sizes that you can adjust, which is where scaling comes in. All you need to do is
hold down your finger on an empty area to get a scale, and then drag it to your preferred size.
To quickly hide an application or other window, press the Windows button, click the down
arrow, and select the x button (i.e. get rid of the app). This will help you keep an eye on what is
currently running. You can also go to Task View, select an application or a group of
applications, and press the x button to get rid of it permanently.
To drag an application in windowed mode, you can also use the swipe from left to right gesture
and release. This will drag your current window in full-screen mode.
How to quickly turn on your phone’s Wi-Fi by swiping down from the top?
There are various gestures to get around Windows 10, but one you might not have tried yet is
swiping down from the top of the screen. If your phone doesn’t have a touchscreen, you can use
the swipe from the top of the screen to turn your Wi-Fi on or off. This will help you access the
Settings app and toggle it on or off from a quick glance.
The address bar has appeared in Windows 10 as part of its redesign, but you can quickly hide it
with a simple gesture. Swipe from the top left to the right and press the x button (find on the
taskbar) to hide the address bar. This can save you a lot of clicks every time you want to type an
address.
If you swipe from the left to the right in Windows 10, you can instantly go to your camera,
depending on the settings you have enabled. You can easily toggle through various options by
swiping to the left.
One-handed keyboards are a bit of a hit or miss feature in Windows 10. If you're not sure about
one-handed keyboards, you can easily remove the one-handed keyboard by swiping from the left
to the right. You can also go to the taskbar and click on the small slider and click on Uninstall.
If you've got a new Windows 10 device and don't like the default lock screen image, you can
easily change the picture. To do so, you can either click on the lock icon in the notification area
or press the Win+Lock key combination.
Once you click on the app switcher, the lock screen image will change. You can choose from
either one of the following pictures.
The lock screen image is persistent on your Windows 10 device. You can't turn it off. The next
time you power on your device, you'll see your lock screen image. This can be useful if you'd
prefer to remove the lock screen image.
How to get rid of the icon in the taskbar for the Task Manager?
If you like the taskbar icon to appear as a task manager, you can remove the icon by clicking on
the taskbar button and selecting the option.
There are a few ways to switch between recent apps in Windows 10. The simplest way is to
simply press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to move from one app to another. If you want to switch quickly
between multiple apps, you can simply press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + Del.
If you prefer the taskbar icons to be white on black or dark on light, you can easily turn it on.
You can easily do this by clicking on the taskbar button and selecting the option.
If you're using multiple apps at the same time, you'll find that it's sometimes more efficient to pin
them to the taskbar. The easiest way to do this is by clicking on the Taskbar button and selecting
the option to pin apps.
If you find that the search box is accidentally placed at the bottom of your screen, you can easily
change this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Shift + left arrow.
You may be used to seeing a red bar along the bottom of your screen in Windows 10 to show
you have anti-virus protection, but this doesn't mean you'll always have this. If you feel like
you're never using the anti-virus protection, you can easily turn it off. To do so, simply press the
Windows key + Shift + Esc key combination.
You can also completely uninstall the Windows Defender Antivirus app by clicking on the red
anti-virus icon and clicking on the Settings icon.
If you feel like you can't remember what you've done in Windows 10 because you've become so
used to the default settings, you can quickly view them. First, you can click on the taskbar icon
and select Settings. Click on the Device Information entry, and then click on General
Information. You can also select Settings > System > About to see a complete list of installed
apps and settings.
If you just want to quickly check all the options you have for the Start Menu, you can simply
type the word Start in the Cortana search box and press Enter.
If you use OneDrive to access your photos, video, documents, etc. on your Windows 10 device,
then you can easily share your files between your devices by selecting the Share tab and
selecting the respective device you want to share the files with.
If you're running Windows 10 and you're lost or stuck on Windows 10, you can create a recovery
key to use later. You can do this by opening the Run dialog, and typing in "recovery."
If you've purchased Windows 10 and are looking to change the account on your Windows 10
device, then you need to open the Settings and select the Accounts and Sign-in tab.
How to edit or create a user account on Windows 10?
If you've purchased Windows 10 and want to change your account, you can do this by opening
the Settings and selecting the Accounts and Sign-in tab.
For more about updating Windows 10, visit the Windows 10 Update Information page.
To install Windows 10 drivers for your hardware, you need to update Windows 10 first. Click
here for more details.
To download updates or driver support for Windows 10, you need to update Windows 10 first.
Click here for more details.
To make your Start menu look or function better, you can add some custom images or icons to
your Start Menu. To do this, select Settings and then click on the Start button. Click on
"Cortana" and click on the Devices tab. Then, select the Start button under the Devices section
and click on "Change" to select an image for your Start menu or search box.
Chapter 11 How to search in Windows 10?
Now that you have your old Windows 7 PC set up as a Media Center PC, you’re ready to use the
Windows search function to find your media.
Go to the Start Menu and search for “Search Windows,” and then type in “Media Center” into
the search box at the top of the search box.
Searching for “Media Center” should provide results to your Media Center software, as well as
results that include your music and movies that you saved from Windows Media Player.
Anytime you try to search for files and folders with the Microsoft OneDrive service installed,
you will see the OneDrive logo and receive a popup asking if you want to download OneDrive
for Windows. If you don’t want to download OneDrive for Windows, you can search for
“OneDrive” and OneDrive for Business.
You can also search the search box for “Media Center” or any of the other names used to
describe your media files to find them quickly.
The easiest way to add new media files to your Windows Media Player is to use the Media
Browser.
Windows Media Player currently lets you browse your library by folder or subfolder, but if
you’re looking for a specific media file, you can now search inside your Windows 10 and
Windows 7 media files and folders to find them.
The easiest way to do this is to select the “Create New” option, enter the file name, and click
“Create.”
After the file has been created, simply double-click the file to play it.
To sync media files stored on your OneDrive account, go to Settings > Sync your computer and
click the “Manage” button to access the syncing window.
You can select from “OneDrive for Business” and “Personal” when selecting to sync your
OneDrive account.
When syncing a OneDrive account, you can choose how your files are stored. The default is
currently just “defaults” to save them as a common folder, but you can choose between a
“consumer folder,” where you can change the sharing permissions for all of your OneDrive files,
to a “personal folder,” where you can change the sharing permissions for the files you decide to
sync to a Windows computer.
To access the media folders stored on OneDrive, go to the Start Menu, search for “OneDrive,”
and then select the “…” button to see all of the synced files stored on OneDrive for Business or
personal accounts.
The Movies & TV application allows you to browse your collection of movies and TV shows
stored in OneDrive in addition to browsing your local files in the applications’ file explorer.
After you’ve installed the software, you’ll be able to browse your OneDrive collection of movies
and TV shows by viewing the cover art in the File Explorer. When you right-click any file in the
OneDrive collection, you’ll be able to open it in Movies & TV.
Once you’ve found the file you want, you can either download the file or right-click on it and
choose to open the file in the Movies & TV application, but you will be unable to open the file in
your local file explorer.
How to use a Windows Media Center-compatible remote control to control your Windows
Media Player
You can use a Windows Media Center-compatible remote control to control your Windows 10 or
Windows 7 Media Player. This remote control allows you to navigate the Windows Media
Player home screen and the Music and Video menus.
To use a Windows Media Center remote control, just plug it into a USB port on your Windows
10 or Windows 7 Media Player and follow the onscreen instructions to configure it. Once you’ve
configured your remote, you can control Windows Media Player using a Windows Media Center
remote control, just as you would with a regular TV remote.
Remote controls are available for most remote control software including many of the free apps
that come pre-installed on Windows Media Player. You can buy Windows Media Player remote
controls on Amazon, though be prepared to pay a premium for some of these remote controls, as
they range from $25 to $90.
How to use a Windows Media Center DVD player to play your files
You can also play videos on a Windows Media Player-compatible DVD player. While it may not
be as convenient as simply playing files directly on a Windows 10 or Windows 7 Media Player,
it’s more portable, which is definitely worth a try.
A good DVD player may be a bit pricey, though, especially if you don’t already own a DVD
drive. You can, however, find a good one for a low price on Amazon. The cheapest one I found
was the Technicolor DreamBox WinTV Media Center 888E. It’s $35.01 on Amazon and works
with any DVD player that has an S-video input and it can play video files directly on Windows
Media Player.
You can find even cheaper DVD players for under $30. You’ll need to decide if this is a benefit
or a limitation, but a cheap DVD player is still cheaper than a Windows Media Player remote
control and it will let you play videos on a Windows 10 or Windows 7 Media Player without
installing a DVD driver on the PC.
How to run a hidden Windows 10 user account
If you’re not sure how to configure your Windows 10 user account, or want to keep it out of your
sight, you can use the Windows Shell Menu to run a hidden Windows 10 user account. When
you use this feature, you can access the Control Panel or the BitLocker entry in your File
Explorer without logging in with the default Windows 10 user account.
After you log into the Shell Menu, you can press the Windows key + X button to open the
taskbar, and select the “Run as user” option. The “Run as user” option makes sure that only the
user account you’re running as is active and can access the taskbar and file explorer.
The “Run as user” option also allows you to access special hidden files that won’t be visible to
the user account you’re running. You can run these hidden files and folders to install new
software, upgrade your Windows 10 or Windows 7 Media Player, or read and edit configuration
settings for the Control Panel.
I know what you’re thinking: “There’s no way that Microsoft would allow users to use this
feature.” I’m not saying that’s true; I’m just saying you shouldn’t expect Microsoft to closely
monitor what users are running under this option. Microsoft allows users to use this feature in
certain countries, such as Brazil and the Czech Republic, so it’s possible that this option will be
available in your country. If not, you’ll still need to install the BitLocker key-authorization tool
to make sure that only you can open files and use them.
If you want to launch Windows Media Player from the Windows 10 start menu, you can use the
Classic Shell. You can also use the “Windows Shell Menu,” which is also the Classic Shell. If
you install the Classic Shell app on your PC, you can create shortcuts to it in your taskbar and the
desktop, and you can assign them to Start menu folders so you can easily access it from there.
Instead of installing a DVD player, you can also download a standalone DVD Player application
from the Windows Store. The cheapest one is the Steelseries TV Performance Deluxe Audio
Media Player. It’s free to download and works on Windows 10 and Windows 7.
If you decide to buy a computer in a different country, you may need to download software and
content that is only available in your country’s language. If you’re moving to the US or UK, you
can make that happen by downloading some software from the Windows Store. I’m not going to
go into detail here, but these tools will let you easily change your system language from
Windows’ “Language & Region” setting. You can also change the language of Windows 7 and
Windows 8 Media Player, if you need to use a different video player.
In case you don’t want to use Windows 10 anymore, you can simply uninstall it. You can
download the Windows 10 uninstall tool from Microsoft’s website to get rid of the operating
system that you no longer use. It will make copies of the files and folders and remove all existing
files, but the uninstall itself will not delete your personal files.
The next time you run Windows 10 for the first time, Windows Update will show you a dialog
asking you if you want to “continue with the automatic update.” Click “Yes” and you’ll continue
to receive updates. If you ever change your mind about this, you can quickly uninstall the OS
and its files from Microsoft’s website.
If you’re worried that you might lose data, you can restore your Windows 10 system files from
the recovery media. Don’t worry, the installation process is protected with SFC.
If you experience any issues with Windows 10, you can access the Microsoft TechNet
documentation for Windows. You can also go directly to the Windows troubleshooting and
maintenance page from the Microsoft Support page, where you can find lots of troubleshooting
tips and troubleshooting solutions.
Another good resource is this guide, which includes many useful tips that will help you better
understand Windows 10.
Chapter 12 Windows 10 tips
How to use hotkeys for Windows 10?
Windows 10 users can drag a cursor to a certain position on a screen. After a short press on the
hotkey key, the cursor will shift to that location. After two minutes, the hotkey key will shift to
the next position.
Keep in mind, you must have the hotkey key set up before you start using it. If you don’t, you’ll
get a popup asking you to activate the hotkey in order to use the keys.
Windows 10 features a lot of useful hotkeys and some of them can be used to boost productivity.
Microsoft’s excellent speech recognition technology helps the company improve its apps like
Cortana and Edge, but in order to use it, you need to know how to navigate the Windows 10
interface using the Narrator.
The word “Show Narrator Dialog” will pop up after you start typing and the Narrator will
activate. Narrator is activated by clicking on the Windows icon on the taskbar and clicking on
the Narrator button. It can also be activated from the Settings app.
Windows 10 has a variety of hotkeys you can use to make the most out of the operating system.
The Intellipatientiane 10 features a lot of useful hotkeys and some of them can be used to boost
productivity.
One of the many hotkeys can be found at the bottom of the Start menu. Click on the Start button,
right-click on the hotkey you want to use, and hit the Enter key.
Other than that, you can also use these hotkeys to open the Control Panel and Microsoft’s
Internet Health service, which helps you find out if your computer is infected.
PowerShell is a command-line interface for Windows and lets you manage your computer. You
can also use PowerShell for Windows 10 to perform tasks like transferring files and creating
backup files.
One of the best features of PowerShell is that you can easily search through different PowerShell
commands and even see the history of the commands you used.
Every Windows 10 PC has a taskbar at the bottom of the screen. You can use it to see a list of
apps that can open with Windows, jump to the system settings or the Run dialog, and a bunch of
other functions. You can right-click on any corner of the taskbar to access the tasks you’ve
opened recently, which will also show the full history of tasks that opened on that screen.
Most Windows 10 users access a lot of Windows 10 applications using the keyboard, but
sometimes, there are several windows you need to open on a single monitor. The keyboard can
help you navigate those windows quickly.
In Windows 10, you can either open the taskbar and use the arrow keys to navigate the user
interface or use the keyboard menu to quickly switch between applications.
The keyboard menu will automatically open the taskbar and minimize the windows you open by
clicking on the right arrow.
If you’re one of the users that only looks at the taskbar, it might be a good idea to learn some
hotkeys for the Action Center. The Action Center is similar to the Taskbar on Windows 7 and 8.
To use the Action Center, you need to press the Windows key and the “A” key in the same
manner you would use the Enter key. The Action Center can show notifications and you can
switch between applications, control your notifications and perform other tasks in it.
It’s not always useful to use Cortana on Windows 10. You can use her when you’re not at your
computer to check the weather, check your email or even ask her to share some files with you.
You can also use her to schedule meetings and let her make your calendar appointments for you.
You can easily use Cortana’s natural language recognition in Windows 10 to ask her to take care
of tasks that you can do yourself or manually.
For example, say you have a meeting in the afternoon and you’re trying to keep track of it.
Just say:
“Hey Cortana, how much time is it?”
She will tell you and you can open the calendar and add it to the schedule. Cortana has been
designed to help you manage your life in Windows 10.
Windows Ink is a new experience that integrates your pen and touch capabilities in Windows 10.
The Ink Workspace offers a range of customizable tools that make it easy to draw, create, jot
down notes and collaborate with others.
You can use the Lock Screen with the Ink Workspace to make notes, view the calendar, and do a
wide range of other tasks with the touch of your finger. You can also write on documents by
using your touch or pencil to mark up any document with a stylus.
Windows Ink is a free experience that you can enjoy and use as much as you want on any
Windows 10 device.
Windows 10 offers a wide range of apps that can be installed on it, and it’s possible to uninstall
apps that you don’t use as well. The Windows Store provides thousands of apps that can be used
on your computer to enjoy your computing experience on Windows 10.
The easiest way to install apps is to search in the Windows Store for the app you want and click
on the install button. The Windows Store also offers apps that you can download by clicking on
the install button and the app will be downloaded automatically.
To uninstall an app that you already have installed on your Windows 10 PC, you can open the
task manager and right-click on the app that you want to uninstall and click on the Uninstall
button in the menu.
In Windows 10, Cortana is by default enabled. If you don’t want her to be listening in on your
conversations, you can easily turn it off.
To turn off Cortana, go to Settings > System > Search & Actions > Cortana and turn the toggle
next to On.
Although you can upload a lot of files in your Windows 10, you might still sometimes want to
see a few of them.
If you use a lot of documents or you want to check and organize them, it’s easy to see all the files
you have. To do this, you can turn the Favourites folder into a folder that contains all your files.
To do this, go to Settings > System > Favourites and click on Add to favourites.
As a security-conscious PC owner, you might be concerned about protecting your documents and
other files in Windows 10.
Many people use file-scanning software in order to scan their hard drive and maintain a high
level of security.
There are numerous free file-scanning software applications available online and one of the best
is WinDirStat.
You can download this file-scanning software for free and install it on your PC to scan your hard
drive for lost files and malware. If you want to get rid of viruses and other malware that are
hiding on your hard drive, you can use the ransomware-free version of WinDirStat that can be
downloaded for free from the same website.
Chapter 13 The secret tips of Windows 10
What are the best hotkeys for Windows 10?
In our Windows 10 keyboard strategy guide, you'll find some advice on how to configure your
keyboard to help speed up your computing experience.
The first question we ask is how many of your hotkeys are redundant. You're on a PC, you
probably know which apps you use to open the files and programs you use, so why are you using
Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C to create a new folder?
Once you've listed all the hotkeys you use regularly and have reviewed them in detail, click on
'Assign hotkeys to folders' and drag and drop hotkeys where they make sense.
You might need to take a break before you move to that level of detail and work out where you
can actually cut out hotkeys that aren't being used - don't be afraid to remove them.
Once you've decided which hotkeys you use, it's time to map them to folders.
To do this, right click on the desktop and select the 'Print Screen' icon.
If you've set this as a hotkey for printing a document, it'll now show a symbol with an X through
it. Click this to reveal the keyboard.
You can now choose how you want to create folders, either by drag and dropping the files into a
folder or by adding a name. If you're only using the 'Print Screen' hotkey to open a new
document, choose the 'Add folder' option.
If you're using Ctrl + Alt + Shift + C to create a new folder and don't need the 'Print Screen'
hotkey, select the 'Add shortcut' option and click 'Add'.
In the resulting window, click on 'Windows Folder'. This will open the Windows folder list and
you'll see an option for 'New folder from shortcut'. Click on this to create the folder and place a
shortcut to the new folder on your desktop.
The most straightforward way to create folder shortcuts is to use the 'New Folder' option on the
Windows desktop.
From the 'Edit' menu, select 'New Folder from shortcut' and type in a name for the folder.
A new window will pop up and you can drag and drop files onto it to create a folder with a single
click. Select 'Next' and choose the hotkey or hotkey combination you've used to create the folder.
The Windows 10 'Add to Taskbar' option can also be used to make a folder more accessible.
To create a folder with a 'Taskbar icon' click on the desktop and select 'New Folder' from the top
menu. Name the new folder and choose a hotkey for it.
To create a folder without a Taskbar icon click on 'New Folder' and select 'New Folder with'
from the 'New Folder' drop down menu. Select 'Taskbar Icon' from the 'Folder type' drop down
menu and the new folder will automatically appear on the taskbar in Windows 10.
When you're making a decision about which folder you want to create, it's important that you
don't put your hotkeys for that folder into the 'Frequently used folders' section, which will
become redundant the next time you make changes to that folder.
A better way is to set up a hotkey that will open the folders you use most often, as highlighted in
our Windows 10 keyboard strategy guide.
Once you've created the folder and added a hotkey to the folder, right click on it and select
'Assign hotkeys to folders' from the menu.
Add the hotkey to the folder as it will have no effect if you're using the 'Open' option.
If you want to make your hotkey set extra-special, or create your own custom ones, here's how to
change the hotkey that will open your currently opened programs:
Right click on the desktop and select 'Edit' from the menu. Select the 'Change' option from the
'Choose an icon' drop down menu. Select the colour of the icon and click the 'OK' button.
To assign an additional shortcut, first create a folder with a different icon for your next and
previous program.
To create a new folder for the first program, right click on the desktop and select 'New Folder'
from the top menu. Enter a name for the new folder and choose a hotkey for it.
Select the 'Add folder' option and the folder will appear. Add a shortcut to the new folder as a
new shortcut on your desktop.
To assign a new shortcut for the second program, right click on the desktop and select 'Edit' from
the menu. Select the 'Change' option from the 'Choose an icon' drop down menu. Select the
colour of the icon and click the 'OK' button.
Select the 'Add folder' option and a new folder will appear. Right click on the new folder and
select 'Assign hotkeys to folders'. Select the colour of the icon for the second program and select
the hotkey for it.
Alt + F4 is a common hotkey for opening apps in Windows. However, if you're on a slow
connection, and would rather have a faster shortcut, you can use the following command to make
it faster: Alt + F4 / Cmd + F4.
Here's how to use the command:
Revert back to the full shortcut by using the 'Rename' option on the 'Change' menu.
Hit the 'New Folder' button to create a new folder with a different icon for your next and
previous program.
Move the second program to the 'My Computer' folder, and then drag the new folder to the top of
the first program folder.
Right click on the first program folder and select 'Edit' from the menu. Select the colour of the
icon for the second program and choose the hotkey for it.
Select the 'Add folder' option and a new folder will appear. Right click on the first program
folder and select 'Assign hotkeys to folders'
Some versions of Windows have a quick launch bar that appears when you launch the Start menu
or one of the 'Quick launch' commands.
The quick launch bar is small and takes up a bit of space on the taskbar.
It's a good idea to shrink the size of the quick launch bar, so that it doesn't take up too much of
your screen.
However, if you want to adjust the size of the quick launch bar, here's how to do so:
Right click on the desktop and select 'Edit' from the menu. Select the 'Choose a program window
title' option from the 'Choose an icon' drop down menu. Select the 'Change' option from the
'Choose an icon' drop down menu. Select the size of the quick launch bar.
If you're running Windows 10, then you'll probably be able to select a different key sequence
from the 'Activities' drop down menu.
To change the key sequence for the quick launch bar, right click on the desktop and select 'Edit'
from the menu. Select the 'Change' option from the 'Choose a program window title' option from
the 'Choose an icon' drop down menu. Select the key sequence.
If you're on an older version of Windows, like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, you'll find this quick
launch bar tool useful.
The keystroke for this shortcut is Ctrl + Alt + PgUp (or Ctrl + Alt + Alt + F4).
Once you've assigned a key sequence for your quick launch bar, select it and then press it when
you launch the Start menu.
It's worth noting that sometimes you'll get an error message when you try to assign a key
sequence for the quick launch bar. It might be an issue with the shortcut or with your PC. In that
case, you should make a backup and then try again.
Windows 10 includes a 'SwapTab' button that's available on the Taskbar button, or a folder that
appears on the Taskbar, depending on whether you have multiple desktops.
Sometimes, if you want to make changes to the size of your Taskbar, then you'll need to make
some changes to the size of the Taskbar button as well.
To resize the Taskbar button, just click and drag the button. If you have multiple desktops, then
you can click and drag the button for the first desktop, then drag the button for the next one.
The recommended way to resize the taskbar button is to drag the button up until the taskbar is
small enough to fit within your desktop window.
Microsoft recently added a setting in Windows 10 called 'Go to Typekit' that lets you change the
default font in Windows.
The 'Typekit' font is the default in Windows 10. It's created by Google's open source Typekit
service, and is available on other computers and devices too.
To change the default font in Windows 10, go to Settings > Personalisation > Input. From here
you'll see a list of options.
If you select 'Go to Typekit', then you can use the default fonts in Windows 10, or you can
download more fonts from Typekit.
Windows 10 doesn't feature a traditional lock screen like in previous versions of Windows.
Instead, it includes the 'live' screen. The live screen contains notifications from Windows 10's
notification centre and lets you access the Windows lock screen.
The live screen can be toggled on or off with a single click on the screen and changes
automatically with every restart.
To change the lock screen, just click on the screen and move the Lock Screen switch to one of
the options.
Closing down Windows 10 is easy because the Start menu includes a 'Shutdown' button that has
buttons for shutting down both your computer and any open apps.
You can also access the Shutdown button on the taskbar by right clicking the taskbar button,
selecting 'Edit' and then clicking on the 'Close down' option from the 'Choose a program window
title' menu.
If you click on the Shutdown button in the taskbar, it will close down the Windows taskbar and
the Windows Start menu, including all open apps.
If you have a single user account, then you can create a new account by clicking on the small
icon in the top right-hand corner of the Windows taskbar.
When you click the user account icon, you'll be taken to the Account page. There, you can either
create a new user account, or delete the existing account.
To remove the current user account, you'll need to find the email associated with the user
account.
To do that, head to 'Settings > Accounts > Sign-in & security > Change your account info'. From
here you'll be able to find the email associated with the account.
If you're not happy with the default colour scheme in Windows 10, you can change it by
accessing the 'Appearance' menu from the Start menu.
From here, click on 'Personalization' and scroll down until you see the 'Personalize skin and
background'.
From here, you can select a skin or background for your operating system.
How to set a default browser
With any modern computer, you will have the option of accessing the internet via one of a
number of different web browsers.
However, Microsoft Edge is a more powerful browser than Internet Explorer, offering features
like power saving tools and security.
If you're using Internet Explorer, head to 'Edge' under 'Edge' in the Start menu and you'll be
taken to the page where you can download and install Edge.
Search is a feature that you probably rely on everyday, so having the tools to search your internet
history is a good idea.
However, setting up a default search tool can be annoying, so you might want to set up a
different search tool if you don't like the default.
To set up a search tool, click 'Search' in the Start menu and then click 'Search settings'.
There you will see an option called 'Personalize'. Click on this option to change the default
search tool.
Microsoft Edge has the ability to set filters for your search results, but these options are not
available in the traditional browsers such as Internet Explorer.
If you want to set up a filter for your search results, you will need to go to the 'General' section of
the Internet Options panel, which can be accessed by going to 'Windows Settings'.
At the bottom of this panel, click 'Search settings'.
The bottom section of this page can be found at 'Search options'.
Click on the 'Advanced settings' link, and then 'Search settings'.
From here, click on the 'Filter search results' option.
This will bring up a window where you can set up one or more search filters.
You can use this window to set up filters based on time, location, files, documents, contacts,
videos, music, and other things.
If you're a wheelchair user, or a person with a disability, then you may have particular controls
that you wish to be able to access without needing to reach for the mouse, or opening up a
keyboard shortcut.
In order to adjust these controls, head to 'Accessibility' in the Start menu and click 'Tools'.
From here, click on the 'Settings' button and select 'Accessibility settings'.
Scroll down until you find the 'Use keyboard shortcuts for desktops' section.
Click on the 'Handwriting' option and then select the keyboard shortcut you want to use to
control your accessibility controls.
People who access the internet on a computer for work purposes may need to access blocked
websites from time to time.
However, this can be annoying when you need access to the website at that particular time, but
you can't as a result of a system policy.
The easiest way to block access to websites is by enabling the 'Block websites' option from
'Offensive search results' in the Internet Options panel.
Windows 10 comes with a system of files that will remain hidden for some time and cannot be
accessed by the user.
While some of these files may have useful information, it's easy for them to contain malware,
which can cause harm to your computer.
Head to 'Settings', click on 'Apps and features', click on 'Shared settings', and then 'Desktop' and
then 'Hidden files and other items'.
Through this section, you can also enable the 'Uninstall files automatically' option.
This feature is useful if you want to stop a particular file being installed, or the system will
remove this file if it gets removed through an update.
In order to download files that are added to the 'downloading' folder, the user can press the
Windows key + X keyboard shortcut.
This will open the new section called 'File Download', where users can find links to various
websites that have links to downloaded files.
You can use this section to download photos, videos, music and other media files.
While Windows 10 comes with a variety of wallpapers to choose from, you can also edit them
and create your own if you so wish.
Head to the 'Windows wallpaper' option from the 'Personalisation' tab in the Start menu, and then
select 'Change Desktop Background'.
You can then adjust the size, colour, and position of the new desktop background.
If you find files that you no longer need or are no longer in need of, you can delete them from
your computer.
Go to 'Settings', click on 'Advanced options', and then select 'Delete files and folders' and 'Resize
storage devices'.
You can also use this option to remove groups of files.
As well as using Google to search the web, it's also easy to search through the Microsoft Edge
search bar to find certain files, documents, and URLs, which can be useful.
However, this can also cause problems, as Edge collects a lot of data about its users, which can
reveal a lot about a person's browsing habits.
To clear the search history in Microsoft Edge, you can head to the 'Settings' section of the
Microsoft Edge browser, and then select 'Search' and 'Clear browsing data'.
Here, you can choose whether you want to clear the search history for the current web page or all
web pages in Microsoft Edge.
You can also choose whether you want to clear the browsing history for the current website or all
sites on your Microsoft Edge device.
It is also possible to access a secret menu on Windows 10, which can be used to find a range of
additional features that you may not have known about.
To access the app list in Windows 10, you can head to 'Settings', click 'More options', and then
select 'apps and features'.
The first option on the menu will give you access to the entire Windows Store, as well as
shortcuts to download apps, look up apps in the Store, and access Cortana's 'notebook'.
It's worth noting that in order to access the 'Apps and features' menu in Windows 10, you will
need to press 'CMD' + 'R' (R on your keyboard) or click 'More options'.
Chapter 13 What most of the main buttons for Windows 10?
The ones we are looking at above are just the most well-known; they are key places to find when
launching programs, or accessing Control Panel, or many other places that you wouldn't know
about.
Most of these key places are:
● x - the Windows logo, also known as the 'start' button
● r - the right-click and option bar
● v - the new start menu
● k - the Windows explorer and all those other control panels
● g - the taskbar and features
● t - Control Panel
● s - the settings panel
● u - the programs list
In each case it is worth looking first in 'Finder', which comes from this old-school name: 'Find
All Documents'. There are various versions of 'Finder' around, but if you look in the Start Menu
you'll see that it is simply the 'Finder' you're looking for, even though it is now also available
through the start button.
Most programs now also have something similar - or something with a similar look, if they have
a menu bar - and you can find that menu bar, and access the same functions, from a simple press
of the option button.
You'll also find those menu buttons from some apps. There are many command line tools, for
example, that don't have menus, and you can find a menu in the Run dialog by pressing the Alt +
F4 keys together. (When that combination is pressed the OS moves the Alt key to the F4 key.)
In Windows 7 and 8 there is one other way of using the F4 key - to stop Windows from running
or doing anything else that might take your attention away. To do this, go to Settings and look
for the 'Turn Windows features on or off' option. Find the key that lets you turn it off, and click
on it. Windows will now stop what it is doing, and you can do something else.
Many of us don't know that the Start button is a series of buttons and commands. When you
press the button you can enter a range of commands, and even begin programmes from one, not
necessarily from the menu at the bottom.
That isn't easy to explain. So instead we've prepared a number of videos on how to use the start
menu - and all the key places it can be found. They explain the commands and menus, and also
show you some of the things you can do with the key.
Start button: easier ways to get to things
In addition to the video explanations, and explanations from a number of people here on the
Guardian's sister site, ZDNet, we've put together this collection of guides, starting with simpler
ways to get to your favourite places - and, even, some of the features the main start button can't
show you.
Once you know that the start button is the 'menu' button for the start menu, you can find your
folder of files by using shortcuts to open folders. For example, if you use a text editor, and want
to open a folder of .txt files, you can do so by pressing the option button followed by Ctrl + Alt +
T, and selecting Open from the menu.
When you know the start button is a menu, you can open things using shortcuts - using Ctrl + Alt
+ I, for example, to go directly to a folder of shortcuts, or the menu itself.
You can also move apps around using Ctrl + Alt + U to change them to open in different places.
To move the application from the icon menu, first press the icon, then press Ctrl + Alt + Shift to
move it, then press Ctrl + Alt + U to move the icon into a folder, and you can find the folder by
pressing the 'T' key on your keyboard.
If you only use a single program, or find it doesn't open for you from the start menu - perhaps
because it doesn't have a menu, or is in a folder you didn't select - you can also use the shortcut
keys for programs, without having to open the Start menu.
The numbers on the keys are the shortcuts for programs (which will all start with a '1'). Use Ctrl
+ Alt + T (the menu) to move back to the start menu.
Use Ctrl + Alt + T to go to the start menu
If you're a Gmail user, you can use a program called Gmail Tips (above) to use a search box to
find information on emails - and write to them.
Press Alt + Shift + G to get to the Gmail Tips function, and enter the search word 'email'. This
brings up a list of all emails in your account, and you can then type in the email address you
want to write to. Click on 'Enter', and you can compose a new email.
If you need to do a lot of shortcuts - for example, pressing Ctrl + Alt + T to open a folder, then
Ctrl + Alt + R to copy an image into the clipboard - you can open shortcuts by dragging your
mouse over a menu bar at the top of the screen. This expands the desktop, so you can select the
panel of shortcuts at the top. Press Ctrl + Alt + A to select the tool, then press Ctrl + Alt + R to
copy the image into the clipboard.
Windows Vista has a few shortcuts on the taskbar that can be useful, depending on what you're
doing:
Use Ctrl + Right mouse button to load the Action Centre, and press Alt + Left mouse button to
close it.
use Ctrl + Right mouse button to load the Action Centre, and press Alt + Left mouse button to
close it. Press Alt + Right mouse button to load the search bar and press Alt + Left mouse button
to search for applications.
Use Ctrl + Shift + Left mouse button to launch the multimedia player, while pressing Alt + Shift
+ Right mouse button to start the game of choice.
For more, see our Windows 7 cheat sheet.
Many people run Windows Vista on a dual-core processor, but not everyone. So if you're happy
to leave the multi-tasking to the computer, you can have one program running while you're
working on another, using the shortcut keys.
Alt + Right mouse button to open the context menu, and press Alt + Left mouse button to run the
next program. This will show a list of all running applications, and you can click on one to run it.
Alternatively, click the letter key on your keyboard, followed by your shortcut, and you'll have
the program launched without having to press Alt + Right mouse button, or Alt + Left mouse
button.
Remote access
The Control Panel comes with a Windows Update function, which you can use to view Windows
Updates, download or delete them, and click on a file to view or download it (you can even
download it to your Windows Live account, which is great for sharing large files or downloading
demos).
There are also shortcuts to quick access to many other tools and features. From the top of the
screen, press the Windows key to go to the start menu, then press the Control button. This
launches the Control Panel and your personalisation options.
You can then use the same shortcut key to launch Windows Update, which you can use to look at
and download updates to your operating system, or to remove updates you've already installed.
Press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the Powershell console, and press Ctrl + Shift + L to shut it down.
Windows won't show you this option unless you install a network utility called Windows Tools
for Remote Administration, which allows you to launch the Control Panel from your computer.
Legal disclaimer: TechRadar makes no warranty about the suitability, completeness, accuracy or
reliability of the information contained in this article and any linked sites.
Sending email
If you've got a Windows Live account, then opening mail is a doddle, and with the various
email-specific tools you can manage multiple email accounts. Here are the most important.
Send an email from Outlook - Click the Mail icon in the system tray, and click the Settings
button. The toolbar appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Outlook emails.
Click the relevant mail, and click the Send button. Your email will then be sent to the address
you chose, which is handy for saving time, as you can then choose a different email address from
the main Outlook list.
Click the Outlook icon, and select the messages you want to copy. Then click File. This will
open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the emails into the Inbox or Trash.
Send an email from Hotmail - Click the Mail icon, and click the Settings button. The toolbar
appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Hotmail emails. Click the message you
want to send, and click the Open button. You will be presented with a series of dialogs. Click the
Subject box, and click the box next to the message you want to send.
Click the 'Choose format' button, and select the format for the message (we recommend Preview,
as it shows the content of each message). Click the Send button. Hotmail will notify you that
your message is ready to send. Hotmail will notify you that your message is ready to send.
Send an email from Windows Live Mail - Click the Mail icon in the system tray, and click the
Settings button. The toolbar appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Windows
Live emails. Click the Mail icon, and click the Settings button.
This will open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the messages into the
Inbox or Trash. Click the Inbox. Click the trash icon and select what you want to keep. Click the
Create a mailbox button, and a menu will appear on the right-hand side. Use the drop-down list
to choose the email address that you want to use for the mailbox. Click the Apply button, and
then click OK. The mailbox will be created.
Click the Inbox. The message inbox will appear, where you can find all your messages. Click the
Compose button. Your message will be added to the Inbox.
Send an email from Outlook Express - Click the Mail icon in the system tray, and click the
Settings button. The toolbar appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Outlook
Express emails. Click the Mail icon, and click the Settings button.
This will open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the messages into the
Inbox or Trash. Click the Email address you want to use for the inbox. Click OK, and click the
Close button. The email address will be added to the mailbox. Click Close.
Send an email from Outlook.com - Click the Mail icon, and click the Settings button. The toolbar
appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Outlook emails. Click the Mail icon, and
click the Settings button.
This will open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the messages into the
Inbox or Trash. Click the Compose button. Your message will be added to the Inbox.
Click the Compose button, and click the Send button. Your message will be added to the Inbox.
Send an email from Gmail - Click the Mail icon, and click the Settings button. The toolbar
appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Gmail emails. Click the Mail address
you want to use for the inbox. Click OK, and click OK.
This will open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the messages into the
Inbox or Trash. Click the Trash icon, and select what you want to keep. Click the Junk icon, and
select what you want to keep. Click the Delete option. The message will be removed from the
Gmail inbox. Click Close, and then OK.
You can also click the Mailbox icon in the system tray, and select which email account you want
to use to view the messages. Click the Junk button.
Send an email from Hotmail - Click the Mail icon in the system tray, and click the Settings
button. The toolbar appears, and you'll see the subject line and a list of your Hotmail emails.
Click the Mail address you want to use for the inbox. Click OK, and click OK.
This will open up a new Explorer window, and you can drag and drop the messages into the
Inbox or Trash. Click the Junk button. Click the Trash icon, and select what you want to keep.
Click the Delete option. The message will be removed from the Hotmail inbox. Click Close, and
then OK.
Email will not be displayed until the system has finished the configuration process.
First make sure that you have at least two CPU cores available. You can find the exact CPU
specifications by downloading Windows Performance Monitor.
Next set up a small memory stick of 5MB, with no documents or pictures on it. You can also set
the Windows Firewall to allow mail to be sent, but no attachments can be attached. If you
already have a Microsoft account, log into your Hotmail account using the same Microsoft
account credentials that you use for Windows.
Now, turn off Automatic Updates. This is completely up to you. For many people, an automated
restart every 12 hours can be sufficient. For others, you'll want to make sure the installer doesn't
get stuck halfway through installing. Restart the system to allow the updates to complete.
Next, download the Outlook Express 4.5.0 executable file onto the USB stick. This is a full
version of the software, rather than the 32-bit or 64-bit 'updater only' executable. Next, plug the
USB drive into your machine and open Outlook Express.
Click the Tools icon, and then click the Update button. It will take around 30 seconds for the
program to download the update file, which might take slightly longer if you are using a slow
internet connection. Once the update is completed, click the Install button.
You'll notice that the system may take a few seconds to reboot, but once the reboot completes
you'll be taken back to the Mail icon in the system tray. Click the Mail icon, and then click the
settings menu.
Click the Preferences button, and change the default mail account to your Windows Mail
account. Click the Send tab.
Click the Notify Me button. The message will be sent to a special email address, which is the one
used to receive messages from your main email account.
Click the Details tab. You'll be able to specify a Subject line, a Message body, and, optionally, a
From Name. Click the Save Changes button.
To check the status of the installation, click the System tray icon, and select the Applications tab.
The message will be there. Click the Repair button if you want to repair the installation.
You can now open a new Explorer window and plug the USB stick into the machine. Click
View->Configure when the USB drive is connected to the machine. This will give you a list of
your installed applications.
Click the Applications and Tools menu icon, and select 'Windows Networking and Telephony'.
Click the Internet Explorer icon.
Under the Network section, make sure that 'Create, open, type, click and copy' is checked.
Click the 'Start' menu icon, and then click 'Manage'.
Click 'Online Options' and then click the 'Networking' icon.
Click 'Select your default network connection' and select the default network interface you've
configured earlier.
Click the dropdown menu next to 'Select the default user' and select your Microsoft account.
Click OK.
Now that you have the installed mail client on the system, you can go to the client's control panel
and upgrade the software by installing the proper updates.
sym.exe,sym_fs,sym.inf and connect the USB drive to the computer.
When prompted, click Yes and install the update.
When the installation is complete, click the Check for Updates button.
You can now use the software.
If you don't want to upgrade the software, you can simply delete the contents of the USB drive to
remove the software completely.
OPTIONAL: You can also just uninstall the software by unplugging the USB drive from the
machine. The software will still work, but will not be listed on the 'Enforced Updates' list.
Finally, if you really hate the Outlook Express client and you want to uninstall it for good, open
the Start menu, search for 'outlook.exe' and then click 'Uninstall'.
Click 'Yes, I'm sure', and then you'll be taken to the Outlook Express uninstallation page.
Simply navigate to the 'User Account Control' section, click 'Choose an account' and then click
'Remove account'.
Chapter 14 What are the menu options for Windows 10?
Microsoft confirms some Windows 10 Creators Update upgrades will be free, others not: A
closer look at what will be available free to Windows 10 users
You'll see this message when Windows Update is set to check for updates, restart, or notify about
potential problems, but the state of your Windows installation does not change.
The easiest way to access your computer's Windows Update configuration is to type
/drivers/cad/appliance.sys or /drivers/devices/system/an.sys (this is always the last result, and
should be specific to your model) into a search box and press Enter.
On many devices, it will be in the Driver System Driver entry. On others, it may be somewhere
in the System Drivers group.
On devices that do not have such a listing, a message like "Could not find a Driver System
Driver or Device Manager object" should be the best that can be hoped for.
Once the driver file or other entry has been found, click the OK button to allow the configuration
changes to take place.
You can also configure a Windows 7 or newer system to install updates automatically when
they're available.
On systems that lack Automatic Update, you can run the following from the command line:
wushowhide -e
This will hide the small table that displays the status of available updates and install the updates
if any are available.
If this happens, your best options are to close down the device, disconnect the power, and wait
for Windows Update to rescan.
This also occurs with many Windows 10 updates, but Windows 7/8 systems that have Windows
Update automatically install updates can be restarted without interrupting service.
If you're running Windows 10, and Windows Update reports that you don't have the necessary
update, try downloading and installing it manually.
To do this:
Launch Windows 10's Update Assistant. Navigate to Update & security option in Settings.
In the right-hand column, click Check for updates.
Choose the update that you want to download. (If none is available, click the Check for updates
anyway option to download an older, possibly better-quality version.)
Once the update is installed, restart the computer, and Windows Update will replace the failing
update.
If this doesn't resolve the problem, you'll need to contact Windows Support.
You'll find them at the bottom of the Windows 10, Server, or Device Manager list.
If that doesn't work, open a command prompt window and run the following:
Windows Update uninstall -f /c:WindowsUpdate.Updater.x64.ipsw
This will remove the Update Manager service for Windows Update and any related components
installed by it.
If your computer's registry is misconfigured, or you are not running the latest Microsoft
operating system, Windows Update may not work.
To find out what version of Windows you are running, right-click the Windows icon on the
taskbar and choose Information . The resulting window will show you your version and version
of Windows Update.
To fix any issues, you can:
Restart the computer.
Install any Windows update that Microsoft provides. (This will require the activation media that
came with the PC.)
Make sure you have the latest Windows installation media, available at the Microsoft Download
Center.
Change your Windows installation from Windows Home to Windows Professional. If you have
Windows Home installed on a hard drive that is small enough to fit in a PC case, you can do this
yourself.
What if I can't reboot my computer?
If you're running Windows 10, a problem that keeps your computer from rebooting is likely a
symptom of the Creators Update, which Microsoft released in April.
The Creators Update is meant to make your PC faster and more responsive. It also includes some
new security features, including a new firewall and an improved scanning of your files, but if it
can't boot, it doesn't matter what new tricks it has up its sleeve.
If your computer isn't booting, your OS may be a few versions out of date. To check this, open
the Start menu, type "start->properties" and hit Enter . In the file that appears, search for "reset
symbol," then click Open. If your OS is marked "out-of-date," it means that you need to update
your OS.
On a PC running Windows 7 or 8, the only way to force Windows to go through the upgrade
process is to go to your system settings and click the Update & security icon.
On a PC running Windows 10, head to Settings, then Update & security, and choose Check for
updates. The latest version will be downloaded, and you'll have to restart.
On an Xbox One console, you can force the update by accessing Settings, then System, then
"Important information," and hitting Update.
If you do decide to download the update, you'll have to let Windows do its thing. Before you can
download the Creators Update, the Creators Update has to be downloaded too.
Microsoft recommends that you wait at least three minutes before starting to download, and you
can't install the update while Windows is doing its thing.
It's a good idea to clear your memory. If the Creators Update's installation gets too much in the
way of what you want to do, clearing out the system will free up system resources so that
Windows can work better.
You can do this by first closing all running applications, and then running a full system scan. Go
to Start, type "info | Performance Monitor" into the search box, and then click Go.
Then, in the Performance Monitor window, click the Scan tab and click OK.
After that, you should be able to proceed to the next step.
Yes! It is accessible by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del, then a space, and then "C" to enter the operating
system's recovery area.
As noted above, Windows' ability to reboot itself is tied to your operating system's version. So if
you're running the Creators Update, and your system is unable to reboot, it's safe to assume that
your version is out of date, and that you'll need to upgrade.
However, Microsoft warns against using the Task Manager to diagnose a frozen system, since it
can confuse your computer into thinking it's in the Creators Update's "preview" stage when it's
actually not. You should instead use Windows' System cleanup feature to fix the issue.
Chapter 15 How to Create folders and documents for Windows
10?
To start creating new folders, click the “New” tab. You can choose a sub-folder in which you can
add the files. Right below that, you will be able to choose what file type will be used for the
folder. Once you have chosen the file type, click the “OK” button.
After creating the folder, you can see the sub-folder in the Window’s main menu of File
Explorer. If you are using Microsoft Word, then the folder can be found in the document library.
Don’t forget to add a text entry in the main menu and click Save. You can then save the newly
created folder as a destination or keep it private.
If you are using a PDF file, the folder will be listed in the project library. After you have added
the .pdf file, it will be added to the project library in PDF format.
First, you will need to open the new file explorer window which you can open by clicking the
“New File” icon which appears on the upper left corner of the application window.
Once the new file explorer window is opened, you will need to open a new file by double
clicking on the new folder icon that appears on the left of the explorer window.
The folder creation is very similar to the Windows 10 OneNote folder. The only difference is that
PowerPoint lets you see the file tree or the parent folders when you open the folder. If you need
to create a new parent folder, you can right-click on the parent folder and click “Create New
Folder.”
When you right-click on the folder icon on the main menu, you will be able to add a new text
entry to the folder. The first thing that you will need to do is enter a new name for the new
folder. After entering the name, you will be able to choose the file type of the new folder.
After creating the folder, the folder will appear in the “New” folder on the main menu of the
application. Right below the “New” folder, you will also be able to see all the subfolders created
previously.
Paint, as its name suggests, is one of the most useful applications that come pre-installed in
Windows 10. Like the other applications that we discussed so far, you can create a new folder
and then assign the file type of the folder.
All you need to do is go to the “New” option located on the upper left corner of the Paint
window. Click “Open File” to create the folder.
The newly created folder will appear on the new tab as the new project. You can then go to the
project library and select the newly created folder by right clicking on the project and then
selecting “Projects…”
In Windows 10, you can not only create folders and files that are in the standard file type but you
can also create files in the special animated icon files.
Notepad is an extremely useful application that comes pre-installed in Windows 10. For a long
time, notepad was just a word processor but now it has turned into a general-purpose text editor.
Notepad allows you to create a new folder without needing to go to the “New” folder.
First, you will need to open the new file explorer window which you can open by clicking the
“New File” icon which appears on the upper left corner of the application window.
After opening the new file explorer window, you will need to go to the folder icon located on the
left of the explorer window and click the “New” option.
The newly created folder will appear on the new tab as the new project.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Textini is an advanced text editor which comes pre-installed in Windows 10. When you open the
application, you will be able to create folders in the standard file type.
Once you have created the new folder, the folder icon will appear in the “New” tab. You can
click the “Add” button to create the folder. The new folder will be added to the “New” folder
which you can find on the main menu of the application.
Microsoft Word is one of the most popular word processors in Windows 10. The application is
pretty intuitive and when you first launch the application, you will be able to create a new folder
and then assign the file type of the folder.
In Microsoft Word, you can not only create a new folder but also add files in the animated icon
file format.
You can create the folder using the “New” option located on the upper left corner of the Word
window.
After creating the new folder, the folder icon will appear on the new tab as the new project.
You will need to go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right clicking on
the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Paint allows you to create a new folder without going to the “New” folder. In fact, it’s rather
easy to create the folder which you can then rename according to your needs.
Open the “New” menu by clicking the “New” button on the upper left corner of the application
window.
Click the “New Folder” option.
You can name the new folder as you like and then drag and drop your files into the newly
created folder.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Textini allows you to create a new folder without going to the “New” folder. You need to open
the new file explorer window which you can open by clicking the “New” icon which appears on
the upper left corner of the application window.
After opening the new file explorer window, you will need to go to the folder icon located on the
left of the explorer window and click the “New” option.
The newly created folder will appear on the new tab as the new project.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Yes, you can rename the folder without adding it to the project library first.
You can not only create a new folder but also add files in the animated icon file format.
Open the “New” menu by clicking the “New” button on the upper left corner of the application
window.
Click the “New Folder” option.
You can name the new folder and add files to the folder by right clicking on the folder and then
selecting “Add”.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Notepad++ allows you to create a new folder without going to the “New” folder. The application
is extremely intuitive and when you first open the application you can create a new folder by
clicking on the “New Folder” option located on the upper left corner of the application window.
After creating the new folder, the folder icon will appear on the new tab as the new project.
You will need to go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right clicking on
the project and then selecting “Projects…”
You can not only create a new folder but also add files in the animated icon file format.
Open the “New” menu by clicking the “New Folder” option.
Click the “New Folder” option.
You can name the new folder and add files to the folder by right clicking on the folder and then
selecting “Add”.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
Yes, you can rename the folder without adding it to the project library first.
How to create a folder in Notepad++?
You can not only create a new folder but also add files in the animated icon file format.
Open the “New” menu by clicking the “New Folder” option.
Click the “New Folder” option.
You can name the new folder and add files to the folder by right clicking on the folder and then
selecting “Add”.
All you need to do is go to the project library and select the newly created folder by right
clicking on the project and then selecting “Projects…”
The folders displayed are automatically sorted in the directory hierarchy. The default layout will
have folders that are at the bottom of the list (and not visible in the folder editor) in the order
they were created. If you don’t like this default layout, you can move the folders to any of the
available positions.
File Navigation
File navigation is easy and simple in Notepad++. When you click on a file, the popup window
will be opened.
You can then navigate to the folder by clicking on it in the list and then clicking on the project’s
name.
If you click on a folder, Notepad++ will open a popup window that allows you to add files to that
folder.
● Create an Animated Project
● Click on the “Create” button.
● Click the “New Folder” option.
● Click the “Add” button.
● Select “Animation Icon” file format.
● Specify the color of the folder icon to be used (with the default transparent color).
● Click the “Save” button.
You can now see the progress bar under the folder. The main folder is added and the files in the
animation icon file format are added.
To see the list of files added to the animation icon file format folder, click the “Files” menu
option.
You can now add more files to the animation icon file format folder and see them listed under
the Files menu option.
To go back to the main folder view, click on the “Back” menu option.
Add Files to the Icon File Format Folder
You can also add files in the animation icon file format folder. To do this, click the “Add File”
menu option.
Specify the color of the folder icon to be used (with the default transparent color).
Click the “Save” button.
You can now see the progress bar under the folder. The main folder is added and the files in the
animation icon file format are added.
To see the list of files added to the animation icon file format folder, click the “Files” menu
option.
You can now add more files to the animation icon file format folder and see them listed under
the Files menu option.
To go back to the main folder view, click on the “Back” menu option.
It’s all-too easy to accidentally duplicate icons or accidentally rename a document in Windows
10. These won’t cause a problem until someone wants to open the document and someone else
wants to open the icon.
To save yourself these problems, you can rename icons and files automatically. It’s done by
using “Open with” contextual menus in Windows 10.
These menus show up in a toolbar at the top of your taskbar, or they’re available from an icon
you can right-click on. You can set “Open with” options from these menus to automatically
renaming files and folders on your PC.
There are two menus you’ll want to worry about when renaming icons and documents: “Open
with” and “Open with” Metro apps.
See which icons are set to automatically be opened with an app by checking “Create new folder
here” and “Create new folder here with app.”
The second menu you’ll want to worry about is the “Open with” contextual menu, which opens
when you right-click an icon. This menu allows you to choose which apps open each file and
folder in a given folder.
There are two options here: “Open with” and “Open with Metro apps”. “Open with” refers to the
Windows folder as a whole, while “Open with Metro apps” refers to the Metro-style apps.
You can check either one of these options and any other apps that open your folder as a whole.
However, you can’t just right-click on a folder and choose the “Open with” option, nor can you
choose “Open with Metro apps” and Metro-style apps.
If you want to rename all files and folders individually, you’ll want to make sure “Open with” is
set to the “Other apps” option, not the “Other Metro apps” option.
How to hide “Open with” menus from Windows 10
If you’d rather not have “Open with” menus on your desktop, or you prefer a different way of
opening folders, then you can hide them.
To do this, open Windows 10’s Action Center by pressing the Windows key and the “A” button
at the same time, or just by right-clicking on the Windows logo at the top of the taskbar.
In the new “Quick Access” menu, select “Group open with”.
That’s all you need to do to hide the “Open with” menu from your desktop, but there’s another
menu you can hide in the “Group open with” menu. It’s the one that allows you to choose which
files and folders will open with the apps listed in “Open with”.
To stop the “Open with” menu showing you these two menus, go to the Group open with menu
again, and select “Hide items in group”.
Hide the files and folders that will open with the apps listed in “Open with” from this menu. You
can now use these options from the contextual menus.
Chapter 16 What is Microsoft Store for Windows 10?
If you're an avid Windows gamer, you will know how tough it can be to get the newest games -
unless of course you have a Steam account. While this may be convenient, it doesn't mean you
are getting the most stable experience when playing your favourite titles. To be able to play the
games you love at their highest quality, you'll need a Windows Store account.
Microsoft's Windows Store is the answer to this. With the Store, you will be able to download
games, apps, music, movies and more from the Windows Store and play them directly on your
Windows 10 PC. Additionally, with a Windows Store account, you will be able to redeem codes,
see about pre-ordering games, and take advantage of the Xbox Live gaming community.
Even better is the Windows Store's PC and Xbox gaming integration. While Windows 10 will
support the Xbox app, you will also be able to use your Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller to
navigate, enjoy, and purchase games and other Windows Store content.
Now read our Windows 10 reviews to get the full rundown on Microsoft's latest OS.
The Windows 10 boot logo, or logo of Windows 10, is now part of Windows 10's interface. This
is not something that is unique to Windows 10, though, and has been present on Windows and
Linux operating systems for many years.
The original Windows boot logo was created by Sherron Watkins in the 1980s. This iteration of
the boot logo was then used by Windows 1.0 and Windows 2.0. As Windows has expanded and
evolved, so too has this logo, being redesigned a number of times.
The most recent redesign of the Windows boot logo (shown below) debuted with Windows 7 in
2009. This one was more minimal, with all that was required to run Windows 7 being on the logo
itself.
Microsoft has decided that now is the perfect time to bring back the Windows boot logo. This is
especially true when you look at how Microsoft's latest operating system is visually distinct from
Windows 8, as well as Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. The change in brand identity will also go a
long way to improve Windows Store's user-bases, giving developers a whole new space to reach
out to.
One of the biggest selling points of Windows 10 is its personalization options. Allowing users to
install apps, set the background and wallpaper, select a theme, create a profile photo, and more,
Microsoft is focusing on offering personalization options that you would normally see on your
smartphone or tablet.
To improve the efficiency of your personalization, Microsoft introduced what they call "Ask
Cortana". You will be able to press the Windows key and either a Windows logo or key
combination to access Cortana. When you press the key combination, Cortana will ask what
you'd like to know. If you then provide her with your question, she will provide you with an
answer.
You can also configure Cortana to send push notifications to your phone, so you can receive
weather updates without opening up a browser, for example. To turn on these notifications, press
the Windows key and either a Windows logo or key combination, followed by your phone's
"display" key (not "send" key). This will open up Cortana and allow you to configure her to send
you notifications to your phone.
You will be able to personalize your Windows 10 desktop using these prompts, as well. So for
example, if you don't like your default fonts, you can change them with your voice and Cortana
will take over as your personal font provider.
Windows 10 will feature a lock screen, which will start you on the road to your Windows 10
experience. To unlock your computer, you will need to enter a password. A password manager is
required to help you store these passwords securely, and not in the range of people who have
easy access to your computer. However, you may also be able to use Microsoft's Cortana, should
you not wish to install a password manager.
If you would like to personalize your Windows 10 lock screen, you can set background images,
add different functions to your lock screen, and more. Here is a quick video demonstration of
how to set up a lock screen in Windows 10.
When Windows 10 was announced, it was made clear that Microsoft would be encouraging users
to hack together their own Windows 10 upgrades. Each Windows 10 update will come with its
own version of the Windows 10 desktop interface, called a "Community Remix". This version of
the Windows 10 desktop is usually a modified version of the original Windows 10.
Microsoft calls this process of creating a modified version of the Windows 10 desktop "hacking",
and encourages users to share their creations with others on the Windows 10 Community Remix
website. These Community Remix are modified versions of the Windows 10 desktop, which will
be easier for users to access than the original version of Windows 10. Microsoft has even
provided guidance on how to customize Windows 10 from a users' individual experiences.
Why is this new "Community Remix" section of Windows 10 so different from the other
version of Windows 10?
There are four primary differences between the Community Remix and the original Windows 10
desktop. First, Windows 10 Community Remix is easier to use than the original Windows 10
desktop. You will be able to install and run the community Remix desktop much more quickly
than the original Windows 10 desktop. For example, if you launch the Windows 10 Community
Remix from the Start menu, you will immediately be directed to a login screen. You do not have
to log in each time you launch the Community Remix.
Second, the Community Remix desktop environment will be updated much faster than the
original Windows 10 desktop. In fact, Microsoft is promising users that Windows 10 Community
Remix updates will be available daily. Compare this to the typical Windows update timeframe of
every six months or so.
Third, while Windows 10 Community Remix does not come with the Windows Store, many
Windows 10 apps will be available through the Windows Store in the future. And fourth, while
Windows 10 Community Remix offers some customization features, it does not come with the
ability to have a virtual Windows Store or separate app icons. While these customization features
are common in both the original Windows 10 desktop and the Windows 10 Community Remix,
they are not currently available in the Community Remix.
To become part of the Windows 10 Community Remix, you first need to install Windows 10.
When you launch the Microsoft Store, you will find the Windows 10 desktop available for
download.
The Windows 10 desktop is free. However, you may be required to install a few additional items
as part of the installation process. Once installed, the Windows 10 desktop will automatically
open, so you do not need to launch the Windows 10 desktop again.
What if I am running an earlier version of Windows 10 and still want to be part of the
Windows 10 community remix?
Once you install Windows 10, you can join the Windows 10 Community Remix. You can join
the Windows 10 Community Remix as an end user or by joining as a developer. At launch,
Microsoft does not yet have a support program in place to support upgrading from an earlier
version of Windows 10 to Windows 10 as part of the Windows 10 community remix.
Why did Microsoft choose a relatively new version of Windows 10 such as Insider Preview
builds as the basis for the Community Remix?
According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the reason for using the Windows 10 Insider Preview
build as a basis for the Community Remix is simple. "Insiders have contributed valuable
feedback as we built a polished and stable version of the operating system for customers and they
will be a great source of feedback as we continue to refine it," the spokesperson said in a
statement.
Information from Microsoft suggests that the company may release additional preview builds for
the Windows 10 desktop. However, Microsoft has yet to release any additional builds for
Windows 10 with the Windows 10 community remix.
Classic Shell
Microsoft has updated Classic Shell. Now, when you run Classic Shell, you get a brand-new, up-
to-date user interface.
On Classic Shell’s startup settings, check the “Quick Startup” section. Click on “Select one of
the following”. In the next window, check the “Install NVIDIA Drivers” checkbox. Click on the
“Quick Startup” button. Click on “Finish”.
In Classic Shell’s options window, select “Run in legacy Windows mode” from the drop-down
menu. Click on “OK”. You can now run Classic Shell in legacy Windows mode without
affecting your PC’s performance.
3D Viewer
3D Viewer now comes with a 3D Gallery application that allows users to browse 3D objects
stored on a 3D website or 3D store. You can open the 3D Gallery application by clicking the 3D
button in the navigation toolbar, which is displayed in the 3D Viewer window. Click on 3D
images in the 3D Gallery.
Click on the “View 3D Images” button. An info icon will appear in the 3D Viewer window.
Click on it and launch the 3D Gallery application. From there, you can browse and view 3D
images. Click the 3D icon on the navigation toolbar to switch between 3D image list and search
results.
Click on the 3D icon to switch back and forth between the 3D images and search results.
Click on the 3D button again to switch to 3D search results.
In the 3D Gallery app, you can access all 3D images stored on 3D websites or 3D stores.
You can also use 3D Viewer to browse 3D images on an HDTV using Remote Desktop
Connection.
If you don’t use a 3D compatible PC, you can still use the 3D Viewer application by viewing 3D
content on a mobile device. To view 3D content on a mobile device, open 3D Viewer, select the
3D icon in the navigation toolbar, click “Open 3D view” and select your desired 3D compatible
device.
Safe Mode
When you switch to Safe Mode in Classic Shell, you can access some settings you can’t access
while in normal mode. However, some settings are still inaccessible. This includes settings to
access the BIOS.
To access safe mode, type cmd in the Search box and press ENTER. When the Safe mode page
comes up, click on the “Safe Mode” link. To switch to normal mode, click on the normal mode
link at the top of the page.
In Classic Shell, you can add multiple virtual desktops. To use it, right click on the Start menu
and select Virtual Desktops. You can use them to run multiple programs at the same time.
You can also use a search to find a virtual desktop.
Classic Shell can now use Screen Sharing feature to access your Windows PC remotely. To use
it, enter cmd in the Search box and press ENTER. When the Screen Sharing window comes up,
click on the “Screen sharing with your client” link.
Here, select the client from the client list and click the “Use the client” link. You can also select
from the drop-down menu “Custom Client” and “Custom Screen”.
Click on the “Use” link.
In the following window, click “Connect to Server”.
Here, enter the IP address of your computer. Click “Connect”.
You can now log in with your computer. In case of trouble, use “Get in”.
You can now access your Windows PC from your Android device with simple commands.
1. AppIndicator
AppIndicator works on Android devices, but it doesn’t work on Windows 8.x devices. However,
a developer fixed it. Here’s how to install it.
Navigate to Apps>Preferences>Application managers. Here, tap on AppIndicator.
You can now add it to your homescreen.
Download AppIndicator from the Play Store.
Open the ZIP file on your computer.
Open the ZIP file and open Launcher.exe.
Launch Launcher.exe and go to settings>click “Advanced”.
At the bottom of the screen, tap “Apps Indicator”.
Go back to AppIndicator settings, find the AppIndicator that’s installed and tap it.
2. Setting Up Dynamic Lock
Dynamic Lock feature allows you to lock your PC automatically after a certain time period (in
case you haven’t moved from your workstation for an hour). To set it up, enter the command
shell in the Search box and click “S.Mobile Lock”. You’ll get a new option “My Computer”.
Click on it. Here, enter a name for your PC, select a password (the default is “1234”), select your
language and click on “OK”. You can now see a popup that tells you what you’ve set up.
However, I don’t think Dynamic Lock works correctly on my Windows 8.1 PC.
3. Not Installing Widgets
By default, Classic Shell doesn’t install many Widget applications on your PC. It’s something to
change the default.
To change the default settings, open your account settings and select “Your Home Screen”. Here,
click on “Themes”.
Add a new theme and select Widget apps to install.
With the new theme, you’ll see more Apps added to the launcher.
Open the Start menu and press Windows key. Click on Search. Type “Classic Shell” in the
Search box and press ENTER. You’ll see the Classic Shell window.
The Classic Shell launcher comes pre-installed on the Start Menu, so you don’t have to search
for it.
Step 1. Click on “Don’t unlock the screen or enter my PC!”
Press “Win + X”.
You’ll be asked to enter a password. Type the default password and press ENTER.
In the next window, enter “Scanner 4.5.4” in the search box.
Click on “Download”. It should be available under the Search results.
Download it and unzip it.
On your PC, run the exe file.
It should automatically load the Widget application. You can now run it!
Note that Widget will only appear on the Modern Start Menu and not in the Classic Shell
Launcher.
Chapter 17 What is Navigation and control in File Explorer in
Windows 10?
Navigation and Control in File Explorer in Windows 10 is similar to the previous versions of File
Explorer, with a number of notable differences. The default navigation bar features a move,
copy, select, delete, find, and a back button. You can add your own buttons by pressing the plus
button at the right-hand side. The back button, for example, takes you to the previous folder you
were in.
However, it is worth noting that unlike other versions of Windows, the Navigation and Control
in File Explorer in Windows 10 only makes use of the mouse scroll wheel as a way of navigating
through your folders. You cannot actually click on any of the buttons to open them. This is a
minor drawback in a good way. You can still click on any of the icons in the navigation bar to
make your way into the folder you want to be in.
There are a couple of features that you should know about in Windows 10. The first is the File
History feature that you can use to move files around between different computers. You can use
this feature to move files to a system that you are currently logged in to, like a PC you’ve
installed onto a server, or one you are logged onto remotely, for example. You can also choose to
copy files between multiple computers, a task that you would normally need a secondary PC for,
and this is done via the built-in File History function.
The Universal Clipboard is a way of accessing the clipboard from any computer, without the
need for a full copy of the clipboard that you would usually need for copying and pasting on a
local PC or on a remote server. You can access the Universal Clipboard through the Windows
Explorer icon at the top left-hand corner of the screen by pressing the Alt key on your keyboard.
Once the UCPronaut icon is visible, you should see a Universal Clipboard icon in the application
drawer at the bottom.
You can use the UCPronaut icon to paste from your machine to other machines. The UCPronaut
icon shows up in the system tray in Windows Explorer when you select it from the system tray.
Alternatively, you can also select the UCPronaut icon from the context menu on any of the
windows that you’ve opened in Windows Explorer. The Universal Clipboard is a useful way of
accessing the clipboard on another system. It’s not ideal, but it is a good workaround for
situations where you might need to access the clipboard on another computer without using a full
copy of it to copy and paste.
This is a particularly useful feature for users that are on a Windows 10 machine that doesn’t
include a OneDrive cloud drive, as it will allow you to view all of the files and folders stored
within all of your OneDrive folders in Windows Explorer. To access this feature, you will need
to be running Windows 10 Creators Update or later.
To open up the OneDrive folder list within Windows Explorer, you will need to open up the Start
menu and search for ‘OneDrive’. This will open up a right-hand side pane that lists all of the
OneDrive folders and OneDrive subfolders that you have on your machine.
By default, the list will look like the image below, which is split up into subfolders that you can
scroll through. If you want to see all of the files within the list, then you can simply select the list
of folders that you want to see, and then press the Ctrl and I key at the same time to open up the
list in Windows Explorer.
The primary disadvantage to using this feature is that it can be pretty slow at scanning through
all of the files that are available on your OneDrive cloud drive. If you want to browse through all
of the files and folders that you have stored on your OneDrive cloud drive, then you can double-
click on the folder that you want to view, and then press the Ctrl and I key at the same time to
open up the folder in Windows Explorer.
When you’re viewing all of the files in the list, you can hit the Ctrl key to open up a new menu
that you can then click on to open the folder in Windows Explorer.
To view all of the current OneDrive accounts that you are signed up for, then click on the
account that you want to view, and then click on the option that reads ‘Accounts’. Then click on
the ‘All Account Information’ link that will open up a page that will show all of the current
accounts that you are signed up for, along with their emails, usernames, and passwords.
You can also search within a OneDrive folder for files that have a specific name, and then select
the file from within the list, and then press the Ctrl key. This will open up a right-hand side pane
that lists all of the files and folders that contain the specified name. You can also use this method
to select a specific file from within the list.
You can also view all of the files that have been transferred to a specific folder that you have on
your OneDrive cloud drive, and then select that folder to open it in Windows Explorer. To do
this, you will need to open up the folder that you want to view, and then click on the option that
reads ‘Move to’. This will open up a right-hand side pane that lists all of the files that you have
that are part of the folder that you are looking for.
By default, the list will look like the image below, which is split up into folders that you can
scroll through. If you want to see all of the files in the list, then you can simply select the folder
that you want to view, and then press the Ctrl key. This will open up a right-hand side pane that
lists all of the files in the folder that you are looking for.
When you’re viewing all of the files in the list, you can hit the Ctrl key to open up a new menu
that you can then click on to open the folder in Windows Explorer.
If you are a Windows user and you don’t have a Windows account already, you can sign up for a
free Microsoft account, and then you can use OneDrive for free. If you have a Windows 7 or
Windows 8.1 system, then you can easily sign up for a free Microsoft account, and then you can
use OneDrive for free. Once you have an account, you can use OneDrive to sync files and
folders across Windows and Mac computers and Android devices.
You can easily use OneDrive to quickly share files with other people that are on your Windows
10 device. All you have to do is share the file or folder to the OneDrive folder that you are
signed into on the other person’s computer, and then they will then be able to view the file in
Windows Explorer or on their own computer.
You can also use OneDrive to share files with other people that are on your Android device. All
you have to do is open the OneDrive app that is installed on your Android device, and then you
will see an option to share a file to another OneDrive account. This will then automatically share
the file with another person, and they can download it from their OneDrive account if they don’t
already have a copy of it saved on their own device.
If you want to view and manage your OneDrive account, you can do that by simply opening the
OneDrive app. You will see an option to open your account settings. You will then be able to see
your OneDrive account information and settings. You can also select a backup location, change
your default location for your data, and you will also be able to see if you have a limited free
storage space.
Chapter 18 What is the Address bar in Windows 10?
Similar to the current Internet Explorer address bar, Windows 10 will feature a bar at the top of
the screen for displaying all of your open applications.
Browsers, communications clients, and other software will all have a position along the bar for
their icons. You’ll be able to expand each application’s icon to reveal the details.
Contrary to some reports, this bar will not contain a search box, as we have never seen an
implement this in the wild. However, Microsoft is looking at the potential for this feature in the
future.
Windows 10 is not going to support a lock screen, but you will be able to turn your device into a
desktop. Just like you are used to doing with the last few iterations of Windows, you will be able
to lock and unlock your PC.
If you have Cortana installed on your device, you will be able to voice input commands. If you
have Cortana enabled on the lock screen, you will also be able to use it to quickly check the
weather, add new appointments, and set your PC to launch any Windows application that has
Cortana capabilities.
Windows 10’s lock screen will also feature your favorite photos of the people you want to
receive emails from or your to-do list.
Windows 10 will be available as a free upgrade to current Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users.
The official launch date will be on July 29, 2015. The free upgrade offer is set to expire at the
end of 2016.
While Microsoft has said that Windows 10 is a feature-complete operating system, there are still
changes that are not yet finalized. Some of these will not be made available until later in the
release.
Microsoft has said that in order to check out these features in preview form, you will need to
own a recent device running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 hardware. One of these programs is
PC preview which can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website. The program will only
download to the PC that it is currently installed on and there is no way to install it on a new
computer.
To upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10, follow the same steps as above, except instead of
connecting your USB drive, connect to your computer over a network connection.
Note: At the time of writing this article, Microsoft has not publicly released an installer for
Windows 10 yet. It is possible that they will release the ISO file sometime before launch day.
The only two reports we’ve found of such files are on file sharing sites. Therefore, if you want to
install Windows 10 on a computer that does not have the Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
installation media, you’ll need to download it from a file sharing site.
Note: You may not be able to downgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 10 if you attempt to do
so after the launch.
On a desktop, connect the USB drive to the PC and reboot the machine. Then follow the steps
below to install Windows 10.
Make sure that you have all necessary drivers installed. Select the USB drive from the left-hand
Start menu, and then click “Create a New Media…” Select the “Windows 8.1 or Windows 10”
product name from the dropdown menu. If you need to change the product name, select “Manage
Windows” from the left-hand Start menu, and then select “System”. Connect your USB drive to
the PC and double-click the folder to start the installation process. To make sure your USB drive
is connected correctly, navigate to the folder where you installed Windows 10, right-click the
drive, and then select “Properties”. Click “Install” to begin the installation process. Click “Next”
when you’re ready. On the next screen, select your language, and click “Next” again.
Install and restart your computer.
Click “Check for updates.” If you have automatic updates turned on, Windows will start
downloading the Windows 10 files, which can take a while.
Once the downloads are complete, click “Finish” to begin the installation process.
In this section, we will be installing the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
With the installation process complete, you will be prompted to restart your computer.
On the next screen, select the option to restart your computer.
When Windows 10 restarts, you will see the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709)
screen.
Navigating folders in Windows 10 is simple, you can click on an icon for each folder you want
to navigate through as shown in the following image:
Any folder that you want to navigate to can be navigated through using the shortcut of this
shortcut key:
It’s really easy to navigate through folders in Windows 10
Jump lists can help you jump around in Windows 10 even if you don’t know how to actually use
it!
To use jump lists to navigate through Windows 10 quickly, open the start menu, you will see an
app tray that pops up on your right.
By clicking the scroll down arrow next to the run time (it’s the circle that looks like a clock), it
will bring up the task manager. You can then click on the cogwheel on the task manager to get to
a tab labeled Game Center:
You can navigate between all the games installed in the Windows 10 Home edition using the
Game Center, this is how you can quickly get back to any game you were trying to run in the
background:
Search is something you are probably familiar with on your computer so that you can find that
thing you are looking for, whether it is a file on your computer or a way to find another app or a
program on your computer.
In Windows 10, there are some handy features to make your search even faster, including
Microsoft search bar.
To search your hard drive in Windows 10, simply right-click on your desktop, click on search
and type the search bar.
If you can’t find what you are looking for, type a keyword on the search bar such as “Windows 7
DVD Creator” and it will search all the files and folders on your hard drive for the keyword.
Before you copy over your settings and settings and apps that you have on your computer,
remember that you’ll be copying it over to a new device. Windows 10 devices have different
configurations from PCs, and it’s best to not have these settings on a new device and just stick to
what you are used to with your old Windows 10 device.
If you don’t want to have old settings on your new Windows 10 device, you can just take a
couple of screenshots of the current settings and the old settings.
To do this, open up Paint and create a new document. Then click on File, Print Screens and you
should see a screen like the following, this is a screenshot of a Windows 10 device:
Click on the menu on the left side, this is where you can create your own print screen to quickly
paste on a document.
Next, on your document, right-click on the screenshot of the Windows 10 device, click on “New
Print Screen” and you will see a screen like the following, which is what you want:
You can use this document as a backup in case you lose your settings or you’re having problems
with your Windows 10 device, which is a good idea as it is a massive amount of data.
You can also see what your Windows settings are currently, here’s an example of a web
browser’s default tabs:
If you want to quickly copy over all your Windows and Windows apps to another PC, you can
use a software known as ReCopy. It is a program that can copy your files, music, and other apps.
ReCopy uses local files to copy your files over instead of having to connect to a cloud and
waiting for it to copy over the data. ReCopy will automatically begin working, whether you’re
on your computer, in the office, or in the middle of your road, and is completely free to
download.
When you've found a file that you'd like to search through and then clicked the Show files I don't
have installed... option, you can navigate to the File Explorer Options page by going to Start >
Run, typing "explorer" into the search box and clicking the search button to search for all
available file explorer options.
Within the Options page for Windows Explorer, you can set the search box to show a specific
file type, see the list of files found by searching for the file type or file name, and modify the
search results so that you only see files found in the search results.
You can access more file type specific search features in Windows Explorer by clicking the
Search icon at the bottom of the window. You can then type in the search term you'd like to
search for and then click the magnifying glass icon to search through the list of file types.
You can also use the Windows Explorer Options for finding a file you've recently modified,
added to a folder, or uploaded to OneDrive.
When you navigate to the Windows Explorer Options page in Windows 10, you can see the
search boxes for files that you've added recently, for files you've accessed recently, for files that
were added to a folder in the last 30 days, for files that were added to a OneDrive folder in the
last 30 days, or for files that were added to a OneDrive folder more than 30 days ago.
Here are a couple of options to help you find the Windows Explorer Options.
Launch the Windows 10 search app on your computer. If you already have Windows Explorer,
you can navigate to Start > Search and then type "explorer" in the search box to search through
all available options.
to search through all available options. From the File Explorer window, press the Windows key
to start typing the search term you'd like to search for. When you see the first result (this could be
a file), select the first result (see a few examples below), and then navigate to the File Explorer
Options page on your computer.
You can navigate to the Windows Explorer Options page on your computer by clicking the
search icon at the bottom of the window, typing the search term you'd like to search for, and
clicking the magnifying glass icon to search through the search results.
To see all the File Explorer Options in Windows 10, navigate to Start > Search and then type
"explorer" into the search box.
Final thoughts
While it’s too early to tell what kind of changes will be made, Windows 10’s upcoming launch
should be a great time to update. You’ll be able to switch between multiple versions of Windows
10 from within Windows 10 itself, and can also use the same machine for the full version of
Windows 10 Pro or Windows 10 Home.
At the very least, you’ll be able to use Continuum to use your PC and a compatible monitor to
convert your device into a pseudo-laptop. For people who don’t have a home office, this is a
great way to browse the web, work on documents, or check your email. The only problem is that
you’ll have to have a PC that’s compatible with Continuum. Otherwise, your PC will not show
an icon in the taskbar, and Windows will still be just a browser window.
However, Microsoft will allow people who use an early version of Windows 10 to upgrade to a
full version free of charge. This free upgrade window ends on July 29, 2016, so those who want
to upgrade to Windows 10, will be able to do so before this free window closes.
Сhapter 19 What are Copying and transferring files in Windows
10?
When you copy and paste content, you can either do a simple copy and paste from one
application to another or you can use the copy feature of a separate application. A second new
feature, Windows sharing, lets you share a file with another app. When you open the copy
function of one of these, you'll find a sharing dialog box that allows you to copy the file to the
app you've chosen. You can then edit the contents of the file in the new app.
Windows also now supports sharing of 3D objects and images. Images can be taken with the
built-in camera, or you can launch an application to take a 3D photo of the current desktop or
any other file, then save it to your machine. You can open the 3D image as either a 2D image or
as an interactive 3D object using the 3D viewer app.
There are two further new capabilities in this release. The first is the creation of a media right
from the start screen: you can choose from media to be used in an email message, or you can
select the audio or video file that you want to use.
And the final new feature - and the first of the kind we've seen in a major Windows release for
some time - is the addition of a default data directory. Now when you set up a new machine, it
will default to a clean copy of all your settings, which can be re-used for any new machine you
create. This has the advantages of saving on the transfer of settings between machines, and
removing the need to remember where they are all stored.
A bootrom - short for Bootable Host Controller Module - is a small device that is installed at the
start of your PC to launch the operating system. It's usually a small, simple microcontroller
called a Jazbus. This is an evolution of earlier models, such as those used in the original
Commodore 64.
Boot Roms have changed little over the past 30 years, so that they can still be found in many
more computing devices than the 6502 that powers your favourite retro machines. The chip
inside the latest Intel Core i7-4770K processors is a little faster, but is otherwise nearly identical
to the chip that's in your VCR.
Bootroms - and their PC equivalents - are notoriously power-hungry, and require large amounts
of electricity. When your PC goes into sleep mode, it sends a message to the bootrom telling it to
enter into the high-power sleep mode. This allows the device to turn off its low-power mode and
"sleep", saving the energy used by the processor during this period.
But if your PC goes into hibernation mode, it no longer sends these messages to the bootrom.
This means that when you turn on the machine, the device has no idea when it should sleep. This
creates a problem when you need to restart your machine: if you wait long enough, the PC can
struggle to boot and instead may just hang there in hibernation.
Modern computers provide a solution to this problem. Once you've turned off the power, you can
enter a "power on" password. The bootrom then enters into a state called "warm boot", which
enables it to recognise the boot record of the operating system. It then checks the firmware of the
bootrom to see if it has an earlier version, and sets the operating system up to run using the
newer version.
If your PC supports this feature, your PC will boot automatically into a special hibernation mode
in the event that it has lost power or your power is turned off. When you plug it into power and
turn it on, it will load the operating system from the hibernation stage. You can also enter a
"power on" password to turn the system into a "cold boot" mode. In this mode, it uses the
original firmware to start up the machine. If your computer doesn't have this feature, you can
press Ctrl-Alt-Del and enter a password to kick the PC into an in-memory mode and boot straight
into Windows.
We certainly hope so. One of the great things about the PC is its ability to run many different
computers and operating systems. That means that many old PCs will still be able to do their jobs
well after the end of their life, even if they are unable to run a new operating system.
This will continue to be the case as long as their hard disks and memory are still viable -
although if you've connected your PC to a TV or monitor over the past few years, you may well
have already lost its ability to read these drives. Many monitors can no longer read a standard
5.25-inch drive, while many computers can only read such drives if they're read by an old
version of Windows.
It's not just hardware, however. Many laptops now include a solid state hard drive (SSHD) as
standard. These devices use flash memory technology to store data instead of a hard drive, which
means they're much more reliable. Flash memory is also fast and does not run out of space when
you've used up all the storage capacity of your PC.
It's great news for anyone who has a laptop with an old hard drive in it, as they'll be able to carry
on using it with very little difficulty. The only problem with SSDs is that their prices can be
expensive, so if your laptop has such a drive, it may be best to check to see if you can find a
good deal on a new one.
Most computers have a hibernation switch or an 'RDS' (rescue mode) button that you can use to
turn the computer off when you can't access the power cable, but your purchase should include
this safety feature. Also make sure you have a full set of backups, as if the system does fail it's
very hard to recover information from a PC that's been left hibernating.
If you're going to leave your machine turned off until it's no longer operational, make sure you
also make a note of its current status - especially as it may be needed to provide a written history
of what the PC was doing when it had no power. Finally, we can't stress how important it is to
back up your important documents and files to a different hard drive or portable storage device.
Chapter 20 How to Connect Devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
Direct in Windows 10?
In this tutorial, I’ll be showing you how to connect devices using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct in
Windows 10.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct is the most advanced technology in terms of connectivity of multiple
devices in your home, and more especially in your workplace or the corporate environment.
By the end of this article, you will have learned how to pair your devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
Direct, and for Windows 10, using this connection method will save a lot of time and energy that
you may be using on other regular connections.
Here’s a rundown of all the hardware that you will need in order to connect your devices using
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct connection in Windows 10:
● Wireless Network Adapter
● Plug in your wireless network adapter into one of the available ports on your Windows 10
machine.
● Logitech Wireless Keyboard
● Plug in your keyboard to another port on your computer.
Devices
Here’s a list of all the devices that you will need:
Bluetooth Headset
Also known as wireless headsets, they are smaller and portable than your usual wired
headphones.
They allow you to keep on using them even while the device you’re using connects to your
device via Bluetooth.
Speakers
Want to play music from a microSD card or USB flash drive? Then, you need speakers that can
output sound that has a decent quality.
If you have a keyboard with speakers and the speakers are on your USB or microSD card, then
connect it to your Bluetooth headset.
This way, you can play music and other audio files without using the mouse to click on the
controls.
Bluetooth Mouse
Want to use the keyboard on a remote TV? Then, you need a mouse that you can use even while
the device you’re using is connected to your Bluetooth headset.
Monitors
Want to use a monitor as a touchpad for a keyboard? Then, you need a monitor that can be
controlled via Bluetooth.
More importantly, you need a monitor that has an HDMI port.
There are some excellent monitors available in the market these days that have an HDMI port.
They are priced fairly, compared to their non-HDMI counterparts.
You can find some of the very latest monitors at Amazon.
Although a remote control or a mouse won’t be useful for you in this article, you can still
connect your mouse to your Bluetooth headset.
You can find a wide variety of cheap wireless mice available online that you can easily get for a
reasonable price.
And, if you don’t have a mouse that can be used as a touchpad, then, you can use your keyboard
and mouse on a TV or monitor without using a touchpad.
By using a remote control and a mouse, you can be productive in no time.
You should get a small Bluetooth mouse that has a long battery life.
For example, the Rii Touch Mouse has a battery life of up to 100 days.
Even though it is expensive, it offers a great experience when it comes to working on a remote
monitor using a Bluetooth headset.
But, if you’re looking for something a bit cheaper and more portable, then, you can opt for a
smaller mouse like the Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse.
By using this mouse, you can get a good productivity experience even while using a remote
monitor.
If you have a keyboard that has an HDMI port, then, you can connect your mouse and your
keyboard to a TV using the HDMI cable provided in the package.
Audio Effect Control Key
If you need to control a music or a video, you need a program that can be used with a keyboard.
That’s where the Audio Effect Control Key comes into the picture.
This program is able to perform the same functions as a standard remote control.
It lets you control movies and music using a keyboard and doesn’t require you to have a mouse
to use it.
You can simply connect the device you need to control with Bluetooth, and use Audio Effect
Control Key to control the device with ease.
You can find some of the most powerful versions of Audio Effect Control Key that allows you to
create effects on a movie or music to a small, portable device that is only 2.8 mm thin.
You can choose between one of its versions – a small, slimmed down version that is 1.6 mm thin
and a medium-sized version that is 2.8 mm thin.
To configure the program, you need to go through its settings page on the web page of the
developer.
If you want to experiment with different effects, you can search for other related programs on the
internet and play with them until you get a product that suits your taste.
The number of plugins in the Audio Effect Control Key is immense. This program works with
most of the audio applications.
For example, it supports the Sound Blaster Sync, Realtime Audio Mixer, Music Theater,
Audionet, LADSPA, eXpansion and Native Digital Audio Player.
It also works with VLC, VLC media player, TtFS, xine and other Windows multimedia
applications.
If you’re working with a file management application like Win7 Explorer or Win8 Explorer, you
can install Audio Effect Control Key and add effects to the functions you need to perform.
Audio Effect Control Key is a free program and offers great features like volume control,
keyboard shortcuts, blue lighting and more.
Final Word
An excellent remote control can work wonders for the productivity of your employees.
The keyboard itself is a remote controller that allows you to use your mouse as a virtual mouse.
Once you have a remote control, you should make sure you find one that has features that you
need for your purpose and budget.
There are many remote controllers in the market, and you can find several programs that you can
use to make your remote control as versatile as possible.
If you’re in a financial crunch, you can make your remote control a bit cheaper by using
Bluetooth, though the in-built microphone can be a nuisance in many cases.
Chapter 21 How to Synchronize with a smartphone in Windows
10?
You don’t need to buy a professional-level synchronization software if you just want to sync a
computer to a smartphone. You can sync your Windows 10 PC to a smartphone through a
standard Bluetooth connection. All you have to do is follow these three simple steps.
Step 1: Go to the Bluetooth menu on your smartphone and select the pairing icon.
Step 2: Hold the Bluetooth button of your smartphone until the ‘Device discoverable’ popup
appears on your PC.
Step 3: Open the Control Panel and right-click on ‘Device’.
Step 4: Click ‘Sync and download updates’, then click ‘Next’ and ‘Recommended’.
Now click the ‘Sync’ button, and your Windows 10 PC will be synced. Once it is synced, you
can check the syncing status by going to Device Manager, right-clicking on the PC, and selecting
‘Manage synced devices’. Now you’ll be able to see if your smartphone has synced with your
PC.
The good news is that the Windows 10 syncing procedure is secure as it uses AES-256
encryption. It doesn’t take long to sync your computer to a smartphone, but it may consume
some battery on your phone. Also, keep in mind that this syncing process is only recommended
for Windows 10 PCs as it doesn’t work on other versions of Windows. Also, make sure to
backup important data on your smartphone before syncing.
Windows 10 supports various ways to wake up a PC from sleep. You can have your PC wake up
when the phone rings, or when you receive a call, or when you get an email. For the first option,
simply select ‘Wake up when phone rings’ under Settings > System > Windows Phone > Phone
> Windows Update.
Once your phone rings on your PC, you can simply press the power button on your PC to stop
the phone call. For the ‘Suspend when receiving email’ option, select ‘Wake up when receiving
email’ under Settings > System > Windows Phone > Phone > Windows Update.
For the ‘Send email from Microsoft’ option, simply check ‘Wake up when receiving email’
under Settings > System > Windows Phone > Phone > Windows Update.
Windows 10 makes it possible to set your computer to wake up automatically whenever you
receive a call or whenever you receive an email. To make this happen, select ‘Suspend when
receiving email’ under Settings > System > Windows Phone > Phone > Windows Update.
Windows 10 supports a lot of ways to wake up your PC from sleep. If your iPhone is Bluetooth-
enabled, it can also connect to your PC, and the best part is, your iPhone doesn’t have to be
asleep to do this. All you have to do is download the ‘PowerButton’ app on your iPhone, open it,
and select ‘Rounded Bluetooth button’ as shown below. Your iPhone will automatically be
paired with your PC.
If you want to get the PC to wake up when you receive a call, you can simply make it wake up
when you receive an incoming call, or if you would rather have the PC wake up randomly when
you receive an incoming call, just like the iPhone’s version. To do so, you’ll have to install the
‘PowerButton’ app on your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Calls.
Now select ‘Always show phone ringtone’ and when you receive a call, your iPhone will
automatically wake up your PC.
Aside from this, you can use the ‘One hand control’ feature to quickly switch between the
‘Hello’ and ‘Calls’ ringtones.
While some of you might be satisfied with the way Windows 10’s notifications are configured
on your smartphone, if you find it confusing, you can manually change the settings.
To do this, open the Action Center, click on ‘Notifications’ and find the ‘General’ category in the
‘Organizer’ window. Here, you can change what kind of notifications you would like to get on
your PC.
Turn off all notifications except for the ones you want to receive.
You can also set the notification to a specific time. For example, if you prefer that your PC get
notifications while it is off, you can set the system to get notifications only when the computer is
sleeping.
To do this, head to Settings > System > Notifications and add an alarm.
Although there’s an ‘Automatic Lock’ option on the desktop to automatically turn off the screen
when the PC is turned off, you can also configure ‘Lock screen’ settings to make sure that your
PC’s lock screen will stay on regardless if your computer is on or off.
You can open your PC’s settings and head to the General section, where you can configure the
automatic lock feature. You can set the ‘Automatic Lock’ to turn off whenever the PC is turned
off, and turn on whenever the PC is on.
How to use Glance to quickly see your PC’s current CPU usage?
The ‘Glance’ feature is currently the default way to view the current CPU usage on your
Windows 10 PC. However, it’s pretty limited in terms of functionality. If you would like to use
Glance to view the CPU usage of a lot more PCs, you can use a third party app to do so.
Head over to your Windows 10 PC’s settings menu and open the ‘All settings’ and ‘Change
settings’. Here, you’ll have to open the ‘Updates & security’ menu. Under the ‘Advanced
options’, you can enable ‘Over the air updates’.
Under the ‘System’ section, you can enable ‘Power User’ mode. When enabled, you can allow
any user to have control over your PC.
Under ‘Other options’, you can set a hardware lock. Enable it and then tap the ‘OK’ button to
save the changes.
Windows 10’s ‘Password protected applications’ feature has some potential security benefits, but
can also be very problematic. So, if you would like to prevent an anonymous user from logging
into your PC using the same account, you can do so by creating a separate user account.
To do this, open the PC Settings and navigate to the ‘Accounts’ section. Next, click on ‘Change
account settings’. Click on the ‘Change user’ option at the bottom-right corner. On the next
screen, you can enter a username and password.
Now, enter a new username for this new account. On the ‘New username’ page, find a username
you like. Enter your name in this new user’s username, then click on the ‘OK’ button.
Head back to the main ‘Accounts’ page. On the ‘Sign in with this account’ page, tap on ‘Change
sign-in information’ option.
Next, you will have to enter a new password in order to log into this new account. Finally, click
on the ‘Save changes’ button.
Windows 10 allows you to clean out the history, cookies and temporary internet files in order to
improve the performance and security of your PC.
You can access these settings by clicking on the ‘Advanced options’.
Now, head to the Internet tab and select ‘Manage history’. In order to delete your web history,
you can click on the ‘Clear Browsing data’ button. If you do not want to clear your browsing
history, you can also click on ‘Skip’ button.
You can also delete cookies, cache and temporary internet files by selecting ‘Clear cookies and
data’, ‘Clear cache’, ‘Clear temporary internet files’ and ‘Clear browsing data’.
Even after you are done setting up all the custom shortcuts for your favorite apps, it is still
possible to uninstall them from the Windows 10 taskbar.
On your Windows 10 PC, you will have to search the process for ‘Uninstall app’ in the Start
menu. This is called ‘App uninstall’ in Windows 10.
Head over to your Windows 10 taskbar. Select the apps which you would like to uninstall from
your taskbar. Click on the ‘Uninstall’ button that is located next to the apps’ icon.
You will see that all the apps will be deleted.
Notably, you can not uninstall any app from the Windows 10 taskbar even if you use the
‘Uninstall app’ feature. To uninstall an app, you have to use the ‘Add a shortcut to the taskbar’
option instead.
Microsoft has rolled out new features in Windows 10 that makes it easy to use facial recognition
on your PC. For instance, you can now use facial recognition as a replacement for a standard
password to log into Windows 10 PCs. To enable the feature, go to the ‘Computer’ tab and head
to the ‘Personalization’ section.
At the ‘Set up my background’ section, you will see the ‘Face Volume option’. To enable the
feature, head over to ‘Change display background settings’. You can turn the ‘Face Volume’
feature on.
Now, just click on the ‘OK’ button on the next screen. You will be able to use this feature as
soon as you restart your PC. You can also edit the position of this toggle on the Personalization
screen.
The software giant offers Outlook Calendar and Tasks in Windows 10. These features are
designed to make your work easier. For instance, Outlook Calendar lets you create and view
your calendar in a central location in order to view your appointments across your devices.
However, the downside of Outlook Calendar is that it has problems with the availability of
Microsoft Exchange Servers. To use the Outlook Calendar and Tasks, you will need to be on a
domain that is hosted by a Microsoft Exchange Server. In order to switch your Tasks over to the
Exchange server, you can do this in the Mail & Calendar section of Outlook.
You can click on ‘Create new task from a meeting invitation’. You will be able to find ‘edit your
appointments’.
Next, select the email address associated with your Outlook account. In order to set up email
forwarding, you will need to connect your Outlook account with your Microsoft Exchange
account.
The final step is to click on ‘Save changes’.
How to create a Microsoft account on Windows 10 PC?
It is also possible to create a Microsoft account on Windows 10. However, it is not easy for an
ordinary user. We have compiled a list of steps that you can follow to create your Microsoft
account on Windows 10 PC:
Navigate to the Start menu. Select ‘Settings’. Select ‘Accounts & sites’ from the right-hand
sidebar. Click on ‘Sign in to a Microsoft Account’. If you are already logged in with a Microsoft
account, you will have to sign in using your credentials. If you are logged in with a non-
Microsoft account, you will need to create a new account. Select ‘Create a new account’. It is
now time to enter your name and contact details. You will now be able to use your Microsoft
account without you having to share your email address. You can now use it as you would like.
Сhapter 22 What is Windows defender in Windows 10?
Windows Defender is a one stop shop for security and optimisation. For this Windows Defender
Security Center is just one of the many components which make up the security on your PC.
When it first launched Windows Defender's main function was to install and activate anti-virus
protection on your PC. Since then Windows Defender has also launched a new cloud-based
service which checks if your PC is at risk, and provides you with information on how to protect
your device. There is also a built-in firewall which sits in the background of your computer and
ensures that you don't accidentally open a malicious web page or commit other 'technical errors'
on your machine. To make this all work Windows Defender's in-built firewall is constantly
updated with new threats and security patches. The system also includes a performance optimiser
which can monitor your network connection, internet connection and applications which are
running on your system. One other thing to note is that Windows Defender is not available as a
free-download package, you do need to pay to use it.
This is a separate component of Windows Defender, and like the in-built firewall there are a
couple of points which can be quickly and easily verified. First, the first thing to check is the
status of your firewall. Do you have a firewall running? Secondly, does it allow traffic in?
Thirdly, have any web browsers allowed access? If you have a firewall and you have allowed the
use of web browsers it is likely that you have detected a security threat. The reason for this is
because each browser comes with its own security and privacy settings that can help protect you
and your online information and privacy. So you will want to ensure that you have the most
secure browser that your PC can support, and it is only then that you will be able to continue
with the rest of the investigation.
What is Edge?
Edge is the new browser on Windows 10 which is closely connected to the cloud service that
allows Windows Defender to be constantly updated. All of your search and browsing history is
not stored on your device so you can still use Edge without worrying about your history being
kept somewhere, safe and secure. However, this does mean that if someone compromises your
machine they won't be able to access your browsing history. The latest version of Edge is even
more 'business friendly' as Microsoft have integrated Office 365 to Microsoft Edge which means
that if you work for an organisation with Microsoft Office you will be able to edit documents
directly in the browser, saving time and money.
It may not be mentioned on Microsoft's own website, but Windows Defender Antivirus is
another important part of your PC and internet security. However, rather than detect and protect
against a variety of threats in the most efficient way possible, it also does something much more
simple. Windows Defender Antivirus works by downloading and installing security updates, and
it also updates the virus definitions to ensure you are constantly protected against the latest and
greatest threats. With Windows Defender Antivirus you will be protected from malicious code,
as well as general malware and other malware types. A nice feature is that you will have the
option to have updates downloaded and installed automatically.
If you prefer a basic 'security' tool, but are worried about having to worry about signing up and
paying for subscriptions, then Windows Defender LiveSafe is a free tool that is as easy to use as
its big brother, Windows Defender. The main difference is that with Windows Defender
LiveSafe you will need to agree to the license agreement and that you are going to use the
product to run Microsoft Internet Security. LiveSafe basically involves setting up the protection
of your internet connection and then only gives you access to the internet and Windows
Defender's web portal. It is also just as easy to use as Windows Defender, but it has fewer
features and is a much lighter weight application that won't hog up your device as much as
Windows Defender.
Ransomware is malware which is designed to steal your personal information and then make it
easy for someone to demand that you pay money in order to decrypt all of the information on
your system. The best way to protect against this is to always update your software, be sure that
you always keep your system up to date and have a firewall that is updated and reliable. If you
also store files on the cloud, make sure you also have a reliable backup strategy in place.
Windows Backup is a free tool that is made available to Windows 10 users for a small annual
fee. As well as being able to backup your files to the cloud, Windows Backup allows you to back
up to the local disk drive, USB drive or another Windows device with drive encryption enabled.
It works by allowing you to download the free app, which then backs up your files and keeps
them safe. Once backup is complete, you will be able to restore your files at any time using the
'Recover' section of the program. If you would prefer a paid-for tool, then it is available for
Windows 7 and 8.
Just like with Windows Defender Antivirus, Windows Backup can also be used to backup files
on your computer. But, unlike Windows Defender Antivirus, this backup software has two
different options. First, there is a free tool available which you can download and use. Then, if
you have a subscription, then the option to pay a monthly or yearly fee for the service. As a free
tool, Windows Backup allows you to use both the free option and the paid-for option. The basic
version of the software allows you to back up all your data, but it does come with a couple of
limitations, such as the fact that files can be encrypted, so it won't be possible to back up that sort
of data. If you pay for the subscription, then you can also use AES 256-bit encryption to protect
your files. It is a very flexible tool, which can help you if you ever need to restore a backup you
made after a virus or other malware attack.
Encrypting your hard drive isn't the most glamorous task to take on, especially if you've just
installed a brand new Windows 10 system. However, for a serious virus threat, it can really
protect you. One such tool that can help you is WD Security for PC. This is a free app which can
help you to encrypt your hard disk. What is really interesting about this software is that it can
also help you to create a bootable USB drive from your hard disk in order to transfer your files to
that device. Of course, we are sure that many people would rather just connect the USB drive to
their PC and transfer their files directly from there, but it is nice to have the option to have a new
hard disk if you have issues with your old hard disk. Once you have encrypted your hard drive,
then you will then be able to back up all of your data again on a new USB drive. Just note that
this will overwrite the data on your old hard disk, so you will want to save your data first. It is a
very good and innovative feature that might make you reconsider what you would do if your
main hard drive were to become compromised.
Bitlocker is a security feature available to all versions of Windows 10. In other words, if you use
a computer with Windows 10, then you will be able to use this security feature. This feature will
encrypt your files, making it possible for only you to access them. What is interesting about this
app is that it can be used as a disk encryption tool, so that you can protect files from someone if
they try to do you harm. You will, of course, want to encrypt files on a new hard drive before it
is connected to your computer. Once you've done this, you will be able to decrypt files whenever
you want and you will also be able to restore them to any other computer. Again, you can use
Bitlocker to set up your computer so that only you will be able to access your files. Once you
have encrypted your hard drive, then you will also be able to set up other tools to protect your
system and files as well. You will have to remember to only ever use this app with your new
computer or else it will be deleted when you next update your computer.
There are other similar tools available that are free to use. In fact, there are a couple of them that
are also good tools for protecting your data. For example, these tools can also encrypt files and
create a bootable USB drive. In addition, you will find that these tools can also back up files to a
cloud storage facility. This is a really nice feature that can help you to get back up your files if
you suffer from an attack, or have your computer compromised. Many people who use cloud
storage will have a service that is actually integrated with their system. However, for people who
want to access their files without the hassle of an intermediary, these tools can be really good.
One thing to be careful of is that you don't necessarily want to set up your computer and then
forget all about it. Some of these free tools need to be set up within the context of your operating
system. This means that you need to have set up a system in the first place. Then you need to
remember to keep it running to protect it. And then you need to make sure that you have set up
the tools that you have created, and that you have added them to your system so that they are
accessible and ready for use.
Make sure that you don't forget to take this on board when you set up your new computer. There
is a lot of additional work that you will have to do, which is why you want to be careful about
how you do it. Again, you don't want to create a mess of different tools and settings and then
forget to use them. Again, you might want to consider using a third party cloud storage service.
While you do need to be careful when using this sort of service, it will keep your data more
secure than your own home drive would.
When you encrypt your hard drive, there are a couple of ways that you can do it. In fact, there
are a few ways that you could do this, depending on your circumstances. For example, there are
free apps that are available for all sorts of operating systems. In addition, you can always use
your existing tools for this task. The problem with using the latter of these two options is that
you will not have any way of being certain that they will be there when you need them.
This is why it is important that you use a system that will be a lot easier to use. This will allow
you to set up a number of different tools to protect your hard drive. For example, you will be
able to get a single key that will be able to encrypt and decrypt your data. The hard drive will
then simply need to be plugged in to complete the process. Of course, you will need to remember
to run this particular program when you next boot your system.
If you use cloud storage to protect your data, it is important that you make sure that you keep
your files and other files within the boundaries of the cloud. This will allow you to protect them
from the prying eyes of others. For example, you may want to consider not storing pictures on
Facebook. You may want to use a service that prevents this sort of action.
However, there are a lot of people who still think that photos taken on their mobile phones are
safe in the cloud. This is not the case. The risk that you run with that sort of action is that if
someone were to intercept their phone and access their pictures, they may still be able to be
viewed by anyone. The moral of the story is to make sure that you keep things safe.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to setting up a system to protect your data. However, it
is important that you get everything correct. The tools that you will use to do this are just as
important as the process itself. You need to ensure that you use a system that is easy to use and
that will ensure that you protect all of your data.
Conclusion
How to сreate a new Microsoft account for Windows 10?
Do you have some doubts on how to create a new Microsoft account, how to create an account
with Surface Pro 5 and Microsoft Band 2, or what to do when you're already a subscriber to a
Microsoft account, and you want to change some details? Or how to access the settings for your
other Microsoft accounts?
Well, with the help of Windows 10, you can do all this easily. The best thing about this option is
that it can be performed even if your machine doesn't have a working Windows Hello reader
installed, as Windows will be able to register your fingerprint, face, or iris in order to make your
Microsoft account work on any machine.
So, let's go through the steps of how to create a new Microsoft account.
Open the Settings app. On the next page, click on account. On the next page, you can click on
the Create Account button. When you click the Create Account button, you will see a series of
prompts.
On the first page, choose your country. On the next page, you can configure how you want to
configure your account. You can either choose Personal, Office 365, or even manage your
support tickets.
Now, click the Next button and the information will be sent to Microsoft. If you choose
Microsoft Store or Windows Phone as a reason for creating a new account, then the account
creation process is completed.
If you choose all the fields, your account will be created and you can set the new Microsoft
account to "only sign in with this Microsoft account" to use in the Microsoft Store and Windows
10.
That's all, now you can enjoy signing into your Microsoft account on a machine that doesn't have
Windows Hello reader installed.
This method is particularly useful when you have a Microsoft account, but the machine does not
have a Windows Hello reader installed. So, you'll have to sign in using your fingerprint, face or
iris.
Microsoft Hello is one of the coolest features in Windows 10 that uses biometric authentication
to unlock a computer and authenticate you to different services. You can use Windows Hello to
log into a PC or use Cortana to log into a web browser on the same PC.
I will show you how to set up Microsoft Hello in Windows 10. Click on Start and type in “Your
PC” to find the settings. If you want to install third-party themes, then click on the option that
says “Windows Settings” and navigate to “Personalization.” Click on the “Accounts & Privacy”
option.
Then click on the option that says “Sign in with your Microsoft account.” On the Account tab,
click on “Windows Hello” and then on “Choose a Microsoft account.” Here you will be able to
choose whether to enable or disable the “Windows Hello” feature. Click on “OK”.
After this, you will see a pop-up message informing that Microsoft Hello is now enabled on your
Windows 10 PC.
The option to upgrade your biometric authentication comes in handy when you want to add a
new device or get rid of the device you want to get rid of. For example, if you want to upgrade
your Windows account so that you can use Windows Hello on a new Windows 10 device, you
will need to re-register your biometrics.
Go to Settings > Accounts and click on Sign in with a Microsoft account. On the next screen,
you will see a list of all your Windows devices.
Click on the Device that you wish to upgrade.
Go through the process of registering your biometrics on the device. After you sign in, the device
will be set up for Windows Hello and can be used without you needing to re-register it.
This process can be a little time consuming. This is why Microsoft recommends that you take
advantage of this feature and upgrade your biometrics as soon as possible, before you decide that
you no longer need to use it.
Windows 10 is the latest iteration of Windows and it brings with it a number of improvements
including the ability to run virtual machines with the new Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
The WSL essentially allows you to run Bash (Bourne Again Shell) and other Linux commands in
a windowed environment. It is designed to work with Windows 10 Anniversary Edition as well
as newer operating systems, but is also available to run on Windows Server 2016 or newer and it
is important to make sure your Linux driver is compatible with the Windows version you are
running.
There are also a bunch of security improvements in Windows 10, including the introduction of
Credential Guard, which creates and secures unique passwords for each application that runs on
your machine. Credential Guard is one of the best security features introduced with Windows 10,
but there is more to it than just increasing the security of your login credentials. It also prevents
malicious applications from working in the same user context as other applications, making it
harder for any malicious apps to run.
To install Windows 10 driver on your Ubuntu machine you will need to install a version of the
Windows Driver Kit. To install the driver you will need to create a “System Drivers” folder on
your hard drive (or any of your drives will work fine) and name it Windows Driver Kit or
something similar.
You can then install the driver with the following command:
sudo apt-get install dmsdk-10-installer
Once this has finished installing you can then update and restart your Ubuntu machine to make
the drivers available to it:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo dmsdk-10-installer -u
sudo reboot
By default, your desktop computer will have an older version of the drivers installed, so you
need to open up the “Software & Updates” application by clicking the icon at the top left corner
of your screen and clicking the “Updates” button.
Select “System Drivers” from the drop-down list and click on the “Update Drivers” button.
You will then be asked for a name for your driver. This should be close to the name of the driver
you have installed.
Click on “Update Drivers” and wait for the driver to be updated.
Once the update has finished, it is time to install the new drivers. Open up the “Software &
Updates” application again, search for the “Software & Updates” tool and click on it.
Click on “Continue” to open the drivers menu and select the Windows 10 driver package you
just downloaded.
Enter your administrator password when prompted, and the drivers will now be installed.
The next step is to reboot your computer and then restart the virtual machine that you have
running Windows in to make the drivers available.
Over the next few months the drivers will be updated as they become available. You may need to
install them again in future.
How to boot up the computer for Windows 10?
When you're starting to install Windows 10 on your computer, do these three things.
● Turn off your computer.
● Press the power button on your computer without touching any buttons. Keep your
fingers away from the keyboard at all times.
● Start booting! You'll know when it's done when you see the Windows logo appear.
How to get into the boot process
● Power down your computer.
● Press the power button on the computer without touching any buttons.
● Start booting!
Configure your PC
1. Press the power button on your computer without touching any buttons.
2. Continue to hold the power button until the computer turns on or reboots.
3. When your computer turns on, wait for it to finish booting.
4. Next, click the Action Center in the upper-right corner.
5. Click Settings in the Action Center.
6. Click Personalization in the Settings window.
7. Click Changing Settings in the Personalization window.
8. Click Update & security in the Update & security window.
9. Click Run to run a Windows 10 update.
10. Click Ok to continue.
11. Click Restart now to restart your computer.
Bear in mind: If you need to open a PC repair service and you're not running Windows 7 or
Windows 8.1, you'll need to use a computer that's not running Windows 10.
To lock a computer to a Windows 10 user or group, use the Windows PowerShell. Start by
typing:
Set-ComputerByAccount "MyComputer" -AccountName "MyComputer"
However, you can’t lock a computer by account name or device name, as that could be disabled
with a simple computer reset. That means you can only lock a computer by its account name.
Note: If you’re just a student or are running Windows 10 in a restricted mode, Windows will
only ask you once.
For example, let’s say you have a computer you use with a child. So the parent can also use the
computer, and the child can’t log in unless you say so. You could sign out of the computer, but
then the child could use the computer. You could also lock the computer by account name, and
then the parent could unlock the computer by the same account name. You’d still be able to sign
in as the parent, but not the child. The only way to lock the computer by account name is to lock
the account.
To lock a computer by account name, just type:
Set-ComputerByAccount "MyAccount" -AccountName "MyComputer"
To lock the computer by device name, you could also just lock the computer. When you do,
Windows 10 will ask if you want to lock the computer and device name the same. For example,
the computer could lock the device name “PSK31.”
You’ll also be asked for the user’s account password, and the computer will ask you to sign in as
the account. (And of course, if you forget the password and don’t have another good way to log
in, you could be locked out permanently!)
To lock a device by device name, it works a little differently. You can either lock the device’s
name and account name. Or you can lock just the device name and the account. To do so, you’ll
need to use the Device Guard feature, which is in Settings > Security & protection > Device
Guard. There, you’ll find a Device Guard page. Click Start, click Start Device Guard, and then
you’ll see a dialogue box. Click the lock button (“Lock device”). Now, Windows will ask if you
want to unlock the device and allow access to it. Just click yes. If you forget the password to the
device, you’ll be locked out. (The one time this happened, it was for a custom USB drive that
had been authorized, but no password was set.)
Note: Windows 8 and 10 do not allow account names and device names to be locked the same.
So to lock a Windows 8 computer by account name, you’ll need to lock it by the device name,
and then you can lock account name as well.
If you use Windows 10 S and can’t use “Set-ComputerByAccount” to lock a computer, how can
you unblock a user account? Microsoft gives some tools for doing so.
In Windows 10 S, lock screen options work the same as normal, but you can only use them after
setting the time and date manually, after entering your Windows password, and after clicking the
Get Started button. If you log in from a PC that has the Live sign-in feature enabled, you can
access the option to lock a PC, and then it will take a few moments. Once it’s done, you can
unlock the account from the account list. Here’s how:
After logging in to a Windows 10 S machine, right-click the Start button, select Settings, then
Click Accounts. From the left menu, click Lock accounts. In the next window, click Allow users
to lock accounts. Click OK.
A dialog box will pop up, asking if you want to unlock the account. Click Yes.
One of the options that shows up is Get Started. Click Get Started. Once you’re signed in, you’ll
be able to unlock accounts and access files on that computer.
Tip: Use the Get Started screen to update your account’s information.
To do so, right-click the account name, click Change Account Name, and then click Edit.
The Account Name you’re trying to change will have a checkbox beside it to say: I want to
change this account’s email address. Click Save.
You can see an account’s email address by going to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. If
you’re signed in to a Windows 10 S machine, you’ll be able to see your account’s email address
by selecting it on the Sign-in options list. If you’re not signed in, or you’re not signed in at the
time, you’ll see your computer’s name and account name.