Hot Windows Tips Posts
How To: 15 More Tips & Tricks You Need to Know to Master Windows 10
Windows 10 has so many new features that we couldn't even cover them all with one article. From keyboard shortcuts to revamped search functions and all-new window gestures, Microsoft definitely piled on the fresh functionality in the latest version of their operating system.
How To: Reclaim Up to 20 GB of Hard Drive Space After Installing Windows 10
Whether you're upgrading to the Windows 10 Insider Preview or the official build of the operating system, you'll notice a significant hit on hard drive space—up to 20 GB taken away from you. For those with older or even solid-state hard drives (SSDs), this can be a substantial hit.
How To: Reprogram Your Surface Pen Buttons to Do Anything You Want
The digital pen on the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book is an indispensable tool for serious note-takers and artists alike.
How To: Use the Hidden Screen Recorder Tool in Windows 10
Up until now, if you wanted to record videos of the apps on your screen, you had to rely on a third-party option. However, Windows 10 changes this thanks in part to the new Xbox app. One of the new features of the Xbox app is the Game bar, which allows you to record footage of your gameplay.
How To: Set Up OneDrive to Sync Files Across All of Your Devices on Windows 10
Microsoft has invested years and countless man-hours in an effort to get their cloud storage service on par with competitors like Dropbox and Google Drive, who have long resided at the top of this market. Their hard work has definitely paid off, as OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) has finally reached a point in its development where it can stand toe to toe with any comparable service in almost any measurable regard.
How To: Restrict Guest Users to One App in Windows 10
For reasons unknown, Microsoft decided to change the way the Guest account feature in the new Windows 10 operating system works. In previous versions, the Guest account feature allowed you to set up a limited account for other users so they don't have access to your important documents and settings. Now, the process requires assigning an email to a new account and configuring share settings.
How To: Disable Adaptive Brightness on Windows 10 for Maximum Screen Brightness
You're smashing your keyboard to increase your screen brightness, yet it won't go any higher, but you know you've been able to set it higher before. Angered by this, you get up and move your laptop, only to suddenly notice that the display does in fact get a lot brighter.
How To: Take Screenshots (And Crop Them) in Windows 8
I know what you're thinking—taking a screenshot is super simple. While that is partly true, taking of a screenshot of the Start Screen in Windows 8 is little bit tricky, unless you're on your Surface.
How To: Everything You Need to Disable in Windows 10
Windows 10 is the most cloud-oriented version of Windows to date—yet, while this means you get some nifty new features, it also means some of your personal data is being shared with Microsoft's servers.
How To: Change Font Size in Windows 10
Windows 10 runs on laptops, desktops, tablets, and even phones—but even though the operating system should scale accordingly, fonts and icons aren't always perfectly sized for every screen. Luckily, though, there's a handy new menu for adjusting the size of your screen's contents, which you can use to make everything bigger or smaller to match your preferences.
How To: Get Back the Classic Look & Feel of Explorer in Windows 10
In modern versions of Windows, Microsoft made quite a few changes to Windows Explorer, the first of which is a new name—File Explorer. Another huge change that most will notice is that File Explorer now has a new look sporting the Ribbon interface.
How To: Disable the Lock Screen on Windows 10
If your PC setup includes a mouse and keyboard, you'll be happy to know that most of the touchscreen-first features of Windows 8 have gone by the wayside in Windows 10. Where it once required awkward gestures to access key features, Windows now recognizes when you're using a traditional desktop or laptop, then responds by making sure that all features can be easily discovered with clickable buttons and menu entries.
How To: Bring the Classic Start Menu Back in Windows 8
Microsoft's most anticipated OS has finally arrived, and there's no doubt that all of you out there who snagged a copy of Windows 8 are excited to see what's new. But while Windows 8 has received plenty of rave reviews, some users are upset about one controversial change—the missing Start menu. The implementation of the new Metro interface has rendered the old Start menu unnecessary, but some folks just want what they're used to. If you're one of those users who wants the classic Start menu i...
How To: Goodbye, Bloatware! How to Remove All Preinstalled Crapware from Window 10
Slowly but surely, Microsoft seems to be steering Windows in the direction of Google's Android. First, they released Windows 10 as a free upgrade, mainly because they wanted to cash in on the revenue that they hoped would come when more users had access to the Windows Store. Then, they included tons of tracking "features" to help populate Bing with targeted ads, which has always been Google's primary method for monetizing Android.
How To: Lock Your Files & Create Password-Protected Folders in Windows 7/8
Technology has progressed by leaps and bounds and has blessed people in a number of ways, but at the same time, it has troubled them also. Computers are now used in every aspect of life. No matter if you are a businessman, an employee, a student, or even a housewife, a computer can assist you in your routine work. You save your personal information, documents, and other similar sensitive stuff on your computer that can hurt you if they get compromised.
How To: 10 Free Apps Every Windows 10 User Should Have
Windows 10 has proved to be immensely popular (free upgrades certainly don't hurt), and with back to school time, there's a good chance you have a new computer running Microsoft's latest OS. You maybe you decided to go with a clean installation rather than an upgrade, or just haven't used your computer for much more than surfing the web and watching Netflix.
How To: 45 Tips & Tricks You Need to Know to Master Windows 10
Windows 10 is officially here, and frankly, there's a ton of new features in Microsoft's latest operating system. From the return of the Start menu to the new Edge browser, Windows 10 can take some getting used to.
How To: Clear All Caches and Free Up Disk Space in Windows 8
Clearing the cache on your computer is (usually) a quick and easy way to help speed it up. Deleting those temporary files frees up space, helping you computer run smoother, especially if you have not cleared the cache for a extended period. However, finding the different caches in Windows 8 is a little trickier than in previous Windows systems.
How To: Bring Desktop Gadgets to Windows 10
The concept of desktop gadgets has been around for quite some time, and Microsoft officially introduced them in Windows Vista to much fanfare. Desktop gadgets offered the ability to view various information at a glance, play mini-games, and more. Unfortunately, Microsoft decided to kill this beloved feature after Windows 7, citing security reasons.
How To: Find Saved WiFi Passwords in Windows
Once you connect all of your devices to your Wi-Fi router at home, you'll never need that long, complicated Wi-Fi password ever again, right?
How To: Add Tabs to the Windows 10 File Explorer
While Windows 10's new File Explorer is just as, if not more, useful as it was in previous iterations of Windows, it could definitely still be better. Two features that would greatly improve File Explorer are tabbed results and a customizable user interface, similar to how they are in Google Chrome.
How To: Bring Back Microsoft's Classic, No-Bloat Games to Windows for Free
Microsoft's Windows 10 has proven to be a solid release by Microsoft, with faster adoption rates than its predecessor builds. The seamless integration of cloud services and tweaks both major and minor make using Windows easier than ever now. And it's almost enough to forget you ever used Windows Vista... almost.
How To: Hide System Tray Icons on Windows 10
As familiar as it may look at first glance, there are still tons of subtle changes in Windows 10. Many options that existed in past versions have been moved, and virtually every system menu received at least a small visual makeover.
How To: The Difference Between the Control Panel & Settings Menus in Windows 10
Slowly but surely, Microsoft is pushing more and more options out of the Control Panel and into a new menu simply called Settings. This new Settings menu debuted with Windows 8 and mainly focused on touchscreen-related options, but starting with Windows 10, you'll find quite a few general options residing here as well.
How To: Enable Windows 10 Admin to Remove User Account Control Popups
Windows has always had an "Administrator" account that allowed you to install programs and manage system files with elevated privileges. The difference between this account and a regular user account with administrator access was that you never got bothered by annoying User Account Control popups when you were logged in as Administrator.
How To: Remove Live Tiles & Resize the Start Menu in Windows 10
The Start menu is finally back in Windows 10, but a lot has changed since we last saw it in Windows 7. From a visual standpoint, the first difference you'll notice is the addition of live tiles, which occupy the right half of the Start menu and provide quick information from your "Universal" Windows apps.
How To: Make a Full System Image Backup on Windows 10
Just recently, I was experimenting with a dual-boot Windows setup, and somehow managed to wipe my primary Windows installation in the process. "Why," I asked myself, "Why didn't I make a backup before I started this?" Still to this day, I'm going through the painstaking process of installing and configuring all of my favorite programs, and I may not ever get things back exactly the way they were.
How To: Access the Boot Menu and BIOS in Windows 8
One of the most played-up features of Windows 8 is that it's so much faster than previous versions. So fast, in fact, that Microsoft had to change the way that users access the BIOS because 200 milliseconds just isn't enough time to hit the right key. It may take some getting used to, but it's probably a welcome change for most people, considering that the "right" key is different depending on what type of computer you're running the OS on.
How To: This Tool Gives You Auto-Save Features in Any Windows App
Dreaded are the days when you're working on a masterpiece, then all of a sudden, your Windows computer crashes, loses power, or an app just gets up and quits. Well, now there's an app for that.
How To: Bring Back Confirmation Prompts When Uninstalling Apps in Windows 10
Uninstalling programs in Windows is not the nicest procedure. Some programs bundle a nice uninstaller with them which helps to ease the process. Other programs, mainly those that utilize the Windows Installer technology, begin the uninstall process right away. This can potentially be problematic for users who are trigger-happy with the mouse.
How To: Go Retro with These Classic-Style Start Menus for Windows 10
Windows 95, which introduced the Start menu to the world, recently celebrated its 20th birthday! The feature was an instant hit, becoming a core component of Windows operating systems. Well, it was removed in the mistake that was Windows 8, but you should know by now that the Start menu has been reincarnated for Windows 10.
How To: Add Documents, Downloads, Pictures, & Other Folders to the Windows 10 Start Menu
The Start menu has definitely seen many changes over the years—from the traditional menu that was present from Windows XP to 7, to the Start screen in Windows 8, to the hybrid of the two in Windows 10. And while the return of the Start "menu" has received near-universal praise, there are still some aspects old Windows 7 users will miss. Namely, the User folder and content folders (like Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos).
How To: Easily Tweak, Mod, & Customize Windows 10
Every time Windows gets a significant update, the vast majority of existing tweaking utilities become obsolete. For every option that you fine-tuned with one of these tools on Windows 7 or 8, there's a change in the registry or system settings that cause your tweaks to now point to a dead end. This was definitely the case with Windows 10, since there were so many sweeping changes that very few existing options carried over.
How To: Get Daily Weather Info Right from Your Windows 10 Calendar
The Calendar app that ships with Windows 10 has a nice little feature that will help make your days more productive by showing the current five-day weather forecast.
How To: Set Google as the Default Search Engine for the Taskbar in Windows 10
Out of the box, Windows 10 allows you to search the web right from the taskbar. However, the search engine is set to Bing, and there is no option to change it like you can in the Edge browser.
How To: Change the Login Screen Background on Windows 10
Windows 10 makes it a cinch to change the lock screen background: simply go to Setting -> Personalization -> Lock screen, then change the background to whatever you'd like. But, trying to change the login screen background—the screen where you enter your password—was a long, complicated, and possibly dangerous process. Luckily, developer Krutonium has published a tool that automates the entire process, and it's very easy to use.
How To: Miss the Charms Bar? Here's How to Access the Same Features on Windows 10
For all of the flak that Windows 8 received from desktop users, it certainly had some interesting and unique features. For instance, the "Charms" bar allowed you to easily access several key menus by simply hovering your mouse pointer in the top- or bottom-right corner of the screen.
How To: Use the Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 8
So, you've got Windows 8 now, but what about all of those keyboard shortcuts that took you years to memorize? Just because Windows 8 is geared more toward touch interactions, doesn't mean keyboard shortcuts are gone—they're just a little different.
How To: Top 7 Surface Book Hacks for Artists
The Microsoft Surface has been the go-to device for many professional artists since its initial release back in 2012. Since then, the Surface line has continued to offer customers a portable, high-powered machine that's a near perfect value for both casual and professional artists. And the Surface Book is its best model yet—a full laptop convertible with a detachable screen and a dedicated GPU.
How To: Get Mac OS X's App Dock on Your Windows PC
The dock in Mac OS X is intuitive, customizable, and aesthetically pleasing, which is a stark difference from its clunky Windows alternative. In fact, in Windows, it takes both the Start menu and taskbar to accomplish what Apple's dock does—but it doesn't have to be like that. Below, I'll show you how to add an OS X-inspired dock on any PC running Windows XP or higher. Step 1: Install Aqua Dock
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