Windows Tips How-Tos
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: Download Official Windows(7,8,10) ISO Files Free from Microsoft
If you want to have windows .iso files for various purpose like you want to have windows 7 in virtualbox, then you need an .iso file. There are many methods of creating an .iso from installed windows. But what if microsoft provided all of them( I mean 7,8 &10) free of cost. The only requirement is that you own a product key for the respective Windows edition (and that's also is not a painful task to get).
How To: Get Rid of Microsoft's Annoying Ads on the Windows 10 Lock Screen
For the past three or four months, Microsoft has been pushing advertisements onto the lock screens of some Windows 10 users as part of its "Windows Spotlight" feature. This feature normally shows you scenic photographs and gives you the option to learn more about them by launching an Edge window once you log in. However, the aforementioned users have reported seeing the image below for the new Rise of the Tomb Raider game. Rather than taking you online in Edge to learn about it, you're given ...
How To: This Tool Will Make Your Buggy Chrome Browser Run Like New Again
If you're having issues with your Google Chrome browser, such as crashes, unwanted pop-up ads, or finding that your home page is now set to some search engine you've never heard of, give Google's Chrome Cleanup Tool for Windows a try.
How To: Create a Windows 10 Installation Disk
Microsoft did a wonderful thing in 2015: for the first time, it was offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 for all current Windows 7 and 8.1 users. And, if you were lucky, the upgrade process was relatively simple and painless. There were, however, some questions after the everything was said and done.
How To: Block Ads in Microsoft Edge
Although they're often times the primary source of income for websites, on-site advertisements can annoy even the most tolerable reader. That's why ad blockers have been some of the most popular downloads on Firefox and Chrome for some time now, demonstrating that when it comes down to it, most people just want nothing to do with ads shoved in their face.
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: Change the Default Apps Windows 10 Uses by Default
The first time you launch any type of file, Windows 10 will usually prompt you to select an app to open it with. Occasionally, though, this "Open with..." screen doesn't show up, and instead Windows will use a pre-installed system app to launch the file without ever giving you a choice in the matter.
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: Finally... A Standalone Google Play Music Client for Windows!
Google Play Music has been my go-to music service ever since its release. The free cloud storage for 50,000 songs and full access to Songza-powered radio stations make it a great music app, even without the $10/month streaming service.
How To: Disable Startup Programs in Windows 10
Microsoft had boasted that Windows 10 starts up as much as 30% faster than Windows 7 would on the same device, but depending on your setup, this can still be incredibly slow. Many programs choose to start up alongside Windows, which can make booting your PC quite a hassle.
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: Take Screenshots in Windows 10
Screenshots are an indispensable tool when it comes to relaying information about what's currently showing on your monitor. Whether you need help troubleshooting an issue or you just want to save and share a protected image, screenshots are often your best bet.
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: 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: 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
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: Pimp Out Your Windows 10 Command Prompt
For those times when you can't get something done by clicking a few buttons with your mouse, the Windows command prompt has always been an indispensable tool. But as much as advanced users have relied on this useful utility, it hasn't seen a significant update since the Windows 95 days.
How To: Get the Classic Volume Controls Back in Windows 10
Windows 10 definitely has a sleek and modern look to it, but some of these visual changes have been made at the expense of functionality. For instance, the slider that appears when you click the volume icon in your notification tray now sports a completely minimalist look that lacks the quick link to the full volume mixer from past Windows versions.
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: Activate Windows 10 with a Windows 7 or 8 Product Key
It sounded great on the surface when Microsoft announced that existing Windows 7 or 8 users would be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but the execution so far has left a lot to be desired. Upgrading from an existing installation is relatively easy, but when you start with a clean install of Windows 10, you run into some problems.
How To: Snap & Resize Side-by-Side Windows in Windows 10
The Snap feature in Windows has been tweaked many times since it debuted alongside Windows 7, with productive additions like Snap Assist brought in along the way. It only makes sense that Microsoft would put so much effort into developing this feature when you consider how useful it is for multitasking with two or more windows side by side.
How To: Conserve Data in Windows 10
As mobile devices become more and more popular, service providers have unfortunately resorted to capping data. What this means is that, depending on the plan you have with your ISP, you could have limits placed on how much data you can use for a set period of time. Once you've hit the limit, your ISP could drastically slow down or throttle your internet speed or charge you outrageous overage fees.
How To: Stop Microsoft from Spying on You with Windows 10
Microsoft decided to give users a free upgrade to Windows 10 if they were previously running Windows 7 or 8—but it came with a catch. Their main motivation for knocking off over $100 from the normal going rate was to get more people using new Microsoft services like Cortana and the Windows Store. To bolster these services, Microsoft implemented a host of new tracking "features" in Windows 10.
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: 10 Hidden Windows 10 Features You Should Know About
If you've been using Windows 10 for a while, you already know that Microsoft incorporated lots of new features into it. So you're probably familiar with Cortana (the new voice assistant), the Edge browser (their replacement for Internet Explorer), the newly resurrected Start menu, and all of the other big changes.
PSA: You Can Run Windows 10 Without a Microsoft Account
Since the release of Windows 8, Microsoft has been heavily encouraging users to use Windows with a Microsoft account. According to Microsoft, the main benefit of using a Microsoft account is the ability to sign in and sync your information across various Microsoft devices and services. Furthermore, you have access to a singular cloud storage solution which can contain documents, pictures, settings, and more on whatever system you're using with the Microsoft account.
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: Theme Windows with Mac OS X, Ubuntu, & Other Skins
Windows has always been pretty customizable, and there are a ton of ways to change up the way your PC looks—though, it hasn't always been easy. In the past, changing anything other than wallpapers, titlebars, and fonts involved long hours of switching out system files with modified versions and changing icons to no end, but that's not the case with SkinPacks.
How To: Use Windows 10's Task Manager (Everything You Need to Know)
Task Manager got revamped quite a bit in modern versions of Windows. First introduced in Windows NT 4.0, it's become pretty popular among more advanced users. In Windows 10, Task Manager is not just a task manager anymore, it's also a system monitor, startup manager, history viewer, user controller, and the list goes on.
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 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: 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: Extend Battery Power on Your Windows 10 Laptop or Surface
Historically, battery life has not been a strong suit for machines running Windows. Poor decisions by hardware manufacturers combined with the resource-hogging behavior of Windows are to blame. However, Microsoft is trying to resolve this issue, once again, with the release of Windows 10.
How To: Don't Use OneDrive? This Is How You Disable It in Windows 10
OneDrive, formerly known as SkyDrive, is a free online storage solution developed by Microsoft. If you're a fan of using cloud-based storage systems, then OneDrive offers you plenty of benefits. It's also heavily integrated into Windows 10, including the new File Explorer, in an effort to make utilizing OneDrive easier for you.
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 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: 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.