Windows Tips Features
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: 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.
News: How to Change Title Bar Colors & Context Menus in Windows 10
The release of Windows 10 marked a big visual overhaul for the world's most popular desktop operating system, but Microsoft isn't done tweaking the interface just yet.
How To: Disable the Time-Wasting Lock Screen in Windows 8
For many busy people, time is of the essence, and for others, it's simply just being impatient. But no matter what your vice, having your computer start up as quickly as possible is usually a plus for anyone.
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: Use Gestures to Control Windows 8 Touchscreen Devices
Windows 8 has been reimagined to take full advantage of touchscreen devices as the "future" of computing. A few years ago, touchscreen devices were super buggy and only played well with smartphones, but with the advent of the iPad and a ton of other tablets, touchscreen capabilities have spread to full-sized desktops and even televisions.
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: 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.
News: The Best Mac Torrent Client, Transmission, Is Finally Available for Windows
Windows users have looked on with envy at Mac owners wrangling torrents with ease for years. Now, finally, a new Windows torrent client is making downloads easier, safer, and more customizable.
How To: The 5 Best Social Networking Windows 8 Apps (for Free)
Many social networks have become a part of our daily routine. Checking Facebook or sending out a Tweet are things millions of people do every single day. So, one would think that having a great app offering for Windows 8 would be a no-brainer. But, and this is a huge but, there are still no official Twitter or Facebook apps for Windows 8.
ASUS Transformer Book: The Tablet That Wants to Be Your Next Windows Laptop
We've had the pleasure of test driving the ASUS Transformer Book T100T for the last couple of weeks, and for a $400 Windows 8 machine, it's impressive to say the least.
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: Add, Delete, and Modify User Accounts in Windows 8
Configuring user accounts is extremely important for those with a family shared computer or anyone using a work computer. Assigning different accounts with their own distinctive accessibility, customizations, and applications is the best way to manage a computer with multiple users.
How To: Share Your Windows 8 PC's Internet with a Phone or Tablet by Turning It into a Wi-Fi Hotspot
These days, there is hardly a place in America that doesn't have access to the internet. But with web usage fees and ridiculous cell phone provider contracts, sometimes it's still necessary to go a little DIY when it comes to staying connected.
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: 7 Great Music Apps for Windows 8
Everyone listens to music. I've got over 3,000 songs in my iTunes library, but am always looking for more, and I'm sure you are too. You can never have enough tunes to rock out to, right? If you're using Windows 8 like I currently am, these are some of the best apps in the Windows Store right now that will help you find new jams for your collection.
How To: How You Could Remove Ads from Windows 8 Apps (And Even Unlock Paid Apps for Free)
The beauty of free apps is that, well, they're free. But as we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Sometimes these "free" applications are only feature-limited mini versions, or they're so littered with ads that opting to pay for it is the only way to actually enjoy it.
How To: How Anyone (Even Pirates) Can Get Windows 10 for Free—Legally
Windows 10 is due to be released on July 29th, and the majority of existing Windows users should be eligible to upgrade to the newer version for free.
How To: Hack Lets You Fully Activate a Bootleg Copy of Windows 8 Pro for Free
Anything free is cool, but getting a fully upgraded operating system for the great price of nothing is downright awesome. A recent exploit was uncovered that allows users to get a free copy of Windows 8 Pro directly from Microsoft's own website. Seriously.
How To: Get Your Windows 8 PC to Automatically Wake from Sleep Whenever You Want
I rarely ever turn my desktop off. For starters, it takes a few minutes to boot up, which I hate, and secondly, putting the computer to sleep is perfectly adequate. You really only need to completely shut down your computer every once in a while.
How To: Use & Customize the New Start Menu in Windows 10
The desktop Start menu is finally back! After receiving a lot of negative user feedback, Microsoft ditched the touchscreen-first approach of Windows 8 and went with a more traditional setup for mouse-and-keyboard users in Windows 10.
How To: Play SNES Games on the Windows Surface RT and Windows 8 with This Free Emulator
In a huge win for Windows 8 and Surface owners everywhere, a free SNES emulator appeared in the Windows Store last month called Snes8x—and it's awesome.
How To: Completely Close Out of Running Apps in Windows 8 Metro
The new Windows 8 Metro Apps (or Modern UI, or Windows 8 Tablet Style Apps, or whatever you want to call them) are sleek and quick, but unfortunately there's not an obvious way to completely close out of them.
News: What's New in Windows 10 (Plus, How You Can Install It Right Now)
At a closed-door presentation on September 30th, 2014, Microsoft unveiled the latest iteration of its industry-leading operating system. Dubbed Windows 10 (seems as if Redmond isn't too fond of the "9" moniker), this new version brings along with it many UI optimizations and under-the-hood tweaks. With a particular focus on optimizing the interface for traditional mouse and keyboard computers, one of the most noticeable changes is the return of the Start Menu. While touch-optimized devices wi...
How To: 10 Things You Need to Know About Microsoft's Edge Browser in Windows 10
There are a bunch of new and interesting features packed inside of Windows 10, but one of the most exciting ones is the Microsoft Edge web browser, the long-awaited replacement of Internet Explorer.
How To: Get Windows 8.1 Today for Free
Microsoft released a preview version of Windows 8.1 today, notably adding an updated Start screen, the ability to run several Windows 8 apps side by side in a number of configurations, fully integrated search, better HiDPI support for multiple monitors, and for those who miss it, options to bring back the Start button or boot straight to the desktop.
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: Create a System Image Backup of Your Entire Windows 8 PC
There is nothing worse than losing valuable information or programs on your computer. And if you've ever accidentally deleted a file or document, you know how agonizing that entire process can be.
How To: Create Multiple Desktops in Windows 10
Linux and Mac users have long enjoyed the use of multiple virtual desktops to free up clutter on their home screen and keep individual workflow environments separated, but Windows users have always been stuck with one solitary desktop.
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: Fix the Executable File Association Virus in Windows
The executable file association virus deletes the "Regkey" that associates ".exe" files with the proper Windows execution. The virus can be contracted while browsing the web, from an infected file, or even from pictures and documents. Once the damage is done, Windows will show a window similar to the one below, and will ask you for the correct program with which to open the file.
How To: Prevent Windows 10 from Auto-Updating
In a bit of a strange decision, Microsoft has made it to where some users don't have a choice in the matter of applying failed automatic updates. When a Windows or driver update comes your way and fails to apply for any reason, your computer will continue to attempt applying the broken update at seemingly random intervals. The Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10 will allow you to delay or stop updates altogether when something like this happens, but the Home edition has no such setting.
How To: Manage Your Live Tiles in Windows 8
The new Windows 8 is only days away from its mass public release on Friday, October 26th. And there's a ton of new features you'll need to get used to, either on your computer or your tablet. One of them is the Live Tiles, which provide users with live information and is way more aesthetically pleasing than the traditional Windows layout. The new Tiles system adds another level of functionality and information for the user, but it definitely takes some getting used to. The video below by Pure...
How To: Create a Restore Point in Windows 8
Restoring your computer to a previous point is an extremely important thing if something goes wrong. I've restored my computer at least a dozen times after downloading some suspicious software or running into an error I couldn't remedy on my own.
How To: Group and Organize Your Start Screen Tiles in Windows 8
Keeping your computer organized and your desktop clutter-free can be pretty difficult. And with last week's official release of Windows 8, users have another screen they need to get used to organizing—the new Metro-style Start Screen. It uses large rectangular or square tiles in place of the standard icons you've seen on older Windows operating systems. For better organization and grouping, you can group similar items onto a page (similar to many smartphones), you increase or decrease the siz...
How To: Uninstall Applications in Windows 8
Windows 8 and its new Windows Store have simplified the process for uninstalling and cleanly deleting applications from your computer. Removing applications in older versions of Windows required a few more steps: My Computer -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Find the Program -> Click Uninstall.
How To: 9 Apps That Every Windows 10 User Should Have
Windows 10 marks a new era for Microsoft with the return of the Start menu, the demise of Internet Explorer, and the introduction of the remodeled Windows Store.
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: Speed Up & Fix Your Family's Windows Computer During the Holidays
It's officially the holiday season, which means everyone will soon be traveling home to spend time with loved ones. And anyone who has any knowledge whatsoever of computers knows what else that means—family members left and right asking you to fix their various technical woes.
How To: Latest Windows 10 Update Lets You Change Title Bar Colors & Here's How to Do It
Microsoft has been listening to user feedback, and they've finally done something about one of the most common minor gripes with Windows 10. As of build 10525, there's now an option for changing the title bar color in apps, so you won't have to use this old workaround to personalize your window coloring anymore.