Innholdsfortegnelse for Windows 10 - The Beginners Guide i Windows 10 - The Beginners’ Guide

From sending emails and chatting on Skype, to customising the Start menu and using Windows Defender, this guide is crammed full of step-by-step guides that are perfect for the new Windows 10 user. Whether you have been using Windows for a while, or if you have just bought your first Windows 10 PC, this guide is full of useful advice, essential tips and all that you need to take your computing knowledge to the next level. Our step-by-step guides and tutorials make getting the most from your computer easy and there is something new to learn on every page. Including some of the most important elements of Windows 10, and something everyone who uses a computer online should know more about, the security and privacy features. So what are you…

Windows 10 Child Account With a Windows 10 child account you’re able to set up age restrictions and time limits and ensure they’re not visiting sites or using apps they shouldn’t. Step 1 Start off by clicking the Windows Start button and typing ‘account’. The first result that should appear is Manage your account, if anything else appears, as in you have some work labelled ‘account’ or such, then scroll down until you find the Manage your account option. Step 2 You’ll now find yourself at the Windows 10 Settings page, in the Accounts section portal. Notice there are links down the left-hand side, look for the Family & Other People link and click it to continue with the process. Step 3 You’ll need to sign in with a Microsoft…

External Device Settings This is where you come to manage all of your connected devices, from printers and scanners to your mouse and keyboard. Related settings are also found here, including Bluetooth, and touchpad settings if you are using a laptop. Main System Settings Here you can find settings and options for things like the Display, Notifications, Apps, Power and Storage. The ‘About’ section contains lots of information about the hardware in your computer as well as the operating system software version being used. Account Settings Account settings contains all of the options you need for managing your local Microsoft account. This includes the secure sign-in options such as password, PIN and picture password, as well as the new Dynamic Lock settings, workplace or school access settings and Microsoft Family…

Make the Most of the Action Center The new Action Center is a key interface element in Windows which provides you with many switch-on, switch-off options. It’s influenced by smartphone and tablet interface designs and really comes into its own in Tablet Mode. Step 1 The bottom right corner of Windows’ desktop taskbar takes on new significance within Windows 10 thanks to a special area for notifications called the Action Center. Hover over the Action Center button and it will tell you if you have any new notifications. Step 2 This is what the Action Center looks like when you click the button. As you can see, notifications are grouped by app – which apps are listed changes depending on which apps have sent you a notification. Older notifications are…

What’s New in File Explorer File Explorer is a much undervalued part of Windows. And while it hasn’t fundamentally changed for several versions of the operating system, Windows 10 introduces some interesting enhancements, which we’ll take you through here. Step 1 The way you browse files in Windows 10 is broadly similar to previous versions of Windows, but File Explorer has been enhanced. The main Quick Access window shows you your most frequently used folders (after all, how many of us dip into more than five or ten folders in a day?) and also recent files. Step 2 The sidebar also works on the same principle and via a new Quick Access feature you can pin folders or files that you want to stick around. It will also show you…

Snapping Windows It is very easy to have several windows open after just a few minutes of working on your PC and it is equally easy to lose track of them. Snapping windows helps prevent that. Step 1 To snap any open window or app to the side of the screen, left-click on the title bar at the top of it and drag it over to either the far left or right of the screen. Your mouse cursor will need to reach the edge, not just the side of the window, for this to work properly. Step 2 As the cursor reaches the edge of the screen, a transparent outline will appear with a small flash, to show where the window will appear once snapped. Release the mouse button and…

Windows Ink, available for the first time in the Anniversary update, brings the writing you do every day into your digital world. Now, using a Windows 10 device, graphic designers can be more creative, musicians can write digital music, lawyers can edit documents with the power of the pen and students can make mathematical equations and learn by writing. All of this is available to any Windows 10 user, but even more useful for those with a touchscreen PC. • Quickly and easily take a note, sketch on a screenshot or draw an idea. • Smart Sticky Notes help you remember common tasks like reminding you of flight times or offering directions using Maps. • Key apps have new Ink-specific features, like using handwriting in Office, Ink annotations in Microsoft…

It’s a feature of modern life in the digital age that we don’t have to remember things anymore. Just a decade or so ago we used to have to remember dozens of phone numbers but with mobile phones now storing all our contacts we’re lucky if we can remember our own number. We used to have to remember facts but today we have Wikipedia constantly at our fingertips. We used to have to remember appointments and tie a knot in a hanky to remember to buy a pint of milk but these days we have Notifications to remind us of everything. These changes in the ways that we find and use knowledge is actually changing the ways that our brains work; as we rely more on machines to store and…

Get Started with Edge Edge is fast and fluid and we think you’ll like it. It may not have the capability of Chrome or Firefox as yet but for basic web browsing it’s almost perfect. Step 1 Microsoft Edge carries on Internet Explorer’s use of a stylised ‘e’ as its logo. This is to make things simple for users who are familiar with Internet Explorer. Click on this icon in the taskbar to open Edge or on the Start menu and find it in the All Apps list. Step 2 If you’re familiar with almost any modern browser, you will instantly be at home. The forward, back and refresh panel is almost identical to other browsers. The default new tab page shows your most visited sites but you can have…

New Mail Button If you are not replying to an email, but rather starting a new email, you can do so in a couple of different ways. You can either click the New Mail button at the top of the Mail Menu or you can use the Ctrl-N. Both methods open a new email in the main window, with a blank recipient field. Mail Menu The left-hand menu, which can be minimised and expanded using the button at the top of the panel, contains all of your email accounts (those you have added to Windows Mail). Click on any of your email account headers and the individual folders, such as Inbox and Sent Items, are displayed here also. Calendar View You can open the Windows Calendar app directly from within…

Understanding the Risks This is not a definitive list of the possible threats available for the Windows user but here are ten modern risks that you face every time you power up your PC. Risk 1 – Viruses Viruses have been around for as long as computers. They’ve moved on from simply displaying the name of the coder on the monitor, a kind of virtual vandalism, and now can disable and wipe the data off a hard drive in mere seconds. Risk 2 – Ransomware Earlier in the year the UK was gripped in the clutches of the WannaCry ransomware infection. This particular infection exploited a vulnerability in Windows and quickly spread throughout the NHS and other organisations, locking and encrypting the data on a computer until money was sent…

Using File History To back up using File History, you will need a secondary storage drive. This can be an internal or network-connected hard drive or a removable flash drive. We are using a flash drive. Step 1 The first thing to do is to make sure that your storage drive has enough free space on it. If it is brand new, you don’t need to worry about this step but if the drive has been used previously, you should check. Insert the drive into a USB port and open File Explorer. Step 2 You should see the drive listed with a drive letter, for example: USB Drive (F:). Right-click on the drive name and select Properties from the menu that appears. You can now see how much space is…

Set Up and Use Night Light There are a couple of different ways you can use Night Light mode and a few settings that can be used to make it perfect for your display and personal preference. Step 1 To turn Night Light on, head in to Settings > System > Display. At the top of the display settings you will see the Night Light slider switch and you can simply click the slider to turn Night Light on as you need it. If you don’t see it, you will need to check that you have updated Windows 10 with the Creators update. Step 2 As soon as you click the slider you see the screen change. Some of the blue light is stripped out and the colour shifts towards…

Take a Look Around The great thing about the new Windows Store is that the quality of the apps has improved, so it’s actually worth browsing. But aside from better apps, the whole experience of looking for new software has been improved in Windows 10. Step 1 As well as being more responsive to use, the Windows Store has improved vastly in terms of content – as well as apps and games there are now movies to buy or rent and music to download. You can switch between the major sections using the buttons at the top of the window. Step 2 Clicking on one of these main sections – here we’ve clicked on Apps – takes you to a Browse… screen where you’re presented with the latest apps as…

The New People Button If you can’t see the People button in the taskbar, and can’t activate it in the action menu, you may be running an older version of Windows 10. Check your available updates. Step 1 After the newest Creators update has installed, you will see a small people icon on the right-hand side of the taskbar. If you don’t see the icon (it looks like two people, one standing behind the other), right-click on the taskbar and select “Show the People Button” from the action menu. Step 2 Click on the button and a new People panel will open. Click on the Get started button at the bottom of the new panel. Now click on the Apps tab. This will show you a list of apps that…

Sort by Date Whilst in the Collection section, you can quickly find photos from a certain time period without scrolling through all of the ones in the full list. Above each collection you will see a date; click or tap on the date to zoom out to a list of all past months. Click a month to zoom in on that date. Photos Menu The new photos app has two main internal sections: Collection and Albums. Alongside these sections are Folders, which show other images on your computer. In the Collection section, you’ll see a collection of all your photos, grouped by date taken (in reverse chronological order). Photo Collection All photos within a particular collection are shown here; you can select images by rolling over them with the mouse…

Music Search You can use the music search bar to quickly find specific tracks or albums on your computer. As you search, suggestions will appear below the search box. When results are shown, you can play the song or album directly from the results. You can also search on the Music Store for the same term. Music Store The Music Store can be accessed directly from the Groove Music app. For a low monthly fee, Groove Music Pass lets you stream and download music from one of the biggest music catalogues on the planet. Custom radio stations play hours of music based on your favourite artists too. Groove Radio Once you have a Groove Music account, a new option, Groove Radio, will appear in the music menu. As with other…

Processes Tab The Processes tab is the default tab when the Task Manager is opened. You can open the task manager by simply searching for it in the main search panel. Just as with any other app or piece of software in Windows 10, you can pin a shortcut to the Task Manager, to the taskbar or as a desktop icon. Process List With the Processes tab selected, a list of all processes is shown. Processes are bits of software that run in the background, either running or waiting to run when a corresponding action is taken. As you can see from the list here, things like Cortana and AVG are shown; these you would obviously want to leave. Resource Usage If you find your PC becoming slow and sluggish…

Upgrading From Windows 7 or 8 Installing Windows 10 on a Windows 7 or 8.1 PC is a relatively simple process, as long as you follow a few basic rules and ensure that the hardware specification matches with what is required by the newer OS. Step 1 The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have installed all of the updates for Windows 7 or Windows 8, including update KB3035583 so that you’ll receive the “Get Windows 10” app. When you see the message pop-up, click the box and follow the instructions to begin installation. Step 2 Your PC will run through several things during this time, especially checking that everything installed and connected to it is OK with the update. You may be asked to…

Signing In Using Your Microsoft Account We’ll look at how you can sign in when you’re installing Windows 10. And also how to register your details and add a Microsoft account if you’re already using Windows 10. An essential, but unexciting part of the setup process. Make It Yours During the Windows 10 installation process you’ll be asked to sign into Windows. Now, you can skip this step should you wish to, but we’d recommend you don’t. You’ll need to use your Microsoft account to download apps and settings (such as new printers) and synchronise your network settings between PCs automatically. Sign Up If you use Xbox or used Hotmail or Windows Live, you should be able to sign in with those details. During the Windows 10 installation you can…

Checking for Updates If you think that your PC needs to be updated, you don’t need to wait for the automatic update process to kick in. You can quite easily check for updates yourself. Step 1 You can find the Windows 10 update information in the main settings app. Tap the Windows key or click the Start menu button and then select the Settings icon from the side of the menu. Click the “Updates & Security” heading in the menu to open the relevant settings screen. Step 2 At the top of the window you should immediately see a message telling you whether Windows 10 is up to date or if updates are currently available. Directly below this message is a button labelled “Check for updates”. Even if the message…

Mastering the Windows 10 Taskbar The taskbar has always been more useful than many users realise, and with Windows 10 there are several new features and options which make it even more so. Let’s take a look at some of the most important. Welcome to Windows Windows 10’s taskbar is more powerful than ever as you’re about to find out. It’s now more integrated with the Start menu than before, so if you open Start and start typing, the search bar on the taskbar comes alive, rather than being separate within the Start menu. Search For It We’ve covered Windows 10’s search features in more detail elsewhere but thanks to our mobile phones there’s no denying that we’re more used to searching for files, folders and settings rather than having…

Creating New Folders It may sound too simple if you are a long time Windows user but here’s a look at how to create new folders on the desktop and within other folders. Step 1 On the desktop, right-click and select New folder from the action menu that appears. The familiar yellow folder icon will then appear at that position on the desktop (wherever you clicked), with the name automatically set as ‘New folder’ but highlighted ready to change. Step 2 You can leave the name as ‘New folder’ if you wish. If you then create a second folder next to the first, it will automatically be named ‘New folder (2)’. You can rename a folder at any time by left-clicking on the title once, or right-clicking and selecting Rename…

Change the Desktop Background The Desktop personalisation procedure hasn’t changed much since Windows 7, so if you’ve used that OS before this will feel very familiar. Step 1 You can get started with personalising the Windows 10 Desktop in exactly the same way as you did with Windows 7. For anyone completely new to Windows, that means right-clicking anywhere on the Desktop screen and selecting Personalise from the action menu that appears. Step 2 The Background settings will be displayed first by default. Click the first drop-down menu to select whether to use the default backgrounds, solid colours or choose to display folders of your own images. Your choices here changes what is displayed in the background settings. Step 3 To select your own pictures for the background, click on…

Browser Choice There are dozens of different browsers available, from the market leaders such as Chrome and Firefox, to more specialised offerings which focus on security or speed. Chrome Google Chrome is a freeware web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Windows and was later ported to most other platforms. As of September 2016, StatCounter estimates that Chrome has a 62 per cent worldwide usage share of desktop web browsers. Firefox Firefox, or Mozilla Firefox, has consistently been one of the fastest browsers around since its launch more than 10 years ago. Features include tabbed browsing, spell checking, incremental find, live bookmarking, Smart Bookmarks, a download manager, private browsing and location aware browsing. Opera Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software. The latest…

Manage Your Network Settings We’ll show you how to master your Wi-Fi settings and explain what you need to do if you have a problem connecting to the Internet in Windows 10. Your Settings Network and Internet is one of the key sections within the new Windows 10 Settings app. It features a plethora of settings for the different ways to connect to the Internet. While the Wi-Fi screen is fairly straightforward, there are different settings windows for Ethernet connections and even dial-up. Wi-Fi Sense We don’t mind ourselves but some people are worried about the security implications of sharing network settings; or simply don’t want to automatically connect to networks shared by others. You can disable it by visiting the right settings; just click Manage Wi-Fi Settings from the…

Find Whatever You Want Search now not only finds files, but settings, emails and apps too. You can even search for websites as well, providing you’re happy with results from Microsoft’s own Bing search engine. Here’s how to make Search work for you. Improved Search If you need to search for anything on your Windows 10 PC, the taskbar search bar is now the place to do it. You can still hit the Start button (or Start key on your keyboard) and start typing if you used to do that to search in previous versions of Windows. Search the Web As well as files and folders, you can also launch a web search from the taskbar. Note that you can filter the search menu by ‘My Stuff’ or ‘Web’, although…

Meet Your New Email Client Mail has been completely redesigned for Windows 10 and is wholly unrecognisable from the Windows 8 equivalent (that’s a good thing). But even with these improvements, it still needs a bit of tweaking before it comes into its own. Welcome As it says here, the idea behind the Mail app in Windows 10 is to gather all your emails together in one place to “simplify life a bit”. The app is quite clever in how it handles email and it certainly differs to older apps such as Windows Live Mail and Outlook Express. Default Account If you signed into Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, the Mail app will automatically pull this in if it’s enabled for email. As you can see, you can also…

The Privacy Dashboard The privacy dashboard is web-based rather than in the settings and it allows you to manage multiple devices from a single interface, as long as you are logged in to a single account. Step 1 Open your browser and navigate to www.account.microsoft.com/privacy. If prompted, use your Microsoft account details to log in. You will be logged in to the privacy overview page that lets you quickly see what privacy settings the dashboard contains and controls. Step 2 Along with the main Search, Browsing and Location privacy categories, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see entries for everything from Apps to Xbox, with simple links to take you to the settings and options for those privacy areas. Step 3 Click on one…

Creating the Recovery Drive Creating a recovery drive is a relatively simple process, although it takes a bit of time, but one which could save a lot of frustration in the future. Step 1 The first thing you need to do is find a USB drive that is large enough and then make sure it is ready to be used. The USB drive you decide to use won’t be able to be used for anything else like storing other files, etc. so make sure it is a spare, or bought specifically for the task. Step 2 A basic Windows 10 recovery file will be less than 500MB but if you choose to include system files in the backup (recommended), so you can use it to reinstall Windows, you will need…

Better Protection A third-party security suite offers much more than virus scanning. Here are ten security suites worth considering if you’re serious about your digital protection. Bitdefender Bitdefender Total Security 2017 is the latest security suite from one the world’s leading security specialists. This version offers unrivalled levels of protection and performance for Windows, macOS and Android platforms. There’s even an advanced ransomware protection element to help protect your folders. McAfee McAfee Total Protection offers a 100 per cent guarantee of virus removal, or you get your money back. There are three main versions available: Antivirus Plus, Total Protection, and Livesafe, each has its own particular twist but all offer excellent security features and benefits. Symantec Norton Security Premium is the top choice for the home user from Symantec. With…

Directions You can use the Map app to plan routes: in a car, by public transport and even on foot. Select your chosen transportation method using the icons at the top of the Directions pane. You can either leave the A field as My Location or type a new one. In the B field, type your destination. The route will appear on the map. You can refine the route by clicking the options button. Search Click the search button on the left-hand side of the map window and a new pane will open. This pane contains some search suggestions, such as Hotels and Coffee and Shopping, with the standard search field at the top. As you type your search, suggestions will appear in the search pane. You can click any…

New Event There are two main ways to add a new event to your calendar. You can either click on the date in the main window or if the date you want is not in view, you can click the New Event button here. You can then add an event name, location and a start and end date. Give the event a short description, especially if you plan to share it with a contact. You can do that by adding people using the pane on the right of the Add Event screen. Month Preview No matter which view you choose for the main calendar pane - day, week, etc. - the month preview will always show a full month. You can use the arrows above the mini calendar to skip…

Importing to a Folder Importing your photos or images directly to a folder on the desktop, or elsewhere, is the traditional method. It tends to be quicker but offers fewer importing options. Step 1 The first thing you need to do to import photos directly from a phone or camera is to connect the relevant cable to your PC. In almost all cases, this will be a USB cable of some sort. You will have been supplied a transfer cable with the device you are using. Plug this into a free USB port. Step 2 Plug the other end in to your phone or digital camera and wait a few moments. Your PC should detect the device and may need to install some drivers to make the USB connection work.…

Listening to Music First we will look at how you listen to music you have on your computer already, including how you use Groove Music to find your music files. Step 1 Open the Groove Music app and click on My music in the left sidebar. The app should have automatically scanned your computer for any compatible music files (MP3 etc.) and will display them as a list. You can change how the music is displayed by clicking the Song, Artist or Album tabs. Step 2 If you think that music you have on your computer isn’t being shown, you can direct Groove Music to look in specific folders or locations on your computer. Click the ‘Show us where to look for music’ link just below the tabs at the…

Install and Use Skype Recently updated, Skype has now been turned into a proper Windows 10 app and follows the Windows design style more closely. Step 1 Skype has a dedicated Windows 10 app and this may be preinstalled on your Windows PC but you might need to download it from the Windows store. You can also download Skype directly from “http://www.skype.com” www.skype.com as well as check that you have the latest version available. Step 2 Once installed, you will need to sign in to the Skype app. If you already have a Skype account, which is completely free to set up, just enter your login details when prompted. If not, you can go to www.login.skype.com and create a new account in just a few minutes. Step 3 The Skype…

Clearing Space on Your PC It’s worth giving your machine a little spring clean every so often to keep it lean. And that doesn’t just mean removing unwanted files and folders from the desktop. Disk Clean-up should be an essential part of your PC maintenance. Clean Up Disk Clean-up is a utility included with every copy of Windows. When you launch it (here we’ve searched for it using the search box on the taskbar), you’ll get this small window appear. It will help you rid your PC of detritus that builds up over time as you download files from the Internet or install and uninstall apps. Which Drive? You’ll be asked to select the drive you want to clean up. Most of the time there’ll only be one drive you…

Fully updated to include all of the best features of the Creators updates, Windows 10 - The Beginners’ Guide is your essential guide to getting the most from Microsoft’s most powerful operating system to date! From sending emails and chatting on Skype, to customising the Start menu and using Windows Defender, this guide is crammed full of step-by-step guides that are perfect for the new Windows 10 user. Installation and Setup Guides Give yourself a firm foundation to start from. Learn the best way to get your PC set up with new user accounts and the all-important Microsoft account; and explore the steps you need to take to safely update Windows 10, keep it running smoothly and make sure that you have access to all the newest features. Discover What’s…

Setting Up and Configuring Microsoft prefers its users to have a single main account. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, it’s really easy to get one. Here we’ll show you how, as well as look at any other further settings you might need. How to Get a Microsoft Account Although you can sign up for an account when you install or initialise Windows 10 for the first time, you can also create one at https://account.microsoft.com. This is also where you can customise your account settings, which we’ll come onto shortly. What Does an Account Get You Access to? As well as Windows and Outlook.com, you can also use your account across all Microsoft services including Xbox Live, Skype, Office and Bing as well as Windows-powered phones (your Contacts are…

The Various Ways You can Log into Windows 10 Whether you use a password, PIN, picture password or fingerprint to log into Windows 10 we’ve got you covered. Let’s take a look at the different ways available to sign in to Windows 10, from the least to the most secure. What You See When you start-up Windows 10, you’ll see the lock screen. If you used Windows 8, it’s something you’ll be familiar with. You can get other information displayed here including network and battery life information, and you can change what appears in Settings > Personalisation > Lock Screen. Log into Windows As soon as you click any key or tap on the lock screen you’ll get this – the Windows logon screen. You can use your password, fingerprint…

Get to Grips with Start Microsoft has completely redesigned the Start menu for a new era and it seems to get improved with every update to the OS, so it takes a little getting used to at first. Here’s our tour of the new Start. Step 1 You open the Start menu by clicking the Windows icon in the bottom left of the desktop or by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard. The menu in Windows 10 is a mix of the Windows 7 and 8 styles but works better than either, with a list of apps on the left and Live Tiles on the right. Step 2 The live tiles work in the same way as they did in Windows 8. You can drag any of them around…

File Explorer Toolbar This tabbed toolbar contains all of the tools you need to manage the different files and folders you can view. The main tab is Home, which contains tools for pinning to the Quick Access pane in the Start menu, copying, pasting, moving and renaming files. Once you have selected a file or folder in the main pane, the tools become active. Navigation Pane - Folders The left-hand sidebar contains a list of different file folders on your computer. Clicking on any of the folders shown here will display the various files and folders inside, in the main pane. The list is split into sections, including Quick Access/Recent, OneDrive and This PC. If you right-click on a blank area, you can choose to show All Folders here. Info…

Using Task View Task View is a quick way to view and manage all of the windows and apps open on your PC at any given moment, even those that are minimised. Step 1 There’s an almost imperceptible new button on the Windows 10 taskbar next to the search box. It’s the new Task View button and it gives you a new way to switch between apps. Microsoft has experimented with various task switchers over the last couple of versions of Windows and this is the latest iteration. Step 2 Clicking the button (or pressing Windows + Tab) brings up this display. It’s simple and remains active until you click on one of the apps to switch to that; or click on the taskbar, press Windows + Tab again or…

Adding Sticky Notes The Sticky Notes software comes preinstalled with every version of Windows since Vista, although it has been improved slightly with each new release. Step 1 You can find the Sticky Notes software in the All Apps menu of Windows 10 or you can search for “Sticky Notes” using the search field in the taskbar. If you can’t find it under S in the main All Apps menu, it might be within the Windows Accessories folder instead. Click to open the first note. Step 2 A blank Sticky Note will now appear on your screen. You will see that it looks just like a real Post-it Note, except the corners won’t curl up and the glue won’t fail. Click anywhere on the body of the note to make…

Default Programs and Protocols The ability to change the default apps and programs that Windows 10 uses goes a long way to helping you take full control of your PC and the system software. Step 1 Click on the search bar on the left of the taskbar and type “default programs”. You can also navigate to this settings tool by opening the All Apps list, scrolling down to W and clicking Windows System > Default Programs. Either way, open the tool on screen. Step 2 A list of apps already associated with various functions will appear. Click on any of these to see alternative options. The options shown will vary depending on the apps you have installed at this time. If a function has no apps associated with it, you…

Browser Controls Up in the top left corner, where you would probably expect to find them, are the browser controls. These include the button to add a new tab, the page refresh button and the page forward/page back buttons. Right-click on the main tab and you will see additional options, including Re-open Closed Tab. Search Bar There’s no need to go to a website to search for pictures of adorable penguins or cute kittens. Stay put and save time by entering your search in the handy address bar. You’ll get search suggestions, instant results from the web and your browsing history on the spot. News Feed The main home screen of Microsoft Edge is your News Feed. The news feed is provided by MSN and is made up of news…

Meet Your Digital Assistant The Cortana personal assistant could well be a completely new experience for many users. So we’ve gone into quite a lot of detail here in order to give you the complete picture on how Cortana can be of help to you day-to-day. Welcome to Cortana On the previous pages we talked you through Search in Windows 10. Cortana is like a layer on top of this search; you can either enable it or ignore it. Cortana isn’t on by default in Windows 10. To enable it, click the Circle icon at the bottom of the Search sidebar. Setting Up Click Next and you’ll see this screen. Basically, you’ll need to allow Cortana to access all the information on the rest of your computer. It sounds alarming…

Online Safety Basics The best and most effective way to protect your privacy, security and the continued smooth operation of your Windows device is to install a good security and antivirus app. There are some good free apps available, such as Avast Antivirus or AVG, as well as more comprehensive security software suites that you’ll have to pay to use, such as Kaspersky Internet Security. Do Your Homework Before Buying Online While the majority of online retailers are perfectly reputable, there are a few that are less than honest. If you’re not sure you can check out the company’s reputation on shopper comparison sites such as Pricerunner or Kelkoo or simply type the name into Google along with terms such as “fraud”, “rip off” or “complaint”. See what others have…

Set Up Defender By default, Windows Defender should already by running but if you are using a PC that has had antivirus software on in the past, parts of it may have been disabled. Step 1 The first thing to do is check that Defender is already running. You can quickly check this by clicking on ‘Show hidden icons’ (the small arrow button) at the right-hand end of the taskbar. If you see the Defender shield logo, you are protected. At least, you are protected partially. Step 2 Now it’s time to check out the Defender settings and features. You can right-click on the icon in the hidden icons pop-up, and then click Open. You can also, in the search box on the taskbar, type Defender and then select Windows…

Setting Up Dynamic Lock Dynamic Lock works by sensing the proximity of a paired device, such as your smartphone. In this example, the first thing we need to do is pair with our phone. Pairing with other Bluetooth devices will be almost exactly the same as shown here. Step 1 Dynamic Lock will only work if your PC has Bluetooth connectivity. This usually means a laptop, which makes sense as these more portable devices are more in need of security measures. Open Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & Other devices. Turn Bluetooth on using the slider switch and do this on your phone as well. Step 2 Once you see the phone listed under available devices, select it and pair to it. If you can’t see your device listed, you…

Category Tabs Just as with other online app stores, the Windows Store features several different download categories. These include Apps, Games, Music and Films. Each category has its own home screen, which displays: Most Popular, Top Free and Trending sections. Featured Apps The Featured Apps slider will display those apps or games that are trending or have been particularly popular. This display is constantly updated and is a good way of finding out what other Windows 10 users are using and playing. Software Charts These links take you to lists of the most popular and most downloaded apps and games on the Windows Store. Once you click on one of the links, you can further refine the chart using the links on the left-hand sidebar. Filters include Top Free, Top…

Moving Around in Maps There are few controls in the Maps app but they allow you to do a lot of things very easily. Let’s take a look at how you move around in the app. Step 1 The easiest way to move the map around is to left-click and drag it and use the mouse wheel or trackpad slider to zoom in and out. This allows you to move the map around to focus on the area you need. If you are zoomed far out of the map, double-clicking the mouse zooms in quickly. Step 2 Maps has a dedicated control panel on the side of the window containing, from top to bottom: Rotate, hold pointer on it to see; Tilt, hold pointer over to see options; Show Location;…

Schedule Appointments and More If used properly, and particularly if synced to a Windows phone, the calendar can be a great tool. We’ll show you how to set up your calendar, arrange events and change settings so your calendar is exactly the way you want it. Multiple Calendars The best thing about the Windows 10 Calendar app is how admirably it copes with multiple calendars. So providing they invite your account, you’re able to easily see calendars from friends and relatives. It’s also easy to schedule your own events, of course. Different Accounts Like Windows 10’s Email app, Calendar also enables you to add multiple accounts and from different providers, too. So whether you use an Outlook calendar at work or have shared Google calendars, you can join them all…

Managing Your Images The Photos app has seen some useful improvements over the last few years and is actually very powerful now. It doesn’t offer the flexibility of an app like Photoshop Elements, but it does a lot of simple edits very well. Step 1 Photos shows all of your images in a scrolling timeline of images, like we’re now used to seeing on many smartphones or tablets. This is called your photos Collection. You can click on any image to get a full-window view and then click the Back arrow in the top left corner to return to the main list. Step 2 Albums is a completely automated feature. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you may have seen Apple’s Moments feature; this works in much the same…

Setting Up Phone Companion Before you get started, you will need to make sure that you’re logged into your machine using a verified Microsoft Live account, and that you have your Android or iOS device on hand. Step 1 If, for some reason, you do not already have Phone Companion installed on your Windows 10 PC, you can download it from the Store for free. To open Phone Companion, click the Start button and then select Phone Companion from the apps list; or type phone companion in the search box. Step 2 When you run Phone Companion for the first time, you see a simple screen with the top three mobile operating systems. To get started, click your desired mobile OS. In this example, we are using Android but the…

Maintaining Windows 10 Windows 10 is a lot better at keeping you informed of problems than previous versions were. It is, however, up to you to keep on top on maintaining the OS if you want the best experience. Storage Sense Activating Storage Sense lets the system software automatically free up storage space by getting rid of files you no longer need. These can include temporary files such as cookies and the contents of your Recycle Bin. You can choose when files are deleted, e.g. after 30 days in the Recycle Bin or if apps don’t use them for a certain amount of time. Alternatively you can simply click a button to Clean Now rather than setting automatic cleaning. You can find the Storage Sense option in Settings > System…

Performance without Pain Gaining improvements in performance is pointless if it means you need to spend 3 hours a day running cleaner software or rooting through old files. These tips will improve performance, without the pain. Install the Latest Windows Updates Microsoft normally releases updates monthly, although important updates will be released as needed. You should check for and install available Windows Updates, which could include: bug fixes, security patches, Windows Defender malware definitions, etc., that could help keep your system stable and improve the performance of Windows. Use the High Performance Power Plan By default your PC is set to use the Balanced Power option, which will reduce power to non-essential components when not being used. By selecting the High Performance plan your PC will use more power but…