Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 5 i Windows 10 The Complete Manual

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 Setting 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. App Settings This is where you can find details on all of the apps you have installed on your Windows 10 computer. The main list shows you the name, file size, developer and the date it was installed (or updated). You can also set app preferences…

Exploring the Action Center The new Action Center is a key interface element in Windows 10, providing you with access to Quick actions buttons as well as the notifications and alerts. Step 1 You can open the Action Center by clicking the speech bubble icon on the far-right of the taskbar or by pressing the Windows Key + A on your keyboard. If you hover the mouse pointer over the Action Center button, 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. Any notifications are grouped by app, with a heading showing which app they are from. Notifications will remain in the panel until you actively dismiss them or action them (click through to…

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…

New Desktop Just as with the old version of Task View, there is a button to add extra virtual desktops. Virtual desktops are essentially extra workspaces, so for example you can have one space with your email and chat windows open, and another where you’re working on a PowerPoint presentation without email distraction. Task View Timeline introduces a new way to resume past activities you started on the current PC, other Windows PCs, and even iOS/Android devices. The feature enhances Task View, allowing you to switch between currently running apps and past activities. The default view of Timeline shows snapshots of the most relevant activities from earlier in the day or a specific past date. Earlier Today The Earlier Today panel shows the latest activities on your Windows 10 PC.…

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…

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…

Browser Controls In the top left corner, where you would probably expect to find them, are the browser controls. These include the Home button, the Page refresh button and the Page forward/Page back buttons. Right-click on the active tab to see additional options, including Re-open Closed Tab. Search Fields There are two search fields in Edge, one at the top (which is also the address field when viewing a website) and one which floats at the top or middle of the start page, depending on the layout you choose. Use either of these and search suggestions appear as you begin typing. Recently Viewed/Favourites A group of icons are displayed for the most recently visited websites/pages. These automatically update as you browse, but can also be edited to show your favourite…

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.…

Using Files On-Demand Files On-Demand allows you to access your storage in a much easier and more efficient way, treating cloud-based files as if they are on your PC. Step 1 First, make sure you are signed in to OneDrive on your computer. Right-click the white OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar. If you don’t see the OneDrive icon on the taskbar, click the ‘Show hidden icons’ arrow, also at the bottom right of the screen. Step 2 You should see a panel pop-up asking if you want to turn on Files On-Demand. If so, click the blue button and wait whilst OneDrive sets this up. If you don’t see this panel, click Settings from the OneDrive action menu, click the Settings…

Be Connected. Be Discovered. If you prefer not to visit Facebook via your browser, the Windows Store has a specially developed app for both PC and mobile platforms that’s just as functional as the web-based interface. Step 1 First, open the Windows 10 Store. In the Search box, located in the top right of the Store window, type Facebook. The first option available, labelled App, is what you’re looking for. Simply click it to be taken to the Facebook app page in the Store. Step 2 The Store front details the specifics regarding the app you’re currently viewing, Facebook in this instance. Scroll down through the app’s page to view a description, any updated information, system requirements, additional information and what functionality the app uses, in case you’re concerned over…

Nearby Sharing Share your files quickly with Nearby Sharing: your computer automatically picks the fastest way to share your file or webpage, either over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Step 1 To enable Nearby Sharing, open Settings and click on System. Now click on Shared experiences and turn on the Nearby Sharing toggle switch. If you have not yet applied the Windows 10 Spring/April update, you will need to do so before you can view the Nearby Sharing option here. Step 2 You can also activate Nearby Sharing from the quick actions menu in the Action Center. You can send any video, photo, document or webpage viewed on Microsoft Edge to people or devices nearby by clicking on the share icon in the top right corner of the app or right-clicking to…

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…

Using the Game Bar No longer solely about gaming tools, the Game Bar now includes quick panels for volume control, resource usage and even playing music. Open the Game Bar You open the Game Bar in the same way as previously, by pressing Windows Key + G, or by opening the Start menu and scrolling down to the bottom where you will see “Xbox Game Bar”. The new Game Bar will open, dimming the screen slightly and displaying a number of overlays. Adding Overlays By default, four or five overlays and controls will be active. You can choose to show several more by clicking the Menu button, on the thin panel with the time displayed in the middle of the screen at the top, adding the Overlay buttons to this…

Install a Local Printer A local printer simply means one that is physically connected to your laptop or desktop computer via a USB data cable, rather than being connected wirelessly. Step 1 In most cases, all you have to do to set up a printer is to connect it to your PC and let the plug and play software do its work. Plug the USB cable from your printer into an available USB port on your PC and turn the printer on. If nothing happens, try restarting your PC with the printer connected. Step 2 If the printer does not set up automatically, you will need to do it yourself. Click the Start menu button and head into Settings. Here you need to look for Devices and then Printers &…

Use a Flash Drive to Unlock Your PC If you care about your digital security, you probably have a PIN or password lock on your laptop or desktop PC, but there is another way to lock and unlock your computer: Using a USB flash drive. Software such as Predator allows you to create a key on your old USB drive which, when plugged into your computer, will automatically unlock it. When the “Key” is removed, the computer will lock again. There are several different USB lock software options available, and almost all of the best ones cost money (although usually not very much. Predator is just $10 for the home version). If you want to try out a freeware USB locker, you can search for “USB System Lock” and “WinLockr…

Network Protection Without being too paranoid, it’s remarkably easy to get into a neighbour’s home network. If you live in a block of flats or you use powerline adapters, you may need to consider these ten steps for better network protection. Step 1 The most common entry point to gain access to your network is via the router. The router from your ISP may well be offering the latest forms of encryption but it doesn’t take a genius to trawl the less reputable sections of the Internet to obtain a list of passwords. Therefore, change the default username and password needed to access it. Step 2 Most routers these days come with a form of authentication called MAC (Media Access Code) address filtering. Every networkable device, computers, tablets, games consoles,…

Better Protection A third-party security suite offers much more than virus scanning. With one of these, you’re covered against most, if not all, digital threats. Here are four security suites worth considering if you’re serious about your digital protection. Bitdefender Bitdefender Total Security is a popular 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…

Install and Manage Fonts To install and manage your fonts through the Settings, you will need to have the April/Spring update installed and up to date. In older versions of Windows 10, you will need to dig deeper. Step 1 You can now find the fonts controls in Settings > Personalisation > Fonts. Here you will see a scrollable list of your current fonts, each with a visual example of how they look. This is a much more user-friendly way of viewing your fonts, letting you see exactly what each will look like when used. Step 2 You can search for fonts using the search field at the top or just look through the alphabetical list. You can also filter the list by language. Each font is shown with the…

System Imaging A system image is essentially a snapshot of your entire system. This can then be quickly restored and conveniently saves you from having to reinstall Windows 10, all your programs and your data. Step 1 To begin, click on the Windows Start button and navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Backup. From within the Backup console window, where you were in the previous tutorial, click on the Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7) link under the Looking for an older backup section. Step 2 This launches a new window, the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) console. Microsoft has kept this feature intact through Windows 8.1 and 10 purely due to compatibility support for backups created under older versions of the OS. To the left, there…

1 MAKE SURE WI-FI IS ON If you are trying to connect wirelessly, check that Wi-Fi hasn’t somehow been switched off: click the Start button, select Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Next, select “Show available networks” and if your network appears in the list, select it, then select Connect. If using a laptop, make sure the physical Wi-Fi switch (if there is one) is turned on. An indicator light usually shows when it’s on or off. Again, if using a laptop (or Windows 10 tablet), check to see that Airplane mode is turned off: select the Start button, then select Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode and if it’s on, turn it off. 2 RESTART YOUR MODEM AND/OR WIRELESS ROUTER If you’ve never experienced network problems…

View, Switch, and Create Power Plans Within the Power Options panel you can choose from preset Windows 10 power plans, or you can create your own based on your computers’ power requirements. Step 1 Open the main Windows 10 settings app, then click System > Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings. Windows 10 will, by default, have selected the Balanced power plan. This is designed to balance performance and energy consumption, and is best for PC’s that are connected to the mains. Step 2 On a laptop, you can access the power options by right-clicking on battery indicator in the taskbar tools. There are two other, default power plans alongside Balanced; Power Saver is designed to reduce energy use by scaling back performance when possible. Good for laptops using…

Malware Busters For this tutorial let’s use a preconfigured rescue disk from Bitdefender. You need to transfer or burn the disk contents to a CD or a USB stick and boot into the safe environment through one of those mediums. Step 1 Make sure you have a blank CD or a USB stick that’s at least 1GB in size. The Bitdefender Rescue Disk is downloaded as an ISO, which is an image file containing all the disk information, and can be downloaded from www.download.bitdefender.com/rescue_cd/latest/bitdefender-rescue-cd.iso. Step 2 To transfer the ISO to USB, download Stickifier, which is an executable that doesn’t require any installation. Insert your USB stick and double-click Stickifier. Click the Select an Existing ISO Image option followed by the three full-stops and using Windows Explorer, locate the downloaded…

Caring for Your Laptop Some of these tips may seem obvious, and some might not apply to you, but even following a few of these suggestions will help keep your laptop in good shape. Keep Food and Drink Away However careful you are when eating and drinking, if you do it while using your laptop it is inevitable that at some point, crumbs and splashes will hit the screen, keyboard, etc. Unlike a desktop, replacing a crumb-filled keyboard on a laptop is not just a case of buying a new one. Wipe the Screen Carefully Laptop screens are generally not as clear or bright as a desktop monitor screen, so keeping them clean is important. Use a lint-free cloth regularly to gently wipe away dust and dirt. If there are…

Set Up and Configure Your Account Microsoft prefers its users to have a single main account. Here we show you how to create one as well as look at any other further settings you might need. Step 1 You can sign up for an account when you install or initialise Windows 10 for the first time but you can also create one at www.account.microsoft.com. This is also where you can customise your account settings, which we’ll come onto shortly. Step 2 Even if you think you don’t have a Microsoft account, it’s quite possible that you do have one. Ever had a Hotmail or Outlook.com address, or did you use MSN or Windows Live Messenger? You can sign in with those same credentials. Step 3 In addition to Windows and…

All Apps List As you use Windows 10 and the various apps and software, a list of your most used tools will appear here. This is constantly updated as your use of the OS evolves. At the top of the All Apps list is a Recently Added section, showing newly installed software and a Most Used section showing your favourite applications. Click either heading to open a jump to letter menu. Start Menu Folders If you pin apps to the Start menu, their icons will appear below the block of tiles. You can now move these app icons into folders within the Start menu. To do this, click and drag one icon on top of another. If the bottom icon expands slightly rather than moving out of the way, drop…

Mastering the Windows 10 Taskbar There are a lot more features and functions of the taskbar than may first meet the eye. Let’s take a look at how you can discover and master them. Start Menu Button Clicking this, as you will no doubt know by now, opens the Start menu. This is where you find all of the apps and software on your computer listed, along with Live Tiles and system folders. Right-clicking on the Start menu button opens a different menu, containing links to system tools like Task Manager. Search Box The Search box is integrated into the taskbar in Windows 10, so it is always visible and available. Just click anywhere in the search box to begin using it. If you prefer, you can hide the search…

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…

Step 1 Click in the search field at the left of the taskbar and the new search panel will pop up on screen. You can now simply start typing your search term and watch as the results are listed in the panel. The results will be split into sections such as Documents, Apps, Photos and Web. Step 2 If the app, setting, photo or document you are looking for is highlighted at the top of the search panel as you type, you can simply press Enter to open it. To view a non-highlighted result or category, you can just click on it to open it (open a web result in the browser, for example). Step 3 If you don’t want to display everything associated with your typed search term, you…

Set Up the Your Phone App The setup steps for connecting a mobile device to Windows 10 are almost exactly the same for both iOS and Android devices. Step 1 Open the Settings and look for the “Phone” option. Click the link and then click the “Add a phone” button on the next screen. The Your Phone app then opens in a new window. You can also get to the app directly from the link at the bottom of the apps list in the Start menu. Step 2 In the right-hand sidebar, click on the type of phone you have (Android or iPhone) and then click “Continue”; another window opens, showing your Microsoft account. To link your phone to your PC, you need to enter your phone number here (if…

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…

Get Started with Edge Chromium Edge Chromium feels much less clunky than the previous version and already feels more like the most popular browsers available, such as Chrome or Firefox. Step 1 If you haven’t already updated to Edge Chromium, you can download it from www.microsoft.com/edge. Once downloaded, click on the download to install it. The new version automatically overwrites the old version of Edge, completely replacing it on your computer. Step 2 During setup, you have the option to import browser data such as bookmarks and favourites from Google Chrome, choose the initial start page layout, and set up syncing across devices (other computers, your phone, etc.) Once installed, Edge opens at the start page. Step 3 Depending on the layout you chose during setup, the start page will…

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…

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…

Set Up and Use WhatsApp With an audience of over 1.3 billion and growing, WhatsApp shows no sign of slowing down. Here’s how to install and use it via the Windows Store. Step 1 You need to install WhatsApp and create an account on your phone before you can use it. The app has been developed for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Tap the Store icon on your phone, searching for WhatsApp. Tap the correct search and you’re taken to the relevant page on the Store. Step 2 With the WhatsApp page on the Play Store open, tap on the Install button and the process with begin. Some phones already have a version of WhatsApp preinstalled by the manufacturer. You can see if yours is one such device as it…

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…

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…

A New Way to Copy + Paste The Cloud Clipboard gives you a new way to cut and paste. Simply press the Windows key + V at any time and you’ll see the Cloud Clipboard panel appear in the bottom corner of the screen. Step 1 Before you can use all the features of the Cloud Clipboard in Windows 10, you will need to enable them in the settings. Go to Settings > System and look for the Clipboard section. You can turn on the clipboard history using the slider toggle. To sync across devices, click ‘Get started’. Step 2 Follow the instructions to confirm your Microsoft account (if this is requested) and then choose whether you want to enable automatic syncing across devices or not. If you want to…

Setting Up a Dual Display Matching up the resolution and size of your two chosen monitors will give the best results but even mismatched monitors can work really well in dual format. Step 1 You will obviously need to ensure that your PC has the requisite connections for two monitors (two HDMI, VGA or DVI ports, or a combination of these). Check the back of your PC tower or the side of your laptop to find out. With your PC turned off, connect both monitors to the available ports. Step 2 Boot up the computer and log in. Windows should automatically detect that two displays are connected and you should see both of them displaying a desktop. Your main display will have all of your icons on it, whilst the…

Virus & Threat Protection This is where to check and scan for viruses and other threats to your Windows 10 security. Here you will find tools for preventing viruses and other malware from ever taking hold of your computer, as well as the tools needed to check for anything which already got through your defences. Account Protection This is where you manage account and sign-in security for Windows 10. This includes the Microsoft account you are signed in to (or the option to sign in to one), Windows Hello and Dynamic lock. Clicking on any of the options here will simply take you to the relevant area of the main settings. Device Performance & Health Displays issues with the health and performance of your computer, including the status of the…

Set Your Tethered Connection to Metered Windows 10 can be quite data-heavy, as mentioned, especially if an update happens to become available when tethered. Luckily, you can tell Windows to automatically limit data use. Step 1 Cellular data connections are set as metered by default. Wi-Fi and Ethernet network connections can be set to metered but aren’t by default. Some apps might work differently on a metered connection to help reduce your data usage. Some updates for Windows won’t be installed automatically either. Step 2 To set a Wi-Fi network connection as metered, click Start > Settings > Network& Internet> Wi-Fi > Manageknownnetworks. SelecttheWi-Finetwork > Properties > turn on Set as metered connection. Unfortunately, many Windows apps completely ignore the metered connection setting. CHECK NETWORK USAGE DETAILS You can also…

Security Beyond Anonymity It’s a good question: how can a VPN improve Windows security? While the privacy side is well catered for, there are some good security enhancements and features a VPN brings to the table. Feature 1 This doesn’t happen often, but an ISP can become compromised and details of user activities leaked or stolen. Using a VPN can hide your browsing activity from trackers and even your ISP, enabling you to browse without the fear of having your details leaked or accessed by others. Feature 2 Many VPN providers utilise a level of antimalware into their security layers. This enhances your security by filtering any downloads through the VPN first. Should there be a virus present, then it can be removed or stopped at the VPN before it…

The Disk Management Tool There are several free programs available for creating partitions but the Disk Management tool is just as good and built right in to Windows 10. Step 1 The first thing you need to do is find the Disk Management tool. The easiest way to open the tool is to use the hidden Start button menu. Right-click on the Start menu button and select Disk Management from the menu that appears. There are several system tools here, so it is a useful trick to know. Step 2 The Disk Management tool shows all of your internal and removable drives (even USB flash drives, etc.) along with details of the capacity and current amount of space being used. Depending how your hard drive was initially configured, you will…

Installing SyncToy Installing the SyncToy software is relatively simple. It can be downloaded for free from the Microsoft Download Center for both 32 and 64-bit systems. Step 1 Download SyncToy 2.1 from the Microsoft Download Center (search for it on Microsoft.com). You will need to choose either the 32 or 64-bit version, so make sure you know what system you are running in Settings > System > About. Step 2 Once the download is complete, double-click on the SyncToy setup package and follow the instructions to begin the installation. You will need to agree to some standard software license terms to continue through the setup. Step 3 When you reach the point of choosing the install destination folder, you will have the option to install SyncToy for everyone who uses…

Windows 10, Under Lock and Key We’re going to encrypt a 2GB USB flash in this example, purely for ease of use and to demonstrate how you can encrypt your entire laptop hard drive(s). Step 1 Encryption doesn’t affect the core data, other than making it impossible to read without the decryption key. Still, it’s always worth making sure you have a backup of all your data prior to any system related changes. If you store your work or data in the Documents folder, then start by opening it in Windows Explorer. Step 2 Press Ctrl+A to highlight all the files, then press Ctrl+C to copy them to the clipboard. Next, choose a suitable backup location – such as an external or network drive – and when ready, press Ctrl+V…

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…

1 UPDATE WINDOWS 10 AND DRIVERS The first step along your path to a faster computer is making sure that the Windows OS and all of the various drivers installed are up to date. Simply updating drivers to the latest versions can have a noticeable effect on the overall loading speed of any PC and fortunately, this is very easy to do. Open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click “Check for updates”. Windows 10 will scan for available updates (to both the OS and drivers), before displaying all those available as a list. If no updates are available, it will say “Your device is up to date” and you can move on to the next tip. If updates are available, select those you want to download…

First Things to Check If you’re having problems with Windows Update, the Windows Update Troubleshooter might be able to automatically fix the problem. Go to Microsoft.com and search for Update Troubleshooter. Windows Update Troubleshooter Microsoft knows that things don’t always go smoothly when updating and have provided a dedicated troubleshooting tool for use during this key task. If you’re having problems with Windows Update, the Windows Update Troubleshooter might be able to automatically fix the problem. Go to Microsoft.com and search for Update Troubleshooter. Check for Updates Keeping your copy of Windows 10 up-to-date with the latest releases can really help to avoid problems before they happen. Press the Windows logo key and click Settings. Then choose Update & security > Windows Update and then select Check for updates. Install…

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…

Get to Grips with Start Microsoft has completely redesigned the Start menu for a new era and it seems to be 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…

Viewing Notifications Viewing your notifications is very straightforward, as they are all grouped together within the Action Center. You can see when you have new notifications by the numbered badge that appears. Step 1 Some notifications pop up in a small window in the bottom right corner of the screen as they arrive, others will simply arrive in the Action Center and display a badge on the Action Center button, again at the bottom right of the screen. To see your active notifications, click the Action Center button. Step 2 Notifications are displayed under relevant headings and will be grouped together accordingly. So if you have two different Calendar app notifications, find them grouped together under a calendar heading. Notifications that pop up a window will vanish after a few…

The Cortana Notebook The Notebook in Cortana is your way of making the feature more helpful when using it every day with your PC and Windows 10. The Notebook contains the Organiser and Cortana Skills. Step 1 You can view your Notebook by clicking in the search field in the taskbar, and then clicking the Notebook icon in the left sidebar. You will see your name, plus the email address associated with your Microsoft account, at the top. And below that, two more tabs, for Organiser and Manage Skills. Step 2 To edit some of the information about yourself, click the Edit icon (the pencil) next to your name. Click “Add a place” to search for, and then add, important locations to Cortana. These could be your home address, your…

Blocking Notifications Choose which notifications you want to see and hear. The remainder of your alerts will go into the Action Center so you can see them at a more convenient time. Step 1 You can easily activate Focus Assist using the quick actions panel in the Action Center. The default setting is Off. Click the Quick action button once to allow priority notifications only, click it a second time to allow alarms only. Click the button a third time to turn Focus Assist off again. Step 2 You can also turn Focus Assist on or off in the main settings (settings > system > focus assist). Once there, you can also set up your automatic rules and customise your priority list. You can set automatic rules based on times,…

Netflix Netflix is the world’s leading subscription service for watching TV episodes and movies. Netflix membership gives you access to unlimited TV programmes and films for one low monthly price. - With the Netflix app, you can instantly watch as many TV episodes and films as you want, as often as you want, any time you want. Pinterest Looking for creative ideas? Whether you’re planning your next big travel adventure, searching for home design concepts, or looking for fashion & fitness tips; check out new recipes, or explore lifestyle inspiration, on Pinterest. Discover billions of possibilities for every part of your life, from new recipes to creative home design ideas. File Viewer Plus Are you tired of cluttering your PC with dozens of apps? The free version of File Viewer…

Add 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. Monthly View No matter which view you choose for the main Calendar pane - day, week, etc. - the month preview always shows a full month. You can use the arrows above the mini calendar to skip…

Exploring the Spotify App The free version of Spotify offers a great selection of features and access to loads of music. However, if you want an ad-free experience, you will need to buy a premium account. Step 1 You can download and install the Spotify app from the Windows store for free. It is also free to use, although some of the features will need a premium (paid) account. Once downloaded and installed, you can either create a Spotify account to sign in or you can sign in with Facebook. Step 2 If you have used Groove Music before, the layout and controls of Spotify should be fairly familiar. The main areas of the app (music store, radio, local files, etc.) are accessed by using the menu on the left-hand…

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…

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 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 window…

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;…

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…

Taking Screenshots with Snip & Sketch There are many reasons why you might need to capture an image of your screen, but whatever the reason, the new snipping tool allows you to do exactly that, and much more. Step 1 There are a couple of different ways to open the Snip & Sketch tool but there’s no dedicated keyboard shortcut at this time. You can open the app by clicking on it in the Start menu apps list, by searching for it in the search box or by clicking the Screen snip button in the Quick Actions panel. Step 2 If you open the tool using either of the first two methods, it will open as a blank window with a variety of buttons along the top for editing or…

Enable Find My Device Find my device uses your laptop’s location settings to show its last known physical location on a map, which you access from the main screen of your Microsoft account. Step 1 Go to the Microsoft account login page (account.microsoft.com) in the browser on your computer. Sign in using your Microsoft account details (if trying to enable Find my device for a different device, make sure you sign in with the correct details) and then click the Devices tab at the top. Step 2 You should see your device listed on the Devices screen. On the panel, click “Manage” for the device you want to locate and then click “Enable location”. This is found above the map image, below the battery power indicator. You need to wait…

HOW WILL YOU KNOW? You may hear about a big data breach in the news, or from friends and colleagues, and if the company hacked is one you have accounts with, it is worth following all of the steps below just in case. Often, the first you will know about being hacked is a call from your credit card company or bank about unusual activity, or from friends/relatives suddenly receiving strange requests for money from you. Many of the large email providers, such as Gmail, will alert you if there is a new login to your account from an unrecognised location or device. Or you may simply find that you have been logged out of an account and your password is no longer working. The most important thing is not…

What Makes Public Wi-Fi Unsafe? The very same features that make publicly accessible Wi-Fi hotspots desirable for you and us, such as the lack of authentication needed to connect, also makes them desirable for hackers. Let us start by saying that not all public Wi-Fi is equally unsafe. A coffee shop that has a new Wi-Fi password chalked up on the board every day is probably safer to use than one where the password has been the same for five years, but not by much. As a rule of thumb, you should assume that any network connection you do not control will have fewer defences against interception and should be treated as unsafe. Hackers are able to insert themselves (virtually) between your device and the network connection point, so all…

Enable PUP blocking PUPs can include toolbars, browser extensions, adware and other unwanted software. In almost all cases, this software should be called DUPs (Definitely Unwanted Programs). Step 1 You can enable PUP protection with System Centre Config Manager, PowerShell or Microsoft Intune. For this guide, we’ll be using the PowerShell, as this is available within Windows 10 without installing any additional software; as long as you follow the instructions carefully, it isn’t as scary as it sounds. Step 2 To access the PowerShell interface, right-click the Start button or press Windows+X and click Windows PowerShell (Admin) to open a window. Type the following command at the prompt (without the quotation marks) “Set-MpPreference -PUPProtection 1” and press Enter. Step 3 The PUP blocker is now enabled on your PC. You…

Checking Memory and Memory Usage The first thing you need to do, when trying to optimise RAM usage and performance, is check how much you have and how it is used. Step 1 To check up on your RAM, you need to open the Task Manager. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on the keyboard and then select Task Manager from the list that appears. If Task Manager opens showing just a simple list of tasks, click the More details button to see a more advanced view. Step 2 Click the Performance tab at the top and then the Memory tab on the left side. You can now see how much you have in total and then check the graph to see how much RAM is being used. Try opening…

Protecting Your PC and Files Creating a recovery drive is a relatively simple process. It does however take a bit of time to create but it’s worth the effort as it could save you 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…

The word encryption comes from the ancient Greek word Kryptos, which means hidden or secret. Interestingly, the practise of hiding messages from others can be traced back to early Egyptian scribes who inserted non-standard hieroglyphs within other communications in order to hide the message from casual viewers. According to historians, the Spartans used strips of leather engraved with messages. When the strips were read, they were meaningless, but when wrapped around a staff of a certain diameter, the characters would be decipherable. Of course, the modern forms of encryption are far more advanced, but the overall core concept has remained the same: to be able to send a message to others without anyone else being able to decipher it. However, modern encryption now requires more than merely sending coded messages.…

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 of 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…

Fresh or Reset? Refreshing and resetting your Windows 10 PC are two very different things and you should always make sure you know which is the best choice to solve your current problem. Step 1 If your PC isn’t performing as well as it once did, and you don’t know why, you can reset your PC without deleting any of your personal files or changing your settings. Apps or software not installed through the Store will be removed but Windows store apps will be reinstalled. Step 2 Open the main Settings app and head in to the Update & Security section. Click on Recovery and you will see several options, including Reset this PC. If you can’t get into settings, you can access reset by restarting your computer while holding…