Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i Windows Help & Advice

Sssh! Don’t tell anyone, but we’ve just come back from a top secret mission – to bring you the very best tips, tricks and shortcuts to help you make the most of your PC. Even our Windows experts were pleasantly surprised by the treasures we uncovered and so will you be when you turn to page 56 and discover the secrets that lie in store. But that’s not all. Starting on page 14 , you’ll find our handpicked selection of the top 50 apps for your PC – apps that will help make your PC easier and more fun to use, while also helping you to the things that you love to do. In our Explore section, starting on page 27 , you’ll find even more things to…

What’s this, then? It’s an early codename for Microsoft’s new console. We don’t know what the eventual name will be, other than it’ll likely be some variation on ‘Xbox One’. Another Xbox One? It has only been a few months since the release of the Xbox One S, a smaller, more streamlined, and more powerful version of the original console. But where that introduced small hardware upgrades, such as a 4K-capable Blu-ray player and more colourful HDR graphical rendering, it was really a way of bringing the Xbox in line with the latest TVs – Project Scorpio is aiming far past that. So what’s new? Put simply, early previews of the hardware suggest that Project Scorpio will boost the majority of the console’s specifications even from the already-revised Xbox One…

1 Which of these is not a social network? A Facebook B Mastodon C Chuffr 2 What are Twitter messages called? A Twits B Tweets C Twoots 3 How many users does Facebook say it has per day? A 250 million B 4.2 billion C 1.2 billion 4 What is LinkedIn primarily used for? A Business networking B Sharing cat photos C Editing links 5 Which of these is not an Instagram filter? A Clarendon B Gingham C Vaseline 6 Which of these is not owned by Facebook? A Snapchat B Whatsapp C Instagram…

That old adage about finding the right tool for the right job has never been more apt than when it comes to Windows. If you’re not railing against missing features in a program, you finally find one you like only to discover it’s been discontinued. When it comes to finding those apps that are the best fit for your needs, it can be a long, frustrating experience. And that’s where we come in. This issue, we’ve done the hard work for you, sifting through the hundreds of apps, tools and games we’ve encountered to pick out 50 of the very best for your PC. We’ve neatly split them into four categories: productivity, creative and multimedia; tools and utilities; and fun and games. Many of the apps we have chosen are…

Your guide Matt Hanson says… “The Windows 10 Creators Update brings an overhauled Skype app. Here’s how to use its best features” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 RECENT MESSAGES Click to view your recent messages. If you have missed any you have been sent recently these will be highlighted here. CONTACTS Skype works closely with the People app, making it easy to find contacts you know, as well as add any new ones. SEARCH Skype now lets you search for previous messages using this search bar. You can search for people and ‘bots’ as well. VIDEO CALL Own a webcam? Click to start a free video call with your chosen contact. If you don’t,…

Your guide Ian Evenden says…“Improve the look of your holiday snaps with Photoshop Express and a few simple clicks and tweaks” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 CROP Allows you to crop and straighten an image, removing pixels at the edges to more tightly frame the centre. CORRECT Brings up sliders you can use to affect the colours and contrast in your image. This is a manual process with no auto option. BACK BUTTON Always at the top left of the interface, this takes you out of the editing mode you’re in and back to the main window. LOOKS One-click filters. You can add all kinds of free effects from here, or splash out on…

Your guide Alex Cox says…“Covering your footprints online is an easy way to browse sensitive information in confidence” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 FIREWALL If you’re struggling to access certain sites with the VPN active, switch off the integrated firewall with this toggle. TRAFFIC LIMIT Windscribe’s free tier offers 10GB of traffic each month, but when it’s gone it’s gone – check your usage here. WHERE ARE YOU? Use this drop-down menu to select where you’d like your computer to appear to be from. Scroll to see more. BROWSER PLUGIN Windscribe’s plugin can be found by clicking the icon at the top right of your Firefox, Opera or Chrome window BLOCK IT Use the…

With the release of Windows 10, Microsoft’s policy on new Windows versions changed. No longer will we see major Windows versions like XP, Vista, 7 or 8 that require a huge upgrade, a massive overhaul over those that came before. The company’s new plan involves, instead, rolling out serious feature updates on top of Windows 10 at reasonably regular intervals. We’ve seen two already: the November Update, which landed in, yes, November 2015, corrected some early bugs and introduced improvements to Cortana, app snapping, and media casting in the home. The Anniversary Update – released a year after the initial release of Windows 10 – tweaked certain elements of the interface and added new features for those using tablets. There’s another release scheduled for later in 2017 – currently codenamed…

When the Creators Update lands, you may not immediately notice the difference. It doesn’t make any massive changes to the Windows interface, unlike the forthcoming Neon update, which is due to tweak the look of the desktop significantly. Dig around the Start menu, though, and you’ll find a few cool new apps. New dimensions As you might expect, given the update’s name, Microsoft is seeking to enhance your creative possibilities. You’ll find new app Paint 3D sitting alongside its 2D cousin, and while it’s possibly of limited usefulness for most of us, it’s a great way to play with 3D objects and provides a stack more artistic tools than you’ll find in the basic Paint. Gamers receive a pretty huge enhancement this time around, with integrated game streaming through Microsoft’s…

Just starting your Windows journey? Confused by the changes Microsoft has made to the Creators Update? Maybe you just want to learn something new about Windows 10. Well, this is the section for you! There’s not enough space to tell you absolutely everything you need to know here, but Windows Help & Advice always has your back. In our essential Basics section, we’ll show you how to: master the desktop and make it work for you; customise the Start menu and quickly access favourite items using tiles; and how to get the best from Windows 10’s virtual personal assistant, Cortana.…

You can trust our reviews Our reviewers are 100 per cent independent, with years of experience in the world of computing. Our rigorous testing procedures mean that only genuine, high-quality products are awarded high star ratings. If you see an item of hardware bearing a high score, you can be confident that it is an excellent product. We choose the best products Thousands of new PC products are released every year and choosing between them can be an impossible task. Our experts select only the best hardware and software to feature in this magazine. Even better, our star rating system makes it simple to find the best products, giving you a fast, trustworthy guide. How we review Our expert reviewers guarantee to test every piece of hardware rigorously and thoroughly,…

 Mankind has been looking to the sky ever since we first crawled out of the sea, but there’s never been a better time to take a closer look. The major bodies tasked with exploring and cataloguing space – NASA, the ESA, et al – all have a commitment to share their findings openly. Open your web browser and head to nasa.org, for example, and you can find everything from the latest mission photos from Cassini, Juno and New Horizons to astonishing Ultra HD videos of the inside of the International Space Station (ISS). On the European Space Agency’s site at www.esa.int you can explore current and future missions, such as the forthcoming ExoMars lander. Explore the universe, from nearby planets to far-flung galaxies LOOKING AT THE STARS Sadly, though, it’s…

In this month’s Explore section we’re going to show how to make the most of the internet – whether it’s to call friends and family abroad for free, or save your favourite stories for reading later. On page 28, we’ll walk you through the new version of Skype – the internet telephony app, that’s been reimagined for the Creators Update. And on page 32, we explain how to use the Pocket browser extension to save web content for home, work or school. Finally, on page 48, we’ll show you how to use a VPN to protect your privacy online.…

Your guide Nate Drake says… “Save and categorise web content in your browser with the Pocket extension for Microsoft Edge” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 MY LIST Your list contains all content you saved to your Pocket that isn’t archived. Hover over each item for further options. TAGS When you save an item to Pocket you can add keywords known as ‘tags’. Click here to filter content by keyword or tag. ARCHIVE Contains anything you’ve already read. You can archive items already in your Pocket or by using the Pocket button. POCKET ITEMS Hover over your saved items to add or edit tags, archive read items, add content to your favorites or delete. POCKET…

Your guide Rob Mead-Green says…“Take control of your PC and make it work the way you want to. All it takes are a few tricks and tweaks” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 START MENU Contains all the apps on your PC, with Live Tiles updated over the internet. Can be configured however you wish. QUICK ACCESS Appears in every File Explorer window. Add shortcuts to your most-used files and folders for easy access anywhere. SETTINGS Contains a wealth of options that make using your PC easier and simpler. Worth taking the time to explore in detail. FILE EXPLORER Your window on the Windows world. Use it to find, add, move, copy and delete files…

Your guide Ian Evenden says… “Work smarter, chat to friends and family or help them with their PC problems using this clever app” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 CONTROL REMOTE COMPUTER This is where you put the user ID of a remote computer you want to control. The password pops up in a separate box. REMOTE CONTROL This is the username and password needed to connect to your PC. You’ll need to tell it to the person connecting. UNATTENDED ACCESS If you’re setting up a server or other machine that’s always on, you can configure this so that it doesn’t need a user. COMPUTERS & CONTACTS A list of all the computers in your…

One of the most important things you can do with your PC is make regular backups of all the files you have stored there – after all, you wouldn’t want to lose your precious photos, videos and documents in the unfortunate event that you lost your PC or it got trashed for some reason. Luckily, Windows 10 makes backing up your files easy to do. To do that, plug in a PC-formatted USB drive. Then follow these simple steps……

Full-colour RGB LED lighting isn’t a new thing, but it’s really starting to come into its own thanks to schemes from the likes of Creative, Razer and Asus. Pick up hardware and peripherals compatible with protocols such as Aurora Reactive, Aura Sync, or Chroma lighting (in that order) and you’ll be able to synchronise the illumination of each of your PC components to enjoy a beautiful custom light show while you work. Frivolous, but quite enjoyable...…

Most of us have heard of WinRAR – if you ever get sent an archive in the .RAR format, it’s the go-to tool to decompress the files within. Those of us who’ve used it for any length of time will also no doubt chuckle at its perpetual nag screens, a reminder that, despite it working for a seemingly infinite length of time, it’s not free software. After thirty days, you’ve left WinRAR’s ‘trial period’ – and recent versions have begun laboriously counting up the days since install. There is an alternative, and a very good one. 7-Zip (www.7-zip.org) is completely free, and supports decompression of a number of different archive types, from common formats, such as .ZIP, .RAR and its own .7Z, to much more obscure formats. While you can’t…

Packed with informative tutorials Every issue, we guarantee to pack the magazine with great tutorials teaching you all the best things you can do with your PC. Each article features step-by-step instructions to make learning new skills fast and enjoyable. Customise Windows to work your way We all know how to do the basics but getting the most from Windows isn’t always easy. Our dedication to the operating system means you get the very best tips and tricks for all versions of Windows. Get more from your favourite websites We all have our list of favourite sites but often we miss out on great features because they’re difficult to use or hidden from sight. We’ll show you how to do more online, for a more satisfying web life. Discover new…

Your guide Cat Ellis says…“Windows 10’s default email app is very limited – make the move to Mozilla Thunderbird instead and see how much more it can do” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 When you start using Windows 10, you’ll notice that all the default apps are Microsoft’s own creations: your new web browser is Microsoft Edge; your anti-virus is Defender; your media player is Groove Music; and your email app is Mail. Most of these are perfectly good programs, but Mail, sadly, isn’t. The main problem is that unlike most desktop email clients, it doesn’t store your messages on your PC. That means it doesn’t make backups, and if you can’t connect to…

Your guide Nick Odantzis says…“Windows 10 has a load of incredible apps built-in. In this guide we’ll show you how to find them and some of the amazing things that these freebies can do” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 NICK’S BEST TIP! You can change the default app that is associated with certain files. Go to Settings > System > ‘Default apps’. Chances are you head to the internet (or check the pages of this very magazine!) when you want to find new apps for doing stuff on your PC, whether it’s editing your photos or bolstering your PC’s anti-virus protection. In many cases, you don’t need to go anywhere, because they’re right under…

1 The trick If you’re using Windows 10 Home (and you probably are) you’ll need to cheat a little to stop updates downloading automatically. Click the Start button at the bottom left of your screen, click the cog to reach the Settings menu, then head to Network & Internet. 2 Cut it off Select Wi-Fi from the left menu, then select your wireless network. Scroll down slightly, and switch on ‘Set as metered connection’ – this stops data transfers, including large updates, from coming through automatically; switch it off when you’re ready to update. 3 Cancel restarts To stop Windows automatically restarting to update while you’re hard at work, go to Settings > Updates and Security, scroll down, and select ‘active hours’. Set the start and end time – make…

If you’re in the market for a new PC, you have two choices: either go for a product from a tried-and-trusted, big-name brand or go for a feature-packed, but affordable alternative from emerging tech countries such as China. In this issue we’re looking at both options with student favourite, the HP Pavilion, in one corner (page 84); and the Teclast X5 Pro on the other (page 86). We also test Logitech’s G413 Carbon keyboard (page 88) and Parrot’s Bebop 2 drone (page 90). Plus, on page 95, the best free uninstallers 2017.…

When you want to remove an app or program from your PC, you probably reach for Windows’ built-in ‘Add or remove programs’ option. It’s okay for removing the odd program here and there, but all too often you’ll be presented with a message telling you that some components couldn’t be removed, or that the uninstall has failed in some way. That’s why you need a dedicated third-party uninstaller – and some of the best tools around are available completely free. These uninstallers will quickly scan your system for all installed programs, and let you select several at once for removal. Once they’ve been purged, the software will then perform another scan to track down and wipe out temporary files and old registry entries, freeing up valuable space and ensuring you…