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Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks
Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks
Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks
Ebook175 pages1 hour

Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks

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About this ebook

Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks gives users an overview of Windows 10, from using the Start Menu and Desktop to more advanced troubleshooting techniques.

In this book, you'll learn how to:

-Master the Start Menu.

-Use virtual desktops in Task View

-Get the most out of the Desktop.

-Use the power of File Explorer.

-Connect Windows 10 to networks.

-Create and eliminate user accounts.

-Install powerful apps from the Windows Store.

-Employ Task Manager to tame your PC.

-And many other tasks.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 4, 2015
ISBN9781311566164
Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks
Author

Jonathan Moeller

Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair of a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.He has written the "Demonsouled" trilogy of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write the "Ghosts" sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the "$0.99 Beginner's Guide" series of computer books, and numerous other works.Visit his website at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.comVisit his technology blog at:http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/screed

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Windows 10 - Jonathan Moeller

Introduction

Welcome to Windows 10: 101 Tips & Tricks. If you've never used Windows 10 before, you've come to the right place. Windows 10 is radically different from previous versions of Windows, yet also represents a retreat from some of the stranger changes of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. Nevertheless, Windows 10 is just as capable and powerful as its predecessors. You can use Windows 10 to perform a variety of computing tasks, such as office work, Internet browsing, listening to music, and playing games. In this book, we'll show you how to use the new Windows 10 interface and get the most out of your Windows 10 PC.

WHAT IS WINDOWS 10?

Windows 10 is a massive change from previous versions of Windows and a continuation of older versions of Windows, enhancing and refining some of the more radical changes made in Windows 8/8.1. For years, the family of Windows operating systems has been the dominant desktop operating system on personal computers. A desktop operating system is an operating system that relies upon a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse. The user of the computer employs the mouse to click on icons representing programs and files. For years the desktop operating system was the dominant paradigm for personal computers.

All this began to change in 2010 with the release of Apple's iPad tablet computer. The iPad took a radically different approach to the user interface. Instead of using a mouse, the iPad came equipped with a touchscreen and large, finger-friendly icons. Users controlled the iPad with touchscreen gestures and tapping, rather than with a mouse. The iPad was the first successful mass-market tablet computer, and remains the dominant tablet at the time of this writing.

Microsoft had for years attempted to design a tablet of its own. It produced Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, and both Windows Vista and Windows 7 came with built-in tablet and touchscreen capabilities. However, this attempts had a fatal weakness. These versions of Windows attempted to graft the desktop experience onto the tablet, using a stylus in lieu of a mouse. This invariably proved quite difficult - a stylus is not as precise an instrument as a mouse pointer, and numerous sections of Windows require precise clicking to get anything done. Windows-based tablet PCs never really caught on, and certainly never experienced anything like the iPad's exponential growth.

To combat the competitive threat from the iPad, Microsoft developed Windows 8. Windows 8 was a new paradigm - an operating system that attempts to combine both a desktop interface and a tablet interface. The idea is that when using Windows 8 on a touchscreen device, you would make use of Windows 8's tablet interface, called the Modern UI Style. But when using Windows 8 on a traditional desktop or laptop computer, you could instead use the Desktop interface, which has not changed a great deal from Windows 7.

As you can imagine, this created a great deal of confusion, especially since Windows 8 abandoned the Start Menu for the Start Screen, and Windows 8 did not see a very high adoption rate. To counter this, Microsoft released Windows 10, which returned the Start Menu, and took many of Windows 8's features and improved and enhanced them, fitting them more properly into the Windows experience.

Windows 10 fulfills the promise of Windows 8/8.1, offering an operating system that works just as well on a small tablet as on a desktop or laptop computer.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

I wrote this book because Windows 10 is quite different from previous versions of Windows. The user interface is very different, and many common tasks are performed differently than in previous versions of Windows. (I have seen seasoned IT professionals get frustrated when attempting to use Windows 10 for the first time.) Hopefully this book will provide a handy and useful guide to Windows 10. It's not intended as an all-encompassing overview of Windows 10, but as an introduction to the operating system. It is my hope that this book will familiarize you with Windows 10 and help you to enjoy using the operating system - or at least keep you from tearing your hair out in frustration every time you need to use Windows 10.

WINDOWS 10 VERSIONS

There are two versions of Windows 10 that most people will encounter.

Windows 10 Home is the successor to Windows 7 Home Premium edition. It offers the full Windows 10. If an application worked on Windows 7 or Windows 8, it will probably work on Windows 10 Home.

Windows 10 Pro includes all the features of standard Windows 8.1. However, Windows 10 Pro is intended for business use, and includes many components designed to that end. Windows 10 Pro includes Domain Join, which allows the computer to join a Microsoft Active Directory domain. Windows 10 Pro also includes BitLocker, which allows you to encrypt your hard disks for security purposes, and can also act as a Remote Desktop host.

(There is a version called Windows 10 Enterprise, but that is only available for businesses that purchase large numbers of Windows 10 licenses.)

If you don't care about these features (or don't even know what they are) you probably don't need Windows 10 Pro, and can stick to Windows 10.

A NOTE ON REPETITION

As you read this book, you might notice that I repeat some sets of instructions. I wanted each Tip to have its own complete set of instructions, so I don’t have to say next, launch File Explorer like we discussed on page 453, which means you don’t have to scroll back and forth to refresh your memory. I personally hate it when technical writers do that, so I’m not going to do it here. Besides, this is an ebook, so it’s not as if repeating some directions will drive up the printing costs!

ERRATA

I have done my best to make sure all the information in this book is accurate and timely, and tested every procedure described in the following chapters. However, I am only mortal, and undoubtedly I have made mistakes. If you notice any errors, you can email me at jmcontact @ jonathanmoeller.com to let me know. The advantage of ebooks over paper books is that ebooks are vastly easier to update and revise, and I can quickly introduce a revised and updated edition to correct any mistakes. (Another advantage of an ebook is that you can have it open on your computer screen as you work, rather than having to look down at a paper book on your desk.)

***

Part I - The Start Menu

In this section, we'll explain the new Start Menu, . We'll show you how to get the most out of your Windows 10 system’s Start Menu. Additionally, we’ll show you how to customize the Start Menu to match your individual preferences, along with a few other settings related to the Start Menu.

***

Tip #1: Summon The Start Menu

One of the primary features of the Windows 10 interface is the Start Menu, a new and improved version of the Start Menu from older versions of Windows. Using the Start Menu, you can launch applications, find documents, and search for system settings and personal files.

Of course, to do all that, you have to first get to the Start Menu. When you launch a Desktop application or a full-screen application, it’s not always immediately obvious how to get back to the Start Menu. Fortunately, there are three ways to get back to the Start Menu at any time.

-If you are using a Windows 10 tablet device that has a Windows button (usually located at the edge or bottom of the device), pressing that button will take you to the Start Menu.

-If you are using Windows 10 on a computer with a physical keyboard (such as a desktop PC or a laptop), almost certainly that computer has a Windows key on its keyboard. Usually the Windows key will be located between the right CTRL and the right ALT keys. Pressing the Windows key will take you immediately to the Start Menu.

-Finally, while in the Desktop, the Start button will remain at the far-left side of your Taskbar (the bar running along the bottom of the screen). Click on it to activate the Start Menu.

By whatever method you use to reach the Start Menu, you can always return to your previous application by tapping the Windows key or button again.

***

Tip #2: Change The Size Of The Start Menu

The Start Menu in Windows 10 can be resized, which is a big advantage over the Start Menu in previous versions of Windows. In the older versions of Windows, such as 95/98 and XP, the Start Menu could wind up spilling over half the screen. The situation improved in Windows Vista and Windows 7 with the additional of a scroll bar, but the Start Menu still took up a small portion of the screen. With Windows 10, you can make the Start Menu as tall or as wide as you want. This will allow you to display more information from Live Tiles, or have quick access to pinned applications.

To adjust the size of the Start Menu, first summon the Start Menu by hitting the WINDOWS key on your keyboard or by clicking the Start button on the Taskbar. When the Start Menu appears, move the mouse to the top edge or the right edge of the Start Menu. The mouse cursor will then change to a double-headed arrow, similar

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