WINDOWS 7 LOGO

Windows 7 is a personal

computer operating system that was produced

by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of

operating systems. It was released to

manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and became

generally available on October 22, 2009, less than

three years after the release of its

predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows

7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2,

was released at the same time. Microsoft will end its extended support of Windows 7 on January

14, 2020.

Windows 7 was primarily intended to be an incremental upgrade to Microsoft Windows,

intended to address Windows Vista's poor critical reception while maintaining hardware

and software compatibility. It continued improvements on Windows Aero (the user

interface introduced in Windows Vista) with the addition of a redesigned taskbar that allows

applications to be "pinned" to it, and new window management features. Other new features

were added to the operating system, including libraries, the new file sharing system Home

Group, and support for multitouch input. A new "Action Center" interface was also added to

provide an overview of system security and maintenance information, and tweaks were made to

the User Account Control system to make it less intrusive. Windows 7 also shipped with updated

versions of several stock applications, including Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player,

and Windows Media Center.

In contrast to Windows Vista, Windows 7 was generally praised by critics, who

considered the operating system to be a major improvement over its predecessor due to its

increased performance, its more intuitive interface (with particular praise devoted to the new

taskbar), fewer User Account Control popups, and other improvements made across the platform.

Windows 7 was a major success for Microsoft; even prior to its official release, pre-order sales

for 7 on the online retailer Amazon.com had surpassed previous records.

Page 1 of 29
VERSIONS

Windows 7 Starter

This is the bare-bones, 32-bit only version of

Windows 7 intended for users in developing countries,

to serve the most basic computing needs.

Windows 7 Home Basic

Home Basic sits somewhere between Starter and Home Premium. It has all the features

of Windows 7 Starter and will also only be available through OEM partners in developing

countries. Also like Starter, it will not include the Aero Glass GUI.

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 7 Home Premium has all the features of Starter and Home Basic and then

some. This is the mainstream retail version that nearly all consumers will be using. Windows 7

Home Premium will be available worldwide to Microsoft OEMs and sold in retail stores loaded

on new PCs.

Windows 7 Professional

Also available worldwide, to OEMs and in retail, Windows 7 Professional has the

features of Home Premium, but with added networking and data protection features for small

businesses and those who frequently work at home.

Windows 7 Enterprise

Windows 7 Enterprise is only available to businesses through volume licensing. It

includes all the features of Windows 7 Professional plus more security and networking features.

Windows 7 Ultimate

Ultimate, the supersize version of Windows, includes all the features of all the other

versions. Think of it as Windows 7 Enterprise for consumers.

Page 2 of 29
FEATURES

Windows 7: 10 Best Features

1. The Taskbar reloaded: Windows 7's

version of the Taskbar is less cluttered than

Vista's, and it handles both running and non-

running apps with equal aplomb.

2. Slicker, quicker Taskbar Previews: Now

they show you all of an application's open

windows, all at once.

3. The convenience of Jump Lists: These

context-sensitive Taskbar menus let you start accomplishing things in applications before you

even open them.

4. A System Tray you can love: New controls prevent the System Tray from overflowing with

unwanted apps and distracting you with unhelpful, irrelevant messages.

5. A more media-savvy Windows Media Player: Love Apple's iTunes Store but hate iTunes?

New file-format support enables Windows Media Player 12 to play back unprotected audio and

video from Apple's online store.

6. Alerts via Action Center: Windows 7's version of Vista's Security Center queues up system

messages so that you can respond to them on your schedule--not when Windows feels like

interrupting you.

7. User Account Control that you control: If you're okay with this security feature's raison

d'être but can't stand the rapid-fire prompts in Vista, take heart: You can tune Windows 7's

versions to make them less paranoid and intrusive.

8. Library privileges: You can bundle folders from locations all across your hard drive into

Libraries designed to provide one-click access from the left pane of Windows Explorer to related

files.

Page 3 of 29
9. Reasonable hardware requirements: Historically, new versions of Windows have gobbled

up twice the amount of CPU power and RAM that their predecessors did. But Windows 7 runs a

bit better than Vista on the same system; it's even tolerable on a netbook.

10. The potential of touch: Windows 7's support for multitouch input doesn't change anything

overnight--but it does lay necessary groundwork for third-party developers to build their own

software. If they build killer touch apps, Windows 7 deserves some of the credit.

Page 4 of 29
COMMON ISSUES

System locks up or freezes

If your computer suddenly stops responding

while in Windows, you may be experiencing a

system lock up issue. For system lock ups, there are

steps you can take to attempt to discover the root

cause.

Activation Questions

Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and hasn’t been used on

more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow.

Using System Restore

System Restore is a Microsoft® Windows® tool designed to protect and repair the

computer software. System Restore takes a "snapshot" of some system files and the Windows

registry and saves them as Restore Points. When an install failure or data corruption occurs,

System Restore can return a system to working condition without reinstalling the operating

system. It repairs the Windows environment by reverting back to the files and settings that were

saved in the restore point.

Video Issues

Your Dell monitor may be experiencing an LCD display or video issue usually caused by

either the monitor, video card (GPU) or video settings. It is essential to verify if the problem is

inherent with the monitor, video card (GPU) or video settings on your PC. A straightforward way

to identify this is to connect the PC to a known-good external monitor or TV.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1:

Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 is now available.

This service pack is an update to Windows 7 and to Windows Server 2008 R2 that addresses

Page 5 of 29
customer and partner feedback. SP1 for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 is a

recommended collection of updates and improvements to Windows that are combined into a

single installable update. Windows 7 SP1 can help make your computer safer and more reliable.

Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 provides a comprehensive set of innovations for enterprise-class

virtualization. This includes new virtualization capabilities with Dynamic Memory and Microsoft

RemoteFX

Page 6 of 29
WINDOWS 8 LOGO

Windows 8 is a personal

computer operating system that was

produced by Microsoft as part of

the Windows NT family of operating

systems. The operating system was released

to manufacturing on August 1, 2012,

with general availability on October 26,

2012.

Windows 8 introduced major

changes to the operating system's platform and user interface to improve its user experience

on tablets, where Windows was now competing with mobile operating systems,

including Android and iOS. In particular, these changes included a touch-optimized Windows

shell based on Microsoft's "Metro" design language, the Start screen (which displays programs

and dynamically updated content on a grid of tiles), a new platform for developing "apps" with

an emphasis on touchscreen input, integration with online services (including the ability to

synchronize apps and settings between devices), and Windows Store, an online store for

downloading and purchasing new software. Windows 8 added support for USB 3.0, Advanced

Format hard drives, near field communications, and cloud computing. Additional security

features were introduced, such as built-in antivirus software, integration with Microsoft Smart

Screen phishing filtering service and support for UEFI Secure Boot on supported devices

with UEFI firmware, to prevent malware from infecting the boot process.

Windows 8 was released to a mixed critical reception. Although reaction towards its

performance improvements, security enhancements, and improved support for touchscreen

devices was positive, the new user interface of the operating system was widely criticized for

being potentially confusing and difficult to learn, especially when used with a keyboard and

mouse instead of a touchscreen. Despite these shortcomings, 60 million Windows 8 licenses

were sold through January 2013, a number that included both upgrades and sales to OEMs for

new PCs.

Page 7 of 29
VERSIONS

Windows RT

Designed to compete with the iPad and other

popular tablets, Windows RT relies on the Start

screen and its family of apps. Windows RT comes

pre-installed on tablets or laptops; you can’t buy it

separately, and you can’t move it from one device to

another. Microsoft’s new Surface tablet will run

Windows RT when released earlier this year.

Windows 8

Some tablets and desktop computers aimed at home shoppers will come with Windows 8.

More powerful than Windows RT, Windows 8 includes the Start screen and its apps, as well as a

fully-functional desktop. It doesn’t include the Microsoft Office apps tossed in with Windows

RT; you can either buy the Office apps separately, or buy the full version of Microsoft Office to

run on the desktop.

Windows 8 Pro

Aimed at small businesses and home enthusiasts who want everything, Windows 8 Pro

includes everything found in Windows 8, as well as advanced features like the Remote Desktop,

encryption, virtual hard drives, and other feature rarely used by home users. (Microsoft’s second

version of its Surface tablet, expected in 2013, will run Windows 8 Pro.)

Windows 8 Enterprise

Sold only by license to large businesses, Windows 8 Enterprise offers extra networking

features to help technicians run large networks. Windows 8 Enterprise is mostly Windows 8 Pro

with a few technical programs, but Microsoft’s licensing program gives businesses a bulk buy

discount.

Page 8 of 29
FEAUTURES

Easy Gestures

Windows 8 is the first truly gestural version of

Windows. The OS supports intuitive simple touch

gestures like swiping in from the left to switch apps

and swiping in from the right for the Charms menu.

Semantic zoom is another big winner. Whether you’re

in the Start Screen or a specific app, like the People

hub, you can navigate using the pinch-to-zoom gesture to get a high-level view. For example,

you can use semantic zoom in the News app to see all of the news sections available, instead of

having to scroll through the app. Other useful gestures include swiping in from the top of the

screen for app-specific commands and settings and dragging an app from the top down to close it

out.

Live Titles and Lock Screen

The apps you use in Windows 8 can feed you

information without you even having to open them.

This is especially helpful with home-bred Microsoft

apps like Mail, Calendar, Photos and News, for

viewing new e-mail, upcoming events, thumbnail

images and the latest headlines. Third-party app

developers can also take advantage of the Live Tile

feature. For example, Living Social shows you snippets of new deals in your area. If you’re sick

of a specific app’s constantly changing tile, you can always turn the Live Tile feature off.

Microsoft has also given more life to the lock screen in Windows 8. You can select up to seven

apps that will constantly run in the background and send notifications to the lock screen. You can

also select between the Weather and Calendar apps to show information on the Lock Screen at all

times. Got a meeting coming up? Your Lock Screen can tell you.

Page 9 of 29
System-Wide Search

Windows 8 offers a great tool for searching for

files, apps, and specific settings directly from the Start

Screen, just by typing. If an app comes with built-in

search, you’ll also be able to quickly search within that

apps from the Search charms bar. For example, say you

want to search for “food trucks.” The Windows 8 search will be able to look through any apps or

files related to food trucks, but you can also just tap Bing to jump into that app’s search

functionality.

Refresh and Reset

With Windows 8, Microsoft now offers a very

easy way to refresh or reset your PC. The refresh

option is especially useful when you find your PC

acting slow or buggy. In a one-click or one-tap move,

you can refresh the PC without changing any of your

files, Windows Store apps, or personalization settings.

All of the PC settings will be changed back to the default, and you will lose any desktop

programs since those are not synced with your Windows Account. Still, if it comes down it, it’s a

easy fix. Reset, on the other hand, is great for when you want to hand off your old PC to a new

owner. If you want to make sure that everything is wiped, this is your go-to button. No more

having to delete individual files or go through manufacturer-specific programs to figure it out.

You can find both features in the Charms bar: Click Settings, choose “Change PC Settings” and

go to the “General” section.

Settings Sync

Page 10 of 29
 No matter what PC, tablet or notebook you use,

you’ll be able to sync your personal settings. Thanks to

the Microsoft account and Windows 8’s cloud-friendly

platform, your personalization can travel with you. The

“Sync your settings” option within your PC settings lets

you sync personalize (background, colors, lock screen

and account picture), passwords, language preferences, app settings, browser settings, and more.

It makes using a new device much easier and makes borrowing a friend’s tablet or notebook a

more personal experience.

Snap View for Multitasking

Windows Store apps, which default to full-

screen mode, can also snap next to each other for super

simple multitasking. When you snap two apps side-by-

side, one occupies a small sliver of the screen (about

one-fourth) on the right or left. A second app takes up

more space for a larger view. This is especially useful for times when you want to, say, chat with

a friend while browsing the web. Or perhaps you want to view Map directions while your road-

trip partner (or kid) watches a movie. It’s a quick and simple way to do two tasks at once,

without having to constantly switch through apps, tabs, or windows.

PIN Anything

The Start Screen isn’t useful only for its Live

Tiles and customization. It’s also a virtual bulletin

board where you can pin specific websites and

particular sections from apps. For example, you can

pin individuals from the People hub directly to your Start Screen for quick access. If you’re a big

fan of the Travel app but you only want to look at certain destinations, you can pin them for

convenience. Pin Shanghai to your Start Screen before your big vacation, and switch it out for

your next destination at a later date. You can always pin and un-pin items from your Start Screen.

Page 11 of 29
Share Everything

Windows 8 brings sharing to the fore. If

something is shareable, Microsoft wants you to share it,

and not only with friends, but with other apps. When

you’re in an app, open up the charms bar and tap the

Share button (or hold the Windows key and the H key

on your keyboard). You’ll see exactly where you can

share your item, whether it’s an image, link or section within an app. The Share menu will let

you post to your social networks and e-mail, but you’ll also be able to share between apps. For

example, you can share a link for the weather in New York from the Weather app to the

Clipboard or Sticky Notes 8 (a third-party app I downloaded). The Share charm will even start to

recognize where and with whom you share the most.

Task Manager

Not all of the best features are limited to the

new Start Screen environment. The Task Manager in

Windows 8’s desktop environment is much improved.

The tool has several new features and is much more

intuitive to use. Once you launch the program, you’ll

see a complete list of everything that’s running on

your device, separated by section: apps, background

processes, and Windows processes. You can see how

much of your device’s resources each app or process takes. You can also drill down even further.

For example, you can open up each window in a browser app or right click a process and choose

“search online” to understand what it does. The Performance tab gives you an at-a-glance status

update on your CPU, Memory, Disk, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi usage in moving charts. App history

shows you how much CPU and bandwidth your apps have used over time, making it easy to

Page 12 of 29
identify which apps take the most resources. The Startup tab lets you manage which apps will

start automatically when you turn on your computer. The Users tab shows you usage based on

the devices various users, while the Services tab lets you go through your services to restart

services. In short, the Task Manager adds much more functionality in a far more attractive space.

The Interface

OK, this is a cop-out, but Windows 8’s best feature is its

radically new interface. Without it, you wouldn’t have all the

other features mentioned here. The stunning Start Screen UI

enables a completely new Windows experience. While you

might have complaints about how it doesn’t work as well with a

keyboard and mouse -- or on a desktop PC -- it’s hard to label Windows 8 as anything but a step

forward for Microsoft. The chrome less, full-screen Windows Store apps are incredibly slick, and

navigating the Start Screen is quick and seamless. Windows 8 is speedy, and the new look only

enhances this.

HONORARY MENTION: Keyboard Commands

Yes, Windows 8 does work most naturally in a touch- or

gesture-based environment. But if you’re using a traditional

mouse and keyboard, Microsoft has enabled tons of new

keyboard shortcuts to let you access the best Windows 8 tools.

Here’s a list of some of the most useful commands (courtesy of

Microsoft): Windows logo key + start typing: Search your PC

Ctrl+plus (+) or Ctrl+minus (-): Zoom in or out of many items, like apps pinned to the Start

screen or in the Store Ctrl+scroll wheel: Zoom in or out of many items, like apps pinned to the

Start screen or in the Store Windows logo key + C: Open the charms Windows logo key + F:

Open the Search charm Windows logo key +H: Open the Share charm Windows logo key +I:

Open the Settings charm Windows logo key + K: Open the Devices charm Windows logo key +

O: Lock the screen orientation (portrait or landscape) Windows logo key + Z: Open commands

for the app Windows logo key + PgUp: Move the screen and apps to the monitor on the right

Page 13 of 29
(apps in the desktop won’t change monitors) Windows logo key + PgDn: Move the Start screen

and apps to the monitor on the left (apps in the desktop won’t change monitors) Windows logo.

COMMON ISSUES

Windows Shutting Down Automatically

If your system is shutting down or rebooting

itself automatically, our general solution will be to

check the hardware. However, the problem lies with the

Hybrid feature of the system.

Metro Apps Freezes

The Metro Apps may freeze as soon as you start your system. This problem is due to the

user account control (UAC) feature.

Printer Not Responding

For printer glitches or printer-not-responding problems, first check the hardware

connections. Check if the printer cable is properly plugged in and if the printer driver is properly

installed. Even after checking and rectifying these settings, if the printer still doesn't respond,

then the problem may lie with the drivers.

Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Issues

Due to the many features of Windows 8, it is advisable to upgrade to this version of OS.

However, you may encounter the 0xc00000e9 error during the upgradation. This problem will

occur if you have disconnected a removable storage device while it was still in use.

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

The 0xc0000001 error may occur due to no particular reason. This error may pop up in

case of software as well as hardware issues. Also, this error will appear every now and then, so

know how to solve this.

Outlook.com Account is Blocked

Page 14 of 29
 Microsoft temporarily blocks the user account if there is a spam detected. So, when you

log in to your account, you may find an error.

Internet Explorer has crashed

While you are browsing the Internet, there are chances that due to some network

problems, the browser may crash or stop working completely. You can try a few solutions to

restart it.

Unable to Install or Play Games

Some games are not Windows 8-compatible, like NFS ProStreet, etc. So, in such cases, it

is advisable to install these in Windows 7 Compatibility mode.

Older Programs Do Not Run

Not all the old programs run smoothly on the new platform of Windows 8. So, you may

change the compatibility settings to run these programs.

Unable to Run .exe Files

If you are facing problems in opening executable files, then the problem is with the

compatibility of these files with v8.

Wi-Fi or Wired Connections Not Working Properly

The broadband connections that are needed to connect to the Internet may need some

troubleshooting, if they are not working fine. First, disconnect the modem/router and wait till the

LED lights are off. Now, reconnect them and restart the system. If you are using wireless router,

reconnect power to the router.

NET Framework Installation Error

All of you who have tried installing .Net Framework on your Windows 8-enabled system

would have encountered the 0x800F0906 error. The most common reason for this error is the

Firewall or proxy settings.

Page 15 of 29
WINDOWS 8.1 LOGO

Windows 8.1 is a personal

computer operating system that was

produced by Microsoft and released as part

of the Windows NT family of operating

systems. It was released to

manufacturing on August 27, 2013, and

reached general availability on October 17,

2013, about a year after the retail release of

its predecessor. Windows 8.1 was made

available as a free upgrade for retail copies

of Windows 8 and Windows RT users via the Windows Store.

Windows 8.1 aimed to address complaints of Windows 8 users and reviewers on launch.

Visible enhancements include an improved Start screen, additional snap views, additional

bundled apps, tighter OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) integration, Internet Explorer 11, a Bing-

powered unified search system, restoration of a visible Start button on the taskbar, and the ability

to restore the previous behavior of opening the user's desktop on login instead of the Start screen.

Windows 8.1 also added support for such emerging technologies as high-resolution displays, 3D

printing, Wi-Fi Direct, and Miracast streaming, as well as the ReFS file system.

Windows 8.1 received more positive reception than Windows 8, with critics praising the

expanded functionality available to apps in comparison to 8, its OneDrive integration, along with

its user interface tweaks and the addition of expanded tutorials for operating the Windows 8

interface. Despite these improvements, Windows 8.1 was still criticized for not addressing all

digressions of Windows 8 (such as a poor level of integration between Metro-style apps.

Page 16 of 29
VERSIONS

Windows RT, quite possibly the worst

name Microsoft has ever given any product, isn’t

really Windows because it won’t run old-

fashioned Windows programs and it doesn’t

have a real Windows 7–style desktop. Windows

RT is Microsoft’s iPad-wannabe, built on a

completely new kind of computer, commonly

called ARM.

It contains the tiled interface, five customized Office-like apps (Outlook, Word, Excel,

PowerPoint, and OneNote), File Explorer, and Internet Explorer on an ersatz desktop.

Windows 8.1 — the version you probably want — works great unless you specifically

need one of the features in Windows 8.1 Pro. A big bonus for many of you: This version makes

all the myriad Windows languages — 96 of them, from Afrikaans to Yoruba — available to

anyone with a normal, everyday copy of Windows, at no extra cost.

Windows 8.1 Pro includes everything in Windows 8.1 plus the ability to attach the

computer to a corporate domain network; the Encrypting File System and BitLocker for

scrambling your hard drive’s data; Hyper-V for running virtual machines; and the software

necessary for your computer to act as a Remote Desktop host — the “puppet” in an RD session.

Windows 8.1 Enterprise is available only to companies that buy into Microsoft’s

Software Assurance program — the (expensive) volume licensing plan that buys licenses to

every modern Windows version. Enterprise offers a handful of additional features, but they don’t

matter unless you’re going to buy a handful of licenses or more.

Page 17 of 29
FEATURES

 The Start button returns: One of the most confusing changes in Windows 8 was the

removal of the Start menu. In fact, the Start button was completely gone, although there

was an invisible clickable area where it used to be. Windows 8.1 brings back the Start

button, but stops short of resurrecting the menu. Clicking on the button opens the

Windows 8.1 Start screen, but a right click does give you access to some common

functions like the control panel, task manager and the ability to shut down or restart the

computer.

 Boot to Desktop: Users that don’t use touchscreens with Windows weren’t too pleased

with Windows 8’s insistence on booting into the revamped, tile-based Start screen UI. In

8.1 Microsoft has offered a compromise of sorts. You will have the option to boot

directly to the desktop.

 More Lock screen and Start screen options: Microsoft already had picture

passwords, but now that feature has been

expanded to allow multiple images to be pulled

from the local storage or SkyDrive galleries.

This effectively makes the Lock screen into a

digital photo frame. You’ll also be able to

capture pictures with the device’s camera, or answer Skype calls, without unlocking first.

The Start screen now has more tile sizes and background colors, as well.

 Refreshed Xbox Music: One of the neat but under-appreciated features of Windows 8

is the Xbox Music integration. It allows users to stream over 30 million tracks for free.

The only problem was the app’s confusing interface. In 8.1, Xbox Music is more user-

friendly and supports custom playlists.

Page 18 of 29
  Better search: For whatever reason, Microsoft didn’t include true universal search in

Windows 8. In Windows 8.1, searching the device will pull up apps, local and SkyDrive

files, and settings. Previously it only found apps. Overall, the entire search and All Apps

view experience has been significantly rejigged to help out mouse-and-keyboard users.

 Snap Views and better multi-monitor: Some of the Modern/Metro UI apps look

cool, but the modal single app usage could be

annoying. In 8.1, users can run multiple apps in

the foreground with Snap. If you have a

2,560×1,440 resolution or higher monitor, you can

have four apps up at once. lower than that, and

only three apps can be snapped in. These figures hold for each monitor, so you can have

eight Modern UI apps up across two high-resolution monitors.

 The Windows Store: The new Windows Store UI is cleaner and has larger images of

the apps. Currently installed apps can also auto-update in the background. Hopefully

these get developers more excited about making things for Windows 8.

 Extensive SkyDrive integration: Perhaps the biggest and best change in Windows 8.1

is extensive, all-inclusive SkyDrive integration. Now, when you set up Windows 8.1, you

will be prompted to turn on SkyDrive — and by doing so, SkyDrive will be integrated

right into Explorer. Accessing your SkyDrive documents from the Desktop is very easy

and surprisingly slick. More files and settings will now be synced/backed up by default,

too.

 Souped up Metro Control Panel: For touchscreen users, one of the biggest changes

in Windows 8.1 is a massively beefed up Metro Control Panel. No longer will you have

to fall back to the Desktop Control Panel to change a large number of system settings!

COMMON ISSUES

Broken Internet Connection

Page 19 of 29
 In the comments section of our original

article several users reported that they were unable

to access the Internet after updating. Sometimes

you were able to access the Internet after several

refreshes of your laptop or modem, whereas

sometimes you said you couldn’t access the

Internet after hours of trying. Based on your comments, the problem does not appear to be

browser-specific nor make/model-specific, and so once again we are left without a cause.

Blurry of Fuzzy Display of certain programs

Another commonly reported issue after

upgrading was that certain programs would lose

their sharp edges, making images and fonts appear

blurry and distorted. If you are suffering from this

problem, the first thing to check is that the update

hasn’t altered your display settings or resolution.

Svchost.exe Uses Too Much Processing Power

One of the most common Windows processes, svchost.exe has been reported by users on

both Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 as occasionally consuming processing power that it doesn’t

need. This will cause your computer to become progressively more sluggish until eventually it

crashes.

There are two common causes to this problem. The

most widely reported, and therefore most likely, is the

Windows uPNP service (Universal Plug-and-Play). The

service is designed to continually scan your network for

new plug-and-play devices – yet it has been known to malfunction – scanning continuously until

there are no system resources remaining. The fix is simple, just head to your computer’s

Page 20 of 29
‘Network and Sharing Centre’, click on ‘Change advanced sharing settings’ and check the box

next to ‘Turn off network discovery’.

You Find the Charms Bar Annoying

Windows 8 has been designed with touchscreen users in mind. While Windows 8.1

Update 1 goes some way to addressing the concerns of mouse users, several people still claim

that they find the Charms Bar a hindrance. This is especially true if you are playing a game or

using a website which often requires you to move your mouse to that part of the screen.

Administrator Account Disabled

The problem of deleted or disabled administrator

accounts has affected people after updating, but this fix

will also work if you accidentally disabled the account

during normal computer usage. Symptoms could be

numerous, from not being able to download content

from the Web to not being able to launch programs that

require admin privileges.

Your Media Libraries Disappeared

After Windows 7 introduced users to Libraries

they quickly became popular, offering an easy way to

collate and organise media folders from various

locations. Windows 8 continued to utilise them, but in

Windows 8.1 they suddenly disappeared.

WINDOWS 10 LOGO

Page 21 of 29
 Windows 10 is a series of personal

computer operating systems produced

by Microsoft as part of its Windows NT family

of operating systems. It is the successor

to Windows 8.1, and was released to

manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and broadly

released for retail sale on July 29, 2015.

[13]
Windows 10 receives new builds on an

ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users, in addition to additional test

builds of Windows 10 which are available to Windows Insiders. Devices in enterprise

environments can receive these updates at a slower pace, or use long-term support milestones

that only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of

extended support.

One of Windows 10's most notable features is support for universal apps, an expansion of

the Metro-style apps first introduced in Windows 8. Universal apps can be designed to run across

multiple Microsoft product families with nearly identical code—

including PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and Mixed

Reality. The Windows user interface was revised to handle transitions between a mouse-oriented

interface and a touchscreen-optimized interface based on available input devices—particularly

on 2-in-1 PCs, both interfaces include an updated Start menu which incorporates elements

of Windows 7's traditional Start menu with the tiles of Windows 8. Windows 10 also introduced

the Microsoft Edge web browser, a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management

feature called Task View, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, new security

features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12.

Windows 10 received mostly positive reviews upon its original release in July 2015.

Critics praised Microsoft's decision to provide a desktop-oriented interface in line with previous

versions of Windows, contrasting the tablet-oriented approach of 8, although Windows 10's

touch-oriented user interface mode was criticized for containing regressions upon the touch-

oriented interface of Windows 8. Critics also praised the improvements to Windows 10's bundled

Page 22 of 29
software over Windows 8.1, Xbox Live integration, as well as the functionality and capabilities

of the Cortana personal assistant and the replacement of Internet Explorer with Edge. However,

media outlets have been critical of changes to operating system behaviors, including

mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection performed by the OS for

Microsoft and its partners and the adware-like tactics used to promote the operating system on its

release.

Although Microsoft's goal to have Windows 10 installed on over a billion devices within

three years of its release had failed, it still had an estimated usage share of 60% of all the

Windows versions on traditional PCs, and thus 47% of traditional PCs were running Windows 10

by September 2019. Across all platforms (PC, mobile, tablet and console), 35% of devices run

some kind of Windows,

Page 23 of 29
VERSIONS

 Windows 10 Home, which is the most basic

PC version.

 Windows 10 Pro, which has touch features

and is meant to work on two-in-one devices

like laptop/tablet combinations, as well as

some additional features to control how

software updates get installed-important in

the workplace.
 Windows 10 Enterprise, which will have extra management features. We have some

ideas of pricing here, as Microsoft is touting a$7/month Windows 10 Enterprise

subscription for businesses that also includes bunch of juicy, lucrative cloud services.
 Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones.
 Windows10 Mobile Enterprise, which is like the one above, but with more business

management features.
 Windows 10 Education, which is optimized for schools.
 Windows10 IoT Core, which is for robots, smart sensors, and well, if you need it, you’ll

know it.

FEATURES

Top 10 New Windows 10 Features

Page 24 of 29
1. Start Menu Returns

It's what Windows 8 detractors have been

clamoring for, and Microsoft has finally brought

back the Start Menu. Now, when you click on the

Start button at the bottom left of the screen, you get

two panels side by side, with the left column showing pinned, recently and most-used apps.

2. Cortana on Desktop

Being lazy just got a lot easier.

Windows 10 will bring Microsoft's voice-

controlled digital assistant Cortana to desktop

computers, to make it easier for you to interact

with your device without lifting a finger. You

will be able to search your hard drive for specific files, pull up photos from specific dates, or

launch PowerPoint presentations just by telling your PC to do so. You can even get Cortana to

send an email while you're working on a spreadsheet, making multi-tasking much easier.

3. Xbox App

You will soon be able to play any Xbox One

game on your PC or tablet, with the Xbox app for

Windows 10. The new operating system will

support Xbox game streaming (through your home

network), with improved speed and graphics

performance thanks to DirectX 12 support. The app

also lets you record, edit and share your fragging victories with the Game DVR feature, which

lets you grab the previous 30 seconds of your game so you don't miss unexpected wins. You'll

also be able to join your friends in games across Windows 10 or the Xbox platforms, and see

your friends' activity via Xbox Live

4. Project Spartan Browser

Page 25 of 29
 Forget Internet Explorer. The long-derided browser will be replaced by the newly

announced Project Spartan. New features include PDF

support, a reading mode that improves the layout of long

articles, and a new note taking feature. The latter lets you

scribble on any page and share your comments with your

friends through social networks via a slide-in menu so you

won't have to leave the browser. Better yet, Project Spartan will feature Cortana support within

the browser, so she can pull contextual information from the sites you're on to do things like

navigate to a restaurant you're looking up or pull up an upcoming flight time without having to

go into your email.

5. Improved Multitasking

A new Multiple Desktops feature lets you run

another set of windows as if on another screen, but

without the physical monitor. This is similar to

Apple's Spaces feature on OS X, and helps you manage

your multitude of open windows and apps. Instead of

having multiple windows open on top of each other on

one desktop, you can set up a whole other virtual desktop for those programs to reside in. Set up

one specifically for home and leave your apps such as Netflix and Amazon open, and create

another desktop for work on which you keep Word, Excel and Internet Explorer open.

6. Universal Apps

To make the transition across devices more

seamless, Microsoft is introducing a new category of

software called Universal Apps, which use the same

code but adapt their interface to the device in your

hand. The company is also bundling its own set of

Universal apps with the OS, including Photos, Videos, Music, Maps, People & Messaging and

Mail & Calendar, which all function the same way on tablets, phones and PCs. The content is

Page 26 of 29
stored and synced via Microsoft's cloud service OneDrive so you can pick up where you left off

on another device.

7. Office Apps Get Touch Support,

A new version of Office apps Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook will provide a touch-

first interface across phones, tablets and PCs. The persistent function ribbon at the top of the

apps is now an app bar that shows up only when you need it. In Outlook, you'll now be able to

delete messages from your inbox by swiping each entry to the left. Swiping to the right flags that

message. The apps will look and perform the same way on a PC as they do on a mobile device

for a more coherent experience.

8. Continuum

With the rise of hybrid laptop-tablet devices,

Microsoft wants to make it easier to switch between

either mode. The system will detect if you've

plugged in a keyboard or mouse and switch modes

for more convenient interaction. If you remove the

keyboard/mouse, a notification will pop up from the task bar at the bottom, asking if you want to

activate Tablet mode. When you do, you are greeted with the more touch-friendly profile. Dock

your tablet into the keyboard again, and you'll receive the same prompt, this time asking if you

want to exit Tablet mode.

9. Action Center

Windows 10 will provide a new way to look at all your

notifications in one place. The Action Center appears to replace

the Charms menu that slides in from the right on Windows 8

devices. It collects alerts from your device from all your apps,

similar to the notifications drawers in iOS and Android. Depending on the app, you can also

respond or react from this panel itself, with each notification expanding to show more actions.

Page 27 of 29
The Action Center also offers a quick way to toggle connectivity options and other settings such

as display brightness and contrast.

10. Unified Settings / Control Panel

Instead of having two apps to control your

device settings in Control Panel and PC Settings,

Microsoft is making things less confusing by

bringing them together in one. You'll be able to

manage your device from one place instead of

hunting for a specific menu.

COMMON ISSUES

Activation issues

Page 28 of 29
 First and foremost, some people are reporting difficulty activating Windows 10 once it’s

installed. The bad news is there’s really nothing you can do on your end to fix it. The good news,

however, is that this issue usually resolves itself after a few minutes.

Chrome is crazy

Chrome browser users are running into a bunch of problems with bogging and slow-

downs, especially which performing heavy tasks like streaming video.

We’ll have to wait for Google to iron out the bugs but in the meantime, killing all your

extensions will help a bit. If that doesn’t help, try reinstalling Chrome.

Where are my favorites?

The new Edge browser is sooooo much better than Internet Explorer. To be fair, it would

be difficult to make a browser worse than IE, but Edge is a nice simple browser that’s quick and

clean.

But where are your favorites?

Click the … button to open the menu and then click Settings. Scroll to Import favorites from

another browser, and then choose your old browser and click Import.

Folder fail

According to some users, there actually is one area where Windows 8 is better than

Windows 10: The email app in Windows 10 doesn’t allow people to create subfolders when

organizing their email.

Page 29 of 29