Category: windows10

Windows 10 – Quick Guide ”; Previous Next Windows 10 – Overview Windows 10 is the most recent version of the operating system from Microsoft. Officially it was released in 2015 and was initially offered free of charge to legitimate users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. This new version combines features from those two previous installments to suit the users in a better way for both desktop/laptop computers as well as mobile devices. The most notable change in Windows 10 is that Microsoft replaced the Start screen tiles from Windows 8, and brought back the Start Menu. They also removed the vertical toolbars (or “charms”) that appeared from the sides of the screen. These changes make this Windows version easier to use for users of both desktop/laptops and mobile devices. Windows 10 – Installation There are two approaches you can take for installing Windows 10 in your computer: Upgrade or a Clean Install. Typically, when you upgrade your operating system, all your documents and applications remain unchanged, whereas with a clean install you would be starting again from scratch. But one important thing to verify first is if your computer has the necessary hardware to support Windows 10. System Requirements Although most computers nowadays probably have the necessary requirements for Windows 10. It will certainly be useful to know them in case you want to upgrade from an older system. The main requirements are − A processor (CPU) with a clock rate of at least 1GHz. At least 1 to 2GB of memory (RAM), but Microsoft recommends 4GB. At least 16GB space in your hard disk. One important thing to note is that the installation process itself will verify your computer hardware and let you know if it qualifies for a Windows 10 upgrade or not. If not, then you will need to upgrade your hardware. Upgrade If your computer qualifies for a Windows 10 upgrade, then you can follow these steps to perform the upgrade − Step 1 − Look for the Windows 10 notification in the lower-right corner of the screen. This is a one-year-only offer that Microsoft is extending to valid users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. Step 2 − By clicking on the notification, it will start the download and installation process of Windows 10 in your system. The download required for the upgrade is quite large, so make sure you have a stable Internet connection and continuous power for your computer to avoid interruptions during the process. Step 3 − After the download is complete, it will prompt you to accept Microsoft’s license terms. Step 4 − After agreeing to the terms, it will ask if you want to install the upgrade at that moment or schedule it for later. Since the upgrade process can take approximately 2 hours, it will be helpful to schedule it for a time, that will be more suitable to you. Step 5 − Once the upgrade starts, the system will perform a series of tasks, during which you will see the following screen. During this time, your computer will reboot a couple of times, so don’t worry. The process itself will take you through the steps to complete the upgrade. Step 6 − As the upgrade approaches its end, it will ask you to configure some basic Windows settings. You can choose to use Express settings, which will apply the most common or recommended settings, or you can choose to customize the settings as you please. Step 7 − After the upgrade finishes, you’ll see the Windows welcome screen. Clean Install If your computer has an older operating system like Windows XP or Vista, you won’t be able to upgrade for free. In these cases, you’ll need to buy a boxed copy of Windows 10 to have a valid license for the installation. Windows 10 will have a starting price of $119. But take in consideration that old computers that have either XP or Vista installed might have obsolete hardware components and might not be suitable for Windows 10. In this case, make sure you review the system requirements listed at the beginning of this chapter to check if your computer is qualified for a Windows 10 upgrade. If you choose this type of an installation, just insert the disc in your computer and turn it on. Most computers will ask you to press a specific key to boot from the CD/DVD, but most systems use the F12 key. After accessing the disc, you just have to follow the steps which are very similar to the ones from the upgrade. Windows 10 – Getting Started After you have installed or upgraded your Windows, you will get a Welcome Screen with the time and date. Just click anywhere to go to the User Accounts Screen. This screen lets you choose which user you want to log in to from the lower-left corner. After choosing the right user, and entering a password if necessary, you will see the Windows Desktop. The Windows Desktop is simply your operating system main screen. Here you have access to an array of tools like the Start Menu, Taskbar, and other icons. Windows 10 also introduces a search box in the Taskbar, which facilitates browsing both your computer and the Web. Windows 10 – GUI Basics Once you get to the Windows Desktop screen, here are some basic features you will see. One of the most important parts of your Desktop is the Taskbar. By default, it sits at the bottom of your screen giving you access to the Start Menu, several application icons, and the Notification Area. Windows In Windows 10, if an application is active or opened, you will see a green line below its icon. Clicking the icon will bring the application window up. Every open window features three buttons in the upper-right corner. These are used to minimize, maximize, or close the window − Minimizing means that the window will hide in the Taskbar. Maximizing will

Windows 10 – Media Management ”; Previous Next Windows 10 offers multiple ways to work with your media files (music and videos). Some of the features needed to handle these files have been integrated into Windows to facilitate the way you access them. For example, if you select a music file, you will see the following ribbon on the top of your folder window. You will see similar options when you select a video file. Media Applications Although you can have multiple media programs in your computer, Windows 10 includes several options for you to use. For music files, Windows includes the traditional Windows Media Player. However, new Windows versions also include the Groove Music app (previously known as Xbox Music). For video files, Windows also uses Windows Media Player, but now also includes the Movies & TV app. Windows 10 also includes the Windows DVD Player app for playing DVD’s in your computer. You can also choose which application you want to use to open your media file by following these steps − Step 1 − Right-click any media file (music or video). Step 2 − Select the Open with option. Step 3 − Choose what application you want to use to open the media file. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Keyboard Shortcuts ”; Previous Next Like most Windows applications, there are several keyboard shortcuts you can use to make it easier or faster for some to perform certain tasks. Most of the new Windows shortcuts use the Windows key ( ) combined with other keys to perform several actions. The following are some of the most common or useful shortcuts used in Windows 10. SHORTCUT ACTION Windows key Open the Start menu Windows key + S Open the Windows Search Windows key + C Open Cortana Windows key + Tab Open Task View Windows key + D Show or Hide the Desktop Windows key + L Lock your account Windows key + A Open the Action Center sidebar Windows key + I Open the Settings window Windows key + E Open the File Explorer window Windows key + PrintScreen Takes a screenshot of your whole display and stores it in Pictures > Screenshots Window Snapping Other useful shortcuts introduced in Windows 10 are the ones used for Windows snapping. Snapping windows was introduced in Windows 7 and allows you to automatically arrange your windows making it easier to work with multiple applications at the same time. Although you can do this with your mouse by dragging the windows to each side of the screen, Windows 10 introduced shortcuts to perform this task. SHORTCUT ACTION Windows key + Left arrow Snap the active window on the left side of the screen Windows key + Right arrow Snap the active window on the right side of the screen Windows key + Up arrow Snap the active window on the top of the screen Windows key + Down arrow Snap the active window on the bottom of the screen Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Favorite Settings ”; Previous Next As we’ve seen already, Windows 10 uses the new Settings app for most of its configuration. And although the Settings app can be easily accessed through the Start menu, Windows 10 also allows you to “pin” your favorite setting apps to the Start menu for even easier access. A “pinned” setting app will appear directly in the tiles of your Start Menu. Pin your Favorite Settings To “pin” your favorite settings to the Start Menu, follow these steps − Step 1 − Open the Settings window from the Start Menu. Step 2 − In the Settings window, point to your favorite settings and right-click. Step 3 − On the small menu that appears, select Pin to Start. Step 4 − Click Yes on the screen to confirm the action. After this, you will see the Network & Internet app directly in the Start Menu. You can also pin more specific setting apps. To do this, follow these steps − Step 1 − Open the Settings window again. Step 2 − On the SETTINGS window, click on System. Step 3 − On the SYSTEM window, right-click on Display. Step 4 − From the small menu, select Pin to Start. Like the previous example, this will pin the Display setting to the Start Menu. Unpin your Favorite Settings Alternatively, you can remove any pinned app from the Start Menu just by right-clicking on it and choosing Unpin from Start. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Shortcuts ”; Previous Next In Windows 10, a shortcut is simply an icon that directs you to an item (a document, application, or picture) that is located somewhere else in your computer. As the name implies, shortcuts make it easier for you to access that item by being more accessible (usually on the Desktop). Shortcuts are identified by a small arrow in the corner of the icon. Creating a Shortcut To create a shortcut in your Desktop, follow these steps − Step 1 − Position your mouse pointer over an empty space and right-click. Step 2 − In the menu, select New and then Shortcut. Step 3 − On the Create Shortcut window, you can either Browse or type the location of the item you want to access. Choosing Browse will open another window, allowing you to search for the item in your computer. Step 4 − After choosing the item and clicking Next, you can assign or change the name with which the shortcut will be identified. Step 5 − After making any changes, click Finish. You will then see the shortcut in your Desktop. Deleting the shortcut won’t delete the file it accesses. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Useful Resources ”; Previous Next The following resources contain additional information on Windows 10. Please use them to get more in-depth knowledge on this topic. Useful Video Courses Windows 10 Online Training Course Best Seller 24 Lectures 2 hours Tutorialspoint More Detail Windows 10 Installation, Config, Protect and Maintaining 53 Lectures 9 hours Fabrice Chrzanowski More Detail Using Microsoft Windows 10 49 Lectures 2 hours Sonic Performance More Detail Using Windows 10 for Beginners Plus Upgrading to Windows 11 16 Lectures 3.5 hours David W Cox More Detail Easy C# .NET Core by Live Project in Windows Forms & SQL Database Featured 4 Lectures 0 mins Abdullah Musavi More Detail Microsoft Windows 10 OS Masterclass 20 Lectures 2 hours Fredrick Ezeh More Detail Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – System Tray ”; Previous Next The System Tray is another name given to the Notification Area, which we can find in the right-side of the Windows Taskbar. The System Tray features different types of notifications and alerts from your computer like your Internet connection, or the volume level. However, you can choose what icons and notifications appear here. To further customize the System Tray follow these steps − Step 1 − Go to the SETTINGS window and choose System. Step 2 − In the SYSTEM window, select Notifications & actions. Here you can select the option that reads “Select which icons appear on the taskbar”. Step 3 − In the SELECT WHICH ICONS APPEAR ON THE TASKBAR window, you can turn on or off the icons in whichever way you prefer. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Parental Control ”; Previous Next Windows 10 allows you to set up a child’s account for your children. This account will allow you to establish restrictions on how the account is used and monitor what your child does. To create a child’s account, follow these steps − Step 1 − Go to SETTINGS and choose Accounts. Step 2 − In ACCOUNTS, select the Family & other users option. Step 3 − Click the “Add a family member” button. Step 4 − Choose what family member you want to add (child or adult) Step 5 − You will then be prompted to create an account for your child. If they don’t have an e-mail account, you can create an Outlook account for them. Step 6 − Provide a phone number for account security. This will be used in case the account is hacked or inaccessible. Step 7 − Choose from some notification and experience options, for example, if you want to receive promotional offers from Microsoft. After creation, your child can log in to his own Windows 10 account. In addition, you can choose to monitor what your child does in his account by turning on reports on his activity − You can also choose to block “inappropriate websites” to limit your child’s browsing only to allowed websites. Finally, you can also establish when your child is allowed to log in by establishing a schedule − Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Applications ”; Previous Next Windows 10 lets you access your applications in several ways. The easiest way is to search for the name of application using the Search box in Taskbar. Another basic option is to open the Start Menu and click on All Apps. After selecting All Apps, Windows 10 will present an alphabetical list of all the applications installed in your computer. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;

Windows 10 – Security ”; Previous Next Windows 10 features a series of tools to help you protect your computer from threats like viruses and other malware. The three main security tools are − User Account Control Windows Defender Windows Firewall User Account Control The Windows User Account Control is a tool that warns you when someone or something attempts to change your computer system settings. When this happens, the screen will alert you until an Administrator can confirm the change. This helps protect your computer against accidental changes or malicious software altering your settings. Initially, this User Account Control is set at a moderate to high level, which means it will notify you only when an application tries to make changes to your computer. However, you can change this setting to your desired level by following these steps − Step 1 − Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Search bar. Step 2 − After the Control Panel is open, choose User Accounts. After choosing User Accounts, click on “Change User Account Control settings”. In the User Account Control Settings, you can move the slider to the desired position. Windows 10 will give you a summary of how your system will behave under that level. Windows Defender Windows Defender is an antivirus and malware protection included in your operating system. It allows you to scan your computer for malicious software, while also checking each file or program you open. To configure Windows Defender, follow these steps − Step 1 − Go to SETTINGS and select Update & security. Step 2 − In the UPDATE & SECURITY window, select Windows Defender. Here you can customize settings like turning off real-time protection or activating cloudbased protection, which allows Defender to send Microsoft information about security threats it finds. Windows Firewall Windows Firewall prevents unauthorized access from outside to get into your computer. By default, it is turned on to protect your computer and your network. If you want to customize your Firewall, follow these steps − Step 1 − Open the Control Panel by searching for it in the Search bar. Step 2 − When the Control Panel is open, choose Windows Firewall. Step 3 − In the Windows Firewall window, you can customize the settings of it by turning it on or off or choosing when to protect your computer. Print Page Previous Next Advertisements ”;