Table of Contents Introduction..................... Introduction............................................ .............................................. .............................................. .............................................. .........................................1 ..................1 Chapter 1. Users.............................. Users..................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ................................................2 .........................2 Changing an Account’s Name.......................................................... Name................................................................................. ......................................2 ...............2 Changing an Account’s Picture.................................... Picture........................................................... ................................................. ..................................8 ........8 Changing the ole of an Account.......................................... Account................................................................. ..................................... ....................... .........11 11 !ogin Using PIN Instead "f Pass#ord.................................................. Pass#ord......................................................................... ..............................1$ .......1$ Chapter 2. %es&top............................. %es&top.................................................... .............................................. ................................................................. .......................................... 18 Changing the %es&top Image..................................................... Image...............................................................................................18 ..........................................18 'et (isual Theme.................................. Theme......................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ...................................2) ............2) 'et 'ound Theme..................................... Theme............................................................ .............................................. .......................................................2$ ................................2$ Theme 'a*ing and !oading................................... !oading.......................................................... .............................................. ........................................)+ .................)+ Change ,older Icon.................................. Icon......................................................... .............................................. ......................................................)) ...............................)) 'ho# ,ile in ,older........................................................ ,older............................................................................... ............................................. ................................ ..........)8 )8 "ptimi-ing ,olders................................ ,olders....................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ..................................) ...........) Chapter ). 'tart /enu................................ /enu....................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ..................................0 ...........0 Accessing the 'tart /enu "ptions.................................. "ptions......................................................... .............................................. ..............................0 .......0 Add oom for /ore Tiles........................................ Tiles............................................................... .............................................. ......................................$2 ...............$2 Change the 'i-e of the 'tart /enu......................................... /enu................................................................ ......................................... ......................$ ....$ Customi-e hat ou 'ee in the 'tart /enu............................................ /enu...................................................................... ..........................$3 $3 /odif4 Tiles on 'tart /enu.................................... /enu........................................................... ............................................................. ...................................... $0 /a&e 'tart "pen in ,ull 'creen............................................ 'creen.......................................................................................... ..............................................32 32 indo#s 5 't4le /enu 6/anual7..................................... 6/anual7............................................................ ....................................... ............................ ............3) 3) indo#s 5 't4le /enu 6Classic 'hell7.......................................... 'hell7................................................................................ ...................................... 3$ indo#s 5 't4le /enu 6Creator’s 6Creator’s Update7............................. Update7.................................................... ...........................................30 ....................30 Adding ,olders 6Creator’s 6Creator’s Update7............................... Update7...................................................... .............................................. ...............................52 ........52 Chapter . The Tas&bar............................. Tas&bar.................................................... .............................................. ......................................................... .................................. 5$ Pre*ent the Tas&bar ,rom eing /o*ed.................................. /o*ed......................................................... ..........................................5$ ...................5$ Change !ocation of Tas&bar.............................. Tas&bar..................................................... .............................................. ...........................................55 ....................55 9ide The Tas&bar........................... Tas&bar.................................................. .............................................. ...................................................... ............................... .........58 ......... 58 Combine and Uncombine Icons............................................. Icons.................................................................... .......................................... .......................8+ ....8+ Customise Color and Transparenc4 Transparenc4 6Creator’s Update7............................................. Update7..................................................82 .....82 Chapter $. Po#er "ptions and 'creen 'a*ers..................................... 'a*ers............................................................. .................................... ............ 83 Change Po#er Plan....................................... Plan.............................................................. .............................................. ................................................. ..........................83 83 Customi-e hat the Po#er Po#er utton and Closing !aptop !id %oes.................................. 80 'et and Change the 'creen 'a*er.................................. 'a*er......................................................... ................................................. ...............................0 .....0 Chapter 3. !oc& 'creen and 'creen Timeout................................................. Timeout...........................................................................05 ..........................05 Accessing the !oc& 'creen "ptions................................. "ptions........................................................ .................................................... .............................05 05 Change 'creen Timeout and 'leep Timers......................................... Timers.........................................................................00 ................................00 'et an Automatic !oc& 'creen After 'creensa*er........................ 'creensa*er......................................................... ................................. ..1+1 'et an Automatic !oc& 'creen After 'leep /ode............................................................1+) /ode............................................................1+) 'ho# App 'tatus on !oc& 'creen............................................... 'creen...................................................................... ..................................... ................1+$ ..1+$ 'et !oc& 'creen Image or 'lidesho#.............................. 'lidesho#..................................................... ...................................................1+3 ............................1+3 Adding %4namic !oc& 6Creator’s 6Creator’s Update7............................... Update7...................................................... ........................................1+3 .................1+3
Chapter 5. App 'ettings.................................................. 'ettings......................................................................... ................................................. ..................................111 ........111 'et %efault Apps for ,iles....................................... ,iles.............................................................. .............................................. .....................................111 ..............111 Change hich %ri*e Ne# ,iles Are 'a*ed To.......................................... To.................................................................118 .......................118 Uninstall 'oft#are........................... 'oft#are.................................................. .............................................. .............................................. ...................................... ...............12+ 12+ Chapter 8: Cortana................................ Cortana....................................................... .............................................. .............................................. .....................................12) ..............12) /odif4 Content.......................... Content................................................. ............................................... ............................................... ...........................................12) ....................12) ;nable<%isable =>etting to ?no# ou@........................................ ou@.............................................................. ................................... .............12$ 12$ ;nable =9e4 Cortana@............................. Cortana@.................................................... .............................................. ....................................................128 .............................128 emo*e Cortana ,rom Tas&bar............................ Tas&bar................................................... .............................................. .....................................1)1 ..............1)1 Add ee&l4eneral Pri*ac4 "ptions............................. "ptions.................................................... .............................................. ........................................ ...................1$0 ..1$0 Chapter 11: >etting the Creator’s Update........................................ Update............................................................... .....................................131 ..............131 Through indo#s Update.................................. Update......................................................... ............................................................... ........................................ 131 /anuall4 %o#nload the Update.................................................... Update........................................................................................ .................................... 132 Chapter 12: >ame ar...................................... ar............................................................. .............................................. ....................................... .........................13 .........13 ;nabling >ame ar....................................... ar.............................................................. .............................................. ...............................................13 ........................13 ecording #ith >ame ar...................................... ar............................................................. .............................................. .....................................133 ..............133 Ta&ing 'creenshots #ith >ame ar...................................................... ar................................................................................. ............................135 .135 Using >ame /ode.................................. /ode......................................................... .............................................. ......................................................138 ...............................138 Chapter 1): Night !ight..................................... !ight............................................................ .............................................. ............................................... ........................151 151 Acti*ating Night !ight...................................... !ight............................................................. .............................................. ..................................... ....................151 ......151 'etting The Night !ight’s 'chedule................................ 'chedule....................................................... ...................................................152 ............................152 'etting the Temperature...................... Temperature............................................. .............................................. .............................................. .................................15 ..........15 Chapter 1: Premade Themes................................................. Themes........................................................................ ....................................... .........................153 .........153 'earch for Premade Themes.............................................. Themes..................................................................... ....................................... .........................153 .........153 u4ing and Using Premade Themes................................................. Themes........................................................................ .................................150 ..........150 Chapter 1$: indo#s Updates............................... Updates...................................................... .............................................. ..........................................182 ...................182 %efer Updates efore Installing.............................. Installing..................................................... .............................................. ....................................182 .............182 'et Acti*e 9ours.................................. 9ours......................................................... .............................................. .........................................................18 ..................................18 Chapter 13: Touchpad 'ettings.................................................... 'ettings........................................................................... .......................................... ....................183 .183 ;dit Touchpad 'ettings............................. 'ettings.................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ............................183 .....183 ;dit >estures............................ >estures................................................... .............................................. .................................................................... ............................................. 185
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................10)
Introduction When purchasing a Windows 10 machine for the first time, it can be very exciting to see all the new features the OS has to offer. Windows changed a lot with the jump to 10, and even those who have decent experience with previous Windows versions may find it hard to navigate the new iteration of the operating system. robably one of the first things you want to do with a new operating system is learn how to change it to better suit your needs. Windows 10 is set up to wor! perfectly "out of the box,# but there are a myriad of options and settings you can use to ma!e the Windows 10 experience your own. $n the following chapters we%ll be exploring the multitude of options at your disposal as well as how to access them. &y the end of this guide you%ll !now how to ma!e Windows 10 your own, even if it means relearning how to do a few old tric!s in the process.
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Chapter 1. Users Changing an Account’s Name When you log into Windows 10 for the first time, it will as! you for your 'icrosoft account credentials. $f you enter them, your 'icrosoft account name will be used for your machine%s account name. (ou also have the option to not tie your 'icrosoft account to your computer and use a "local account# instead. )egardless of the way you set up the account, you may want to change the name that appears on your account. $f you want to change the name you select to log in to *perhaps to designate a wor!+based account, it%s very simple. -owever, it does depend on if your account was made on the computer or if it was lin!ed to your computer by your email. If your account was made on the computer locally without a Microsoft login: irst, open the /ontrol anel by right+clic!ing the Start button and clic!ing "/ontrol anel#.
$f you%re using /ategory view, clic! "ser ccounts#, then the second ser ccounts that appears after.
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$f you%re using the 2arge or Small icons view, clic! ser ccounts.
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/lic! "/hange (our ccount 3ame#.
4ype the name you want, and clic! "/hange 3ame#.
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3ow when you log on, your account will display the name you just entered. If you made an account by attaching an eisting !indows account: /lic! on the Start button, then clic! on the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! on ccounts.
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(ou%ll arrive on the (our info page. -ere, clic! "'anage my 'icrosoft account#.
4his will open a web browser window and automatically direct you to your 'icrosoft account. On this page, clic! "5dit name#.
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5dit your name as you please, then clic! "Save#.
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Changing an Account’s "icture When you ma!e an account, Windows 10 will either ta!e the avatar associated with your 'icrosoft account or give you a default picture if it can%t do that. $f you want to change the picture associated with your account, follow these steps.
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irst, clic! on Start, then clic! the Settings cog on the left.
3ow clic! ccounts.
'a!e sure you%re on the (our $nfo page on the left. Scroll down this page to the "/reate your picture# category.
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-ere, you have several options. /amera will allow you to ta!e a photo using a webcam, and "&rowse for one# will allow you to choose an image from your computer. 5ither route you ta!e, the image you select will represent your account on the computer.
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Changing the #ole of an Account s well as setting up an account for each person using the computer, you can also set it so that people have different levels of control over the computer and important files. 4his is especially handy for if you have children who also want to use the computer, as you can give them an account role that doesn%t allow them to modify important system files. $f this sounds li!e something you%d li!e to do, whether to edit your own roles or to set roles for other people, follow these steps. irst, go to Start, then Settings.
/lic! ccounts.
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On the left, clic! "amily 6 Other people#.
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4his will bring up a window that displays all the users currently on the system. $f you want to change the role of an account, just clic! the "/hange ccount 4ype# button below the user you want to modify.
$n the window that appears select the !ind of account you want this account to become, then clic! O7.
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$ogin Using "IN Instead %f "assword 8o you find it a chore to log in with your password but don%t want to leave your computer security+free9 $f you want, you can change your login to re:uire a $3 code instead of a password. $f your machine is not already set up with a $3, here%s how to set one irst, go to Start, then the Settings cog on the left.
rom here, go to ccounts.
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/lic! "Sign+$n# Options on the left.
&elow $3, clic! dd.
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4his will allow you to set a $3 for your computer. One thing to note about $3 codes is that they%re generally less secure than a strong password. With passwords you can have lots of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols in them, ma!ing them hard to crac!. $3 being a four+digit combination, it means means the system%s security strength strength is reduced as a result. s such, only use $3s if you%re not leaving your computer alone for long periods of time in public places or if your machine does not contain very sensitive documents.
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Chapter &. 'es(top Changing the 'es(top Image When you first log in to Windows 10, you%ll find that it has automatically given you a Windows+themed image as the bac!ground for your des!top. While these pictures are pretty interesting by themselves, you%ll probably want to change it to something that reflects yourself and your tastes. 4o change the 8es!top image, first we have to access the ersonali;ation window. 4his is done by simply right+clic!ing on the 8es!top itself *ma!e sure you%re not right+clic!ing a file, folder, or the tas!bar and clic! "ersonali)e. "ersonali)e.
On this new screen under &ac!ground, select icture. (ou%ll then be presented with a selection of images to choose from. $f you have an idea for an image you%d li!e, you can tell Windows to use it by clic!ing "&rowse# and selecting the image. 'a!e sure the image is approximately the same si;e as the screen or else it may loo! strange.
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$f you loo! under the &ac!ground drop+down menu, you may have seen another interesting option< Slideshow. (ou can set it so that Windows goes through a series of images for your bac!ground instead of just the one. 4o do this, put all the images you want to have on your bac!ground into a folder. 4hen, clic! the &rowse button under /hoose albums for your slideshow.
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Select the folder.
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&elow the &rowse button are a few options you can change. 4hese include a timer for when the bac!ground changes to the next image, if the images are randomly selected, if the slide show still occurs while on battery, and how you want the images to fill the screen.
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(ou now have a more exciting des!top bac!ground.
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*et +isual ,heme We can do a little better than just the bac!ground of the des!top, however. While setting a bac!ground image can help personalise your computer a great deal, you can also twea! how the $ loo!s. (ou can even tell Windows 10 to change the colour of your $ to match the dominant colours of the bac!ground images you%ve just set, even if it%s a slideshow. While in the ersonali;e window, clic! the /olors option on the left.
-ere you can set the options for the colors of your window. (ou can ta!e your pic! of the selection of colors on offer, or you can tell Windows to loo! for accent colors in your current des!top image and use that instead.
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*et *ound ,heme (ou%re not restricted to just visual customisation, however. 8id you !now you can also change the sounds that Windows 10 plays during specific events9 (ou can change and set the sound your computer ma!es when it logs on, logs off, receives a new email, presents an error, detects a critical+level battery, and many more things. 4o access the sound settings, first right+clic! the Start button. 4hen clic! /ontrol anel.
$f you view the /ontrol anel in /ategory view, clic! "ppearance and ersonali;ation#, then "/hange sound effects# under ersonali;ation.
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$f you view the /ontrol anel in Small=2arge icons view, clic! Sound, then clic! the Sounds tab in the window that appears.
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$n this window, in the bottom panel, you can select specific events related to computer actions. Once an event is selected, use the Sounds drop+down box to select a default sound to use, or clic! on "&rowse># if you have a sound file you%d li!e to use instead. )emember that Windows 10 needs sounds to be in .wav file format for them to be usable.
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Once you%ve set up the sounds as you li!e, ma!e sure you clic! the "Save as># button, and save your theme with a name so you don%t lose your hard wor!.
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,heme *a-ing and $oading 3ow that you have your system loo!ing and sounding great, you may want to save all your settings under a single theme so that you can save and load different themes on the fly. 4o save a theme, right+clic! an empty spot on the des!top and clic! ersonali;e.
$n the ersonali;ation window, clic! 4hemes on the l eft, then "4heme Settings.#
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4his ta!es you to a screen of themes. $f you%ve already set your des!top image, visual, and sound themes, don%t clic! any themes on this screen. 8oing so will change the theme you%ve set up to a different one. 4o save the theme you%ve set up, right+clic! the theme called "nsaved 4heme# and clic! "Save 4heme#.
?ive your theme a name, then clic! Save.
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3ow your settings are all saved. (ou can now freely switch between themes or ma!e new ones without fear of losing your current one. $f you change something and want to revert bac! to the original theme, just come bac! here and clic! the theme again. 4o save any changes you ma!e to your theme, just repeat the above instructions again to save it.
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Change older Icon 8id you !now that you can change the icon for a folder on your des!top9 $f you want to ma!e a specific folder stand out on your des!top, it%s very simple to change how it appears. irst, right clic! the folder, then clic! roperties.
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rom here, go to the /ustomi;e tab.
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$n the /ustomi;e tab, find the section labelled older $cons and clic! "/hange $con># from it.
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3ow you can select from a range of icons from Windows. $f you have any custom $con files you want to use, you can select them using "&rowse...#. Once done, clic! on O7 in all the windows.
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*how ile in older $f you want a reminder of what files are in what folder, you can set Windows 10 to show a specific image file from within that folder. When you loo! at the folder as you browse your computer, the folder preview will show the specific image that you%ve set. 4o do this, right+clic! the folder and clic! roperties.
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$n this new window clic! the /ustomi;e tab at the top.
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$n this tab find the older pictures category, and clic! the "/hoose file># button.
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4his will bring up the folder%s contents. Select the image you want to show in the folder%s icon, and clic! Open.
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4his will then change the folder%s image so that it shows your selected image within it.
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%ptimi)ing olders $f you want, you can even optimi;e folders for specific file types, such as pictures or music. What this means is that you can tell a folder to show the specific details you want to see for your files and hide ones that are redundant and useless. or example, if you have a folder full of music, you%ll probably want to see the trac! number, artist, and album name, but probably aren%t so enthusiastic to see the date it was modified. -ere is an image folder we%re going to optimi;e in this example@
$f you want to set your folder views to a specific template, right+clic! the folder you want to change and clic! roperties.
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/lic! the /ustomi;e tab.
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nder the category called "What !ind of folder do you want9# is a drop+down menu called "Optimi;e this folder for#. /lic! this drop+down and select from a ?eneral, 8ocuments, ictures, 'usic or Aideos view.
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$f you want, you can chec! the box underneath this drop+down menu. 4his will also apply this optimi;ation to all folders within the one you%re changing the settings for at this time.
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3ow when you access the folder, it%ll present your files in a format suited for what you selected. -ere is what the example folder loo!s li!e now that we%ve optimised it for images.
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$t%s now presented in a way where we can actually see the images in the preview, and the redundant information has been removed.
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Chapter /. *tart Menu Accessing the *tart Menu %ptions 4he Start menu that comes with Windows 10 is very interesting. $t features something a!in to the Windows B 'etro theme, except contained within the Start menu instead of being a separate part of the operating system. $t also comes with its fair share of options. Since this chapter is all about customi;ing the Start menu, here%s how to access the options so you%re ready for the subchapters that follow this one. irst, clic! Start, then the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! ersonali;ation.
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4hen clic! Start on the left side.
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Add #oom for More ,iles $f you get a lot of usage out of the Start menu, you may want to have more tiles to customi;e. $f this is something you%d want, then it%s very easy to tell Windows 10 to give you more tiles to use. irst, access the Start 'enu Options as per /hapter C.1. When here, find the option for Show more tiles, then turn it on.
3ow when you open the Start menu, you%ll see you have more room to play with.
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Change the *i)e of the *tart Menu (ou may find that your Start menu is either too big or too small for your li!ing. 8id you !now, however, that you can very freely change the si;e of the Start menu exactly li!e you would a regular window9 4here are no clues to tip you off that the Start menu can be resi;ed in this way, so it%s very easy to miss this handy tric!. $n order to resi;e the Start menu, open it. 4hen, put your cursor on one of i ts edges@ the top one if you want the menu to be taller or shorter or the right one if you want it to be wider or thinner. (our cursor will turn into a double+headed arrow.
4hen, simply hold left+clic! and drag the Start menu in the direction you want it to go. 2et go once you%re happy with it.
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4he Start menu will now stay the si;e you set it, regardless of whether you close and re+ open it. eel free to twea! it at any time should it prove troublesome.
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Customi)e !hat 0ou *ee in the *tart Menu Of course, there%s a good chance that your Start menu doesn%t come with all the features you may want from it. 4han!fully, you have a wide selection of options to customise the Start menu to better fit your needs. 2et%s explore the options you have available when it comes to modifying the content within Start. irst, access the Start 'enu Settings as dictated in /hapter C.1. $f you loo! on this page, you%ll see a lot of options for customising your Start menu such as showing the most+used or recently+added apps.
4he lin! at the very bottom called "/hoose which folders appear on Start# will ta!e you to a different screen where Windows will show you a list of folders to choose from. (ou can
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chec! and unchec! these options to show or hide these specific folders from your Start menu.
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Modify ,iles on *tart Menu 8id you !now that the tiles you see on the Start menu can be moved around9 $f you want your Start menu to be organised in a specific way, this !nowledge can be very useful to help speed up accessing vital apps or folders. When in the Start menu, you can freely move tiles around by holding left+clic! on a tile, then dragging it to where you want. 4he tiles below where you drag the tiles will shift around so you can better position your tile. When you let go, the tile settles where you let go.
$f a tile is too small or big for your li!ing, you can right+clic! it, clic! on )esi;e, and then pic! a different si;e. 4iles can go from Small to 2arge, and ma!ing a tile bigger may allow it to display more information. $f you notice a tile is missing some si;e options, it means the tile isn%t compatible with that si;e.
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$f you have no interest in a tile whatsoever, you can right+clic! it and clic! npin from Start to remove it from Start.
2i!ewise, you can add things to the Start menu as a tile by right+clic!ing them and selecting "in to Start#. 4his wor!s for folders, so you can get :uic! access to popular locations on your computer.
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Ma(e *tart %pen in ull *creen $f you really enjoy the Start screen, you can ma!e it occupy the entire screen when it%s opened. 4o do this, go to the Start 'enu Settings as dictated in /hapter C.1, C.1, then find the option that reads "se Start full screen#. /lic! it to turn i t on.
3ow when you clic! the Start menu it will occupy the entire screen, li!e the following image.
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!indows *tyle Menu 2Manual3 nfortunately, the recent move to a tile+based Start menu in Windows has not been well+ received by some. $f you really disli!e the tiles on the Start menu and want something more a!in to the Windows D Start menu, it%s possible to create something that loo!s more li!e the classic menu using the options within Windows 10. 4o do this, clear out all the tiles in the Start menu. nfortunately, there is no switch to simply turn off every single tile, and if you try to resi;e the Start menu to hide all the tiles, it "jams# before hiding the final column. 4his means that to have a tileless Start menu, you have to right+clic! and select npin for each and every tile. Only then will Windows allow your Start menu to loo! more li!e its classic counterparts.
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!indows *tyle Menu 2Classic *hell3 $f a reduced+down Windows 10 Start menu is not to your li!ing, you can replicate a Windows D styled menu using a tool called /lassic Shell. $t%s not an official Windows tool, so you%ll have to download and install it from the website here *http@==mte.gs=classicshell.
While installing this software, it will as! you what components of /lassic Shell you want to install. (ou can tell it not to install certain elements< just ma!e sure the Start menu option is set to be installed.
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Once installed, /lassic Shell will open a readme so you can learn how to use it. $t will also open a window where you can select what style of Start menu you%d li!e. (ou can tic! the ")eplace Start button# option to unloc! several Start button designs for you to use.
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$f you clic! the S!in tab, you can select how the Start menu loo!s. 'etro is Windows 10, ero loo!s li!e Windows D, and /lassic heralds bac! to the days of E. Set the option to the OS you want to emulate.
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Once finished, clic! O7, and your Start menu will now loo! nearly identical to the older Windows Start menus.
(ou can always change how it loo!s by right+clic!ing the Start button and clic!ing Settings. 68
$f you want to get rid of /lassic Shell, you can uninstall it as described in /hapter D.C.
!indows *tyle Menu 2Creator’s Update3 With the /reator%s pdate comes an easy new way to use a Start menu a!in to Windows D%s own. 4he update brought in a new option that allows you to separate the apps and the tiles, so you can see one or the other and not both at the same time. $f you want to enable this option, clic! Start, then the Settings cog.
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?o to ersonali;ation.
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On the left, clic! Start, then find the option "Show app list in Start menu# and turn it off.
4his separates the Start menu into tiles and app mode. (ou can switch between the two 71
by clic!ing on the options on the upper+left of the Start menu when it%s open.
Adding olders 2Creator’s Update3 mongst the array of new features that came with the /reator%s pdate was the ability to ma!e folders in the tiles section of your Start menu. 4his is particularly handy if your Start menu is cluttered and you want a bit more organisationF 4o ma!e a folder, first identify at least two apps in your Start menu%s app section you%d li!e to put into a folder. 4hen clic! and hold the left mouse button over one of the apps you%d li!e in the folder. (ou%ll notice the other apps will "grey out.#
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3ow, drag the app you%re holding over an app you%d li!e it to share a folder with. Windows allows you to preview the changes you%re about to ma!e before you let go of your left mouse button, so pay attention to the greyed out apps as you do this. $f you notice the app you%re hovering over "jumps out the way,# Windows thin!s you want to reposition the apps rather than ma!e a folder. $f this happens, simply drag your app bac! over the greyed out one, regardless of where it jumped to. t one point you%ll notice that the app you%re dragging the current app over will increase in si;e a little. $f you let go of the left mouse button at that point, Windows will ma!e a folder including these two apps.
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$f you%d li!e to add more apps, just drag them into the folder directly. 3o need to repeat the above steps, as the folder has already been created.
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Chapter 4. ,he ,as(bar "re-ent the ,as(bar rom 5eing Mo-ed 4he tas!bar is the home of all your tas!s. $t lets you !now what%s running as well as system time, sound options, the Wi+i signal strength, and the Start button. While it does its job perfectly well, you can opt to change where the tas!bar sits. Some people li!e it where it sits, however, and don%t want to change its location. $f this is you, follow these steps so you can avoid moving it around by accident. irst, right clic! the tas!bar. 'a!e sure you%re right+clic!ing an empty space and not on an icon or the Start button.
/lic! 2oc! the 4as!bar.
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3ow if you try to change the location of the tas!bar, it will stay stuc! where it currently is. $t%s very useful if you li!e its current location and don%t want it accidentally moving.
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Change $ocation of ,as(bar What if you don%t li!e the current location of the tas!bar9 4han!fully, it%s very easy to change that as well. irst, ensure that the tas!bar is not already loc!ed. (ou can chec! whether it%s loc!ed or not using the instructions in /hapter G.1. When you%re sure it%s unloc!ed, follow these steps@ irst, find an empty area of the tas!bar. /lic! and hold the left mouse button on that spot. 4hen, with the mouse button still held down, direct your cursor toward an edge of the screen. (ou%ll notice that the tas!bar will follow you to the edge you%re closest to.
When you%re happy with the location dictated by your cursor, release the left mouse button. 4he tas!bar will stay in the location where you let go of the mouse button. $f you don%t want to perform this tric! by accident in the future, you can loc! the tas!bar by using the techni:ue described in /hapter G.1.
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6ide ,he ,as(bar $f even a loc!ed, correctly+positioned tas!bar is too problematic for you, you can ma!e it so it hides when you%re not using it. 4o do this, right clic! on an empty space on the tas!bar, ma!ing sure you%re not right+clic!ing the Start button, software on the tas!bar, or any of the icons. 4hen clic! Settings.
$n the window that appears, turn on the option that reads "utomatically hide the tas!bar in des!top mode#. $f you use tablet mode and want it to hide as well, feel free to turn that option on tool.
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4he tas!bar will now slide away when you%re not using it. 4o ma!e it appear again, just hover your cursor where the tas!bar Hshould% be and it will reappear.
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Combine and Uncombine Icons &y default, the tas!bar will show open applications and windows as small boxes. $f you want, you can change this so they show as bars instead. 4he benefit of this is that the box will also include detail as to what is in each window. 4his can be handy if your tas!bar becomes cluttered with multiple identical icons, and you want to identify what each one contains from a brief glance. $f this sounds li!e something you%d li!e, it%s easy to set up. )ight+clic! on the toolbar, ma!ing sure you%re not right+clic!ing on an icon or the Start button. 4hen clic! Settings.
$n this new window, scroll down until you see a drop+down box called "/ombine " /ombine tas!bar buttons#. /lic! on the drop+down to see its options.
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4hese options are as follows@ Always7 hide labels@ will always ma!e icons appear on the tas!bar as single boxes. Ne-er @ will always ma!e icons long boxes with some textual context of what each window is. !hen tas(bar is full@ this is identical to the "3ever# option, but when the tas!bar fills up, i t will swap to boxes instead. Select the option you%d li!e, and the tas!bar will automatically match what you%ve clic!ed.
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Customise Color and ,ransparency 2Creator’s Update3 long with the above steps, you can also change the tas!bar%s color and transparency. $f you have a color theme already set up and are annoyed the tas!bar hasn%t followed suit, or you%d just li!e a change in scenery, follow these steps. irst, clic! on Start, then the Settings cog. 3ext, clic! on ersonali;ation. On the left clic! /olours. We touch upon this area in chapter I.I where we use the color pic!er to change the des!top%s color scheme. 4his time, however, we%ll be focusing on the tas!bar. $f you want to apply colour changes to the tas!bar, simply scroll down to where it says "Show accent colour on the following surfaces and ti c! the box that reads Start, tas!bar and action center.
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ny colors selected will now show up on the tas!bar. or instance, if we clic! this box with a strong yellow colour selected, you can see the star! difference between an uncoloured and coloured tas!bar.
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(ou can also turn transparency on or off here. $f you have windows underneath the tas!bar, transparency will allow you to see it through the bar. 4urn this on or off as you see fit.
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Chapter 8. "ower %ptions and *creen *a-ers Change "ower "lan 4o change how your machine uses its power, you can visit the ower Options screen to modify settings. 4his is particularly good for laptop users who may want their laptop to automatically go into a lower power state when they unplug the laptop from the mains. 4o access this ower Options screen, press Start, then Settings.
rom here clic! System.
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4hen, on the left side, clic! "ower 6 Sleep#.
On this screen clic! "dditional power settings#.
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-ere you can see all the different plans your machine can use in different situations. Windows will come with some preset power plans, and sometimes your machine will have some power plans included by your computer manufacturer. $f you want to change the plan, simply clic! the radio button on the plan you%d li!e to use. $f you%d li!e to edit the finer details of the plan you%re using, clic! "/hange plan settings# on the left to view the options you can toggle.
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Customi)e !hat the "ower 5utton and Closing $aptop $id 'oes $t may seem odd to learn that you can customi;e what happens when you press the physical power button on your machine. $t feels li!e the power button only shuts off the computer, and that%s all it can do. While holding down the power button for a few seconds will cause a computer to shut off its power, you can customi;e what happens when you simply press it. (ou can also change what your computer does when you close the lid on the laptop, but this is only really useful for those who own a laptop specifically. $f you own a des!top /, this option won%t be helpful whatsoever. 4o set these options, first right+clic! the Start button and clic! /ontrol anel.
$f you use /ategory Aiew for /ontrol anel, first clic! System and Security, and then ower Options.
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$f you use Small or 2arge icon view, just find and clic! on ower Options.
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On the left you%ll see two settings you can clic! on@ J /hoose what the power buttons do J /hoose what closing the lid does. 4hey both go to the same window, so clic! either one.
-ere you can select what you want your computer to do when certain buttons are pressed. (our settings may loo! different if you don%t have a lid or a sleep button.
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Simply clic! the drop+down menu for each button you want to change and select what you%d prefer it to do. )emember that you can set an option for both when the laptop is plugged in and when it%s running on battery power.
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*et and Change the *creen *a-er $f you%re interested in customising your screen saver, it%s easy to find the settings and set them to your needs. $n order to do this we first need to access the /ontrol anel. 8o this by right clic!ing the Start button, then clic!ing /ontrol anel.
$f you use /ategory Aiew, first clic! on "ppearance and ersonali;ation#, and then ersonali;ation.
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$f you use 2arge or Small icon view, clic! on ersonali;ation.
4hen, clic! Screen Saver at the bottom right.
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On this screen, you can select a screen saver you%d li!e to use, change its settings *such as adding text to specific screen savers, and set a timer for when the screen saver will turn on.
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Chapter 9. $oc( *creen and *creen ,imeout Accessing the $oc( *creen %ptions ll of the instructions that are included within this chapter ma!e use of the 2oc! Screen options page. 4o avoid unnecessary repetition, here are the instructions for accessing the page. rom this window you%ll be able to follow all the instructions within this chapter. 4o access the options, clic! Start, then the Settings cog on the left.
-ere clic! ersonali;ation.
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/lic! 2oc! Screen on the left.
3ow you%re ready to follow the instructions mentioned within this chapter.
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Change *creen ,imeout and *leep ,imers (ou may have noticed that if you leave your computer alone for a period of time, it automatically turns the screen off. Sometimes, if you leave it for long enough, the computer will go into a sleep mode and will ta!e a little while to r esume operations again. 4hese are both good ways to save power, but you may want to alter the time at which they turn off. erhaps you want the timers to be shorter or longer, or perhaps you want to turn off the timers altogether so your computer never goes into sleep mode automatically. 4o change these timers, first access the 2oc! Screen settings as mentioned in /hapter K.1. 4hen, find the option for "Screen timeout settings# near the bottom of this window and clic! it.
4his will ta!e you to a new screen where you can change when the screen turns off and when the computer goes into sleep mode. /lic! the drop+down menus for each setting to change them. $f you want to turn them off altogether, clic! "3ever# at the very bottom of the list.
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*et an Automatic $oc( *creen After *creensa-er $f you%re worried about people using your computer when you%ve left it unattended, you can set up Windows so that it automatically loc!s the computer after a screensaver has been interrupted. 4his means that anyone trying to use your / while you%re away will have to use your password to access your computer. 4o set an automatic loc! screen, first access the options by following the instructions mentioned in /hapter K.1 4hen, scroll down to the very bottom of this screen. (ou%ll find an option called Screen saver settings. /lic! this.
-ere chec! the box for "On resume, display logon screen#.
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3ow, after a screensaver is interrupted, Windows will as! for login credentials.
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*et an Automatic $oc( *creen After *leep Mode s well as after a screensaver, you can turn on the option to have the computer display the loc! screen after the computer has gone into sleep mode. 4o activate this option, clic! on Start, then the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! on ccounts.
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/lic! Sign+$n Options on the left.
-ere loo! for the category called ")e:uire sign+in# $n the drop+down box under this category, set it to "When / wa!es up from sleep#.
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*how App *tatus on $oc( *creen 2oc! screens don%t just !eep trespassers out. (ou can also change the loc! screen to display app information, such as new mail or the weather forecast, so you can get vital information from a :uic! glance at the loc! screen. irst, access the 2oc! Screen window as mentioned in /hapter K.1. 3ear the middle of this page you%ll find several app+based options to pic! and choose from. 4his includes Windows and /ortana giving you tips, selecting an app to give detailed status, and choosing several apps to give :uic! and simple statuses. 4his is very useful if you want to chec! mail or instant messages without unloc!ing the machine.
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*et $oc( *creen Image or *lideshow (ou can also change the picture shown on the loc! screen or even set it up so that it goes through a gallery of pictures. 4his means your computer will carry your identity even while it%s loc!ed up tight. irst, access the 2oc! Screen window by following the instructions mentioned in /hapter K.1. t the top of this window you%ll see the drop+down option called &ac!ground. rom this you can select if you want a standard picture, a slideshow, or what%s called "Windows Spotlight.#
"icture allows you to choose from a range of pictures or browse for your own. *lideshow will as! you to select a folder of images on your /, and it will cycle through the images within that folder. !indows *potlight will feature a new set of images every day directly from Windows. ic! the option you%d li!e to see, and it%ll start displaying on your loc! screen.
Adding 'ynamic $oc( 2Creator’s Update3 8ynamic 2oc! is a new feature within the /reator%s pdate that allows you to loc! a / via &luetooth. 4he idea is that you pair your phone or device with the computer before activating 8ynamic 2oc!. fterward, should your phone leave the &luetooth range *perhaps because you%ve left to go to the store and too! your phone, Windows waits for thirty seconds before automatically loc!ing your computer. 4his is especially good if you%re 106
always forgetting to loc! your computer when you leave the house or office. 4o add a dynamic loc!, first ensure both your computer and your device have &luetooth enabled. Once done, pair your device with the computer. /onsult your phone%s manufacturer%s manual on how to do this on your phone. s for your /, clic! Start, then clic! the Settings cog. /lic! 8evices.
?o to "&luetooth and Other 8evices# and toggle &luetooth on.
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/lic! the L symbol next to dd &luetooth or other device.
/lic! &luetooth.
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Windows will begin loo!ing for the device. Once found, it%ll show up on the list.
/lic! on the device to pair it. Windows may show you a $3 number and as!s you if your phone is showing the same number. $f they both are, hit /onnect on both devices. Windows will then confirm the pairing.
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Once paired, go bac! to the main Settings screen. /lic! ccounts. /lic! Sign+$n options on the left, then scroll down to 8ynamic 2oc! and tic! the box that reads "llow Windows to detect when youMre away and automatically loc! the device#.
3ow, whenever you leave the computer with your phone, it%ll automatically loc! the computer within C0 seconds of it leaving &luetooth range.
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Chapter . App *ettings *et 'efault Apps for iles (ou may have noticed that when you open a file, such as a word document or music, Windows 10 will open the file automatically using software either it has chosen or that you have selected in the past. 4his can be infuriating, as if you%ve downloaded and installed new software to handle those files, sometimes Windows 10 won%t use it and opt to continue using the old software. 4his is because Windows has set the old software as its "default app# for that specific file type. s long as Windows believes the old software is the default one to use, it will automatically !eep using it unless you specifically use an HOpen With>% command on the right+clic! menu. 4han!fully, we can change what Windows believes is a default app ourselves, so we can select which app we want to open with which files. 4he first way is by accessing the /ontrol anel. )ight+clic! the Start button, then clic! /ontrol anel.
$f you%re using /ategory Aiew, clic! rograms, then 8efault rograms.
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$f you%re using 2arge or Small $cons Aiew, clic! 8efault rograms.
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(ou%ll be presented with the following screen.
-ere you have two routes. Set your default programs allows you to select software from a list, then either set it as the default option for all the file types it supports or pic! the file types individually.
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ssociate a file type or protocol with a program instead shows you a list of file extensions and allows you to set what program opens those specific files.
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4he second way of changing the default apps is via the Settings menu. Open the Start menu and clic! the Settings cog on the left.
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4hen clic! on System.
On the left clic! 8efault pps.
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-ere you can clic! on the different categories and set what programs you%d li!e to control what !ind of media and files.
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Change !hich 'ri-e New iles Are *a-ed ,o When downloading certain file types, you may want to have them saved to a different drive than the one Windows 10 is currently on. or example, you may have a secondary hard drive where you%d prefer data to go, or you may want to save things to a memory stic!. $f you want to change the default drive for files, it can be done very easily. irst, go to the Start menu and clic! the Settings cog on the left.
4hen, clic! System.
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/lic! on Storage on the left.
(ou can see how much you have left on your computer and can change the drive specific file types are saved on. Set them to the drive you want them to be saved on.
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Uninstall *oftware While downloading and installing software is a great way to use your computer at its absolute best, sometimes you tired of a piece of software. erhaps the software came pre+ installed on the computer and you want to get rid of it. $f you%re interested in removing software already installed, just follow these steps. )ight clic! the Start button, then clic! /ontrol anel.
$n /ategory view, clic! "ninstall a program#.
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$n 2arge or Small $cons view, clic! "rograms and eatures#.
Select the program you want to get rid of, and clic! the ninstall button.
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4his will remove the software from your system. $f you can%t find the software on the list, this may be due to a few reasons@ J Sometimes the program is listed differently on the list, such as Word being called "'icrosoft Word# on the list, meaning it will be found under ' instead of W. J Sometimes software you download and run doesn%t install and runs as an independent .exe file at which point you don%t need to uninstall it + simply deleting the software%s files and folders will suffice.
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Chapter : Cortana Modify Content /ortana is a new addition to Windows 10 which allows you to easily search for information both online and on your computer. /ortana comes pre+installed with some settings set, but it can be modified to better suit your needs. $f you want to change the content in /ortana, you can access the /ortana options so /ortana has more or less control over your data. 4o change the details, first clic! on the /ortana bar on the lower left.
While open, clic! the three bars at the top, and then the Settings cog on the bottom left.
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4his brings up a list of options you can toggle on and off, including allowing /ortana to stay on when your computer is loc!ed, what language /ortana uses, and if /ortana can show you your web and search history.
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;nable<'isable =>etting to ?now 0ou@ When using /ortana, Windows 10 uses a feature called "?etting to 7now (ou.# 4his is hidden away within the Windows 10 privacy options, so you may or may not !now that this option is currently on. When on, Windows 10 will monitor what you type so that it can deliver a better user experience to you. Some people, however, don%t li!e the idea of Windows monitoring what they type and want to disable this feature. 4o do this, first clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog on the left.
4hen, clic! the rivacy category.
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On the left bar clic! the "Speech, in!ing 6 typing# option.
(ou%ll arrive at the "?etting to !now you# section of the rivacy window. 4here is a brief description of what this feature does, what it trac!s, and why it trac!s your data. $t also 126
comes with a button. $f this feature is currently enabled, it will read "Stop getting to !now me#. Simply clic! this button, and Windows 10 will stop trac!ing your input. $f the button reads "?et to !now me#, the feature is currently off.
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;nable =6ey Cortana@ $f you really enjoy using /ortana, you can turn on "-ey /ortana# for easier use. -ey /ortana is a setting that allows /ortana to listen to your microphone at all times. When /ortana hears you say the phrase "-ey /ortana,# it will automatically activate and prepare itself for your re:uest. 4his is especially useful if you use the voice features of /ortana a lot. $f this sounds li!e something you%d li!e to activate, you can set it by clic!ing the /ortana bar, then the Settings cog on the left.
ind the option called "-ey /ortana#, and turn it on.
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$n order to ma!e sure /ortana can hear you, clic! the "?et Started# lin! under 'icrophone to set up /ortana to hear you. 4hen, when it%s all set up, saying "-ey /ortana# into the microphone will activate /ortana. 5e warned, however< this setting will mean /ortana will drain your battery faster, as it%s always listening for your voice. &e careful with this setting when using a laptop.
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#emo-e Cortana rom ,as(bar 3ot everyone will find use with /ortana, however. $n fact, some people might find /ortana a great nuisance. 4han!fully, there%s a way to hide /ortana so it doesn%t get in your way anymore. 4o hide /ortana, right clic! an empty spot on the toolbar, ma!ing sure you don%t right+clic! an icon or the Start button. On the menu that appears, mouse over the option that reads /ortana.
small window will appear with several options. rom here, select -idden.
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/ortana will now no longer show itself on the tas!bar.
Add !ee(ly
struggle to remember important dates and times and need a little help, tell /ortana about it, and you%ll get a little reminder on your / when the date and time comes around. 4o ma!e a reminder, clic! the /ortana icon. $t should be on your tas!bar if you haven%t hidden her. $f you have, consult chapter B.G and undo the actions stated there. 4ype "remind me# into the search box that appears. /ortana will automatically bring up an option called "Set a reminder#. /lic! this option or press 5nter.
/ortana will thin! for a little, then present you with a r eminder screen. 4his is where you%re going to type in the details of your reminder.
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")emember to># is where you write what you want to be reminded of. erson and 2ocation both re:uire additional privacy options for /ortana to use but will give you the added ability to set a person and a place in the reminder. 4ime gives you a few basic options to choose from, but clic!ing "nother time># gives you a lot more freedom.
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(ou can also add a photo to the reminder if you wish. Once done, clic! Save, and /ortana will remind you the next time your specified date and time comes up.
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Chapter : *ystem *et Up Buic( Actions Windows 10 features the Nuic! ctions menu which allows you easy access to a selection of pre+set actions, found by clic!ing the bottom+right of the screen on the speech bubble icon.
(ou may find, however, that the selection given to you by Windows 10 to begin with is lac!ing. $f you want to add more actions or you have a good idea for an action you%d li!e, you can change what appears using these steps. irst, clic! the Start button, then go to Settings.
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/lic! System.
$n System, clic! "3otifications 6 ctions#, then clic! "dd or remove :uic! actions#.
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4his will bring you to a screen where you can toggle different options for what you%d li!e to see on Nuic! ctions. &rowse through them and see what !ind of actions you%d li!e to add.
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*et Buic( olders 8o you find yourself constantly returning to certain folders on your computer9 $t can be very annoying to constantly have to go through your file system to get at a specific folder. $f you find yourself constantly returning to a specific folder, it can be a lot easier to pin the folder on the 5xplorer%s sidebar so you have instant access to it at any time you li!e. 4o perform this useful action, first navigate to the folder you%d li!e to put onto the sidebar and right+clic! it. On the menu that pops up, clic! "in to Nuic! access#.
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$t will now appear on the side bar when 5xplorer is open, allowing you to clic! it at any time to visit it.
$f you want to remove folders from this bar, right clic! it in the sidebar and clic! "npin from Nuic! access#.
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Change *ystem $anguage $f you want your computer to use a different language by default, you can tell Windows 10 to change the language it uses by default to better suit your needs. 4he system will then use the language you pic! for everything, from system messages to menus. $f you want to change the language, first clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! 4ime 6 2anguage.
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/lic! )egion 6 2anguage.
(ou%ll see all the language you can set the computer to. $f you can%t see your language
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listed, clic! the "dd a language# button to add it. 4his may re:uire a download.
Once done, clic! "Set as default#.
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Change (eyboard language 4his allows you to change the input from your typing, even if you don%t own a !eyboard with those specific inputs. $t would be tric!ier to type with an actual !eyboard of that language, given all the !eys will type different things than what%s shown on each !ey. -owever, it%s still very useful if you want to type in different languages and don%t mind the mild confusion. 4o do this, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! 4ime 6 2anguage.
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fter that clic! )egion 6 2anguage.
Select the language you%re currently using on the right, then select Options.
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/lic! the button that says "dd a !eyboard#.
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Select the !eyboard layout you want to add from the list.
Once a !eyboard has been added, you can change your !eyboard layout by holding down the Windows !ey and pressing the Spacebar. 4his will bring up the !eyboard selection window. (ou can !eep pressing the Spacebar to change the !eyboard selection, then release the Windows !ey once you%ve selected the !eyboard you want.
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Change Computer Name $f you want, you can change the name of your computer so that it displays a more identifiable name on networ!s. sually computers come with :uite generic names, so calling your computer something li!e "7itchen /# or "ohn%s 2aptop# can help distinguish computers from one another on the networ!. Some networ!ing devices, such as routers, may even log connections using the computer name, ma!ing it easier to identify who is who. 4o set your computer%s name, right+clic! the Start button and clic! System.
(ou%ll see a window containing some complicated system details. 8on%t worry about these< find and clic! "/hange settings# on the far right.
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new window will appear with the /omputer 3ame tab already selected. ll you have to do here is clic! the /hange button.
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5nter the name you%d li!e to give to your computer, then clic! O7. 'a!e sure it doesn%t contain special symbols or spaces, as Windows won%t accept the name otherwise
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Chapter 1: "ri-acy Accessing the "ri-acy *ettings ll of the following instructions re:uire opening the rivacy window to modify settings. $n order to access this window, follow these instructions. irst, clic! Start, then the Settings cog on the left.
/lic! on the rivacy category.
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4his will bring up the rivacy settings that you%ll need for the following chapters.
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Allow<orbid $ocation *er-ices When apps use your computer, sometimes they want to !now your location. 4his may be because they want to place you on a map or !now your general location so they can give you information on your local area. Some people find these services very useful, but others don%t li!e the thought of their computer transmitting their location to apps. $f you want to turn this on or off, follow the steps dictated in /hapter 10.1. When in the rivacy settings window, clic! 2ocation.
(ou can clic! this /hange button to bring up an option. 4his is the general switch for allowing your computer to transmit your location details to apps. $f you want apps to be able to use your location to further enhance your services, set it to On. $f you prefer to !eep your location hidden from apps so they can%t discover your location, set it to Off.
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Allow<orbid *pecific Apps from ?nowing 0our $ocation 4he above chapter discussed how to turn all location services off so that no apps can learn where you are. -owever, if you want only some apps to stop learning your location, you can also tell Windows 10 to deny them specifically from your location. 4his allows you to have control over what apps get to !now where you are, so you can allow trusted apps and deny apps you may be hesitant to give location data to. 4o do this, access the general rivacy options as described in /hapter 10.1. On this window ,clic! the 2ocation category. Scroll down on this new window. (ou%ll see a list of apps, each with their own individual switch. 4hese switches control whether the app is able to use your location information in their service. $f there%s an app you particularly don%t want to access your location information, simply change the switch so that it%s off. $t will no longer learn your location.
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*et >eneral "ri-acy %ptions Windows 10 comes with some settings you can toggle that relate to your privacy. $f you%re especially worried about how your data is being used by your computer and the apps installed on it, it%s worth having a loo! at the settings to ensure everything is o!ay. 4o do this, first access the rivacy settings as stated in /hapter 10.1. Once this is done, ma!e sure that you%re on the ?eneral category on the left. $f you%re not, clic! ?eneral to go there.
(ou%ll see a few options at the top of this window. 4hey%re a little confusing as to what each one does, so let%s explore each one in turn. •
$et apps use my ad-ertising I' for eperiences across apps@ 4his will control Windows telling apps what !ind of ads you%d li!e to see. n advertising $8 is a general idea Windows gets of you and your habits so it can show you advertisements tailored to your tastes.
•
,urn on *mart*creen ilter to chec( web content 2U#$s3 that !indows *tore 159
apps use@ When you use apps on the Windows Store, the SmartScreen ilter built into Windows will chec! if the )2 is malicious or not. $t does this by sending the )2 you%re trying to access to 'icrosoft for chec!ing. $f you don%t want this to happen, turn this off. 5e warned, though< this removes a layer of protection from harmful )2s in Windows Store apps. •
*end Microsoft info about how I write to help us impro-e typing and writing in the future@ 4his means that 'icrosoft will learn about how you type so that it can better improve its services such as autocomplete. $f this ma!es you feel uneasy, turn it off.
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$et websites pro-ide locally rele-ant content by accessing my language list@ 4his allows websites you visit to chec! what language you%ve set your computer to *see /hapter P.C about changing this. 4his means that websites will be able to tailor its content and ads toward your language and country preferences.
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Chapter 11: >etting the Creator’s Update -opefully by the time you read this, your computer has already updated itself to the /reator%s pdate. 4he /reator%s pdate is a free update given out by 'icrosoft to add additional features to their operating system. (ou will notice, or may have already noticed, that a few features in this guide are introduced as "from the /reator%s pdate.# $f you do not have this update, the features mar!ed as such won%t be on your system. 4han!fully, if you li!e the sound of these additional features, the /reator%s pdate is totally free to download. $t%s also available regardless of if you%re using CI+ or KG+bit Windows, or what edition you%re using *-ome, &usiness, ro, etc.. 'icrosoft is doing its best to ensure everyone gets the update, including putting it up on Windows pdate for people to download. $f you%re missing the update and would li!e to install it, there are a few ways you can get it from 'icrosoft.
,hrough !indows Update 4here%s a chance that the update is already waiting for you to download, but you just need to tell your computer to chec! for Windows pdates first. (ou can do this by going to the Windows pdate section of Windows 10 and telling i t to download. 4o do this, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog. /lic! pdate and Security.
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nder "Windows pdate# clic! /hec! for pdates.
$f your / has located the /reator%s pdate, it will allow you to download and install it automatically through Windows pdate.
Manually 'ownload the Update 5ven if Windows pdates doesn%t pic! up the /reator%s pdate for you to download, you don%t have to admit defeat just yet. (ou can manually download the update from 'icrosoft%s website, thus circumventing the need to wait for 'icrosoft to give it to you. 4o do this, visit this website@ https@==www.microsoft.com=en+us=software+ download=windows10. $f you visit it on an operating system that%s not Windows 10, you%ll only see the option to ma!e a media creation tool to perform fresh installations of Windows 10 with. -owever, if you%re using Windows 10, you%ll see an additional button at the top of the page announcing the /reator%s pdate and an "pdate 3ow# button.
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$f you clic! this, you%ll automatically initiate a download for a file that will update your version of Windows 10 to the /reators pdate. )un this file and go through the steps to get the update without having to wait for Windows to give it to youF
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Chapter 1&: >ame 5ar 3ew to Windows 10 in recent updates, the ?ame &ar is designed to help people create videos and media based on video games. 2et%s lays, game streams, and mod creation are all big niches in this current age, and 'icrosoft is arming its users with the tools they need in order to hop into the world of gaming. reviously, gamers had to download several third+party tools to perform different tas!s@ one for ta!ing screenshots :uic!er and easier than the rint Screen command, one for recording gameplay, and so on. 'icrosoft aims to remove the dependency of using third+ party software by ma!ing these features native to Windows itself, so users can start recording and broadcasting games the moment they fire up Windows for the first time. 4his is the goal of the ?ame &ar, which is a highly convenient tool for the modern gamer. 4he ?ame &ar is a hub for different tools you can use to get the most of your games. $t comes with a native screenshot and movie recording tool, so you can share moments and gameplay with your friends. $t can even capture video retroactively, so you%ll never miss another great play again.
;nabling >ame 5ar &efore we get into what the ?ame &ar can do, we should ma!e sure it%s enabled firstF 4o do this we%re going to need to ma!e use of the new "?aming# settings that came with the /reator%s pdate. 4o start, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog. /lic! ?aming.
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On the left side clic! ?ame &ar. ind the option near the top, )ecord game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using ?ame &ar, and toggle this option on.
4his will now allow you to use ?ame &ar in Windows 10. $f you loo! near the bottom of this 165
window, you%ll see that there are various hot!eys already set up to support ?ame &ar. (ou%ll see that to open ?ame &ar, you can do so by pressing the Windows 7ey L ?. (ou can change this and other hot!eys if you%d li!e, but for the sa!e of this guide, it%ll be assumed all hot!eys are set to their default options, so be careful if you doF
#ecording with >ame 5ar sing the ?ame &ar you can record footage of your gameplay whenever you need to. 4his saves the file in an .mpG format which you can then upload directly to (ou4ube or import into a video editing suite to ma!e additional twea!s and changes before publishing it to the $nternet. $n order to start recording with ?ame &ar, first ensure that it %s active. (ou can do this by booting up the game you want to record and then pressing the ?ame &ar hot!ey *Win 7ey L ? on your !eyboard. 4his should cause the ?ame &ar to come out of hiding. $f it doesn%t, the game you%re running may not support the ?ame &ar. $t may also be that you haven%t enabled ?ame &ar yet, at which point you need to consult chapter 1I.1 and ensure that it%s enabled.
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Once you%re sure the ?ame &ar is up and running, begin playing the game until you come to the part you want to record. (ou can press Win L lt L 4 to show the recording timer if you want to see how long you%ll be recording for. Otherwise, press Win L lt L ) to start recording. (ou%ll !now it has started because a recording bar appears at the top right. 4his will have a button to stop the recording or mute=unmute your microphone and will also tell you how long you%ve been recording for.
Once done, press Win L lt L ) or the Stop button on the recording bar to stop recording again. While ?ame &ar is active, you can record in+game events that have just occurred, even if you weren%t actively recording the game. 4his comes in handy if you want to record !ey plays and moments in your games, but you don%t want to record every single game you play. Once you%ve performed a play that you want to record, pressing Win L lt L ? will activate ")ecord 4hat# which records a chun! of your past playtime. (ou can then open the video file and see your play, even though you weren%t actively recording at the ti me it occurred. Whichever method you choose, you can access your saved video files by either opening the Ebox app or going to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Videos\Captures.
,a(ing *creenshots with >ame 5ar $f you don%t want to record a video but still want to share what%s on the screen, you can perform a screenshot instead. Screenshots are snapshots of a moment in a game, which is useful if you want to share a high score, character build, or latest in+game project with your friends. 167
4o do this, first ensure ?ame &ar is enabled by pressing Win 7ey L ?. $f the ?ame &ar appears, you%re ready to ta!e screenshots within your game. 3ow, simply play the game to the point where you want to capture a moment. 4hen, press Win L lt L rint Screen to ta!e a screenshot via ?ame &ar.
Once you%re done ta!ing screenshots and want to share them, you can get to your image files by going to C:\Users\[Your Username]\Videos\Captures. 8espite the fact you%ve captured an image, ?ame &ar still saves them alongside the videos that ?ame &ar has recorded. (ou can find all the screenshots you too! in this location in a .png format ready to be shared with the world or edited in an image manipulation program for further twea!ing.
Using >ame Mode 3ew with Windows 10 /reator%s pdate is the ?ame 'ode. ?ame 'ode aims to s:uee;e as much performance as it can out of your computer by stopping other processes and applications from hogging resources while you play a game. &y doing this it frees up processing power which can then be used by the game in :uestion. ?ame 'ode can allow games to render with better framerates, as well as cut down on loading times. $f your computer struggles to !eep a steady framerate with a game, it%s worth giving ?ame 'ode a try to see if it can fix your issues. 4o activate ?ame 'ode, first ensure that ?ame &ar is enabled. $f you%re not sure, follow the instructions in 1I.1 to ma!e sure. 4hen, clic! Start, followed by the Settings cog. /lic! ?aming. On the left side of the window that appears, clic! ?ame 'ode, then se ?ame 'ode on the right.
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/lic! O7 out of all windows. &oot the game you want to enable ?ame 'ode in. See if you can enable ?ame &ar in said game by pressing Win 7ey L ?. $f you can, you%ll be able to activate ?ame 'ode. With ?ame &ar active, press the Settings button on the ?ame &ar.
/lic! se ?ame 'ode for this game.
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4his will activate ?ame 'ode. $f your current game is supported by ?ame 'ode, it should bring your framerates up to a more manageable level. $f it doesn%t or it causes more problems that it solves, you can turn it off by repeating the instructions above.
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Chapter 1/: Night $ight 8ue to the fact that the light a monitor outputs tric!s your brain into t hin!ing itMs still daylight, people using computers into the late hours of the night may find it%s difficult to sleep after signing off of the computer. 4his is because your mind is still in "daytime mode# after seeing the "false sunlight# and isn%t ready for sleeping yet. $f you%ve ever used a program such as f.lux, you%ll !now of software that dims the brightness of your monitor as night approaches to help avoid this problem. 3ew to Windows 10 through the /reator%s pdate is the 3ight 2ight. $t ta!es the monitor+ dimming software developed by third party companies and adds it into Windows 10 as a native feature. $f you find yourself using your computer into the late hours of the night, and you suspect the monitor%s ambient light is !eeping you from sleeping properly, 3ight 2ight may help you get a better night%s rest.
Acti-ating Night $ight 4o turn 3ight 2ight on, do the following@ irst, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog. $n the menu that appears, clic! System.
When you arrive in the System window, you should automatically be on the 8isplay category. $f not, clic! it to go there. Once in 8isplay, a list of options will appear on the left. ind the 3ight 2ight option and clic! it to turn it on. 171
3ow when you use the computer during the later hours, you should notice that the screen gradually shifts toward a warmer colour. 8ue to the fact this influences the colours you see on the screen, ma!e sure that you disable this option if you want to perform colour+ sensitive actions on your computer such as digital painting or graphics design.
*etting ,he Night $ight’s *chedule While a night light is a very useful tool to have, it may need a bit of twea!ing on your end to get the most out of it. or instance, if you go to bed later than normal or you wor! a night shift, you may be interested in setting the night light so it doesn%t begin to brighten up before you go to bed. (ou%ll want it to be at i ts dar!est right when you shut off the /, else it will defeat the purpose of a night light entirelyF 4o solve this, let%s set the schedule at which the night light engages and disengages so it better suits the time at which you go to bed. /lic! the "3ight light Settings# option under the night light switch. (ou%ll be ta!en to a new screen. Scroll down to Schedule to see all the options available to you. 'a!e sure the schedule night light option is turned on. Once turned on, you%ll see that you have two options@ you can have the night light engage from sunset to sunrise, or you can enter your own options with "set hours.# /lic! the latter.
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Set the time you want the night light to engage and disengage. 3ight light will now wor! on your terms so you can better suit it around your sleeping and computer usage schedules.
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*etting the ,emperature 'uch li!e the schedule, you can also adjust the "temperature# the night light wor!s with. 4his refers to the amount of dimming the night light performs during its active hours. (ou may want to play with this setting to get a feel for a good+loo!ing night light. $deally, you want a temperature that stri!es a balance between being bright enough to still be able to read whatMs on the screen while dar! enough to save your eyes from strain and help you sleep at night. 4o set the temperature of the night light, first clic! the night light settings option under the night light toggle, if you have not already done so. (ou%ll find a bar which you can use to change the tone of the night light. 4he far left indicates a heavily dimmed screen, while the far right has no effect at all. 4ry different tones, and Windows 10 will show you what the tone loo!s li!e as you play with it. Once you%ve found the ideal tone, simply leave the bar alone, and it%ll use your setting the next 174
time the night light turns on.
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Chapter 14: "remade ,hemes *earch for "remade ,hemes /ustomi;ing your computer before the /reator%s pdate meant one of two routes@ finding and downloading a theme from a safe website on the internet or ma!ing it yourself using images, sounds, and manually setting $ colours. With the /reator%s pdate, however, 'icrosoft has added the ability for users to browse and purchase premade themes on the Windows Store. 4his ma!es it very easy to personalise your computer without all the hassle. $f you%re interested in getting a premade theme, you can browse the Store to find one. 4o do that, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog. /lic! on ersonali;ation. /lic! on 4hemes on the left, then scroll down a little and find the lin! for "?et more themes# in the Store.
(ou%ll find a long list of themes that you can download.
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Scroll through them and clic! on one that catches your interest. (ou can read about what the theme has within it as well as view screenshots of the theme in :uestion.
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&efore deciding on a theme *especially if the theme comes with a price tag, ma!e sure you read all the details of the theme in :uestion. Some will come with a wide array of features such as sounds, a des!top image, and toolbar colours. Some will come with just the bac!ground image. 'a!e sure you !now what you%re getting should you decide to put money down for a theme. (ou can also scroll to the bottom of the page and read reviews left by users who had downloaded this theme, so you can save yourself some time *and potentially money before you try a theme.
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5uying and Using "remade ,hemes Once you%ve found a theme you want to use, it%s time to ac:uire it. irst, note if the theme you%d li!e to install comes with a price tag. $f it does, you%ll need to go through the purchase process to give 'icrosoft a payment option if one isn%t set up already. Once done, you can purchase the theme and download it to your computer. 3ot all themes will come with a price tag, however. $f you%ve fallen in love with a theme that is listed as free, you can download it right away to your computer at no additional cost to you. $n this instance there will be a button that says ?et. Simply clic! this button to ac:uire the theme.
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)egardless of whether you pay for your theme or get it for free, once you%ve successfully ac:uired a theme, Windows will download it for you. Once it%s finished downloading, you may notice that your computer hasn%t updated itself to the new theme you%ve just ac:uired. 4his is because you have to tell Windows to use the theme you just downloaded. )emember the theme window we opened to get to the Store9 )eturn to this screen either by manually going bac! or by clic!ing the 2aunch button on the theme%s store page after it has finished downloading.
Once bac! in the theme screen, you%ll see your theme has appeared under pply a theme.
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$f you want to save your current theme before you change, ma!e sure to clic! the "Save 4heme# button before you change. Once ready, clic! the theme you%ve downloaded, and your computer will automatically change to it. (ou can download as many themes as you li!e and Windows will !eep trac! of all of them on this screen. Whenever you feel li!e a change of scenery, simply come bac! to this screen and clic! the theme you want, or go bac! into the store and find new ones.
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Chapter 18: !indows Updates 'efer Updates 5efore Installing &efore the /reator%s pdate, 'icrosoft was :uite tough on how people get their Windows pdates. nli!e in earlier versions where people could defer, or even totally ignore, Windows pdates as they saw fit, 'icrosoft too! a firmer stance with Windows 10 by having updates as mandatory rather than something you can opt out of. (ou could defer updates, but usually only for a few days before it installed itself on your computer. sers expressed their disappointment over this addition in Windows 10, as not everyone wants to install updates so :uic!ly. pdates can interfere with vital software and can even cause computer problems in specific models. s such, users wanted to be able to delay updates further and ensure the changes wouldn%t damage the / before they allowed it to install. Windows /reator%s pdate has changed this so you can defer updates, allowing you better control over what gets installed onto your /. &efore we get started, first note that this feature is not available in Windows 10 -ome 5dition. Other editions, such as &usiness and rofessional, should have this feature. $f you canMt find the options to defer Windows pdate, ma!e sure you have the /reator%s pdate and that you%re not running the -ome 5dition. 4o defer updates, clic! the Start button, then the Settings cog. ?o to pdate 6 Security.
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On the Windows pdate category, in the main window, find dvanced Options and clic! it.
Scroll down to where it says /hoose when updates are installed. 4he settings here are :uite complicated, so let%s brea! them down one by one@
1. 4he top option is for setting the update branch of the computer. /urrent &ranch will update the system as soon as updates are available, while other options such as /urrent &ranch for &usiness will delay the updates for four months to allow businesses to adapt to new updates without them brea!ing software compatibility. $f you%re not sure what to pic!, stic! with /urrent &ranch. 183
I. 4he feature update drop+down allows you to set how long feature updates are delayed. eature updates typically add new features to Windows 10 and are non+essential for the security of the computer. (ou can delay these updates for up to CKQ days. C. 4he :uality update drop+down wor!s the same way as the feature update drop+down. nli!e feature updates, :uality updates deal with !eeping the system%s performance and security at a high. &ecause they%re so vital for the system%s use, you can only delay :uality updates for C0 days. G. t the bottom is the ause pdates switch. Once turned on, you won%t receive any updates for CQ days. fter the CQ days are up, however, Windows will go bac! to installing updates automatically.
*et Acti-e 6ours One early complaint of Windows 10 was how it unexpectedly restarted itself to install updates. /oupled with the fact you couldn%t stop updates from occurring, and it results in a frustrating problem where Windows 10 might download updates, install them, and automatically restart the / should you leave it alone for only a few minutes. ctive -ours tells Windows not to restart the / or install updates during specific times, so you never have to worry about an auto+restart. 4o set your active hours, access the Windows pdate window as in chapter 1Q.1. 4hen, clic! on the lin! that says "/hange ctive -ours#.
-ere you can set the times where you do not want Windows 10 to restart the computer. Set this for when you%re doing important tas!s such as wor! or gaming. Windows 10 will 184
now defer the restart of the computer until after the active hours are over.
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Chapter 19: ,ouchpad *ettings ;dit ,ouchpad *ettings $f you%re using a laptop, there%s a good chance that you also have a trac!pad. 4his allows you to move the cursor using a pad built into the laptop itself. (our laptop may even come with pre+set "gestures# where you move your fingers across the pad in specific ways to activate or use features. While useful to have on the move, it%s definitely not to everyone%s tastes. or instance, some people who use their laptops for gaming will want to disable the touchpad so they don%t accidentally move the mouse while playing games. erhaps you find yourself accidentally clic!ing things as you%re using the laptop%s !eyboard. $f you want to change how the touchpad wor!s, clic! on the Start button, then the Settings cog. /lic! 8evices. On the left side clic! 4ouchpad.
(ou%ll see some basic options at the very top of this window. 4he top toggle disables and 186
enables the touchpad entirely, so be careful with this option if the touchpad is your only means of inputF $f you use a mouse, you can tell Windows to disable the touchpad when it detects a mouse. lternatively, if you still use the touchpad while the mouse is in, you can tell Windows to !eep it on so you can use both. $f you find the cursor is too slow or fast depending on how far you move your finger on the touchpad, you can edit the sensitivity here, too.
;dit >estures $f you own a precision touchpad, you%ll also see a wealth of advanced options has opened itself up to you underneath the basic settings. $f you%re unsure whether or not you have a precision touchpad, Windows 10 will tell you at the top of the touchpad window under the "4ouchpad# title.
$f you have one, scroll down the window to see all the options available to you. lot of them are simple on+off switches for pre+set gestures such as tapping the touchpad with two fingers to represent a right clic!. 4hey%re self+explanatory, so familiarise yourself with each one and enable or disable them as you see fit.
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3ear the very bottom of this window is an interesting feature@ three+touch gestures. 4he idea behind them is that you place three of your fingers on the touchpad R normally the index, middle, and ring finger. (ou can then swipe them up, down, left, right, or tap on the touchpad to activate pre+set functions. $f you want to use three+finger gestures, you can browse the pre+set gestures under the Swipes dropdown.
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4his will then give you a set of four gestures which you can use for different functions.
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(ou can also set what happens when you tap three fingers against the touchpad.
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$f you want more freedom over what each gesture does, scroll down to the very bottom of the window and clic! "dvanced gesture configuration#.
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(ou can choose which preset function you want on each gesture, including nothing happening. &rowse through them and set the gestures so you have your most+used functions tied to a simple swipe.
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