Some people hate how Windows operating systems change so much between versions, and other people appreciate the changes. From all my years of experience as a writer, it’s tough to do things without fault the first time, so I sympathize with Windows developers who get criticism for not getting things right the first time. But […]
July 2017
How to Remotely Troubleshoot Another Windows PC [Tutorial]
Windows PCs have always had a tool for taking remote control of another computer so you could help troubleshoot it even if you weren’t physically able to be around it. The problem with it was that it needed certain requirements—like being connected to the same network, for instance—before it could work. Subsequently, trying to get […]
How to Reset Internet Explorer to Default in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Internet Explorer is a bit of an after thought these days. You still get it coming with Windows 10 by default, but it isn’t the web browser that Microsoft offers in the taskbar. If you do happen to find how to open IE 11 in Windows 10, then you’ll also get an Edge icon on […]
How to Connect Remotely to Windows 10 PC [Tutorial]
Personally, I found the Windows Desktop Connection—that allows you to remote desktop connect—difficult to set up correctly so that it was ready to use. I then went looking around the web for other solutions instead of trying to work out how to use it and came across something called Team Viewer. I’ve always continued to […]
How to Change Account Username in Windows 10 When Signed In to Microsoft Account or Local Account [Tutorial]
All Microsoft accounts and local user accounts have a username that goes along for the ride with them. You’ll notice the email that is assigned to the account when you first set it up because that’s pretty obvious when you enter it, but not everyone remembers including a username when they created their accounts. That […]
How to Change System Unattended Sleep Timeout in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
There’s a feature available in Windows 10 called “System unattended sleep timeout, ” and it’s known to cause users some trouble. With us since way back with Windows Vista, the System unattended sleep timeout power setting is designed to be the idle timeout before the system goes back to a low power sleep state after it […]
How to Allow/Prevent Devices to Wake Computer in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Most of our computers are used with various human interface devices (HID) to help us get the most out of our computing experience. Stuff like mouses, Bluetooth devices, and fingerprint readers are all considered HID’s. Sometimes your HIDs can wake up a computer when you don’t want them to. Others times, they won’t wake up […]
How to Enable/Disable Always Boot to Advanced Startup Settings in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Back in earlier versions of the Windows operating system, you could press the F8 key, and it would be your gateway to the advanced options. The advanced options screen was great for doing things like booting the computer in Safe Mode so you could then run antivirus and get rid of your computer running smoothly again. […]
How to Manage Startup Programs in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
A startup item is anything on your operating system that gets classified as an item—like an application or drive, for example—that begin running when you turn on the computer and sign into your accounts without you having chosen to run that item. You might hear some people talk about disabling or enabling startup programs if […]
How to Change Optimize Drives Schedule Settings in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Windows operating systems used to have a feature called the “Disk Defragmenter.” The Disk Defragmenter took a while to finish running when you would do a scan, but your computer would have a nice performance boost once it did. The reason for the performance boost was because the Disk Defragmenter worked to optimize your drives. Windows 10 […]
How to Use Battery Save Mode in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Like our smartphones, Windows 10 includes a Battery Saver mode that aims to extend the life of your laptop or tablet’s battery. Not much happens until your battery starts running low, and then when you get under a particular percentage of power on the battery left, the Battery Saver mode starts doing its thing. Windows […]
How to Delete Windows.old Folder in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Windows 10 treats Windows.old folder to hold old versions of the Windows operating system if you have performed a refresh of Windows 10 from the Settings, upgraded to Windows 10 from older versions of Windows, or created a custom install of Windows 10 on the same partition. The Windows.old folder is supposed to be a […]
Check Which Apps Are Draining Battery in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Windows 10 does a pretty good job at optimizing the battery already for your laptop when you first start using the operating system, but it won’t be perfectly tailored to suit your needs. One of the most resource intensive things a laptop has is its applications. A modern day operating system is pretty useless without […]
How to See if Apps Are Power Throttling in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
High powered laptops and computers are great, but the better the hardware and the better the screen quality, the more battery it is going to use up. If you read a lot of my stuff, then you’ll already have heard me talk about how battery technology is holding us back plenty of times. If we […]
How to Change PIN for Account in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
My how-to articles are often filled with subtle hints to finally ditch that older version of Windows for Windows 10 because the statistics show that older versions are still doing considerably better and they shouldn’t be. What I didn’t find out until recently was that Windows 10 was already the most used operating system in […]
How to Restart explorer.exe Process in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Explorer.exe is the Explorer executable—the executable file for the Windows Explorer. The Windows Explorer has been around for a long time now and is responsible for the taskbar, File Explorer, Start menu notification area, and the desktop. If you have an issue with any one of those things that the Windows Explorer is looking after, you […]
How to Install Chrome OS on any PC and Create a Chromebook
The average laptop user updates their device about once every five years—things are similar with desktop PCs, but people keep them a bit longer due to parts being easier to replace and laptops having limited chances to get in on some upgrades that would help them stay relevant in the future. Generally speaking, the five-year […]
How to Install Chrome OS from USB Drive on Any Computer
If you happen to go shopping for a new laptop one of the options that might tickle your fancy is a Chromebook. A Chromebook looks like a top end device when you see it on the shelf, but has a dramatically cut down operating system compared to most other laptops you’ll see there that runs […]
Ubuntu Available to Install from Windows Store for Windows 10 Editions
Ubuntu, the most well known Linux distribution of them all, is now available to be installed on Windows 10 from the Windows Store. Installing Ubuntu on Windows means you can start running commands usually restricted to Linux operating systems from the Windows command line instead. You’ll get to use bash, apt, ssh, git and more […]
How to Install Ubuntu on Windows 10 [Tutorial]
If you haven’t heard the news, Ubuntu is now available to be installed on Windows operating systems. The new integration of Ubuntu means you can start running all the same commands you’ve come to know and love from Terminal and the Ubuntu command line within the Windows Command Prompt. After you install the Ubuntu application […]
How to Download Windows 10 ISO File [Tutorial]
I want to install Windows 10 on a computer that doesn’t have it already available from the manufacturer’s disk or from a free Windows 10 upgrade that I missed out on. And I want to do it the legal and official way that Microsoft wants people to use. Resolution The Windows 10 ISO files aren’t […]
How to Repair Windows 10 Image using DISM [Tutorial]
The DISM Cleanup image (Deployment Imaging and Servicing Management) tool is available for administrators to use if the Windows image develops a problem that can’t be fixed with a standard service. If you ever get faced with an issue that’s serviceable, DISM can overwrite the current files with new versions and fix the problem that […]
Microsoft Garage Mouse without Borders for Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Using several monitors at once is now becoming more and more of a thing as we continue to advance with technology. Having more than one monitor set up is ideal for creating a larger display or for being able to see more than one thing at the same time. For example, if you wanted to […]
How to Change Name of Computer in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
When you buy a new computer that comes with Windows 10 already installed, you’ll notice when you use the computer that sometimes the computer’s name is identifiable by programs, apps, and even by yourself if you browse the operating system in the right place. Each computer that runs on Windows 10 is given a uniquely […]
How to Turn On/Off System Icons on Taskbar in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
A system icon is any icon that you can see inside the system tray. The system tray is what you see on the right side of the taskbar. And if you don’t know what a taskbar is, then just look at the bottom of your computer’s display because the taskbar is always running across the […]
How to Change Automatic Maintenance Settings in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Microsoft does a lot of things behind the scenes helping your computer stay in tip-top shape, so you don’t have to be a geek anymore to use a computer without running into issues. That’s part of the reason being a technician in I.T. doesn’t have much of a future. As time goes on, the software […]
How to Add/Remove Favorites in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
The Microsoft Edge web browser only has a fraction of the overall web browser market share at the moment because it’s only available to use if you have Windows 10 and not a lot of people are running Windows 10 yet. But make no mistake about it: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 is a great […]
How to Change DPI Scaling Level for Displays in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
One thing you should always do before choosing to buy a new computer is research what kind of monitor that computer is offering. You might think you’ve found a good deal on a computer because it is made by the manufacturer you really wanted, has most of the hardware requirements that you wanted, and the […]
How to Hide/Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
Desktop icons are the icons for apps and programs that you have on the desktop. The desktop is what you see on the computer’s screen when you first log in to your accounts or when you don’t have anything open on the computer. Sometimes people want to remove icons from the desktop temporarily. For example, […]
How to Turn On/Off Windows Defender in Windows 10 [Tutorial]
In older versions of Windows—like Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP—before Windows 10 came out, the Windows operating system would pop up a message on the computer’s screen if you did not have any antivirus installed and tell you to install some. Windows did not provide any antivirus for you, so you then needed […]
