TRDL14 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps (Unlock The Full Potential of Windows 10)

NEW
Windows
10
Tips, Tricks & Apps
Unlock the full potential of Windows 10
Boost your
PCs speed and
performance
Over
400
hints and
tips inside
Extend Microsoft
Edges functionality
Defragment files
and manage
your storage
Expand your
capabilities with
third-party apps
Master the
Task Manager
Personalise Windows
Stay secure
Download apps
100% unofficial
Welcome to
Windows 10
Though in many ways Windows 8 was an extremely forwardthinking operating system, many users found it too much of a
radical departure from the Windows experience they knew and
loved. Thankfully Microsoft was listening, and with Windows 10 it
has created an OS that feels both familiar and futuristic.
From the return of the Start menu to the introduction of the new
Edge web browser, Windows 10 is packed with brilliant features,
abilities and apps that aim to make your computing experience
as compelling as possible. But while Windows 10 is absolutely
accessible to newcomers and veterans alike, some of its more
powerful settings and features may not be immediately apparent.
Thats where Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps comes in. In this
bookazine well talk you through how to get the most out of
Microsofts built-in apps, how to tweak the OS to fit your needs
and which of the thousands of apps available from the Windows
Store are really worth your time.
Windows10
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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has
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This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation
in the United States and/or other countries.
Windows 2015 Microsoft
Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 2015 Imagine Publishing Ltd
Contents
Everything you need to know about Windows 10
Complete guide
8
10
11
12
14
Introducing Windows 10
Welcome back to the desktop
Windows 10 FAQs
What's new in Windows 10?
Install or upgrade to Windows 10
50 essential
16 Windows 10 tips
18
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22
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26
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6 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps
Tips
30
36
40
46
50
54
Customise Windows 10
Secure your PC
Increase productivity
Get more from Cortana
Manage OneDrive
Browse with Edge
58
62
68
72
76
Keep informed
Stay entertained
Download new apps
Activate Tablet mode
Troubleshooting
Tricks
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
98
100
102
104
106
108
110
112
Customise the Start menu in Windows 10

Use dictation and speech commands
Control apps with Task Manager
Manage your printers and other devices
Share over a homegroup network
Protect your PC with security software
Keep on top of your PCs health
Configure Ease of Access in Settings
Personalise Mail to suit your needs
Customise and improve Skype
Take great photos with the Camera app
Use Photos to create great image edits
Work with Microsoft Office web apps
Make the most of the versatile OneNote
Make your Calendar easier to read
Compress your files and documents
114
116
118
120
Master the advanced power settings

Learn to defragment your hard disk
Manage Windows 10s Storage Spaces
Boost Windows speed and get a better PC
Apps
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
Games
Social
Entertainment
Photography
Music & Video
Sport
Books & Reference
News & Weather
Health & Fitness
Food & Dining
Lifestyle
Shopping
Travel
Finance
Productivity
Tools
Security
Business
Education
Government
Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 7
INTRODUCING WINDOWS 10
0U[YVK\JPUN
Windows 10
Get to know the latest and greatest version of
Windows that Microsoft has ever produced
indows 10 is the
brand new and most
exciting version
of Microsofts
operating system yet. It is
designed for multiple devices,
including desktop computers,
laptops, tablets, mobile phones and
hybrid devices, such as the Surface.
It is an impressive blend of old
and familiar features, and new and
interesting ones, and this means
that you will instantly feel at home
whether you have used Windows 7
or 8, but there are also lots of great
new features to discover and use.
An example of this can be seen
when browsing the internet. There is
the old and familiar Internet Explorer,
but also a new browser called
Edge that is fast and packed with
innovative and useful features that
take it beyond the capabilities of the
previous browser. Edge is the future
of web browsing, but if you are not
quite ready to embrace it, there is
still Internet Explorer.
The Start screen that you may
have used in Windows 8 is still
available, but there is also the new
Start menu that combines the best
of Windows 7s Start menu with the

tiles of Windows 8s Start screen.
If you like working with desktop
applications then thats fine, and
you can continue to do so, but
you can also use apps from the
Windows Store. They run full screen
like Windows 8 or in a window like
Windows 7. Its your choice and you
can stick with what you are most
comfortable with.
Apps are better than ever, and
many have been updated to take
advantage of Windows 10, including
the Windows Store itself. This is now
a one-stop shop for everything you
need for your computer, tablet and
phone, including software, music,
movies and television shows. It is a
brilliant resource.
If you have an Xbox, you can sign
in to your account on a Windows
10 PC, but if you dont, you can still
join in the fun and take photos and
videos of games, follow friends,
and so on. Another nice feature of
Windows 10 is that it can keep all
of your computers and devices in
sync, so you can access your files
from anywhere. Its Microsofts best
operating system yet.
Welcome
back to
the desktop
It is the best place for running both
modern apps and desktop software
Settings app
The new Settings app enables you to
customise Windows and configure a range of
options. It has a powerful search facility too
Desktop apps
Apps no longer run full screen and are in
resizeable windows like regular desktop
software. Bundled apps must be redesigned
Start menu
The Start screen has been replaced by the
Start menu, which has menus and tiles. Both
its size and content are easily customised
Action Centre
This icon in the taskbar opens the new Action
Centre, which has buttons to access common
functions, notifications and messages
he Windows desktop has been a feature

of the operating system since the earliest
days, and everyone loved it because there
was so much great software for it. It was familiar
and easy to use, and whether you wanted to work
on your computer or just use it for entertainment,
there was a desktop application that enabled you
to do it.
Everything changed with Windows 8; the Start
menu was removed and the Start screen replaced
it. Start was the first thing Windows users saw when
the computer was switched on. It introduced the
Windows Store and the concept of apps, which
are a special type of software that is more like the
apps found on tablets and mobile phones. Apps are

small, easy-to-use, lightweight programs that can
be fun, serious, entertaining or business-like. They
ran full screen in Windows 8; the desktop was still
Windows 10 starts
faster than ever and
it goes straight to the
new desktop
there lurking behind a tile on the Start screen, but it
was pushed into the background.
The Windows Store is a fantastic place to find and

install apps, but the desktop is great too, and there
are some superb applications for it. Windows 10
blends the best of both worlds, and it makes it just
as easy to install and run apps from the Windows
Store as it does desktop software. Equal priority
is given to both and you can run apps side by
side with desktop software in a way that was not
possible with previous versions. You are now able
to run your favourite apps and regular software on
the desktop.
The Start menu is back too, but it is new and
different to the old one that Windows 7 users are
used to. In some ways it is similar, and there is an
WINDOWS
10 FAQs
Get answers to the most commonly
asked questions about Windows
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Is Windows 10 really
free or do I have to
pay for it?
If you are running a fully registered, legal copy
of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 then Windows
10 is indeed free of charge. It is possible to
use Windows Update to download and install
Windows 10, and it will remain free until 29
July 2016. After that date has passed, you may
be required to pay for a full copy or upgrade. If
you are running an older version of Windows,
such as XP or Vista, you cannot upgrade and
you must buy a full copy of Windows 10.
What do I have to do
to my computer before
I can upgrade to
Windows 10?
All apps listing that is like the All programs list,

but it also features tiles like those in Windows 8.
Once again, Microsoft has taken top features from
previous versions of Windows and combined the
best of them in this new version. The desktop is
back and it is better than ever.
Windows 10 starts faster than ever and goes
straight to the new desktop. Theres the old taskbar,
but it has new features, such as the search box and
Cortana; the Action Centre, where notifications are
stored; virtual desktops, which provide extra work
spaces; a new Settings app and much more.
The return to the desktop is a change from the
last version of Windows, but it is a welcome one.
It is a good idea to back up your files before

you start. An external USB disk drive or USB
flash memory drive (thumb drive) is good for
this. Copy all the files in the Documents, Music,
Pictures and Videos folders, plus any other
files that you want to keep. A fresh install will
wipe the disk drive and erase everything, but
your files can be copied back afterwards. An
upgrade keeps all of your files, but a backup is
still useful.
Can I keep the

software that is
already installed on
my computer?
If you are running Windows XP or Vista then
the disk drive will be erased and all of your
software will be removed. It is not possible
to keep the old software on the computer,
so be prepared to install fresh copies of your

favourite programs afterwards. If you are
running Windows 7 or 8.1 and upgrade to
Windows 10, your software will be kept. Most
software is compatible with the latest version
of Windows and should work just fine.
Can I change my
mind after upgrading,
and return to the old
version of Windows?
It is not possible to return to Windows
Vista or XP, unless you have created a full
backup of the disk drive in a system image.
Manufacturers restore discs could be used
to restore the original factory state. If you
upgraded from Windows 7 or 8.1 then it
is possible to uninstall Windows 10. Go to
Start>Settings>Update & security>Recovery.
An option to return to the previous version of
Windows will be available for about a month
after upgrading.
What is missing from

Windows 10? Does it
have everything that I
will need?
Several features have been removed from
Windows 10, but either they were not used
very much and you will not miss them, or
there are alternatives that you can use instead.
For example, Windows Media Centre is no
longer in Windows. Movies and TV shows
can be played in the new Films & TV app, and
music can be played in Groove. Windows 7
supported desktop gadgets, but they were
never very popular, so they have been left out
of Windows 10.
Whats new in
Windows 10?
A quick guide to the new features to
explore after upgrading to Windows 10
Use virtual desktops
The desktop is back and there is not just one of them, but as many as you want!
Windows 10 has made virtual desktops, previously only available with third-party
software, a feature that everyone can use. With a keypress, you can easily create
new desktops or switch between existing ones. Now you can spread out your
apps, and each one can be on a different desktop.
The return of the Start menu

The screen that welcomes you when the computer is switched
on is the desktop, and in the corner of the screen is the Start
menu. This is not the one that Windows XP, Vista and 7 users
had, but a new one with lots of great features. If you have used
an old version of Windows you will find familiar features, like the
All apps menu and recently used applications. If you have just
switched from Windows 8 then the tiles will be familiar.
The Start menu has something for everyone and is
customisable. For example, you can expand it and fill it with tiles
for your favourite apps, or you can shrink it and remove tiles,
leaving the menu. Most users will find a blend of the two is the
best option, with the menus for occasionally used applications
and a collection of tiles for their favourite apps.
Talk to Cortana
The personal digital assistant is now in Windows
10, so you are able to issue commands to your
computer using Cortana. It can be manually
activated when needed, or it will cleverly listen for
the wake-up call Hey, Cortana! You can then ask it

for information about pretty much anything, or ask
for actions to be carried out.
Cortana can make appointments and place
them in your calendar using voice commands, and
it can even move an appointment to a different
time altogether. It can remind you of events taking
place so you dont forget, and alarms can be set
by stating when you want to be reminded or the
alarm to be triggered. Notes can be created by
telling Cortana to take a note. You can even ask
what music is playing in the background, or ask
Cortana to play specific music.
Cortana can make

appointments and
place them in your
calendar using
voice commands
Browse with Edge

Edge is a brand new web browser that is
exclusive to Windows 10 and it has some
exciting features. For example, it enables you
to highlight text on a page and use Cortana
to find further information. It enables you
to mark up web pages by drawing on them,
perhaps to highlight parts and then to share
them with friends. Pages can be added to a
reading list and then read later. Its great!
New and improved apps

Apps that were in Windows 8 have been improved for Windows 10, and some
brand new ones have been introduced. The biggest change is that modern
apps no longer occupy the whole screen. Although it was possible to tile two
apps before Windows 10, there are now no restrictions on apps, and they run
in a window that can be placed anywhere on the desktop and dragged to
whatever size is most convenient. Two, three or more apps can be running at
the same time on the desktop in windows, just like regular programs.
The Mail app has had a makeover and is now cleaner, simpler and easier to
use. It is a great tool for reading, sending and managing your emails. Films
& TV is a new app that enables you to watch movies, television shows and
series. The News app has been improved; the Xbox app enables you to keep
in touch with Xbox playing friends; and the Weather app is better than ever.
The Windows Store has also been enhanced and looks great.
Although it was possible to tile

two apps before Windows 10,
there are now no restrictions on apps
Action Centre notifications
The new Action Centre is where notifications and
messages are stored. Click the notification icon at the
right of the taskbar to open the panel and view them,
including email messages waiting to be read in your
Mail inbox. Security and maintenance messages are
displayed, for example when Windows Defender needs
to perform a scan of the disk to check for malware. If
you have Twitter installed, youll see messages when
people follow you or send messages. Games can show
status updates, and the Xbox app can show updates
and status messages. Action Centre also provides
access to quick actions, a collection of buttons that
enable you to quickly turn features on or off.
Groove music app

Groove is a new music app for Windows 10
that enables you to play your own music and
subscribe to Microsofts online streamingmusic service. Its not limited to Windows
10; apps are available for iOS, Android and
Windows phones.
To listen to unlimited ad-free streaming
music with millions of tracks to choose
from, you can buy a Groove Music pass for
9.99/$9.99 a month (theres a free 30-day
trial). Music can be purchased in the Store
app, and albums and individual tracks are on
offer. Purchased music is played in Groove, and
music on OneDrive can also be played in it.
The Settings app

Theres a new way to change Windows
settings. Many of the most common and used
ones are now in a simple app that is logically
organised and easy to use. Nearly all of the
settings that you need on a daily basis are in
Settings. Control Panel is still in Windows 10,
but youll use Settings more. It has sections like
Personalisation, Update & security, Devices,
Accounts and so on. In each section are a
number of subsections that organise the
settings. Changing the desktop background,
tweaking mouse settings, adding printers, can
all be carried out with the Settings app. There
is also a useful search facility to find settings.
How to install
Windows 10
See just how straightforward it is to install Windows 10
ost PCs running older versions of

Windows can run Windows 10. Some
can be upgraded, but others require a
clean install. So, should you upgrade or clean install
Windows 10? Windows XP and Vista users cannot
upgrade; a clean install is the only option. Many
Windows 7 and 8 users can upgrade, but it depends
on several factors. For some, a clean install is a must.
A clean install erases everything on the disk before
installing Windows 10. This clears out junk files that
have accumulated, and afterwards the computer will
run better than before. The disadvantage is that your
files are erased. Before starting, plug in a USB drive
and copy your Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music
folders to it. After installing Windows 10 they can be
copied back. All software is deleted and new software
must be installed.
Installing Windows 10 involves downloading it from
Microsofts website and then copying it to a DVD or
USB flash drive (thumb drive). The PC is then restarted
from this media and it installs.
Install Windows 10
Download and install the latest version
1: Download the installer
2: Select the media type
3: Burn the disc
Go to www.microsoft.com/software-download/
windows10 and click the Download tool. Choose
the Run option or save it and run it afterwards from
the Downloads folder.
Windows 10 can be installed from a USB flash drive

of 8GB or larger, or DVD. Choose an option. If your
PC has a DVD/CD writer, put a blank DVD-R in the
drive to create an install disc and select ISO file.
You are prompted to save the ISO file, and it is

saved to the Documents folder. Afterwards, click
the option to open the DVD burner and copy it to a
DVD-R disc.
Some PCs
can be
upgraded, but
others require a
clean install
Upgrade
Upgrade to Windows 10 and keep all your files
pgrading to Windows 10 is often

an automatic process. Youll see a
message on the screen saying that
Windows 10 is ready to install, or that it is
available to download and install. If you do
not see this message, try running Windows
Update in the Control Panel until you do.
Modern PCs run 64-bit Windows and it is
the best choice when there is 4GB or more of
memory, but the 32-bit version is commonly
used in older PCs and those with less than
4GB. Windows Upgrade installs the same
Upgrade to Windows 10
version that you have. To switch from 32-bit to

64-bit, use the install method outlined earlier
and make a boot DVD or USB flash drive.
If there are problems with Windows Update
or you dont see an upgrade message, follow
the guide below to download and install
Windows 10. It uses the download tool on the
Microsoft website and handles the upgrade
process. Your files and software are kept and
nothing is deleted, but we still recommend
backing up before starting. Plug in a USB disk
drive or flash memory drive and copy across.
Enhance your system
1: Get the upgrade
2: Select the upgrade
If you dont see an upgrade prompt, go to

www.microsoft.com/software-download/
windows10. Click the download button and
run the tool afterwards.
When the download tool is running, it checks

and prepares the PC for the upgrade. This can
take a minute or two. When ready, it displays
two options. Select Upgrade this PC now.
4: Restart and install
3: Download and install
4: Use Express settings
Restart the computer and look for an option to

boot from the DVD or USB flash drive (sometimes
you must press an F-key like F9). The installer starts
and the rest is easy.
There is little to do once the process starts

and the tool first downloads Windows, which
could take an hour or two depending on the
internet speed. Take a break and come back.
Near the end when Windows 10 has almost

finished installing, you might see a screen like
this, which asks if you want to use Express
settings or not. Click the button to finish.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
50
Essential tips to get
more from Windows 10
Use these top tips to work smarter and more easily with Windows.
Youll find they will save you both time and effort
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
indows 10 has more

features and settings
than ever, and this is
great because it means
that you can customise it
in a variety of ways to make it work the way
you want it to. There are many settings and
configuration options that change the way
Windows 10 works, and we explore some of
these in our collection of top tips.
For example, you can choose what is

displayed when the computer starts, and
either the new Start menu or the old Start
screen can be used. You can change File
Explorers view and how it responds to clicks;
Cortana can be customised and trained to
provide a better understanding of your needs;
and there is much more.
The tips explore new and better ways to
work with your computer, and show how to
share websites, apps and other content. You

can create clutter-free desktops with just a key
press, remove unused software, swap mouse
buttons (for left-handed people), change the
mouse wheel effects and so on. The tips are
diverse and range from showing you how
to back up files to finding out what music is
playing in the background. Thats just a little
trick Cortana can do, and there are more. Read
on to see for yourself.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Quick access to Settings
Get the old Start screen
There are several ways to access Settings, and

clicking Start>Settings is just one of the ways. Click
Start then simply right-click the Settings menu
option. Select Pin to Start and a Settings tile is
created. You might find that this easier to click,
because it is a bigger target. Click Start, right-click
Settings and select More>Pin to taskbar. This adds
an icon to the taskbar that is much easier than
going to the Start menu. The fastest way to get
to Settings is to hold down the Windows key and
press I. You will find that the Settings window
appears almost instantaneously.
If you were a Windows 8 user and became familiar

and comfortable with the Start screen, you will
find Windows 10s Start menu quite
strange in the way that it mixes tiles and
menus. It is a sort of hybrid of Windows
7 and 8. If you really liked Windows 8s
interface and miss it, there is an option to
return to it. Click Start>Settings then click the
Personalisation section. Select Start on the left
then turn on the switch beneath Use Start full
screen. To see the Start screen, just press the
Windows key.
Tile new apps

When new apps from the Windows Store or
software downloaded from the internet is installed,
they are added to the All apps alphabetical list
of items on the Start menu. Tiles may or may not
appear on the Start menu. Find the app in Start>All
apps, right-click it and select Pin to Start to add a
tile. The tile is added to the bottom of the tiles grid,
and this might not be convenient. Find it, then click
and drag it to wherever you want to put it. Rightclick it and choose whether to make it larger, smaller
or live.
Use a metered
internet connection
Windows 10 requires an internet connection
for many tasks, and these include downloading
operating-system updates, refreshing the content in
apps like News and Weather, syncing OneDrive files
and so on.
If you need to minimise the amount of
internet activity your device is recording, such
as when you are out with a laptop or even at
home with a limited internet service, go to
Start>Settings>Network & internet. Select WiFi and
click Advanced options at the bottom. Turn on
Set as a metered connection. Windows will then
use the internet, but it will use as little as possible,
putting off updates and several other tasks.
Use File History

Although it is rare, sometimes disk drives
develop faults, and files are corrupted
or lost. Consider yourself lucky if you
have never experienced a drive fault.
Sometimes we accidentally delete files we
need without realising, and then to make
matters worse, empty the Recycle Bin, too.
Sometimes deleted files are not placed in
the Recycle Bin. We all lose files from time
to time, but if you have a backup then this
is not a problem. Lost files can easily be
recovered from the backup.
The trouble is that few of us actually
bother to back up our files, and many of us
dont even have backup software on their
computers. For this reason, Microsoft has
included a feature in Windows 10 called
File History. It is a simple form of backup
that is intended to enable you to recover
lost, corrupt and accidentally deleted files.
The only drawback is that it is turned off
by default and it must be turned on before
it can be used.
An external USB disk drive is a
requirement of File History because this
is where the backups are stored. Lets
assume there is a suitable drive plugged in
to the computer and switched on. Rightclick the Start button and select Control
Panel. In small icons view, click File History.
There is a button on the right to turn it
on or off, and there is a link on the left to
select the disk drive to use. Click Select
drive and choose the external USB disk
drive. Then turn on File History. It is now
protecting your files by making copies of
them on the USB disk, and File History will
continue to work automatically without
needing any attention.
If a file is ever lost or corrupted, all you
need to do is open File Explorer, select
This PC on the left and double-click the
USB disk drive. Go to the File History
folder>[your folder]>[the computer
name]>Data>C>Users folder. It takes a lot
of clicking through folders, but your files
are there. To restore them, just drag them
from the USB disk to the PCs internal disk,
which is the C drive.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Say Hey, Cortana!

If you make heavy use of Cortana to search for
things and perform actions using voice commands,
you can get the digital assistant to constantly listen.
This saves having to click the microphone button
at the right of the search box. Click in Cortanas
search box, click the Notebook icon on the left, click
Settings, and set the switch under Hey Cortana to
On. Now you can just say Hey, Cortana! to wake
Cortana and issue commands and searches.
Get Cortana to sing to you

Cortana can do some surprising things that you might not
expect. For example, did you know that Cortana can sing?
Click the microphone button in the Cortana box or say Hey,
Cortana! Then say Sing me a song! Cortana will proceed to
sing to you. Also try What does the fox say? For more fun,
say Tell me a joke, and Knock, knock. Try asking Cortana to
divide a number by zero, and the answer includes a comment
about vacuum cleaning!
Learn what song is playing

Sometimes when a great song is playing on the
radio you might wonder what it is. Who is the artist?
What album is that? Cortana can listen and then
tell you exactly what it is. Just click the microphone
button in the Cortana box in the taskbar or say Hey,
Cortana! Then say What is this song? Cortana
listens for about 20 seconds and then tells you the
artist, album and track.
Use Cortana in Edge

Cortana is a personal assistant that can find the answer to
many questions, even when those questions are on a web
page. This feature, which works only with the Edge web
browser, is a great way to look up unfamiliar words, phrases,
definitions and so on. Click and drag over a word or phrase on
a web page in Edge to select it. Right click it and choose Ask
Cortana. A panel opens on the right-hand side with results
from Cortanas search.
Train Cortana
Cortana is designed to respond to voice
commands, but if there are multiple people
talking in the same room, or even if you have
the television turned on in the background, you
dont want Cortana responding to things that
others might be saying.
Theres also the possibility that a mischievous
person might shout Delete all files! Would
Cortana do it? Its best not to try it, just in case!
It is best if Cortana ignores what everyone else
in the room is saying and responds only to your
specific voice commands.
To set this up, click in the Cortana search box
on the taskbar, then click the Notebook icon on
the left. Click Settings and turn on the switch
next to Let Cortana respond to Hey Cortana!
Underneath is Respond best and the choice is
Anyone or To me.
First you must click the Learn my voice
button. After doing this, you will be asked to read
out loud a few sentences of text and Cortana
will listen and learn your voice. Afterwards you
can select To me and Cortana will be able to
differentiate between your voice and others.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Check the storage

With growing photo, movie and music
collections, and large applications, the disk
might eventually run short of space, Keep
an eye on the space that is remaining by
clicking File Explorer in the taskbar and
selecting This PC on the left. Each disk drive
or partition is shown as a bar with the used
part in blue. Below is the amount of free
space and total capacity. The question is:
what is using up all the space? There is an
easy way to find out.
Click Start>Settings>System>Storage. The
disks and partitions are shown in a similar
manner to Explorer. However, in Settings
the disk or partition can be clicked and this
shows the space used by apps and games,
photos, music, videos, emails and so on. This
makes it easy to see whats using the most
space and, once you know this, you can do
something about it. Each of the categories
can be clicked to get more information.
Click Other for instance, to see what is
included in this category.
Create PDF files to

send to others
Share everything with

your friends
No matter what app or desktop program you are
using, you can share the content with other people
through social networking, email and messaging.
You can also save it for later with the Reading List
app or OneNote.
To see the sharing options, hold down the
Windows key and press H. This opens the sharing
panel on the right side of the screen. It lists all
the ways that content on your computer can be
shared, and the options depend on the apps that
are installed. Add Facebook and Twitter from the
Windows Store, for example, and you can then
share items on those two social networks.
If you are viewing a web page in Edge then the
address of the page can be shared as a link, to
which you can also add a comment. If you are using
an app or desktop application, the option might be
to share a screenshot. It depends on what you are
sharing. Just press Windows+H and click one of the
options, then follow the prompts, Sharing stuff is
very straightforward.
PDF files are a very useful way to distribute

documents, and they can be created from almost
anything, including an ebook, a manual, a report
or even your CV. The main advantage of a PDF file
over an ordinary file saved from an application is
that when the PDF is viewed, it looks exactly as the
author intended, even if the person viewing it does
not have the original software the layout, colours
and fonts are preserved.
You can create PDF files on your Windows 10
computer in a similar way to using a printer. In any
application that can print, go to the File menu and
select Print. What appears next depends on the
program, but there is usually an option somewhere
to choose the printer. Use it to select Microsoft Print
to PDF. Print the document and instead
of it printing out on paper via
your printer, you
are prompted to
save it to the disk
as a PDF file. Doubleclick PDFs to view them.
Cut, copy, paste, undo

There are many keyboard shortcuts, and
the most common ones are cut, copy, paste
and undo. They work in almost all apps
and desktop programs that support these
functions. It is easy to see how these might
work in a word processor, but they work
elsewhere, even in File Explorer. Press Ctrl+X
to cut (text, files, images and so on), Ctrl+C
to copy, Ctrl+V to paste, and Ctrl+Z to undo.
Scroll inactive windows

Suppose you have two windows open on the
desktop. The one you are currently using is the
active one and the other (usually tucked away in
the background) is inactive.
Move the mouse over the inactive one and spin
the mouse wheel. Does the window scroll? If it
doesnt but youd like it to, then press Windows+I to
open Settings, go to Devices>Mouse & touchpad.
Turn on the switch under Scroll inactive windows
when I hover over them. It is a useful feature that
can save you a bunch of time if youre consistently
managing multiple windows across various apps.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Monitor OneDrive storage

Microsoft provides online storage space to
store your files in. Any files placed in the
OneDrive folder on the disk are automatically
copied and stored online, which makes them
available on other computers and devices
you may use. The amount of space available
is currently 15GB, but this will be reduced to
5GB in 2016. Keep an eye on the space used
by right-clicking the OneDrive folder in File
Explorer and selecting Properties on the
menu. The total size of all the files it contains
is displayed in gigabytes. If more than 5GB is
being used, move files to another folder.
Uninstall software
Clean up the desktop
Is the desktop cluttered with lots of windows and
apps? Instantly declutter it by press three keys
together: Windows+Ctrl+D. Everything instantly
disappears and leaves a completely empty desktop.
Dont worry, no windows or apps have been
closed; what has happened is that a new virtual
desktop has been created. Press Windows+Ctrl+Left
arrow to go back to the original desktop and
Windows+Ctrl+Right arrow for the new desktop.
New apps and windows can be opened on the
new desktop without the distraction of all the old
windows and apps. More virtual desktops can be
created in the same way using the same keys.
Manage security
and maintenance
Is the computer secure from hackers,
viruses and malware? Are there any
essential maintenance tasks that need to
be performed? Find out by right-clicking
the search box in the taskbar and entering
security. The top result is Security and
Maintenance in the Control Panel. Click it.
All sorts of messages appear here, such as
Windows defender needing to scan the
disk, or applications that are slowing down
the computer. Read the messages and see
what they say. If actions need to be carried
out then there are buttons to do them. Click
the buttons to fix any problems.
Use quick actions
Click the notifications icon at the right side of the

taskbar and the Action Center panel opens at the
side of the screen. Action Center enables you to
perform various actions, and there are buttons at
the bottom of the panel to do this. Click Expand if
only one row of buttons is visible. There are 12 in
total. These buttons are quick actions that change
various system settings, such as Bluetooth, Location
tracking, Battery saver, Quiet hours (to stop showing
notifications) and so on. To open Action Center
quickly, press Windows+A, then its just one mouse
click to use quick actions.
There are thousands of apps in the

Windows Store and tens of thousands
elsewhere on the internet, and it can be fun
to try them. Any software you no longer use
should be uninstalled; this recovers the disk
space it is using and helps to maintain the
performance of the PC. Having too many
programs installed can slow it down, so
keep it clean and fast.
Many applications can be uninstalled
from the Start menu and it is the first
place to visit when you want to get rid of
software. Right-click any tile on the Start
menu or go to All apps and right-click any
items that you find there. Usually there is an
Uninstall option on the menu. Click it and
follow the instructions in order to remove
the software.
Not all software can be uninstalled,
because some apps are part of Windows
itself. These apps include Maps, Calendar,
Mail, Photos and several others. Dont worry
about these ones, but if you really dont
want them, just right-click the tiles and
select Unpin from Start. It does not delete
them from the disk, but it does hide them
from the Start menu (they are still on the All
apps list though).
Another rather useful way to uninstall
software is through the Control Panel.
Simply right-click the Start button and
select Control Panel. Set the view to Small
icons in the top right-hand corner of the
window, then click Programs and Features.
Double-click any program in order to
uninstall it.
There is another useful feature in
Programs and Features, and this is the
Size column. Click the Size header and
the programs are sorted according to size
(click again if the largest is not at the top).
This is very useful if you want to see which
programs are the biggest and taking up the
most disk space.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Pin settings to Start
Pin Data usage
All sorts of things can be pinned to the new

Start menu, and this can make them easier
to access. For example, settings can be
pinned to the Start menu as tiles. Click Start
and right-click Settings. There is an option
to pin/unpin it to the Start menu and to pin
it to the taskbar. Pinning it to the taskbar
next to Explorer, Edge and other icons
makes it quicker to access. Open Settings
and there are categories, such as System,
Devices, Personalisation and so on. Rightclick them and select Pin to Start. Enter a
category, such as Personalisation, and any
item on the left, such as Background or
Colours, can be right-clicked and pinned.
If your internet service has a data limit, you will need

to keep an eye on the amount that you are using.
Windows can do that and you can see the amount
used in the last 30 days by going to Start>Settings>
Network & internet>Data usage. Windows tracks
which applications use the internet and the amount
of data they transfer. Click Usage details to see a
list of apps sorted by their data. Right-click Data
usage in Settings and select Pin to Start. This adds
a tile that not only goes straight to this section in
Settings, but it is also live. The live tile displays the
data used in the last 30 days, plus your IP address.
Add/remove Start tiles
As you download apps from the Windows Store

and install software from the internet, the number
of tiles on the Start menu will gradually increase.
Eventually there might be so many it is hard to find
the one you want.
Removing tiles that are rarely used reduces the
clutter and leaves the most used apps where they
are easy to access. Right-click a tile on the Start
menu and select Unpin from Start. If you change
your mind and want to add it again, click Start>All
apps and find it among the list of apps. Right-click it
and select Pin to Start.
Make use of jump lists

Add folders as Start tiles
It is possible to add folders to the Start menu as tiles
and you might find this a convenient way to access
your favourites. It has to be done in an odd way, but
it is an easy process. Open a File Explorer window
and go to the folder that contains the one that is to
be added as a tile. You need to be able to see the
folder as an icon in Explorer. Right-click it and select
Pin to Quick Access. This adds it to the Quick Access
panel on the left side of the Explorer window. Rightclick the folder in Quick Access and select Pin to
Start. Open the Start menu and find the tile it is
probably near the bottom. Click the tile and drag it
to wherever you want it if the current position is not
convenient. More folders can be added to the Start
menu in the same way. Right-click the tile if you
want to to remove it, and right-click the folder from
Quick Access in Explorer to remove it.
Some functions of programs are very basic

and frequently used, like going to a website
in a web browser or opening a new tab;
opening a document in Notepad or WordPad;
opening an image in Paint, and so on. These
actions can be compiled into a list called a
jump list that is associated with the program.
To see an example of a jump list, rightclick the Explorer icon in the taskbar and
a list of common folders is displayed in a
pop-up menu. Instead of opening Explorer
and navigating to the folder on the disk
drive, right-click the icon, then select
the folder you want in the jump list.
Explorer opens and goes straight there
for you, which saves time and effort. A
word processor like WordPad or Word
has a list of documents that have
been recently opened. Just right-click
the icon to show the jump list, then
click the document to open it. It is a
useful, time-saving trick.
The Start menu can also show
jump lists. In the Most used list of
applications in the top-left corner
of Start, some items have an arrow
(>) on the right. Left-click it to view
the jump list,then select an item
to open the file, go to the web
page or whatever actions are available. In

addition to this, desktop programs that have
tiles on the Start menu also display jump lists
when they are right-clicked. Windows Store
apps do not have jump lists and only desktop
software has them.
If you cannot see any jump lists, click Start>
Settings>Personalisation>Start. There is an
on/off switch under Show recently opened
items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar.
Make sure it is switched on.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Help with your PC

Settings contains an Ease of Access section that contains many
settings that are able to make the PC easier to use for some people.
For example, go to the Narrator section and turn on Narrator. When
the mouse hovers over a window, button, menu and so on, the text
is read out loud and this is helpful for people with difficulty reading
the screen. Choose the voice to use and set the speed and pitch to
whatever suits you best. There is a comprehensive list of options that
enable you to choose what Narrator speaks out loud.
Select Other options in the Ease of Access section and there are a
couple of useful settings. One is to turn off animations in Windows.
Animations look good on a powerful PC, but turning them off can
help an old PC to run more smoothly because it has less work to do.
As you use your PC, notifications appear in the bottom-right
corner of the screen. There is an option in Ease of Access to choose
how long or short a time notifications stay on the screen. If you
dont like interruptions, set a short duration of five seconds, but
if you need more time to read the notifications, choose longer
times. Notifications can remain on the screen for up to five
minutes. Choose whatever suits you best.
Change File Explorer views

File Explorer shows the files and folders on the disk drive
and there are several different view options. These enable
the disk contents to be displayed in different ways. Open
File Explorer by clicking the icon on the taskbar and click the
View menu. There are options to display small icons, medium
icons, large icons, extra large icons, list and details.
If you cannot decide which is the best view for a folders
contents, hold down Ctrl and spin the scroll wheel on the
mouse to cycle through all the options. It depends on the
trackpad you have, but with some laptops you also can hold
down Ctrl and slide up or down with two fingers to switch
Explorer views.
Change the mouse
Pin folders in Explorer
The mouse pointer can easily be changed,

and this can be helpful if you sometimes
have problems seeing it. Sometimes it
seems to disappear among the windows,
icons and other screen objects. Go to
Settings>Ease of access>Mouse. On the
right are three different pointer sizes and
three different colour schemes. Try each of
the options by clicking them, and choose
whichever suits you best.
Click File Explorer in the taskbar to open the

window. On the left at the top is the Quick access
list of commonly used folders. Add your own by
finding them on the disk drive, then dragging them
to the Quick access area. A thick, black, horizontal
line shows the position a folder will be inserted.
Drop it and now the folder can be accessed with
one click without having to search for it on the disk.
Customise
the trackpad
Laptop computers have a touchpad or

ClickPad that is used to control the mouse
by dragging your finger, tapping, clicking
and other gestures. The touchpad can often
be customised, and it is possible to choose
which gestures to use and how they work.
The right settings make the computer and
pointer easier to use. The features available
depend on the type of touchpad and
software, so explore the options.
The Synaptics ClickPad is a common
touchpad and can be customised by rightclicking the Start button and selecting
Control Panel. In small icons view, click
Mouse and select the ClickPad Settings tab.
Click the ClickPad Settings button. A new
window opens with the properties for the
ClickPad. Expand each of the sections and
tick the items you want to use. For example,
a three-finger tap opens Cortana, a fourfinger tap opens Action Centre, swiping
with two fingers scrolls windows vertically
or horizontally. Select each of the settings
and an animated demonstration of the item
is played.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Set the default apps
Customise File Explorer
There are different types of files on the disk drive.

When a file is double clicked in File Explorer or on
the desktop, Windows looks for an application
associated with that file. If there is one, the file is
opened in the application. So, double click a .jpg file
in Explorer, and it will open in the Photos app.
Suppose you want to open a file in a different
app. By changing the default app associated with
a file type, it can be opened in whatever app you
want. For instance, it is possible to view photos in
Windows Photo Viewer instead of Photos.
To change file associations, press Windows+I to
open Settings. Click System>Default apps. It shows
Email, Maps, Music Player, Video Player, Photo viewer
and Web browser. Any of these can be changed if
there is a suitable alternative. Click Photo viewer, for
example, and choose from Photos, Paint, Windows
Photos Viewer and any other installed photo app.
There are more ways to set the defaults. At the
bottom is a link; choose default applications by
file type. This lists all file types and the association
application. Click an app and a different one can
be selected as the default. You could, for example,
change the association for .jpg images so they
open in Windows Photo Viewer instead of photos.
File Explorer is one of the most used programs

on the computer, and when it is started it always
shows the same view. It shows the Quick access
items in the top half of the window and a list of
recently used files and folders in the bottom half.
This view is not fixed; it can be customised in
several ways. You might find a view that is more
useful and provides faster access to your files with a
few tweaks.
Click the File Explorer icon in the taskbar to open
the window. Click the View tab to select it, then
click Options. On the General tab at the top is Open
File Explorer to, and there is a choice of Quick access
or This PC. Try them both and choose the one that
suits you best. Down towards the bottom of the
window is a Privacy sections. The options are to
show or hide recently used files and folders. Choose
your favourite.
Another option in this window is to single or
double-click files and folders. If you find it difficult
to double-click the mouse, or if you just want to
reduce the clicking required to open files and
folders, select Single-click to open an item.
Use Open with

In a previous tip we saw how to permanently change
the application associated with a file. To open a file
in a different application to the default, but without
changing the default association, right-click the file
in Explorer and select Open with, then choose an
application to open it with. No settings are changed,
and double-clicking the file still opens it with the
default application.
Show file extensions

Open File Explorer. Click Options and select the
View tab. Clear the tick box for Hide extensions for
known file types. Tweak the tick box next to Show
status bar to show the number of files or folders
selected and their size, and to switch between
details and thumbnail views. Tick Use check boxes
to select items. Each file and folder in Explorer has a
box, which makes selecting multiple items simpler.
Control Panel settings

The Settings app is the obvious place to find
Windows settings and it has most of what
you need in the majority of circumstances.
However, it contains only the most used
settings and it does not have every
Windows configuration option. There are
many settings that are not in the app and, as
you will discover, if you explore the features
in Settings, sometimes the Control Panel
appears when an item is clicked.
The Control Panel has been around for
decades and it has always been the place
where Windows settings are stored. A lot of
them are still stored there and it is useful to
get to know it. Click Start>All apps and scroll
down to the bottom of the list. Expand the
Windows System section and Control Panel
is there on a menu. Add it as a tile to the
Start menu where it is easier to access by
right-clicking it and selecting Pin to Start.
Left-click the Control Panel to open it.
The Control Panel contains many
sections, and the best way to see them is
to select Small icons in the View menu in
the top right-hand corner. This displays
the various components, such as Date and
Time, Power Options, Sound, Keyboard,
Mouse and so on. When clicking items in
Control Panel you might occasionally see
the Settings app appear, but most of the
time you will discover settings that are not
in the Setting app.
The best way to find anything in the
Control Panel is to click in the search box in
the top-right corner and enter a keyword.
For example, enter a word like keyboard
and all the settings that include keyboard
are listed. To see all the mouse settings or
printer settings, enter mouse or printer.
Some of the settings in Control Panel are
for expert users, but there are plenty of
straightforward settings too.
When the Control Panel is open, rightclick the icon in the taskbar and select Pin
to taskbar. This makes the icon permanent
and it is then easy to open with a mouse
click. There is another advantage, and rightclicking the taskbar icon displays a menu
with links to the most commonly used
Control Panel sections.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Swap mouse buttons

The mouse is designed for right-handed people
and the left button is conveniently positioned
underneath the index finger, with the right button
under the middle finger. This can be awkward for
left-handed people and you might find it better
to switch the mouse buttons around so the index
finger is a primary click and the middle finger is a
secondary click.
Right-click the Start button and select Control
Panel. Click in the search box and enter mouse.
Click Change mouse click settings. This opens
the Mouse properties window with the Buttons
tab selected. At the top is an option to switch the
primary and secondary buttons. Tick the box and
then click the Apply button. After changing the
buttons around, remember that whenever you are
told to left-click on something, what is really meant
is to click the primary button, which is now on the
right-hand side. Unfortunately, everyone assumes
people are right handed or that left-handed people
use the mouse in the same configuration as righthanded people.
Change mouse pointer

The mouse pointer is probably not something
you have thought about, but like many parts of
Windows, it can be customised. Right-click the
Start button and select Control Panel. In small icons
view, click Mouse and then select the Pointers tab.
In the Scheme section is a list of different mouse
schemes and these are alternative pointers. For
example, there are small and large ones, white and
black ones, and several more. Select your favourite
pointer scheme.
Faster scrolling
Rate and review
Spin the mouse wheel, and web pages and

documents scroll up and down the screen.
You can choose the speed at which they
scroll and they can be made to go faster
or more slowly as you prefer. Right-click
the Start menu and select Control Panel.
In small icons view, click Mouse and then
select the Wheel tab. Use the control to set
the number of lines to scroll at a time.
Microsoft wants you to rate apps and post reviews

in the Windows Store because it is useful for other
users. You can do this by going to an apps page in
the Windows Store, but a quick way is to right-click
an apps tile on the Start menu and select Rate and
Review. Click the stars to add a rating and type in a
comment to add to the reviews section.
Choose a power plan

Right-click on the power/battery icon at the right-hand side of
the taskbar and then select Power Options from the menu that
is displayed. Doing this will open the Control Panels Power
Options window.
There are usually three default power plans available on a
Windows computer. High performance runs the computer
at maximum speed all the time. Power saver reduces the
performance in order to maximise the time a laptop can run
on its battery. Balanced (which is sometimes renamed by the
manufacturer) offers a little bit of both. The computer saves
battery power when it can, but if it needs to, such as when
running a particularly demanding application, it can provide
extra performance.
Select the High performance plan when the computer
is running on mains power or you want to play fast action
games. Choose the Power saver plan when you use a laptop
on battery power. It also enables the computer to run cooler
and the fan does not blow out as much hot air.
Click Change plan settings and use the controls to
determine when to turn off the screen or put the computer to
sleep when it is idle and not being used. Use the slider to set
the default screen brightness, making it dimmer to save power
on the battery.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Search for anything

The best way to find something on your computer
or on the internet is to search for it. No matter
whether you are working within an application
or simply idling at the desktop, hold down the
Windows key and press S, then type in whatever
you want to find. It could be an app, a document, a
photo, a setting and so on. The results are displayed
in categories. Mouse over the search panel and
drag the scroll bar on the right up and down to see
all the results.
What you see is just a very small selection of the
search results that are available and the initial results
show just two or three matching items in each of
the categories. It is not obvious, but the category
titles in the search results are links that perform
useful actions for obtaining additional results. Click
the Web category title for example, and a web
browser window opens and shows the first page of
thousands of internet search results from Bing.
Click the Store category title in the initial search

results and the Windows Store app opens and
performs the search. It then shows search results
organised by categories including apps, games,
songs, films and so on. There are a handful of
examples in each Store category, and there is a
Show all link to view the rest of the search results.
This means that you can easily find songs or games
to play just by pressing Windows+S and typing in
a keyword.
Click the Documents category and the search
panel enlarges to double its width, and displays a
much larger list of matching or closely matching
files, along with controls to sort the search results
by relevance and filtering to limit the results to a
particular type of file, such as photos, videos, music
and so on.
After pressing Windows+S and entering a word
or two to search for, click My Stuff right down at
the bottom of the search results. The search panel
widens to display more results. Use the mouse
wheel to scroll up and down the results and they
are organised by category, such as documents,
photos and so on. The photos section even shows
thumbnails of the images and clicking them opens
them in the Photos app.
The more you explore the search facilities, the
more features you will find. Master searching for
things and you will never lose anything.
Auto-save files to OneDrive

When files are saved, they can be stored on
the PCs disk drive or in the OneDrive folder,
so they are copied to your online storage
and made available on other computers,
phones and tablets. Click the up arrow at the
right side of the taskbar, then right click the
OneDrive icon. Select Settings on the menu

then select the Auto-save tab in the window.
There are options to save files to This PC
only or OneDrive for both documents and
pictures. Choose the option that suits you
best, but remember that OneDrive has a 5GB
limit for files with a free account (more storage
can be purchased though). When a camera,
phone or other device is connected to the
computer, Windows can automatically copy
the photos and videos off it and store them on
the disk drive. Tick the option to store them in
the OneDrive folder if you want to also store
them online.
There is one more option and this is to store
screenshots in the OneDrive folder instead of
the Pictures folder on the disk. The choice is
yours, but bear in mind the space limitations.
Photos, screenshots and videos take up
a lot of storage space and sooner or later
you could reach the limit of a free account.
When this happens, no more files will
be uploaded automatically to OneDrive
online. Microsoft Office
users get a massive
1TB of space online, so
the size of files is not a
problem at all.
Save the screen
Capturing the image on the screen can be useful

for certain purposes, such as when you want to
save a web page to disk, or if you need to save a
program window. To save the current screen to
disk in the C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\Screenshots
folder, hold down the Windows key and press Prt
Sc. This is how all the screenshots in this guide were
created. Each one is numbered.
Take game snapshots
Although pressing Windows+Prt Sc saves the

current screen, there is an alternative method that is
available when playing games. When you achieve
your highest score ever, or you reach some other
goal, you might want to save the screen. Press
Windows+G to open the Game Bar and click the
camera icon. Open the Xbox app afterwards and
select Game DVR on the left-hand side. It then
shows the screenshots.
Record game movies
It is possible to not only save screenshots of

achievements in games, but also record your
activities as a movie. This enables guides to be
produced or just to show off your gaming skills.
While playing the game, press Windows+G to open
the Game Bar and click the red button to start
recording. Click again to stop. Go to the Game DVR
section in the Xbox app to view them.
50 ESSENTIAL TIPS
Advanced searching
Change sound schemes
Searching for files, settings and other things is easy

enough, but sometimes it does not produce the
desired results. Try using AND, OR and NOT. For
example, open Settings, click in the search box and
enter battery. Many more results are displayed
if you enter battery OR power and results can
contain one or the other keyword, or both. It
improves search results.
When certain actions are performed or events

occur, like a notification message, Windows
plays a sound. It can be useful, but it can also
spoil music or movies that are playing, and
distract you when you are concentrating
on something. One option is to turn the
sound down, which is fine if you are writing
a document in Word, but not if you are
watching a movie or listening to music.
Windows lets you customise the sounds
that it makes when events occur and actions
are taken. You can choose which events make
sounds and silence them if you prefer, and
you can choose what sounds each event
makes. Right-click the Start button and select
Control Panel. In Small icons view, click Sound
and then select the Sounds tab.
There is a Sound Scheme menu at the
top and clicking this enables you to select
Windows Default or No Sounds if you prefer
silence. If extra themes are installed (a
collection of desktop wallpaper, icons and so
on), additional sound schemes may be added
to this list. Lets assume that you want sounds
and either Windows Default or some other
sound scheme is selected.
The Program Events list below shows all the
different events that can occur, for example,
a calendar reminder, low battery alarm, open
Create Explorer jump lists

Right-click the File Explorer icon in the taskbar and
a jump list is displayed. This has commonly used
folders that you can view with a click. It simplifies
opening Explorer and navigating the disk drive to
get to the folder you want. The list is not fixed and
it can be customised. Open File Explorer and find a
folder on the disk drive that you frequently access.
Click it, drag it down to the taskbar and drop it on
the File Explorer icon. The folder is added to the
items on the jump list. To remove an item from the
jump list, right-click the File Explorer icon, let the
mouse hover over the item to remove, and then
click the icon on the right to delete it. It does not
delete the folder on disk and only the item on the
jump list menu is removed.
View Edge
tab previews
a program, close a program and so on. Those

events that have a speaker icon next to them
have a sound associated with them. Select an
event and use the Sounds list to choose the
sound you want or None, which is right at
the top. Click the Test button to hear
a sound. After customising
the sounds, click the
OK button to
apply
them.
Get better backups
Tabs in web browsers are a fantastic

invention because they enable multiple
websites and web pages to be open
simultaneously. They can get rather out
of hand, though, and when there are a lot
open it is quite easy to forget what is on
each one. In Edge, let the mouse hover
over a tab and a thumbnail image of the
web page is displayed below. Click a tab to
switch to it.
Earlier we looked at File History and showed how to

set it up to make copies of your files on an external
USB disk drive. It works automatically, but settings
can be customised to improve the backup. Rightclick the Start button and select Control Panel. In
Small icons view, click File History. Click Advanced
settings on the left. There are two options and
you can choose how often to save copies of files,
from every 10 minutes to once a day. You can also
choose how long to keep the backups for.
TIPS | TRICKS | APPS
Tips
Get to know Windows 10 with our
expert guides browse the web, be
more productive and solve any issues
40
46
Get more
from Cortana
Customise Windows
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Customise Windows 10
Personalise your copy of Windows 10 to make sure it suits your needs
f you are upgrading from an older

operating system or starting
from scratch, Windows 10 offers
plenty of ways to personalise your
experience. You may be wondering why
you would want to do such a thing. Well,
think of Windows 10 as a new house:
you move in and want to add your own
touch, such as new wallpaper in the form
of a background image, or new furniture
in the form of managing desktop icons.
The personalisation side of Windows 10 is
simply setting the operating system to how
you want it to look.
In the series of tutorials below we will
cover the basics, such as setting new
wallpaper, and expand upon this by
showing you how to adjust your Lockscreen image (where you sign in), add
a slideshow (with multiple images) and
set themes. We also dabble with more
advanced options, such as adjusting the
Windows 10 sound effects. For Windows 7,
8 and 8.1 users who are making the change
to Windows 10, we will even showcase
how you can adjust the look of the taskbar,
which has a few new additions, such as
Cortana. Dotted around the rest of the
book are plenty of tricks that expand on
a few of these options, such as how to
customise the Start menu.
Desktop
Change the desktop background
1: Head to Settings
2: Choose an image
3: Choose a fit
Click on the Windows Start icon and choose

Settings>Personalisation. Alternatively, right-click
on the desktop and, using the left button, click
Personalise to jump straight to this screen.
Ensure Background>Picture is selected, then click

on the Browse icon (under Choose your picture).
Navigate to the image you want, click on it and
select Choose picture to finish.
With the image in place, click on the drop-down

box and choose Fit. Experiment with the options.
The preview window above will adapt to show the
changes. To finish, press and hold the Win+M key.
Add a slideshow
Allow the OS to switch between pages at a pre-set time
n this part of the tutorial, we will expand

on the desktop background idea by
looking at slideshows. A slideshow will simply
switch between images at pre-set intervals; thus
transforming your desktop into a digital photoframe, which is great for looking back on events to
give you a boost during the day. It also saves you
from changing the background manually.
By default in Windows 10, slideshow images
are sourced from your Pictures. This naming
convention is taken from the default Photos app,
which is covered elsewhere in the book, and is
Photos
useful for knowing how to manage images on

your computer. To avoid confusion for previous
Windows users, this location is simply a folder on
your computer called Pictures. However, in this
tutorial we will showcase how to choose images
from a different folder. The only thing you need to
remember when using an alternative folder is to
make sure the OS can access this at all times. For
example, if you choose a folder on an external USB
drive, then you remove it shortly afterwards, the OS
wont be able to access those images. In that case,
the slideshow function will be useless.
Take control
of the colours
It is also possible
to personalise the
Start menu, taskbar
and action centre by
tweaking the colours
Turn Windows 10 into a digital slideshow
In Settings>Personalisation, click Colours.

Choose an accent colour or toggle to use
your background. Click Start to see how
this changes your default Start icons.
1: Switch over to Slideshow
2: Pick your images
Go to Start>Settings>Personalisation, or use the

right-click desktop method you saw in the first
tutorial. Under the Background header, click on the
drop-down menu and choose Slideshow.
Another icon will appear called Browse. Select

this option with your mouse, then navigate to the
image folder you want to include (preferably one
with multiple images). Select Choose this folder.
3: Choose the duration
4: View the slideshow
With the folder chosen, it will now display the name

in the box above. Next, select the drop-down box
Change picture every to adjust the time it takes for
Windows to switch between the images.
Adjust the Choose a fit option to taste. On the

desktop, right-click the background and choose
Next desktop background if you want to take back
control of the slideshow.
Take the personalisation further by

toggling the option Show colour on Start,
taskbar and action centre to On. Click the
Start icon to see the effects.
Toggle the transparency option beneath.

With this enabled, more of the background
image will appear through the Start menu,
taskbar and action centre.
Personalise the
Lock screen
Get more from your Lock screen
he Lock screen should be familiar to any previous Windows user, as

its one of the primary methods of securing or moving away from the
desktop when the PC/laptop is not in use. In Windows 10, the Lock screen
taps into a lot of the features we covered earlier, such as the ability to use a
custom image or slideshow (in this context a screen saver) to effectively turn
the device into a digital picture frame and prevent screen burn. However, the
Locks screens real-estate can be put to better use with a series of detailed and
quick status updates for a range of apps that are included with Windows 10. We
showcase how to enable these features in our tutorial below.
Lock screen
Unlock its best features
1: Access Lock screen settings
2: Change the background
3: Get app status updates
Click on the Start icon and choose Settings>

Personalisation. Alternatively, right-click on the
desktop and choose Personalise. Select Lock
screen from the left-hand menu.
Click the drop-down menu under the Background

header and pick Windows spotlight. This will use
your internet connection to pull over a random
image from the Microsoft cloud.
Where it says Choose an app to show detailed

status/quick status pick which app(s) you want to
include. In this example, we decided to select the
Weather and Calendar apps.
4: Activate a screen saver
5: Save the screen saver
6: Activate the Lock screen
Click on Screen Saver Settings at the base. From the

pop-up window select Photos via the Screen Saver
drop-down box. Click Settings>Browse to choose
the location of the images.
Once you have saved it, you can adjust the screen
savers wait time and optionally toggle the On
resume, display log-on screen. This is useful for
added security. To finish, click OK.
The screen saver will kick in automatically at

the pre-set interval. Alternatively, you can get a
glimpse of the Lock screen in action by using the
Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination and choosing Lock.
Adjust the sounds of Windows

Personalise the way Windows sounds to make it more pleasing on the ear
hen your PC or laptop starts up, it can

be customised with a pre-set Windows
sound effect. This sound also kicks in by default
when an error occurs, or if you get an email or
notification. However, not all of the sound effects
could be classed as suitable for a given event.
Thankfully, similar to mobile phones, you do have
Sound Editor
a level of personalisation in the sense that you

can adjust what sound effects are assigned to the
aforementioned events.
Once again, there is a fairly lengthy list of choices
that are open to you (youll get a glimpse of these
in the tutorial later), but if you are a touch more
tech savvy, you can also add your own custom
sound effect(s), as long as the sound you are trying

to import has the file extension .wav. Youll be
pleased to know that we showcase how to create
a custom .wav sound effect in the tutorial (using a
microphone and the Windows Stores app Sound
Editor by mccalla) and then assign it to a Windows
core sound event.
Customise a sound to use in Windows
1: Install Sound Editor
2: Record a Wav file
3: Test the sound
4: Add the sound
Launch the Windows Store from

the bottom taskbar and use the
search box to find Sound Editor. After
locating the app, install it to your
computer, then launch it by clicking
on Open or via the Start menus
Recently added list.
Select New Sample CD Quality. From

the editor, click the top-right mic icon
to create a sound effect with your
voice. Click the stop icon and use the
save icon to save the file to a folder
on your PC. Make sure the Save as
type is set to Wav PCM.
Close the app. In the Start menu go

to Settings>Personalisation>Themes
and choose Advanced sound
settings. From the list of events,
select one and use the Sounds dropdown box to adjust, or the Test icon
to hear what it sounds like.
Assign the custom sound effect by

selecting an event and using the
Browse icon at the bottom-right
corner. Navigate to the file you
downloaded earlier and click Open.
Use the Test icon to hear it played.
Click Cancel or OK to save and close.
Manage desktop icons

Get organised by making your desktop icons look more appealing
1: Add icons
2: Change the look of the icon
3: View the desktop
In Settings>Personalisation>Themes, click Desktop

Icon Settings. Click on the top-left check boxes
to add additional icons to the desktop, such as
Computer (originally known as My Computer).
Now click on the icon This PC, then choose the

Change Icon option directly beneath. From here,
pick a new icon from the list, then click OK. Now
choose Apply to save the changes.
Click on OK then use the Windows shortcut Win

key+M to return to the desktop to view the icon.
If you right-click the This PC icon you can perform
similar tasks found on the older operating systems.
Organise the taskbar and display

Learn how to personalise the taskbar and display
irst we are going to look at how to
personalise the taskbar in Windows 10. By
this we mean the small icons that appear next to
the main clock and action centre. Youll find that
some of these icons will be hidden in the Hidden
icon section, which you can access via the upward
arrow symbol on the taskbar, while others can be
customised once a new app has been installed.

You might want to do this to gain faster access
to features. Alternatively, we will look at how to
personalise Cortanas search bar from making it
smaller to turning it off. You might notice larger
app icons also sit on the taskbar, so we will also
showcase how to remove these. Finally, we will
take a quick look at some of the display options for

personalising your resolution or on-screen text. The
two options do go hand-in-hand, as with a higher
resolution this can sometimes reduce the size of
the text, so to make it more manageable you can
personalise the system to enlarge it. We will quickly
showcase all of these options in the tutorial below.
Personalise these much-used features
Taskbar and display
1: View your icons
2: Toggle your icons
3: Manage large icons
4: Change the display
Click on the Start icon, then Settings>

System. Choose Notifications and
actions. To the right of this menu you
will need to click the Select which
icons appear on the taskbar option. A
list of all your small taskbar icons will
now appear.
Next to each icon is a toggle switch.

Select these to turn the icon On/
Off. Click and hold on the taskbar
icon with the left mouse button and,
while holding down the button, drag
the icon across and release to change
its position.
For larger app icons, right-click the

icon and choose Unpin this program
from taskbar. Re-add the icon later
via the Start menu by right-clicking
the icon. Or right-click the taskbar and
choose Cortana. You can change the
search bar to an icon or remove it.
Go to Start>Settings>System then
click on Display. Here you can adjust
the size of text and the brightness
of the display via intuitive sliders.
Alternatively, head to Advanced
display settings where you can adjust
your monitors resolution.
Change the size of desktop icons

Dont just accept the default icon size make it work for you
1: Right click Context Menu
2: Adjust icon size
3: Sort out the icons
From the desktop view, which you can get back to

by pressing Win key+M, you first need to right-click
on an empty space, and from the resulting menu
hover your mouse over View.
A bullet point will appear next to the default icon

size. You can now select an alternative like Large
icons and watch how the desktop icons change in
real time. Now adjust these options to taste.
Right-click the desktop and go back to View. From

the options, adjust how the icons are aligned
on the screen. For example, if you want them to
automatically line up, choose Auto arrange icons.
Set a theme
Learn how to make life even easier for
yourself with themes
o far in our range of tutorials we have tapped into a lot of the
Settings>Personalisation options that are built in to Windows 10.
Most of these are relatively straightforward to use, however there is still a lot
of customisation involved, and going back and forth between things such as
background, colours and so on. Thankfully, Windows 10 offers one more method
of personalisation, and it is a system that will be familiar to many Windows 7 and
8 users, because it simply involves themes!
A theme will include a whole range of changes, such as a new background,
taskbar and Start menu customisation all rolled into one! It is a quick and
easy process to implement a theme, so lets take a quick look at this in the
tutorial below.
Themes
Add a Windows 10 theme
1: Navigate to Themes
2: Save your theme
3: Choose a default theme
Click on the Start icon and from the menu choose

Settings>Personalisation. Now select the sub-menu
Themes, and to the right of the interface you will
need to select the Theme settings option.
If you have followed our previous tutorials it

will contain all of the changes in a theme called
Unsaved Theme. Back this up by first clicking on
Save theme and then choosing Save.
With the theme saved, now experiment. Activating

a theme is simply a case of selecting it. For example,
if you click on a theme from the Windows Default
Themes section, it will enable this automatically.
4: View the theme
5: Download new themes
6: Select your new theme
To view effects of a theme, click the Windows 10

Start menu or switch to the desktop view, so press
Win key+M. A new colour scheme will be in place
alongside a new background.
Return to the main theme interface and select Get

more themes online. Choose Download next to
a theme, then install the theme to your computer
(click Open from the Edge Browser).
Your newly installed theme will appear in the list

next to your saved theme. To activate it simply click
on this and use step 4 to view it. You can also delete
themes by right-clicking on them.
Secure your PC
Up your Windows 10 security and avoid hackers and malware
ach new release of Windows is

more secure than the previous
one and if you have upgraded
from a very old version like Windows XP
then the difference is huge. Windows 10
is the most secure yet, but that does not
mean that you can forget security issues.
Security features like Windows Defender
and Windows Firewall must be enabled to
boost the PCs protection. The question is,
are they turned on? Our guides show how
to check that everything is safe.
Windows Defender is used to scan the
disk for malware like viruses and spyware.
Windows will remind you when you need
to scan and reminder messages appear
in Action Centre. Windows Firewall is a
feature that prevents unauthorised access
to your computer through the internet by
hackers and malicious programs. It should
be enabled and you will see a reminder if it
isnt, but it is a good idea to check. We will
show where the settings are located.
Third party security software such
as Avast, AVG, Panda and Avira is
recommended because it is more powerful
than Windows Defender and Windows
Firewall. As soon as you can you should
consider buying a internet security suite
from one of these or another vendor. In the
meantime, here is how to secure your PC.
Settings
Check the protection status
1: Search the settings
2: Turn on Defender
3: Additional Defender settings
Hold down the Windows key and press I to open

the Settings app. Type defender into the search
box and three Windows Defender results are found.
Click the first one, Windows Defender settings.
If there is third party security software running on

the computer, these settings can safely be turned
off, but in the absence of anything else, turn on realtime protection and cloud-based protection.
Scroll down the settings and there is an option to

add exclusions. Normally there are none, but you
can click the link and check. Down at the bottom is
a link to open Windows Defender.
Scan for problems

Is your PC clean? Use Defender to find out
he internet is a fantastic resource and there

are some great websites and lots of superb
software, but lurking among the sites and
programs are viruses and spyware.
Malware is quite rare if you only use trusted
websites and sources of software, but there is still a
small chance that it could get onto your computer.
Windows Defender does two things and the first
is to try to prevent malware from installing and
the second is to scan for anything that might have
slipped through and to remove it before it can do
any harm to your computer.
Windows Defender
Its a good idea to scan the disk for viruses and

spyware using Windows Defender at least once a
week. If you dont, then Windows will remind you to
carry out this task with a message in Action Centre.
Windows Defender can be found on the Start>All
apps menu, you can type the name into the taskbar
search box and it can be accessed through the
Control Panel. It is simple and effective, but not
perfect (buy a security suite for more protection).
Windows Update will occasionally scan the disk
for viruses when updates are delivered to ensure
the computer is as protected as possible.
Set up
Microsoft
Edge options
Configure Internet
Options and reset Edge
to solve problems
Check the disk for malware
Click the search box in the taskbar, enter

internet options and click the result.
Malware changes the home page, but it
can be reset by entering a URL here.
1: Action Center messages
2: Update Windows Defender
Action Center is opened by clicking the icon at the

right side of the taskbar and if your computer has
not been scanned by Windows Defender for some
time, a message appears there.
Open Windows Defender and select the Update

tab. If it says the virus and spyware definitions are
not up to date, click the Update definitions button
and updates are downloaded from the internet.
3: Check and scan
4: The scan results
Select the Home tab to see the program status.

Although protection is turned on, you must run
Windows Defender every week and click the Scan
now button. Usually just a quick scan will do.
Scanning can take 20 minutes or more, but you

can carry on using your computer will it runs.
Afterwards it displays the results and it will clean up
any suspected spyware or viruses.
Select the Security tab and then tick Enable

Protected Mode. If the security level is not
set to Medium-high for the Internet, click
the Default level button.
If you have security problems with

Microsoft Edge, select the Advanced tab
and there are two buttons. Click Restore
Advanced Settings, and Reset.
Increase security
through Privacy
Configure the Privacy options in Settings
n the Settings app is a privacy section that enables you to determine

what information is revealed about you to Microsoft and the apps you
run. These settings affect your security and they can be configured to prevent
apps knowing where you are located, from accessing account information like
your photo and name, from taking pictures using a built in webcam, listening to
what you say with the microphone, and so on.
Spend a few minutes going through the Privacy settings and make sure you
are happy with the amount of information you are sharing. The default settings
are applied as new apps are installed and they can gain access to information.
Settings
Increase privacy and security
1: Open the Settings app
2: Hide your location
3: View apps using your location
Press Windows+I to open the Settings app and click

the Privacy section. Select General and there are
four options. All the settings are useful, but only the
second one is essential.
Your location is tracked by Windows and it is

possible to determine where in the world you live,
work and travel. Turn off the Location switch if you
prefer to hide this information.
Scroll down the section to see the apps are able to

access your location. Instead of turning off location
services completely, block or allow access to your
location for each app with the switches.
4: Set the camera options
5: Set the microphone options
6: Hide your account
Laptop computers and some desktops have a

webcam, which is useful for apps like Skype, but
do you want other apps to have access? Use the
switches in the camera section to allow/block them.
A malicious app could in theory listen to what is

being said in the room. Go to the Microphone
section and turn off access for apps that have no
business accessing this component.
Your Microsoft account contains some personal

information, such as your photo and your name.
If you prefer not to let apps access this, go to the
Account info section and turn off the switch.
Block hackers and malware

Use Windows Firewall to stay safe
hen a computer connects to the internet

it becomes accessible to anyone
anywhere in the world.
Malicious people or software could potentially
connect to the computer in order to control it, steal
information and access files. A firewall is a bit like
the locks on the doors to your home and it keeps
Windows Firewall
out people that have no business entering and

accessing your personal information.
Windows has a firewall built in, predictably called
Windows Firewall. It can be used on many levels
and there is a very simple interface with on and off
settings, but experts can dig deeper and configure
it in advanced ways. We wont look at advanced
uses here and all you need to know is whether

it is working or not and how to block or allow a
program when it wants to access the internet
When software is installed and run for the first
time you might see a message on the screen asking
if it should be allowed through the firewall. Allow it
if you know the software, but block unknown apps.
Check the firewall settings and block or allow programs
1: Search for it
2: Firewall status
3: Turn it on
4: Allow/block apps
The easiest way to find Windows

Firewall, and many other features, is to
search for it. Enter windows firewall
and in the results list, click the one
labelled Control Panel and ignore the
one labelled with Advanced Security.
That is only useful for experts.
Here you can see several items

highlighted in red and the colour
is used to highlight a problem with
Windows Firewall. In this case it is
switched off and this means that its
not protecting the computer. (Third
party security might have its own.)
A quick way to ensure the PC

is protected is to click Use
recommended settings. Alternatively,
click Turn Windows Firewall On or Off.
This provides the option of turning
off the firewall at home, but turning it
on when using public wi-fi hotspots.
Back at the first screen, click Allow

apps to communicte through
Windows Firewall. This lists all
the apps and other software that
accesses the internet. It is possible to
prevent or allow an app access to the
internet by setting or clearing the tick.
Security and Maintenance

Check that the security status of the computer is OK
1: Security and Maintenance
2: User Account Control settings
3: SmartScreen settings
Click the search box in the taskbar, enter security

and maintenance and click it in the results. The
Control Panel opens and you can see the current
security status of the computer.
Click Change User Account Control settings on the

left and the slider is one notch down from the top
by default. Drag it to the top if you want to set the
security even higher.
Click Change Windows SmartScreen settings. This

feature checks programs downloaded from the
internet and blocks any unrecognised ones. The top
setting is the best one to use.
Discover how to get the most out of Windows 10 with our series of tutorials
n business being more productive

will allow you to get work done
faster and more efficiently! Windows
10 was released to tap into this ethos as it
brings to the table a lot of productivity tools
that are built directly into the OS.
In particular, one of its standout features
is its universal appeal, which means that
whatever platform you run Windows 10
on, if its the desktop, tablet or Windows
Mobile, the core experience will be the
same. This also translates to its app support,
but sadly the number of universal apps
is still thin on the ground at the time of
writing. However, the new Windows store
is still a useful place to visit if you want to
install third-party productivity tools.
In this series of tutorials we will be
focusing on ways in which you can utilise
Windows 10 to improve your productivity.
This includes the use of the excellent
Multitasking Task View function as well as
the Snap Assistant.
For tech-savvy users we will even let
you in on the ultimate shortcut secret a
shortcut that provides access to all of your
PCs core features directly under one roof.
Keep reading to find out about this!
Note: both Microsoft Edge and
Cortana are also great tools to aid in your
productivity, so read on to find out more.
Taskbar
Provide more screen real estate
1: Auto-hide the taskbar
2: View the taskbar
3: Move the taskbars position
In Windows 10 the taskbar takes up plenty of screen

space. You can, however, hide this. First right-click
the taskbar and choose Properties. Now under the
Taskbar option choose Auto-hide The Taskbar.
Press Apply. The taskbar will hide automatically if no

apps are vying for your attention, freeing up space.
You can bring back the taskbar by simply hovering
your mouse at the base of the screen.
Alternatively you can adjust the position of the

taskbar. Within the Properties field, click on the
dropdown box titled Taskbar Location Onscreen
and pick a new position for the Taskbar. Click Apply.
Snapping windows
View your windows side by side for ultimate productivity
nother sure fire way of increasing

productivity is to maximise the screen
space with Windows 10s Snap Assistant
function. For Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users, you may
already be familiar with this feature (known as Aero
Snap in Windows 7), but with Snap Assistant you
can have up to four Windows open at once and
have these snapped into all four corners of the
screen. Alternatively you can have two windows
snapped side by side or even three screens. If you
work with two monitors you can theoretically
double this amount. Snapping Windows is great
Snap Assistant
if you want to work on a document in say one

window, while viewing your latest emails or Twitter
posts in another. It does take a bit of practise to
perfect the snapping aspect and while we will be
showcasing the process in our tutorial below its
hard to explain the visual effect in writing. However,
if you get stuck snapping windows using the
mouse method and dont mind dabbling with
some Shortcut keys, we recommend taking a look
at our Windows Shortcut Tutorial (the third step) for
a heads up on making life a lot easier! Tip: to get out
of a snapped window just maximise it!
Key in a web
address from
the taskbar
An alternative to
Cortana for keying in
web addresses
Snap screens into place
From the desktop, right-click on the

taskbar and go to Toolbars>Address. This
will now display a web address bar towards
the right of the taskbar.
1: Prep for snap
2: Snap your app
For this to work, youll need to open four separate

programs on your screen. If one of the windows
open is maximised, click on the top-right-middle
Restore down icon.
With the left mouse button, click and hold the top
title bar of the app and drag this to the right side
of the screen. Hold the app until you see a circle
appear with a transparent highlight surrounding it.
3: Snapped app
4: Multiple snapped screens
Release the mouse button and a list of all your

opened apps will appear. Select an app and watch
as it snaps automatically to the side. After this is
done, pick Microsoft Edge from the taskbar.
Drag this to the top-right corner and release. Notice

how it asks for another app. Pick another window
and it will adjust the positioned windows. Keep
dragging apps until your screen is ready.
With the address bar in place, select the

field box and type in a URL as you normally
would. Now press enter and the website
should load in your default browser.
After a while the Address bar will start to

build up history, so if you want to go
straight to a previously viewed site, click on
the dropdown bar next to the Address bar.
Master the Task

View function
Learn to use the ultimate multitasking tool
f you have used Windows in the past, youre probably familiar with the
way you can switch between running programs. But the introduction
of Windows 10 has taken multitasking to a new level in the form of its Task
View feature, allowing you to create virtual desktops, each with their own set
of running programs. For example, in one desktop you could have three apps
running and then create another desktop with a different set. The only snag
appears to be standard Windows 10 apps, such as Edge, as these can only
exist on the primary desktop. Even so, its still a superb way of maximising
your productivity!
Task View
Create a new desktop
1: Prep the first desktop
2: Task View screen
3: Select the new desktop
Prep the first desktop by launching programs that

you want to use. For example open Word, Microsoft
Edge and Twitter App. Now locate the Task View
icon at the bottom-left corner of the taskbar.
Click the icon and you will be taken to the main

Task View interface. However, we now want to
create a new desktop so click the + New desktop
icon to the right.
Now select the newly created Desktop 2 thumbnail

and you will then be taken to your new desktop.
Next, launch other apps that you want to use. Once
this is done, click the Task View icon again.
4: Switch between desktops
5: Drag and drop
6: Close apps
You can hover your mouse over Desktop 1 and

click on a thumbnail to switch over to that desktop.
Alternatively, use the Ctrl+Win key+cursor key
combo to quickly switch between desktops.
Back at Desktop 1 click the Task View Icon again and

then click/drag one of the Desktop 1 thumbnails
over to the small Desktop 2 thumbnail at the base
and release the button.
This will move the program over to the other

desktop. You can also close desktops within the
Task view using the top-right X. Closing a desktop
will send the apps to the remaining desktop.
Speed things up with shortcuts

Access your features or programs quickly
indows Shortcuts have always offered a

staple diet of boosting productivity. In
their basic form they can simply be used to launch
an app quickly from the desktop. However, in
Windows 10 there are plenty of additional methods
of creating shortcuts. We cover several of these
programs in this guide. To recap, you can literally
Shortcuts
pin music and web pages from Groove Music/Edge

to your Start Menu for fast retrieval. You can also
right-click icons from the latter and pin these to
your taskbar. Another shortcut method is in the use
of keyboard shortcuts, which can perform many
a task without the need of a mouse. We will cover
a few of these below, which will also tie-in nicely
with previous tutorials, such as the Snap Assistant.

However one shortcut that we will showcase is how
to implement a hidden feature in Windows 10. With
this folder shortcut created you can access a host
of Windows features and customisation options all
from the one location! Thus its a powerful tool to
have for administration tasks.
Access essential tools and locations quickly
1: Add a shortcut folder
2: See the folder
3: Keyboard Shortcuts
4: Jump List shortcuts
Right-click your desktop and go to

New>Folder. Select the folder and
rename it to Productivity.{ED7BA4708E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and
press enter. If you are successful, once
renamed the icon will change to look
like the old control panel icon.
With the hidden folder created you

can then double click on this to view
the contents. Scroll through the
staggering array of options that you
can adjust all from the one location!
Everything from adding printers to
viewing the Event logs is all possible!
You can perform plenty of tasks using

keyboard shortcuts. Win Key+the
cursor key is useful for snapping
windows that we talked about in
our Snap Assistant Tutorial earlier
quicker. With each window open,
press Win Key+the cursor to snap it.
Adding desktop shortcuts is easy as

you simply use the right-click Send
to option. However, Windows 10 also
has built-in Jump lists. If Word was on
the taskbar, you right-click the icon
and this will bring up a list of all the
recent documents you can access!
Switch up your default apps

Change the default app association
1: Default apps
2: Change association
3: Switch on the fly
Click on the Windows Start icon and then head

to Settings. From here click System>Default apps,
which can be found on the left context menu. Youll
then see a list of all your default apps.
Now click on a particular app and from the list you

can then choose a suitable replacement. One that
you actually want to use as opposed to Windows
forced recommendation!
If you want to view a particular document or photo

in a different app, you can right-click a file from File
Explorer and then choose Open With to pick an
alternative app from the list.
Get things done with Sticky Notes

Keep track of your to-do lists and memos with this handy app
he acronym KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

most certainly comes to mind when we
refer to one of Windows 10s default apps.
While you have Cortana, Microsoft Edge and the
excellent multi-tasking Task View option, its Sticky
Notes that needs a mention here as well. As the
name suggests, the small app is all about taking
Sticky Notes
notes, more specifically these notes can be used as

quick reminders to do something during the busy
working day, such as call back Bob or make sure
you finish off an invoice. While this does not sound
like much and we do cover the equally as intuitive
Calendar app later on, believe us its power comes
from its simplicity! Like a sticky note in real-life it
stays put unless its removed. Incredibly, even if you

power down your computer and reboot it, the note
will re-appear on your desktop when it reopens.
In this tutorial we will showcase how to access the
app and configure its core options; changing the
appearance, moving the note around, plus deleting
it of course.
Add notes quickly with Sticky Notes
1: Launch Sticky Notes
2: Add your note
3: Create and move
4: Tweak your note
You can launch the Sticky Notes app

in several ways. You can either go
through the Start Menu >All Apps or
use the method we prefer which is to
type in Sticky Notes into the Cortana
search bar and from the results select
the app to launch the program.
You can right-click the file from the

search bar results to pin the app to
your Taskbar for future use, but for
now with the app loaded you can
simply type in your message, such as
Collect the petty cash tomorrow! or
Call Bob when you get 5 minutes.
To create more notes click on the top

left + icon. This will simply place the
note to the side of the previous one.
To move the notes, click and hold the
left mouse button down on the top
of the note and then drag this to a
new position before releasing.
You can also customise the look of

Sticky Notes. Right-click on a note and
choose an alternative colour from
the list. Additionally you can remove
notes by either clicking on the top
right x icon or using the keyboard
Shortcut combo Ctrl+D.
Make use of Cortana

Locate your computers content quickly with a simple search
1: Bring up the search bar
2: My Stuff!
3: Locate and run
First, either click on the left most Search bar (next to

the Start Icon) or activate this using the Win key+Q
keyboard shortcut. Now type the name of the file
you want to find.
Due to the universal nature of the Search bar

Windows will now display a list of any related
content to the inputted request. However ignore
this and click on My Stuff.
A long list - broken down into sections - will now

appear in front of you. Simply use the mouse to
scroll through these to find the file you want. Once
found, select this to open/run it.
Plan your schedule

Get more out of your Calendar app
ou may have noticed that weve skimped on a lot of the apps in

this section and instead concentrated on core Windows 10 features
we felt would benefit you from a productivity point of view. However,
alongside Sticky Notes, one app that most certainly needs to be mentioned is the
Calendar app. In this tutorial we are not going to showcase simply how to add
events to your calendar rather, well look at how to add third-party accounts to
it, such as iCloud and Google Calendar. This will allow you to pull over and sync
changes between different platforms you may own, which is a great productivity
tool. Its worth bearing in mind that a side effect of this process is the Mail and
People app will also be updated with the new accounts. On a positive note, at
least you wont need to perform any additional setup on these apps to pull over
your contacts and so on.
Calendar
Add third-party accounts
1: Calendar settings
2: Add an account
3: Set up the account
Launch the Calendar app - from the Windows Start

Menu - and when it boots to the standard Calendar
screen click on the bottom left settings cog icon to
bring up a separate context menu.
From the right-hand context menu select Accounts

followed by the sub-option Add account. A list will
now appear showcasing the supported Account
types (such as Exchange, Google and iCloud).
Depending on which account you chose, it will

now prompt you to key in your account details. So
enter these and then follow the on-screen prompts.
Press Done when youre ready to confirm.
4: View your account
5: Change the colour
6: Add an event
Click on the Settings Icon to remove the context

menu. Your newly imported account will then
appear on the left. Next to each entry there is a box,
which you can click on to view/hide events.
By default the Calendar app will associate with a

particular colour. Change this by right-clicking on
the calendar listing and choosing a different. This
will separate your calendar from others!
Click the top left + New event icon and from the
resulting screen select the box to the right of Event
name to pick your newly imported account. Add
the remaining details and press Save and close.
Get more from Cortana

Use Cortana to find out information or to carry out commands and actions
ortana is one of the major new

features in Windows 10 and it is
an exciting new digital personal
assistant that can carry out your
commands, perform a variety of actions,
and generally save you from tedious
typing at the keyboard. You just say what
you want and Cortana does it, whether it is
setting an alarm, looking up information on
the internet, or getting driving directions
from one place to another.
Try talking to Cortana and say things
like Tell me a joke. There are often very
entertaining responses to questions like
these and you can have a lot of fun. Cortana
can also perform serious tasks as we will
show in the tutorials. For example, it can
create calendar appointments, show you
your schedule for the next day or week,
and even move calendar appointments for
you. Using Cortana saves tedious typing
and instead of entering notes using the
keyboard, just tell Cortana to take a note
and then speak it. Instead of searching
for the Alarms app and manually creating
alarms, tell Cortana to set it.
Cortana is available on Windows phones
now and Android and iPhone soon. This
means alarms, calendars and reminders
created on your PC are available even when
your computer is switched off.
Cortana
Get weather forecasts
1: Wake up Cortana
2: Get next weeks weather
3: Get the weather anywhere
Click the microphone icon at the right side of the

search box in the taskbar to make Cortana listen.
Anything you now say will be analysed and Cortana
will respond appropriately.
Say What is the forecast for next week? and

Cortana responds with next weeks forecast. It
shows that Cortana understands concepts like next
week and that forecast is associated with weather.
Say What is the weather in New York? and the

weather and forecasts for the next few days are
displayed. Cortana clearly understands place names
like major cities and countries around the world.
View maps with Cortana

Use Cortanas knowledge of maps to get directions
ortana has a detailed knowledge of

maps and can show you them within the
Cortana panel. It can also open the Maps app
to view larger maps and to get more information.
Suppose you want to know where a city or town is
located, you can simply ask Cortana to show a map
of the place. It might not know every little village,
but most towns are recognised.
This feature can be used to look up places
before you go there, such as on a holiday. If you
are planning a trip to Rome, Italy then just ask
Cortana to show you a map. There is a Maps app in
Cortana
Windows 10 of course, and Cortana will sometimes

open it to display map results. If a map is shown in
the Cortana panel, clicking it opens Maps. Try asking
for distances, routes from one place to another, and
so on.
To make it easier to issue commands to Cortana,
such as when requesting maps, click the search box
in the taskbar and then click the Notebook icon on
the left. Click Settings and turn on the switch under
Let Cortana respond to Hey, Cortana. This will
make communicating with Cortana much quicker
and easier for you.
Use Cortana
to set alarms
Never oversleep or miss
an appointment again
with Cortanas alarms!
Explore the world with Cortanas maps
Activate Cortana and say something like

Set and alarm for 7 am. Cortana
understands times and recognises AM and
PM. It confirms that the alarm has been set.
1: View any map
2: Get traffic information
Click the Cortana microphone icon and say Show

me a map of... followed by any country, region,
town or city. It even understands places like the
Yorkshire Dales. Just ask for the map you want.
Cortana can get traffic information, which is very

useful if you are about to set off on a journey soon.
Say Show me the traffic to... followed by a place
name, such as Manchester.
3: Get travel directions
4: Use Maps travel directions
If you need directions to get somewhere, just ask

Cortana, Get directions to... and a place. Cortana
reports that it is starting Maps and there is an
option to cancel, but let it run.
When the Maps app opens, it shows detailed travel

directions from your current location to the place
told to Cortana. The two apps work together to get
directions and Cortana closes when Maps opens.
If you fancy a nap or dont want to miss

something, say something like Wake me
up in 30 minutes. Cortana sets an alarm to
sound 30 minutes from now.
Cortana not only sets alarms, it can also

show you all the alarms that are currently
active. Simply say Show my alarms. It is
simple and obvious, and Cortana responds
appropriately every time.
Speak to create
Calendar events
Add appointments and events to Calendar
he Calendar app in Windows 10 is a useful tool for organising

your time. You can not only look up dates, you can also add events and
appointments so you never miss another one again. Just as with the Maps app,
Cortana can interact with the Calendar app and the two work together. This
enables you to create events in Calendar without having to open the app and go
through the tedious process of creating them. You just speak to Cortana.
Cortana understands times and dates, words like tomorrow and phrases like
all day event. It can even move events from one time slot to another, which is
handy for when you need to re-organise your schedule to fit something in.
Cortana
Add events to your calendar
1: Create an appointment
2: Name the event
3: Check your schedule
To create an event, say Create an appointment

for 3 PM tomorrow. Cortana understands the
time, PM, AM, the days of the week, and words like
tomorrow. The appointment is displayed.
The one piece of information missing is the name

of the event, and Cortana asks what it should be
called. We added a dentist appointment, but you
should speak your own event name.
A calendar appointment is displayed after it has

been created. After adding some more, you might
want to check your schedule. Just say What is on
my calendar for tomorrow.
4: Move calendar events
5: Create all-day events
6: Add the title
Suppose you have an appointment that needs to

be rescheduled. Say something like Make my 3 PM
event tomorrow 4 PM. The new appointment time
is shown and you say Yes to confirm it.
Some events do not have a specific time and for

these you can use all day events. Say Create an
all day event on Friday going to London. Cortana
begins a new all day calendar event.
You might be prompted for the title of the event, so

speak it when Cortana asks. Notice the tick against
All day event. Say Yes to confirm that you want to
create this event.
Never forget with reminders

Create reminders so you never forget anything
ortana can create reminders that

remember things for you and then
reminds you to do them when they are due. In
some ways a reminder is similar to an appointment,
but there are some important differences too. A
simple reminder might be to call someone or to
perform some task tomorrow or on a specific date.
Cortana
It could have a time associated with it and this

would make it similar to an appointment on your
Calander app.
A different type of reminder can be created and
you could set one that is triggered when you are
in a specific location, regardless of what time of
the day it is, or even what day. A reminder could
be set that is activated when you arrive at work,

return home, or visit some other place. Although
you are not likely to take a desktop PC with you, you
might carry a laptop. With Cortana on your phone,
your reminders can be carried in your pocket and
triggered when arriving or leaving places, too. That
is a powerful feature.
Create a reminder when you need to remember things
1: Start a reminder
2: Add the time
3: Remind locations
4: Add the subject
Cortana understands language and

you do not need to use special words
or phrases. Just say what you want,
such as Remind me to call Janice
tomorrow. Cortana responds by
displaying the details and then asking
what time you want to be reminded.
Cortana has part of the reminder, but

needs the time. Speak it, such as 2 PM
and the whole reminder is displayed
for you to check. If it is OK then finish
off by saying Yes. Alternatively, say
No or Cancel if it is incorrect or you
change your mind.
Do you want to be reminded when

you visit a location? Say Remind me
when I get home. Cortana needs to
know where home and work are and
if this information has not yet been
entered, you will be asked to set it by
entering the address or post code.
A subject was not stated in the

location reminder, so Cortana asked
for it. Say it and the completed
reminder is displayed on the screen
for you to check. If it is correct, say
Yes, otherwise say No or Cancel.
Add more reminders using Cortana.
Use your voice to write notes

Create notes and store them using Cortanas speech recognition
1: Start a new note
2: Record your note
3: Make and view notes
Notes can be created and stored by Cortana and

it saves you having to type them into an app. Say
Take a note, and Cortana responds with Tell me
your note. Speak it.
Cortana translates your spoken note into text and

it can be as long or short as required. The result is
displayed on the the screen and you can click the
note to edit it.
Another way to create notes is to say Note, and

then follow it with the note you want to create
spoken out loud. To view your notes, open the
OneNote app on the Start menu.
Manage OneDrive
Use OneDrive to store and access files both online and offline
neDrive is a special folder on

the PCs disk that can be used
to store documents, pictures,
music and videos. Anything you put in
the OneDrive folder on the PCs disk is also
stored online and Microsoft provides private
and secure storage space. Online is an exact
copy of everything in the PCs OneDrive
folder. Whats more, every Windows
computer you own has a OneDrive folder
and the contents are kept in sync. Save a
file in the OneDrive folder on one PC and
it appears in the OneDrive folders of your
other PCs. Desktop and laptop computers
for example, are kept in sync, and all have
the same files.
Files can also be accessed from any
computer through a web browser, even
if it does not use Windows, like an Apple
Mac. This is fantastic when you are at work
and you need to access files on your home
computer, for example. Simply head online
to www.onedrive.com in a browser and all
your files are there.
We show how OneDrive enables you to
share files and folders with other people,
and how it can be used to send large
files to people instead of using email
attachments. There is a limit to the size of
files that OneDrive can hold, but we show
how to get more space if you need it.
OneDrive
Access OneDrive faster
1: Show the OneDrive menu
2: Pin to File Explorer
3: OneDrive on the jump list
Click the File Manager icon in the taskbar to open

it. Right-click OneDrive to display the context menu
and select Pin to Start to add a tile to the Start
menu for fast access.
Another way to create a shortcut for quick and

easy access to OneDrive is to click and drag the
OneDrive folder to the File Explorer icon on the
taskbar. Drop it to pin it.
When many of the icons in the taskbar are rightclicked, they display a menu containing jump lists,
which are shortcuts to common functions. Rightclick Explorer to open the OneDrive folder.
Share files with others

Give other people access to your files
t is hard to pick the best feature of OneDrive,

but file sharing is undeniably one of the
strongest contending features available. It has
several uses and you can share files with other
people to enable collaboration and team working.
For example, you can co-author a document
or even an ebook with someone else. This is a
powerful feature and you can choose whether
other people can read files or read and write files
through permissions.
As well as this, OneDrive can be incredibly useful
when you need to send someone one or more
File Explorer
large files by email. You dont want to fill their inbox

with a file that is several or even tens of megabytes,
so instead the file can be put in OneDrive. Using
the sharing facilities in OneDrive, you can then just
send the person a link to it in an email. The recipient
can download the file to their computer or access
it online by clicking the link. It is easier and quicker
than sending it as an email attachment.
There are several different ways to share the files
in your OneDrive storage and we will look at some
of them here. It is a useful feature to master and
should benefit you in more ways than one.
Email a link
Share files online
instead of sending them
as email attachments
Invite others to share your files

Suppose you want to send a file using
email. If the file is in OneDrive, open File
Explorer, locate the file, right-click it and
select Share a OneDrive link.
1: Open OneDrive in Explorer
2: Choose who to share with
Click File Explorer in the taskbar and select

OneDrive on the left. Find a file that you would like
to share with other people, go to the Share tab and
click Specific people.
There is a large box with an Add button on the

right. Click the arrow and select people to share the
file with from the list or click Create A New User for
someone new.
3: Set the permissions
4: Changing folder permissions
After adding another person or even Everyone,

which is the whole world, set the permission level,
such as Read for Everyone and Read/Write for
friends or work colleagues that you trust.
This notice appears, stating that giving someone

read/write permission allows them to add files to
the folder. For this reason it is best to give Read/
Write access only to trusted people. Click Next.
Nothing seems to happen at first, but a

second or two later a notification appears
in the bottom-right corner to say the link is
now on the clipboard.
Open the Mail app and create a new email

message. From here, click in the body of
the message and press Ctrl+V to paste in
the link to the file.
Increase your
OneDrive storage
Subscribe to boost your OneDrive space
lthough you may have hundreds of gigabytes of disk space on your

computer, the files in the OneDrive folder are limited by your storage
plan. This is currently 15GB for free, but from 2016 it will be 5GB. If you are short
of OneDrive online storage space your plan can be upgraded to get more. If you
subscribe to Microsoft Office then OneDrive can hold up to 1TB of files, but there
are cheaper alternatives starting at just 1.99 a month.
In this tutorial we show how to see what plan you have, how much online
storage space is being used, and the amount of free space available. In fact,
sometimes extra space is given with mobile phones or tablets.
OneDrive
Buy more storage
1: Find the icon
2: Show the menu
3: View your usage
There is more than one way to access OneDrive and

you could go to the icon in the taskbar. Click the up
arrow to show the hidden icons and mouse over
the OneDrive cloud icon.
Many of the icons in this part of the taskbar can be

right-clicked to display a useful menu of options.
The OneDrive menu has a Manage storage option.
Left-click it.
The OneDrive app on the computer opens a web

browser window to show your account on the
OneDrive website. If there is little space left, click the
Buy More Storage button.
4: Select a plan
5: Sign in to OneDrive
6: Add payment information
Three options are available and you can subscribe

to Office 365, which provides 1TB of storage, 100GB
or 200GB of storage without Office. Click Select to
choose the plan you want.
For security reasons and to prevent anyone else

using your computer from buying things, you must
sign in to your Microsoft account again. Enter the
password and then click Sign In.
The final step is to select the payment information

and there is a choice between PayPal or a credit
card. Select the method you want and fill in the
form to finish the transaction.
Share your folders

Invite other people to your folders
e looked at sharing files earlier, which

was fairly straightforward and easy
to get to grips with. There are, however, plenty
more sharing options that are worth exploring and
here were going to take a quick look at them. For
example, you might have a folder on OneDrive that
you would like to share with someone. This could
File Explorer
be a shared work folder for a project that you and

other people are working on together.
Sharing folders can be very useful, but you do
need to be careful who you share them with. Only
share a folder with someone you trust if you allow
them to write files to it. It is not a good idea to open
a folder to the general public unless you want to
share everything in it. Never give the public Read/

Write access; they should be able to only read files.
Read access allows people to download files to their
computer and they dont need to view them online.
Create a new folder on OneDrive, such as MyFiles
or Public, instead of sharing important ones like
Documents, Pictures and so on.
Share selected folders with others on OneDrive
1: Sharing options
2: Share folders online
3: Shared list
4: Invitation receipt
One a File Explorer window by

clicking the icon in the taskbar. Go
to the OneDrive folder by clicking
OneDrive in the left panel. Right-click
the folder you would like to share
with others and click More OneDrive
Sharing Options.
A web browser window opens

and goes to the OneDrive website.
The folder is selected and you are
prompted to invite people. This is an
email form, so enter the addresses of
people you want to share the folder
with and add the body of the email.
Before the email was sent, the Shared

with list said Only Me. After sending
the invitation, the Shared With list
now contains all the names of the
people the invitation was sent to. You
can email multiple people at once.
Select a person to see the details.
This is how the email invitation looks

to the people you chose to share the
folder with. The name of the folder
is displayed and there is a View in
OneDrive button. When the person
clicks the button, OneDrive opens in
their browser to access the files.
Sync specific folders

Use OneDrive settings to select the folders to sync
1: Go to Settings
2: Auto-save options
3: Sync selected folders
Go to the right side of the taskbar and click the up

arrow to show hidden icons. Find the OneDrive
cloud icon and right click it. Select Settings in the
menu that is displayed.
Choose whether to save documents and pictures to

OneDrive or the PC. Tick the option to save photos
and videos to OneDrive if you prefer to save them
online, but only if there is space.
Select the Account tab and click Choose Folders.

Tick the folders you want to keep the same online
and offline, but clear ticks against folders that you
prefer to be ignored.
Browse with Edge

Use a brand new browser for Windows 10 with exciting new features
dge is the name of Microsofts

new web browser and it is the
best way to access the web.
Anyone that has used Windows before will
be familiar with Internet Explorer because
it has been around for decades. The
most recent version is IE11 and it is still in
Windows 10 if you want to search for it on
the Start menu. However, it is based on old
technology and Edge is a brand new start
for Windows 10.
It has features that are not in Internet
Explorer 11, for example, there is a reading
mode available that makes web pages
easier on the eye by removing distracting
content like adverts. Edge and Cortana
work together and text can be highlighted
on the page and then Cortana can find
answers or related content. You can even
draw on web pages with a pencil and
highlighter, and add sticky notes to them.
This is great for research purposes and
the marked up pages can be stored and
viewed later.
Web browsers are frequently updated
with new features and Edge has already
seen a few tweaks, such as the thumbnail
image of web pages when the mouse
hovers over tabs. Edge is already a very
good web browser, but no doubt there will
be more changes and enhancements.
Microsoft Edge
Get started with Edge
1: Open the browser
2: Show the address box
3: Use the suggestions
Click the tile on the Start menu or the icon in the

taskbar to open Edge. Click one of the frequently
accessed websites or Show my news feed to read
the latest news stories.
When Edge starts, it looks odd because it does

not have an address box. Type a website address
into the Search box or click at the top to reveal the
hidden Address box.
As you type into the address or search boxes, Edge

displays suggestions from the pages recently visited
and from Bing. When you see what you want, click
it with the mouse.
Use Reading view

Clear the clutter from web pages for reading and printing
ome web pages look very smart and are

expertly designed to make them easy
to read and navigate. This is not true of all
web pages though and some sites seem to be
overloaded pages with an excessive amount of
distracting clutter.
There can be many adverts in banner, skyscraper
and pop-up formats, and when the mouse moves
around the screen it can trigger even more popups and animations. It isnt much fun and it makes
the content of some web pages hard to read. The
solution is to use Reading view and this strips away
Microsoft Edge
all the distracting items that clutter up web pages.

Whats left is the page content and this is beautifully
presented in a very clean and simple format. The
difference is amazing and it makes web pages
much easier to read. It is especially useful for long
articles and pages look fantastic.
They look great when they are printed, too,
because all the clutter is stripped away and you
will not waste ink and paper on adverts and
other undesirable items on the page. Get used to
switching to reader view. It is the best way to view
web pages.
Ask Cortana
Use Cortana to get
explanations and
additional information
Simplify pages with Reading view

Click and drag over any text on the page
and then right-click it to display a menu.
Here we highlighted exoplanet. Click Ask
Cortana on the menu that appears.
1: Go to a web page
2: Switch to Reader view
Go to a web page and notice how it includes lots

of extra items like a banner advert, menus, various
sharing buttons, links and ads to other items and so
on. It is distracting.
Click the Book icon in the Toolbar at the top of the

window and the web page is transformed into a
very simple design that makes it much easier to
read the article.
3: Open the menu
4: Print the page
Click the three dots icon in the top right corner to

display the menu. Among the options is Print and
this can be used when you want to save a hard
copy of a page.
The print window opens and the preview shows

how the page will look on paper. This is the clean
and simple reading view without the distracting
ads, menus and links. Print it.
Cortana opens in a panel on the right and

this contains extra information about the
text that was highlighted. There are links to
get more information on the web.
Click a link to open it in a new tab. Here we

clicked the Wikipedia link and it has lots of
information about the highlighted word.
Close the tab afterwards.
Save sites to
your Favourites
Build a list of favourite websites
e can all recall the addresses of our favourite websites and type them
into a web browser, but the number probably does not exceed half a
dozen. There are millions of websites and there are many excellent ones that you
will want to regularly revisit. To overcome our limited memory, Edge enables you
to store your favourite websites in a Favourites list,
Edge Favourites are just a click away and they enable you to browse your most
liked websites and visit them with a mouse click instead of having to remember
and type in long and sometimes complicated addresses. In this tutorial we show
how to add to the Favourites list and the favourites bar.
Microsoft Edge Build up your Favourites
1: Go to a favourite site
2: Add the site
3: Select the save location
When you are browsing the web using Edge and

find a great website that you would like to save, go
to the Toolbar in the top right corner of the window
and click the Star.
Select the Favourites tab in the panel that is

displayed and if the name is very long, which is
quite common, click in the box and shorten it. Dont
click Add just yet.
There are two places the website can be saved

and the choice is either Favourites or Favourites
bar. Select Favourites for now, but remember the
choice. We will look at Favourites bar shortly.
4: Show the Favourites
5: The Favourites menu
6: Show the Favourites bar
When you want to revisit a website that was added

to Favourites, click the Hub icon (three horizontal
lines) and select the Favourites tab (Star icon). Left
click a Favourite to go there.
Right-click a favourite in the list to display a menu.

There is an option to open it in a new tab, rename
it or delete it. Folders can be created for organising
the favourites.
Click the Favourites settings link and turn on Show

the favourites bar. Favourites that are saved here
(in Step 3) are conveniently displayed on a bar
underneath the tabs and address box.
Draw on web pages

Annotate web pages and save them for later
dge has a fascinating feature that enables

you to draw on web pages. This is unusual
among web browsers and none of the others,
such as Chrome or Firefox, enables you to do this.
You might find this feature very useful when you
are using the web to research a topic for a work,
personal or educational project. As you browse
Microsoft Edge
the web looking for reference material, you can

annotate the pages you find and then save them
for later.
This makes use of two features, one is the
annotation and the other is the Reading list. You
may have noticed earlier when saving Favourites
that there is an option to save a page in the
Reading list instead of the Favourites. The reading

list is very similar to favourites, but it is used in a
different way. Often when you are browsing the
web, you discover interesting pages, but you dont
have the time to read them. Add them to the
Reading list and read them later. Its a very useful
and convenient feature.
Doodle on web pages and save the result
1: Make a note
2: Draw and highlight
3: Add a text note
4: Save the page
Go to a web page you would like

to annotate and Save. Click the
Create a web note icon in the
Toolbar, the pen in a square, and a
Toolbar appears at the top. Edge has
temporarily exited browsing mode
and you can annotate the page.
The first icon in the Toolbar is for

drawing and clicking it displays a
palette of colours to choose from and
three types of Pen. Click a colour and
pen, then click and drag to draw on
the page. Click the Highlighter tool,
pick a colour and drag over text.
The third icon in the Toolbar is an

eraser for removing your drawing and
the fourth icon is used to add a note
to the page. Click the Note icon, click
in the page and a Text box appears.
Type in notes you would like to
associate with this page.
Click the Save icon (the old style

floppy disk) in the Toolbar when you
have finished annotating the web
page. There is an option to save it to
OneNote, which is useful, but it can
also be saved to the Reading list. Edit
the name to make it descriptive.
Build a Reading list

Save web pages to a Reading list for later
1: Save a page
2: View the Reading list
3: View, pin and remove
To save a web page so you can read it later, click

the Favourites Star in the Toolbar. In the panel that
appears, click Reading list, edit the name and click
the Add button.
Click the Hub icon in the Toolbar (three lines) and

then select the Reading list tab in the panel (second
icon). These are the web pages that have been
saved for reading later.
To keep the reading list on the screen, click the pin

icon in the top right corner. Click an item to read the
saved page. Right-click an item to remove it from
the list.
Keep informed
Stay on top of current events with default and third-party applications
imes have certainly changed

when it comes to keeping up to
date with current events. In the
past, we tended to rely on the television
and newspapers to learn about breakingnews stories. Now, with the boom of social
media, a news piece can start to trend
within seconds of a story happening!
However, social media is just one of the
many ways to find out about the latest
goings on. Similar to previous versions,
Windows 10 has plenty of default apps or
third-party apps that you can tap into from
the Windows Store to give that instant
current-event fix.
In the following tutorials, we will look
at a few of these apps. For example, the
Sport app will enable you to add and track
a favourite sport or team. Alternatively, the
Weather app can provide weather forecasts
for not only your local area but also any
remote locations you wish to travel to.
Of course, all of these apps would be
useless unless you were notified about any
breaking news. Thankfully, Windows 10 has
a comprehensive Notifications & actions
system to ensure you never miss an event,
and we will look at this too. Also, while
we dont cover the process in this section,
Cortanas Notebook function can also help
you stay abreast of the latest goings on.
Twitter
See whats trending
1: Log in to Twitter
2: Look at whats happening
3: View trending topics
First, launch the Windows Store, then select the

search bar at the top of the screen to find and install
Twitter. Once installed click Open, then use the
Login box to key in your security details.
Once logged in to Twitter, click on the Happening

Now menu to the left of the screen. Here you can
view all the current events that Twitter picks out for
you. Click on a Tweet to read the contents.
Click on the Search menu option. Here youll see

a list of hashtags that provide you with trending
events. Click on a #tag to view its contents, or use
the search-field box to find your own topics.
Get sporting updates

Use the Sport app to keep on top of your favourite sports
ove it or loath it, sport is one of the worlds

most popular pastimes, and if we are not
participating in a sport of some description,
many of us are almost certainly watching one!
Of course, this trend is magnified when global
sporting events are happening, such as the Rugby
World Cup or Wimbledon tennis, for example. The
only problem with keeping on top of the latest
events is that there is so much choice, and if you like
several sports or teams, it can be time consuming
to look on the internet or piece together separate
apps in order to get your fix.
However, thanks to Windows 10s Sport app, you

wont have to worry for long, as the app provides
a nest bed for adding your favourite sports and
teams. In other words, it converges everything
under one roof.
When you first launch the app, it will usually
piece together the most popular sports, so you
are able to gain instant access to these from the
left-hand menu. However, in the below tutorial
we will showcase how to add new sports to your
Favourites list, and also how to keep track of your
favourite teams.
Track your
top market
Tap into the Money app
to add your favourite
markets to a Watch list
Sport View favourite sports and teams

Launch the Money app and, if prompted,
say Yes to receiving notifications. Next,
click on the World Markets menu option on
the left-hand side. Now choose EMEA from
the top list.
1: View existing topics
2: Add more sports
When you launch the Sports app, you can select

from the left-hand menu from the most popular
sports. In this example, click on F1. From here you
can then select news articles to read.
To add more choices, select the More Sports menu

icon. Use the Search facility or browse through
additional sports. Once you find one, select to view
its contents, then tap on the star icon at the top.
3: View your favourites
4: Add your favourite team
You can continue adding more sports to your list,

but once you want to access the sport at a later
date, click on the My Favourites menu option. From
here, select a thumbnail to read the topic.
Within the My Favourite menu, select the + icon

under the header Favourite Teams. In the search
box, type your teams name and select it from the
list. View your teams activities via the thumbnail.
Next, choose FTSE 100, then click on the

top star icon in order to add it to your
Watchlist. You are then able to access the
market via the left-hand Watchlist icon or
from the Home screen.
From the Watchlist menu, you can also

click on the Pin to Start icon at the top of
the screen. This will allow you to track your
market from the Windows Start menu.
Customise your
news feeds
Get access to a wealth of tailored news
ne of Windows 10s redeeming features is that a lot of its core apps

share a common interface/theme, so the News app will be instantly
familiar if you have followed other tutorials in this book. As the name
suggests, the News app offers a platform for accessing a range of topics, such as
Entertainment and Technology, taken from multiple news sources from around
the world. The beauty of this app is that you have control over what interests you
the most. For example, if you want to read about the Xbox One or remove some
of the pre-installed topics, then you can. In the tutorial here, we showcase this
process in action, so you can keep on top of events that matter the most to you.
News
Read news that interests you
1: Customise My News
2: Edit existing topics
3: Add new topics
Launch the News app and, if prompted, say Yes to

the Breaking News Alerts notification. Click on the
Edit icon (pencil symbol) at the top to reveal topics
currently listed on your My News home screen.
From the next screen, youll see the aforementioned

topics with green ticks incorporated within the
large thumbnails. Select the tick to remove a current
topic. The symbol will then change back to a +.
Now click on the All Interests topic or at least one

of the other sub-categories. From here it will list
more topics. Simply click on the + icon within a
thumbnail to add the topic(s) of interest.
4: Add custom topics
5: Rearrange topics
6: View your topics
Alternatively, click on the + icon at the top of the

screen. Now input Xbox One into the search
engine (for the sake of this example) and select the
latter from the search results beneath.
Now head back to the My Interests topic and, using

your mouse, left-click and hold on the bottom-right
corner of a thumbnail. Next, move this to a new
position before releasing the mouse button.
Finally, click on the Home icon via the left menu,

and youll notice all of your topics listed at the top
of the screen. Simply click on the Xbox One topic
to read the articles within.
Monitor the weather

Utilise the Weather app to view local or remote forecasts
eeping track of current weather forecasts

for your local area or a destination that you
want to travel to, will certainly give you a better
chance to prepare for better or for worse! So, if
you were hoping for sun but the forecast suggests
rain, will be able to plan accordingly by taking some
waterproof clothing alongside your shorts!
Weather
Windows 10s Weather app can be a very useful

addition, as it will provide a 10-day weather forecast
for a chosen destination. This includes statistical
information, such as temperature, percentage of
rain and even wind speed. It will also provide a
more graphical representation of the weather with
a dynamically changing background, and small
symbol icons to reflect whether or not it is raining.

In the tutorial below, we are going to take a look
at how to add places to the app and adjust your
Weather apps home location.
Although not covered here, Cortana can also tap
into the Weather app to display weather forecasts
directly within its Search bar.
Add places to the Weather app
1: Set a home location
2: Change the location
3: Add more places
4: View your weather
Launch the Weather app. It should

tap in to your Location Services to
gleam the forecast. If not, click on the
Places menu option to the left. Right
click on the thumbnail icon under the
header Launch Location and choose
Change Launch Location.
From the resulting screen, click on

Default location and type a location
via the search bar. Pick the location
from the results. You can also toggle
whether to display the forecast in
Fahrenheit or Celsius. Click on the
top-left back icon (next to Settings).
In the Places menu, click on the +

icon under Favourite Places. From
here, an Add to Favourites box will
appear, allowing you to input your
town, city or postcode and select
from the list. Repeat the process for
other locations.
Select a thumbnail and scroll down

for additional info, tap into the Pin
option to view a weather snapshot
from the Start menu, or experiment
with the Historical Weather menu to
see how temperature or rainfall faired
within a given month.
Manage your notifications

Adjust third-party notifications for a given app
1: Customise notifications
2: Change the notifications
3: Action the notifications
If you have third-party News apps, adjust how

notifications are handled. Click on the Start icon,
then head to Settings>System>Notifications &
actions. A list of apps will now appear.
In this example, we have a listed app called Appy

Gamer, which displays gaming news. Simply click
the apps title and from here you can adjust how
notifications are handled by the system.
Once a notification kicks in, youll get an alert. Click

on the notification (if youre fast) or use the Action
Centre (bottom-right of the taskbar). Click the
relevant notification to launch/read the article.
Stay entertained
Windows 10 offers plenty of entertainment options, we showcase the best
icrosofts plan with Windows

10 was to develop an
evolving platform that will
support both consumers and businesses
alike. From a consumer point of view we
are talking about entertainment.
Now, Microsoft Edge is one default
example that can keep you entertained by
allowing you to find web content and then
tap into a Reading viewer to strip away the
ads to concentrate on the article.
Likewise you can use the browser to
enjoy TV and Movie streaming services from
the BBC, Amazon and Netflix. However this
is just a standard way of keeping yourself
entertained and Windows 10 offers a lot
more variety thanks to its core apps and
services. One in particular is the integration
of Xbox Live and its accompanying Xbox
app, which provides a useful platform for
entertainment, not only from a games point
of view, but also from a social aspect.
Well be covering the Xbox app in our
tutorials below. Were also going to tap into
Groove Music and the Films & TV app to
give you some pointers on optimising the
way you listen and watch content. Were
going to showcase some useful third party
apps that you can download from the store
too. The entertainment side is covered, so
keep reading to find out whats possible!
TuneInRadio
Listen to digital radio stations
1: Listen to local radio
2: Listen to your station
3: Add Favourites or pin to Start
First download and install TuneIn Radio from the

Windows Store. Then launch the app and from the
main interface click on Local Radio. Now select the
area you want to listen from i.e. Birmingham.
Once the location has been selected, all of the radio

stations will appear in a thumbnail format. Simply
select the station you want and it will start to
stream the content to your device.
Additionally you can click on the Add icon beneath

to send the station to your Favourites, which is
accessible from the main interface. Or click Pin. You
can then access TuneIn Radio from the Start Menu!
Download from YouTube

Use Tube Box to view or download your favourite videos
ne of the best forms of entertainment is

to tap into the wealth of video content
from YouTube! There are literally millions- uponmillions of videos to watch, ranging from gameplay
commentary to fan made films!
By default in Windows 10 you are limited to a
web browser in order to tap into this content; as
the Windows store does not have a dedicated app
available (at the time of writing).
However even with an app you are still tied
down to an internet connection in order to
view the videos. Thankfully there is a useful app
Tube Box
alternative available from the Windows Store called

Tube Box. In its basic format it allows you to search
and play videos like you would from YouTube
directly or you can add videos to playlists, view
comments and so forth. However its main benefit
is that it also allows you to download the videos for
offline viewing!
In this tutorial we will showcase how to do this,
but the offline viewing part will come in handy for
when we take a look at the Film & TV app side later
on; as this will give you the heads up on how to
view them!
Pin an album
to the
Start Menu
Learn how to showcase
and pin your favourite
album to the Start Menu!
Download YouTube videos to view offline
Launch Groove Music, then from the side

menu click on Albums; albums sourced
from your PC will appear on the right.
Right-click on one and choose Pin to start.
1: Download Tube Box
2: Search for content
From the Windows Store click on the search box

at the top of the screen and input Tube Box. Now
click on the resulting link beneath the search and
download and install the Free app.
After launching the app the best way to look for

content is to click on the internal search box. As you
type a series of results will appear beneath that you
can then select to view the available videos.
3: Preview your video
4: Downloading a video
Now select a video and from the main player you

can tap the 1080P drop-down box to adjust the
quality or hover your mouse over the window to
bring up the player controls.
Once you are happy with the choice you need to

click on the Download icon. Now pick the quality of
the video you want to download. This will start the
download process. Click OK when finished.
Alternatively you can pin an individual

song. First select a song from your album
or click on the Songs menu. Right-click the
song and choose Pin to start.
Next click the Start icon and scroll to the

base to view your Pins. To play the album
or song tap the thumbnail. To remove a Pin
right-click and choose Unpin from Start.
Adding music
to Groove
Listen to your music anywhere with Groove
roove Music is the default music app on Windows 10 and it provides

all the tools you need to play your favourite music tracks; including a
Spotify-style subscription service, which allows access to millions of songs!
By default Groove Music scans your Music folder, which is handy, because most
third party apps store music in there too so dont be surprised if you find your
library is populated already! The focus of this tutorial is to showcase how to add
tracks to your online OneDrive storage. This enables other devices you own to
play the same music library. We showcase how to upload music to your OneDrive
folder using File Explorer, but you can also upload to www.onedrive.com.
Groove Music
Add tracks to OneDrive
1: File Explorer location
2: Copying your music
3: Pasting into Music
First click on the File Explorer icon at the bottom

of the taskbar. You then need to navigate to
OneDrive>Music. If the folder is not there, simply
create one right-click on OneDrive.
Now right-click the File Explorer taskbar icon again

to open another instant of File Explorer and then
navigate to the source where you want to copy
your music from. Right-click a track and click Copy.
Next, switch back to your OneDrive Music folder

and then right-click the window and choose Paste.
After the music is copied close both File Explorer
Windows via the top right x.
4: Change location
5: Adding your OneDrive folder
6: Filtering your music
Now launch Groove Music and when you are

logged in click the cog settings icon at the bottom
left of the screen select Choose where we look for
music. From the resulting option click the + icon.
Now, navigate to the following folder location C:\

Users\yourname\OneDrive\Music and choose Add
this folder to Music. It will now list the newly added
location. To finish click Done.
Next select Albums from the left menu and via

the Filter: drop-down tab click on the option On
OneDrive. Your OneDrive Music folder contents will
now appear; but only when the upload finishes.
Streaming from Xbox One

A look at the Xbox One to Windows 10 streaming
here is no denying the Xbox app will

benefit those who own a Microsofts Xbox
One console, as it has the ability to stream
content straight to your Windows 10 PC or
Tablet. This has two benefits; one it frees up the
TV so your partner can get some screen space of
their own and also it enables you to tap into the
Xbox app
full multimedia range that the Xbox One has to

offer; in order to boost your entertainment quota.
For example you can gain access to apps that are
not available yet (at the time of writing) on the
Windows 10 platform such as BBC iPlayer. Of course
the primary benefit is you can stream your Xbox
One Games.
The only perquisite for this tutorial is you need

to have your Xbox One and PC/Tablet connected
to the same network (attached to the same router
wired or wireless). You also need to plug in the
Xbox One controller to your devices USB port. Once
this is done the tutorial will get you up and running
with the rest!
Stream content from your Xbox One
1: Connecting
2: Connect to console
3: Stream time!
4: Adjust stream quality
Head to your Xbox One and with

the controller double tap the Xbox
button and move down to the
settings cog. Next navigate to All
Settings>Preferences>Game DVR &
streaming and toggle the Allow Play
To streaming option to on.
Now head over to your Windows 10

PC or tablet and launch the Xbox
App. Ensure that you are logged in
with the same Microsoft account.
Click Connect. The Add a device
setup window will appear. Once your
console is found select Connect.
You will now be presented with

several connect options. Make
sure your Xbox One controller is
connected to your PC and then click
on the Stream tab at the top. After
a few moments the screen will turn
green and you will be connected.
With the Xbox One Controller

navigate to and select your app or
game to play. If you find the quality or
the stream is too choppy, select the
top right corner to adjust the stream
quality. You can also stop the stream
and return to Windows.
Play your tunes through Groove

Controlling your music playback
1: Standard controls
2: Taskbar controls
3: Volume control
Launch Groove Music and select either Albums or

Songs from the main context menu. Now doubleclick a track and then use the Play-back options at
the base of the album or song to control the music.
Now minimise the Groove Music App and then

hover your mouse over the apps taskbar icon; a
small thumbnail pop-up will now appear. From here
you can then pause, play or skip your music tracks.
Alternatively keep playing a track and then increase

or decrease the volume with your keyboard. This
will bring up a playback control panel in the top left
corner from which you can manipulate the music!
Watch movies on your PC

Buy, rent or play your personal videos with Films & TV
nother sure fire way of entertaining
yourself with Windows 10 is to watch a
film. These days you have plenty of choice, such as
streaming services from Netflix and Amazon Prime.
However we are more interested in the app that
comes pre-loaded with Windows 10 and this is the
Films & TV App or outside the UK this is possibly
Films & TV
known as Movies & TV. This app offers a simple

platform for managing the compatible films that are
held on your local computer, as well as those films
purchased or rented from the Windows Store. In
this tutorial we will take a look at firstly the process
of downloading a free film from the store and
then we will also showcase how to play films that
are on your PC. Now if you remember earlier we

showcased a tutorial that allowed you to download
YouTube videos, what we didnt show you is how
to play the downloaded content, so this section will
be useful here. The process of renting and buying
films is similar, but the only perquisite is you need to
have a Microsoft Account with a payment card.
Watching films and video content with Films & TV
1: Choose a folder
2: Play your videos
3: Search for content
4: Download and Play
Launch the Films & TV App and click

on the Settings cog icon at the base.
Now select the option Choose where
we look for videos. If there is no
folder in here click on the + icon and
navigate to your Videos folder and
choose Add this folder to Videos.
With the folder listed now click on

Done. Any videos found in this folder
can then be accessed by selecting
the Videos context menu to the side.
From here you can navigate to your
videos by clicking on the folders or
thumbnails. Then hit Play!
Alternatively click on the Shop for

more icon, which will take you to the
Windows Store. From the Store use
the search box at the top right of the
screen and look for Star Wars: The
Force Awakens Trailer 2. Once found
select the small thumbnail.
Click on the HD drop-down box to

choose SD quality. Now choose Buy
Free, then select Download. When
the Films been downloaded either
click Play or return to the Films & TV
App and use the Films menu option
to locate the newly downloaded film!
Check out the Kindle app

Read existing books with Amazons Kindle app
1: Download and sign in
2: Continue reading
3: Pin to Start
Download the Amazon Kindle app from the

Windows Store and once this is installed Open the
app and choose Sign In. A prompt will now appear
asking for your security credentials.
If you have signed in with an existing account all

your books will appear on-screen. You can select a
thumbnail cover to read your book it should allow
you to continue from where you left off!
A useful tip is if you select the top right bookmark

icon and then right click the page you can select
Pin to Start. Now you can jump straight to a
bookmarked page from the Start Menu!
Track your gaming

achievements
Playing games does have its rewards!
he Xbox app enables you to play multiplayer games, chat with others
in parties, seamlessly record gameplay clips and additionally keep
track of your achievements! Granted achievements can be earned with
games from the Xbox One, but they can also be earned from playing games
downloaded from the Windows Store; as long as they sport the Xbox wording
at the top of their thumbnail image. When you get an achievement for
completing a given task or challenge within a game, you can view this in the
Xbox app and even compare your success against a friend for a more social
and competitive interaction.
Xbox app
Play games and track your achievements
1: Play your game
2: First time signing in
3: Choose a game type
Launch the Xbox app and from the left-hand menu

choose My Games. It will list all of your installed
Windows compatible Games. For now select
Microsoft Solitaire Collection and click Play.
When you first launch the game it will ask if you

have played Solitaire on the device before. Its best
to click on Yes here so it will backup any saved data
to your Microsoft Account.
Now pick a game type; in this example click on

Spider. Once launched start to play a game and
just flip your first card over. Hopefully if its your first
game it will pop-up an achievement!
4: View your achievement
5: Achievements to earn
6: Compare with friends
If you are quick you can select your Achievement

notification; which will take you to the Xbox app. Or,
just launch the app from the taskbar and choose
the Achievements menu and Game thumbnail.
When you view the achievement it will list in a table

below how you earned it. It will also showcase what
else you need to do in order to earn more! Think of
it as setting yourself new challenges!
Earn more achievements and head back to the

Xbox app. Now click on the Activity Feed and select
one of your friends. Choose Achievements from
their profile to see how you compare!
Download new apps

Find great apps for leisure, education or work on the Windows Store
here are countless sources

of software on the internet
and tens of thousands of
applications, utilities and games that
can be downloaded. Although there are
some great programs around, there are also
viruses, spyware, and types of malware.
In contrast, the Windows Store is a safe
place to find and download software. There
are many fantastic apps and it is very easy
to navigate, find apps and install them.
It takes the hassle and risk out of getting
software for your computer. There are lots
of free apps in the store, but if you choose
to buy some, payments are safe and secure.
The Windows Store is recommended
because of its ease of use and safety
compared to the wild west frontier of the
open internet where many dangers lurk.
The store contains more than just apps
and there is music, films and TV shows
too. The best content in each section is
highlighted in the store and you can view
top lists that show what everyone else is
buying and downloading. These features
allow you to easily find the best apps, music
and movies for your computer. There are
search facilities that enable you to find
content and the results can be filtered by
category. Apps can be updated and you
can view your purchase history.
Windows Store
Browse the best apps
1: Open the Store
2: Browse recommended apps
3: Browse featured apps
Click the Store app tile on the Start menu or click

the icon in the taskbar. The large area at the top
shows several highlighted apps. Click the right and
left edge to browse them.
Just below the highlighted apps is Picks for you.

Click Show all on the right to view a collection of
apps recommended by the Store based on your
interests and previous app downloads.
Back at the home screen, click Featured below the

highlighted apps. This shows a collection of apps
that are currently being promoted. There are often
great ones here, so check them out.
Browse categories
Navigate the store sections and find the best content
he Windows Store is divided into sections,

these include Apps, Games, Music, and
Film & TV. Each section is quite similar and whether
you are purchasing a movie or downloading a free
app, the store experience is pretty much the same.
Our tutorial will focus on apps, but the other
store sections are similar, so if you are looking for
music or even movies you can apply the techniques
we outline and browse, search and purchase items
in the same way.
The store opens with highlighted items that
show promoted apps, moves or music, and it
Windows Store
provides links to see the top items within each of

the sections. You can view charts that show the
best selling items in each store section, the top
free content, whats new and rising. These are great
places to visit when you have a new computer and
a fresh copy of Windows 10.
A few apps, music and movies will make your
Windows PC much more entertaining. You can
also narrow the view in each section to specific
sub categories and this means you can easily find
the content you are interested in. Lets see how to
browse the store.
Learn how to
install an app
Get information about
an app and download it
to your device
Browse the Store categories

Now you know how to browse and find
apps, click one to view the details. There is
a brief description on the left, a screenshot
on the right and a Free button or a price.
1: Pick a category
2: Top of the charts
There are separate store sections for apps, games,

music, films and TV. Click one of the sections at the
top, such as Apps. The store shows content specific
to the selected section.
In each store section is a link to show the top

content. Here in the Apps section, click App top
charts & categories. Click an item on the left, such
as Top free to see a list.
3: Add a filter
4: Find new apps
There is a category list on the left that organises

apps according to their content and type. Click
Food & dining for example, and you can now see
the top free food-based apps.
The Top free, Top paid and Best rated charts do not
change very often and the best way to find new
apps is to click New and rising. Narrow the list by
selecting a category.
Just below the two-line description is

More. Click it and the text is expanded to
provide a comprehensive explanation of
what the app can do and the benefits of
installing it.
Scroll down the page and there is

information about in-app purchases. Many
free apps have optional extras. Check the
score and if you want the app, click the
Free or Price button to install it.
Discover how to
view your account
Explore and tweak your settings
n this section we take a look at the account menu and its various
subsections. There is a lot to explore here and it enables the Windows Store
app settings to be customised, such as enabling automatic updates, checking for
new updates and viewing downloads, viewing all of the devices that access your
Microsoft account, viewing recent transactions and payments, and more.
There are some important topics on the account menu and you should visit
each section as soon as you can. If you have used Windows 8, much of the
information will be familiar to you, but it is presented in a different way because
the Windows Store app has a new design for the new operating system.
Windows Store
View account settings
1: Show the account menu
2: Update your apps
3: Customise the settings
Open the Windows Store app and at the top on

the right is your Microsoft account image. It isnt
obvious, but clicking it displays a menu of useful
items. Click Downloads and updates.
Click the Check for updates button to see if any of

the apps on the PC have been updated since they
were installed. Click the Update buttons next to
each one or Update all.
Return to the account menu (step 1) and select

Settings. Turn on app updates, but the Live Tile
option is up to you. Turn off Purchase sign-in for
extra security and require a password.
4: Manage your devices
5: View purchased items
6: Change payment options
Click Manage your devices at the bottom of the

Settings screen and Edge displays your account.
Up to 10 PCs and devices can be used, so remove
unused ones when the limit is reached.
Return to the account menu (step 1) and select

Purchased. This opens Edge again and this time it
displays a list of everything you have bought. Free
items are included and are priced 0.00.
Return to the account menu and select Payment

options. Edge opens and shows the methods you
use for paying for items. Click the Add or Remove
links if you need to change these.
Search the Windows Store

Use the search facility to find items
ategories and featured lists are both

excellent tools for discovering new and
popular apps on the Windows Store, but if you
know what youre after and want to locate it
quickly then search is the way to go. Most of
the time youll be using the Windows Stores search
function to track down specific apps by typing in
Windows Store
their names and clicking on the results, but its uses

go far beyond just that.
Intelligent suggestions will pop up as soon as
you start typing into the search bar, pointing you in
the direction of apps you might want to check out
and saving you even more time. And when viewing
your list of search results, the options to filter and
refine what you see are really extensive. From

excluding types of content that you dont want to
see, to selecting a custom range of categories that
you want to collect results from, the Windows Store
has all the tools you need to find and download
exactly the games and apps that you want in a
matter of minutes.
Explore the Windows Store content through search
1: Search suggestions
2: Refine the results
3: Filter search results
4: Refine the search
Using the links and browsing the

various sections and categories will
only show a limited range of store
content. Click in the search box and
start typing. The store will suggest
items that may be of interest. Click
one or click the magnifying glass.
After entering a search phrase,

content from across the store is
displayed this includes apps, games,
movies, music and TV shows. A few
results from each section are shown
and there is a Show all link. Click it or
a store section on the left.
Selecting one of the store sections

on the left, such as Apps, produces
a more detailed list of search results
that focus on that section. Here we
have apps and a list of subcategories
of apps. You can just as easily search
for music or movies in the same way.
Its possible to refine the search

further and this produces an even
better list of results that focus on
just the subject you are interested in.
Click a category like Entertainment for
example and all the apps matching
the search term are displayed.
Rate and review

Add your scores and opinions to the Windows Store
1: Start menu options
2: Add a comment
3: View your review
Ratings and opinions are important in the Windows

Store and have probably guided your purchases, so
add your own. Right-click an app on the Start menu,
select More, Rate and review.
The Windows Store app opens, goes to the

selected apps page, and a window appears with
options to rate the app and add a comment. Keep it
short, but make it helpful to others.
Click the Submit button and your rating and

comment is added to the page. To see it, go to
Ratings and reviews and click the Show all link.
Select Most recent under Sort by.

Simulate the look and feel of a tablet on your desktop PC with Tablet mode
icrosoft has always been keen

on tapping into the tablet
market by providing an OS
that could blend the desktop with a
tablet experience. Unfortunately, for a lot
of people, their last attempts with Windows
8 and 8.1 were not that popular, primarily
because they tried to add a Metro-style
Start interface with a desktop experience
tagged on at the back. However, with
Windows 10 the OS has been built around
its continuum feature where the entire
operating system can intelligently switch
from a tablet to desktop experience when
you plug the latter into a docking station
and switch back afterwards.
On top of this you have a lot of
universal apps, which are designed to scale
depending on your screen-size. From a
desktop point of view you can still enable
a Tablet mode, which will mimic a tablets
functionality. All apps are also maximised by
default albeit some third party apps wont
be and some may find this minimalistic
approach better to work with than the
desktop experience.
In our tutorial we will showcase how to
switch to Tablet mode and also show how
it functions by switching apps, utilising the
Start screen and customising the taskbar
with desktop functionality!
Tablet mode
Get the tablet experience
1: Enabling Tablet mode
2: Settings mode
3: Turn on at Login
There are two ways in which Tablet mode can be

enabled, the quickest method is to click on the
Action centre icon at the bottom right corner of the
screen. Select the Tablet mode thumbnail.
Alternatively you can enable Tablet mode via the

main settings. First click on the Action centre icon
and then choose All settings. Now navigate to
System>Tablet mode and toggle the option to On.
While on the previous screen you can also toggle

the devices behaviour. For example click on the
drop down under When I sign in and toggle this to
Automatically switch to tablet mode.
Explore the Start screen

All the attention will be on the Start screen in Tablet mode
y now you should have discovered

what happens when the Tablet mode
is initialised. Essentially it will transform the
standard desktop experience to one that is
similar to Windows 8 and 8.1. Thus the Start icon
appears at the base still, but the Menu that you are
used to effectively becomes a Start screen (all of
the tiles are displayed across the entire width of the
screen). Additionally the bottom Taskbar will also
change to a solid black colour and most of your
taskbar icons will have disappeared; including the
large Cortana search bar.
Start screen
On top of this you will find the placement of a

back button, which most Android and Windows
Phone users will be familiar with and a Task View
icon; but both of these options will become more
apparent in a later tutorial.
Primarily in this tutorial we will be focusing on
how to work with the Start screen, how to access all
your programs, get to the Programs>File Explorer
quickly and add more tile icons. In some ways
you should be used to the latter process already,
but you can gain additional help by following our
dedicated Start menu tricks tutorial.
Personalisation
Bring back some
personal touches from
the desktop to the
Tablet mode
Get to know your way around

Click on the top left icon and then choose
Settings>Personalisation. From here
navigate to Background and then click
Browse to look for a new image. Select
Choose picture to finish.
1: Navigate the Start screen
2: Manipulate the tiles
All your tile icons will be slightly scaled now so they

spread out across the screen horizontally. However
with your mouse or finger (touch screen monitors)
you can also pan vertically down to reveal more.
The Start screen works the same as the Start

menu, if you hover the mouse above a group of
thumbnails you can add a title. You can click on a
thumbnail to re-arrange or Right-click to re-size it!
3: Access files and apps
4: View all programs
Next click on the top left icon to access your Most

used apps and the File Explorer option at the base.
Additionally you can click the side icon next to an
app to bring up its Jump List for quick access!
Now click the bottom icon (above the Start) and

this will reveal all of your apps which you can scroll
vertically up/down to access. Additionally you can
Right click an app to pin it to your Start screen.
Next select the Colours menu option to the

left and then scroll to the base to toggle
Show colour on Start, taskbar, and action
centre to On. Finally you can pick a colour
of your choice above.
Click on the left Start menu and select

Choose which folders appear on Start.
Now Toggle the Music and Videos icons to
on. Next press the Start button>top left
icon, to view the changes!
Multitasking with
Tablet mode
A look at how to switch between apps!
nlike the desktop, Windows 10 handles the tablet modes

multitasking slightly differently. In fact it works in a similar way to the
Android or Windows Phone experience.
For example when you click on the Start icon it will now switch back to the
Start screen from whatever app you were in and a further press of the Start icon
will switch you instantly back to the app you were using.
The back button can be used to switch between running programs in a set
order. The main benefit of Tablet mode is certainly the speed in which you can
move between programs.
Multitasking
Switch between apps
1: Switch between a single app
2: Switch programs via icons
3: Utilise the Back button
From the main Start screen launch Microsoft Edge

or access this via the bottom left All apps icon. Click
the Start icon and press it again. Note it switches
instantly between the running program.
Press the Start icon again, but leave Microsoft Edge

running. Choose another program, such as Groove
Music. Press the Start icon again and then click on
Microsoft Edge; it will now switch programs.
Now run a third program from the Start screen, for

example the News app and this time click the Back
icon. Keep clicking on this to scroll through all your
previously open apps in sequence.
4: Alt+tab shortcut
5: Close programs quickly
6: Use the Task View
Press and hold down Alt and then the tab key. Now
press the combination to switch between your
running programs. Release the keys on a thumbnail
to change to that app.
Using the Alt+tab key combination, keeping the

keys pressed down, use your mouse hover over a
thumbnail and click the top right x icon to quickly
shut down the running app.
For a more static look at your running programs

click on the Task View icon at the base of the
taskbar. You can select a thumbnail to quickly
switch between running programs or close them.
Tap away at the touch keyboard

If you want to tap rather than type then heres your chance
t seems like a strange choice to want to bring

up the on-screen virtual keyboard, but for
monitors equipped with touch capabilities it
will provide some additional benefits.
For the most part the touch keyboard will
provide the same QWERTY layout that you would
find on a physical keyboard. However the beauty
Touch keyboard
of the touch keyboard is you are not limited to

physical restraints. By this we mean you can move
the keyboard to different positions on the screen or
split the virtual board in half; so one side has a set
number of keys and vice versa.
Additionally the keyboard can also be adapted
to handle multiple languages, so if you are in
another country you can change your keyboards

layout, which will make life a lot easier. We will
be showcasing how to bring up the keyboard
and tap into these features in the tutorial below.
Additionally, the keyboard will be handy for those
who like to Skype chat as you can quickly tap into
the emoji icons for smilie faces and so forth!
Utilising the touch keyboards advanced features
1: Enable the keyboard
2: How to type
3: Find more features
4: Move and Language
From the main Start screen Right-click

the taskbar and then choose Show
touch keyboard button. This will then
display a keyboard icon symbol to the
right of the screen next to the system
clock. Next, launch a typing based
app such as Skype.
Start a conversation with a friend

and then click on the bottom right
Keyboard icon. This will bring up the
touch keyboard. Type using your
finger or click each letter with your
mouse. You can click on the &123
icon to change to special characters.
Additionally you can click on the

keyboards smiley face icon to switch
between various emoji. For now click
on the keyboard icon to the bottom
right of the board. Now click on the
second icon from the left and watch
as the board is split into two.
Click and hold the board with your

left mouse to move it. Then click the
keyboard icon again and choose
Language preferences. Click on
Add a language and then choose a
language. Click on the keyboard icon
to switch to the alternative layout.
Power up the taskbar

Activate the taskbar icons for improved functionality
1: Bringing back the taskbar
2: Multitasking functionality
3: Show all notification icons
From the main Start screen Right-click on the

taskbar and then from the resulting context menu
choose Show app icons. Once enabled this will
bring back the icons you had from your desktop!
With the taskbar icons showing you will also get a

coloured underline on those apps that are currently
open. You can then click on one to switch between
them. Or right-click an icon for additional options.
Right-click the taskbar on an empty space and

choose the option Show all notification icons. This
will now bring back the small notification icons,
including the hidden icons upward arrow.
Troubleshooting
We tackle some of the common issues faced when moving to Windows 10
ith an active user-base of

over 110 million, Windows
10 is certainly a popular
operating system, given that it had
only been available for a few months
at the time of writing. Mind you this is
partially due to the free upgrade available
on Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 machines that
Microsoft is running from 29 July 2015 until
the following year. However, we can hazard
a guess that there are still a lot of people
who are unaware that an upgrade even
exists! So in one of the tutorials we will take
a quick look at how watch out for the freeupgrade and start the ball rolling; plus more
importantly showcase how to roll back to
your previous copy of Windows if you cant
get on with Windows 10. Uninstalling it is
only possible for a short period of time after
upgrading though.
For the most part we are going to help
pinpoint some of the common problems
you are likely to face when using Windows
10, this will range from basic printer related
issues, to how to restore your PC to a
previous state in case of a corrupted app or
driver. Before we begin a useful tip would
be for you to tap into the Get Started app,
as it offers plenty of advice for first-time
users. But remember, if all else fails, do the
oldest fix of all turn it off and on!
Windows
Upgrade to Windows 10 for free
1: Reserve your copy
2: Upgrading to Windows 10
3: Rolling back
On Windows 7 or 8 and 8.1 machines click on the

Windows logo at the bottom right of the taskbar.
Here you can view a report to see if your machine is
upgradeable. Click on Reserve your free upgrade.
Keep an eye on the small Windows logo icon as it

will inform you of when the upgrade is ready. When
it is ready, click on it and then choose Upgrade Now
to follow the on-screen instructions.
If you dont like Windows 10 you can roll back to

your previous version! On Windows 10 head to
Start>Settings>Update & security>Recovery and
select Get started under Go back to Windows x.
Update your OS
Most problems can be cured by Windows updates
indows 10 has a newly revised update

section, which is there to provide vital
security and general fixes for the Windows 10
operating system and its first party apps such
as Microsoft Office.
In this tutorial we will take a look at how this
option works because nine times out of ten
downloading an update can cure most problems;
such as system crashes!
Of course this is in an ideal world and yet there
is always the one time where an update can have
the opposite effect, turning a perfectly functional
Windows Update
computer into a glorified door stop! So again we

will showcase how to remove the updates once
they are installed usually it will be the last update
added to the system that will have caused the issue.
Its interesting to note at this juncture that
by default Windows 10 updates are installed
automatically and the moment you know an
update is going live is when you do a restart. As
a result part of the tutorial will focus on how to
enable the schedule option; so you can take back
control on when you want updates to be installed
and your computer restarted!
Dont forget
to update
your apps
Keep apps in fine
working order with the
Windows Store
Keep your computer up-to-date
Launch the Windows Store and click on the

small Account icon at the top of the page
and then choose Settings. From here
toggle the automatic app updates to off.
1: Check for updates
2: Get more details
From your desktop select the Start icon and then

head to Settings>Update & security. Now select
Windows Update and to the right click on Check
for updates. Note this can take a few moments.
If an update is found it will start to download

automatically with a progress bar showing
on-screen. At this point you can click the Details
option for more info about what the update does.
3: Schedule a restart
4: Removing updates
Click on Advanced options and choose Notify to

schedule restart. Next click the top left back button.
Once the download has finished you can manually
install the update and choose when it will restart.
Head back to Windows Update and choose

Advanced options>View your update history, then
select Uninstall updates. Select your update from
the list and click Uninstall at the top.
Now click on the Account icon again and

choose Downloads and updates. Click on
the Check for updates icon. It will display
any updates that are available.
You can now decide on which update you

want to install. To do this click on either
Update all or select the download icon
next to an app to start the process.
Create a system
restore point
Prevention is sometimes better than cure
he old analogy of prevention is sometimes better than cure certainly

holds true when dealing with a lot of Windows 10 problems. So far we
have shown that a good starting point is to keep your Windows System and app
updates current so you get all the latest fixes. However sometimes the inevitable
can happen an update is installed that makes your computer sluggish.
In this tutorial we are going to showcase how to create a system restore point,
so that in the event of the above happening you can go back to a previous
working state. Alongside this we will also take a quick look at how to run a scan
disk on your hard drive to automatically fix problems.
System Properties Restore your system
1: Accessing the system restore
2: Configure your hard drive
3: Create a manual restore point
From the Cortana search bar type in System

restore. Now select the top result, which should
be Create a restore point. This will open System
Properties. Select a drive that you want to protect.
Now click Configure and toggle the protection to

on and then use the slider beneath to adjust how
much of your hard drive space should be allocated
to the system restore partition. Usually 1%.
Next click OK and then select Create. Type in a

name for the restore point IPRestoreNov112015.
Click Create and the system will then start to store
your computers state to the hard drive.
4: Restoring system state
5: Scan and fix your hard drive
6: Scan your drive for errors
Once this has finished click on Close. Now if you

want to restore your computers state head back to
the System Properties and choose System Restore.
Select your previous restore point and click Next.
Head to File Explorer via the taskbar (or via the Start
Menu) and from here scroll down to This PC. Now
click this header and then select the offending hard
drive. Now right-click it and choose Properties.
From the properties window click on the Tools

tab and then select Check under Error checking. If
prompted choose Scan drive, the system will now
check for any issues and repair them.
Install an older network printer

Fix a common problem with installing printers
f you are installing an older printer

to Windows 10, more specially a
network printer, then you may find the
common problems you will come across is
communication with the printer driver itself. By
communication we mean its IP address. Without
going too technical this IP number needs to be
in a similar range to what your router uses and it

also needs to be unique; so when the driver sends
something to the printer it sends it to the correct IP
address. Problems can occur if the IP address used
by the printer suddenly changes. This can happen
for a number of reasons, but an incorrect IP will
usually result in no printing.
In this tutorial we will showcase how to install an

older network printer from scratch and also how to
troubleshoot an incorrect printer port.
For tech savvy users the best option is to assign
a port to the printers host name. This way, if the IP
changes it wont stop it from printing. See Step 4 for
how to get to this option.
Settings Add an older network printer to your devices
1: Head to Settings
2: Find your printer
3: Install the driver
4: More troubleshooting
You could go to
Start>Settings>Devices to add a
new printer. First type in the Cortana
search bar printers. Now select
Devices and Printers from the
resulting search. At the top of the
window click on Add a Printer.
Ensure that the Printer is on and

connected to your network and then
choose The printer that I want isnt
listed. From the Add Printer wizard
that appears choose My printer is a
little older. Help me find it and then
select Next.
The screen will now display a list of

all the available printer drivers. Click
Windows Update to pull down a
more up-to-date and comprehensive
list. Select your printer model and
continuously click on Next. To
complete the installation click Finish.
With your printer listed right-click

the thumbnail and choose Printer
properties>Ports>Configure Port.
Print out a Status/Settings page and
make a note of its IP/Host name. If the
drivers IP differs from the status page
you can then choose Add Port.
Avoid Cortana misunderstandings

Get Cortana to recognise Hey Cortana a little easier with a boost to your microphone
1: Sound properties
2: Adjust your levels
3: Hey Cortana
From the Cortanas search bar type in manage

audio and from the top click on the option
Manage audio devices. From the Sound window
click on Recording and then your microphone.
With the microphone selected choose Properties

at the base of the window. From here click on the
tab Levels and then using your mouse adjust both
sliders to their max settings to boost the pickup.
Once this has been adjusted click OK twice to

close both windows and then say Hey Cortana
(assuming you have followed our guide to turn it
on). Cortana will now be more responsive.
Tricks
Windows 10 is full of hidden features

that can transform your PC. You just
need to know where to find them
82
Customise the Start menu in

Windows 10
84
Use dictation and

speech commands
104
82
86
Control apps with the

Task Manager
88
Manage your printers and

other devices
84
90
Share over a homegroup network
92
94
Protect your PC with

security software
96
Configure Ease of Access

in Settings
98
98
Personalise Mail to suit

your needs
100
Keep on top of your PCs health
Customise and improve Skype
110
102
104
114
Master the advanced

power settings
116
Learn to defragment your

hard disk
108
118
Manage Windows 10s

Storage Spaces
120
Boost Windows speed and get

a better PC
Take great photos with the

Camera app
Use Photos to create great

image edits
100
106
Work with Microsoft Office

web apps
108
110
Make the most of the

versatile OneNote
Make your Calendar easier
to read
112
Compress your files

and documents
92
90
Customise the Start

menu in Windows 10
You can make the Start menu in Windows 10 work and look
any way you like in a matter of seconds
he Windows 10 Start menu looks and feels familiar to anyone who used Windows
7 and strips away the full-screen tiled effect that Windows 8 brought in to varying
degrees of success. In actual fact, it does a lot more than that because you can now set
it up to fit the way you work, whether that will look more like Windows 8 or 10, and you can then
change other aspects until you are happy with the end result.
It feels as though Microsoft has finally got the design of the Start menu right in Windows 10
by making it all things to all people and the end result is a flexible feature which can be tailored
to look completely unique. Even better, it is not difficult at all to change the way the Start menu
works and we will cover all of the main customisation options in this tutorial.
Over the next couple of pages youll discover how you can make your Start menu truly your
own, from advice on finding a familiar look, to customising colours and other visual elements. By
tailoring the Start menu to yourself, your Windows 10 experience will be much more enjoyable.
In Settings>
Personalistion>Start,
you will see an option
at the bottom called
Choose which folders
appear on Start. When
clicked, you can then
select which folders
will display whenever
the Windows button is
clicked. Try to limit to
a reasonable number
to enable easier
navigation, otherwise
your experience might
get a bit cluttered.
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Default folders
Start menu
Customise your Start menu and build a unique system
1: A familiar look
2: Right-click a tile
3: Drag and drop
When you first click the Windows icon, youll see a

familiar set of tiles. These are not static at all and can
be manipulated in every way through dragging the
edges and right-clicking with a mouse.
Right-click on any tile to see what options are

available. These will usually include unpinning it
from the Start menu, turning the live tile off and
resizing it. You can resize a tile from small to large.
To move a tile, simply left-click on it and then move

it anywhere within the Start menu. The surrounding
tiles will move accordingly and you can then spend
time ensuring that the order of the tiles is correct.
4: More visual changes
5: Change the colours
6: Make it consistent
The majority of the visual changes you can

make to the Start menu are shown in Settings>
Personalisation. Within this folder, they are spread
out a little, but they will not take long to learn.
Go to Settings>Personalisation>Colours and you

will see a canvas where you can choose from a
selection of different colours. Click any one and
bring up the Start menu to preview the new look.
Enable the Show colour on Start, task bar option

to make the task bar and other aspects of the
interface match your new Start menu colour. It adds
a nice touch of consistency to the overall look.
7: Automatic colour choices
8: Back to Windows 8
9: A taller Start menu
If you enable Automatically pick an accent colour

from the Colors menu, the entire interface will
change to blend all aspects together. It takes one
click to remove any colourful clutter in Windows 10.
Enabling Show Start full screen in Settings>

Personalisation>Start will make the Start menu
dominate the screen when activated. Reminiscent
of Windows 8, youll either love it or hate it.
If you want to make the Start menu to show more

icons, but do not want to use full screen mode,
simply position the mouse pointer at the top of the
Start menu and drag it upwards to any position.
Use dictation and

speech commands
Speak to your apps rather than typing commands on your keyboard
n recent times, we have reached a point where speech recognition is

now useable to a point that you can talk at a natural pace and have
almost every word recognised perfectly. It used to be the case that a
keyboard was by far the quickest data-input method, but with Windows 10,
there is enough intelligent software running in the background to make this
feature feel completely natural every single time you use it.
Input data using speech
We will show you how to set it up, which is a very quick and logical process,
and also some of the benefits that can be gained if you use it in every app that
it is compatible with.
Over time, you may find that it becomes your preferred way of inputting data
in most of your apps, and the speeds at which you can write will easily outpace
typing on keys in front of a screen.
Forget the keyboard
1: Locate the app
2: Set it up
Click the Windows button and then All apps. Scroll down to Windows Ease of
Access, then click the arrow. Now select Windows Speech Recognition and you
are ready to start setting it up.
A series of steps will need to be followed to complete the setup process. Make
sure you complete the tests to ensure that your microphone is working and
able to hear you properly.
3: Decide on an activation method
4: Learn common commands
The final step involves choosing whether to manually activate speech

recognition via a key command, or set it to listen all of the time. When you are
confident using it, try the voice-activation method.
A link will appear that will pop up a list of the most common voice commands.
Speech recognition can be used to control your Windows 10 computer as well
as for dictation.
Gradual
improvements
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When you first

start using speech
recognition dont
be too surprised if it
struggles to understand
everything that you are
saying. It will improve
quite quickly as it learns
your voice, but you
should also check your
microphone to make
sure that it is working as
it should.
5: A tiny interface
6: Start speaking
With speech recognition activated, you will see a small panel appear that lets
you know the current status. Tuck this away in the corner and you will soon
forget that it is there.
You are now able to start speaking when you are in a text area of a compatible
app. It will listen to what you are saying then, after a small delay, print the
translated text.
Control apps with

Task Manager
View and manage whats going on behind the scenes with the
Windows 10 Task Manager
indows is a pretty complex operating system, and can handle an awful lot of
tasks going on in the background at the same time. You dont need to know
anything about whats happening behind the scenes, as Windows just works. But
sometimes, you need to take control.
Windows has had a Task Manager for a long time now, and in Windows 10 it has had a spruce
up and been made more user friendly, so that when you do need to spend some time with it,
the process isnt too daunting or difficult.
Task Manager can help you boost your computers performance by controlling what runs
automatically when you switch your computer on. You can use it to force applications that are
hogging space to shut down and free up resources. It can show you whats hungry for resources
and whats not. And you can even see how hard your CPU, built-in memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or
Ethernet connections are working.
Manage
your apps
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When closing apps, be

aware that apps from
the Windows Store are
saved in the background
when theyre not in
use, so you dont need
to close them down to
save system resources. If
you really want to close
them, though, just drag
them off the bottom of
the screen.
Task Manager
Control your apps
1: Open Task Manager
2: Close an app
To find the Task Master app quickly and easily, click on the search field in the
lower-left corner of your Windows 10 interface, then type in Task Manager. The
first search result should point you straight at the app.
When you first run Task Manager youll see a list of the apps that are running
at present. If you want to close an app just select it with a click or a screen tap,
then tap End task.
3: View more details
4: Close apps in Detailed View
Tap or click More details and you can see significantly more information about
the apps and other things that are using system resources. Right-click or tap and
hold any column to see more options.
In Detailed View, to close an app you think is consuming lots of system

resources but that you dont need to have running, click or tap it to select, then
click or tap End task.
5: Start up apps
6: Check system performance
If you want to take control of the apps that start up automatically on your PC,
all you need to do is hit the Start-up tab, then right-click or long-press an app in
order to disable it.
Tap the Performance tab to see more information about how your system
is handling everything you are asking it to do. You can check CPU loading,
memory usage and even Wi-Fi usage.
Manage your printers

and other devices
Manage any connected device on a Windows 10 computer with ease
t used to be the case that setting up and managing devices within

Windows took forever and the process was also fraught with
unreliability and random errors, but this has all changed now. Once
the setup process has been completed for each of your devices, you can leave
them alone to perform the tasks they need to and not worry about anything
else. Drivers are still needed for some devices, but it is fast becoming the
Settings
norm for devices to work via a plug-and-play setup, which means that you
have to tweak no settings at all. We will guide you through the process of
troubleshooting devices that are not behaving as they should and also show
you how to access every setting you could possibly need. The real surprise is
that we are fast approaching a time where the need to access these settings
will almost never be required.
Maintain your connected devices
1: The main settings
2: More advanced options
Open Settings and then click Devices to access a screen which will show all of
the devices that are currently connected to your computer. The options on the
left break the settings down.
On most of the screens in the Windows 10 Devices section, you will see a link
called Additional ... options, which, when clicked, will pop up a more traditional
panel for you to work with.
3: Manage your connected devices
4: Access the device manager
In the Connected devices tab, click Devices and printers to see a visual list of
what is currently connected. Right-click on any icon to troubleshoot, remove or
see the device properties.
When you see Device manager listed in a Devices screen, you can click
it to access the main device options for your Windows 10 computer. It is a
bewildering window at first, but will soon make sense.
Removing
devices
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If you have a device

set up and connected
a device to your
computer, we would
advise to always remove
it using the Remove
device option in Device
settings when you
decide to disconect the
device. This will ensure
that the drivers and any
other related settings
are fully deleted which
could stop problems in
the future.
5: Update your drivers
6: View device events
If a device is not working properly, find it in the Device manager and then click
Action at the top. Click Properties followed by Driver to update or uninstall it.
Hopefully this will fix the problem.
If a problem is proving difficult to fix, click Properties followed by Events to see

what has happened recently. Now copy the description and search for it on the
web for more advice.
Share over a
homegroup network
Create a secure homegroup on your home network for
sharing media and devices across computers
et up a homegroup on your home network to enable files and devices connected to

one PC to be accessed from another PC. It only takes a minute and then everyone can
share their photos, videos, music and other files over a wireless connection.
Windows has had networking capabilities built in since its early days and sharing files and
printers has always been possible. However, it was often difficult to set up, so recent editions of
Windows have included a super-easy sharing feature called homegroup. This provides simple
controls for connecting computers over a network and choosing exactly what you share with
other people.
One computer creates the homegroup, and it does not matter which one it is, then all the
other computers can join it. Once a homegroup has been joined, open an Explorer window
and select HomeGroup in the left panel. The shared folder can then be opened and files can be
copied, viewed and so on.
Lost the
password?
It is inevitable that
sooner or later you
will lose the original
password used to add
a computer to the
homegroup network.
Dont worry, Return
to HomeGroup in the
Control Panel and
click View or print the
homegroup password.
There is also an option
to change it to a more
memorable one.
HomeGroup
Share content over your home network
1: Open HomeGroup
2: Set sharing options
Click in the search box in the taskbar, enter homergroup and then click it in the
search results. It opens the HomeGroup section in the Control Panel. Click Create
a homegroup.
Use the menu next to each of the items, Pictures, Videos and so on, to choose
whether to share the files or not. Documents is not shared by default because it
may have private files.
3: Get the password
4: Join a homegroup
A homegroup has a password and this is displayed on the screen. Write it down
because other computers will need it in order to join the homegroup. Click
Finish and the homegroup is set up.
Go to another computer on your home network and open HomeGroup as

before. This time it says that a homegroup has been created and there is a Join
now button at the bottom. Click it.
5: Set sharing options
6: Enter the password
Each computer that joins the homegroup network can choose what to share
and they dont all have to be the same. If a computer has no printer, for example,
there is no need to share it.
To join the homegroup created on the other computer, enter the password that
was displayed on the screen. Afterwards, open Explorer and select HomeGroup
on the left.
Protect your PC with

security software
Improve the security of your Windows 10 computer and protect
against viruses by installing third-party anti-virus software
ach new version of Windows has increased the level of its built-in security. But even
with the extra improvements, it isnt completely safe to use without additional security
software. To ensure that your machine is safe and sound, it is best to download and install
a third-party program. There are many to choose from and AVG, explored in this tutorial, is just
one example.
AVG protects the computer as you use it, but it is a good idea to perform a full system scan
once a week to make sure nothing has slipped through. Full scans take a long time to complete,
but right-clicking a folder enables you to perform a quick scan of the contents and can be
performed at any time, and it is a good idea to get into the habit to protect your computer.
Archives, such as zip files, are not checked by default, but this can be turned on in the advanced
settings if you need it. Its also useful to enable reporting of potentially unwanted programs in the
settings for an extra security measure. Be safe!
Protect your
email accounts
Email protection is
applied to the email
software that you
use on the computer,
such as the Mail app
on the Start screen or
good old Microsoft
Outlook. However, if
you use Google Mail
or a similar web-based
email service, you
might as well turn off
email protection in AVG
because it does not scan
your webmail.
AVG AntiVirus
Boost a PCs security with AVG AntiVirus Free 2015
1: Download AVG
2: Install AVG
Go to the Windows desktop and click Internet Explorer in the taskbar. Enter the
web address avg.com into the address box and from the home page follow the
links for AVG AntiVirus Free 2015. Download the file.
After downloading the program, click File Explorer in the taskbar and open the
Downloads folder. Run the AVG installer. You have a choice of the free version or
the more powerful Internet Security.
3: The main screen
4: Scan the computer
AVG AntiVirus Free automatically starts after it is installed. There is also a desktop
shortcut to open it. Each tile shows the status of the protection (except Firewall,
which isnt in the free version).
It is a good idea to perform a full system scan after installation, so click Scan
Now on the main screen to start it. Tip: Drag the slider at the bottom to speed
up the scanning process.
5: Perform quick scans
6: Customise the settings
Open File Explorer to view the disk. Right-clicking a file or folder displays a menu
and there is an option to scan it with AVG. This is quick and its a good idea to
scan Downloads.
On the main AVG screen (Step 3), click Options>Advanced Settings. Select
Whole Computer Scan on the left to customise the scanning, for example, to
scan archives like zip files.
Keep on top of your

PCs health
Use the Security and Maintenance settings to check and fix
any issues with Windows
s your computer protected from malware on the

internet? Is it protected from hackers that might try to
gain access through a wireless or wired network? Are you
receiving important updates to Windows that contain patches
and new features? The answer to these questions and many
more can be found in the Security and Maintenance settings
screen where Windows collates all sorts of useful and important
information to ensure that your computer is running smoothly.
When you switch to the desktop you might occasionally see
various messages pop up at the right-hand side of the screen. If
the message appears above a small white flag, then that is your
Security and Maintenance settings notifying you of a potential
problem with the computer. Dont panic because many of the
Be warned: it
can be wrong!
problems reported are actually quite straightforward to fix. For

example, these settings can tell you when Windows Update
is turned off and it enables you to turn it back on. If Windows
Firewall has been turned off, this screen will notify you and
provide a simple button to click which turns it back on. It is a
great feature and it is there to help you to monitor your PCs
health. Its worth getting to know.
There are sometimes

rare occasions when
these settings wrongly
display a notification
that there is a problem.
This can occur, for
example, when using
third-party software like
a firewall that Windows
doesnt recognise. Your
PC sees that Windows
Firewall is off, but
doesnt realise you have
an alternative program
installed instead.
Windows collates
information to ensure your
computer runs smoothly
Find your way around the settings screen
Fix problems
What sort of things do

you want these settings
to notify you about? Click
this link and you can turn
various notifications on
and off
When problems are

highlighted there is
often a simple fix. All
you need to do is click
on the button that
relates to the fix to
eradicate the problem
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Customise the
notifications
Spot the
problems
Problems reported
are easy to spot and
they are highlighted
with a thick red line.
The highlighted
items require your
immediate attention
Expand the
sections
There is a lot of
information and
many settings in on
this screen, but they
may be hidden. Click
the arrow buttons to
expand each section
Check the status and understand the information
1: Go to Action Center
2: Is everything OK?
There is more than one way to get to your Security & Maintenance settings and
the simplest is to type security into the Start screen. This displays the Search
panel and the settings option is highlighted below. Click to open it.
This is how this screen should ideally look, with very little to see. It means that
the PC is running properly and Windows has not detected any problems. It is
worth opening occasionally to check the PCs status.
3: Expand the sections
4: Perform maintenance tasks
There are two main sections in these settings and these are Security and
Maintenance. Normally they are hidden with just the title showing, but they can
be expanded by clicking the arrows at the right-hand side.
The Security section mostly contains information showing the status of the
firewall, malware protection and so on, but the Maintenance section has useful
tools. You can start maintenance, turn on File History, and so on.
5: Change the notifications
6: Troubleshooting
Click the link on the left, Change Security and Maintenance settings. You can
be notified when a wide range of problems or situations arise and here you can
choose the ones you want to see. Clear the tick boxes to disable notifications.
If you have a problem with your computer that you dont see listed, click on
the Troubleshooting link at the bottom of the screen. This will list common
problems and solutions on how to eradicate them.
Configure Ease of
Access in Settings
The Ease of Access options can make a huge difference to
the Windows 10 experience for every single user
ccessibility settings have historically been considered only to be useful for

those who have specific requirements. While it is true that they can make all of the
difference in some cases for certain users, they are actually very useful for anyone who is
irked by the way a particular Windows feature works. They enable you to make changes so that
your personal experience is improved.
We will show you how to make changes and the benefits that they offer, as well as talk you
through the most useful alterations that you can make to ensure that you can immediately start
experimenting with them and see which ones work best for you.
Much care has been put into the way these settings work and they will remain hidden until
such time as you enable them to give you the best of both worlds in Windows 10. Choose what
you want to use and forget the rest and then enjoy the Windows 10 experience exactly how you
want it to be.
In Ease of Access you

can also change the
cursor thickness, turn off
all of the animations if
balance is an issue and
even hide the Windows
background to make
things clearer for you.
Every possible need and
requirement is covered
and are obviously and
easily accessible in the
Ease of Access settings
section. Youll be able to
adapt the computer to
your needs in no time.
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Other options
Tweak Ease of Access
Manage the accessibility settings
1: The main settings
2: Activate the Narrator
3: Choose a voice
As soon as you enter the main Settings screen, you

will see Ease of Access listed as one of the nine
available options. Its impressive that Microsoft has
made it so obvious, so simply click it to explore.
Click the Narrator option in the left-hand column to

see what features are available. Now click the top
icon on the screen to enable it and open up the
other options.
In the Voice section with Narrator you get to choose

between two voices. Experiment with both to see
which you prefer and then adjust the pitch and the
speed to fit your requirements.
4: A blue box
5: Magnify everything
6: Invert the colours
As screen areas are narrated, you will see a blue box

surround the current selection. This means that you
can visually see what is being narrated at any time
to ensure full understanding.
In the Magnifier section you can enable it with one

click of the top icon. The change is immediate and
striking, with further options available to further
increase magnification. Its a very important feature.
You can invert the colours in the same section,

which will be beneficial for certain eyesight
conditions. A quick jump to the High Contrast
section then lets you change the theme to suit you.
7: Customise closed captions
8: The On-Screen keyboard
9: Find the mouse pointer
You no longer have to live with the closed captions

a computer offers because you can tweak them in
a variety of ways in Ease of Access/Closed Captions.
Therell certainly be a setting thats perfect for you.
The ability to enable an On-Screen keyboard in the

Keyboard is ideal if you find a physical keyboard
difficult to use. You can also set up sticky keys and
enable audible tones for specific key presses.
The mouse pointer can get lost momentarily even

for those with perfect eyesight and so the Ease of
Access>Mouse section is ideal for making it more
visible no matter what youre doing in Windows 10.
Personalise Mail to
suit your needs
You can make Mail work for you in order to maximise
efficiency, understanding and every day communication
ail is a very straightforward app from an aesthetic point of view, and this is
certainly an advantage, because the main task here is to create and respond
to emails in the most efficient way possible. Once you have set up your account,
or accounts if you would rather have everything in one place, you will be able to deal with all of
your communications in real time, and make sure that what you are saying is considered.
It is not often talked about, but the presentation of Mail is so professional and simple that it
actually makes organisation much easier, and you are therefore far more likely to send clearer
emails that have not simply been rushed out of your inbox.
We will highlight the changes that you are able to make to your email experience in this
tutorial, and also show you how to customise the interface to best suit your needs. However,
since the design is so good to begin with, its more than likely that you will not need to change
many aspects at all.
In Options there is a
feature called External
content, which allows
you to disable images
and style formats in
emails from external
sources. It is good for
security and offers some
benefits, but many
emails will not look right
with it disabled in Mail.
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External
content
Mail
Manage emails in style
1: Set up your account(s)
2: View the format
3: Find the settings
Follow the process when you first open the app to

connect your main email account to Mail. You can
add other accounts if you want to manage all of
your emails in one place.
You will notice when the email account is first

synchronising that there are some visual elements
present in Mail. All of these can be customised to
suit the way you want to work.
All of the settings for Mail are available to you once

you click the small cog icon at the bottom of the
left-hand column. You will mainly need to deal with
Personalisation, Reading and Options.
4: Check out the options
5: Deal with notifications
6: Tweak the reading settings
Click Options where you can enable Quick Actions.

Look at what is available, but they will greatly speed
up your email actions if you choose wisely. You can
also add a new email signature here.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Options panel

and you will see the Notifications section. You can
now choose how you want to be notified of new
emails or if you want none at all.
The Reading section can be used to open the next

email after you have dismissed the one you are
reading, and you can also choose how and when
items are marked as read.
7: Add some formatting
8: Personalise the look
9: View your folders
When composing a new email, click the Format

tab at the top to adjust the text to how you want it.
You can also use Insert to add images or files, and
Options to check the spelling.
Click Personalisation to bring up a palette of colours

that you can use to change the entire look of
Mail. You can also select a dark or light theme and
choose a new background image for blank spaces.
Click the More option in the left-hand column to

see all of the folders you have set up for your email
account. This will make managing your inbox much
easier, and keep everything organised.
Customise and
improve Skype
Discover how to make some basic changes to Skype in
Windows 10 to improve the quality of your calls
kype is understandably hugely popular, and with very good reason. Video and
audio calls can be made anywhere in the world for free and so can sending messages,
but with a few simple tweaks you can make the experience even more productive and
enjoyable. A lot of what you can change will depend on the type of camera your computer uses
and with some you really can tweak every part to make your video calls look like you are in the
room with the other party.
Even if you cannot do this on your computer, you can still manage audio quality with ease and
change a variety of smaller settings to speed up all of your communications in Skype. It wont
take long to find the settings that work best for you and it also will not take long for Skype to
become an important part of your daily computer usage.
Read on to discover how you can customise your Skype to ensure that youre getting the best
possible experience out of the program.
Unique
settings
There is no set of
settings that will work
best for everyone
because of the factors
involved in creating
good quality calls,
especially video ones.
Lighting, camera quality
and the speed of your
connection will all make
a difference so take
some time to see what
works best for you.
Skype
Customise settings and improve your communication
1: Get the app
2: The initial setup
The Get Skype app is built in to Windows 10. Open it and follow the
instructions to install the full Skype app. You will need your Microsoft account
details to complete the installation.
You will be immediately presented with a screen where you can do an initial
setup of the audio and visuals. You can also choose which devices to use with
Skype by default.
3: Deal with general settings
4: Customise the sounds
Go to Tools>Options>General settings, where you can choose how to initiate

new calls, decide if Skype starts with Windows, choose your away time and
show message previews in the sidebar.
In Options>Sounds you can selectively choose which events will have an

associated sound and also choose which sounds will play. Try to use
non-obtrusive sounds if possible to avoid constant interruptions.
5: Control the camera
6: Keep Skype integrated
In Options>Video settings you can, if your connected camera supports it,

manage zoom, exposure, low light and all sorts of other settings that can greatly
improve the video call experience.
Go to Options>Advanced settings to keep Skype in the task bar for quick

access and to use Skype to make calls from links on the web. It can be deeply
integrated into many other apps.
Take great photos

with the Camera app
You can capture superb quality snaps from your Windows 10
computer if you take your time and consider all of the options
he Camera app in Windows 10 is designed to let you capture photos whenever

the time is right and to work as a basic tool for this process. Most computer setups
nowadays involve a camera of some sort, Microsoft understands though that most
computers do not come with great quality cameras built in and are used most often for menial
tasks where quality isnt an issue. The Camera app provides options that will help you improve
any photos that you do take.
You can change the aspect ratio, deal with flickering and also decide what resolution you want
videos to be captured in. Once you have captured the images, you can then jump over to the
Photos app to add fine adjustments in order to make them look exactly as you want them to.
The Camera app may not be something that you use all of the time, but it will come in handy
on occasion and does offer many benefits for specific tasks such as capturing business cards,
documents and even office-related scenes. Well explore what exactly it can do.
Be realistic
Most webcams that
are included in PCs are
not of the best quality
so you will need to be
realistic in terms of what
you expect to capture
with the Camera app.
Add to this the static
nature of the device and
your options are further
limited, but using a
external third party
camera will help you
capture better quality
as well as give you even
more flexibility.
Camera
Improve your photos and take perfect pictures
1: Locate the app
2: Explore some simple controls
The Camera app is included with Windows 10 and may appear to be a strange
inclusion at first. If, however, you have a good quality camera in your computer,
the results can be spectacular.
When you open Camera you will see a capture button to the right of the main
screen. All you need to do is click it to take your first picture. Make the screen
bigger to see more detail.
3: Find the settings
4: Change the aspect ration
Click the three dots to the right of the main panel to bring up two further
options to explore. Click Settings to start customising how the camera will work
when taking photos.
At the top of the column you can change the aspect ratio between 16:10, 4:3
and 16:9. Try to choose an option that looks similar to photos taken with a real
external camera.
5: Get some help
6: Change the video resolution
Click the Framing grid option to add guides to the capture screen. The Rule of
Thirds feature is particularly useful for framing your shots in the most effective
way possible.
Click Videos to change the resolution of captured clips. We would advise to

choose the best possible resolution because you should have more than
enough space available to capture good quality videos.
Use Photos to create

great image edits
Your photographs can be greatly improved with just a few
simple tweaks, just fire up the built-in Photos app
ts very rare that a photo should turn out just as you want it. There are so many factors
to consider, and sometimes its impossible to ensure that theyre all working in your favour.
However, it is possible to edit a photo so that it re-creates a memory more accurately, and so
that it is more visually pleasing.
You could spend a lot of money on an expensive photo-editing app for this purpose, or you
could use the free Photos app that is bundled with Windows 10. The good news is that the
Photos app is fully featured and, as such, offers all of the features that you will need to make
minor and wide-ranging adjustments with just a few clicks. Whats more is that it does not take
long to understand how everything works and to start experimenting with what is on offer.
We will walk you through the various editing features and also offer some tips on how to make
adjustments that are truly effective, and we are sure that once you start using it, you will benefit
from it time and time again.
The Photos app in

Windows 10 works
in such a way that it
enables you to make any
change you like without
having to worry that
it will be permanent.
At any point, you are
able to undo a change,
and all of your tweaks
will only become
permanent when you
save the photo. This is
handy, as it means you
can experiment to get
the desired effect.
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Undo anything
Photos
Improve your favourite snaps
1: View your photo collection
2: Select a photo
3: Make quick enhancements
If you are signed in to your Microsoft account and

have photos stored online, they will display in the
Photos app as thumbnails as soon as you open it for
the first time.
When you click on a photo it will display full screen.

Notice the small icons at the top, which include a
pencil. This is used to enter the main editing menu.
Click it to proceed.
New icons will appear and you can now click the
Enhance icon to try a one-click makeover. It will
not always come up with the look you want, but at
times it will completely change a photo.
4: Try some filters
5: Deal with light
6: Manage colours
Click the Filters icon on the left to bring up a

selection of filters to try out on the right of the main
photo. The selection is quite limited, but if you are
after a particular look, they will suffice.
When you click the Light icon, you can adjust

the contrast, highlights and shadows. Click on any
option and then move the small white circle around
the larger circle to adjust each.
The Colours menu works in the same way as

lighting; you can adjust tints and saturation, and
boost colours. Take care with these options though
it is very easy to make a photo look unrealistic.
7: Use selective focus
8: Crop an image
9: Straighten photos
The selective focus option will pop up a circle on

the image, which you can resize and move just by
dragging the mouse pointer. With some care, it can
make a photo look like a true DSLR shot.
With Basic fixes selected from the left-land column

of icons, you can now click Crop to cut out any part
of the image that you do not need. The aspect ratio
will remain valid throughout this process.
You can also straighten any image in the Basic fixes

section. Simply move the white circle in the icon to
adjust the angle of the photo, but be careful not to
overdo the adjustments.
Work with Microsoft

Office web apps
Save the cost of buying Microsoft Office and use
the free web-based version in Edge instead
icrosoft Office is the standard productivity package on the PC, used by

businesses and individuals everywhere. It is a powerful suite of applications, but if
you do not need to create complex documents, presentations or spreadsheets, the webbased version could be all you require.
When using Office web apps, there is no need to buy a subscription and the apps themselves
run in a web browser. Just go to onedrive.com in Edge. You might need to sign in with your
Microsoft account the first time you access the website, but from then on you will be able to dive
straight in. A list of your OneDrive files and folders will be displayed, and this is a direct mirror of
OneDrive on the disk drive.
Click the menu button in the top left corner and youll find there are lots of web apps available.
We take a look at Word, Excel and PowerPoint here, but there are many more. All files are saved to
OneDrive and so they appear on the PCs disk drive, too.
Spreadsheets look
complicated, but are
easier with practise.
The rows are numbered
and the columns have
letters. Cells are referred
to by the column and
row, so B3 is column B
row 3. To add two cells
together, such as B3
and D4, enter =B3+D4
(always start with an =).
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Spreadsheet
basics
Microsoft Office
Use Word, Excel and PowerPoint
1: Start Word
2: Replace the images
3: Replace the text
To create a document, go to onedrive.com in

Edge, click the button in the top left corner for the
menu and click the Word tile. Select the template
you want to use for your document.
Some templates have dummy text and images

that need to be replaced. Click an image, select the
Insert tab and click Picture in the toolbar. Select an
image from the disk drive or Bing.
The document templates, apart from the blank

one, contain dummy headings, body text and so
on. Click in the text, delete it and then type in your
own. Style it using the features in the toolbar.
4: Save the document
5: Create a spreadsheet
6: Add functions
There is no need to save the Word document

because it is saved automatically and downloaded
to the PC. If you want to save it as a PDF document,
click the File menu and select Download as PDF.
At onedrive.com, click the menu button, then

Excel. Select a template or a blank document. Click
in the cells and enter text or numbers to create a
spreadsheet like this simple monthly budget.
To perform calculations on numbers, click the arrow

next to Autosum in the toolbar and select More
Functions. Select a function in the list, such as SUM,
to insert it into the spreadsheet cell.
7: Complete the function
8: Create a chart
9: Create a presentation
The function selected is inserted, but it is not

completed. You must finish it off by selecting the
cells. With the SUM function for example, you
specify the start and end cells, such as SUM(C4:C5).
Spreadsheets look better with charts. Click and drag

over two columns of cells and click a chart type
on the CHART tab of the toolbar. Drag the chart to
position it and drag the corners to resize it.
PowerPoint creates slide shows and using it is

similar to Word and Excel. Open the onedrive.com
menu and click PowerPoint. Select a template and
then replace the dummy text with your own.
Make the most of the

versatile OneNote
OneNote can keep all of your notes up to date on multiple
devices and take care of your important data
neNote is by no means a new piece of software, but it is one that has been
gradually improved over time to the point that we now have a solution that is
not only reliable, but also fast and incredibly flexible. It is capable of dealing with
simple text notes, as well as complex pages with images and tables embedded, and it is also
accessible from many other apps within Windows 10.
Indeed, if you are looking for one place to store every piece of information that is important to
you, there are very few rivals to OneNote. It can be used on smartphones, tablets and multiple
computers. Whats more is that the notes will always be kept in sync and backed up online, so
you need not worry about ever losing your data.
We will highlight the most useful features and also show you how you can get up and running
with one of the best note takers in the business. Were confident that once you start using it, youll
wonder how you ever managed your data before.
Useful
formatting
Notes tend to be
text based when
created in a hurry or
in situations when a
lot of information is
to be included, and
OneNote includes many
of the basic formatting
features that you will
need. Simply select
some text, and then
click Home in order
to see what is available.
It couldnt really be
any simpler.
OneNote
Understand the powerful features of OneNote
1: Find the app
2: Choose an account
3: Make your first note
You should find OneNote installed from the

moment you start using Windows 10. Simply go to
All apps via the Windows button, then click it to
begin the setup process.
Input the account details that you want to use. This

will normally be your Microsoft account, which
will give you the opportunity to use your allocated
online space to store your OneNote content.
You will now see a blank page with a column over

to the left-hand side. Click anywhere in the blank
area and start typing to begin creating your first
OneNote content.
4: Insert an image
5: Experiment with the features
6: Draw in your notes
Click the Insert tab and then select Image to

browse for a new picture to insert within the note.
When selected you can resize it by grabbing the
edges or move it anywhere.
You should now spend some time experimenting

with all of the included features, which can mean
inserting and adding data to tables, adding multiple
images, and attaching files to notes.
It may not be the easiest thing to do with a

mouse, but you can even draw in a note and add
handwritten text at any time. This is ideal on a
phone, but also has a place on computers.
7: Deal with extra settings
8: Share content to OneNote
9: Create a new notebook
Click the top left-hand icon, then choose Settings

followed by Options to access new settings. Deal
with your online account, manage the sync process
and choose where quick notes go in the future.
In many Windows 10 apps, such as Microsoft

Edge, you can share the content you are viewing
to OneNote. This means that a web page can be
stored with a brief description and link in seconds.
Click the top left-hand icon, then the + icon in the

column to create a new notebook. Notebooks are
ideal for managing large amounts of data. Try not to
create too many, as that will just add complexity.
Make your Calendar

easier to read
Set up multiple calendars and colour-code deadlines and other reminders
he Calendar app in Windows 10 is pretty basic, but armed with the

right tools you can make it easier to read and more useful to boot.
The Calendar app syncs in with your online Microsoft calendar since
the release of Windows 8.1, support for all other calendar services has been
discontinued. The trick to making the calendar easier to use is to take advantage
of how it works: rather than provide a single catch-all calendar, youre expected
Calendar
to set up and use multiple calendars, each one dedicated to serving a specific
purpose. Managing these calendars cant be done from within the Calendar
app, so first you need to log on to your Microsoft account through your web
browser. In this tutorial well reveal everything you need to know about setting
up and managing your calendars online, then using the Calendar app to show
only what you want to see.
Filter and colour-code calendars
1: Log on to calendar
2: Manage calendars
Open your web browser and type calendar.live.com you should automatically
log into the Microsoft account youve logged on to Windows with. If not, enter
your username and password to do so.
Click the Settings icon next to your username to see which calendars have
already been set up. Add a new calendar by clicking the down arrow button
next to New and choosing Calendar.
3: Name new calendar
4: Return to app
Give your calendar a suitable name, such as Work meeting, Voluntary or

Deadlines. You can assign a colour and charm to it, then you can enter a
description if necessary. Click Save.
Repeat as necessary until youve set up all the calendars you need. You can now
close your browser and switch back to the Calendar app itself. To change whats
shown, click on the calendar icon in the left column and tick/untick the boxes.
Desktop
access
If you want to access
your Microsoft account
calendars from the
desktop, the best tool
for the job is Windows
Live Mail, which you
can install as part of the
Windows Live Essentials
pack (essentials.live.
com). You can even add
events directly from the
emails you receive to
your calendar.
5: Filter calendars
6: Change calendar colours
The first thing to decide is which calendars to show in the app. By default all are
shown, but you can hide specific calendars from view simply by unticking the
box next to a specific calendar.
You can also change the colours associated with calendars to better match the
calendars themselves. Simply right-click on a calendar and a colour picker will
appear. Try to avoid clashing with another calendar.
Compress your
files and documents
By compressing your files you can make them smaller and
much easier to handle
e keep so much information on our computers these days that it can

sometimes get a bit out of hand. Files can be really large, and that can mean we
can run out of space to store them. Some email accounts have a ceiling on the size
of file attachments which can make sharing difficult. A lot of us also use cloud-based storage
such as Dropbox, and again there are limits.
Zipping files is one way to overcome file size limitations, because zipping can reduce file sizes
considerably. You could zip a large file or group of files to email to someone, or to cram them
onto a memory stick or memory card for sharing.
Zipping can be useful in other ways too. If you like to archive old data, for example onto an
external hard drive, zipping can save on space. The ability to zip and unzip is built into older
versions of Windows too, so you should be able to get to your original files in the future, and
anyone you share zipped files with should be able to unzip them easily.
Unzipping
It is just as easy to unzip
folders as it is to zip
them up. Just doubletap or double-click on
any zipped file and you
will be able to see its
contents. You can copy
individual files out of
the zipped folder by
dragging them out of it
to another destination
for example, to the
desktop or right
clicking on them.
File Explorer
Compress your files to make them smaller
1: Find the files
2: Select the files
Open up File Explorer by either tapping or clicking on its icon on the taskbar
thats situated at the bottom of the screen the icon should resemble a
yellow folder.
When youve found the folder with the files you want to compress, select them
either one by one or by selecting the first then holding down Shift and tapping
the last to select them all.
3: Call up the menu
4: Select zip
When all the files you want to compress are selected, right click in where the
files are to open a menu box with various options available, such as Rotation,
Copy and Rename.
Next pass the cursor over or tap on Send to to open up a submenu. Right
at the top of this submenu is Compressed (zipped) folder. Click on
that option.
5: Make the zip
6: Move and share
Wait while the files compress, then a new folder appears. Its been given
the name of one of the files, but you can type a new name for it. Make this
something youll recognise and within Windows accepted file names.
The zipped file can be shared as easily as you would share any other file by
email for example. Or, it can be moved into a new folder and used as an
archive file.
Master the advanced

power settings
Power management in Windows 10 is particularly important,
especially if you are using a laptop
n the whole you should not need to mess around with power settings too much,
because Windows 10 does a very good job of working efficiently even when
pushed, but there will always be times when your own usage will require the
need for a personal profile which may better suit your needs There are a couple of simple
options that you can manage within the standard Settings screens, but if you delve a little deeper
you will find a lot more, all of which will let you tailor the power management of your machine in
a variety of ways.
As is standard, you will see the traditional presentation for the advanced power management
settings. Windows 10 does an excellent job of reassuring however, because it immediately lets
you know that you are making non-standard changes and so may want to take a little more care
than normal. If you get these settings right however, your Windows 10 experience will be greatly
improved, and youll find yourself using much less power.
Its safe
Microsoft has ensured
that the power settings
you can change are safe
to adjust and should
not cause any undue
harm to your Windows
computer. You should
be aware, however, that
being too aggressive
with turning off features
may also cause frequent
and very annoying
usability interruptions.
Settings
Tweak the power settings to your liking
1: The simple power settings
2: Additional power settings
Open Settings and then look for the System option. Click it and you will see a
list of options in the left-hand column. Now click Power & sleep to see all of the
available options.
You will see a link called Addition power settings with the main power screen
and when you click this, a traditional screen will appear showing the various
power plan configurations.
3: Create a power plan
4: Advanced power plans
Click Create a power plan in the left-hand column and then give it a name.
Choose from one of the existing plans and then tweak the display and sleep
timings in the next screen.
Click Change plan settings and then Change advanced power settings to pop
up a new window. Here you will see a long and complex list of options which
offer full control over power.
5: Manage software and hardware
6: Change every plan
Some options in this list can be changed safely, such as Javascript Timer
Frequency under the Internet Explore option, but others should ideally only be
touched if you are sure that you know what you are doing.
You can jump between plans by clicking the small grey square above the list.
Take some time to consider what each option does and you will be able to
create a customised plan that fits your exact needs.
Learn to defragment
your hard disk
Without defragmentation your PC would slow down, but running the process
regularly maintains peak performance
t one time PCs used to suffer from performance issues as they grew older, and
this was partly due to fragmented files on the disk. Files literally become broken into
small pieces, and when they need to be accessed it takes time to find all the pieces. The
solution was to manually defragment them by running Disk Defragmenter. This finds files split
into several pieces and puts them back together, making them faster to access the next time you
need them.
With most modern computers disk defragmentation is automatic, but there may still be
occasions where it is beneficial to run it manually. We will show you how to accomplish this in the
following tutorial. Defragmentation occurs according to a schedule and this can be changed to
make it more or less frequent, depending on how often you use the PC. A computer that is used
heavily ideally needs defragmenting daily, but an infrequently used computer might only need
monthly defragmentation.
Automatic
import
Windows provides a
basic tool to optimise
the disk drive and it is
okay, but some people
prefer third-party tools
like O&O Defrag (oosoftware.com) or Smart
Defrag 2 (iobit.com).
They have additional
options that can speed
up the disk even more
and are definitely
worth considering.
Disk Defragmenter
Regain lost PC performance
1: Find the app
2: Optimise drives
There are a couple of ways to find the disk defragmenter app you need, and
one of these is to click the search field at the bottom of the Start menu and
then click Defragment and optimise drives.
Windows switches to the desktop and then displays the Optimise Drives
window. This shows the drives attached to the computer, when they were last
optimised and their current status.
3: Analyse the disk
4: Defragment the disk
The current status showing the fragmentation of each disk is not always up to
date. Select the C: Drive and then click Analyse. The updated figure for Drive C: is
actually six per cent rather than one per cent.
Make sure Drive C: is selected and then click the Optimise button to start
defragmenting it. There are multiple passes and it can take quite a long time.
You can use the computer while its working.
5: Change the schedule
6: Choose the drives
After defragmenting, click Change settings in the Scheduled optimization

section at the bottom of the window. The automatic optimisation frequency
can be set to daily, weekly or monthly.
Click Choose drives in the previous window and the disks attached to the PC
are listed. Some people may have USB disk drives that they want to optimise,
and they can be selected here.
Manage Windows 10s

Storage Spaces
Use extra disk drives to protect files from being lost or damaged
f you want to increase the amount of space available for storing

videos, photos, music and documents, a simple way to do this is to
add an extra disk drive. Although drives can be added internally to
desktop PCs, the easiest option is to plug in a USB drive. Windows 10 offers a
different way to use extra disk drives through a feature called Storage Spaces.
A virtual disk drive of any size can be created, then you can add physical
Storage Spaces
drives to provide the space. Normally each drive appears as a different drive
and letter, E, F and so on, but when used as a storage space, there is just
one virtual drive with one letter. Extra drives can be added at any time. This
is a simple and easy way to use extra disk drives and it is the subject of the
tutorial. Other ways to use storage space are available in the disk mirroring
boxout on the opposite page.
Extend the storage space on your disk drive
1: Manage Storage Spaces
2: Select a disk
Press WinKey+X for the menu, then click Control Panel. In either small or large
icons view, find and click Storage Spaces to open this window. There is just
one item.
Click Create a new pool and storage space. The computer is scanned for
suitable disk drives and they are presented in a list. Use the tick box next to each
one to select it for the storage space.
3: Set the resiliency
4: Set the size
The resiliency type is the way Storage Spaces uses the disk drive. If there are two
disks available then a two-way mirror could be selected and this protects files
by saving them to both disks.
Select Simple (no resiliency) if, like us, you have one disk drive. In the size box
below, enter the size of virtual disk you want. Enter a large number and more
disks can be added later.
Disk mirroring
Suppose that you had
two disk drives and
every time a file was
saved, a copy was
written to both of them.
If one drive failed you
would still have a copy
of the aforementioned
file on the second drive.
This is how the simple
mirroring feature works
in Storage Spaces.
5: Finishing off
6: View the space
Click the Create a storage space button and its soon finished. The storage
space is listed and the details are displayed. Click Physical drives to see the
drives used to create the storage space.
A storage space appears to be a disk drive. You can either click View files next
to the storage space in the window or just open an Explorer window. It will be
listed under your other devices.
Boost Windows speed

and get a better PC
Use these system tweaks to improve the performance of your
computer and make Windows faster and smoother
new computer is fast and responsive, and works brilliantly, but after it has been
used for some time it will inevitably begin to slow down. What can you do to
solve this perpetual problem? As a matter of fact there are a number of things! Here is
a collection of speed tweaks that will restore lost performance for your PC. They can rejuvenate
an old computer and they keep new computers running smoothly all of which prevents them
from slowing down.
For example, there are lots of special effects used by the Windows 10 interface, such as
animations in the taskbar, fading or sliding tooltips into view, and so on. They look great, but
turning these effects off enables the computer to run faster. The files on the disk drive can
become fragmented and slow to access, so once a week Windows optimises the disk. Changing
the schedule to daily can boost the speed even further. These tips and more are included here
and they keep your PC running at peak performance.
Keeping the system free

of junk helps to maintain
the performance and
Windows has a built
in junk cleaner. Click
Start, All apps, Windows
Administrative Tools,
Disk Clean-up. It scans
the disk drive and finds
all the junk files. Tick
the boxes to select
everything and click OK.
Toshiba Europe GmbH
Disk Clean-up
Windows 10
Use speed tweaks to get a faster PC
1: Adjust the appearance
2: Optimise for programs
3: Defrag the disk
Enter performance in the search box and click

Adjust the appearance and performance of
Windows. Select Adjust for best performance to
turn off graphical effects and boost speed.
Next, select Advanced and choose Programs or

Background services. Programs provides the best
performance for most people, but PCs used to
share files might find Background services best.
Search for defragment and click Defragment and

Optimise drives. Click Change settings and set it
to run daily to keep the disk drive optimised and
prevent fragmented files from slowing it down.
4: Use maximum power
5: Stop programs starting
6: Uninstall unused programs
Right-click the battery or power icon at the right

side of the taskbar and select Power options. Select
High performance for maximum speed. You might
need to click Show hidden options to select it.
Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.

Click the Start-up tab and disable any obviously
unnecessary programs that auto-start with
Windows to allow your PC to start faster.
Open Control Panel and click Programs and

features. Double click programs you no longer use
to remove them. Browser toolbars and search tools
should be removed to keep the PC clean.
7: Perform maintenance tasks
8: Turn off live tiles
9: Start Windows faster
Open Settings and enter perform in the search

box. Click Perform recommended maintenance
tasks automatically. Click Next and the tool will
clean up junk files and fixes problems for you.
Preventing live tiles on the Start menu refreshing

can help speed things up a little. Right-click tiles
and select More, Turn live tile off. Use the Uninstall
menu option to remove apps you no longer use.
Right click the battery/power icon in the taskbar

and select Power options. Click Choose what the
power button does, then click Change settings that
are currently unavailable. Tick Turn on fast start-up.
Apps
We've featured the must-have apps
in 20 different categories to keep you
informed, educated and entertained
124
Games
Angry Birds Star Wars

Flow
FIFA 15: UT
Jetpack Joyride
Modern Combat 5: Blackout
125
Social
Facebook
Twitter
Line
Skype
IM+ Instant Messenger
126
Entertainment
127
Photography
128
Music &
Video
Perfect Piano
Fresh Paint
Netflix
Now TV
StumbleUpon
Perfect365
Resize Your Image
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended
Adobe Photoshop Express
Fotor
VEVO
Recording Studio Pro
Multimedia 8
Shazam
Plex
127
129
Sports
130
Books &
Reference
131
News &
Weather
132
Health &
Fitness
133
Food &
Dining
Onefootball
ESPN Cricinfo
Golf Scores + Stats
NFL on Windows
CoachPro
Wikipedia
ComicBookReader
Kindle
Audiobooks from Audible
Periodic Table
Engadget
CNN
Sky News
The Weather Channel
WeatherPro
Heart Decide
First Aid Guide
Sleep Bug
Increase Brain Power
Gym Guide
HP Recipe Box
BBC Good Food
Recipe, Menu & Cooking Planner
Great British Chefs
Epicurious
134
Lifestyle
TED
CPlus for Craigslist
Burning Fireplace
Rightmove Property Search
Wowcher
135
Shopping
CBAZAAR
eBay
Amazon
Wish Shopping Made Fun
Orchid
136
Travel
FourSquare
XE Currency
National Rail Enquiries
Skyscanner
TripAdvisor
138
Productivity
139
Tools
140
Security
141
128
137
Finance
136
Business
StockMap
Smart Money
Ribbon Calculator
Money Watcher
Currency Converter
mSecure
Evernote
Dropbox
Wunderlist
Art Text
142
Education
143
Government
Calculator2
Google
Network Speed Test
Microsoft Phone Companion
Alarm Clock
Super Password Generator
VPN Unlimited
Network Port Scanner
LastPass
LockIt
I Love Calculator
Easy Invoice Creator
Box
Splashtop Personal
World Academy Online
Mars Rover: Curiosity
Star Chart
Dictionary 8
My Study Life
About Countries
Election Essential
The White House
World Statistics
Top American Speeches
UK Monarchs
Games
Time to relax, have fun
and play a great game
nlike other recent app-based

platforms, the PC has a rich history
of creating games that reaches back
towards the dawn of computing. There are
millions of the games available to play, with
new titles being created all the time. Similarly,
the type of games available for the user is quite
staggering. From the shoot-em-up, mindless
action-type apps to the role-playing games that
often combine action with a measure of puzzle
solving. There are also the puzzle-based titles that
require serious thought. The PC has a wealth of
examples on offer that will appeal to all ages and
all interests. The following list of titles doesnt even
scratch the surface of whats available, but it does
provide a flavour of the sort of games that you can
download often for free and a sense of where
the PC is at in terms of gaming development.
Angry Birds Star Wars
Flow
Price: 2.69/$3.59 Developer: Rovio Entertainment Ltd

Angry Birds is a phenomenon of mobile
and desktop computing but now it
has joined forces with another Star
Wars. Using preview cut scenes reminiscent of the
Star Wars universe, the game utilises worlds and
characters from the Star Wars stories. The price is
a little high but the app retains the high degree of
playability that is inherent within all of the Angry
Birds variants.
Price: Free Developer: Big Duck Games LLC

This is one of those annoying puzzle
games that you just cant rip your
attention away from. The aim is to
connect the various coloured dots together to
create pipes, but the tricky part is that every part
of the screen has to be covered, meaning that you
have to snake your pipes far and wide to cover
every pixel. Extra care must also be taken to avoid
blocking off other pipes. Fiendishly addictive.
FIFA 15: UT
There are millions

of things available
the PC has a wealth
of examples that will
appeal to all ages"
Price: Free Developer: Electronic Arts

The worlds most popular football game
looks brilliant and plays a blinder on your
Windows machine. You can assemble
your dream team from over 10,000 real players from
over 500 fully-licensed teams and compete in over
30 different leagues from around the world. You
can also choose your own play style and put your
players through their paces on the training pitch.
Jetpack Joyride
Price: Free Developer: Halfbrick Studios Pty Ltd
This sideways-scrolling shoot-em-up
game features your jetpack-toting
character breaking into a secret
laboratory to grab experimental jetpacks from the
baddies. As you progress, you can collect coins
to earn points that allow you to upgrade your
inventory and your character. You can even change
his attire. There are plenty of alternative weapons, a
wide variety of jetpacks and power-ups, plus special
abilities and new missions.
Modern Combat 5: Blackout

Price: 3.09/$3.99 Developer: Gameloft
This series has steadily grown in quality to be a worthwhile alternative to the Call
Of Duty games in the first-person-shooter field. For good reason, too, because the
graphics are crisp and the online multiplayer action relentless. It boasts a decent
single-player mode comprising intense action spread over varied locations, but it is best played
by building your own squad of friends and then taking the battle to the masses online.
Social
Keep in contact with
friends and family
ne of the great things about recent

software and hardware developments
is the ever-increasing progress in
the field of communication. The computer has
become a force for good in communications, in
terms of keeping you in touch with people you
love, making friends, forging links with like-minded
individuals and hobbies and bringing down the
costs of telecommunications. Technologies like
Skype have forced phone companies to look
again at their tariffs, which have produced far
more competitive and enlightened price points,
especially when communicating abroad. Add
immensely popular services such as Facebook
and Twitter and you can see how complex
our communications are today and, with the
continuing Arab Spring movement, for example,
how much it has changed the entire world.
Facebook
Price: Free Developer: Facebook, Inc
What is there to say about the most popular social networking app in the world? The
Windows app features a cool and accessible interface that's in keeping with just about
every other version you will have experienced and navigating your way through the
various sections and posting your own thoughts, comments and media is a quick and easy
process. If you want to stay in the social loop, this should be one of your first downloads.
The computer has

become a force for
good, keeping you
in touch with people
you love"
Twitter
Line
Price: Free Developer: Twitter, Inc

This official Twitter app sits nicely on
your Home page and provides a clean
and accessible interface for viewing your
Twitter timeline easily. You can also discover whats
currently trending and connect with interesting
new people. Once installed, Twitter can also be
used a sharing option from Microsoft Edge, making
it effortless to tweet spectacular content that you
find online.
Price: Free Developer: LINE Corporation

In the market for a sleek and intuitive
messaging app that lets you ping
messages between computer and
mobile devices? Line lets you send simple text
messages, photos and emoticons and also features
a wide range of fun stickers that you can use to
punctuate your messages and help convey your
emotions. In an ever-expanding pool of me-too
messenger apps, Line is better than most.
Skype
Price: Free Developer: Skype
One of the worlds most popular
communications programs. You can
contact friends, family and colleagues for
free via either voice or video as well as utilising the
app's superb Instant Messaging feature. It doesnt
matter what platform you want to communicate
with, either. You, on your PC, can talk to a friend
running a MacBook or a colleague running an
Android phone. Its an ideal method for reducing
communication costs.
IM+ Instant Messenger

Price: Free Developer: SHAPE GmbH
Already popular across mobile devices,
IM+ is a handy service that allows you
to send unlimited free text messages
to all of your friends. Through the simple interface
that lets you connect your other social networks,
you can group chat, send photos and set personal
status messages so that other people know if you
are available to chat.
Entertainment
Make computing a fun experience
our computer is made for productivity.

From word processors to databases, it has
helped businesses become more efficient
and industrious. Furthering business, after all, was
one of the main reasons for creating the personal
computer in the first place. Yet, as technology has
progressed, PC productivity is also doing a terrific

job of delivering an unwelcome by-product: stress.
Therefore, entertainment on that same platform
has been recognised as a salve to the users sanity.
More than a counter for over-working, though, the
PC has now been welcomed into the living room,
becoming more widely accessible and is now

offering a realistic way to integrate entertainment
within the home. From movies to music, the PC
has become an essential friend of the family to
not only escape a hard days work but to inform,
expand choice and broaden everyones horizons.
Perfect Piano
Price: Free Developer: JetSoft Studio
Quite simply, this app transforms your
Windows 10 PC into a piano featuring
31 simultaneous notes and stereo HQ
sounds for real music production. Simple to use,
you can choose your octave using the arrows at
the top of the interface and then tinkle the virtual
ivories to your hearts content. There is precious
little to this app beyond the ability to play piano,
but we cant emphasise how good it sounds so if
you need something to practise on, look no further.
Fresh Paint
Price: Free Developer: Microsoft Corporation
A simple paint program that can be used by the entire family, Fresh Paint even allows
you to turn your own photographs into great artistic paintings. All you have to do is
import the photo and browse through the simple options to explore what you can do
to unleash your creativity. The program will allow you to brush over an image or even blend the
colours of the photo into the programs colours. There's also a zoom function included.
Netflix
Price: Free Developer: Netflix, Inc
A TV and movie subscription service, with
Netflix, you can watch thousands of TV
episodes and movies upon signing up
and paying a regular monthly fee. You can watch
the media on your PC, of course, but also via a
game console, tablet, phone and Blu-ray player.
The choice is yours. After you have watched your fill,
you can also rate and review the broadcasts.
Now TV
Price: Free Developer: Sky UK Limited
Now TV is Skys on-demand service that
enables you to watch movies, shows and
live sports events on your PC. Through
this app you can browse through the many Sky
TV channels and their wealth of content, purchase
a special pass to watch your preferred channel for
a certain amount of time and then sit back as the
content is streamed to your PC.
StumbleUpon
Price: Free Developer: StumbleUpon, Inc
As it says in the title, this app helps you
come across new things that interest
you. Simply select your areas of interest
(from a list of around 500), whether you're crazy
about history or music or food or whatever it might
be and then the app will present information to
you connected with those subjects. This is in the
form of a live tile that links you to the media itself,
whether that be text, images or video.
Photography
Record your precious
memories in a flash
hotography is one of the most vibrant

sections of the app store. There is a gamut
of impressive cameras and technology
out there: from specialist digital cameras or the
increasingly complex phone-based affairs. Along
with digital technology, modern photography
also takes advantage of cloud technology (like
OneDrive), syncing photos snapped on a phone,
for example, to virtual storage, as well as to a Mac
or PC, streamlining the process of backing up
photos or sharing them with friends. Its another
convenience that makes the new breed of smart
cameras a killer type of technology. Using this kit,
users often build some wildly inventive images.
Whether youre a professional photographer or
a just complete beginner, you cant help but
appreciate the variety and quality of photography
apps that are on offer here.
Perfect365
Price: Free Developer: ArcSoft, Inc
This amazing make-over app allows you to place a portrait image on the screen and
then alter it with make-up-derived tones and applications that affect different parts of
the face. You can alter the complexion, eye shadow, lipstick and more, as well as face
shape and eye colour. Great for experimenting, you can make gentle, subtle enhancements to
your shots, or you can create obvious or even outrageous and daring edits, it's up to you!
Modern photography
takes advantage of
cloud technology,
syncing photos to
virtual storage
Resize Your Image
Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended
Price: Free Developer: MikasasaPL

Using this simple image-manipulation
app you can load up an image and then
easily resize it. You can also crop the
same image or compress it by zipping the file and
then sharing it with other people. Its also possible
to batch-process a series of files and folders at
once and output those files as a JPEG image or
compressed into ZIP. Other formats supported
include PNG, GIF, TIFF and BMP.
Price: Free Developer: Adobe Systems Incorporated

The free trial version of this app has to
be downloaded off-site, so when you
access its details, it will be at the Adobe
site where you will need to download it. You'll find
that this app will take a fair while to transfer to your
PC. But once installed, you will be able to create 3D
graphics, 2D images, plus movies, using an array
of top-quality tools. The sky is the limit here, so set
your creativity free and create some masterpieces!
Adobe Photoshop Express

Price: Free Developer: Adobe Systems Incorporated
For over 20 years Adobe has offered
cutting edge picture editing facilities
through its Photoshop range and this
app allows you to enjoy some of Photoshops
most popular photo editing features for free. You
can crop, straighten and flip your photos, auto-fix
the brightness, exposure and shadows, adjust the
colours and apply a wide range of filters to really
make your images stand out. Its easy to use and
perfect for pimping up your pictures.
Fotor
Price: Free Developer: Chengdu Everimaging
This app provides cutting-edge tools to
making photo-editing on your Windows
10 PC a intuitive experience. Included in
the package are tools to resize images, tweak the
colour levels, add frames, one-touch enhancement,
tilt shift and more so you can really go to town
taking your images to a whole new level of
brilliance in minutes.
Music & Video

You can watch, play and listen
oth of these app genres ask you to

search for downloadable files or
provide the option to load up and
play such content. Some of them allow you to
handle both data types from one app. Hence
both variants being bundled together into one
section. Both music and video have, like much of

the other data content types, been evolving at a
tremendous pace, becoming more sophisticated
with new features hanging off them like fruit from
a tree. Some offer official video or music from
major record labels or broadcasters, others give
independent content creators a look-in. Some ask

for money to experience the full experience while
others give away their files free. Whatever the
deal, be sure that, no matter what genre of music
or video you enjoy, there is bound to be a wide
selection on offer in the Windows 10 Store.
VEVO
Price: Free Developer: VEVO LLC
Already popular across all of the major
mobile devices, VEVO provides access to
music videos from all of your favourite
music stars. As well as watching videos, the app
also streams live concerts and features a bulging
database of over 75,000 music videos from more
than 21,000 artists. So if youre into music then this
is a great way to keep track of all of the exciting
new releases and get them beamed straight to your
personal computer. Whats not to like?
Recording Studio Pro

Price: 6.19/$8.99 Developer: Glauco
This app turns your PC into a multi-touch music making and editing suite in which you
can record up to 24 audio and virtual instrument tracks and piece them all together
expertly. Through the console you can split or loop tracks after recording them and
have fun experimenting with a range of sonic effects to get the sound you crave. There are 11
virtual instruments included and you can also plug in real ones with the right connection leads.
Multimedia 8
Price: Free Developer: Marcelo Garcia
With this app, you can access network
media, load subtitles, convert media
files, play 3D video and capture from all
of your external devices. When installed, the app
searches through your PC and posts what it finds
within graphic folders, showing a flavour of the
content within. With this app, you have the ability to
Play To other devices, such as a smartphone, too.
Shazam
Price: Free Developer: Shazam Entertainment Ltd
Have you ever heard a snippet of song
on an advert that you like the sound of
but have never managed to track down
exactly what it was? Shazam is the quickest and
easiest way to discover more about music, TV and
ads. This app will handily identify what you are
listening to surprisingly quickly and allow you to
buy it, share it, watch the video and get the lyrics.
Plex
Price: Free Developer: Plex
This app is universally available across
pretty much any device, and for good
reason. It neatly organises all of your
personal media and allows you to access it through
one sleek interface. With Plex you can easily stream
your videos, music, photos and home movies to
your Windows device from other home computers
(even Macs), set up playing queues and more. Its on
the pricey side, but worth it.
Sport
Keep in touch with your
favourite event or team
he crack of the cricket bat, the roar of

the rugby crowd, the heckling of the
football referee Sport you cant
beat it. No matter which sports or team you
follow, there is bound to be an app that covers it.
What role can your Windows 10 device play in a
professional sports setting? The possibilities are
limitless. Whether youre tracking the statistics on
your favourite players or lining up the bet that will
make your fortune, download a few of the best
sports apps onto your Windows 10 PC, laptop
or tablet and youre sure to have an edge on the
competition. The apps themselves range from
batting-average calculators to statistics databases
and up-to-the-minute news trackers. Sports apps
can definitely add a new dimension to a favourite
pastime or introduce you to the triumphs and
sorrows of a new sport entirely.
Onefootball
ESPN Cricinfo
Price: Free Developer: motain GmbH

If youre into your soccer then this simple
app delivers all of the latest news from
planet football. Covering all of the major
leagues (over 1,000 in all) and cup competitions, this
app provides live scores and text commentaries,
breaking news, videos, league tables, squad lists
and detailed player information. Its a great way to
keep abreast of whats happening and really comes
into its own on transfer deadline day.
Price: Free Developer: ESPN Ltd

This app features coverage of cricket
from around the world with a varied
staff that reflects that news. It includes
ball-by-ball scoring from a range of matches plus
news, breaking news, features and additional
editorial. There are a range of match reports and
in-depth analyses of games such as wagon wheel,
scoring charts, manhattans, etc. Also included are
profiles of all current and former cricketers.
Golf Scores + Stats
Download a few
of the best sports
apps and youre sure
to have an edge on
the competition
Price: Free Developer: Apptonium

This simple app lets you keep track of
your golf scores and other key statistics to
help you analyse and improve your game.
An unofficial handicap is calculated after your first
round and progress is easily observed over time.
Through this app you can also track putts, fairways
hit, greens in regulation and sand saves. A must for
golfers who like track and improve their game.
NFL on Windows
Price: Free Developer: Microsoft Studios
If youre into American football then this
app is the ultimate companion. Take your
support for your team to a whole new
level by analysing the biggest plays on a virtual
field, seeing who the top playmakers are and
tracking the fastest players with real-time distance
and speed stats as the plays unfold. Its all fabulously
presented in a neat interface and you can also
enable notifications to keep you fully in the picture
as to your teams performance.
CoachPro
Price: 3.89/$4.99 Developer: JPlusCorporation
If you coach sport then this app turns your Windows device into a virtual clipboard
onto which you can draw diagrams to illustrate a particular play or tactic to your
team. You can also animate your plays so that your players can see the full outcome
of the sequence. A wide range sports are supported and the app provides seamless switching
between court and pitch templates onto which you can plan your notes and tactics.
Books & Reference

Wealth of knowledge at your fingertips
he benefit of blending Windows 10 with

the vast resources of the internet is that
if you want to read a book or research
information within a reference section, then
you are more than likely to find what you are
looking for. Books can range from the literary
classics such as the likes of Jane Austen and Charles

Dickens to more modern fare. There are also both
paid-for and free titles these are either out of
copyright or are tomes that are privately pressed
and have been issued freely to gain publicity.
Research can be done at sites that provide a wide,
catch-all service bringing you information from all

areas of interest. More specialist research areas can
provide information from science to history and
from astronomy to gastronomy. Whatever your
needs, the internet, controlled by the easy-to-use
Windows 10 interface, will see you right.
Wikipedia
Price: Free Developer: Wikimedia Foundation
A free encyclopaedia, this service includes
a whopping 20 million articles that are
ready to examine in a similarly whopping
280 languages. This is a staggering achievement
in itself. Using open source, the app features full
sharing capabilities and search options while you
can also pin your article to read later on. The app
includes features, pictures and articles with an
interesting On this day facility and a useful recent
changes section to help with your research.
ComicBookReader
Price: Free Developer: Appbyfex
This app provides a platform with which you can read your favourite comics as either
.cbr or .cbz files (electronic comics or other JPEG compressed files). However, it's worth
bearing in mind that this app is just a shell a mere reader that gives you the space to
view your comics. It doesnt arrive with a host of files to load up and view so be aware that you
will have to have a ready archive. Once up and running though, it is simple to use.
Kindle
Price: Free Developer: AMZN Mobile LLC
The Kindle app allows you to purchase
books with a couple of mouse clicks
on the Amazon website, and then send
them to your Windows 10 Kindle app. There are
currently around one million Kindle books to
choose from including many free titles. You can also
sync your Kindle purchases across other platforms,
from Windows 10 to Android, for example.
Audiobooks from Audible

Price: Free Developer: Audible, Inc
If you enjoy reading but seldom find
the time, then you can consider an
audiobook. Through the Audible app you
can listen to books on the go and immerse yourself
in gripping stories anywhere. Whats more, the app
provides a gateway to over 100,000 audio books
from best-sellers to classics and everything in
between so youre never stuck for a good read.
Periodic Table
Price: Free Developer: Revolution Software
This app presents detailed chemical
and physical information for all of the
chemical elements and provides a
customisable view, images and links and even
allows you to pin elements to your Start screen for
easy access. So whether you have a professional
use for the periodic table or you are just a quizzer
looking to expand your knowledge, this app has
all of the symbols and atomic numbers you need.
News & Weather

Always stay dry, warm and informed
ombine the best in fast computing
technology with an internet connection
via a sprightly broadband link and you
have a wealth of information at your fingertips.
There are two distinct categories of information,
however, that depend on speed to remain relevant:
news and weather. Maintaining the latter can mean

that you can successfully plan your day. Friends and
family may or may not have to make journeys to
meet up depending on weather-based information,
while the threat of extreme weather conditions
has made such reports less a figure of amusement
and fun and more of a serious matter. Similarly,

keeping in touch with the news via computer and
the internet means that you can follow breaking
stories on a minute-by-minute basis, monitoring
a changing situation which, again, might have
repercussions for you and those closest to you.
Engadget
CNN
Sky News
Price: Free Developer: AOL

The popular, USA-based technology
and consumer electronics blog comes
to Windows 10. You can find news on
the latest smartphones, HDTVs, gaming updates
plus computers and much more. When you've
downloaded the app, you can view and listen to
media via text, videos and podcasts. Grouped
into a number of tiles, you just click on a tile to be
taken to a new screen to read the story.
Price: Free Developer: CNN Interactive Group, Inc

This application allows you to read
news features and top stories with a
live tile option that features the latest
news along with breaking news. This includes
everything from world events to sport. The design
is functional rather than technically astounding
but it places the top stories within easy reach. You
can also change the font size to personalise the
reading experience.
Price: Free Developer: British Sky Broadcasting

This app is a flashy and eye-catching as
you would expect from Sky. It delivers
all of the latest breaking news and top
stories together with live Sky News TV so that you
can stream moving images as well as read the
headlines. Packed with videos and pictures, as
well as constantly-updated news content, this is a
convenient app for staying up-to-date with all the
latest news, weather and entertainment news.
The Weather Channel

Price: Free Developer: The Weather Channel
This is a great app for up-to-the-minute
weather reports for your local area.
It includes hourly updates, a ten-day
forecast, details of the sun rise and set times, maps
to illustrate temperature and wind speed and even
a selection of videos. Everything is impeccably
presented, making this the perfect app for at-aglance updates to more specific facets of our
weather. There is certainly plenty here to keep you
enthralled beyond mere weather reports.
WeatherPro
Price: 2.29/$3.49 Developer: MeteoGroup Deutschland
This app includes seven-day forecasts featuring three hourly intervals for over two
million locations around the world. Features include global satellite plus radar for the
USA, UK and most of Europe, plus animated screens. Weather news can also be found
on a live tile on the Start screen, while the weather includes a feels like facility to gauge the realworld temperature, as you experience it.
Health & Fitness

Use your PC to stay in top condition
eed a nutritionist to answer questions
at the supermarket? Perhaps a personal
trainer for running a first-time 5K? Often,
we need an added push to go the extra mile with
exercise. For some, that extra push comes in the
form of an overzealous spin instructor or passionate
personal trainer. If your Windows 10 device isnt

already your best workout buddy, it could be.
Tracking your progress on an app makes it easier to
eat right, sleep well and push a workout harder. The
availability of health apps is climbing fast and the
industry expects the number of health and fitness
apps to quadruple between 2010 to 2016. For those

who like exercising solo or individuals who prefer
being outside the gym whether youre a runner
or need help tracking your food intake or sleep
weve rounded up the best apps that offer a good
general introduction to health and fitness.
Heart Decide
First Aid Guide
Sleep Bug
Price: Free Developer: Orca Health

This app is a multisensory learning tool
designed to help healthcare specialists
teach their patients more effectively.
It features interactive 3D animations that let
you explore the anatomy in an intensive and
fascinating way by spinning and zooming in on
a model of a beating heart. The app also features
videos on Angioplasty and Stent Placement,
among many other heart-related topics.
Price: Free Developer: Younix

Accidents and mishaps occur all the
time and you never know when the
chance to save someones life may
presents itself. This app helps you understand
the basics of first aid and what to do in an
emergency, all presented through a simple and
accessible interface. It also provides the causes and
treatments for a wide range of ailments to help
you be prepared in the event of a crisis.
Price: Free Developer: Panzertax

Sleep Bug is an ambient sound mixer
that produces a variety of scenes and
music with random sound effects.
The built-in sound generator creates a realistic
listening experience to help calm a busy mind
and is perfect for adults, children and babies who
are having trouble sleeping. You can also use it
in the office to mask out distracting noises and
improve your concentration at work.
Increase Brain Power

Price: Free Developer: Chaithanyaa
The name of this app is a little misleading
as it doesnt actually help you improve
your brain power not directly anyway.
What it does do is provide a comprehensive
rundown of the best foods to eat in order to
maximise the power output of your grey matter. It
comes with detailed descriptions on how eating a
particular food can enhance your intelligence, and
accompanying images that manage to make even
soy look interesting.
Gym Guide
Price: Free Developer: gregorysl
This guide to exercise presents you with an introductory menu that spans the range
of the body muscle, dividing them into tiled areas. When you click on a tile, a new
screen appears listing the exercises for that body area. Click on a particular exercise
and a pictorial guide will appear along with textual instructions on how to complete the
activity. There are 804 activities on offer.
Food & Dining

Feast your eyes on mouth-watering apps
re you the type to spice up your

gastronomical experience by trying
out new food recipes every now and
then? Do you enjoy a little bit of adventure, trying
new tastes, new techniques and venturing forth
into an unknown world of cultural delicacies? There
are food magazines all over newsagents with a

gamut of food channels splintering all over your
TV. The internet is similarly awash with foodie ideas
and suggestions bursting with recommendations,
but you can also check for recipes right from the
comfort of your Windows 10 device. Take a look at
the Windows Store and youll find lots of downloads

that can help you out with your food adventure,
whether you like to cook things on your own or
try new restaurants. We have listed a selection of
apps that you can try out to help you broaden your
eating horizons.
HP Recipe Box
Price: Free Developer: Hewlett-Packard Company
This app eradicates the hassle of finding
all of your stored recipes in times of need.
When you find a recipe that you would
like to store for later, you simply extract it to your
own personal recipe box and then find it easily
through categorisation. This app also enables you
to create a shopping list directly from your recipes
and have it available on your mobile device just as
youre heading out to the shops. A sure-fire way to
making cooking more convenient.
BBC Good Food

Price: Free Developer: BBC Worldwide Ltd
Featuring a large selection of delicious recipes (you get around 20 free but many more
are available as in-app purchases), this app includes a well-designed, very colourful
interface that inspires you to get in the kitchen and rustle up a healthy meal for your
family. Each recipe includes nutritional information, all are very easy to follow and theyre also
available offline. A health-conscious app to help make you a more accomplished cook.
Recipe, Menu & Cooking Planner

Price: Free Developer: Pepperplate
This is a real admin tool for cooks as it
allows you to manage your recipes, create
menus, cook with multiple timers, view
recipes, edit and prepare them while browsing
the web and sharing recipes with friends via email,
Twitter and Facebook. You can also import recipes
into the app and add to your shopping list on the
website, which automatically syncs.
Great British Chefs
Epicurious
Price: Free Developer: Great British Chefs

This app brings together over 300 recipes
from some of Britains best culinary
masters. With photography so stunning
itll make your mouth water, plus expert hints, tips
and demonstrative videos, Great British Chefs has
all the key ingredients to help transform you into a
skilful cook. You can mark your favourite recipes for
easy referral and share your best dishes.
Price: Free Developer: Conde Nast

This app delivers over 30,000 delicious
and professionally created recipes from
renowned chefs and highly-rated cookbooks. You
can save and share your favourite recipes, create
shopping lists and then email them to yourself to
refer to while out shopping. You can also see what
the thriving Epicurious community thinks of each
recipe with reviews and ratings.
Lifestyle
Live your life to the
fullest with Windows 10
he lifestyle genre of any app collection

is a bit of a strange one. It tends to
feature all of those tiny little useful apps
we use every day, which are hard to categorise
but can sometimes be attributed to more leisurelike activities. This category often features apps
that focus on how we live and why. So you will
often find unique but also crossover subjects in
this category. Explore apps for sports activities,
healthy and balanced dieting, managing
household duties, fashion and style, and also apps
for favourite hobbies such as gardening, cooking
and similar areas. Apps relating to these subjects
can be quite wide-ranging, from those that seek
information in order to do the activity and those
that help you to manage information while you
are within that activity. All of the apps tend to be
stress-relieving and enlightening.
TED
CPlus for Craigslist
Price: Free Developer: TED Conferences LLC

An intriguing app containing talks and
performances from TED (Technology,
Entertainment and Design) conferences
in HD-quality video. TED is a global set of
conferences owned by the private non-profit
Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate 'ideas
worth spreading'. The talks feature everything from
breathing metal to a bats genome and the app has
noticeably improved in its content quality.
Price: Free Developer: YanFlex

This app is a Craigslist browser that uses
GPS data to find interesting things around
you. The results are presented as grids,
photos, maps and a host of other details, and you
can save your searches and add postings to your
favourites. The beauty of this app is that it combines
the functions of multiple apps into one, freeing up
your time and delivering all of the information that
you need in one massive info-splurge.
Burning Fireplace
This category
often features
apps which focus
on how we live
and why
Price: Free Developer: Inphonite, LLC

As the winter nights draw in, nothing
beats the hypnotic glow of a log fire
unless of course you dont have one, in
which case this is the perfect alternative. This app
essentially turns your PC screen into a smouldering,
crackling fireplace that you can sit in front of and
plan your memoirs. It features authentic sound
effects and a baffling Pause/Resume function.
Rightmove Property Search

Price: Free Developer: Rightmove Group Ltd
Whether youre looking to buy a new
home or simply rent one in your local
area, the Rightmove app is a great place
to find out whats around. You can check out the
pictures or floor plan of potential new abodes
and even discover what amenities are positioned
nearby. Even if you arent fussed about moving, this
is still a great app to dip into for your fix of property
porn as you can check out some of the finest
buildings to one day aspire towards owning.
Wowcher
Price: Free Developer: Wowcher
This service sniffs out all of the best deals in your local area and allows you to redeem
meals, spa treatments, gadgets and much more at cheaper prices. You start off by
joining the mailing list by inputting your email address and location and then youll be
informed as to when new offers are available for the categories you have highlighted as being of
interest. Thanks to this app you can pick up some real bargains.
Shopping
There are plenty of shop
windows on Windows 10
echnology has fundamentally changed

society in many different ways. One of
those has to be found within the shopping
category. Shopping on a computer has been
accused of destroying the High Street (although
the major supermarkets have to take most of the
blame) but it also has given an immense of degree
of choice to people in small towns and rural
areas. Before, hard-to-find and niche goods could
only be sourced after a pre-planned and very
expensive trip to larger cities. Now, with online
shopping, all that is required is a quick peruse
on the web to source even the rarest of items.
This sort of shopping doesnt stop within the
boundaries of this country either. Europe and the
USA are popular shopping destinations. Couple
that with largely efficient delivery services and you
have a major computing success story.
CBAZAAR
Price: Free Developer: Net Avenue Technologies (P) Ltd
Taking a Bollywood twist to clothing for sale, this Indian clothing shop offers a range of
Sarees, Salwars and Lehenga in addition to menswear. Large, detailed picture tiles give
the app a sense of elegance and help you pick out specific items with ease. You can
search for clothing based on price, fabric, colour and speciality. In addition, you can shop in any
wide range of currencies; 17 are supported.
With online
shopping, a quick
peruse on the web
can source even the
rarest of items
eBay
Amazon
Price: Free Developer: eBay, Inc

eBay is generally regarded as the mecca
of the online shopping experience. A
digital form of the traditional market in
which goods are bought and sold, where auctions
are held and the variety of goods on offer is
seemingly endless. The Windows 10 version uses
a large window style that looks good on a big
monitor. Each window can be scrolled to the side
to access more information.
Price: Free Developer: Amazon.com

Devoted to the popular retail site,
Amazon allows you to search for items
on the main site as well as compare
prices and read reviews but, most importantly, to
buy products. Access to any of the worlds Amazon
sites is possible along with access to current wish
lists, cart and payment options. You can also view
popular products and recommendations. The app
uses a sideways-scrolling interface.
Wish Shopping Made Fun

Price: Free Developer: ContextLogic Inc
Wish is an online shopping mall where
you can search for products across a
wide range of categories and then get
them delivered to your door for a fraction of the
cost that youd pay on the high street. Just create
a free account and then you can enjoy stress-free
shopping from the comfort of your own couch. You
can search for items by keyword, get notifications
on price drops and instantly see how much money
you are saving.
Orchid
Price: Free Developer: Orchid Studio
Orchid is an Amazon price-tracking
app that provides price drop alerts and
price history charts for products sold on
Amazon. This means that if you are in the market
for a particular item but arent necessarily in a rush
to buy it, you can track it in this app and get alerted
when the price drops. This ensures you get the best
possible deals on items over time.
Travel
Roam far and wide
with Travel apps
ll great travel apps have one thing

in common: they all solve a problem
you didnt realise you had. That said,
with app stores bursting at the virtual seams
with software claiming to make your life easier,
being simply useful is no longer enough for app
developers aspiring to greatness. Whether theyre
cutting down journey times on your plane, train
or car ride, or pointing you in the tight direction
for authentic local nosh in Morocco, New York or
somewhere in Italy, there's something for you.
Each and every one of our travel apps has earned
its place in this list by virtue of being innovative,
quirky or just darned useful. So have a browse,
take your pick and get globe-trotting. With a few
of these on your PC, you may never look at the
world in the same way again.
FourSquare
Price: Free Developer: Foursquare Labs
This popular service exists to find places of interest nearby. By creating a free account
you can see the hottest places near to your current position and, by looking up friends
and family members, hook up with other people if they happen to be in your vicinity.
Its a good way to discover whats out there, especially if you are using it on a mobile device
while visiting new places, and will help ensure that you never miss a local hot spot.
Each and every one

of our travel apps
has earned its place
in this list by being
innovative, quirky or
just darned useful
XE Currency
National Rail Enquiries
Price: Free Developer: XE.com

A very useful currency conversion app
that is extremely easy to use and has
been doing the rounds on a variety of
platforms including iOS and Android successfully
for some time now. The app features live currency
rates so that you are always up-to-date. Rates are
refreshed every minute. The app includes all the
world currencies and precious metals listed in
alphabetical order.
Price: Free Developer: Train Information Services Ltd

If you regularly use the train, this app can
save you countless hours stood at wet
stations listening to the repetitive drawl
of the tannoy announcer proclaiming yet another
delay. Through this app you can plan a journey,
track trains and get the real-time departures and
arrivals board for any station, which should give
you plenty of insight into when you need to start
running for your train.
Skyscanner
Price: Free Developer: Skyscanner
Thinking of jetting off for a few days to
warmer climes? If you're travelling on
a budget or just looking for the best
deal on low-cost flights, this app is for you. This
independent app scans millions of routes on over
1,000 airlines, and aims to save you both time and
cash by finding the best deal among the many that
are present on any given day. It then connects you
with the right travel agent or airline. The app can
handle up to 20 languages, too.
TripAdvisor
Price: Free Developer: TripAdvisor LLC
Thanks to a wealth of features and a
huge online community, this app will
help you plan your perfect holiday. With
a huge database of reviews, photos and maps, it
offers a reliable picture of hotels, destinations and
attractions. Easy to use and highly recommended,
TripAdvisor will help you plan your itinerary so you
don't miss out on anything.
Finance
Keep a close eye on
your precious pennies
wealth of financial apps on the market

give you plenty of options to learn
how to be more responsible with your
personal finances. Are you trying to handle your
own income and expenses, manage an entire
household or run a small business? Whatever it
is you're doing or want to do, theres a program
that can help get your finances in order. Thanks
to these apps, managing money and potential
savings is easier than ever. Which app should
you use to ensure youll always be within your
spending limit, always have that holiday fund
and always be on top of your finances? Although
there are plenty of options, weve narrowed the
list down to the top five apps to help keep you
focused on your hard-earned cash without giving
yourself too much of a headache. But there are
plenty more apps on offer.
StockMap
Smart Money
Price: 1.49/$1.99 Developer: Yojowa, LLC

This app helps you track your portfolio
of stocks and shares. Apart from
essential information displayed on the
Live Tile within the app, it covers stocks, mutual
funds and indices, currency rates, currency
conversion, news headlines, both daily and long
term tracking and also comparative charting. It
also uses a heat map where the colour of each
block varies in intensity of green or red.
Price: Free Developer: SmartApp Solutions

This personal finance app allows you to
track your expenses and transactions,
check your balances and see your
spending by category, account or payee. It also
allows you to set up bill reminders, which are
displayed in the app tile on your Windows 10
Start screen. You can add multiple accounts with
different currencies and it is well designed to be
very user-friendly.
Ribbon Calculator
Managing an entire
household or running
a business? Theres a
program to get your
finances in order
Price: Free Developer: Ingress Technology

This free, easy-to-use calculator app is
ideal for accountants and everyday use
to help you calculate bills or balance a
chequebook. As well as performing any standard
operation you would expect from a calculator,
Ribbon Calculator also allows you to print off
ribbons and share with other people via email. And
it sticks to its task admirably well.
Money Watcher
Price: Free Developer: Ecsolvo Technologies
This free app provides a simple means
of managing your various expenses
and incomes. Whatever you spend can
be easily categorised to help track them further
down the line and all of your incomings and
outgoings can be effortlessly exported to other
apps. Although there are hundreds of similar apps
available, the sleek interface and the convenient
cross-platform compatibility of this app make it
worthy of recommendation.
Currency Converter +
Price: Free Developer: Bessonov Kirill
Like all the best apps available, this is a very simple program that works without any
fuss. It allows you to convert one currency to another. Before you undertake the
conversion, you select the before and after currencies and then type in the figure
that you want to convert. As you input the number, the answer is written, its that fast! You are
also given an up-to-date exchange rate so you know what you're getting for your money.
Productivity
Grab an app and get
down to business
t is the productivity element of software

where the PC has been rightly lauded.
If you want to be productive in any serious
endeavour then the PC has always, from the dawn
of computing, been the platform that has been
the go-to system. All of the top quality, most
well-known and fully featured packages have all
appeared on the PC, at one time or another, in
some guise. Of course, Microsofts own Office suite
of programs have been the stars of the show for
some time now but there are plenty of other apps
on the market that are just as accomplished an
offering, in some cases, unique features and for
free. These programs range from word processors,
databases and presentation software to complex
lifestyle planning, translation and mailing software.
If you need to get things done, then Windows 10
is in the perfect position to serve you well.
mSecure
Evernote
Price: Free Developer: mSeven Software LLC

This app provides free 256-bit encryption
for all of your personal information
and files, as well as a handy auto-lock
function to stop prying eyes being privvy to
sensitive data. The app is quick and easy to use and
provides peace of mind that your computer will be
well secured should you need to step way. You can
even mask sensitive fields in order to protect data
from onlookers.
Price: Free Developer: Evernote

If you ever find yourself urgently needing
to remember something, Evernote is an
incredibly useful app to have around. It
can span a wide range of devices and adds autosynchronisation into the bargain, so you will never
be without your reminder. An ideal app for research,
to take notes with during a meeting or while
attending a lecture, Evernote is a superior way to
stay organised.
Wunderlist
There are plenty

of apps on the
market offering
unique features
and for free
Price: Free Developer: 6 Wunderkinder GmbH

Through this app you can capture all
of your great ideas, list the important
tasks that you need to complete and the
places you need to be. You can share your lists with
other people and the app also supports Cortana, so
you can add things to your Wunderlist regardless
of which app you happen to be using on your
Windows 10 PC at the time.
Dropbox
Price: Free Developer: Dropbox, Inc
Dropbox is one of the worlds most
popular cloud storage services and this
app lets you access an existing account
or create a new one. You are provided with 2GB of
storage space for free and can upload anything,
including photos, documents and videos. As you
can get Dropbox apps for every mobile device and
computer you can access your files from anywhere,
even through a simple web browser, making it a
great alternative to flash drives.
Art Text
Price: 7.69/$9.99 Developer: BELIGHT SOFTWARE USA, LLC
An ideal program to use for creating logos, icons for apps and web images, this app
takes text input and changes it in a variety of ways, via a number of customisable
templates. You have the ability to change the shape of text as well as provide the
text with a textured finish from metal to glass. Plus there are options to fill letters with different
colours and add in special effects such as shadows and gradients.
Tools
Grease the PC wheels
with these ideal utilities
he star programs of the PC world grab

all of the headlines. That is true. Microsoft
Office is one of the heavyweights of the
computing universe, while eBay is a shopping
capital and the BBCs iPlayer is a media hub packed
with entertaining fare. None of these major apps
would get very far, however, without those tools
that ease the pain of day-to-day computer use.
Their task might only be small and, quite possibly,
rather one-dimensional, but many of these tools
do their own niche job well. So well that many of
us simply wouldnt use a computer without them.
This section gives you a brief idea about what
kind of tools are available for use, and you'll be
pleased to learn that many of them are free too.
Take a look. Even if you havent used them before,
you might discover that they act as a solution to a
problem you never knew that you had.
Calculator2
Price: Free Developer: Richard Walters
This advanced calculator is packed with features and options. Its basic selling point
is that it stands as five calculators in one: Basic, Scientific, Programmer, Currency
Converter and Unit Converter. With that lot, you get 125 mathematical functions to use
along with statistical functions for memory values. For the currency add-on there are 150 world
currencies supported along with 200 units for conversions across 17 categories.
No major apps
would get very
far without those
tools of day-to-day
computer use
Google
Network Speed Test
Price: Free Developer: Google Inc

The most popular search engine in
the world, Google Search allows you
to search the entire internet from the
apps home screen. Features include a voice
search option using a microphone, plus an
instant previews mode to browse search results
without having to enter the actual website. You
can also click on the History icon to access all of
your past searches.
Price: Free Developer: Microsoft Research

Using servers all over the world, Network
Speed Test measures your network
connections latency and throughput.
Based on the results, the app will then handily
inform of you of what you can and cant do on your
computer, based on your connection speed such
as stream music or make a video call. Its certainly
a useful app to have around if only to satisfy your
curiosity that youre getting what you pay for.
Microsoft Phone Companion

Price: Free Developer: Microsoft Corporation
This app helps you get the things that
you love about your Windows 10 PC
onto your mobile device. For example,
if you own an Android device or an iPhone then
this app makes it possible to automatically sync
content from your PC across. The process is made
easy thanks to the way in which the app guides you
through it and everything can be kept nicely up to
date on your mobile device simply by connecting it
to your computer.
Alarm Clock
Price: Free Developer: See Sharp Guys
This app is designed as a nightstand
companion, so it may not be particularly
useful if youre using a desktop computer.
You can use it to set alarms, choose your own
wake up sounds or tunes from your own personal
library, and customise the clock face with your own
colours or backgrounds. Just be warned that if your
computer goes to sleep, so will your alarms.
Security
Stay safe and sleep easy
with security apps
omputer security issues make the

news just about everyday, from
malicious apps to malware. While
Windows is a flexible and easy-to-use operating
system available on a wide variety of devices, the
threats make it extremely essential for users to
install extra security options. Keep in mind that
the most basic security precautions, like passwordprotecting your device and setting it to auto-lock
after a period of time dont require a separate app.
But dont stop there. From anti-virus apps (crucial
at this point) to enhanced password protection, its
worth looking at more advanced options. The vast
number of security apps available for the platform
makes it impossible to cover them all, but this
should give you a good idea of what's available to
protect your Windows device and the data that
resides within it.
Super Password Generator
VPN Unlimited
Price: Free Developer: PinoyTouchtech

If you want to apply the highest
password security to your PC, this app
uses a Crytographic Random Number
Generator to make sure that the passwords
it generates are totally unique and never get
duplicated. The app also generates QR codes that
you can scan with any device. Its an easy-to-use
app that provides sound peace of mind that your
important data is secure.
Price: Free Developer: Keepsolid Inc

VPN Unlimited provides encrypted,
secure and private internet connection
across all of your devices. It doesnt
restrict the internet connection speed or
bandwidth, fully sustaining your online privacy. The
service offers a number of security options, such as
allowing access to territory-restricted web content,
allowing you to surf anonymously and providing
extra security when using Wi-Fi hotspots.
Network Port Scanner
The threat
landscape has
made it essential
for users to install
extra security"
Price: Free Developer: Cenix

This is a useful free app for helping you
get your PCs network ports in order. The
app will scan your computers ports to
test your network security. You can see what ports
are open on your network and the IP addresses that
they use. You can also set up an IP range and a port
range to scan. Thats pretty much it, but it performs
its tasks admirably well.
LastPass
Price: Free Developer: LastPass
This app makes your online activity quick
and easy by remembering all of your
website passwords and allowing you to
log into your sites with a single click. With so many
websites requiring passwords to access, this app
neatly stores them all, meaning that all you need to
do is remember one single master password. Once
you enter this, LastPass will fill in all of your logins for
you. All of your data is also synced so you can login
no matter which device you are using.
LockIt
Price: Free Developer: RNG Labs
A perfect security app to store all of your passwords, credit card information, bank
account data, software keys and more. You can sync this information across all of
your Windows 10 devices. A key is generated using the users master password using
PBKDF2 with 10,000 iterations. All data is then encrypted using AES-256. The app also utilises a
number of keyboard shortcuts to make operation faster to keep your PC safe and sound.
Business
Enhance your career
with Windows 10 apps
he featured apps listed here represent

a wide variety of software. What they
all have in common are ways to enhance
your business. Some of the apps focus on financial
aspects, allowing you to easily manage a general
ledger, accounts payable and receivables. Other
apps focus on productivity. They allow the
creation and management of documents that
comprise your business data, help you keep
sensitive data protected and retained within
company walls and aid communication and
collaboration among employees, customers
and external contacts. As apps become more
prevalent and more powerful, entrepreneurs
and small business owners are relying on these
savvy tools to help their businesses grow and run
more smoothly. These top five apps can get you
organised, connected and help you succeed.
I Love Calculator
Price: 0.99/$1.49 Developer: BungBungame Inc
If you need to find a simple and easy-to-use calculator, this app will provide one
just for you. It goes further than that, though, because it also offers a rather more
technical screen that allows you to input professional engineering functions including
Trigonometric, Exponential and Logarithmic functions and Pi-functions. It also includes a rather
fun selection of skins for the calculator itself.
Some of the
apps focus on
financial aspects.
Other apps focus
on productivity
Easy Invoice Creator
Box
Price: 1.49/$1.99 Developer: Brizz

A simple app but one that will save a lot
of time for many small businesses. This
program does all the work and creates
an invoice for you based on a simple template.
You add your company details so that they
automatically flow into the new invoice.
You can then store or print the details. The layout
is clean and simple, and it takes very little time to
complete a typical invoice.
Price: Free Developer: Boy, Inc

Box is a simple and effective cloud
computing service that gives you 5GB of
free space to store your files. The intuitive
interface makes it easy to access and edit your files,
share content and stay connected with your work
team from anywhere and on any device. Its a good
way to share files with co-workers and have them
collaborate on them without having to book a
meeting room.
Splashtop Personal
Price: Free Developer: Splashtop Inc
This remote desktop app provides
high-performance remote access to
your PC or Mac from your Windows
tablet. It is capable of delivering full audio and HD
video streaming and is optimised for whatever
connection method (Wi-Fi or 3/4G) you are
using. Connecting is easy as long as you have the
software installed on both devices and it could be
a life saver if you need to access your office PC to
retrieve important documents on the move.
World Academy Online

Price: Free Developer: INTERSOG LLC
An educational app that introduces
a range of courses from introductory
surveys of general professional concepts,
to advanced courses focusing on applied concepts
specific to business, management or finance.
Although the app is labelled free, you only get
the first lesson, then you have to pay around $15
(approx 9) to complete each course.
Education
Learn on your PC and
have fun along the way
he wave of the future is here, in

particular for education and learning.
Terms like 21st Century Computing, BYOD
(Bring Your Own Device) and Cloud Computing
have now become mainstream. The introduction of
mobile devices and tablets has brought technology
to more students than ever before. A one-to-one
computing environment is not only a possibility
but also a reality in more schools than people
realise. Teachers can use apps for everything from
communicating with students to dissecting virtual
frogs. Whether youre currently in school or just
seeking a little self-improvement, a whole host of
Windows apps are just waiting to enhance your
knowledge base. Weve picked a few of the top
applications in a number of categories but they
are but a mere taster of whats available within the
Windows 10 app store.
Mars Rover: Curiosity
Star Chart
Price: Free Developer: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

This app is more of a taster for the
main website on the Rover. It provides
a mouse-driven guided tour around
the labelled, 3D graphic-generated Rover, plus a
recorded video of the initial landing of the Rover
using the actual video of NASA control and CGI of
the Rover itself landing on Mars. Apart from these
two features, other links direct you to another app
or the information-packed website.
Price: Free Developer: Escape Velocity Limited

A star gazing and astronomy app. You
can explore rendered versions of a
variety of planets, moons, rings, stars,
constellations and messier objects. You can also
move through a timeline to see how the sky
has changed by up to 10,000 years. The app
shows all the stars of the northern and southern
hemispheres up to a magnitude of +10, which
amounts to a collection of over 120,000 stars!
Dictionary 8
A whole host of
Windows apps
are just waiting
to enhance your
knowledge base
Price: Free Developer: Technocrux

If you do a lot of writing on your
computer then there are times when you
will undoubtedly be stuck for a particular
word or phrase, which is where this simple but
effective app comes in. Dictionary 8 contains over
two million unabridged definitions, synonyms,
example sentences, verbs, adjectives, nouns and
prepositions. Very useful to have to hand.
My Study Life
Price: Free Developer: My Study Life
This app provides a comprehensive
planner for students, teachers and
lecturers to store timetables and mark up
assignments and exam revision planners. Through a
simple interface you can track tasks, get reminders
for when things are due and manage your classes
so you can see, at-a-glance, what youve got on
any given day. All of your planners are also synced
to the cloud so that you can access them from any
device. A must for academics.
About Countries
Price: Free Developer: Ekkoratha
Whether its purely for educational purposes or as a quick an easy means to boost your
trivia knowledge, About Countries features bite-sized information on the 190-odd
countries in the world. This information includes the flags, the capital cities, the main
unit of currency, the primary language spoken, time zones and more. Everything is presented in
a simple fashion, making this a handy app to dip into when you need to know something.
Government
Big information on a grand scale
ou hear a lot about the appropriate

size of government. But one type of
smaller government that all sides can
agree on is moving helpful applications, or apps,
to computing devices, where they can be used
by the public for free at any time and almost
any location. One thing to note is that most (not

all) government apps today are rather primitive
compared to private sector offerings. This isnt
necessarily a bad thing. If youre trying to find
your embassy in a foreign country in a hurry, you
probably dont want to have to tackle a level
of Angry Birds first. The second thing to note

about todays crop of government apps is that
almost all of them act as a mobile gateway to
information stored in other forms. There are a few
exceptions but, for the most part, government
apps are little more than simple databases.
Election Essential
Price: Free Developer: MoRage
If you like to keep an eye on US
government current affairs, this app
provides an up-to-date rundown of all of
the essential election information about local State
Ballots and Federal Candidates. If you want to
know who is running for US Senate or House and
research voting records then this is an insightful
download. You can also source campaign finance
information for all candidates, including who they
are being financed by and much more.
The White House

Price: Free Developer: BRIDGE-BUILDING MEDIA GROUP
Devoted to the White House, this app provides a contact point with the US
Government, allowing you to stay informed with the political movements in
Washington. Hence, you can see a video on a bill to support children to stop or
prevent them from taking up smoking, features on Middle Class tax cuts and a White House
blog feed that can be downloaded in MP3 and MP4.
World Statistics
Price: Free Developer: T.O.K.
This app is the digital equivalent of one
of those factual books that always used
to reside in the toilet an app packed
full of interesting and insightful facts and stats. This
app can help teach you anything from how many
people are living on the earth, how much longer
our planets fuel reserves are likely to hold out and
much more besides. It makes interesting reading.
Top American Speeches

Price: Free Developer: DaksaTech
This app lists the top 100 speeches in
American history. Organised by the title
of the speech, the speaker is shown in
photographic form. Click the photo for the entire
text. It would have been welcome to have seen
some video footage but the text remains often
stirring and inspirational. Speakers include FD
Roosevelt, JF Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
UK Monarchs
Price: Free Developer: Casey_boy
Handy for expanding your quizzing
knowledge, this app allows you to
view every monarch of the United
Kingdom from Queen Anne (1707), through to
Queen Elizabeth II of the present day. You can
sort by royal household or century and links are
also provided for information on the monarchs
prpiroiror to the formation of the UK. Plenty of info
and images are provided.
tr Spe
ia c
l o ia
ffe l
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From the makers of Windows 10

Tips, Tricks & Apps
Windows10
The Start menu is back! In this guide to Windows 10 we take
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6 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

Customise the Start menu in Windows 10

Master the advanced power settings

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 7

8 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

of Windows 7s Start menu with the

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 9

he Windows desktop has been a feature

10 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

apps found on tablets and mobile phones. Apps are

The Windows Store is a fantastic place to find and

Toshiba Europe GmbH

All apps listing that is like the All programs list,

It is a good idea to back up your files before

Can I keep the

so be prepared to install fresh copies of your

What is missing from

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 11

The return of the Start menu

the wake-up call Hey, Cortana! You can then ask it

Cortana can make

12 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

Browse with Edge

New and improved apps

Although it was possible to tile

Groove music app

The Settings app

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 13

ost PCs running older versions of

Download and install the latest version

1: Download the installer

2: Select the media type

3: Burn the disc

Windows 10 can be installed from a USB flash drive

You are prompted to save the ISO file, and it is

14 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

pgrading to Windows 10 is often

version that you have. To switch from 32-bit to

Enhance your system

1: Get the upgrade

2: Select the upgrade

If you dont see an upgrade prompt, go to

When the download tool is running, it checks

4: Restart and install

3: Download and install

4: Use Express settings

Restart the computer and look for an option to

There is little to do once the process starts

Near the end when Windows 10 has almost

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 15

16 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

indows 10 has more

For example, you can choose what is

share websites, apps and other content. You

Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps 17

Quick access to Settings

Get the old Start screen

There are several ways to access Settings, and

If you were a Windows 8 user and became familiar

Tile new apps

18 Windows 10 Tips, Tricks & Apps

Use File History