Windows 10 - Updated

Good Afternoon, After much head-shaking, hand-shaking, writing cramps, and lots and lots of sugar, we are proud to present the updated edition of surviving the move to Windows 10:

Part I – Introduction 

Upgrade to Windows 10 for Free? What does that mean? Will it wreck my computer, destroy My Documents? What if everything goes wrong? Do I have to upgrade?

We have been there too – Microsoft is now offering a deal for all users with Windows 7 and up – upgrade to their latest operating system for free. So we looked it up, researched it, and then just simply upgraded to find out what would happen.

Our Story:

Brian and I are computer gurus, we enjoy experimenting, testing and researching. But most of all, we are computer users. Every day, we have to turn on our computers, and work and play and everything has to work just right. Most of us approach computers like we do cars, we need things done now and the computer has to wake up, and work right. If something is broken, our world is broken, and we can no longer be productive. So we did the experiment for you – I upgraded my Windows 8.1 laptop in August, my brother upgraded his Windows 7 laptop in September. For the first month, all sorts of things went wrong. My keyboard wouldn’t work with the laptop, it wouldn’t turn on consistently, the startup screen froze, and it was always demanding a Microsoft Account (also free). I got the Microsoft Account, logged in, and was blown away. The screen was perfect. The start menu was back, my documents were still there, and it looked for all the world like a normal desktop should look.

My conclusion:

Microsoft released Windows 10 early. In July and August, it wasn’t ready – there were small bugs that kept things from acting normally. In September, things were starting to iron out, with some minor glitches (like the computer not hibernating when I closed the lid). In October, I have had only one glitch - Cortana sometimes doesn’t like to wake up. One week ago, my friend’s Windows 7 hard drive crashed. The big problem we all fear, that all of our data will somehow meet the datasphere death and all our hard work will be gone. My friend was running Windows 7. I received his broken computer, and with the help of my technical minded father in law, we cleaned out the inside and outside, removed malware, and booted up Windows 7. Then, we decided to just launch my poor friend into the future with Windows 10 – free upgrade (my friend is not computer savvy). We gave it back to him with Office 2010 and Windows 10. Works perfectly, I keep checking with him to ask how his computer is running. He is fine, his documents were all saved, and Windows 10 has been as good Windows 7 ever was.

Should I install Windows 10? What will change? The surprising answer is – not much. Windows 10 at its heart, is just another operating system. It is built to launch on any computer that natively can handle Windows 7 or better. It has a start screen, it has internet, and it has all the basics that you would expect. We have separated this guide into 2 sections; a quick overview of some of the new features, and a setup guide for adjusting / tweaking things like privacy settings, personalization, and cleanup.

Part II – New Features:

 Cortana:

A throwback from early smart phones, Cortana is a search bar located just to the right of your Start Menu. Click your mouse in the search bar, and you can search for anything from your computer or the internet! Need MS word? Right there. How about that last document you were working on that started with the word ‘Interact’? Right there! The last picture you took that you named ‘test’ because you wanted to check the lighting. Again, right there. Search for ‘most famous building’ and Bing will search for you. Ask for the weather and Cortana will simply tell you. You get the idea.

Stacked with features, Cortana is really just a fancy search bar. The nice thing is, instead of a Google search bar, which only looks at the internet, Cortana will search within your computer, your MY Documents and more. This is handy, if like me, you never remember where you put things.

·         To use Cortana, either say ‘Hey Cortana’, if you have a microphone, or just type in the search box.

·         You can type a keyword, phrase or name of the document or program.

·         You can also search the Internet using the same search bar.

  

Start Screen:

The new Windows 10 Start menu combines the traditional start button with a modern feel – an app launcher. It doesn’t matter if you had Windows 7, XP, or Windows 8. The start screen is both fresh and new, and old and familiar. It has 2 sides, one that mimics all the windows versions, and one side that is a tribute to Windows 8.1 You can customize both sides, simply by right clicking on a tile, or a given application(also called program), and choosing to pin that to the; start menu, desktop, or taskbar.

·         Click on the ‘All App’ button on the lower left hand corner to bring up all your installed programs and applications.

·         The app launcher displays a variety of interactive apps that Microsoft gives you. You can add or remove them at any time. If you remove them, the application will still be on your computer, but it won’t appear on your modern app launcher.

o   To remove a button, right click on the icon, and click ‘Unpin from Start’.

o   To add an application, right click on a program (like Microsoft Word) and click ‘Pin to Start’

o   You can enlarge or reduce your App launcher bringing your mouse cursor to the right side of the box that opens, until the cursor looks like a double arrow. Then, click and hold, and drag the start menu to as wide or narrow as you would like.

Microsoft Edge:

Forget Internet explorer, it has finally been sent on a long journey. New from Microsoft is ‘Microsoft Edge’ the light little browser. This browser is a much-needed upgrade from Internet Explorer. If you’re like me, you only use I.E. if you have to. I prefer Google Chrome. Why? It’s fast. It’s easy. And it doesn’t crash. I was skeptical at first. But Edge delivers. It is a drastic improvement over I.E. Here is a quick list of the new features Edge offers:

 ·         Hub: The new settings and all-in-one tab. Hub stores your favorites, reading lists, browsing history, and all current downloads. This is very similar to Google Chrome’s triple bar in the top right corner.

·         Notes: You can now take notes directly on a webpage! You can draw, circle, and write to yourself. Edge will save a copy of the webpage you marked up on your computer. The next time you open the web page, all your notes are right there.

·         Reading: In addition to favorites, Edge has a new feature to save sites: a reading list. You can save articles you want to read later. You can read these offline, or online. Edge also offers a Reading Mode, which only displays the text of a webpage, and blocks all the ads, pictures, and unwanted links and distractions.

PART III - Personalize Windows 10

 Change Default Apps:

You may notice many of your default programs including Media Player, Web Browser, Etc. have been changed to a new set of default apps put into place by Windows 10. To change these settings follow the steps below:

·         Open the Start menu.

·         Click on Settings in the lower left.

·         Click System.

·         Click Default Apps.

·         Scroll through the list, and change them to your preference.

  

Start Menu:

The start screen, you may notice, has two sides, the left side is similar to the old Windows 7, with your programs and documents, and the right side uses tiles similar to the Metro Interface in Windows 8 and 8.1.  You can customize both sides, and you can also adjust the size of the entire Start Menu! Simply Click and Drag the Top Edge of the Start Menu to make it larger or smaller.

The Left Side:

·         To Move an item up or down the list, Click and Drag the item up or down.

·         To Remove an item, Right Click on the item, and Select Remove from this List.

·         To Add an item, Click on All Programs on the left side of the start menu, and find the program you wish to add. Then, Click and Drag the icon to the Start Button. You will see the tooltip change to Pin to Start Menu, which is your cue to drop it there.

Adding Special Items to the Left Side:

This is a little more involved, but you can add things like Documents, Downloads, and Control Panel to the left side for quick access.

·         Click to Open the Start Menu

·         Right Click somewhere on the edge of the start menu. You should see a small dialog box come up with Personalize and Properties.

·         Click on Properties.

·         Click on the Start Menu Tab at the top.

·         Click Customize.

·         A box will pop up with a list of options you can add to your Start Menu! Check the boxes you want to add and Click Ok.

 The Right Side:

The hand side is full of differently sized and colored tiles. Here you can move them around, or re-arrange them by clicking and dragging the tiles.

·         To Resize a tile, Right Click on the tile, and Select Resize.

·         To Move a tile, Click and Drag the tile around to move it.

·         To Remove a tile, Right Click on the tile, and Select Unpin from Start.

·         To Add a tile, Click on All Programs on the left side of the start menu, and find the program you wish to add. Then, Right Click on the program, and Select Pin to Start.

·         To Uninstall an App completely, Right Click on the tile, and Select Uninstall. (See more about Uninstalling Apps under Advanced Steps).

Live Tiles:

Some of these tiles are news, or weather tiles and are updated live. While this may be useful, it can also be very distracting. Here’s how to turn off Live Tiles:

·         Right Click on the tile you want to change.

·         Click Turn Live Tile Off.

Action Center:

The Action center is a blend of Notification Icons from Windows 7 (the little white flag in the bottom right corner) and the Notifications for Apps like in Windows 8 or your phone. The new Action Center is a hub for everything from reminders, to calendar notifications, to alerts for your PC. There are a few different steps you can take to customize what is displayed in the Action Center and what isn’t.

 ·         Open the Start Menu

·         Click on Settings in the lower left.

·         Click System.

·         Click Notifications and Actions

·         You can choose which apps send notifications and which don’t.

·         You can also select 4 “Quick Actions” at the top. These are actions that will remain visible at all times.

WifiSense:

A lot of people are making a big deal about Windows 10 sharing wifi passwords automatically. This can be helpful, but it can also be a security risk. To make sure this is turned off, follow the steps below:

·         Open the Start menu.

·         Click on Settings in the lower left.

·         Click on Network and Internet.

·         Click on Wifi.

·         On the right pane, Click Manage Wifi Settings.

·         Make sure Connect to Hotspots, and Connect to Networks are both turned off.

·         As an added security measure, look through Saved Wifi Networks, and remove any you no longer need or use.

Automatic Updates:

Windows 10 Home Edition has no way to disable Automatic Upadates. Furthermore, Windows will update them whenever they feel like it. However, we do have a little control over your computer restarting whenever it feels like it:

·         Open the Start menu.

·         Click on Settings.

·         Click on Update and Security.

·         Under Windows Update, Click on Advanced Options.

·         Change the top setting from Automatic to Notify to Schedule Restart.

·         Pro-Tip: you may also want to change a hidden setting: Update from more than one place.

·         On the same page: Click on Choose How Updates are Delivered.

·         Turning this setting off can help your computer refrain from downloading updates from multiple sources.

Privacy:

Just like with any new update, Windows 10 would like to announce to the world what you’re doing, where, when, and who. Here is how to lock your PC down a little:

·         Open the Start Menu.

·         Click on Settings.

·         Click on Privacy.

You will see a list of categories on the left hand column. Let’s go over these one by one:

General:

·         You can choose to turn all 4 settings under general off without it affecting user experience if you want. I personally turned all of these off.

 Location:

·         This is a global setting, if you don’t tend to use apps with location (weather, news etc.) you can turn it off here which will disable it for every app.

Camera and Microphone:

·         You can choose to turn it off for all apps, or instead, choose which apps you want to allow Camera and Microphone for. I left Skype on.

Speech, Inking, and Typing:

·         This setting works with Cortana, the new “Siri” of Microsoft. If you are willing to work without Cortana, turn this off. If you want to use Cortana, leave it on.

Account Info:

·         I turned this off as well, but if you want facebook, etc. to know your name, picture, etc. you may leave it on.

Contacts:

·         I turned this off also.

File Explorer

First, you may notice File Explorer is back! Back, with some new icons on the left. Here’s how to de-clutter it a little:

·         Open File Explorer

·         Click File at the top.

·         Click Change Folder and Search Options.

·         At the top, change the pulldown setting from Quick Access to This PC.

·         Click Apply. This will change the default look when you Open File Explorer.

·         Next: Click General, then Click Privacy. Uncheck “Show frequently used folders in Quick Access”. This will remove the newly added icons, leaving just the Win7 icons.

Advanced Steps and Keyboard Shortcuts:

 Remove Windows Apps:

By customizing the start menu, you can choose which apps to be displayed. However, what if you want those apps you don’t use to be completely un-installed off of your computer? Here are two ways to un-install them permanently:

Un-install:

·         Open the Start menu

·         Click on Settings in the lower left

·         Click System

·         Click Apps and Features.

·         Scroll through the list, click on one you wish to remove, and Click Un-install (Be careful not to remove one that is actually a full program!).

Force Un-install:

You may notice some of the apps have a greyed out uninstall button. To remove those, follow the below steps to force your computer to un-install them:

·         Open the Start Menu

·         Type in PowerShell in the search bar.

·         Right Click on PowerShell

·         Click Run As Admin

·         I have created a table of all the programs and associated commands to remove the programs. First, find the App you want to remove, then type in the Code from the right hand column and Click Enter.

·         Wait, what is that vertical line between the first half of the code and the second half of the code? The line is located on your keyboard above the Enter key. Be sure to use the shift key when typing this character.

  

3D	Get-AppxPackage *3d* | Remove-AppxPackage
Camera	Get-AppxPackage *camera* | Remove-AppxPackage
Mail and Calendar	Get-AppxPackage *communi* | Remove-AppxPackage
Money, Sports, News and Weather	Get-AppxPackage *bing* | Remove-AppxPackage
Groove Music, Film, and TV	Get-AppxPackage *zune* | Remove-AppxPackage
People	Get-AppxPackage *people* | Remove-AppxPackage
Phone Companion	Get-AppxPackage *phone* | Remove-AppxPackage
Photos	Get-AppxPackage *photo* | Remove-AppxPackage
Solitaire	Get-AppxPackage *solit* | Remove-AppxPackage
Voice	Get-AppxPackage *soundrec* | Remove-AppxPackage
Xbox	Get-AppxPackage *xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage Ack! Did you notice all the red warnings? It’s okay, it actually installed just fine, you can ignore the warnings.