Windows SIG Happy Valentines Day!

Transcription

1 Windows SIG Happy Valentines Day!

2 New USB & SD Card Image Burning Tool Etcher is a new, simplified image burning tool, here s the link for download and more information Here s a screen shot of the GUI:

3 Fast Boot A common complaint of Users is that my computer is slow Malware removal can have a positive effect on performance, however The two options that will provide a User with an exponential increase in speed, are: 1. A clean install and if you want to pursue this option you should ensure that you have the availability of the installation disks and the app license. This is procedure is best done by the Help Center, or 2. Replace your mechanical drive with an SSD drive, the prices continue to drop and there performance continues to improve! SSD drives are also best installed by the Help Center Best SSD brands AData, Crucial and or Samsung Best sources Amazon and or Newegg You will be amazed at the increased performance with either of these options

4 Microsoft Excel Users If you are an Excel User following is a link to a variety of high value templates, for a variety of subjects, that can save you a lot of work!

5 A Browser Alternative Most objective appraisers consider Google Chrome to be the best of the available browsers and Google to be the best for search If you employ Chrome you should consider the following extensions, all of which are available in the Google store and are free 1. bingtogoogle changes the search from Bing to Google 2. AdBlock, blocks ads 3. Privacy Badger blocks tracking There is a new browser that gets better by the day and is built on the Google Chrome technology All of the same extensions are available, plus WOT which is not available in Chrome Guidance for browser technology is that Users should always have two or more browsers available on the Taskbar. Chrome and Vivaldi make a good combination Vivaldi has numerous customizations and is available, free, at this link

6 Windows 10 Accounts

7 Win10 Provides for Two Types of User Accounts 1. A Local Account Provides for use of the Windows 10 operating system on the local machine A Local Account can or cannot employ a password for logon to the local machine 2. A Microsoft Account Provides for use of the Windows 10 operating system on the local machine A Microsoft Account can or cannot employ a password for logon to the local machine, You can determine your current account type, change or manage your account type as follows, click the Windows icon, then Settings > Accounts and follow the prompts

8 Microsoft Account Features 1. An additional account, or you can use an existing account 2. A web based version of Microsoft Office 3. A single logon to Skype 4. Access to OneDrive from anywhere with Internet access 5. A single sign on to Xbox Live 6. Full access to the Microsoft Store 7. Customization of MSN 8. Single logon to all Microsoft websites 9. Enhanced security on the local machine N.B. If you have a Hotmail.com, Live.com, MSN.com or an Outlook.com, you already have a Microsoft account You can find out more about each feature at this link

9 Settings Part II

10 Recovery is a Key Setting, With Many Options The Recovery option is available as follows, Windows icon > Settings > Update & Security, page down to Recovery, in the left panel and three options are provided: 1. RESET this option will reinstall the operating system, keep all files but will require the reinstallation of apps, a list of items to be reinstalled will be placed on the Desktop 2. ADVANCE STARTUP this option will restart your PC and permit booting from a USB or DVD, access to troubleshooting options like System Restore and safe mode, plus access to an image on an external device 3. MORE RECOVERY OPTIONS which is intended as a link to a Clean Install option (this link is of no value to those that employ the Media Conversion Tool)

11 Power & Sleep Settings Power & Sleep settings are accessible as follows, Windows icon > Settings > System, page down to Power & Sleep in the left panel You can determine when the screen goes dark and when the computer goes into Sleep Mode

12 Devices Is where you install and modify printer and scanners and is accessible as follows, Windows icon > Settings > Devices, the Printers and Scanners in the left panel This link permits the installation, management, selecting the default and deleting of printers If you page down the right panel there is a key setting Let Windows Manage My Default Printer The recommendation is that you switch the toggle to Off to avoid problems

13 Add Another User to the Computer The guidance is, that if multiple people e are to share the computer that each should have separate account logon To add another User click the Windows icon > Settings > Accounts and in the left panel page down to Family & Other People and click In the right panel you will see the options Click the desired option and follow the prompts

14 Date & Time When doing a clean install the default setting will be Pacific Time, other times the time, date or time zone can get corrupted, here s the fix Click the Windows icon > Settings > Time & Language, then in the left panel click Date & Time In the right panel, pick your issue and follow the prompts

15 Ease of Access For those Users with hearing or vision issues, these settings may help Click the Windows icon > Settings > Ease of Access and in the left panel there are three settings 1. Narrator is for those with serious sight issues, clicking the Narrator toggle to on with activate a narration of the web page 2. Magnifier will let the User enlarge the print, and 3. High Contrast will provide a variety of page/print contrasts to impove visibility

16 Privacy There are a myriad of privacy settings that will permit a User to customize their installation Each User should explore the privacy settings so you will understand your options and the effect on your installation e.g. if the Location toggle is turned off, the weather app will not display properly To review the privacy options, click the Windows icon > Settings > Privacy and you will see the categories in the left panel, click a category and the options will display in the right column The Privacy settings are a work in progress and will be improved in future Windows updates

17 Other Important Settings

18 MSCONFIG is an Important Link to Know To access msconfig, right click the Windows icon and select Run from the Menu and in the Open box, type msconfig > OK The msconfig link provides the following options: The option for Selective or Diagnostic Startup which loads minimal drives to assist with trouble-shooting Change the boot order so as to be able to boot into Safe Mode Disable, enable and or hide Microsoft services to facilitate trouble-shooting The Start tab takes a User to Task Manager where running processes can be viewed and adjusted, and System Restore can be accessed via the Tools tab, page down towards the bottom, highlight System Restore > Launch

19 IPCONFIG is also an Important Link to Know To boot ipconfig, right click the Windows icon, select Command Prompt (admin) > Yes to prompt, type ipconfig opposite system 32 > Enter and you will get a display Ipconfig has several important functions: It will provide a User the IP address of the router, and It will provide a quick indication of connection problems, if any When you turn on your computer it automatically goes to your ISP to get an address which typically is 192.xxx or 10.xx, is opposite Default Gateway and the address of your router Copy the address, paste it into the address bar of a Browser > Enter to access the router GUI If there is no address opposite Default Gateway there is either a configuration problem or router problem, and If opposite IPv4 you see a 169.xxx address, an invalid address has been indicated by your ISP and you will not be able to access the Internet until resolved Sometimes, turning off the computer, unplugging the power from the router and waiting several minutes before powering up again will resolve, other times not If powering down and then up does not resolve your problem, the issue is best resolved by someone in the Help Center