Microsoft Windows Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 01-05-2025

Six years after saying Windows 10 was the “last” version of Windows, Microsoft released Windows 11 on October 5, 2021. Although some people say it’s just Windows 10 with a new coat of paint, Windows 11 adds a few new features, removes some old ones, and changes the look and feel of Windows in some subtle ways. These tips help you work with the latest edition of Windows, Windows 11.

Article / Updated 08-10-2023

You can transfer files yourself if you're moving from a Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 PC. You can do this with a combination of a Microsoft account and the built‐in File History backup program in Windows. You tell the program to back up your old PC's files, and then you tell your new PC's program to restore the files. However, you need a portable hard drive for this to work. Portable hard drives are fairly inexpensive, usually costing less than $100. But there's a bonus: When you're through transferring the files, the drive works perfectly for backing up your new computer. To transfer files from an old Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 computer to a new Windows 10 computer, follow these steps: If you're running Windows 7 on your old PC, upgrade it to Windows 10.For many Windows 7 owners, this is probably a deal breaker. Unless, of course, you took advantage of the free Windows 10 upgrade offer that ended July 29, 2016. Now that the deadline has passed, Windows 7 owners might be better off by buying a file transfer program.If you're running Windows 8, 8.1, or 10 on your old PC, move ahead to Step 2. If you've already been using File History on your old PC, jump to Step 5. Otherwise move to Step 3. Sign in with your Microsoft account on your old PC.When you sign in with a Microsoft account, Microsoft remembers many of your settings and services so it can duplicate them on other PCs you sign into. Plug the portable hard drive into your old PC and then set up File History to save your files onto the portable hard drive.File History comes built into Windows 8, 8.1, and 10. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to back up your files for the first time.While File History backs up your files, it shows the statement "File History is saving copies of your files for the first time." (It also lists the word Stop in case you want to stop the backup.) When File History has finished backing up your files to the portable drive, those words change to say "Files last copied," followed by the date and time it finished backing up your files, as shown. At that point, move to Step 5. Sign into your new Windows 10 PC with the same Microsoft account you used on your old PC. Then plug the portable hard drive into your new computer.By signing in with your Microsoft account, your settings automatically transfer to your new PC. (The wallpaper on your new PC quickly changes to match your old PC, letting you know that something is happening.) Open File History and direct your new Windows 10 PC toward your old File History backup. On your new Windows 10 PC, click the Start button and type File History into the Search box and press Enter. The Control Panel's File History window appears, as shown. Click the check box labeled I Want to Use a Previous Backup on this File History Drive. A window drops down, listing the backup you've made on your old PC. Click its name, and click the Turn On button. Your new PC begins backing up its files for the first time, but these incoming files won't damage your old PC's backup. Choose Restore Personal Files from the File History window's left pane. Choose the files and folders to restore and then click the green Restore button. Click the Forward or Back arrows next to the big green button along the window's bottom until you find the date and time of the files you'd like to restore.For example, if you used File History on your old PC for the first time in Step 4, click the Back arrow (on the left) until you're at the Number 1 backup. If you've been using File History on your old PC all along, click the Forward arrow (on the right) to move to your most recent backup. When you're viewing the files or folders you want to restore, click the green button found on the window's bottom edge, shown here. File History begins copying your old PC's files and folders onto your new PC. If there are no complications, your new PC should soon have the files and folders from your old PC. If you'd already been using File History on your old PC, all of your old PC's backups should still be available to you on your new PC. Your new PC will continue to back up your new computer's files to your portable hard drive. Keep the hard drive plugged in permanently. (Or, if you bought a new laptop or tablet, plug it in frequently so your computer can keep your backups current.) If you've just borrowed a friend's portable hard drive, you can unplug it at this point and give it back. But you should really have your own portable hard drive so you can begin backing up your new Windows 10 PC. Your Microsoft account and File History can transport your settings and files to your new PC. However, you must still install all of your old desktop programs onto your new PC. If you're moving to Windows 10 from a Windows 8 or 8.1 PC, you can find your apps waiting for you in the Windows Store: Click your icon near the Store app's upper‐right corner and choose My Library from the drop‐down menu. There you can find and download your old apps to your new PC.

Step by Step / Updated 05-03-2023

Setting up a firewall is an effective way to protect your computer from outside cyber attackers and malicious software. But keep in mind that by setting up a firewall, you are changing the way your computer communicates with other computers on the Internet. The firewall blocks all incoming communications unless you set up a specific inbound exception in the Windows firewall to let a program in. Some of your programs won’t respond until they receive a signal via the Internet. If you have a program that doesn’t poke its own hole through the Windows Firewall, you can tell the firewall to allow packets destined for that specific program — and only that program — in through the firewall.

Step by Step / Updated 08-02-2022

When you use a firewall — and you should — you change the way your computer communicates with other computers on the Internet. The firewall blocks all incoming communications unless you open a port in the Windows firewall to let a specific IP communicate with your computer. For example, if you want to play many online games. Most first-time firewallers are overwhelmed by the idea of opening a port. Although open ports are a security threat, sometimes you truly need to open one. Still, you may need to open a port to enable a specific application. For example, when you select the check box to allow Remote Desktop, you’re opening port 3389. That’s the security price you pay for enabling programs to talk to each other.In general, if you need to open a specific port, the documentation for the program (game, torrent downloader, file sharer) will tell you . . . assuming you read the program’s manual.

Article / Updated 07-15-2022

You might think that simply moving a file or folder to the \Public folder in Windows 10 would make it, well, public. At least to a first approximation, that’s exactly how things work. But, there’s a little more to making files “public” in Windows 10. Any file or folder you put in the Windows 10 \Public folder, or any folder inside the \Public folder, can be viewed, changed, or deleted by all the people who are using your computer, regardless of which kind of account they may have and whether they’re required to log in to your computer. In addition, anybody who can get into your Windows 10 computer through the network will have unlimited access. The \Public folder is (if you’ll pardon a rather stretched analogy) a big cookie jar, open to everybody who is in the kitchen. (For more details, and important information about Public networks and big-company domains, check out Networking All-in-One For Dummies, 7th Edition, by Doug Lowe [Wiley].) Follow these easy steps to move a file or folder from one of the built-in personal folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, or Videos) into its corresponding location in one of the \Public folders: Tap or click the File Explorer icon in the taskbar. Navigate to the file or folder that you want to move into the \Public folder. Here, the Quick Access Pictures folder was double-clicked to get to Pictures. Right-click the folder or file you want to move in Windows 10, and choose Cut. In this case, the user wanted to move the Thailand folder, so the user cut it. Navigate to the \Public folder where you want to move the folder or file.This is more difficult than you might think. In general, on the left of File Explorer, double-click This PC (scroll down on your Windows 10 computer if necessary to see it), then scroll way down and double-click or tap Local Disk (C:). Then double-click Users, then Public. You see the list of Public folders. Double-click the \Public folder you want to use. Then right-click inside the folder, and choose Paste.In this case, the user double-clicked Public Pictures and pasted the Thailand folder into the Public Pictures folder. From that point on, the photos are available to anybody who uses the Windows 10 computer and to people who connect to that computer. (It may also be available to other computers connected to your network, workgroup, or domain, depending on various network settings.)

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-05-2022

Windows 10 comes jam-packed with features. Here are shortcuts and tips for using the keyboard, mouse, and Ribbon to get fast access to the most commonly used commands. You'll be commanding Windows 10 in no time!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-15-2022

PowerShell 5.1 is the current released version of Windows PowerShell and is the version that ships with Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. It is installed by default on these newer operating systems, but it’s also available for install on Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. The last three operating systems must have Windows Management Framework 5.1 installed to support PowerShell 5.1.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2022

Adjusting to a new operating system, whether you're upgrading from an old version of Windows to Windows 10 or you've purchased a new machine running Windows 10, isn't an easy thing to do. In this cheat sheet, you'll find out what you should do right away, what you shouldn't do, and how to find the features you're used to. You also will find some tips for keeping your sanity while adjusting to your new operating system.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

In the Spring of 2020, Microsoft released an update to Windows 10, sometimes called the May 2020 Update. The update subtly changes Windows 10 by adding new features, as well as removing some old ones. These tips help you work with Windows 10 and its latest update.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-03-2022

Adjusting to a new operating system, whether you're upgrading from an old version of Windows to Windows 11 or you've purchased a new machine running Windows 11, isn't an easy thing to do. In this cheat sheet, you find out what has changed in Windows 11, what you should and shouldn’t do when you start using Windows 11. It also includes how to navigate Windows 11 using keyboard shortcuts, and how to perform touchscreen gestures and commands.