Windows Articles

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.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-09-2021

Here are some tips and tricks for making better use of the Windows 11 operating system. Discover how search the web without a browser, quickly find recent files using the Start screen, see filename extensions in File Explorer, and take a screenshot.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-30-2021

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 11-19-2021

Microsoft views Windows 11 as a one-size-fits-all computing solution that runs on laptops and desktop PCs, as well as on touch-screens, including tablets. Windows 11 looks and behaves almost identically on each device, and it brings a bonus: Its apps and programs will run on a Windows 11 tablet, PC, and laptop. Besides aiming to run on everything but clock radios, Windows 11 brings these changes to your computer: Start button and menu: Windows 11 moves the Start button and menu from its traditional lower-left corner to the center of the screen. The revamped Start menu sports a few rows of icons, but leaves out the animated tiles found in Windows 10. Look closely, and you’ll notice the Start menu now sports rounded corners, as do all other desktop windows. Hardware requirements: Previous Windows versions worked fairly well on older PCs, even those up to ten years old. Windows 11 breaks that model, unfortunately. If your computer is older than three years, you probably won’t be able to upgrade it to Windows 11. Settings app: Have you mastered Windows 10’s Settings menu? Erase that memory, because the new Settings app contains a new layout with new switches in new places. Apps on the desktop: Apps, which are small programs from the world of phones and tablets, consumed the full screen in Windows 8 and 8.1. Windows 11 lets you choose whether to run apps full screen or within desktop windows. (Microsoft says Windows 11 will let you download and run apps designed for Android smartphones sometime in 2022.) File Explorer: File Explorer, which lets you find, store, and manage files, receives a new, slimmed down look. The ribbon of menu options across the top has vanished, replaced by a single row of unnamed icons. Teams Chat: When everybody jumped onto Zoom for video chats during the pandemic, Microsoft decided to push its own Teams app for people to hold online meetings. The chat portion of Microsoft’s Teams program now comes built into Windows 11. Your Phone: The newly revamped Your Phone app lets you send and receive your phone’s messages from the keyboard of your desktop PC, all wirelessly. You can browse your phone’s latest photos from your desktop, make phone calls, and even run apps. Widgets: Widgets are simply a strip of little windows that update automatically to show the latest news, weather, or other informational tidbits. They leap onto the screen with a click on its taskbar icon. What's missing from Windows 11? Windows 11 offers many new features, described in the previous section and cov-ered throughout this book. However, it dropped just as many features found in Windows 10. Here’s the rundown on the features left behind from Windows 11: Compatibility: Windows 10 could run on many older PCs, making it popular with owners of old Windows 7 PCs. Windows 11, by contrast, requires newer PCs with the latest technology. Chances are, you’ll have to buy a new PC. (I had to buy a new PC just to write this book!) Timeline: Windows 10 kept track of which programs and files you worked with for the past 30 days. A click of the Timeline button let you jump back to see them all, letting you quickly and easily jump back to, say, an unfinished file from last week. Windows 11 removes the feature, offering no replacement. Movable taskbar: The Windows taskbar normally lives along the screen’s bottom edge. Previous Windows versions let you move that taskbar to any edge you wanted. With Windows 11, the taskbar now remains affixed to the bottom of your desktop, with no option to move it. Synced wallpaper: In Windows 10, owners of Microsoft accounts see their wallpaper appear whenever they log onto a Windows 10 PC. To the dismay of computer decorators, Windows 11 killed that feature. Tablet mode: Designed specifically for tablets with touchscreens, Tablet mode quickly spaced your icons farther apart to accommodate thick finger-tips. The Start screen and programs always filled the entire screen. Windows 11 dumps Tablet mode because Windows 11 is automatically finger-friendly. Live Tiles on the Start menu: In Windows 10, the Start menu sometimes resembled a moving marquee, with animated tiles that changed to show different things. Windows 11 ditches the animated tiles in favor of a simpler menu that merely shows static icons. You can no longer create folders on the Start menu for storing related items, either. Internet Explorer: Microsoft’s elderly browser, Internet Explorer, disappeared completely from Windows 11, replaced by the new browser, Microsoft Edge. Cortana: Microsoft fired its little robot that tried to help you work but mostly got in the way. You can still launch the Cortana app from the Start menu, should you miss it, but otherwise, Cortana won’t bother you. Paint 3D: Paint 3D let you design three dimensional models for 3D printers to create using layers of plastic. Few people used it, and even fewer will notice that it’s missing. Skype: Microsoft paid billions for Skype, an app for making inexpensive (or free) phone calls using the internet. But Microsoft let the app languish. Now, it’s replaced by Teams, a program for creating online meetings. Microsoft added the chat portion of Teams into Windows 11 to compete with Zoom, which zoomed in popularity during the pandemic. OneNote: Windows 10 came with OneNote, an app for taking notes much like a virtual school notebook. OneNote vanished from Windows 11, but compulsive note-takers like me can still install it for free from the Microsoft Store. Short for Trusted Platform Module, TPM is a computer chip that places an extra layer of security over your PC. However, most older PCs lack a TPM chip, meaning they can’t be upgraded to Windows 11. Some older PCs come with TPM chips, but the manufacturer left them turned off. To see if your PC has a compatible TPM chip and whether it can be turned on, download Microsoft’s PC Health Check app, available at https://aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp.

Article / Updated 11-12-2021

Windows 7 is designed for networking and working with the internet, so when your network connection isn’t working, it can be particularly frustrating. Fortunately, Windows 7 comes with a built-in troubleshooter that you can use to repair a broken network connection. Choose Start→Control Panel→Network and Internet. Then click the Network and Sharing Center link. Click the Fix a Network Problem link. The link pulls you straight into the Control Panel’s Troubleshooting guide for the network. Click the link for the type of network connection that has been lost. There are several different troubleshooters available: Internet Connections: When you can’t connect to the Internet or to a particular Web site Connection to a Shared Folder: When you can’t connect to a file or folder that you thought was shared HomeGroup: When you’re unable to view files or computers in your homegroup Network Adapter: When you’re unable to communicate with your router or modem Incoming Connections to This Computer: When you’re unable to let other computers in your network communicate with your PC Work your way through the troubleshooting guide. Windows 7 will ask you a series of questions. As you respond, you’ll get closer and closer to the answer. If Windows suggests an action you must perform, such as plugging in a cable, do so. When the solution is found, close the Network troubleshooting guide. Sometimes the troubleshooter isn't able to correct the problem. In that case, it’s best to delete the connection and just create it again by clicking the Set up a New Connection or Network link in the Network and Sharing Center window and entering the correct settings.

Article / Updated 11-04-2021

Every Windows 10 user needs to know about Event Viewer. Windows has had an Event Viewer for almost a decade. Few people know about it. At its heart, the Event Viewer looks at a small handful of logs that Windows maintains on your PC. The logs are simple text files, written in XML format. Although you may think of Windows as having one Event Log file, in fact, there are many — Administrative, Operational, Analytic, and Debug, plus application log files. The Event Viewer logs Every program that starts on your PC posts a notification in an Event Log, and every well-behaved program posts a notification before it stops. Every system access, security change, operating system twitch, hardware failure, and driver hiccup all end up in one or another Event Log. The Event Viewer scans those text log files, aggregates them, and puts a pretty interface on a deathly dull, voluminous set of machine-generated data. Think of Event Viewer as a database reporting program, where the underlying database is just a handful of simple flat text files. In theory, the Event Logs track "significant events" on your PC. In practice, the term "significant" is in the eyes of the beholder. Or programmer. In the normal course of, uh, events, few people ever need to look at any of the Event Logs. But if your PC starts to turn sour, the Event Viewer may give you important insight to the source of the problem. How to find the Event Viewer Follow these steps: Click in the Search field in the bottom left corner of your screen. Search for Event Viewer. Click on Event Viewer in the search results. The Event Viewer appears. On the left, choose Custom Views and, underneath that, Administrative Events. It may take a while, but eventually you see a list of notable events like the one shown. Don't freak out. Even the best-kept system boasts reams of scary-looking error messages — hundreds, if not thousands of them. That's normal. See the table for a breakdown. Events are logged by various parts of Windows. Events and what they mean Event What Caused the Event Error Significant problem, possibly including loss of data Warning Not necessarily significant, but might indicate that there's a problem brewing Information Just a program calling home to say it's okay Other logs to check out The Administrative Events log isn't the only one you can see; it's a distillation of the other event logs, with an emphasis on the kinds of things a mere human might want to see. Other logs include the following: Application events: Programs report on their problems. Security events: They're called "audits" and show the results of a security action. Results can be either successful or failed depending on the event, such as when a user tries to log on. Setup events: This primarily refers to domain controllers, which is something you don't need to worry about. System events: Most of the errors and warnings you see in the Administrative Events log come from system events. They're reports from Windows system files about problems they've encountered. Almost all of them are self-healing. Forwarded events: These are sent to this computer from other computers.