How to remove Cortana from Windows 10
If you have Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise you will be able to shut down Cortana by simply typing gpedit.msc in the search box to open the Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. Double-click on the policy named Allow Cortana. When the […]
How to turn off forced restarts when Windows 10 Updates
In the past you may have been used to setting up Windows Updates so that they wouldn't install automatically. Even though Windows 10 handles post-update reboots pretty well, you may still like to have some control over these updates from the outset. There is a simple workaround for users running Windows 10 Professional. From the […]
How to shut down Windows 10 OneDrive completely
OneDrive and Windows 10 are joined at the hip. So tightly, in fact, that OneDrive gets its own quick access link in File Explorer and its sync client runs automatically when you start up your PC. Of course you don't have to use OneDrive's cloud storage. You may prefer a cloud service from another provider […]
How do you open Safe Mode in Windows 10?
Nothing gets you out of trouble like Windows Safe Mode. This was always easy to open by simply pressing the F8 or Shift+F8 keys as a PC started up. In Windows 10 you can no longer enter Safe Mode by pressing F8 or Shift+F8 at boot. Although it is still available you have to boot […]
How to make Windows 10 notifications last a bit longer
One of the best features of Windows 10 is the newly revamped Action Center and the new notifications system. Notifications slide out from the bottom-right corner of the screen. For some Windows 10 users these notifications might seem to come and go far too quickly. By default, Microsoft sets Windows 10 notifications to pop out […]
Should you upgrade to Windows 10?
The great thing about Windows 10 is that it just works. There's not really a learning curve as there was with Windows 8 or 8.1. Even if you don't get to grips with features like the task-bar, search or Task View, it won't actually take anything away from your experience of Windows 10. And there […]
Microsoft's Windows 10 Features 3
New Mandatory Windows Updates Microsoft will issue regular updates just as it always has. Only this time it's different. You will not find an option in Windows 10 Home to turn off updates - updates are now mandatory. Updates contain drivers as well as security (and non-security-related) patches, which may worry some people. For example, […]
Microsoft's Windows 10 Features 2
The New Settings Menu Control Panel is still available in Windows 10. And if you're a technical user, you will come across it from time to time. But most of us will never see it. The New Settings Menu is now a far more comprehensive solution and much more logically arranged. Compared to Windows 8.1, […]
Microsoft's Windows 10 Features 1
Wi-Fi Sense While technically not a new feature Wi-Fi Sense (it's also part of Windows Phone 8.1) connects your devices to trusted Wi-Fi hotspots. If you leave it enabled, the keys (passwords) to Wi-Fi networks that you add to your device are encrypted and stored on a remote Microsoft server. If one of your contacts […]
Microsoft's Virtual Assistant Cortana and How She Works
Microsoft's virtual assistant Cortana isn't exactly a new feature, as she's been on Windows 8 Phone for just over a year. But the company's answer to Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa and Google Now has made the transition to the desktop with Windows 10, taking over the search functionality, while also handling quite a few housekeeping […]