Gleam - Windows 10: A Beginners Guide

Copyright 2014 Conceptual Kings.

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This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Introduction

Windows 10 i s one of the latest additions to the Microsoft Operating Systems . The company started in 1981 with the most remarkable OS s being Window s 95,98,2003 and most recently W indows 7 and 8. Windows 10 joins Windows NT family of several successful OS s with the succeeding OS performing better than its predecessor.

This new OS has major difference s from the other releases and has the same internal core for diffe rent devices. These include PC s , laptops, phones and integrat ion of this core into all new devices.

While Windows 10 is yet to be released the information on the features it will have already has users buzzing with anticipation. Windows 10 has added the features present on Windows 8 while greatly improving the experience on PCs and laptops.

This book is targeted on directing users on how to manipulate the different areas of the Windows 10 on all devices to achieve opt ima l functionality once installed .

1. Start Screen/Start Menu

Windows 10 has replaced the Start Screen on Windows 8 , but you can switch back to the preferred Start Screen by going to the Desktop and right click on the task bar >Properties>Start MENU then uncheck the box Use Start Menu instead of the Start Screen This option will need for you to sign out before making the changes and you will have to confirm your choice on a dialog box that appears on the screen.

Restarting and Shut down

To restart or switch off windows 10 Click on the power button next to your name and select from the se options: Change account picture, Lock and Sign out. These options help you to protect your private documents.

Start Menu

The Start menu has now been customized with two sides , on the left you will have the applications, shortcuts and settings list. On the right you will have the mini size of tiles that appear to show the Windows apps on the Start Screen of Windows 10.

Personalizing the Start Menu

To manage the folders right click on the folder of your choice then click on pin to Start , this will have the folder moved to the tile section of the menu. To remove a folder from the tile menu right click on the mouse and select unpin from Start. To get a folder to the task bar right click on the mouse and then click on pin to task bar. The folder will then appear on the task bar. To remove shortcuts right click on the mouse and select remove from this list and the shortcut will be deleted.

Managing Apps

The user can decide which apps to have on the Start Menu and task Bar and the apps to run. Click on All Apps setting. Right click on the App of your choice. You will get a drop down option of Open, Uninstall, Pin to Start and Pin to Task Bar. You can also select on the right side of the column the Live tile on or Live tile off. You can pick either of the two. To find a particular App you can type it on the search bar and Click Enter.

Navigating User Interface

The User will be able to change the user interface according to the different devices being used. For the PC and Laptop you will be able to customize An App by selecting Optimize for keyboard or selecting optimize for touch screen for the tabs and phones. This option enables the user to use the same app across the devices.

Virtual Desktop

The user can now have access to a virtual desktop. Click on the Task View button found on the Task Bar. This displays all open windows and the user can easily switch from one window to the other. The virtual desktop can also be accessed by swiping toward s the left of the screen and open windows will be displayed.

Online services

The Windows phone had the siri like search Cortana and now this program is available on all devices on Windows 10. The user can get access to online services using this personal assistant. You can click on the search box found near the Start Button , then you can type or use the voice search. The virtual assistant will then bring the search results found online and you can pick the most suitable choice.

Using Multiple Desktops

The user can now open and use multiple desktops. Open the Task View and Click on Add a Desktop. This will open a new desktop. You can repeat the Add a desktop to add more desktops. The user can then switch between the desktops. Open Task View and the various thumbnails of the desktops will appear. Click on the thumbnail of your choice to pick a particular desktop. To close a desktop Click the X on the thumbnail. To move windows between desktops, Right Click on the Window a dialog box with Move To will appear then you can select which desktop to move to.

Move Apps Between Multiple Desktops

You may find you need to use a particular App on one of your desktops and you can now move Apps across desktops easily. On the Task Bar Click on the Task View button. Select the desktop with the App you wish to move. Then Right Click on the App and the option Move to will allow you to select which desktop you would want to move the App to.

Changing the Colour of the Start Menu

Changing the colo r of your Start Menu , is an added feature of the Windows 10. Right Click on the Desktop>Personalize then Click on the Colour icon of your choice.

Accessing Charms Commands

In the Windows 8 you could access a Charms Bar that could make tasks such as printing and sharing much easier. The Charms Bar is no longer available on Windows 10 but the user can still access the commands of the Charms Bar from the Start Menu. Click the All Apps link and open an App. Click on the Options Button on the top left and a Menu with all the options from the Charm Bar appear. You can then search, share or print.

Sharing files quickly

The Windows 10 offers a faster option of sharing your files through various accounts. Open File Explorer and find the file you want. Select the file and Click on it. Open the Sharing Menu by clicking on Share. The Sharing Menu will then display different options based on the file you want to share, these options include: zip, burn, print or fax files. Click the Share button and select the Apps you want to Share with.

Configure Share Options

After sharing for several times the Share Menu will have a list for the Apps you share the most with. You can change the list of programs to be displayed each time you share an item. Go to the Settings Menu, Click on System and Select Share. You can then select or delete from the list the frequently used Apps. You can also turn on and off sharing for the Apps on the list.

How to use Quick Access

The Quick Acces s is the latest version of favo rites and you can add your files here and it will also add the frequently visited and viewed files. To add a file to Quick Access first select the file and Right Click on it and Click on Pin to Quick Access. Alternatively, you can drag the file and drop it to Quick Access. To remove a file from Quick Access first find the file then Right Click on the File. Select Unpin from Quick Access to remove the file from Quick Access. The new Quick Access adds the frequently used files automatically to Quick Access and the user may prefer some of the files to be so easily accessible. The user can alter the privacy of the documents to protect them. Open the File Explorer and go to View check on the Options button. Under the General Tab Click on Privacy and here the user will find the options that Show recently used files in Quick Access and Show frequently used files in Quick Access, uncheck these two options and your privacy will be set. The user also has the option of increasing the security of specific files by making sure they do not appear on the frequently used or recently used list. Open Quick Access and locate the folder or file you want hidden. Right click on the file and you will see the options Hide from frequent or Hide from recent to remove those files and folders from the list.