Windows 10: The Personal Trainer, 2nd Edition: Your...

AcknowledgmentsTomyreaders—ThePersonalTrainerseriesismyfirstsoloventureaftermorethan20yearsasaprofessionalauthorwithMicrosoft,O’Reilly,Macmillan,McGrawHill,andothertoppublishers.Thankyouforbeingtherewithmeandcomingalongfortheride!

ToeveryoneI’veworkedwithatMicrosoft—yoursupportofmybooksforthepastmanyyearshasmeantagreatdeal.It’sbeenwonderfultohearfromsomanyemployeeswhousemybookasindustrybenchmarksandtoprovideguidancefortheirowntrainingandfortrainingothers.

Tomyfamily—you’vebeentherewithmeformanybooks,manymillionsofwords,andmanythousandsofpagesshe’sbeenthere,providingsupportandencouragement.Thankyou!

SpecialthankstoTomandEdatL&L;Rachelle,LisaandMarieatAndover.AlsoaspecialthankstomysonWillforhisextensivecontributions.

—WilliamR.Stanek

Windows10:ThePersonalTrainer

2ndEdition

YourpersonalizedguidetoWindows10fromoneoftheworld’sforemostWindowsexperts!

WilliamR.Stanek

Windows10:ThePersonalTrainer2ndEdition

Copyright©2016WilliamR.Stanek

PublishedbyStanek&Associates,POBox362,EastOlympia,WA,98540-0362,www.williamrstanek.com.

Copyright©2016WilliamR.Stanek.Seattle,Washington.Allrightsreserved.

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Version:2.0.0.5b

ContentsataGlanceIntroduction

Chapter1.GettingtoKnowWindows10

Chapter2.CustomizingtheWindows10Interface

Chapter3.PersonalizingtheAppearanceofWindows10

Chapter4.CustomizingBoot,Startup,andPowerOptions

Chapter5.Organizing,Searching,andIndexing

Chapter6.ManagingYourApps

Chapter7.TrackingSystemPerformanceandHealth

Chapter8.AnalyzingandLoggingPerformance

Chapter9.OptimizingPerformanceTipsandTechniques

OptimizingPerformance:FinalTune-upSuggestions

AbouttheAuthor

TableofContentsIntroduction

What’sThisBookAbout?

WhatDoINeedtoKnow?

HowIsThisBookOrganized?

CanIUsePrint&DigitalEditionsTogether?

WhatConventionsAreUsedinThisBook?

HowCanIGetSupportforThisBook?

WhatOtherResourcesAreAvailable?

Chapter1.GettingtoKnowWindows10

UsingTouchscreens

InstallationNotes

GettingSignedIn

LocalAccounts,DomainAccounts,MicrosoftAccounts,OhMy!

LocalandDomainAccounts

AccessingBusinessNetworks

GettingAroundtheNewDesktops

Cortana&Search

TaskView&ChangingDesktops

GettingAroundtheNewStartMenu

EnteringandExitingTabletMode

CustomizingUserAccounts

ChangingAccountPictures

ChangingAccountTypes

ChangingandRecoveringYourPassword

Chapter2.CustomizingtheWindows10Interface

BoostingYourDesktopIQ

OptimizingInterfacePerformance

MasteringDesktopEssentials

StretchingtheDesktop

ReadytoDitchSnap?

MakingtheStartMenuWorkforYou

PinningAppsandUsingFull-ScreenMode

CreatingSections

ResizingandReorganizingTiles

CustomizingtheMostUsedandRecentlyAddedLists

MakingtheTaskbarDance

PuttingtheTaskbarWhereYouWantIt

CustomizingTaskbarAppearance

PinningProgramstotheTaskbar

UsingFlipViewsandJumpLists


CustomizingBasicInterfaces

PersonalizingControlPanel

Fine-TuningControlPrompts

CreatinganAlternateControlPanelView

CreatingaDedicatedAdministratorCommandPrompt

OptimizingBackgrounds,ThemesandMore

CustomizingandCreatingYourOwnDesktopBackgrounds

UsingPicturesforBackgrounds

UsingSolidColorsforBackgrounds

UsingSlideshowBackgrounds

CustomizingtheLockScreen

UsingPicturesontheLockScreen

UsingSlideshowsontheLockScreen

ConfiguringNotificationsontheLockScreen

SelectingandTuningThemes

ChoosingaTheme

SettingtheAccentColor

ConfiguringScreenTimeoutandScreenSavers

ConfiguringWhentheScreenTurnsOff

ConfiguringaScreenSaver

ConfiguringandCreatingYourSystemSounds

CustomizingYourMousePointers

SavingYourCustomThemesandCreatingThemePacks

CustomizingYourDisplays

AdjustingDisplaySizeandOrientation

ManagingMonitorandGraphicsCardProperties

CalibratingColorandUsingColorProfiles


CustomizingYourComputer’sFirmwareInterface

GettingtoKnowYourComputer’sFirmwareInterface

AccessingandSettingYourComputer’sFirmwareInterface

TrackingandConfiguringPowerOnandResume

GettingFirmwareandPowerManagementInformation

CustomizingStartupandBootConfiguration

Fine-TuningStartupandRecoverySettings

ChangingYourComputer’sBootConfiguration

UsingtheSelectiveandDiagnosticStartupModes

ChangingtheWayYourComputerBoots

DisablingStartupApplicationsandServicesforTroubleshooting

CustomizingBootConfigurationwiththeBCDEditor

WorkingwithAutomaticRecoveryMode

PerforminganAdvancedorSafeModeBoot

ResolvingRestartorShutdownIssues

RecoveringfromaFailedResume

ForcingYourComputertoShutDown

RepairingaComputertoEnableStartup


ExploringYourComputerinNewWays

SoLongLibraries,HelloQuickAccess

AddressBarTipsandTechniques

KeyboardTipsandTechniquesforFileExplorer

CustomizingFileExplorer

Fine-TuningViews&Details

CustomizingFolderOptions

SearchingandIndexingYourComputer

WindowsSearchEssentials

UnderstandingLocalizedSearches

Fine-TuningWindowsSearch

CustomizingSearchOptions

PerformingAdvancedSearcheswithFilters

SearchingbyKindorTypeofFile

SearchingUsingDate-RelatedFilters

SearchingUsingSize-RelatedFilters

SavingYourSearches

IndexingYourComputer

CustomizingIndexedLocations

IncludingorExcludingFilesbyType

ResolvingIndexingProblems


WorkingwithDesktopApps

ZeroinginonApps

Getting,InstallingandRunningApps

ConnectingYourAccounttotheStore

FindingandInstallingYourApps

InstallingDesktopPrograms

CompliantversusLegacyApplications

SettingRunLevelsforApplications

ApplicationSetupandCompatibility

MakingProgramsAvailable

ResolvingCompatibilityIssues

ManagingDesktopProgramsandFeatures

AddingandRemovingWindowsFeatures

DesignatingDefaultPrograms

ConfiguringAutoPlayOptions

WorkingwiththeCommandPath

WorkingwithFileExtensionsandAssociations

Managing,Repairing,andUninstallingDesktopPrograms

ManagingCurrentlyRunningApps,ProgramsandProcesses


GettingtoKnowYourComputer’sHardware

CheckingCurrentPerformanceLevels

TrackingApplicationsandProcesses

TrackingPerformanceandResourceUsage

EventLoggingandViewing

DiggingintotheEventLogs

ResolvingPerformanceIssueswiththeLogs


ResolvingFailuresandReliabilityIssues

CheckingforProblemsThatAreAffectingPerformance

AnalyzingReliabilityIssuesThatAreAffectingPerformance

DiagnosingandResolvingProblemswithTroubleshooters

ExaminingResourceUsageinDetail

RecordingandAnalyzingPerformanceData

LoggingPerformanceData

ChoosingCounterstoMonitor

IdentifyingPerformanceBottlenecks


OptimizingPowerManagementSettingsforPerformance

SelectingandUsingPowerPlans

CreatingandOptimizingPowerPlans

ResolvingPowerProblemsThatAreAffectingPerformance

MaintainingPerformancewithUpdates

Fine-tuningAutomaticUpdates

ResolvingUpdateProblems

OptimizingPerformance:FinalTune-upSuggestions

DisablingUnnecessaryServicesandFeatures

Fine-TuningVirtualMemory

Fine-TuningDataExecutionPrevention

EnhancingPerformancewithReadyBoost

CleaningUpYourDiskDrives

AutomatingMaintenance

WhyAutomatedMaintenanceBreaks

OptimizingtheMaintenanceWindow

RunningMaintenanceManually

AbouttheAuthor

IntroductionWindows10:ThePersonalTrainer2ndEditionisarevisededitionoftheauthoritativequickreferenceguidetoWindows10writtenbyWilliamStanekandisdesignedtobeakeyresourceyouturntowheneveryouhavequestionsaboutWindows10.Tothisend,thebookzeroesinonthekeyaspectsofWindows10thatyou’llusethemost.

WhenyoustartworkingwithWindows10,you’llseeatoncethatthisoperatingsystemisvisuallydifferentfromearlierreleasesofWindows.Whatwon’tbereadilyapparent,however,isjusthowdifferent—andthat’sbecausemanyofthemostsignificantchangestotheoperatingsystemareunderthesurface.Thesechangesaffecttheunderlyingarchitecture,notjusttheinterfaces—andtheyweresomeofthehardestformetoresearchandwriteabout.

Insidethisbook’spages,you’llfindcomprehensiveoverviews,step-by-stepprocedures,frequentlyusedtasks,documentedexamples,andmuchmore.Oneofthegoalsistokeepthecontentsoconcisethatthebookremainscompactandeasytonavigatewhileatthesametimeensuringthatthebookispackedwithasmuchinformationaspossible—makingitavaluableresource.

What’sThisBookAbout?Windows10:ThePersonalTrainer2ndEditioncoversalleditionsofWindows10.Inthisbook,Iteachyouhowfeatureswork,whytheyworkthewaytheydo,andhowtocustomizethemtomeetyourneeds.Ialsoofferspecificexamplesofhowcertainfeaturescanmeetyourneeds,andhowyoucanuseotherfeaturestotroubleshootandresolveissuesyoumighthave.Inaddition,thisbookprovidestips,bestpractices,andexamplesofhowtofine-tuneallmajoraspectsofWindows10.Thisbookwon’tjustteachyouhowtoconfigureWindows10;itwillteachyouhowtosqueezeeverylastbitofpoweroutofitandmakethemostofthefeaturesandoptionsitincludes.

WhatDoINeedtoKnow?ThisbookisdesignedasaguidetowhatyouneedtoknowtogetthemostoutofWindows10.Togetpracticalandusefulinformationintoyourhandswithouttheclutterofatonofbackgroundmaterial,Ihadtoassumeseveralthings.Ifyouarereadingthisbook,IhopethatyouhavebasicnetworkingskillsandabasicunderstandingofWindowsoperatingsystems.IalsoassumethatyouarefairlyfamiliarwithWindowscommandsandproceduresaswellastheWindowsuserinterface.

HowIsThisBookOrganized?Makingthisbookeasytofollowandunderstandwasmynumberonegoal!Ireallywantanyone,skilllevelorworkscheduleaside,tobeabletolearnhowtouseWindows10effectively.

Tomakethebookeasytouse,I’vedivideditintochaptersthattakeaprogressivelydeeperlookatWindows10.AnyonewhowantstolearnhowtouseWindows10anditstoolseffectivelyshouldreadthisbook.Becausetheapproachusedinthisbookisideallysuitedtoreadersofallskilllevels,youdonothavetobeacomputerexperttounderstandandusetheconceptsexaminedinthisbook.

CanIUsePrint&DigitalEditionsTogether?Printeditionsofthisbookincludeanindexandsomeotherelementsnotavailableinthedigitaledition.Updatestothisbookareavailableonline.Visithttp://www.williamrstanek.com/windows10/togetanyupdates.Thiscontentisavailabletoallreaders.

Digitaleditionsofthisbookareavailableatallmajorretailers,atlibrariesuponrequestandwithmanysubscriptionservices.Ifyouhaveadigitaleditionofthisbookthatyoudownloadedelsewhere,suchasafilesharingsite,youshouldknowthattheauthordoesn’treceiveanyroyaltiesorincomefromsuchdownloads.Alreadydownloadedthisbookorothers?DonateheretoensureWilliamcankeepwritingthebooksyouneed:

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WhatConventionsAreUsedinThisBook?I’veusedavarietyofelementstohelpkeepthetextclearandeasytofollow.You’llfindcodetermsandlistingsinmonospacetype,exceptwhenItellyoutoactuallytypeacommand.Inthatcase,thecommandappearsinboldtype.WhenIintroduceanddefineanewterm,Iputitinitalics.

Thisbookalsosidebarelementsthatprovideadditionaldetailsonpointsthatneedemphasis,including:

Notes

CautionsandTroubleshooting

Tips

ProTipsandRealWorldadvice

HowCanIGetSupportforThisBook?Everyefforthasbeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyofthecontentsofthisbook.Ascorrectionsarereceivedorchangesaremade,theywillbeaddedtotheonlinepageforthebookavailableat:


Ifyouhavecomments,questions,orideasregardingthebook,orquestionsthatarenotansweredbyvisitingthesiteabove,sendthemviae-mailto:

[email protected]

Otherwaystoreachtheauthor:

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/William.Stanek.Author

Twitter:http://twitter.com/williamstanek

It’simportanttokeepinmindthatMicrosoftsoftwareproductsupportisnotoffered.IfyouhavequestionsaboutMicrosoftsoftwareorneedproductsupport,pleasecontactMicrosoft.

MicrosoftalsoofferssoftwareproductsupportthroughtheMicrosoftKnowledgeBaseat:

http://support.microsoft.com/


http://www.facebook.com/William.Stanek.Author

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WhatOtherResourcesAreAvailable?Althoughsomebooksareofferedasall-in-oneguides,there’ssimplynowayonebookcandoitall.Thisbookisintendedtobeusedasaconciseandeasy-to-useresource.ItcoverseverythingyouneedtoperformcoretasksforWindows10,butitisbynomeansexhaustive.

Asyouencounternewtopics,takethetimetopracticewhatyou’velearnedandreadabout.Seekadditionalinformationasnecessarytogetthepracticalexperienceandknowledgethatyouneed.

ItrulyhopeyoufindthatWindows10:ThePersonalTrainer2ndEditionhelpsyouuseWindows10successfullyandeffectively.

Thankyou,

WilliamR.Stanek

([email protected])

mailto:[email protected]

Chapter1.GettingtoKnowWindows10ReadytokickthetiresandgettoknowWindows10?Windows10isn’tlegacyWindows.IthasanallnewlookandaninterfacethathassomefeaturesofWindows7,somefeaturesofWindows8andmanynewoptions.Somuchhaschanged,infact,thatfromlogintologout,you’llberequiredtoworkinnewwaystogettasksdone.Don’tworrythough,step-by-stepinthischapter,I’llteachyoutheabout:

InputoptionsThenewloginscreenThenewstartmenuThenewdesktopMore

Ifyoudon’tneedhelpwiththebasics,jumpaheadtoChapters2and3,whereI’llteachyouallaboutcustomizingandpersonalizingWindows10.

Note Windows10runsontablets,desktops,laptops,smartphonesandothertypesofcomputingdevices.RatherthanmentioningallofthesetypesofdeviceseachtimeItalkabouttheoperatingsystem,I’llsimplysayyourcomputer,yourdeviceorImayrefertoyourWindows10device.WhenIdothis,I’mtalkingaboutallofthevarioustypesofdevicesWindows10runson.

UsingTouchscreensWindows10supportstwoprimaryinputtypes:

KeyboardandmouseTouchscreen

Whilethekeyboardandmousearestandard,atouchscreenallowsyoutomanipulateon-screenelementsinnewways.Youcan:

Tap Touchanon-screenelementwithyourfinger.Atapordouble-tapofelementsonthescreengenerallyistheequivalentofamouseclickordouble-click.Pressandhold Pressyourfingerdownonanon-screenelementandleaveitthereforafewseconds.Pressingandholdingelementsonthescreengenerallyistheequivalentofaright-click.Pan(slidetoscroll) Touchanddragacrossthescreenwithoneortwofingers.Panningshowsanotherpartofawindowthathasscrollbars.Alsoreferredtoasslidingtoscroll.Pinch Touchanitemwithtwoormorefingersandthenmovethefingerstowardeachother.Pinchingshowslessinformation.Rotate Touchtwopointsonthescreenandthentwist.Rotatingturnsanitemonscreeninaclockwiseorcounter-clockwisedirection.Slideinfromedge Startingfromtheedgeofthescreen,slideacrossthescreenwithoutliftingyourfinger.Slidinginfromtheleftedgeshowsopenappsandallowsyoutoswitchbetweenthemeasily.Slidinginfromthetoporbottomedgeshowscommandsfortheactiveelement.Stretch Touchanitemwithtwoormorefingersandthenmovethefingersawayfromeachother.Stretchingshowsmoreinformation.Swipetoselect Slideanitemashortdistanceintheoppositedirectioncomparedtohowthepagescrolls.Swipinginthiswayselectstheitemandalsomaybringuprelatedcommands.Ifpressandholddoesn’tdisplaycommandsandoptionsforanitem,tryusingswipetoselectinstead.

Keepinmindthatthroughoutthisguide,whereIhaveusedclick,right-clickanddouble-click,youcanalsousetouchequivalents,tap,pressandhold,anddoubletap.Also,whenyourWindows10devicedoesn’thaveaphysicalkeyboard,youareabletoentertextbyusingtheonscreenkeyboard.Ifadevicehasnophysicalkeyboard,simplytouchaninputareaonthescreen,suchastheSearchbox,todisplaytheonscreenkeyboard.

InstallationNotesInstallingandsettingupWindows10isabreeze.Justfollowtheprompts.Duringsetup,youcreateauseraccountforadministrationofthecomputer.Bydefault,thisaccountiscreatedasanInternet-connectedlocalaccountsyncedtoaMicrosoftaccount.Youdon’thavetoacceptthisoptionandcaninsteadcreateastandardlocalaccountthatyoucanlaterchoosetoconnecttoaMicrosoftaccount.Connectingyouraccountsyncssettings,documents,appsandmoreacrossyourdevices.

TheonlyissueIhadwithsetupwasthatthenetworkconnectionwascreatedwiththePublicprofileandthere’snodirectwaytochangethistoaPrivateprofile.ThisisimportantbecauseWindowsFirewallisenabledbydefaultandplacesmorerestrictionsonthePublicconnectionthanaPrivateconnection.Theserestrictionsmadeitimpossibletoconnectthecomputertoadomain.ThefixwastoruntheNetworkAdaptertroubleshooter,whichdetectedthatthenetworkconnectionwassettoPublicandallowedmetosetthenetworkconnectiontoPrivate.

YoualsocouldusePowerShelltomakethischange.Thedefaultaliasforthefirstnetworkconnectiononadevicetypicallyis“Ethernet”.Ifso,youcanuseanPowerShell(Admin)windowandthefollowingcodetochangethe“Ethernet”connectionfrompublictoprivate:Get-NetConnectionProfile-InterfaceAlias“Ethernet”|Set-NetConnectionProfile-NetworkCategoryPrivate

GettingSignedInWindows10hasanewsign-inprocessthatworkswithtouchscreensaswellasakeyboardandmouse.WhenyoustartorwakeWindows10,you’llseeapreviewscreen.Withatouchscreen,swipeuptorevealtheloginscreen.Withakeyboardandmouse,simplypressakeyonthekeyboardorclickamousebuttontorevealtheloginscreen.

Bydefault,loginisalwaysrequiredwhenyoustartorwakeyourWindows10device.Thewayloginworksdependsonwhetheryourcomputerispartofabusinessnetwork.Forcomputersthataren’tjoinedtoabusinessnetwork,youhavemanyloginoptions,including:

Password Apasswordisamixofupperandlowercaseletters,numbersandspecialcharacters,usually8ormorecharactersinlength.Tologinwithapassword,clickyourusernameontheloginscreen,typeyourpasswordandthenpressEnteronthekeyboardorclickthesign-inbutton(whichshowsaright-facingarrow).Pin Apinisasequenceof4ormorenumbers.Tologinwithapin,clickyourusernameontheloginscreen,typeyourpinandthenpressEnteronthekeyboardorclickthesign-inbutton(whichshowsaright-facingarrow).Picturepassword Apicturepasswordisauniqueseriesofmovementsonapreviously-selectedphoto,suchasalinedrawnbetweentwoflowersandacircledrawnaroundaspecificflower.Tologinwithapicturepassword,clickyourusernameontheloginscreenandthenusethetouchinterfacetomaketherequiredmovements.

Tip Ifyou’rehavingtroublelogginginusingapasswordorpin,clicktherevealicon(whichhasasymbolrepresentinganeye)todisplaytheexacttextyoutyped.

Usernameandpasswordarethedefaultlogintechnique.Youcanaddapin,picturepasswordorbothusingSettings.AsdiscussedinChapter3,SettingsisgraduallyreplacingControlPanelasthegotoresourceformostconfigurationoptions.InChapter3,you’lllearntechniquesforworkingwithControlPanelandSettingsaswellasotherinterfaceelementsthatcanhelpyoupersonalizeWindows10.

Inbusinessnetworks,thedomainsettingscontrolwhetheryoucanusepinsandpicturepasswords.Inadomain,ifyourusernameisn’tdisplayedontheloginscreen,clickOtherUser,typeyourusername,typeyourpasswordandthenpressEnteronthekeyboardorclickthesign-inbutton.

LocalAccounts,DomainAccounts,MicrosoftAccounts,OhMy!Windows10supports:

LocalaccountsDomainaccounts

Theaccounttypesavailabledependonwhetheryourcomputerispartofabusinessnetwork.Ifyourcomputerisn’tpartofabusinessnetwork,yourcomputerhasonlylocalaccounts.Asthedesignatorimplies,localaccountsarecreatedonyourcomputer.Otherwise,ifyourcomputerispartofabusinessnetwork,yourcomputerhasbothlocalaccountsanddomainaccounts.

RealWorld Domainaccountsexistonthebusinessnetwork,aspartofeitheranActiveDirectorydomainoranAzure-basedActiveDirectorydomain.Thedifferencebetweenthetwohastodowithwhetheryourorganizationhostsitsownservers.Ifyourorganizationhostsitsownservers,youconnecttoabusinessnetworkthatispartofastandardActiveDirectorydomain.Ifyourorganizationdoesn’thostitsownservers,youconnecttoabusinessnetworkthatisservicedviaInternet-hostedserversthatarepartofanAzureADdomain.

LocalandDomainAccountsLocalaccountsanddomainaccountscanbeInternet-connectedtosyncsettings,documentsandpurchasesacrossdevices.TwotypesofInternet-connectedaccountsaresupported:

MicrosoftaccountsSchoolorworkaccounts

YoucanconnectMicrosoftaccountsandschoolorworkaccountstobothlocalanddomainaccountstogettheInternet-connectedbenefitsofsyncingsettings,documents,purchasesandmore.Withanon-businesscomputerordevice,yousimplyusetheMicrosoftaccountforfirstsignintocreatealocalaccountthatusesMicrosoftaccountforlogin.YoualsocanaddaccountsusingtheMicrosoftaccountinformationtocreateadditionallocalaccountsthatuseMicrosoftaccountsforlogin.Fromthenon,thelocalaccountsandtheMicrosoftaccountsaresyncedandyouloginusingtheMicrosoftaccount.

Withanon-businesscomputerordevice,youcanaddaschoolorworkaccountaswelltogettheInternet-connectedbenefitsofsyncingsettings,documentsandmorewithOffice365orotherMicrosoftbusinessservices.Here,youuseSettingstoconnecttotheaccount.Thereafter,wheneveryouloginwithyourlocalaccountorMicrosoftaccount,youreceivetheadditionalconnectedbenefitsofthebusinessservice.

Note DeterminingwhetheryouareusingalocalaccountoraMicrosoftaccountiseasy.Localaccountsuseanamestring,suchasTedGorSaraH.Microsoftaccountsuseemailaddresses,[email protected].

AccessingBusinessNetworksWhenyourcomputerispartofabusinessnetwork,youcanloginusingalocalaccountoradomainaccount,eitherofwhichcanbeconnectedtoaMicrosoftaccount,aschoolorworkaccountorboth.Asbefore,whenyouconnectalocalaccounttoaMicrosoftaccount,settings,documents,purchasesandmorearesyncedacrossdevices.WhenyouaddaschoolorworkaccounttoalocalaccountoraMicrosoftaccount,theaccountssimilarlybecomeconnectedandsynced.

WhenyouconnectaMicrosoftaccountoraschoolorworkaccounttoadomainaccount,theaccountsaresyncedbutyoucontinuetologinusingthedomainaccount.SwitchingbetweenlocalaccountsanddomainaccountsrequiresusingtheOtherAccountoptionontheloginscreen.

OntheOtherAccountsscreen,youspecifytheaccountnametouseinNode\nameformatwhereNodeisthelocationforloginandnameistheusername.TheNodecanbeadomainname,thenameofthedevice,or“.”whichreferstothelocaldevice.Forexample,ifyouwanttologintotheImaginedLandsdomainasWilliamS,you’dspecifytheaccountnameasimaginedlands\williams.IfthelocaldeviceisnamedComputer14andyouwanttologinasTedG,youcanspecifytheaccountnameaseitherComputer14\TedGor.\TedG.

GettingAroundtheNewDesktopsNo,that’snotatypointheheading.WithWindows10,youcanhavemanydesktopsandeachdesktopisitsownvirtualspacethatcanspanmultipledisplays.ThismeansthedayswhenWindowswasfixedwithasingledesktoparegone—finally!

Figure1-1showsadesktopwiththedefaultconfiguration.Asyoucanseefromthefigure,Microsoftrevisedandrefinedthetaskbar.TheStartbuttonopenstheStartMenu.Foreaseofreference,ImaysometimesrefertothisbuttonsimplyasStart,asinclickStarttoopentheStartmenu.

Figure1-1Usethedesktoptoorganizeyourwork.

WhileclickingStartopenstheStartMenu,right-clickingStartdisplaystheshortcutmenushowninFigure1-2.Clickanyoftheoptionsontheshortcutmenutoopentherelatedtool.ClickShutDownOrSignOuttodisplayadditionaloptionsforshuttingdownthecomputer,enteringsleepmodeandsigningout.

Tip Anevenquickerwaytologout?PressWindowslogokey+L.

Figure1-2Getquickaccesstocommonlyusedoptionsandfeatures.

Tip YoucanalsodisplaytheshortcutmenubypressingtheWindowslogokey+X.

Inthedefaultconfiguration,theshortcutmenuhasoptionsforopeningtheCommandPromptasastandarduserorasanadministrator.YoucanmodifyStartMenupropertiestoreplacethesemenuitemswithoptionsforworkingwithWindowsPowerShellbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaonthetaskbarandthenselectProperties.2.InthePropertiesdialogbox,selecttheNavigationtab.3.OntheNavigationtab,selecttheReplaceCommandPromptwithWindowsPowerShell…optionandthenclickOK.

Cortana&SearchTheSearchboxallowsyoutoquicklyandeasilysearchSettings,ControlPanel,personalfiles,appsandtheweb.Tousethesearchfeature,simplystarttypingwhentheStartmenuisopenorclickintheSearchboxandthenstarttyping.

AsFigure1-3shows,thefirsttimeyouusesearch,you’llhavetheoptionofconfiguringCortanaasyourvirtualassistant.IfyouwanttosetupCortana,clickNextandfollowtheprompts.Otherwise,clickNotInterestedandproceedwithyoursearch.

Note Ifyoudon’tconfigureCortanaandwanttousethisfeaturelater,simplyclickintheSearchbox,clicktheGearicontoaccessSearchSettingsandthensetCortanaCanGiveYouSuggestions…toOnbyclickingit.ThiswilltakeyoubacktothepromptshowninFigure1-3,allowingyoutoconfigureCortana.

Figure1-3UseCortanatoassistyouandprovidehelpfulreminders.

WhetheryouuseCortanaornot,searchwithWindows10ismuchmoreintelligentthanwithWindows8.Windows8wasamess,oftenshowingwebresultswhenyoureallyonlywantedresultsfromthelocalcomputerandnotbeingclearaboutwhereresultswerecomingfrom.Windows10fixesthis(mostly).InFigure1-4,Ientered“display”asmysearch.Here,thestandardsearchresultsshowrelatedutilitiesfirst,settingsnextandthenappsintheMicrosoftStore.Ifyousubsequentlywantedtosearchyourpersonaldocuments,you’dthenclickMyStuff.OrifyouwantedtosearchtheWebinstead,you’dthenclickWeb.

Figure1-4Getsmarter,bettersearchresultswithWindows10.

Althoughonlineandwebresultsareincludedbydefaultinsearchresults,youcaneasilychangethisoptionsothatresultsonlycomefromSettings,ControlPanel,personalfiles,andapps.SimplyclickintheSearchbox,clicktheGearicontoaccessSearchSettingsandthensetSearchOnline…toOffbyclickingit.

Asyoumightexpect,therearemanymoreoptionsforsearchandmanypowerfulparametersyoucanusetotailoryoursearches.TheseoptionsandmorearediscussedinChapter5“Organizing,Searching,andIndexing.”Chapter5alsotellsyouhowtofixsearchwhenthingsgowrong.

RealWorld ThefirsttimeyousigninWindowswillprepareyourdesktopandthere’llbeaslightdelaybeforeyoucanstartworking.Onceyoucanaccessthedesktop,WindowskeepsworkinginthebackgroundtosetupyourenvironmentandpartofthisprocessincludescreatingthesearchindexesforSettings,ControlPanel,personalfiles,andapps.

Asthegraphicshows,whiletheindexesarebeingcreated,youwon’tgettheexpectedsearchresultsandWindowswilldisplayamessageaboutgettingsearchready.

TaskView&ChangingDesktopsClicktheTaskViewbuttontodisplaytheTaskViewpanelorpresstheWindowslogokey+Tab.AsFigure1-5shows,theTaskViewpanelshowsapreviewofeachdesktopandallowsyoutoeasilyadd,removeorswitchbetweendesktops.Withthispanelopen,youcan:

AddadesktopsimplybyclickingtheNewDesktopoption.Althoughyoucanhavemanydesktops,thedesktopspaceismoremanageablewhenyouhavefewerdesktops.Switchbetweendesktopssimplybyclickingthedesktopyouwanttoopen.Deleteadesktopsimplybyright-clickingitandthenselectingtheDeletebutton(anXintheupperrightcornerofthedesktoppreview).

Figure1-5UsetheTaskViewpaneltoswitchbetweenandmanageyourdesktops.

GettingAroundtheNewStartMenuTheStartMenuinWindows10combinesthebestfeaturesoftheStartMenuusedinWindows7withthebestfeaturesoftheStartmenuusedinWindows8.AsFigure1-6shows,theStartMenufeaturestwocolumnsofoptions.Inthefirstcolumn,youhavequickaccesstothemostusedapps.

Figure1-6UsetheStartMenutoaccessyourappsandoptions.

Tip “LifeataGlance”and“PlayandExplore”areeditableheadingsforthetwoprimarytileregions.Tochangetheseheadings,simplyclicktheheadingtoenableediting,maketheappropriatechangesandthenclicksomewhereelseontheStartmenu.Forexample,youcandelete“LifeataGlance”andenter“NowPlaying”astheheading.

IntheupperleftcorneroftheStartmenu,theusernameforthecurrentlyloggedonuserisdisplayed.Clickthenametodisplayanoptionsmenuthatallowsyoutochangeaccountsettings,locktheaccountorsignout.

InthelowerleftcorneroftheStartmenu,you’llfindadditionaloptions,including

FileExplorer OpensFileExplorer,whichreplacesWindowsExplorerastheutilityforexploringyourcomputer.YoucanopenFileExplorerquicklybypressingWindowslogokey+E.Settings OpenstheSettingspanel.SettingsreplacesControlPanelformanagingmostconfigurationsettings.OpenSettingsquicklybypressingWindowslogokey+I.

Power Displaysthepoweroptions.

Tip Bydefault,FileExploreropenswithQuickAccessselectedinthemainpane.Ifyou’dratherhaveFileExploreropenwithThisPCselected,clickOptionsontheViewtoolbarandthenselectChangeFolderAndSearchOptions.Next,intheFolderOptionsdialogbox,selectThisPCastheoptionfortheOpenFileExplorerTolist.

Theavailablepoweroptionsdependonhowyouareloggedin.Whenyouareloggedindirectly,youcanselect:

Restart ShutsdownandthenrestartsthecomputerSleep Putsthecomputerinsleepmode,ifpossiblegiventhesystemconfigurationandstate.ShutDown Shutsdownthecomputer.

Note Ifyouwanttolockthecomputerorlogoutinstead,clickStart,clickyourusernameontheStartmenuandthenclickLockorSignOutasappropriate.

Ifyouareloggedinremotely,suchaswhenyouareaccessingahomecomputerfromwork,youonlyhavetheoptiontodisconnect.Keepinmindyourcomputer’spowerconfigurationdetermineshowsleepmodeworks.Whenworkingwithsleepmode,itisimportanttorememberthatthecomputerisstilldrawingpowerandthatyoushouldneveropenthecaseorbackcoverwhenaWindows10deviceisinthesleepstate.Alwayspoweroffthedevicebeforepokingaroundinsidethecover.

Inthelowerleftcorner,you’llalsofindtheAllAppsbuttonwhichdisplaystheAllAppslist.AsshowninFigure1-7,theAllAppslistcontainsa0-9A-Zlistofavailableapps.Whenshown,thelistreplacestheitemsinthefirstcolumn,allowingyoutoclickanyentrytoopentherelatedapportoclickBacktogobacktothestandardview.Slideorscrolltoseetheentirelist.

Figure1-7UsetheAllAppslisttofindappsyouwanttoopen.

ThesecondcolumnontheStartmenushowstilesforappspinnedtoStart.AnyapponthecomputercanhaveatileontheStartmenu.Clickingatilerunstheapp.Whenyouright-clickatile,youdisplayconfigurationoptions.AsshowninFigure1-8,youcanusetheseoptionsto:

UnpintheappfromStartChangethesizeofthetileontheStartmenuTurnlivetilesonoroffPintheapptothetaskbar

Figure1-8Usetheoptionstomanagethetile.

Althoughthepreviousexamples,showthetileswiththelivefeatureturnedoff,justaboutanytilecanhaveitslivefeaturedturnedon,whichthendisplayscurrentinformationfromtheapp,suchasthecurrentweatherfortheWeatherapp,thecurrentnewsheadingfortheNewsapporastockmarketreportfortheStockapp.

EnteringandExitingTabletModeWhenyou’reusingWindows10onatabletPC,tabletmodeusuallyiswhatyouwanttouse.However,tabletmodechangesthewayWindowsworksandyoumayeitherloveorhateit.

Intabletmode,theStartMenuisreplacedwithaStartscreen,asshowninFigure1-9.ThestandardStartscreenoptionsinclude:

Optionsbutton Shownintheupperleftcorner,youmustclickthisbuttontodisplaytheStartoptionspanel(orwhenworkingwithStart,byswipinginfromtheleft).Powerbutton Providesaccesstopoweroptions,whichcaninclude:sleep,shutdownandrestart.Appsbutton DisplaystheAllAppslist,whichyoucanusetostartprogramsnotshownontheStartscreen.Startbutton SwitchesbetweenStartandthedesktop.

Figure1-9AccessingStartintabletmode.

WhenyouclickanapponStart,theappopensonthedesktopinfull-screenmode.TheTaskViewbuttonprovidesonewaytoswitchbetweenapps.ClicktheTaskViewbuttontoseeapreviewofopenappsandthenclicktheappyouwanttoopen.

InTabletmode,appiconsonthetaskbararehiddenbydefault.Thismeansyouwon’tseeanyitemspinnedtothetaskbaroriconsforopenwindowsorrunningapps.

AllofthesesnapbehaviorsareconfigurableandcontrolledwithSystemSettingsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.2.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.OntheSystempage,clickTabletMode.3.Inthemainpane,usetheseoptionstomanagethewaytabletmodeworks:

Ifyoudon’twanttousetabletmode,youcandisablethefeaturebytogglingtheMakeWindowsMoreTouch-Friendly…optiontotheOffposition.IfyouwantWindows10togotothedesktopinsteadofStartwhenyoulogin,setWhenISignIntoGoToTheDesktop.

Ifyouwantaccesstopinneditems,openwindowsandrunningappsviathetaskbar,youcandisablebysettingHideAppIcons…totheOffpositionbyclickingit.

Tip Notusedtotoggleswitches?ToggleshaveOn/Offpositions.YouchangethepositionfromOntoOfforOfftoOnsimplybyclickingthetoggle.

CustomizingUserAccountsUseraccountshavemanyproperties,includingapassword,apicture,anaccountname,andanaccounttypedesignation.Youcanmanagethepropertiesforlocalaccounts,aslongasyouhaveanadministratoraccountortheusernameandpasswordofanadministratoraccount.

ChangingAccountPicturesYouraccountpictureisdisplayedonthelogonscreenandontheStartmenu.Whenyouuseapicture,Windows10automaticallyoptimizesthepictureandsavestheoptimizedcopyaspartofyourpersonalContactentryinWindowsContacts.Althoughitmayseemstrangetosavethepictureaspartofyourpersonal.contactfile,doingsoisaquickandeasyshortcutfortheoperatingsystem.Mostpicturesareoptimizedtoafilesizeof50KBorless—evenhigh-resolutionpictures.

Tochangeyouraccountpicture,followthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.Next,inSettings,clickAccounts.2.AsFigure1-10shows,yourcurrentaccountpicture(ifany)isshown.ClickBrowse.3.UsetheOpendialogboxtochoosethepictureyouwanttouse.Thepicturemustbeinastandardpictureformat,suchasBMP,GIF,JPEG,PNG,DIB,orTIFF.

Note Ifyourcomputerhasacamera,youalsocancreateapicture.ClickCameraandfollowtheprompts.

Figure1-10Choosingapictureforyouruseraccount

ChangingAccountTypesUseraccountsareeitherstandarduseraccountswithlimitedprivilegesoradministratoruseraccountswithfullprivileges.Asasafetyprecaution,youmightwanttouseastandardaccountforwebbrowsingandotheronlineactivitiesandtheadministratoraccountonlywhenyouneedtomanageormaintainyourcomputer.

It’scommonforcomputerstohavemultipleusers,resultinginseveraluseraccountscreatedonit,andatleastoneofthesemustbeanadministratoraccount.Ifyouareloggedonwithastandarduseraccount,youcanchangetheaccounttypetoAdministrator.Ifyouareloggedonwithanadministratoraccount,youcanchangetheaccounttypetoStandardUser(aslongasit’snotthelastadministratoraccountonthecomputer).

RealWorld Ideally,youshouldcreateatleasttwoadministratoraccountsonyourcomputer—withpasswords.Ifyouforgetthepasswordforoneaccount,youcansimplylogonwiththeotheraccountandusetheUserAccountsoptionsinControlPaneltochangeyourpassword.Butonlydothisifyou’vetrulylostyourpassword.Why?Whenyouchangeanaccountpasswordviaanotheraccount,you’llloseallEFS-encryptedfiles,personalcertificates,andstoredpasswordsforbothwebsitesandnetworkresources.

Youcanchangetheaccounttypebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeUserAccountsintheSearchboxandpressEnter.ThisopenstheUserAccountspageinControlPanel.2.ClickManageUserAccounts.Ifyouareloggedonasastandarduser,providetheaccountnameandpasswordofanadministratorwhenpromptedandthenclickYes.3.IntheUserAccountsdialog,double-clicktheaccountyouwanttomodify.4.InthePropertiesdialogboxfortheuser,ontheGroupMembershiptab,selecteitherStandardUserorAdministratorandthenclickOK.

ChangingandRecoveringYourPasswordPeriodically,youshouldchangeyouraccountpasswordorPIN.Thismakesitmoredifficultforsomeonetogainaccesstoyourcomputer.Youcanchangethestandardpassword,PINorpicturepasswordassociatedwithyouruseraccountbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.Next,inSettings,clickAccounts.2.OntheAccountspage,clickSign-InOptionsintheleftpane.3.UnderPassword,PINorPicture,clickChangeandthenfollowtheprompts.

IfyouareusingaMicrosoftaccountandyou’velostorforgottenyourpassword,youcanrecoverandresetyourpasswordbyfollowingthesesteps:

1. Usinganothercomputer,openabrowserwindowandaccesshttps://account.live.com/password/reset.

2. Specifywhyyoucan’tloginasIForgotMyPassword,clickNextandthenfollowtheprompts.

Ifyouareusingalocalaccountandyou’velostorforgottenyourpassword,youcanuseanotheraccounttorecover(butonlyifyoufollowedmyearlieradviceaboutcreatinganotheradministratoraccount).Todoso,followthesesteps:

1.TypeUserAccountsintheSearchboxandpressEnter.ThisopenstheUserAccountspageinControlPanel.2.ClickManageUserAccounts.Ifyouareloggedonasastandarduser,providetheaccountnameandpasswordofanadministratorwhenpromptedandthenclickYes.3.IntheUserAccountsdialog,clicktheaccountyouwanttomodifyandthenclickResetPassword.4.Afteryouenterandthenconfirmthenewpassword,clickOK.You’llthenbeabletologinusingthispassword.

Note Whenyouchangeanaccountpasswordviaanotheraccount,you’llloseallEFS-encryptedfiles,personalcertificates,andstoredpasswordsforbothwebsitesandnetworkresources.

https://account.live.com/password/reset

Chapter2.CustomizingtheWindows10InterfaceWindows10ismorecustomizablethananyearlierreleaseoftheMicrosoftWindowsoperatingsystem.Powerfulfeaturesandoptionscombinedwithtraditionalfavoritesallowyoutoworkinnewways.Youcanperformtasksmoreefficiently,andyoucanoptimizeandcustomizetheoperatingsysteminmanyways.

TeachingyouhowtomakeWindows10workthewayyouwantittoiswhatthisbookisallabout.Ifyouweremovingintoahouse,apartment,ordormroom,youwouldwanttomakethespaceyourown.Wedothesamewithjustabouteverythinginourlives,yetsurprisinglyfewpeopletakethetimetomaketheirvirtualspacetheirown,whichcanmakeusingacomputerafrustratingexperience.

OneofthewaystomakeWindows10yourownistocustomizetheinterface.Inanyoperatingsystem,theinterfaceiseverythingthatconnectsyoutoyourcomputeranditsbasicelements,includingthedesktop,themenusystem,andthetaskbar.Thewaythesebasicelementslookdependsonappearancesettings.Thewaytheybehavedependsoncustomizationsettingssavedintheuserprofileassociatedwithaparticularuseraccount.Becauseyouruseraccountanditsassociatedprofileareseparatefromtheprofilesassociatedwithotheruseraccountsonacomputer,youcancustomizetheinterfacewithoutaffectingotherusers,andyourpreferredsettingswillberememberedandrestoredeachtimeyoulogon.

BoostingYourDesktopIQThedesktopiswhatyouseeafteryoustartyourcomputerandlogon.It’syourvirtualworkspace,andyoumustmasterittobeginusingyourcomputerfasterandsmarter.IfyouskippedChapter1becauseyoualreadyknowthebasics,youmaywanttotakeapeekat“GettingAroundtheNewDesktops”inChapter1anywayasthiswillteachyouhowtocreatenewdesktopsandnavigatebetweenthem.

OptimizingInterfacePerformanceWindows10supportsvisualeffectsanimations,fadesandtranslucentselectionrectangles.TheWindows10desktopwiththesefeaturesenabledispretty,butlikeanycosmetic,theirvaluedependsonmanyfactors.

Onolderorlesspowerfuldevices,youwillwanttouselessoftheprettystuff;usingfewersystemresourcesmakesWindowsmoreresponsive.ThesameislikelytobetrueforthatnewnetbookortabletPCyoujustbought.

Youcanoptimizethedesktopforthewayyouwanttoworkbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheSearchbox,andthenpressEntertoopentheSystemPropertiesdialogboxwiththeAdvancedtabselected.(YoucangettothesamedialogboxthroughControlPanelaswell.ClickSystemAndSecurityandthenclickSystem.Intheleftpane,clickAdvancedSystemSettings.)

Tip AlthoughtherearemanyshortcutsyoucanusetoaccessthevarioustabsandoptionsoftheSystemPropertiesdialogbox,youneednotknoworrememberthemall.Instead,pickonetechniqueyoulike,putittomemory,anduseit.ThetechniqueIlikemostistheonementionedinthisstep.IftheAdvancedtabisn’ttheoneIwanttoworkwithafterI’veopenedthedialogbox,IsimplyclickthetabIwanttouse,ratherthantryingtorememberthatSystemPropertiesComputerNameopenstheComputerNametab,SystemPropertiesHardwareopenstheHardwaretab,SystemPropertiesProtectionopenstheSystemProtectiontab,andSystemPropertiesRemoteopenstheRemotetab.

RealWorld Ifcommandmemorizationisn’tyourthingbutyou’dstilllikeaquickandeasywaytoaccessSystemProperties,trythis:TypeSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheSearchbox.Right-clickSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheresults,andthenclickOpenFileLocation.InFileExplorer,right-clickSystemPropertiesAdvancedandthenselectPinToTaskbar.NowtheSystemProperties|AdvancedTabshortcutisavailableonthetaskbar.Wheneveryouwanttoaccessit,simplyclicktherelatedicononthetaskbar.

2.InthePerformancesection,clickSettingstoopenthePerformanceOptionsdialogbox,showninFigure2-1.Youcannow:

SelectAdjustForBestPerformancetogetridofalltheprettystuff,orselectAdjustForBestAppearancetoenablealltheprettystuff.Selectorclearindividualvisualeffects.

3.SaveyourchangesbyclickingOKtwicetoclosebothdialogboxes.

Figure2-1Configuringvisualeffectstooptimizethedesktopforthewayyouwanttouseit.

Thevisualadd-onsthathavethebiggesteffectonperformanceinclude:

AnimateControlsAndElementsInsideWindows Controlstheslow-fadeeffectonbuttonsandtabsindialogboxes.Whenoff,buttonsglowandtabsopenwithoutanimation.AnimateWindowsWhenMinimizingAndMaximizing Determineswhethersqueezingorstretchinganimationisusedwhenminimizingormaximizingwindows.Whenoff,Windowspopintoposition.AnimationsIntheTaskbar Controlsanimationsassociatedwithjumplists,thumbnailpreviews,andslidingtaskbarbuttons.Whenoff,noanimationsareused.FadeOrSlideMenusIntoView Controlswhethermenusfadeorslideintoview.Whenoff,menussnapopenwithoutdelay.FadeOrSlideToolTipsIntoView Controlswhethertooltipsfadeorslideintoview.Whenoff,tooltipssnapopenwithoutdelay.FadeOutMenuItemsAfterClicking Controlswhethermenuitemsfadeoutafterclicking.Whenoff,theitemselectedopenswithoutdelay.SlideOpenComboBoxes Controlstheanimationsassociatedwithdrop-downlistboxes.Whenoff,drop-downlistssnapopen.

MasteringDesktopEssentialsLikearealworkspace,thedesktopcangetcluttered.Programsthatyourunandfoldersthatyouopenappearonthedesktopinseparatewindows,andalltheseopenwindowscanquicklymakeitdifficulttogettothedesktopitself.Toquicklydeclutter,youcanrearrangeopenprogramandfolderwindowsbyright-clickinganemptyareaofthetaskbarandthenclickingoneofthefollowingviewingoptions:

CascadeWindows Arrangestheopenwindowssothattheyoverlap,withthetitlebarremainingvisible.ShowWindowsStacked Resizestheopenwindowsandarrangesthemontopofeachother,inoneormorecolumns.ShowWindowsSidebySide Resizestheopenwindowsandstacksthemsidebyside.

Togettothedesktopwithoutdecluttering,usethesmall,blankbuttononthefarrightofthetaskbar.ThisbuttoniscalledtheShowDesktopbutton.YoucantemporarilyhideallopenwindowsbyclickingtheShowDesktopbutton.Clickthebuttonagaintounhidethewindowsandrestorethemtotheirpreviousstate.Alternatively,right-clickthetaskbarandselectShowTheDesktoporShowOpenWindowsasappropriate.

Tip AnotherwaytohideorshowopenwindowsistopresstheWindowslogokey+D.

TheTaskViewisalsohandyforworkingwiththedesktop.AsItoldyouearlier,youuseTaskViewtoadd,removeandswitchbetweendesktops.WhenyouclicktheTaskViewbutton,youseeapreviewofeachopenwindowontheactivedesktop,asshowninFigure2-2.

IntheTaskViewpreviewmode,youcan:

Bringanywindowtothefrontsimplybyclickingonit.Closeanywindowbyhoveringoveritandthenclickingtheclosebuttonintheupperrightcornerofthewindow.

Note Youhoverbymovingthemousepointeroverascreenelement.Ifyoumusthoverandclick,youmovethemouseovertheelementandthenclickthebuttonoroption.Withatouchscreen,yousimplyneedtotaptheelementandthentapthebuttonoroption.

Figure2-2TheTaskViewshowsapreviewofwindowsopenontheactivedesktop.

Youcanstorefiles,folders,andshortcutsonthedesktopforquickandeasyaccess.AnyfileorfolderthatyoudragfromaFileExplorerwindowtothedesktopstaysonthedesktop.Ratherthanplacingfilesorfoldersonthedesktop,youcanaddashortcuttoafileorfoldertothedesktopbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClicktheFileExplorericononthetaskbartouseFileExplorertolocatethefileorfolderthatyouwanttoaddtothedesktop.2.Right-clickthefileorfolder.Ontheshortcutmenu,pointtoSendTo,andthenclickDesktop(CreateShortcut).

Youcanalsoaddsystemiconstothedesktop.Bydefault,theonlysystemicononthedesktopistheRecycleBin.Youcanaddorremovesystemiconsbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanemptyareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.2.IntheleftpaneofthePersonalizationwindow,clickThemesandtheninthemainpaneunderRelatedSettings,clickDesktopIconSettings.ThisopenstheDesktopIconSettingsdialogbox,asshowninFigure2-3.3.AddorremoveiconsbyselectingorclearingtheirrelatedcheckboxesandthenclickingOKtosaveyourchanges.

Figure2-3Addorremovedesktopicons.

Someofthedesktopiconscanberenamedbyright-clickingtheicon,clickingRename,typingthedesiredname,andthenpressingEnter.Forexample,youcouldrenameRecycleBinasTrashBarrelbyright-clickingRecycleBin,clickingRename,typingTrashBarrel,andthenpressingEnter.

Ifyounolongerwantaniconorshortcutonthedesktop,right-clickit,andthenclickDelete.Whenprompted,confirmtheactionbyclickingYes.Eachiconhasspecialoptionsanduses:

Accessingcomputersanddevicesonyournetwork Double-clickingtheNetworkiconopensawindowwhereyoucanaccessthecomputersanddevicesonyournetwork.AccessingControlPanel Double-clickingtheControlPaneliconopenstheControlPanel,whichprovidesaccesstosystemconfigurationandmanagementtools.Accessingharddisksanddevices Double-clickingtheThisPCiconopensawindowfromwhichyoucanaccessharddiskdrivesanddeviceswithremovablestorage.AccessingtheSystempageinControlPanel Right-clickingtheThisPCiconandclickingPropertiesdisplaystheSystempageinControlPanel.AccessingFileExplorer Double-clickingthefoldericonfortheuser’sfilesopensyouruserprofilefolderinFileExplorer.Connectingtonetworkdrives Right-clickingtheThisPCicon(ortheNetworkicon)andselectingMapNetworkDriveallowsyoutoconnecttosharednetworkfolders.Managingyourcomputer Right-clickingtheThisPCiconandclickingManage

openstheComputerManagementconsole.Removingdeleteditems Right-clickingtheRecycleBiniconandclickingEmptyRecycleBinpermanentlyremovesallitemsintheRecycleBin.Restoringdeleteditems Double-clickingtheRecycleBiniconopenstheRecycleBin,whichyoucanusetovieworrestoredeleteditems.

Nowthatyouknowhowtoadditemstothedesktop,trythis:

1.CreateacustomShowDesktopbuttonthatyoucanplaceanywhereonthedesktop,openNotepad.exe,typethecommandsbelow,andthensavethefileonthedesktopasShow.scf.

[Shell]Command=2IconFile=Explorer.exe,3[Taskbar]Command=ToggleDesktop

2.Nowdouble-clicktherelatedicontodisplayorhidewindowsontheactivedesktop.

StretchingtheDesktopIncreasingly,desktopPCsandlaptopssupportmultipledisplaydevices,allowingyoutoaddamonitortoincreaseyourdesktopspace.Notonlyisthisarelativelyinexpensivewaytomakeyourcomputermoreuseful,itcanalsoboostyourproductivity.

Here’sanexample:Youconnecttwomonitorstoyourcomputer,oraddamonitorasanadditionaloutputforyourlaptop.Byplacingthescreenssidebysideandenablingmultipledisplays,youeffectivelystretchyourdesktopspaceandmakeitpossibletoviewprogramsandfilesopenonbothscreensatthesametime.Thisallowsyoutohavemultiplewindowsopenallthetime—someonyourprimaryscreenandsomeonyoursecondaryscreen.

AsWindows10supportsmultipledesktops,eachofthesemultipledesktopswouldalsothenstretchacrossthemultipledisplays.Here,thedesktopsprovidethevirtualspaceandthedisplaysprovidethephysicalspace.

Typically,ifacomputersupportsmultipledisplays,ithasmultipledisplayadapterconnectors.Forexample,ifadesktopPChasthreedisplayadapterconnectors(twodigitalandoneanalog),itlikelysupportsatleasttwomonitors;ifalaptophasadditionaldisplayadapterconnectors(digitaloranalog),itlikelysupportsatleasttwomonitors.

Youcanconfirmthenumberofsupporteddisplaysbycheckingthetechnicalspecificationsforyourdisplayadapteronthemanufacturer’swebsite.Todeterminethetypeofdisplayadapteronyourcomputer,right-clickanemptyareaofthedesktop,andthenclickScreenResolution.OntheScreenResolutionpage,clicktheAdvancedSettingslink.Theadaptertypelistedforyourdisplayadaptershowsthemanufacturernameandmodelinformation,suchasNVIDIAGeForceGTX980.

Gettingacomputerthatsupportsmultiplemonitorstostretchthedesktopacrosstwomonitorsisbesthandledasfollows:

1.Withthecomputershutdown(andnotinthesleeporhibernatestate),connectthemonitorstothecomputer,andthenturnonthemonitors.2.Next,startyourcomputerandlogon.

Troubleshooting Thelogonscreenshouldappearononeofthemonitors(althoughnotnecessarilyontheonedirectlyinfrontofyou).Ifthelogonscreendoesn’tappear,turnoffbothmonitorsinturn,andthenturnthemonitorsbackon.Ifamonitorhasmultiplemodes,suchasanaloganddigital,waitforthemonitortoswitchtotheappropriatemodeormanuallyconfigurethemodebyusingthemonitor’sconfigurationsettings.Youmayneedtowigglethemouseorpresskeysonthekeyboardtogetthemonitortosensetheappropriatemode.

3.Right-clickanopenareaonthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettingstoopentheDisplaypageinSettings,asshowninFigure2-4.

Figure2-4Identifyandorientthedisplays

4.ClickDetecttohaveWindowsdisplaytheidentitynumberofeachmonitor.Withtwomonitors,thedisplaysarenumbered1and2.Bydefault,Display1alwaysincludestheStartmenu,taskbar,andnotificationtray,butyoucanchangethisasdiscussedinthe“MakingtheTaskbarDance”section,laterinthischapter.5.Confirmthedisplayorder.Windowsdoesn’tknowhowyou’veplacedthemonitorsonyourdesktop.Instead,itassumesthattheprimarydisplaydeviceisthefirstoneconnectedandthesecondarydisplaydeviceisthesecondoneconnected.Italsoassumesthattheseconddisplayistotherightofthefirstdisplay,whichallowsyoutomovethemousepointertotherighttogofromthedesktoponthefirstdisplaytothedesktopstretchedtotheseconddisplay.6.Youcantellwindowshowyourmonitorsareorientedinseveralways.IfDisplay2isontheleftsideofDisplay1,clicktherepresentationoftheDisplay2desktopontheScreenResolutionpage,dragittotheleftpasttheDisplay1desktop,releasethemousebutton,andthenclickApply.TheorientationshouldnowshowDisplay1ontheleftandDisplay2ontheright;youcanconfirmproperconfigurationbyclickingtheIdentifybutton.Toreversethisprocedure,performthesamesteps,butdragtorightinsteadoftotheleft.

RealWorld Ifyouidentifyandorientthedisplaysincorrectly,movingfromthedesktopononemonitortothestretcheddesktopontheothermonitorwon’tbelogical.Forexample,ifDisplay2isphysicallylocatedtotherightofDisplay1,butyou’veincorrectlyconfiguredthedisplays,youmaynotbeabletoaccessthestretcheddesktoponDisplay2bymovingthepointertotheright.Instead,youmayneedtomovethepointertotheleft,pasttheedgeofDisplay1’sdesktop,andviceversa.

Afteryou’veconnectedanadditionalmonitorandorienteditproperly,workingwithmultiplemonitorsisfairlystraightforward.Whenyoustretchthedesktopacrosstwodisplays,theresolutionsettingofbothdisplaysdetermineshowlargethedesktopis.If

Display1’sresolutionis1920x1080andDisplay2’sresolutionis1920x1080,theeffectiveresolutionis3840x1080.

Whenyoumaximizewindows,theyfilltheircurrentdisplayfromedgetoedge.Youcanclickonwindowsanddragthemfromthedesktopononedisplaytothestretcheddesktoponanotherdisplay.Afteryouclickanddragawindow,sizeitasappropriateforthewayyouwanttouseit.Formanyprograms,Windowsrememberswhereyou’vepositionedawindowwhenyoucloseit;thenexttimeyouopenthewindow,itappearspositionedontheappropriatedisplay,asyoulastworkedwithit.However,someprogramswon’trememberyourpreferredmonitor,eitherbydesignorbecausetheprogramisn’tappropriateformultipledisplays.

Anywallpaperyou’veselectedasthebackgroundforyourdesktopwillappearonallyourdisplays.WhetheryouchooseapicturepositionofFill,Fit,Stretch,orCenter,youseeaduplicateofthebackgroundoneachdisplay.

Ifyouwantdifferentpicturestoappearoneachdisplay,youmustcreatepicturesattheappropriateresolution,storetheminanappropriatefolder(suchasasubfolderofC:\Windows\Web\Wallpaper),selectthemasyourdesktopbackground,andusetheSpanorTileoptionoftheChooseAFitlist.Forexample,ifDisplay1’sresolutionis1920x1080andDisplay2’sresolutionis1920x1080,usinganartprogramsuchasPhotoshop,youcouldcombinetwo1920x1080imagestocreateone3840x1080image.Youwouldthenstorethisimageinanappropriatefolderandselectitasyourtiledorspannedwallpaper.

ThestandardscreensaversthatcomewithWindowsalsostretchacrossyourdisplaysautomatically.There’snoneedtodoanythingspecialtomakethishappen.

ReadytoDitchSnap?Theoretically,youusesnaptoarrangewindowssidebyside.Hereishowsnapissupposedtowork:

1.Ifyouwanttwowindowstoappearsidebysideonthedesktop,youdragthetitlebarofthefirstwindowtotheleftorrightsideofthescreenuntilanoutlineoftheexpandedwindowappears,thenreleasethemousetoexpandthewindow.2.Afterward,youdragthetitlebarofthesecondwindowtotheoppositesideofthescreenuntilanoutlineoftheexpandedwindowappears,thenreleasethemousetoexpandthesecondwindow.3.Toreturnthewindowtoitsoriginalsize,yousimplydragthetitlebarawayfromthetopofthedesktopandthenrelease.

Personallythough,snapisalwaysdoingwhatIdon’twantittowhenIusethattechnique.TheonlytechniquethatactuallyworksreliablyformeiswhenIsnapwindowsusingthekeyboard.Tosnaptheactivewindowtothesideofthedesktopusingthekeyboard,presseitherWindowslogokey+LeftArroworWindowslogokey+RightArrow.Afteryoudothis,you’llbeinTaskViewandcansnapthesecondwindowtotheoppositesideofthescreensimplybyclickingit.

Foreasyreference,thekeyboardshortcutsforsnapareasfollows:

Windowskey+LeftArroworRightArrow Togglesthescreensnappositionoftheapp.Snapsplitsthescreen,soiftheappisbeingdisplayednormally,Windowskey+LeftArrowsnapsittotheleftandWindowskey+RightArrowsnapsittotheright.Windowskey+UpArrow DisplaystheappinFullScreenmode.Windowskey+DownArrow ExitsFullScreenmodeandreturnstheapptoitsoriginalwindowstate.

AllofthesesnapbehaviorsareconfigurableandcontrolledwithSystemSettingsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.2.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.OntheSystempage,clickMultitasking.3.Inthemainpane,underSnap,usetheseoptionstomanagethewaysnapworks:

Ifyoudon’twanttousesnap,youcandisablethefeaturebytogglingtheArrangeWindowsAutomatically…optiontotheOffposition.Ifyoudon’twanttousesnaptodisplaytwowindowssidebyside,youcandisablethefeaturebytogglingtheWhenISnapMoreThanOneWindow…optiontotheOffposition.Ifyoudon’twantsnaptoshowwhatwindowyoucansnapnextafteryousnapawindow,youcandisablethefeaturebytogglingtheWhenISnapAWindow,Show…optiontotheOffposition.

MakingtheStartMenuWorkforYouTheStartbuttonprovidesaccesstoyourcomputer’smenusystem.YouopentheStartmenusimplybyclickingtheStartbutton.YoualsocandisplaytheStartmenubypressingtheWindowslogokeyonyourkeyboard,orbypressingControl+Esc.

Asyouprobablyknow,theStartmenuallowsyoutorunapps,openfolders,searchyourcomputer,gethelp,andmore.WhatyoumaynotknowishowtocustomizetheStartmenusothatitworksthewayyouwantitto.

Tip UseSearchtoquicklyrunanyinstalledprogram,systemutilityorgettosystemsettings.Simplytypetheprogram,utilityoroptionnameintheSearchbox.Resultsforprograms,systemutilitiesandsystemsettingsaredisplayedbeforeothertypesofsearchresults.

Bydefault,theStartmenulookssimilartotheexampleshowninFigure2-5.Here,youhavetwocolumnsofentries,withsettingsandoptionsontheleftandappsontheright.Inthelowerleftcorner,notethefollowingoptions:

FileExplorerSettingsAllApps

Figure2-5MakethemostofStartbycustomizingit.

FileExplorerandSettingsaretwoofmanyoptionsthatcanappearinthisareaofthemenu.Whiletheseoptionsareenabledbydefault,manyotheroptions,includingthoseforDocuments,Downloads,MusicandPictures,aredisabledbydefault.Tocontrolwhichoftheseoptionsaredisplayed,followthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickPersonalization.2.OnthePersonalizationpage,selectStartintheleftcolumn.3.Inthemainpane,clicktheChooseWhichFoldersAppearonStartlink.ThisopenstheChooseWhichFolderspage,asshowninFigure2-6.4.EnableordisablespecificoptionsbyclickingtherelatedOn/Offswitch.Forexample,iftheMusicswitchisoff,clickthetoggleunderMusictosettheswitchtotheOnposition.

Figure2-6EnableordisablefoldersontheStartmenu

KeepinmindthatAllAppsisn’tanoptionyoucanturnonoroff.IfyouclickAllAppswhenyouareworkingwithStart,youseeascrollablelistofalltheappsinstalledonthedeviceintheleftmostcolumnoftheStartmenu.

Scrollthroughthelistandyou’llseefoldersthatstorelistsofrelatedtools,includingfoldersforWindowsAccessories,WindowsAdministrativeTools,WindowsSystemandmore.Clickthefoldertoexpandorhideitscontents.

PinningAppsandUsingFull-ScreenModeYoucanpinanapptoStartbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.OntheStartmenu,clicktheAllAppsoption,andthenlocatetheappinthelist.2.Right-clicktheappinthelistandselectPinToStart.

RealWorld Sometimestheprogramyouwanttopinisnotreadilyaccessedinthemenusystem.Inthiscase,locatetheapplication’sexecutablefile(.exe)inFileExplorer.Right-clickthefile,andthenclickPinToStart.

Bydefault,asshowninFigure2-7,appsyoupinareaddedtoathirdsectionunderthe“LifeAtaGlance”and“PlayAndExplore”sections.YoucancustomizetheappslistsbypinningitemstotheStartmenu,resizingStart,creatingnewsectionsandmore.Thefirstcustomizationtrickyouneedtolearnistheartofcreatingsections.

AsanalternativetousingthepopupStartmenu,youcanuseStartinfull-screenmode,whichissimilartotheStartscreeninWindows8.Infull-screenmode,itemsinthelefthandcolumnarehiddenuntilyouclickoneoftheavailablebuttons.Specifically,youmustclickthebuttonintheupperleftcornertoviewthestandardsidebaranditsoptions.

Toenableordisablefull-screenmodeforStart,followthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickPersonalization.2.OnthePersonalizationpage,selectStartintheleftcolumn.3.Enableordisablefull-screenmodebyclickingtherelatedOn/Offswitch.

Figure2-7PinappstotheStartmenuforquickaccess.

CreatingSectionsAsmentionedpreviously,whenyoupinappstoStart,theyareaddedtoanewsectionbydefault.Windows10willinfactletyoucreatemanynewsections.Youcreateanewsectionsimplybydraggingatileintoanemptyarea.Whenyoudragthetiletoanewarea,Windowswillhighlighttheareatoletyouknowyouanewsectionwillbecreated.

Aswiththedefaultsections,eachnewsectioncanbenamed.Tonameasection,completethesesteps:

1.MovethemousecursoroveranemptyareaabovethetilesinthesectiontodisplaytheNameGroupoptionandthenclick.(Withatouchscreen,simplytapthisarea)2.Thecursorchangestoaninsertionpoint.TypethedesiredheadingandthenpressEnterorclickelsewhere.

Ifyouwantanappyou’vepinnedtoappearinoneofthetwostandardsections,simplyclickanddragtheapptiletothesectionyouwantittobein.Windows10willresizethesectionautomaticallytoaccommodatetheadditionorremovaloftiles.Youcanusethesameclickanddragtechniquetomovetilesfromonesectiontoanother.

ResizingandReorganizingTilesOftenafteryoumovetilesaround,you’llwanttooptimizethetilesize.Toresizeatile,right-clickit,pointtoResizeandthenselectthedesiredsize.Standardtilescanbesettosmallormediumsize.Tilescapableofdisplayinglivecontents,livetiles,canbeset:

Small—70x70pixels,foursmalltilesfillthesamespaceasonemedium.Medium—150x150pixels,thestandardtilesizeWide—310x150pixels,atilethatistwomediumtileswide.Large—310x310pixels,onelargetilefillsthesamespaceasfourmediums.

SeeFigure2-8forexamples.Thedefaulttilesizeismedium,whichisstandardblocksize.

Figure2-8SizetilestopersonalizetheavailablespaceontheStartmenu.

WhileyouareaddingtilesandmovingthemaroundStart,youmaywanttoresizethemenu.TochangethedefaultheightofStart,clickanddragthetopedge.Draguptoincreasetheheight;dragdowntodecreasetheheight.TochangethedefaultwidthofStart,clickanddragtherightedge.Dragrighttoincreasethewidth;draglefttodecreasethewidth.

CustomizingtheMostUsedandRecentlyAddedListsOntheStartmenu,themostusedandrecentlyaddedappsarelistedintheupperleft.Youcanremoveaprogramfromthemostusedlistbyright-clickingitandthenclickingDon’tShowInThisList.However,thiswon’tpreventtheprogramfrombeingaddedtothelistinthefuture.

Youcanturnthemostusedandrecentlyaddedlistsonoroffbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.2.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickPersonalization.OnthePersonalizationpage,selectStartintheleftcolumn.ThisdisplaysthePersonalizationpageshowninFigure2-9.3.EnableordisabletheShowMostUsedAppslistbyclickingtherelatedOn/Offswitch.4.EnableordisabletheShowRecentlyAddedAppslistbyclickingtherelatedOn/Offswitch.

Figure2-9UsePersonalizationsettingstocustomizestart.

MakingtheTaskbarDanceYouusethetaskbartomanageyourappsandopenwindows.Thetaskbardisplaysbuttonsforpinnedandopenitemsthatallowyoutoquicklyaccessitemsyou’veopenedandstartapplications.

PuttingtheTaskbarWhereYouWantItBydefault,thetaskbarisalwaysdisplayedalongthebottomofthedesktoponyourprimarymonitor.Ifyouwanttomovethetaskbartoanotherlocation,firstmakesureit’snotlocked.Todothis,right-clickthetaskbartodisplaythetaskbaroptionsshowninFigure2-10.

Figure2-10UsetheTaskbaroptionstocontrolbasicsettings.

Note Ifyou’reusingWindows10onatabletPC,see“EnteringandExitingTabletMode”inChapter1fordetailsonchangethewaythetaskbarworksintabletmode.

AcheckmarkbesidetheLockTheTaskbaroptionindicatesthetaskbarislockedandcan’tbemoved.Tounlockthetaskbar,right-clickitandcleartheLockTheTaskbaroptionbyclickingit(whichshouldremovethecheckmark).

Afteryouunlockthetaskbar,youcanpositionitwhereveryouwantbyclickingonitanddragging.Youcan:

Dragthetaskbartotheleftorrighttodockitontheleftorrightsideoftheprimarydesktop.Draguptodockthetaskbartothetopoftheprimarydesktop.Dockthetaskbartoalocationonanothermonitor.Simplydragthetaskbartothedesiredleft,right,top,orbottomlocationonthestretcheddesktop.

Afteryoupositionthetaskbarwhereyouwantit,youshouldlockitinposition.Todothis,right-clickanopenareaofthetaskbar,andthenselecttheLockTheTaskbaroption.Acheckmarkindicatesthatitislocked.

RealWorld Onstretcheddesktops,youcreateadesktopthatstretchesacrossmultipledisplays,suchaswhenyourcomputerhastwomonitors,andthe

taskbaronlyappearsonyourprimarymonitor.Ifyou’dlikethetaskbartoappearontheprimarymonitorandsecondarymonitors,followthesesteps:

1. ClickStartandthenclickSettings.

2. IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.OntheSystempage,clickMultitasking.

3. Inthemainpane,underVirtualDesktops,selectAllDesktopsastheoptionforOnTheTaskbar,Show…

CustomizingTaskbarAppearanceYoucancustomizethetaskbarinseveralotherways.Thefirst,byright-clickingitandusingtheoptionsavailable,including:

ShowTaskViewButton ControlsthedisplayoftheTaskViewbutton.Ifyouclearthisoption,you’llhidetheTaskViewbuttonandwon’tbeabletouseTaskVieworadd,removeorswitchbetweendesktops.Toolbars Controlsthedisplayofthetoolbarsthatcanbeaddedtothetaskbar.ThestandardtoolbarsareAddress,LinksandDesktop.YoualsocanselectNewToolbartochooseafoldertoaddasatoolbar.

YoucancustomizeotheraspectsofthetaskbarbyusingtheTaskbarAndStartMenuPropertiesdialogbox,showninFigure2-11.Toaccessthisdialogbox,right-clickanopenareaofthetaskbar,andthenclickProperties.SelectorclearoptionsasdesiredandclickOKtosaveyourchanges.

Theavailableoptionsinclude:

LockTheTaskbar Locksthetaskbarinplacetopreventaccidentalmovingorresizing.Youmustclearthisoptiontomoveorresizethetaskbar.Auto-HideTheTaskbar Hidesthetaskbarwhenyouaren’tusingitanddisplaysthetaskbaronlywhenyoumovethecursoroverit.Ifyouclearthisoption,thetaskbarisalwaysdisplayed(althoughnotalwaysontop),whichyoumayprefer,especiallyifyoumovethetaskbararoundastretcheddesktop.

Tip Ifthetaskbarishiddenandyouforgetwhereitisdocked,youcanquicklydisplaythetaskbarandStartmenubypressingtheWindowslogokey.

UseSmallTaskbarButtons Reducesthesizeoftaskbarbuttons,allowingmorebuttonstofitonthetaskbar.OnmydesktopPC,Ipreferlargeicons,whichmakesthemeasiertoclick,butonmytabletPC,Iprefersmalliconssotheytakeuplessscreenspace.

Figure2-11UsethePropertiesdialogboxtocustomizethetaskbarappearance.

TaskbarLocationOnScreen Setstherelativelocationofthetaskbaronthecurrentlytargeteddisplay.Aswediscussedpreviously,youcanmovethetaskbarmanuallyaswellwhenitisunlocked.TaskbarButtons Specifieswhethertaskbarbuttonsarealwayscombined,combinedonlywhenthetaskbarisfull,ornevercombined.

Seethenextsectionformoreinformationoncombiningbuttonsandusingrelatedoptions.

Note Typically,you’llwanttocombinesimilaritemstoreducetaskbarclutter.Ratherthandisplayingabuttonforeachprogram,thetaskbargroupssimilarbuttonsbydefault.Groupingbuttonssavesroomonthetaskbarandhelpsreducethelikelihoodthatyou’llneedtoexpandthetaskbartofindthebuttonsforopenprograms.

PinningProgramstotheTaskbarYoucanpinitemsthatyouworkwithfrequentlytothetaskbar.Pinninganitemtothetaskbarcreatesashortcutthatallowsyoutoquicklyopenaprogram,folder,orrelatedwindow.

Pinningitemsiseasy.Ifyouknowthenameoftheprogramyouwanttopintothetaskbar,starttypingtheprogramnameintotheSearchbox.Whenyouseetheprogramintheresultslist,right-clickit,andthenclickPinToTaskbar.Fromthispointon,wheneveryouwanttoaccesstheprogram,simplyclicktherelatedicononthetaskbar.

AnotherwaytofinditemstopinistoaccesstheStartmenu,andthenclicktheAllAppsbutton.Whenyoufindtheprogramyouwanttopin,right-clicktheprogram’smenuitem,andthenclickPinToTaskbar.

Toremoveapinnedprogramfromthetaskbar,right-clickitsicon,andthenclickUnpinThisProgramFromTheTaskbar.Thisremovestheprogram’sbuttonfromthetaskbar.

Youcansettheorderofbuttonsforallopenedandpinnedprograms.Todothis,clickthebuttononthetaskbaranddragitleftorrighttothedesiredposition.

Whenbuttonsarecombinedonthetaskbar,clickinganitemwithmultiplewindowsdisplaysathumbnailwitharepresentationofeachopenwindow.Youcanhoveroverawindowtopeekatitonthedesktop(aslongastheappropriateAerofeaturesareenabled)orclickawindowthatyouwanttoworkwithtoopenit.Forexample,ifyouopenthreedifferentfoldersinFileExplorer,theseitemsaregroupedtogetherinonetaskbarbutton.Hoveringoverthetaskbarbuttondisplaysathumbnailwithanentryforeachwindow,allowingyoutoselectthegroupedwindowtoopenbyclickingit.

Taskbarbuttonsmakeiteasytoclosewindowsaswell.Tocloseawindow,whethergroupedornot,movethepointerovertherelatedtaskbarbutton.Whenthethumbnailappears,movethemousepointertotheright,andthenclicktheclosebuttonforthewindowyouwanttoclose.

UsingFlipViewsandJumpListsFlipviewsandjumplistsaresomeofthemostpowerfulfeaturesofWindows10.Why?Theyallowyoutoquicklygettoitemsthatyouwanttoworkwith.

DisplaythestandardflipviewbypressingAlt+Tab.AsshowninFigure2-12,theflipviewcontainslivethumbnailsofallopenwindows,whicharecontinuouslyupdatedtoreflecttheircurrentstate.Youcanworkwithaflipviewinavarietyofways.Hereareafewtechniques:

PressAlt+Tab,andthenholdAlttokeeptheflipviewopen.PressTabwhileyouholdtheAltkeytocyclethroughthewindows.ReleasetheAltkeytobringthecurrentlyselectedwindowtothefront.Selectawindowandbringittothefrontbyclickingit.

Figure2-12Usingtheflipview.

Bydefault,flipviewshowswindowsareopenonlyontheactivedesktop.Ifyou’relikemeanduseseveraldesktopsallthetime,youmaywantflipviewtoshowwindowsthatareopenonanydesktop.Toconfigurethisoption,followthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.2.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.OntheSystempage,clickMultitasking.3.Inthemainpane,underVirtualDesktops,selectAllDesktopsastheoptionforPressingAlt+TabShowsWindowsThatAreOpenOn.

Ifyouthinkflipviewsarecool,waituntilyoutryjumplists.Jumplistsaredisplayedafterashortdelaywheneveryouright-clickanitemthathasbeenpinnedtothetaskbar.Whenaprogram’sjumplistisdisplayed,youcanselectafiletoopenortasktoperformsimplybyclickingit.

Mostapplicationsdisplayrecentlyuseditemsorfrequentlyuseditems.Someapplicationshaveenhancedjumpliststhatalsoprovidequickaccesstotasksthatyoucanperformwiththeapplication.

Windows10alsoallowsyoutopinitemstoaprogram’sjumplist.Todothis,draganitemassociatedwithaprogramtotheprogram’sbuttonpinnedonthetaskbarandreleasewhenthePinTooptionappears.Considerthefollowingreal-worldscenario:

YouwanttopinMicrosoftWordtothetaskbarandpinimportantdocumentstoitsjumplist.TopinWordtothetaskbar,youaccesstheStartmenu,typeWord.exeintheSearchbox,right-clickWord.exeintheresults,andthenclickPinToTaskbar.AfterpinningWordtothetaskbar,youwanttoaddimportantdocumentstoitsjump

list.YouopenFileExplorer,locatethefirstdocument,dragthedocumentfilefromtheExplorerwindowtotheWordbuttononthetaskbar.WhenthePinToWordoptionappears,youreleasethemousebuttontoaddthefirstdocumenttothejumplist.Yourepeatthisprocesstobuildyourlist.

Otherwaystousejumplistsincludethefollowing:

SimplyopenFileExplorerandlocateandthendraganimportantfolderfromthiswindowtothepinnedFileExploreronthetaskbar.WhenthePinToFileExploreroptionappears,releasethemousebuttontoaddthefoldertothejumplist.Repeatthisprocesstobuildyourlist.IfyoupinControlPaneltothetaskbar,youcanaddfrequentlyusedtaskstoitsjumplist.TopinControlPaneltothetaskbar,accesstheStartmenu,typeControlPanelintheSearchbox,right-clickControlPanelintheresults,andthenclickPinToTaskbar.Afteryou’vepinnedControlPaneltothetaskbar,simplyopenControlPanel,locateanimportanttask,andthendragtheaddresslinkforthetasktothepinnedControlPanelonthetaskbar.WhenthePinToControlPaneloptionappears,releasethemousebuttontoaddthetasktothejumplist.Repeatthisprocesstobuildyourlist.

RealWorld Sometimes,you’llwanttorunprogramspinnedtothetaskbarwithadministratorprivileges.Todothis,right-clicktheshortcutonthetaskbartodisplaytheoptionsmenufortheprogramandthenintheoptionslist,right-clicktheprogramname.Ifyoucanruntheprogramwithadministratorprivileges,thesecondoptionsmenuwillhaveaRunAsAdministratoroptionwhichyoucanselect.


YoucanmakeWindows10yoursbypersonalizingitsappearance.Fromfine-tuningyourwindowcolorstochoosingyourdesktopbackgrounds,screensavers,sounds,mousepointers,themes,anddisplaysettings,youcanpersonalizeWindows10inmanyways.Navigatingthismazeofoptionscanbetricky,however,especiallywhenyouwanttoachieverobustperformancewhilemaintainingadesiredlookandfeel.

Manyfactorscanaffectyourcomputer’sappearanceandperformance,includinghardwarecomponentsandaccountcontrols.Youachieveabalancebetweenappearanceandperformancebymakingtrade-offswhenapplyingpersonalizationsettings,yetpersonalizationsettingslargelydeterminethequalityofyourexperience.

Ofthemanyinterconnectedappearanceandperformancefeatures,youhavethemostcontroloverthefollowing:

BasicinterfacesandaccountcontrolsDesktopthemes,screensavers,andbackgroundsPersonalaccountsettings

Inthischapter,you’lllearnhowtofine-tunethesefeatureswhilemaintainingthebalancebetweenappearanceandperformance.

CustomizingBasicInterfacesWindowshasmanycustomizableinterfacefeatures.Youcancustomizeyourcomputer’scontrolpanels,prompts,andmore.Thissectionshowsyouhow.

PersonalizingControlPanelControlPanelprovidesquickaccesstoimportantsystemutilitiesandtasks.YoucandisplaytheControlPanelfromanyFileExplorerviewbyclickingtheleftmostarrowbuttonontheAddressbarandthenclickingControlPanel(seeFigure3-1).

Figure3-1UsingtheaddressbarinFileExplorerselectControlpanelasthelocation.

Tip DidyouknowthatControlPanelissimplyaFileExplorerviewpanel?ThisPC,Network,Librariesandotherviewpanelsareaccessibleaswellusingtheaddressbar,andwhenyouareworkingwithanyoftheseviews,youcanswitchtootherviewsusingtheaddressbar.

WhenyouareworkingwithControlPanel,ControlPanelhasseveraldifferentviewsavailable.YoucanchangeviewsinControlPanelbyusingtheoptionsontheViewBylist.Categoryview,accessedbyclickingCategoryintheViewBylist,showssystemutilitiesbycategory,utilityname,andkeytasks.AllControlPanelItemsview,accessedbyclickingLargeIconsorSmallIconsintheViewBylist,listsallitemsintheControlPanelalphabeticallybyname.

InCategoryview,allutilitiesandtasksareaccessedwithasingleclick,aswithoptionsandprogramsontheStartmenu.Youmightwanttoconfigureyourcomputertousethemoreefficientsingle-clickoptiontoopendocuments,picturesandotheritemsaswell.Configuringsingle-clickopenonallitemsmayalsohelpyouavoidconfusionastowhetheryouneedtoclickordouble-clicksomething.

Whenyouhavesingle-clickopenconfigured,pointingtoanitemselectsitandclickingopensit.Toconfiguresingle-clickopen,followthesesteps:

1.InControlPanel,clickAppearanceAndPersonalization.2.UnderFileExplorerOptions,clickSpecifySingle-OrDouble-ClickToOpen.3.IntheFileExplorerOptionsdialogbox,ontheGeneraltab,selectSingle-ClickToOpenAnItem(PointToSelect),andthenclickOK.

Witheverythingsettoopenwithoneclick,youmightfindthatworkingwithControlPanelandFileExplorerismuchmoreintuitive.

Fine-TuningControlPromptsInChapter1,Iintroducedyoutolocalanddomainuseraccounts,bothofwhichcanbeInternetconnected.Whenyouareworkingwithlocaluseraccounts,theaccountcaneitherbeastandarduseraccountoranadministratoraccount.

Standarduserscanperformanygeneralcomputingtasks,suchasstartingprograms,openingdocuments,andcreatingfolders,aswellasanysupporttasksthatdonotaffectotherusersorthesecurityofthecomputer.Administrators,ontheotherhand,havecompleteaccesstothecomputerandcanmakechangesthataffectotherusersandthesecurityofthecomputer.

InWindows10,regardlessofwhetheryouareloggedonasastandarduseroranadministrator,youseeaUserAccountControl(UAC)promptbydefaultwhenprogramstrytomakechangestoyourcomputerandwhenyoutrytoruncertainprivilegedapplications.UACisacollectionoffeaturesdesignedtohelpprotectyourcomputerfrommaliciousprogramsbyimprovingsecurity.

Generally,whenyouareloggedonasastandarduser,youarepromptedtoprovideadministratorcredentials.Onmostpersonalorsmallofficecomputers,eachlocalcomputeradministratoraccountislistedbynameontheprompt,andyoumustclickanaccount,typetheaccount’spassword,andthenclickOKtoproceed.Ifyoulogontoadomain,thepromptshowsthelogondomainandprovidesusernameandpasswordboxes.Inthiscase,youmustenterthenameofanadministratoraccount,typetheaccount’spassword,andthenclickOKtoproceed.

Whenyouareloggedonwithanadministratoraccount,youarepromptedforconsenttocontinue.Theconsentpromptworksthesameregardlessofwhetheryouareconnectedtoadomain,andyoumustsimplyclickOKtoproceed.

Theprocessofgettingapproval,priortorunninganapplicationinadministratormodeandperformingactionsthatchangesystem-widesettings,isknownaselevation.Elevationenhancessecuritybyprovidingnotificationwhenyouareabouttoperformanactionthatcouldaffectsystemsettings,suchasinstallinganapplication,andeliminatingtheabilityformaliciousprogramstoinvokeadministratorprivilegeswithoutyourknowledgeandconsent.

Windows10performsseveraltasksbeforeelevatingtheprivilegesanddisplayingtheUACprompt,butthereisjustonethatyouneedtoknowabout:Windowsswitchestoasecure,isolateddesktopbeforedisplayingtheconsentprompt,whichpreventsotherprocessesorapplicationsfromprovidingtherequiredpermissionsorconsent.

Note Onlythepromptitselfrunsonthesecuredesktop.Allotherrunningprogramsandprocessescontinuetorunontheinteractiveuserdesktop.

Elevation,consentprompts,andthesecuredesktoparethekeyaspectsofUACthataffectyouandhowyouuseyourcomputer.Toreducethenumberofpromptsyousee,UACcandifferentiatebetweenchangestoWindowssettingsandchangestotheoperatingsystemmadebyprogramsanddevices.Mostofthetime,forexample,you’llonlywanttoknow

whenprogramsaretryingtoinstallthemselvesormakechangestotheoperatingsystem;youwon’twanttobepromptedeverytimeyoutrytochangeWindowssettings.YoualsocanconfigureUACsothatthesecuredesktopisnotused.

RealWorld UACcanpreventyoufrominstallingcertaintypesofprogramsonyourcomputer.Sometimesyoucangetaroundthisbyright-clickingtheprogram’s.exeorotherinstallerfileandselectingRunAsAdministrator.Keepinmind,however,thataftertheprogramisinstalled,itmightneedtoalwaysrunwithadministratorprivileges.Insteadofright-clickingtheprogramandselectingRunAsAdministratoreverytimeyouwanttouseit,makethechangepermanentbyright-clickingtheprogram’sshortcutorinstalled.exefileandselectingProperties.OntheCompatibilitytab,intheSettingssection,selectRunThisProgramAsAnAdministrator,andthenclickOK.

Tofine-tuneUAC,followthesesteps:

1.InControlPanelwithCategoryview,clicktheReviewYourComputer’sStatuslinkunderSystemAndSecurity.2.Intheleftpane,clickChangeUserAccountControlSettings.

Tip Alternatively,typewscui.cplintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.InActionCenter,clickChangeUserAccountControlSettings.

3.OntheUserAccountControlSettingspage,showninFigure3-2,usetheslidertochoosewhentobenotifiedaboutchangestothecomputer,andthenclickOKtosaveyoursettings.Theavailableoptionsare:

AlwaysNotifyMeWhen AlwaysnotifiesyouwhenprogramstrytoinstallsoftwareormakechangestothecomputerandwhenyouchangeWindowssettings.Youshouldchoosethisoptionifyourcomputerrequiresthehighestsecuritypossibleandyoufrequentlyinstallsoftwareandvisitunfamiliarwebsites.NotifyMeOnlyWhenAppsTryToMakeChangesToMyComputer(Default) NotifiesyouonlywhenprogramstrytomakechangestothecomputerbutnotwhenyouchangeWindowssettings.Youshouldchoosethisoptionifyourcomputerrequireshighsecuritybutyouwanttoreducethenumberofnotificationprompts.NotifyMeOnlyWhenAppsTryToMakeChangesToMyComputer(DoNotDimMyDesktop) WorksthesameasDefaultbutalsopreventsUACfromswitchingtothesecuredesktop.Youshouldchoosethisoptionifyouworkinatrustedenvironmentwithfamiliarapplicationsandyoudonotvisitunfamiliarwebsites.Youmayalsowanttousethisoptionifittakesalongtimeforyourcomputertoswitchtothesecuredesktop.NeverNotifyMeWhen TurnsoffallUACnotificationprompts.Youshouldchoosethisoptionifsecurityisnotapriorityandyouworkinatrustedenvironment.Ifyouselectthisoption,youmustrestartyourcomputerforthischangetotakeeffect.

Figure3-2OptimizeUACforthewayyouwork.

Note DependingonthecurrentconfigurationofUAC,youmaybepromptedforpermissionsorconsent.Inadomain,youmightnotbeabletomanageUACbyusingthistechnique,althoughyoumaybeabletoconfigureindividualUACfeaturesinLocalSecurityPolicy,accessiblefromtheAllApps\WindowsAdministrativeToolsmenu.WhenyouareworkingwithLocalSecurityPolicy,expandLocalPoliciesunderSecuritySettings,andthenclickSecurityOptions.NextscrolluntilyouseetheUACpolicies.

CreatinganAlternateControlPanelViewYoumayhaveheardaboutanalternateviewforControlPanelthatI’vebeencallingtheUltimateControlPanel.TocreateanalternateviewforControlPanel,yousimplyopenFileExplorerandcreateanewfolder,preferablyonthedesktop.Givethefolderanynameyoulike,followedbyaperiodandthegloballyuniqueidentifier(GUID)forthealternateControlPanelview.

TheGUIDis:{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}.Forexample,youcouldnameyourfolder:MyStuff.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

OrViewPanel.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

OrJustCool.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

UltimateControlPanelisshowninFigure3-3.Remember,it’stheGUID,notthetextstring,thatdoesthemagic.TheGUIDisaregisteredvalueintheoperatingsystem,anditidentifiesthealternateControlPanelview.Whenyoucreateandnamethefolderinthisway,you’llhaveanUltimateControlPanelthathelpsyouquicklyperformcommontasks,byallowingeasynavigationofmanyControlPaneloptions.

Figure3-3UseUltimateControlPaneltoaccesslistsofsettingsgroupedbycategory.

CreatingaDedicatedAdministratorCommandPromptYouusethecommandprompttoaccesstheWindows10command-lineinterface.Ifyou’reaseasonedcomputerpro,youknowthis,andyoualsoknowthatyoumustelevatethecommandprompttoperformanyadministratortasks.Normally,youdothisbyaccessingCommandPromptbyright-clickingtheWindowslogo,andthenclickingCommandPrompt(Admin).YoualsocandothisbyaccessingtheStartscreen,typingcmd.exe,right-clickingCommandPromptintheresultslist,andclickingRunAsAdministrator.Theresultisthesameeitherway:acommandpromptthatallowsyoutoruntasksthatrequireadministratorprivileges.

IfyoupinnedCommandPrompttothetaskbar,gettinganadministratorcommandpromptisabitmoredifficult.Moredifficult,really?Yes,really.Toelevate,youmustright-clickthepinnedCommandPrompt,right-clickCommandPromptagaininthejumplist,andthenclickRunAsAdministrator.

Youmaybewonderingifthereisaworkaround,andthereis.Cmd.exeisstoredinthe%WinDir%\System32folder,where%WinDir%isanenvironmentvariablethatpointstothebaseinstallationfolderforWindowssuchasC:\Windows.Afteryoulocatethefile,createacopybyright-clickingCmd.exeandclickingCopy,andthenpastethecopytoanotherfolderbyaccessingthefolder,right-clicking,andthenclickingPaste.It’sagoodideatopastethecopyintooneofyourpersonalfolders,suchasDocuments.

Next,right-clickthecopyofCmd.exeandclickProperties.OntheCompatibilitytab,intheSettingssection,selectRunThisProgramAsAnAdministrator,andthenclickOK.Finally,right-clickthecopyofCmd.exeagainandclickPinToStartMenuorPinToTaskbar.NowthepinnedcopyofCmd.exewillalwaysrunwithadministratorprivileges.

OptimizingBackgrounds,ThemesandMoreYoucanaccesspersonalizationsettingsatanytimebyusingthePersonalizationpageinSettings.Toaccessthispage,simplyright-clickonthedesktopandclickPersonalize.Personalizationsettingscontrolthebackgroundsusedonthedesktopandlockscreen,thewindowcolors,thethemesandmore.BeforeyouworkwithWindows10backgroundsandthemes,it’simportanttonotethatbydefaultWindows10automaticallypicksanaccentcolorforgraphicsandwindowedgesfromthebackground.Althoughthiscanbeabeautifuleffect,itcanalsoberatherjarringifyouhavedifferentbackgroundsondifferentdesktopsorrapidlyshiftthroughbackgroundsusingtheslideshowoption.Don’tworry,youcanturnthisfeatureoffandI’llshowyouhow.

CustomizingandCreatingYourOwnDesktopBackgroundsIfyoureallywanttoexpressyourtrueself,thedesktopbackgroundcanhelpyoudoit.TheWindowsdesktopcandisplayasolidbackgroundcolororapictureasitswallpaper.Windows10providesastartersetofbackgroundimagesthatyoucanuseaswallpaper.

ToaccesstheBackgroundpage,showninFigure3-4,simplyright-clickonthedesktopandclickPersonalize.

Figure3-4Customizingthedesktopbackground.

Thedefaultwallpaperimagesarestoredinsubfoldersofthe%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaperfolder,where%WinDir%isanenvironmentvariablethatpointstothebaseinstallationfolderforWindowssuchasC:\Windows.Forthemostpart,theseimagesaresizedforeitherwidescreenviewingat1920x1200,buttheremayalsobeimagessizedforwidescreenviewingonstretcheddesktopsat3840x1200.Ifyouselectanimageatoneofthesesizesandyourcomputermonitorhasadifferentdisplayresolutionsize,Windowsresizestheimageautomaticallyeverytimetheimageisused.

Note Thebestpicturesforstretcheddesktopsarepanoramas,aspanoramasareverywide,andwhenyouareworkingwithbackgroundsandthemes,you’llfindbackgroundsandthemesdesignedforstretcheddesktopsareoftenreferredtoaspanoramicbackgroundsorpanoramicthemes.

Tip Toremovetheoverheadassociatedwithbackgroundresizing,youcansizeyourbackgroundimagessothattheyarethesamesizeasyourpreferreddisplayresolution.Ifyoudothis,however,makesurethatyousavethere-sizedimagestoanewlocationandthenchoosethisnewlocation.Don’toverwritetheexistingimages.

Youcanalsocreatebackgroundimagestouseaswallpaper.Todoso,simplycreateappropriatelysizedimagesas.bmp,.gif,.jpg,.jpg,.jpeg,.dib,.png,.tif,or.tifffiles,andthenaddthesefilestotheappropriatesubfoldersofthe%WinDir%\Web\Wallpaperfolder.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstothatfolder,orifyouwouldprefertonotmakechangestothat

folder,youcanalsousepicturesfromyourPicturesLibraryorelsewhere.

Note Youshouldoptimizeeverybackgroundimageyouuse.Ifyoudon’tdothis,youriskaffectingyourcomputer’sperformancebecauseWindowswillneedtoresizetheimageeverytimeitisused.

Windows10allowsyoutousethreedifferenttypesofbackgrounds:

PicturesSolidColorsSlideshows

UsingPicturesforBackgrounds

Youcansetthepicturebackgroundforthedesktopbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Intheleftcolumn,Backgroundisselectedbydefault,asshownpreviouslyinFigure3-4.2.OntheBackgroundlist,choosePicture.Next,clickthepictureyouwanttouse,orclickBrowsetoselectapictureinanotherlocation,suchasyourpersonalDocumentsorPicturesfolder.3.Whenyouareusingabackgroundimage,youmustalsousetheChooseAFitoptiontoselectadisplayoptionforthebackground.Thepositioningoptionsare:

Fill Fillsthedesktopbackgroundwiththeimage.Generally,thefillisaccomplishedbyzoomingin,whichmayresultinthesidesoftheimagebeingcropped.Fit Fitstheimagetothedesktopbackground.Becausecurrentproportionsaremaintainedinmostcases,thisisagoodoptionforphotosandlargeimagesthatyouwanttoseewithoutstretchingorexpanding.Stretch Stretchestheimagetofillthedesktopbackground.Theproportionsaremaintainedascloselyaspossible,andthentheheightisstretchedtofillanyremaininggaps.Tile Repeatstheimagesothatitcoverstheentirescreen.Thisisagoodoptionforsmallimagesandicons(andalsotogetasingleimagetofilltwoscreens,asdiscussedinChapter2,“CustomizingtheWindows10Interface”).Center Centerstheimageonthedesktopbackground.Anyareathattheimagedoesn’tfillusesthecurrentdesktopbackgroundcolor.ClickChangeBackgroundColortosetthebackgroundcolorfortheareatheimagedoesn’tfill.Span Allowstheimagetofillastretcheddesktopbyspanningthespacefromonedesktoptotheother.

UsingSolidColorsforBackgrounds

Youcansetasolidcolorforthedesktopbackgroundbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Intheleftcolumn,Backgroundisselectedbydefault,asshownpreviouslyinFigure3-4.

2.OntheBackgroundlist,chooseSolidColor.3.UnderBackgroundColors,clickthebackgroundcolorthatyouwanttouse.

UsingSlideshowBackgrounds

Withaslideshow,thebackgroundimagechangesautomaticallybasedonaspecificschedule,suchasevery30minutesordaily.Beforeyoucanuseaslideshow,however,youneedtocreateapicturealbumcontainingthepicturesyouwanttodisplayinthebackground.

ThedefaultpicturealbumisthePictureslibraryinyourpersonalfolders.Aspicturesinyourlibrarylikelyaren’tsizedoroptimizedforthedesktop,displayingtheimagesmayberatherinefficientintermsofsystemresourceusage.Ifyouwanttoreduceresourceusage,youshouldoptimizethesizeofimagesandthencopythesetoanewfolderthatyouthenuseasyourphotoalbum.

Tip Theoptimumsizeofimagesforyourdevicedependsonthedisplaysettings.Tocheckthedisplaysettingsforyoudevice,clickStartandthenclickSettings.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.WithDisplayselectedintheleftpane,scrolldowninthemainpaneandthenselectAdvancedDisplaySettings.UnderResolution,you’llseethecurrentresolutionforthedevice’sdisplay,suchas1280x1024or1920x1200.Ifyou’vestretchedthedesktoponyourdeviceandwanttocreateastretchedbackground,thebackgroundsizeshouldbe2timesthewidthofthedisplay.Thus,ifthedisplayis1920pixelswide,theimageshouldbe3840pixelswide.

Youconfiguretheslideshowforthebackgroundbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Intheleftcolumn,Backgroundisselectedbydefault.2.OntheBackgroundlist,chooseSlideshow,asshowninFigure3-5.3.Bydefault,yourPictureslibraryisusedasthesourcealbumfortheslideshow.Touseadifferentsource,clickBrowsetoselectapictureinanotherlocation,suchasyourpersonalDocumentsorPicturesfolder.

Tip Ifyouhaveadministratoraccesstothedevice,youcansetoneoftheWindowswallpaperfoldersasthesource.ClickBrowse,navigatetothebasefolderforwallpaper,suchasC:\Windows\Webandthenchoosethefoldertouse.

Figure3-5Creatingachangeschedule.

4.UsetheChangePictureEverylisttospecifyhowoftenpicturesshouldberotated,suchasevery30minutes,everyhour,every6hoursoreveryday.5.Youmustalsoselectadisplayoptionforthebackground.Thepositioningoptionsare:

Center Centerstheimageonthedesktopbackground.Anyareathattheimagedoesn’tfillusesthecurrentdesktopbackgroundcolor.ClickChangeBackgroundColortosetthebackgroundcolorfortheareatheimagedoesn’tfill.Fill Fillsthedesktopbackgroundwiththeimage.Generally,thefillisaccomplishedbyzoomingin,whichmayresultinthesidesoftheimagebeingcropped.Fit Fitstheimagetothedesktopbackground.Becausecurrentproportionsaremaintainedinmostcases,thisisagoodoptionforphotosandlargeimagesthatyouwanttoseewithoutstretchingorexpanding.Stretch Stretchestheimagetofillthedesktopbackground.Theproportionsaremaintainedascloselyaspossible,andthentheheightisstretchedtofillanyremaininggaps.Tile Repeatstheimagesothatitcoverstheentirescreen.Thisisagoodoptionforsmallimagesandicons(andalsotogetasingleimagetofilltwoscreens,asdiscussedinChapter2,“CustomizingtheWindows10Interface”).Span Allowstheimagetofillastretcheddesktopbyspanningthespacefromonedesktoptotheother.

CustomizingtheLockScreenLikethedesktop,thelockscreencanhaveapictureorslideshowbackground.Windows10providesastartersetofbackgroundimagesforthelockscreen.Thedefaultlockscreenimagesarestoredinsubfoldersofthe%WinDir%\Web\Screenfolder,where%WinDir%isanenvironmentvariablethatpointstothebaseinstallationfolderforWindowssuchasC:\Windows.

Forthemostpart,thedefaultimagesaresizedforeitherwidescreenviewingat1920x1200,buttheremayalsobeimagessizedforwidescreenviewingonstretcheddesktopsat3840x1200orlarger.Ifyouselectanimageatoneofthesesizesandyourcomputermonitorhasadifferentdisplayresolutionsize,Windowsresizestheimageautomaticallyeverytimetheimageisused.

ToaccesstheLockScreenpage,showninFigure3-6,simplyright-clickonthedesktopandclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.

Figure3-6Customizingthelockscreen.

Justasyoucancreatebackgroundimagestouseaswallpaper,youcancreatebackgroundimagesforthelockscreen.Todoso,simplycreateappropriatelysizedimagesas.bmp,.gif,.jpg,.jpg,.jpeg,.dib,.png,.tif,or.tifffiles,andthenaddthesefilestothe%WinDir%\Web\Screenfolder.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstothatfolder,orifyouwouldprefertonotmakechangestothatfolder,youcanalsousepicturesfromyourPicturesLibraryorelsewhere.

Windows10allowsyoutousetwodifferenttypesofbackgroundsonthelockscreen:

PicturesSlideshows

Youalsocanspecifyappsthatcandisplaytheirstatusonthelockscreen,suchasAlarms&Clock,Mail,WeatherandCalendar.

UsingPicturesontheLockScreen

Youcansetthepictureforthelockscreenbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.2.OntheBackgroundlist,choosePicture.Next,clickthepictureyouwanttouse,orclickBrowsetoselectapictureinanotherlocation,suchasyourpersonalDocumentsorPicturesfolder.

Bydefault,thepicturefillsthescreen.Generally,thefillisaccomplishedbyzoomingin.Ifyouwantthepicturetofillastretcheddesktopbyspanningthespacefromonedesktoptotheother,you’llneedtocreateapicturethatis2timesthewidthofthedisplay.Thus,ifthedisplayis1920pixelswide,theimageshouldbe3840pixelswide.

UsingSlideshowsontheLockScreen

Withaslideshow,theimageonthelockscreenchangesautomaticallyeveryfewminutes.Beforeyoucanuseaslideshow,however,youneedtocreateapicturealbumcontainingthepicturesyouwanttodisplayinthebackground.

ThedefaultpicturealbumisthePictureslibraryinyourpersonalfolders.Aspicturesinyourlibrarylikelyaren’tsizedoroptimizedforthelockscreen,onlypicturesthatfitthescreenaredisplayedbydefault.Alsobydefault,whenyouareusingWindowsonadesktoporlaptopcomputer,Windowsshowsthelockscreenwhenthecomputerisinactiveratherthanturningoffthescreen.

Tip Theoptimumsizeofimagesforyourdevicedependsonthedisplaysettings.Tocheckthedisplaysettingsforyoudevice,clickStartandthenclickSettings.IntheSettingsdialogbox,clickSystem.WithDisplayselectedintheleftpane,scrolldowninthemainpaneandthenselectAdvancedDisplaySettings.UnderResolution,you’llseethecurrentresolutionforthedevice’sdisplay,suchas1280x1024or1920x1200.Ifyou’vestretchedthedesktoponyourdeviceandwanttocreateastretchedbackground,thebackgroundsizeshouldbe2timesthewidthofthedisplay.Thus,ifthedisplayis1920pixelswide,theimageshouldbe3840pixelswide.

Youconfiguretheslideshowforthelockscreenbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.2.OntheBackgroundlist,chooseSlideshow.Bydefault,yourPictureslibraryisusedasthesourcealbumfortheslideshow.Youcannowaddandremovesourcealbums.Ifyoudon’twantthePictureslibrarytobeusedasasourcealbum(perhapsduetoitcontainingembarrassingphotos),clickPicturesunderChooseAlbums…andthenclickRemove.3.Thephotosineachselectedalbumwillbeusedintheslideshow.Touse

addasourcealbum,clickAddAFolderandthenselectthesourcefolder.Touseremoveasourcealbum,clickthefolderunderChooseAlbums…andthenselectRemove.

Whileyou’reworkingwithslideshowsonthelockscreen,youmaywanttoconfigureadvancedsettingstooptimizethewaytheslideshowswork.Ifso,clicktheAdvancedSlideshowSettingslinkandthenusetheseoptionsforoptimization:

IncludeCameraRollFolders… Bydefault,thisoptionisOffandcamerarollfoldersfromyourPictureslibraryandOneDrivearen’tincludedinslideshows.Ifyouwantthesefoldersincludedautomatically,clicktherelatedtoggletoswitchittotheOnposition.UseOnlyPicturesThatFitMyScreen Bydefault,thisoptionisOnandonlypicturesthataresizedappropriatelyaredisplayedonthelockscreen.Ifyouwanttoincludeimagesregardlessofwhethertheyaresizedappropriately,clicktherelatedtoggletoswitchittotheOffposition.WhenMyPCIsInactive,ShowLockScreen Bydefault,thisoptionfordesktopandlaptopcomputersisOn.Thismeansthelockscreenisdisplayedwhenthecomputerisinactiveinsteadofturningoffthedisplay.Ifyouwantthedisplaytoturnoff,clicktherelatedtoggletoswitchittotheOffposition.

Bydefault,thescreendoesn’tturnoffwhiletheslideshowisplaying.Tochangethisbehavior,clicktheTurnOffScreenAfter…listandthenchooseaspecificturnofftime,suchasafter30minutesorafter1hour.

ConfiguringNotificationsontheLockScreen

Gettingnotificationsonthelockscreenishandysothatyoudon’thavetologintogetinformationyoumaybelookingfor,suchaswhetheryouhavenewmessages,whattheweatherislikeorwhatthestockmarketisdoing.Appsthatcanruninthebackgroundandshownotificationsonthelockscreeninclude:

Alarms&ClocksCalendarMailPeopleStoreWeatherXbox

Whilealloftheseappscandisplayshortnotifications,referredtoasquickstatuses,onlyafewappscandisplaylonger,detailedstatusupdates,whichfortheout-of-the-boxapps,includesWeather,CalendarandXbox.

Youcanspecifyappsthatcandisplaystatusupdatesonthelockscreenbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.2.Inthemainpane,scrolldown,untilyouseethestatussettingsshownin

Figure3-7.

Figure3-7Specifyappsthatcandisplaystatusupdatesonthelockscreen.

3.Youcanconfigureoneapptoshowdetailedstatusupdatesonthelockscreen.ClickChooseAnAppToShowDetailedStatusandthenselectoneoftheavailableapps.Ifyoudon’twantanyapptoshowadetailedstatus,selectNone.4.UsingtheChooseAppsToShowQuickStatusoptions,youcanconfigureuptosevenappstoshowquickstatusupdatesonthelockscreen.Clickoneoftheavailableslotsandthenselectanapptodisplayupdatesinthisslow.Ifyoudon’twantanyapptoshowaquickstatusinaparticularslot,selectNone.

SelectingandTuningThemesDesktopthemesarecombinationsofthevisualandaudioelementsthatsettheappearanceofmenus,icons,backgrounds,screensavers,systemsounds,andmousepointers.Wheneveryouswitchbetweenthemesormodifycertainaspectsofatheme,yousettheuserexperiencelevelandcolorschemeforyourcomputer.

ChoosingaTheme

Inadditiontoanycustomthemesyoucreate,severaldefaultthemesareavailable.Youcanapplyadefaultorsavedthemebycompletingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickThemes.2.InthemainpaneunderThemes,clicktheThemeSettingslink.ThisopensControlPanel,asshowninFigure3-8.3.UsetheThemelisttoselectthethemeyouwanttouse.IfyouwanttouseasavedthemefromtheMicrosoftwebsite,clickGetMoreThemesOnlineandselectthethemeorthemestodownloadandinstall.

Figure3-8Choosethethemetouseorgetathemeonline.

Asyou’veseen,youcanswitchtoanyavailablethemebysimplyselectingitonthePersonalizationpageinControlPanel.TheHighContrastthemesarespecialthemesthatallowyoutoforegotheprettystufftoimproveperformanceandreadability.HighContrastthemesuseonlythemostbasicelementsandaredesignedforpeoplewithvisiondisabilities.

Withallotherthemes,Windowsautomaticallyadjuststheaccentcolorforgraphicsandwindowedgesbasedonthecolorsusedinthebackgroundimage.TheaccentcolorcanalsobeextendedtoStart,thetaskbar,windowlinksandmore.

SettingtheAccentColor

Youcancustomizethewayaccentcolorsareusedbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickColorsintheleftcolumn.2.TopickanaccentcolorratherthanhaveWindowspickthecolor,set

AutomaticallyPickAnAccentColor…toOff.AsshowninFigure3-9,youcanthenchoosetheaccentcolor.Simplyclickthecolortouse.3.ToextendtheaccentcolortoStart,thetaskbar,windowlinksandmore,scrolldownandthensetShowColorOnStart…toOn.

Figure3-9Choosetheaccentcolortouse.

RealWorld Bydefault,Start,taskbarandactioncenterhavetransparentbackgrounds,meaningyoucanseewhat’sopenbehindthem.Personally,Idon’tlikethiseffectandalwaysdisableitsothatthesescreenelementshaveasolidbackground.Disablingthisfeaturehasanaddedbenefit:Itreducesresourceusageandcanactuallymakeyourcomputerslightlymoreresponsive.Todisabletransparentbackgrounds,setMakeStart,Taskbar…toOff.ThisoptionsisalsoontheColorspanelunderSettings>Personalization.Ifyourdevicehasanolderprocessorordoesn’thavealotofphysicalmemory,youalsowanttousethestandardWindowsthemeratherthananyofthefancythemes.

ConfiguringScreenTimeoutandScreenSaversYoualsocanexpressyourselfbyusingscreensavers.Screensaverscanbeconfiguredtoturnonwhenacomputerhasbeenidleforaspecifiedperiod.Screensaverswereoriginallydesignedtopreventimageburn-inbydisplayingacontinuallychangingimage.Withtoday’smonitors,burn-inisnotreallyaproblem,butscreensaversstuckstillaroundbecausetheyofferedtheabilitytopassword-lockyourcomputerautomaticallywhenthescreensaverturnedon.

BeginningwithWindows8,Microsoftseparatedthelockingfunctionalityfromthescreensaverfunctionality,creatingatruelockscreen.BecauseofthisWindows10doesn’tuseascreensaverbydefaultandyouonlyneedtoconfigureoneifyoulikethefeature.Insteadofusingascreensaver,Windows10displaysthelockscreenuntilthedisplayisturnedoff,whichhappensautomaticallybasedonthesettingsintheactivepowerplan.Forexample,thedefaultpowerplan,calledBalanced,tellsWindows10toturnoffthedisplayafter10minuteswhenthecomputerispluggedinorafter5minuteswhenrunningonbattery.Thesedefaultsettingsdodependonthetypeofdevice,suchaswhetheryouareworkingwithaSurfacetabletoradesktopcomputer.

ConfiguringWhentheScreenTurnsOff

Youcansetthescreentimeoutvaluebyperformingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.2.Inthemainpane,scrolldownandclicktheScreenTimeoutSettingslink.3.UsetheselectionlistprovidedundertheScreenheadingtospecifywhenthescreenshouldturnoff,suchasafter15minutesofinactivity.Ifyouareworkingwithadevicethathasabattery,you’llhavetwoselectionlists,oneforwhenthedeviceispluggedinandtheotherforwhenthedeviceisrunningonbattery.4.Optionally,usetheselectionlistsundertheSleepheadingtospecifywhenthedeviceshouldentersleepmode,suchasafter30minutesofinactivity.Again,ifyouareworkingwithadevicethathasabattery,you’llhavetwoselectionlists,oneforwhenthedeviceispluggedinandtheotherforwhenthedeviceisrunningonbattery.

RealWorld Keepinmind,Windows10performsmanyhousekeepingtasksinthebackgroundwhenyourcomputerisidle,suchascreatingindexes,defragmentingharddisks,creatingwholecomputerbackups,andsettingsystemrestorepoints.Thus,youwanttoconsidercarefullywhentohavethedeviceentersleepmode.Waittoolongandyou’llusepower.WaitnotlongenoughandWindowsmayhavetorunhousekeepingtaskswhenyou’retryingtowork.

ConfiguringaScreenSaver

IfyouwantWindowstouseascreensaver,youcanconfigureonebyfollowingthese

steps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickLockScreenintheleftcolumn.2.Inthemainpane,scrolldownandclicktheScreenSaverSettingslinktoopentheScreenSaverSettingsdialogbox.3.UsetheScreenSaverlist,showninFigure3-10,toselectascreensaver.Althoughyoucaninstalladditionalscreensavers,thestandardoptionsareasfollows:

Figure3-10Choosingascreensaver

(None) Turnsoffthescreensaver.3DText Displaysthesystemtimeorcustomtextasa3Dmessageagainstablackbackground.(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\SsText3d.scr)Blank Displaysablankscreen(ablackbackgroundwithnotextorimages).(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\Scrnsave.scr)Bubbles Displaysmulticoloredbubblesfloatingacrossyourdesktopwhiletheopenwindowsanddocumentsonthedesktopremainvisible.(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\Bubbles.scr)Mystify Displaysarcingbandsoflinesinvariousgeometricpatternsagainstablackbackground.(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\Mystify.scr)Photos Displaysphotosandvideosfromaselectedfolderasaslideshow.Makesureyouknowwhatimageswillbeshownbeforeyousetthisuptoavoidpotentialembarrassment.(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\PhotoScreensaver.scr)Ribbons Displaysribbonsofvariousthicknessesandchanginglinesagainstablackbackground.(Usesthefile%WinDir%\System32\Ribbons.scr)

4.Password-protectthescreensaverbyselectingOnResume,Display

LogonScreen.Clearthisoptiononlyifyoudonotwanttousepasswordprotection.5.UsetheWaitcontroltospecifyhowlongthecomputermustbeidlebeforethescreensaverisactivated.Athome,areasonablevalueisbetween10and15minutes.Attheoffice,youmightwanttosetthistobetween5and7minutes.Inmanyoffices,theWaitsettingissetbycorporatepolicyandcannotbechanged.6.ClickOK.

ThePhotosand3DTextscreensavershaveadditionaloptions(aswilljustaboutanycustomscreensaversyouinstall).ThePhotosscreensaverdisplaysaslideshowofphotos,suchasyourportfolioorfamilypictures.

TocustomizethePhotosscreensaver,followthesesteps:

1.IntheScreenSaverSettingsdialogbox,selectPhotos,andthenclickSettingstodisplaythePhotosScreenSaverdialogboxshowninFigure3-11.2.Bydefault,thisscreensaverdisplaystheimagesinyourPictureslibrary,whichisacombinationofyourMyPicturesfolderandthePublicPicturesfolder.Tousephotosfromadifferentfolder,clickBrowse,andthenselectthefolderyouwanttouse.3.UseSlideShowSpeedlisttosetthespeedoftheslideshow.TheoptionsareSlow,Medium,andFast.

Figure3-11Fine-tuningthephotosscreensaver

4.Photosaredisplayedinalphanumericorderbydefault.Ifyouwanttoshufflethephotosanddisplaytheminrandomorder,selecttheShufflePicturescheckbox.5.ClickSave,andthenclickOK.

Tocustomizethe3DTextscreensaver,followthesesteps:

1.IntheScreenSaverSettingsdialogbox,select3DText,andthenclickSettingstodisplaythe3DTextSettingsdialogboxshowninFigure3-12.2.Displaythecurrenttimeoracustommessageas3Dtext.Todisplaythecurrenttimeas3Dtext,selectTime.Todisplayacustommessageas3Dtext,selectCustomTextandtypeyourmessage.

Figure3-12Fine-tuningthe3Dtextscreensaver

3.ClickChooseFont,andthenusetheFontdialogboxtosetthefontforthe3Dtext.ThedefaultfontisTahoma.4.UsetheResolutionslidertocontrolthedisplayresolutionofthetextandtheSizeslidertocontrolthesizeofthetext.Thehighertheresolutionandlargerthetext,themoreprocessingpowerrequiredtodrawandmovethemessage.5.UsetheRotationSpeedslidertocontrolthespeedatwhichthetextmovesandrotatesonthescreen.Thefastertherotation,themoreprocessingpowerrequiredtodrawandmovethemessage.6.UsetheRotationTypelisttoselectthetypeofrotationtouse,suchastumbleorspin.SettherotationtypetoNonetoturnoffrotationandreducetheamountofprocessingpowerrequiredtodrawandmovethemessage.7.UsetheSurfaceStyleoptionstoconfigurethewaythe3Dtextlooks.Forexample,SolidColordisplaysthetextinasolidcolor.ClickCustomColorandthenclickChooseColortodisplaytheColordialogbox.Choosethecolortouse,andclickthenOK.8.ClickOKtwicetosaveyoursettings.

ConfiguringandCreatingYourSystemSoundsAsoundschemeisasetofsoundsthatyouusetogether.Windows10playssoundsinresponsetoawidevarietyofevents,suchaswhenyoulogon,whenyouopenorcloseprograms,andwhenyoulogoff.Programsyouinstallcanhavetheirownsoundsaswell.Youmanageallofthesesoundscollectivelybyusingsoundschemes.

Tip Wantyourcomputertoplayasnippetfromaparticularsongwhenyoulogonorlogoff?Youcandothis!Whenyou’reconfiguringsoundsforyourcomputer,WindowsLogonandWindowsLogoffarelistedunderprogramevents.Simplyuseanysoundeditortocreatea.wavsnippetfromtheoriginalsongfilesandconfiguretheresulting.wavfilesforeachrelatedeventintheProgramEventslist.

Youcanconfigureyoursystemtouseanexistingsoundschemebycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickThemesintheleftcolumn.2.Inthemainpane,clicktheAdvancedSoundSettingslinktodisplaytheSounddialogboxwiththeSoundstabselected,asshowninFigure3-13.

Figure3-13Selectingyoursystemsounds

3.UsetheSoundSchemelisttochoosethesoundschemetouse.Windows10hastwostandardsoundschemes:

NoSounds,whichturnsoffallprogramsoundsexcepttheWindowsStartupsound

playedwhenyoulogon.WindowsDefault,whichisconfiguredtousethestandardWindowssounds.

Note OthersoundschemesavailabletypicallydependontheeditionofWindows10installedonyourdevice,thedevicemanufacturer,andtheextrasyou’veinstalled.SomeoftheavailablesoundschemesyoumightseeincludeAfternoon,Calligraphy,Characters,Cityscape,Delta,Festival,Garden,Heritage,Landscape,Quirky,Raga,Savanna,andSonata.

4.IntheProgramEventslist,soundsareorganizedaccordingtotheprogramtowhichtheyrelateandtherelatedeventthattriggersthesound.Topreviewasoundforaparticularevent,selecttheeventintheprogramlistandthenclickTest.5.Tochangethesoundforanevent,selecttheeventintheProgramEventslistandthenusetheSoundslisttochooseanavailablesound.YoucanalsoclickBrowsetoselectothersoundsavailableonthesystem.ThesoundfilesmustbeinMicrosoft.wavformat.6.Ifyouchangedthedefaultsoundsforaschemeandwanttosavethechanges,clickSaveAs,typeanamefortheschemeinthefieldprovided,andthenclickOK.7.SaveyoursoundsettingsbyclickingOK.

Tip WanttoaccesstheSounddialogboxdirectly?IntheSearchbox,typeMmsys.cpl,andthenpressEnter.

CustomizingYourMousePointersApointerschemeisasetofmousepointersthatyouusetogether.ThethreetypesofmousepointersyouseethemostaretheNormalSelectpointer,theTextSelectpointer,andtheLinkSelectpointer.Youcanconfiguretheappearanceoftheseandothertypesofmousepointersandmanagethemcollectivelybyusingpointerschemes.

Theavailablepointerschemesinclude:

(None) Thisdoesn’tturnmousepointersoff.Instead,itusesnondescriptpointers.WindowsBlack Invertsthepointercolorssothatblackbackgroundsareusedinsteadofwhitebackgrounds.Alsocomesinlargeandextra-largeoptions.WindowsStandard ThestandardpointersusedwithWindowsStandardsettings.Alsocomesinlargeandextra-largeoptions.Magnified Givesthestandardpointersaboldedgesotheyareeasiertosee.WindowsInverted Invertsthepointercolorssothatblackbackgroundsareusedandgivesthemboldedgessotheyareeasiertosee.Alsocomesinlargeandextra-largeoptions.

Youcanconfigureyoursystemtouseanexistingpointerschemebycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickThemesintheleftcolumn.2.Inthemainpane,clicktheMousePointerSettingslinktodisplaytheMousePropertiesdialogboxwiththePointerstabselected,asshowninFigure3-14.

Note Dropshadowsforpointersaredisabledbydefault,whichisgenerallyagoodthingasitmakesthepointerlookcleareronthescreen.Ifyoulikethedropshadoweffect,however,youcanenablethembyselectingEnablePointerShadow.

3.UsetheSchemelisttochoosethepointerschemetouse.4.IntheCustomizelist,pointersareorganizedaccordingtotheirtype.Tochangeapointer,selectthepointerandthenclickBrowse.ThisopenstheBrowsedialogboxwiththeCursorsfolderselected.Choosethecursorpointertouse,andthenclickOpen.5.Ifyouchangedthedefaultpointersforaschemeandwanttosavethechanges,clickSaveAs,typeanamefortheschemeinthefieldprovided,andthenclickOK.6.SaveyourpointersettingsbyclickingOK.

Figure3-14Selectingyourmousepointers

Tip Tomanagemousesettingsaswellaspointers,IntheSearchbox,typeMain.cpl,andthenpressEnter.Youcannowconfiguremousebuttons,pointers,scrolling,andmore.

SavingYourCustomThemesandCreatingThemePacksSofaryouhavetunedandtweakedwindowcolors,backgrounds,sounds,pointers,andscreensavers.Nowyou’llwanttosaveyoursettingsasaunifiedthemesoyoucanbesurethatyoucanuseitagainandagain.Todothis,followthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickThemes.2.InthemainpaneunderThemes,clicktheThemeSettingslink.ThisopensControlPanel.3.OnthePersonalizationpage,undertheMyThemesheading,you’llseeUnsavedTheme.Right-clickthistheme,andthenclickSaveTheme.OrsimplyclicktheSaveThemelinkwiththisthemeselected.4.IntheSaveThemeAsdialogbox,enteranameforyourcustomthemeandthenclickSave.Themedefinitionfilesendwiththe.themefileextension.5.Unlessdeletedinthefuture,thecustomthemewillappearasaMyThemesoption.You’llthenbeabletoloadthethemesimplybyclickingit.

Athemeyousaveinthiswaywillonlybeavailabletoyou.That’sbecausethethemeissavedinyouruserprofile(%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Themes).Ifyouwanttobeabletoshareathemewithothers,youmustcreateathemepackbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickPersonalize.Next,onthePersonalizationpage,clickThemes.2.InthemainpaneunderThemes,clicktheThemeSettingslink.ThisopensControlPanel.3.OnthePersonalizationpage,undertheMyThemesheading,you’llseeUnsavedTheme.Right-clickthistheme,andthenclickSaveThemeForSharing.4.IntheSaveThemePackAsdialogbox,enteranameforyourcustomthemepackandthenclickSave.Themepackdefinitionfilesendwiththe.themepackfileextensionandaresavedinyourDocumentsfolderbydefault.Savedthemepackscanbeseveralmegabytesinsize.5.Copythethemepacktoafolderaccessibletothepersonyouaresharingwith.Havethepersondouble-clickthethemepackfiletoloaditasathemeandsaveittohisorherownMyThemeslist.

Tip Youmightbewonderinghowyoudeleteacustomthemethatyounolongerwant.Well,todothis,selectadifferenttheme,right-clickthethemeyounolongerwantintheMyThemeslist,andthenclickDeleteTheme.

CustomizingYourDisplaysInChapter2,youlearnedhowtoconfiguremultipledisplays.Nowlet’stakeacloserlookatcustomizingdisplaysettings.

AdjustingDisplaySizeandOrientation

Withsomedevices,youmaywanttochangethedisplaysizeoftext,appsandotherscreenelementstomakethemlargerorsmaller.Sometimes,youmaywanteachofyourmonitorstohaveadifferentorientation.Forexample,youmaywantyourprimarymonitortoshowlandscapeviewwhileusingportraitviewonyoursecondarymonitor.Portraitviewdoesmakereadingandeditingdocumentseasier,butisn’tnecessarilyagoodchoiceotherwise.

Youcanadjustsizeandorientationbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.2.UsetheChange…slidertomodifythesizeofscreenelements.Thedefaultsizeis100%.Youcanincreasesizebyslidingtotherightanddecreasesizebyslidingtotheleft.3.Optionally,usetheOrientationlisttospecifyanalternateorientationforamonitor,suchasportrait.Thedefaultorientationislandscape.4.ClickApply.

Windows10automaticallyoptimizesdisplaysettingsforeachofyourmonitorsbyselectingascreenresolution,refreshrate,andcolorbitnessthatseemmostappropriatebasedonitstesting.Normally,thesettingsWindowsselectsworkwell,buttheymightnotbetheoptimalsettingsforyourdevice.

Youcanadjustdisplaysettingsbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.2.ClicktheAdvancedDisplaySettingslink.3.Display1isselectedbydefault.Ifyouwanttoconfigurethesecondmonitor,click2toselectit.4.UsetheResolutionlisttosetthedisplaysize,suchas1920×1200pixels.5.ScrolldownandclickDisplayAdapterProperties.Setthecolorqualityorrefreshrateusingoneofthefollowingoptions:

OntheAdaptertab,clickListAllModes.TheListAllModesdialogboxshowsthecolorqualitiesandrefreshratessupportedbytheselectedmonitor.ClickOK.OntheMonitortab,usetheScreenRefreshRatelisttosetthedesiredrefreshrate.Ifdifferentcolorbitnessisavailable,usetheColorslisttoselectacolorquality,suchasTrueColor(32bit).

6.ClickOKtosaveyoursettings.

AsdiscussedinChapter2,ifmultiplemonitorsareconnectedtoyourcomputer,youcandesignateonemonitorastheprimaryandtheotherasthesecondarymonitor.Youcanalso

extendthedesktopontoyoursecondmonitor.Afteryou’veconfiguredyourmonitors,you’llfindthatpressingtheWindowslogokey+Pisaconvenientwaytoquicklychangethemonitorconfiguration.AfterpressingtheWindowslogkey+P,youcan:

SelectPCScreenOnlytouseonlythemaincomputermonitororthebuilt-inscreenonalaptop.SelectDuplicatetodisplaythemaincomputermonitororthebuilt-inscreenonalaptoponasecondmonitor.SelectExtendtoextendthedisplayacrosstwomonitors.SelectSecondScreenOnlytodisplayonlyonanexternalmonitororprojector.

ManagingMonitorandGraphicsCardProperties

IfthemonitororgraphicscardshowninthedisplayPropertiesdialogboxdoesnotmatchtheoneyouareusing,youshouldvisityourcomputer,monitor,orgraphicscardmanufacturer’swebsiteandobtaintheproperdriver.Typically,youcandothisbyaccessingthemanufacturer’ssupportpageandenteringthemodelofyourcomputer,monitor,orgraphicscard.

Mostmanufacturersmaintaindriversforseveralyearsandprovideupdatesforthesedriversastheybecomeavailable.Typically,theupdateisdeliveredinazippedfilecontainingthedriversyouneedandanexecutableinstaller.ToextractthefilesfromaZIP,right-clickthe.zipfileandthenclickExtractAll.Afteryouselectadestinationfolder,clickExtract.

Youinstallmonitordrivesandgraphicscarddriversusingseparateprocedures.Tospecifythemonitordrivertouse,followthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.2.ScrolldownandclicktheAdvancedDisplaySettingslink.3.Display1isselectedbydefault.Ifyouwanttoconfigurethesecondmonitor,click2toselectit.4.ClickDisplayAdapterProperties.OntheMonitortab,clickProperties.5.OntheDrivertab,clickUpdateDrivertostarttheUpdateDriverSoftwarewizard.ClickBrowseMyComputerForDriverSoftware.6.SelectasearchlocationbyclickingBrowse,usingtheBrowseForFolderdialogboxtoselectthestartfolderforthesearch,andthenclickingOK.Windows10searchesallsubfoldersoftheselectedfolderautomatically,andyoucanselectthedriverootpath,suchasC,tosearchanentiredrive.7.ClickNext.ClickClosewhenthedriverinstallationiscompleted.

Typically,graphicsdriversareinstalledusinganexecutableinstaller.Runtheinstallerandrebootiftheinstallerasksyoutodoso.Otherwise,manuallyspecifythegraphicscarddrivertousebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.

2.ScrolldownandclicktheAdvancedDisplaySettingslink.3.Display1isselectedbydefault.Ifyouwanttoconfigurethesecondmonitor,click2toselectit.4.ClickDisplayAdapterProperties.OntheAdaptertab,clickProperties.5.OntheDrivertab,clickUpdateDrivertostarttheUpdateDriverSoftwarewizard.ClickBrowseMyComputerForDriverSoftware.6.SelectasearchlocationbyclickingBrowse,usingtheBrowseForFolderdialogboxtoselectthestartfolderforthesearch,andthenclickingOK.Windows10searchesallsubfoldersoftheselectedfolderautomatically,andyoucanselectthedriverootpath,suchasC,tosearchanentiredrive.7.ClickNext.ClickClosewhenthedriverinstallationiscompleted.

CalibratingColorandUsingColorProfiles

Colorcalibrationallowsyoutoimprovethewaycolorisusedonyourdisplayandtomakesurethatcolorsaredisplayedasaccuratelyaspossible.Tocalibratethecolor,followthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.2.ScrolldownandclicktheAdvancedDisplaySettingslink.3.Display1isselectedbydefault.Ifyouwanttoconfigurethesecondmonitor,click2toselectit.4.UnderRelatedSettings,clickColorCalibrationtostarttheDisplayColorCalibrationwizardandthenfollowtheprompts.

Colorprofilesallowyoutogettruercolorsforspecificuses.Forexample,youmayneedtomoreaccuratelymatchon-screencolorstoprintcolors,andacolorprofiledesignedforthispurposecanhelpyoudothat.Afteryouobtainthecolorprofile,youmustinstallitoneachmonitorseparatelybyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Right-clickanopenareaofthedesktop,andthenclickDisplaySettings.ThisopensSettingstotheSystem>Displaypage.2.ScrolldownandclicktheAdvancedDisplaySettingslink.3.Display1isselectedbydefault.Ifyouwanttoconfigurethesecondmonitor,click2toselectit.4.ClickDisplayAdapterProperties.OntheColorManagementtab,clickColorManagement.5.IntheColorManagementdialogbox,selecttheAllProfilestabtogetinformationaboutcurrentlyinstalledcolorprofiles.ClickAdd.6.IntheInstallProfiledialogbox,findthecolorprofileyouwanttouseandthenclickAdd.7.IntheColorManagementdialogbox,selecttheDevicestab.Clickthenewprofile,andthenclickSetAsDefaultProfile.

Tip WanttogettotheColorManagementdialogboxdirectly?IntheSearchbox,typeColorcpl.exe,andthenpressEnter.Whenyouaccesscolormanagementinthisway,besuretousetheDevicelisttochoosethedisplayyouwanttoworkwith.

RealWorld Ifyoudon’thaveacolorprofileandstillwouldlikethebenefitsofone,usetheDisplayColorCalibrationtooltofine-tunedisplaycolorstoyourliking.


Ifyoureallywanttoknowhowacarworks,youneedtoopenthehoodandtakealookatthepartsthatmakeitgo.Thesameistrueforadesktopcomputer.Openthecaseofadesktopcomputerandyou’llseetheactualpartsthatmakeyourcomputergo:drivesandcontrollers,centralprocessingunits,memorymodules,andmore,allconnectedviawiresorcircuitrytothecomputer’smotherboard.

Butattachingamyriadofdeviceswithwiresandcircuitrytoamotherboardisn’twhatmakesthemworktogether.Whatmakesthemworktogetherisyourcomputer’sfirmwareinterface,whichactsastheintermediaryamongdevices,theirinternalcode,ifpresent,andhigher-levelprocesses.

CustomizingYourComputer’sFirmwareInterfaceThewayafirmwareinterfaceoperatesandthetasksitperformsdependonthetypeoffirmwareinterfaceandthetypeofcentralprocessingunit(CPU).MostcomputersbuilttodayhaveCPUswith64-bitinstructionsetsandUnifiedExtensibleFirmwareInterface(UEFI)forfirmware.

UEFIcanbewrappedaroundeitherBIOSorEFI.Forourpurposes,acomputerthatusesUEFIwrappedaroundBIOSisBIOS-based,asisacomputerthatusesBIOSbyitself,andacomputerthatusesUEFIwrappedaroundEFIisEFI-based.

Caution Onlychangefirmwareinterfacesettingswhenyoufullyunderstandthepossiblerepercussionsofdoingso.Improperlyconfiguringacomputer’sfirmwareinterfacemaypreventitfrombootingandstaringtheoperatingsystem.Youshoulddocumenteverychangeyoumaketoyourcomputer’sfirmwareinterfaceinanotebook.Ifyougetintotrouble,youmaybeabletorestoreyourcomputer’sfactorydefaultsettingsbyusinganoptioninthefirmwareinterface.Keepinmind,however,thatthefactorydefaultsettingsmaynotbethesameasthesettingsconfiguredwhenyourcomputerwasdeliveredtoyou.

GettingtoKnowYourComputer’sFirmwareInterfaceFirmwareinterfacesknowlittleabouttheoperatingsystemyourcomputerisrunning.Windows10initializesitselfbyloadingapre-operatingsystembootenvironmentpriortoloadingtheoperatingsystem.Thisbootenvironmenthelpsyourcomputervalidatetheintegrityofstartupprocessesandtheoperatingsystemitselfbeforeactuallyrunningtheoperatingsystem.

Thebootenvironmentalsoactsasanabstractionlayerbetweenthefirmwareinterfaceandtheoperatingsystem.Byabstractingtheunderlyinginterfaces,thebootenvironmentallowsWindows10toworkwithBIOS,EFI,andanyotherunderlyinginterfaceframeworkinthesameway.

Yourcomputer’sfirmwareinterfacemanagestheprebootdataflowbetweentheoperatingsystemandattacheddevices.Whenthefirmwareinterfaceinitializesyourcomputer,itfirstdetermineswhetherallattacheddevicesareavailableandfunctioning,andthenitactivatesallthehardwarerequiredbythecomputertoboot,including:

GraphicsandaudiocontrollersInternaldrivesandcontrollersInternalexpansioncardsMotherboardchipsetsorSystemonaChip(SoC)ProcessorsandprocessorcachesSystemmemory

RealWorld MostdevicesrunningWindows10haveeitheramotherboardchipsetoraSystemonaChip(SoC).Generally,desktopandlaptopcomputersrunningIntelorAMDX64-basedprocessorshavemotherboardchipsetsandSurfaceorothertabletshaveIntelAtomprocessors.AtomprocessorsreplacetheARMprocessorsthatwereusedpreviouslyfortablets.Ratherthanrefertobothtypesofchipsetshere,I’vegeneralizedandwillsimplyrefertomotherboardchipsets.

Afterthefirmwareinterfacecompletesthisprocess,ittransferscontrolofthecomputertotheoperatingsystem.Thefirmwareinterfaceimplementationdetermineswhathappensnext.WithBIOS-basedcomputers,WindowsBootManagerandWindowsBootLoaderareusedtobootintotheoperatingsystem.WindowsBootManagerinitializestheoperatingsystembystartingtheWindowsBootLoader,whichinturnstartstheoperatingsystemusinginformationinthebootconfigurationdata(BCD)store.

EntriesintheBCDstoreidentifythebootmanagertouseduringstartupandthespecificbootapplicationsavailableonyourcomputer.WindowsBootManagercontrolsthebootexperienceandletsyouchoosethebootapplicationtorun.Bootapplicationsloadaspecificoperatingsystemoroperatingsystemversion.Forexample,Windows10isloadedbyaWindowsBootLoaderapplication.

ThroughBCDparameters,youcanaddoptionsthatcontrolthewaytheoperatingsystemstarts,thewaycomputercomponentsareused,andthewayoperatingsystemfeaturesare

used.

Note WithUEFI,UEFIbootservicesprovideanabstractionlayerwrappedaroundBIOSorEFI.AcomputerwithBIOSinitsunderlyingarchitectureusesaBIOS-basedapproachtobootingintotheoperatingsystem.AcomputerwithEFIinitsunderlyingarchitectureusesanEFI-basedapproachtobootingintotheoperatingsystem.

AccessingandSettingYourComputer’sFirmwareInterfaceWhenyouturnonmostcomputers,youaccessthefirmwareinterfacebypressingthebuttonshownforSetupintheinitialdisplay.Forexample,youmightpressF2duringthefirstfewsecondsofstartuptoenterthefirmwareinterface.Firmwareinterfaceshavecontroloptionsthatallowyoutoadjustthefunctionalityofhardware.Youcanusethesecontrolstoperformbasictasks,including:

AccessingfirmwareeventlogsfortroubleshootinginformationAdjustingdisplaybrightness(onlaptopcomputers)AdjustingtheharddisknoiselevelAdjustingthenumberofcorestheprocessorusesandtheirspeedChangingthebootsequencefordevicesChangingthemotherboardclock’sdateandtimeObtainingconfigurationinformationformemory,processors,andmoreRestoringthefirmwareinterfacetoitsdefault(factory)configurationTurningonoroffmodularadd-ondevices

Whileyouareworkingwiththefirmwareinterface,youmayalsobeabletocreatesupervisor,user,andgeneralpasswordsthatarenotaccessiblefromtheoperatingsystem.Whenasupervisorpasswordisset,youmustprovidethepasswordbeforeyoucanmodifythefirmwareconfiguration.Whenauserpasswordisset,youmustenterthepasswordduringstartupbeforethecomputerwillloadtheoperatingsystem.Ifyouforgetthesepasswords,youmightnotbeabletooperatethecomputerorchangefirmwaresettingsuntilyoucleartheforgottenpasswords,whichgenerallyalsoclearsanycustomizationyouhavemadetothefirmwareinterface.

Thewaythefirmwareinterfaceworksdependsonthecomputeryouareworkingwith,thetypeoffirmwareinterface,andtheversionofthefirmwareinterface.Desktopcomputerstypicallyhavemorefirmwareconfigurationoptionsthanportablecomputersdo.

Mostfirmwareinterfaceshaveseveralmenupagesthatprovideinformationandcontrols.Twoimportantcontrolsyou’llseearenetworkbootandbootorder.Whennetworkbootingisenabled,thecomputerbootsfromthenetwork.Thisissomethingyoumightwantattheoffice,butyougenerallydon’twantthisenabledathome.Bootordersetsthepriorityorderforyourcomputer’sbootabledevices.Yourcomputertriestostarttheoperatingsystemusingthehighest-prioritydevicefirst.Ifthisfails,yourcomputertriesthedevicewiththesecond-highestpriority,andsoon.Generally,you’llwantyourcomputertolooktoitsprimaryremovablemediadevicefirst,anditsprimaryharddrivenext,beforelookingtootherbootabledevices.

Becauseconfiguringbootoptionsinfirmwareisn’tnecessarilyintuitive,I’llprovidetwoexamplesusingcomputersfromdifferentmanufacturers.OnaDelldesktopcomputerthatIhave,youmanagebootsettingsontheBootSequencesubmenuunderSysteminthefirmwareinterface.Thebootorderislistedasfollows(basedonthedevicepresentinmycomputer):

1.OnboardorUSBDVD-ROMDrive2.OnboardSATAHardDrive

3.OnboardorUSBFloppyDrive(notpresent)4.OnboardIDEHardDrive(notpresent)5.Add-inHardDrive(notpresent)6.USBDevice(notpresent)7.Add-inHardDrive(notpresent)

Inthisexample,internaldevicesarelistedas“Onboard.”BecauseyougenerallywantthecomputertocheckitsprimaryDVD-ROMdriveforbootablemediafirstandthencheckitsprimaryharddrive,thecomputer’sprimaryDVD-ROMdrivehasthehighestbootorder,andthecomputer’sprimaryharddriveislistedwiththesecond-highestbootorder.

Severaloptionsareavailablefornavigatingthelist.YoucanusetheUpandDownarrowkeystoselectadevice,andthenpresstheUorDkeytomovethedeviceupordowninthebootorderlist.YoucanpresstheSpacebartoexcludeorincludeadevicefromthebootlist.PressDeletetopermanentlydeletethedeviceifitisnotphysicallypresentandyounolongerwantitinthelist.

Otherimportantmenusintheinterfaceincludethefollowing:

UnderDrivesinthefirmwareinterface,submenusallowyoutoenable,disable,andconfiguredrives.DisketteDriveconfiguresfloppydrives.Drive0:SATA-0enablesordisablesthisspecificdevice.Drive1:SATA-1enablesordisablesthisdevice.SATAOperationsetsthehardwareRAIDconfiguration.UnderOnboardDevices,youcanusetheoptionsontheUSBControllersubmenutoenableordisablebootingfromUSBstoragedevices.

Forcomparison,onanHPlaptopofmine,thebootsettingsarefoundontheBootOrderandBootOptionssubmenusonthefirmwareinterface’sSystemConfigurationpage.OntheBootOrdersubmenu,thebootorderislistedasfollows:

1.USBFloppy2.ATAPICD/DVDROMDrive3.NotebookHardDrive4.USBDisketteonKey5.USBHardDrive6.NetworkAdapter

Onthiscomputer,youusetheUpandDownarrowkeystoselectadevice,andthenpressF5orF6tomovethedeviceupordowninthelist.ThecomputerdistinguishesbetweenUSBflashkeys(referredtoasUSBdiskettesonkeys)andUSBdrives(referredtoasUSBharddrives).However,youwon’treallyseeadifferencebetweenthetwo.

TheBootOptionssubmenuhastheseoptions:

F10andF12Delay(sec) SpecifiestheamountoftimeyouhavetopressF10orF12beforestartupbegins.DVD-ROMBoot ControlswhetherDVD-ROMbootduringstartupisenabledordisabled.FloppyBoot Controlswhetherfloppybootduringstartupisenabledordisabled.

InternalNetworkAdapterBoot Controlswhethernetworkbootduringstartupisenabledordisabled.

Here,themainoptionsfornavigatingthelistaretheUpandDownarrowkeys.Youusethesekeystoselectanoption,andthenpressEntertoviewandsettheoption.

EveryfirmwareinterfacehasanExitoption.TheExitpageallowsyoutoexitthefirmwareinterfaceandresumestartupofthecomputer.Payparticularattentiontotherelatedoptions.Generally,youcaneitherexitthefirmwareinterfaceanddiscardyourchanges,orexitthefirmwareinterfaceandsaveyourchanges.Saveonlywhenyouarecertainthatyou’vecorrectlymodifiedthefirmwareinterface.Incorrectlyconfiguringthefirmwareinterfacecanmakeyourcomputerunbootable.

Desktopcomputerscanhaveadizzyingarrayofoptionsandsuboptions.Andbecausetherearefewstandardsandconventionsamongfirmwareinterfacemanufacturers,firmwareinterfaceoptionswithsimilarpurposescanhaveverydifferentlabels.Readthedescriptionsoftheoptionstohelpyouasyoumaywanttocustomizetheseoptionsforthewayinwhichyouwantyourcomputertowork.

RealWorld Yourcomputer’sfirmwareinterfaceisupdatable,andyoumayneedtoupdatethefirmwaretoresolveproblemsorimproveefficiency.However,ifyouarenotexperiencingproblemsonacomputerandarenotawareofanyadditionalfunctionalityinthefirmwareinterfacethatyouneed,youmightnotneedtoupdateacomputertothelatestversionofthefirmwareinterface.Rememberthatanimproperupdatecanharmthecomputerandpreventitfromstarting.Thatsaid,whenyouaretryingtoinstallanewoperatingsystemonyourcomputerandyouaregettingastrangeerror,firmwaremaybetoblame.Forexample,whenIwastryingtoinstallWindows10,oneofmylaptopswasn’tabletofindthedriversforitsinternalcontrolsanddrives—evenwhenIprovidedthem—andsometimesalsogotamediaerror.WhenIupdatedthefirmwaretothelatestversiontheseproblemswentawayandIwasabletoinstallWindows10.

TrackingandConfiguringPowerOnandResumeKnowingthesequenceofeventsforacoldstartofacomputerfrompoweronthroughlogoncanhelpyouunderstandexactlyhowyourcomputerworks.Whenyoupressthepowerbuttontoturnonyourcomputer,manyeventshappeninthebackground:

1.ThefirmwareinterfaceperformsaPowerOnSelfTest(POST)topreliminarilyconfigurethecomputerandthenperformssetuptoinitializethecomputer.

Note Acoldstartistheinitialpoweronofacomputer.Thesequenceofeventsvariesifthecomputerisresumingfromsleep,standby,orhibernation,aswellasifyouarestartinganoperatingsystemotherthanWindowsoraWindowsoperatingsystemotherthanWindows10,Windows10,orWindowsServer2012.

2.Thefirmwareinterfacepassescontroltotheoperatingsystemloader,whichinthiscaseisthebootmanager.Thebootmanagerstartsthebootloader.Thebootloaderusesthefirmwareinterface’sbootservicestocompleteoperatingsystembootandthenloadtheoperatingsystem.3.Theoperatingsystemloads,whichinvolvesthefollowing:

a.Loading(butnotrunning)theoperatingsystemkernel,Ntoskrnl.exe

b.Loading(butnotrunning)thehardwareabstractionlayer(HAL),Hal.dll

c.LoadingtheHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEMregistryhiveintomemory(from%SystemRoot%\System32\Config\System)

d.ScanningtheHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Serviceskeyfordevicedriversandthenloading(butnotinitializing)thedriversthatareconfiguredforthebootclassintomemory

Note Inthiscontext,driversarealsoservices.Thismeansthatbothdevicedriversandsystemservicesareprepared.

e.Enablingmemorypaging

4.Thebootloaderpassescontroltotheoperatingsystemkernel.ThekernelandtheHALinitializetheWindowsexecutive,whichinturnprocessestheconfigurationinformationstoredintheHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSethiveandthenstartsdevicedriversandsystemservices.5.ThekernelstartstheSessionManager(Smss.exe).Thesessionmanager:

a.Initializesthesystemenvironmentbycreatingsystemenvironmentvariables.

b.StartstheWin32subsystem(Csrss.exe).Here,Windowsswitchesthedisplayoutputfromtextmodetographicsmode.

c.StartstheWindowsLogonManager(Winlogon.exe),whichinturnstartstheServicesControlManager(Services.exe)andtheLocalSecurityAuthority

(Lsass.exe)andwaitsforausertologon.

d.Createsanyadditionalpagingfilesthatarerequired.

e.Asnecessary,performsdelayedrenamingofin-usefilesthatwereupdatedintheprevioussession.

6.TheWindowsLogonManagerwaitsforausertologon.ThelogonuserinterfaceandthedefaultcredentialprovidercollecttheusernameandpasswordandpassthisinformationtotheLocalSecurityAuthorityforauthentication.7.TheWindowsLogonManagerrunsUserinit.exeandtheFileExplorershell.Userinit.exeinitializestheuserenvironmentbycreatinguserenvironmentvariables,runningstartupprograms,andperformingotheressentialtasks.

Knowingthiseventsequencecanhelpyouidentifythesourceofstartupproblems.Keepthefollowinginmind:

IfyourcomputerfailsduringthePowerOnSelfTest’spreliminaryconfiguration,thelikelycauseoftheproblemishardwarefailureoramissingdevice.Ifyourcomputerfailsduringthesetupinitialization,thelikelycauseoftheproblemisthefirmwareconfiguration,thedisksubsystem,orthefilesystem.Ifyourcomputerfailsduringthebootloaderprocess,BCDdata,improperOSselectionforloading,oraninvalidbootloaderarethelikelycauseoftheproblem.IfyourcomputerfailsduringkernelandHALinitialization,driverorserviceconfigurationorservicedependenciesarethelikelycauseoftheproblem.IfyourcomputerfailsbeforelogonandduringSessionManagersetup,thegraphicsdisplaymode,systemenvironment,orcomponentconfigurationarethelikelycauseoftheproblem.

Understandinghowyourcomputerresumesisequallyimportant.Duringaresumefromsleep,standby,orhibernation,yourcomputer’sadvancedpowersettingsdeterminehowthecomputerturnsitselfbackon.Acomputer’smotherboardchipset,firmware,andoperatingsystemmustsupporttheAdvancedConfigurationandPowerInterface(ACPI)versionthatimplementstheadvancedpowerstatefeatureyouaretryingtouse.ACPI-awarecomponentstrackthepowerstateofthecomputer.AnACPI-awareoperatingsystemcangeneratearequestthatthesystembeswitchedtoadifferentpowerstate,andthefirmwareinterfacerespondsbyenablingtherequestedpowerstate.

Therearesixdifferentpowerstates,rangingfromS0(completelypoweredonandfullyoperational)toS5(completelypoweredoff).Everythinginbetweenisasleepstate.S1,S2,andS3arelow-powerconsumptionstatesinwhichsomeorallcontextsaremaintainedinmemory.S4istheno-powerhibernatestateinwhichcontextdataiswrittentodisk.

Motherboardchipsetssupportspecificpowerstates.OnemotherboardmightsupporttheS0,S1,S4,andS5states,whereasanothermightsupporttheS0,S1,S3,S4,andS5states.Asacomputeruser,youdon’tneedtoknowtheexactspecificsofeachstate.Justrememberthis:

S0meansthecomputerison.S1,S2,andS3meanthecomputerisasleepstatebutstillusingsomepower.

S4meansthecomputerishibernatingandnotusingpower.S5meansthecomputerisoff.

Yourcomputer’sfirmwareinterfacehasrelatedpowermanagementsettings.YoucanuseAfterPowerFailure,ACRecovery,orasimilarsettingtospecifywhatthecomputerdoesafterapowerfailure.Ifyouwantthecomputertoremainoffafterpowerisrestored,setthecomputertostayoff.Ifyouwantthecomputertogobacktothestateitwasinbeforepowerfailed,setthecomputertousethelaststate.Ifyouwantthecomputertoturnitselfonafterapowerfailure,setthecomputertopoweron.

AnotherpoweroptionyoumayseeisWakeOnLANFromS5orAutoPowerOn.Thistypeofoptiondeterminestheactiontakenwhenthesystempowerisoffandapowermanagementwakeeventoccurs.Ifyouconfigurethisoption,you’llbeabletospecifywhetherthecomputerstaysofforpowerson.

YoumayalsohavecontroloverwhetherS1orS3suspendmodeisused.Fromauserperspective,itreallydoesn’tmatterwhetherS1orS3isused.However,fromacomputerperspectiveitmattersalot,andyou’llonlywanttoswitchmodesifyouaretryingtocorrectaresumeproblem.Forexample,ifyourcomputerishavingproblemsresumingfromasleepstate,atroubleshootingoptionmayinvolvechangingthesuspendmode.

Ifyouencounterstartupproblemsjustpriortoorafterlogon,theissueisprobablyrelatedtoamisconfiguredserviceorstartupapplication.Totemporarilyresolvethissoyoucanlogon,youcandisableservicesandstartupapplications,asdiscussedlaterinthischapter.

GettingFirmwareandPowerManagementInformationYoucanusethePowerCfgutilitytogetinformationaboutyourcomputer’sfirmwareandpowermanagementconfiguration.WhenyourunPowerCfgandcreateautilizationreport,theutilityperformsadetaileddiagnosticsofyoursystemthatanalyzesthecomputer’sconfigurationandidentifiesanypowerefficiencyissues.AsFigure4-1shows,thereportisgeneratedinHTMLanddisplayedusingawebbrowser,suchasMicrosoftEdge.Thereport:

Specifiesthetypeoffirmware,thefirmwaredateandversion.Identifiesservicesanddeviceswithpowermanagementissues,ifany.Specifieswhetheryourbatteryisfailingorbecominginefficient,ifapplicable.Identifiesthespecificsleepstatessupported.(ThesedetailsareintheInformationsection.)

Figure4-1Apowerefficiencydiagnosticsreport.

Youcangenerateareportforyourcomputerbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.OpenaCommandPrompt(Admin)window.Onewaytodothisistoright-clickStartandthenselectCommandPrompt(Admin)ontheshortcutmenu.2.Changetothedocumentsfolderinyouruserprofilebyenteringthefollowingattheprompt:

cd%HomePath%\documents

3.RunPowercfgandgeneratethereportbyenteringthefollowingattheprompt:

PowerCfg/Energy

4.Wait1to2minutesfortheutilitytoperformtheanalysisandgeneratethereport.Thendisplaythereportinthedefaultbrowserbyenteringthefollowingattheprompt:

energy-report.html

CustomizingStartupandBootConfigurationWindows10providestheStartupAndRecoverydialogbox,theSystemConfigurationutility,andtheBCDEditortohelpyoumodifythebootconfigurationandthestartupprocess.TheStartupAndRecoverydialogboxandtheSystemConfigurationutilityaretheeasiesttouse.Althoughacommand-lineprofessionalmaywanttotuneacomputerwiththeBCDEditor,youcanusetheothertoolstoperformessentiallythesametaskswithoutallthefuss.

ProTip Sometimesadevicemayfailtostartduetoissueswiththebootoptionsinfirmware.Ondeviceswithfirmwarebootoptionsthatareconfigurable,youcanaccessaBootOptionsmenubypressingadesignatedfunctionkey,suchasF8orF12duringstartupofthedevice.Somedevicesdisplayanoticeduringstartupregardingthekeytopress.However,increasingly,thismenuiseitherhiddenorcompletelyinaccessibleforalltypesofdevicesexceptfordesktopPCs.OndesktopPCs,theBootOptionsmenuandUEFI/BIOSfirmwarearewhereyougotodisableSecureBootandenableLegacyBoot,whichissomethingyoumayneedtodotoenableloadingadditionaloperatingsystems.

Fine-TuningStartupandRecoverySettingsOneoftheeasiestwaystocontrolthewayyourcomputerstartsistoconfigurestartupoptionsbyusingtheStartupAndRecoverydialogbox.Therelatedoptionssetthedefaultoperatingsystem,howlongtodisplaythelistofavailableoperatingsystems,andhowlongtodisplayrecoveryoptionswhenneeded.Youcanoptimizethesesettingstospeedupthestartupprocessbyreducingwaittimeswhilealsoensuringthatyoucanaccessadvancedoptions,whichmaybenecessaryfortroubleshootingandrecovery.

Youaccessandconfigurestartupoptionsbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchbox,typeSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheSearchbox,andthenpressEntertoopentheSystemPropertiesdialogboxwiththeAdvancedtabselected.2.UnderStartupAndRecovery,clickSettingstodisplaytheStartupAndRecoverydialogbox,showninFigure4-2.3.Ifyourcomputerhasmultipleoperatingsystems,usetheDefaultOperatingSystemlisttospecifytheoperatingsystemthatyouwanttostartbydefault.4.SpecifythedisplayintervalfortheoperatingsystemlistbyselectingtheTimeToDisplayListOfOperatingSystemscheckboxandsettingthedesiredintervalinseconds.Tospeedupthestartupprocess,youmightuseavalueof5or10seconds.5.SpecifythedisplayintervalfortherecoveryoptionslistbyselectingtheTimeToDisplayRecoveryOptionsWhenNeededcheckboxandsettingthedesiredintervalinseconds.Again,tospeedupthestartupprocess,youmightuseavalueof5or10seconds.6.UnderSystemFailure,selectWriteAnEventToTheSystemLogifyouwanttorecordeventsrelatedtosystemfailure.Ifyouwantyourcomputertoautomaticallyrestartafterafailure,selectAutomaticallyRestart.7.SaveyoursettingsbyclickingOKtwice.

Figure4-2Configuringstartupandrecoveryoptions

ChangingYourComputer’sBootConfigurationAsyou’veseen,theStartupAndRecoverydialogboxmakesiteasytosetbasicstartupoptions.Toconfiguremoreadvancedoptionsandfine-tunethestartupprocess,youcanusetheSystemConfigurationutility(Msconfig.exe).Althoughyoutypicallyusethisutilityduringtroubleshooting,youalsocanusetheutilitytodigdowndeepintostartupprocessesandchangethewaystartupworks.

TheSystemConfigurationutilityisavailablebytypingmsconfig.exeintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter.AsshowninFigure4-3,thisutilityhasthefollowingtabs:

General Allowsyoutoconfigurenormalstartup,diagnosticstartup,orselectivestartupBoot AllowsyoutocontrolthewaytoenablevariousSafeBootmodesandthewaythatindividualstartup-relatedprocessesworkServices AllowsyoutoenableordisablesystemservicesStartup AllowsyoutoenableordisablestartupprocessesTools Allowsyoutoaccessvarioussystemmanagementtools

Figure4-3Fine-tuningstartupwiththeSystemConfigurationutility

YoushouldknowseveralimportantthingsaboutusingtheSystemConfigurationutility:

IfyoumakechangesontheBoot,Services,orStartuptabs,theSelectiveStartupoptionandrelatedsuboptionsareautomaticallyselectedontheGeneraltab.Youshouldusuallyremoveyourselectiveordiagnosticoptionswhenyouarefinishedtroubleshootingyourcomputer’sproblem.Afteryourestartthecomputerandresolveanyproblems,accesstheSystemConfigurationutilityagain,restoretheoriginalsettings,andthenclickOK.Youmustspecificallyelecttomakechangespermanent.Otherwise,yourchangeswillbelostwhenyougobacktonormalstartup.

UsingtheSelectiveandDiagnosticStartupModes

Normalisthedefaultstartupmode.NormalstartupensuresthatWindows10loadsallsystemconfigurationfilesanddevicedriversandrunsallstartupapplicationsandenabledservices.Ifyourcomputerisn’tperformingproperlyorisgeneratingerrorsatstartup,you

canusediagnosticorselectivestartuptotrytodeterminethecauseoftheproblem.

Youusediagnosticstartuptotroubleshootsystemproblems.Indiagnosticmode,yourcomputerloadsonlybasicdevicedriversandessentialservices.Whenyoustartthesystemindiagnosticmode,youcanmodifysystemsettingstoresolveconfigurationproblems.

Youuseselectivestartuptoidentifyproblemareasinyourcomputer’sconfiguration.Selectivestartupisamodifiedbootconfiguration.Here,yourcomputeronlyusesthesystemservicesandstartupitemsyouspecify,whichcanhelpyouidentifysettingsthatarecausingsystemproblemsandcorrectthemasnecessary.

Youcanenableanduseselectiveordiagnosticstartupbycompletingthesesteps:

1.TypemsconfigintheSearchbox,andthenpressEntertodisplaytheSystemConfigurationutility.2.OntheGeneraltab,selecteitherDiagnosticStartuporSelectiveStartup.IfyouchooseSelectiveStartup,specifytheitemsthatyouwantyourcomputertouse.Yourchoicesare:

LoadSystemServices SetsthecomputertoloadWindowsservicesonstartup.Ifyouselectthisoption,usethesettingsontheServicestabtospecifywhichservicesarestarted.LoadStartupItems Setsthecomputertorunapplicationsdesignatedforstartupatboottime.Ifyouselectthisoption,youcanenableanddisablestartupapplicationsbyusingtheoptionsontheStartuptab.UseOriginalBootConfiguration Setsthecomputertoprocesstheoriginalbootconfigurationonstartupinsteadofoneyou’vecreatedbymodifyingthebootsettingswiththeSystemConfigurationutility.

3.Whenyouarereadytocontinue,clickOK,andthenrebootyourcomputer.Ifyouhaveproblemsrebootingyourcomputer,restartthesysteminSafeModeandrepeatthisprocedure.SafeModeappearsautomaticallyasanoptionafterafailedboot.

ChangingtheWayYourComputerBoots

Windows10usestheWindowsBootManagerandabootapplicationtostarttheoperatingsystem.Fortroubleshooting,youcanusetheoptionsontheSystemConfigurationutility’sBoottabtocontrolthebootpartition,bootmethod,andbootoptionsusedbytheoperatingsystem.

Whenyourcomputerhasmultipleoperatingsystems,youcanspecifythatanoperatingsystemotherthanthecurrentoneshouldbeusedsimplybyclickingtherelatedoperatingsystementry.Whenworkingwithoperatingsystementries,youcanselectthefollowingoptions:

SetAsDefault Setsthecurrentlyselectedbootpartitionasthedefaultpartition.Thedefaultpartitionisselectedautomaticallyifyoudon’tchooseanotheroptionbeforethetimeoutinterval.Timeout Setstheamountoftimethecomputerwaitsbeforeusingthedefaultbootpartition.

Delete Deletesanoperatingsystementry.Astheentrycannotbeeasilyre-created,onlydeleteanentryifabsolutelynecessary.

TheBoottabhasotheroptionsaswell,including:

AdvancedOptions Allowsyoutosetbootoptionsfornumberofprocessors,maximummemory,PCIlocking,anddebugging.SafeBoot SetsthecomputertostartinSafeMode,withadditionalflagsforminimal,network,andalternateshellminimalboots.AfteryousuccessfullybootyourcomputerinSafeMode,youcanmodifysettingstoresolveanyconfigurationproblems.NoGUIBoot SetsthecomputertoboottotheWindowsprompt,whichdoesn’tloadthegraphicalcomponentsoftheoperatingsystem.BootingtothepromptisusefulwhenyouarehavingproblemswiththevideoandgraphicalcomponentsofWindows10.BootLog Turnsonbootloggingsothatkeystartupeventsarewrittentoaneventlog.BaseVideo Forcesthecomputertousevideographicsadapter(VGA)displaysettings.Usethismodewhenyouaretryingtoresolvedisplaysettings,suchaswhenthedisplaymodeissettoasizethatthemonitorcannotdisplay.OSBootInformation StartsthecomputerusingverboseoutputsothatyoucanviewthedetailsofstartupactivitiespriortotheloadingofWindowsgraphicalcomponents.

AllchangesyoumakearestoredasmodifiedbootconfigurationdatabytheSystemConfigurationutility.AfteryoumakechangesandclickOK,youcanrestartthecomputertoapplythechangestemporarily.Togobacktoanormalstartupafteryou’vemadeandappliedchanges,youmuststarttheutility,selectNormalStartupontheGeneraltab,andthenclickOK.Youmustthenrestartthecomputersothatthenormalsettingsareused.

Tomakethestandardoradvancedbootoptionsyou’veselectedpermanent,youmustselecttheMakeAllBootSettingsPermanentcheckboxontheBoottabbeforeclickingOK.Inmostcases,youwon’twanttroubleshootingordebuggingoptionstobepermanent,sobesuretocleartheseoptionsfirst.

DisablingStartupApplicationsandServicesforTroubleshooting

Slowstartupanderrorsexperiencedduringstartupcansometimesberelatedtoapplicationsandservicesrunatstartup.YoumanagestartupappsusingTaskManagerandservicestartupusingSystemConfiguration.

Whenyoubelievethatanapplicationloadedatstartupiscausingproblemswithyourcomputer,youcandisabletheprogramfromstartingandrebootyourcomputer.Iftheproblemisnolongerpresent,youmighthaveidentifiedtheproblemandcanremedyitbypermanentlydisablingtheautomaticstartupoftheprogram.Iftheproblemstilloccurs,youcantrydisablingotherstartupapplicationstoseeifthisresolvestheproblem.

Youcandisablestartupapplicationsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.OpenTaskManagerbyright-clickingtheStartbuttonandselectTaskManagerontheshortcutmenu.Alternatively,presstheWindowslogokey+X

andthenclickTaskManagerontheshortcutmenu.2.OntheStartuptab,showninFigure4-4,allapplicationsthatrunautomaticallyatstartuparelistedbyname,commandpath,andregistrylocation.3.ClickanyapplicationthatyoudonotwanttoloadatstartuptoselectitandthenclickDisable.Makesureyouonlydisableprogramsthatyou’veidentifiedaspotentialproblems,anddosoonlyifyouknowhowtheyareusedbytheoperatingsystem.4.Youshouldrestartyourcomputertocheckthechanges.Repeatthisprocedureasnecessarytoidentifytheprogramcausingthesystemproblems.Ifyoucan’tidentifyanapplicationasthecauseoftheproblem,aWindowscomponent,service,ordevicedrivermightbecausingtheproblemyouareexperiencing.SomeprogramsandhousekeepingtasksaretriggeredbyScheduledJobs,andtheperiodictriggeringofthesescheduledjobsmightbethecauseoftheproblem.

Figure4-4Viewingstartupapplications

Ifdisablingastartupapplicationresolvestheproblem,youmaywanttocheckwiththeapplicationvendortoseeifanupdatedexecutableisavailable.Ifso,installtheupdate.

Youcantroubleshootproblemswithsystemservicesinasimilarway:

1.OpentheSystemConfigurationutility.TheServicestabdisplaysalistofallservicesinstalledonthecomputer,theoriginofeachservice,andthestateofeachservice,suchasRunningorStopped.2.Clearthecheckboxnexttoanyservicethatyoudonotwanttorunatstartup.Makesureyouonlydisablethoseservicesthatyou’veidentifiedaspotentialproblems,anddosoonlyifyouknowhowtheyareusedbytheoperatingsystem.3.ClickOK.Youshouldrestartthecomputertocheckthechanges,soifyouarepromptedtorestartthesystem,clickYes.Otherwise,restartthecomputermanually.Repeatthisprocedureasnecessarytoidentifytheservicecausingtheproblem.Ifyoucan’tidentifyaserviceasthecauseoftheproblem,aWindows

component,startupapplication,ordevicedrivermightbecausingtheproblemyouareexperiencing.SomeprogramsandhousekeepingtasksaretriggeredbyScheduledJobs,andtheperiodictriggeringofthesescheduledjobsmightbethecauseoftheproblem.

Ifdisablingaserviceresolvestheproblem,youcanthenpermanentlydisabletheserviceusingtheServicesutilityorcheckwiththeservicevendortoseeifanupdatedexecutableisavailablefortheservice.

CustomizingBootConfigurationwiththeBCDEditorTheBCDstorecontainsinformationrequiredbyyourcomputertolocateandloadtheoperatingsystem.ThereisasingleentryfortheWindowsBootManagerandoneWindowsBootLoaderentryforeachinstanceofWindowsinstalledonthecomputer.

WindowsBootManagerisitselfabootloaderapplication.Thereareotherbootloaderapplicationsaswell,including:

Bootsector TheWindowsBootSectorApplicationFwbootmgr TheFirmwareBootManagerNtldr ThebootloaderforlegacyoperatingsystemsOsloader ThebootloaderforWindowsoperatingsystemsResume TheWindowsResumeLoader

YouaccessandmanagetheBCDstorebyusingtheBCDEditor(Bcdedit.exe).TheBCDEditorisacommand-lineutilitythatrequiresadministratorprivilegestoperformmanagementtasks.YoucanusetheBCDEditortoviewtheentriesintheBCDstorebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.PresstheWindowslogokey+XandthenclickCommandPrompt(Admin)ontheshortcutmenu.2.ToviewtheentriesintheBCDstore,enterbcdeditatthecommandprompt.3.Toviewtheavailablecommands,enterbcdedit/?atthecommandprompt.

RealWorld TheBCDEditorisanadvancedcommand-linetoolforITprofessionals.IfyoumakeamistakewiththeBCDEditor,yourcomputercouldendupinanonbootablestate,andyouwouldneedtoinitiaterecovery.Becauseofthis,onlymakechangeswhenyouareabsolutelycertaintheywillwork.

WheneveryouworkwiththeBCDEditor,youworkwiththesystemBCDstore,whichcontainstheoperatingsystembootentriesandrelatedbootsettings.ReferencesintheBCDstorecanbespecifiedbygloballyuniqueidentifiers(GUIDs),suchas{8c4305c4-243b-11e5-a00b-c54f98ee3b3b},aswellasbywell-knownidentifiers,suchas{bootloadersettings}.

Alistofwell-knownidentifiersandtheirusagefollows.Bothwell-knownidentifiersandGUIDsareenclosedincurlybraces.GUIDshavedashesaswell.

{badmemory}ContainstheglobalRAMdefectlistthatcanbeinheritedbyanybootapplicationentry.

{bootloadersettings}ContainsthecollectionofglobalsettingsthatshouldbeinheritedbyallWindowsBootLoaderapplicationentries.

{bootmgr}IndicatestheWindowsBootManagerentry.

{current}Representsavirtualidentifierthatcorrespondstotheoperatingsystemboot

entryfortheoperatingsystemthatiscurrentlyrunning.

{dbgsettings}Containstheglobaldebuggersettingsthatcanbeinheritedbyanybootapplicationentry.

{default}Representsavirtualidentifierthatcorrespondstothebootmanagerdefaultapplicationentry.

{emssettings}ContainstheglobalEmergencyManagementServicessettingsthatcanbeinheritedbyanybootapplicationentry.

{fwbootmgr}Indicatesthefirmwarebootmanagerentry.ThisentryisusedonEFIsystems.

{globalsettings}Containsthecollectionofglobalsettingsthatshouldbeinheritedbyallbootapplicationentries.

{hypervisorsettings}Containsthehypervisorsettingsthatcanbeinheritedbyanyoperatingsystemloaderentry.

{legacy}IndicatestheWindowsLegacyOSLoader(Ntldr)thatcanbeusedtostartWindowsoperatingsystemsearlierthanWindowsVista.

{memdiag}Indicatesthememorydiagnosticapplicationentry.

{ntldr}IndicatestheWindowsLegacyOSLoader(Ntldr)thatcanbeusedtostartoperatingsystemsearlierthanWindowsVista.

{ramdiskoptions}ContainstheadditionaloptionsrequiredbythebootmanagerforRAMdiskdevices.

{resumeloadersettings}ContainsthecollectionofglobalsettingsthatshouldbeinheritedbyallWindowsresume-from-hibernationapplicationentries.

TheBCDEditorprovidesseparatecommandsforcreating,copying,anddeletingentriesintheBCDstore.Youcanusethe/createcommandtocreateidentifier,application,andinheritentriesintheBCDstore.Thesyntaxis:bcdedit/createIdentifier/d“Description”

whereIdentifierisawell-knownidentifierfortheentryyouwanttocreate,suchas:bcdedit/create{ntldr}/d“Pre-WindowsVistaOSLoader”

Youcancreateentriesforspecificbootloaderapplicationsaswell,including:

Bootsector Setsthebootsectorforareal-modeapplicationOSLoader LoadsWindowsVistaorlaterResume ResumestheoperatingsystemfromhibernationStartup Identifiesareal-modeapplication

Thesyntaxforcreatingentriesforbootloadapplicationsis:bcdedit/create/applicationAppType/d“Description”

whereAppTypeisoneofthepreviouslylistedapplicationtypes,suchas:bcdedit/create/applicationosloader/d“Windows10EntEd”

Youdeleteentriesinthesystemstorebyusingthe/deletecommandandthefollowingsyntax:bcdedit/deleteIdentifier

Ifyouaretryingtodeleteawell-knownidentifier,youmustusethe/fcommandtoforcedeletion,suchas:bcdedit/delete{ntldr}/f

The/cleanupoptionisimpliedbydefaultwheneveryoudeleteBCDentries.Thisoptioncleansupanyotherreferencestotheentrybeingdeletedtoensurethatthedatastoredoesn’thaveinvalidreferencestotheremovedidentifier.Entriesareremovedfromthedisplayorderaswell,andthiscouldresultinadifferentdefaultoperatingsystembeingset.Todeletetheentryandcleanupallotherreferencesexceptthedisplayorderentry,youcanusethe/nocleanupcommand.

OtherBCDeditorcommandsyoucanuseinclude:

/set Usedtosetadditionaloptionsandvaluesforentries/deletevalue Usedtodeleteadditionaloptionsandvaluesforentries/displayorder UsedtochangethedisplayorderofbootmanagersassociatedwithaparticularWindowsVistaorlaterinstallation/default Usedtochangethedefaultoperatingsystementry/timeout Usedtochangethetimeoutvalueassociatedwiththedefaultoperatingsystem/bootsequence Usedtoboottoaparticularoperatingsystemonetimeandthenreverttothedefaultbootorderafterward

Tolearnmoreaboutsubcommandsandhowtheyareused,typebcedit,typethesubcommandname,type/?andthenpressEnter.Forexample,tolearnhowtousethe/setsubcommand,enterbcdedit/set/?.

WorkingwithAutomaticRecoveryModeYourcomputercanstartinsafeorautomaticrecoverymodeforavarietyofreasons.Generally,safemodeisusedwhenyouselectthisoptionaspartoftroubleshootingandautomaticrecoverymodeisusedwhenWindowshasdetectedaproblemduringapreviousfailedstart.Forexample,afterasuddenpowerloss,yourcomputermaybootintoautomaticrecoverymode.

Automaticrecoveryhasseveralstages.Duringtheinitialstage,yourdevicedisplaya“PreparingAutomaticRecovery”messagewhileenteringtheprebootenvironment.Duringthenextstage,yourdevicewilldisplaya“DiagnosingComputer”messagewhileloadingtherecoverymenusandperformingpreliminarychecks.

Next,yourcomputerwilldisplaytheAutomaticRepairwindow,asshowninFigure4-5.Here,ifyousimplyclickRestart,thecomputerwillexitAutomaticRecoverymodeandattemptanormalstartoftheoperatingsystem.

Figure4-5Restartorcontinuetomoreoptions.

RealWorld ThewindowyouseeactuallydependsonhowfarWindowsgetsintothestartupprocess.IfthedevicebootsbutWindowsfailstoload,you’llseeaRecoverywindowthatstatesthis.TheRecoverywindowoptionsaresimilartothoseshownandperformthesameactions.YoucanrestartorcontinuetotheChooseAnOptionwindow.

Generally,ifyoufindyourselfstaringunexpectedlyattheAutomaticRepairwindow,youshouldalwaystryarestarttoseeifthecomputerwillstartnormally.Iftherestartfails,however,you’llthenneedtocontinuethroughtherepairprocessbyclickingAdvancedOptions.

AsFigure4-6shows,theoptionsatthispointaren’treallyadvanced.Instead,Windowsisactuallygivingyoutwomorechancestoexittherepairandrecoveryprocess.IfyouclickContinue,thecomputerwillexitAutomaticRecoverymodeandattempttocontinueloadingtheoperatingsystem.IfyouclickTurnOffYourPC,thecomputerwillexitAutomaticRecoverymodeandshutdown,allowingyoutotrytorestartthecomputernormallylater.

Figure4-6Exittherepairorcontinue.

TheonlyoptionthatletsyoucontinueintotherepairandrecoveryprocessisTroubleshoot.WhenyouclickTroubleshoot,youaccesstheTroubleshootwindow,showninFigure4-7.Atthispoint,you’vegonepastyourcomputer’ssandboxedsafetyzoneandentereddangerousterritory.

Figure4-7Completelyresetorcontinue.

ChooseResetThisPC,andyourcomputerwillstarttheresetprocesswhichre-installsWindowsandcompletelyresetsyourdevice.Allyouneedtodoisfollowtheprompts.Duringtheresetprocess,you’llbegiventheopportunitytospecifywhethertosavefilesinyourpersonalfoldersorremovethem.Allotherdatawillbelostifit’sstoredonthesamevolumeastheoperatingsystem.Forexample,ifWindowsisinstalledontheCdrive,completingthisprocesswilldestroyallotherdataontheCdrive.

ChooseAdvancedOptionstogettotheactualAdvancedOptionswindow,showninFigure4-8.

Figure4-8Completelyresetyourcomputerorcontinue.

Howyouusetheseoptionsdependsontheproblemyouareexperiencing.My

recommendationisthefollowing:

1.Onyourfirstrepairattempt,selectStartupRepairtoforceWindowstoenterrepairmode.Inthismode,Windowswilltrytodetectissuesthatarecausingstartupproblems,suchasamissingbootfile.Windowswillthenattempttoanautomaticrepair.Iftherepairissuccessful,yourcomputerwillbootnormally.2.Ifautomaticrepairfails,youcannexttrytorepairtheissueyourselfbyusingtheStartupSettingsoptionasdiscussedin“PerforminganAdvancedorSafeModeBoot”orbyusingtheSystemRestoreoption.

Formostpeople,theSystemRestoreoptionmaybethebestchoice.Whileyouareworking,yourcomputerperiodicallycreatesrestorepointsthatsavethesystemconfiguration.Theserestorepointstypicallyarecreatedwhenyouinstallprogramsordriversbutalsowhenyoumakechangestotheoperatingsystemthatcanaffectthewaythecomputerworks.Totrytouseoneoftheserestorepointstorestoreyourcomputertoapreviousstate,selectSystemRestoreandfollowtheprompts.

PerforminganAdvancedorSafeModeBootWindows10needsaccesstospecificsystemfilestostartproperly.Iftherequiredfilesaremissingorcorrupt,yourcomputerwon’tstartandyou’llneedtouseStartupRepairtotrytoresolveyourcomputer’sproblem.Mostofthetime,repairingadamagedormissingfilewillfixsuchanissue;sometimes,youmightneedtocontinuetroubleshootingtodiagnoseandresolveadeeperissue.

Usually,acomputerfailstostartbecausesomethinghaschangedandyourcomputerdoesn’tlikethechange.Forexample,youmighthaveinstalledanupdateforadevicedriverthatcausedasystem-wideconflictorfailedpartwaythrough.Oraprogramyouinstalledmighthavemodifiedthesystem’sconfigurationinsuchawaythatpreventsnormalstartup.Whateverthecauseoftheproblem,ifaStartupRepairdoesn’tfixthings,youcantrytoresolvetheproblemusingsafemode.

Insafemode,Windows10loadsonlybasicfiles,services,anddrivers,includingthoseforthemouse,monitor,keyboard,massstorage,andbasevideo.Themonitordriversetsthebasicsettingsandmodesforthecomputer’smonitor,andthebasevideodriversetsthebasicoptionsforthecomputer’sgraphicscard.

Becausesafemodeloadsalimitedsetofconfigurationinformation,itcanhelpyoutroubleshootproblems.Whenyouhavefinishedusingsafemode,besuretorestartthecomputerusinganormalstartup.Youwillthenbeabletousethecomputerasyounormallywould.

SeveralSafeModeoptionsareavailable.Theoptionyouusedependsonthetypeofproblemyou’reexperiencing.Themainoptionsare:

SafeMode Startsthecomputerwithonlybasicfiles,services,anddriversduringtheinitializationsequence.Thedriversloadedincludethoseforthemouse,monitor,keyboard,massstorage,andbasevideo.Nonetworkingservicesordriversarestarted.SafeModeWithNetworking Startsthecomputerwithbasicfiles,services,anddrivers,aswellasservicesanddriversneededtostartnetworking.SafeModeWithCommandPrompt Startsthecomputerwithbasicfiles,services,anddrivers,andthenstartsacommandpromptinsteadoftheWindows10graphicalinterface.Nonetworkingservicesordriversarestarted.StarttheExplorershellfromthecommand-lineinterfacebypressingCtrl+Shift+EsctoopenTaskManager,clickingFile,clickingNewTask(Run)toopentheCreateNewTaskdialogbox,typingexplorer.exe,andthenclickingOK.EnableBootLogging Turnsonbootloggingtocreatearecordofallstartupeventsinthelogfiles.EnableLowResolutionVideo Turnsonlow-resolutiondisplaymode,whichisusefulifthesystemdisplayissettoamodethatcan’tbeusedwiththecurrentmonitor.DisableAutomaticRestartOnSystemFailure PreventsWindowsfromrestartingafteracrash.Ifyoudon’tsetthisoption,Windowswillrestartautomaticallyafteracrash.DisableDriverSignatureEnforcement StartsthecomputerinSafeMode

withoutenforcingdigitalsignaturepolicysettingsfordevicedrivers.Thiscantemporarilyresolveastartupproblemrelatedtoadevicedriverwithaninvalidormissingdigitalsignature.Afteryourcomputerisstarted,youcanresolvetheproblempermanentlybygettinganewdriverorchangingthedriversignatureenforcementsettings.DisableEarlyLaunchAnti-MalwareProtection StartsthecomputerinSafeModewithoutstartinganti-malwaresoftwarethatrunsaspartofthestartupbootstrap.Thiscantemporarilyresolveastartupproblemrelatedtoinvalidupdatesorchangestoyouranti-malwaresoftware.Afteryourcomputerisstarted,youcanresolvetheproblempermanentlybyupdating,reinstallingorremovingyouranti-malwaresoftware.

YoucanusetheSystemConfigurationutilitytostartacomputerinSafeModeasdiscussedpreviouslyinthischapterunder“ChangingtheWayYourComputerBoots.”Ifyourcomputerentersautomaticrecovery,youcanstartinSafeModebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Afteryourdeviceloadstherecoveryenvironment,clickAdvancedOptions.2.AttheChooseAnOptionprompt,clickTroubleshoot.Next,attheTroubleshootprompt,clickAdvancedOptions.3.TheAdvancedOptionswindowprovidesseveraltroubleshootingoptions,includingtheoptiontostartasystemrestoreoropenacommandpromptwindow.Tocontinue,clickStartupSettings.4.AsFigure4-9shows,theStartupSettingswindowgivesyouonelastchancetogobackwhilealsotellingyouwhat’sgoingtohappenwhenyouclickRestart.(Yes,allthesewindowsaredesignedtopreventyoufromaccidentallymakingchangesyou’llregret.)

Figure4-9LastchancetogobackbeforeyourestartinSafeMode.

Figure4-10ChoosethestartupoptionforSafeMode.

5.ClickRestart.Next,you’llhavethestartupoptionsshowninFigure4-10.Useeitherthenumberkeysorthefunctionkeystoselectthemodeyouwanttouse.

IfaproblemreappearswhenyoustartinSafeMode,youcaneliminatethedefaultsettingsandbasicdevicedriversaspossiblecauses.Beginyourtroubleshootingbylookingatnewlyaddeddevicesorupdateddrivers.UseSafeModetoremovethedevices,reversetheupdates,orinstalldifferentversionsofdriversoftware.Restartyourcomputertotestyourchanges.

Ifyouarestillhavingaproblemstartingthesystemnormallyandsuspectthatproblemswithhardware,software,orsettingsaretoblame,gobacktoSafeModeandtryusingSystemRestoretoundopreviouschanges.

RealWorld SeveralofthedevicesIworkedwithinSafeModedidn’tfunctionproperlyandIcouldn’tgettotheStartmenuorSearchbox.Luckily,IhadpinnedCommandPrompttothetaskbarandwasabletouseanadministratorprompttogetmyworkdone,includingstartingMsconfig.exesoIcouldspecifytheNormalStartupoptionforwhenIrestarted.Ononedevice,however,eventaskbarfunctionalitywasgone.Togettoutilities,IpressedCtrl+Shift+EsctoopenTaskManagerandthenusedtheRunoptionontheFilemenutoruncommands.

ResolvingRestartorShutdownIssuesNormally,youshutdownorrestartWindows10byclickingthePowerbuttonontheStartmenu,andthenclickingRestartorShutDownasappropriate.Sometimes,however,Windows10won’tresume,shutdown,orrestartnormally,andyoumusttrytoresolvetheproblem.

RecoveringfromaFailedResumeWindows10createsasnapshotofthecurrentstateofthecomputerwheneveryourcomputerenterssleepmodeorhibernates.WindowsResumeLoaderhandlessleepandhibernateoperations.Withsleepmode,thissnapshotiscreatedinmemoryandthenreadfrommemorybytheresumeloaderwhenyouwakethecomputer.Withhibernatemode,thissnapshotiswrittentodiskandthenreadfromdiskbytheresumeloaderwhenyouwakethecomputer.ThesesnapshotsarewhatenabletheInstantOnandFastResumefeatures.

Yourcomputermayhaveaproblemresumingforanyofavarietyofreasonsthatmayincludeerrorsinthesnapshot,physicalerrorsinmemory,andphysicaldiskerrors.Whatevertheproblem,WindowsResumeLoaderpromptsyouwithawarningmessagesimilartothefollowing:WindowsResumeLoaderThelastattempttorestartthesystemfromitspreviouslocationfailed.Attempttorestartagain?

ContinuewithsystemrestartDeleterestorationdataandproceedtosystemboot.

Enter=choose

Theresumepromptgivesyoutwooptions.Youcantrytocontinuewithsystemrestart,oryoucandeleterestorationdataandproceedtosystemboot.IfyouselectContinueWithSystemRestart,WindowsResumeLoaderattemptstoreloadthesystemstateagain.IfyouselectDeleteRestorationDataAndProceedToSystemBoot,WindowsResumeLoaderdeletesthesavedstateofthecomputerandrestartsthecomputer.Althoughafullrestartwilltypicallyresolveanyproblem,you’llloseanyworkthatwasn’tsavedbeforethecomputerenteredsleeporhibernatemode.

ForcingYourComputertoShutDownWhenthereareunsavedfiles,lockedprocesses,orboth,yourcomputerwillnotlogoffandshutdownimmediately.Instead,you’llseearelatedpromptlistingthefilesandprocessesthatarecausingtheproblem.Withunsavedfiles,you’llusuallywanttosavetheopenfilesandthenexittherelatedprogramsothatyoucanresumeloggingoffandshuttingdown.Withlockedprocesses,youcanwaitforWindowstoresolvetheproblem,eitherbygettingaresponsefromtheprogramthatallowsWindowstoclosetheprogramorbywaitinguntilthetimeoutperiodhaselapsedandlettingWindowsstoptheprogram,whichallowsyoutocontinuethroughthelogoffandshutdownprocessesautomatically.

That’sthewayWindowsshouldwork,butsometimesthingsgowrong.Youcanperformahardshutdownbypressingandholdingthedevice’spowerbuttonorbyunpluggingthedevice.Ifyourdevicehasaremovablebattery,suchaswhenyouareworkingwithalaptop,youcanremovethebatterytoforcethedevicetocompletelypowerdown.

Ifyouforcethecomputertoshutdown,thecomputermayenterAutomaticRecoverymodewhennextstarted.See“WorkingwithAutomaticRecoveryMode”forpointersonhowtoexitthismodeandcontinuewithnormalstartup.Afteryoustartyourcomputer,youmaywanttorunCheckDisk,asdiscussedinChapter9,tocheckforerrorsandproblemsthatmighthavebeencausedbythehardshutdown.

RepairingaComputertoEnableStartupWindows10includestheStartupRepairtooltoautomaticallydetectcorruptedsystemfilesduringstartupandguideyouthroughautomatedormanualrecovery.TheStartupRepairtoolattemptstodeterminethecauseofthestartupfailurebyusingstartuplogsanderrorreports,andthenattemptstofixtheproblemautomatically.IftheStartupRepairtoolisunabletoresolvetheproblem,itrestoresyourcomputertothelastknownworkingstateandprovidesdiagnosticsinformationandsupportoptionsforfurthertroubleshooting.

EveryWindows10computerhasaWindowRecoveryEnvironment(WindowsRE)partitionbydefault.Thispartitioniscreatedautomaticallywhentheoperatingsystemisinstalled.Asaresult,ifyourcomputerfailstoshutdownproperly,theAutomaticRecoveryscreenisshownthenexttimeyoustartthecomputer.YoucanusetheAutomaticRecoveryprocesstoruntheStartupRepairtoolbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Afteryourdeviceloadstherecoveryenvironment,clickAdvancedOptions.2.AttheChooseAnOptionprompt,clickTroubleshoot.Next,attheTroubleshootprompt,clickAdvancedOptions.3.AttheAdvancedOptions,clicktheStartupRepairoption.

TheStartupRepairtoolchecksforproblemspreventingyourcomputerfromstarting.Ifproblemsarefound,thetooltriestorepairthemtoenablestartup.Theautomatedtroubleshootingandrepairprocesscantakeseveralminutes.Duringthefirstphaseoftherepair,youcanclickCanceltoexit.

IfStartupRepairissuccessful,yourcomputerwillstart.IfStartupRepairisunabletofindandcorrectproblems,you’llseeanoteaboutthisandwillbeabletosendmoreinformationabouttheproblemtoMicrosofttohelpfindsolutionsinthefuture.Afterselectingtheoptiontosendornotsendinformation,youreturntotheStartupRepairdialogbox.

Toaccessadvancedrepairoptions,clicktherelatedlinkandfollowthepromptstocontinuetroubleshooting.Otherwise,clickFinish.Youmaywanttodisconnectanyexternaldevicesthatyou’verecentlyconnectedtoyourcomputerandthentrytostartyourcomputeragain.Otherwise,askyournetworkadministratororyourcomputermanufacturerforhelp.

Corruptedsystemfilesaren’ttheonlytypesofproblemsthatcanpreventproperstartupoftheoperatingsystem.Manyothertypesofproblemscanoccur,butmostoftheseproblemsoccurbecausesomethingonthesystemhaschanged.OftenyoucanresolvestartupissuesusingSafeModetorecoverortroubleshootsystemproblems.WhenyouarefinishedusingSafeMode,besuretorestartthecomputerusinganormalstartup.Youwillthenbeabletousethecomputerasyounormallywould.See“PerforminganAdvancedorSafeModeBoot,”earlierinthischapter,formoreinformation.


Oneofyourcomputer’smostimportantfunctionsistomakeitpossibleforyoutocreateandstoreeverything—fromdocumentsandpicturestosongs,videos,andprogramdatafiles.Windows10givesyoumanyoptionsforhelpingyouorganize,searchfor,andindexthesefiles.Togetthemostoutoftheavailablefeatures,youneedtomasterFileExplorerandWindowsSearch.

ExploringYourComputerinNewWaysTherearefewcomponentsoftheWindowsoperatingsystemthatyou’llspendmoretimeusingthanFileExplorer.Everytimeyoubrowsefilesandfoldersonyourcomputer,youuseFileExplorer—whetheryouspecificallyopenanExplorerwindoworyouusetheOpencommandinanapplication,suchasMicrosoftWord.ControlPanel,theComputerwindow,theNetworkwindow,andeventheRecycleBinaredifferentviewsforFileExplorer.

AsFigure5-1shows,FileExplorerhasanAddressbarforquicklynavigatingdisksandfolders,aSearchboxforfastsearches,andthefollowingviewpanes:

Navigation Helpsyouquicklyaccessfavorites,homegroups,yourcomputer,andyournetwork.DraganyfoldertoFavoritestoquicklycreateashortcuttoit;right-clickandselectRemovetodeleteafavorite.Contents Providesthemainworkingpaneandshowsthecontentsofyourselecteddriveorfolder.UsetheViewbuttonandViewoptionstocontrolwhetheritemdetails,lists,oriconsareshown.Details Showsinformationaboutaselecteditem.Thedetailsprovideddependontheitemselectedandaredifferentfordrives,folders,documents,songs,videos,andshortcuts.HideorshowtheDetailspanebyclickingOrganize,clickingLayout,andthenclickingPreviewPane.Preview Showsapreviewofyourselecteddocument,picture,song,video,orotherfiletype,aslongasapreviewcontrolisavailableandconfiguredforthatfiletype.UsetheShow/HidePreviewbuttontodisplayorhidethePreviewpane.

Figure5-1Exploringthedrives,folders,andfilesonyourcomputer.

SoLongLibraries,HelloQuickAccessMicrosoftcontinuestode-emphasizetheideaof“library”folders.Librariesarepredefinedandprovideacombinedviewoffoldersrelatedtospecifictypesofmedia,suchasDocuments,MusicandPictures.Generally,inWindows10,theonlytimeyouworkwithlibrariesiswhenyouclickthePathSelectionListbuttoninFileExplorerandselectLibraries.Then,asshowninFigure5-2,FileExplorerspecificallystatesthateachitemlistedisalibrary.

Figure5-2Librariesprovidecombinedviewsoffolderscontainingsimilartypesofdata.

Whenyouareworkingwithalibrary,suchastheDocumentslibrary,youcanright-clickitandselectPropertiestogetadditionalinformationaboutwherethatlibrary’sdatacomesfrom(seeFigure5-3).Youcanthenusetheoptionsprovidedtoaddorremovefoldersfromthelibrary,andsetdefaultsavelocations.

Figure5-3UsethePropertiesdialogboxtomanagethelibrary.

Becauselibrarydatacancomefrommultiplefolders,someusershavealwaysfoundlibrariesabitconfusing.ThisiswhyMicrosoftisde-emphasizingthefeatureinfavoroftheThisPCandQuickAccess,bothofwhichareavailableinFileExplorer.

WhenyouselectThisPCasalocationorThisPConthenavigationpane(seeFigure5-4),youhavefastaccesstoyourpersonalfolders,includingDocuments,Music,PicturesandVideos.

Figure5-4UseThisPCtoaccessdrivesandpersonalfolders.

WhenQuickAccessisexpandedonthenavigationpane(seeFigure5-5),youhavefastaccesstoanyfolderorfilepinnedtothispanel.Bydefault,Desktop,Downloads,DocumentsandPicturesarepinnedtoQuickAccess.

Figure5-5UseQuickAccesstoaccessfrequentlyusedfoldersandfiles.

WhileworkingwithFileExploreroranyofitsviews,youcanaddafolderorfiletoQuickAccessbyright-clickingitandselectingPinToQuickAccess.Toremoveapinnedfolderorfile,right-clickitontheQuickAccesspanelandthenselectUnpinFromQuickAccess.

WhenyouareworkingwithQuickAccess,youmayfindthatsomefoldersandfilesdon’thavepins.FoldersareaddedbyWindowswhenyouusethemfrequentlyandfilesareaddedwhenyou’verecentlyopenedthem.Becausetheseitemsaren’tactuallypinned,theywillberemovedautomaticallywhenyouusethemlessfrequently.

Toensureafolderorfilestaysavailable,youcanright-clickitontheQuickAccesspanelandthenselectPinToQuickAccess.Toremoveanautomaticallyaddedfolderorfile,right-clickitontheQuickAccesspanelandthenselectRemoveFromQuickAccess.

Forprivacyreasons,youmaywanttocontrolwhetherfoldersandfilesareaddedtoQuickAccess.Todothis,followthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,right-clickthetopoftheQuickAccesspanelandselectOptions.2.IntheFolderOptionsdialogbox,showninFigure5-6,you’llfindoptionsforcontrollingwhetherfoldersandfilesareaddedtoQuickAccess.UsethefollowingtechniquestomanageQuickAccessandthenclickOK:

CleartheShowFrequentlyUsedFolderscheckboxifyounolongerwantfrequentlyusedfolderstobeadded.CleartheShowRecentlyUsedFilescheckboxifyounolongerwantrecentlyusedfilestobeadded.ClicktheClearbuttontoclearthehistoryregardingfrequentlyusedfoldersandfiles.

Figure5-6ManageQuickAccessusingFolderOptions.

Tip Bydefault,FileExploreropenswithQuickAccessselectedinthemainpane.Ifyou’dratherhaveFileExploreropenwithThisPCselected,selectThisPContheOpenFileExplorerTolist.

AddressBarTipsandTechniquesEveryviewofFileExplorer,whetherControlPanel,theComputerwindow,theNetworkwindow,orthebasicExplorerview,hasanAddressbarthatdisplaysyourcurrentlocationasaseriesoflinksseparatedbyclickableoptionsbuttons.

TheaddresspathincludesaLocationIndicatoricon,aPathSelectionlistbutton,LocationPathentries,andaPreviousLocationsbutton.LocationPathentriesallowyoutodeterminethecurrentlocation.IntheexampleshowninFigure5-1,thelocationis:

ThisPCPictures

ThisPCprovidesaccesstoyourpersonaldocuments.Althoughtherelatedfoldersarestoredinyourpersonalprofile,youaccessthemthroughtherelatedlibraries:Documents,Downloads,Music,Pictures,Videos,etc.

ConsiderthepathshowninFigure5-7:

ThisPCNewVolume(D:) � FamilyPhotos

Figure5-7ViewingtheFamilyPhotosfolder.

ThistellsyouthattheabsolutepathfollowedtogettothecurrentlocationisD:\FamilyPhotosonyourcomputer.

WhenyouareworkingwithnetworkpathsintheNetworkwindow,youhavequickaccesstonetworklocationsandsharedresources.ClicktheNetworkentryinthepathtodisplayalistofremotecomputersandnetworkresources,asshowninFigure5-8.Double-clickthenameofaremotecomputerornetworkresourcetolistitssharedresources,asshowninFigure5-9.

Figure5-8UsingNetworktoaccessothercomputers.

Figure5-9Accessingsharedresourcesonothercomputers.

Youwon’talwaysseeafullpath,however.Manytimes,you’llseearelativeorabbreviatedpath,suchaswhenyoufollowashortcutorbrowsetoapaththatcannotbefullylisted.Arelativeorabbreviatedpathisindicatedbytheleft-pointingchevron(<<),asshowninthisexample:

«History � Availability � NewMaterials

ThistellsyouthattherelativeorabbreviatedpathofthecurrentlocationisHistory\Availability\NewMaterials.

Foreaseofreference,IrefertoExplorer’srelativeandabsolutepathsasnavigationpaths.Whenanavigationpathisbeingdisplayed,youcanalwaysdisplaytheactualsystempathbyclickingtheLocationIndictoriconoranemptyareaoftheaddresspath.Forexample,ifIclicktherelativepathlistedpreviously,mycomputershowsthesystempathasE:\History\Availability\NewMaterials.

Bydefault,thesystempathisselected,soyoucancopyitsimplybypressingCtrl+C.Todisplaythenavigationpathagain(insteadofthesystempath),pressEsc.

TotherightoftheLocationIndicatoriconisthePathSelectionlistbutton,whichprovidesaccesstotheavailablebaselocations.SelectingabaselocationallowsyoutoquicklyaccesskeyFileExplorerviewsandperformrelatedtasks.

ThefinalcontrolontheAddressbaristhePreviousLocationsbutton,whichprovidesalistoflocationsyou’veaccessedrecently.Thislocationlistcanincludefolderlocations,networkdrivelocations,andwebaddresses.YoucanjumptoarecentlyaccessedlocationquicklybyclickingthePreviousLocationsbuttonandthenclickingthedesiredlocation.

KeyboardTipsandTechniquesforFileExplorerPuttingFileExplorertoworkforyourequiresmuchmorethansimplylearningtonavigatetheAddressbarlikeapro.Next,youneedtolearnaboutkeyboardshortcutsthatcanmakeyoureverydaycomputingtaskseasier.I’llgothroughtheshortcutsyou’relikelytofindthemosthelpful.Thesecrettoyoursuccessisinbeingevenmoreselective.Identifythetechniquesthatwillhelpyouthemostandcommitthosetechniquestomemory.

Note Generally,thekeyboardshortcutsinthissectionworkonlywhenthemainpaneistheselectedfocusforFileExplorer.Thismeansyoumustbeworkinginthemainpanefortheshortcuttowork.

Mostpeoplewho’veworkedwithWindowsforawhileknowthatyouright-clickanitemandselectPropertiestodisplaytheitem’sproperties.Therearetwootherwaystodothesamething:

HoldtheAltkeyandthendouble-clicktheitem.SelecttheitemandthenpressAlt+Enter.

InChapter2,IdiscussedcustomizingtheStartmenuandpinningprograms.AlthoughyounormallywantonlyprogramsontheStartmenu,youcanfoldersandfoldershortcutstotheStartmenuaswell.Youdothisbyright-clickingthefolderorfoldershortcut,andthenclickingPinToStartmenu.AhiddenoptiondisplayedwhenyouholdShiftbeforeright-clickingafileisCopyAsPath,whichisusedtocopythefullpathofthefiletotheclipboard.

Withfolders,holdingShiftbeforeright-clickingrevealsthreehiddenoptions:

CopyAsPath Copiesthefullpathofthefoldertotheclipboard.OpenCommandWindowsHere Opensacommandpromptwiththeinitialpathsettothefolderlocation.OpenInNewProcess Opensthefolderinaseparateprocess.Otherwise,bydefault,allExplorerwindowsruninthesameprocess.

FileExplorerhasseveralothershortcutsforworkingsmarterwithfoldersaswell.Whenafolderisselectedinthewindow:

PressAltandtheUpArrowkeytojumptotheparentfolderofthatfolder.PressEntertoviewthefolder’scontents.ThenyoucanusepressAltandtheLeftArrowkeytogoback.PressCtrl+Shift+EtoexpandthefoldertreesothattheselectedfolderisshownintheNavigationpane.

FileExplorerhasForwardandBackbuttonsaswellasaRecentPagesdrop-downlist.Thesebuttonsareeasyenoughtouse,butyoualsocanpressBackspacetogobackthroughtheRecentPageslist.Withinafolder,youcanpressaletterkeyorstringofcharacterstoquicklyjumptothefirstfileorfolderstartingwiththatletterorcharacterstring.Forexample,ifyoupressC,FileExplorerjumpstothefirstfileorfolderthatstartswithC.IfyoutypeChr,FileExplorerjumpstothefirstfileorfolderthatstartswithChr.

Note FolderAndSearchOptionscanmodifythewayquickselectworks.Insteadofjumpingtothefileorfolderthatstartswiththelettersyoutype,youalsocanconfigureFileExplorertoenterthetextintheSearchboxandbeginasearchofthecurrentfolder.

ThePreviewpaneishandy,butitcantakeupalotofworkspace.YoucanquicklydisplayorhidethePreviewpanebypressingAlt+P.MypreferenceistonotusethePreviewpaneatall.Insteadofturningpreviewsonandoff,IholdCtrlandusethemousescrollbuttontocyclethroughtheviewsettings.Thatway,Icanquicklygofromadetailedlistingtoasmall,medium,orlargeiconlisting.

Ifyou’relikeme,youmayprefertheDetailspaneinsteadofthePreviewpane.TheDetailspaneprovidessummaryinformation,similartowhatyouseewhenyouright-clickafileorfolderandselectProperties.YoucanquicklydisplayorhidethePreviewpanebypressingAlt+Shift+P.

FileExplorerprovidesavarietyofwaystoworkwithfilesandfolders.YoucanpressCtrl+Shift+Ntocreateanewfolder.YoucanpressF2torenameacurrentlyselectedfileorfolder.WhileclickingafileorfolderandpressingDelmovesafiletotheRecycleBin,youcanpressShift+Deltopermanentlyremoveaselectedfileorfolder(bypassingtheRecycleBin).

HoldCtrlandclicktoselectmultiplefilesandfoldersordeselectfilesandfolderspreviouslyselectedonebyone.Ifyouwanttoselectarangeoffilesorfoldersinstead,clickthefirstitemtoselectit,holdShift,andthenclickthefinalitem.Nowallitemsintherange,fromthefirstitemtofinalitem,willbeselected.

Otherwaystoselectmultiplefilesinclude:

Usingselectionrectanglestoselectagroupoffiles.Simplyclickanemptyareanearthefirstfileanddragtodrawaselectionboxaroundallthefilesyouwanttoselect.UsingCtrlandthespacebartoselectindividualitems.WhileholdingCtrl,usetheUpandDownArrowkeystomovethroughalistofitemsandpressthespacebartoselectordeselectanitem.UsingShiftandthespacebartoselectarangeofitems.Here,findthefirstitemusingtheUpandDownArrowkeys.Next,holdShiftandusethearrowkeystoexpandyourselection.

CustomizingFileExplorerFileExplorersettingscontrolmanyaspectsoftheWindowsoperatingsystem.EverythingfromwhetherhiddenfilesaredisplayedtowhetherasingleclickopensanitemandmanydozensofothercoreoptionsareconfiguredbymodifyingsettingsinFileExplorer.

Fine-TuningViews&DetailsFileExplorerinWindows10ismuchsmarterthanFileExplorerinearlyreleasesofWindows:

Whenyouselectapicture,FileExploreraddsPictureToolstothetoolbar.

Whenyouselectmusic,FileExploreraddsMusicToolstothetoolbar.

Whenyouselectaprogram,FileExploreraddsApplicationToolstothetoolbar.

Whenyouselectavideo,FileExploreraddsVideoToolstothetoolbar.

Whichtoolsaredisplayeddependsonthetypeoffileselected.FileExplorerhasmanyviewsthatyoucanusetooptimizethewayfilesofvarioustypesarelisted.Viewsinclude:

Extralarge,large,mediumandsmalliconsTiles,list,contentordetails

Whenyouaremanagingfiles,themostusefulviewisDetails.TheDetailsviewlistscolumnsofinformationabouteachfileinaselectedfolder,suchasName,Type,SizeandDateCreated.

Ifyouright-clickinthecolumnheadingarea,you’llseeanoptionmenuthatallowsyoutoeasilyaddrelatedcolumnsofinformation.

Ifyouright-clickinthecolumnheadingareaandthenselectMoreasanoption,you’llbeabletochoosefromawidevarietyofdetailstoaddtotheviewoftheselectedfolder.

Thedetailsprovidedinitiallydependontheviewtemplateselected.Ifyoufrequentlyworkwithspecificfolderscontainingmedia,youmaywanttocustomizethetemplateusedsothatadditionaldetailsaredisplayedbasedonthefolderandmediatypeyouareworkingwith.

FileExplorerhasviewtemplatesforeachbasicmediatypeaswellasatemplateforGeneralItems.Thetemplateassignedtoafolderdetermineswhichdetailsareshownwhenyouareworkingwithfiles.

ThedefaultviewformostfoldersisGeneralItems,whichusesatemplateforfolderscontainingmixedmedia.TheDocumentstemplateisabasictemplatethatdoesn’thaveanymediaextensions.Incontrast,theMusic,Pictures,andVideostemplateshavemediaextensionsthatallowyoutodisplaytailoredcolumnsofinformationindetailsview.

WiththePicturestemplate,forexample,youcandisplayinformationaboutthedimensions,bitdepthandmore.Withmusic,youcandisplayinformationaboutthetracknumber,title,contributingartists,albumname,bitrate,lengthandmore.Similarinformationis,ofcourse,availableontheDetailspaneintherelatedPropertiesdialogbox.However,youcan’tseethisinformationformultiplefilesinoneplace.

Ifyouhavewritepermissionsonafolder,youcancustomizethefolder’sdefaultview.Youalsocanapplyafavoriteviewtoallfoldersofthattypeonthesystem.Thefolderviewsettingsthatyouuseareseenbyalluserswhoaccessthesystem,eitherlocallyorremotely.

Youcanconfigurecustomviewsforfoldersbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,right-clickthefolderyouwanttocustomize,andthenselectProperties.2.ClicktheCustomizetab,showninFigure5-11.

Figure5-11Optimizingdefaultviewsforfoldersusingtemplates

3.IntheOptimizeThisFolderForlist,choosethetemplateyouwanttouse,suchasPictures.Toapplytheviewtosubfoldersofthisfolder,chooseAlsoApplyThisTemplateToAllSubfolders.4.Customizethefolderpreview,andthenclickOKtosaveyoursettings.

Insteadofsettingfolderviewsonebyone,youcanapplyaview,suchasDetailsorLargeIcons,toallthefoldersofaparticulartypeorrestorethedefaultviewtothesefolders.Toapplyacustomviewtoallthefoldersofaparticulartype,completethefollowingsteps:

1.InFileExplorer,right-clickthefolderyouwanttoworkwithandthenselectProperties.InthePropertiesdialogbox,ensurethefoldertypeissetappropriatelyontheCustomizetabandthenclickOK.2.InFileExplorer,usetheoptionsintheViewlistoronViewmenutoconfigurethefolderviewthatyouwanttouse,suchasLargeIconsorDetails.3.OntheViewtoolbarinFileExplorer,clickOptions,andthenclickChangeFolderAndSearchOptions.4.IntheFolderOptionsdialogbox,selecttheViewtab.5.Dooneofthefollowing,andthenclickOK:

Toapplythecurrentfolderviewtoallfoldersofthistype,clickApplyToFolders.Torestoreallfoldersofthistypetotheirdefaultview,clickResetFolders.

Youalsomaywantallfoldersregardlessoftypetousethesamedefaultview.Youcandothisbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,right-clickthefolderyouwanttoworkwith,andthenselectProperties.2.SelecttheCustomizetab.UnderOptimizeThisFolderFor,chooseGeneralItems.ClickOK.3.InFileExplorer,selectthefolder.UsetheoptionsintheViewlistorontheViewmenutoconfigurethefolderviewthatyouwanttouse,suchasLargeIcons.4.OntheViewtoolbarinFileExplorer,clickOptions,andthenclickChangeFolderAndSearchOptions.5.OntheViewtab,clickApplyToFolderstoapplythecurrentfolderviewtoallfoldersofthistype.Whenpromptedtoconfirm,clickYes.6.Repeatthisprocedurefourtimes,onceeachfortheDocuments,Pictures,Music,andVideostemplates.Instep2,chooseDocuments,Pictures,Music,orVideosasappropriate.

CustomizingFolderOptionsYoucontrolthewayFileExplorerworksbyusingsettingsintheFolderOptionsdialogbox.AccessthisdialogboxinFileExplorerbyclickingOptionsontheViewtoolbar,andthenclickingChangeFolderAndSearchOptions.GeneraltabandViewtaboptionsareshowninFigure5-12.

Usethelistthatfollowstohelpyouunderstandhoweachoptionworks,andthenchoosetheconfigurationoptionthatisbestforthewayyouwantFileExplorertowork.

OpenEachFolderInTheSameWindow Whenselected,openssubfoldersthatyouaccessinthesamewindow.Otherwise,openssubfoldersthatyouaccessinanewwindow.

Single-ClickToOpenAnItem Whenselected,selectsanitemwhenyoupointtoitandopenstheitemwhenyouclickonce.Otherwise,selectsanitemwhenyouclickit;openstheitemwhenyoudouble-clickit.

Figure5-12OptimizingFileExplorersettingsforthewayyouwork

AlwaysShowIcons,NeverThumbnails Whenselected,doesnotcreatethumbnails.Instead,FileExplorershowsthestandardfileandfoldericons.Otherwise,showslargethumbnailimagesoftheactualcontentforpicturesandothertypesoffiles.Whenfoldershavemanypictures,showingthumbnailscanslowdownthedisplaybecauseFileExplorerhastocreatethethumbnailrepresentationofeachimage.

AlwaysShowMenus Whenselected,alwaysshowsthemenubar,providingquickaccesstothemenus.(YoucanalsotogglethisoptionbyclickingOrganize,pointingtoLayout,andthenselectingMenuBar.)Otherwise,hidesthemenubar;youmustelecttodisplayitbypressingtheAltkey.

DisplayFileIconOnThumbnails Whenselected,addsfileiconstothumbnailsitdisplays.Otherwise,displaysthumbnailswithoutfileicons.

DisplayFileSizeInformationInFolderTips Whenselected,displaysatooltipshowingthecreationdateandtime,thesizeofthefolder,andapartiallistoffileswhenyoumovethemousepointeroverafoldernameorfoldericon.Otherwise,displaysatooltipshowingthecreationdateandtimewhenyoumovethemousepointeroverafoldernameorfoldericon.

DisplayTheFullPathInTheTitleBar WhenselectedandyoupressAlt+Tabtoaccesstheflipview,displaystheactualfilepathinsteadofthefoldernamewhenyoumovethemousepointeroveraFileExplorerwindow.Otherwise,whenyoupressAlt+Tabtoaccesstheflipview,displaysthefoldernamewhenyoumovethemousepointeroveraFileExplorerwindow.

HiddenFilesAndFolders WhenyouselecttherelatedShowoption,displayshiddenfiles,folders,ordrives.Otherwise,doesnotdisplayhiddenfiles,folders,ordrives.

HideEmptyDrives Whenselected,displaysinformationaboutemptydrivesintheThisPCwindow.Otherwise,doesnotdisplayinformationaboutemptydrivesintheComputerwindow.

HideExtensionsForKnownFileTypes Whenselected,doesnotdisplayfileextensionsforknownfiletypes.Otherwise,displaysfileextensionsforknownfiletypes.

HideFolderMergeConflicts Whenselected,mergeconflictsaren’tdisplayedforfolders.Otherwise,displaysmergeconflicts.

HideProtectedOperatingSystemFiles Whenselected,doesnotdisplayoperatingsystemfiles.Otherwise,displaysoperatingsystemfiles.Hiddenoperatingsystemfilesarealsoreferredtoassuperhiddenfiles.

LaunchFolderWindowsInASeparateProcess Whenselected,runsinaseparateprocesseachtimeitisopened.Otherwise,WindowsrunsallinstancesofFileExplorerinthesameprocess.

ProTip Althoughopeningfolderwindowsinaseparateprocessrequiresmorememoryandgenerallyslowsdowntheprocessofopeningnewwindows,italsomeansthateachinstanceisindependentoftheothers.Thus,ifoneinstancecrashesorhangs,itgenerallywillnotaffectotherinstancesofFileExplorer.Also,ifyouoftenperformlargefiletransfersusingFileExplorer,thesetransferswon’teffectotherFileExplorerwindows.Keepinmindthatalthoughusingthesameprocesssavesmemoryandgenerallyspeedsuptheprocessofopeningnewwindows,italsomeansthatallinstancesofFileExploreraredependentoneachother.Asaresult,ifoneinstancecrashes,theyallcrash,andifoneinstanceisinapendingorwaitstate,allinstancescouldbecomelocked.

RestorePreviousFolderWindowsAtLogon Whenselected,reopensfolderwindowsyouwereusinglasttimeyouloggedon.Otherwise,folderwindowsaren’treopened.

ShowDriveLetters Whenselected,displaysdrivelettersaspartoftheinformationontheLocationsbar.Otherwise,doesnotdisplaydrivelettersaspartoftheinformationontheLocationsbar.

ShowEncryptedOrCompressedNTFSFilesInColor Whenselected,listsencryptedfilesandcompressedfilesusingdifferentcolors.Normally,encryptedfilesaredisplayedwithgreentextandcompressedfilesaredisplayedwithbluetext.Otherwise,doesnotdistinguishamongencrypted,compressed,andnormalfiles.

ShowPop-UpDescriptionForFolderAndDesktopItems Whenselected,showstooltipswithadditionalinformationaboutafileorfolderwhenyoumovethemouseoverthefileorfolder.Otherwise,doesnotshowtooltipswithadditionalinformationaboutafileorfolderwhenyoumovethemouseoverthefileorfolder.

ShowPreviewHandlersInPreviewPane WhenselectedandthePreviewpaneisvisible,displayspreviewsofselectedfilesandfolders.Otherwise,whenthePreviewpaneisvisible,previewsofselectedfilesandfoldersaren’tdisplayed.

UseCheckBoxesToSelectItems Whenselected,displayscheckboxesthatyoucanusetoselectfiles.Otherwise,allowsyoutoselectfiles,folders,andotheritemsusingonlythestandardselectiontechniquessuchasclick,Shift+Click,andCtrl+Click.

UseSharingWizard Whenselected,usestheFileSharingwizardforconfiguringfilesharing.Otherwise,usestheadvancedfilesharingoptions.

WhenTypingIntoAListView WhenyouselectAutomaticallyType…andareworkingwiththelistview,textyoutypeisenteredintotheSearchbox.Otherwise,whenyouareworkingwiththelistviewandpressaletterkey,thefirstfileorfolderwiththatletterisselected.

SearchingandIndexingYourComputerYourcomputer’sdrivesprobablyhavehundredsorevenmanythousandsofdocuments,pictures,music,videos,andmore,storeduntilyouonedaywanttoaccessthem.Themoredigitalstuffyouhave,theharderitistofindwhatyou’relookingforrightnow.ThisiswheretheWindows10searchandindexingfeaturescomein.

RealWorld Yourdocs,pics,musicandallyourotherfilesareakeyreasontoownatablet,desktoporlaptopPC.Butjustbecauseyoustoreyourdatadoesn’tmeanthatstoreddatawillstayaroundforever.Everheardofbitrot?Bitrothappensoveraperiodofmonthsandyearswhendataonyourdrivesremainsstagnant.Ifyouwanttoprotectyourdataovertime,youneedtoeithermovethedataaroundormovethedatatonewdrives,withthelatterbeingpreferable.

WindowsSearchEssentialsWhetheryouperformasearchusingtheSearchboxonthetoolbarortheSearchboxinFileExplorer,theWindowsSearchserviceperformsthesearch.ThewayWindowsSearchservicelooksforwhatyouaretryingtofinddependsonwhereyouaresearchingandhowyourdeviceisconfigured.

WhenyousearchusingtheSearchboxonthetaskbar,thesearchserviceworksasdiscussedin“Cortana&Search”inChapter1andcanincludesearchresultsfromSettings,ControlPanel,personalfiles,appsandtheweb.Incontrast,whenyousearchusingtheSearchboxinFileExploreroranyofitsrelatedviews,suchasControlPanelorThisPC,thecurrentlyselectedlocationsetsthebaselocationforthesearch.Forexample,ifthebaselocationisThisPC>Documents,asshowninFigure5-13,yoursearchwouldincluderesultsfromtheDocumentsfolderandtheWork,ReportsandSchoolsubfolders.

Figure5-13WorkingwithFileExplorer

Generally,youmustclickintheSearchboxpriortotypingyoursearchtext.Thismeansabasicsearchrequirestwosteps:

1.InanExplorerwindoworrelatedview,accessthestartlocationforyoursearch.2.ClickintheSearchbox,andthenenterthesearchtext.

Note TheWhenTypingIntoAListViewoptiondetermineswhetheryouhavetoclickintheSearchboxbeforeenteringsearchtext.Bydefault,youmustclickintheSearchbox,butifyouenableAutomaticallyTypeIntoTheSearchBox,anytextyoutypeintoalistviewisenteredautomaticallyintheSearchbox.

AgeneralsearchinvolvesWindowsSearchservicematchingthesearchtexttowordsthatappearinthetitleofanyfileorfilefolder,thepropertiesofanyindexedfileorfolder,andthecontentsofindexeddocumentsinthecurrentlyselectedfolderanditssubfolders.ResultsarereturnedtotheResultsPaneinFileExplorer,andtheAddressbarisupdatedtoreflectthatyouareviewingsearchresults.Althoughthesearchresultsthemselvesaredisplayedinthepreviouslyselectedviewstyle,youmaywanttoclickViewonthetoolbarandthenselectDetails.IntheDetailsview,theresultsarelistedbyname,datemodified,size,tagsandfolderpath.IfyouclickthePreviousLocationsbuttonontherightsideoftheaddresspath,you’llseetheactualsearchtextpassedtotheWindowsSearchservice.

AftertheWindowsSearchservicecompletesasearchintheselectedlocation,itautomaticallybeginsanothersearchifyouenteradditionalsearchtextorifyouchangethesearchtext.YoucanstopasearchinprogressatanytimebyclickingtheClosebutton—theXontherightsideoftheSearchbox.YoucanrepeatasearchbyclickingtheRefreshbutton.

UnderstandingLocalizedSearchesBydefault,onlyafewspecificlocationsonacomputerareindexed,includingpersonalprofilefolders,theWindowsfolderandtheStartmenu.TheautomaticindexingofselectedfilesandfoldersisakeyfeatureofWindows10thatimprovesthesearchresultsandhelpsspeedupthesearchprocess.

AlocalizedsearchinvolvesWindowsSearchservicecheckingaspecificlocation.WhenyouperformasearchinControlPanel,thesearchislocalizedtothenamesofrelatedutilitiesandtasks.WhenyouperformasearchintheNetworkwindow,thesearchislocalizedtothenamesandownershipinformationforcomputersanddeviceslistedtherein.

Similarly,searchesofDesktopandRecycleBinarelocalized.Forthedesktop,WindowsSearchservicematchesagainstfilenames,filetypeinformation,andfolderdetailsrelatedtoitemsstoredtherein.FortheRecycleBin,WindowsSearchservicematchesagainstitemnamesandoriginalfolderlocations.

AStartmenusearchismuchmorebroadthanyoumightthink.WindowsSearchservicelooksatthenamesofprograms,thenamesofutilities,andtasksinControlPanel,andthenlooksatinformationrelatedtoindexedfilesinotherlocations.

WheneveryousearchintheThisPCwindow,adrivefolder,oranysubfolderofadrive,youareperformingalocalizedsearchaswell.Ifthelocationyouaresearchingisindexed,WindowsSearchservicechecksitsindextotrytofindwhatyouarelookingfor,andthesearchprocessisusuallyfairlyquick.Ifthelocationyouaresearchingisn’tindexed,WindowsSearchservicewilltrytofindwhatyouarelookingforwithoutthebenefitofanindex,andthesearchprocesscanbefairlyslow.

Fine-TuningWindowsSearchYoucanimproveyoursearchresultsbyusingtheadvancedsearchoptionsandfeaturesbuiltintoWindows10.Theseadditionaladvancedfeaturesincludesearchoptionsforfine-tuningthesearchresultsandadvancedfiltersthatallowyoutosearchinnewways,aswellasoptionsformanagingwhichfilesandfoldersareindexedandsavedsearchesthatallowyoutoeasilyrepeatcustomsearches.

CustomizingSearchOptionsSearchoptionscontrolthewaytheWindowsSearchservicesearchesyourcomputer.Thesearchservicehasseveraldefaultbehaviors.Inindexedlocations,theWindowsSearchservicesearchesfilenamesandcontents.Thismeansthatitwilllookformatchestoyoursearchtextinfilenamesandfoldernames,filepropertiesandfolderproperties,andthetextualcontentsoffiles.Searchesalsoextendtopropertiesofzippedarchives,whicharecompressedarchivalfiles,suchas.ZIP,.CAB,.GZ,.TARand.TGZfiles.Thecontentsofzippedarchivesaren’tsearched,however.

Innonindexedlocations,theWindowsSearchservicesearchesfileandfoldernamesonly.Thismeansitwilllookformatchestoyoursearchtextonlyinfilenamesandfoldernames.Itwillnotlookformatchestoyoursearchtextinfileandfolderproperties,orinthetextualcontentsoffiles.

WindowsSearchservicedoesn’tusenaturallanguagesearches,butitdoessearchsubfoldersofaselectedlocationandallowspartialmatches.Disallowingnaturallanguagesearchesmeansyoucan’tenternaturallanguagequestionsaspartofyoursearch.Partialmatchingmeansthattheservicematchesyoursearchtexttopartofawordorphraseratherthantowholewordsonly.

Figure5-14Searchingyourdevicesforfilesandfolders

YoucancustomizethesearchoptionsbyusingtheoptionsontheSearchToolspanel,showninFigure5-14.TheSearchToolspanelisdisplayedwheneveryouareperformingasearch,soifyouhaven’tpreviouslyperformedasearch,thepanelishiddenuntilyouentersearchtext.Searchoptionsinclude:

CurrentFolder Limitsthesearchtothecurrentfolder.AllSubfolders Expandsthesearchtosubfoldersofthecurrentfolder(thedefault).DateModified Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtooneofthefollowingpresetdates:Today,Yesterday,ThisWeek,LastWeek,ThisMonth,LastMonth,ThisYearorLastYear.Forexample,ifyouaresearchingforafileyoucreatedthepreviousweek,you’dselectLastWeekasyourDateModifiedfilter.Kind Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtothegeneralkindoffile,suchasallpictureorallvideofiles.Size Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtotheapproximatesizeofafile.Sizefiltershavespecificparameters,includingEmptyforfileshavingzerobytesandMediumfor100KBto1MB.

Asyouselectsearchoptions,therelatedsearchparametersareaddedtothesearchtext.Forexample,ifyouselectthedatemodifiedasYesterdayandthenspecifythekindoffileasPicture,thesearchisupdatedtoincludetheseparametersandthematchingresultsarethendisplayed.

Althoughthedefaultbehaviorsworkwellformostpeople,theyarelimiting,youcanoptimizethewaysearchworksbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.InFileExplorer,clickFileonthemenubar,thenclickOptions.SelecttheSearchtabintheFolderOptionsdialogbox.2.UnderHowToSearch,usethefollowingoptiontoconfigurehowsearcheswork:

Don’tUseTheIndexWhenSearchingInFileFoldersForSystemFiles Whenselected,theWindowsSearchserviceignoresindexeswhensearchinginfilefoldersforsystemfiles.ThisforcestheWindowsSearchservicetoexaminethecurrentstateofsystemfiles,butitcanbeextremelyslow.Whennotselected,theWindowsSearchserviceusesindexestospeedupthesearchprocessifindexesareavailable.

3.UnderWhenSearchingNon-indexedLocations,specifywhethertheWindowsSearchserviceincludessystemlocations,compressedfiles,orbothwhensearchingnonindexedlocations.Ifyouoftenzipfilesandfolders,youarelikelytoimproveyoursearchresultsbyincludingcompressedfilesinsearches.4.UnderWhenSearchingNon-indexedLocations,specifywhethertheWindowsSearchserviceshouldalwayssearchfilenamesandcontents.5.ClickOKtosaveyoursearchoptions.

RealWorld Ifyoualwayswanttheservicetosearchcontents,youforcetheWindowsSearchservicetoignorewhetherafolderisindexedwhensearching.Thisdoesnotmeanthatindexeswon’tbeused,however.Whenindexesareavailable,theWindowsSearchservicewillusethem.Whenindexesaren’tavailable,theWindowsSearchservicewillnotbeabletouseindexestospeedupthesearchprocess,andthiscanresultinslowsearches.

PerformingAdvancedSearcheswithFiltersSometimesyouwon’tbeabletousethestandardsearchoptionstofindwhatyouarelookingfor.Thedatemodifiedwon’talwaysfitneatlyapresentcategory;thefilewon’talwaysbeeasilyidentifiableasaspecifickindorrelativesize.Inthesecases,youcannarrowyourresultsbyenteringthesearchfiltersmanuallyintheSearchbox.

Eachsearchfilterbeginswithaparameternamethatbeginswithakeywordorkeywordphrasefollowedbyacolon.Theparameternameisfollowedbyaparametervalue,suchasaspecificrangeofdates.

Searchparametersyoumaywanttouseinclude:

Datecreated: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtothedateonwhichfilesandfolderswerecreated.Youcanspecifyarangeofdates.Forexample,youcouldenterDatecreated:09/02/2015..12/31/2015tospecifythedateasbeingbetween09/02/2015and12/31/2015.Asetofpredefinedflagsalsocanbeusedtosetageneraltimeperiod,suchasDatecreated:YesterdayorDatecreated:EarlierThisWeek.Datemodified: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtothedateonwhichfilesandfolderswerelastmodified.Youcanspecifyarangeofdates.Forexample,youcouldenterDatemodified:09/02/2015..12/31/2015tospecifythedateasbeingbetween09/02/2015and12/31/2015.Asetofpredefinedflagsalsocanbeusedtosetageneraltimeperiod,suchasDatemodified:YesterdayorDatemodified:EarlierThisWeek.Kind: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtothegeneralkindoffile,suchasallpictureorvideofiles.Asetofpredefinedflagscanbeusedtosetthegeneralkind,butunlikeotherflagsthesemustbeseparatedfromthefilteridentifierwithanequalsign,suchasKind:=CalendarorKind:=Video.Type: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtothefiletypelabelorfileextension.Forexample,youcouldusetype:“MP3FormatSound”ortype:mp3tosearchfor.mp3audiofiles.Owner: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtotheownerofthefile.Forexample,youcoulduseowner:tedgorowner:lisatosearchforfileswiththeseuserssetastheowner.Size: Filtersthesearchresultsaccordingtotheapproximatesizeofafile.Sizeflagshavespecificparameters,includingEmptyforfileshavingzerobytesandMediumfor100KBto1MB.Forexample,youcouldspecifythatyouaresearchingforafilebetween100KBand1MBbyusingthefilterSize:Medium.

Theavailablesearchfiltersarebasedonthenamesofindexablepropertiesassociatedwithfilesandfolders.ThebasicsyntaxforasearchfilterisPropertyName:wherePropertyNameisthepropertynameenteredwithoutspacesfollowedbyacolon.Forexample,withmusic,youcouldsearchforatitleofasongusingTitle:orthetitleofanalbumusingAlbum:.

Becausedocumentfiles,picturefiles,videofiles,musicfiles,andothertypesoffilesallhaveslightlydifferentlistsofindexableproperties,theyalsohaveslightlydifferentlistsofsearchfilters.Aquickwaytodiscovertheseistofollowthesesteps:

1.OpenFileExplorer.IntheNavigationpane,yourusernameandthenclickMusic.2.Inthemainpane,you’llseesongslistedbyname,contributingartists,albums,tracknumber,title,andtypebydefault.Displayalistofrelatedheadingsbyright-clickinganopenareaofthecolumnheadings.3.Anyoftheheadingsshowncanbeusedinyoursearchesformusicfiles.Therelatedsearchfilteristheheadingnamewithoutspacesfollowedbyacolon.YoucanlearnaboutflagsandoptionsavailablewithafilterbysimplyenteringthefilterintheSearchbox.Forexample,tosearchonbitrate,youcouldusetheBitrate:filter.Ifyouenterbitrate:intheSearchbox,you’llseeflagsforvoiceandAMbroadcasts,FMbroadcasts,high-qualityaudio,andnear-CD-qualityaudio.4.Todiscoverpropertiesspecifictodocuments,pictures,andvideos,repeatthisprocess,selectingDocuments,Pictures,andVideosasappropriateinsteadofMusic.

Note Althoughyoucanuseanyfilterinanytypeoffolder,thedefaultfolderviewcontrolsthecolumnheadingsdisplayedbydefaultaswellastheheadingsthatarelistedwhenyouright-clickthecolumnheading.Asdiscussedearlierinthesection“Fine-TuningFolderViews&Details,”FileExploreridentifiesfoldersashavingmostlydocuments,mostlymusic,mostlypictures,ormostlyvideos,andthenusesatemplatetosettheirdefaultview.

Youcanusesearchfilterswithorwithoutkeywords.Ifyouwanttoperformafilteredsearchwithakeyword,clickinthesearchwindow,typethekeywordorphrase,andthenenterthefilter.Ifyouwanttobeginasearchwithoutakeyword,clickinthesearchwindowandthenenterthefilter.Justasyoucanusemultiplekeywords,youcanusemultiplefiltersinasinglesearch.Forexample,youcouldsearchusingthedatemodified,size,andkindfilters.Searchesthatcombinemultiplefiltersandaredifficulttore-createaretheonesyou’lllikelywanttosaveforlaterreuse.

WindowsSearchserviceallowsyoutoperformlogicalANDsearchesaswellaslogicalORandlogicalNOTsearches.AND(enteredinallcaps)actsasanoperatortomatchexactlytwoormorekeywordsseparatedbyANDoperators.OR(enteredinallcaps)actsasanoperatortomatchanyofthekeywordsseparatedbyORoperators.NOT(enteredinallcaps)actsasaselectiveoperatortomatchonekeywordbutnotanother.

YouuseANDtoperformcomplexsearchesthatmatchmultipleparameters.Iffilecontentsearchingisenabled,youcouldsearchforfilescontainingthekeywordChicagoandthekeywordMiamiusing:chicagoANDmiami

Here,onlyfilescontainingbothkeywordsarereturned.BecausethelogicalANDoperationisimpliedwheneveryouentermultiplekeywordsintheSearchbox,youalsocouldhavesimplyentered:chicagomiami

YoucouldlimitthesearchtomatchingfilenamesbyusingtheName:filter,suchas:

name:betterANDname:food

Here,onlyfileswhosenameincludesbothbetterandfoodarereturned.LogicalORoperationscanbehandyaswell.Forexample,youcouldsearchforeitherbetterorfoodorbothbetterandfoodusing:Name:betterORName:food

Here,fileswhosenameincludeseitherbetterorfoodarereturned.Tolookforfileswhonameincludesbetterbutnotfood,youcouldusethesearchparameters:Name:betterNOTName:food

SearchingbyKindorTypeofFileWhenyouareworkingwithlibrariesandcertainotherfolders,theKind:andType:filtersareimpliedwhenyouclickintheSearchbox.Thesefiltersarealsoavailablewhenyouareworkingwithotherfolders,butyoumustenterthefiltertousethem.Ineithercase,anyfilewithakindortypethatmatchesyourparametersisreturnedinthesearchresults.

Thekindsoffilesyoucansearchforinclude:

Calendar Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlycalendaritemsareincluded.Communication Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlycalendar,email,contact,andinstantmessageitemsareincluded.Contact Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlycontactitemsareincluded.Document Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlydocumentfilesareincluded.E-mail Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlyemailmessagesareincluded.Feed FiltersthesearchresultssothatonlymessagesfromRSSfeedsareincluded.Folder Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlyfoldersareincluded.Game Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlygamedataandothergamefilesareincluded.InstantMessage Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlyinstantmessagesareincluded.Journal Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlyjournalentriesareincluded.Link Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlylinksareincluded.Movie Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlymoviefilesareincluded.Music Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlymusicfilesareincluded.Note Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlynotefilesareincluded.Picture Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlypicturesareincluded.Playlist Filtersthesearchresultssothatonlytoplaylistsforyourmusicfiles.Program Filtersthesearchresultssothatprogramfilesareincluded.RecordedTV Filtersthesearchresultssothatrecordedtelevisionprogramsareincluded.SavedSearch Filtersthesearchresultssothatsavedsearchesareincluded.Task Filtersthesearchresultssothattasksareincluded.Video Filtersthesearchresultssothatvideofilesareincluded.WebHistory Filtersthesearchresultssothatitemsfromyourwebhistoryareincluded.Unknown Searchesforanykindoffile.Youdon’tneedtousethisfilterasitisimpliedwhenyoudon’tprovideaspecifickindfilter.

Whenperformingkindortypesearches,remembertoenteryoursearchkeywordorkeywordsfirstandtheneitherselecttherelatedoptionontheSearchpanelandchooseavalue,orenterKind:orType:followedbytheappropriateparametervalue.Forexample,ifyouknowthefileyouarelookingforisavideoandthefilenameincludesthekeyword“vacation,”youcouldsearchforitbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.Typevacationkind:video,andthenpressEnter.

TheType:filterallowsyoutosearchforaspecifictypeoffilebyitsfiletypelabelorfileextension.Forexample,ifyouknowthefileyouarelookingforisa.wmvfileandthefilenameincludesthekeyword“home,”youcouldsearchforitbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.Typehometype:wmv,andthenpressEnter.

SearchingUsingDate-RelatedFiltersWindowsSearchservicetracksavarietyofdate-relatedproperties,including:

DateAccessed Tracksthedateafilewaslastaccessed.DateArchived Tracksthedateafilewaslastarchived.DateLastSaved Tracksthedateafilewaslastsaved.DateCreated Tracksthedateafilewascreated.DateModified Tracksthedateafilewaslastmodified.DateSent Tracksthedateamessagewassent.DateTaken Tracksthedateapicturewastaken.

Generally,theyallworkinthesameway.Whenyouareworkingwithadatefilter,youcanselectaspecificdate,ageneraldate,orarangeofdatestosearch.Anyfilewithadatethatmatchesyourparametersisreturnedinthesearchresults.

Youselectspecificdatesbyusingthecalendarprovided,asshowninFigure5-15.Thecalendardisplaysthecurrentdayanddatebydefault.

Figure5-15Searchingusingdate-relatedfilters

Thecalendarhastheseveralviews:

Month Themonthviewisthedefault.Whileworkingwiththemonthview,youcanviewothermonthsinthecalendarbyusingtherightandleftarrowbuttons.Clickanddraginthecalendartoselectaseriesofdates,suchasthe5ththroughthe25thdaysofthemonth.Year Theyearviewliststhemonthsinayear.Youcanaccesstheyearviewfromthemonthviewbyclickingthemonthandyearentryatthetopofthecalendar.Whileworkingwiththeyearview,youcanviewotheryearsinthecalendarbyusingtherightandleftarrowbuttons.Clickanddraginthecalendartoselectaseriesofmonths,suchasFebruarythroughApril.Decade Thedecadeviewliststheyearsina10-yearperiod.Youcanaccessthedecadeviewfromthemonthviewbyclickingtwiceatthetopofthecalendar.While

workingwiththedecadeview,youcanviewotherdecadesinthecalendarbyusingtherightandleftarrowbuttons.Clickanddraginthecalendartoselectaseriesofyears,suchas2010to2012.Century Thecenturyviewliststhe10-yearperiodsinaparticularcentury.Youcanaccessthecenturyviewfromthemonthviewbyclickingthreetimesatthetopofthecalendar.Whileworkingwiththecenturyview,youcanviewothercenturiesinthecalendarbyusingtherightandleftarrowbuttons.Clickanddraginthecalendartoselectaseriesofdecades,suchas2000–2009or2010–2019.

Thedate-relatedfiltersacceptabbreviatedentriesaswell.Usinganabbreviatedentry,youcandirectlyenterthedatetosearch.Thebasicsyntaxvariesbylocality.ForU.S.English,thesyntaxis:Mm/Dd/Yyyy

or:Mm/Dd/Yyyy..Mm/Dd/Yyyy

whereMmisaone-ortwo-digitvalueforthemonth,Ddisaone-ortwo-digitvalueforthedayofthemonth,andYyyyisafour-digitvaluefortheyear.Knowingthis,youcouldsearchforpicturestakenbetween1/1/2016and12/31/2016byfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.Optionally,typeakeywordorphrasetosearchon.3.TypeDatetaken:1/1/2016..12/31/2016,andthenpressEntertobeginyoursearch.

Withdate-relatedfilters,youalsocanusethefollowingpredefinedflags:

Yesterday Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedyesterday.Earlierthisweek Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedearlierinthecurrentweek.Lastweek Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedinthepreviousweek.Earlierthismonth Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedearlierinthecurrentmonth.Earlierthisyear Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedearlierinthecurrentyear.Alongtimeago Searchesforfilesandfolderscreatedpriortothecurrentyear.

Youcansearchusingthepredefinedflagsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.Optionally,typeakeywordorphrasetosearchon.3.Typethedate-relatedfilteryouwanttouse,suchasDatetaken:.4.TypethepresetlabelorclickthepresetbuttonintheSearchpane,andthenpressEntertobeginyoursearch.

WindowsSearchservicealsoallowsyoutouseoperators.Usetheequal(=)operatortogetanexactdatematch.Forexample,ifyouknowafilewascreatedon12/15/2015,youcanusethefilter:DateCreated:=12/15/2015

Youalsocanusethelessthan,greaterthan,lessthanorequalto,greaterthanorequalto,ornotequaltooperators:<,>,<=,>=,<>.Forexample,youcouldlookforfilesmodifiedafter01/01/2014byentering:DateModified:>01/01/2014

AsanalternativetotheMm/Dd/Yyyy..Mm/Dd/Yyyysyntax,youcouldcombine>and<searchesusingtheANDoperator.Forexample,youcouldlookforfilesmodifiedafter01/01/2014butbefore05/31/2014byentering:DateModified:>01/01/2014ANDDateModified:<05/31/2014

BecausetheANDisalwaysimplied,youalsocouldenter:DateModified:>01/01/2014DateModified:<05/31/2014

Oryoucouldenter:DateModified:(>01/01/2014<05/31/2014)

ThisfinalsyntaxisclosertotheoneWindowsSearchserviceactuallyusesinternally.

SearchingUsingSize-RelatedFiltersWindowsSearchservicetracksavarietyofsize-relatedproperties,including:

Dimensions: Tracksthewidthandheightofpictures.Framewidth: Tracksthewidthofframesinavideo.Frameheight: Trackstheheightofframesinavideo.Length: Trackstherunningtimeofsongsandvideos.Size: Tracksthesizeofthefileasstoredontheharddisk.

WiththeDimensions:filter,youcansearchonthewidthandheightofpictures.Youcansearchusingexactdimensionsbyusinganequalsignandthedimensionsinquotes,suchasDimensions:“1920x1020”orDimensions:“2048x1536”.Thequotesandspacesarerequiredtogetamatch.Impliedintheseexamplesistheequal(=)operator,soyoualsocouldenterDimensions:=“1920x1020”orDimensions:=“2048x1536”.Youalsocanusethelessthan,greaterthan,lessthanorequalto,greaterthanorequalto,ornotequaltooperators:<,>,<=,>=,<>.

TheFramewidth:andFrameheight:filterscanhelpsearchvideos.Forexample,youcouldsearchforvideosthatare320x240byenteringthesearchparameters:framewidth:320frameheight:240

Again,theequal(=)operatorisimplied,soyoualsocouldenterFramewidth:=320Frameheight:=240.Tosearchforvideoswithhigherqualityandlargerframesizes,youcouldusethesearchparameters:framewidth:>320frameheight:>240

Anotherhandysize-relatedfilterisLength:,whichhasthefollowingflags:

VeryShort Forsongsandvideoslessthanaminute.Short Forsongsandvideosfrom1to5minutesinlength.Medium Forsongsandvideosfrom5to30minutesinlength.Long Forsongsandvideosfrom30to60minutesinlength.VeryLong Forsongsandvideoslongerthan60minutes.

Althoughyoucouldenternumericvaluesforlength,thesearchwon’tworkasyouexpect.Thisisbecausethelengthisexpressedinternallyinfractionalseconds;youcanseethisbyclickingtheLocationIndicatoriconintheaddresspath.

WiththeSize:filter,youcanspecifyanapproximatefilesize.Anyfilewithanfilesizeapproximatelymatchingyourparametersisreturnedinthesearchresults.Thesizeoptionsare:

Empty Allowsyoutosearchforemptyfiles.Tiny Allowsyoutosearchforfilesof0to10kilobytes.Small Allowsyoutosearchforfilesof10to100kilobytes.Medium Allowsyoutosearchforfilesof100kilobytesto1megabyte.Large Allowsyoutosearchforfilesof1megabyteto16megabytes.Huge Allowsyoutosearchforfilesof16megabytesto128megabytes.Gigantic Allowsyoutosearchforfilesover128megabytes.

Thesizeflagsallowyoutoquicklyfindfilesthatmeetspecificsizecriteria.Forexample,ifyouknowthefileyouarelookingforismediuminsizeandhasthekeyword“staff”or“monthly,”youcouldsearchforitbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.TypestaffORmonthlysize:medium,andthenpressEnter.

TheSize:filteracceptsabbreviatedentriesaswell.Usinganabbreviatedentry,youcandirectlyenterthesizeparametersforthesearch.Thebasicsyntaxis:size:SmallestSize..LargestSize

whereSmallestSizeisthesmallestfilesizethatmeetsyourparametersandLargestSizeisthelargestfilesizethatmeetsyourparameters.Usekbtospecifyasizeinkilobytes,mbtospecifyasizeinmegabytes,andgbtospecifyasizeingigabytes.Thekb,mb,andgblabelsarerequired.Ifyoudon’tusetheappropriatelabel,WindowsSearchservicewon’treturntheexpectedresults.Here’sanexampleofhowyoucouldsearchforfilesbetween50KBand2MB:

1.InFileExplorer,accessthetop-levelfolderfromwhichyouwanttostartsearching.2.ClickintheSearchbox.Typesize:50kb..2mb,andthenpressEnter.

Youalsocanusetheoperatorsdiscussedpreviously,including<,>,<=,>=,and<>.Forexample,tosearchforfilessmallerthan900KBinsize,youwouldtypeSize:<900kbandpressEntertobeginyoursearch.Tosearchforfilesgreaterthan900KBinsize,youwouldtypeSize:>900kbandpressEntertobeginyoursearch.

SavingYourSearchesYoucansaveanysearchyouperforminFileExplorer.Whenyousaveasearch,yoursearchcriteriaaresavedasasearchfoldersothatyoucanrapidlyperformanidenticalsearchinthefuture.

Youcancreateasearchfolderbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.PerformasearchinFileExplorer,andthenclickSaveSearchontheSearchpanel.2.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,acceptthedefaultnameandlocationforthesearchfolderorspecifyanewsavelocationandname.3.ClickSavetocreatethesearchfolder.Searchesaresavedwiththe.search-msfileextension.

Bydefault,savedsearchesarestoredintheSearchesfolderwithinyourpersonalfolders.Yourunasavedsearchatanytimebydouble-clickingitintheSearchesfolder.RecentsearchesarealsoavailableontheSearchpaneinFileExplorerwhenyouclicktheRecentSearchesoption.

SavedSearchesarerepresentedbyablueiconwithamagnifyingglassandarelistedwithSavedSearchasthetype.Whenyouopenordouble-clickthesavedsearch,theWindowsSearchserviceeitherretrievesthecachedresultsofyourprevioussearchorperformsanewsearchusingthesearchcriteria.Theresultisalistofmatchingfilesandfoldersthatappeartobeintheselectedfolder.Thesavedsearchdoesnotactuallycontainanyfilesorfolders,however.Asavedsearch’sonlycontentistheassociatedsearchstringandresultset.

Youcanworkwithsavedsearchinthesamewayyouworkwithfilesandfolders.Youcan:

UseCtrl+XtocutandCtrl+Vtopasteasavedsearchinanewlocation.UseCtrl+CtocopyandCtrl+Vtopastetocreatecopiesofsavedsearches.PressDeletetoremovesavedsearches.

Althoughyoucannoteditsavedsearchestoupdatethesearchcriteria,youcandeleteasavedsearch,configurethedesiredsearchcriteria,andthensavethenewsearchusingtheoldsavedsearchname.

IndexingYourComputerYoutelltheWindowsSearchserviceaboutlocationsthatshouldbeindexedbydesignatingthemassearchedlocations.Afteryou’vedesignatedafolderasanindexedlocation,theWindowsSearchserviceisnotifiedthatitneedstoupdatetherelatedindexwheneveryoumodifythecontentsofthefolder.Youcanmanagetheindexingofyourcomputer’sfilesandfoldersbyaddingorremovingindexedlocations,specifyingfiletypestoexclude,andrebuildingindexesasnecessary.

ProTip It’simportanttopointoutthatencryptedfilesaren’tindexedbydefault.Thisisdesignedtoensurethatprotectedinformationisn’taccidentallymadeavailableordiscoverable.Althoughapoorsecuritypractice,thereisanadvancedoptionforindexingencryptedfiles.

CustomizingIndexedLocationsTheWindowsSearchserviceindexesonlyafewlocationsbydefault.Theselocationsare:

Offlinefiles Allofflinefilefoldersareindexedforfastsearching.Startmenu Allmenuoptionsareindexedforfastsearching.Users Allpersonalfoldersofallusersofthecomputerareindexedforfastsearching.Windows Allsystemfilesareindexedforfastsearching.

Tip Thequickestwaytoensurethatafolderisindexedistoaddthefoldertooneofthefoldersinyourpersonalprofile,suchasDocumentsorPictures.Althoughapplicationdatafoldersarestoredwithinuserprofiles,thesefoldersareexcludedfromindexingbydefault.Becauseyoudon’twanttoindexfoldersorfilesassociatedwithapplicationdata,thisisthedesiredsettinginmostinstances.

TheIndexingOptionsdialogbox,showninFigure5-16,providesanoverviewofindexingonyourcomputer,whichincludesthetotalnumberofitemsindexedandthecurrentindexingstate.ThecurrentlyindexedlocationsarelistedunderIncludedLocations.

Figure5-16Settingindexingoptions

Youcanaddorremoveindexedlocationsbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchboxonthetaskbar,typeIndexingOptions,andthenpressEnter.OrwhileworkingwiththeSearchToolsinFileExplorer,selectAdvancedOptionsandthenselectChangeIndexedLocations.2.SelectalocationandthenclickModify.IntheIndexedLocationsdialogbox,clickShowAllLocationstodisplayhiddenlocationsaswellasstandard

locations.3.Usetheoptionsprovidedtoselectlocationstoindex,orclearcheckboxesforlocationsyounolongerwanttoindex.ClickOKtosaveyourchanges.

Thelocationsyoucanindexincludeofflinefilefolders,harddiskdrives,anddeviceswithremovablestorage.Ifanodecanbeexpanded,you’llseeanopentriangletotheleftofthelocationname.Clickthistoexpandthelocation.Forexample,youcouldexpandLocalDisk(C:)toselectafolderontheC:drive.

Note Somesystemfoldersareexcludedfromindexingandaredisplayeddimmedtopreventthemfrombeingselected.Ifyouenableindexingoftheentiresystemdrive,thesesystemfoldersareexcludedautomatically.Keepinmind,however,thatyouusuallydon’twanttoindexanentiredrive.Instead,expandthedrivelocationandselectindividualfoldersforindexing.

IncludingorExcludingFilesbyTypeWindowsSearchservicecanbeconfiguredtoindexfileandfoldernames,fileandfolderproperties,andfileandfoldercontents.WindowsSearchservicedetermineswhichtypesoffilesandfolderstoindexaccordingtothefileextension.

TheWindowsSearchserviceusestheinformationthatitknowsaboutfiletypesandfileextensionstohelpitindexfilesmoreefficiently.Eachfileextensionhasafilefilterassociatedwithit,andthisfilterdeterminesexactlywhetherandhowfileswithaparticularextensionareindexed.Forfilesincludedintheindex,therearetwogeneralsettings:

IndexPropertiesOnly Ensuresthatonlythepropertiesofthefileareindexed.IndexPropertiesAndFileContents Ensuresthatthepropertiesofthefileareindexedandthatthecontentsofthefilecanbeindexedaswell,ifcontentindexingisenabled.

YoucanspecifyfiletypesthattheWindowsSearchserviceshouldincludeorexcludewhenindexingfilesbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchboxonthetaskbar,typeIndexingOptions,andthenpressEnter.OrwhileworkingwiththeSearchToolsinFileExplorer,selectAdvancedOptionsandthenselectChangeIndexedLocations.2.ClickAdvanced.OntheIndexSettingstab,selecttheIndexEncryptedFilescheckboxifyouwanttheWindowsSearchservicetoindexfilesthathavebeenencrypted.3.Ifyouwanttoimproveindexingofnon-Englishcharacters,selecttheTreatSimilarWordsWithDiacriticsAsDifferentWordscheckbox.Adiacriticisamarkaboveorbelowaletterthatindicatesachangeinthewayitispronouncedorstressed.

Note SelectingorclearingtheoptionsinStep2or3willcausetheWindowsSearchservicetocompletelyrebuildtheindexesonyourcomputer.

4.OntheFileTypestab,eachfileextensionandfilterassociationislisted.Ifafileextensionisselected,theWindowsSearchserviceincludesfilesofthistypewhenindexing.Ifafileextensionisnotselected,theWindowsSearchserviceexcludesfilesofthistypewhenindexing.Selectorclearfileextensionsasappropriate.

RealWorld Whenyouinstallnewapplications,thoseapplicationsmayregisternewfilterswiththeWindowsSearchserviceandconfigurerelatedfileextensionstousethesefilters.Ifafilterisn’tavailableandyouwanttoaddsupportforaparticularfileextension,typethefileextensioninthetextboxprovidedandthenclickAdd.

5.Tochangethewayfileswithaparticularextensionareindexed,selectthe

fileextensionandthenclickeitherIndexPropertiesOnlyorIndexPropertiesAndFileContents.Onlychangethewayindexingworkswhenyouaresuretheindexingconfigurationyou’vechosenworks.Althoughyoucanalwaysstopindexingthecontentsofaparticularfiletype,you’llrarelywanttoindexthecontentsofafiletypethatisn’talreadybeingindexed.6.ClickOKtosaveyoursettings.

ResolvingIndexingProblemsTheWindowsSearchservicemustberunningforyoutoperformsearches.Theservicemustalsoberunningtoindexfiles.Ifyoususpectthere’saproblemwithsearchingorindexing,youshouldcheckthestatusoftheWindowsSearchservice.Todothis,followthesesteps:

1.IntheSearchboxonthetaskbar,typeViewLocalServices,andthenpressEnter.2.IntheServiceswindow,ensurethestatusoftheWindowsSearchserviceislistedasStarted.Iftheserviceisn’trunning,right-clickWindowsSearchandthenclickStart.Iftheserviceisrunningandyoususpectthere’saproblemwithindexing,right-clickandselectRestart.

Otherproblemsyoumayexperiencewithsearchingandindexinghavetodowithcorruptindexes,improperindexsettings,andtheindexlocationrunningoutofspace.Anindicatorofacorruptindexiswhenyoursearchesdonotreturntheexpectedresultsornewdocumentsarenotbeingindexedproperly.AnindicatorofimproperindexsettingsiswhenyoursearchesfailortheWindowsSearchservicegeneratesbadfileerrorsintheeventlogs.Anindicatoroftheindexlocationrunningoutofspaceiswhenindexingofnewdocumentsfailsandthereareout-of-disk-spacereportsintheeventlogsfortheWindowsSearchservice.

TheWindowsSearchservicedoesagoodjobofautomaticallycorrectingsomeproblemswithindexes.Forothertypesofproblems,you’llfinderrorreportsintheformofWindowseventsinthesystemeventlogs.Youcancorrectmostproblemswithsearchingandindexingbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchboxonthetaskbar,typeIndexingOptions,andthenpressEnter.OrwhileworkingwiththeSearchToolsinFileExplorer,selectAdvancedOptionsandthenselectChangeIndexedLocations.2.ClickAdvanced.Ifyoususpectyourcomputer’sindexesarecorrupt,clickRebuild.Windows10rebuildstheindexesonyourcomputerbystoppingtheWindowsSearchservice,clearingoutindexes,andthenstartingtheWindowsSearchservice.Indexesalsoarerebuiltautomaticallywheneveryourestartyourcomputer.3.Bydefault,theWindowsSearchservicecreatesindexesinthe%ProgramData%\Microsoftfolder.Iftherelateddriveislowonspaceorifyouwanttotrytobalancetheworkloadbyusingotherharddiskdrives,youmaywanttochangetheindexlocation.Todothis,clickSelectNewunderIndexLocation.IntheBrowseForFolderdialogbox,selectthediskdriveandfolderinwhichtheindexshouldbestored,andthenclickOK.ThenexttimeyourestartyourcomputerortheWindowsSearchservice,indexeswillbecreatedinthenewlocation.4.ClickOK.IntheIndexingOptionsdialogbox,youcantrackthestatusofreindexingfilesbywatchingthenumberofindexeditemsincrease.Theindexingstatusindicateswhetherindexingiscompleteorinprogress.


Windows10runstwodifferenttypesofsoftware:desktopprogramsanddesktopapps.Forgeneraldiscussioninthisbook,Irefertoprogramsandappsinterchangeably.However,inthischapter,Imustnowdistinguishbetweenthetwo:

DesktopprogramsaresoftwarethatyouinstallandconfigureusingmediaorWindowsInstaller.DesktopappsaresoftwarethatyoudownloadandinstallfromtheWindowsstore.

Iwilldiscussappsfirsttogiveacontextandthenfocusonprograms.

WorkingwithDesktopAppsGenerally,youpurchaseappsintheWindowsstoreandinstallappsovertheInternet.However,appscanalsobedevelopedin-houseorbythird-partydevelopersanddeployedusingpolicysettings.Youmanageappsusingtechniquessimilartodesktopprograms.However,appshavemanydistinctcharacteristics.

ZeroinginonAppsDesktopappsareautomaticallyaddedtoStartwhenyouinstallthemandwillhaveatile.Atilemakesiteasytoworkwiththeapp.Right-clickthetiletodisplaymanagementoptions.Managementoptionsdependonthetypeoftile.Livetilescanupdatetheircontents,andtheseupdatescanbeturnedonoroffbyright-clickingandselectingTurnLiveTileOnorTurnLiveTileOffasappropriate.AsdiscussedinChapter2under“MakingtheStartMenuWorkforYou,”tilescanbedisplayedinseveralsizes,andyoucanmakeatilesmallerorlargerasneeded.IfyounolongerwantatiletobedisplayedonStart,youcanright-clickthetileandchoosetheUnpinFromStartoption.

Ifyouunpinanapp,it’sstillaccessiblebyclickingtheAllAppsbutton.AllAppsistheWindows10equivalenttotheProgramsmenuinearlyreleaseofWindows.Incontrast,desktopprogramsmaynotbeaddedtoStartorAppsautomatically.Formoreinformation,seethe“MakingProgramsAvailable”sectionlaterinthischapter.

Windows10appswithlivetilesstartupdatingimmediatelyafterinstallation.Unlikeprogramswhereyoutypicallyhaveonlyoneforegroundprogram,multipleappscansharethescreenandremainintheforeground.Appscanopenotherappsandsharethescreenwiththem;oneappalsocanusemultiplemonitors.

Getting,InstallingandRunningAppsOutofthebox,computersrunningWindows10caninstallonlytrustedapppackagesthatcomefromtheWindowsStore.YoucanaccesstheWindowsStore,showninFigure6-1,usingtheStoreoptionsonStartandthetoolbar.Ifyouareloggedontoyourdevicewithaconnectedaccount,you’llbeloggedintothestoreautomaticallyandcanbeginbrowsingforapps.Whileyoucandownloadanyfreeappwithouthavingtoprovidepaymentinformation,thefirsttimeyoupurchaseapaidapp,you’llneedtoprovidecompletedetailsforacredit,debitorothercard.

Figure6-1VisitingtheWindowsStore

ConnectingYourAccounttotheStore

Sometimesyou’llbeworkingwithalocalaccountordomainaccountthatisn’tconnectedtoaMicrosoftaccount.Forexample,youmayprefernothavingMicrosofttrackinformationaboutyoureveryonlineactivityandthereforeoptnottouseaconnectedaccount.Don’tworry,youcanstillgetappsfromtheWindowsStore.

IfyouneedtologinandhaveanOutlook.com,Hotmail,Live.com,MSNorothervalidaccountintheMicrosoftnetwork,followthesestepstogetconnectedtothestore:

1.ClickAccountOptionsonthetoolbarandthenclickSignIn.2.Whenpromptedtochooseanaccount,clickMicrosoftAccount.3.EntertheemailaddressandpasswordforyourMicrosoftaccountandthenclickSignIn.4.WhenpromptedforyourcurrentWindowspassword,asshowninFigure6-2,dooneofthefollowing:

ProvideyourpasswordandclickNexttoconnectyourcurrentaccounttotheMicrosoftaccountandthereafter,you’llneedtologintoyourWindowsdeviceusingtheMicrosoftaccountandpassword.Specifythatyoudon’twantswitchtoaMicrosoftaccountforloginbyclickingtheSignInToJustThisAppInsteadlink.ThisoptionensuresyourMicrosoftaccountis

usedonlyforsigningintotheStore.

Figure6-2Connectingyouraccount

Ifyouneedtologinanddon’thaveanOutlook.com,Hotmail,Live.com,MSNorothervalidaccountintheMicrosoftnetwork,followthesestepstogetconnectedtothestore:

1.ClickAccountOptionsonthetoolbarandthenclickSignIn.2.Whenpromptedtochooseanaccount,clicktheCreateOnelink.3.Enteryourfirstandlastnameinthetextboxesprovided.4.Next,youarepromptedforanemailaddresstouseforaccessingMicrosoftnetworks.Thisemailaddresscanbeyourworkorhomeemailaddress,butshouldbeonethatonlyyouhaveaccesstoasitwillbetheaddressusedforrecoveringyouraccountandverifyingyouridentityifneeded.

Tip Ifyoudon’twanttoconnectanexistingemailaddressintotheMicrosoftnetwork,youcanclicktheGetANewEmailAddresslinkandthenenterauniqueidentifierforanewoutlook.comemailaddress.

5.Whetheryouenteredyouremailaddressorcreatedanewone,youmustnextenterapassword.ThispasswordisforaccessingtheMicrosoftnetworkandshouldnotbethesameoneyouuseforloginoremailaccess.6.UsetheselectionlistsprovidedtospecifyyourcountryoforiginandbirthdateandthenclickNext.7.Protectyouraccountbyenteringaphonenumberthatcanbeusedtovalidateyouraccount.OrclicktheAddAnAlternateEmailInsteadlinkandthenenteranalternateemailaddress.Whenyouarereadytocontinue,clickNexttwice.8.WhenpromptedforyourcurrentWindowspassword,asshown

previouslyinFigure6-2,dooneofthefollowing:

ProvideyourpasswordandclickNexttoconnectyourcurrentaccounttotheMicrosoftaccountandthereafter,you’llneedtologintoyourWindowsdeviceusingtheMicrosoftaccountandpassword.Specifythatyoudon’twantswitchtoaMicrosoftaccountforloginbyclickingtheSignInToJustThisAppInsteadlink.ThisoptionensuresyourMicrosoftaccountisusedonlyforsigningintotheStore.

FindingandInstallingYourApps

OnceyouaresignedintotheStore,youcangetandinstallapps.Browsethestoretofindapps.Getandinstallanapp,simplybyclickingit’spurchasebutton.Withfreeapps,yousimplyclicktheFreebutton.Thefirsttimeyoupurchaseapaidapp,however,you’llneedtoenterpaymentinformation.

AppsthatareintheprocessofbeingdownloadedandinstalledareshownontheDownloadsAndInstallspage,whichisaccessedbyclickingtheDownloadsoptiononthetoolbar.Ifthere’saproblemdownloadingandinstallinganapp,you’llseeanerror,asshowninFigure6-3.GetmoreinformationabouttheerrorbyclickingtheSeeDetailslink.TrytodownloadandinstalltheappagainbyclickingtheRetryoption.

Figure6-3Checkingthedownloadsandinstallsqueue.

Ifyou’vemadepreviouspurchasesonotherdevices,you’llfindthosepurchasesinyourmedialibrary.ClickAccountOptionsonthetoolbarandthenclickMyLibrary.Appsthatyou’vepurchasedbutaren’tyetinstalledhaveadownloadicon,asshowninFigure6-4.

Figure6-4Gettingdownloadsfromyourlibrary.

Bydefault,appsareupdatedautomaticallysoyoudon’thavetoworryaboutcheckingfor

updatesandinstallingthem.Whilethisisusuallyagoodthing,youmaynotwantappstobeupdatedautomaticallyifyoufrequentlyusemorecostlymobiledatainsteadofwi-fi.Ifso,youcanspecifythatyoudon’twantappstobeupdatedautomaticallybyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickAccountOptionsandthenselectSettings.2.OntheSettingspage,setUpdateAppsAutomaticallytoOffbyclickingit.3.Ifyouturnoffautomaticupdates,you’llthenneedtomanuallycheckforupdatesperiodically,byclickingtheDownloadsoptionandthenclickingtheCheckForUpdatesbutton.

WhileyouareworkingwithSettings,youmayalsowanttospecifythattheWindowsStoreapponlyupdatesitslivetilewhenyouareconnectedtowi-fi.Todothis,settheOnlyUpdateTheTile…optiontoOff.

RealWorld WhenUpdateAppsAutomaticallyissettoOn,Windows10checksforupdatestoallinstalledappsdaily.Thedailycheckoccursevery20hours.Thus,iftheupdatecheckstartsat4:00PMtoday,it’llstartat12:00PMtomorrowand8:00AMthedayafter.Ifthistimeismissed,Windows10performsthecheckandanysubsequentupdatesassoonaspossibleafterthescheduledstartismissed.AlthoughthecheckandupdatesoccurregardlessofwhetherthecomputerisrunningonACpowerorbattery,Windows10won’tcheckforupdateswhenyouareusingmobiledataandwillinsteadwaituntilyouhaveawi-ficonnection.

InstallingDesktopProgramsYouinstalldesktopappsviatheWindowsStore,asdiscussedintheprevioussection.Youinstallprogramsusingadownloadedinstallerorinstallationmedia.Partoftheinstallationprocessinvolvescheckingthecredentialsandpromptingforconsentiftheuserdoesn’thaveappropriateprivileges.Aspartofinstallingaprogram,youmightalsoneedtospecifywhetheryouwanttomaketheprogramonlyavailabletoyouortoallusersofthecomputer.

Witholderprograms,Windowsmightnotbeabletoproperlydeterminethepermissionsrequiredforinstallation.Solvethisproblembycancelingtheinstallationandthenre-runningthesetupprogramwithelevatedprivileges.Todothis,locatetheexecutablefilefortheinstaller.Right-clickthisfile,andthenclickRunAsAdministrator.

Withadownloadedinstaller,youtypicallyneedtodouble-clickthefileyoudownloadedtobeginthesetupprocess.Next,youmaybepromptedtoconfirmthatyouwanttomakechangestoyourcomputer,asshowninFigure6-5.Ifso,clickYesandbeginthesetupprocess.Followthepromptstocompletetheinstallation.

Figure6-5Confirmthechangestoyourcomputer.

Notalldownloadedprogramsusedirectinstallation.Withsomedownloadedprograms,you’llbepromptedforafolderlocationwherethesetupfilescanbeextractedandstored.Afterward,you’llthenneedtoinitiatesetupbyrunningthesetupprogramfortheapplication.Typically,thisprogramisnamedSetup.exe.

Toinstallanapplicationusinginstallationmedia,youinsertthediscintheDVDdrive.Windowsshouldthencheckforanautorunfile,suchasAutorun.inf.Ifpresent,theautorunfilespecifiestheactionthattheoperatingsystemshouldtakeandmightalsodefineotherinstallationparameters.Autoruninturninvokesasetupprogram,suchasSetup.exe.

Iftheautorunprocessdoesn’tstartforsomereason,accesstheinstallationmediainFileExplorer,asshowninFigure6-6andthendouble-clickthesetupprogram.Next,youmaybepromptedtoconfirmthatyouwanttomakechangestoyourcomputer.Ifso,clickYestocontinueandbeginthesetupprocess.Followthepromptstocompletetheinstallation.

Figure6-6Startsetupmanuallyifneeded.

CompliantversusLegacyApplicationsThewaythatapplicationsareinstalledandrun,whereapplicationswritedata,andwhatpermissionsapplicationshaveiscontrolledbyUserAccountControl(UAC).ApplicationsusedwithWindows10aredividedintotwogeneralcategories.EithertheyareUAC-complaintorconsideredtobelegacyapplications.

CompliantapplicationsuseUACtoreducetheattacksurfaceoftheoperatingsystem.Thispreventsunauthorizedapplicationsfrominstallingorrunningwithouttheuser’sconsentandrestrictsthedefaultprivilegesgrantedtoapplications.Bothofwhichmakeitharderformalicioussoftwaretotakeoveracomputer.

ApplicationsthatrunonWindows10derivetheirsecuritycontextfromthecurrentuser’saccesstoken.Bydefault,UACturnsallusersintostandarduserseveniftheyareadministrators.Beforeanadministratorusercanuseadministratorprivileges,shemustconsenttotheelevation.Duringtheelevationprocess,anewaccesstokeniscreatedcontainingtheuser’sprivileges,andthisnewaccesstokenisusedtostarttheelevatedapplication.

Whetherapplicationsneedtorunwithstandardoradministratorprivilegesdependsontheactionstheapplicationperforms.Administratoruserapplicationsdifferfromstandarduserapplicationsbecausetheyrequireelevatedprivilegestorunandperformcoretasks.Oncestartedinelevatedmode,anapplicationwithauser’sadministratoraccesstokencanperformtasksthatrequireelevatedprivilegesandcanalsowritetosystemlocationsoftheregistryandthefilesystem.

Incontrast,standarduserapplicationsdon’trequireelevatedprivilegestorunortoperformcoretasks.Oncestartedinstandardusermode,anapplicationwithauser’sstandardaccesstokenmustrequestelevatedprivilegestoperformadministrationtasks.Forallothertasks,theapplicationrunsusingstandarduserprivilegesandcanonlywritedatatononsystemlocationsoftheregistryandthefilesystem.

ApplicationsnotwrittenforUACcompliancerunwithauser’sstandardaccesstokenbydefaultandmustuseaspecialcompatibilitymode.Thiscompatibilitymodeallowthenon-compliantapplicationtousevirtualizedviewsoffileandregistrylocations.Whenthenon-compliantapplicationattemptstowritetoasystemlocation,Windows10givestheapplicationaprivatecopyofthefileorregistryvalue.Anychangesarethenwrittentothisprivatecopy,andthisprivatecopyisthenstoredinyourprofiledata.Iftheapplicationattemptstoreadorwritetothissystemlocationagain,Windows10givestheapplicationtheprivatecopyfromyourprofiletoworkwith.FormoreinformationaboutUACandrelatedprompts,see“Fine-TuningControlPrompts”inChapter3.

SettingRunLevelsforApplicationsGenerally,onlyapplicationsrunningwithanadministratoruseraccesstokenruninelevatedmode.Sometimes,however,you’llwantanapplicationrunningwithastandarduseraccesstokentobeinelevatedmode.Forexample,youmightwanttoopentheCommandPromptwindowinelevatedmodesothatyoucanperformadministrationtasks.

Therearetwobasicwaystosettherunlevelforapplications.Youcanrunanapplicationonceasanadministratororyoucanalwaysrunanapplicationasanadministrator.Torunanapplicationonceasanadministrator,right-clicktheapplication’smenuitemonStart,andthenclickRunAsAdministrator.Orifanapplicationshortcutispinnedtothetaskbar,youmustright-clickthepinneditem,right-clicktheitemagaininthejumplist,andthenclickRunAsAdministrator.

UACcontrolswhetheryoucanelevateapplicationsinthisway:

Ifyouareusinganadministratoruseraccountandpromptingforconsentisenabled,youarepromptedforconsentbeforetheapplicationiselevatedandruninadministratormode.Ifyouareusingastandarduseraccountandpromptingisenabled,youarepromptedforconsentbeforetheapplicationiselevatedandruninadministratormode.Ifyouareusingastandarduseraccountandpromptingisdisabled,theapplicationwillfailtorun.

Youalsocanmarkanapplicationsothatitalwaysrunswithadministratorprivileges,whichisusefulforresolvingcompatibilityissueswithlegacyapplicationsthatrequireadministratorprivileges.ThisapproachalsoisusefulforUAC-compliantapplicationsthatnormallyruninstandardmodebutthatyouusetoperformadministrationtasks.

Tomarkaprogramtoalwaysrunasanadministrator,followthesesteps:

1.Locatetheprogramshortcutbyright-clickingtheprogramonStartandselectingOpenFileLocation.ThisopensFileExplorerwiththe.exefilefortheprogramselected.2.Right-clicktheprogram’s.exefile,selectSendToandthenselectDesktop(CreateShortcut).3.Onthedesktop,right-clicktheshortcutandthenselectProperties.4.InthePropertiesdialogbox,ontheCompatibilitytab,selectRunThisProgramAsAnAdministratorandthenclickApply.

Theprogramwillnowalwaysrunwiththeaccesstokenforanadministratoruser.Keepinmindthatifyouareusingastandardaccountandpromptingisdisabled,theprogramwillfailtorun.Ifnotethatiftheoptionisdimmed(unavailable),theapplicationisblockedfromalwaysrunningatanelevatedlevel,theapplicationdoesnotrequireadministratorcredentialstorun,oryouarenotloggedonasanadministrator.

ApplicationSetupandCompatibilityMostapplicationshaveasetupprogramthatusesInstallShield,orWindowsInstaller.Whenyoustartthesetupprogram,theinstallerhelpsyouthroughtheinstallationprocessandshouldalsomakeiteasiertouninstalltheprogramifnecessary.Witholderapplications,thesetupprogrammightuseanoutdatedversionofoneoftheseinstallers,whichmightmeantheuninstallprocesswon’tcompletelyuninstalltheprogram.

Regardlessofwhetheraprogramhasacurrentinstaller,youshouldconsiderthepossibilitythatyouwillneedtorecoveryourcomputerifsomethinggoeswrongwiththeinstallation.Tohelpensurethatyoucanrecoveryourcomputer,makesureSystemRestoreisenabledforthedriveonwhichyouareinstallingtheprogrambytypingSystemRestoreintheSearchboxandpressingEntertoopentheSystemPropertiesdialogboxtotheSystemProtectiontab,asshowninFigure6-7.

Figure6-7ConfirmthatSystemRestoreisenabled.

WithSystemRestoreenabled,Windowsautomaticallycreatescheckpointbeforeinstallingtheprogram.Thenifaproblemoccurs,youcanusethischeckpointtorecoveryourcomputer.

Althoughtheinstallersformostcurrentprogramsautomaticallytriggerthecreationofarestorepointbeforemakinganychangestoacomputer,theinstallersforolderprogramsmightnot.Youcanmanuallycreatearestorepoint,byselectingthesystemdriveontheProtectionSettingspanelandthenclickingCreate.Then,ifyourunintoproblems,youcantrytouninstalltheprogramoruseSystemRestoretorecoverthecomputertothestateitwasinpriortoinstallingtheprogram.

Generally,Windows10checksforpotentialcompatibilityproblemsbeforeyouinstallapplications.Ifitdetectsaproblem,youmightseeaProgramCompatibilityAssistantdialogboxafteryoustartaprogram’sinstaller.Often,thisdialogboxcontainsinformation

abouttheknowncompatibilityissueswiththeprogramandapossiblesolution.Withsomelegacyapplications,theProgramCompatibilityAssistantmightdisplayamessagethattheprogramisblockedduetocompatibilityissues.ProgramsgetblockedbecausetheycauseaknownstabilityissuewithWindows,andyoucan’tcreateanimmediateworkaroundtotheproblem.Youroptionswillbelimited.Generally,you’lleitherbeabletocheckforsolutionsonlineorcanceltheinstallation.Ifyoucheckforsolutionsonline,thetypicalsolutionrequiresyoutopurchaseacurrentversionoftheprogram.

Iftheinstallationcontinuesbutfailsforanyreasonbeforeitisfullycomplete(orfailstoproperlynotifytheoperatingsystemregardingcompletion),youwillalsoseetheProgramCompatibilityAssistantdialogbox.Inthiscase,iftheprograminstalledcorrectly,clickThisProgramInstalledCorrectly.Iftheprogramdidn’tinstallcorrectly,clickReinstallUsingRecommendedSettingstoallowtheProgramCompatibilityAssistanttoapplycompatibilityfixes,andthentryagaintoruntheinstaller.

Whenyoustartprograms,Windows10usestheProgramCompatibilityAssistanttoautomaticallymakechangesforknowncompatibilityissuesaswell.IftheProgramCompatibilityAssistantdetectsaknowncompatibilityissuewhenyourunanapplication,itnotifiesyouabouttheproblemandprovidespossiblesolutions.Youcantheneitheracceptthesolutionsoryoucanmanuallyconfigurecompatibilityasdiscussedin“ResolvingCompatibilityIssues”laterinthischapter.

MakingProgramsAvailableAfterinstallation,mostdesktopprogramsshouldhaverelatedtilesontheStartmenuandrelatedoptionsontheAppslist.Thisoccursbecauseaprogram’sshortcutsareplacedintheappropriatesubfolderoftheStartMenu\Programsfolderforalluserssothatanyuserwhologsonhasaccesstothatprogram.Someprogramspromptyouduringinstallationtochoosewhetheryouwanttoinstalltheprogramforallusersoronlyforthecurrentlylogged-onuser.Otherprogramssimplyinstallthemselvesonlyforthecurrentuser.

Ifsetupinstallsaprogramsothatitisavailableonlytothecurrentlylogged-onuserandyouwantotheruserstohaveaccesstotheprogram,youneedtodooneofthefollowing:

Logontothecomputerwitheachuseraccountthatshouldhaveaccesstotheprogram,andthenrerunSetuptomaketheprogramavailabletotheseusers.ThenyoualsoneedtorunSetupagainwhenanewuseraccountisaddedtothecomputerandthatuserneedsaccesstotheprogram.Forprogramsthatdon’trequireper-usersettingstobeaddedtotheregistrybeforerunning,youcaninsomecasesmaketheprogramavailabletoallusersonacomputerbyaddingtheappropriateshortcutstotheStartMenu\Programsfolderforallusers.Simplycopyormovetheprogramshortcutsfromthecurrentlylogged-onuser’sprofiletotheStartMenu\Programsfolderforallusers.

Tomakeaprogramavailabletoallusersonacomputer,youcancopyormoveaprogram’sshortcutsbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.InFileExplorer,makesureyoucanviewhiddenfilesandprotectedsystemfiles.ClickFileandthenclickChangeFolderAndSearchOptions.OntheViewtab,selectShowHiddenFiles,Folders,AndDrivesandcleartheHideProtectedOperatingSystemFilescheckbox.2.Accessthecurrentlylogged-onuser’sProgramsfolder.Thisisahiddenfolderunder%UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\StartMenu.3.IntheProgramsfolder,right-clickthefolderfortheprogramgrouportheshortcutyouwanttoworkwith,andthenclickCopyorCutontheshortcutmenu.4.Next,navigatetotheStartMenu\Programsfolderforallusers.Thishiddenfolderisunder%SystemDrive%\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows.5.IntheProgramsfolder,right-clickanopenspace,andthenclickPaste.Theprogramgrouporshortcutshouldnowbeavailabletoallusersofthecomputer.

ResolvingCompatibilityIssuesTogetolderprogramstorun,youmightsometimesneedtoadjustcompatibilityoptions.Someprogramswon’tinstallorrunonWindows10eveniftheyworkonearlierreleasesofWindows.Asdiscussedpreviously,ifyoutrytoinstallaprogramthathasknowncompatibilityproblems,Windows10displaysawarningprompttellingyouaboutthecompatibilityissue.Generally,youshouldn’tcontinueinstallingorrunningaprogramwithknowncompatibilityproblems,unlessthereareknownfixesthatcanbeapplied.Thatsaid,ifaprogramwillnotinstallorrunproperly,youmaybeabletogettheprogramtorunbyadjustingitscompatibilitysettings.

YoucanmanagecompatibilitysettingsusingtheProgramCompatibilityWizard,oryoucanedittheprogram’scompatibilitysettingsdirectlybyusingtheprogram’sPropertiesdialogbox.Bothtechniquesworkthesameway.KeepinmindprogramsthatarepartofWindows10cannotberuninCompatibilitymode—theydon’tneedtobeandfortheseprogramstheCompatibilityoptionsarenotavailable.

TohaveWindows10trytoautomaticallydetectcompatibilityissuesusingtheProgramCompatibilityTroubleshooterWizardlocatetheprogramshortcutbyright-clickingtheprogramonStartandselectingOpenFileLocation.ThisopensFileExplorerwiththe.exefilefortheprogramselected.Next,right-clicktheprogramshortcut,andthenclickTroubleshootCompatibilitytostarttheProgramCompatibilityTroubleshooterWizard.

Thewizardtriestoautomaticallydetectcompatibilityissues.Ifissuesaredetected,thewizardappliesfixesandallowsyoutoruntheprogramwiththerecommendedfixes.Todothis,clickTryRecommendedSettingsandthenclickTestTheProgram.Afterrunningtheprogram,clickNext,andthendooneofthefollowing:

ClickYes,SaveTheseSettingsForThisProgramifthecompatibilitysettingsresolvedtheproblemandyouwanttokeepthesettings.ClickNo,TryAgainUsingDifferentSettingsifthecompatibilitysettingsdidn’tresolvetheproblemandyouwanttorepeatthisprocessfromthebeginning.ClickNo,ReportTheProblemToMicrosoftAndCheckOnlineForASolutionifthecompatibilitysettingsdidn’tresolvetheproblemandyou’dliketocheckforanonlinesolution.ClickCancelifyouwanttodiscardthecompatibilitysettingsandexitthewizard.

Ifaprogramyouhavealreadyinstalledwon’truncorrectly,youmightwanttoeditthecompatibilitysettingsdirectlyratherthanbyusingthewizard.Youcandothisbyfollowingthesesteps.

1.Locatetheprogramshortcutbyright-clickingtheprogramonStartandselectingOpenFileLocation.ThisopensFileExplorerwiththe.exefilefortheprogramselected.Next,right-clicktheprogramshortcut,andthenclickProperties.2.InthePropertiesdialogbox,clicktheCompatibilitytab.Anyoptionyouselectisappliedtothecurrentlylogged-onuserfortheprogramshortcut.Toapplythesettingtoallusersonthecomputerandregardlessofwhichshortcutisusedtostarttheprogram,clickChangeSettingForAllUserstoopentheCompatibility

ForAllUserstab,andthenselectthecompatibilitysettingsthatyouwanttouseforalluserswhologontothecomputer.3.SelecttheRunThisProgramInCompatibilityModeForcheckbox,andthenusetheselectionmenutochoosetheoperatingsystemforwhichtheprogramwasdesigned,suchasWindows7.4.Forveryoldlegacyprograms,usethedisplayoptionsintheSettingspaneltorestrictthevideodisplaysettingsfortheprogram.OptionsincludeReducedColorModewitheither8-bit(256)coloror16-bit(65536)color,RunIn640×480ScreenResolution,andDisableDisplayScalingOfHighDPISettings.5.ClickOK.Double-clicktheshortcuttoruntheprogramandtestthecompatibilitysettings.Ifyoustillhaveproblemsrunningtheprogram,modifythecompatibilitysettingsandusedifferentoptions.Forexample,ifyouthoughttheprogramwascreatedforWindows7butitwasreallycreatedforWindowsVista,changethecompatibilitymode.

ManagingDesktopProgramsandFeaturesWindows10providesmanywaystoworkwithdesktopprogramsandwindowscomponents.Youcan:

AddorremoveWindowsFeaturesDesignatedefaultprogramsConfigureAutoPlayoptionsManagefileextensionsandassociationsModify,repairandremoveprogramsTroubleshootingrunningprograms

Theseoptionsarediscussedinthesectionsthatfollow.

AddingandRemovingWindowsFeaturesOperatingsystemcomponentsareconsideredWindowsfeaturesthatcanbeturnedonoroffbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeWindowsFeaturesintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.ThisopenstheWindowsFeaturesdialogbox.(Alternatively,inControlPanelclickPrograms.ThenunderProgramsAndFeatures,clickTurnWindowsFeaturesOnOrOff.)2.AsshowninFigure6-8,selectthecheckboxesforfeaturestoturnthemon,orclearthecheckboxesforfeaturestoturnthemoff.3.WhenyouclickOK,Windows10reconfigurescomponentstoreflectanychangesyoumade.

Figure6-8ManagingWindowsFeatures.

DesignatingDefaultProgramsDefaultprogramsdeterminewhichprogramsareusedwithwhichtypesoffilesandhowWindowshandlesfilesonmediaordevices.Youconfiguredefaultprogramsbasedonthetypesoffilesthoseprogramssupport,eithergloballyforallusersofacomputeroronlyforthecurrentuser.Asindividualuserdefaultsoverrideglobaldefaults,youcouldselectGrooveMusicastheglobaldefaultforalltypesoffilesitsupports,andthenallusersofthecomputerwoulduseGrooveMusictoplaythesound,audio,andvideofilesitsupports.ButifJohnwhoalsousesyourcomputerwantedtouseAppleiTunesinsteadasthedefaultplayerforsoundandaudiofiles,youcouldconfigureiTunestobehisdefaultplayerforthetypesofmediafilesiTunessupports.

Youcanconfigureglobaldefaultprogramsforyouandeveryoneelsewhousesyourcomputerbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeDefaultProgramsintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.ThisopenstheDefaultProgramspageinControlPanel,whichcanalsobeopenedbyclickingProgramsandthenclickingDefaultProgramswhenworkingwithControlPanel.2.SelectSetProgramAccessAndComputerDefaults.You’llseethedialogboxshowninFigure6-9.

Figure6-9Choosingdefaultprogramsforallusers

3.Chooseaconfigurationfromoneofthefollowingoptions:

MicrosoftWindows ChoosethisoptiontosetthecurrentlyinstalledWindowsprogramsasthedefaultprogramsforbrowsingtheweb,sendingemail,playingmediafiles,etceteraNon-Microsoft Choosethisoptiontosetnon-Microsoftprograms(whenavailable)asthedefaultprogramsforbrowsingtheweb,sendingemail,playingmediafiles,etceteraCustom Choosethisoptionifyouwanttospecifythedefaultprogramsforbrowsingtheweb,sendingemail,playingmediafiles,etcetera

4.SelectOKtosavethesettings.

Tooverrideglobaldefaults,youcansetdefaultprogramsforyourselforotherusersof

yourcomputer.Youcanconfiguredefaultprogramsforyouoranyoneelsebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.Logonastheuseryouwanttoconfigure.TypeDefaultProgramsintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.OrclickProgramsandthenclickDefaultProgramswhenworkingwithControlPanel.2.Next,selectSetYourDefaultPrograms.3.SelectaprogramyouwanttoworkwithintheProgramslist.4.Ifyouwanttheprogramtobethedefaultforallthefiletypesandprotocolsitsupports,selectSetThisProgramAsDefault.5.Ifyouwanttheprogramtobethedefaultforspecificfiletypesandprotocols,selectChooseDefaultsForThisProgram.Selectthefileextensionsforwhichtheprogramshouldbethedefault,andthenselectSave.6.RepeatSteps3-5asappropriate.SelectOKtosavethesettings.

ConfiguringAutoPlayOptionsInWindows10,AutoPlayoptionsdeterminehowWindowshandlesfilesonmediaanddevices.YoucanconfigureseparateAutoPlayoptionsforeachtypeofmediaanddeviceyourcomputercanhandlebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeDefaultProgramsintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.OrclickProgramsandthenclickDefaultProgramswhenworkingwithControlPanel.2.ClickChangeAutoPlaySettings.ThisdisplaystheAutoPlaypageinControlPanel.3.AsshowninFigure6-10,usethemediaselectionlisttosetthedefaultAutoPlayoptionforeachmediatype.Althoughtheactionsavailabledependonthetypeofmediaandwhetheryourcomputerhasaprogramforplayingthemediatype,thegeneralactionsyoucanchooseinclude:

ImportPlayInstallOrRunTakeNoActionOpenFolderToViewFilesAskMeEveryTime

4.ClickSavetosaveyoursettings.

Note Forremovabledrives(USBmemorysticks,etc.),youcanspecifyanoveralldefaultoradefaultforeachmediatype.Tospecifyanoveralldefault,cleartheChooseWhatToDocheckboxandthenselectapreferreddefault.Tospecifyindividualdefaults,selecttheChooseWhatToDocheckboxandthenselectadefaultactionforeachmediatype.

Figure6-10SettingAutoPlayoptionsformediaanddevices.

WorkingwiththeCommandPathWindowsusesthecommandpathtolocateexecutables.UsingthePATHcommand,youcanviewthecurrentcommandpathforexecutablessimplybyenteringpathonalinebyitselfwhenworkingwiththeCommandPrompt.InWindowsPowerShell,youenter$env:pathonalinebyitselftogetthesameinformation.Intheoutputfromeithertechnique,observethatWindowsusesasemicolon(;)toseparateindividualpaths,markingwhereonefilepathendsandanotherbegins,suchas:PATH=C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\

Pathsaresearchedinorder,withthelastpathinthePATHuservariableisthelastonesearched.BecausethesepathsdeterminewhereWindowslooksforexecutablesandscripts,it’simportanttoensurethepathsarecorrectforthewayyouuseWindows.

Duringlogon,systemanduserenvironmentvariablesareusedtosetthecommandpath.ThepathdefinedinthePATHsystemvariablesetsthebasepath.ThepathdefinedinthePATHuservariableaddstothebasepath.Knowingthis,youcanaddtothecommandpathbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheSearchbox,andthenpressEntertoopentheSystemPropertiesdialogboxwiththeAdvancedtabselected.2.ClickEnvironmentVariables.UnderUserVariables,clickNew(orEditifyoupreviouslycreatedauserpath).ThisopenstheUserVariabledialogbox.3.EnterPathasthevariablenameandthentypethepathstoincludeinthePATHvariable.Besuretouseasemicolon(;)toseparateindividualpaths,asshowninFigure6-11.4.ClickOKthreetimestocloseallopendialogboxes.

Figure6-11Addingtothecommandpath.

Note Althoughtheuserpathisaddedtothecommandpathimmediately,thepathisnotupdatedinanyopencommandpromptorPowerShellwindows.Closeandre-openthosewindowstoupdatetheirworkingenvironment.

Ifyoumakeamistakeornolongerwanttoaddauserpathtothecommandpath,deletetheadditionalpathsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeSystemPropertiesAdvancedintheSearchbox,andthenpressEntertoopentheSystemPropertiesdialogboxwiththeAdvancedtabselected.2.ClickEnvironmentVariables.UnderUserVariables,clickPathandthenclickDelete.3.ClickOKtwicetocloseallopendialogboxes.

WorkingwithFileExtensionsandAssociationsWindowsusesfileextensionsandfileassociationstodeterminewhichapplicationstoopenforwhichtypesoffiles.Fileextensionsallowyoutoexecuteacommandbyusingjustthecommandname.Fileassociationsallowyoutodouble-clickafileandopenthefileautomaticallyinarelatedapplication.

Twotypesoffileextensionsareused:

FileextensionsforexecutablesFileextensionsforapplications

Executablefilesaredefinedwiththe%PATHEXT%environmentvariableandcanbesetusingtheEnvironmentVariablesdialogbox.Toviewthecurrentsettingsforthisvariable,entersetpathextatthecommandlineorenter$env:pathextataPowerShellprompt.Thedefaultsettingis:PATHEXT=.COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC.

Withthissetting,thecommandlineknowsanyfilesendingwiththisextensionareexecutable.Theorderoffileextensionsinthe%PATHEXT%variablesetsthesearchorderusedbyWindowsonaper-directorybasis.Thus,ifaparticulardirectoryinthecommandpathhasmultipleexecutablesthatmatchthecommandnameprovided,a.comfilewouldbeexecutedbeforean.exefile,andsoon.

Fileextensionsforapplicationsarereferredtoasfileassociations.Fileassociationsarewhatenableyoutopassargumentstoexecutablesandtoopendocuments,worksheets,orotherapplicationfilesbydouble-clickingtheirfileicons.

Eachknownextensiononyourcomputerhasafileassociationthatyoucanviewatacommandpromptbyenteringassocfollowedbytheextension,suchasassoc.docorassoc.docx.Forexample,ifyouenterassoc.docxatthecommandpromptandyou’veinstalledWord,theoutputissimilartothefollowing:.docx=Word.Document.15

Eachfileassociationinturnspecifiesthefiletypeforthefileextension.Thiscanbeviewedatacommandpromptbyenteringftypefollowedbythefileassociation,suchasftypeWord.Document.12.Theoutputtellsyouwhatprogramisrunforthistypeoffile:Word.Document.15=“C:\ProgramFiles\MicrosoftOffice\Office15\WINWORD.EXE”/n/dde

Here,theoutputshowsWinword.exeisusedtoopen.docxfiles.

Extensionsforexecutablesalsohaveacorrespondingfileassociationandfiletype.Forsomeexecutables,thefiletypeistheextensiontextwithouttheperiodfollowedbythekeywordfile,suchascmdfile,exefile,orbatfile,andthefileassociationspecifiesthatthefirstparameterpassedisthecommandnameandthatotherparametersshouldbepassedontotheapplication.Forexample,ifyouenterassoc.exetoseethefileassociationsfor.exeexecutables,you’llseethefiletypeisexefile.Ifyouthenenterftypeexefile,you’llseethefileassociationissettothefollowing:exefile=”%1”%*

Thismeansthatwhenyourunan.exefileWindowsusesfirstvalueasthecommandtorunandanythingelseasaparametertopasstotheexecutable.

Youcanassociateafiletype(orprotocol)withaspecificapplicationbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeDefaultProgramsintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.OrclickProgramsandthenclickDefaultProgramswhenworkingwithControlPanel.2.ClickAssociateAFileTypeOrProtocolWithAProgram.3.OntheSetAssociationspage,currentfileassociationsarelistedbyfileextensionandthecurrentdefaultforthatextension.Tochangethefileassociationforanextension,clickthefileextension,andthenclickChangeProgram.4.UsetheHowDoYouWantToOpendialogbox,showninFigure6-12,tospecifythedefaultprogramtouse.Programsregisteredintheoperatingsystemassupportingfileswiththeselectedextensionarelistedautomatically.Simplyclickarecommendedprogramtosetitasthedefaultfortheselectedextension.OrclickMoreAppstoviewotherprogramsthatmightalsosupporttheselectedextension.

Figure6-12Associatingfileextensionswithotherprograms.

Managing,Repairing,andUninstallingDesktopProgramsWindows10considersanyprogramyou’veinstalledonacomputerormadeavailableforanetworkinstallationtobeaninstalledprogram.Youusethesetupprogramthatcomeswiththeprogramtoinstallprograms,andtheProgramsAndFeaturespageinControlPaneltomanageprograms.

Thebasicstepsforworkingwithprogramsfollow:

1.TypeProgramsAndFeaturesintheSearchboxandthenpressEnter.OrclickProgramsandthenclickProgramsAndFeatureswhenworkingwithControlPanel.2.AsshowninFigure6-13,youshouldseealistofinstalledprograms.IntheNamelist,right-clicktheprogramyouwanttoworkwith.Theoptionsavailabledependontheprogramyouareworkingwithandinclude:

Uninstall ChoosethisoptiontouninstalltheprogramUninstall/Change ChoosethisoptiontouninstallormodifyaprogramChange Choosethisoptiontomodifytheprogram’sconfigurationRepair Choosethisoptiontorepairtheprogram’sinstallation

Figure6-13ManaginginstalledprogramsinControlPanel.

Themanagementoptionsavailabledependontheinstallerprogramusedduringsetupoftheapplicationandtheversionoftheinstaller.MostsoftwareapplicationsuseInstallShieldorWindowsInstaller,butnotnecessarilythemostrecentversion.Iftheuninstallprocessfails,youoftencanresolveanyproblemsimplybyrerunningtheuninstallerfortheprogram.

Whenyouareuninstallingprograms,keepthefollowinginmind:

Windowswarnsyouifyoutrytouninstallaprogramwhileotherusersareloggedon.UsingtheSwitchAccountsoption,otheruserscanbeloggedinbutnotactive.Beforeuninstallingprogramsthatothersmightbeusingyoushouldhavethoseuserslogoff.Ifyoudon’tdothis,youmightcauseotheruserstolosedataorexperienceotherproblems.WindowsonlyallowsyoutoremoveprogramsthatwereinstalledwithaWindows-compatiblesetupprogram.Legacyprogramsmighthaveaseparateuninstallutilitythatdoesn’tuseInstallShieldorWindowsInstaller.Somelegacyprogramsworkbycopyingtheirdatafilestoaprogramfolderandtheseyouuninstallsimplyby

deletingtherelatedfolder.Manyuninstallprogramsleavebehinddataeitherinadvertentlyorbydesign.Becauseofthis,you’lloftenfindfoldersfortheseapplicationswithintheProgramFilesfolder.Althoughyoucoulddeletethesefolders,theymightcontainimportantdatafilesorcustomusersettingsthatcouldbeusedagainifyoureinstalltheprogram.

ManagingCurrentlyRunningApps,ProgramsandProcessesInWindows10,youcanviewandworkwithyourcomputer’scurrentlyrunningapps,programsandprocessesbyusingTaskManager.OpenTaskManagerbypressingCtrl+Shift+Escorbyright-clickingthelower-leftcornerofthescreenandthenclickingTaskManagerontheshortcutmenu.

Bydefault,TaskManagerdisplaysasummarylistofallrunningappsandprograms,asshowninFigure6-14.Whenyouclickanappsorprograminthelist,youcanmanageit.Toexitanapporprogram(whichmightbenecessarywhenitisnotresponding),clickitintheTasklist,andthenclickEndTask.Todisplayothermanagementoptions,right-clicktheapporprogramintheTasklist.

Figure6-14Usingthesummaryviewintaskmanagertoviewrunningappsandprograms.

Whenworkingwiththesummaryview,youcanclickMoreDetailstoopenthefullTaskManager.You’llthenseedetailedinformationaboutrunningprograms,appsandprocesses,asshowninFigure6-15.TheProcessestablistseachitemrunningonthecomputerunderthreegeneralheadings:

Apps Showsdesktopappsandprogramsthatyou’vestarted.BackgroundProcesses ShowsprocessesbeingruninthebackgroundbyWindows.WindowsProcesses Showsallotherprocessesrunningonthecomputer.

Figure6-15Gettinganexpandedviewofrunningapps,programsandprocesses.

Apps,programsandprocessesarelistedbyname,status,CPUusage,memoryusage,diskusage,andnetworkusage.Ablankstatusindicatesanormalstate.Aswiththesummaryview,youcanexitanapplicationorstoparunningprocessbyclickingtheitemintheTasklist,andthenclickingEndTask.

Someitemswithrelatedwindowsorprocessescanbeexpanded.Double-clickanitemtoseedetailsfortherelatedwindowsorprocesses.Displaymoremanagementoptionsbyright-clickinganitemintheTasklist.Theoptionsinclude:

OpenFileLocation OpensthefoldercontainingtheexecutablefilefortheapplicationorprocessinFileExplorerCreateDumpFile CreatesamemorydumpfilefortheselectedprocessGoToDetails OpenstheDetailstabwiththeprocessselectedProperties OpensthePropertiesdialogboxfortheexecutablefile.

AlthoughprogramsyouarerunningarelistedundertheAppsheading,programsbeingrunbyanyotherusers(suchaswhenyouswitchcontext)arelistedasBackgroundProcesses.SelecttheUserstabtoviewinformationaboutresourcesbeingusedbyotherusers.


Yourcomputer’sperformancelevelsaredirectlyrelatedtoitshealth.Whetheryouhaveadesktop,laptop,ortabletPC,yourcomputerwasdesignedtobepaused(byputtingitinsleepmode)andresumed.Allthatpausingandresumingcanhaveunintendedconsequencesontheoverallperformanceofyourcomputer,especiallyafterdaysorweeksofpauseandresume.SothefirstthingIaskanyoneexperiencingaproblemwithaWindowsdeviceisthis:Whenwasthelasttimeyoushutdownandthenrestarteddevice?

Beyondasimplerestart,thereareseveralthingsyouneedtoknowtounderstandissuesthatcanaffectyourcomputer’sperformance.YouneedtounderstandwhatCPU,memoryanddiskresourcesthecomputerhas—whicharethebestindicatorsofpotentialperformance.Youneedtodeterminewhatiscurrentlyhappeningonyourcomputerintermsofrunningapplications,processes,andservices—TaskManagermakesthiseasy.Andyouneedtoknowwhatproblems(ifany)yourcomputerisexperiencing—thebestwaytotrackproblemsistoexaminetheeventlogs.

GettingtoKnowYourComputer’sHardwareYourcomputer’sperformancecapabilitiesarerelativetoitshardwareconfiguration.It’srelativebecauseyourcomputer’sactualperformancedependsonmanyfactors,includingwhetheryou’vefollowedthetipsandtechniquesdiscussedinthisbooktosqueezeeverylastbitofpoweroutofyourcomputerwhilemakingthemostoftheincludedfeaturesandoptions.

Tounderstandyourcomputer’sperformancecapabilities,youneedinformationaboutyourcomputer’sprocessor,physicalmemory(RAM),graphicscard,andprimaryharddisk.GetthisinformationusingtheSystemInformationutilityshowninFigure7-1.

Figure7-1Checkingyourcomputer’shardware,architectureandresources.

AfteryoustartSystemInformationbytypingmsinfo32intheSearchboxandpressingEnter,youcanusetheSystemSummarytoanswermostofyourquestionsaboutyourcomputer’shardware,architectureandmemory,including:

Operatingsystemedition,suchasEnterpriseeditionSystemtype,suchasx64-basedPCProcessor,suchasIntelCoreI5BIOSversionPhysicalmemoryandvirtualmemoryHyper-Vcapabilities

Note Theprocessordetailsalsoprovideaneasywaytoverifytheprocessorspeedandthenumberofprocessorcores.

Todeterminewhatgraphicscardyourcomputerhasanditscapabilities,expandComponentsbydouble-clickingitsentryandthenselectDisplay.You’llthenseethenameofthegraphicscardandthesizeoftheRAMonthegraphicscard.Graphicsmemoryisdifferentfromstandardmemory.Thecurrentscreenresolutionandcolorbitdeptharealsolisted.

YoucanlearnmoreaboutthestoragecapabilitiesofyourcomputerbyexpandingStorageunderComponentsandthenselectingDrives.You’llthenseeinformationaboutallfixedandremovabledrivesavailable,includingwhethertheyarecompressed,thefilesystemtype,thetotalsizeandtheamountofavailablefreespace.

Ifyouwanttolearnmoreaboutthenetworkingcapabilitiesofyourcomputer,expand

NetworkunderComponentsandthenselectAdapter.You’llthenseeinformationaboutallnetworkadaptersavailable,includingtheadaptertypeandthecurrentTCP/IPsettings.

Note Whileyouareviewingthedetailedinformation,clickFileandthenselectPrinttoprintanyofthisinformationforfuturereference.

Clearly,yourcomputer’ssystemtype,processor,andRAMhaveabigimpactonoverallperformance.Ifyourcomputerhasanolderorsingle-coreprocessor,youmaybeabletoboostperformancedramaticallybyupgradingtheprocessor.However,performingaprocessorupgradeisn’ttheeasiestthingtodo.Manythingscangowrong,andyouroldercomputerprobablywon’tbeabletousethelatestprocessorsanyway.Atbest,youmightbeabletoupgradetoasimilarclassCPUthatisonlymarginallyfaster;soinsteadoftryingtoupgradetheprocessor,IrecommenddeterminingwhetheryoucanaddmoreRAMtoyourcomputer.Ifyourcomputerhaslessthan8GBofRAM,youmaybeabletoimproveperformancebyinstallingmorememory.Remember,thememorymustoperateataspeedcompatiblewithyourcomputer’smotherboardandsystembus,andyoucan’tmixandmatchdifferenttypesofmemory.Often,you’llhavethebestchancesforsuccessifyouremoveyourexistingmemoryandreplaceitwiththenewmemory.

Yourcomputer’sprimaryharddiskalsohasabigimpactonoverallperformance.Theprimaryharddiskistheonemostusedbytheoperatingsystemandprograms.Ifyouhaveanoldercomputeranditsprimarydriveisslow,youmayseeasignificantreductioninbootandwakefromsleeptimesbyupgradingtheprimaryharddisktoanewermodelthatisfasterandsupportscaching.However,movingyourprimarydiskisn’tveryeasy;thesetwotrickswillsaveyoualotoftimeandheartache:

Trymovingyourcomputer’spagingfiletoafaster,newerdisk,asdiscussedin“Fine-TuningVirtualMemory”inChapter9.TryusingWindowsReadyBoosttoshiftsomeofyourcomputer’ssystemcachereadsandwritestofasterflashmemory.See“EnhancingPerformancewithReadyBoost”inChapter9.

Ifyourcomputer’sprimarydrivehasrelativelygoodperformance,youcanmaintainrelativelygooddiskperformanceby:

Runningafullcheckdiskonyourprimaryharddriveperiodically.Besuretoperformerrorrepairandbadsectorrecoveryaswell.Defragmentingyourprimaryharddriveperiodically.Whileyoucandefragmentotherdrives,fragmentationoftheprimaryharddriveiswhatmostaffectsperformance.Cleaningupyourprimaryharddriveatleastonceeveryothermonthandalwaysensuringthatyourprimarydrivehasatleast15percentofitsdiskspacefree.

Note DiskCleanupandotherdiskutilitiesarediscussedinChapter9.

Graphicsmemorycanalsoaffectrelativeperformancelevels.Lookat:

Sharedsystemmemory Areflectionofphysicalmemory(RAM)thatisshared

betweenthegraphicscardandtheCPU.Sharedmemoryusedbythegraphicscardleaveslessphysicalmemoryavailableforapplicationsandtheoperatingsystem.Dedicatedgraphicsmemory Areflectionoftheactualmemoryonitsgraphicscardorcards.Ifyourcomputerhaslittlededicatedgraphicsmemory,installinganewgraphicscardwith2GBormoreofdedicatedRAMwouldsubstantiallyincreaserelativeperformancelevels.Totalavailablegraphicsmemory Acombinationofsharedmemoryanddedicatedmemory.Ifyourcomputerhas2GBofdedicatedgraphicsmemoryand4GBofsharedgraphicsmemory,ithas6GBoftotalavailablememoryforgraphics.

Followingthis,ifyourcomputerhas12GBofRAM,and4GBofthatcurrentlyisbeingusedbythegraphicscardtoperformgraphicsrenderingforagraphic-intensiveapplicationorprogram,only8GBisavailableforotheruses.Inthiscase,you’dhaveabetterexperienceifyouaddedRAM,upgradedtoagraphicscardwithahigheramountofdedicatedmemory.

YoucansqueezeextraperformanceoutofyourcomputerbyusingthetechniquesI’vediscussedhere,aswellasothertechniquesI’vediscussedpreviously.Forexample,ifyourcomputerdoesn’thaveahigh-endgraphicscard,youmaybeabletoimproveoverallperformancebyturningoffgraphics-intensivefeaturesoftheoperatingsystem,asdiscussedin“OptimizingInterfacePerformance”inChapter2.

CheckingCurrentPerformanceLevels“ManagingCurrentlyRunningApps,ProgramsandProcesses”inChapter6discussedbasictechniquesforworkingwithTaskManager.Nowlet’stakeacloserlook.YoucanstartTaskManagerbypressingCtrl+Shift+Escorbyright-clickingthelower-leftcornerofthescreenandthenclickingTaskManagerontheshortcutmenu.TheProcessestabshowsthestatusofcurrentlyrunningprograms.YoucanswitchtoaprogramandmakeitactivebyselectingtheapplicationandthenclickingSwitchTo,andyoucanstartanewprogrambyfollowingthesesteps:

1. ClickRunNewTaskontheFilemenu.ThisopenstheCreateNewTaskdialogbox,showninFigure7-2.

2. EnteracommandtoruntheapplicationandthenclickOK.Forexample,youcanruntheSystemInformationutilitybyenteringmsinfo32.

Note RuntheapplicationwithelevatedprivilegesbyselectingtheCreateThisTaskWithAdministrativePrivileges.

Figure7-2UsingTaskManagertorunaprogram.

Whenyoustartanapplicationorrunacommand,Windows10startsoneormoreprocessestohandletherelatedprogram.Processesthatyoustartarecalledinteractiveprocesses.Ifanapplicationisactiveandselected,theinteractiveprocesshascontroloverthekeyboardandmouseuntilyouswitchcontrolbyterminatingtheprogramorselectingadifferentapplication.Whenanapplication’sprocesshascontrol,it’ssaidtoberunningintheforeground.

TrackingApplicationsandProcessesProcessescanalsoruninthebackground.Forprocessesyoustarted,thismeansthatprogramsthataren’tcurrentlyactivecancontinuetooperate;however,theygenerallyaren’tgiventhesamepriorityasactiveprocesses.Windowsalsohasbackgroundprocessesthatrunindependentlyofyourusersession.Theseprocessesarerelatedtostartupapplications,scheduledtasks,housekeepingactivities,andsoon.

TheDetailstabinTaskManager,showninFigure7-3,providesdetailedinformationaboutrunningprocesses,includingthosefromtheoperatingsystem,localservices,theinteractiveuserloggedontothelocalconsole(you),andallotherusers.Ifyourcomputerisn’trespondingwell,youcanusethisinformationtodeterminewhichprocessesareover-consumingsystemresources.Thedefaultcolumnsare:

Name ShowsthenameoftheprocessorrelatedexecutablePID ShowstheIDnumberoftheprocessStatus Showsthestatusoftheprocess,suchasRunningUserName ShowsthenameoftheuserorsystemservicerunningtheprocessCPU ShowsthepercentageofCPUutilizationfortheprocessMemory(PrivateWorkingSet) ShowstheamountofmemorytheprocessiscurrentlyusingDescription Providesdetailsorpropernameoftheprocess

Figure7-3Trackingresourceusagebyprocesses

Togetevenmoreinformation,youcanaddcolumnstotheProcessestab.RightclickoneofthedefaultcolumnsandchooseSelectColumns.Usethedialogboxprovidedtoselectthecolumnstoadd.Fortroubleshootingperformanceandrelatedissues,youmightwanttoaddthesecolumns:

BasePriority Indicatesthepriorityoftheprocess,relativetootherrunningprocesses.Whenthereisresourcecontentionbetweenahigher-priorityprocessandalower-priorityprocess,thehigher-priorityprocesswillbegivenmoreresourcesrelativetothelower-priorityprocess.Theprioritiesfromlowesttohighestare:Low,BelowNormal,Normal,AboveNormal,High,andRealTime.MostprocesseshaveaNormalprioritybydefault.CPUTime ShowsthetotalCPUcycletimeusedbyaprocesssinceitwasstarted.

IfyouwanttoseetheprocessesthatareusingthemostCPUtime,displaythiscolumnandthenclickthecolumnheadertosortprocessentriesbyCPUtime.Handles Showsthecurrentnumberoffilehandlesmaintainedbytheprocess.Usethehandlecounttogaugehowdependenttheprocessisonthefilesystem.Eachfilehandlerequiressystemmemorytobemaintained.I/OReads,I/OWrites Showsthetotalnumberofdiskinput/output(I/O)readsorwritessincetheprocesswasstarted.Together,thenumberofI/OreadsandwritestellsyouhowmuchdiskI/Oactivityisrelatedtotheprocess.PageFaults Showsthenumberofpagefaultsactivelyoccurringbecauseoftheprocess.ApagefaultoccurswhenaprocessrequestsapageinmemoryandWindowscan’tfindthepageattherequestedlocation.Iftherequestedpageiselsewhereinmemory,thefaultiscalledasoftpagefault.Iftherequestedpagemustberetrievedfromdisk,thefaultiscalledahardpagefault.Whilehardfaultscancausesignificantdelays,mostprocessorscanhandlealargenumberofsoftfaults.PagedPool,NPPool Showspagedpoolmemoryusage.Pagedpoolisanareaofsystemmemoryforobjectsthatcanbewrittentodiskwhentheyaren’tused.NPPool Showsnonpagedpoolmemoryusage.PagedpoolisNonpagedpoolisanareaofsystemmemoryforobjectsthatcan’tbewrittentodisk.Processesthatrequirealargeamountofnonpagedpoolmemorycanaffectperformance,especiallywhentheyarevyingforresourceswithotherprocesses.PeakWorkingSet Showsthehighestamountofmemoryusedbytheprocess.Thedifferencebetweencurrentmemoryusageandpeakmemoryusageisimportanttonote;someapplicationsusealotofmemorywhenperformingcertaintasks,whichcandegradeperformancewhentheyarevyingforresourceswithotherprocesses.Threads Showsthecurrentnumberofthreadsthattheprocessisusing.Mostmodernapplicationsaremultithreaded.Multithreadingallowsconcurrentexecutionofprocessrequests.Someapplicationscandynamicallycontrolthenumberofconcurrentlyexecutingthreadstoimproveapplicationperformance,buttoomanythreadscanactuallyreduceperformancebecausetheoperatingsystemhastoswitchthreadcontextstoofrequently.

PayparticularattentiontotheSystemIdleProcess.Thisprocesstrackstheamountofsystemresourcesthataren’tbeingused.Thus,a99intheCPUcolumnoftheSystemIdleProcessmeansthat99percentofsystemresourcescurrentlyaren’tbeingused.Alsorememberthatasingleapplicationcanstartmultipleprocesses.Tobesureyouaretrackingormanagingtherightprocessforanapplication,right-clicktheapplicationontheProcessestabandselectGoToDetails.

Tostopanapplication,you’llusuallywanttotargetthemainapplicationprocessaswellasdependentprocesses,eitherbyright-clickingtheapplicationontheDetailstabandthenclickingEndTaskorbyright-clickingthemainapplicationprocessontheProcessestabandthenclickingEndTask.Youcanalsoright-clickthemainprocessoradependentprocessontheDetailstab,andthenselectEndProcessTree.

TrackingPerformanceandResourceUsageAllrunningprocesses,whetheroperatingactivelyorinthebackground,affecttheperformanceofyourcomputer.Attimes,yourcomputermayseemlessresponsivethanusualandyoumaywanttotrytodeterminewhy.ThePerformancetabinTaskManagerprovidesaquickwaytochecksystemresourceusageandrelativeperformancelevels.

UsagegraphsareprovidedtohelpyouunderstandhowCPU,memory,diskandEthernetresourcesarebeingused.Summarygraphsforeachresourceareprovidedintheleftpane.TheUpdateSpeedsetting,ontheViewmenu,determineshowoftengraphsareupdated.

Whenyouselectaresourceintheleftpane,moredetailedinformationisprovidedinthemainpane.ThedetailedusagegraphforCPUshowseithertheoverallutilizationortheutilizationofindividualprocessorcores.Switchbetweentheviewsbyright-clickingtheCPUgraphinthemainpane,pointingtoChangeGraphToandthenselectingeitherOverallUtilizationorLogicalProcessorsasappropriate.

Figure7-4showstheresourceusageforacomputerwithfourCPUcoresundernormalusageconditions.Thiscomputer’sCPUcoresareoperatingnormallyandarenotheavilytaxed.Thefewpeaksshownarenotremarkable;theyprobablyoccurredwhenapplicationswereopenedornewtaskswerestarted.Thememoryusagelevelsarealsonormalandnotremarkable,asarediskusagelevels.Ofinterest,however,istherelativelyhighEthernetusage,whichisindicativeoflargetransfersinprogressorpossiblyvideostreaming.

Figure7-4Trackingresourceusageunderaverageusageconditions

ContrastthistotheresourceusageforthesamecomputershowninFigure7-5.Inthiscase,thecomputerisexperiencinghigherresourceusagewithdiskutilizationat100%andEthernetusagepeakingfrequentlyto100%.ThecontinuingpeaksandhighusagelevelsofdiskandEthernetusageinthisinstanceareremarkable,especiallyiftheyrepresentnormalusageconditions.However,thiscomputerdoesn’thaveaperformanceproblemrelatedtoitsmemoryorCPUs.Rather,itissimplyperformingdisk-andEthernet-intensiveoperations,andthoseoperationsareongoing.

Figure7-5Trackingresourceusageunderhighusageconditions

Note Youcanviewaclose-upoftheCPUgraphsbydouble-clickinginthePerformancetab.Double-clickingagainreturnsyoutonormalviewingmode.

However,ifCPUusagewereconsistentlyandcontinuallyhighonallCPUs,youwouldwanttoexaminerunningapplicationsandtheirprocessestogetabetterunderstandingofwhatishappeningonthecomputer.Youmight,forexample,berunningprocessor-intensiveapplications,oryousimplymightneedtoconsiderupgradingyourcomputer’sCPUstoperformthekindsoftasksyouwanttoperform.

Memoryisoftenasourceofperformanceproblems.ThePerformancetab’sMemorygraphshowstheamountofphysicalmemorycurrentlybeingusedbythecomputer,graphedtoreflectthepercentageoftotalmemory.TheMemoryUsageHistorygraphshowsphysicalmemoryusageplottedovertime.Ifyourcomputerisconsistentlylowonavailablememory,youmightwanttoconsidertuningoraddingmemory.

Thecomputershownintheexamplesdoesn’thaveamemoryissue.Inthesecondexample,thecomputerisusing3.7GBofmemoryandstillhas4.2GBofavailablememory.Butifmemoryusagewereconsiderablyandconsistentlyhigher,youwouldwanttoexaminerunningprocessesandtakeacloserlookatwhatwashappeningonthecomputer.Forexample,applicationsrunninginthebackground,suchasaviruschecker,softwareupdatersorbackupsoftware,mightbeusingmemoryresources,oryousimplymightneedtoconsiderupgradingyourcomputer’smemorytoperformthekindsoftasksyouwanttoperform.

UndertheCPUUtilizationgrapharestatisticsrelatedtothetotalnumberofhandles,threads,andprocesses,aswellastotaluptimeofthecomputersinceitwaslaststarted.Intheexample,thecomputerisquiteactive,with74,408openhandles,2133activethreads,and138runningprocesses.OfparticularnotearethedetailsregardingtheCPU.IfyoueverhaveaquestionabouttheCPUconfigured,thisiswhereyoulook.Thedetailstellyou:

Themaximumprocessorspeed,whichis3.20GHzinthisinstance.TheSocketsvaluetellsyouthenumberofphysicalprocessors.Thiscomputerhas1.TheCoresvaluetellsyouhowmanyprocessorcoresthecomputerhas.Thiscomputerhas4.TheLogicalProcessorsvaluetellsyouhowmanylogicalprocessorsthecomputer

has(whichisn’tnecessarilythesameasthenumberofcores).Thiscomputerhas4.TheVirtualizationvaluespecifieswhethervirtualizationisenabled,whichitisonthiscomputer.TheL1,L2,andL3valuesspecifythesizeofeachmemorycache,whichareintegratedintotheprocessor.

ProTip YoucanshowkernelusagebyclickingShowKernelTimesontheViewmenu.TrackingkernelCPUusagecanhelpyoubetterunderstandhowtheoperatingsystemisusingtheCPU.Usagebythekernelisplottedinadifferentcolorandreflectstotalusage.

SelectMemoryintheleftpanetoviewstatisticsrelatedtomemoryusage.AsshowninFigure7-6,usagestatisticsinclude:

InUse Displaystheamountofmemorycurrentlybeingused.Committed Displaysphysicalmemoryinuseforwhichspacehasbeenreservedinthepagingfile,followedbythecommitlimit,whichisdeterminedbythesizeofthepagingfile.Cached Displaystheamountofmemorymarkedas“inuse”forsystemcaching.Thisessentiallyistheamountofmemorycurrentlyreservedforwhenaprocessneedsit.Available DisplaystheamountofRAMavailableforusebyprocesses.PagedPool Showstheamountofnon-criticalkernelmemorythatispagedtovirtualmemory.Non-pagedPool Showstheamountofcriticalkernelmemorythatisresidentinphysicalmemory.

Note CriticalportionsofkernelmemoryusedbytheoperatingsystemmustoperateinphysicalRAMandcan’tbepagedtovirtualmemory.Therestofkernelmemorycanbepagedtovirtualmemory.

Figure7-6Trackingprocessorandmemoryusageunderhighusageconditions

OfparticularnoteistheCommittedvalue.Herethecommittedvalueisshowningigabytes(GB),butitcouldalsobeshowninMB.

TheCommitvalueshowsthevirtualmemorycurrentlyinusefollowedbythetotalamountofvirtualmemoryavailable.Thisisimportantbecausevirtualmemoryismemorystoredondiskinoneormorepagingfiles.Ifthecurrentpagefileusage,reflectedbycurrentvirtualmemoryusage,isconsistentlyclosetothemaximumvalue,youmightwanttoaddphysicalmemory,increasetheamountofvirtualmemory,orboth.

TheMemorypanelcanalsoansweryourquestionsabouttheexacttypeofmemoryyourcomputerhasandwhetheryoucanaddmorememory.Intheexample,thecomputerhas8.0GBofDDR3memoryconfigured.Thatmemoryoperatesataspeedof1600MHz.Asonly2of4availablememoryslotsareused,youcouldaddmemoryusingthe2remainingslots.Youwouldaddmemoryusingtwo1600MHzDDR3DIMMs.

EventLoggingandViewingWindows10storeswarnings,errors,andotherinformationgeneratedfortrackingpurposesintheeventlogs.Therearetwogeneraltypesofeventlogs.Windowslogsareatypeoflogfilethattheoperatingsystemusestorecordgeneralsystemeventsrelatedtoapplications,security,setup,andsystemcomponents.Applicationsandserviceslogsareatypeoflogfilethatspecificapplicationsandservicesusetorecordapplication-specificorservice-specificevents.

DiggingintotheEventLogsEventlogsuseaproprietaryformatthatisreadableonlyintheEventViewerutility,whichcanbeaccessedbytypingEventViewerintheSearchbox,andpressingEnter.Aslongasyouhaveadministratorprivilegesonyourcomputer,youcanaccesstheeventlogsandusethemtotracksystemhealthandsystemsecurityissues.

TheWindowslogsthatyoushouldtrackcloselyare:

Application Recordseventsloggedbyapplications,suchasanerrorthatresultsinasystemfaultSecurity Recordseventsconfiguredforauditing,includinguserlogonandlogoffSetup Recordseventsloggedbytheoperatingsystemduringsetup,aswellaswhenevertheinstalledstateofcomponentschange,suchaswhenyouapplyapatchorservicepacktotheoperatingsystemSystem Recordseventsloggedbytheoperatingsystem,itsservices,anditscomponents—especiallystatechangesandfailurestoloadorstart

Ifyouareexperiencingaproblemwithaspecificapplicationorservice,youcancheckforarelatedapplicationsandserviceslog.Forexample,youcanusetheWindowsPowerShelllogtohelpyouresolveissuesrelatedtoWindowsPowerShell,oryoucanusetheMicrosoft\Windows\Audio\OperationallogtoexamineissuesrelatedtotheWindowsAudioservice.

InEventViewer,youcanworkwithyourcomputer’seventlogsinthefollowingways:

Toviewallerrorsandwarningsforalllogs,expandCustomViewsandthenselectAdministrativeEvents.Themainpagedisplaysalistofallwarninganderroreventsfortheserver.Tovieweventsinaspecificlog,expandtheWindowsLogsnode,theApplicationsAndServicesLogsnode,orboth.Selectthelogyouwanttoview,suchasApplication.

Whileyouareworkingwithaparticulareventlog,usetheinformationintheSourcecolumntodeterminewhichcomponentloggedaparticularevent.IntheexampleshowninFigure7-7,thecomputer’sDNSclientisthesourceoftheevent.

Figure7-7ExaminingeventsintheEventViewer

Theloggeddetailsforaneventprovideaquickoverviewofwhen,where,andhowaneventoccurred.Theeventleveltellsyoutheseriousnessoftheevent.Aninformationaleventisusuallyrelatedtoasuccessfulaction.Awarningeventtellsyouaboutalessserious(andoftenonlytemporarily)problemthatoccurred,suchasanerrordetectedonadiskdeviceduringpaging.Anerroreventtellsyouaboutamoreseriousbutnoncriticalproblemthatoccurred,suchasawritefailuretoadiskdevice.Acriticaleventtellsyouaboutaseriousproblemforwhichthereisnorecovery.

ResolvingPerformanceIssueswiththeLogsYou’llfrequentlyseewarningsanderrors,andyoudon’tneedtotrytodeterminethecauseandresolutionforeachandeveryone.However,ifyourcomputerisexperiencingperformanceissuesorotherproblems,youshouldlookforwarningsanderrorsthatcouldpossiblyberelatedtotheproblem,becausetheycanhelpyoufindaresolutiontotheproblem.Besuretoreviewthedetailedeventinformationaspartofyourtroubleshooting.ClicktheEventLogOnlineHelplinkifyouthinkyouneedmoreinformation.

Ifyouspendjustafewminutesintheeventlogs,you’llseejusthowmuchinformationyourcomputertracks.Wadingthroughallthatinformationtofindwhatyou’relookingforisn’talwayseasy,soyoumayneedtofiltertheeventlogstofocusinonthespecificinformationyouneed.

EarlierImentionedthatwhenyouselecttheAdministrativeEventsnode,youseealistofallerrorsandwarningsforalllogs.Thatselectiveviewoftheeventlogsiscreatedusingafilter,andyoucancreateyourownfilterstohelpsortthroughthelogsbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.StartEventViewerbytypingEventViewerintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter.2.Intheleftpane,right-clicktheCustomViewsnode,andthenclickCreateCustomView.3.UsetheLoggeddrop-downlisttoselectatimeframeforloggingevents,suchastheLast24Hours,Last7Days,orLast30Days.4.UsetheEventLevelcheckboxestospecifythelevelofeventstoinclude.Usually,you’llwanttolookforCritical,Warning,andErrorevents.SelectVerbosetogetadditionaldetails.5.Createacustomviewforeitheraspecificsetoflogsoraspecificsetofeventsourcesbydoingoneofthefollowing:

UsetheEventLogsdrop-downlisttoselecteventlogstoinclude.Selectmultipleeventlogsbyselectingtheircheckboxes.Ifyouselectspecificeventlogs,allothereventlogsareexcluded.UsetheEventSourcesdrop-downlisttoselecteventsourcestoinclude.Selectmultipleeventsourcesbyselectingtheircheckboxes.Ifyouselectspecificeventsources,allothereventsourcesareexcluded.

6.Optionally,usetheUserboxtospecifyusersthatshouldbeincluded.

RealWorld ManyeventsareloggedwiththeuserlistedasN/A,fornotapplicable.Eventsdirectlyrelatedtoyourlogonandinteractionswithactiveapplicationsmaybeloggedwithyourusername,butnotalways.OthereventsmaybeloggedwiththeuserasSystem(thelocalsystemaccountusedforrunningsystemprocessesandhandlingsystem-leveltasks),LocalService(thelocalserviceaccount,whichhasfewerprivilegesthansystem),orNetworkService(thelocalnetworkserviceaccount,whichhasfewerprivilegesthansystembutalsohas

accesstonetworkresources).

7.ClickOK.Typeanameanddescriptionforthecustomview,andthenspecifywheretosavethecustomview.Bydefault,customviewsaresavedundertheCustomViewsnode.YoucancreateanewnodebyclickingNewFolder,enteringanameforthefolder,andthenclickingOK.8.ClickOKtoclosetheSaveFilterToCustomViewdialogbox.Youshouldnowseeafilteredlistofevents.


Windows10providesmanytoolstohelpyoutrackperformance.ThepreviouschapterdiscussedwaysyoucouldtrackcurrentandrelativeperformanceandprovidedtechniquesfordeterminingresourceusageusingTaskManageranduncoveringproblemsusingtheEventLogs.Althoughthesetoolsareexcellent,youmightneedtodigdeepertodiagnosecomplexproblemsandoptimizeperformance.

Additionaltoolsforresolvingperformanceissuesinclude:

ActionCenter Allowsyoutocheckforproblemsthatareaffectingperformanceandtrytofindsolutionsusingautomatedprocesses.ReliabilityMonitor Allowsyoutoanalyzereliabilityissuesthatareaffectingperformanceanddeterminetheircauses.ResourceMonitor Allowsyoutotrackresourceusageonthecomputer.TheinformationprovidedissimilartoTaskManagerbutmoredetailed.PerformanceMonitor Allowsyoutologperformancedata,watchresourceusageovertime,anddetermineareasthatcanbeoptimized.

ResolvingFailuresandReliabilityIssuesWindows10includesanautomateddiagnosticsframeworkfordetectinganddiagnosingmanycommonproblemswithapplications,hardwaredevices,andWindowsitself.RestartManagerandActionCenterarethecorecomponentsofthisframeworkthatyou’llinteractwith.

Windows10usesRestartManagertoshutdownandrestartapplicationsautomatically.IfWindowsdiagnosticsdetectsthatanapplicationhasstoppedresponding,RestartManagerattemptstostoptheapplication’sprimaryprocessandthenrestarttheapplication.ProblemreportsrelatedtononresponsiveapplicationsareloggedintheActionCenter,asareproblemreportsforothertypesoffailures.

CheckingforProblemsThatAreAffectingPerformanceAfteryouinstalladevice,Windows10attemptstodetectthehardwareandinstallthedeviceautomatically.IfWindows10detectsthedevicebutcannotinstallthedeviceautomatically,youmayfindarelatedsolutioninActionCenter.Typically,ActionCenteropensautomatically,allowingyoutobegintroubleshootingimmediately.

Similarly,ifWindowsdiagnosticsdetectsaproblemwithahardwaredeviceorWindowscomponent,Windows10displaysanotificationtellingyouthereisaproblem.Ifyouclickthisnotification,Windows10displaysmoreinformation,includingpossiblefixesthatcanhelpyouresolvetheproblem.

Onthefar-rightsideofthetaskbar,you’llfindthenotificationarea,whichalsohasanotificationiconforActionCenter.IfyoumoveyourmousepointerovertheActionCentericon,atooltipprovidesinformationaboutcurrentnotifications.ClickingthisiconopenstheActionCenternotificationpanel(seeFigure8-1).

Figure8-1ExaminingnotificationsinActionCenter

InActionCenter,you’llseenotificationsunderoneortwogeneralcategories,withthemostcommoncategorybeingSecurityAndMaintenance.EachnotificationhasanExpand/CollapsebuttonandaClosebutton.ClickExpandtogetmoredetails,ifavailable.ClickClosetoclearthenotification.

ActionCenternotificationsettingscontrolwhetheryouarenotifiedaboutproblems.Tostopbeingnotifiedaboutproblemswithaparticularapp,right-clickarelatednotificationinActionCenterandthenselectTurnOffNotificationsForThisApp.

AlthoughActionCenterprovidesinsightsintopossibleissues,youreallyneedtoopenControlPanelandaccesstheSecurityAndMaintenancepage,showninFigure8-2,to

learnmoreaboutdetectedissues.OpenthispagebytypingSecurityAndMaintenanceintheSearchboxandpressingEnter.

Figure8-2Gettinginformationaboutdetectedissueswithsolutions

WhileworkingwiththeSecurityAndMaintenancepageinControlPanel,youcanclicktheSecurityorMaintenanceheadingtoexpandthesectionandviewmoredetailedinformation.ExpandtheSecurityareatogetmoreinformationaboutthestatusandconfigurationofyourcomputer’scoresecuritycomponents.Knownproblemsarecolor-coded.Red-codedissuesarewarningsaboutimportantproblemsthatneedyourattention.Orange-codedissuesarecautionsaboutproblemsthatyoumightwanttoreview.

Notificationsettingscontrolwhetheryouarenotifiedaboutproblems.Toviewandmanagethesesettings,clickChangeSecurityAndMaintenanceSettingsintheleftpane.Thenturnnotificationsformessagesonoroffbyselectingorclearingcheckboxes.

Whileautomatedreportedanddetectionworksfairlywell,someproblemscanbemissedbythediagnosticsframework.Ifyoususpectthatyourcomputerhasproblemsthathasn’tbeenidentified,youcaninitiateautomaticproblemdetectionsimplybyopeningSecurityAndMaintenance,expandingtheMaintenancepanel,andthenclickingCheckForSolutions.Whenthisprocessiscomplete,yourcomputerisupdatedtoincludeallnewlydiscoveredproblems,andsolutionsareprovidedifknown.

Ifautomateddiagnosticsdetectsproblemsforwhichtherearenosolutionsavailable,you’llseetheProblemReportingdialogboxandbeabletosendaproblemreport.ClickCancelifyoudon’twanttosendareport.

Ifautomateddiagnosticsdetectsproblemsforwhichsolutionsareavailable,youcanresolvetheproblemsimmediately.Eachknownproblemwillhaveasolutionbutton.ClicktheViewProblemResponsebuttontodisplayapageprovidingmoreinformationabouttheproblem.Notethefollowing:

Whenaconfigurationissueiscausingaproblem,you’llfindadescriptionoftheproblemandastep-by-stepguideformodifyingtheconfigurationtoresolvetheproblem.Whenadriverorsoftwareissueiscausingaproblem,you’llfindalinktodownloadandinstallthelatestdriverorsoftwareupdate.

AnalyzingReliabilityIssuesThatAreAffectingPerformanceWindows10trackstherelativereliabilityofyourcomputerinReliabilityMonitor.Youcanusetherelatedreportstodeterminehowstableyourcomputerisandwhatcomponents,applications,ordeviceshavecausedproblems.WhenyouareworkingwiththeSecurityAndMaintenancepageinControlPanel,youcanaccessreliabilityreportsbyexpandingtheMaintenancepanel,scrollingdown,andthenclickingViewReliabilityHistory.

ReliabilityMonitortrackschangestothecomputerandcomparesthemtochangesinsystemstability.Thisgivesyouagraphicalrepresentationoftherelationshipbetweenchangesintheconfigurationandchangesinstability.Byrecordingsoftwareinstallation,softwareremoval,applicationfailures,hardwarefailures,andWindowsfailures,andkeyeventsregardingtheconfigurationofyourcomputer,ReliabilityMonitorsgivesyouatimelineofchangeslargeandsmallandinformationabouttheireffectonreliability.Youcanusethisinformationtopinpointchangesthatarecausingstabilityproblems.Forexample,ifyouseeasuddendropinstability,youcanclickadatapointandthenexpandtherelateddatasettofindthespecificeventthatcausedtheproblem.

ReliabilityMonitordisplaysstabilitydatabydaysorweeks.Thedefaultviewisdays.Toviewhistorybyweeks,clicktheWeeksoptionforViewBy.

Yourcomputer’sstabilityisgraphedwithvaluesrangingfrom1,meaningextremelypoorreliability,to10,meaningextremelyhighreliability.AgraphforacomputerexperiencingreliabilityproblemswillbesimilartotheoneshowninFigure8-3.

Figure8-3Checkingyourcomputer’sreliability

Note Thegraphhasleftandrightscrollbuttons.Byscrollingleft,youcanseereliabilitydataforearlierdates.Youcanscrollrighttogotolaterdates.

Inthisexample,thereliabilityofthecomputerhasbeenseverelyimpactedbyaseriesoffailures.Failuresandotherreliabilityeventsaresummarizedonthegraphrelativetotheselectedtimeperiod,eitherbydayorbyweek.Failuresaredividedintothreecategories:

ApplicationFailures Tracksfailurescausedbyrunningapplications.Anapplicationthatstoppedworkingorstoppedrespondingistrackedasanapplication

failure.WindowsFailures TracksfailurescausedbyWindowscomponentsandsystemhardware.AhardwareerrorthatoccurredistrackedasaWindowsfailure,asareerrorsrelatedtocomponentconfiguration.MiscellaneousFailures Tracksothertypesoffailuresthatoccur,suchasfailurescausedbyanunexpectedshutdownoftheoperatingsystem.

ReliabilityMonitortagsfailuresthathaveaffectedstabilityascritical.Eventstaggedaswarningsindicateapotentialtoaffectstability.Forexample,failedWindowsUpdatesaremarkedaswarningsbecausemostupdatesneedtobeappliedtoensurereliabilityandstability.

You’llalsoseethatsuccessfulWindowsupdates,successfulapplicationinstallations,andmanyothersystemactivitiesareloggedusinginformationalevents.Althoughtheseactivitiesdon’trepresentfailures,theydohaveaneffectontheoverallstabilityofyourcomputer.

Clickingacolumninthegraphdisplaysdetailsfortheeventsthatoccurredonthatdayorduringaselectedweek.Eventsarelistedbysource,summary,anddate.UnderAction,you’llseeseveralpossibleactions,dependingonthetypeofevent.

IfWindowsdetectedacriticalproblemandresolveditautomatically,aViewProblemResponselinkallowsyoutodisplayinformationabouthowWindowsresolvedtheproblem.Ifthecriticalproblemisunresolved,aCheckForASolutionlinkletsyoureporttheproblemandcheckforasolution.Forwarningsandinformationalevents,aViewTechnicalDetailslinkprovidesdetailedtechnicalinformationabouttheevent.

ThebottompanelofReliabilityMonitorprovidesthreeadditionaloptions.Youcan:

ClickSaveReliabilityHistoryandusethedialogboxprovidedtoselectasavelocationandfilenameforaReliabilityMonitorreport.Thereportwillcontaincompletedetailsaboutthecomputer’sstability,formattedusingXML.YoucanviewthereportatanytimeinInternetExplorerbydouble-clickingthefile.Ifyouattachareporttoanemailmessage,youcansendthereporttosomeonewhocanhelpyouwithtroubleshooting.ClickViewAllProblemReportstoopentheProblemReportswindowandaccessahistoryofallidentifiedproblemsandtheirstatus.MostproblemshaveastatusofReportSent,NotReported,MoreDataRequired,orNoSolutionAvailable.Toclearthehistory,clickClearAllProblemReports.ClickCheckForSolutionsToAllProblemstostartautomateddiagnostics.Whendiagnostictestingiscomplete,ActionCentershowsanynewlydiscoveredproblemsandalsoprovidessolutionsifknown.

Whenyouviewallproblemreports,theProblemReportspageinControlPanel,showninFigure8-4,listsproblemsthatyoucanreportbysource,summary,date,andstatus.Thestatusshowswhethertheproblemhasorhasnotbeensent.ThestatusalsoshowswhenMicrosoftneedsmoreinformationfromthegeneralusercommunitytoresolveaproblem,aswellaswhenthereisnosolutionavailableforaparticularproblem.

RealWorld AlthoughitmayseemratheroddthatWindowslistsproblemsashavingnosolutionavailable,rememberhowdiagnosticsworks.DiagnosticslooksforspecifictypesofWindows,application,andhardwarefailures.Someproblemscanbesolvedwithupdatesandpatches.Others,suchascompatibilityissues,maysimplybearesultofthewayinwhichanapplicationwaswritten.Alsorememberthatifasolutionisavailableforaproblem,thesolutionisshowninActionCenter.

Figure8-4Checkingallproblemsthathavebeendetected

Regardlessoftheproblemstatus,youcandosomethinginProblemReportsthatyoucan’talwaysdoinReliabilityMonitor:Youcanright-clickaproblemandchooseCheckForSolutiontore-checkforasolutiontoaproblem.Youalsocanright-clickaproblemandchooseViewSolutiontogetmoreinformationaboutaproblemthat’sbeenresolvedorViewTechnicalDetailstogettechnicaldetailsaboutaproblem.

Tip It’simportanttopointoutthatonlyproblemswithsolutionsareshownontheSecurityAndMaintenancepage.Ifyouwanttoseeacompletelistofallproblemsyourcomputerhasencounteredwithapps,devices,driverinstallationandmore,youneedtoreviewtheAllProblemReportspageinControlPanel.AlthoughReliabilityMonitorprovidesalinktoopenthispage,youalsocanopenthispagebytypingAllProblemReportsintheSearchboxandpressingEnter.

DiagnosingandResolvingProblemswithTroubleshootersWindows10tracksfailedinstallation,unresponsiveconditions,andotherproblems.Shouldaninstallationfailoranapplicationbecomeunresponsive,thebuilt-indiagnosticscreatesnotificationsandproblemreportsandeitherprovidesareadysolutionorallowsyoutocheckforasolution.Manyotherautomatedresponsestoproblemsarehandledwithtroubleshooters.

Thestandardtroubleshootersinclude:

HardwareAndDevicestroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromproperlyusingadevice.Homegrouptroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromsharingfilesinahomegroup.IncomingConnectionstroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfrombeingconnectedto.InternetConnectionstroubleshooter DetectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromconnectingtotheInternetoranintranet.NetworkAdaptertroubleshooter DetectsandresolvesproblemsrelatedtoEthernet,wireless,andothernetworkadapters.PlayingAudiotroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromplayingsound.Powertroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemsthataffectpowermanagement,sleep,hibernation,orresume.Printertroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromusingaprinter.ProgramCompatibilitytroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingaprogramfromrunningonthecomputer.RecordingAudiotroubleshooter Detectsandresolvesproblemspreventingthecomputerfromrecordingsound.SystemMaintenancetroubleshooter Performsroutinemaintenanceifyoudon’t.

IfWindowsPowerShellisinstalled,relatedservicesarerunning,andtroubleshootingisenabled,thetroubleshooterscanautomaticallydetectanddiagnosemanycommonproblems.Ifyoususpectaproblemthathasn’tbeendetected,youcanstartatroubleshootermanuallybyfollowingthesesteps:

1.IfyouareworkingwiththeSecurityAndMaintenancepageinControlPanel,scrolldown,andthenclicktheTroubleshootinglink.Alternatively,typeTroubleshootingintheSearchboxandpressEnter.2.AsshowninFigure8-5,linksontheTroubleshootingpageprovideaccesstotroubleshootersaccordingtotasksyoumightwanttoperform.Forexample,youcouldclickRunProgramsMadeForPreviousVersionsOfWindowstostarttheProgramCompatibilitytroubleshooter.3.Ifyoudon’tseeanappropriatetask,clickViewAllintheleftpanetodisplayalistofallavailabletroubleshootersbyname,andthenclickthetroubleshooteryouwanttostart.

Figure8-5Resolvingproblemswiththetroubleshooters

WhenyouareworkingwiththeTroubleshootingpage,notetheViewAll,ViewHistory,andChangeSettingsoptionsintheleftpane.SelectingViewAllshowsallavailabletroubleshooters,listedalphabeticallybyname,description,location,category,andpublisher.WhenatroubleshooterislistedasLocal,thetroubleshooterisavailableonyourcomputer.WhenatroubleshooterislistedasOnline,thetroubleshooterisavailableonlineandwillbedownloadedandruneachtimeyouuseit.

WhileyouareworkingwiththeTroubleshootingpage,don’toverlooktheViewHistoryoption.Thetroubleshootinghistoryshowsyouthetroubleshootersrununderyouruseraccountandwhentheywererun.ClickIncludeTroubleshootersThatWereRunAsAnAdministratortoviewtroubleshootersrunwithadministratorprivileges.Moreimportantly,ifyouclickanentryinthehistory,youcanviewandprintadetailedtroubleshootingreport.ThereportshowstheissuesfoundandthefixesWindowstried,whichcanbeashelpfulasthetroubleshootersthemselves.

TheChangeSettingsoptionontheTroubleshootingpageisalsouseful,becauseitallowsyoutomanagehowtroubleshootersareused.Bydefault,Windowschecksforroutinemaintenanceissuesandalertsyouwhenatroubleshootercanhelpfixaproblem.Windowsalsoallowsyouandotheruserstobrowseforavailabletroubleshootersonlineandbeginstroubleshootingimmediatelywhenyoustartatroubleshooter.

Problemswithhardwaredevicescanbeparticularlydifficulttoresolve.Ifyoususpectthatadeviceisn’tworkingproperly,youcanuseDeviceManagertoverifywhetherthedeviceisworkingproperly.StartDeviceManagerbytypingDeviceManagerintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter;thenexaminethestatusofyourcomputer’sdevices.

Adevicethatismalfunctioningwillhaveanerrororwarningicon.Toviewinformationabouttheerror,right-clickthedeviceandthenselectProperties.Formalfunctioningdevices,thedevicepropertieswillshowanerrorstatuscodeandasuggestedresolutionforthecode.

Youcanresolvemanyhardwaredeviceproblemsbyreinstallingorupdatingthedevicedriver.InDeviceManager,right-clickthedeviceyouwanttoworkwith,andthenselectProperties.OntheDrivertab,clicktheUpdateDriverbuttonandfollowthepromptstoreinstallorupdatethedriverasappropriate.

YoucanalsouninstalladriverandletWindows10reinstallthecurrentversionofthedriverfilesfromthedriverstore.InDeviceManager,right-clickthedevice,andthen

selectUninstallontheDrivertab.ClickOKtoconfirm.Ifreinstallingthedevicedriverdoesn’twork,checktomakesurethedeviceisproperlyinsertedandconnected.Youmayneedtodisconnectandreconnectthedevice(whileensuringthatthecomputerispowereddownandunpluggedasappropriateandnecessary).

Ifyouarestillunabletogetthedevicetoworkproperly,checkthedevicemanufacturer’swebsiteforalternativeversionsofthedevicedriver.Youmayfindthatanolderversionofadevicedriverismorestablethanthelatestversion.

ExaminingResourceUsageinDetailResourceMonitorshouldbeoneofyourtoolsofchoiceforperformancetuning.YouuseResourceMonitortotrackresourceusageonthecomputer.TheinformationprovidedissimilartoTaskManagerbutmoredetailed.

YoucanopenResourceMonitorbytypingResourceMonitorintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter.AsFigure8-6shows,ResourceMonitorprovidesresourcesusagestatisticsforfourcategories:

CPU ShowsthecurrentCPUutilizationandthemaximumCPUfrequency(asrelatedtoprocessoridling).IfyouexpandtheCPUentry(byclickingtheoptionsbutton),you’llseealistofcurrentlyrunningexecutablesbyname,processID(PID),description,status,numberofthreadsused,currentCPUutilization,andaverageCPUutilization.Disk Showsthenumberofkilobytespersecondbeingreadfromorwrittentodiskandthehighestpercentageofusage.IfyouexpandtheDiskentry(byclickingtheoptionsbutton),you’llseealistofcurrentlyrunningexecutablesthatareperformingorhaveperformedI/Ooperationsbyname,processID(PID),filebeingreadorwritten,averagenumberofbytesbeingreadpersecond,averagenumberofbytesbeingwrittenpersecond,totalnumberofbytesbeingreadandwrittenpersecond,I/Opriority,andtheassociateddiskresponsetime.

Figure8-6Trackingresourceusagedetails

Network Showsthecurrentnetworkbandwidthutilizationinkilobytesandthepercentageoftotalbandwidthutilization.IfyouexpandtheNetworkentry(byclickingtheoptionsbutton),you’llseealistofcurrentlyrunningexecutablesthataretransferringorhavetransferreddataonthenetworkbyname,processID(PID),computerorIPaddressbeingcontacted,averagenumberofbytesbeingsentpersecond,averagenumberofbytesreceivedpersecond,andtotalbytessentorreceivedpersecond.Memory Showsthecurrentmemoryutilizationandthenumberofhardfaultsoccurringpersecond.IfyouexpandtheMemoryentry(byclickingtheoptionsbutton),you’llseealistofcurrentlyrunningexecutablesbyname,processID(PID),hardfaultspersecond,commitmemoryinKB,workingsetmemoryinKB,

shareablememoryinKB,andprivate(nonshareable)memoryinKB.

TheOverviewtabdisplaysageneraloverviewofallresourcedataforeachofthefourareastracked.Expandthepanelstoseemoredetails,orselecttheindividualtabstotakeacloserlookatspecificusage.

OneofthemostusefulfeaturesofResourceMonitoristheusagefilter.OntheOverviewtab,youcanfilterbyanycombinationofprocessesrunningonthecomputersimplybyselectingtherelatedcheckboxesontheCPUpanel.IntheexampleshowninFigure8-7,thedataisfilteredtofocusonresourceusagerelatedtoaspecificapplication:Winword.exe.I’vealsoaddedresourceusagedataforSystemprocesses.

Figure8-7Gettingmoredetailedinformation

Afteryou’vefilteredtheusageactivity,thegraphshighlightresourceusagespecifictotheprocessesyou’veselected.Asdiskusage,networkusage,andmemoryusagedataaresimilarlyfiltered,youcanseeexactlywhattheselectedprocessesaredoingonyourcomputer.

YoucanapplyfiltersontheCPU,Memory,Disk,andNetworktabsaswell.Thefiltersareglobalandaffectwhatyouseeonallothertabs.Becauseofthis,don’tforgettoremovefiltersyou’veappliedifyouwanttoexamineotherprocessesorviewoverallusagedataagain.Todothis,simplycleartheprocesscheckboxesthatapplythefilters.

RecordingandAnalyzingPerformanceDataYouneedtorecordperformancedataandanalyzeittoknowwhat’sreallyhappeningonyourcomputer.Loggingperformancedataisn’tsomethingyoushoulddohaphazardly.Youshouldhaveaclearplanbeforeyoubegin,andthatplanshoulddefinespecificallywhyyouwanttologperformancedata.Forexample,youmightthinkthatanapplicationyouareusinghasamemoryleakthatiscausingyourcomputertoperformpoorly,andyoucouldprovethisbyloggingmemoryusagedatawhileworkingwiththeapplication.

LoggingPerformanceDataAlthoughResourceMonitorandTaskManagertellyouwhat’shappeningonyourcomputer,theydon’tdelvedeepenoughtohelpyouresolveeveryperformanceproblemyou’llencounter—thisiswherePerformanceMonitorisuseful.

PerformanceMonitor,showninFigure8-8,graphsusagestatisticsforsetsofperformanceparametersthatyou’veselectedfordisplay.OpenthisutilitybytypingPerformanceMonitorintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter.

Performanceparametersthatyoutrackarereferredtoascounters.Whenyouinstallcertainapplicationsonyourcomputer,PerformanceMonitormightbeupdatedwithasetofcountersfortrackingrelatedperformance.Similarly,performancecountersmaybeaddedwhenyouinstallcertainservicesandadd-onsforWindows.

Figure8-8Analyzingperformancemetrics

PerformanceMonitorhasseveralkeyfeatures.Alegend,displayedatthebottomofthedetailspane,showsthecolorandlinestyleusedforeachcounter.Avaluebar,displayedbetweenthegraphandthelegend,showsvaluesrelatedtothecounteryou’veselectedinthegraphorinthelegend.Atoolbar,displayedabovethegraph,providesthebasicfunctionsandoptionsforworkingwithPerformanceMonitor.Eachtoolbarbuttonhasakeyboardshortcutaswell.

Thetoolbarbuttonsandtheirshortcutkeysareasfollows:

ViewCurrentActivityCTRL+T;switchestheviewsothatcurrentactivitybeingloggedisdisplayed.ViewLogDataCTRL+L;switchestheviewsothatdatafromaperformancelogcanbereplayed.ChangeGraphTypeCTRL+G;switchestheviewtotogglebetweenbargraph,reportlist,andgraphformat.AddCTRL+N;displaystheAddCountersdialogbox,whichletsyouaddcounterstotrack.DeleteDELETEkey;removesthecurrentlyselectedcountersothatitisnolongertracked.HighlightCTRL+H;highlightsthecurrentlyselectedcounterwithawhitelinesothatitismoreeasytosee.ToturntheHighlightfunctionoff,selectthecounterand

pressCTRL+Hagain.CopyPropertiesCTRL+C;createsacopyofthecounterlist,alongwiththeindividualconfigurationofeachcounter,andputsitontheWindowsClipboardasanExtensibleMarkupLanguage(XML)file.PasteCounterListCTRL+V;pastesacopiedcounterlistintoPerformanceMonitorsothatitisusedasthecurrentcounterset.Ifyousavedacounterlisttoafile,yousimplyopenthefile,copythecontentsofthefiletotheClipboard,andthenpressCTRL+VinPerformanceMonitortousethatcounterlist.PropertiesCTRL+Q;displaysthePropertiesdialogboxforaselectitem.FreezeDisplayCTRL+F;freezesthedisplaysothatPerformanceMonitornolongerupdatestheperformanceinformation.PressCTRL+Fagaintoresumesampling.UpdateDataCTRL+U;updatesthedisplaybyonesamplinginterval.Whenyoufreezethedisplay,PerformanceMonitorstillgathersperformanceinformation;itjustdoesn’tupdatethedisplayusingthenewinformation.Toupdatethedisplaywhileitisfrozen,usethisoption.

Thegraphingupdateintervalisconfigurable,butitissetto1secondbydefault.Becauseyou’lloftenneedtotrackmanycounterstoidentifyaperformanceproblem,you’llfindthatrecordingtheperformancedatainalogandthenanalyzingthelogdataistypicallythebestapproach.PerformanceMonitoralsoallowsyoutoconfigurealertsthatsendmessageswhencertaineventsoccur.

ToworkeffectivelywithPerformanceMonitor,youneedtounderstandthedifferencebetweenperformancecountersandperformanceobjects.Performancecountersrepresentthemeasurablepropertiesofperformanceobjects.Aperformanceobjectcanbeaphysicalpartoftheoperatingsystem,suchasthememory,theprocessor,orthepagingfile;alogicalcomponent,suchasalogicaldiskorprintqueue;orasoftwareelement,suchasaprocessorathread.

Performanceobjectinstancesrepresentsingleoccurrencesofperformanceobjects.Ifaparticularobjecthasmultipleinstances,suchaswhenacomputerhasmultipleprocessors,youcanuseanobjectinstancetotrackaspecificoccurrenceofthatobject.Youcouldalsoelecttotrackallinstancesofanobject,suchaswhenyouwanttomonitorallprocessorsonyourcomputer.

Themostcommonperformanceobjectsyou’llwanttomonitorinclude:

Cache Representsthefilesystemcache,whichisanareaofphysicalmemorythatindicatesapplicationI/Oactivity.LogicalDisk Representsthelogicalvolumesonyourcomputer.Memory Representsmemoryperformanceforsystemcache(includingpooled,pagedmemoryandpooled,nonpagedmemory),physicalmemory,andvirtualmemory.NetworkInterface Representsthenetworkadaptersconfiguredonyourcomputer.Objects Representsthenumberofevents,processes,sections,semaphores,andthreadsonyourcomputer.PagingFile Representspagefilecurrentandpeakusage.

PhysicalDisk Representsharddiskread/writeactivityaswellasdatatransfers,hardfaults,andsoftfaults.PrintQueue Representsprintjobs,spooling,andprintqueueactivity.Process Representsallprocessesrunningonyourcomputer.Processor Representsprocessoridletime,idlestates,usage,deferredprocedurecalls,andinterrupts.System Representssystem-levelcounters,includingprocesses,threads,contextswitchingofthreads,filesystemcontroloperations,systemcalls,andsystemuptime.Thread RepresentsallrunningthreadsandallowsyoutoexamineusagestatisticsforindividualthreadsbyprocessID.

Eachoftheseperformanceobjectshasasetofcountersthatcanbetracked.

ChoosingCounterstoMonitorPerformanceMonitordisplaysinformationonlyforcountersthatyou’retracking.You’llfindcountersrelatedtojustabouteverylogicalandphysicalaspectofyourcomputer.Theeasiestwaytolearnaboutthesecountersistoreadtheexplanationsavailablewhenyouselectacounter.Todothis,startPerformanceMonitor,clickAddonthetoolbar,expandanobjectintheAvailableCounterslist,andthenselecttheShowDescriptioncheckbox.Nowwhenyouscrollthroughthelistofcountersfortheselectedobjectyou’llseeadetaileddescriptionofwhatthecounterrepresentsandhowitcanbeused.

Whenyouareconfiguringmonitoringforaparticularobject,payparticularattentiontotheinstancesofthatobjectthatwillbetracked.Youcanconfiguretrackingforallinstancesofanobjectorforspecificinstances.Forexample,whenyoutrackthePhysicalDiskobject,youhaveachoiceoftrackingallphysicaldiskinstancesorspecificphysicaldiskinstances.Ifyouthinkaparticulardiskisgoingbadorexperiencingotherproblems,youcouldmonitorjustthatdiskinstance.

Thetwospecialinstancetypesyoushouldknoware:

_Total Tracksallinstancesofacounterintotal,ratherthanseparately.Use_Totaltotracktheoverallperformanceofallinstancesofarelatedcounter.Forexample,ifyourcomputerhasfourprocessorcores,youcouldtracktheirprocessorusageintotalratherthanseparatelyforeachprocessorcore.<AllInstances> Tracksallinstancesofacounterseparately,ratherthanintotal.Use<AllInstances>totrackallinstancesofarelatedcounterseparately.Forexample,ifyourcomputerhasfourprocessorcores,youcouldtrackprocessorusageindividuallyforallprocessorinstances.

PerformanceMonitorallowsyoutoviewperformancedataasgraphedcurrentdata,linedata,histogramdata,andreportdata.ByclickingViewCurrentActivityonthetoolbarorpressingCtrl+T,youcanbesureyouareviewingagraphofcurrentactivity.YoucanswitchbetweentheviewtypesbyclickingChangeGraphTypeorpressingCtrl+G.

IntheHistogramBarview,PerformanceMonitorrepresentstheperformancedatabyusingabargraphwiththelastsamplingvalueforeachcountergraphed.Thesizesofthebarswithinthegraphareadjustedautomaticallybasedonthenumberofperformancecountersbeingtrackedandcanbeadjustedtoaccommodatehundredsofcounters,whichisusefulbecauseitallowsyoutotrackmultiplecountersmoreeasilythanotherviews.

IntheReportview,PerformanceMonitorrepresentstheperformancedatainareportlistformat.Inthisview,objectsandtheircountersarelistedinalphabeticalorderandperformancedataisdisplayednumericallyratherthangraphed.Ifyouaretryingtodeterminespecificperformancevaluesformanydifferentcounters,thisisthebestviewtousebecausetheactualvaluesarealwaysshown.

Youcanselectcounterstomonitorbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickAddonthetoolbarorpressCtrl+NtodisplaytheAddCountersdialogbox(seeFigure8-9).NotethatonlyadministratorsofthelocalcomputerandmembersofthelocalPerformanceLogusersgroupcanmonitorperformancedata.

2.IntheAvailableCounterssection,performanceobjectsarelistedalphabetically.Clickanobjectentrytoselectallrelatedcounters,orexpandanobjectentryandthenselectindividualcountersbyclickingthem.3.Whenyouselectanobjectoranyofitscounters,youseetherelatedinstances.Choose_Totaltotrackallinstancesofacounterintotalor<AllInstances>totrackallinstancesofacounterseparately.4.Afteryou’veselectedanobjectoragroupofcountersforanobjectaswellastheobjectinstances,clickAddtoaddthecounterstothegraph.5.Repeatsteps2–3toaddotherperformanceparameters.ClickOKwhenyouhavefinishedandarereadytostartgraphingperformance.

Figure8-9Addingcounterstotrack

TipDon’ttrytographtoomanycountersorcounterinstancesatonce.You’llmakethedisplaytoodifficulttoread,andyou’llusesystemresources.

IdentifyingPerformanceBottlenecksThewayyourcomputerperformsdependsprimarilyonitsmemoryconfiguration,itsprocessors,itsharddisks,anditsnetworkingcomponents,eachofwhichcanactasabottleneckthatkeepsyourcomputerfromperformingatitsbest.

Yourcomputer’smemoryisoftenthesourceofthebiggestperformanceissues,andyoushouldalwaysruleoutmemoryproblemsbeforeexaminingotherareasofthesystem.Becausecomputersusebothphysicalandvirtualmemory,lookspecificallyatphysicalmemory,caching,andvirtualmemory.Virtualmemoryispagedtodiskandrepresentedbythepagingfile.Lookspecificallyat:

Memory\AvailableBytesMemory\CommittedBytesMemory\CommitLimit

Ifyourcomputerhasverylittleavailablememory,youmightneedtoaddmemory.Generally,youwanttheavailablememoryundernormalusageconditionstobenolessthan5percentofthetotalphysicalmemoryonthecomputer.Ifyourcomputerhasahighratioofcommittedbytestototalphysicalmemoryonthesystem,youmightneedtoaddmemoryaswell.Generally,youwantthecommittedbytesvaluetobenomorethan75percentofthetotalphysicalmemory.

Youshouldalsolookatmemorypagefaults.Todothis,track:

Memory\PageFaults/secMemory\PagesInput/secMemory\PageReads/sec

Apagefaultoccurswhenaprocessrequestsapageinmemoryandtheoperatingsystemcan’tfinditattherequestedlocation.Iftherequestedpageiselsewhereinmemory,thefaultiscalledasoftpagefault.Iftherequestedpagemustberetrievedfromdisk,thefaultiscalledahardpagefault.Mostprocessorscanhandlelargenumbersofsoftfaults,buthardfaultscancauseperformanceproblems.

PageFaults/secistheoverallrateatwhichtheprocessorhandlesalltypesofpagefaults.PagesInput/secisthetotalnumberofpagesreadfromdisktoresolvehardpagefaults.PageReads/secisthetotaldiskreadsneededtoresolvehardpagefaults.PagesInput/secwillbegreaterthanorequaltoPageReads/secandcangiveyouagoodideaofyourhardpagefaultrate.Ahighnumberofhardpagefaultscouldindicatethatyouneedtoincreasetheamountofmemoryorreducethecachesizeonthecomputer.

Fordeeperproblems,takealookatthepagepoolandthenonpagedpoolbyusingMemory\PoolPagedBytesandMemory\PoolNonpagedBytes.Thepagedpoolisanareaofsystemmemoryforobjectsthatcanbewrittentodiskwhentheyaren’tused.Thenonpagedpoolisanareaofsystemmemoryforobjectsthatcan’tbewrittentodisk.

Ifthesizeofthepagedpoolislargerelativetothetotalamountofphysicalmemory,youmightneedtoaddmemorytoyourcomputer.Ifthesizeofthenonpagedpoolislargerelativetothetotalamountofvirtualmemoryallocated,youmightwanttoincreasethevirtualmemorysize.

Focusonyourcomputer’sprocessorafteryouhaveeliminatedmemoryasapotentialbottlenecksource.Ifthecomputer’sprocessorsaretheperformancebottleneck,addingmemoryorfasterdriveswon’tresolveyourperformanceproblem.Instead,youmightneedtoupgradetheprocessorstofasterclockspeedsoraddprocessors.Lookspecificallyat:

System\ProcessorQueueLengthProcessor\%ProcessorTime

System\ProcessorQueueLengthtracksthenumberofthreadswaitingtobeexecuted.Thesethreadsarequeuedinanareasharedbyallprocessors.Generally,youwantveryfewqueuedthreadsperprocessor.Otherwise,youmayneedtoupgradeoraddprocessors.

Processor\%ProcessorTimetracksthepercentageoftimeaprocessorisexecutinganonidlethread.Ifthe%ProcessorTimevaluesarehighandthenetworkinterfaceanddiskI/Othroughputratesarerelativelylow,youmayneedtoupgradeoraddprocessors.

Yourcomputer’sharddisksandnetworkingcomponentsmaybecausesofbottlenecksaswell.Accessingmemoryismuchfasterthanreadingfromdiskorretrievingdataoveranetwork.Ifyourcomputerhastodoalotofreadsandwrites,whethertodiskoroverthenetwork,itsoverallperformancecanbedegraded.Toreducetheamountofdiskactivity,youwantthecomputertomanagememoryveryefficientlyandpagetodiskonlywhennecessary.See“Fine-TuningVirtualMemory”inChapter9fordetails.

Ifyou’vefine-tunedvirtualmemoryandarestillhavingproblems,youmaywanttotrackcountersrelatedtodiskI/Oactivity.Specifically,youshouldmonitor:

PhysicalDisk\%DiskTimePhysicalDisk\DiskWrites/sec,PhysicalDisk\DiskReads/secPhysicalDisk\CurrentDiskQueueLength

PhysicalDisk\%DiskTimegivesyouagoodpictureofoveralldriveperformance.Besuretomonitor%DiskTimeforallharddiskdrivesonthecomputer,andusethiscounterinconjunctionwithProcessor\%ProcessorTimeandNetworkInterfaceConnection\BytesTotal/sec.Ifthe%DiskTimevalueishighandtheprocessorandnetworkconnectionvaluesaren’thigh,yourcomputer’sdiskdrivesmightbethesourceofaperformancebottleneck.

ThenumberofreadsandwritespersecondrevealshowmuchdiskI/Oactivitythereis.Thediskqueuelengthindicatesthenumberofreadorwriterequeststhatarewaitingtobeprocessed.Generally,youwantveryfewwaitingrequests.

Althoughmemory,processors,andharddiskshavethebiggestactualimpactonperformance,yourperceptionaboutthespeedandperformanceofyourcomputermaybetieddirectlytoitsnetworkingcomponents.Ifyourcomputerisstillusingadial-upmodemtoconnecttotheInternet,yourconnectionwillbeslowandtransferringdatawillbepainfullyslow.Wirelessconnectionscanalsoseemveryslow,especiallyifyournetworkhasn’tbeenupgradedtothelatestandgreatesthigh-speedwirelesstechnologies.

Networklatencycanaffectyourexperience.Alongdelay,orhighdegreeoflatency,betweenwhenarequestismadeandthetimeit’sreceivedcanmakeyourcomputerseemveryslow.Youcan’tdomuchaboutlatency.It’safunctionofthetypeofconnectionand

theroutetherequesttakestoyourcomputer.Ontheotherhand,thetotalcapacityofyourcomputertohandlerequestsandtheamountofbandwidthavailablearefactorsyoucancontrol.

Thecapacityofyournetworkcardcanbealimitingfactor.Oldercomputersmayuse10/100networkcardsinsteadofnewer100/1000networkcards.Someonemighthaveconfigureda100/1000cardfor100Mbps,orthecardmightbeconfiguredforhalfduplexinsteadoffullduplex.Ifyoususpectacapacityproblemwithanetworkcard,youshouldalwayscheckitsconfiguration.

Youcandeterminethethroughputandcurrentactivityonyourcomputer’snetworkcardsbyusingthefollowingcounters:

NetworkInterface\BytesReceived/secNetworkInterface\BytesSent/secNetworkInterface\BytesTotal/secNetworkInterface\CurrentBandwidth

ComparethesevaluesinconjunctionwithPhysicalDisk\%DiskTimeandProcessor\%ProcessorTime.Ifthedisktimeandprocessortimevaluesarelowbutthenetworkvaluesareveryhigh,youmighthaveacapacityproblem.Solvetheproblembyoptimizingthenetworkcardsettingsorbyaddinganetworkcard.Rememberthatthehubsandroutersonyournetworkcanalsolimitthenetworkingspeed.Ifyournetworkcardis1Gbpsandyouwanttooperateatthisspeed,yournetworkhubsandroutersmustsupport1Gbps.


NodiscussiononoptimizingWindows10iscompletewithoutafewfinaltipsandtechniquesforboostingoverallperformance—andthat’sexactlywhatyou’llfindinthischapter.Asyousetouttousethesetipsandtechniques,rememberthatyourcomputer’sperformanceisinyourcontrol.You’llneedtofine-tunesettingsoccasionallytokeepthingsrunningsmoothly.You’llneedtoperformmaintenanceasnecessary.Andyou’llneedtooperateyourcomputerwhilekeepinginminditsrelativeperformanceratings.

OptimizingPowerManagementSettingsforPerformanceRegardlessofwhattypeofdeviceyouhave,don’toverlooktheimpactofpowersettingsonyourcomputer’sperformance.Powermanagementsettingsaredesignedtosaveenergy,butthereisadirecttradeoffbetweenpowersavingsandperformance.Icoveredthebasicoptionsforturningoffthescreenandenteringsleepmodein“ConfiguringWhentheScreenTurnsOff”inChapter3.Nowlet’slookathowcanusepowerplansandoptimizeadvancedpowersettingsforthewayyouwork.

SelectingandUsingPowerPlansYouusethePowerOptionspageinControlPaneltomanageyourcomputer’spowerplans.Powerplansarecollectionsofpowermanagementsettingsthatcontrolpowerusageandconsumption.Acomputercanhavemultiplepowerplans,butonlyonecanbeactiveatanyparticulartime.

NoteYouneedadministrativeprivilegestomanagepowerplansandotheradvancedpoweroptions.Becauseofthis,youmayfindtherelatedsettingsaredimmedandcannotbesetunlessyouclicktheChangeSettingsThatAreCurrentlyUnavailablelink.

OpenthePowerOptionspagebytypingPowerOptionsintheSearchbox,andthenpressingEnter.SpecifythepowerplantousebyclickitinthePreferredPlanslist.AsshowninFigure9-1,mostcomputershavetwoorthreedefaultpowerplans:

Balanced Balancesenergyusageandsystemperformance.Theprocessorspeedsupwhenmoreresourcesareusedandslowsdownwhenlessareneeded.HighPerformance Optimizesthecomputerforperformancewhileincreasingenergyusage.Theplanensuresthatyoualwayshaveenoughpowerforusinggraphics-intensiveprogramsorplayingmultimediagames.PowerSaver Reducespowerconsumptionwhiledecreasingperformance.Theplanslowsdowntheprocessortoconservepower.

Figure9-1Configuringpowerplans

Powerplanshavebasicandadvancedsettings.Basicsettingscontrolwhenacomputerturnsoffitsdisplayandwhenitenterssleepmode.Andifyouareusingadevicewithabattery,you’llhaveseparatepluggedinandonbatteryoptions.Advancedsettingsdeterminepreciselywhetherandwhenpowermanagementcomponentsareshutdownandhowthosecomponentsareconfiguredforperformance.Andyou’lllikewisehavedifferentadvancedoptionsforwhenthecomputerispluggedinandonbattery.

Theavailableadvancedsettingsdependonthetypeofcomputeryouareusingandinclude:

Battery\ReserveBatteryLevel Determinesthepercentageofbatteryremainingthatinitiatesreservepowermode.Typicaldefaultis7percent,meaningenterreservepowermodewhenbatterypowerreaches7percentremaining.Areserve

levelof5to18percentisoftenbest.DesktopBackgroundSettings\SlideShow Determineswhethertheslideshowfeatureforthedesktopbackgroundisavailableorpaused.DefaultisAvailable.SettoPausedtodisablebackgroundslideshowsonthedesktop.Display\TurnOffDisplayAfter Determineswhetherandwhenacomputer’sdisplayisturnedofftoconservepower.ChoosingNeverdisablesthisfeature.Specificvalueinminutessetsinactivedurationbeforethedisplayisturnedoff.HardDisk\TurnOffHardDiskAfter Determineswhetherandwhenacomputer’sharddiskisturnedofftoconservepower.ChoosingNever(0)disablesturningofftheharddisk.Specificvalueinminutessetsinactivedurationbeforeharddiskisturnedoff.MultimediaSettings\WhenPlayingVideo Determinesthepoweroptimizationmodeusedwhenplayingvideo.UseOptimizeVideoQualityforbestqualityplayback.UseBalancedforabalancedapproachtoadjustingplaybackqualitytosavepower.UseOptimizePowerSavingsforactiveapproachtoadjustingplaybackqualitytosavepower.MultimediaSettings\WhenSharingMedia Determineswhatthecomputerdoeswhenadeviceoranothercomputerplaysmediafromthecomputer.UseAllowTheComputerToEnterAwayModetoensurecomputerwillnotentersleepmodewhensharingmedia.UseAllowTheComputerToSleeptoallowthecomputertoentersleepmodewheninactive.UsePreventIdlingToSleeptoallowthecomputertoentersleepmodeonlyifsetbyuser.PCIExpress\LinkStatePowerManagement DeterminesthepowersavingmodetousewithPeripheralComponentInterconnect(PCI)Expressdevicesconnectedtothecomputer.SetthisoptiontoOff,ModeratePowerSavings,orMaximumPowerSavings.PowerButtonsAndLid\PowerButtonAction Specifiestheactiontotakewhensomeonepushesandholdsthecomputer’spowerbutton.SetthisoptiontoDoNothing,Sleep,Hibernate,orShutdown.PowerButtonsAndLid\SleepButtonAction Setsthedefaultactionforthesleepbutton.Usethissettingtooverridethecomputer’sdefaultaction.SetthisoptiontoDoNothing,Sleep,orHibernate(aspermitted).ProcessorPowerManagement\MaximumProcessorState Setsamaximumorpeakperformancestateforthecomputer’sprocessor.Lowertosavepoweratadirectcosttoresponsivenessandcomputationalspeed.At50percentorbelowcancauseasignificantreductioninperformanceandresponsiveness.ProcessorPowerManagement\MinimumProcessorState Setsaminimumperformancestateforthecomputer’sprocessor.Lowertosavepoweratadirectcosttoresponsivenessandcomputationalspeed.5percentreducesresponsivenesswhileofferingsubstantialpowersavings.50percenthelpstobalanceresponsivenessandwhilemoderatelysavingpower.100percentmaximizeresponsivenessbutdoesn’tsavingpower.ProcessorPowerManagement\SystemCoolingPolicy Determineswhethertheoperatingsystemincreasesthefanspeedbeforeslowingtheprocessor.Passivelimitedlyenables,andtheprocessormayrunhot.Activefullyenablestohelpcooltheprocessor.

PlanName\RequireAPasswordOnWakeup Determineswhetherapasswordisrequiredwhenacomputerwakesfromsleep.SettoYesorNo.Withdomaincomputers,controlledthroughGroupPolicy.Sleep\AllowHybridSleep SpecifieswhetherthecomputeruseshybridsleepmoderatherthanthesleepmodeusedinearlierversionsofWindows.SettoOnorOff.Hybridsleepmodeputsthecomputerinalow-powerstateuntiltheuserresumesusingthecomputer.Ifthebatteryrunslow,thecomputerhibernates.Sleep\AllowWakeTimers Determineswhethertimedeventsshouldbeallowedtowakethecomputerfromasleepstate.UseDisabletoprevent.UseEnabletoallow.Sleep\HibernateAfter Determineswhetherandwhenacomputerhibernatestoconservepower.Notnormallyusedunlessbatterypowerrunslow.UseNevertodisable.Specificvalueinminutessetsinactivedurationbeforethecomputerhibernates.Sleep\SleepAfter Determineswhetherandwhenacomputerentersasleepstatetoconservepower.UseNevertodisable.Specificvalueinminutessetsinactivedurationbeforethecomputersleeps.USBSettings\USBSelectiveSuspendSetting DetermineswhethertheUSBselectivesuspendfeatureisavailable.UseDisabledtoturnoffselectivesuspend.UseEnabledtoallowselectivesuspend.WirelessAdapterSettings\PowerSavingMode Specifiesthepowersavingmodetousewithanywirelessadaptersconnectedtothecomputer.SettoMaximumPerformance,LowPowerSaving,MediumPowerSaving,orMaximumPowerSaving.

RealWorld Differencesintheadvancedsettingsarewhatsetthedefaultpowerplansapart.Asanexample,theHighPerformanceplanensuresperformancebyallowingthecomputer’sprocessortoalwaysrunat100percentpowerconsumption,whereasthePowerSaverandtheBalancedplansreduceenergyconsumptionbyconfiguringtheprocessortouseaminimumpowerconsumptionrateof5percentandamaximumrateof100percent.

YoucanmanagepowerplansfromthecommandlinebyusingthePowerConfiguration(Powercfg.exe)utility.Typepowercfg-latthecommandprompttolistthepowerplansconfiguredonacomputerbynameandgloballyuniqueidentifier(GUID).WhenyouknowtheGUIDforapowerplan,youcanworkwithitinavarietyofways:

Enterpowercfg–qfollowedbyaGUIDtoviewthesettingsoftherelatedplan.Enterpowercfg–dfollowedbyaGUIDtodeletetherelatedplan.Enterpowercfg–sfollowedbyaGUIDtosettherelatedplanastheactiveplan.

Ifyouwanttoseeacompletelistofallavailableparameters,enterpowercfg/?atthecommandprompt.

CreatingandOptimizingPowerPlansInadditiontothepreferredpowerplansincludedwithWindows10,youcancreatepowerplansandoptimizeexistingpowerplansasneeded.

Youcancreateapowerplanbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.OnthePowerOptionspage,clickCreateAPowerPlanintheleftpane,andthenselectthedefaultpowerplanthatisclosesttothetypeofplanyouwanttocreate.2.InthePlanNamefield,typeadescriptivenamefortheplan;thenclickNext.3.UsetheTurnOffTheDisplaydrop-downlisttospecifywhetherorwhenthecomputer’sdisplayautomaticallyturnsoff.ChooseNevertodisablethisfeature.Notethatifyouareusingadevicewithabattery,you’llhaveseparatepluggedinandonbatteryoptions.4.UsethePutTheComputerToSleepdrop-downlisttospecifywhetherorwhenthecomputerautomaticallyenterssleepmode.ChooseNevertodisablethisfeature.Notethatifyouareusingadevicewithabattery,you’llhaveseparatepluggedinandonbatteryoptions.5.ClickCreatetocreatetheplan.OnthePowerOptionspage,theplanyoucreatedisselectedbydefault.6.ClickChangePlanSettingsforyournewplan,andthenclickChangeAdvancedPowerSettings.7.Configuretheadvancedpoweroptionsasappropriate,andthenclickOKtosaveyourpowerplan.

Youcanoptimizeanexistingpowerplanbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.OnthePowerOptionspage,selectthepowerplanyouwanttoconfigure,andthenclickChangePlanSettings.2.UsetheTurnOffDisplaydrop-downlisttospecifywhetherorwhenthecomputer’sdisplayautomaticallyturnsoff.ChooseNevertodisablethisfeature.Notethatifyouareusingadevicewithabattery,you’llhaveseparatepluggedinandonbatteryoptions.3.UsethePutTheComputerToSleepdrop-downlisttospecifywhetherorwhenthecomputerautomaticallyenterssleepmode.ChooseNevertodisablethisfeature.Notethatifyouareusingadevicewithabattery,you’llhaveseparatepluggedinandonbatteryoptions.4.Toconfigureadvancedoptions,clickChangeAdvancedPowerSettings,andthenusethePowerOptionsdialogboxtoconfigureyourdesiredsettings.ClickOKtosaveanychangesyou’vemade.5.ClickSaveChangestoupdatethepowerplan.

ResolvingPowerProblemsThatAreAffectingPerformanceWhenitcomestopowerplansandpowermanagement,anaspectthat’softenoverlookediscompatibility.Toenterandexitsleepstates,yourcomputermustsupportaStandbysleepstate.Similarly,tousehybridsleepandhibernate,yourcomputermustsupporttheHibernateandHybridSleepstates.OneofWindows10’stopfeatures—FastStartup—isalsoasleepstatethatmustbesupported.

Todeterminethesleepstatessupportedbyenteringpowercfg-aatthecommandprompt.AsFigure9-2shows,thisoptionliststheavailablesleepstatesonthecomputerandthereasonswhyaparticularsleepstateisnotsupported.Ifyourcomputerdoesnotsupporthybridsleeporfaststartup,youshouldensurethattherelatedsettingsarenotenabledinfirmware.

Figure9-2Determiningthesupportedsleepstates

Everyrunningapplicationandeveryinstalleddevicemustsupportpowermanagementforyourcomputertomanagepowerandsleepstateseffectively.Ifanapplicationiscausingpauseandresumeproblems,youcancheckwiththedeveloperforanupdateornewerversionthatfixestheproblem.Youcanverifythattheinstalleddevicessupportpowermanagementappropriatelybytypingpowercfg-energyataCommandPrompt(Admin)window.Asshowninthefollowingexample,Powercfgprovidesdetailsabouteachreviewstepandalsoletsyouknowifproblemswerefound.powercfg-energy

Enablingtracingfor60seconds…Observingsystembehavior…Analyzingtracedata…Analysiscomplete.

Energyefficiencyproblemswerefound.

14Errors11Warnings28Informational

SeeC:\Users\owner\Documents\energy-report.htmlformoredetails.

WhenthePowerConfigurationutilityfinishestracingandanalyzingyourcomputer,reviewtheenergyreportgeneratedbytheutilityinawebbrowser.AsFigure9-3shows,theanalysisresultsarewhatyouwanttofocuson.

Figure9-3Reviewingtheanalysisresults

Readtheerrors,warnings,andinformationalmessages.Ifpossible,takeappropriateactiontoresolveerrors.Ifadevicehasapowermanagementissue,youmaybeabletoresolvetheproblembyinstallinganupdateddriverorbychangingthedevice’sconfigurationoptions.

However,therearemanycaveats.Activedevices,suchasanaudiodeviceplayingmusic,couldpreventyourcomputerfromenteringsleepmodeduringtheanalysis.Thisisnormal,andsuccessorfailureisdeterminedbythetypeofdeviceandthepowermanagementsettings.

Thesamedevicecangenerateaseriesoferrors.Forexample,onmycomputer,aUSBaudiodevicepreventedthesystemfromautomaticallyenteringsleepmodeduringtheanalysis,andseveralotherUSBrelatederrorswererelatedtothisdevice.

Othercommonerrorsyou’llseerelatetothedisplayoraparticulardevicethatmayhavehadpendingupdaterequestsduringthetesting.Iftherewerependingrequestsforthedisplayoranyotherdevice,theserequestswouldpreventthecomputerfromautomaticallypoweringoffthedisplayorthedevice,andalsowouldpreventthecomputerfromautomaticallyenteringalow-powersleepstate.

Youcangetmoreinformationaboutpendingrequestsmadebydevicedriversbytypingpowercfg–requestsatthecommandprompt.Inthefollowingexample,aUSBaudiodevicehaspendingrequests.powercfg-requests

DISPLAY:None.

SYSTEM:[DRIVER]USBAudioDevice(USB\VID_05A7&PID_1020&MI_00\6&2eafe1b7&0&0000)Anaudiostreamiscurrentlyinuse.

AWAYMODE:None.

Inthisexample,notethedeviceidentifier:USB\VID_05A7&PID_1020.Eacherrorinthepowerreportisassociatedwithaspecificdeviceaswell.Toknowforsurewhetheradevicehasasleepandresumeproblem,youneedtoexaminethedetailedpowersupportinformationavailablewhenyoutypepowercfg-devicequeryall_devices_verboseatacommandprompt.

Becausetheinformationissodetailed,you’llwanttoredirectthecommandoutputtoatextfile,asshowninthisexample.powercfg-devicequeryall_devices_verbose>save.txt

Next,openthefileinatexteditor,suchasNotepad,andsearchthefileforthedeviceidentifier.Finally,reviewtheoutputforthedevicetodetermineitspowercapabilitiesandsupportedsleepstates.

MaintainingPerformancewithUpdatesYourcomputer’sperformanceistieddirectlytotheWindowscomponents,hardwaredevices,andapplicationsthatareinstalled.Poorprogrammingandcodingproblemscankeepyourcomputerfromperformingoptimally.YoucanensurethatthemostrecentupdatesandhotfixesareappliedtoyourcomputerbyusingWindowsUpdate.

WindowsUpdateallowsyourcomputertoautomaticallydownloadandupdateoperatingsystemcomponents,devicedrives,optionalcomponentsandrelatedprograms.Totakethisprocessastepfurther,youcanconfigureyourcomputertouseMicrosoftUpdate,whichensuresthatupdatesforotherMicrosoftproductsareupdatedaswell.

Manyapplicationsfromthird-partyvendorshaveupdatefeaturesaswell.Usetheseupdatefeatureswheneverpossibletokeepinstalledapplicationsuptodateandperformingoptimally.

Fine-tuningAutomaticUpdatesWindowsUpdateintegrateswithMicrosoftUpdatetoensurethattheoperatingsystemandinstalledMicrosoftapplicationsstayuptodate.YoucandeterminewhetheryourcomputerisusingMicrosoftUpdatebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.InSettings,clickUpdate&Security.Intheleftpane,theWindowsUpdateoptionisselectedbydefault.2.Inthemainpane,scrolldownandthenclicktheAdvancedOptionslink.3.IfyourcomputerisusingMicrosoftUpdate,theGiveMeUpdatesForOtherMicrosoftProductsoptionisselected,asshowninFigure9-4.Ifyourcomputerisn’tgettingtheseupdatesandyouwanttogetthem,selecttherelatedcheckbox.

Figure9-4GettingupdatesforotherMicrosoftproducts

WhileyouareworkingwiththeWindowsUpdate,youshouldoptimizetheupdatesettings.ClickChoseHowUpdatesAreInstalledListandthenchooseeitherNotifyToScheduleRestartorAutomatic.

Withnotification,youarenotifiedtoschedulearestartafterWindowsdownloadsupdatesthatrequirearestart.Youcanthenspecifywhentherestartshouldoccurorrestartthecomputermanually.Ifthereareupdatesthatdon’trequirearestart,you’llneedtoapplythemmanually.OnWindowsUpdatepage,you’llseeamessagethatthereareupdatesreadytoinstall.ClickNextandfollowtheprompts.Withsomeupdatesyoumayneedtoaccesslicenseterms.Ifso,you’llneedtoclickAcceptAndInstall.Othertimes,you’llsimplyneedtoreviewtheavailableupdatesandclickInstall.

Ratherthanconstantlybeingnotifiedaboutupdatesorhavingtocheckforupdatesthatneedtobeapplied,IprefertheAutomaticoption.WithAutomatic,WindowsUpdatedownloadsandinstalledupdatesautomatically.Bydefault,yourcomputerperiodicallychecksforanddownloadsupdateswhenyouareconnectedtotheInternetoverwi-fianddoesn’tdownloadupdateswhenyouareusingmobiledata.Ifarestartisrequiredtoinstalltheupdates,Windowsschedulestherestartforatimewhenyouaren’tusingthecomputer.

Scheduledrestartsdependonyouusingthesleepmoderatherthanshuttingdown.Ifyoutrytoshutdownyourcomputerafterupdateshavebeendownloaded,youhavetheoptionofinstallingupdatesandthenshuttingdownorshutdownwithoutinstallingupdates.

Bydefault,Windowsschedulesrestartsat3:30AMonanydaywhenarestartisneeded.ThistimefollowstheAutomaticMaintenanceschedule,whichissettorundailyat2:00AM.Youcanviewavailableupdatesanddeterminewhetherarestartingisscheduledby

followingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.InSettings,clickUpdate&Security.Intheleftpane,theWindowsUpdateoptionisselectedbydefault.2.Availableupdatesarelistedinthemainpane.Scrollup.Ifarestartisscheduled,thisisstated,asshowninFigure9-5.3.YoucanrestartimmediatelybyclickingRestartNow.Tochangetherestartschedule,chooseSelectARestartTime.Next,specifyatimeanddayfortherestart,suchas8:00AM,Tomorrow.

Figure9-5Gettinginformationaboutapendingrestart

ResolvingUpdateProblemsYourcomputermayexperienceproblemscausedbyinstallingupdates.Althoughthishappensrarely,itdoeshappen.Youcanviewadetailedupdatehistoryandalistofsuccessful,pendingandfailedupdatesbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.ClickStartandthenclickSettings.InSettings,clickUpdate&Security.Intheleftpane,theWindowsUpdateoptionisselectedbydefault.2.Inthemainpane,scrolldownandthenclicktheAdvancedOptionslink.3.ClickViewUpdateHistory.OntheViewUpdateHistorypage,updateslistedwithaSuccessfulstatusweredownloadedandinstalled.UpdateslistedwithanUnsuccessfulstatusweredownloadedbutfailedtoinstall.UpdateslistedwiththeRequiresARestartstatusweredownloadedandwillbeinstalledwhenthecomputerisrestarted.

SomeimportantchangestoWindowsUpdatethatyoushouldknowabout.UnlikeearlyreleasesofWindows,Windows10getsupdatesfortheoperatingsystem,devicedriversandoptionalcomponentsautomatically.Youcan’tspecifythatyoudon’twanttheseupdates,norcanyoudeclineinstallingtheseupdate.However,youcanuninstallanoptionalupdatethatprovesproblematic.IfyouarealreadyontheViewYourUpdateHistorypage,clicktheUninstallUpdateslinktoopentheInstalledUpdatespageinControlPanel.Next,clicktheoptionalupdatetoremoveandthenclickUninstall.

OptimizingPerformance:FinalTune-upSuggestionsThroughoutthisbook,andinthischapterparticularly,I’vediscussedtechniquesforoptimizingyourcomputer’sperformance.Ifyou’vebeenfollowingalong,you’vefine-tunedjustabouteveryaspectofyourcomputer.Nowlet’slookatafewadditionalareasforthefinaltune-up,including:

ServicesandfeaturesVirtualmemoryDataexecutionpreventionSystemcacheHarddiskdrives

Thesectionsthatfollowdiscusseachinturn.

DisablingUnnecessaryServicesandFeaturesSystemservicesprovidecriticalfunctionsforyourcomputer.However,unnecessaryservicesusesystemresourcesandareapotentialsourceofsecurityproblems.Ifyourcomputerisrunningaserviceyoudon’tneed,suchasWorldwideWebPublishingService,youcandisabletheserviceorremovetherelatedfeature.

Typically,youshouldstartbydisablingservicesratherthanuninstallingcomponents.Thisway,ifyoudisableaservicethatwasactuallyneeded,youcaneasilyre-enableitifnecessary.Ifyouhavelocaladministratorprivilegesonyourcomputer,youcandisableaservicebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeServicesintheSearchbox,andthenpressEnter.ThisopenstheServicesconsole.2.Right-clicktheserviceyouwanttoconfigure,andthenchooseProperties.OntheGeneraltab,selectDisabledintheStartupTypedrop-downlist.3.Disablingaservicedoesn’tstoparunningservice;itonlypreventstheservicefrombeingstartedthenexttimethecomputerisbooted.Asnecessary,clickStopontheGeneraltabinthePropertiesdialogbox,andthenclickOK.

YoucanturnoffWindowsfeaturesbyfollowingthesesteps:

1.IntheSearchbox,typeWindowsFeatures,andthenpressEnter.ThisopenstheWindowsFeaturesdialogbox.2.Clearthecheckboxforthefeatureyouwanttoturnoff,andthenclickOK.Youmayneedtorestartyourcomputer.Ifpromptedtodoso,saveyourworkandthenclickRestart.

Fine-TuningVirtualMemoryYourcomputerusesvirtualmemorytoextendtheamountofavailableRAM.Virtualmemoryiswrittentodiskthroughaprocesscalledpaging.Theoperatingsystemcanaccessthepagingfile,Pagefile.sys,fromdiskwhenneededinplaceofphysicalmemory.Bydefault,Windows10createsaninitialpagingfileautomaticallyforthedrivecontainingtheoperatingsystemanddoesnotuseotherdrivesforpaging.

Typically,youdon’tneedtoputapagingfileonmultipledisks,becausedoingsowon’tnecessarilyboostperformance,butyoumaywanttoputthepagingfileonyourhighest-performingdrive.Windows10doesamuchbetterjobthanitspredecessorsdoofautomaticallymanagingvirtualmemory.Typically,Windows10allocatesvirtualmemoryatleastaslargeasthetotalphysicalmemoryinstalledonthecomputer.Thisapproachreducesfragmentationofthepagingfileandhelpstomaintainoverallread/writeperformance.

Ifyouwanttomanuallymanagevirtualmemory,you’lltypicallywanttouseafixedvirtualmemorysize.Youfixthesizeofthevirtualmemorybysettingtheinitialsizeandthemaximumsizetothesamevalue,andthisinturnpreventsfragmentationofthepagingfile.Formostcomputers,Irecommendsettingthetotalpagingfilesizesothatit’satleastaslargeasthephysicalRAM.

Youcanviewthecurrentvirtualmemoryconfigurationbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchbox,typeSystemPropertiesPerformance,andthenpressEntertoopenthePerformanceOptionsdialogbox.2.OntheAdvancedtab,clickChangetodisplaytheVirtualMemorydialogbox.

Note YoucangettothesamedialogboxthroughControlPanelaswell.ClickSystemAndSecurityandthenclickSystem.Intheleftpane,clickAdvancedSystemSettings.InthePerformancesection,clickSettingstoopenthePerformanceOptionsdialogbox.

Figure9-6showsanautomaticallymanagedpagingfileconfigurationontheleftandamanuallysetpagingfileconfigurationontheright.

Figure9-6Checkingyourcomputer’svirtualmemoryconfiguration

Notethefollowing:

AutomaticallyManagePagingFileSizeForAllDrives Controlswhethertheoperatingsystemmanagesthepagingfile.Drive[VolumeLabel]AndPagingFileSize(MB) Showsthecurrentconfigurationofvirtualmemory.Eachdiskvolumeislistedwithitsassociatedpagingfile(ifany).Theinitialandmaximumsizevaluesoftherelatedpagingfileareshownaswell.PagingFileSizeForEachDrive Providesinformationonthecurrentlyselecteddriveandallowsyoutosetitspagingfilesize.SpaceAvailableindicateshowmuchspaceisavailableonthedrive.TotalPagingFileSizeForAllDrives Showstheminimum,recommended,andcurrentlyallocatedvirtualmemory.

Youcanconfigurevirtualmemorybycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.OpentheVirtualMemorydialogboxanddooneofthefollowing:

IfyouwantWindowstomanagevirtualmemory,selectAutomaticallyManagePagingFileSizeForAllDrives,clickOK,andskipsteps2–4.Ifyouwanttoconfigurevirtualmemorymanually,clearAutomaticallyManagePagingFileSizeForAllDrivesandcontinuewithstep2.

2.IntheDrivebox,clickthediskvolumeyouwanttoworkwith,andthenselectCustomSize.3.Enteraninitialsizeandamaximumsizeforthepagingfileontheselecteddisk.ClickSettosavethechanges.4.Repeatsteps2and3foreachdiskvolumeyouwanttohaveapagingfile.5.ClickOK.IfpromptedtooverwriteanexistingPagefile.sysfile,clickYes.6.Ifyouupdatedthesettingsforapagingfilethatiscurrentlyinuse,youwillbepromptedthatyouneedtorestartthesystemforthechangestotakeeffect.ClickOK.

7.ClickOKtwicetoclosetheopendialogboxes.Apromptasksifyouwanttorestartthesystem.ClickRestart.

Fine-TuningDataExecutionPreventionWindows10usesDataExecutionPrevention(DEP)tomarkmemorylocationsusedbyapplicationsasnonexecutableunlessthelocationexplicitlycontainsexecutablecode.Ifanapplicationattemptstoexecutecodefromamemorypagemarkedasnonexecutable,theprocessorcanraiseanexceptionandpreventitfromexecuting.DEPisdesignedtothwartmalwarefrominsertingitselfintoareasofmemoryandinthiswayprotectsyourcomputer.

DEPisimplementedinhardwareandsoftware.Hardware-basedDEPisthemosteffectivebecauseitencompassesanyprogramorservicerunningonthecomputer.Software-basedDEPislesseffectivebecauseittypicallyworksbestonlywhenprotectingWindowsprogramsandservices.AlthoughDEPisdesignedtoprotectyourcomputer,thefeaturecanaffectperformance.

RealWorld Windows32-bitversionssupportDEPasimplementedoriginallybyAdvancedMicroDevicesInc.(AMD)processorsthatprovidetheno-executepage-protection(NX)processorfeature.SuchprocessorssupporttherelatedinstructionsandmustberunninginPhysicalAddressExtension(PAE)mode.Windows64-bitversionsalsosupporttheNXprocessorfeaturebutdonotneedtoberunninginPAEmode.

Youcandeterminewhetheryourcomputersupportshardware-basedDEPbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchbox,typeSystemPropertiesPerformance,andthenpressEntertoopenthePerformanceOptionsdialogbox.2.Ifyourcomputersupportshardware-basedDEP,thelowerportionoftheDataExecutionPreventiontabappearsasshowninFigure9-7.

Figure9-7Checkingforhardware-basedDEPsupport

Note YoucangettothesamedialogboxthroughControlPanelaswell.ClickSystemAndSecurityandthenclickSystem.Intheleftpane,clickAdvancedSystemSettings.InthePerformancesection,clickSettingstoopenthePerformanceOptionsdialogboxandthenselecttheDataExecutionPreventiontab.

AfteraccessingtheDataExecutionPreventiontab,youcanmanagethewayDEPworksbyusingtheseoptions:

TurnOnDEPForEssentialWindowsProgramsAndServicesOnly EnablesDEPonlyforservices,programs,andcomponentsoftheoperatingsystem.Thisisthedefaultandrecommendedsettingforcomputersthatsupportexecutionprotectionandareconfiguredappropriately.TurnOnDEPForAllProgramsAndServicesExceptThoseISelect EnablesDEPforservices,programs,andcomponentsoftheoperatingsystemandallotherprogramsandservicesthecomputerisrunning.

Someprogramswon’tworkwithorwillbecomeunstablewithDEP,andyoumayfindthatyouhavetoaddexceptionswhenyouenableDEPforallprograms.ClickAddtospecifyprogramsthatshouldrunwithoutexecutionprotection.Executionprotectionwillworkforallprogramsexceptthoseyouhavelisted.

EnhancingPerformancewithReadyBoostNon-criticalkernelmemoryispagedtovirtualmemory,aspartofthesystemcache.Althoughvirtualmemoryisuseful,readingfromandwritingtoadiskissignificantlyslowerthanreadingfromandwritingtophysicalmemory(RAM).Toreducetheperformanceimpactrelatedtoreadingandwritingthesystemcachefromvirtualmemory,youcanconfigureyourcomputertouseWindowsReadyBoost.

WindowsReadyBoostletsyouextendthedisk-cachingcapabilitiesofthecomputer’smainmemorytoaUSBflashdevicethathasatleast2GBofhigh-speedflashmemory.YoucannotconfigurethisfeatureonremovableharddrivesorUSBflashdeviceswithpoorlyperformingflashmemory.

Theoperatingsystemusestheflashmemoryprimarilyforcachingthatusesrandominput/outputandsmall,sequentialinput/outputratherthanlarge,sequentialinput/output.ThisisbecausetheflashmemoryisbettersuitedtorandomI/Oandsmall,sequentialinput/outputthanlarge,sequentialI/O.BycachingdataontheUSBflashdeviceinsteadofyourcomputer’sdiskdrives,Windowsmakesfasterrandomreads,whichboostsoverallperformancebecauseit’supto1,000percentfasterthanreadingfromphysicaldiskdrives.

RealWorld Asasafeguard,Windows10addsprotectiontopreventthesuddenremovalofaUSBflashdevicefromcrashingthecomputerandtopreventreadingofanysensitivedatawrittentotheflashdevice.Windows10eliminatesthepotentialfordatalosswhenremovingaflashdevicebywritingtothepagingfileondiskfirstandthencopyingdatatotheflashdevice.Windows10encryptsalldatawrittentoaflashdevicetopreventreadingofsensitivedataonanothercomputer.

ToenableWindowsReadyBoost,insertaUSBflashdeviceintoaUSB2.0orhigherport.Next,openFileExplorer.Intheleftpane,youshouldseeanentryfortheflashdevice.Theflashdevicewillbeassignedadriveletter,suchasF:.Ifyoudon’tseethedevice,selectThisPCandthenlookforthedeviceinthemainpaneunderDevicesAndDrives,asshowninFigure9-8.

Figure9-8LocatingtheUSBflashdeviceinThisPC

Next,right-clickthedevice,andthenselectProperties.Iftheflashdeviceisnotcompatible,you’llseeawarningaboutthis,asshowninthefirstexampleinFigure9-9;youwon’tbeabletoturnonReadyBoost.Iftheflashdeviceiscompatible,asshowninthesecondexampleinthefigure,youcanconfigureReadyBoost.

Youcanreservefrom230MBto4094MBofflashmemoryforReadyBoost.Irecommendusingasmuchaspossible.ToautomaticallyreservethemaximumamountofspaceforReadyBoost,selectDedicateThisDeviceToReadyBoost.Otherwise,selectUseThisDevice,andthenusetheSpaceToReserveForSystemSpeedsliderorcomboboxtosettheamountofspacetousewithReadyBoost.WhenyouclickOK,Windows10extendsthecomputer’sphysicalmemorytothedevice.

Figure9-9EnablingandconfiguringWindowsReadyBoost

Note Choosingeithersettingoptiondoesn’tpreventyoufromwritingfilestothedevice.YourchoicesimplydeterminestheamountofspacetoreserveforReadyBoost.Ifyoureservelessthanthetotalamountofspaceavailable,thefreespacecanbeusedforfilesanddata.

YoucansafelyremoveaUSBflashdevicethatusesReadyBoostatanytime.Simplyright-clicktheUSBflashdeviceintheThisPCwindow,andthenchooseEjectorSafelyRemove.

CleaningUpYourDiskDrivesYourcomputermayslowdownasitsdisksfilltocapacity,becauseitusesavailablespacetowritethepagingfileandothertemporaryfilesitneedstouse.Ideally,youshouldensurethatanydiskusedbytheoperatingsystemtowritesystemfileshasatleast15percentfreespace.Otherwise,youmaystarttonoticethatyourcomputerisnotasresponsiveasitshouldbe.

Youcancleanupyourcomputer’sdisksbyusingDiskCleanup,whichlocatestemporaryfilesandallowsyoutoremovethem.Temporaryfilesyoucandeleteinthiswayinclude:

Copiesofnetworkfilesdesignatedforofflineuse.DumpfilescreatedbecauseofSTOPerrors.FilesthathavebeendeletedfromthecomputerbutnotyetpurgedfromtheRecycleBin.Hibernationfilesusedwhenyourcomputerenterssleepmode.LogfilesandothertemporaryfilesthatOfficeuses.LogfilesthatWindowscreatedduringsetup.PreviousWindowsinstallationssavedunderWindows.old.Programsdownloadedforusebyyourbrowser.TemporarycopiesofrecentlyusedofflinefilesTemporaryfilesstoredintheTempfolderbyapplications.Temporaryfilesusedforerrorreportingandcheckingforsolutionstoproblems.TemporaryInternetfilesstoredtosupportbrowsercachingofpages.Thumbnailsofpictures,videos,anddocumentscreatedbyWindows.

Althoughyoucandeletemosttemporaryfileswithouthesitation,youmaywanttoretain:

Setuplogfiles,ifyouarestillconfiguringyourcomputerafterinstallation.PreviousWindowsinstallations,ifyouhaven’tsaveduserdataorothernecessarydatatheymaycontain.DumpfilesrelatedtounresolvedSTOPerrors,astheymaybeneededfortroubleshooting.Thumbnails,becauseWindowswouldneedtocreatethemthenexttimeyouaccessfolders.

Cleanupyourcomputer’sdiskbycompletingthefollowingsteps:

1.IntheSearchbox,typeDiskCleanup,andthenpressEnter.2.Selectthediskthatyouwanttocleanup.WhenyouclickOK,DiskCleanupexaminestheselecteddrive,lookingfortemporaryfilesthatcanbedeletedandfilesthatarecandidatesforcompression.Themorefilesonthedrive,thelongerthesearchprocesstakes.3.WhenDiskCleanupiscomplete,alistoftemporaryfilesthatcanbedeletedappearsasshowninFigure9-10.AddsystemfilestothecleanuplistbyclickingCleanUpSystemFiles,selectingtheprimarysystemdrive,andthenclickingOK.TheprimarysystemdiskisthediskwiththeWindowslogowhenyouviewitinFileExplorer.4.Bydefault,onlyafewtypesoftemporaryfilesareselected.As

appropriate,reviewtheothertypesoftemporaryfilesthatyoucandeleteandmarkthemfordeletionbyselectingthem.5.ClickOK.Whenpromptedtoconfirm,clickYes.

Figure9-10ReviewingfilestodeleteusingDiskCleanup

AutomatingMaintenanceWindows10performsautomatedmaintenancetohelpoptimizeyourcomputer’sperformance.Unfortunately,whiletheideaofsuchofthingsoundsterrific,therealityisabitdifferent.

WhyAutomatedMaintenanceBreaksBydefault,automatedmaintenanceoccursdailyat2:00AM.Ifyourcomputerisinsleepmodeatthistime,thecomputerwakesfromsleepandresumesnormaloperationsautomaticallysomaintenancecanbeperformed.Yourcomputerwillstayactiveduringthemaintenanceschedule.Bydefault,ifyourcomputerhasupdatesthatrequirearestart,yourcomputerrestartsat3:30AM.Aftertherestart,ifallgoeswell,yourcomputerwillresumeanymaintenancetasksthatstillneedtobeprocessorwaitfortheidletimetoelapseandthenre-entersleepmode.

Theseautomatedprocessesworkwell,butarefarfromperfect.Forstarters,yourcomputermustbepluggedinandrunningonACpowerforanyautomatedmaintenancetooccur.Second,ausermustalsobeloggedinandthecomputermustbeeitheridleorinsleepmode.Ifyouloggedoutofyourcomputerandnootheruserisloggedin,automatedmaintenancewon’toccur,norwillitoccurifyouorsomeoneelseisusingyourcomputerduringthemaintenancewindow.

Startingtoseeaproblemhere?Yes?Well,there’smore.Ifthemaintenancewindowismissed,Windowswon’ttryagainuntilthenextdayatthescheduledmaintenancetime.Additionally,thehousekeepingtasksdon’tfollowthesesamerules.Onceadiskcheckordiskdefragstart,theywillcontinueuntiltheyarefinished,regardlessofwhetherauserisloggedon—andbothofthesetaskswillcontinuerunningoffandonforupto3daysifnecessary.

OptimizingtheMaintenanceWindowPersonally,Idon’twantmycomputertowakeat2:00AM,nordoIwantittorestartat3:30AM.I’moftengoingintotheofficeandfindingthecomputerrunningwhenIarriveforworkinthemorning—hoursafteritshouldhavereenteredsleepmode.Therearemanyreasonsthiscanhappen.Thetwomostcommon:Apendingactionorpoweroptionsthatpreventsleepmodewhenidle.

BecauseIdon’twantmycomputerrunningfor5,6,7or8hoursbeforeIgettotheoffice,Iconfigureautomatedmaintenancetostartabout2andahalfhoursbeforehandandIschedulerestartstooccuraboutanhourandahalflater.

Youcanchangethemaintenancestarttimebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeSecurityAndMaintenanceintheSearchboxandpressEnter.2.InSecurityAndMaintenance,expandtheMaintenancepanelandthenclickChangeMaintenanceSettings.3.OntheAutomaticMaintenancepage,showninFigure9-11,usetheRunMaintenanceTasksliststosetthedesiredstarttime,suchas6:00AM.4.Optionally,ifyoudon’twantWindowstowakeyourcomputertoperformautomatedmaintenance,cleartheAllowScheduledMaintenance…checkbox.5.ClickOKtosaveyoursettings.

Figure9-11Settingthemaintenancestarttime

RunningMaintenanceManuallyOfthemanyhousekeepingtasksperformedduringautomatedmaintenance,thesearethemostimportant:

CheckDiskDiskDefragmentProblemReporting

Yourcomputerisconstantlyreadingfromandwritingtoitsprimarydisk.Ifaparticularsectororclusteronadiskisdamagedorotherwisecannotbewrittento,yourcomputerwillexperienceproblemswheneverittriestoreadfromorwritetothissectororcluster.Althoughtheoperatingsystemanddrivecontrollershelptomitigateandcorrectdiskproblems,theycan’tpreventandcorrectalldiskproblems.Occasionallyerrorsoccur,andCheckDiskcancorrecttheseerrors.

Anotherproblemthatcausesdiskdrivestoperformpoorlyisfragmentation.Fragmentationoccurswhenafilecan’tbewrittentoasinglecontiguousareaonthediskandtheoperatingsystemmustwriteasinglefiletoseveralareasonthedisk.Notonlydoesthisslowdownthewriteprocess,italsoslowsdownthereadprocess.Toreducefragmentation,Windows10usesDiskDefragmentertodefragmentdisksautomatically.

Othertypesofproblemsthatoccuronyourcomputermaybedetectedbyautomatedproblemreportinganddiagnostics,whichwerediscussedin“CheckingforProblemsThatAreAffectingPerformance”inChapter8.

Youcaninitiatetheseandothermaintenancetasksatanytimebyfollowingthesesteps:

1.TypeSecurityAndMaintenanceintheSearchboxandpressEnter.2.InSecurityAndMaintenance,expandtheMaintenancepanelandthenclickStartMaintenance.

AbouttheAuthorWilliamR.Stanek(http://www.williamrstanek.com)hasmorethan20yearsofhands-onexperiencewithadvancedprogramminganddevelopment.Heisaleadingtechnologyexpert,anaward-winningauthor,andapretty-darn-goodinstructionaltrainer.Overtheyears,hispracticaladvicehashelpedmillionsofprogrammers,developers,andnetworkengineersallovertheworld.In2013,Williamcelebratedthepublicationofhis150thbook.

WilliamhasbeeninvolvedinthecommercialInternetcommunitysince1991.Hiscorebusinessandtechnologyexperiencecomesfrommorethan11yearsofmilitaryservice.Hehassubstantialexperienceindevelopingservertechnology,encryption,andInternetsolutions.Hehaswrittenmanytechnicalwhitepapersand

trainingcoursesonawidevarietyoftopics.Hefrequentlyservesasasubjectmatterexpertandconsultant.

WilliamhasanMSwithdistinctionininformationsystemsandaBSincomputerscience,magnacumlaude.HeisproudtohaveservedinthePersianGulfWarasacombatcrewmemberonanelectronicwarfareaircraft.HeflewonnumerouscombatmissionsintoIraqandwasawardedninemedalsforhiswartimeservice,includingoneoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica’shighest-flyinghonors,theAirForceDistinguishedFlyingCross.Currently,heresidesinthePacificNorthwestwithhiswifeandchildren.

Williamrecentlyrediscoveredhisloveofthegreatoutdoors.Whenhe’snotwriting,hecanbefoundhiking,biking,backpacking,traveling,ortrekkinginsearchofadventurewithhisfamily!Inhissparetime,Williamwritesbooksforchildren,includingTheBugvilleCrittersExploretheSolarSystemandTheBugvilleCrittersGoonVacation.

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