Windows 10: Tips for Non-Techies

RumRat

Top Tip(s).
Read this.....How to use W10.....All you need to understand W10 and be enabled to use it properly.

spud17

Left click the start icon, there is a capital letter before each group of programs, left click and it will open an alphabetic menu.

ThemeOne

Jivesinger wrote: »

The first time you log into a new computer, as soon as you've got to the normal desktop screen, just walk away, and leave the computer switched on for a while before you do very much.

Windows 10 does a lot to sort itself out, rebuild search indexes etc. in the background, and if you leave it to its own devices for a while I find it's more pleasant to use later.

The same applies just after a major update (the ones where you get a blank screen with the word 'Hi' in the middle, which are actually a version upgrade).

Good tip. I'd go even further and whenever possible try and log in about 10 minutes before I actually need to start doing anything, as so many background tasks seem to be kicked off at startup - this was an issue in previous Windows versions too.

It's one of the reasons why I like Linux - at least the way mine is set up - once you've got the desktop you're ready to go!

grumpycrab

Following on from previous tip,if your computer is slow to startup - switch off your computer using hibernate rather than shutdown and you will find that startup is much quicker.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2859-enable-disable-hibernate-windows-10-a.html

GunJack

Frozen_up_north wrote: »

I use Acronis True Image with an external hard drive:
https://www.acronis.com/

<snip>

Many of us hate the Win 10 user interface, Classic Shell puts a Win XP, or Win 7 "shell" on it. The start menu becomes much easier to use.

The latter two are free.

probably the best tips so far .......

using hibernate - I personally would advise against this, after seeing no end of systems over the years that have had to be re-installed when the hiberfil.sys file has corrupted and the system has become unbootable....safer to shutdown properly and avoid the risk.

PsiDOC

For the ultimate windows 10 tweak tool, google W10Privacy.
it's donate ware, less than 2mb download and lets you tweak a lot of the hidden settings and remove the applications that Windows insists on forcing on us at every major update.

RumRat

Top tip....Don't install classic shell or any other software to make it like W7. Get over the fact that it's different and learn how to use it...
Of course, it's just an opinion.....;)

Frozen_up_north

PsiDOC wrote: »

For the ultimate windows 10 tweak tool, google W10Privacy.
it's donate ware, less than 2mb download and lets you tweak a lot of the hidden settings and remove the applications that Windows insists on forcing on us at every major update.

I forgot to mention Spybot Antibeacon in my earlier post. It also changes settings, but with an emphasis on stopping Windows phoning home with your data. https://www.safer-networking.org/spybot-anti-beacon/

Teapot55

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Most important tip Back it up, and keep backing it up

Yes, I would wholeheartedly agree with this!

I use a usb stick to back my stuff up, especially the spreadsheets I work on. They are very small files, well under 1MB but if you put a lot of work into them then they disappear for some reason, not good.

debitcardmayhem

Teapot55 wrote: »

Yes, I would wholeheartedly agree with this!

I use a usb stick to back my stuff up, especially the spreadsheets I work on. They are very small files, well under 1MB but if you put a lot of work into them then they disappear for some reason, not good.

I hope you use 3 sticks and rotate them :cool: