Navigating Windows 10 Like a Pro: Our Comprehensive Guide
Over the years, Windows has become the world’s most popular desktop operating system. With Windows 10, Microsoft aimed to create their most powerful, flexible, and user-friendly version yet.
But even experienced Windows users can sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the settings and customization options available. To help you master Windows 10, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide covering some of the most useful tips, tricks, and capabilities.
Whether you’ve just upgraded to Windows 10 or have been using it for years, read on to become a true Windows power user.
Taking Control of Updates
One of the biggest changes in Windows 10 is its new "Windows as a service" update model. Instead of having separate service packs, all updates now roll out automatically through Windows Update.
For many users, this is convenient. Your PC will always stay up-to-date with the latest features and security patches. However, some users may prefer more control over the update process.
Luckily, Windows 10 offers plenty of options to customize your update experience:
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Pause Updates– If you need to temporarily pause updates, you can do so under Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. Use this when you need to ensure updates don’t interrupt important work.
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Defer Feature Updates– You can defer receiving major feature updates for up to a year under Advanced Options. This gives you time to prepare for significant changes.
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Set Active Hours– Windows won’t restart for updates during your set active hours. You can configure these under Advanced Options as well.
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Disable Automatic Restart– If you prefer to manually restart to finish installing updates, you can prevent automatic restarts under Advanced Options.
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Modify Update Policies– Using the Local Group Policy Editor, you can fine-tune additional update settings like the update deferral period.
Taking a few minutes to customize these options can go a long way towards having a smooth, predictable update experience.
Boosting Performance
Over time, even the newest PCs can start to feel sluggish as they accumulate data, apps, and other cruft. Luckily, Windows 10 includes a variety of tools to help optimize and speed up your system:
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Storage Sense– This automatically frees up space by deleting temporary files and items in the recycle bin older than 30 days. Enable it under Settings > System > Storage.
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Startup Apps– Too many apps launching at boot can slow down startup time. Disable unnecessary ones under Settings > Apps > Startup.
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Services– Like startup apps, too many services running in the background can hamper performance. Disable unneeded ones with the Services snap-in.
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Visual Effects– Disable animations and transparency effects under Performance Options for a speed boost.
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Power Options– Switch to a high performance power plan and ensure PCI Express Link State Power Management is disabled for lower latency.
Try out a combination of these tweaks to dramatically improve boot, shutdown, and general responsiveness.
Enhancing Security
While Windows Defender provides adequate protection for most users, you can take security a step further by:
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Microsoft Defender Application Guard– This uses virtualization to isolate Edge from the rest of your system, preventing web-based attacks.
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Windows Sandbox– Test suspicious apps in an isolated desktop so they can’t affect your PC.
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BitLocker– Encrypt your drives to prevent data theft.
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Windows Defender Credential Guard– Protect your credentials from attacks like Pass-the-Hash.
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App locker– Only allow trusted apps to run via Group Policy.
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Exploit Protection– Mitigate both known and zero day vulnerabilities.
Investing some time into locking down Windows 10 can prevent headaches down the road. Treat security as an ongoing process rather than a one-and-done chore.
Customizing the Interface
While the Windows 10 interface strikes a good balance for most users, Microsoft allows ample ways to tweak and personalize things:
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Dark Mode– Under Colors in Personalization settings, you can enable a system-wide dark theme. This can reduce eye strain in low light.
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Desktop Icons– Enable small, medium, or large desktop icons under Themes in Personalization.
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Taskbar– Unlock additional taskbar options by right-clicking it and selecting "Taskbar settings." Tweak auto-hide, location, buttons, and more.
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File Explorer– Under View in File Explorer, customize options like showing hidden files, folder paths, extensions, and the ribbon.
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Start Menu– Resize, move, and toggle the transparency of the Start menu by right clicking it and choosing "Settings."
Take advantage of these tweaks to create a Windows 10 experience tailored specifically for you.
Wrapping Up
Becoming a Windows expert requires time and practice. But armed with the tips above, you can unlock capabilities you never knew existed and tailor things to match your style and priorities.
We hope this guide gave you a launchpad to truly mastering Windows 10. Let us know if you have any other favorite tips or tricks! There’s always more to learn with Windows.
