Volume 2

Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

Getting the
most from the
new OS

Windows 10 Guide - Vol 2 1 windowssecrets.com

From the editors of Windows Secrets
 The Windows 10 Guide
Volume 2
Getting the most from the new OS

Copyright 2016 by WindowsSecrets.com.

All rights reserved.
Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

CONTENTS

Introduction..................................................................................................................................................5

Getting the Most from the New OS.......................................................................................................6

Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System.................................................................................................................... 7

It all starts with the Win10 setup wizard........................................................................................................................... 7
Installing all your must-have applications.......................................................................................................................... 8
Turn on a few important and useful settings...................................................................................................................... 9
Create separate administrator and user accounts........................................................................................................ 10
Wrapping up the initial setup process.............................................................................................................................. 11

Help for Win10 1607s Confusing Wi-Fi settings............................................................................................................. 12

Getting to know Win10s wireless options...................................................................................................................... 12

Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X.................................................................................................................. 15

Master of the keyboard: The Windows-logo key............................................................................................................ 15
Other Winkey shortcuts for editing/navigation............................................................................................................. 16
Win10s command prompt is now on steroids............................................................................................................... 17
A few new shortcuts for Microsofts Edge browser........................................................................................................ 18

Working Through Win10s Many Privacy Settings.......................................................................................................... 20

Taking More Control Over What MS Knows About You.............................................................................................. 23

Sorting Through the Changes in Windows Licensing...................................................................................................... 24

Tying the OS license to specific hardware........................................................................................................................ 24
Can Win10 run in a VPC or dual-boot setup?................................................................................................................ 25
Software including the OS as a service.................................................................................................................... 25

Taking Control Over Win10s Native Applications........................................................................................................... 27

Removing unwanted native-Win10 applications.......................................................................................................... 27
Decluttering the taskbar in Version 1607....................................................................................................................... 30

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Contents

Maintenance & Troubleshooting......................................................................................................... 31

Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System................................................................................................................. 32

A mix of old and new features and functions.................................................................................................................. 33
A general overview of Win10s backup and restore ..................................................................................................... 33
Local user-file backup and recovery.................................................................................................................................. 34
Remote user-file backup and recovery............................................................................................................................. 36
OS, apps, and settings backup and recovery................................................................................................................... 37
If needed: Many alternative backup systems.................................................................................................................. 39
One excellent reason to try Win10s backups ............................................................................................................... 39

How to Use the Windows 10 Recovery Drive.................................................................................................................... 40

Preparing the Recovery Drive on a flash drive........................................................................................................... 40
Booting Windows from the recovery drive...................................................................................................................... 42
Advanced options: When you dont need to reinstall................................................................................................... 42
Reset and Recover: Reinstalling Windows 10................................................................................................................ 45

Keeping Win10 Updated Gets More Complicated........................................................................................................... 47

Coping with frequent Win10-patching releases............................................................................................................ 47
Ways to opt out temporarily of Win10 updating.................................................................................................. 48

How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade.................................................................................................................... 51

Two steps to a completely clean Win10 setup............................................................................................................... 51
In brief: The essential, initial upgrade............................................................................................................................... 52
The fast, easy, Reset clean-install method....................................................................................................................... 54
A bare-metal install, Step 1: create setup media........................................................................................................... 55
A bare-metal install, Step 2: Setting up Win10.............................................................................................................. 57
Last setup steps and activation troubleshooting........................................................................................................... 59

Upgrade Vista to Win10 without a clean install!............................................................................................................... 61

Lost and Found: Windows 10s Safe Mode.......................................................................................................................... 63

A workaround for accessing Windows safe mode......................................................................................................... 63
A quick launch of Win10 Troubleshoot............................................................................................................................ 64
Launching the classic startup options.............................................................................................................................. 65

A Fix for When Edge Misbehaves............................................................................................................................................ 67

Can't Use Office Documents After Upgrade....................................................................................................................... 70

Running a "Tune-Up" Tool Creates Huge Mess.................................................................................................................. 71

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Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

INTRODUCTION

With Windows 10 Guide, Volume 2, we dig deeper into the working of Microsofts latest
operating system.

This edition begins with setup and then addresses the intricacies of Microsofts licensing
changes, offers a compendium of shortcut keys, and provides a tutorial explaining Win10s
many privacy settings. All these topics are a useful introduction to the OS; theyre good as
well for future reference.

The guide then proceeds to maintenance and troubleshooting advice. No matter how care-
fully you work, computing mishaps happensometimes, unfortunately, via software upgrades.
Youll find tips here to help you out of a variety of troubles. As with Volume 1, this new collec-
tion of articles also includes links to additional information at Windows Secrets (paid content)
and on other sites.

We wish you well with Windows 10. And thank you for supporting Windows Secrets!

The editors

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GETTING the MOST
from the NEW OS
 Getting the Most from the New OS | Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System

Tips for Setting Up a New

Windows 10 System
By Lincoln Spector

Willingly or not, youve purchased a new PC and it has Windows

10 installed.

But youve got plenty of chores to do before you can play (er, work)
with your new machine.

Theres software to install, personalization settings to change, and your

files to import. But where to start? Here are some tips that should make
the process faster, smoother, and safer.

It all starts with the Win10 setup wizard

Get going fast When you boot the new PC for the first time,
the Windows setup wizard proudly recom-
mends that you should Get going fast to
Change these at any time (scroll to see more). Select U which I say: No! Take it slow. As much as
Personalize your speech, typing, and inking input by sen
possible, you want to make your own choices
with other associated input data to Microsoft. Let Micros about how your new system is set up.
and recognition platforms.
Before clicking anything, look in the low-
Let Windows and apps request your location, including l er-left corner of that screen; youll find the
use your advertising ID to personalize your experiences. Customize settings option in tiny letters
location data to improve location services. (See Figure 1). Click it! (Always check the
lower-left corner of Windows screens; its
Help protect you from malicious web content and use pa
browsing, and make your overall experience better in Wi
typically where Microsoft puts stuff they
sent to Microsoft. dont want you to notice.)

Automatically connect to suggested open hotspots and Next youll go through three pages of Cus-
secure. tomize settings. Decide which you want to
turn off (you can always turn them back on
Get updates from and send updates to PCs on the Intern later). I recommend turning off everything in
Learn more
the first two pages and nothing in the third.

Customize settings The Make it yours page provides fields for

setting up your online Microsoft account as
your user account. Its simple and straight-
Figure 1. Take control of Win10 security and privacy from forward assuming you already have a
the start by clicking the Customize settings option. Microsoft account and you want it tied to
everything you do.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System

If you dont have a Microsoft account, click

Create one. Note, however that its not
required. If youd prefer a local account
one not tied to the cloud click Skip this
step (in the lower-left corner of the screen,
of course; see Figure 2) to create one.

Let Windows finish the rest of its setup

and housekeeping tasks.

Installing all your must-have applications

It will take some time to install all your
favorite productivity apps, utilities, enter-
tainment software, and so on. But installing
them in the right order will smooth the task.

Protecting your system from attack comes

first. Install the anti-malware programs
of your choice. (Never rely solely on one.)
Next, add your password manager and
move its password database to the new
computer. (The managers help system
should tell you how, or you might be able
Figure 2. You can set up Win10 with a local account, but
Microsoft doesnt make that option obvious.
to synch the databases over the cloud.)
Youll find having your passwords at hand
convenient as you set up other programs.

If youre not a fan of Internet Explorer or

Edge, install your favorite browser. Many
browsers let you store bookmarks and
other preferences in the cloud (see Figure
3). If youve enabled this on your old PC,
sign in to your browser account on the
new machine, as well. (See what I mean
about the password manager?)

Now would be a good time to download

and install whatever cloud-based synch-
ing and storage services you use. (But
you dont have to install OneDrive its
already there.)

Install the rest of your applications as you

Figure 3. Firefoxs options for synching a users browser data need them. The order doesnt really mat-
ter much at this point.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System

Turn on a few important and useful settings

This is your PC, not Microsofts. Changing a few
defaults will make the PC more reliable, econom-
ical, and private.

Turn on system restore: Believe it or not, System

Restore is turned off by default in Windows 10.
Thats a bit like buying a new car and no one told
you that you have to turn on the airbag system.
(And by the time you find out, its probably
too late.)

Enter restore point into the Win10 search bar

and select Create a restore point. In the System
Properties dialog boxs System Protection tab,
click the Configure button.

In the resulting dialog box, enable Turn on sys-

tem protection and select a percentage of the Figure 4. Win10 doesnt have System Restore turned
hard drive you wish to devote to storing restore on by default.
points (see Figure 4).

Check that libraries are visible:

Libraries those virtual folders for
storing documents, music, pictures,
and so on were one of Windows
7s best innovations. But with Win-
dows 8, Microsoft hid them.

If they dont appear in your copy

of Win10, bring them back to life.
Open File Explorer (Win10s Win-
dows Explorer equivalent), click or
tap the View tab and then Naviga-
tion pane. Put a check mark in the
Show libraries box (see Figure 5).

Keep OneDrive from taking over the

libraries: Microsoft really wants
you to put your data into the com-
panys cloud-storage service. After
all, if you have lots of files, it can
charge you for the service. If that Figure 5. By default, Win10 doesnt have libraries enabled;
concerns you, see my PCWorld but thats easy to change.
article on fixing this issue.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System

Consider creating separate Windows and data partitions: System code and data are like cooking
and composting; theyre kind of connected, but they have different purposes and require dif-
ferent approaches. The best way to protect your Windows environment and your data (and
libraries) is by putting them on different drives or on different partitions on the same drive.

The instructions from a 2012 Best Practices article explains how. Now, though, that
Win10s file-backup system File History is designed to work with only certain folders.
For more information, see the MS Support article, File History in Windows.

Protect your privacy: Microsoft wants to be your friend. It wants to know you better. It
wants to keep an eye out for you.

If that freaks you out (as it does me), you need to

check out Fred Langas article on privacy settings. How will this person sign in?
Create separate administrator and user accounts Enter the email address or phone number of the person yo
use Windows. Office, Outlook.com, OneDrive, Skype, or Xb
Sure, you might be the only one to use the new PC, phone number they use to sign in.
but two different accounts will make you a safer
user. If youve been following my instructions up to Email or phone
this point, you have just one user account set up
an administrator account. For setting up a PC, that
makes sense; for day to day use, not so much.
l dont have this persons sign-in information
Privacy statement
As weve said many times in both Patch Watch and
various On Security articles, you increase your Next
vulnerability if you do most of your computing in an
admin-level account. Spending most of your time in
Figure 6. Setting up a second account for the
a standard-user account will reduce the likelihood same user isnt obvious.
of a successful attack.

Heres how to set up a standard account by setting

up a new admin account. It might seem counter-in-
Other users
tuitive, but the following steps will save you setup/ Allow people who are not part of your family to si
customization time. own accounts. This won't add them to your family

Add someone else to this PC

Select Start/Settings/Accounts. Click Family &
other users in the left pane, then click Add some-
one else to this PC. Admin
Local account
When Windows asks how the new user will sign Change account type
in, look for the I dont have this persons sign-in
information link in you guessed it the low-
Figure 7. You must give the new admin account
er-left corner of the screen. administrator rights.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Tips for Setting Up a New Windows 10 System

In the Lets create your account screen, select Add a user without a Microsoft
Account again, in the lower-left corner.

Give the new user a name (I suggest Admin) and an original password.

This brings you back to the Setup/Accounts window. Select the new account and then
click Change account type. Select Administrator.

Now sign out of your original account and sign in to the new Admin (or whatever you named
it) account (open Start, click your name at the top of the Start menu, and select Sign out.

After you have the new administrator account open, go to Account Settings/Family &
other people, select the original account, and change its type to Regular.

Sign out of the admin account and open the regular account
and use it for your daily computing.

From here on in, you wont be able to change the Windows environment from your regular
account without first entering the Admin password and youll be safer for it.

Wrapping up the initial setup process

As any Windows user knows, setup and maintenance work on a PC is never really done. But
by this point, your new machine should function mostly the way you want it to. (There are
many other Win10 customizations youll eventually look at.) Now all you need to do is move
your data and do a full backup of the new system.

Windows 10 doesnt come with a tool for migrating your data. If you have your entire
library contents in OneDrive or a similar service, itll download automatically.

Otherwise, you can use your local network or an external hard drive to drag and drop
files from your old computer to the new one. Just make sure you drag everything to the
right library folder: Documents to Documents, Music to Music, and so on.

Make a complete backup, using the utility of your choice. I recommend creating an image
backup of drive C: and a conventional file backup for your data partition.

If youre new to Win10s built-in backup system, check out the Best of breed: Win10s
hybrid backup system section below.

Congratulations. Your new PC ready for play or if youre not so lucky, ready for work.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Help for Win10 1607s Confusing Wi-Fi Settings

Help for Win10 1607s

confusing Wi-Fi settings
By Tracey Capen

More so than any previous version of Windows,

Win10 is an evolving operating system. Each new
update brings forth new features and user-interface
changes. And thats especially the case with the
Anniversary Update.

Heres what you should know about the changes

in Win10s Wi-Fi settings, plus how to review and
manage a bit of what Microsoft knows about you.

Getting to know Win10s wireless options

Mobility is a central theme running
through Windows 10, and Microsoft
has made a few changes with the Anni-
versary Update. Mobility is a central theme
In Version 1511, clicking Settings/Net- running Windows 10,
work & Internet will list Wi-Fi among
the options if you have an active and Microsoft has made
wireless adapter in your device. Clicking
Wi-Fi displays found wireless networks
plus links to more settings. Advanced
a few changes with the
options, for example, simply displays
the name, driver version, and address of
Anniversary Update.
your devices wireless adapter.

(Note: If you have an older system that doesnt include Wi-Fi, you can add a simple USB
dongle [Amazon example] for about U.S. $20. I use one as a backup, for when my Ethernet
powerline adapters decide to lock up.)

Clicking the Manage Wi-Fi settings link pops up another window with two options: Wi-Fi
Sense and Paid Wi-Fi services. Wi-Fi Sense generated an uproar of criticism from users
concerned about Windows 10s lack of user privacy. Foremost, was the option to automati-
cally connect to networks shared by my contacts.

A second option, Connect to suggested open hotspots also raised security and privacy
concerns. (If youre still on Version 1511, youll probably want to ensure that both options
are turned off.)

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Help for Win10 1607s Confusing Wi-Fi Settings

Microsoft Wi-Fi The second option on the main

Wi-Fi windows, Paid Wi-Fi ser-
vices, lets Windows automatically
connect to open networks and
Microsoft Wi-Fi check whether any paid wireless
Access Wi-Fi when you travel with instant pay-as-you go Wi-Fi access at m hotspots are available. I assume
Buy convenient Microsoft Wi-Fi pay-as-you-go plans for the time that you thats for connecting to subscrip-
Microsoft Wi-Fi hotspots varies by country/region. For a list of countries/re
tion-based services such as Boingo,
To get started: AT&T on the go, Comcast XFin-
1. Sign in to your laptop or tablet using your Microsoft account in order to ity WiFi, or other. (Theres a lot of
online information about how to
2. Choose your Wi-Fi network and click View Plans and purchase Microso
turn this feature on or off, but not
3. Congrats, you should now be connected! much on what it actually does.)
Learn more
However, I suspect its mostly
Additional terms designed for the little-known,
Microsoft Wi-Fi website work-in-progress call Microsoft
Wi-Fi (Figure 8; more info), a ser-
vice that lets you connect to paid,
Figure 8. The Microsoft Wi-Fi app provides some confusing
third-party hotspots via a Micro-
information on how to use the new service.
soft account. The service/app was
announced in mid-2015, and its initial setup is rather confusing. (Again, Microsofts docu-
mentation is wanting. Note: As I was finishing this article, the MS Wi-Fi site changed to a
mostly blank page with only Coming soon on it.)

Microsoft offers an app for its Wi-Fi service at the Windows Store, though it was already
installed on my Win10 system when I went looking for it. Launching the app popped up a
window with basic instructions and some obtuse information links. According to the FAQ,
youre buying Internet access for a set amount of time. But you cant buy time before con-
necting to a participating third-party site, and there are no long-term subscriptions.

The new options in Win10 1607: With the Anniversary Update, Microsoft changed the
arrangement of Win10s Wi-Fi settings. When you click Settings/Network & Internet/
Wi-Fi, youre presented with four options and no list of available networks. (Again, the
Wi-Fi window appears only if you have a wireless adapter installed.)

The first new option is to turn Wi-Fi on or off. Below the switch is a Show available net-
works link, and thats where youll see the list of nearby Wi-Fi networks. Note that you can
also quickly access available networks and turn the wireless adapter on and off by selecting
Win10s notifications icon and clicking the Network quick-action button.

Next up is Wi-Fi Sense, but now the only option is Connect to suggested open hotspots.
Microsoft killed off the option of automatically connecting to networks shared by contacts.
Even so, you should ensure that Wi-Fi Sense is turned off its security issues are obliquely
summarized by a short note that Not all Wi-Fi networks are secure. No kidding.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Help for Win10 1607s Confusing Wi-Fi Settings

Wi-Fi New to the Anniversary Update is

Wi-Fi Hotspot 2.0 networks (Figure 9). It
seems related to the Paid Wi-Fi ser-
On vices option (which still exists) but
uses a new public-wireless standard.
Show available networks
Officially known as Wi-Fi Certified
Hardware properties Passpoint (more info), Hotspot 2.0 is
designed to make using public Wi-Fi
Manage known networks
more like cellular services.
Wi-Fi Sense
With a cellphone, as you move from
Wi-Fi Sense connects you to suggested Wi-Fi hotspots.
place to place, your connection is auto-
Remember, not all Wi-Fi networks are secure. matically, securely, and seamlessly
Learn more handed off from one tower to another.
Hotspot 2.0 is supposed to provide a
Connect to suggested open hotspots
similar experience though with far
Off
less ubiquity.

Hotspot 2.0 networks The standard was released a few years

Hotspot 2.0 networks might be available in certain public places,
ago, but the rollout has been painfully
like airports, hotels, and cafes. slow. To start, both your operating sys-
tem and device hardware must sup-
Let me use Online Sign-Up to get connected
port the new standard. Next, you must
Off sign up with each business that offers
When this is turned on, you can see a list of network provicers for it. For example, youd have to get sepa-
Online Sign-Up after you choose a Hotspot 2.0 network. rate credentials for Boingo and AT&T.
But once youre established with a
particular company, say, AT&T, future
Paid Wi-Fi services
connections to compatible Wi-Fi net-
Get online when youre on the go by buying Wi-Fi. When turned works are automatic and encrypted.

Figure 9. Win10 1607 adds OS support for the

If youre using public Wi-Fi regularly,
relatively new Hotspot 2.0 standard.
you might want to check that your
new laptop or tablet supports Hotspot 2.0 and that youre on Win10 1607 (not a given).
Bottom line: Any additional wireless security is welcome. (For more on Windows 10 and
Hotspot 2.0, check out the Microsoft Channel 9 page.)

A quick reminder about unwanted home hotspots: Some ISPs have pushed open hotspots
running from home routers. For example, a year or two ago, some of us at Windows Secrets
received new Comcast boxes that had open hotspots enabled by default. So you might what
to check that your paid Internet access isnt being used by others. In the case of Comcast
(which I use reluctantly), an information page (click Home Hotspot at the top) describes the
service and gives a link for disabling it.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X

Windows 10
Keyboard Shortcuts,
from A to X
By Michael Lasky

As with previous Windows versions, Win10 offers

dozens of keyboard shortcuts to speed up your daily
computing tasks and some familiar shortcuts from previous
versions have been reassigned in the new OS.

Some Windows users pride themselves on the number of keyboard shortcuts theyve
memorized. But most of us need a bit of help; heres an A-through-X cheat sheet of useful
Win 10 shortcuts.

For Win8 users, well help with the transition to Win10 by pointing out shortcuts that have
been reassigned, added, or deleted in the new OS.

And if you havent upgraded to Win10 just yet, you can review the common keyboard
shortcuts for Win7 and Win 8 in the June 5, 2014, Top Story.

Master of the keyboard: The Windows-logo key

Arguably the most powerful key on the Windows keyboard is the one with the Windows
logo embossed on it commonly referred to as the Winkey. As youll see below, combining
that key with another lets you do many useful things. (Note: Most of the following are sim-
ple two-key combos; unless specifically shown, theyre not Winkey + Shift + [letter].)

WINKEY SHORTCUTS
Opens the Action Center, giving quick access to the Windows Notification bar.
+A
(Its new to Win10.)

Sets focus on the Show hidden icons icon in the taskbar. (In Win8, this combo switched to
+B
the Desktop from the Metro Start Screen.)

Opens Cortana in listening mode, if you have Microsofts AI assistant enabled.

+C
(Previously, this opened Win8s Charms menu.)

Displays and hides all open applications on the desktop. (In Win8, this combo toggled
+D
between Desktop and Start screen.)

+E Opens File Explorer as it has in previous Windows versions.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X

WINKEY SHORTCUTS
Opens the Share charm.
+H
(I bet you didnt know that Win10 has remnants of the Win8 charms bar.)

+I Opens the Settings panel.

Opens the wireless connection panel to quickly connect to wireless devices such as print-
+K
ers, Bluetooth, mice, keyboards, and others.)

+L Locks the PC and returns you to the sign-in screen; its also a quick way to switch accounts.

+M Minimizes all open windows.

+ Shift + M Restores minimized windows on desktop.

+O Locks device orientation on tablets and some laptops.

Offers quick access to Project mode, letting you choose a presentation mode for projectors
+P
or second monitors.

Opens the Run dialog box. If you type cmd there, youll open a command-prompt window.
+R
(Win10 has new commands; more on that below.)

Opens the search-bar window, where you can change search settings and enable/disable
+S Cortana. If location services are switched on, items such as nearby restaurants, movie
times, and other local events will appear. (This is new in Win10.)

+T Cycles through apps on the taskbar, starting with the left-most app.

Opens the Ease of Access Center; if your sound is on, youll hear an audible assistant (Nar-
+U
rator) introduce available functions. Otherwise, just click your selection.

+V Cycles through notifications if you have any pending; if none, this combo does nothing.

Opens the Quick Link menu in the lower-left corner of the desktop.
+X
(This menu can also be opened by right-clicking the Start button.)

Other Winkey shortcuts for editing/navigation

Some of Win10s new features have accompanying key combos. For example:

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X

WINKEY SHORTCUTS FOR EDITING AND NAVIGATING

Opens Task view, which displays large thumbnails of all open applications. Alt + Tab per-
+ Tab
forms a similar function.

+ Ctrl + D Switch to virtual desktop to the left.

Lets you add a new virtual desktop (new to Win10).

+ Ctrl + F4
Its handy for multitasking without icon clutter.

Virtual desktops are not permanent and can be deleted without losing any configuration of
the original desktop. As you create virtual desktops, you can use some keyboard shortcuts
to navigate among them. These include:

WINKEY SHORTCUTS FOR NAVIGATING VIRTUAL DESKTOPS

+ Ctrl
Switch to virtual desktop to the right.
+ right arrow

+ Ctrl
Switch to virtual desktop to the left.
+ left arrow

+ Ctrl Closes the virtual desktop you currently have displayed.

+ F4 (You can also click the X box at the top right.)

Win10 sports some two dozen more Winkey keyboard shortcuts; you can get the entire list
at Microsofts Windows 10 help site.

Win10s command prompt is now on steroids

As noted above, you can quickly open a Win10
command window by pressing Winkey + R and
entering cmd into the Run box. You can quickly open
With Win8.1, Microsoft added some customization a Win10 command
and editing capabilities to the command window;
Win10 has expanded on those capabilities. window by pressing
The command windows in Win8 and Win10 have
some editing features commonly found in text
Winkey + R
editors. And were not restricted to keyboard nav-
igation mouse and touch navigation have been
added as well.

Win10 adds several new command-window options, including the ability to use Ctrl short-
cuts. To access these extended features, right-click the command windows title bar and
select Properties. Under the Options tab, deselect the Use legacy console setting at the

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X

bottom of the dialog box and then ensure that

Enable Ctrl key shortcuts is selected (Figure 10).

For example, to highlight and copy a chunk of text

in the command window, you can right-click in
the window and select the Mark option and then
Copy or simply click Ctrl + M and then Ctrl +
C. Missed a character entering a long command?
Simply use Shift plus the arrow keys to move the
cursor to the left or right (or up or down).

You can find more details on new command-

window navigation features in a Windows 10
Technical Preview page. But heres the short list
of common commands.

Figure 10. Win10s command-window properties have

new options, including the ability to enable/disable
keyboard shortcuts.

COMMON COMMANDS

If the command line is empty, this combo moves the view to the top of the command-windows
Ctrl + Home
buffer; otherwise, itll delete all characters to the left of the cursor on the command line.

If the command line is empty, this combo moves the view to the command prompt;
Ctrl + End
otherwise itll delete all characters to the right of the cursor on the command line.

Ctrl + C
(OR) Copy the selected text.
Ctrl + Insert

Ctrl + V
(OR) Paste the selected text.
Shift + Insert

You can launch almost any Windows utility or app (regedit, services.msc, etc.) from inside
a command window. If an app has a graphical interface, itll open in its own window just
as if youd launched it from the Win10 Run or Search bar. But non-graphical apps and com-
mands remain captive to the command-prompt environment.

A few new shortcuts for Microsofts Edge browser

Win10s Edge browser maintains almost all the nearly three-dozen keyboard shortcuts
that worked in Internet Explorer. But there are a couple of new ones.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts, from A to X

MICROSOFT EDGE BROWSER COMMANDS

turns on/off Caret Browsing; when you place the cursor within text on a webpage,
F7
you can then use your keyboard to select text.

opens Developer Tools, an advanced-users console for debugging, coding,

F12
and under-the-surface exploration.

You can find the complete list of Edge and

IE keyboard shortcuts at Microsofts key-
board-command page.

Another new Edge feature Make a

Web Note can be activated only with
a mouse-click or a finger touch. Selecting
the pencil icon on the upper-right corner
of the browser window opens the Web
Note feature. Then, after selecting the
writing tools at the upper left, you can use
your mouse or finger (on a touchscreen)
to doodle or highlight (Figure 11). Click-
ing the diskette icon at the upper right
lets you save your artwork to OneNote or
your Reading list.

Most mortals cant remember all keyboard

shortcuts Windows and applications offer.
But learning just a few can enhance your
productivity. Figure 11. The Edge Web Note tool lets you quickly add
highlights and notes to (or clip content from) displayed
webpages; you can the save the annotated/clipped con-
tent to OneNote or Favorites.

Windows 10 Guide - Vol 2 19 windowssecrets.com

 Getting the Most from the New OS | Working Through Win10's Many Privacy Settings

Working Through Win10s Many

Privacy Settings
By Fred Langa

Despite what you mightve heard, Windows 10

lets you control numerous privacy settings,
spread across 13 different categories. Most
of Win10s privacy settings are accessible to
users and adjustable and most are a simple
on/off option.

Ill tell you how to access and adjust these

settings in a moment. But first, here are a few
words on what data Microsoft collects from
Win10 system. You should know that
Microsofts data-collection practices
are generally in line with those of other
major tech companies. Win10 collects
the same types of data commonly col-
lected by operating systems and apps
from Apple, Google, Samsung, Yahoo,
and others.

Take, for example, tasks such as search,

typing, swiping, spell-checking, handwriting
translation, and predictive text entry. The enabling apps from all the companies I just listed
periodically communicate your actions back to their respective motherships. There, servers
pool your data with everyone elses to
develop statistical profiles. The benefit
for users is better applications.

Microsofts data-collection All voice-control applications such

as Cortana, Siri, OK Google, and Hey
practices are generally in Galaxy must send your requests back
to online servers to provide correct
line with with those other answers. To work efficiently, these
apps continuously listen for their trig-

major tech companies. ger phrases; they might send every-

thing they hear back to their online
servers to help improve natural-lan-
guage parsing.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Working Through Win10's Many Privacy Settings

When Apple, Google, and others collect your data,

everyone pronounces it magical. When Microsoft
does the same thing, its reported as evil and intrusive.
And, of course, the URLs and search terms you enter
into a browser are sent to Apple, Google, Microsoft, General
Yahoo, or whomever for processing. They all use
some of that information for analysis and/or targeted Change privacy options
advertising. Thats how Web-based searches work.
Let apps use my advertising ID for experiences across apps
(turning this off will reset your ID)
So data collection has been common for years, pri- Off
marily on mobile devices. Whats changed with
Turn on SmartScreen Filter to check web content (URLs) that
Win10 is that all this Web-dependent technology is Windows Store apps use
now showing up in force on a desktop system. On

In my opinion, were seeing a double standard at play. Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing
and writing in the future
When Apple, Google, and others collect your data,
On
everyone pronounces it magical. When Microsoft
does the same thing (with Bing and Cortana), its Let websites provide locally relevant content by accessing my
language list
reported as evil and intrusive.
On

If you want to know what Microsoft says it collects, you Let apps on my other devices open apps and continue experiences
on this device
can review the Windows 10 and privacy FAQ and the
On
official Microsoft Privacy Statement page online.
Let apps on my other devices use Bluetooth to open apps and
If youd like help parsing the legalese of the Privacy continue experiences on this device

Statement, The Verge offers what seems to me to be a Off

plain-English, hysteria-free, and reasonably accurate Manage my Microsoft advertising and other personalizaiton info
interpretation of the Microsoft Privacy Statement here.
Privacy Statement

Adjusting Win10s privacy settings: With all that in

mind, you can make your own decisions about what Figure 12. Windows 10s Privacy page lets
Win10 sends back to Microsoft. Heres how. you quickly adjust dozens of settings.

If youre installing Win10, the best, first step is to not accept Express settings. Instead,
click Customize settings and step through the options for fine-tuning the types and quan-
tities of information youll allow Microsoft to collect.

Even if you use Express settings, you can always access the full range of Win10 privacy settings.
Simply open the Start menu and then select Settings/Privacy. Youll see a list (see Figure 12)

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Working Through Win10's Many Privacy Settings

of 13 general privacy categories, each of

which offers a panel of controls and options.

After youve read the aforementioned

Win10 gives you more
FAQ and Privacy Statement and youve
reviewed the available privacy settings on control over privacy than
your system, youll have the information
you need to decide whether your privacy any other OS Ive seen.
requirements can be accommodated by
the new OS.

Its fair to say we dont know exactly what

Microsoft actually collects and what it
does with that data. But in my opinion, the
company isnt doing anything nefarious
or even unusual. In fact, Win10 gives you
more control over privacy than any other
OS Ive seen.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Taking More Control Over What MS Knows About You

Taking More Control

Over What MS
Knows About You
By Tracey Capen

With Windows 10 and the deeper reliance on

Microsoft accounts, some important settings arent
just on the local machine; theyre also online. From
time to time, sign in to your MS account (page) online and
review the information Microsoft is keeping.

The homepage, for example, lists recent purchases and devices using the account; it also
has the usual links for updating credit-card information and your account password. But
the important security information might not be immediately obvious. If you dont see
Security & privacy in the top menu bar, scroll to the right.

Under the security/privacy page, step through the various links. You might, for example,
check the See my recent activity and More security settings pages. That latter page lets
you set up two-factor verification for enhanced account security.

Further below, work through the Personalization section. Buried under More personal-
ization settings is an option to clear stored personal information. You can, for instance,
remove Bing and Cortana data that Microsoft has collected.

Also check out More marketing preferences for you current contact information. But
perhaps most useful is the Ad preferences link under Advertising. On the About Our Ads
page, you can switch off personalized ads Bing presents in the current browser and ads
based on your MS account settings. Unfortunately, theres no option to turn off ads alto-
gether. (While youre at it, check out the ads settings for your Google account.)

Its getting more difficult to manage your Windows security and privacy. More and more it
becomes a difficult balance of convenience versus providing personal information. Unfor-
tunately, the balance bar seems to be increasingly tipping away from privacy. But its still
important to manage what we can.

Windows 10 Guide - Vol 2 23 windowssecrets.com

Getting the Most from the New OS | Sorting Through the Changes in Windows Licensing

Sorting Through
the Changes in
Windows Licensing
By Susan Bradley

With consumer versions of Windows 10 offered free for

the first year, many users have questions about licensing.

Windows users have never owned the OS they paid for, but Win10
has significantly changed the rules.

Tying the OS license to specific hardware

Windows licensing has always been murky. Windows 7, for example, had retail,
original equipment manufacturer (OEM), and enterprise editions. In theory,
OEM editions were tied to the hardware they came on. Retail versions, how-
ever, were portable; if, for example, you purchased Win7 separately from the
PC, you could move that copy from machine to machine as long as you no
longer used the OS on the old PC. (Most retail versions of Windows were used
for upgrading or for hand-built PCs.) Usually, you had to reauthorize your copy
of Windows for the new system, but in most cases that step was a formality.

Long-term, portability is not part of the

free version of Windows 10. When you
install Win10, Microsofts activation servers
create and store a unique ID based on the Long term portability
old key plus the hardware in your machine.
The Win10 upgrade will stay tied to that is not part of the free
upgraded system and your original Win7/8
key will no longer be valid. (You can roll version of Windows 10.
back to Win7, but youre not allowed to
run both your original OS and Win10, say,
in a virtual or dual-boot setup.)

A Microsoft spokesperson stated: After the first year, you would not be able to move the
installation to a different device, as the upgrade is specific to your device, not your license
or Windows account. After that first year, for devices not upgraded, you would have to pur-
chase a copy of Windows 10 through the Microsoft Store or Microsoft retail partners.

To make things even more confusing, if you eventually purchase a retail edition of the
Win10 license, you will be able to move that copy from one computer to another that
version comes with portability rights.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Sorting Through the Changes in Windows Licensing

You can, however, still upgrade a Win10 system. As with earlier Windows versions (typ-
ically tied to the Windows Genuine Advantage program), youll need to call Microsoft
to reactivate the license if you change major parts of your computer after upgrading to
Win10. (Its usually an annoying but not too painful process.)

Unfortunately, the types of changes that trigger a reactivation always have been and still
are vague. For example, adding more memory generally does not require a reactivation,
but changing the motherboard would. (In OEM setups, changing to a new motherboard is
allowed only while the PC is still under warranty.)

Note: On newer systems with Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) and support for Mic-
rosoft Data Management will store the Win10 key within the systems firmware. If you restore a
Win10 image or do a clean install, the OS will find the license key itself.

On older systems, you might have to re-enter a product key even after your system has
been successfully upgraded to Win10. It will then be whitelisted in Microsofts product-key
system as genuine.

Can Win10 run in a VPC or dual-boot setup?

Many cautious Windows upgraders wish to leave Win7/8 on their PCs and install Win10 on
a second drive or partition. Typically, they want to copy or create an image of a Win7 setup,
upgrade to Win10, and then restore the original OS on another drive/partition. Sorry, but
thats not allowed. As long as Win10 is installed, takes over the original Win7 or Win8 license.

As has always been the case for

Windows, virtualized copies must
have their own licenses, separate If you want to use the
from the host system. As noted
in that same TechNet UK blog, software on more than one
the Win10 license allows you to
install only one instance of the virtual device, you must
software for use on one device,
whether that device is physical
or virtual. If you want to use the
obtain a separate license
software on more than one virtual
device, you must obtain a separate
for each instance.
license for each instance.

Software including the OS as a service

The old model of upgrading versions (XP to Vista to Win7 to Win8) appears to be dead. The
new model will be confusing for long-term Windows users. It assumes that, for a specific
machine, youll have to pay for Windows only once when you buy a new PC, purchase a
retail version, or sign up for volume licensing. Again, as noted in the UK TechNet blog post,
the key features of Windows as a service are:

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Sorting Through the Changes in Windows Licensing

You never need to pay for Windows again on the same machine and youll always have
the latest version.

No more wipe and reload upgrades.

Software vendors and developers can almost guarantee that 90 percent of Windows
users will have the same build.

Microsoft assumes that having most Windows users on the same build of the OS will make
it easier for third-party publishers to write Win10 software.

Enterprise customers should take note: To upgrade to Win10, you must have an active
Software Assurance contract. If you merely bought a Win7 Enterprise license, you arent
eligible for an upgrade to the new OS. Those with a contract will sign in to the MS volume-
license center and download the Enterprise edition. Youll also have to maintain a current
Software Assurance contract for Win10 feature updates.

Windows 10 Guide - Vol 2 26 windowssecrets.com

Getting the Most from the New OS | Taking Control Over Win10s Native Applications

Taking
Control Over
Win10s Native
Applications
By Tracey Capen

Windows 10 Anniversary Update (AU) has many worthy enhancements such as scheduled
updating and reboots but some the changes can be simply annoying.

For example, Microsoft has made Cortana a hard-to-remove fixture in Version 1607. My
social life hasnt sunk so low that I want to have a conversation with my computers.

Win10 also comes with numerous native (aka universal, aka Windows) apps that many
Windows users will never use. Unfortunately, some of that software is also difficult to
remove. But there are ways to do so and make other customizations to the Win10 desktop.
Some of these changes work with both Win10 1511 and Win10 AU.

Removing unwanted native-Win10 applications

In Windows 1511, applications you rarely or never used are relatively hidden in the separate
All apps menu. Theyre effectively out of sight and out of mind.

But in Win10 AU, Microsoft made the full All apps list far more prominent it shows up
whenever you open the Start menu. Sadly, thats a feature you cant change, though you
can make the list shorter and more focused to your needs.

The first and easiest step for removing

unwanted apps from the All apps list is
to simply uninstall them. You can, for
example, remove the introduction/help
item (its not really an app) Get Started
by simply right-clicking it and selecting
Uninstall (see Figure 13). Other candi-
dates for quick removal from a typical
desktop system include: 3D Builder,
Foot & Drink, Health & Fitness, Money (a
poor replacement for the original Win-
dows app), and Sway essentially any Figure 13. Some apps included with Win10 can be
app youll never use, often because you uninstalled in the traditional way.
already have something better installed.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Taking Control Over Win10s Native Applications

(Note: In some cases, the uninstall option is hidden under More.)

Other native apps are more difficult to remove from the All apps list. For example, I have no
need for the Camera app on my desktop system. And I dont want Groove Music because I
have iTunes and VLC Media Player installed. But Win10 offers no easy way to ditch Camera
or Groove Music. To do so requires delving into Windows PowerShell.

A How-To Geek article (and many others on the Net) describes the relatively simple Pow-
erShell command that removes most native-Windows apps that dont include an uninstall
option. For example, to remove Camera, you enter the following at the PowerShell com-
mand prompt:

Get-AppxPackage *windowscamera*| Remove-AppxPackage

If you change your mind, the aforementioned article also tells you how to reinstall
Win10-native apps.

Divorcing Cortana: Im not a fan of digital assistants, so I find it annoying that I cant easily
turn off Cortana on my systems (as I could with Version 1511). But there is a way, via the
Windows AUs group-policy editor.

(Note: GPEdit isnt offered in Home versions

of Windows 10. You might be able to install it
manually, using the steps described in an
AskVG article and elsewhere. But there are
reports that Win10 updates break the tool.)

To disable Cortana and return to a simple

search box, use the following steps:

Enter gpedit into the Cortana search

bar and double-click Edit group pol-
icy in the search results.
Navigate through Computer Configu-
ration/Administrative Templates/Win-
dows Components/Search.
In the right-hand column of availiable
Search policies, find and double-click
Allow Cortana thatll open its policy Figure 14. Like Windows 8, Win10s File History makes near-
settings. real-time incremental backups of selected user files.
By default, the Not Configured option
should be selected (see Figure 14).
Below it, click the Disabled option.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Taking Control Over Win10s Native Applications

Click Apply and Okay, and then reboot your system. Note that Cortana isnt removed from
Win10, its simply replaced on the taskbar with a more traditional search box.

Once your system restarts, Cortana should be gone and you should have the Search Win-
dows bar shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15. Cortana is gone from the

taskbar, replaced by a more familiar
Search Windows box.

Note that with Cortana disabled, you should now be limited to local-only searches which
many Windows users prefer. Two of the three options at the top of the search results are
Find results in apps and Find results in documents. The More link lets you filter by other
file types such as music and photos.

While youre playing with Local Group Policy Editor, you might check other settings.
For example, you can change whether documents are saved to OneDrive by default and
whether OneDrive files are synched over a metered connection.

As always, be sure you have a recent and working system backup before making changes in
LGPE. Also, if you want to review the general status of system settings available in the pol-
icy editor, click All Settings under Windows Components and then click the header for the
State column (Figure 16). For most standalone systems, the default setting for all policies
should be Not configured.

Figure 16. Use All Settings

to quickly review the state
of available policies.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Taking Control Over Win10s Native Applications

Decluttering the taskbar in Version 1607

Ive discussed this before, but I assume that many Win10 users are just getting started with
the Anniversary Update. With Win10 1607, the taskbar properties have been moved into
Settings (Personalization/Taskbar). There, youll find the usual options such as using small
taskbar buttons and automatically hiding the taskbar though in Win10 AU, you have sep-
arate settings for hiding the taskbar in desktop and tablet modes.

Scroll down the Taskbar window to the Notification area section. Two links to check out
are Select which icons appear on the taskbar and Turn system icons on or off. The for-
mer lets show or hide apps that can appear in the notification area. You can, for example,
keep the Volume icon visible but hide Network or OneDrive. Note that third-party apps
might also show up on the list. On my Win10 virtual machine, VirtualBoxs Guest Additions
was included, though the icon did not seem to have any real function.

Turning system icons on or off gives more system-centric options. You can, for instance,
show/hide Clock, Power, and Location icons. You can even hide the Action Center (another
feature I rarely look at). Oddly, there is some overlap between the two lists; Volume and
Network show up in both. And some icons still show up in the Show hidden icons section.
(I still prefer the Win7 Customization option for notification-area icons.)

When youre done tweaking the taskbar, take a few minutes to run through your Start options
(Settings/Personalization) including the Choose which folders appear on Start link.

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MAINTENANCE &
TROUBLESHOOTING
 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

Best of Breed:
Win10s Hybrid
Backup System
By Fred Langa

Win10 blends the best parts of

Win7s and Win8s backup/restore
tools to create a new hybrid that
could well be the best archive-and-
recover system ever.

When set up properly, Win10 gives

you redundant, automatic, local,
and remote backups of user files,

WIN10
making them effectively loss-proof.

Plus, there are three built-in ways

to restore damaged system files
or to totally rebuild your system.
They make it easy to clear up even
the worst types of software trouble
and malware infections.

Unfortunately, Microsoft doesnt

provide a simple, comprehen-

Win 10 gives you redundant, sive explanation of how Win10s

backup components are sup-
posed to work together. Thatll
automatic, local, and remote leave many former Vista and
Win7 users needlessly baffled
backups of user files, making and also leave those whove
upgraded from Win8 wondering
them effectively loss-proof. why some favorite backup fea-
tures are now missing.

This article remedies that problem.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

A mix of old and new features and functions

Because Win10s backup and restore mechanisms build on those in Win7 and Win8, this
article will focus mainly on the features, concepts, and techniques that are new or different.

For the features that havent changed from previous versions, Ive provided links below to
earlier articles and information sources.

Combined, this information will give you a complete understanding of what Win10 offers
and youll see why it truly might just be the best desktop backup-and-restore system ever.

And if you decide that Win10s

built-in systems arent for you,
youll also find links to good third-
party alternatives that work fine
The key to understanding with Win10.

Win10s backup functions lies One way or another, by the end of

this article, youll have the infor-

in recognizing that it has two mation you need to safeguard

your Win10 files and system
setup from just about any disaster.
different but interconnected
A general overview of Win10s
sets of mechanisms to handle backup and restore
The key to understanding
different types of files. Win10s backup functions lies in
recognizing that it has two dif-
ferent but interconnected sets of
mechanisms to handle different
types of files. They are:

User-file backup and recovery: The built-in File History and OneDrive components
are geared mostly toward the routine, day-in and day-out preservation and recovery of
user-data files: documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, and so on.

Together, the two tools can automatically make both local and remote copies of important
files, helping to ensure that you wont lose any of your data, no matter what might happen
to your PC or its hard drives.

Operating system, apps, and settings backup and recovery: A separate set of built-in
functions two Reset options and a system-imaging option are geared mostly to the
preservation and recovery of your operating system files, applications, and settings.

These functions are intended mostly for emergencies rebuilding all or part of your sys-
tem after a serious software malfunction, malware effect, or human error.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

As youll see, theres some overlap between these two systems, but, for the most part, they
operate independently. So well look at each separately.

Local user-file backup and recovery

File History is Win10s primary mechanism
for providing local backups of all user data. Its
File History is Win10s set from the start to automatically back up the
default Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos,
primary mechanism for Desktop, and Favorites folders. But you can
adjust what it backs up and what it skips
providing local backups via File Historys add and exclude options.

of all user data. Once its fully configured, File History makes
incremental, near-real-time backups of
selected user files. It stores changed files off
the main hard drive; backups are stored on

Figure 17. Like Windows 8,

Win10s File History makes
near-real-time incremental
backups of selected user files.

USB-attached drives, network drives, and so forth. If a working file on your main hard drive
is damaged or accidentally erased, it can be quickly and easily restored from the local File
History backups.

A basic subset of File Historys functions is available via Start/Settings/Update & security/
Backup. But the complete array of File Historys functions is accessed via Control Panel/
System and Security/File History (Figure 17), just as with Win8.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

Win10s File History operates mostly like Win8s, though with one huge improvement
Ill describe in a moment. But first, if youre unfamiliar with File History, you can get up to
speed with its basic concepts and operation via the following articles:

Understanding Windows 8s File History July 11, 2013, Top Story

How File History creates reliable local backups a section in the Jan. 15 Top Story,
Mastering Windows 8s backup/restore system

Protecting user files with File History MSDN article

Windows 8: File History explained TechNet article

Set up a drive for File History MS how-to

Customize File Historys backups with ease Oct. 9, 2014, LangaList Plus

Now to address that major change of Win10s File History: Microsoft brought back and
enhanced the convenient Restore Previous Versions (RPV) function from Win7. (RPV is
MIA in Win8.)

To understand what RPV is and what it does, see

the June 16, 2011, Top Story, RPV: Win7s least-
known data-protection system.

As with Win7s RPV, the version in Win10 gives

you almost instant access to the cached local back-
ups automatically created by System Restore. But
Win10 also lets you access the complete library of
user files in File Historys long-term storage.

To do so, right-click any data file or folder whose

contents have changed and select either Restore
previous versions or Properties both options
open the selected files or folders Properties dialog
box. You then click the Previous Version tab to see
all available older versions of that file or folder. Fig-
ure 18 shows versions of a changed Word file, saved
when File History or System Restore previously ran.

The RPV system lets you select a previous version,

Figure 18: Win10s right-click Restore previous view its contents, and restore it either to its original
versions function gives you easy access to files location or to the alternate location of your choice.
stored in File History and System Restore.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

If you prefer, you can still restore user files via the full File History interface at Control
Panel/System and Security/File History just select Restore personal files from the left
side of the dialog box. Similarly, the normal System Restore interface also is available.
Open Control Panel and enter Recovery into the search box; then select Recovery when it
appears and click the Open System Restore link.

But as you can see, simply right-clicking a file or folder to access RPV is much more convenient.

Remote user-file backup and recovery

Although local backups are critical, they wont provide
Although local true data security. A serious software error or a major
physical problem (e.g., fire, flood, theft, electrical
backups are critical, surge, etc.) might destroy both your main hard drive
and your local backups.
they wont provide The second leg of a complete backup-and-restore
true data security. system is cloud storage, which maintains copies of
your files on protected data servers, far removed
from your PC.

All Win10 users have access to at least 5GB of free, private, cloud-based storage (with
more space available at low cost) via Microsofts OneDrive (MS info) app/service. There
are, of course, many other cloud-storage and backup services that will let you restore lost
files, but OneDrive and File History can work cooperatively to provide automatic, local and
remote backups of all important files.

With a combination of File History and OneDrive, your files are automatically saved to
three separate locations: your primary data drive, your external File History drive, and your
secure OneDrive account all in near-real time. This virtually guarantees that youll never
lose an important file again!

Once set up properly, OneDrive automatically syncs files between your PC and the OneDrive
servers. No special steps are needed either to store or retrieve your files. But if you wish, you
also can visit OneDrive.com, sign in, and manually browse, view, and download your files.

(For more information, see Microsofts OneDrive How-to page and the section, How
OneDrive adds another layer of data security, in the Jan. 15 Top Story, Mastering Win-
dows 8s backup/restore system.)

Note: If you have concerns about the privacy of cloud storage, you can use free and paid
encryption tools to render your remotely stored files impervious to snoops. I currently use and
recommend the free 7-Zip (site) to encrypt all sensitive files on my hard drive and in the cloud.
For more information on this technique, see the May 15, 2014, Top Story, Better data and boot
security for Windows PCs.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

Some versions of OneDrive also have their own built-in encryption. See the April 16 LangaList
Plus column, Clarifying OneDrives two types of file security.

OS, apps, and settings backup and recovery

Win10 provides three separate, built-in methods to back up and restore the operating system
with or without retaining your desktop apps and user files.

The first two methods are Win10 Resets;

Choose an option theyre fast and easy but have some major
limitations:
Keep my files
Removes apps and settings, but keeps your personal files.
Both resets are available by clicking Start/
Settings/Update & security/Recovery.
Remove everything
Then click the Get started button under
Removes all of your personal files, apps, and settings.
the Reset this PC option. Next, choose
either Keep my files or Remove every-
Cancel thing (Figure 19), and then follow the
on-screen prompts.

Figure 19. Win10s Resets options let you either preserve

The Keep my files option lets you per-
files and settings or wipe everything for a clean start.
form a kind of nondestructive reinstall of
the operating system while leaving your user files alone. (This option was called Refresh
in Win8.) However, most software that you added from sources other than the Windows
store will not survive a Reset process; youll have to manually reinstall these apps. Fortu-
nately, Win10 will tell you in advance what apps wont survive; it also places a list of deleted
apps on your desktop to facilitate manually reinstalling these files after the reset is finished.

Remove everything is essentially a from-scratch reinstall of the operating system. It

deletes all user files and user-installed software and returns all system settings to their
default state.

This method also has an option to wipe the hard drive, making all deleted files virtually
unrecoverable. This can be a handy option when you sell or give away a PC or if you need
to send it in for service.

Win10s third option for software backup and recovery is the classic system image, which
retains everything: all apps, settings, and user files. Restoring an image returns your system
and files to the exact condition they were in when the image was made.

Win10s imaging system replaces the powerful-but-awkward, manual custom-recovery

image feature available in Win8. (You have to use the Recimg command-line tool to man-
ually create a special WIM [Microsoft Windows Imaging] file; see the Oct. 10, 2013, Top
Story, Creating customized recovery images for Win8.)

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

(Note that Win10 uses a different kind of compressed WIM thats incompatible with Win8s
WIMs. See the Windows Experience Blog post, How Windows 10 achieves its compact footprint.
In fact, the Win8 Recimg tool isnt present in Win10 at all.)

Figure 20. With Win10, Microsoft

brought back classic, Win7-style
system imaging.

With Win10, Microsoft resurrected the tried-and-true, point-and-click, Win7-style of

system imaging. Its very easy to use: Click Control Panel/System and Security/Backup and
Restore (Windows 7), as shown in Figure 20.

When the Backup and Restore window opens, select the Create a system image link in the
left-hand column.

From there, the Win10 tool operates virtually identically to Win7s system imaging. For
more information, see Step two: Create a full-system image in the May 12, 2011, Top
Story, Build a complete Windows 7 safety net.

Restoring a Win10 system image is easy:

Boot your PC using any standard Win10 installation/recovery/rescue disk or flash drive
(see the Sept. 17 Top Story, Learn to use the Windows 10 Recovery Drive).

Select your language. If Repair my computer appears on the next screen, click it. Other-
wise, click Troubleshoot/Advanced options/System Image Recovery.

Choose the target operating system i.e., the Win10 drive youre restoring.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Best of Breed: Win10s Hybrid Backup System

In the Select a system image backup dialog box, navigate to and select the image you
wish to restore.

In most cases, you can skip the Choose additional restore options dialog box; just click
Next and then Finish.

Your PC will churn for a while, but when the process is finished, your system will be in
exactly the condition it was in when the image was made.

Restart your system.

Bring your user files up to date. Make sure the secondary drive that holds your File
History files is connected; in many instances, after a short delay, File History will auto-
matically begin repopulating your main drive. If it doesnt, reopen File History from the
Control Panel and click the Restore personal files link in the left-hand column. Next,
manually select the files you want to restore.

Alternatively, use OneDrive to bring your user files up to date.

If needed: Many alternative backup systems

I think the Win10 backup and restore system is the best Microsoft has ever offered. I use
File History and OneDrive to back up my user files, and I use the Win7-style system imag-
ing to back up the OS, other apps, and my preferred settings.

But no one set of tools works for everyone. If youd rather not use Win10s tools, heres a
sampling of well-regarded, third-party tools that are Win10-compatible.

Macrium Reflect free and paid (with free trial) versions

Paragon Backup & Recovery 30-day demo and paid versions

Acronis True Image paid with 30-day free trial

EaseUS Todo Backup free and paid versions.

One excellent reason to try Win10s backups

One way or another, as a Windows user and Microsoft customer, youve already paid for
Win10s built-in tools. So why not at least give them a try?

You just might find that Windows 10s combination of Win7 and Win8 backup tools has
everything you need to get your entire system fully backed up more thoroughly, more
reliably, and more automatically than ever before.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

How to Use the

Windows 10
Recovery Drive
By Lincoln Spector

Sooner or later, nearly every Windows user

powers up the machine and Windows
simply refuses to start.

Every current version of Windows lets you

create and run a self-booting rescue disc,
but Win10 takes that tool to a new level.

The Windows 10 Recovery Drive comes with

multiple tools for repairing and reinstalling Windows. You can, for example, use a system
restore point to restore an image backup, run an automated Startup Repair tool, refresh Win-
dows (either keeping or removing your data), or completely reinstall the operating system.

If youre lucky, youll never need your

Win10 recovery drive. But when things
go serious wrong with the OS, youll be
extremely relieved to have it. Heres how
to create and use a recovery drive.

Preparing the Recovery Drive

If youre lucky, youll
on a flash drive
The changes to the self-booting, Win-
never need your Win10
dows-recovery system start with the
name. Bowing to changes in PC technol- Recovery Drive . But
ogy, its no longer a rescue disc, its now a
rescue drive. In fact, creating a bootable when things go serious
CD or DVD is no longer an option; you
must use a spare USB flash drive with wrong with the OS,
a capacity of at least 512MB. But for a
recovery drive with a complete set of
tools, youll need an 8GB or larger drive.
youll be extremely
If your internal drive crashes, and you
relieved to have it.
need to install Windows on a replace-
ment drive, youll be glad you splurged on
teh 8GB drive.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

Note that everything currently on the flash drive will

be lost when you turn it into a Win10 recovery drive.
Keep in mind
Most important, youll want to create your new recov-
that actual drive ery drive now, while your Win10 setup is healthy.
(Note: A recovery drive created on one PC might not
creation can take work perfectly on another machine.)

considerable time. Once you have a suitable flash drive plugged into your
system, its time to run Win10s Create a recovery
drive option. There are two ways to do it:

Figure 21. Setting up a Win10 re-

covery drive starts with a click of
the Create a recovery drive link.

In the Win10 search box, enter recovery and select the option under Settings.

Open Control Panel/Recovery (in the icon view).

Click Create a recovery drive (Figure 21) and follow the prompts. If your flash drive has a
capacity of less than 8GB, uncheck the Back up system files to the recovery drive option.
Otherwise, the drive-creation process will fail, possibly with a generic error message.

Keep in mind that the actual drive creation can take considerable time especially if youre
backing up system files.

When the process is done, label the flash drive with something like Recovery plus the
make and model of the PC. Store it securely, so it doesnt get used for some other purpose
and youll be able to find it in an emergency.

But before you do that, I strongly suggest testing that the rescue drive boots you can also
check out its various tools, preferably while reading the rest of this article.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

Booting Windows from the recovery drive

Choose an option Starting your system from the recovery flash
drive should be easy simply plug in the USB
drive and power up your system. But if that
Continue doesnt work on an older system, youll need to
Exit and continue to Windows 10
check the preferred boot order in the BIOS.

On newer PCs, the disaster of an unbootable PC

Troubleshoot can be compounded by the UEFI startup system. If
Reset your PC or see advanced options youre left with How the bleep do I get this thing
to boot from a flash drive? youll probably find the
answer in Fred Langas Dec. 11, 2014, Top Story
How to solve UEFI boot and startup problems.
Turn off your PC
When the recovery drive boots, youll first be
asked to choose a keyboard layout which is
really a choice of languages and nationalities.
(I chose US.)

Figure 22. To access Win10s repair tools, The next screen, Choose an option (Figure 22),
select Troubleshoot. offers three choices. Obviously, you can ignore
Exit and continue to Windows 10 and Turn off
your PC. Click (or tap) Troubleshoot.
Troubleshoot Next, you get three more choices: Reset this PC,
Recover from a drive, and Advanced options
Reset this PC (Figure 23). Ill start with the more flexible
Lets you choose to keep or remove Advanced tools.
your files, and then reinstalls Windows.

One more thing: After selecting one of these

tools, you might be asked to select an operating
Recover from a drive system even though the only option is Win-
Reinstalls Windows from the recovery dows 10. Dont worry about it; simply select
drive connected to this PC. This will remove
all your files and apps. Windows 10.

Advanced options:
Advanced options When you dont need to reinstall
Despite the heading, most of the offerings under
Advanced options (Figure 24) arent more
advanced than anything else on the Trouble-
shoot menu. They are simply tools that might
fix Windows without reinstalling the operating
system. In other words, these are the tools you
Figure 23. The Advanced options offers a variety of should look at first.
tools for fixing Win10 issues.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

Advanced options
System Restore Command Prompt
Use a restore point recorded on your Use the Command Prompt for
PC to restore Windows advanced troubleshooting

System Image Go back to the

Recovery previous build
Recover Windows using a specific
system image file

Startup Repair
Fix problems that keep Windows from
loading

Figure 24. The recovery disks Advanced options includes various levels of repair.

Ill start with the easiest. (Note that all these tools are available within the default Win10 setup.
Click Settings/Update & security/Recovery/Advanced startup. Next click Restart now/Trouble-
shoot/Advanced options. But, of course, you cant access those tools if you can boot your PC.)

Startup Repair: This simple tool examines all system files and settings that play a role in the
Windows boot process. It then tries to determine whats at fault and attempts to fix it.

Because its relatively quick, this tool is a good place to start your troubleshooting. If it
doesnt work, you can then move on to more extensive solutions.

Go back to the previous build: If youve upgraded from Win7 or Win8.1 within the last 30
days, and you havent removed your Windows.old folder, this option will take you back to
the previous OS.

System Restore: Most likely,

youre already familiar with
Windows restore points
records of previous oper-
ating-system settings and
configurations that you can
access and restore via Control
Panel/Recovery. The option in
the recovery drive works that Figure 25. The Win10 recovery drive includes the basic
same way (Figure 25). Restore system files tool.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

System Image Recovery: You also access backup images of your system hard drive or SSD,
stored on another drive. (Ill assume you have a recent image backup; if not, click Control
Panel/File History tool. Youll find the link, System Image Backup, in the lower-left cor-
ner of the File History window.)

To restore an image from an external drive, youll need to plug in both the recovery drive
and the backup drive into separate USB ports.

I succeeded in restoring a backup only after some struggles. On the first try, the image-re-
store system didnt see the backup drive. But rebooting the PC with the backup drive
already plugged in solved the problem.

Then the tool failed to restore

the backup, stating: Windows
cannot restore a system image
to a computer that has different
firmware. The system image was
created on a computer using
BIOS and this computer is using
UEFI. This, as it turned out, was
a cockpit error: my computer had
displayed two listing for the same
flash drive (Figure 26), and Id
mistakenly chosen the one pref- Figure 26. Picking the correct flash drive
aced with UEFI.

The third try was the charm.

Command Prompt: Feeling nostalgic about DOS? Me neither. But there are times when
the command-prompt environment is useful for example, when booting to Safe Mode
from the recovery drive.

Unfortunately, recovery drive doesnt include a simple safe moderestart option. In my opin-
ion, thats a significant omission. (For more on booting in safe mode including from a com-
mand prompt see the Field Notes article in this issue and a Windows TenForums page.)

The command prompt has other recovery uses. For example, use XCOPY (more info) to
move your personal files to an external drive, or use DISKPART (info) to delete or create
drive partitions (if youre careful and patient).

Of course, youll also want to remember the exit command, which gets you out of
Command Prompt.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

Reset and Recover: Reinstalling Windows 10

Now back to those first two Troubleshoot options, Reset this PC and Recover from a drive.
Both reinstall Windows and offer essentially the same options.

Where the two options differ is that Reset uses the installation files on the internal drive
and Recover uses files on the recovery drive. Thats why youll see the Recover option only
if you used an 8GB or larger flash drive and chose the Back up system files to the recovery
drive option when you created the recovery drive.

When would you use Recover instead of the Reset option? Typically when the special recov-
ery partition on the main system drive has been destroyed or corrupted. You might also use
Recover when replacing or upgrading the main drive and youre creating a clean installation.

Neither of these options will require a product key assuming youre running the recovery
drive on the original PC.

When selecting Reset the PC, youll be asked whether you want to Keep my files or Remove
everything (Figure 27). As described above in the above section, Best of breed: Win10s
hybrid backup system, the first option reinstalls Windows but leaves your personal docu-
ments, photos, and other data files where you left them at least if you left them in folders
(Documents, Music, and so on) recognized by Windows as part of your libraries.

Personal files in other locations might get deleted. (Obviously, you should have all your data
files backed up before you do anything involving significant changes to Windows. In fact,
your data files should be regularly backed up, period.)

Reset the PC also remembers who you are;

Reset this PC you wont have to set up your account all

over again.

Choose an option If you select Recover from a drive or if you

go with Reset this PC and Remove every-
Keep my files thing, the installation process will delete all
Removes apps and settings, but keeps files. Once its finished, you (or perhaps a new
your personal files.
owner) will have to start from scratch, includ-
ing setting up user accounts.

Remove everything Remove everything has two more options:

Removes all of your personal files, Just remove my files and Fully clean the
apps, and settings.
drive. That last one, which can take hours,
securely wipes everything off of the drive.

Figure 27. When resetting a PC, you can either keep

personal files or start from scratch.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Use the Windows Recovery Drive

A secure wipe will make it impossible to recover any data from your hard drive. But the
technique is problematic with SSDs, as reported in a PCWorld article. Microsoft hasnt
answered my questions about this issue. For now, Id skip this option on an SSD.

Final thoughts: The Win10 recovery drive could use some more tools the lack of a Boot
to Safe Mode option is particularly vexing. If you cant get to your usual sign-in screen,
you cant get to the various Safe Mode settings via the standard Win10 Troubleshoot/
Advanced/Startup Settings screen.

That said, Win10s flash drive-based repair system is still a must. Create a recovery drive
and store it someplace where you wont forget where it is. One of these days, it may save, if
not your life, than at least your sanity.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Keeping Win10 Updated Gets More Complicated

Keeping
Win10 Updated
Gets More
Complicated
By Susan Bradley

The current branch of Windows 10

Anniversary Update has more than
a few lumps.

With Version 1607 installation failures, nearly weekly

cumulative fixes, and problems with the Sept. 29 cumulative
update, keeping AU up to date requires some careful steps.

Coping with frequent Win10-patching releases

More than a few Win10 users are having difficulty installing the Sept. 29 KB 3194496
release. In some cases, the update process fails, rolls back to the Sept. 20 update (KB
3193494), and then tries again the next day all with repeated reboots.

In a few instances, the problem showed

up on systems that had been set to
receive Insider Preview builds and then If youve been impacted
reset to receive only the regular public
updates. If youre in that boat, you should by this Win10-updating
wait for an official fix from Microsoft. On
the other hand, if you never opted for the
Insider test builds, I recommend choosing
debacle, heres how to
the simple solution below.
get out of it.
If youve been impacted by this Win10-up-
dating debacle, heres how to get out of it.

To prevent reboots due to patch failures, you can temporarily roll back the associated patch
by following the instructions in MS Support page KB 3073930. While that information is
about blocking problematic drivers, itll also let you temporarily block a pending update.

For example, if your computer keeps trying to install KB 3194496, the aforementioned
support page has a download link for the Show or hide updates tool, which will list recent
and pending updates and let you hide them much as you hide unwanted updates in Win7.
Keep in mind, however, that the tool only defers the update for a short time.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Keeping Win10 Updated Gets More Complicated

There are alternative steps you can take to get around KB 3194496 or other troublesome
updates without having to take the drastic step of wiping your system. A Neowin article
has a long discussion about the install/roll-back problem and possible solutions. Here are
two suggestions:

1) Simple solution: Bypass Windows Update by installing the latest version directly with
the Media Creation Tool. Go to Microsofts Download Windows 10 page and click
the Download tool now button. Once downloaded, launch the tool and select Upgrade
this PC now. Next, select the option to keep everything files, apps, and settings. This
should update your PC without impacting any installed data and settings. You might,
however, lose some older apps that are not compatible with Version 1607.

Note: If you have more than one system to update, you can use the media creation tool to cre-
ate a bootable USB stick, and use it to install the upgrade. (No flash drive is needed if you use the
Upgrade this PC now option.)

I prefer this solution because it resets any code that has issues with Version 1607 updates.

2) This solution is a bit more surgical, so it should be used only by advanced Windows
users. It involves removing specific tasks from the Task folder and the Registry, and was
posted by TomislavRex in a MS Community post (details on page 23, with additional
details on page 29).

In short, he deleted all references to task \Microsoft\XblGameSave\XblGameSaveTask in

the System32 folder; he also removed all traces of the task from the Registry, in the HKEY_
LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Schedule\Task-
Cache section.

He noted that deleting some of these items required changing ownership of the keys. The
tasks were recreated during the installation of the update.

Ways to opt out temporarily of Win10 updating

Recently, I took my Win10 1511-equipped Surface device on a trip, and I knew Id be on rel-
atively slow hotel and conference Wi-Fi systems for most of the time. To take control over
when updates would download and to prevent the big Version 1607 download I took
the slightly extreme step of temporarily disabling Win10 update. (As a security-minded
Windows user, it troubled me to take that step. Disabling Window Update also blocked any
critical security fixes.)

First, keep in mind that security updates are still typically released once a month on the
second Tuesday, with a few critical Adobe Flash Player fixes sent out in between. But the
nearly weekly updates are mostly designed to fix problems with Version 1607. However,
given the vagueness of the release notes, its often difficult to know when a specific prob-
lem has been fixed.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Keeping Win10 Updated Gets More Complicated

Win10 1607 has received the following cumulative updates. (I fully expect another
Win10 update this week.) Note that two of them included new security patches; the
rest fixed only bugs.

Aug. 2 KB 3176929 (build 14393.10)

Aug. 9 KB 3176495 (build 14393.51)

Aug. 23 KB 3176934 (build 14393.82)

Aug. 31 KB 3176938 (build 14393.105)

Sept. 13 KB 3189866 (builds 14393.187/14393.189)

Sept. 20 KB 3193494 (builds 14393.187/14393.189)

Sept. 29 KB 3194496 (build 14393.222)

If you want to take back some control over the frequent nonsecurity updates and the
reboots that come with them, there are a couple of steps you can take.

Note that the relatively simple process of deferring updates (more on that below) isnt avail-
able on Win10 Home. (You can check your current version by clicking Settings/System/
About.) The only way to put off updates with the Home edition is, unfortunately, to click
Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Services and completely disable Windows Update.

The far better option is to pay U.S. $99 to upgrade to the Professional edition. You can do
so from the About section by clicking the Change product key or upgrade your edition
Windows link.

With Win10 Pro, you can put off nonsecurity updates for a custom period of time by
following these steps:

Click Settings/Update & security/Advanced options; then check the Defer feature
updates box.

Next, follow the instructions in the Windows IT Center page, Windows update for
business. They include:

In Win10, enter gpedit.msc into the search box. When the Group Policy Editor opens,
look for Local Computer Policy and navigate to the following section:

Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update/

Defer Windows Updates

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Keeping Win10 Updated Gets More Complicated

Click the item: Select when Qual-

ity Updates are received and then
select the Edit policy setting link.

Select Enabled and enter a value

of at least seven days or more if
youre comfortable with that (see
Figure 28). This will push off these
nearly weekly, mostly nonsecurity
updates for a week or more, giving
time for any updating issues to be
worked out.

That will put your copy of Win10 on

the current branch for business (CBB)
release schedule; youll no longer be
on the bleeding edge of updating.

(Microsoft appears to consider the

most current branch to be only
for early adopters, as shown in a
graphic (Figure 29) from the recent
Ignite conference. Home users
shouldnt be beta testers for Mic-
rosofts releases which is, unfor-
tunately, what theyve been with
Version 1607.)

In computing, free is rarely truly free: Unfor- Figure 28. Windows Group Policy Editor lets you specify how long
tunately, the inability to defer updates is to defer updates.
one of the hidden costs of a free Win10
Home upgrade. Again, I recommend pay-
ing to move up to Win10 Pro. Its easy to Current Branch
do and it wont affect your data, settings,
and most applications.
Deploy to appropriate audiences
Test and prepare for broad
deployment

Early adopters, initial pilots,

IT devices Figure 29. Microsoft sugests
that the most recent releases
of Windows 10 are not for the
average user.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

How to
Clean-Install a
Windows 10
Upgrade
By Fred Langa

The current, free, Win10 upgrade is

meant to convert an existing Win7 or
Win8 setup to Win10, while retaining
the user files and as much of the existing
settings, software, and customizations
as possible.

But if you know how, you also can use the

upgrade to give your PC a totally fresh,
from-scratch start; youll get a clean install
that cant carry over any potential problems
from your current setup no errors, no miscon-
figurations, and no junk.

A clean install ensures that your new Win10 setup is 100

percent pristine and as lean and clean as possible.
A clean install ensures
One of the clean-install methods described below lets
you place all Win10 setup files on a self-contained, that your new Win10
bootable DVD or flash drive. You can then tuck this
setup medium away for safekeeping to use in the setup is 100 percent
future, should your Win10 system ever need major
repair, recovery, or reinstallation. pristine and as lean
Note that while a clean Win10 install isnt hard, it must
be done correctly in order to preserve your systems
and clean as possible.
qualification for permanent, ongoing, free use of Win10.

This article will show you several different ways to use the free Win10 upgrade to perform
a safe, completely legitimate, clean install including via bootable DVD or flash drive.

Two steps to a completely clean Win10 setup

There are numerous details to a clean Win10 install, but the process has only two major parts.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

First, you must at least temporarily upgrade your current Win7/8 system to Win10,
the standard way. During this initial upgrade, Microsofts activation servers create and
store a unique and permanent machine ID thats based on your old Windows key plus the
systems hardware.

During the upgrade, Microsoft will also automatically issue you a new, generic Win10 prod-
uct key. But it works only after your PC has been successfully upgraded to Win10 and acti-
vated. (This is how Microsoft intends to prevent piracy of the free Win10 upgrade.)

After your system has successfully completed an

initial upgrade to Win10 and it has been registered
with Microsofts activation servers, you then can
wipe out the Win10 upgrade setup and perform a
thorough, from-scratch, clean install. The essential first step
At the end of that process, your PC will again in using the free Win10
check in with Microsoft. But because your system
was previously whitelisted on the MS activation
servers, your new clean-install setup will pass
upgrade for a clean-
muster recognized as 100 percent legitimate.
install is to perform
Again, the essential first step in using the free
Win10 upgrade for a clean-install is to perform a normal upgrade of
a normal upgrade of your current Win7/8 PC to
Win10. Ill cover that in the next section. your current Win7/8
If youve already successfully upgraded to Win10
and youre now ready to begin your clean install,
PC to Win10.
skip to the section below, The two major types of
clean-install.

In brief: The essential, initial upgrade

Because this article is mainly about clean installs not upgrades Ill go fast here.

If your intent is to do a clean install of Windows 10, you waste time making your current
Win7/8 system lean and clean: its all going to go away later, during the clean install.

For now, just make sure your current system is fully upgraded and working at least well
enough to survive the upgrade to Win10. For some maintenance suggestions, see the Jan.
16, 2014 Top Story, Keep a healthy PC: A routine-maintenance guide.

And, of course, make a full, complete backup (preferably an image backup) of your system,
so you can roll back to Win7/8 if anything goes wrong with the initial upgrade.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

The upgrade process itself is very easy: Download and run the free Windows Media
Creation Tool (site), selecting the Upgrade this PC now option shown in Figure 30
(more on this, below).

Figure 30. A clean Win10 install using the

What do you want to do? Windows Media Creation Tool starts with
selecting Upgrade this PC now.
Upgrade this PC now

Create installation media for another PC

Any of these Win10 upgrade methods will produce

the same result.

When the upgrades done, check that Win10 is

The Reset methods
activated. Open the Win10 Start menu and select
Settings/Update & security/Activation. If the win- major downside is
dow displays Windows is activated, youre good to
go your system is ready for a clean installation. that its not quite
If your Win10 upgrade isnt activated, jump down as thorough as the
to the Last setup steps and activation trouble-
shooting section for suggested remedies.
bare-metal reinstall
The two major types of clean-install
You have two main options for performing a method.
Win10 clean install:

The Reset this PC option is built right in to Win10.

(Its also in Win8.) This method takes just a few
The principal drawback clicks; it restores the operating system files to
their original condition and removes all apps, files,
to the bare-metal and settings. This type of clean install is extremely
reliable, in part because it takes place on a setup
method is that it thats already working and activated.

requires a bit more The Reset methods major downside is that its
not quite as thorough as the bare-metal reinstall
method, below. Depending on how you do the
effort to accomplish. Reset, some of the initial Win10 upgrade files may
be reused, and you wont have the option of refor-
matting drives or partitions.

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The bare-metal reinstall method is 100 percent complete nothing at all is carried over
from the initial Win10 upgrade setup. You can even reformat your hard drive prior to
installation if you want or need to; or use this method to set up Win10 on a brand-new,
empty hard drive. Plus, youll end up with a complete Win10 setup DVD or flash drive you
can later use, if you need to, for system repairs, recovery, or reinstalls.

The principal drawback to the bare-metal method is that it requires a bit more effort to
accomplish. There also is a slightly higher risk of running into problems with system drivers
or with activation.

You can use either clean-install method. In fact, you can even use them together. For example,
you can use the easy, sure, Reset method to produce a clean install and then use the bare-metal
method to generate a bootable DVD or flash drive. Use either method, or both; its your choice.

But in either case, before you do any sort of clean install, make a new, fresh backup or sys-
tem image of your original Win10 upgrade setup, so you can roll back to this initial point in
case something goes wrong with the clean install.

For your later convenience, you might also wish to make a separate copy of your user files
(e.g. Documents, Music, etc.) in a safe location such as an external drive. This precaution
will make it quick and easy to restore these files to your new setup after the clean install.

Its also wise to ensure you have any required installation codes or keys youll need to
restore the apps you intend to use after the clean install.

The fast, easy, Reset clean-install method

Both Windows 10 and Windows 8 have a built-in operating-system Reset option. The tool
lets you keep your files but remove apps and settings or remove everything for a com-
pletely fresh Windows installation. (Note: Neither option lets you reformat drives or parti-
tions.) Heres how to set up a clean install:

From the Win10 desktop, open the Start menu and click Settings/Update & Security/
Recovery. Next, click the Get started button under Reset this PC. In the next screen,
select Remove everything (see Figure 31). Follow the on-screen prompts.

Figure 31. As described, the Remove

Choose an option everything option removes everything
but the base OS.

Keep my files
Removes apps and settings, but keeps your personal files.

Remove everything
Removes all of your personal files, apps, and settings.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

Alternatively, you can use the Windows Media Creation Tool (WMCT; free; site). Down-
load and run the version of the tool that matches the bittedness (32 or 64) of your Win10
system. When offered, select Upgrade this PC now (shown above in Figure 1) and then
follow the on-screen prompts.

When the Media Creation Tool shows the Ready to install window, click the Change what to
keep option (Figure 32).

In the next window, select Nothing (Figure 33) to remove all previous files, apps, and settings.

Ready to install Choose what to keep

You wont be able to use your PC while
Windows installs. Save and close your files Keep personal files and apps
before you begin.
You will be able to manage your Windows settings.
To recap, youve chosen to:
Keep personal files and apps
You will be able to manage your Windows settings.
Install Windows 10 Pro
Nothing
Keep personal files and apps
Everything will be deleted, including files, apps, and settings.
Change what to keep

Figure 32. For a clean install using WMCT, you must Figure 33. WMCTs choose nothing option
click the Change what to keep option.

Whether you used Win10s built-in Reset option or the Windows Media Creation Tool, run
through the remaining on-screen prompts to reset Windows 10 to a clean, unmodified state.

For more information, skip down to the section labeled Last steps: Activation and
troubleshooting.

A bare-metal install, Step 1: create setup media

This method ensures that nothing absolutely nothing gets carried over from any previous
setup. Its a full, fresh start that deletes your previous Windows installation in its entirety.

Its not hard to do but is more complicated than the Reset method described above. It starts
with creating Win10 installation media. Here are the steps:

For safetys sake, first make note of your Win10 product key. Its easy to find using free tools
such as NirSofts Produkey (site) or the hideously named Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder (site).

Warning: As with all free apps, select Custom Installation when the setup program
offers it; then deselect any unrelated or tag-along software or toolbars that you dont
want installed.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

Next, download Windows Media Cre-

ation Tool (WMCT; free download), What do you want to do?
choosing either the 32- or 64-bit
version that matches the bittedness of Upgrade this PC now

the system receiving the clean install. Create installation media for another PC

Run WMCT and select Create instal-

lation media for another PC when Figure 34. WMCT can make a bootable DVD or flash drive
that contains all Win10 setup files.
offered (Figure 34). Click Next.

In the next window, select the lan- Select language, architecture

guage, edition, and architecture that
match your original Win10 upgrade and edition
for example, English (United States), Please select from one of the available options to continue.

Windows 10 Pro, and 64-bit (x64),

Language English (United States)
as shown in Figure 35. When youre
finished, click Next.
Edition Windows 10 Pro

Next, youll see the Choose what

media to use window. You have two Architecture 64-bit (x64)

choices for creating bootable setup

media flash drive or DVD (Figure Figure 35. Select the system settings that that match
36). Ill start with the USB flash-drive your original Win10 upgrade.
option.

Creating flash-drive media: Plug a 3GB

Choose which media to use
If you want to install Windows 10 on another partition, you need to
or larger flash drive into an available create and then run the media to install it.
USB port. (Warning: All files on the
USB flash drive
drive will be erased.)
It needs to be at least 3 GB.

In WMCTs Select a USB flash drive ISO file

prompt, select the drive letter for the Youll need to burn the ISO flie to a DVD later.

flash drive you just plugged in (Figure

37). Click Next. Figure 36. WMCT lets you create self-booting, Win10-set-
up media on either a flash drive or a DVD.

WMCT will download and verify the

Win10 installation files, burn them Select a USB flash drive
to the flash drive, and then make the The files on your USB drive will be deleted. To keep these files,
back them up now to another save location
flash drive bootable. This process will
take some time, but you can continue Refresh drive list
to use your PC in the meantime. Removable drives
H: (No Label)

At the end of the process, WMCT will

display Your USB flash drive is ready Figure 37. Be sure to select the correct removable-media
(Figure 38). Click Finish. drive (H:, in this example).

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

Creating DVD-based installation media:

Assuming your PC has a DVD burner (not Your USB flash drive is ready
a given, anymore), select ISO file under Make sure you have the product key when youre ready to install.

WMCTs Choose what media to use H:

prompt (Figure 39) then click Next.

Figure 38. WMCTs flash drive-ready notification
Youll be asked where to place the down-
loaded setup file and what to call it. By
default, the file is called Windows.iso,
Choose which media to use
If you want to install Windows 10 on another partition, you need to
and its stored in your Documents folder. create and then run the media to install it.
But you can give it a clearer name (for
example, Win10Pro64.iso) and place the USB flash drive
It needs to be at least 3 GB.
file wherever you wish.
ISO file
WMCT will then download and verify Youll need to burn the ISO flie to a DVD later.

the Win10 installation files and prepare

them for burning to a blank DVD. This Figure 39. Select ISO file if you prefer to use a bootable
process will take a few minutes, but installation DVD.
you can continue to use your PC in the
meantime.
Burn the ISO file to a DVD
Make sure you have the product key when youre ready to install
When the file is ready, youll see the Burn
the ISO file to a DVD window. Insert a D:\software\windows\Win10Pro642.iso

blank disc into your DVD drive and then Open DVD burner
click Open DVD burner (Figure 40).
Figure 40. The burn-an-ISO prompt
When Windows Disc Image Burner
opens, click Burn to begin creating the
bootable DVD. (Recommended option:
Tick the Verify disc after burning box
shown in Figure 41 to ensure the integ-
rity of the files after theyre burned to
the disc.)

A bare-metal install, Step 2:

Setting up Win10
Your new, bootable flash drive or DVD
contains everything you need to set up
a standard Windows 10 installation. To
clean-install Win10, you simply boot from
either medium and follow the normal Win-
dows setup routines. (Youll see the details
in a moment.)
Figure 41. Win10s built-in Disc Image Burner will
convert the .iso setup file to a live, bootable DVD.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

First, however, a potential stumbling block is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface
(UEFI) commonly used by newer PCs especially PCs that came with Win8 preinstalled.
UEFI might prevent easy booting from external devices such as flash drives or DVDs.

If you have trouble booting from your Win10 setup medium, the following articles should help:

How to solve UEFI boot and startup problems Dec. 11, 2014, Top Story

Emergency repair disks for Windows: Part 2 April 17, 2014, Top Story

When you successfully boot to the Win10 flash drive or DVD, the setup program
should automatically launch. The followings steps will complete the setup process.

On the first screen, select your preferred language, time and currency format, and key-
board layout. On the second screen, select Install now.

Youll be asked to enter your Win10 product key, which you should have copied earlier.
Either enter it now or click Skip to defer the activation check. (I recommend clicking Skip
and deferring the check, especially on newer, UEFI PCs. In many cases, the Win10 setup
program will extract the original hardware key from the UEFI firmware and self-Activate
Win10 for you. This procedure can avoid problems with mistyping the 25-character key.)
Next, youll be asked to accept the standard Windows License; do so.

When you get to the prompt Which type of installation do you want, click Custom to
begin the clean-install process (Figure 42).

Which type of installation do you want?

Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications

The files, settings, and applications are moved to Windows with this option. This option is only
available when a supported version of Windows is already running on the computer.

Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)

The files, settings, and applications arent moved to Windows with this option. If you want to
make changes to partitions and drives, start the computer using the installation disc. We
recommend backing up your files before you continue.

Figure 42. Select the Custom install option.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

In the Where do you want to install Windows dialog box, delete the partition(s) that
contained your previous Windows installation theyll then be converted to Unallo-
cated Space (Figure 43). Click Next to continue the setup process.

Figure 43. Deleted Win10 partitions are returned to a drives empty, unallocated space.

Win10 setup will then automatically partition and format the unallocated space as
needed. It will then begin copying and installing files from the flash drive or DVD to the
newly formatted disk space.
When the initial setup is done, if you didnt previously enter the product key, youll see the
nag screen Its time to enter the product key. You can enter the key now or as before
defer activation by clicking the offered Do this later link. (Again, I recommend deferral.)

Last setup steps and activation troubleshooting

The normal Win10 setup then continues and the normal caveats apply.

For example, on the Get going fast prompt, I recommend you not elect to Use Express set-
tings, but choose instead the Customize settings option, which lets you adjust Win10s
privacy-related features and functions to your liking. (For more information on controlling
Win10s privacy settings, see the LangaList Plus column in this issue.)

When the setups finally done, check that your new Win10 clean-install is properly activated.
Open the start menu and select Settings/Update & security/Activation. If the window dis-
plays Windows is Activated, youre all set. If not, click the Activate Windows button.

If Win10 wont activate, dont panic: there are a number of utterly mundane reasons why
Win10 might not complete activation right away, as explained on Microsofts Get help
with Windows 10 activation errors page. For example, one of the reasons for a failure is
simply that the activation servers were busy.

But if you followed the steps outlined here such as successfully upgrading your Win7/8 PC
to Win10 before attempting a clean install the activation should take place in short order.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | How to Clean-Install a Windows 10 Upgrade

If you dont want to wait, some users report that theyve successfully hastened automatic
activation by rebooting several times or by using SLMGR, the software-licensing man-
agement tool. To use SLMGR, open an admin-level command prompt (right-click the start
flag and select Command Prompt (Admin)) and enter slmgr.vbs/ato at the command
prompt; a dialog box will open, displaying the results of the activation attempt (more info
via TechNet).

If you need additional help, see the Microsoft Answers page, How to activate and resolve
common product-key issues in Windows 10.

If none of the above works, Microsoft lists still more options on the Why cant I Activate
Windows 10? page, including information on the extremely helpful Activate by phone
service. Although I havent had to use it for Win10, Ive used that service in other circum-
stances in which a legitimate copy of Windows simply would not activate correctly via the
Internet. Activate by phone was easy to use and always worked when I needed it.

If you tried a bare-metal reinstall and ran into insurmountable activation problems or if
you ran into device-driver issues restore the backup you made at the start of this process
and then use the Reset this PC clean-install option described above. That method is more
forgiving and usually avoids activation and driver issues.

When your from-bare-metal installation is finished, Win10 should be ready for business.
You can now set up whatever apps you wish and copy your user files from whatever backup
location you stored them.

Enjoy your brand-new, clean-as-a-whistle, Win10 setup!

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Upgrade Vista to Win10 without a Clean Install

Upgrade Vista to Win10

without a clean install!

Windows 10 is a free upgrade for Win7 and Win8.1 systems. Moving directly from Vista to
Win10 normally requires a clean install of the new OS along with manual reinstallation
of your apps and user files.

But there is an alternative!

Its an indirect, two-step upgrade process that actually does allow Win10 to pick up and
carry over your existing Vista files, settings, installed apps, and so on, without reinstallation.

Heres how: Instead of buying a license for Win10

and doing a clean install, buy a new retail copy of
Win7 or Win8. Use that OS to perform a normal In this two-step
upgrade from Vista; it should retain your apps,
files, settings, and so forth.
process, youll still
Then, do the free upgrade from Win7/8 to Win10,
which will also retain your apps, files, settings, etc. pay only for one new
In this two-step process, youll still pay only for OS, so the costs are
one new OS, so the costs are about the same.
about the same.
There is a downside to this two-step process:
along with the personal files, apps, and settings

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Upgrade Vista to Win10 without a Clean Install

you want, youll likely also carry over unwanted junk, clutter, and other needless baggage.
This kind of digital debris could bog down your brand-new Win10 setup and prevent it from
operating as well as it could.

Both ways work its your call.

If you prefer a clean start with Win10 (as I do), heres how:

Make a complete backup of your Vista setup so you can restore it if the Win10 install
fails. Consider making a separate backup of your user files, too, to make them easy to
copy to the new Win10 setup.

Using your Win10 setup DVD, follow the steps in the section labeled A bare-metal
install, Step 2: Setting up Win10 in the Sept. 10 Top Story, How to clean-install a Win-
dows 10 upgrade.

When Win10 is running fine on your PC, click to Start/Settings/Update & security/Acti-
vation and purchase a Win10 license.

Copy your user files from wherever you stored them; the re-install whatever apps you want.

Either way direct clean install or indirect two-step upgrade youll find that Win10 is
light-years ahead of Vista. Enjoy your new OS!

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Lost and Found: Windows 10s Safe Mode

Lost and Found:

Windows 10s
Safe Mode
By Tracey Capen

Windows 10 might be a significant improvement

over Windows 8, but it still possesses some of its
predecessors dual personality.

Thats most evident in Windows system settings, but

its also true of some built-in troubleshooting tools.

A workaround for accessing Windows safe mode

During the writing and editing of this weeks Top
Story, it became evident that Microsoft is de-emphasizing one
of Windows longstanding troubleshooting tools: booting to safe mode. Thats not entirely
surprising: most average Windows users have forgotten about that option. But many
advanced users and system admins still use it, according to our own Susan Bradley.

In brief, safe mode boots Windows with a limited set of essential drivers and startup files.
Safe mode loads just enough to get Windows running. As noted in a Microsoft help page:

Safe mode is useful for troubleshooting problems with programs and drivers that might
not start correctly or that might prevent Windows from starting correctly.

If a problem doesnt reappear when you start in

safe mode, you can eliminate the default settings
and basic device drivers as possible causes. If a
recently installed program, device, or driver pre-
vents Windows from running correctly, you can
Microsoft doesnt
start your computer in safe mode and then remove
the program thats causing the problem. make it easy to access
Microsoft doesnt make it easy to access safe mode safe mode either in
either in Windows 8 or 10. As Lincoln Spector dis-
covered while researching Win10s recovery drive Windows 8 or 10.
option, its especially difficult to launch safe mode
if Windows wont boot which sorta defeats the
purpose of the tool.

Here are three ways to start Windows 10 in safe mode.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Lost and Found: Windows 10s Safe Mode

A quick launch of Win10 Troubleshoot

As described in the Top Story, Win10 has a set of troubleshooting tools for fixing oper-
ating-system problems. The easiest way to access them is to open the start menu and
click the Power icon. Next, hold down the Shift key and click Restart. That will pop up the
Choose an option window; select Troubleshoot and then Advanced. (An alternate route is
to click Settings/Update & Security/Recovery/Advanced startup.)

In the Advanced options window, select Startup Settings; youll end up with the window
shown in Figure 44. It merely describes what options youll have. Click Restart.

Figure 44. The Start Set-

Startup Settings
tings window lists alter-
nate startup settings
including safe mode.
Restart to change Windows options such as:
Enable low-resolution video mode
Enable debugging mode
Enable boot logging
Enable Safe Mode
Disable driver signature enforcement
Disable early-launch anti-malware protection
Disable automatic restart on system failure

Restart

At this point, your system

will do a full restart. A second
Startup Settings window then
appears with actual choices.
Startup Settings
As shown in Figure 45, press- Press number to choose from the options below:
ing the F4 key enables safe Use number keys or functions keys F1-F9
mode. If you press it, Windows
restarts again and opens with 1) Enable debugging
the classic minimalist look. 2) Enable boot logging
(Interestingly, the safe mode 3) Enable low-resolution video
4) Enable Safe Mode
window lists your current 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking
Windows build.) 6) Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt
7) Disable driver signature enforcement
Rebooting out of safe mode 8) Disable early launch anti-malware protection
9) Disable automatic restart after failure
returns your system to its
standard startup format.
Press F10 for more options
Press Enter to return to your operating system
Figure 45. Default Startup
Settings screen in Windows 10

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Lost and Found: Windows 10s Safe Mode

Launching the classic startup options

Surprisingly (or not), the traditional startup-troubleshooting options are still in Windows
10. On some systems, through a trick of the command prompt, you can have the OS boot to
the DOS-like Advanced Boot Options window. Heres how:

Launch Windows 10 using a standard installation/recovery/rescue disc or flash drive.

Select your language. If Repair my computer appears on the next screen, click it.
Otherwise, click Troubleshoot/Advanced options/Command Prompt.

Enter the following commands, as shown, on separate lines.

C:
BCDEDIT /SET {DEFAULT} BOOTMENUPOLICY LEGACY
Exit

Back in the Troubleshoot menu, click Turn off your computer.

Power up the system again, and (as the boot process starts) repeatedly press the F8 key
until the Advanced Boot Options menu appears, shown in Figure 46.

Figure 46. The classic window for launching safe mode

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Lost and Found: Windows 10s Safe Mode

Again, after youre finished with safe mode, rebooting should return your Windows instal-
lation to its normal startup process. (A tip of the hat to Fred Langa for bringing up this tip.)

A few notes about this technique. On my system, I had to turn off Fast Boot in my system
BIOS. Otherwise, Win10 would never see the F8 key command. So, as is usual with Win-
dows, much depends on your particular system setup. You might have to experiment.

And has been previously discussed in Windows Secrets, on newer systems, the Unified
Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) boot system can be problematic for self-booting
media. For a refresher on that, see the Dec. 11, 2014, Top Story, How to solve UEFI boot
and startup problems.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | A Fix for When Edge Misbehaves

A fix for
when Edge
misbehaves
By Fred Langa

A Windows Secrets reader asked about a problem

with the browser. When he closed one tab, all tabs
closed without notice. Microsoft support changed One possible solution
the asktoclosealltab key in the Windows Registry,
but that key fix is actually meant to correct a very is to clean out Edges
simple user error: mistakenly selecting the Always
close all tabs option. (The same problem and fix
work for Internet Explorer, too: See MS Support
cached data.
article 2671166.)

The readers problem most likely had a different

origin perhaps bogus data or remnant code from some visited webpage.
One possible solution is to clean out Edges cached data. Heres how:

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | A Fix for When Edge Misbehaves

Open the settings menu by clicking the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner of
the Edge window.

Click Settings.

Under Clear browsing data; click Choose what to clear; and then click Show more.

Tick (select) those data types you wish to clear. (Note: For the most thorough cleaning,
select all offered data types; lesser cleanings may leave behind the data thats causing
the problem.)

Click Clear, as shown in

Figure 47.

When thats done, restart your

PC to force Windows and
Edge to start completely fresh.

If the problem persists, dig a lit-

tle deeper. Edge is a component
of Windows 10 (not separately
installed app), so the operating
systems System File Checker
(sfc.exe) tool might be able to
correct errors caused by file
corruption or similar issues.

To perform a scan, open an

admin-level command window
and enter sfc/scannow at the
prompt.

If that, too, doesnt work, and if

you have a rough idea of when
the trouble started, you can use
a Windows restore point to roll
back the OS to a pre-trouble
condition. Open Control Panel
and use the search function to
locate Recovery. Select Recov-
ery/Open System Restore/
Next and choose the Restore
Point prior to when the trouble
started. Select Next/Finish.
Figure 47. Edge has a built-in option for deleting its cached data,
giving the browser a fresh start.

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 Getting the Most from the New OS | A Fix for When Edge Misbehaves

Still not working? You can use Win10s PowerShell to dig into the Edge folder structures
and refresh (delete/replace) key files. Alas, its not a trivial task in fact, its downright
geeky but it can be done. See Method #2 in an Appuals.com how-to.

A somewhat extreme alternative is to reset all Win10 system files and settings including
Edges to their initial, just-installed condition. This wont alter your user data, but desk-
top apps might need to be reinstalled. For more information, see the OS, apps, and set-
tings backup and recovery section in the Oct. 15 Top Story, Best of breed: Win10s hybrid
backup system. See also Microsofts help page, Recovery options in Windows 10.

Of course, you can also do a full-system restore to a pre-trouble state, using your preferred
backup/imaging method.

But if youd like a simpler option, consider this:

A recent Neowin analysis shows that the most popular browser in Win10 is not Edge or
even IE 11 its Googles Chrome.

Chrome (site) is available for all current 32- and 64-bit Windows versions plus Android,
iOS, OS X, and Linux. All versions are free and can be set up so that your settings, tabs,
homepage, history, and so forth are shared and synced among all installations. (E.g., your
Windows and Android versions of Chrome can look and act the same way, staying in sync
automatically.)

I use Chrome as my primary Win10 browser. If Edge (or IE) simply wont work for you, con-
sider giving a third-party browser Chrome, Firefox, etc. a try.

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Getting the Most from the New OS | Cant Use Office Documents After Upgrade

Cant Use
Office Documents
After Upgrade
By Fred Langa

Some Win10 upgraders had an unpleasant surprise: their

Office files and folder were mysteriously set to read-only.

However, this error isnt limited to Win10; it

also happen with some Win7-to-Win8 upgrades.
Typically, its the result of a mangled ownership
security attribute for files or folders. This makes
Windows treat your files as if they were being
accessed by a different user!

There are a number of fixes, ranging from the simple

to the complex; youll find them detailed in the Sept.
10, 2015, LangaList Plus item, File-permissions
problems after Win10 upgrade.

But because youve already reverted back to

Win7, you have another option that can let you
sidestep the problem. Heres how:

Make a full backup or image.

Manually copy your user files and folders to a

safe location, off the main hard drive. Make sure to copy all files that were locked after
the Win10 upgrade.

While still in Win7, delete the original versions of the troublesome user files and folders.
Be sure to delete all previously locked files and folders.

Now, do the Win10 upgrade again.

When the update is complete, copy your user files back from wherever you stored them.

Because the files that you stored off the main drive were not processed in any way by
the Win10 upgrade, you should be able to copy them into your new setup and access
them normally.

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Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

Running a
Tune-Up
Tool Creates
Huge Mess
By Fred Langa

System cleaning or tune-up

apps can cause trouble at the best of times,
but more so with a new OS. A Windows Secrets reader
wrote in that his Win10 system had nothing but a blank
screen and a flashing cursor after using one of these products.

This is a bit of an I told you so moment; I discussed these products in

the July 16 Top Story, Are system/Registry cleaners worthwhile? and
found most of them lacking.

I also covered them in:

The Windows Maintenance Challenge: Part 1 Aug. 14, 2014

The Windows Maintenance Challenge: Part 2 Aug. 28, 2014

Test-driving free scan tune-up suites Aug. 9, 2012

Putting Registry- /system-cleanup apps to the test Nov. 10, 2011

In those tests, I found that most tune-up tools were far too aggressive, effectively creating
more problems than they solved. And, like you, Ive ended up with some Windows setups
rendered totally unbootable by bogus and unnecessary repairs.

But back to the problem at hand. Note that this process isnt limited to Windows 10.

To recover a crashed system, youll need a Windows setup or system-repair disk, a third-
party recovery/repair disc, or a bootable recovery disk created by whatever backup/imag-
ing tool you use. Boot your system from any one of these disks and use its Repair or Restore
options to recover your PC.

If you dont have any of those, the process becomes a bit more complicated.

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Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

From Win7 onward, all Windows setup and recovery discs are totally generic for each
version; e.g., a rescue disc created on any edition of Win7 will work for any other edition. If
you can borrow an appropriate Windows disc from another source (say, from friend, family,
or work), you can boot from that disc and select Repair my PC. As long as that borrowed
disc is the same Windows version (Win10, in your case), it should work fine. You can even
use someone elses setup disk to completely reinstall Windows to your PC. Its completely
legitimate, as long as you use your own product key (or automatic digital entitlement).

If no one you know has a disc to loan you, use any functioning Windows PC to download a
fresh copy of the Win10 setup files from the Microsoft site and burn them to disc or flash
drive. (Note: Make sure you download the correct bittedness (x32 or x64) for your PC.) Boot your
PC from that generic Win10 setup disc or drive and select the Repair my PC option when its offered.

The preceding procedure should get your system booting again. You then have two
immediate tasks:

Make a full backup or system image plus a separate recovery drive so that you can
access your backups in an emergency (such as the one youre now experiencing). For
help with that task, see the Windows Secrets stories, Best of breed: Win10s hybrid
backup system (Oct. 15), and Learn to use the Windows 10 Recovery Drive (Sept. 17).

Next, uninstall and resolve never to use again hyperagressive tune up tools.
Instead, follow the advice given at the end of Are system/Registry cleaners worth-
while? (July 16) for effective and safe ways to keep your PC properly maintained.

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Getting the most from the new OS | Tips for setting up a new Windows 10 system

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