pInOy MeD [it] tEcH

Windows 101 : How to get the Windows 10 Creators Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 14:42:00 +0000

So you’ve been waiting and checking updates constantly to see if the Creators Update of Windows 10 is ready for you PC but until now you still don’t have it! Here’s how to force it in your PC.

1. Download the Windows 10 Update Assistant HERE

2. Run the the Update Assistant to download the bits of the creators update and click Update Now

3. The Update Assistant will check your hardware for compatibility. If no issues found you may proceed with the update by clicking Next.

4. The Update Assistant will start downloading the Creators Update. You may click minimize and continue other tasks that you are doing in your PC while waiting for the it to be completed.

5. Once the download is complete the Update Assistant will notify you that the update is ready. Save everything that you are working on and click Restart now.

Your PC will restart a couple f times to complete the update so be patient. Have fun with the new creator’s update!

Download Windows Essentials 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 07:14:00 +0000

As you all know the support of Windows Essentials ended in January 2017. So if you are looking to download and reinstall it in your PC you won’t find it anymore in any Microsoft website. If I remember it correctly, Windows Live Essentials was introduced as a FREE add-on during Windows 7 times after they removed some apps like Movie Maker. Live Essentials added more apps, like Messenger (now Skype), Photo Gallery, Mail, and my personal favorite the Writer intended for blogging.

If you have downloaded the offline installer then you are lucky one, you can use and reinstall the app without any problems. Two weeks ago a customer called me asking where can he download Windows Live Mail. Apparently his boss, a Jurassic lawyer, doesn’t want to adapt on what is current, he still wanted the nice and easy interface of the Live Mail. Good thing I still have the offline installer, so I uploaded it in OneDrive and send him the link, which I also wanted to share with you should you still want to have these apps on your PC. You can get it in the link below.

Download Windows Essentials 2012

Note: Since Microsoft has retired this product and won’t get any patches and updates, there will be a risk in using it. For more information you can go to the following link, Essentials 2012 Release Notes and FAQs

Windows 101: How to change the default start page in Edge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 03:34:00 +0000

Someone posted a question in our user group, “How to change the default start page in Microsoft Edge?”

Here’s how:

1. Click the ellipsis (...) on the upper right corner of your Microsoft Edge and click on Settings

2. Navigate on the Settings menu and click on the drop down list under Open Microsoft Edge with and select A specific page or pages

3. Key in the page or sites you wanted to open automatically when you launch Microsoft Edge. In this example I added my blogsite, needlehandler.blogspot.com and windows.com. Click the save button or simply hit enter in your keyboard and you’re done.

Restart Microsoft Edge to see the changes.

Windows 10 101: Activating the Ink Workspace in the Taskbar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 01:40:00 +0000

The Ink Workspace was introduced during the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. By default if you are not using a device equipped with a touch panel you won't see the ink workspace in the taskbar. But what if you wanted to use that feature? Here's how to place that pen icon in the taskbar in 2 clicks.

1. Right-click On an empty are of your taskbar

2. Select or click on "Show Windows Ink Workspace button" then you will see it right after the keyboard icon in the taskbar

Windows 10 101 : How to force the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to you PC

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 12:58:00 +0000

The Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607) has been around for quite sometime now. Since the launch last August 2, 2016, Microsoft also announced that the roll out will be by batch, which means that not all Windows 10 PCs will get the update all at once to avoid overloading the Microsoft update servers. Now you might be wondering, it’s almost the end of September, when can I get the update?

There are 2 ways to get the update first is to do the usual, by checking it via the Windows Update in your Windows Settings app.

Second is a bit tricky, so here it is. On the Windows Update click the Lean more link

It will open up your browser (in this case Edge) and direct you to to the Windows Update history page, where you can download the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Click on Get the Anniversary Update now do download the update assistant.

Once downloaded, run the program to start downloading the Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Note: It will take around 30 minutes to an hour or even more to download the update depending on the speed of your connection.

Windows 10 101: How to Upgrade Windows 7/8.1 Using a Flash Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 05:48:00 +0000

In my past articles I showed you how to get you Windows 10 FREE upgrade via the Get Windows 10 app on your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Upgrading to this option will be via the Windows Update and it will take a lot of time downloading Windows 10. Now I know most of you has several devices and upgrading via this method will be tedious since you’re going to do the same process on all of your devices. The easiest way is to download the Windows 10 image / ISO and transfer the installation files on flash drive and use it to upgrade your devices.

Now before everything, you need a 4-8 GB flash drive and a good connection to get the ISO from Microsoft’s download site.

The following steps will help you to get Windows 10 and upgrade all those devices of yours, your friends, and everyone else J

1. Follow the instructions on downloading the ISO HERE

Note: You may want to download the combined 32-bit and 64-bit installer which is worth less than 6 GB. Make sure as well that you are downloading the right ISO for your current version of OS, upgrade paths can be found HERE.

2. Transfer the installation files on a USB via Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool. Instructions HERE

3. Now that you have all what you need, insert the Windows 10 flash drive to your target PC and run the Setup.exe. This will start the upgrade and will guide you to the process.

Note: Make sure you are connected to the internet and your current OS (Windows 7 / 8.1) is activated before proceeding. Windows 10 will verify and assess your OS to make sure that you are running genuine Windows.

Below are some screenshots during the upgrade process

Note: To expedite the upgrade you may chose “Not right now” option and click Next.

Read and accept the License terms to proceed with the upgrade.

At this stage You may chose to keep files and apps, keep files only, or keep nothing, then click install to begin the upgrade.

This is the actual upgrade process where Windows 10 will replace your current OS and migrate all user files, apps, and settings. Your PC will restart several times on this stage.

The upgrade process will be around 1 – 1.5 hours so be patient. Once upgraded, Windows 10 will be yours for the lifetime of your device. Be sure to get the FREE upgrade on or before July 28, 2016.

Windows 10 101: Show or hide common desktop icons.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 01:43:00 +0000

Since I began using Windows during the era of Windows 95, the default desktop icons is my go-to when I need to access my files, empty my Recycle Bin, or access the Control Panel. As Windows advances and with the addition of keyboard shortcuts, if you notice only the Recycle Bin was left in the desktop by default. but what if you still want the classic look where you can just mouse over and double click to access your files or settings in the Control Panel? You can still get those desktop icons back, here’s how

1. Click on the Start button then click on Settings.

2. The Settings app click on Personalization then select Themes on the left pane then click on Desktop icon settings

3. No on the Desktop Icon Settings, tick or check all icons you want to show on your desktop then click OK.

There you have it! Your classic desktop icons back to its old glory sitting on the latest and the greatest Windows ever! #Windows10

How to Upgrade Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 05:07:00 +0000

After months and months of waiting and testing the Windows 10 Mobile as an Insider, finally the much awaited upgrade is here. the announcement of the upgrade comes with a sad news that only select Lumia phones and some OEM phones can get the upgrade. Below is the list of the supported phones.

Upgrading to the latest OS is easy, here’s how:

1. Download the Upgrade Advisor app from the Windows Store

[TIP: Some phones can’t find the app in the store, try to change the region/ location of your phone to US and try it again]

2. Open the Upgrade Advisor app to check for the latest update and follow the upgrade instructions in the app. The app will configure your phone to make sure it is ready to accept the update. Note: Before upgrading to the Windows 10 Mobile, you should have the latest Lumia Denim update.

3. Go to Phone Update in Settings to download and install Windows 10.

Note: The upgrade process will take up around 1 hour or longer depending on the speed of connection.

How to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 16:11:00 +0000

A friend of mine wanted to upgrade his Windows 10 tablet ( an HP Stream 8 to be exact) to Windows 10 Pro. So I asked him to buy a Windows 10 Pro product key so we can upgrade his tablet.

During the the Windows 7 era, there’s a feature called Windows Anytime Upgrade, where upgrading to a higher edition of Windows is as easy as clicking a link in the System Properties window, input a product key ( say Windows 7 Pro key) to upgrade. That option is still is also available in Windows 8, also found in system properties window ( see photo below). In Windows 10 it is somehow hidden, but still available should you want to upgrade by just using a product key.

Anyways after a day my friend came back to me with a newly purchased Windows 10 Pro key. It’s easy to get a Windows 10 Pro just follow the steps below.

Open the Settings app then go to Update and Security.
on the left pane tap or click Activation

Click on Go to Store to launch the Windows Store. You may buy a product key for $99.99 USD or if you have bought a key already just click I have a Windows 10 Pro product key. Input the key, if Windows determined your key is valid it will upgrade you OS to Windows 10 Pro.

Note: Please allow few minutes for Windows 10 to upgraded to Pro. During the process Windows 10 will unlock some more capabilities of the OS such as domain join and client Hyper-V.

Creating a bootable Windows 10 USB

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:45:00 +0000

1. Download the Windows 10 ISO (details HERE)

2. Download the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool HERE and install

3. Insert at least at least 4GB (8GB recommended) flash drive to your PC

4. Run the application and browse the location of the ISO/ Windows 10 image, the click Next

5. Chose media type where you want to copy the Windows 10 installation files

6. In this case were going to use and 8GB flash drive then click Begin copying

Note: By clicking begin copying the tool will reformat / wipe out the files in the flash drive. Copying/ transferring the Windows 10 installation files will take up to 10-15 minutes depending on the speed of your hardware.

How to get the Windows 10 ISO

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 06:38:00 +0000

1. Download and run the Windows 10 media creation tool HERE and run the program

2. In the media creation tool, select “Create installation media for another PC

3. Select the language, edition, and architecture of Windows 10 image you want to download. Note: Edition will depend on the current Windows OS installed (see upgrade paths HERE). Architecture will also depend if you are running a 64-bit or 32-bit Windows OS, check your system properties just to be sure.

4. Chose if you want to transfer the Windows 10 installation files to a bootable USB or to save it as an ISO file then burn to a DVD later. (I recommend getting/ saving it into an ISO file so you have a copy of the Windows 10 image)

5. Click next and select the destination folder of the image to begin the download process.

How to Make IE as default browser in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 05:36:00 +0000

With the debut of Windows 10 a couple of weeks ago, you may have noticed that IE or Internet Explorer was gone in the taskbar and replaced with Microsoft Edge as the default browser. Edge is a great and nice browser, but some sites particularly internal or corporate sites are coded to run in IE or requires IE for better rendering.

My boss once get irritated when he clicks a link in his email it will open in Edge, so he asked me how to bring back IE or make it as a default. To make IE as your default browser:

On Cortana/ Search bar, key in and click "Default programs"
Select “Set your default programs”
On the left pane, look for and select Internet Explorer on the list and click set program as default and click OK.

TIP: For easy access search for Internet Explorer using Cortana/ Search Bar and drag it to the taskbar to pin it.

Windows 101: How to change your Screen Resolution in Windows 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 01:39:00 +0000

In previous versions of Windows changing your screen resolution is as simply as right-clicking on a blank space in your desktop> Screen Resolution then select your desired resolution in a drop down list in the Screen resolution Window. In the case of Windows 10, it might be a bit difficult to look for this setting.

Here’s how to change your display resolution in Windows 10.

Right click on a blank area of your desktop and click on display settings.

On the display settings, click on the Advance display settings

Then select your desired resolution and click Apply.

TIP: Alternatively, you can change the display resolution of each screen should your PC is connected to a secondary screen and is on a extended display.

Windows 10 Upgrade Paths

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 11:40:00 +0000

Windows 10 is just around the corner and will come to your devices of the 29th of this month. As promised Windows 10 will be FREE to all qualifying Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices out there. Right now if you are a Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 user, most of you are now having a notification in the Windows taskbar telling you to reserve Windows 10. So go ahead and click that button to reserve!

Now let’s talk about the upgrade paths, which edition of Windows 7 or 8.1 will get which edition of Windows 10? The table below shows upgrade paths from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1.

Basically when your PC runs on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 you can get Windows 10 for FREE. System requirements of the three operating systems are just the same. But just in case, below are the system requirements.

You must have the latest version of Windows 7 with SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update
A 1 GHz processor or faster or SoC (System on Chip)
1 GB of RAM for 32-bit or 2GB or RAM for 64-bit
A 16 GB hard disk space for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit
A DirectX 9 or later compatible graphics card with WDDM 1.0 driver
A minimum display resolution of 800x600

To check if your PC/ tablet meets the requirements, use the “Check my PC” in the get Windows 10 app

Note: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/ 8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1 are excluded in the upgrade offer. Microsoft customers with active SA in volume licensing can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise at no cost.

Windows 101: How to share a link or page in Internet Explorer 11

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 14:10:00 +0000

With the Windows 8.1 charms replaced by the Action Center and the modern Internet Explorer app being not around in Windows 10, you can still share your favorite pages in IE by doing the following steps.

Press ALT key in your keyboard to access the menu bar in your IE11
Click on File> Send
Select if you want to Send the page via e-mail, Send link via e-mail, or create a shortcut to the desktop.

TIP: You can still pin your favorite sites in your taskbar by dragging the website icon into it.

Windows 101: Wow to turn Cortana to an Icon in the Windows 10 Taskbar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 06:38:00 +0000

As all of you may know now, Cortana will be available in the PC. Initially this intelligent AI is available to Windows Phone 8.1. Now since Windows 10 will be available across all Windows devices (phones, tablets, laptops, 2in1, etc.) Cortana will be there, ready to assist you!

Cortana by default will be in a form of a search bar in your Windows 10 taskbar and will be occupying almost a quarter of your taskbar! It might be an inconvenience for you if you are using a device with a low screen resolution (1366x768). To reclaim that precious space occupied by Cortana, you can turn her into an icon in a few simple clicks.

Here’s how:

Right click your taskbar to access the context menu.
Select Cortana, then click on Show Cortana icon

After modifying that setting, Cortana will still be on your taskbar but in the form of an icon.

July 29 is the Day! Reserve your Windows 10 now!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 06:56:00 +0000

Microsoft confirmed Windows 10 will come out on July 29, 2015. The best thing is that the IT giant is giving it for FREE! Yes no kidding Windows 10 will be free for its first year of availability to qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

To get Windows 10 you need to have the following specifications in your PC or Tablet:

Latest version of Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update
1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 driver
A minimum display resolution of 800x600

Right now qualified Windows devices are now receiving the notification in taskbar asking for the user to reserve a copy of Windows 10. A lot of my friends have asked me if the notification is just a joke or a hoax but it’s not. As long as you turned on Windows Update you can get Windows 10 on July 29.

Windows 8 101: Windows 8.1 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 03:13:00 +0000

The Windows 8.1 update is already available for download a couple of month ago. Question is, did you get? If not here’s how

Run Windows Update. Download and install any available updates to ensure that the OS has all necessary files and update to get the windows 8.1 update.

To check for updates in Windows Update, in your Start Screen just key in Windows update in your keyboard, click on Settings, then Windows Update
Click “Check for updates now.” It will take a moment for Windows to check for the latest updates. If new updates are found, Click or tap Install updates
Restart your PC or tablet to finish installation of the update

Open the Windows Store to get Windows 8.1. Just a note you need a good connection in updating to Windows 8.1 in my experience it took me 2-3 hours to download and install the update.

A specific update is needed for you to see the Windows 8.1 update in the Windows Store make sure you have the KB2871389 update. Now if you can’t see Windows 8.1 after getting and installing all updates you might want to read this article from Windows.

TIP: I tried downloading the KB2871389 HERE, installed it manually (without checking and installing all available updates), restart my PC, visited the Windows Store and the updates is there. Means you only need a single Windows update to get Windows 8.1 in the Windows Store.

Windows 8 101: File History

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:52:00 +0000

File History is a new feature in Windows 8 that keeps track on the changes you made with your files in your Libraries, Desktop, Favorites, and Contacts folders. This is the updated version of the Windows Backup and Restore that was introduced in Windows 7. This is a great app if you want to track changes of your files, protect, or restore a previous version of your files. File History will check changes in your files / documents and create a copy of the modified file in another location (external drive or network drive). By default File history checks your files for any modification every hour and will create a copy of the modified file which you can easily restore anytime.

To Enable File History

In your Start screen, key in File History > Select on File History to open the File History window. Make sure that an external media (HDD, USB Flash drive) is already connected to your device to enable File History

In the File History window, click on Turn on and File History will start to create backups / copy of your personal files

Alternatively you can manage / configure File History to set it’s behavior in saving your files and the duration of keeping the version of the files. Click in Advanced settings in the left pane to modify the default settings of File History.

Windows 8 101: Refresh or Reset?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 14:50:00 +0000

Windows 8 gives you ways to recover you system in case it is not running properly. You can either “Refresh” or “Reset”. There’s a big difference between the two process. Refresh means that Windows will be reinstalled without losing those precious documents, music, videos, and files. Reset on the other hand will remove everything and reinstall Windows 8 from it’s original factory settings, this means that all your files, apps, settings and any customizations you have made will be deleted from the drive. This is useful when you want to give / donate your PC to another individual or if you just want to have a fresh start.

To REFRESH your PC if you are on Windows 8.

Get you Charms click or tap on Settings > Change PC Settings

Click on the General tab > scroll down and look for the option that says “Refresh your PC without affecting your files” > click on Get started

If you are running Windows 8.1

Get you Charms click or tap on Settings > Change PC Settings

Click on Update & Recovery > Recovery

Click on Get started under “Refresh your PC without affecting your files”.

To RESET your PC

In Windows 8

Get you Charms click or tap on Settings > Change PC Settings

lick on the General tab > scroll down and look for the option that says “Remove everything and reinstall Windows” > click on Get started

If you are running Windows 8.1

Get you Charms click or tap on Settings > Change PC Settings

Click on Update & Recovery > Recovery

Click on Get started under “Remove everything and reinstall Windows.”

If you are using an OEM device (means that Windows 8 comes preinstalled) you can refresh or reset your PC in just few clicks. On the other hand if you installed Windows 8 manually into your device, there’s a big chance that Windows will ask for a recovery media (DVD / bootable flash drive) as a source of the installation files.

And oh, before I forget please plug in your device before resetting or refreshing to avoid interruptions which may cause to data loss or corruption.

Windows 8.1 countdown!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 14:09:00 +0000

Can’t wait for Windows 8.1? Just today, the Windows Blog announced the general availability of Windows 8.1 in the Windows Store. Exactly 8 days before Windows 8 turns one year old, on October 18, 2013 the 8.1 update will be available worldwide. Existing Windows 8 users can get this update for FREE. It will also be available on retail and beginning October 18, newly shipped PCs will carry Windows 8.1.

This free update will give you more cloud integration with SkyDrive, better transition from desktop to start screen, four sizes of tiles, Internet Explorer 11, unified search across all your apps, workplace join for BYOD scenarios in the enterprise and more!

While waiting for the official update you may download the Windows 8.1 preview at www.preview.windows.com.

Windows 8 101: Is your app compatible with Windows 8?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:52:00 +0000

With the debut of Windows 8 on October 26, 2012 a lot of people / PC users are thinking twice to upgrade to this new and revolutionized OS. Questions like “Is my hardware compatible?”, “Is it easy to use?”, “Can I still run my favorite app / game in Windows XP or Windows 7?”, and a lot more. Well, most of the legacy apps and hardware can still run and compatible with Windows 8. You might be asking how can you say that? Have you tested all of those apps? My answer is No. But for you to check if your favorite app or your hardware can still run or still compatible with Windows 8, Microsoft set up this website to check which app and hardware is compatible or incompatible with Windows 8.

Visit the Windows Compatibility Center to check your apps and hardware!

You may also want help the community in certifying an app or hardware by casting your vote on specific app.

Windows 8 101: Where’s my “Old” Control Panel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 16:18:00 +0000

For IT Pros and techies the Control Panel might be one of the useful tool to manage the Windows OS. Here you can just access most of the tools on networking, security, keyboard and language settings and more.

In the previous versions of Windows like your Windows 7, Vista, and XP, the Control Panel is always available and accessible in the Start Menu. In Windows 8, since the start menu has been replaced by the fast and fluid Start screen, the shortcut to your Control panel can’t be seen in the Start screen by default.

I can give many ways to access this very important tool.

If you are in the desktop get your Charms by swiping your finger from the right edge of your screen or pointing your mouse to the right upper corner of your screen. Click on the Settings charm and click/ select “Control Panel”

On your Start screen just key in “Control Panel” in your keyboard and click on Control Panel

Press Windows Logo key + X in your keyboard to access the Quick Link menu.

In Windows 8.1, go to your all apps by swiping your finger from the bottom edge of your screen. Alternatively you can pin the Control Panel to your start screen or to your taskbar.

Windows 8 101: Speed up your Start up process

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:41:00 +0000

Some programs/applications you install in your PC will integrate itself to load when you start your OS. Example of those apps are Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, Adobe updater, etc. These are non-essentials apps and will affect or slow down the start up process of your OS. You can disable these apps to speed up your start up process. You might be thinking on running “msconfig.sys”, go to the Startup tab and uncheck some apps that are non-essential on start up. Well, you are right, that if you are using a lower version of Windows such as Windows 7, Vista, or XP. In Windows 8 it’s a bit different. Here’s how you do it:

Do a right-click on your taskbar and click/ select on Task manager to launch the new Task manager
Click on “More details” to expand the task manager

Click on the Startup tab to see the list of startup applications. Notice that the last column shows the startup impact of each application in the list which is something new for you not to guess which app to disable. You may select some of the non-essential startup apps and click Disable to stop the app from loading during start up.

Windows 8.1 is here!

Download the preview at www.preview.windows.com

Windows 8 101: I want my Desktop!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 15:04:00 +0000

Tired of being directed to the Start screen every time you sign in to your Windows 8? Well I might have a solution for you. If you are on Windows 8.1 you can bypass the start screen and sign in directly to the desktop. Here’s how:

On your desktop right click on your task bar (mouse) or do a long press in your taskbar to get the right click menu (touch)
Select properties to launch the Taskbar and Navigation properties

Click / select the \navigation tab and tick “Go to the desktop instead of Start when I sign in” check box

Click on apply and you’re done! The next time you sign in to your Windows 8, the first thing you will encounter is your beloved desktop :)

Windows 8.1 is here!

Download the preview at www.preview.windows.com