THE WINDOWS 10 COMPANION

THE COMPLETE GUIDE FOR DOING ANYTHING WITH WINDOWS 10

JOE THOMPSON
INTRODUCTION

Windows 10 has been hailed by many to be the next big thing. It was
everything that Windows 8 was supposed to be, and everything
Microsoft hoped its Windows system to be. Win10 marks the death of
the regular Windows version and the entry of Windows into the
“software as a service” realm. Even Though it has its share of criticisms,
many have hailed Win10 to be the best Microsoft release ever.

This book details everything you need to know about the new Windows
10 -- its ups and downs, its successes and shortcomings, its hacks and
issues, and a lot more!

After reading this book, you are well on your way to mastering Win10
more than ever.

If you happened to like my book please leave me a quick review on

Amazon. I personally read every single comment on the site. Your
feedback is very important to me as it will help improve the book and
ensure your satisfaction. To review my book, please click <here>!

You can also send any comments or suggestions to

joethompsonbooks@hotmail.com . Thank you!

Joe Thompson
Copyright 2016 by Joe Thompson- All rights reserved.

This document is geared towards providing exact and reliable

information in regards to the topic and issue covered. The publication is
sold with the idea that the publisher is not required to render
accounting, officially permitted, or otherwise, qualified services. If advice
is necessary, legal or professional, a practiced individual in the
profession should be ordered.

- From a Declaration of Principles which was accepted and approved

equally by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a
Committee of Publishers and Associations.

In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this

document in either electronic means or in a printed format. Recording of
this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is
not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights
reserved.

The information provided herein is stated to be truthful and consistent,

in that any liability, in terms of inattention or otherwise, by any usage or
abuse of any policies, processes, or directions contained within is the
solitary and utter responsibility of the recipient reader. Under no
circumstances will any legal responsibility or blame be held against the
publisher for any reparation, damages, or monetary loss due to the
information herein, either directly or indirectly.

Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

The information herein is offered for informational purposes solely, and

is universal as so. The presentation of the information is without
contract or any type of guarantee assurance.

The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the
publication of the trademark is without permission or backing by the
trademark owner. All trademarks and brands within this book are for
clarifying purposes only and are the owned by the owners themselves,
not affiliated with this document.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction

Chapter 1. Windows 10: A Development History

Chapter 2. Windows 10 FAQs (Including How To Get It For Your System)

Chapter 3. Windows 10 Upgrades And Support

Chapter 4. 7 VS 10

Chapter 5. Different Flavors Of Windows 10

Chapter 6. Performance Notes

Chapter 7. Win10 Memory Management

Chapter 8. Express Vs. Custom Setup

Chapter 9. How To Create A Windows 10 User Account

Chapter 10. Owning Windows 10

Chapter 11. Windows 10 -- Tips And Tricks To Hypercharge Your

Experience
Chapter 12. Windows 10 Privacy Settings

Chapter 13. Other Privacy Features

Chapter 14. Microsoft Passport

Chapter 15. Say Hi To Windows Hello

Chapter 16.Windows 10 Parental Controls

Chapter 17. The Windows 10 Sync Settings

Chapter 18. Cortana (And Bing)

Chapter 19. Getting To The Edge

Chapter 20. Universal Apps

Chapter 21. Office 2016

Chapter 22. The Windows 10 Task Bar

Chapter 23. Windows 10 International

Chapter 24: Command Prompt And Powershell

Chapter 25: Removed Features

Chapter 26: On The Cutting Edge: Windows Insider And More

Chapter 27. Windows 10 Bugs, Issues, Problems -- And How To Fix Them

Conclusion
CHAPTER 1. WINDOWS 10: A DEVELOPMENT
HISTORY

It was way back in 2011 when the public first heard about the basic
tenets of the philosophy that will soon become Windows 10. During the
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference that year, then Chief of Mobile
Technologies Andrew Lees stated that the company intended to have a
single ecosystem that targets both PCs and mobile devices. This diverges
from the common idea that PCs should have an ecosystem separate
from its mobile counterparts.

While Windows had created a mobile version of its operating system

before, it has lagged behind in market share in part due to the fact that
its use offered less distinct advantages compared to its competitors.
Many reasoned that a single ecosystem that can completely sync the
desktop and the mobile can work to Microsoft’s advantage.

In 2013, it was reported that Windows was working on a new project

codenamed “Threshold”, after a planet in the Halo game series (which
was similarly owned by Microsoft). This was first publicized as an update
to Windows 8, but was distinct from Project Blue (which in turn became
Windows 8.1).

The writer who broke the news, Mary Jo Foley, called Threshold a “wave
of operating systems” that spans many platforms and services. The
release date was tentatively set to be on the second quarter of 2015.
Among the reported issues that Project Threshold was set to address
was the creation of a unified development toolkit and overall platform
spanning Windows, Windows Phone, and even XBox One. It is notable
that all of these platforms use the same Windows NT kernel.

In April 2014’s Build Conference, Terry Myerson of Microsoft unveiled a

new update to Windows 8.1. This one gave the users the ability to run
the Windows Store apps within desktop windows. It also featured a
Windows 7-like Start Menu, replacing the Start screen that was a (less-
liked) landmark of Windows 8. The new incarnation of Start used a
Win7-style application listing, and used only a portion of the screen.
However, it also featured Win8-style Live Tiles on its other half -- a
precursor of the revamped Start that will be seen in Win10. At this time,
Myerson said that all these changes will be rolled out in a future update.
He did not elaborate on what he meant.

It was also around this time when Microsoft unveiled the “Universal
Windows App” concept that allowed Store Apps native to the desktop
8.1 to be ported to the mobile 8.1 and the XBox One console. Apps were
meant to share a common database, with an interface that morphs to fit
different form factors. This also allows both the license and the user
data to be shared across these platforms. When implemented, phones
running the software would share almost 90% of common Windows
Runtime APIs with PCs running the same program.

A few months later in July 2014, screenshots were leaked purportedly

showing the current state of the Threshold project. This showed both
Windows apps and the Start menu. In September, another screenshot
labeled as a “Windows Technical Preview” showed a new system for
virtual desktops, a new File Explorer icon, and a notification center.
DEBUT
Project Threshold was “officially” unveiled last September 30, 2014
during a media event. It was introduced as “Windows 10”, hailed by
Myerson to be the company’s “most comprehensive platform ever”. It
has all of the features seen in the previews and screenshots, as well as
the promise to restore Win7-like usability for non-touch devices without
sacrificing touch intuitiveness for systems that support it. Joe Belfiore of
Microsoft said that Win10 will be an extension of all the technologies
introduced in Win7.
RELEASE AND DEVELOPMENT
The new OS was scheduled to be released on July 29, 2015. An
advertising campaign was started in different countries where the
software will be released first, including France, Germany, Australia,
Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The commercials
highlighted the OS’s more personal approach to computing. Events were
also held in thirteen cities across the world that centered on the role the
Windows community played in the development of Win10.

In August of the same year, subscribers to the Windows Insider program

began receiving new builds as part of the new Threshold 2 (TH2)
program. This was meant to develop and test a new set of major
updates. The updates are expected to come out to the general public on
November. It was also reported prior that a couple of new updates will
be released the following year, under the codename “Redstone”.

WHY 10?
That was one of the burning questions that stayed at the back of
everyone’s mind, even before confronting the most urgent issues of
price and performance. Microsoft threw a puzzle when they released a
“Windows 10” right after the 8.1. Where did 9 go? The company even
went so far as to say that calling the new OS “Windows 9” would not be
“right”.

VERSION NUMBERS
One thing to consider here is that the designation “Windows 10” is not
really even a version number, contrary to popular belief. Remember
how Microsoft named the previous Windows incarnations -- 95, 98,
Windows NT, Me, 2000, XP, Vista. It actually caused a bit of an uproar
too when Microsoft announced that the next Windows would be called
“Windows 7!”

So it follows that Microsoft does not really have a sequence to follow in

naming its releases. If we will be counting on version numbers, then
Windows 8.1 is in reality version 6.3, and Win10 will be version 6.4. The
last time there was a match between the version number and its release
name was the enterprise-focused NT 4.0, which was succeeded by 2000
(called NT 5.0 during development). XP was 5.1, Vista was 6.0, 7 was 6.1,
and 8 was 6.2. The notorious Windows RT which ran only Metro apps
was a release outside of this loop, and was made to the Windows NT
kernel (Win10, speaking of, is made on the Vista kernel).

ALTERNATIVE THEORIES
Of course, this is inconclusive since the software giant never really
produced an official statement on the matter. This invariably led to a lot
of other theories floating around on the Web.

1. One of the most popular is the fact that the number 9 is an unlucky
number in Japanese numerology (because it sounds similar to the
Japanese word for “pain”). Microsoft has a good presence in Japan, and
many thought that they may be following in the footsteps of Japanese
antivirus company Trend Micro when they skipped version 9 of their
software a few years ago.

2. Then, there is the Reddit post by one purporting to be a Microsoft

programmer. According to him, early internal testing revealed that a lot
of third-party apps have a snippet of code that would make them
identify “Windows 9” as Windows 95 or 98. This may be true in terms of
legacy applications.
3. During the presentation when Win10 was officially showcased, it was
mentioned that Windows 9 “wouldn’t be right” given the approach and
overall image of the product. Windows One would have made more
sense (what with Xbox One, OneNote, and OneDrive), but it has been
done “by the giants that came before us.” After this, the most apt seems
to be a strong number, which is the case of Win10.

4. When Microsoft transitioned from Vista to 7, it managed to scrub off

the bad image Vista had. This might be the same reason from Win10, as
the company wants to distance the current incarnation with the
infamous Windows 8 and 8.1.

In the end, the numbering scheme for Windows 10 is just a number -- it

does not affect the performance in any way. Regardless of the actual
reason that Microsoft has in naming it such, Windows 10 is set to prove
that it is one of the most beautiful and powerful Windows incarnations
yet -- and the rest of this book will showcase that.

WHAT IS SO DIFFERENT WITH WINDOWS 10?

Before we start diving deep into the settings of the new operating
system, let us first take a look at the things that you will find new with
Windows 10. Later on we have an in-depth comparison with the de facto
Windows standard Win7, but for now let us see what new things you will
uncover no matter which operating system you will be upgrading from --
even if it isn’t Windows. Here’s a list of 18:

1. MORE THINGS AT ONCE

As a nod to the world of multitasking, Windows 10 allows you to see
more things in a single glance. This is more evident with the feature-
packed Start menu, which has a single scrolling list of apps complete
with fly-out menus on one side and the Live Tiles on the other. The Live
Tiles themselves can feature 3D cube rotating animations. If that’s not
enough, you can even increase the size of the Start panel or maximize it
to full-screen.
2. CONNECTIVITY SUPREME
A nod to the modern world, Windows 10 attempts to recreate our
connections with our machines, even as it improves the interface
between hardware and software. This is through the use of Cortana, a
human-like AI that Microsoft envisions to be the next generation virtual
assistant. We will be covering all the pertinent details of Cortana later
on.

3. ALT+TAB ELEVATED
Despite being quite common, some studies show that there are more
Windows users who are not familiar with the Alt+Tab key combination
to switch between (and see all) running apps. So aside from redesigning
the task switcher interface with bigger thumbnails, Win10 indulges users
with a task view that can be accessed via the ever-present taskbar. More
on this feature later on.
4. TAKING CUES FROM MOBILE
Speaking of the ever-present taskbar, it gets an update too. Now it
features some improvements that were straight out of the realm of
mobile operating systems (think the Notification Shade of Android
phones). Aside from a redesigned way to show running apps (just
underlines instead of complete highlights), the taskbar’s system tray
now has a new volume slider, a WiFi menu that scans and shows
available WiFi connections, as well as a power monitor that allows you
to change the screen brightness.

This was taking another cue from Mobile technology. That’s not where
the cue from the Notification Shade ended -- Microsoft actually took out
the entire concept and turned it into the new Notification Center for
Windows! This occupies the right of the screen. It features notifications
from apps as well as user-customized buttons at the bottom.

5. FOR THE POWER USERS

Win10 gives power users the same new-car experience by improving the
long-stagnant command prompt (and porting the updates to the
PowerShell). Finally, users can have the power of the command line
combined with the familiarity and ease-of-use of a text editor. This will
be discussed in deep details at a later chapter.

6. A BETTER EXPLORER
The improved Home View in Windows Explorer now allows you to see a
Quick Access of frequently used locations, along with a list of recently
opened files. This is a lot faster than going to the Recent Places link
found in the older Windows incarnations. There is even a Share tab on
the explorer’s ribbon -- with the same welcome functionality as Win8’s
Share charm!

7. A BETTER BROWSER
Windows’ iconic (and nowadays infamous) Internet Explorer contains a
lot of old code that no longer fits the current web standards. Microsoft
took it back to the basics, aiming to create a lean, mean browser that
rivals the power of Firefox and Chrome while possessing the intelligence
of Cortana. The result is Microsoft Edge. The result is still a work in
progress, but it’s getting there. We will tackle all the specifics of this new
browser in a later chapter.

8. TWO BETTER BROWSERS?

There hasn’t really been any improvement with the Internet Explorer 11
-- but it’s still there. This gives you two browsers you can use by default.
In fact, there are still some things that IE can do better that Edge cannot
-- like run ActiveX controls, or run plug-ins (at least as of now). If you are
using Win10 in a company setting, some defaults in the policy might
actually open IE11 as a default browser instead.
9. BUILT-IN VIRTUALIZATION
You cannot yet run virtual machines by default, but if you need “multiple
monitors” without having to get the hardware you can instead run
multiple virtual desktops. This used to be a feature that required third-
party software to work -- but now it’s baked right in. Later on, we will
show you how to navigate between these desktops.

10. FRIENDLIER UPDATING SYSTEM

Despite all the fuss about not being able to defer updates (there’s still a
hack for that, as we will show you later), Windows did go through the
steps to ensure that its systems is not as obtrusive as in the previous
Windows versions. In the past, you got an update telling you that you
have fifteen more minutes to save your work before Windows goes on
an auto-restart. Today, the system downloads all updates automatically
and asks you to schedule a restart – and it is a lot more convenient to do
things at your own time. If you are using the Business version of
Windows, you can even set some dates and hours to be “no-restart”
times!

11. A BETTER STORE, BETTER COMPATIBILITY

The Windows Store gets an upgrade, and is now the one-stop shop for
desktop programs and the newer Windows “Universal” apps. The latter
set includes software that can be run whether you’re on the PC, on
mobile, on an Xbox One, or on a HoloLens! Most of the oft-used
Microsoft apps belong to the latter such as Word, Excel, Mail, and
Calendar.
12. MORPHING INTERFACE
With the previous number, we introduced Universal Apps. These are
those that essentially morph in order to suit one interface or another.
But Windows 10 itself does that -- courtesy of the Tablet Mode. Take
away the keyboard of a 2-in-1 and the screen morphs to a more touch-
friendly interface, removing the taskbar and leaving you with just the
Start button. The latter removes the scrolling programs list, and shows
only the Live Tiles, Cortana, and the back and task switcher buttons. All
apps open in full screen by default, though you can drag to have two
windows at once.

13. MORE PLACES FOR SETTINGS

With Win8, the Settings app became the go-to place for almost
everything you need to tweak. But power users will find that this is still
lacking in control features. To address that, Win10 retains the old
Control Panel -- it still houses the old options (in case you are more used
to finding stuff there) and everything else that cannot be found in the
Settings app.

14. LOG-IN REVOLUTIONIZED

Some people hailed it as the “password killer” -- the new biometric log in
system that came with the inconspicuous name of Windows Hello. Using
a state of the art 3D camera (or a very basic fingerprint scanner, any
model), you can use either your face or your finger to log in. While the
technology is still lacking widespread hardware support, many speculate
that this will be the next big thing since basic two-factor authentication.
15. GRAPHICS UP THE ANTE
The new graphics API by Microsoft ships with Windows 10 -- and it is
heaven sent. Significantly more powerful than previous versions yet still
capable of working with many of the existing graphics cards, the new API
speeds up apps written to DirectX 12 including most of the demanding
graphics tool. Of course, not to mention it is also a boon for all cutting-
edge gamers.

16. BREAKING THE BARRIERS

Have you heard that Cortana will be crossing over to new platforms
(Android, iOS) very soon? That’s not the only way Microsoft breaks
barriers. A new app has come that allows you to set your phone up to
work with any PC and Microsoft service (Skype, Office, OneDrive, and
Cortana). This lets you back up your Android photos to OneDrive while
exporting all your Xbox Music tracks to your iPhone.

17. A HELPING HAND FROM A HUMAN.

Need help? The newer Contact Support application allows you to find
the tips you need online or chat with Microsoft’s support. In case you
are really stumped, you’re in luck -- everyone who has upgraded to
Win10 gets a free support phone call to a dedicated Microsoft helpdesk.
This lasts for 15 minutes, so you get all the time you need.
CHAPTER 2. WINDOWS 10 FAQS (INCLUDING HOW
TO GET IT FOR YOUR SYSTEM)

This chapter consolidates the most common and most important

Windows 10 questions that people have in mind before and when they
upgrade. The first two questions (and answers) will tackle the
installation of the new operating system.

1. HOW WILL THE UPGRADE BE DELIVERED TO MY SYSTEM?

The delivery is extremely simple if you have a licensed copy of Windows
7, 8, or 8.1 -- it is literally just a bunch of clicks. First, check out the Get
Windows 10 app that will be installed in your taskbar along with one of
the most recent Windows updates. Click on the icon, and follow through
with the simple steps.

The download will then start, taking up about 3GB worth of disk space
and bandwidth. This is a background task, so you will be able to use the
computer as you normally do while waiting. Once the download has
completed, you will receive a prompt to continue with the upgrade
process.
The length of time needed for the upgrade will depend on the general
performance of your system. You don’t need to worry if you have a large
amount of data, though, as that has an insignificant effect on the install -
- the system uses hard linking to manage your files.

2. CAN I DELETE THE SETUP FILES?

Later on, we will discuss a way to remove the setup files through the
Disk Cleanup Manager. However, if you are one of the members of the
Windows Insider Program, you might want to leave these files on board
(unless you are tight on disk space). They can be very handy when you
need to roll back to a previous build or Reset out of Win10 for any
reason.

3. WILL MICROSOFT RELEASE WINDOWS 10 AS AN ISO FILE?

Yes, the Win10 disk image is available for download. This is best used for
upgrades or for clean installs. Beginning last July 29, the ISO has been
available for download from Microsoft’s site. You will be able to upgrade
your OS for free (without any product key) as long as you are using a
previously activated Windows installation. Thankfully, installing from an
external media is a lot easier than it seems.

What do I need? If you don’t have the external media with the ISO yet,
you will need at least a 4GB flash drive or a DVD of the same size. Adding
the ISO to that media will remove any other file currently in it. If you
purchased the DVD or the flash drive with the ISO, you will need to have
the product key on hand. This is located either on the box it came with
or with the confirmation email that was sent to you.

INSTALLATION
Start up your computer with the bootable media loaded. Make sure you
set your computer to load it first. This can be done by tapping the F12
button as soon as the computer’s manufacturer logo comes up on
screen, then selecting the option to have it load from the install disk (in
the boot menu). The Windows 10 installer will then pop up.

The first thing you will have to select in the installer menu is the
language -- select the right one, then click Install Now. After agreeing to
the EULA, you will then be treated to a screen that asks if you wish to
upgrade or do a custom install. To create a “clean” install (i.e., a “good-
as-new” install), then select the latter. But if you want to carry over
everything from your current installation, then select Upgrade.

Note that the Windows install system is known for being “greedy” -- if
you are dual-booting with another operating system (such as Linux), it is
almost certain to wipe out that other drive. For that, you need to work
with a more specialized tutorial. If you are with a new PC, however,
that’s no problem as you can simply click on the “unallocated space”
that will appear, and then just click Next.
From that point onward, the installation is a breeze. The installer will
start copying files from the old installation (if you chose upgrade). It
might also reboot several times, but this is normal. You will then be led
into different screens where settings can be customized and accounts
can be set up. You will also be able to sign in to your Microsoft account.

After all that, you will be able to see the new clean desktop! You might
need to enter your product key at this point, but otherwise you are
ready to go.

4. WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ONEDRIVE DOCUMENTS?

There has been a change in how the sync for OneDrive works. Microsoft
has removed the links for placeholder files (originally added in Win8.1)
that allowed File Explorer to display files saved in the cloud even if they
are not locally synced or stored. There has been a new sync utility
announced for later this year; however, this has not been available at
the time of release.

5. WILL MICROSOFT CHARGE FOR CURRENT WIN10

SUBSCRIPTIONS IN THE FUTURE?
This won’t happen. The initial rumor about this came about due to some
clumsy words in the Microsoft announcement, stating that the devices
will be receiving updates “for the supported lifetime of the device. This
naturally leaves room for speculation, but Microsoft has since confirmed
its intent -- as long as the device is capable of receiving upgrades, it will
be supported. Note, however, that upgrading to Windows 10 will only be
free within the first year since the release -- so you need to upgrade as
soon as you can.

6. HOW IS MY WINDOWS 10 COPY ACTIVATED?

When a user activates Win10 as an upgrade over previous activated
installations, this will be detected by the setup utility. If the utility
determines that the copy of Windows is genuine and properly activated,
then the Microsoft Store will generate a license certificate linked
specifically to that hardware.

7. CAN I UNINSTALL WIN10 LATER ON?

When a PC, upgrades to Win10, recovery files will be created to allow
you to revert to the previous OS version. However, it is best to do this
only after you have installed the most recent updates.

I
8. S IT TRUE THAT WIN10 CONTAINS KEYLOGGERS?
No, that is not true.

9. WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO UPGRADE TO WIN10?

Both consumers and businesses tend to be a little slow (at least by
Microsoft standards) when deciding whether to update to the most
recent Windows version. For example, the six-year-old Win7 still
accounts for about two-thirds of the entire market. This is one of the
reasons why Microsoft decided to restrict the free Win10 update to the
first year after release. From the user standpoint, however, the best
time to update is ASAP -- this will give you enough time to familiarize
yourself with the system, also allowing you to sort out and find answers
to any issues you might encounter. Allot at least an hour for installation -
- if you have a newer hardware running a valid Windows install, then this
is closer to about twenty minutes (and just a couple of mouse clicks).

At any rate, in case you decide that Win10 is not right for you, then you
can revert back to Win7/8/8.1. Simply go to Start > Settings > Update &
Security > Recovery. Note that this will only work if you have not
previously removed the data from your former installation.
CHAPTER 3. WINDOWS 10 UPGRADES AND
SUPPORT

UPDATE SYSTEM
Windows 10 will be supported by a significantly different system
compared to all other previous releases. Due to the ongoing stream of
updates, Microsoft describes this as a “service” -- Terry Myerson notes
that this implies the obsolescence of concerns over Windows versions.

Unlike previous iterations of the OS, the Windows Update feature will
automatically download and install all patches, drivers, and updates
even without the customer’s consent. To prevent the user from losing
working data, they will instead get to choose when the reboot will take
effect (this can also be done automatically). The update system will also
utilize a peer-to-peer distribution system -- the user’s bandwidth will be
used to distribute the downloaded packages to others, along with
Microsoft servers. However, users will also have the freedom to choose
to use P2P sharing only over their local area network.

As discussed earlier, the Pro and Enterprise editions will allow users to
“defer upgrades”, which means choosing the “Current Branch for
Businesses” channel of releases. This allows users to receive upgrades
on about a four-month delay from the regular release. Feature updates
may be deferred in CBB for up to eight months, after which the update is
mandatory in order to maintain the support and security update access.
Admins can also utilize the “Windows Update for Business” system that
allows waved update rollouts across the entire network.

Those with Enterprise may also opt to use the LTSB (Long Term Support
Branch), which is a periodic snapshot of the CBB branch. The support
lifecycle is 10 years, and through that time the devices will only receive
critical patches. The systems may also be positioned one or two updates
behind the latest LTSB version, allowing for a more structured
deployment throughout the network as well as a more thought-out
internal lifecycle. This is especially suited for mission-critical
environments that need stringent testing and stabilization before
deployment.

LIFE CYCLE POLICY

As per the Windows 10 lifecycle policy, the first public release in July
2015 will receive support for 5 years after the date. After that, there is
another 5 years of extended support subject to conditions. The lifecycle
policy also notes that since updates are cumulative (i.e., built on top of
each other), the device will have to install the most recent update in
order to retain support. It states further that the ability of a device to
receive updates in the future will depend on driver availability, hardware
compatibility, and the OEM’s support period (if applicable). As per
Microsoft’s initial statement, all upgrades will be free for the “supported
lifetime of the device.”
CHAPTER 4. 7 VS 10

Windows 10 may be a free upgrade for Windows license holders, but

there are a lot of users who have played cautiously and stuck with
Windows 7. There are many concerns of privacy and usability, likely
stemming from the fear that the radical overhaul called Windows 8
inspired. With Win 7 being the de facto standard against which all other
Windows versions are judged, how does the iconic OS’s newest
incarnation measure up to it?

In a one-liner, Windows 10 gives its users the best of both worlds. It

takes the best bits of Windows 7 as well as the revolutionary features
that were so under-represented in Windows 8, and then throws in some
new features to create a powerful and user-friendly operating system.

For the longer story, let’s take a look at a point-by-point comparison

between the standard and the newcomer.

WINDOWS 7
WINDOWS 10
START MENU
Win7 is known for being straightforward and well designed, and has
used the traditional Windows formula of the status bar and the Start
button. Windows 10 gives users this same familiarity, with some useful
new features. The Live Tiles that came in Win8 can also be found under
the 10’s Start Menu, which is a simple box with the Windows logo
tucked into the lower left corner. These Live Tiles can be removed if you
don’t want them. There is also an option to open the Start menu in full
screen, for those who have a lot of items pinned, or you can simply
resize it like any other window by moving the mouse cursor to the
edges. To the left of the Live Tiles are the regularly used applications
together with the usual Setting, File Explorer, and the search bar.

Speaking of search, the 10’s version is significantly beefed up. Whereas

the previous versions only look for local files, apps, and folders, the
current search function is connected to the browser and the Windows
store. This allows you to search the entire Web right from your desktop.
You can simply hit the Windows key on your keyboard, type in any
keyword, and the result will be displayed in a browser window.

And if you would rather that the entire search process happens
differently...
CORTANA
...Windows 10 now has Cortana integrated! Transforming from a Siri
competitor for the Windows Phone, Cortana now comes as a full-fledged
desktop virtual assistant. Clicking the search area in the 10’s taskbar will
open Cortana’s interface, allowing you to interact with her through
search queries and other questions such as your upcoming
appointments, the weather forecast, and directions to the nearest pizza
parlor. Cortana is also able to insert appointments in your calendar, take
notes, add reminders and do a whole host of other features. An entire
chapter on Cortana will explore more of its marvels later on!
VIRTUAL DESKTOPS
Unix-based systems such as Linux have an integrated virtual desktop
feature, and Windows 7 aspired to have this by additional software
called Desktops v2.0 (downloadable through the Windows Sysinternals
website). However, Win10 takes it up a notch as this feature is now
integrated directly upon install.

To access it, just click on the Task view icon on your taskbar. You may
also use the WinKey+Tab combination. With this, you can add a virtual
desktop by clicking the plus sign located in the bottom right corner.
From here, you can drag the open applications onto the new workspace
-- useful for decluttering the various tasks. It is very easy to navigate
between virtual desktops since they are sharing the same data -- this
means that all changes made will be universal. Later on, we will cover
virtual desktops more extensively in a separate chapter.

UNIVERSAL APPS
When Win7 made its debut back in 2009, the concept of applications
that run across all platforms was a very cloudy one. This is mainly
because smartphones back then were just in their relative infancy, and
the iPad was not even released yet. Now that mobile technology is at its
finest, universal applications are becoming more and more important.
For Win10, Microsoft has launched its Windows Apps (a rebranding of
the “Metro apps” or “Store apps”) that can run virtually anywhere the
OS (or its variants) resides: your phone, PC, tablet, and even the Xbox
One.

The concept of universal apps also means that if you buy one, it is
available immediately across all devices. While some apps cannot be
expected to run on smartphones, as well as they do on the PC,
streamlined versions that can sync with the other devices are to be
expected. The list of extant Windows Apps will be covered later.

EDGE BROWSER
No Windows version will be complete without the iconic (and
sometimes notorious) Internet Explorer. Of course, this isn’t usually the
browser of choice -- all surveys point to either Mozilla or Chrome as the
top browsers.

Microsoft aims to change this, however, with the introduction of the

Edge Browser (initially called “Spartan”). It is a stable, standards-
compliant, and easy to use browser that was meant to be better-suited
to browsing the modern web. It is fast and elegantly designed, with a lot
of advanced capabilities such as web annotation, Cortana integration,
and a reading mode. As a step towards simplicity and efficiency, Edge
will no longer support ActiveX controls. This will render the old toolbars
and plugins that you have been using, well, unusable. This browser will
be exclusively covered in a later chapter.

GAMING
If there is one department where Windows beats any other operating
system hands down, it is in gaming. Simply, Windows enjoys the lion’s
share of gaming compatibility, and many of the gaming world’s grandest
titles are released with Windows users in mind. While Win7 is a tried
and tested gaming platform that offers a great mix of stability and
performance, Win10 expands on this further with additional
enhancements. The most eye-catching is the inclusion of DirectX12,
which reports say offers a significantly improved performance over the
revered AMD-powered graphics cards.

Another addition is the PC Game DVR, which is an upgrade to the Xbox

app. This smart addition allows gamers to record their games in real
time, and also offers a sharing option. Streaming across the local
network, Win10 users will also be able to play Xbox One games on the
PC. That’s right -- you can plug the controller to the computer, turn on
your Xbox, and play directly on the PC (leaving the rest of the family to
use the TV).
ROLL-BACK OPTION
Many loyal XP users bemoaned the loss of their beloved Windows
version when Microsoft ceased all support, and those who have
upgraded to 7 are stuck without a roll-back option. This is not a problem
in Win10, since Microsoft has made it a point to allow the users to easily
downgrade if they’re not satisfied. While backing everything up is
recommended, Win10 allows for a way to restore to the previous
release without losing any data. We will cover this process in a later
chapter.

ACCOUNT INTEGRATION
While Win7 has the usual log in system upon startup, the first thing a
Win10 user will be asked to do upon setup is choose whether he will be
logging in using a Microsoft account. Mac or iPhone users will be familiar
with this system, as this is similar to an Apple ID. Other mobile users will
also feel the analogy between this and the Google account used for
Android and Chromebook logins.

Logging in using a Microsoft account will cause your desktop settings

(even your wallpaper) to sync between the PCs you have used. Other
Microsoft services, such as the OneDrive client (which is now integrated)
will also log in automatically. While you can log in without a Microsoft
account, one is needed to access some features such as the Windows
Store. A Microsoft account can be set up later in case you opt for the
traditional log in.

SETTINGS
While the Control Panel remains at the semi-geek hub of Win7 (there’s
still the command line for the fully-geek), Win10 gives off a different
vibe with its Settings app, found on the Start menu. This tool evolved
directly out of Win8, and is designed to be more user-friendly than the
technical-book-like atmosphere of its CP predecessor. It contains the
most commonly used settings that you access, and also some newer
settings.
However, Windows did not treat the Settings option as a CP
replacement -- instead, Control Panel is still accessible (with its host of
older features) by right-clicking the Start button or by hitting the
WinKey+X combination.

One thing to remember though is that neither the Settings nor the
Control Panel allows the disabling of automatic updates on the Win10
Home edition. You will need to have at least the Professional edition to
get this freedom.

DESKTOP
The overall look can be drastically different for Win7 veterans, but that is
mainly because it offers a lot of features that were taken from Win8
instead. For example, the Task Manager just got more powerful,
allowing you to see and manage the system resources and startup
programs even without third-party apps. The Windows Explorer is now
called the File Explorer, and offers an improved interface for copying and
removing files. Windows can also mount ISO images natively, without
the need to download third-party apps.

SECURITY
Win10 includes Windows Defender right from the install -- this is
essentially a rebranding of Microsoft Security Essentials which gives
every Windows PC a baseline antivirus protection. There is also
SmartScreen, a reputation system (much like Web of Trust) that blocks
any unknown file downloads from harming your PC.

PERFORMANCE
One of the least-noticed among the list of improvements Win10 (and for
that reason, Win8) has over Win7 is in the realm of performance.
Primary among these is the boot-up time -- this has been made to be
markedly faster, allowing for better hardware acceleration and other
tweaks that make the overall navigation experience snappier. If you are
using a laptop or a tablet (yes, the 10 has a tablet mode, but one that
you are not forced to use), then you will benefit from the better power
management features.
AESTHETICS
This is the department where Win8 really fell apart. With Win10
continuing the 8’s aesthetics, how does the newcomer stand?

Win7 was known for its AeroGlass features, which emphasized

transparent windows and round-edged, 3D-looking accents. Today,
however, users are presented with a Windows that favors bright and
bold colors with stark, flat panels. Win10 even takes this to the desktop
icons and other features, giving a more holistic feel (though it is fairly
noticeable that some icons in the Computer Management and Control
Panel sections are old).

While it will be difficult to judge whether this new styling indeed offers
better aesthetics, it is widely construed to be the more “modern” choice
as flat and bold seems to be the order of the times (just check out
Android’s Material design for proof). To its credit, Microsoft took the
time to make the entire design look less like a watercolor palette,
placing well-planned shades of dark gray and semi-transparencies to
make the design look cleaner and more professional.

On the practical side, the windows can now afford to be smaller (without
losing their real estate) due to the lack of borders. The lack of
translucency also allows many elements of the screen to be clearer.
Win10 allows users to customize more window elements than its
predecessors.

FILE MANAGEMENT
We touched upon the improved File Explorer earlier, and it is
worthwhile to discuss a little more about this feature here -- despite
how mundane it sounds, file management is one of those things that can
make our lives easier or more technical.

While Win7’s file management system is decent and usable, it is far from
being the most advanced. In fact, it even seemed to be a backwards
step, what with the removal of the “Up” button from the previous
Explorer. Key functions had been hidden, and the entire space wasn’t
particularly well-designed.

Some of these errors were rectified with Win8, and the entire interface
was upped with Win10. Aside from the Up button, the commonly-used
tools are now easier to see from the ribbon lining the top portion of the
interface (think MS Office menus). All it takes is a click to work any
common file function.

For the socially inclined, there is also a convenient Share feature that
allows files to be easily moved into apps like Skype, Dropbox, or Outlook.
The file-copying interface is made more compact, and operations can
now be paused. No more “guess-timates” since the transfer speed is
shown in real time.

Another nifty addition is Storage Spaces, ideal for those with more than
one hard drive. This allows these storage devices to be grouped into just
one logical drive. While not exactly revolutionary, this supports data
redundancy in different levels, ensuring that the data is backed up.
Unlike RAID, it is hot-swappable and users can choose drives of different
sizes.

NOTIFICATIONS
The System Tray had long been the go-to place for system notifications
in almost all earlier Windows releases. Pretty much everything is lumped
here, from Spotify notifications to apps that are running in the
background. However, this seems a little disjointed and does not allow
users to see any update history.

Enter Win10, with its new notifications area. This addition pulls all
system messages and app notifications into a unified place, arranging all
alerts in chronological order. It allows you to see which app prompted
when, and even allows you to see alerts you’ve previously read. This
area also contains the menu for you to access the Settings screen, or
switch to Tablet Mode.

WORKSPACE MANAGEMENT
With the multitude of apps running at once, proper workspace
management this can spell the difference between meeting a deadline
and failure to deliver. Also, if you have multiple monitors, you will need
the proper tools to manage everything.

Win7 comes preinstalled with multi-monitor support, though one that is

lacking -- it only allows access for either mirroring or desktop stretching
(with the taskbar staying at home in one monitor). Its only other feature
is the (sometimes annoying) Snap, which automatically resizes the
window when you drag it to a specific side of the screen (whether
intentionally or not).

Win10, on the other hand, adds lots of functionalities. Earlier we

discussed the virtual desktop feature, which is a great plus. The new
version of Windows also allows for separately managing multiple
monitors, even giving users the options to set different backgrounds and
slideshows on each of them. Pictures can be blown up to span all the
monitors, too.

As for the taskbar, there is now the option to make it appear on all
monitors, or just in the primary monitor and on the one you are
currently active in. Snap has also improved, allowing snapping to the
four corners in addition to the monitor’s sides.

TABLET MODE AND TOUCH SCREEN

Okay, so how about Win10 for those convertible laptops those that
double as tablets? As mentioned earlier, the tablet mode exists -- and it
is a vast improvement over any other previous Windows releases. For
one, the icons are a lot more touch-friendly. Gestures are also
supported. Activating the tablet mode will switch your device from the
common multi-windowed screen to a full screen interface through the
Start screen.

EXTRAS
Just like in any other operating system, it is the extras that can
sometimes make or break the deal. While hardware manufacturers are
known to insert their own bloatware into devices, big OS makers like
Microsoft and Apple have their own share of this behavior. In Windows
10, this comes in the form of pushing one to create a Microsoft account
every so often. While this is useful for some users, for those wanting
basic local log-ins can find this annoying.
CHAPTER 5. DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF WINDOWS 10
While Windows 10 is billed as a universal platform that can handle
virtually any device that is stamped with the Windows logo, it does come
with different “editions” (eight of them!) as did its predecessors. For the
most basic build, the following are the minimum system requirements
capable of running this OS:

1 GHz CPU, or faster

2 Gb RAM, or higher

At least 20 Gb of Hard Disk space

All the different Windows Editions will have the ability to use different
language packs, allowing the use of multiple user interface languages.
Previously, such functionality was only available for Win7 Ultimate or
Enterprise users.

WINDOWS 10 HOME
This is the most basic of the lot, and is designed for PCs, Tablets, and the
newer 2-in-1s. This includes all the consumer-directed features, which is
equivalent to Win7’s Home Basic and Home Premium, as well as to the
basic Windows 8 and 8.1.

In this edition, it will not be possible to change the way the Windows
Update system works -- this makes the feature fully automatic. This also
means that you will not be able to choose the updates that will be
downloaded and installed. The user still retains the ability to postpone
the system restart, though the system will still restart sometime later
without the user’s prompt.

WINDOWS 10 PRO
This is the equivalent of Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate editions,
Windows 8 Pro, and Windows Vista Business and Ultimate. This edition
adds business-essential features to the basic Home, and also allows the
user to postpone automatic system updates. One can also customize the
update process, which lets the user choose which files are to be
downloaded.

Since Pro is designed for either power-users or those running small-to-

medium businesses, it carries advanced security features such as
BitLocker. This specific feature has been around in Professional releases
since the time of Vista, and allows users to securely encrypt files. Some
adjustments to improve this service are available in Win10 (i.e.,
individual file encryption as opposed to previous whole-drive
encryptions).

The Pro version also has support for Remote Desktops, Group Policy
Management, virtualization, and access to the Win10 Business store.
Other noteworthy features such as Enterprise Data Protection, the
ability to join the Azure Active Directory (an access management
solution in the cloud), and Windows Update for Business (which is
geared to helping reduce management costs) is offered.
WINDOWS 10 ENTERPRISE
This is the edition that is geared toward those running larger companies
or corporations. With the idea that such an organization must be
protected from various security breaches, Win10 Enterprise has a lot of
advanced capabilities that protect devices, applications, identities, and
their sensitive information.

Like Windows 10 Pro, the Enterprise edition will come with Windows
Update for Business. Also, the administrator may choose to opt for the
Long Term Servicing Branch (cited by some sources as a separate edition
altogether). The latter allows administrators to choose amendments to
the software (segregating, for example, the functionality-centric from
security-related updates). This allows the business to have only the most
stripped-down version of the OS.

Some of the things the LTSB lacks include:

•The Windows store, as well as some new-generation apps like Xbox,

Contacts, etc. Contact Support, Settings, Search, and Windows Feedback
remain. Reinstalling the store is also not an option.

•Edge browser

•Cortana

•Windows Media Player

There are also a couple of applications that are reverted to their older
counterparts such as the calculator (replaced by the original calc.exe)
and the photo viewer.

The Enterprise version will be distributed only through the Volume

Licensing Program, which means that licenses will be purchased in bulk.
Ordinary consumers are usually not allowed to order through the
Program.

WINDOWS 10 EDUCATION
This is the Win10 edition that is marketed to universities and other
educational institutions. As such, it also won’t be available for public use.
While it has not yet been made clear exactly how this will be different
from the other editions, it has been revealed that Win10 Education will
be distributed using the same Volume Licensing Program that governs
Enterprise. Schools and students should be able to upgrade to this
version using procedures that are yet to be announced. While actual
specs have not yet been cleared out, it is presumed that the Education
edition is close to being a rebranded Enterprise.

WINDOWS 10 MOBILE
The mobile OS upgrade of Windows Phone 8.1, the Windows Mobile is
meant for devices such as smartphones and tablets under 8 inches.
These devices should also be running on ARM and IA-32 processor
architectures.

One of the greatest selling points of Win10 Mobile is its synergy with its
desktop counterparts -- something that is difficult to achieve with other
operating systems unless you decide to switch to a more unfamiliar one
for the desktop. Of course, the syncing is largely thanks to the Universal
apps.

Another great feature of the Win10 Mobile is the ability of users to port
iOS and Android apps to it with minimal modifications. For supported
hardware, one can also connect to an external display that will then
have a PC-like display complete with support for keyboard and mouse
input.

Pursuant to the carrier and manufacturer support, smartphones running

Win 8.1 will be eligible for a Win10 Mobile upgrade.

WINDOWS 10 MOBILE ENTERPRISE

Again, the impact of mobile devices in industries cannot be downplayed
-- and Windows has successfully accommodated this fact when it
released the Win10 Mobile Enterprise for mobile devices used in the
workplace.
While the feature set is largely similar to the ordinary Win10 Mobile
edition, the Mobile Enterprise will be available only through volume
licensing. Administrators will be capable of controlling system
modifications, and they will also be having complete software
administration privileges.

Like in the regular desktop Enterprise edition, the security updates will
be automatically added. This ensures real-time protection, even without
any intervention from the industry.

This variant is also meant to be installed in several types of industry

technologies, including ATMs, POS devices, terminals, and even robots!
WINDOWS 10 IOT CORE
This is likely the most interesting variant of the Win10. IoT stands for
“Internet of Things”, a blanket term describing the inter-connectivity of
several everyday items, eventually forming their own Internet. The
Win10 therefore has a way of being customized and installed on
different types of machines such as factory mechanisms, smart
thermostats, and even toasters!

This edition will highlight the connection between these household

appliances and the different communication devices we carry around.
This can lead to a future when the oven can be preheated or the fridge
defrosted using your smartphone.
WINDOWS 10 “N” AND “KN” EDITIONS
There are Win10 editions that are specifically designed for the citizens of
the European Union, Switzerland, and South Korea. These are denoted
with the “N” suffix (such as Windows 10 Pro N), meaning “not” with
media player (the South Korean version is segregated into KN). These
releases do not have any media-related technologies preinstalled, such
as Camera or the Windows Media Player. Microsoft has created N
versions for all the editions except for Mobile, Mobile Enterprise, and
the IoT core. This was required due to the 2004 ruling of the European
Commission that the software giant needs to provide a Windows variant
without the Media Player tied in. The price remains the same as in the
full versions, and the missing media features can be downloaded as a
pack without any charge.

The following functions are missed by these editions:

•Playing and creating audio CDs, video DVDs, digital media files, and
organized content in media libraries

•Creating playlists

•Converting audio CDs into digital media files

•Viewing artists and title info on digital media files

•Viewing the album art of music files

•Transferring music to external music players

•Recording (and playing back) TV broadcasts

•Playback for DRM (Digital Rights Management) and Adaptive streaming

in the built-in browser

All the missing functionality, however, may be added through the Media
Feature Pack download or with the addition of third-party software.
CHAPTER 6. PERFORMANCE NOTES
Back during the time Win8 was released; those who dared look past the
alien interface and under the hood saw that there was a decent
improvement in performance. Benchmarks and casual usage showed
that Win8 was as fast, if not at times faster than its predecessor.

With this, it is reasonable to expect that Win10 will continue the legacy
of an ever-optimizing operating system. Various aspects will need to be
tested such as start-up and shutdown times, encoding and file copying,
browsing, gaming, and other synthetic benchmarks.

The specs that will be shown in this chapter were done on an Intel i5
desktop system loaded with 8GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX
980. The study was done by Steve Walton for the Techspot, an online
computer technology publication.

BOOT, SLEEP, HIBERNATE

Through the BootRacer utility, the boot time for both Win7, 8.1, and 10
were measured. From the Windows logo to the full usable desktop, it
was 8.1 that won the race, clocking in at just around 4 seconds as
opposed to 6 for Win10. Windows 7 fell in the middle at 5 seconds.
Manual measurement through a stopwatch yielded the same results.

The newcomer OS fared a lot better when measured in terms of waking

up from hybrid sleep. Windows 7 comes in last with 17 seconds, and
Windows 8.1 woke up after 12 seconds. In contrast, Win10 woke up to
the full desktop after just 10 seconds. Note that these numbers seem
immensely slow when compared to waking up sleeping laptops (which
wake up almost instantaneously) -- this is because the desktop's default
to the Hybrid Sleep feature when sleep mode is activated. This is a
combination of sleep and hibernation, a measure taken by Windows to
ensure that work is not lost in case there is a power failure.

When pit against each other in a wake up match from hibernation, the
results are similar -- Windows 10 clocks in at 21 seconds, 8.1 comes at
23, and 7 is at 27 seconds.
SYNTHETIC BENCHMARKS

CINEBENCH R15
This specific test has an error margin of about 5%, which can be
mitigated by taking the average of three runs. In single-threaded results,
there is only a very slight increase in scores from Win7 to 8.1, and again
in 10 (152, 154, and 158 respectively). The difference becomes more
apparent in the multi-threaded results, where Win10 scored at least 7%
better than Win7 (and 2% better than 8.1).

FUTUREMARK PCMARK7
In this test, Win10 scored a homerun victory by being faster than its
predecessor by about 600 points on average. According to the
benchmark, Windows 10 has a higher video playback and transcoding
performance than the other versions. In fact, Win10 was almost twice as
fast in this department clocking in at 9600kb/s.

3D PARTICLE MOVEMENT
The last in our trio of synthetic benchmarks, 3D Particle Movement
offers a different story. While the numbers are quite the same for the
three Windows versions, Win10 has moved back to the last place while
Win8.1 took the lead both in the single and multi-threaded tests.
APPLICATION PERFORMANCE

EXCEL 2013
MS Excel is one of the most common office apps that do the data heavy-
lifting. On a custom workload, Windows 8.1 was the slowest finishing
the task in 5.7 seconds. Windows 7 and 10 finished the job at 5.4 and 5.5
seconds respectively.

MOZILLA KRAKEN
Kraken is Mozilla’s very own benchmark tool for browsers. Here,
Windows 10 seems to run the Firefox browser slowest, followed by 8.1
and 7 (fastest). For Chrome, Windows 7 was again significantly the
fastest, followed by Windows 10 and 8.1. Windows 10 takes a complete
lead when measured through Microsoft’s in-house browsers-- while IE11
is still significantly slow in all operating systems, Win10 grabs the top
spot with its Edge browser that ran blazing fast.

WINRAR COMPRESSION
Using WinRar 5.0, this test measures how fast the three test Windows
are in terms of kilobytes per second. In both single and multi-threaded
performance, Win10 lagged behind Win7, which in turn came behind
8.1.

7-ZIP BENCHMARK
Just like in WinRar, Windows 10 scores lowest on this test. Windows 8.1
on the other hand takes a marginal lead over Windows 7.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CC
Another of the more well-known heavy lifters is Photoshop, used both
by professionals an hobbyist alike. Again, Windows 10 places last while
Windows 8.1 delivers the best performance.

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR CC
Using a custom workload, the three Windows are tied at finishing the
task in 2.3 seconds
STORAGE
These tests were performed using a Samsung 512GB SSD.
CrystalDiskMark 5.0.2. The first test (sequential 32 queues and 1 thread
test) saw almost similar results for all the three operating systems.
Windows 10 takes a marginal lead in the “read” category, while
Windows 7 takes the narrow top spot for the “write” section of the test.

On the other hand, the 4K Q32T1 variability of the test saw Win10 and
8.1 at a tie for the first place in the read performance, while Win7 lags
behind by a small margin. This is considerably amplified in the write
performance, however.

For the sequential performance, Windows 7 falls slightly behind both on

read and writes as Win10 and 8.1 deliver similar speed. This is reversed
in the 4K test, where Win7 is fastest as Win8.1 and 10 take the backseat.
ENCODING PERFORMANCE

HANDBRAKE
In using Handbrake to convert a 720p MKV file to MP4 (H.264), Windows
7 and 10 deliver almost identical performance -- however, Win8.1 is
considerably faster than both.

HYBRID X25
In converting a 4K YouTube video to x265, all three operating systems
delivered identical performance with 8.1 being 0.01 point faster.
X264 HD BENCHMARK 5.0.1
In measuring the frames per second, both Win10 and 7 were again
marginally slower than the 8.1.

GAMING PERFORMANCE

BIOSHOCK INFINITE
In DX11, Windows 10 offers only very marginal performance increase
over previous incarnations. This increase will not be noticeable to
anyone except for those seeing the numbers.
METRO REDUX
With GTX 980, Windows 10 provided the most gains for Metro Redux.
Windows 7 and 8.1 are almost equal to each other in performance.

HITMAN ABSOLUTION
At least for this game, there is a small drop in performance as one goes
up to the most recent Windows release.

TOMB RAIDER
This game delivers exactly the same performance regardless of the
Windows version.

CRYSIS 3
Windows 10 provides the best experience in this game, with Windows 7
a close second.
TEST CONCLUSION
As can be seen with the myriad of tests ran, the results can be quite
inconclusive. Windows 7 and 10 have a stranglehold over most aspects,
while 8.1 performs best in a few unexpected areas.

The operating systems were all tested in the exact same hardware, using
the same methodology and benchmarking software. Then again, there
are some aspects such as GPU drivers that can cause the deviations in
performance. There are also certain features (such as the Turbo Boost
technology that Intel chips come with) that can impact the test results,
though these may be offset by running the tests multiple times then
getting the average.

Despite the apparent inconclusiveness, the one major point that needs
to be made is that any hardware running Windows 7 or 8.1 without any
issues can get a Win10 update without any loss in performance. In the
past, it took some time for a newly released Windows version to be at
par with its predecessor -- such is the outstanding case when Vista tried
to succeed XP. One of the major issues in upgrades is the immaturity of
drivers for the new platform, but this does not seem to be an issue for
Win10.

Another tangible point is the fact that Win10 is still in its infancy -- it can
still grow to be a noticeably more powerful OS than its predecessors. A
lot of new features can still be released going into the next year. One is
DirectX 12 gaming, which will not be supported by older releases.
CHAPTER 7. WIN10 MEMORY MANAGEMENT
This one is for all those attempting to run Windows 10 on a less-than-
modern hardware. Upon jumping to the new OS, something might have
struck you -- the way System, one of the most essential running
processes at any given time, takes up a huge amount of your RAM
(sometimes even shooting up to 1GB). Many have dismissed it as a bug,
to be fixed in a future release. But, get this -- this is intentional.

HOW WIN10 MANAGES MEMORY

In order to understand the nuances of memory management, it is first
important to discuss the pagefile. This is a file that resides on your hard
drive that contains the “overflow” from your RAM. Basically, all running
and recently ran services are stored on the RAM for fast recall. If the
RAM is filled up, it throws everything that is on the “least used” list to
the page file.

The only real downside to this method is the fact that once something
that is already on the pagefile needs to be called up again, then it has to
be obtained from the hard drive (which is a whole lot smaller than the
RAM). This is better than an app crashing, but the ideal situation is one
where the app does not need to leave the memory at all.
In Win10, pagefiles are still used whenever necessary. However, once
the computer’s memory starts congesting, Win10 will first resort to
compressing the older memory pages, forcing them to take up less
space. This is not much different from creating ZIP files. The trade-off
here is that the process of compression will naturally take up more CPU
cycles. This performance cost is, however, still largely more efficient
than having to put the data on the pagefile, then retrieving it (even if
your hard drive is an SSD). Even with the compression, pulling out less-
used apps will be faster.

All of these compressed files are then stored within the System process,
causing it to bloat over time. The longer the PC runs and the more
apps/browser tabs you start, the more data will be marked for
compression. While it looks quite worrying when in the task manager,
this method of memory conservation is actually much better. Also,
remember that in general computing terms, unused RAM means wasted
RAM.
CHAPTER 8. EXPRESS VS. CUSTOM SETUP
When a user first attempts to set up Win10, he will be greeted with a
block of text that tries to convince him to use the Express Settings to
make the job faster. On closer inspection, however, this method of
setting up your OS may contain some privacy holes that can be filled up
when you go through a custom setup instead.

As mentioned in the Win10 description, the Express Setup will help you
get a better experience by allowing Microsoft to gather data about your
handwriting, typing, and speech input as well as your contacts and
calendar details. This will be used to give you improved suggestion and
recognition. Your browsing data will also be sent to Microsoft’s servers
to help improve page prediction.

Also, Windows apps will be able to automatically request your location

(including your location history) and your “advertising ID” to personalize
your experiences. Note that this will send the data not only to Microsoft
but also to its other partners.

This type of setup process has been in place since Windows 8, and
succeeds mainly because the users prefer the easy way. You may also
use it if you wish, but it is always more preferable to go the customized
route to understand how the data you put in is being used.

As a fair warning, going through the steps we outline in this section will
likely reduce the experience in the way Microsoft intended it. That said,
let’s take a look at the “Get going fast” page and move to the bottom --
there, you will see a “Customize settings” link that you should click.

PERSONALIZATION AND LOCATION SETTINGS

With the first part of the custom setup, you will be prompted to agree to
send Microsoft contact, calendar and “associated input data”. This is
stored in the cloud (as will be further detailed in a later chapter), so it
can be imported to another Win10 installation you log in to (using your
Microsoft account).

If you are particularly privacy conscious, it is advisable to select “Off” in

all these settings. If you are using a desktop PC or a device that you do
not ever take out of the house, then you should turn the location feature
off as well. In case this becomes a usability issue, then you can always
turn it on at a later time.

BROWSER PROTECTION, ERROR REPORTING, AND CONNECTIVITY

SETTINGS
The following screen will seek your permission to record and transmit
browser-related data. If you will be working with the new Edge browser,
it will be best to leave the “SmartScreen” feature on so you can be
protected against malicious web content. However, keep in mind that
this functionality is only confined to the native browser.

If you wish, you can leave the page prediction turned on to have pages
load faster -- then again, this is Edge-specific. For the next two options, it
is important to turn them off -- you would not want your PC to connect
automatically to whatever open hotspot or network it finds.

The last option will be about sending Microsoft error and diagnostic
information. This will not affect your system, but leaving it on can
contribute to letting MS know what’s wrong with Win10, so they can fix
it in future releases.
CHAPTER 9. HOW TO CREATE A WINDOWS 10
USER ACCOUNT
The Microsoft Account is an important piece in maximizing your Win10
experience. Essentially, a Microsoft account is a “roaming” account that
will allow the user to synchronize settings between multiple machines.
This includes the application data, profile picture, color schemes, and
more (with the notable exception of the Start menu configuration).
While it may be an overkill for a few users (and a privacy issue for more),
the experience was meant to give the OS a better, more homey, and
more intelligent behavior. Of course, if you do not want this, you can
simply create a local account -- just like Win7.

In order to setup the Windows 10 account, you will need to fill out an
online registration form. This means you need to have some form of
Internet connection on your device when you are setting up. You may
access the form by going to account.live.com or by going to create a new
account when the prompt appears (this happens during the first boot).
The process is pretty much the same for both renditions.

1. The first field you have to complete will be basic information about
yourself. Make sure to complete your first name, second name, as well
as the date of birth.

2. Type in your email address as your username. This will work even if
you have a GMail, Yahoo! Mail, or any type of email address outside of
Hotmail or Outlook.

3. If you have no email address yet, click on Or get a new email address
to sign up for one. Simply enter a new Username, and enter the email
address you’d like. The username must be unique, though the system
will give you a suggestion in case you do not meet this requirement. The
suffix can be set to either @hotmail or @outlook.
4. After you have completed this, you will receive an email that will ask
you to verify your sign up. This is mostly taken for granted, but it is an
important step to make sure that hackers will not be able to create an
account under your name. Tap the Verify button, and it will lead you to
the last automatic step in the process.

5. Now your Microsoft account is completed, you may now use it to log
in to Windows 10 on all your Windows devices. Future updates such as
updating your password, changing a profile picture, or redeeming a gift
card can be done through the same account.live.com website. Simply log
in using your account details and you will be taken to a menu where you
can do the profile change.
CHAPTER 10. OWNING WINDOWS 10
Since time immemorial, Microsoft has envisioned the Windows system
to be as user-friendly as possible -- something that works out of the box.
This is in contrast to the other operating systems that are geared more
for the power users. This will mean that Windows has great default
settings.

However, as discussed at various points in this book, there are certain

things that can still be optimized within Win10. This chapter will talk
about some of the more overlooked things that you can tweak to
completely own Win10.

1. The Screen Resolution

Operating Systems today are so smart that they leave so little for the
users to go figure out themselves. However, there are some things when
we may be missing out on improvements that can come at a click of the
mouse. A good example of this is screen resolution.

Setting the proper screen resolution is essential to being productive --

you want to see as many things on your desktop as practically possible
and that can only come when you are running the maximum possible
resolution for your monitor. Remember that Win10 may still contain
some bugs, so it might fail in establishing resolution properly (especially
if you are using a multi-monitor setup).

Access the resolution interface by right-clicking an empty part of your

desktop, and going to Display Settings. Then, go to Advanced Display
Settings found in the right-hand window. From here, you will see the
resolution drop-down menu. Choose the highest available option.

2. THE TABLET MODE

While there are many people who swear against it, there is nothing
more practical than tablet mode if you are indeed on a tablet or are
working at a 2-in-1. Go to Settings from the Start menu, and you can tick
the option marked Tablet Mode. This will automatically start all apps in
full screen, including the Start menu. This is perfect for a more touch
friendly display.

3. THE AERO SNAP

Like the tablet mode, Aero Snap has many haters -- enough that many
people advise to turn it off altogether. But that was in Windows 7 -- in
Win10, Aero Snap is a lot better as it allows you to snap to the corners as
well as the sides. The same mechanism applies -- just drag the window
to the area and you will see a marker that states approximately how
much screen space the window will take up. This means you can position
your windows faster, letting you multitask more efficiently.

4. THE SECURE BACKUP

In order to create a secure backup of your entire OS (and the files
within), you must have at least 120GB of extra storage. This can be on
the same drive, but in a different partition, or in a separate drive
altogether. But despite having such a storage, it would not be put to
good use unless you create regular backups -- when your PC dies on you,
you would not want to be left with a good-as-new install that does not
have your latest settings backed up.
The best thing would be to create weekly backups so you’re safe. Go to
Settings and click Update & Security. Then, click on Backup located on
the left-hand window. Click on the + button to select which drive or
partition you want to use (if you’re using a separate drive, make sure to
connect it beforehand). After this, you can access the remainder of the
settings by clicking More Options > Advanced Settings.

We will then be finishing the backup process. Click on System Image

Backup located in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Then, click
Set up Back-up on the screen’s right-hand side. Highlight which drive you
wish to use for the backup, and then click Next. For the next option, Let
Windows Choose, then hit Next again. You may now set up the backup
schedule, then hit Save Settings and run backup.

Note that there are a lot of Windows utilities that can help you make
backups across almost any storage media. If you don’t have free storage
handy, you can always use a CD, a flash drive, another computer, or
even the cloud servers of different services (though most often the last
one charges for a monthly subscription). Since backups are very
important, especially if you are taking home work, make sure to turn this
into a priority.

5. THE UNIFIED MAIL

This is one of the other underrated-but-extremely-useful traits that
Windows 8 had, and is now carried over to Win10 -- the ability to keep
all your emails in one place by creating a single container to all your
accounts. And that’s not all -- the new Mail app that succeeded Outlook
has an even better function. Click on the app’s icon in Start and select
Add Account to get a selection of which mail services you can use. Fill in
the details, and after clicking Done all your email accounts will appear in
one place.
6. THE MULTI-APP VIEW
This is another great feature that ends up being used only sparingly. The
task view button is best used to switch through apps without having to
scan the icons on the taskbar. This is perfect if you have multiple
windows of the same program open.
7. THE CLEAN-UP
When you upgrade to Win10 from a previous version, there will still be a
ghost of the old Windows version left on your device. To say goodbye
completely (note that this means no turning back or reverting) and
remove this, go to Start and type in disk cleanup in the search bar. Open
the Disk Clean Up application, and then select your drive (the one where
the old OS was installed). Hit OK, and then let Win10 run a scan. A
window will open, and you will have to tick the Previous Windows
Installations tab. Select Clean up system files, and you’re through!
CHAPTER 11. WINDOWS 10 -- TIPS AND TRICKS TO
HYPERCHARGE YOUR EXPERIENCE

1. Use Desktop shortcuts for individual

settings
You can use Desktop shortcuts as well as Context Menus to open
settings in Win10. URIs or Uniform Resource Identifiers can be used to
identify which Setting you would like to access. Simply right-click on the
desktop and hover on New, then click Shortcut. In the dialog box, type
the URI of the setting to place it directly on the desktop.

2. Configure File Explorer to junk Quick

Access for the “This PC” folder
Many users notice that when opening File Explorer, the view defaults to
Quick Access which contains all the things you recently opened. If this is
not beneficial for you, simply remove the default. This can be done by
going to File Explorer, then clicking View > Options > Change folder then
going to search options. Under the General tab of Folder Options, you
will see Open File Explorer To:. Then, change the option to This PC
through the dropdown box.

3. BOOTING IN SAFE MODE

There are some times when errors will render your PC inaccessible, or
you may want to access the computer with a minimum of system files
and drivers for troubleshooting. The easiest way to restart in Safe Mode
is to press the Shift key while clicking on the regular Restart button.

4. CHANGE HOW THE START MENU LOOKS LIKE

The Start Menu was meant to be customizable, allowing you to sort its
contents for maximum ease of use. If you simply right-click on each item,
it will bring up the context menus. This will allow you to manipulate the
Start menu contents.

Make the Start menu more private. The major areas of Start menu
include the Most Used List, the Recent Programs List, the PC Settings,
Apps Sub-menu, and Power Options. You can show or hide the Most
Used list in order to make your app preferences private. You can do this
by going to the Settings app > Personalization > Start. Under the
Customize list, untick the Store and display recently opened programs in
Start.
5. BLUR THE START MENU BACKGROUND
If you do not like the transparency that is the default look of the Start
menu background, you can blur it instead. This cannot be done with any
of the options under Settings, though, and you need to edit the registry
instead. Back up your registry, and search regedit in the Start search bar.
Agree to the UAC pop-up, and then navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Them
A key named EnableBlurBehind will be visible on the right panel. Right-
click that panel, then select Modify. Finally, change the “0” value to “1”
and click OK. After your next restart, the blur will take effect.
6. CHANGE THE COLORS OF YOUR TASKBAR AND START MENU
You can change the colors of the Start and Taskbar by going to Start
menu > Settings > Personalization > Colors. You can either automatically
pick an accent color from your background, or choose your own accent
color. Don’t like the default colors? You can still change it to your own.
Look for the last color box, which allows customization. Enable Show
color on taskbar, Start menu and Action Center, selecting one of the
predefined colors in the process. Now, go to the same registry path as
we did in the previous number, then look for the SpecialColor entry.
Right-click, Edit, then change the AGBR value data to the one you like.
Restart your computer and everything should take effect.
7. CHANGE THE TASKBAR SEARCH PROVIDER TO GOOGLE
Earlier, we’ve covered the strengths Bing brings as Win10’s default
search engine. But you can be forgiven if you still want to switch to
Google. To do this, simply use the Bing2Google extension that we
covered earlier during the Cortana chapter.

8. USE THE XBOX APP AS A SCREEN RECORDER

The new Xbox app has a screen record feature that eliminates the need
for a third-party program. While in the Xbox app, hit Win+G to reach the
Game bar, and then choose either Screenshot or Start Recording.
9. MOVE THE WINDOWS 10 APPLICATIONS TO A DIFFERENT DRIVE
Running out of space on the main system drive? Get a new one, then
moving some of your apps to it -- in the same way that you move apps to
the SD card on Android. Go to Settings (you can use Win+I) then click on
System > Apps & Features. Windows will pause for a while to determine
the app size. Then, click on the apps you wish to move, and then hit the
Move button. Select a drive, and then click on Move again. If you wish,
you can even set the default install location to another drive. This can be
done by clicking Storage on the left pane of the System settings, then
scrolling down to find save locations. Here, choose the drive where new
apps will save to. This is a particularly handy trick if you have issues on
storage after your upgrade to Win10.

10. SAVE SOME MORE JUICE

If you are running on a laptop, Windows 10 is intelligent enough to
detect that. The OS can automatically throttle the background services
as well as other threads to increase your battery life. Turn on the feature
by going to Start > Settings > System > Battery Saver.

11. BUILT-IN BACKGROUND SCROLLING

After using this feature, you’ll forget how you’ve gone for so long
without it. Notice how using the mouse wheel over a window won’t
work unless you actually activate (click) that window (thereby losing
your place in the other one)? Win10 eliminates this -- simply click on
Settings > Devices > Mouse and Touchpad then enable the background
scroll feature.

12. REMEMBER THE SHORTCUTS

Keyboard shortcuts can boost your productivity tremendously. They are
a lot faster than having to reach for the mouse. Here are some of the
more neglected, but immensely useful shortcuts you need to know:

WinKey + Tab = Task View

WinKey + Right-Up = move window to top-right quadrant

WinKey+Ctrl+Left/Right = Virtual desktops

WinKey +Ctrl+D = Add virtual desktop

WinKey+Ctrl+C = Have Cortana listen

WinKey+S = Daily Glance for News, Sports, and Weather

WinKey+Ctrl+F4 = Close virtual desktop

WinKey+Up/Down = Maximize/Snap to bottom or top of the screen

CHAPTER 12. WINDOWS 10 PRIVACY SETTINGS
Privacy settings used to be a thing about mobile phones, which
Microsoft ingeniously ported to their Win8 release. In Win10, even more
options are added. There five categories in Win8 -- it was increased to 12
in Win10:

Location

Camera

Microphone

Speech, inking, and typing

Account info

Contacts

Calendar

Messaging

Radios
Other Devices

Feedback and Diagnostics

Background Apps

There is also a “General” section that contains some of the most

common settings. All these can be accessed in their own group under
Win10’s Settings app.

THE ACCOUNT INFO SECTION

One of the most generic sections of this group is the Account Info tab.
This part allows you to control how apps access your name (ID), pictures,
and other account information. This will also allow you to turn the
SmartScreen filter on or off (this is the option in Edge that checks web
content for phishing activities).

CONTACTS, CALENDAR, AND MESSAGING

Like in mobile, there will be applications that will require access to your
stored contacts to work properly. This includes Mail and Calendar and
the Windows App Connector. These services can be blocked from
accessing your contacts, as well as your calendar (appears in a separate
on/off switch)

The Account Info section also contains details about messaging, which is
another privacy concern especially if you are on a Windows Phone
(assuming you use this as your main messaging tool). Some apps are
able to access your inbox, both SMS and MMS. It is best to check the
Messaging section to see which of the apps installed has access to read
your info.

Since the breach of any of these first three settings can pose a dire risk
to your privacy, it will be best to check these tabs first thing when
logging onto a Windows 10 system.

THE LOCATION SECTION

This is the fourth tab that everyone should check. This section has the
job of tying you and your device down to a specific place, allowing apps
(and potentially other people) to know where you are and which places
you have visited. Win10 improves greatly upon previous releases,
allowing you to better control your location privacy.

One aspect of this greater control is that you can now disable or enable
the location service globally (in previous iterations, this had to be shut
down per app). You can also control location settings either individually
or for all the user accounts on your device. This means that each
separate user can set up their own location settings.

To turn off the location service for the whole device, click on the
“Change” button. This will open a new dialog box which shows the
switch.

If you wish to leave the service running, you have to look into a few
other options. First, there is the location history which stores where you
have been for a fairly limited amount of time. This is mainly used by
tracking apps and services. To clear it, simply click the corresponding
button.

Below this “Clear” button, there is also a list of applications that use the
location service. This will allow you to individually grant or revoke access
to individual apps.
Then, there is also a “geofencing” feature that allows users to set GPS-
based boundaries. This allows them to control the behavior of the OS
depending on where their GPS says they are. Applications using
geofencing are listed, and access can be manually accessed or revoked.

CAMERA AND MICROPHONE

Like on mobile, there are applications that will need to gather
permission first before using your camera. There are also those that are
set to use it by default. You can see which apps are configured to access
your snapper on this tab. Parents or those whose computers regularly
have multiple users will want to pay attention to this setting.

Like in other settings, you can also do a global revocation of Windows’

rights to use the camera. Like always, if you want to disable the webcam
altogether, it is best to simply unplug it from your computer to avoid
privacy issues stemming from malicious software.

The same options are available for the microphone, which is used by
apps like Skype. Remember that microphones and webcams pose risks
when it comes to privacy, so it will be a good idea to pay attention to
this section.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

One of the first new features a Win10 user will encounter is the “Getting
to know you” -- this is a feature that automatically learns your voice and
handwriting, as well as the way you type, your calendar history, and
other bits of info. This information is stored in the cloud (similar to a
system implemented by Amazon’s Echo). Because it is not local, signing
in with your Microsoft account also lets the system import settings
specifically suited to the way you use Windows.

Many privacy-concerned users have highlighted how dangerous it will be

to share all of this information with Microsoft. To the company’s credit,
however, it has placed an easy-to-find button on the privacy settings to
allow users to turn off the feature at a moment’s notice.

Note, however, that stopping this feature will disable the use of Cortana.
It will also disable the dictation feature, while removing everything that
the device has collected about you.

But there is another place in the cloud where Win10 stores your history
and preferences -- through its default search engine, Bing. To remove
this as well, click on the “Go to Bing and manage personal info for all
your devices” link under Manage cloud info. This will take you to the
Bing settings page, where you will find a “Clear” button right under the
block of text that explains Cortana data and personalized identifiers.

RADIOS
This does not pertain to your music streaming accounts -- rather, it is
concerned with interconnectivity devices such as Bluetooth, which can
send or receive data on the device. Some applications may have the
permission to turn Bluetooth and other radio services on or off -- like in
previous menus, you will be able to see an individual list of these
settings as well as find an option to disable it universally.

THE OTHER SETTINGS

Depending on how you use your device, the remaining settings could be
just as important. For example, the “Sync with devices” option allows
you to share app info with other wireless devices that are not paired
with the device. You can either turn this feature on or off, or choose
which apps can sync to which devices.

There is also a section that lists all “trusted” devices that are connected
to the PC, phone, or tablet you are running Windows rom. You will also
find a section that blocks applications that attempt to access USB
storage -- a useful feature to prevent flash drive-mediated malware
infection. You will likewise find a list of allowed and disallowed apps
here.

If you are keen on providing feedback for the operating system, you can
adjust how often Windows will ask you for it. You also have the option of
regulating how much information is being sent to Microsoft for
diagnostics.
BACKGROUND APPS
Then finally, there is an option to manage background apps. These are
software designed to run unobtrusively, such as antivirus apps. Despite
not having an active user interface, these programs can send and receive
updates, information, notifications, and other data.

You will be able to see and manage which applications will be able to use
your system resources in the background. Take note, however, that
disabling some of these applications can compromise their
synchronization features. For example, disabling your email application
from using background data will prevent it from updating and sending
you the latest mail.

PERSISTENT ISSUES
While Windows 10 gives these ample settings for the protection of its
users’ privacy, there are many who claim that even with all of them
turned off some data is still being sent to Microsoft. As such, it has
turned into a controversy of its own. Here are five of the most persistent
issues that one needs to consider when upgrading to/working with
Windows 10 in its current form.

1. Privacy vs. Personalization

There has been a shift to the cloud in Microsoft’s business model over
the past few years. This is also evident across a vast majority of tech
companies -- and to properly implement a cloud-based service for its
customers’ advantage, a certain extent of personal data is needed.
According to some tech experts, even the decision to give Win10 for free
to existing subscribers was a move meant to help jumpstart Microsoft’s
lagging cloud ecosystem. In fact, it is something that other large
companies like Google, Apple, and Amazon are already doing.

In this light, the biggest trade-off will be a little bit of privacy for
additional ease of use -- consider the case of Cortana, for example.

2. OPT-IN VS. OPT-OUT

Another issue that gets brought up in Win10 is the amount of control
users have and want over their personal data. Big companies report
hacks and breaches every now and then, and users generally want to
know exactly how their data is being stored, transmitted, and used.

As mentioned before, Win10 allows users to opt-out of default settings

pertaining to information sharing. This can be done at the moment of
installing, or after installation. While fine, this is strictly a US standard --
other places such as the UK and the EU instead are used to an opt-in
model, where no data is shared until one actually clicks a button to allow
it.

This brings the privacy-conscious to the question of whether an opt-in or

opt-out environment is more beneficial. Many see the sharing defaults
as a violation of privacy, while the opt-in nature may mean that you are
kept out of the loop of certain features.

3. PROBLEMATIC OPTIONS
In the modern world, data collection is already a common practice. To
be fair to Microsoft, there are even a lot of companies that do not put an
opt-out button on the table. Google, for example, has a massive amount
of data that contains all sorts of search information from day one of
sign-up.

The problem here arises at the point when software like Win10 may not
explicitly say exactly which features will allow users to keep which data
private, and which will allow which data to be sent. While this is mostly a
matter of reading the documentation, most of the pertinent articles that
bring this to light are contained in third-party resources.

4. SUBJECTIVE PRIVACY
The way Win10 is initially presented, people are faced with a “one-size-
fits-all” package that allows them to somewhat trim things that aren’t of
their liking. To be fair again, this has been the general Windows
philosophy and is a deciding factor in its claim to fame -- not everyone
wants to get down and dirty with UNIX-like systems and such.

However, when the equation contains privacy matters, things can get
more complicated -- not everyone would also want to get down and
dirty with settings even to protect their privacy. This is why a very
careful approach to Win10 settings is needed, and is outlined in this
resource.

5. USERS VS. COMPANIES

The thing is the entire Win10 privacy controversies did not harm the OS
(which it shouldn’t, anyway). The initial install rates were through the
roof (14 million PCs in the first 24 hours!), and the users appear to not
have lost faith in the software giant despite the entire bad rap from
certain fronts. In all, it boils down to understanding which policies are in
place and for what, and knowing how to push back against certain
policies that you do not want.
CHAPTER 13. OTHER PRIVACY FEATURES
Outside the privacy features accessible through the settings, Win10 also
supports a host of other security features that may be less visible and
yet equally as important for most users. One of these is the
incorporation of the multi-factor authentication system, which is based
upon the standards authored by the FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance.
The latter is an industry consortium that aims to help address the
interoperability among devices used for authentication.

For the improving biometric authentication systems, Win10 provides

additional support through the Passport and Windows Hello platforms
(discussed in detail later on). Devices equipped with supported cameras
(those with infrared illumination, such as the Intel RealSense) can allow
users to log in using iris-recognition or face recognition -- similar to the
system implemented in Kinect. For devices with supporting readers,
fingerprint-recognition is also supported. The login credentials will then
be locally stored, protected through an asymmetric encryption scheme.
Passport also allows the users to be authenticated not only by the
device, but also networks, software, and even websites through a PIN or
a biometric login. This allows identity verification even without sending
passwords.
For those with the enterprise version of Windows 10, additional security
features are involved. Administrators may set up policies that allow for
the automatic encryption of sensitive data, while selectively blocking
other apps from accessing encrypted information. The “Device Guard”
feature will allow admins to increase the security of the network
environment by disallowing the execution of software that is not
digitally signed or one that is not a trusted Microsoft vendor. This will
help block zero-day exploits that offer perennial security issues. The
Device Guard runs within a hypervisor, which allows for a separate
operation from the OS itself.

Both for security and to decrease the storage footprint of the entire
Win10, the OS automatically does compress all system files. For 32-bit
systems, this can reduce the footprint by about 1.5GB, while the space
savings goes up to 2.6GB for 64-bit systems. The compression level will
depend on the results of a performance assessment done during install.
This assessment was meant to test how much compression can be done
while keeping the integrity of the OS performance.

In addition, the reset and refresh functions instead use the runtime
system files, making the creation of a separate recovery partition
redundant. This feature allows patches and updates to be installed
following these operations, further reducing the needed space for the
operating system by up to 12GB. These functions take over those done
by the WIMBoot mode introduced in Win8.1. Also, they allow OEMs to
configure even low-capacity devices (often with flash-based storage) to
use system files coming from the compressed WIM image usually meant
for installation and recovery.
CHAPTER 14. MICROSOFT PASSPORT
As mentioned earlier, Windows 10 has created a very powerful approach
toward user privacy. Most of this comes through its implementation of
the Microsoft Passport. Instead of passwords, two-factor authentication
is used consisting of the device and a PIN (or a biometric courtesy of
Windows Hello).

The Passport is used to log into a Microsoft Account, an Azure Active

Directory Account, a regular Active Directory Account, or non-MS
services that can support FIDO (Fast ID Online) authentication. During
enrollment, an initial two-step verification process is done after which
Passport is successfully set up. The user will then set a “gesture” (the
biometric, the PIN, or a remote device such as a smart card), and this will
be used to verify identity. A person with a verified Passport can then
access the protected services and resources.

Passport relies on key pair credentials. The private key is generated

using the gesture, which is then linked to a certificate. The private key is
hardware attested when the concerned device has a Trusted Platform
Module Chip. When neither TPM1.2 nor TPM2.0 is available in the
device, then software will be needed to generate the key. This key will
never leave the device, adding to the security.
On the other hand, the private key will be registered through the Azure
Active Directory or Windows Server Active Directory. IDPs (Identity
Providers) validate the user through mapping the public key to its
private counterpart, providing the log in information through OTPs (One-
Time Passwords), Phonefactors, or various notification mechanisms.

BENEFITS OF PASSPORT
The greatest benefit of Passport can be realized in an enterprise setting,
where an employee can simply provide the needed credentials to set up
Passport. After that, all it takes to access the enterprise resources will be
simple gestures.
Passport also helps protect user identities as well as their credentials.
Since passwords are no longer used, phishing and brute force attacks are
rendered useless. Server breaches are also prevented, since Passport
credentials are asymmetric key pairs. This configuration helps prevent
those replay attacks when keys are generated in isolated environments
of the TPM (Trusted Platform Module).

WHAT DO I NEED TO DEPLOY MICROSOFT PASSPORT?

For individual users, the only requirement will be a computer running
Windows 10. However, for the enterprise level, the company needs to
have an Azure Subscription (plus AAD connect if working in a hybrid
environment). If only working with resources on-premises, then the
company may also do with Windows Server 10 AD (Active Directory) as
well as AD FS Server 10.

For those looking to deploy Passport for enterprise purposes, you may
take a look at this detailed view of needed resources. The lines in bold
determine the Passport mode, you will be running.

Key-based authentication

For Azure AD:

•Azure AD Subscription
For On-Premises AD:

•AD FS (Active Directory Federation Service), first released in Windows

Server 2016 Technical Preview

•A few on-site domain controllers for Windows Server 2016 Technical

Preview

•Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP2

For AD/Azure AD hybrid:

•An Azure AD subscription and AD Connect

•A few on-site domain controllers for Windows Server 2016 Technical

Preview

•Config Manager SP2

Certificate-based Authentication

For Azure AD:

•Azure AD subscription

•Non-Microsoft MDM (Mobile Device Management) solution, or Intune

•PKI Infrastructure

For On-Premises AD:

•AD FS

•AD DS (Active Directory Domain Services) Win Server 2016 TP schema

•PKI Infrastructure

•Non-Microsoft MDM solution, Config Manager SP2, or Intune

For AD/Azure AS hybrid:

•PKI Infrastructure

•Azure AD Subscription

•Non-Microsoft MDM solution, Config Manager SP2, or Intune

MDM solutions and Configuration Managers help provide the ability to
manage your Passport policies and deployment as well as manage
Passport-protected certificates.

The Azure AD subscription provides you with the ability to register

enterprise devices, as well as to provide the Passport for organizational
accounts.

Finally, AD or Active Directory will provide the ability to authorize

devices and users using Passport-protected keys if domain controllers
run Win10 and the Passport-provisioning service in Win10 AD FS.

WAIT -- KEY-BASED VS. CERTIFICATE-BASED?

In the previous section, we defined the software requirements for the
roll-out of Microsoft Passport. We defined two sets of scenarios -- key-
based and certificate-based authentication. But what exactly is the
difference?

Win10’s Microsoft Passport can use either software or keys (hardware

or software) to perform identity authentication. Enterprises with a “PKI”
or Public Key Infrastructure for managing (and issuing) certificates can
use PKI together with Passport (certificate-based). Enterprises who
either want to reduce all the effort that comes with managing
certificates or simply do not use PKI may instead rely on key-based
Passport credentials.

Hardware-based keys generated by TPMs provide the highest level of

security. When a TPM is made, an EK (Endorsement Key) certificate
resides in the TPM. This certificate generates a root trust for other keys
generated from the same TPM.

The EK certification will be used to generate an AIK (Attestation Identity

Key) certificate issued by a certificate authority (Microsoft’s). This AIK
can then be used as a proof to identity providers (via an attestation
claim) that the Passport keys were generated using the same TPM.
Microsoft’s certificate authority (CA) will generate an AIK certificate for
each device, each user, and each IDP to ensure that the privacy of the
user is protected.

When AD, Azure AD, and other identity providers enroll a Passport
certificate, Win10 will support the same scenarios as that of a smart
card. When a key serves as the credential type, only trust operations
based on keys will be supported.

WHAT IS THE AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY?

Another thing we keep on mentioning is the Azure Active Directory, or
Azure AD. While this began even before Windows 10 saw the light of
day, it is expected to take center stage as Win10 leverages its power for
Microsoft Passport.

The Azure AD is a cloud-based, multi-tenant directory as well as an

identity management service. It helps IT Admins provide an easy to use
and affordable solution to give business partners and employees an
“SSO” (single sign-on) environment that allows access to thousands of
cloud apps, like DropBox, Office365, Concur, and Salesforce.com. For
app developers, it is also important in allowing them to focus on app
building with fast and simple integration to an identity management
solution.

With its integration to Passport, Azure AD also possesses a complete

array of identity management abilities such as multi-factor
authentication, self-serviced password management, device registration,
privileged account management, self-service group management, app
usage monitoring, security monitoring, and a whole lot more. This can
help cut costs and streamline processes.

Customers of Azure, Office365, and Dynamics CRM Online are already

using Azure AD (mostly without realizing it). In fact, such users are
already considered Azure AD tenants.

IMPLEMENTING PASSPORT IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

To maximize the benefits and security of Windows 10, it is
recommended that you try using Passport as a replacement for your
regular passwords when supported. Here are the different Policy
Settings that you will be looking at when you implement Passport either
for yourself or for the organization/enterprise.

MICROSOFT PASSPORT ENABLED

This covers the entire device, and the default value is set to “true” upon
setup. This will provision Passport for all the device users. Setting it to
False will remove this provision. Note that when passport is enabled and
this policy is set to False, then users whose Passports have already been
set up can continue using it while losing the ability to set up Passport for
other devices.

HARDWARE TPM REQUIRED

This also covers the entire device, and is by default set to “No”. When
changed to “Yes”, Passport will be provisioned only through the use of
TPM. If it is set to “No”, Passport will be provisioned through software
when TPM is not available. However, TPM will still be used if it is
available on the device.

MAXIMUM PIN LENGTH

This covers the device or user, and is by default set to 127 characters.
This is also the maximum allowable length. This cannot be set to be less
than the minimum setting.
MINIMUM PIN LENGTH
This can cover either the device or the user. By default, it is set to 4
characters, which is the minimum allowable PIN length. The minimum
length cannot be set to be longer than the maximum setting.

UPPERCASE LETTERS
This also covers the device or user, and is by default set to 1. This means
that uppercase letters for PINs are not allowed. When changed to 2, the
system will require at least one uppercase letter for all PINs.

LOWERCASE LETTERS
This also covers the device or user, and functions in much the same way
as uppercase letters. The default (which is 1) will not allow lowercase
letters while changing it to 2 will cause Passport to require at least one
lowercase letter.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS
This also covers the device or user, and functions in as much the same
way as the two previous policies. The default is also 1, which does not
allow any special characters.

DIGITS
This also covers the device or user. Unlike the previous settings, the
default setting is 2, which requires at least one number. Changing this to
1 will disallow numbers. This also means that setting up Passport
without changing any of the default policy settings will only let you input
at least 4 numbers as your PIN.

ENABLE BIOMETRICS
This covers the entire device, and is set to “No” by default. This means
that only a PIN may be used as a gesture. When changed to Yes, then
biometrics can be gathered and used instead of a PIN.

THE PEOPLE SIDE: HOW DO PEOPLE IN THE ORGANIZATION USE

PASSPORT?
Thus far, we have been talking about the software and the devices on
which they run. How about the people? When you use Passport in an
enterprise setting, you will want to prepare the users in the organization
so that they will be able to take the most advantage of the security
features. Aside from explaining how to use Passport, you must also walk
them through the basic steps.

On organization-owned devices, the users must follow a specific step

when setting up a new device. At this point, users will be prompted to
choose who the device owner is -- they must select “This device belongs
to my organization”.
The next step is to select a connection. This will depend on your
enterprise setup, so you should instruct your people which to select.
They will be asked to sign in and verify identity, which can in turn be
done through various means -- phone call, authentication app, text
message, etc. The PIN is then created after verification. On the “Create a
work PIN” screen, Passport will display the complexity requirements
previously set (such as minimum length.

After the Passport is set up, they can then unlock the device through the
PIN. This will automatically log in the user.

If the users wish to access the enterprise resources through their

personal devices, then they can add a school or work account under
Settings > Accounts > Work or school. Then, the users will need to sign in
using work credentials. Like in enterprise options, they will have to
choose the method for receiving the verification code. The user will
enter the code, after which a new PIN is confirmed. Any token-based
resource will then be available for access on this device without the
system prompting for credentials. Remember that this account gesture
will not affect the device’s unlock PIN.

Work credentials and personal credentials are also kept in separate

containers, so users will have no worries about the enterprise having
access to personal credentials.
If they want to un-register their accounts in their personal device, they
can simply go to Settings > Accounts > Work or School. Select the
registered work account, and then click Unjoin to remove the account
from this specific device.

WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE MY PASSWORD OR CREDENTIALS?

When Passport is set up, the gesture that is used to log in is specific to
that device. This means that you can set up to access the same resources
of the same account in different devices. However, when the password
for the account changes, then the new password for each device must
be provided in order to continue the use of Passport. Changing the
password for a specific device will only update the Passport for that
device.

If you need to update the Passport after a change to the password (on
another device) has been made, follow these steps:

1. Try to sign in using the same gesture you had before the change. You
will be prompted a message that says Your password was changed on a
different device. You must sign in to this device once with your new
password, and then you can sign in with your PIN.

2. Click on OK.

3. Click on Sign-in options.

4. Click on the Password button.

5. Sign in using the new password.

6. After confirming this, try signing in again. Select Sign-in options, and
then select the PIN option to resume using the gesture.

Again, this is device specific -- if you have five different devices signing in
to the same enterprise account (regardless if they use different
gestures), you will need to make this change five times as well.
CHAPTER 15. SAY HI TO WINDOWS HELLO
As we mentioned earlier, Windows Hello is the biometric component of
Microsoft’s Passport. However, the two applications are not dependent
on each other -- you can use Windows Hello by itself (and hence we are
putting it in its own chapter). It is a brand new security system that has
been built into Win10. With just your face or your fingerprint, you can
log in to your Win10 device. Some users even go as far as to say that this
will be the death of passwords as we know them.
WHAT DO I NEED TO USE WINDOWS HELLO?
One of the great selling points of Windows Hello (at least the fingerprint
side of it) is the fact that you will not really need any new hardware for
it. Almost all of the existing fingerprint readers, which are already built
into notebooks and input devices (even external fingerprint readers, the
types that connect via USB) are supported. This was tested with a Vista-
era laptop with an embedded fingerprint sensor.

Even the software half of the equation is lenient. If you are currently
running Windows 7, you were using an OEM software as that was the
only way the fingerprint sensor would work. For Win10, you can do
without that software as the support is built-in. If you were working with
either Win8 or 8.1, then the process would feel familiar (albeit with a
different overall process and interface).

Now, things have changed considerably if you are opting for facial
recognition. For this, you will need either a newer device such as an all-
in-one with a built-in Intel RealSense camera. You may also get an
external RealSense F200, which is originally sold to developers looking to
create apps with it. The latter would work only if you have a 4th
Generation Hasswell CPU (or later). Note that the RealSense camera is
large, so it will not be practical for laptops or netbooks.

After the camera, you will need the Intel RealSense DCM (Depth camera
Manager) software, which you will have to manually download. This will
let the camera work (but not the SDK or Software Developer Kit that
comes with it). You might also have to tweak Device manager so your
USB ports do not power down when the PC is on standby -- else you will
not be able to use Hello to log in.

As of the moment, the Kinect (itself a 3D infrared camera) cannot be

used yet with Hello. This is reportedly a work in progress, and Kinect 2 is
expected to be compatible with Hello (though there is no release date
yet).

For those who wish to take things up one step higher, next-gen Lumia
phones have been confirmed to carry iris recognition capabilities. When
tied up with Hello, this can revolutionize the way you log into your
device.

HELLO’S SECURITY -- CAN IT SPOOF YOUR FINGERPRINTS?

Most of the world’s security systems can be fooled in some way or
another. However, Hello has gained a quick reputation of being very
hard to fool. The RealSense camera, for example, is a very high-tech
camera that uses infrared -- this means that it’s not looking for a mole or
any distinguishing facial feature but for the shape and temperature of
your face. This means that anyone showing the camera a photograph of
your face (or a mask that is a perfect clone of your face) cannot unlock
the device.

For fingerprints, most scanners check the 3D structure of the print

(modern scanners, at least). The more powerful ones even check for the
pulse on the finger, so rubber clones of your thumb would not work.

And while experts have quite recently released a study claiming

fingerprint data stored on Android phones can be vulnerable to theft,
such a problem is not evident with Hello. This is because there is no
“picture” or snapshot of the data that the thief can obtain. Instead of
that, Win10 uses an encrypted graph-like template with 60 landmark
points for your face and 40 data points for your finger. This is never sent
off from the PC, either. The template is secure even if some ultra-smart
hacker manages to obtain it, since it cannot be used to recreate your
face or finger in any manner. Simply feeding Hello the template without
any actual face or finger behind it would not work, either.

As an additional security (and convenience) feature, Hello can tell which

way your head is facing -- without storing the data in the template. It
shouldn’t matter if the lighting changes because of this.

SO HOW DO I SET UP WINDOWS HELLO?

Simply open the Settings app and then choose Accounts > Sign-in
options to set up Windows Hello. You have to create the PIN to unlock
Hello’s options -- this is needed as a fallback just in case your face or the
fingerprint is not recognized. By default, you will only be able to try the
biometrics five times -- after that fails, the system will ask you for the
PIN. Like in the chapter about Passport, a PIN is more secure since it is
not sent out.

Click on the Add button under the PIN field, and enter a new one. Only
for this first step, you will be entering your password as well -- so that no
one else can lock you out of your PC. The Windows Hello options will
appear now for whichever biometrics are available. If you are equipped
with a supported camera, you will be able to see the controls of facial
recognition setup. For those with fingerprint readers equipped, you will
see a button for one or more fingerprints.

Once you click set-up, you can access an explanation of Hello, then a
prompt to get in a position to have your biometrics taken. Click Get
Started -- you will need to enter the PIN for this step to ensure that it is
you entering the biometrics.

Recognition should only take a few seconds and you will see the results
on-screen. If you are on facial recognition and you wish to recapture
your picture, you can take another shot by clicking Improve Recognition.
This is ideal for people with glasses or other facial accessories -- you
might want to take a shot of yourself both with and without the glasses,
etc. This can take much longer, since the system will scan your face more
thoroughly for landmarks -- there are times it can take up to two
minutes.

If you change your appearance, you can re-enroll. For this, you need the
PIN once more. Under the sign-in options, you can choose the Improve
Recognition feature again. Windows Hello will keep the previous
representation it has of your image, so that in case you go back to how
you looked before the system will still recognize you.

Once everything is set up, the system will be able to unlock your PC as
soon as it sees your face. This is the default behavior, but you can also
set the system so that it unlocks only when you turn your head from side
to side. This will use the shape of your head (recorded in 3D) to
distinguish you from that of other users.

If you don’t want to use the biometrics to sign in anymore, you would be
able to access the Remove button to delete the templates.
HELLO -- NOW AND THE FUTURE
As of the moment, Hello serves us in the very basic but essential aspect
of verifying your identity logging into the PC. It also detects you as you
walk up to it, responding by waking up from sleep. It will work for either
your Microsoft or work accounts (for the latter, your company has to
allow it first). It can also allow you to use your finger or your face to
verify app purchases in the Windows Store instead of manually having to
type the password each time.

Of course, it also works with Passport as discussed earlier, which can

altogether usher in the next generation of login credentials. The good
thing about this is that it isn’t just browser specific; it can also work
when you’re trying to access the resources through browsers outside of
Edge.

In the future, Microsoft is rumored to turn Hello into a much more

powerful login system that can take on more uses while slowly killing out
oft-forgotten and oft-hacked passwords. After all, who can forget a
fingerprint?
CHAPTER 16.WINDOWS 10 PARENTAL CONTROLS
If you are a parent and wish to install Windows 10 for family use, then
this is a chapter you need to pay attention to. Parental controls have
already existed since previous Windows extensions, and Microsoft had
revamped it in its most recent release. However, there are some issues
that have arisen in the midst of this change -- and some of these issues
have stirred controversy -- one example is the fact that children logging
into Windows 10 are required to use a Microsoft account instead of a
local account. The company has some good reasons for these changes,
however.

At some point, the new iteration of parental controls is a continuation of

the Family Safety feature that was part of Win8. This lets the parent
create a child account, allowing for a choice between online and local
accounts. There’s activity reporting, web filtering, app restrictions, as
well as time limits. There are also restrictions as to what can be accessed
in the Windows Store, in the browser, and in the Windows system in
general. However, in Windows 10, it has been rebranded as Microsoft
Family, with substantial changes.

WHY MICROSOFT DECIDED TO CHANGE THE PARENTAL CONTROLS

On paper, the features outlined earlier seem really good -- except that
no one was really using them (except for very few people). That was one
of the primary reasons Microsoft decided to make the changes it did. For
those who did use the controls, they cannot really be sure their tech-
savvy children are not able to find workarounds. The core system used
also does not allow for the sharing of valuable subscriptions to family
members locked in by restrictions. There was no account roaming, too
many restrictions on the financial side, and the entire cross-product
story was a nightmare.

Essentially, the new Microsoft Family was what Microsoft came up with
when they tried to create a program that could balance safety and
autonomy for older children as well as a more tightly-controlled space
for the younger ones. Kids also want to have their own stuff, so it’s no
use giving them, a device that feels like they borrowed it from their
parents.

SO WHAT CHANGED?
The new Microsoft Family is now a single construct that works across
different Windows PCs, phones, and tablets. Child accounts are set to
roam, meaning that if your child logs in using their (required) Microsoft
account, all of the established controls will also be imported.

A transaction history is also available, which can only be viewed by

adults. Family members can be added or removed from a PC, the Web,
or any other Win10 device. Defaults are now smarter -- this includes
activity reporting notifications for the child’s first sign in and every 30
days onwards. Adult sites are automatically detected and blocked, while
downloaded content from the Store are filtered according to their age
rating. Even Cortana is disabled for kids under 13.

HOW DO I ACCESS AND SET MICROSOFT FAMILY?

To access Microsoft Family account from the web, simply log into
account.microsoft.com/family. Offline, this can be accessed in Settings >
Accounts > Family & Other Users. As a parent, you will see the same
information as these two accounts are synced.
From the PC, you will only be able to add or remove the child and adult
accounts for your family. For every person you add, an invitation will be
sent to the person’s email account. This must be accepted for the add to
take effect. These people will also be able to leave the family, if they
wish, through the web. You, as the head of the family, will be able to
change account types, while also disallowing log-in for a child account on
the specific device.

For every other option you are looking for, there is the web. Recent
activity can be viewed here (defined as the last 7 days of activity across
all Win10 devices). This provides a look at the screen time, the sites
visited (currently only available for desktop activity), game and app
usage, and more. It is also from the web that the blocking option for
apps, games, and sites can be accessed.

As of the moment, everything still looks good despite all the

controversy. The only questions remaining are those about support for
“legacy” systems (i.e. those that run Win7, 8, or 8.1). There are also
questions about how things would work between XBox One and XBox
360, especially since Win10 is tightly integrated into the XBox system.
CHAPTER 17. THE WINDOWS 10 SYNC SETTINGS
As mentioned earlier, releasing data into the cloud is a matter of
foregoing a little bit of privacy for an added bit of convenience. Windows
10 is known for its synchronization abilities, basically giving you the
same look, feel, and functionality no matter which device you log in
from. This sync ability relies on cloud-based processing -- if we are to
take care of our privacy, then we need to understand exactly how the
sync settings work for Windows’ latest iteration, and what things you
will be sending out when you decide to sync.

In Windows 10, the sync settings get some much-needed consolidation

as well as a general makeover. This may actually be the first instance,
many people are familiarizing themselves with this feature -- when it
debuted back in Win8, and it was generally unnoticed (like most of the
latter’s better features). Since the number of people who adopted Win8
wasn’t as much, the idea of OS syncing isn’t really relevant to many. But
that’s set to change.

Back in Win 8.1, the sync settings are found within the OneDrive group.
This is logical in hindsight, but not many people actually think of looking
there (unless you are a very curious user). Once found, the setting may
also be overkill for most -- it has an overwhelming twelve items you have
to look into.

In Win10, however, the sync settings were moved under the Account
group -- shown with the button Sync your settings. The number of
choices has also been reduced to seven, which is a lot more manageable
for the average user.

The very first option under sync is the “master” sync setting -- the ability
to turn your sync on and off. This means that when toggled to off, the
account that you are using at the moment will be switched to local even
if it is a Microsoft account. There will be no changes saved and synced
even if you make tweaks on that particular PC.
Below this are the individual synchronization settings. These are those
that will be carried over when you turn sync on. The Theme settings
come first, which will carry over your color and your background
choices. This means that if you want to use a specialized theme for all
your computers, then you need to turn this off.

There are also the Web browser settings, which are a little more
sensitive. This only applied to the default browser Edge, however, and
will carry the bookmarks, logins, themes, and so on.

The last sync setting contains the toggle for password synchronization.
This is the most sensitive of all the information you send out, though
Microsoft ensures that this is encrypted so it cannot be hacked. Turning
this on lets you transfer the passwords saved to a different PC so you
don’t have to type them in again.

Language preferences are dealt with in the last half of the sync settings.
That will only be relevant if you are using a multilingual version of
Windows. There is also the Ease of Access settings that will carry over
the accessibility enhancements you made to all the machines you own.

Lastly, there is a vague option for Other Windows settings which would
contain all adjustments for taskbar position, windows accents, and such.
CHAPTER 18. CORTANA (AND BING)

HISTORY
Halo players would have tried anything to get their hands on something
like her. She was once simply a flash-cloned copy of one Dr. Catherine
Halsey’s brain that went on to become an influential character in the
Human-Covenant War. UNSC Artificial Intelligence (SN: CTN 0452-9) --
commonly known as “Cortana” -- is best known for being the blue-
skinned, short-haired, sharp-witted and immensely talented AI that
assisted John-117 (aka the Master Chief) until her deactivation after
saving his life. Her death broke the heart of many players (including that
of the legendary Spartan), but Microsoft decided to do the “impossible”
by taking her out of the Halo universe and bringing her into our lives.
Such is the tale of Windows 10’s Cortana, an AI that canonically came
from sometime in the 26th century. She made her debut back in
Windows (Phone edition) 8.1, and now is considered the next big thing
to happen to digital assistants. Despite the deep gaming history
associated with the AI, the name was originally a simple codename until
the company came to a final product. But “Cortana” ultimately stuck and
beat out other competitor names like Alyx, Naomi, and others. Microsoft
decided it was perfect since they aimed to create a digital assistant that
was not “too creepy”. They wanted Cortana to be with you when you
need her, just as she was there for the Master Chief all the time.

The AI wasn’t magically flash-cloned out of someone, though. Microsoft

has leveraged the enormous investments it made in the data gathering
industry for the past 5 years. For most of its features, Cortana relies on
Bing’s services -- one that is in itself backed by thousands of number-
crunching servers. Then, there is the natural-language processing and
real-world of web-data linking that had to be done (initially without
Cortana or any end-product in mind). Just as Google Now is indelibly
connected to Google for it to perform its functions, Cortana is indebted
to the partnership between the Bing and Win10 teams.

But of course, Cortana has some stiff competition -- Siri, Google Now,
Alexa, and a myriad of Android-based virtual assistants all have their
loyal fans. So what chance does Cortana have (aside from infiltrating and
taking over hardware, which she obviously cannot yet do)? Here are 10
things to get you started:

1. Cortana on the Desktop and Laptop

While Cortana was first conceived for Windows Phone 7, Win10
unchains her from the mobile device and brings her into the full desktop
and laptop experience. This may be a revolutionary move, as only rarely
before has a virtual assistant found its way outside the mobile
environment.
2. BROWSER COMPATIBILITY
Cortana is not confined simply to the Windows 10 taskbar -- she can also
work well within the new Edge browser. This will be discussed more in a
later chapter, but suffice it to say that Edge and Cortana were
specifically programmed to be the perfect fit for each other. Like a super
souped-up version of the Clippit assistant from so long ago, Cortana
hovers (mostly inconspicuously, to take out the “massively annoying”
part from the Clippit analogy) and waits for you to ask for its assistance.

3. LOCAL FILES AND ONEDRIVE INTEGRATION

Cortana can also access your files -- locally and in the cloud. This means
you do not have to dive into the sentient jungle of files and folders you
have -- you can simply call on Cortana to summon the needed
document.

4. CORTANA LAPTOP BUTTON

Cortana has also made inroads into hardware. Some manufacturers like
Toshiba have blazed the trail on creating Win10-optimized laptops with
the “Cortana key””, a one-tap solution to summoning Cortana. This
saves you both words and mouse clicks, so this can be a very nifty tool as
Cortana becomes more and more powerful.
5. CROSS-PLATFORM CORTANA
Cortana was available everywhere there is tech in the Halo universe -- so
why not replicate this versatility in real-life Cortana? While Siri is still
iOS-bound and Google Now still works solely with the Google brand,
Cortana joins Amazon-branded Alexa in the path to cross-platform
availability.

However, while Alexa grows towards the cloud, Cortana grows towards
other devices -- whether they are MS-branded or not! Yes, Cortana will
soon be available on your Android and iOS devices (albeit with a reduced
functionality), the first ever to jump the great divide.

6. VOICE RECOGNITION
One of the more annoying things about voice-activated assistants is that
other people can access it apart from you. In the absence of using iris-
scanning or fingerprint-matching technologies, Cortana uses something
more convenient -- learning the range of your voice to verify it is you on
the microphone. This lets Cortana ignore others while responding to
only you.

7. HUMOR INSIDE
The Halo Cortana was also recognized for her (dry) wit, so Microsoft
would be amiss if they did not carry that over. Siri was known for slowly
and surely building up her wit dictionary through trial and error, but
somehow Cortana jumps the initial stages and presents herself with
humor built in. This is thanks to her long history (both as a game AI and a
real-world implement) that preceded Windows 10. Cortana can sing a
song, crack jokes, and even make fun of competitors and progenitors
(yes, Siri and Clippit are at the butt-end). If you are feeling particularly
inquisitive, you can ask her a question or two about the previous leaders
of Microsoft -- she will happily give her opinion.

8. LOCATION COMMANDS
While you can’t ask a virtual assistant to go shopping for you, Cortana
can very well remember where and when you do. Geotagging is one of
her core features, and you can ask her to remember the names of
certain places as “grocery”, “work”, “home”, and more. This will let her
give you helpful suggestions at your behest. For example, she can
remind you to pick up some asparagus once you are at the grocer, a
reminder you had set in place a week ago.

9. XBOX AND KINECT

Earlier, we had talked about Cortana breaking barriers and jumping into
all sorts of platforms. Gamers celebrate -- Master Chief’s vaunted smart
AI is also jumping into the XBox One and Kinect! This is a part of the
overall plan that synergizes the console and the PC through Win10. This
will also mean that you can ask Cortana to do all the same stuff she does
on the PC while you sit browsing your game library.

10. GETTING IN CHARACTER

Oh, and did we tell you that Cortana is voiced by Jen Taylor -- the same
voice actress who played her in the Halo-verse? Get ready to get all
misty-eyed if you play Halo -- ask her about the Master Chief and she will
give you realistic in-game info. She even goes as far as to (self-
consciously) refuse to explain her complicated feelings for John-117. This
might go unnoticed by many Cortana users, but this just goes to show
just how deep Microsoft has invested into this phenomenal AI. Oh, and if
you want added fun, try setting yourself up with the nickname “Master
Chief” under settings.
HOW DO I USE CORTANA?
When Cortana was released, Microsoft made it a point to bill it not just
as another simple voice-activated search feature. Instead, it was
supposed to be a complete personal assistant, much like Siri. In order to
maximize its usage, Cortana has to be set up correctly. Here is how
that’s done.

Let her get to know you. First off, you will need to enable the relevant
Privacy Settings. Cortana will now work if it is unable to access the OS’s
“Getting to know you feature”, specifically “Speech, Inking, & Typing”.
The feature will also require you to turn on your location settings.
Once you have completed these steps, you are ready to roll. Keep in
mind, however, that you will be sending a lot of personal information to
Microsoft, which will then be stored in a cloud server. This includes
typing history, speech patterns, contacts, and calendar events.

Ask her out. Being a do-it-all- helper, Cortana can help you with almost
everything you throw at her -- sports scores, news, weather, navigation,
reminders, settings, and a lot more. You can access her by clicking on the
taskbar’s search feature. You can also adjust how this bar looks (whether
you want to hide the Cortana search box or show only the icon) by right-
clicking on it and hovering over the Cortana dropdown.

It is important to note that even if Cortana is hidden, it is still active and

accessible. When you click on the search box, Cortana will show up with
some info based on what it finds as your hobbies and interests (much
like the Google Now cards). Of course, this is also the time when you will
be able to give it tasks. But let us take a short detour before we get
there.

Jot it down. To the left pane of the Cortana interface, there is a

“Notebook” icon (third from top). This will allow you to configure
Cortana, letting you customize the information it presents.

For example, you will be able to change how Cortana addresses you, as
well as how your name is pronounced. You will also be able to edit your
favorite places, such as your home and work address. Much like Google
Now, Cortana also uses the “cards” interface to show you information
about various topics ranging from events to incoming packages. You will
be able to toggle the use of each card, so you can refuse to see any news
about movies when you turn off the “Movies & TV” card.

There are also some cards that can be configured beyond the simple
on/off toggle. For example, the “Eat & Drink” card lets you draw
recommendations from Foursquare. You may also add an “atmosphere”
for recommendations, and even let Cortana know how often you wish to
go out.
This “Notebook” concept was taken directly out of the human context.
Other digital assistants like Google Now use the stored data on your
devices to get relevant information about you. This leads to two kinds of
discomfort for users -- either the app gives off too many notifications
(which is annoying), or it can get to know too much info (which is scary).
As an answer to this, Microsoft gave the AI its own “notebook,” where
you can jot down all the info you are giving it permission to see. Story
has it that this idea came from real-life Microsoft personal assistants
who always carried a notebook containing pertinent information about
the person they need to look after.

Keep in mind. Below the Notebook feature, you will find a tab where you
can set Reminders. These reminders are cleverly categorized into Time,
Place, and Person so they can be easily sorted out. The feature works
much like any standard reminder app.

Let her know. You can also provide Microsoft feedback about the
Cortana feature. This can be accessed under the Reminders menu. Here,
you can tell about your idea, likes, and dislikes about the feature in
general. For bugs, you can also include a screenshot.

More options
As noted earlier, most of Cortana’s major options can be accessed in the
Notebooks tab. This is also the place where you can turn Cortana off
without affecting the other privacy settings you have previously turned
on.

Cortana can also be configured to respond to your voice, via a prompt of

“Hey, Cortana”. You can even train the system to respond to anyone
using the same command or just for you (but for the latter it needs a
good deal of training).

We mentioned earlier that Cortana can also track packages, and it can
also do the same for flight information. This can be configured in the
Notebook section as well. Together with that, you can allow Cortana to
pop up every now and then with “taskbar tidbits”, allowing the system
to interact with you through thoughts and greetings in the search box.
This gives a decidedly more human aspect to this capable virtual
assistant. Cortana even understands plurals -- asking for the best
restaurant will give only one result (rated by Yelp users), which you can
ask her to call so you can make reservations. Asking for the best
restaurants, however, will give you a full list.

Then, there is Cortana’s ability to trigger actions based on specific

triggers, like the wildly popular IFTT web service. For example, you can
tell Cortana to remind you to perform a specific action when you do
something else -- like asking about something when you call your
colleague. Cortana will detect when the call is made, and will prompt
you to ask about the action item.
At the very bottom of the settings, there is also the option to manage
the Bing SafeSearch settings, as well as other privacy settings. Bing’s
SafeSearch allows the browser to automatically filter adult content from
your computer (very useful if you have a curious kid in the house), while
the other settings allow you to browse the Privacy Statement as well as
other personal information settings.

It can’t be stressed enough, but Microsoft asks you to give a plenty of

your personal data just to get Cortana to work to the fullest extent
(though this is still considerably less than competitors because of the
Notebook feature). If you do not want to use Cortana, it won’t be
enough to just disable it -- you also need to turn off the privacy settings.

Now, let us tackle the other half of Cortana that fuels much of its search
capability -- the oft-neglected Bing search engine. Just how can it
improve your experience, both within and without the virtual assistant?

BING ADVANTAGES
Contrary to what many people believe, Google isn’t the absolute and
indestructible search engine that has everything. Virtually every other
search tool out there offers something that Google does not have --
sometimes the sole reason for their existence. Bing, Microsoft’s very
own search engine that goes hand-in-hand with Cortana, has an entire
slew of advantages that can make Cortana a lot more powerful.
FLIGHT COST PREDICTION
On of Bing’s best features (where it is debatably unbeaten) is in the field
of flight cost prediction. Imagine being able to know when is the most
probable time when tickets will shoot up in price. Put in a simple search
term like “flight from Washington to Denver” and you will be shown
markers that indicate just how likely it will be for prices to fluctuate --
and when. While this does not guarantee anything (and you can still take
the long way and shop around for more definite prices), it should help
you with deciding when best to buy.

UNIQUE SEARCH OPERATORS

While Google has a lot of great search operators, it still doesn’t have
everything. One thing it particularly lacks is “linkfromdomain” operator
(e.g., “linkfromdomain:microsoft.com windows 10”). This operator
serves to highlight the best ranked outgoing links for the mentioned site.
For example, the keyword example above will pull up the most visited
Windows 10 pages coming from Microsoft itself. This can be useful so
you can know which pages your favorite sites link to most (for
recommendations, etc.)

Another helpful operator unique to Bing is “contains: FILETYPE”, letting

you search for a link that contains the specified file type. For example, if
you want to find a PDF version of the movie script for Titanic, simple
type “contains: pdf Titanic script”. This gives you sites that directly link
to a PDF document -- perfect for when you are doing research.
VIDEO SEARCH
While YouTube (owned by Google) is the undisputed giant in video
hosting, Google’s own video search capability pales in comparison to
Bing. Search any video and Bing will give you a grid of thumbnails as a
result -- hover over each thumbnail and you can play a preview of each
video. It has just about the same filters as YouTube, and can also handle
related searches. As a plus, the grid layout allows you to see more than
three videos at a time without scrolling.

FIND ONLINE COURSES

Again, this is perfect for those looking for credible online resources. Bing
allows you to see the online courses offered by a specific university.
Simply enter the school’s name, and you can find its most popular
offerings. While the search results cannot be narrowed down by topics,
the links will direct you to the specific page where you can see this
option.

BETTER PHOTO LICENSE SEARCH

For those in need of unlicensed (or licensed) photos for their work,
Googling such can be harder than it should have been. While the big G
lets you filter results by license type, this is almost invisible as it is buried
within a settings menu -- something you wouldn’t look for if you just
want a quick search. Google’s offering is also a persistent one, instead of
a case-by-case filter. On the other hand, Bing lets you include the license
filter as the image search’s basic function.

BING REWARDS
Many people ignore this completely, but free is still free. Bing has a
rewards option that lets users earn credits, which in turn can be used to
buy movie tickets, gift cards, and such. While this is not exactly the best
reason to switch search engines, it’s still worth a try. (Note that this
feature’s availability may be dependent on your region.)

DITCHING BING FOR GOOGLE

As Cortana is an MS product, it will stick to MS services such as Bing. As
mentioned earlier, Bing brings its own advantages to the table -- but
there are still several users that do not want to use it when within the
browser, preferring better known powerhouses such as Google. The
good news is that with a little tweak, you can tell Cortana to strike Bing
out of the browser-queries equation and use Google instead. Note,
however, that this tweak may nullify other Bing-related services that add
to Cortana’s overall efficiency (comes in a case-to-case basis). At any
rate, this is still reversible.

The secret lies in adding a browser extension that redirects every

browser query Cortana sends to Bing. Two such extensions include
Chrometana and Bing2Google (both for Chrome). Take note, however,
that these can redirect every single browser query to Google, even if you
actually go to Bing.com and search there.

There are also other extensions available for well-known search engines
such as DuckDuckGo and Yahoo. This does not yet work for queries in
the Start Menu (such as weather forecasts), but clicking through for
more info (which then takes you to Edge) will let the redirect to another
search engine kick in.

If you are using Chrometana for Chrome and wish to change the
preferred search engine, simply go to More Tools and click on Extensions
from the browser’s menu. Choose Options within Chrometana, and
make your preferred changes. This completely eradicates Bing from your
experience.
CHAPTER 19. GETTING TO THE EDGE
We have previously discussed how Microsoft aspires to lead the modern
Web using its newest browser, Edge. While this is a very slick and
functional browser, it takes a few more minutes to get to use it
effectively (much like Cortana). In this chapter, we will show you how.

Before we proceed, note that there are actually two browsers installed
by default in Win 10 -- aside from Edge, there is the aging Internet
Explorer 11. The latter does not sport many new features (and you’re
probably familiar with it anyway), so we will skip ahead to the
newcomer.
Like the entire Win10 philosophy, Edge attempts to make things as
simple and intuitive as possible. The interface is very basic and allows
more room for content. The settings are made up of a few toggles that
can be turned on or off at any time. However, because of its simplicity,
Edge ends up hiding some of its best features. Cortana, which we’ve
already discussed above, is one of them. Another one is “Reading View”,
which can enhance how the web looks and also lets you save articles to
a reading list.

To start your Edge journey, simply look for the Edge icon from either the
desktop or the Start menu. You may also find the small “e” stowed away
on the bottom of your screen. Upon launching Edge, you will be greeted
by a gray box filled with snippets of content coming from the MSN apps.
It looks a bit like a Cortana blow-up, with news, weather, and other
tidbits rotating. You will also see the small “customize” link on the
upper-right that will open up a simple customization page. This will let
you highlight any of the six topics that will from then on show in the
homepage. As of the time of this writing, there is not yet an option to
fine-tune this with subtopics or special interests.

Opening a new tab opens up a familiar interface: you will be greeted

with the search box at the top while a group of icons representing
frequently-accessed sites will fill up the remainder. Edge uses the Bing
search for its activities -- something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, as
Bing has evolved to be a worthy rival for the search heavyweight that is
Google.

One thing that is particularly brave for Edge to do is to replace your

homescreen with something filtered by Microsoft. In essence, the
company chooses which stuff you see. There won’t even be an icon for
the homepage, unless you choose to add it. However, you can choose to
set your own homepage (more on this in a bit).

THE BASIC CONTROLS

There’s really nothing new to the interface -- as mentioned, there is the
search bar to the upper portion of the screen. Then, there are the back
and forward arrows in the upper left, followed by the reload button. If
you choose to add a “homepage” shortcut, then it would pop up next.
And then, to the top right are the Reading View, Favorites, Reading List
(a.k.a., “the Hub”), Web Notes, Share, and Settings buttons.

NAVIGATION AND CUSTOMIZATION

Navigating is very intuitive -- the browser works much like the traditional
Chrome or Firefox browsers, right down to the omnibar-style search
feature. If you wish to surf incognito (called “InPrivate” in Win10’s
terms), simply click the ellipsis in the upper-right hand corner and launch
the session through the dropdown menu. Just remember that though
this won’t leave and traces on your PC, the session will still be traceable
through the network level.

Two of the things that you would most likely want to do first will be to
set a homepage and import your existing bookmarks. The thing is, doing
the former requires an unexpectedly long process that dives into the
settings:

1. First, you would have to click on the ellipsis icon again and scroll down
the dropdown until you see “Settings”.

2. Then, scroll all the way down that to “View advanced settings”.

3. At the very top of the resulting page, you will see the toggle to “show
the home button”. Enable this, and then set the URL that you wish to set
as your homepage.

In the same settings menu, you can set how your Edge browser looks
like -- light or dark. The ellipsis will also let you import favorites -- if you
want to impost from Chrome or Firefox, simply click on “Import
Favorites from another browser”. This is where things get a little trickier
-- there are different methods for importing favorites from different
browsers. We will start by importing from another Windows PC with
IE11.

1. First, go to that other PC and launch your IE. Enter the Favorites tab,
and then click the drop-down menu from the top.

2. Export the file and save it to C:\Users\Your Account

Name\Documents\bookmark.htm.

3. Copy this file by any means to the Win10 PC.

4. On the Edge browser, click on the ellipsis once again and go to the
Favorites option. Import the file you just transferred.

5. In case this does not work, import the favorites to the IE11 on Win10,
and then import them to Edge from there.
If you have worked with Chrome in the past, then you’re in for an easier
time.

1. Simply download Chrome onto the Win10 machine, and then let it
automatically sync your bookmarks.

2. Switch to the Edge browser, and import the bookmarks from there.

For those who have worked with Firefox previously, it’s another long
trek to the Edge:

1. Open the bookmarks menu, and click “Show all bookmarks” at the
bottom of the side panel.

2. Click on the “Import and Backup” drop-down menu. Export the

bookmarks to HTML.

3. Transfer the HTML file over to the Win10 PC, and open it using the
Edge browser.

4. You will see the individual bookmarks arranged as links. Open each of
these in a new tab.
5. Save each new tab as a favorite.

EXTENSIONS
For some people, extension compatibility can make or break the
browser experience. As of the moment, that is exactly where Edge falls
short -- as of this writing, Edge does not support any extension.
Microsoft says they will soon be out, though, and Edge will then gain a
lot more customizability.

However, when they do come out, Microsoft technically promises a

revolution -- Edge will be the first modern browser that can access the
repertoire of both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox extensions.
Extension developers for Edge will be using the same JavaScript and
HTML standards that other browsers’ extensions use, allowing these
useful tools to be ported to the newcomer with minimal coding. In fact,
the Edge keynote saw a Reddit extension that allows readers to vote on
stories while a Pinterest add-on allows users to share pages.
THE UNSEEN EYE: CORTANA
We mentioned earlier that Cortana is also built into Edge -- but you
cannot see her anywhere simply because she is also buried under all the
options (much like importing Favorites). However, she does pop up
when you need more information in the context of what your browser
displays.

For example, let’s say you’re reading up on the latest news and wonder
who that guy being mentioned is. Simply highlight the name, right-click,
and click on “Open with Cortana”. This will open a small vertical sidebar
on the right. This will contain more information about that person. If you
open the page of a specific restaurant, you will be able to summon
Cortana to give you its reviews and hours. Beyond this, however, there
does not seem to be much integration between the main Cortana and
the one residing within Edge.

READING VIEW
This may be one of the best things Edge has to offer -- the ability to
swipe away all the distractions on a page to focus on the readable text.
Previously available only through plugins like Evernote Clearly, Edge
allows you to enjoy a strain-free reading experience through its Reading
View feature.

Reading View allows for a wonderful compromise between ad-backed

sites and the users by activating only after the page is loaded. This
means the ads still load before being scrubbed off as the page
transforms. This would further mean that the page would still receive
revenue from the ads, while the user still gets a clutter-free experience.

THE HUB
Earlier, we described being able to import favorites from your other
browsers into Edge. However, note that in this new browser, you will not
be able to organize your Favorites in the Favorites option -- you will
need to move next door to the Hub. This is the place where you find
everything that is saved in Edge (as denoted by its subsections): your
Favorites, Reading List, History, and Downloads.

Organizing things inside the Hub is very simple, and most a drag-and-
drop affair. Items can be arranged, and these can in turn be placed and
removed from the Favorites Bar folder (which will reflect in the actual
Favorites bar.). However, you cannot auto-alphabetize your lists and you
cannot drag the folders within each other to create subfolders.

WEB NOTES
One of the most talked-about features come in the form of Web Notes,
Microsoft’s take on website annotation. This allows users to mark up a
page, drawing arrows and scribbling notes. This does not really happen
on the webpage, though (that would be digital graffiti). Rather, this is a
more elaborate implementation of the snipping tool -- Edge captures an
image of your browser when Web Notes is launched, and you will be
shown a bar with options to use a pen, highlighter, or an eraser. You can
also use your keyboard to type a note. This can then be saved as an
image file, sent to OneNote, or saved in the Favorites/Reading List.

While such an activity can be done using any browser (in partnership
with Paint), Microsoft has taken steps to make this as easy as possible. In
addition, having these snippets saved as OneNote notes or Reading List
entries can give you the option to return to the webpage where you
originally made the edits.
EDGE SETTINGS
As mentioned in previous sections, Win10’s settings have been
simplified greatly -- this also extends to its newest browser. Hidden
inside the ellipsis icon we explored earlier is a wealth of one-glance
settings that can easily be tweaked. This list includes allowing Edge to
use the Adobe Flash Player, caret browsing, pop-up blocking, password
saving, and more. You can also edit which page you will open a new tab
with, how your Reading View looks like, and others.

NEW TAB PAGE

Edge doesn’t really make much mention of this in its feature list, but it
deserves real attention -- the browser’s new tab page is one of the most
functional across all modern browsers. Users will notice that the tab bar
is flushed with the title bar (or what used to be the title bar), expanding
the working space by one line. There is no address bar, but there is a
search bar that functions in a similar matter to Chrome’s omnibox -- it
accepts both search queries and URLs.

On the page itself, one will find the thumbnails of the most visited sites
as well as site suggestions. There are also app suggestions, sports scores,
weather reports, and video suggestions (this latter set may not be for
everyone, though). Finally, one will find an option to restore previously
closed tabs -- a handy feature for those not wanting to dig into the
history every time they accidentally closed something (which is most of
us, anyway).

CODING SUPPORT
Another point where Edge definitely excels is in its coding support. It has
many forward-looking features under the hood, and it does not present
itself as IE to websites -- meaning sites are more likely to work just as
they do with Firefox and Chrome. A newer form of WebRTC (called
Object RTC) is implemented, which will allow sites to access media
communications. In the future, it might be possible to access services
like Skype directly from the browser.

THE OVERALL EDGE

All in all, Microsoft’s new browser has come a long way from Project
Spartan. With an emphasis on speed, stability, and a brighter approach
to extensions, it is poised to be a browser of choice for those who enjoy
the Windows lifestyle. The additional plans for it to be included in
everything from subway stations to HoloLenses (through the Core IoT, in
at different implementations) will soon make it ubiquitous.
CHAPTER 20. UNIVERSAL APPS
Following in the footsteps of mobile and cloud-based applications,
Win10 strengthens Microsoft’s stance on making “universal” apps
universal for all PCs. These apps were meant to work on any Win10
implementation, on any platform, anywhere you are. Your data and
settings will all be imported, allowing you to take the experience
anywhere.

These apps make things infinitely easier for the coders, too. Such an
implementation means that the developers can use about 80% of a
program’s code in porting it from one device to another. Having to
reprogram only the remaining 20% (to compensate for the difference
between the phone and the PC, for example), the makers of the
Universal Apps can churn out more products in the near future.

Listed in this chapter will be the top 10 apps that will likely make the
most impact among all of the Win10 offerings. Note that this list is aside
from those apps already built into your Win10 distribution, such as the
Office apps.

ADOBE PHOTOSHOP EXPRESS

While still not the Photoshop CC, this free (with in-app purchases)
application will take lightweight photo-editing and enhancing to the next
level. It sports a very good user interface, and syncs with the company’s
Revel cloud photo system (which in turn can be built into other Adobe
apps). Automatic corrections make for quick fixes while still providing
customization options. Of course, the app offers integration with
Facebook for image posting.

AUTODESK PIXLR
Another popular application for photo-enthusiasts, AutoDesk gives
another free Universal App that gives cool editing tools. It has a lot of
options not available with other offerings, and can also be a staple for
those looking to slap stickers onto their photos or make a colorful splash
whichever device they are on.

DROPBOX
Mostly because OneDrive comes baked into the Win10 implementation,
Dropbox has lessened in its necessity. However, it is still true that many
people rely on Dropbox to sync their most important files -- if you are
one of those people, you will be happy to know that Dropbox comes in a
free one-size-fits-all download for all your Win10 devices. There is a
built-in document and a photo viewer for extra convenience, as well as a
“favorite” option. There is also an auto-upload feature -- shoot a photo
with your phone while you are abroad, and it automatically syncs with
the app on your PC on the other side of the globe.
FOURSQUARE
For those who need to look for eating recommendations with their PCs,
and then follow through on-site with their phones, FourSquare fills in
the gap as a Universal App. This software will not even require a log-in
for use, though it is smart enough to learn your tastes if you decide to
become a regular user. It has the same tile interface as the rest of
Win10, providing good integration. It even syncs with the Bing Maps
feature, meaning you can easily find recommendations.

FRESH PAINT
This has been one of the more impressive Windows apps in recent
times, and it is back in a Universal reincarnation. With realistic paint and
other drawing textures as a multi-touch system with five-finger support,
it is a must for every aspiring artist. You can even choose whether you
will be painting on paper or canvas! It is also free, with several add-ons
available as IAPs. All your artwork won’t be left behind, as they can
easily be imported so you can resume on your Win10 phone on the
subway, on your tablet at work, and back at home on your PC.

NETFLIX
The service that revolutionized how everyone watches movies also
made its way to Win10. Watch your favorite series on any device you
happen to have with you! The best part of this app is the way it is
aligned with Microsoft’s Xbox app. The app will have a way to remember
where you left off as well as the ability to accommodate multiple user
profile. Subtitles and audio can be enabled or disabled, making for a top-
notch viewing experience.

SONIC DASH
Sometimes we all just want a quick game to play while waiting for the
bus or while we are in a downtime. Win10 answers with an enjoyable
yet challenging Sonic Dash, a free app that can be played anywhere
thanks again to being a Universal App. Featuring the same mechanics as
the phenomenally famous Temple Run, those looking for additional
challenges may also purchase more courses, all the way up to more than
100,000 rings!

TWITTER
While Facebook has a nice modern app for Windows, it is not universal --
Twitter beat them on that one. The app supports everything you can see
in the web service, from multiple account sign-ins to videos and pictures
(with tagging options). Create and save drafts, choose the themes, and
edit your profiles on-the-go or in the comfort of home. New Tweets can
also be displayed on the lock-screen.

WOLFRAM ALPHA
Whether you’re a student, a professional, or an all-around info sponge,
you can’t go wrong with Wolfram Alpha. With an analytical engine that
can handle just about any question you throw at it -- from geology and
astronomy to health and transportation and even lottery statistics -- this
beats all other search engines. The power and universal convenience
comes at a $2.99 asking price, however, though it can save you a lot of
hassle.

WORDS WITH FRIENDS

If you have free time you want to waste with friends, then Words With
Friends is the best Win10 solution. One of the first multiplayer games to
break through into the Universal App store, you can scrabble and chat to
your heart’s content no matter where you are. You can even fight for
bragging rights in the leaderboard, though it still cannot let you set the
individual record as is available on the iOS platform.

APPLICATIONS COMPATIBILITY
But wait, you ask -- what if I just want to use my existing Win7/Win8/8.1
apps on Win10? Not to worry, as Microsoft tells us this: if it ran on Win7,
it will run on Win10.

Indeed, under the hood, Windows 7, 8, and 10 are quite similar -- only
the looks and some features were largely revamped. There are no large
driver architecture changes, nor any overhaul of the architecture
security model. This is quite unlike the time when PCs upgraded to Win
Vista and 7 from XP, which caused a lot of software features.
There’s even good news for tablet users -- MS has killed off Windows RT,
that infamous Windows 8 implementation that restricts third-party
applications (i.e., everything non-Windows inherent, which means some
of the best apps) from running. Now, all 8-inch devices and above can
run the full and unrestricted Windows desktop while smaller devices run
the mobile equivalents.

That does not mean that there will be no glitches, however -- Windows
apps tap into a large number of factors and something may still go
wrong. For this, Win10 answers with a “Compatibility Mode” that
essentially tricks apps into thinking they are running on an older
Windows version (the feature also appeared in Win7). This will resolve a
large majority of glitches. Win10 also extends a helping hand by
activating this feature when something needs it, as when it detects an
application having an issue. It can also be manually enabled by the
following steps:

1. Right-click the program’s shortcut or .EXE file.

2. Click on Properties, and then select the Compatibility tab.

3. Select a version of Windows the program would have worked on.

4. If it does not work or if you are not sure what the issue is, click on the
Compatibility Troubleshooter to get more info on the optimal settings.
Then What Won’t Run?

As mentioned, it’s not all sunshine and compatibility. There are a few
things that will not work with Win10 even though they worked flawlessly
with the previous versions.

For one, all applications that rely on old drivers will be a problem. Those
applications that interface with XP-era hardware devices (particularly
those whose manufacturers have not yet released drivers that work with
Win7) will be in trouble. If there were drivers released for Win7,
however, then all should be fine.

Applications that worked fine with XP but refused to work with 7 will
have problems, too. Win10’s Professional editions do not have the XP
Mode feature that came with Win7. If you absolutely have to use
software that works only with XP, then it would be best to set up the OS
within a virtual machine.

Also, Win10 has a 64-bit version, where 16-bit applications (if you still
have any of these) won’t be compatible. These used to work in 32-bit
versions of Win7, and might still work with Win10’s own 32-bit versions.

If you are worrying about built-in Windows features, then you should
know as early as now that some compatibility has been removed. One
example is the Media Center (built into Win7 and available as a paid
download in Win8), which has been discontinued. The traditional games
(Solitaire, Minesweeper, Pinball, etc.) are no longer available, although
modern replacements are available for Minesweeper and Solitaire. The
DVD playback feature is no longer preinstalled, so a third-party app like
VLC may be in order. In addition, the discontinued Desktop Gadgets
have not made a reappearance.

HOW DO I SCAN FOR COMPATIBILITY?

Microsoft has an “Upgrade Advisor” that will scan your system before
you upgrade, so that you are sure which of the installed apps could be
carried over to Win10. This is built right into the “Get Windows 10”
feature that has been rolled out to Win7 and Win 8.1 users (through
Windows Update).

1. Simply click on the corresponding upgrade icon on the taskbar to get

through the process.

2. Click on the hamburger menu found in the upper-left corner

3. Under the section “Getting the upgrade”, choose “Check your PC”.
While applications running on Windows 7 and 8 are most likely
compatible with Win10, it is always best to contact the company or
developer to make sure that such is the case. You might also want to
hold off from upgrading if you wish to verify from other users if specific
software had worked with Win10. Remember, the Win10 free upgrade
offer will last for a full year from its date of release.
CHAPTER 21. OFFICE 2016
No Windows how-to would be complete without a review of their
flagship office suite. Having gone through many incarnations since its
first appearance that cemented its reputation as the office suite of
choice, what does Office 2016 bring to the table?

For the casual user who installs Office on a single desktop, it will be quite
difficult to see the progress Microsoft has been making on this front. The
only ones visible would be the subtle facelifts and a few welcome
additions that will be discussed in depth later. Aside from these, it’s
basically just a fresh remake of Office 2013.

However, once a user begins to share Office files with other people, the
major updates in the way the suite works can easily be seen.
CLOUD-FIRST
For many of its applications, Microsoft has defaulted to using its
OneDrive service as the storage location of choice. However, this online
sync system is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Office
2016. Three new apps are in play -- Planner and Delve, which are both
exclusive to teams, as well as Sway which is a sharing and presentation
creation application. In the spirit of collaboration, real-time
collaboration features have been added to Word, PowerPoint, and
OneNote (much like in Google’s services). This can be a boon, especially
for companies who have standardized the use of the Office Suite.
So let us take a look at the collaboration side first:

PLANNER AND DELVE

Some bleeding-edge users will already be familiar with Delve, which has
been out for a while in its preview form. Right now, it is available to
subscribers of the Office 365 Business subscriptions. Using the
considerable power of MS servers, it allows users to get an automated
view of what will likely be important for them to see. This is done
through the use of data from Office Graph -- a complete record of all
documents, meetings, and email-related actions taken by all users. This
builds a tiled dashboard of all people, projects, as well as documents
that are related to you and what you are working on.
Planner, on the other hand, is a new tool that lets teams set up projects
and populates them with documents and tasks. Just like Delve, Planner
uses the Office Graph to create interactive dashboards that reflect the
project status, tailor-fit for all users. This was designed to replace the
project-management heavy-lifting done by Microsoft Project. It is also
perfect for the busy team member since it is a quicker way of keeping
track of their involvement across various projects. While Delve creates a
people-focused dashboard, Planner creates a task-oriented one.

In function, the planner can be seen as similar to other existing third-

party services such as Trello. However, it has the advantage of
integrating with the Office Graph function of the Suite, allowing Office-
based teams and organizations to gain considerable advantage.
However, if the organization does not have a commitment to either host
or server-based installations of Office, then a separate service might be
more beneficial and flexible.

SWAY
If you are an individual user, then probably one of the most interesting
things is the addition of Sway. It is an app that allows users to create
catchy multimedia presentations. Unlike the slide-based presentations
created by PowerPoint, Sway is much more flexible. It also places the
responsibility of layout style to the program itself. This leaves the user
the leeway to tweak the layout themselves, or to let Sway do its thing
with the handy “Remix!” button. The app is available from Win10 App
Store, as well as for Office Online. Of course, it also comes with Office
2016 and can be downloaded for the iPhone and iPad.
Once a presentation is shared, the Sway file can be viewed by anyone
with a web browser. The presentations are always hosted on Microsoft’s
own Sway.com, and cannot be saved offline or exported to other
formats. For some users, this can raise the question of longevity, as MS
does not exactly have a good track record of keeping its creative tools
alive in the long run (think Movie Maker, Live Writer, and Expression).

MICROSOFT VISIO
Microsoft Visio is another of the lesser-known but potentially very useful
Microsoft apps that have been inconspicuously carried over to Windows
10 and Office 2016. It is a vector graphics and diagramming application,
which was released back in 2013 in Standard and Professional flavors.
The two editions have the same interface, except that the Premium one
has more templates, allowing for more advanced layouts and diagrams.
The latter also has the ability to connect to data sources directly while
allowing the users to display the data in a graphical format. This is the
version that is released as a part of the Office 365 subscription.

In its release with the 2016 version, some new features made an
appearance like one-click Excel connectivity, IRM (Information Rights
Management) protection for files created by it, and more modern
shapes and layouts. Shapes meant for site plans, floor plans, home plans,
electrical diagrams, and more have been added.
MICROSOFT PROJECT
Useful for both employees and students, as well as to those people who
wish to go full micro-managing mode on projects, Microsoft’s “Project”
software can be a great help in developing plans, assigning resources for
tasks, tracking all progress, and even managing budgets and analyzing
the workload. While some sources place it as the dominant project
management application on PCs, it has been a virtual unknown to the
world at large because it has not been included in any of the Office
Suites (despite being officially part of the Microsoft Office suite).

Like Visio, Project comes in both Standard and Professional editions. The
2016 release adds a new Reports section as well as backward
compatibility with the previous Server version (2003). It also offers a
better integration with the rest of the Microsoft products, as well as an
improved appearance overall.

The new Timeline feature allows the user to customize the view,
allowing for multiple timeline bars as well as customized date ranges
within a single view. There are also the “Resource Agreements” feature
that gives Project Managers and Resource Managers the ability to
coordinate.

UPDATED FEATURES
After spending a few hours working the Office Suite, it will be very
apparent that Microsoft has moved away from spending time on its
desktop strategy and instead has focused on the cloud. This much can be
gleaned as the 2 1/2 year gap between office 2013 and Office 2016 had
not brought in anything innovative on the offline front. However, this
does not mean that there aren’t any good changes for the average user.

Aside from the slicker interface (taking a little step back from the ultra-
flat 2013 version), the 3 main Office apps (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
gained a new text field on the menu bar that says “Tell me what you
want to do.” This can be very useful for people who keep forgetting
where some obscure command was located -- simply type a keyword in
the box which acts like an in-app search utility.

For those who need to do some serious mathematical work, these three
apps have also gained the Ink Equation ability, ported from OneNote’s
Ink to Math feature. This basically allows a user to “write” in a math
equation (using a mouse, trackpad, etc.), which Office will automatically
convert to a typed notation.

Speaking of OneNote, this seems to be the one Office app that has not
seen much improvement this time around -- in fact, it is identical to the
one released last 2013 (except for the color scheme). Even the glitches
are there -- such as subsections expanding when you add pages to them.
Even the almost-mandatory Send to OneNote feature seems to be
missing, at least this early on. While this may be forgiven when we
consider that the mobile ports of OneNote have gone into a rapid
evolution, improvements in the desktop edition seem to be long due.

BACKSTAGE UPGRADE
“Backstage” here does not just mean “under the hood” -- this is the
actual name that was given to Microsoft’s File handling and Options
function. This covers a pretty wide area, from the way files are saved to
the way they are backed up.

In response to user requests, the Browse button has now been made
more visible in the Save As and Open dialog boxes. The order of the
storage locations has also been updated to make saving more intuitive.
For those on Outlook, the user can have the attachments uploaded to
the cloud for a better sharing experience.

And speaking of Outlook...

A BETTER OUTLOOK
The email application has gotten the lion’s share of upgrades outside of
the cloud. This time, adding an attachment offers you a list of recently-
used files up front so you can find what you want to send easier. If you
are sending over an item from OneDrive, you can simply send a link to
that document instead of the file itself.
The Clutter utility, which began in Office 365, is also ported into the
2016 edition. This is an app that uses machine learning, allowing it to
automatically sort your emails by pushing the lower-priority items into
another folder. This is still server-based, though, and you can only
enable it using Outlook’s web version.

The Search function has also improved. Once Outlook sees that you are
searching for a person, it will automatically show you your history of
correspondence with them. This is a great alternative to having to filter
your emails by typing the full name of the person you are looking for.

Office 2016, as a whole, also has a few other new features (most of
which, admittedly, might just fly over the heads of the average user):

New Statistical, Financial, and Hierarchical charts

Visio-Excel dynamic data linking

Integration of Power Query into Excel

Upgrades to the Pivot Chart, PivotTable, and Power Pivot features

Improvement in the Click-to-Run management, geared towards IT

professionals

Addition of Data-Loss protection into Excel

Addition of multi-factor authentication through Active Directory

Use of SSL and consistent privacy warnings for more secure translation
options

REAL-TIME COLLABORATION -- ON ALL FRONTS

Earlier, we mentioned the addition of online real-time collaboration for
users of Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Much like in Google Docs, the
users will be able to edit the document at the same time while also
seeing where every other user is on the same document.

However, real-time collaboration does not end there. Microsoft added

to the capability by allowing the users to open a quick Skype call (or
meeting or chat) from within the interface of the program. This call can
be directed to just one author, or can be for everyone.

MOBILE FIRST
Microsoft’s mobile apps for its Office Suite are no longer news, since
they have been around for some time already. In fact, they are some of
the most rapidly-evolving aspects of Office.
However, one thing that truly separates the mobile office suite from its
desktop counterpart (aside from the addition of a touch-friendly
interface) is the built-in mobile document scanning app -- Office Lens.
This is a pretty good deal, since it performs better than most document
scanning software available out there. This and other mobile-specific
improvements is a good sign since this places the power of the Suite
squarely into the portability offered by mobile devices.

OFFICE 2016 PRICING

Good news is that the price scheme for Office 2016 has gotten friendlier.
For a Personal plan, it goes for $7 monthly covering one machine and
one phone. If you are getting this for your family, then it goes at a much
more affordable $10 monthly for 5 computers and 5 phones. These
plans also include a full TB of storage on OneDrive, plus an additional 60
minutes of Skype calls. This means that Office essentially comes for free
when you compare this to a similarly-sized plan from other providers
(such as Google). Both plans mentioned include the full house -- Word,
PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, Access, and Publisher.

For those who wish to have the traditional purchase license, Office 2016
comes for $230 in the Home and Business bundle (including Word, Excel,
PowerPoint, and Outlook). There is also the $150 Student and Teacher
version, which lacks Outlook. Both plans feature 15GB of OneDrive
space, but do not include any free Skype minutes. Also, they are one-
time purchases and thus do not have upgrades.

SHOULD YOU UPGRADE?

If you already have yourself an Office 365 subscription, or any way you
can get your hands on an official Office 2016 with a new PC, then there
is no reason not to go with the upgrade. There are new features you
might want to try, and the spiffy interface alone may be enough to draw
its own crowd.

However, if the current Office version that you are using works perfectly
for you, and upgrading to the 2016 release will cost you additional
money, then there will be very little reason to shell out that amount.
This is, of course, unless you are a heavy OneDrive user or a part of any
company or organization that needs all the new features (especially
security-wise).

OFFICE WARS: WHAT DO THE DIFFERENT OFFICE VERSIONS HAVE

TO OFFER?
But wait -- so far we have mentioned Office 2016 and Office 365 (in
passing). And then there’s the other offering, Office Online. Each offers
the same basic functions that can be used in Windows 10 -- word
processing, slideshow creation, and spreadsheets. However, each one is
also different in its own way. In this section, we will be discussing the
nuances of each version. In case you are confused which one you will be
using when you start working with Win10, then continue reading.

OFFICE 2016
This is the newest version of the Office suite for desktops, and is
available for Windows and Mac. This represents the very first time when
the two rival platforms have been in sync. As mentioned in our earlier
review, Office can come either at a one-time price without upgrades or a
continuing-support subscription.

While it provides three variants for Windows (Office Home, Office

Student, and Office Home and Business), Office 2016 only offers one
variant for the Mac -- and this one does not have Outlook. If you had
wanted Outlook for Mac, you will need an Office 365 subscription
instead (more on this later). For those who want more power in their
Outlook and Excel there is a (less publicized) Office Professional that
offers a lot of enterprise features such as the ability to import from a
wider range of databases. This also includes Outlook, Publisher, and
Access.

There are also Office 2016 versions of Visio and Project, which are both
part of the Office family. However, these have to be bought separately.
If you have 2013 versions of these applications, you will no longer be
able to use them since they are incompatible with Office 2016. However,
you may contact Microsoft for a free upgrade.

The free upgrade also applies to Outlook, Access, and Publisher if you
have standalone versions that do not update automatically once you buy
Office 2016.

OFFICE 365
This started out as Microsoft’s online offering for businesses. It was
originally meant to run email, communications, as well as file sharing. It
used to include licenses for desktop versions of the Office software, but
now it includes all of MS’s Office subscription services (for consumers
and businesses).
The payment scheme is either monthly or yearly, and you can get new
features as soon as they’re released. In case a new version of Office
comes out, you can have them installed on your Windows 10 machine
immediately. Office 365 also allows you to edit documents if you are
viewing your files on a mobile Office version (as long as the screen size is
bigger than 10.1 inches). Cloud storage and similar benefits are included,
but stopping payment of the subscription will render Office unusable.

Office 365 is best used if you have more than one device at home where
you need to use the Office suite. This will even work if the computers
aren’t all running Windows -- even the consumer subscriptions support a
carry over to Mac.
Office 365 Personal and its Home variant will give you the same software
with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, as well as Publisher
and Access (the last two for Windows only). One terabyte of OneDrive
space as well as monthly Skype credits is also included. As with the
discussion earlier, the Personal version lets you access Office on one
computer and one mobile device, while Home gives you access to five
computers and five mobile devices.

There are also two Office 365 business subscriptions, ideal for up to 300
users. This can still be paid for per month -- Office 365 Business and
Office 365 Business Premium. Both of these include Office 2016, which
can be installed on up to five devices and five mobile phones. Basically,
the only difference is that Business Premium has Exchange, SharePoint,
as well as Skype for Business Online.

If your business is larger than 300, then it would benefit you most to
have the Office 365 Enterprise plans. These suites will include more
information management tools as well as security, which can be paid for
annually. Again, the major difference in each of these versions is the
amount of cloud services involved. The Enterprise E3 package is the one
you are looking for if you need SharePoint, Exchange, and Skype for
Business. For all the rest, you can do with the basic Enterprise package.

There are also subscriptions to Office 365 that will only include the
SharePoint, Exchange, and Skype for Business tools without Office 2016.
These are primarily geared for companies which already have licenses
for Office, or those who are using Office Online Web Apps. For
companies with around 300 employees, this comes in the form of Office
365 Business Essentials. For more than that, there is the Enterprise E1
plan.

OFFICE ONLINE
This is the free version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote -- on
the Web. These apps do not have as much features as their desktop
counterparts, and there are some complex documents that will refuse to
open with them. However, they will have enough tools for those who
dabble in everyday document editing. The products are also
continuously adding new features. On the other hand, Sway’s online
version comes up quite close to the regular Windows version.

Office Online also has the benefit of being the first to receive new
features (presumably as a testing ground) before they are rolled out to
the desktop versions. This is the case with the “Tell Me” function (the
general in-app search bar for Office that we identified earlier).

Like its competitor Google Docs, Office Online automatically saves your
documents so that nothing is lost in case you suddenly lose Internet
connection. Anyone with a Microsoft account will have access to Office
Online, and documents will be automatically saved in OneDrive. From
there, they can be automatically synced to your computer at once or
individually downloaded. For users of the Office 365 business editions
that also use Office Online, the documents will reside on OneDrive for
business.

For businesses that run their very own servers like in SharePoint and
Exchange, the Office Online server can be used to run their customized
versions of the Office Online. Before the debut of Office 2016, this
feature was recognized as the Office Web Apps Server.

The Outlook Web Access (really a separate app, but confusingly has the
same features and interface as the normal Outlook) is not a part of the
Office Online suite. This has been integrated into Exchange, and so can
be accessed through your own Exchange server or by using Exchange
Online in the 365 plans.

In Office online, clicking on the Mail, Calendar, and People links will take
you to the Outlook Web Access app when you signed in with an Office
365 business account. Otherwise, you will be taken to Outlook.com
(requires a Microsoft account).
CHAPTER 22. THE WINDOWS 10 TASK BAR
One of the things that drive people towards trying out Win10 is the
return of the well-missed Start Menu. However, there are still a lot of
good things in the Taskbar that may easily get overlooked. Some of
these features are new, while there are some that are carried over from
previous Windows iterations. The highlights include the Task View,
Cortana integration, and a lot of the organizational functions that long-
time Windows users will be familiar with.
THE START MENU
The star of the taskbar show, the Start Menu has the familiar feel of the
Win7 variant plus the Live Tile options available in Win8. Like previous
iterations, there is a basic customizability that allows individual folders
and applications to be “pinned”.

The Live Tile section can be expanded horizontally or vertically, so it can

take up anywhere from a single column of tiles to an entire screen. This
is done through dragging its edges much like a regular program window.
Making the section larger vertically will give more space for the program
list at the left portion, while moving it horizontally will give more room
to the Live Tiles. The smallest horizontal setting will cater to three
smaller tiles, while the maximum width can give space for six full-fledged
tiles.

The Start Menu is also still accessible through the Windows Key on the
keyboard. If you are one of those who preferred a full-screen Start menu
(a la Win8), you can get this by going to the Personalize menu accessible
by right-clicking on a blank area on the desktop. Find the “Use Start full
screen” option and switch it to “on”. This can become especially handy
for touch screens.

There are also other Start-related options appearing under

Personalization, with one allowing you to choose which folders will
appear on the Start menu. This will also allow you to enable or disable
the link to the primary Settings or File Explorer menus. This also contains
folders for the main account folder, personal docs, music, pictures,
videos, and downloads as well as the HomeGroup folder and network
settings.

Another point of interest in the Start Menu is the Account button (the
portion that has your portrait with your username). This part will contain
the links allowing you to lock your computer, log out, or open the
Account Settings. There is also the “all apps” link that will show all the
programs installed, in alphabetized order. This includes both the built-in
and user-installed apps. Unlike previous iterations of Windows, you
cannot remove or rearrange items within this list (except if you uninstall
them). As usual, right-clicking will still give you the context menu. Some
of the Universal Apps as well as other programs can be uninstalled
directly through this.

Pinning the programs can be done both on the taskbar itself and on the
Live Tiles section. The latter is similar to Win8 overall, and tiles can be
dragged around in the area. Groups of tiles can be selected and
rearranged, deleted, or renamed. There are two main default sub-
sections -- “Life at a glance” and “Play and Explore”. You can always
rename these by hovering over the title and hitting on the horizontal
bars that appear to the left. You can also remove them totally by clicking
the X after this. Resizing tiles can be done by right-clicking them and
choosing “Resize”. Note that resizing the tile to any size lower than
medium will render all animations for it disabled. Larger tiles can be
useful for animated and pictorial ones such as weather and sports, while
the Wide setting can be best used for text-dependent tiles such as news.

CORTANA
We had discussed in a previous chapter, Win10 has made quite an
extensive Cortana integration in Windows 10. Clicking the new circle
icon on the taskbar will launch Cortana, and so will hitting Win+S on
your keyboard.

TASK VIEW AND VIRTUAL DESKTOPS

To the right of Cortana, there is a little unfamiliar icon that looks like
cards on a carousel -- the Task View icon. This can be activated by
clicking or by summoning with Win+Tab. When invoked, this will open all
windows you have on the desktop, allowing you quick access. Those
working on OS X will see this as similar to the Expose feature. For those
using multiple monitors, this view will be broken down, showing only
applications running on each specific monitor.

But that’s not all of Task View. Clicking on the “New Desktop” option on
the lower right will allow you to create a Virtual Desktop, allowing you to
separate running programs more easily For example, you can place all
work-related windows on one desktop and all entertainment apps on
another. You can then focus on the work-related desktop for increased
productivity, shifting to the other desktop during breaks.

These virtual desktops will appear in a row, at the bottom of Task View.
This allows you to switch between them, or close them at will. You can
also simply hit Win+Ctrl+F4 to close the current desktop, Win+Ctrl+D to
create a new one, or Win+Ctrl+left/right arrow keys to switch between
existing ones.

You will also be able to move already opened applications from one
desktop to another. Simply open task view and right-click on the
program that you wish to move. From the context, hover on “Move” and
select the Desktop where you wish to place the app. If you want to move
all apps on one desktop to the next one all at once, simply close that
desktop -- all the programs running will be transferred to the desktop
next to it.

JUMP LISTS
The Win7/8 combined shortcuts and window indicators are still present,
and the Jump List feature is also still there. Simply right-click on any of
the programs displayed on the taskbar to get a list of all functions that
may be relevant to the program. If you are doing this on a Word, Excel,
or any other app from the Office Suite, you can also navigate to the most
recently opened (or most oft-used) documents. When used on browsers,
you can also go to the frequently visited sites. Like everything on the
taskbar, items in the jump lists can be unpinned.

ACTION CENTER
Known to many Windows users as one of the more annoying (yet
indispensably useful) portion of the taskbar, the Action Center has also
gotten an update. It is now able to display a more comprehensive view
of app alerts, including historical data. One of the most intriguing tweaks
is the “Tablet Mode” that is not merely a visual change, but also changes
the way the Action Center (and the entire taskbar) works.

When Tablet Mode is engaged (either automatically or manually), two

new buttons appear on the taskbar -- a system-wide “back” button and
Cortana. Also, the taskbar will no longer display the app or shortcut
buttons unless these are explicitly enabled (Win+I > System > Tablet
Mode > “Hide app icons on the taskbar when in Tablet Mode”).

CUSTOMIZATION
Those still longing for the “vanilla” “version of old Windows installments
may want to get rid of Cortana and Task View from their taskbars.
Fortunately, Win10 allows you to do just that. Simply click on any empty
space on the taskbar, right click on it, and untick the “Show Task View
button” option. There is a separate submenu, for Cortana that will allow
you to get rid of it as well.

Also in the right-click menu are the options to lock the taskbar (fixing
programs in place so they cannot be rearranged by click-and-drag),
adding miniature toolbars for putting in the URLs directly, and the
option to add a link to any folder or sub-folder. “Properties” has more
options in store.

For those keen on conserving screen space, the “Use small taskbar
buttons” will still be there. However, the default buttons are already
small enough so this may not be too good an option. The taskbar can still
be moved to the four sides of the monitors, but placing them in places
other than the default screen bottom will disable Cortana from working.
Outside of these, all other settings remain the same.

COLORS
If you want to customize taskbar color, you might take a peek in the
“Properties” menu. Big surprise, however, is that the appropriate
section is not where you thought it would be -- it has been moved to the
“Personalize” settings that appears when an empty portion of the
desktop is right-clicked. Click on “Colors” in the left-hand menu to
change the setting. By default, the bar is set to a translucent shade that
complements the desktop background.

To select a taskbar color, you have to turn on the “Show color on Start,
taskbar, and action center” setting. This will change all values to the
default Windows color. Then, turn off the “Automatically pick an accent
color from my background” setting to be able to select your own. From
there, you will gain the option of about 50 different colors.

If you do not want to have a translucent taskbar, simply slide off the
“Make Start, taskbar, and action center transparent”.
CHAPTER 23. WINDOWS 10 INTERNATIONAL

For those installing Windows 10 outside the United States, certain

settings need to be activated or changed in order to get maximum
usability. Windows offers different ways of doing this for users of varying
competence:

Through the Control Panel

Through PowerShell cmdlets

Through DISM

Through and answer file

CONFIGURING INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS THROUGH CONTROL

PANEL
The Control Panel can be used to select different language packs and
configure the additional settings for international users.

1. Click the Start button. In the search box, type language (make sure
that Settings is set as the search scope).

2. Under Results, select Language.

3. Under the Change your language preferences menu, select the Add a
language option.

4. You will get a dialog allowing you to choose which language you wish
to install. Select the language of your choice, and then click Add. The
selected language will not be added to your options.

5. Going back to the Change your language preferences pane, click on

Options next to the newly added language.

6. In the new window, you will be able to see if language packs are
available for your language. If there is, select Download and install the
language pack.

7. Once the language has been downloaded and installed, you will see
the language available for use as a Windows display language.

8. In order to use the language as the display language, simply move it to

the top of the language list.

9. For the changes to take effect, log off and then log back on.
Remember that installing many different language packs will have them
all downloaded to your local storage. This can easily affect the disk space
and the system performance. This will be particularly evident during
service pack installations and other servicing operations. Therefore, it is
recommended that a language pack is only added if you really intend to
use it.

Language packs also allow multiple users on the same computer to

select their own separate display languages. For example, a user can
select to see the menus, dialog boxes, and other text in Spanish while
another user can see the same in Korean.
CONFIGURING INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS THROUGH POWERSHELL
CMDLETS
You can also use the PowerShell cmdlets in order to change the language
on an installed Windows 10 system. While not as user-friendly as the
graphical Control Panel tool, it has the added benefit of allowing script
incorporation so a user can facilitate the configuration and deployment.

1. Open the Windows PowerShell prompt.

2. Import the module for international settings by running the following:

Ipmo international

3. Display the local information on the PC through the following

command:

Get -WinSystemLocale

4. Set the regional locale and the language that you want. For example,
the system locale will be set to Japanese when the following command is
run:

Set -WinSystemLocale ja-JP

WHAT IS GET-WINSYSTEMLOCALE?
This is a cmdlet that gets the System-locale settings (the non-Unicode
programs’ language) for the current computer. This has the following
syntax: Get-WinSystemLocale [<CommonParameters>]

The segment “<CommonParameters>” is the part which supports the

following parameters:

-Verbose

-Debug
-ErrorAction

-ErrorVariable

-OutBuffer

-OutVariable

WHAT IS SET-WINSYSTEMLOCALE
This, on the other hand, is a cmdlet that will set the system locale for
your current computer. This has the following syntax: Set-
WinSystemLocale [-SystemLocale] <CultureInfo>
[<CommonParameters>]

The System-locale setting will determine which code pages (DOS, ANSI,
and Macintosh) your system uses in its default settings. If the System-
locale setting is changed, the necessary font files (in bitmap) are
installed for legacy applications support. Note that being a system
setting; this can be changed only when a user possesses Admin
privileges. The changes will not take effect unless the computer is
restarted.

Windows PowerShell International Settings Cmdlets

Get-WinAcceptLanguageFromLanguageListOptout. This will get the HTTP

Accept Language from Language List opt-out setting for your current
account.

Get-WinCultureFromLanguageListOptOut. This will get the Culture (User

Locale) for the current user account. This will be drawn from the
language list opt-out setting.

Get-WinDefaultInputMethodOverride. This will get your default input

method override setting.

GetWinHomeLocation. This will get the GeoID Windows home location

setting in the current account.

GetWinLanguageBarOption. This will obtain the language bar mode as

well as the language bar type for your current user account.

GetWinUILanguageOverride. This will get the settings for the Windows

user interface language override for your account.

Get-WinUserLanguageList. This will get the list of languages for the user
account.

New-WinUserLanguageList. This will manifest a new language list object.

Set-Culture. This will set the culture for the current account.
Set-WinAcceptLanguageFromLanguageListOptOut. This will set the HTTP
Accept Language from the opt-out Language List setting for your
account.

Get-WinLanguageBarOption. This will set the override default user input

method for the account to use.

Set-WinHomeLocation. This will set the setting for the current account’s
home location.

Set-WinLanguageBarOption. This will set the language bar type as well

as the mode for the account in use.

Set-WinSystemLocale. This will set the system locale for your computer
(not just the user account).

Set-WinUILanguageOverride. This will specify the settings for language

override for the Windows UI, for the current account.

Set-WinUserLanguageList. This will set the language list as well as the

associated properties for your current account.

CONFIGURING INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS THROUGH DISM

The DISM feature (Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management) can
be used to change international settings when all you have is an offline
Windows image. This is useful when you want to change your settings
without an Internet connection.

1. Mount a Windows image using the following command:

Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:\my_distribution\sources\install.wim

/Index:1 /MountDir:C:\mount\windows

2. Get the language settings configured within the Windows image using
the /Get-Intl parameter:

Dism /image:C:\mount\windows /Get-Intl

3. Change the default locale, language, and other settings through the
/set-allInit parameter:

Dism /image:C:\mount\windows /set-allIntl:fr-fr

CONFIGURING INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS THROUGH AN ANSWER

FILE
The following ways can be used to configure the international settings in
an answer file:
Installing the Language Packs from a distribution share, configuring the
settings afterwards through a WindowsPE configuration pass

Corporations deploying a multilingual Windows edition, usually create

answer files that configure international settings while managing the
WindowsPE configuration pass. For deployments that require a
multilingual setup, the language packs can come both in the image and
as a distribution share. Configuration and addition of language packs
from the share can be done during the WindowsPE configuration pass.
Also, these packs can be added during the pass, and the settings can be
configured in another event.

The settings that can be used to modify the language and locale settings
are included in the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE
component. Also, the set-up UI language can be changed by modifying
the values in this component as well.

Here are the steps in configuring the international settings during the
configuration pass:

1. Make sure that the required language packs are available in a

Windows distribution share or in the image.

2. Launch the Windows SIM (Windows System Image Manager). Create

an answer file. This can be done by going to the Answer File pane, right-
clicking, and selecting “New Answer File”.

3. Add the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component to

apply the settings during the configuration pass.

4. Configure the international settings in the component. To illustrate, if

you wish to add the Spanish language (and you have verified that it is
available in the distribution share), simply add the es-ES values to the
component settings in the pass.

Typically, you will not need to restart the computer. When the locale
settings are configured under the WindowsPE configuration pass, the
computer automatically reboots, eliminating the need for manual resets.

5. Save your answer file and close the SIM. The language pack in the
share will be added automatically, and the international settings will be
activated when the Windows setup is launched with the answer file
specified.

In case you wish to configure the settings using the same answer file, but
in different configuration passes, here are the steps:

1. Create multiple sections in the answer file that would process

different language settings in different phases of the Windows
installation. This will let you configure multiple language settings in the
file by specifying variable settings to be processed in the separate
configuration passes.

As an example, you can create locale and language in settings within the
WindowsPE configuration pass using the Microsoft-Windows-
International-Core-WinPE component.

2. You can then edit the default settings within either the oobeSystem or
the specialized configuration pass through the addition of settings to the
Core component.

Installing language packs to the Windows image, configured during the

oobesystem and specialize configuration passes

Corporations and OEMs that deploy a single-language Windows edition

towards various regions usually create an answer file for each of these
regions. The locale and the keyboard settings are then set in the
specialize configuration pass. In this event, the language pack is added to
the image before the international settings are configured.

The Core component will also include the settings to be used in

modifying the locale and language settings during the oobeSystem and
specialized configuration passes. The language can be preselected and
the Windows Welcome language selection page can be skipped. In
general, users can choose between default Setup languages and
additional languages that come with the image. The selection of a
language will also update any other regional settings to the default
values associated with the language. Users can then change these
default settings.

Here is how to configure the international settings in the specialize

configuration pass.

1. Ensure that the image contains all the necessary language packs. If
you are offline, you can add them using the DISM method discussed
above/

2. Open the Windows SIM, and create an answer file.

3. Add the Core component to the settings as you hit the specialized and
oobeSystem configuration passes. While most system locales will not
require an additional restart, processing language settings in this
manner may require an additional reboot.

4. Change the settings for the Core component to configure your

regional settings.

You may also preselect a language and tell the system the locale settings
in the oobeSystem pass. Once this is done, the Windows Welcome
language page will be skipped as the user will boot into the Windows
Welcome. In general, users may select between regular setup languages
and any other language that is within the image.

5. Save the file, and close the SIM. When Windows Setup is then run
with the answer file specified, the regional settings will be accordingly
applied.

CORTANA AROUND THE WORLD

Earlier, we had discussed Cortana in detail. What we have not covered is
the work put into Cortana in order to make her personality “just right”
for different countries around the world. Microsoft had spent
considerable time and resources in order to make sure that Cortana has
traits that will fit in virtually any culture. For example, the software
giant’s research shows that Chinese people prefer a digital assistant with
a “smiling” voice, while the English market prefers the modest “English
rose” persona. Microsoft has to hit the middle ground when they
programmed Cortana.

As mentioned before, Microsoft seems to have great success with this

attempt. Aside from the original 7 countries where Windows 10 ships
with Cortana, the personal assistant has also been made available to
users in Japan, Australia, Canada, India, Brazil, and Mexico, with more
countries coming up.
However, most of the world still does not belong to these countries. So if
you do not have local Cortana support, there is a workaround you can
use so you can turn on the digital assistant on your system. Note,
however, that this workaround will involve changing the country and
region setting that Microsoft explicitly advises against. A lot of the
different apps running in Win10, such as those used to calculate
shopping site prices and to determine rights to digital content all rely on
the country or region setting. Thus, changing these settings to
someplace that is not your actual location can cause some unexpected
results. This is a fair warning to those who want to try out, Cortana
before its official release in your country.

1. Search the word “region” in the Win10 taskbar’s search box.

2. Select the “Change your country or region” option from the choices
that appear.

3. In the country dropdown, choose “United States”.

4. Go back to the search box on the task bar, and search “Cortana”.

5. Select the “Cortana & Search Settings” option, and then turn on the
assistant.
This workaround can be used best to give the user temporary access to
all of Windows 10’s features. A better long-term solution would be to
join the Windows Insider Program, and wait for the official release.
CHAPTER 24: COMMAND PROMPT AND
POWERSHELL

THE NEW COMMAND PROMPT

If you have been following the evolution of Windows through time, you
will know the only thing that has been there since the very start (and
one that has seen the least number of changes) -- the command prompt.
In fact, this is superficially the same deal with Windows 10 -- opening up
the command prompt will greet you with pretty much the same
interface that was there since the early years.

However, the new Command Prompt hides all its progress behind the
typical white-on-black screen. In the past, the Windows command
prompt has been criticized by the technical elite as being a poor
facsimile of the more powerful variants found in competing operating
systems. In response, Microsoft is now trying to bring the feature up to
date.
THE SHORTCUT MENU
On the upper-left corner of the command prompt window is its icon, and
clicking it will reveal the shortcut menu. Again, this appears similar to
the same shortcut menu found on Windows 8’s command prompt.
However, clicking the Properties menu will make things more
interesting.

The last tab in Properties will say “Options”, and will be the main hub for
all of the Prompt’s new features (under “Edit Options”):

Line wrapping selection

Clipboard filtering on paste

Wrapping text output on resize

Enabling Ctrl-key shortcuts

Extended edit keys

Trimming leading zeroes

Through the Experimental tab, these settings can be enabled or disabled

one-by-one or all together (via “Use legacy console”). By default, all of
these are enabled except for “Trim leading zeroes on selection”.

All these new features allow you to work in the command prompt like
you would with any other text editor. This especially applies to the Ctrl-
key shortcuts -- copy, and paste.

The main problem with circa-Windows 8 command prompts is the fact

that the selection process is broken. Usually, selecting text by simply
dragging the mouse pointer will result in a box being drawn over the
block of text. This will not select end-to-end, like how the selection
process commonly works -- to do this, one will have to select all the way
from the prompt. Furthermore, even activating the selection process
takes a few more clicks as one will have to go to Edit > Mark.
Another issue with this version of the command prompt is line-wrapping
when you resize the window. Pulling the right edge of the command
prompt, for example, will cause the right portion of the text to be hidden
from view. This forces one to work with a fixed-size command prompt.

Finally, the original command prompt’s copy-paste options aren’t exactly

nifty. For one, the user will have to go to the Edit > Copy and Edit > Paste
options when doing these commands. Then, when the pasting is done,
any multi-line block of text will be pasted line-by-line. Usually, this
churns up an error message for each line.

In view of all these, the biggest change for the current incarnation of the
command prompt is the ability to copy, paste, resize, and much more as
if you were doing everything in Notepad or a similar utility. You have
complete control over where selection starts and ends, and no need to
visit the “Edit” menu over and over! Simply the keyboard shortcuts will
do (though unfortunately the copy command from a shortcut menu is
still unavailable).

BELOW IS A LIST OF ALL COMMAND PROMPT KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS:

Ctrl + V or Ctrl + Insert. This command copies the selected text to your
clipboard

Ctrl + V or Shift + Insert. This pastes the text you copied

Ctrl + A. This selects all the text within the current line. If there is no text
in the line, then all text in the prompt will be selected.

Ctrl + Up/Down arrow key. This moves the screen one line up or down,
in a similar manner to scrolling.

Ctrl + Page Up/Page Down. This moves the screen one whole page up or
down.

Ctrl + F. This opens the “Find” Window to search through the Command
Prompt.

Ctrl + M. This enters the Mark mode.

Shift + Up/Down. This moves the cursor a whole line up or down, and
then selects the text.

Shift + Left/Right. This moves the cursor one character left or right, then
selects the text.

Ctrl + Shift + Left/Right. This moves the cursor one word left or right,
then selects the text.

Shift + Page Up/Page Down. This moves the cursor up or down one
screen, and then selects the text.
Shift + Home/End. This moves the cursor to the beginning or end of your
current line, and then selects the text.

Ctrl + Shift + Home/End. This moves the cursor to the beginning or end
of the screen buffer. Then select the text and the beginning or end of
the command prompt output.

Alt + F4. This closes the Command Prompt.

COMMAND PROMPT TIPS AND TRICKS

If you are looking for concrete examples of how the Command Prompt
can make your life much easier, then these are what you are looking for:

Find a specific file on the hard disk. “dir filename /s”

Locate a file on the hard disk, excluding the directory info. “dir filename
/s/b”

Export a list of files with the same extension to a text file. “dir *.mp3 /b
> filelist.txt”

Find any directory. “dir dirname /s /ad

Press the tab key for filename or directory auto-complete.

View a list of previously entered commands. Press F7, and then scroll
through the list with the arrow keys.

View TCP or IP settings. “netsh interface ip show config”

Find a string (say, “Windows”) in a list of files with the same extension
(say, “.doc”). “findstr /i /s “Windows” *.doc”

OTHER FEATURES
Aside from the big usability improvement, there are also a few other
nifty features you can use if you are a power user (or if you just want to
explore). One of them is the transparency feature that allows you a
slider at the bottom of the Options tab in Properties. This allows you to
adjust the transparency of the command prompt window anywhere
from 100% to 30%. You can also do this on the fly, without accessing the
Options box:

Ctrl + Shift + +. Increases the transparency.

Ctrl + Shift + -. Decreases the transparency.

On top of this, you can select the colors being used in your command
prompt, in case black and white aren’t your preferred colors.
Aside from the command prompt, these aforementioned options are
also available not just for the command prompt but also for the
PowerShell. And speaking of the latter...

POWERSHELL VS COMMAND PROMPT

Since 7, a new command-line environment has been born in the
Windows system -- the PowerShell. While some may think it just looks
like an amped command line, it actually is one -- it is a more powerful
command-line shell, and can give a system administrator a more useful
command line environment.

Given the additional power, the Shell is a lot more complicated that the
usual command prompt. In fact, it can compete with the more powerful
shells available for Linux and Unix-like systems.

For one, the PowerShell uses a different set of commands, called

cmdlets. These are similar to the ones tackled earlier, when we dissected
how to change the international settings. Many of the system admin
tasks like managing the registry and the Windows Management
Instrumentation (WMI) are exposed through the PowerShell cmdlets
while they remain inaccessible in the Command Prompt.

Like Linux and other Unix-like systems, PowerShell uses pipes -- a system
that lets the user pass on the output of one cmdlet as the input of
another cmdlet. This allows the manipulation of multiple cmdlets in
order to perform actions on the same data. In fact, the PowerShell can
even one-up the Linux and Unix-like shells since it can pipe not only texts
but also objects between cmdlets. Such ability allows the system to
share more complex data among cmdlets.

On top of this all, the PowerShell is not simply a shell that can be used --
it is also a scripting environment that has found favor among many
power users and IT pros. Knowledge in the PowerShell can give you
better control that the Command Prompt in managing the Windows
system.

Whereas the command line is mostly a legacy environment since the

time of DOS, the PowerShell is a new platform without much of the
limitations. With the addition of the new Win10 features not only in the
Command Prompt but also in PowerShell, things just got more powerful.

WHY USE THE POWERSHELL?

Admittedly, if you are an average Windows user who does not use the
Command Prompt (except for the additional IPconfig or two), then you
might not gain much from dabbling in the PowerShell. While powerful, it
is still more difficult than the (already daunting) Linux terminal.

However, if you are a power user who wants to have more control over
your system than the default Windows settings allow you, then you will
most likely find the PowerShell useful. Think of doing normally complex
tasks with a few lines of cmdlets, such as batch-renaming multiple files
in a certain folder or performing a search-and-replace operation -- all
without using third-party apps.

If you are a system administrator, then you have the most to gain as the
PowerShell lets you manage your systems more effectively through
automated administration tasks and other scripts.

If you do find yourself adventurous enough to use the PowerShell, here

are a few of the more common DOS (Command Prompt) commands and
their equivalent cmdlets.

Changing Directories

DOS: cd

PowerShell: Set-Location

Listing all Files in a Single Directory

DOS: dir
PowerShell: Get-ChildItem

Renaming Files

DOS: rename

PowerShell: Rename-Item

You can also see if any of the DOS commands you would like to use have
cmdlet aliases by using the “Get-Alias” cmdlet. For example, typing “Get-
Alias cd” will tell you that cd is now the Set-Location cmdlet.

WINDOWS 10 POWERSHELL IMPROVEMENTS

Upon the release of Windows 10, the powerful PowerShell also received
an upgrade beyond the ones we discussed with the Command Prompt.
Here are some of them:

Package Management
The package management is the way to manage all of the Windows
software you downloaded and installed. Instead of hopping through
different websites in order to find different software, a user will have
the option to browse all of them at once with the PackageManager. This
system was formerly known as OneGer -- a feature that became
available in Windows 8.1 with the installation of the Windows
Management Framework 5.0. With the advent of Windows 10, you can
get access to it by default.

The biggest draw with this PowerShell feature is the fact that you can
now go full Linux-type install on your system, if you are a power user.
Simply type in the corresponding cmdlets, and you can install multiple
programs at once without even visiting their websites. In order to make
the package available for you, you need to simply subscribe to the
needed repositories.

Secure Shell (SSH). The secure shell has been a staple protocol in the
establishment of encrypted connection between remote systems. Unless
SSH is involved, it is quite easy for outsiders to intercept the transmitted
data.

Until some of the latest updates, using SSH on Windows will require the
use of a third-party solution such as PuTTY. However, the new Win10
PowerShell will be incorporating SSH support by default.

Power Features. If you are a PowerShell junkie, the language itself is

being enhanced with some added features including classes, enums,
built-in commands, syntax coloring, and additional features for existing
commands.
Interested in how PowerShell can make your life easier? Check out the
next section.

POWERSHELL TIPS AND TRICKS

1. Uninstalling Pre-Installed Applications

Like any package manager worth its salt, PackageManagement also has
the ability to remove any applications you currently have. This is
especially useful for those who wish to remove preinstalled apps that
cannot be uninstalled through the conventional methods -- for those
who are complaining of “bloat” or those who simply wish to start with a
fresh Win10 install sans the apps.

•Open the elevated PowerShell. This means that you need to run the
program as an administrator; that way, you’ll have better access and
privileges. Simply press the Win key and search “powershell” in the
resulting search box. Right click on the result, and then select “Run as
Administrator”. There will be a UAC (User Access Control) prompt,
where you will click “Yes”.

•Use Get-AppxPackage. This is a simple cmdlet that will return a list of

all applications installed within your current profile (.appx files). If you
wish to obtain a list of all installed applications within all user profiles in
your device, run the cmdlet with the -AllUsers parameter as suffix.
•Check the PackageFullName field. This can be seen as you browse
through the apps. Find any program that you want removed and check
its Package Full Name. Note that these names aren’t exactly the easiest
to read, so you might need to take them down. Do it verbatim -- you will
not want to mistakenly remove an app you want to keep.

•Use the command Remove-AppxPackage <PackageFullName> in order

to uninstall. Afterwards, you’re done! It’s as simple as that.

•If you fancy something more geeky, you can combine the two
commands into a single “pipe” (|) command. This will take the output
from the left-hand command (Get-AppxPackage) as an input for the
right-hand command (Remove-AppxPackage).

Here are a few preinstalled applications that you might want to remove.
Take note that while testing does not yield any harm derived from the
removal of these programs, the consequences of running the removal
script will be on the user. We also recommend actually checking these
software programs out before dismissing them as bloatware -- you
should actually find some of them useful.

•WindowsCamera

•ZuneMusic
•WindowsMaps

•MicrosoftSolitaireCollection

•BingFinance

•ZuneVideo

•BingNews

•WindowsPhone

•WindowsPhotos

•BingSports

•XboxApp

•BingWeather

•WindowsSoundRecorder

•3DBuilder

•SkypeApp

•MicrosoftOfficeHub
2. FETCHING A LIST OF INSTALLED DRIVERS
Despite the smooth rollover into Win10 from previous operating
systems, there is still a lingering concern over driver compatibility
especially with older devices. Of course, nobody would want to upgrade
to Win10 and find that they don’t have the right drivers for the mouse --
hence, the compatibility tests that we discussed in an earlier chapter.

But in case the device is still compatible, you might still want to upgrade
the drivers to make it work as it should. In this process, it is important to
see how your current driver measures up.

Open an elevated PowerShell (see 1st page of PowerShell Tips and Tricks
for details).

Use the Get-WindowsDriver command. This will output a list of all

information about the current driver packages you have installed. Only
third-party ones are included by default.

If you want to see only the drivers for the system currently running, then
you will have to append the “-Online” parameter. If you want everything
plus the kitchen sink, append the “-All” parameter instead.

3. SCANNING FOR MALWARE THREAT

Since the Microsoft Security Essentials have already been discontinued,
Windows Defender has taken its place. While it is not the best tool for
the job of finding and eliminating malware threats, it is still quite
capable.

However, there are some times when Windows Defender cannot be

counted on to run, such as when it has been rendered unusable by
another piece of software. In case you do not have any backup against
threats, you would need to find a way to scan your system. Here, the
PowerShell can be the perfect answer.

As earlier, open an elevated PowerShell and accept the UAC prompt.

Use the Start-MpScan command. This will scan using the system’s
default parameters. If you wish, you may signify the drive or directory
that will be scanned through an additional parameter such as -ScanPath
“C:”. You may also start a scan using the cmdlet -ScanType
[QuickScan/FullScan/CustomScan].

Like any other security software, the threat scans in Windows Defender
can only be as good as the threat signatures it can guard against. Update
your threat definitions by running Update-MpSignature.

4. INSTALLING APPS THROUGH PACKAGEMANAGEMENT

Of course, if the PowerShell can remove applications, it can also add
them through PackageManagement! Here’s to saving the best for last:
First, check out a list of all the cmdlets available under
PackageManagement by running “Get-Command -Module
PackageManagement”. If you were a Windows 8 user, substituting
OneGet for PackageManagement will no longer work.

The resulting screen should tell you what commands you need to run for
which actions. “Get-PackageProvider” and “Get-PackageSource”, for
example, will tell you which providers and sources are available. Package
sources are those hosts that contain all the different applications you
can choose to install. Some programs may only be available in certain
repositories, so you might have to install multiple sources.

If you wish to install a package source such as Chocolatey (a useful

community-managed one-stop shop for programs), you can use
“Register-PackageSource”. Note that the last one requires a URL for the
source. You can later un-register this using the “Unregister-
PackageSource” cmdlet.

Use the following cmdlets to find, install and uninstall packages:

“Find-Package <search keyword>”

“Install-Package <name>”

“Uninstall-Package <name>”
A quick but important note with the use of PackageManager, though, is
that Microsoft is not adopting the package management feature as a
standard process in Windows 10. As of yet, Microsoft is not hosting its
own software repositories -- not even for the Windows Store and all the
applications therein. Support and integration of third-party sources such
as the aforementioned Chocolatey are also not yet standard -- as it looks
like right now, PackageManagement is still largely geared towards usage
by system administrators.

This system was meant to be a standard and simple way of installing

software from centralized sources. While the entire layout of
PackageManager is still technically in its infancy, it should be reasonable
to expect in the future that we will be seeing additional package source
integration and more options for this concept.

THE WINDOWS “SUDO” -- ELEVATION

There are some users who still cannot get by with just the regular
Windows permissions -- either they want to go in deep or they want to
do something that Windows passively prevents them from doing. This
prompts users to look for the Windows equivalent of the famous Linux
and Unix-like “sudo” -- root access, or to put simply, a way to gain each
and every admin privilege in the book. In Windows, this is possible using
Command Prompt and PowerShell “elevation”.
By default, when an instance of either the Command Prompt or
PowerShell is activated, the user still does not gain absolute
administrative rights -- some commands will not work. This was meant
to protect unsuspecting users from running commands that can harm
their systems. In Windows Vista, the elevation scheme was added to
give users a chance to really control their system -- provided they take
responsibility for all changes that occur afterwards.

WHEN SHOULD I USE ELEVATION?

Because of the inherent dangers (such as wiping out your system or
parts of it in one go), it is important to make sure that you know exactly
what you are doing before running elevation. If you are following a
tutorial such as the ones that we discussed above, you will know you
need elevation when you run into the error “The requested operation
requires elevation”. Still, make sure that you are following the tutorial
step-by-step and make sure you know what will happen when you
complete it.

HOW DO I ELEVATE THE COMMAND PROMPT?

1. Click on the Start button (or press the Win key). In the resulting search
box, type “cmd”.

2. After searching, you will see a result that says “cmd.exe”. Right-click
on it, and choose “Run as Administrator” from the context menu. You
will have the UAC prompt as discussed in a previous section. Click on
“yes” to start the elevated command prompt,

Alternatively:

1. Click on Start (or press the Win key), then search “cmd”. However,
instead of simply hitting “Enter”, hit the Ctrl+Shift+Enter combination
instead.

2. This will prompt the UAC window to appear. Click on “Yes” to initiate
the elevated command prompt.

HOW DO I ELEVATE THE POWERSHELL?

To launch an elevated instance of the PowerShell, simply follow the
same instructions as that in the command prompt. However, search
“powershell” instead of “cmd”.
CHAPTER 25: REMOVED FEATURES
Like many version upgrades, it’s not all revision and addition with
Windows 10.

As noted earlier, the Windows Media Center has been removed in the
newest Windows iteration. When a user upgrades from an existing
system that has WMC, it will be uninstalled and replaced by the
Windows DVD Player. This is a universal app that comes in free in order
to maintain DVD playback ability.

There is also the matter of the built-in sync client, OneDrive. While the
service is still available, it no longer allows for offline placeholders for
files that are online-only. The function for offline viewing is expected to
be housed in a new Windows app, in a future update.

Despite the strong synchronization features, the first release of Win10

does not allow different devices to sync the Start menu layouts -- even if
these devices are linked by the same Microsoft account. The main
rationale behind this decision is that people may have different
applications they wish to emphasize on each device, instead of having a
unified layout across all of them. The automatic installation of Windows
Store apps across all devices linked by the same Microsoft account has
also been removed.

The apps MSN Food & Drink, Health & Fitness, and Travel have been
discontinued. Like mentioned earlier, the user’s ability to defer upgrades
is also largely limited. These changes are all covered when the user
consents to the end-user license agreement. Finally, changes made
within each update are now being withheld.
CHAPTER 26: ON THE CUTTING EDGE: WINDOWS
INSIDER AND MORE
Along with the announcement of Windows 10, Microsoft announced a
new program last September 2014. This new program was called the
“Windows Insider”. Even before that year ended, more than 1.5 million
people already signed up for the list, installing Win10’s Technical
Preview on their machines. In February of the following year, Microsoft
used the same program to deliver the first previews of the OS’s mobile
version. By the time Win10 was officially released, the program had
garnered over 5 million subscribers. After this, it was announced that
the program will be continued, covering future updates.

The Windows Insider program was launched to bring in testers from

Enterprise industries and those who are “technically able”. The cutting-
edge, developer features are brought to this group, as Microsoft gathers
feedback for improvement. Subscribers to the Program are also among
the first to receive official updates, letting them get onto the latest
enhancements. If you want to hop onto the latest wave of Win10
development (such as the Threshold 2 Project), then the Windows
Insider is your thing.
Preview updates in the Insider Program are released to the testers split
among different “rings”. Some of these rings are public, while others are
not:

CANARY RING
This ring is not public, and is accessible only by registered Windows
developers. This group gets updated daily.

OPERATING SYSTEM GROUP RING

Likewise, not public, this ring gets an update once it is approved by the
Canary Ring.
MICROSOFT RING
Likewise, not public, this ring stands as the last private phase of a build.
Once the OSG Ring, approves it, the release will be spread across
Microsoft itself.

WINDOWS INSIDER - FAST RING

This is the first public ring, added last October 2014 concurrent with the
launch of Win10 Build 9860. They get the builds earlier than those in the
Slow Ring, but may experience more bugs due to the early state of
releases.

WINDOWS INSIDER - SLOW RING

When there are no issues with the build as tested by the previous (Fast)
ring, then the release is cascaded to the Slow Ring. This will be the
default option customers have when they join the Insider Program with
a consumer version of Windows.

FOR THE PHONE

The launch of the Insider Program for Win10’s mobile version was
initially targeted at specific Lumia phones. It was subsequently released
to more models, but Microsoft also started blocking unsupported
models after many users hacked their handsets to display a different
make (thereby allowing them to download the technical preview).
As of build 10080, almost all Lumia phones running at least Windows 8
will be supported by the preview. In contrast, all Windows Phone
devices (whether Microsoft-built or not) will receive the final version of
Win10 Mobile (even if not all will be supported in the Preview). As of the
time of this writing, Microsoft has not yet confirmed whether it will be
adding new makes and models to the preview support in future releases.

WINDOWS 10: REDSTONE

As mentioned near the start of this book, the Windows 10 development
community is currently working on a “Threshold 2”, envisioned as a
minor update with a lot of usability improvements. It is expected to be
released in the fall of 2015 (as of the time of writing, the release was
meant to be delivered by Windows Update in November) for both
desktop and mobile. As it stands, the Threshold 2 project will be the OS’s
first official public build.

However, beyond that is another big project that is expected to be

released in 2016. Minecraft lovers rejoice: the new project has been
codenamed “Redstone” after the miraculous Minecraft resource (it is to
be noted that Microsoft acquired Minecraft not too long ago). Unlike
“Blue” (which turned out to be Windows 8) and “Threshold” (which was
Win10), “Redstone” will still be Windows 10.

Redstone, which is targeting a similar Summer/Fall release schedule as

Threshold, will be rolled out as a part of the usual monthly (or so)
update delivered to users. This one is expected to be a lot larger,
however, as it will provide additional functionality and support for more
device classes that are not yet in the Win10 loop.
CHAPTER 27. WINDOWS 10 BUGS, ISSUES,
PROBLEMS -- AND HOW TO FIX THEM
One of the things about today’s current state of technology is that
everything seems to be a work-in-progress. As demonstrated before,
Windows 10 is not an exception -- no matter how polished it seems to
be.

While many people have upgraded without any issues, there are some
who did not have the seamless experience Windows intended for its
users. Here are some of the most common issues and bugs with Win10;
together with their solutions (at least until an official Windows update
patches them).

BATTERY LIFE
Whenever there is a new OS release for mobile devices, there is always
an issue about the battery. The new Win10 Mobile is not an exception.
While this is not an overwhelming issue with the release, many people
will be experiencing faster battery draining. Based on user tests, a lot of
the regular background updates downloaded and installed have a
detrimental effect to your battery.
While this can only be properly resolved by an OS patch, it may help to
check with the manufacturer for any features that can be turned off
when not needed. They may also have a driver or firmware fix that can
help. Most of the features enumerated in preceding chapters may also
consume battery (such as those relating to connectivity), and some of
them may be turned off.

DEFAULT APP
Windows 10 comes with a number of default application -- depending
on the edition, you basically get a Windows app to open all the common
defaults. However, many users might not prefer to open videos with the
built-in player and may opt for something more powerful, like VLC. This
is where the pain of changing default apps shows. Worse, this continues
even if you have told an upgrade installer to stay away from default
apps.

FOR A QUICK FIX, FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

1. Launch the Settings app from your taskbar.

2. Click System, and then go to Default apps. Here, you will get an option
to change which extensions open with applications.

3. If you only want that specific instance of the file to open in a new
program, simply right-click it on File Explorer and choose Open with.
Click on Choose another app. You will also find a tickbox for Always use
this app.

BROKEN OR BUGGY SOFTWARE

One of the reasons that there aren’t as many bugs in Win10 as in many
similar software releases is the fact that it has been subjected to
community testing for a very long time. That does not mean that the
software works flawlessly, however -- this becomes particularly notable
when you try to use older software.

Like in battery issues, the best option will be to install all the latest
updates (this time specific to the program) until the needed fix rolls out.
You can also check the forums for the specific app, or contact the
manufacturer. Barring that, your quickest fix is to go for the
compatibility mode:

1. Right click on the executable file, and choose Properties from the
resulting menu.

2. Open the Compatibility tab. Select a previous Windows version, so

you can emulate the program running in a different environment. While
this is not a perfect guarantee, most software-specific bugs can be
resolved this way.
BROKEN TOUCHPAD
Touchpads are delicately calibrated, so there are lots of times when a
new software update can throw them off. The only permanent fix here is
to get your laptop manufacturer to issue a patch to get the instrument
to work correctly.

Outside of that, the only possible fix lies in uninstalling then reinstalling
the device. Go to the Control Panel and access the Device Manager.
From there, access your touchpad and uninstall it (right-click to access
the contextual menu). You can also reinstall it from that screen.

REBOOT LOOP
Due to one of the recent Microsoft updates, a number of users got stuck
in a looping reboot. This can admittedly happen at any time in the
future, so unless MS engineers can absolutely perfect the patching and
update process, you need to know how to solve it on your end.

Unfortunately, the only other recourse is hacking the Windows 10

registry. Take note that this is extremely dangerous (as in “can-brick-
your-device-in-an-instant” kind of dangerous), and you should only
attempt this if you know exactly what you are doing.
1. Access your computer’s registry. It is highly recommended that you
back it up first.

2. Go to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\P

3. Remove the SID for users that are no longer existent in the registry.
(You can check the non-existent users by looking into computer
management/local users and groups/users.) To tell which SID belongs to
which user, click on the SID itself and to the right, you will find the
“profileimagepath” showing the path to the user account’s user
directory.

4. Re-run the update -- it should now work fine.

If the fix does not work for you, it might help to download the
cumulative update directly through the links. You will find .msu files that
you will have to run to get the update.

Mandatory Updates Break Everything

The previous issue brings to mind a problem that a very, very few users
are experiencing -- some updates seem to break more than they fix.
While this is usually only superficial and can be fixed by someone with
reasonable experience, it is also possible that this someone may also
want to disable updates temporarily while he delves into the system.
We had mentioned earlier that updates are almost fully mandatory, and
cannot be deferred completely -- lest you run the risk of completely
losing Windows support. However, there is a very technical path you can
follow to actually stop these updates. While this can be done at any
point for any reason, keep in mind that this is also extremely dangerous
and should not be done unless the life of your machine is at stake.

The hack is to use a Windows troubleshooter package, which is like a

tiny diagnostic app for your OS. It can be downloaded directly from (but
tucked away near the bottom of) the Microsoft support page. Run it, and
then click through the initial menu. You will then land on a screen that
asks you whether to show or hide updates.

Clicking on “Hide Updates” will let you disable pending updates. “Show
hidden updates”. On the other hand, is for updates that have been
hidden and you now want to install. That said, click on the first option
and you will be shown a checkbox containing the updates currently
pending installation. You can simply check which updates to hide (check
all, why not?) and you’re good to go. Admittedly, the process is weird
and buggy, but it might just save your system if needed.
CONCLUSION

The next step is very simple -- do yourself a favor and install Windows
10! While still taking its baby steps, Win10 is shaping up to be a
behemoth of an operating system. There isn’t any reason to wait -- the
future of Microsoft’s biggest offering is just a few clicks away.

I want to thank you for purchasing my book. I hope you enjoyed it! I
would really appreciate it if you could leave me a review on Amazon.
Your feedback is very important to me as it will help improve the book
and ensure your satisfaction. To review my book, please click <here>!

Joe Thompson
 Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. Windows 10: A Development History
Chapter 2. Windows 10 FAQs (Including How To Get It For Your System)
Chapter 3. Windows 10 Upgrades And Support
Chapter 4. 7 VS 10
Chapter 5. Different Flavors Of Windows 10
Chapter 6. Performance Notes
Chapter 7. Win10 Memory Management
Chapter 8. Express Vs. Custom Setup
Chapter 9. How To Create A Windows 10 User Account
Chapter 10. Owning Windows 10
Chapter 11. Windows 10 -- Tips And Tricks To Hypercharge Your
Experience
Chapter 12. Windows 10 Privacy Settings
Chapter 13. Other Privacy Features
Chapter 14. Microsoft Passport
Chapter 15. Say Hi To Windows Hello
Chapter 16.Windows 10 Parental Controls
Chapter 17. The Windows 10 Sync Settings
Chapter 18. Cortana (And Bing)
Chapter 19. Getting To The Edge
Chapter 20. Universal Apps
Chapter 21. Office 2016
Chapter 22. The Windows 10 Task Bar
Chapter 23. Windows 10 International
Chapter 24: Command Prompt And Powershell
Chapter 25: Removed Features
Chapter 26: On The Cutting Edge: Windows Insider And More
Chapter 27. Windows 10 Bugs, Issues, Problems -- And How To Fix Them
Conclusion