Windows 10 Tips And Tricks

Introduction

 
Microsoft Windows, commonly known as Windows, is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families, all of which are developed and marketed by Microsoft. Windows 10 is a series of operating systems developed by Microsoft and released as part of its Windows NT family of operating systems, as per Wikipedia.
 
For professionals, tips and tricks play an important role in working very quickly and efficiently. And new users can explore the operating system and its features very quickly to make their work easier and faster.
 
This tutorial will show you various tips and tricks for Windows 10. Without wasting time, let's start.
 

Virtual Desktop

 
Virtual desktops are just a way to run several desktops on a single system. Multiple Desktops provide the user with a temporary workspace in the Windows 10 PC. Virtual Desktops has some attractive and useful feature like improved performance and high efficiency.
 
By using multiple desktops, users can handle their different apps on different desktops to work efficiently.
 
Virtual Desktop
 
Here, we have already discussed the virtual desktop and if you want to create and use a new virtual desktop, then read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Use Virtual Desktops In Windows 10".
 

Cloud Clipboard (Copy & Paste Using Single Key)

 
Some users feel irritated when they copy & paste a large amount of content from one location to another by using the old techniques, i.e, "Ctrl + C" and Ctrl + V".
 
Windows 10 lovers, you can do this thing in one click and very quickly using the "Windows + V" key. First of all, you have to enable this feature in Windows 10. To do this, you have to follow my instructions carefully.
 
Select (Enable) the Clipboard history by navigating the "System Settings > System > Clipboard".
 
Navigate to the following
 
Then, open the content that you want to copy & paste to some other file. Copy all the content by "Ctrl + C" (If the content is in different places, just copy all). To paste what you copied, just press the "Windows + V" key. By which, you can access the "clipboard" window in which all your data is in one place, which you have copied.
 
Result
 

Blue (Night) Light Filter

 
The users can enable blue light filters in Windows 10 by using the in-built night light feature and also by third-party apps as well.
 
Some monitors also have this in-built blue light filter or eye saver mode feature. For those users who have ordinary monitors that don't support night/blue light filter, Windows 10 has this unique feature. Users can also schedule the night light or eye saver mode for a particular time or duration as per their requirements.
 
If you want to apply night light in your system, a very amazing feature of Windows 10, then read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Use Blue Light Filter In Windows 10".
 

Secret Start Menu

 
As I mentioned, it is actually a secret but very useful start menu. It can be helpful to do tasks very quickly. Secret Start Menu can be accessed by right-clicking on the "Windows Icon" in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
 
Secrut Start Menu
 
(Alternatively, by pressing the "Windows + X" key, users can also access the Secret Start Menu).
 

Personalize Start Menu

 
Every user wants to personalize their start menu to work very quickly. To do this, open the "Start Menu", and here you have various options such as drawing tiles, resizing tiles, and unpinning or pinning the tiles on the taskbar or the Start menu.
 
Personllize Start Menu
 

Move Taskbar With a Single Click

 
Some users want to use their taskbar at the bottom but some are handy with the left or right taskbar. To move the taskbar, navigate to the following steps.
 
System Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar location on screen (choose any direction that you want).
 
move taskbar
 

Minimize Applications With Aero Shake

 
During Multi-tasking, we are working with various different applications simultaneously. But, to focus on a single application during multi-tasking, minimization of all the applications is very time-consuming. Don't worry, you have a way to do this, just shake your current application and all the opened apps will automatically be minimized. try it, it is really an amazing feature.
 

Hide Desktop With Single Click

 
When you are going for a business presentation, you have to remove unnecessary content (fIles or folder) from the desktop. You have been provided with an amazing feature by Windows to hide the desktop. To do this, right-click on your desktop > View > Show desktop icon. This will hide your desktop with a single click.
 
hide desktop
 

Enable Cortana On Windows 10

 
Cortana is the personal productivity assistant offered by Microsoft that lets you save time and concentrate attention on what concerns most. Cortana will do some tasks for you like.
  • Create and manage lists.
  • Manage your calendar and keep your schedule up to date.
  • Join a Microsoft Team meeting or find out with whom you would be working next.
  • Set reminders and alarms
  • Find facts, definitions, and info
  • Open applications on your system.
To get started, read the following detailed article on the topic, "Enable Cortana On Windows 10".
 

Remove Search Bar From Taskbar

 
In Windows 10, the search bar is used to search for any files, folders, and system settings that have the facility to exclude specific folders and system settings.
 
Search bar
 
During multitasking, the search bar occupies extra space which is very annoying, and if we need to remove it from the taskbar, then read the following detailed article on, "Remove Search Bar From Taskbar On Windows 10".
 

Multi-Tasking by Splitting the Screen

 
Windows has made multitasking very easy for its users. Windows 10 users can multi-task by splitting their windows. To do this, open all the applications you want, and press the "Windows + Arrow" key to adjust the applications.
 
Multitasking
 

Enable Slide To Shutdown Your PC

 
Slide to shut down is a time-saving feature that helps you to shut down your PC very quickly. Follow the below instructions to enable the "Slide To Shutdown Your PC" feature.
 
Step 1
 
Right-click on the empty area of the desktop and select the New > Shortcut.
 
Step 2
 
Select the "SlideToShutDown.exe" by navigating the following, "C:\Windows\System32\" path. (Alternatively, you can simply paste the following path: C:\Windows\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe). and click on the "Next" button to proceed.
 
slide to shutdown path
 
Step 3
 
By typing a name for this shortcut, click on the "Finish" button to see the magic.
 
Slide to shutdown name
 
Now, just double-click on this shortcut icon. The pull-down shade will appear on the screen and using your mouse, drag the slide to the bottom of the screen and your system will shut down.
 
Its working
 

Record Your Screen Using Game Bar

 
Do you want to record your system screen and are searching for a reliable app for recording your software or game screen and do not want to download any 3rd party software? Windows 10 has a unique feature of screen recording. The screen recording tool is called Game Bar and is a part of the Xbox app that is installed by default on Windows 10 PCs. This was originally developed to record game screens.
 
There are so many reasons for recording your screen. This feature is very helpful in creating a video for YouTube or preparing a presentation for work. Screenshots can also be taken with the help of this GambarŪ”
 
Record Screen
 
If you want to record your display without using any 3rd-party app, then read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Record Your Screen In Windows 10".
 

Enable Single Click Feature

 
Windows Family gives us a double click option by default, which is very irritating for professionals, but we can change it into a single click way.
 
When we activate this feature and want to open a file or folder using a single click feature and move a pointer to a file or folder, the pointer changes to a hand symbol and the file or folder name is underlined.
 
Read my detailed article on, "Enable Single Click In Windows 10" to enable the single click feature.
 

Change Keyboard Language

 
The language of your keyboard layout controls the characters that appear on your screen when you type. By using the different layouts, you can type all the characters for the language, including diacritics such as the umlaut (ä) in German and the tilde (ñ) in Spanish.
 
When you need to type something in a different (foreign) languages instead of English, you can add and change your keyboard language at any time from English to Urdu, English to Punjabi, English to Hindi or vice-versa.
 
Read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Change Keyboard Language In Windows 10" to change your keyboard language in a few steps.
 

Change Default Download Location

 
If you are using Windows 10, then it is easy to change the default location of the download folder. As we know that our system has a limited storage capacity, when the drive containing the downloads folder crosses its storage limit, it gets troublesome. In this condition, there must be a way through which the user can change the default location of the downloads folder so that your downloads can be placed in some other location.
 
To change the default download location, read my detailed article on, "How To Change The Download Location In Windows 10".
 

Create a Scheduled Task

 
The "Task scheduler" allows the user to create and run any task automatically on any particular date and time or when any certain event occurs. It helps to run the task or events automatically instead of running manually which reduces the exasperation of the user.
 
Azuredatastudio
 
To create a scheduled task in your system, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Create a Scheduled Task In Windows 10".
 

Customize Screen Saver

 
A Screensaver is a computer software program that blanks the screen or fills it with moving images or patterns when the computer is not in use. The original purpose of screensavers was to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT. Though modern monitors are not susceptible to this issue, Screensavers are still used for other decorative/entertainment purposes.
 
The monitors and flat panel displays used today no longer suffer from burn-in issues found with older CRT monitors. However, the screen saver is still used for its aesthetic value and protects the computer when the user is away from the keyboard. As screensavers are generally expected to activate when users are away from their system, many screensavers can be configured to ask users for a password before permitting the user to resume work. This is a basic security measure against another person accessing the computer while the user is away from the Computer.
 
To enable or disable the Screen Saver In Windows 10, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Enable Screen Saver In Windows 10".
 

Install a Printer Quickly

 
To install the printer quickly in your Windows 10 PC, read the following detailed article on the topic, "Install a Printer In Windows 10".
 

Resize an image

 
Microsoft Paint has been the primary feature of Microsoft Windows since the very beginning. Paint has a very effective tool for resizing. Sometimes, we need to resize an image that is uploaded to the Internet through various platforms which allows you to accept only images of a certain size.
 
Resize an image using paint
 
To resize an image using paint, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Resize an Image Using Paint In Windows 10".
 

Create Libraries

 
Libraries are the virtual collections of folders in your system. Libraries are the centralized place for bringing together all the related similar files and folders like documents, music, pictures, videos, and other files. By using the libraries, the user can easily organize all the similar shortcut files and folders in one place.
 
create libraries
 
Windows 10 comes with several libraries. To know them and to create your own libraries, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Create New Libraries In Windows 10".
 

Create Hidden (Invisible) Folders

 
It is an amazing trick to hide your personal data. I know that you will try to create a hidden folder in your system because it is a unique but unknown feature. To create an invisible folder, follow the below instructions carefully.
 
Step 1
 
Navigate to the location where you want to create an invisible folder, Right-click on empty area > New > Folder.
 
Step 2
 
Rename the folder and type the 255 by pressing the "Alt" key.
 
hidden folder
 
Step 3
 
Right-click on it and select "Properties" option. Then, under the "Customization" tab, click on the "Change Icon" button to proceed.
 
Properties
 
Step 4
 
Now, choose the invisible icon from here. and click on the "Apply" button to see the magic.
 
Choose invisible folder
 

Protect Files and Folders

 
If we have important secret documents in our system and by chance, we have to share our system with another person and we do not want to share our documents with him/her then we can protect our documents by using various options by changing the permission of a file or a folder, using command prompt (Cmd), or any other third-party software.
 
Read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Protect Files and Folders In Windows 10" to protect files and folders.
 

Delete Files Directly Without Sending Them to Recycle Bin

 
The recycle bin is a special system folder that holds deleted files and folders. If the user has not deleted them permanently, then files and folders can be restored again to their original locations.
 
Some users don't want to send files and folders in the Recycle bin folder and want to delete them immediately. In this condition, the user can enable the "Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted" feature by using the Recycle Bin properties option. While using this feature, the user must beware that the "Enable Confirmation Dialog" feature has been checked (selected). This prevents the accidental deletion of any files and folders from the system.
 
 

Convert JPG To PDF

 
If you are using Windows 10, then it is easy to convert images (like JPG or JPEG, PNG format) to PDF. If you want to do so, then you can convert images to PDF without downloading any third-party tool. "Microsoft Print to PDF" feature is used for this. Web pages and any documents along with image files can be converted to pdf with the help of this feature.
 
To do this, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Convert JPG To PDF On Windows 10".
 

Quick Screenshots

 
The screenshot is a procedure to capture or snip the active window or a fullscreen window to keep the status in the record. The screenshot is a type of image that records the status of the screen whatever is going on.
 
To take the quick screenshots, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Take Screenshots In Windows 10".
 

Enable God Mode

 
As its name, It is a special folder that enables you to access the Windows Administration tools, system settings, and control panel settings in one place. Some of them are listed below.
  • Administrative Tools
  • AutoPlay
  • Backup and Restore
  • Color Management
  • Credential Manager
  • Date and Time
  • Devices and Printers
  • Ease of Access Center
  • File Explorer Options
  • File History
  • Fonts
  • Indexing Options and many more.
Follow the below instructions to enable the GodMode.
 
Step 1
 
Create a "New Folder" on desktop or where you want and rename it by entering the following code, "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}".
 
GodMode
 
Step 2
 
Now, double-clicking on the "GodMode" Icon to access all the administration level settings in one place.
 
GoDMode
 

Use Dark Mode

 
Some professionals are comfortable with (and like) dark mode. Windows 10 comes with various color themes. To enable the dark mode in your Windows 10 PC, navigate to the following.
 
System Settings > Personalization > Colors.
 
Dark Mode In Windows 10
 
Here, you can select the "dark" option by using the "Choose your color" drop-down menu. (Alternatively, you can choose the "Custom" option and then choose your default window and app mode manually).
 

Hide Or Unhide Any Drive

 
Some users do not want to share their important and confidential data with other persons. If the user has a number of files or folders, it is difficult to lock or hide every file and folder. Instead of this, it is easy to create a separate drive or volume by shrinking any existing drive and volume and placing all files and folders in that particular drive. It is really a unique feature in the Windows family because no one can access this hidden drive or partition even by using the search option, RUN command, and Command Prompt (Cmd). If a person who knows the files' and folders' name, he would not be able to find particular files or folders using any searching methods.
 
When the users feel secure that their confidential data is far away from unauthorized hands, they can unhide the hidden drive or partition by various methods.
 
Read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Hide or Unhide Any Drive In Windows 10" to hide or unhide any drive.
 

Disable The Windows Firewall Quickly

 
The Windows Firewall is designed to protect your system from unauthorized access and this feature also permits authorized communications to and from your system.
 
Without turning off (disabling) the Windows Defender Firewall, the user can also allow apps or features through Windows Defender Firewall. In specific conditions, you have to turn off (disable) the Windows Defender Firewall, but remember you should turn it on again after completing the work.
 
To disable the Windows Firewall very quickly, read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Disable Windows Firewall In Windows 10".
 

Setup Wifi Hotspot

 
Wifi Hotspot allows you to broadcast (share) your Internet connection. This is a classic feature to broadcast your Windows PC WiFi, Ethernet, or a mobile data connection to others with the help of command prompt and using system settings.
 
To set up a wifi hotspot, read my detailed article on, "How To Set Up Wifi Hotspot In Windows 10".
 

Focus Assist

 
Choose which notification you'd like to see and hear so you can stay focused. This feature is also known as Quiet Hours. To control your notifications, follow these steps, System Settings > System > Focus Assist.
 
Focus Assist
 
Here, you can set various "Automatic rules" depending on your need.
 

Pause Updates for 7 Days

 
Updates are very important for any gadgets like a laptop. But, sometimes you want to stop these irritating updates which start automatically and slow down your system for a few minutes. So, you can pause your Windows updates for a particular duration.
 
Stop Updates for some time
 
If you want to permanently stop your updates, then read my detailed article on the topic, "How To Turn Off Automatic Updates In Windows 10".
 

Conclusion

 
In this article, I have described various tips and tricks for Windows 10. Now, I am concluding here but you have to explore all these interesting features (that we called tips and tricks) of Windows 10.
 
I hope you enjoyed this article. Follow C# Corner to learn more new and amazing things about Windows 10.
 
Thanks for reading!


Similar Articles