Windows 10 Academy: The Stress Free Way To Learning Windows 10 Inside & Out (2016)

Chapter 4. Managing Settings

One of the biggest differences of Windows 10 from its predecessors is the fact that upon turning the computer on, you’ll see not just a Start Menu, but also a Settings Menu. This one opens in a new window, with big, touch-friendly icons. Unlike menus that are hiding from the Charms Menu in Windows 7 and 8, this one appears right away—which makes it more comfortable for you.

Some of the things you could find in this menu include:

Managing Devices

The Settings Menu introduces a couple of devices that you can use while using this Operating System. This also talks about the devices you can connect with your PC while on this Operating System. Here’s what you can do:

1. First up is Autoplay allows you to choose whether Autoplay should be switched on or off.

2. Typing allows you to choose whether you’d like to use a physical or onscreen keyboard.

3. Printers and Scanners allows you to add printers to your computer. To do this, just click Devices and Printers> Device Manager> Related Settings> Add a Printer or Scannerand follow the instructions you’ll see onscreen.

4. Mouse and Touchpad gives you a chance to configure Mouse and Touchpad settings. Just choose Mouse and Touchpad > Related Settings> Additional Mouse Options.

5. Connected Devices, meanwhile, is about other connected devices that are not printers or scanners.

Taking Care of Accounts

Aside from your own account, you could also manage the account of your family members—as long as they are connected to your own!

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Your Accountis your primary sign-in account. This is linked to Microsoft’s Cloud Network.

2. Work Access tells you whether the PC or your account is connected to another network.

3. Sync Your Settings allows you to sync this PC with your other gadgets—and other computers at home, as well. This way, it would be easy for you to control them even if you are away from home.

4. Sign-in options will ask you how exactly you want to open your computer. You can make use of normal log-in plus password, choose Windows Hello, which would allow you to log in using biometrics.

5. Family and Other Users allows you to add more admins to the PC. To do this, just click Set up account for assigned access > Choose an Account > Choose an App.

Customizing and Personalization

To customize and personalize your settings, just do the following:

1. Background is mainly just the wallpaper of your computer, and choose how you’d want the photo to fit on your screen.

2. Colors are the colors that would be used for your desktop, toolbars, etc.

3. Lockscreen is what you’ll see onscreen while it is locked. Click Pictures, and you’ll see the 5 recent lockscreen pictures used, as well as a Browse button for you to choose photos from your files. Choosing Slideshow would make a slideshow of pictures as your lockscreen. You can also choose Screen Timeout, and more Screen Saver Settings, as well.

4. Themes would help you choose which theme you’d like to use. Go to Classic Theme Settings > Related Settings to do this.

5. Start helps you turn applications and notifications on or off—and more. You’d learn more about this in the next chapter.

Updating and Restoration

In case something goes wrong or you receive notifications regarding updates, here’s what you have to do:

1. Activation is about the version of Windows that you have, and gives you the chance to change Product Key.

2. Advanced Options would give you more Update settings to choose from.

3. Backup gives you the chance to backup your settings.

4. Click Check for Updates so you could check for updates manually.

5. For Developers is all about making apps and programs while on Windows 10.

6. Recovery contains options that you can use to fix your computer, which are: Reset PC, Go back to Earlier Build, and Advanced Startup.

7. The tab named Windows Updatecontains everything you’d ever need to update Windows.

8. Windows Defender, meanwhile, is your cloud protection system.

Networks and Internet

Who can live without the internet these days? You can tweak your internet and network settings in Windows 10 in a fast and easy manner—you can do it this way:

1. Data Usage is mostly about the bandwidth that is being used, and is mostly about connected devices that work on Wi-Fi.

2. VPN is about adding a VPN Connection to your PC. To tweak this, just go to PC Settings > Network > Add VPN Connection > Related Settings > Show Available Connections.

3. Dial-up and Ethernet are your old-school Internet settings that work on IVP 4.

4. Proxy will allow you to decide whether you’d use a manual or automatic Proxy. You can check this out by going to PC Settings > Network > Proxy.

Turning Off Wi-Fi Sharing

In order to make sure that your Wi-Fi connection stays yours, and that you would have more privacy, you can disable Wi-Fi sharing! Here’s how:

Go to Settings > Network and Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage Wi-Fi Settings. You can also turn off networks that automatically connect to Skype, Quora, Outlook or Facebook, as well.

Making Accounts Private

These days, it’s so important to keep your accounts private. It would be a good way of protecting yourself and the people you care for from people who might phish information from you. Windows 10 makes this easy. For this, you can try:

1. Account Info, Calendar, Contacts, Messaging, Radio just gives you permission whether you’d like to sync them with other devices or not.

2. Location basically works on GPS, and allows you whether you’d like to let others see where you are or not.

3. General is about deciding whether you’d like your name to appear on apps, programs, photos, and any other file that is connected to your computer.

4. Feedback. Choose whether you’d want Microsoft to ask you for feedback once a day, once a week, automatically, always, or never.

5. Speech, Inking, Typing mostly gives you the option to use Cortana (Windows 10’s digital assistant) or not.

6. Other Devices gives you permission to sync Xbox One and information found there with your Microsoft account.

7. Microphone gives you the chance to turn the microphone on or off.