Here are our favourite under-used Windows 10 features...
Windows 10 is a huge piece of software, and even if you think you're well versed in the ways of Microsoft's flagship operating system, there are enough new features and options to mean that you're almost certainly missing out on some useful and interesting features. So, whether you're new to the latest incarnation of Windows or a seasoned user who thinks they know it all, we’ve put together this selection of tips and tricks that should give you something new to try. And maybe it'll even be useful too.
10's 'God Mode'
While this Windows settings panel was probably created for debug or admin purposes, it's colloquially been referred to as 'God Mode' since its rediscovery by registry hackers. There's no official way to access it in Windows, but with this tip you can enjoy its power without making any major or dangerous changes to Windows.
To activate the panel, give a folder the following name:
God Mode.{ED7B A470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
You can put any name you like in front of the dot (particularly if you aren't that fond of the slang), and as soon as you press Enter, the dot and everything after it will disappear. The folder icon will also change to a generic 'control panel' icon, and when you double-click it you'll gain access to all of the administrative options that are normally divided up between different areas of Windows.
You're free to place this shortcut/folder anywhere you like on your root drive, and it'll work regardless of the specific location - though for ease of access, the desktop is usually the most sensible place. If you decide you no longer want it, you're free to delete it without any negative consequences.
Print Directly To PDF
The PDF file format is one of the most popular and universally used across all computing, so it's been a long-time irritation that Windows itself doesn't have much support for the format and forces you to rely on third-party software such as the much-reviled Adobe Acrobat.
To create a PDF file in Windows, you don't save the file as a PDF; you use a virtual document printer, which creates a file that you can then save. This is an important (though hard-to-grasp) distinction. PDFs don't contain any metadata, so the contents of the file will literally look as if they’ve been printed to a page - interactive elements, document history and additional information like author and file date will be unavailable, just as they would if you printed the page.
To access this feature, open your document in any program that can print, and hit File > Print. Under 'Printer or Destination', choose 'Print as a PDF'. Click 'Print', and a window will open, asking you to give the PDF file a title. Enter a name, then hit save, and the document will be available to you.
Once that's been done, you can distribute the file knowing that it's secure and free of any data that might violate your privacy, and that it'll work on just about any device going. Best of all, you can do it without ever having to go near a copy of Adobe Acrobat again.
Disable WiFi Sense
WiFi Sense is a Windows 10 feature that is enabled by default in most install profiles, so unless you've explicitly switched it off, there's a good chance your system has it enabled already.
Essentially, WiFi Sense enables Windows to share wi-fi passwords to and from people you know. If you leave the function enabled, it connects to social apps like Outlook, Skype and Facebook to request permission on your behalf. If they also run Windows 10, it'll share your details with their devices so your friends can access your wi-fi network when they're nearby without having to get your password from you.
In theory, this makes some sense in terms of improving convenience. In practice, it's a privacy nightmare. Microsoft stores the information on its own servers, which means it's created a database of wi-fi login details that could be vulnerable to attack.
To disable this functionality, click on Start > Settings > Network & Internet > WiFi > Manage WiFi Settings on your PC, then find the option 'Connect to networks shared by my contacts' and uncheck everything in there. You can also double-check whether your current network is shared by looking at the very bottom and seeing if your home wi-fi network is marked as 'shared' or 'not shared'.
Doing this means you'll have to share your wi-fi password if your friends ever bring their Windows laptop, tablet or phone over. But on balance, we think that's probably worth it.
Desktop Personalisation
While desktop tweaks have been a big part of Windows ever since it was introduced, Windows 10 takes it to the furthest extent yet. For most versions of Windows the look of the most ubiquitous interface elements was set by Microsoft, not by you, but it's now possible to do a lot more. You can even customise the colour of things like the taskbar and Start menu. To change the colours of these elements, visit Start > Settings > Personalisation > Colours. From there you can pick an 'accent colour', which Windows will apply to Start menu tiles and similar default interface elements. You can even tell it to automatically pick an accent colour that compliments the desktop background you're using. You're also able to pick a colour for the Start menu and taskbar, and turn the translucency of those GUI elements on and off - ideal for people who (unlikely as it may sound) miss the look of Windows 8.
Schedule Updates
If you're sick of having your computer take hours to shut down because Windows has decided to download and install its monthly batch of updates all at once, then we have good news. It's possible to schedule Windows updates so, at the very least, they don't happen while you're trying to use (or leave) your PC.
To find this option, navigate to Start > Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update. Click on 'Advanced Options', then choose 'notify to schedule restart'. The next time a restart is required, Windows will give you the ability to do it as soon as possible or pick a specific time and date when you want the restart to occur. You'll be able to keep working without having to worry about automatically installing updates getting in the way, and the required restart will happen at the time and date of your choosing, instead of Microsoft's.
Explorer Quick Access
Windows Explorer's 'libraries' features made finding the type of files you were looking for a lot easier when they were introduced in Windows 7, and Windows 10 has added something that seems equally likely to stick around: the Quick Access tab.
The Quick Access node is visible in the top left of the directory tree on all Explorer windows, and inside it you'll find a list of all your most recently and frequently accessed folders. What that means is that if you want to copy files from one folder to another, for example, you don't have to search back and forth through the directory pane or go back through your entire history; you can simply flick between the two shortcuts using the quick access link.
If you're not a fan of this feature, which is the default view for Windows Explorer, you can turn it off by opening the View menu and choosing Options > Open File Explorer to: and selecting 'This PC' from the drop-down. This'll give your Windows Explorer a more familiar feel, and if you want to use the Quick Access link, it's always accessible at the very top of your directory tree pane.
Customised Start Menus
The Windows 10 Start menu's very existence fixes one of the biggest problems people had with the much-maligned Windows 8, but its usefulness doesn't end there. The new version is also a lot more customisable than ever before. We've already covered how you can change the colour of the Start menu, but there's more available than that as well.
For a start, you can pin new tiles, unpin existing tiles, and change the size and contents of them. Right-click on a tile, and you'll get several different context menu options. Not all of them will be on every tile, but here's what you can expect to see:
Unpin from Start: If it isn't obvious, this removes the tile from the Start menu, allowing you to recover the space it occupies or simply or get rid of unwanted programs.
Resize: Gives you a choice of various different tile shapes and sizes. Not every tile supports every size and shape, but you can use the functionality to shrink lesser-used programs so they're not in the way, and enlarge live tiles so their contents are easier to see.
Turn Live Tile Off: If the tile you're clicking has live contents (i.e. it shows you information on the tile without you even having to launch the program it corresponds to) and you don't want that to be shown for whatever reason, you can disable the function here. Reverse the sequence to re-enable it.
Pin to Taskbar: Another simple one, this pins the program to the taskbar so you can launch it from there. It remains on the Start menu, and will also appear on the far right of your pinned programs from then on.
Run as Administrator: Some programs need admin privileges to run correctly. If you want to give them that ability, right-click and choose this option to streamline the process.
Open File Location: Not sure where a program lives? Open File Location will bring up an Explorer window showing the directory with its executable file in. Useful for eliminating unwanted programs or checking how legitimate they are.
Rate & Review: if the program is in the Windows store, you can leave a rating and review using this option. This can help others make an informed decision about the software you're rating.
Share: Again, for apps available in the Windows store, the share option gives you the ability to notify your friends and family of the program on a variety of platforms.
Uninstall: If the program is associated with an uninstaller, you can launch it from here without having to visit the 'apps and features’ section of the Windows settings.
In addition to these options, you can drag tiles around using the mouse (left-click and hold), which allows you to organise them in whatever way is most convenient for you. If you want something that's a little bit more like the Windows 7 Start menu, you can unpin and remove all the tiles so you just get a simple list of your recently used programs.
Command Prompt Tweaks
Although the command prompt looks more or less the same as it always did when you launch it, there are tons of hidden options that have suddenly been added for Windows 10. Launch the command prompt, then on the open window right-click in the menu bar and select 'properties' from the bottom of the context menu.
From here, you can change lots of things about the command prompt that were previously off limits. You can change the size of the buffer and how many buffers there are; you can change the character set, the font and text-wrapping options, and even the default Windows position. All of the colours are now customisable, and if you've ever wished your console could be a little more transparent, you get your wish: you can select any opacity between 30% & 100%.
If all that sounds a little too flash for you, it's also possible to switch back to the 'legacy' console, which you'd have found in previous versions of Windows. Can't say fairer than that, really.
Screen Recording
Windows 10 is more game-friendly than most versions of Windows, and that even goes as far as having an ultra-modern Game DVR built-in. Press the Windows Key + G to bring up the game toolbar and tick 'Yes, this is a game' to bring up the video recording controls. Just make sure you have a fair amount of hard drive space free and a computer beefy enough to run the game and record the video!
The best part is that it doesn't even have to be a game you're playing. If you tick that option on any other app, you'll still be able to record a video of yourself using the program - perfect if you're trying to record the output of an application for a training session or presentation, or even for troubleshooting purposes!
Hopefully that's given you some useful pointers about features you weren't necessarily aware of. If you want to learn more about the things Windows 10 doesn't let on that it can do, head over to the 'Windows 10 Hidden Secrets' article elsewhere in this issue.