Conquer Windows 10--from the inside out! Dive into Windows 10--and really put your Windows expertise to work. Focusing on the most powerful and innovative features of Windows 10, this supremely organized reference packs hundreds of timesaving solutions, tips, and workarounds. From the new Microsoft Edge browser to the personal assistant Cortana, from security to the enhanced Start menu, discover how the experts tackle essential Windows 10 tasks--and challenge yourself to new levels of mastery. Install, configure, and personalize Windows 10 Transition smoothly from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 Discover the fast, efficient Microsoft Edge browser Use the Cortana personal assistant to handle reminders and information retrieval Explore cloud services Find, manage, back up, and restore files Use the Windows 10 Mail, Calendar, and People apps Retrieve, organize, and enjoy digital media Harden security and strengthen privacy Add Windows Store apps Fine-tune performance and troubleshoot crashes Share resources and control computers remotely Automate tasks and use advanced system management Run Hyper-V virtual machines   For Intermediate and Advanced Users Your role: Experienced intermediate-level to advanced-level Windows user Prerequisites: Basic understanding of Windows procedures, techniques, and navigation

Table of Contents:
Introduction   xix Who this book is for   xix Assumptions about you   xix How this book is organized   xx Acknowledgments   xxi Errata, updates, & book support   xxi Free ebooks from Microsoft Press   xxi We want to hear from you   xxii Stay in touch   xxii PART 1: Getting started with Windows 10   1 Chapter 1: What’s new in Windows 10   3 Next-generation hardware   4 The Windows 10 user experience    5 Fundamental changes in core features   11 Windows 10, the web, and cloud services   13 Working and playing with Windows 10   15 More updates, more often   17 Windows 10 for IT pros and experts   19 Chapter 2: Installing, configuring, and deploying Windows 10   21 Before you start   22 Check for potential compatibility problems   23 Back up your data and settings   24 Choose the right package   25 Choose your upgrade method   27 How Windows 10 Setup works   28 Upgrading to Windows 10   29 Using Windows Update   29 Using Windows installation media   33 Checking compatibility   33 Transferring files, apps, and settings   34 Performing a clean install   39 Making bootable media   39 Setup and your hard disk   44 Configuring a multiboot system   48 Activating Windows   52 Entering a product key   54 Activating a retail copy of Windows   57 Activation requirements for OEM installations   57 Product activation and corporate licensing   58 Managing Windows activation from the command prompt   59 Tweaking and tuning your Windows 10 installation   59 Chapter 3: Using Windows 10   61 An overview of the Windows 10 user experience   62 Navigating Windows 10   64 Using and customizing the Start menu   64 Using and customizing the taskbar   71 Controlling how notifications appear   76 Switching tasks   79 Switching between virtual desktops   81 Using Windows 10 on a touchscreen device   82 Managing and arranging windows   89 Cortana and search   93 Chapter 4: Personalizing Windows 10   99 Settings vs. Control Panel   99 Customizing the visual appearance   100 Selecting the desktop background   101 Selecting colors   103 Customizing mouse pointers   104 Configuring desktop icons   105 Controlling the appearance of other icons   107 Configuring the taskbar with multiple displays   108 Customizing the lock screen   109 Working with fonts   110 Making text easier to read   111 Using font smoothing to make text easier on the eyes   112 Calibrating your display’s colors   113 Making other small visual tweaks   113 Working the way you like   114 Taming your mouse or other pointing device   114 Managing keyboard settings   117 Selecting sounds for events   118 Choosing a screen saver   119 Tuning Windows to know about you   120 Syncing your settings between computers   123 Working with themes   123 Synchronizing other settings   124 Overcoming challenges   125 Chapter 5: Networking essentials   129 Getting started with Windows 10 networking   130 Checking your network’s status   131 Using the network icon and flyout   131 Network And Sharing Center   136 Monitoring network performance in Task Manager   139 Setting network locations   141 Connecting to a wireless network   143 Connecting to a hidden network   146 Wireless security   148 Sharing wireless connections with Wi-Fi Sense   151 Sharing files, digital media, and printers in a homegroup   152 Creating a homegroup   154 Joining a homegroup   157 Browsing shared folders and files   160 Sharing a printer   161 Leaving a homegroup   161 Chapter 6: Managing user accounts, passwords, and credentials   163 Working with user accounts   163 Microsoft account vs. local account   165 Changing account settings   169 Deleting an account   171 Managing the sign-in process   173 Setting a password   175 Using a PIN   178 Using a picture password   178 Using Windows Hello for biometric sign-ins   179 Signing out, switching accounts, or locking your computer   181 Sharing your PC with other users   183 Adding a user to your computer   183 Controlling your children’s computer access   185 Restricting use with assigned access   188 Introducing access control in Windows   188 Permissions and rights   193 User accounts and security groups   193 Managing and securing your credentials   196 Chapter 7: Securing Windows 10 devices   197 Understanding security threats   197 What’s new in Windows 10   200 Securing devices   200 Securing data   201 Securing identities   202 Blocking malware   202 Monitoring your computer’s security   203 Staying on top of security updates   206 Blocking intruders with Windows Firewall   208 Using Windows Firewall with different network types   209 Managing Windows Firewall   210 Enabling or disabling Windows Firewall   210 Allowing connections through the firewall   212 Restoring default settings   214 Advanced tools for managing Windows Firewall   214 Preventing unsafe actions with User Account Control   216 What triggers UAC prompts   216 Dealing with UAC prompts   218 Modifying UAC settings   221 Encrypting information   223 Using the Encrypting File System   224 Encrypting with BitLocker and BitLocker To Go   226 Using Windows Defender to block malware   228 Using Windows Defender   229 Manually scanning for malware   230 Dealing with detected threats   232 Stopping unknown or malicious programs with SmartScreen   233 PART 2: Working and playing with Windows 10   235 Chapter 8: Using and managing modern apps and desktop programs   237 What’s in a modern app   238 Browsing the Windows Store   240 Finding additional information   242 Buying an app   243 Uninstalling an app   243 Managing line-of-business apps   244 Apps included with Windows 10   245 Installing, running, and managing desktop applications   246 Running desktop applications as an administrator or another user   247 Dealing with compatibility issues   248 Managing programs and processes with Task Manager   249 Terminating a program with Task Manager   250 Finding detailed information about a program   251 Assigning a program to a specific processor   252 Reviewing history   252 Managing startup programs   254 Suspending or removing startup items   255 Setting default programs and file-type associations   259 Using a nondefault program ad hoc   264 Turning Windows features on or off   265 Setting AutoPlay options   265 Chapter 9: Productivity and communication tools   269 Mail, Calendar, and People   270 Setting up and using Mail   270 Setting up and using Calendar   275 Adding or editing contacts with People   278 Downloading and using Skype   279 Using the mobile and desktop versions of OneNote   282 Using the mobile versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint   284 Features common to the mobile Office apps   284 Exploring the mobile Office apps   287 Using Maps   289 Using Alarms & Clock   293 The info apps: News, Weather, Sports, and Money   294 News   294 Weather   296 Sports   298 Money   300 Sharing and saving news stories   301 Preserving items of interest with Windows Reading List   302 Voice Recorder   305 Chapter 10: Music, photos, movies, and games   307 Managing your digital media libraries   308 Music   311 Groove Music   312 Using Windows Media Player to rip CDs   316 Managing photos and digital images   318 Using the Photos app to crop and edit pictures   322 Organizing photos into albums   326 Windows Photo Viewer and Paint   329 Watching movies, recorded TV shows, and video clips   331 Miracast   333 Xbox and other forms of online entertainment   336 Chapter 11: Browsing the Internet   339 Why the new browser?    340 Browser basics   341 Setting or changing your default browser   341 User interface basics in Edge   342 Using the Start page in Edge   343 Using tabs   345 Customizing your home and startup pages   348 Changing your default search provider   351 Using favorites, history, and the reading list   354 Browsing with favorites in Edge   354 Using the reading list, an alternative to favorites, in Edge   357 Browsing with favorites in Internet Explorer   360 Working with pinned sites in Internet Explorer   361 Browsing through history   362 Managing downloads   364 Using SmartScreen Filter to avoid phishing sites and dicey downloads   365 Making text more readable   366 Using Reading View in Edge   367 Sharing webpages from Edge   369 Annotating Edge pages with web notes   370 Managing and troubleshooting add-ons in Internet Explorer   372 Privacy and security issues   373 Allowing or not allowing your browser to save sign-in credentials   374 Blocking pop-ups   376 Clearing your browser history and other personal information   377 Blocking cookies and sending do-not-track requests   379 Configuring security zones in Internet Explorer   381 Chapter 12: Organizing and searching for files   383 Exploring File Explorer   383 Customizing the Quick Access Toolbar   386 Navigating in File Explorer   387 What’s what and where in a user profile   389 Common profiles   392 Working with libraries   393 Using compressed (zipped) folders   398 Displaying or suppressing check boxes   399 Arranging data in File Explorer   399 Managing file properties and metadata   406 Recovering lost, damaged, and deleted files and folders   412 Recovering files and folders with the Recycle Bin   412 Relocating personal data folders   415 Using Save locations   418 Using Windows Search   419 Searching everywhere   419 Configuring search and indexing options   420 Basic search techniques   430 Advanced search tools and techniques   434 Saving searches and clearing search history   440 PART 3: System maintenance and troubleshooting   441 Chapter 13: Hardware   443 Adding, configuring, and removing hardware devices   443 Installing a new Plug and Play device   444 How device drivers and hardware work together   446 Getting useful information from Device Manager   449 Enabling and disabling devices   454 Adjusting advanced device settings   454 Updating and uninstalling drivers   456 Disabling automatic driver updates   457 Updating a device driver manually   458 Rolling back to a previous driver version   461 Uninstalling a driver    462 Fine-tuning hardware and printer settings   465 Printers and print queues   467 Keyboards, mice, touchpads, and pens   471 Displays   474 Bluetooth devices   477 USB devices   478 Speakers, microphones, and headsets   478 Chapter 14: Managing disks and drives   481 The Windows 10 disk-management tools   481 Running Disk Management   482 Managing disks from the command prompt   483 Setting up a new hard disk   486 Installing Windows on a new disk   486 Adding a new disk to an existing Windows installation   487 Choosing a file system   490 Managing existing disks and volumes   492 Extending a volume   493 Shrinking a volume   494 Deleting a volume   495 Converting a FAT32 disk to NTFS   495 Assigning or changing a volume label   496 Assigning and changing drive letters   496 Mapping a volume to an NTFS folder   497 Checking the properties and status of disks and volumes   500 Permanently wiping all data from a disk   503 Working with virtual hard disks   503 Checking disks for errors   506 Optimizing disks for better performance   508 Working with solid state drives   510 Optimizing solid state drives   511 Monitoring disk usage   512 Changing default save locations   513 Using Storage Spaces   514 Chapter 15: System maintenance and performance   517 Keeping Windows up to date   517 Mastering Task Manager   525 Managing startup programs and services   531 Managing disk space   533 Power management and battery life   542 Monitoring and improving system performance   549 Monitoring performance with Task Manager   550 Using Resource Monitor to pinpoint performance problems   554 Chapter 16: Backup, restore, and recovery   557 An overview of Windows 10 backup and recovery options   558 Using File History to protect files and folders   562 Setting up File History   563 Choosing locations to back up   568 Restoring files and folders   570 Using the Reset option to recover from serious problems   575 Creating and using a recovery drive   580 Creating and restoring a system image backup   582 Creating a system image backup   583 Restoring a system image backup   587 Configuring system protection options   590 Rolling back to a previous restore point   594 System Restore do’s and don’ts   598 Chapter 17: Troubleshooting   599 Getting to know your troubleshooting toolkit   599 Built-in troubleshooters   599 Windows Error Reporting   601 Reliability Monitor   605 Event Viewer   607 Types of events   610 Viewing logs and events   610 Filtering the log display   612 Dealing with Stop errors   614 Customizing how Windows handles Stop errors   614 What’s in a Stop error   616 Isolating the cause of a Stop error   617 Troubleshooting with alternative boot options   619 PART 4: Windows 10 for experts and IT pros   623 Chapter 18: Using advanced system management tools   625 Viewing details about your system   625 Systeminfo   627 Windows Management Instrumentation command-line utility   628 System Information   628 Managing services   630 Using the Services console   631 Starting and stopping services   632 Configuring services   633 Managing services from Task Manager   636 Editing the Windows registry   638 Understanding the Registry Editor hierarchy   640 Registry values and data types   641 Registry virtualization   643 Backing up and restoring parts of the registry   644 Browsing and editing with Registry Editor   646 Using .reg files to automate registry changes   648 Using Microsoft Management Console   651 Chapter 19: Automating tasks and activities   655 Using Task Scheduler   655 Creating a task   659 Scheduling tasks with the Schtasks command   667 Automating command sequences with batch programs   668 Automating tasks with Windows Script Host   669 Chapter 20: Advanced networking   671 Viewing network status   671 Sharing resources with other users   673 Understanding sharing and security models in Windows   673 Configuring your network for sharing   674 Sharing files and folders from any folder   678 Sharing a printer   687 Finding and using shared resources on a Windows network   689 Working with mapped network folders   690 Connecting to a network printer   692 Connecting to another computer with Remote Desktop   692 Configuring your network for Remote Desktop connections   693 Enabling inbound remote desktop connections   695 Using Remote Desktop Connection   697 Troubleshooting network problems   707 Troubleshooting HomeGroup problems   710 Network troubleshooting tools   711 Troubleshooting TCP/IP problems   713 Chapter 21: Working with Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell   725 Working at the command prompt   725 Running with elevated privileges   725 Starting Command Prompt at a particular folder   726 Starting Command Prompt and running a command   726 Using AutoRun to execute commands when Command Prompt starts   726 Editing the command line   727 Using command symbols   727 Customizing Command Prompt windows   730 Setting the window size and position   730 Setting the window size and position visually   731 Selecting a font   731 Setting colors   731 An introduction to Windows PowerShell   731 Starting PowerShell   733 Interacting with PowerShell   733 Scripting with PowerShell   745 Finding additional PowerShell resources   749 Chapter 22: Running virtual machines with Hyper-V   751 Setting up Hyper-V   752 Using Hyper-V Manager   754 Creating a network switch   756 Creating a virtual machine   757 Specify name and location   757 Specify generation   759 Assign memory   760 Configure networking   760 Connect virtual hard disk   761 Installation options   763 Running a virtual machine   764 Using enhanced session mode   767 Changing settings for a virtual machine   769 Working with checkpoints   770 Appendix A: Windows 10 editions at a glance   773 Features available in all Windows 10 editions   774 Windows 10 Pro   778 Windows 10 Enterprise and Education   780 Appendix B: Help and support resources   781 Online help   781 Online reference material from Microsoft   786 Microsoft Knowledge Base   786 Microsoft TechNet   786 Microsoft Virtual Academy   786 Getting technical support   787 Microsoft Community   787 TechNet forums   788 Free and paid support from Microsoft   789 Appendix C: OneDrive and other cloud services   791 How OneDrive and OneDrive for Business work   791 Synchronizing files with Windows 10 devices   794 Office 365 and Office Web Apps   796 Index to troubleshooting topics   799 Index   801