7 Quick Windows 10 Tips

MakingTheMoveIf you haven’t tried Windows 10 yet, now is the time to start thinking about it and planning for it (verify your programs will be compatible). For those of you that have tried it here are a few tips:

How to Disable Windows 10 Start Menu Ads

If you haven’t seen them yet, ads are coming to the Apps windows in Windows 10. The ads are labeled “suggested’ for certain apps in the Windows store. Fortunately, at least for now, you have the option to right click on the ad and choose “Don’t show this suggestion” to block one ad or “Turn off all suggestions” to get the ads to go away completely.

How to Get More Room on the Windows 10 Taskbar

In Windows 10, the search bar is right at the bottom edge of your screen all the time. If you’d prefer to have task bar buttons there instead, right click (or hold your finger down on) a blank spot on the taskbar.

Choose Search, then choose between the Search bar and select either hidden or a simple magnifier icon or the long bar for searches.

“Snap” Window to Half of the Screen

Want a quick way to open a window to half of the screen? Hit the Windows key + Left or Right. This is especially helpful when comparing two documents. You can also click Windows key + UP or DOWN to get into quadrants. Quadrants is the new Snap view mode that pins apps to the four quarters of the screen.

Swapping Windows With a Single Keystroke

When Windows first came out, people thought it was a big deal to have 2 or 3 windows. Now people often have a huge number of windows open at once. Here are a few very helpful tips.

  • Window 10 retains the old trick where you can hit Alt+Tab or Win+Tab. This brings up a screen with all of your windows as a miniature icon and as you press Tab (while holding down Alt) it will shuffle between the open windows, one at a time.
  • If you just press Alt+Tab then release the keys, you can go back and forth between the last two windows that were opened. This is especially helpful if you are copying information between two programs.
  • Little Known Tip- Press Alt+Esc cycles through the windows in the order they were opened (skips the thumbnail view)

Minimize all windows except the active one

Grab the title bar of the window you want to remain open and move it back and forth quickly. This is similar to shaking it. After a couple of quick shakes, all other windows will minimize, leaving only the window you’re shaking open.

If you need assistance moving to Windows 10, call ASIS at 732-549-6030 and we will help.