Microsoft showed us the final version of Windows 10 in an event yesterday, and the roll-out will begin later this year. But what’s new in Microsoft’s latest OS? We take a quick look at the biggest and most important features of Windows 10.

1. Free, free, free: For the first time ever, Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users.

Microsoft has taken a cue out of Apple’s book which has been given OS X and iOS upgrades away for free, to ensure that users don’t have to shell out money for an OS.

If your PC or laptop is running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and your Windows phone has the Windows Phone 8.1 OS, you will get a free upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 – in the first year.

What is not clear is if users on laptop and desktops will have to pay after the first year. In an age, where free OS and software is the new mantra, Microsoft has taken the right step by making Windows 10 free of cost. Hopefully the free upgrade will continue after year one as well.


Windows 10 Spartan Browser




2. No more Windows Phone, it’s all the same: Unity across operating systems is something that Apple and Google have been going on about for sometime and Microsoft also clearly believes that this is the way forward.

What this also means, is that the name ‘Windows Phone OS’ is actually defunct. Also tablet users can forget the horror of having to deal with something like a new Windows RT on their devices, which received terrible user feedback.

Windows 10 will ensure that desktops, mobiles, laptops, tablets, 2-in-1 devices will all run the same Windows 10 OS, which will be optimised based on the platform. This is great news for those who are heavily invested in the Windows eco-system and for app developers who won’t have to create a separate app for mobile or tablet.

3. Bigger Start Menu, Action Centre: There have been some improvements thanks to feedback from testers of the Windows Insider program. The Start Menu is now available in full screen instead of the limited in Windows 8.1. The Action Centre has quick buttons to switch Wi-fi and Bluetooth on or off.

There is a new Notification Centre which is seen above the Action Centre and notifications in these will be synced across devices. The Notification centre brings you updates and alerts from your email, weather, news sources you’ve subscribed to and it also has Cortana built in.

The Control Panel and Settings menu have been merged into a single folder. Also when using a 2-in-1, when you go from a desktop mode to a tablet mode, users will be prompted if they want to switch to tablet mode.

4. Cortana for Windows: Microsoft has gone a step ahead of Apple by bringing its personal voice-assistant Cortana to all Windows 10 devices, including desktops and laptops, which is a massive plus point.

On the desktop, Cortana will be seen as a search box located beside the Start button. Cortana now supports 7 languages and can speak in impersonations as well. You can also ask Cortana to open apps on your desktop such as PowerPoint or Word. You can also dictate emails in Outlook using Cortana and send them by voice commands.


Reading View in Spartan Browser



Cortana has a new feature called Notebook that keeps a tab on all the saved information. It also keeps a track of the sports scores, travel, weather and such similar information that you may be interested in. You can also add other things that you want Cortana to keep a track of.

5. Universal apps for PCs: Microsoft is going the Apple way by finally introducing universal apps. These will have a similar design across devices and will work across PCs, laptop, smartphones and tablets.

Outlook will come with an in-built Word engine which provides the Office ribbon, which allows multiple ways of formatting Office documents. The calendar app will also be synced across devices and will sport a consistent design as well. There’s also a new Photo App gallery, which looks inspired by Google+.

All pictures taken on the devices, as well as photos on One Drive will be merged together and the app will automatically delete the duplicate files to reduce the clutter. The Photo app will automatically enhance your photographs by default, much like Google+. It will also create Photo Albums automatically based on date, location and the people in the photographs.

Other universal apps on the list will be for Videos, Music, Maps, People & Messaging.

6. Hello Project Spartan: Microsoft unveiled its Project Spartan at the event, which is indeed a new browser which comes with Cortana built in with its contextual searching. For example, if you look up restaurant on Spartan, Cortana will throw in a map, menu and contact details as well.

On Spartan some of the new features will allows users to annotate a webpage using a stylus or touch interface, click on any section of a webpage to type out a comment and then share this page with friends or co-workers. Also while the page shared will be frozen, the links inside them will be active.

Reading mode in Project Spartan, similar to the reading mode in Apple’s Safari, will put articles in a layout that gets rid of all the unnecessary elements on a page. You also get a Reading List feature that syncs across all devices, even offline, which is quite identical to what’s seen on the Pocket app.

By the way Microsoft has clarified that the introduction of Spartan doesn’t mean that Internet Explorer 11 is going anywhere. According to a blogpost, the company wrote that “Spartan loads the IE11 engine for legacy enterprise web sites when needed.” Essentially enterprise websites that older technologies designed only for Internet Explorer, such as custom ActiveX controls and Browser Helper Objects will load on Internet Explorer, which will also be available on Windows 10.

Internet Explorer will use the same dual rendering engines as Spartan, ensuring web developers can consistently target the latest web standards, says the blog post.

7. Gaming on Windows 10:  The Xbox app will come bundled with all Windows 10 devices. A new feature will allows users to record 30 seconds of gameplay which can be sent across to Xbox Live so that Xbox users can watch it as well.Windows 10 also brings cross-play, which lets users play with a friend on an Xbox One while they are using a Windows 10 PC. Microsoft also has plans to launch Windows 10 on the Xbox One platform.

Game DVR, which gives simple access to recording, editing, and sharing a player’s most epic gaming moments on an Xbox will now come to Windows 10, and is accessible by simply pressing Windows+G.

Also games on Xbox One can be streamed through your home network to your Windows 10 PC or tablet, anywhere in your house. Xbox One gamers will also be able to many of their favourite console games on their PC. And many Xbox One accessories will work interchangeably on the console and PC.


Users on Lenovo's forums have discovered that the Chinese company has been preloading some consumer PC models with a software called Superfish Visual Discovery. In short, the software tracks your searches and browsing habits (even on secure sites) and uses this information to place additional advertisements on the sites you visit. It's unclear what models have come preloaded with the software, although users have reported finding it on Lenovo Y50, Z40, Z50, G50 and Yoga 2 Pro models.






LastPass has created a Web tool that makes it easy to check to see if your computer is infected. You can check by simply clicking on this link.



If you’re affected by Superfish, you must first uninstall the program:





  1. Click the Windows Start button
  2. Search uninstall program
  3. Launch uninstall program
  4. Right-click on Superfish Inc VisualDiscovery and select Uninstall
  5. If prompted for administrator password, enter or provide confirmation





Then you must uninstall the certificates as well:




  1. Click the Windows Start button
  2. Type certmgr.msc into the Search box
  3. Click the certmgr.msc Program to launch it
  4. If prompted for administrator password, enter the password or provide confirmation
  5. Click on Trusted Root Certification Authorities
  6. Open Certificates
  7. Look for certificates mentioning Superfish Inc.
  8. Right-click on any Superfish Inc certificates and delete


To make sure you have fully removed the program, restart your browser and revisit the LastPass web tool.

Make An Inaccessible, Undeletable & Unrenamable Folder



Basic Concept

The basic concept behind this trick is the use of Keywords. Keywords are reserved words in any programming language that cannot be used as names of variables. Windows also uses certain keywords in its programming. Some of them are: con, aux, lpt1, lpt2, lpt3, lpt4, lpt5, lpt6, lpt7, lpt8, lpt9.



    Testing
    To test this concept, make a new folder in Windows and try to give it a name same as any keyword mentioned above.


    Inaccessible Folder Created Using CMD



    Result
    Windows will not rename your folder to any of the keyword given above.

    Trick
    So the question arises, how can we make a folder with a keyword as its name? The solution to this problem is included in Windows itself. As we know that Windows has evolved from DOS, its commands can be used in Windows. You can use DOS Programming in Windows to create a folder with a keyword as its name using the steps given below:

    Step 1: Click on Start.

    Step 2: Click on Run. Type in cmd.

    Step 3: In the Command Prompt Window, type the name of the drive you wish to create your folder in the format : and press  e.g. If you wish to create the undeletable folder in D drive, type "D:" without the quotes. Note that the folder cannot be created in the root of C: drive (if C: is your system drive).
    Step 4: Type this command:

    md con\ 

    (where, con\  is the keyword used for folder name) and press . You can choose any of the keywords given above as the name of your folder.

    Step 5: Now Windows will create an undeletable, unrenamable & inaccessible folder in the drive you entered in Step 3. However, the folder can be renamed to another keyword using Windows Explorer.




    Deleting the Folder
    Although, it is not possible to delete the folder using Windows GUI, you can delete the folder by typing

    rd con\

    (where, con\  is the keyword used for folder name)

    Windows Compatibility: Windows XP and higher versions.

    Try it yourself to create one such folder which can neither be deleted, accessed nor be renamed & share your experience in the comments.

    How to manage startup apps



    To manage startup apps, you need to review all of them so you can turn off the ones you don't want. This can be done via Task Manager in Windows 10. All you need to do is to open the Task Manager app and go to the Startup tab:


    Start Up Tab


    Tip: You open the Startup tab of Task Manager directly in Windows 10 by running the following command:


    taskmgr /0 /startup



    Press Win + R shortcut keys together on the keyboard and type the command mentioned above in the Run box.

    On the Startup tab you will see the full list of apps which start with Windows.

    Using the Startup tab of Task Manager, you can easily prevent an app from starting with your OS. It is very easy - just right click the desired app and pick "Disable" from the context menu.


     Disable Startup Software Windows 10




    To enable the disabled app, you just need to right click it again and choose the "Enable" command from the context menu.


    Enable Startup App Windows 10



    Now you know how to enable or disable startup apps. Let's see how to add a new app to load at startup or remove an existing one.


    How to add or remove startup apps for the current user



    Startup items for the current user are stored usually at two locations: the Registry and the special "Startup" folder. The Startup folder is an easier way to manage apps. To add or remove an app from the Startup folder, you need to do the following:

    Press Win + R shortcut keys together and type the following into the Run box:


    shell:Startup



    The text above is a special shell command which will open the Startup folder for you directly.


     Startup Folder in Windows 10




    The Startup folder is located here:


    C:\Users\Your user name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup



    Just copy and paste a shortcut in this folder so that the app loads when Windows boots. To remove the application from the Startup folder, delete the appropriate shortcut.


    That's it!

    Share your views in the comments! :)


    Remotely Access Another Computer


    Remote connection to another computer is the best way to transfer and receive the data between computers. Remote connections are commonly made using internet connection. By remote connections, we can easily control each and everything on another computer.

    We can obtain all files even we can copy files from one computer to another computer remotely further we can shut down and can have admin entrance to that computer. With the good internet connection, it feels like we are really working on another computer. We can also chat with another PC user With Remote Computer Access. In this post, we will tell you the best methods to Remotely Access Another Computer.

    How To Remotely Access Another Computer From Your Computer



    Method 1: Remote Computer Access Using Google Chrome


    Step 1. First Download the extension Chrome Remote Access in your Google Chrome.

    chrome remote desktop


    Step 2. Now this app will get added to your chrome and you can see it at right uppermost corner. Click on it and click continue.

    chrome remote access extension


    Now it will ask to allow access to data, proceed with allowing access to it.

    chrome remote desktop allow access


    Step 3. Now it will ask you to connect to another computer or share your computer. Now if you click on share this computer then it will generate a code.

    Remote Computer Access Using Google Chrome


    Step 4. Send the code to the partner by whom you want to accessed your computer. Note that other computer must have the same app installed on its computer. Now your partner will enter his code and your desktop will get the share to him exactly same as you can see yours.

    Remote Computer Access Using Google Chrome


    Step 5. By this anyone having access code can access your computer remotely and even you can
    access someone else’s computer by having access code of it.

    Method 2: Using Team Viewer


    Team Viewer is very popular software to access any computer remotely.

    Features Of Team Viewer:


    • Remote Computer Access
    • Text Chatting with partner
    • Video Calling
    • Remote File Transfer
    • Screenshot Capturing
    • Lock computer screen


    Steps To Remote Computer Access Using Team Viewer.

    Step 1. Download and install Team Viewer software in your computer. Your computer must be connected to the internet.

    Step 2.  Now it will display User Id and Password. If you want your partner to access your computer then send him/her your user id and password.

    Remote Computer Access Using Team Viewer


    Step 3. If you want to access someone’s computer then get the User Id and password of Team Viewer of that computer. Now click on Connect To partner and type User Id of partner and then it will ask for the password. Fill in the password and press Enter.

    Remote Computer Access Using Team Viewer


    Step 4. Now it will start connecting your computer to another computer and finally, you can remotely access any computer. By this method, you can undoubtedly have remote access over another computer.

    Method 3. Using Remote Desktop Connection


    With Remote Desktop Connection, you can connect to a computer running Windows from another computer running Windows which is connected to the same network or to the Internet. For example, you can use all of your work computer’s programs, files, and network resources from your home computer, and it’s just like you’re sitting in front of your computer at work.

    How To Use Remote Desktop Connection?

    Step 1. You need to browse My Computer>Properties>Advance system settings.

    Remote Computer Access Using Remote Desktop


    Step 2. Now select the tab named “Remote” and then make sure to enable the option of “Allow connections only for computer running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication“.

    Remote Computer Access Using Remote Desktop


    Step 3. Now whenever your family members or you want to work on your computer from different locations you need to open Remote Desktop and have to enter the Name or IP Address of your own computer.

    Remote Computer Access Using Remote Desktop


    That’s it now you can easily access your computer from anywhere all you just need is to enable the inbuilt function of windows named Remote Desktop Connection.

    Remote Computer Access Using Remote Desktop


    So these are the methods to have Remote Computer Access. By connecting remotely, you can control your friend’s, employee and any of other’s computer and can even solve their problems by just sitting in front of your computer. You can also have Text Chatting and Video Calling by these methods. I hope you like this post.