Computer Tips Archives - Page 190 of 230

How to prepare a PC running Windows XP for an upgrade to Windows 8.1

Posted on April 8, 2015

xp-to-8-1 Microsoft effectively killed off Windows XP in about a year ago, and many XP users are trying decide whether to upgrade their PCs to Windows 8.1, dump Windows altogether and switch to Linux, or simply replace their old PC with a new one.

Personally, I think switching to Ubuntu Linux is a great way to go if the PC is used primarily for email and Internet access, but as long as the hardware is new enough to support Windows 8.1, that’s a great choice as well.

If you decide to upgrade Win XP to 8.1, it’s a good idea to prepare for the upgrade before jumping into it. Here are my recommendations: [Read more…]

Display the ‘Computer’ icon on the Desktop in Windows 8

Posted on March 23, 2015

If you prefer using the Desktop instead of the Metro Start Screen in Windows 8, you might be wishing you had a shortcut to the ‘Computer’ dialog sitting right on the Desktop. Well, you can. and it’s very easy to set up. Here’s how:

1 – Right-click on the Windows 8 Desktop.

2 – Click Personalize.

3 – Click Change desktop icons.

4 – Check the box beside Computer and click Apply.

5 – Click Ok.

There are icons for several other familiar Windows features there as well. Feel free to check or uncheck the boxes as desired.

How to turn off File Explorer’s ‘Quick Access’ view in Windows 10

Posted on March 21, 2015

To date, the Windows 10 Technical Preview has introduced a number of awesome new features that will likely be included in the upcoming commercial release of Windows 10, and one that I like quite a bit is the handy new Quick Access view in File Explorer.

In a nutshell, Quick Access view displays the most recently used files, folders and related data by default every time you open the File Explorer window. This really speeds up your work flow if you tend to use the same files and folders over and over again.

As mentioned above, I personally like the new Quick Access view, but plenty of others think it’s the worst thing since the introduction of Windows Vista. If you don’t particularly care for it either, you can easily turn it off. Here’s how: [Read more…]

How to take a quick peek at the Desktop in Windows 7

Posted on March 20, 2015

windows-7 If you’re like me, every now and then you need to take a quick peek at the Desktop, but you don’t want to have to go through the hassle of minimizing all the open Windows or losing track of what you’re doing after having to re-open them all.

If you’re using Windows 7, you can always click the Show Desktop icon or right-click on the taskbar and click Show the Desktop, but if all you need to do is take a quick peek at the Desktop, you can simply do the following: [Read more…]

How to make Windows 8.1 boot directly to the Desktop

Posted on March 19, 2015

windows-8-1 Windows 8.1 is a huge improvement over Windows 8 because it fixes a number of the most despised “changes” that Microsoft made to the newly-designed Windows interface.

One of the most appreciated “fixes” is the ability to have Windows 8.1 boot directly to the Desktop instead of the Start Screen – but this isn’t the default. Follow these steps to make Windows 8.1 boot directly to the Desktop: [Read more…]