Windows 10 Archives - Page 19 of 55

How to disable the ads on your Windows 10 Lock Screen

Posted on January 14, 2022

If your PC is running Windows 10 you might have noticed ads for apps and various other things on the Lock Screen.

Microsoft has started running these ads as a way of making a few extra bucks to help replace the millions of dollars they are forfeiting by making Windows 10 basically free.

I’ve spoken to lots of folks who don’t mind the ads or begrudge Microsoft trying to recoup some of their lost revenue, but I’ve also heard from plenty of others who find the ads annoying.

If you happen to dislike the Windows 10 Lock Screen ads, you can easily disable them. Here’s how: [Read more…]

Speed up Windows 10 (and make your laptop’s battery last longer)

Posted on November 24, 2021

Did you know Windows 10 has over a dozen apps that run in the background at all times?

Well, it does, and every one of those continuously running apps slows your system down just a bit and makes your laptop’s battery run down a little faster than it has to.

What’s more, you probably aren’t even using most of those apps!

Luckily, it’s very easy to prevent those unneeded apps from running in the background.

[Read more…]

Q&A: How can I make my laptop shut down when I close the lid?

Posted on November 4, 2021

Question from Betty: I have an Acer laptop that came with Windows 8.1.

I updated it to Windows 10 and now I’m having a problem with it.

When I finish using the laptop I can click the Shutdown icon and it shuts down just fine.

The problem is if I close the lid it doesn’t shut the laptop down like it did when it had Windows 8.1. It goes into Sleep mode instead.

Is there a way to force this my laptop to shut down automatically when I close the lid? [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I let Windows Update install ‘optional’ driver updates?

Posted on October 29, 2021

Question from William: Every time I check for new Windows Updates on my Windows 10 Lenovo laptop it tells me there are a couple of driver updates available as “optional” updates.

Should I go ahead and let Windows Update install those optional updates or should I just skip them?

I’ve been confused by this for a long time.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Q&A: How can I stop receiving so many notifications in Windows 10?

Posted on October 26, 2021

Question from Charley: Before I ask my question I want to thank you for everything you do to keep us informed and help us use our computers better.

You really are such a great help to people who are clueless like I am.

Now, I have a problem I hope you can help me with.

I recently bought my first Windows 10 computer (an HP laptop). I like it ok except for all the notifications that pop up in the lower right corner of the screen.

Is there a way to limit the notifications to just the ones that I really need to see? [Read more…]