Windows tips Archives - Page 4 of 4

How to disable Taskbar Previews in Windows 10

Posted on October 22, 2021

Like Windows 7 and 8 before it, Windows 10 has a Taskbar Preview feature that is enabled by default.

As with most every other Windows feature, some folks love having a small preview of a window’s contents pop up when the mouse is hovered over a Taskbar button.

Others, myself included, find it a bit irritating.

If you find it irritating as well, you can ditch Taskbar Previews in Windows 10 by following the instructions below. But first, I must ask you to read my semi-standard disclaimer: [Read more…]

How to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10

Posted on August 13, 2021

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Every now and then it helps to be able to view your system’s hidden files and folders, especially when troubleshooting a sticky Windows issue or trying to track down a stubborn malware infection.

A while back I wrote a post explaining how to show the hidden files and folders in Windows 8.1, and it turns out that viewing them is just as easy in Windows 10. Here’s how: [Read more…]

How to lock your PC just by walking away from it

Posted on April 12, 2021

Do you lock your PC every time you leave the room to keep prying eyes from seeing what you’re working on or to prevent others from messing with your computer?

If you only use a computer at home the answer is probably no, but if you use one at work chances are you do.

In fact, many companies actually require their employees to lock their PCs when they leave the room for whatever reason.

If you work for one of those strict employers you probably worry that you might forget to lock your machine sometime and end up getting reprimanded for the lapse.

Well guess what? Windows 10 has a feature called Dynamic Lock that will automatically lock your PC every time you get up and leave the room.

[Read more…]

How to move the ‘My Documents’ folder to a USB flash drive

Posted on February 1, 2015

microsoft-windows A while back a local business owner asked me if there is a way to move the ‘My Documents’ folder from its default location on the hard drive to a USB flash drive.

His routine was simple, yet time-consuming. At the end of every workday he copied all of his data files from the ‘My Documents’ folder on his hard drive to a 64GB thumb drive so he can work on them some more at home. The next morning he copied them back onto the hard drive.

I told him how to make the change, and now his files are automatically saved directly to his thumb drive regardless of where he happens to be working. Since he is quite happy with the new setup, I thought some of you might be interested in doing the same. The instructions that follow will explain how to set it up, step-by-step, in either windows 7 or Windows 8. [Read more…]