Microsoft

This category will provide you with all the tips and trick, softwares and utilities that Microsoft releases from time to time. We also cover direct download links to the popular software like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows etc.

How To Make Windows 10 Boot Faster

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What is booting?

When we turn on our computer or smartphone the machine loads the necessary files stored in ROM to start the machine. While this is happening it checks that the hardware and software of the system is working fine. These booting files in case of a windows pc would be the files you installed while installing windows.so after loading this files form ROM system starts running and your computer starts.

Slow booting

Now there are various reasons why your windows might take some time to boot the computer. In this article we will try to cover some solutions that can help your windows 10 boot faster.

Visual effects

Some of the visual effects that appear when you boot your pc might be a reason for slow booting of your system, now in order to fix this, search for advance system settings and open it.

1 2

Now a dialogue box will appear, in the dialogue box go to the setting of performance.

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Now there are multiple options you can select as you like but if you are confused then you should chose “adjust for best performance" so that the system can handle it for the best performance and then apply these changes.

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Boot settings

Now this is the most helpful solution that helps your computer boot faster. In order to make changes to boot settings go to search and type system configuration and click it

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A dialogue box opens, from these settings click on boot.After going into the boot menu click on advanced options.

Now in boot advanced settings select the number of processors and click the maximum number that appears in your system as it varies for different computers. And also select the box of maximum memory.

After doing this click OK and apply, now after clicking OK in the previous dialogue box select “make all boot settings permanent" option. And now these changes are made permanent.

Startup settings

Now remaining in the system configuration settings go to the startup option and click on open task manager.

Here you will find some applications that start up whenever you boot your computer, now here right click and disable all apps except those whose publishers are “Microsoft corporation" as these files are necessary to startup when you pc boots.

So there you go! These are some hacks that will let your windows 10 boot faster.

4 Tools to Monitor Network Activities in Windows

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Consider a scenario where you are downloading your favorite movie and the bandwidth quota expires all of a sudden. You receive a notification on your mobile to recharge your account in case you want to continue using the internet.
Using limited bandwidth internet is really annoying. It drains you out of the freedom of browsing internet at will.
This is a major problem for students who are either engaged in learning new things from resources, or for adults who are improving their skill sets. Sadly, internet services providers, just to earn more money have provided limits on the amount of bandwidth you can get.

But, internet monitoring software can be a great help to cope from this devastating times. They allow one to monitor the speed he is using and make amendments as per the needs. The person can easily see which applications are getting the most bandwidth and which ones aren’t.

Best Tools to Monitor Network Activity and Internet Bandwidth

FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor

FreeMeter Bandwidth Monitor is a simple, user-friendly software to monitor and analyze your network speed. It is portable and provides real-time visual representation of data being uploaded or downloaded to/from your computer. The graphical display is on the main panel making it easier to see the discrepancies in the network.

You can run FreeMeter from anywhere – hard drive or a USB drive – and execute it on your computer. Being portable, the software doesn’t leave any traces either on the hard drive on in the Window’s registry.

It comes with a small display screen that can be placed in any part of the display for consistent internet monitoring. For the features, the software provides ping, Traceroute, URL grabber, UPnP NAT, email alert service to name a few tools

It allows full customization of colors, setting, and default frame. You can easily update the application and log info as per your need. Once the installation is complete, the tray icon will sit at the bottom-left corner of the start bar, allowing easy access whenever needed.

Download: https://sourceforge.net/projects/freemeter/

Compatibility: Windows 98 to Windows 10

ShaPlus Bandwidth Meter

ShaPlus Bandwidth meter is a small statistics window that shows total amount of traffic for a month. It displays a summary of the traffic status for the current day and the whole month. You can go to the icon in the system tray to get more information. You can configure network interfaces for monitoring and to gather internet statistics.

The monitoring interface is especially useful for monitoring packages with limited bandwidth options. You can configure the start day and deactivate it when the limit occurs.

The software can be smoothly run and allows the system to perform flawlessly. It can easily be used by beginners.

Download: http://download.cnet.com/ShaPlus-Bandwidth-Meter/3000-2381_4-10672850.html

Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10

NetWorx

If you are searching for an all-inclusive tool that to monitor network’s bandwidth usage fairly, then NetWorx is probably the tool for you. It collects network data and computes the speed of your internet while providing timely notifications. The utility is highly effective for anyone on a limited bandwidth connection and searching for a tool to notify when he/she exceeds the set quota.

The broadband network works with NetWorx, allowing you easy customization of sound and visual notifications. It also alerts you whenever the internet is down or irregular traffic flow is noticed. The program includes a kill switch to automatically disable all connections simultaneously.

It provides a daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly network plan to monitor usage and traffic movement. The reports are exportable and can be easily converted to Word, Excel, and HTML.

It comes with an icon that sits in the system tray while the program is running. By clicking the icon, you can view the current status of the program. It also comes with ping, traceroute and netstat and other tools used for gaining excessive details of the network. The program is available in multiple languages.

Download: https://www.softperfect.com/products/networx/

Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10,

NetSpeedMonitor

NetSpeedMonitor helps keep track of your internet connectivity and provides timely reports on excessive usage. It’s a compact network monitoring tool that lets you monitor upload and download speed of the network connection and transfer of data. You can monitor the network usage either for a day or for a complete month.

It further has a straightforward interface that makes it easy for the users. Though it allows you to view only a list and doesn’t come with a graph but it is comprehensive enough to provide all details of the system. Because it doesn’t provide visual details, the software is easy to run and has almost negligible file size.

It provides information of the local and remote addresses of the TCP networks and their current status, making it easier to toggle connectivity on or off by a simple icon residing in the system tray.

Customizing NetSpeedMonitor interface is easier and fun. Add your own font name, size and position to change it as per your will. The program is handy and does not require a high learning curve.

Download: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Network-Tools/Bandwidth-Tools/NetSpeedMonitor.shtml

Compatibility: Windows XP to Windows 10

Download Windows 10 ISO For All Builds And Versions

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Windows 10 is the latest Operating System from Microsoft with plenty of practical and functional features. Windows 10 is adopted by users very frequently due to its simple interface and advanced features. After its release, many builds have been released with some changes and new features to give users a broader and enhanced Operating System.

If you want to upgrade your Operating System to Windows 10 and do not have links to its all builds and versions then look below and have direct download links for ISO files of all builds. Download ISO file of your desired Windows 10 build and start using Windows 10 now to have something new and precise.

Version 1703 Build 15063.0

Windows 10 version 1703 build 15063.0 is the latest version of Windows 10 and known as Creators Update. Different parallel versions are released one after other.

Windows 10 Version 1703 Build 15063.0 – Standard

This is the Standard-Edition of Windows 10. This version contains all updates released within Windows 10 Creators Update. Image contains two versions. Windows 10 Creators Update Home and Windows 10 Creators Update Pro. You can select the version once installation will begin.

Download Windows 10 Version 1703 Build 15063.0 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version 1703 Build 15063.0 – Standard 64-bit ISO

 

Version 1607 Build 14393.0

This version of Windows is Anniversary update. It contains multiple editions on one install disc.

Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Standard

This version contains all updates released within Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Standard 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – KN-Edition

This is KN-Edition which is released for South Korean market.

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – KN-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – KN-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Single-Language-Edition

This version contains single language edition. You cannot install another language for your Operating System.

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Single-Language-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version 1607 Build 14393.0 – Single-Language-Edition 64-bit ISO

 

Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164

This is the Windows 10 Threshold Update 2 Build 10586.164

Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Standard

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Standard 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – N-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – N-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – N-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – KN-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – KN-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – KN-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Single-Language-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Single-Language-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 2 Build 10586.164 – Single-Language-Edition 64-bit ISO

 

Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104

This is the Windows 10 Threshold Update 1 Build 10586.104

Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – Standard

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – Standard 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – K-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – K-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – K-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – KN-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – KN-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH Update 1 Build 10586.104 – KN-Edition 64-bit ISO

 

Version TH2 Build 10586

This is the Windows 10 Threshold 2 Build 10586

Windows 10 TH2 Build 10586 – Standard

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – Standard 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 TH2 Build 10586 – N-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – N-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – N-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 TH2 Build 10586 – KN-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – KN-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – KN-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 TH2 Build 10586 – Single-Language-Edition

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – Single-Language-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version TH2 Build 10586 – Single-Language-Edition 64-bit ISO

 

Version RTM TH1 Build 10240

This is the Windows 10 Threshold 1 Build 10240

Windows 10 RTM TH1 Build 10240 – Standard

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – Standard 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – Standard 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 RTM TH1 Build 10240 – N-Edition

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – N-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – N-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 RTM TH1 Build 10240 – KN-Edition

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – KN-Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – KN-Edition 64-bit ISO

Windows 10 RTM TH1 Build 10240 – Single-Language-Edition

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – Single-Language- Edition 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 RTM Version TH1 Build 10240 – Single-Language- Edition 64-bit ISO

Version Insider Preview Build 14271

This Build is under development and is not stable. So if you want it for testing purpose then download it, otherwise download any other ISO of Windows 10.

Windows 10 Version Insider Preview Build 14271

Download Windows 10 Version Insider Preview Build 14271 32-bit ISO

Download Windows 10 Version Insider Preview Build 14271 64-bit ISO

These all are ISO files links for all versions of Windows 10 with different builds. You can easily have your required ISO file to install Windows 10 on your machine.

Windows 10 Offline Updates Released in 2017

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Microsoft releases new updates to Windows 10 every second Tuesday of each month. In this article, we will list down all the updates released in 2017. All the links are offline installer links to the updates. Enjoy the latest updates in this post:

Windows 10 Update July 2017 : Creators Update 1703 32-bit

Windows 10 Update July 2017 : Creators Update 1703 64-bit

Windows 10 Update July 2017 : Anniversary  Update 1607 32-bit

Windows 10 Update July 2017 : Anniversary  Update 1607 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update June 2017 : Creators Update 1703 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update June 2017 : Creators Update 1703 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update June 2017 : Anniversary Update 1607 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update June 2017 : Anniversary Update 1607 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Creators Update 1703 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Creators Update 1703 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Anniversary Update 1607 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Anniversary Update 1607 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Windows 10 1511 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update May 2017 : Windows 10 1511 64-bit

Windows 10 offline update April 2017 : Creators Update 32-bit

Windows 10 offline update April 2017 : Creators Update 64-bit

Windows 10 offline update April  2017 Anniversary Update 32-bit

Windows 10 offline update April  2017 Anniversary Update 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update March 2017 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update March 2017 64-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update January 2017 32-bit

Windows 10 Offline Update January 2017 64-bit

How To Sort Multiple Columns Of Data In Excel

Office 2013 , 0 Comments

Microsoft Excel is the best spreadsheet program available now. I am used to using the sort function for columns. This helps me sort any type of data according to my will.

Last time, I was working with Technize.net backlink profile and wanted to sort the data by multiple columns. If you are using Excel 2013, it is very easy to sort by a single column.

  1. Just select the column by clicking on the letter (A, B, C, D etc.)
    selecting an entire column
  2. And click on ‘Sort & Filter’ menu under Home ribbon
  3. Select an appropriate sorting option (sorting from highest to lowest or lowest to highest etc.)
    sorting button
  4. It will give you a warning whether you want to expand your selection or only sort the single column. In most cases, we will need to expand our selection.
    sort warning

Sort by multiple columns of data in Excel

If you want to sort by multiple columns of data in Excel, you can follow the steps below:

In my example, I will sort my data first by PR of the main site and then mozTrust of the site.

  1. Make sure you do not have any column selected in the spreadsheet
  2. Press the Sort & Filter button in the Home ribbon tab and select ‘Custom sort’.
  3. This should automatically select the spreadsheet data and will give you a sort window.
  4. First you will need to give the primary column by which you want to sort
    sort
  5. After adding the primary column, press the ‘Add level’ button which should add another row for selecting secondary sorting column.

You can add as many levels as you like. Excel will sort according to each level one by one such that the previous sorting is not disturbed.

4 Working Alternatives To Microsoft Office

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Microsoft Office is the most popular productivity suite with almost no competitor. The latest version of Microsoft Office 2013 or Office 365 is a sleek combination of different apps including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote etc.

In this article, we will discuss about each Office app and their corresponding alternatives. Let’s start with the complete Office suite.

Office program shortcuts

Microsoft Office Suite alternatives

I have tried many alternatives but am still very much comfortable with Microsoft Office 2013. A combination of alternatives may work together to fill the feature gap of the complete suite. Some alternatives are given below:

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free office suite which can open documents made in Microsoft Office apps. It is available for all Operating Systems. It is also available in a large number of languages so you can customize the language of the suite. LibreOffice is open-source, free to download, use and distribute.

Apache OpenOffice

Apache OpenOffice is one of the very popular alternatives to Microsoft Office suite. It is used by Linux and the open-source community as the default Office suite. It comes with the same alternatives to Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc. but with different names.

Kingsoft Office Suite

Kingsoft Office Suite is a very small and slim alternative to Microsoft Office. The total size of installation is less than 50 MB. Since it is very light weight, you do not have to compromise on your system performance while using Kingsoft Office. Microsoft Office is known to be a memory hog and takes a lot of computing resources while running. Kingsoft Office is available for Windows, Android and Linux.

SoftMaker Office

SoftMaker Office is my favorite suite which I use regularly as an alternative to Microsoft Office. While it does not fully replace Microsoft Office, but it can serve the purpose by providing simple and effective tools. SoftMaker Office is available for Windows, Windows Phone, Android and Linux.

Windows Event Viewer Tips And Tricks

Windows Event Viewer Tips And Tricks

Windows 0 Comments

Windows Event Viewer is a tool that stores a log of applications and system messages. This log contains errors, warnings and the system messages that can help you reach the root cause of any unpredictable behavior of your system.

Working with Event Viewer

You can launch event viewer from the Desktop by pressing the “Win +X + V‘ in Windows 8. There are three panes in Event Viewer: Console tree, Event Viewer and Actions pane.

Console tree displays the types of logs that you can view. You may understand ‘Console Tree’ as a ‘Log Explorer’.

The middle pane is the Event Viewer which gives an overview of logs. It is the same pane in which you will find detailed log information, errors and warnings. Actions pane allow you to play with the way you view information and some other important tasks, which we will cover soon.

  1. Go to View -> Customize.
  2. Customize View Dialog box appears with every option mentioned next to a check box. You can check amongst the list to select the options which should be displayed.

Windows 8 Event Viewer

Sorting Event Logs

Sorting is a useful technique which displays data in a more readable form. We can apply sorting to event logs on the basis of level, source, task id,category, time and date. If you want to track a particular event, sort the event log w.r.t event id. To apply sorting:

  • Select any event log.
  • Go to View -> Sort by -> Level.

Sort Event Logs in Windows 8 Event Viewer

However there’s one limitation that it arranges the log according to the specific category but displays the complete list. If you want to see few records of your interest, you may have to create a custom view.

Creating custom views

Now lets talk about creating the custom views in the Windows Event Viewer. You can create and save multiple custom views to monitor different logs. Creating custom views with Windows Event Viewer is a simple procedure.

  1. Go to Action Pane –> Create Custom View
  2. You can now specify the multiple filtering criteria to track any event
  3. You can select only one event log or multiple event logs and the event sources from the drop down list
  4. You can also specify any particular event id and the users who can view the filtered resultCreate Custom Views in Windows 8 Event Viewer
  5. Press Ok –> Give a name and save the view
    Custom Views in Windows 8 Event Viewer
  6. You may notice your newly created view in the console tree
    Custom Views in Windows 8 Event Viewer

Custom views can be saved, imported and exported easily using the options in the Action Pane. You may also change the criterion to display a log.

  1. Select the required custom view
  2. In the Action Pane –> Filter current custom view
  3. It will open the custom view settings which can be changed

Attaching a task to an event

‘Task Scheduler’ is a tool that enables you to create scheduled and unscheduled tasks that could perform a specific action at a particular time or as a response to any event.

You may also create a basic task directly from the Event Viewer. Let’s say, you want to run a particular application whenever you log in.

  1. Select the event
  2. In the Action pane –> Select ‘Attach task to this event’
  3. It will open create a basic task wizard
  4. Give a proper name and description to the task
  5. The event details are already filled by default
  6. Now select an action you want to perform when the event takes place. You can start any program, send an email or display a message
  7. Finish step will display the task details. You can go back if anything goes wrong, else click finishAttach task in event viewer

Event Viewer can be a great tool for troubleshooting apps and Operating System crashes. You only need to use it correctly. Hopefully this tutorial will help you make better use of Windows Event Viewer.

Download Windows Updates And Hotfixes Using Microsoft Update Catalog

Download Windows Updates And Hotfixes Using Microsoft Update Catalog

Microsoft 0 Comments

Microsoft Update Catalog provides downloads of Microsoft updates, drivers, hotfixes etc. which can be distributed and installed over corporate network. If you want to download updates of your Microsoft software for offline usage, Microsoft Update Catalog can be useful for you.

Go to Microsoft Update Catalog for searching for your required updates. The site will only open properly in Internet Explorer. If you try to open it in another browser, you will get the following error:

Microsoft Update Catalog error

Searching for updates on Microsoft Update Catalog is a tough ask. If you search for a particular file using some keywords, you will not be able to get to the correct download easily. It will be better if you search for the exact file name.

Microsoft Update Catalog page contains an FAQ link which answers most of the queries. Although if you are running a corporate network, you should be better off with WSUS server which downloads most of the updates for offline network installation, there are some situations where downloading updates and fixes from Microsoft Update catalog will be beneficial. According to the FAQ:

  1. Many updates are already available to you using the synchronizing capability in WSUS, SCE, and SCCM. Security updates, critical updates, service packs, update rollups, definition updates, and critical drivers can be configured to synchronize with your server automatically. You can still import these updates into your application by using Microsoft Update Catalog; however, depending on how you configure WSUS, SCE, and SCCM, you may not need to import the updates.
  2. Some updates require users to accept Microsoft Software License Terms or perform other update-specific installation steps. These updates can be imported, but you will be warned while importing them that they may require additional administrative support. For example, because updates require additional user interaction, the user can cancel the installation; the updates cannot be installed automatically at a scheduled time.
  3. Some updates are not compatible with the version of WSUS you are running. Additionally, some updates may not have the needed applicability information (in other words, the logic that determines whether an update should be installed). These types of updates cannot be imported.

Microsoft Update Catalog homepage

Microsoft Update Catalog can be useful only for corporate networks where network administrators have to download and manually install updates on certain systems like highly secured servers etc. For home users, it is still recommended that they use automatic Windows updates.

I wonder why Windows Update product team blog has not been updated for more than a year.

How to Manage and Switch Windows 8 Store Apps

How to Manage and Switch Windows 8 Store Apps

Windows 8 , , 0 Comments

Microsoft brings in the concept of a redesigned user interface with the launch of Windows 8. The Start Menu has been replaced by Start Screen. This interface contains the apps and programs in the form of tiles.

You can customize the Start Screen by selecting the apps to be displayed and changing their sizes. Group the apps of the same category together or unpin any app from it.

This brings us to the concept of the Windows Store and the Desktop apps in Windows 8. Windows Store apps are the newer apps which are developed specifically for the Windows 8 interface.

Customize windows 8 start screen

Pin favorite apps and places to Start Screen

Let us start with the first step of pinning any app to start screen. There is a huge collection of apps in Windows 8 and you will definitely not wish to clutter your Start with irrelevant apps. So, make a choice of the apps you will keep on the Start Screen.

  1. Press Windows Key + Q to open the All Apps
  2. Right click on the app
  3. A bar will appear at the bottom
  4. Select ‘Pin to Start’
  5. Your app is successfully pinned

Pin Apps in Windows 8 start metro ui

After viewing so many apps you may be thinking that you can pin only Windows Store or Desktop apps on the ‘Start’ interface. Let me tell you that you can pin any file, folder or program to ‘Start’ without getting into any technicalities.

  1. Press ‘Windows + E’ to open Windows Explorer
  2. Select the file, folder or program to be pinned
  3. Right click and select ‘Pin to Start’

Pin folders to start menu

Change tile size and set tiles

You can also customize the Start Screen by arranging the tiles. You can drag and drop the tiles and arrange them as you like. As discussed above, desktop apps don’t provide any customizable option. However, you can change the tile size of Windows Store Apps.

  1. Right click on the Windows Store app tile
  2. The options menu appears at the bottom
  3. I have selected the ‘News’ app which is a larger tile so the ‘smaller’ option is displayed
  4. Similarly, if you select a smaller tile, it will display the option of ‘larger’
  5. Click on ‘smaller’ or ‘larger’ to change the tile size

Change tile size in Windows 8 Start Menu

Unpin apps and places from Start Screen

Just like you pin your favorite apps to Start UI, you have the complete freedom to unpin them as soon as they drop out of your interests.

  1. Right click on the app tile
  2. Select ‘Unpin from Start’
  3. You may like to un-install any app directly by selecting the ‘Uninstall’ option

Uninstall Apps in windows 8 start screen

Switching quickly from one app to another

Windows 8 open Windows Store apps in the full screen mode. Since there is no taskbar at the bottom so you cannot switch between apps as you can do with Desktop apps. So, how to switch quickly from one app to another? Oh yes, the combination ‘Alt + tab’ stands valid in windows 8. But, we have another simple way:

  1. Move your mouse to the top-left corner of the screen
  2. You will see a thumbnail of any opened app
  3. Place your mouse properly and a panel will appear containing thumbnails of all opened apps
  4. Click on any thumbnail and switch to that app

Switch between apps in windows 8

Close a Windows Store app

Closing Windows Store apps is a little different than closing Desktop apps because there is not X button at the top as Windows Store apps always run in full screen mode. To close Windows Store apps, do the following:

  1. Move your mouse to the top left corner to see the thumbnails of apps in panel
  2. Select the app and right click to close it

Close App in Windows 8

We hope that these simple tips will help you manage your apps much effectively. Are you facing any problem in handling apps of Windows 8?

You may also like to read: How to access files, folders and programs quickly.

How To Run File Names With Spaces Through Command Line

How To Run File Names With Spaces Through Command Line

Windows , 0 Comments

There are several ways to open or run a file in Windows. You can double-click the file to open it or use the Run command box. You can also use command prompt to open the file. Sometimes it happens that when we manually enter the full path and filename in command prompt, the file doesn’t open or the program doesn’t run.

Usually when we want to open a file in another program (which Windows recognizes), we use the “start” command before the file path and filename to open the file. Here is the syntax of opening a text file:

C:\>start sample.txt

But when it comes to filenames with spaces, Windows will only take the first word and search for that name. And if it doesn’t find the filename, it will give the following error:

Windows cannot find file error

I have been double quote at the start and end of the filename to open the file.

C:\>start "sample text file.txt"

But sometimes this doesn’t work. Windows will still take the first word i.e., sample as filename and search for it in the specified folder path.

You can also try out the following syntax which I have used successfully to open files through command line:

C:\>start "sample text file".txt

If one option doesn’t work, you can try out the next one and most probably one of the options discussed above will work. I’m not sure why but this is Windows behavior. Different versions of DOS interpret filenames differently and this causes confusion on how to write the correct syntax of filenames with spaces.

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