Killer keyboard shortcuts to help you master Windows

These Windows keyboard shortcuts help you navigate your PC faster, master documents, wrangle various virtual desktops, and shut down and secure a computer, using just a few keys.windows-keyboardDespite notable advancements in speech-recognition technology and voice input, and the popularity of tablets, the humble PC continues to be the workhorse device of choice for many workers around the world. And whether you’re an office-bound professional slouched behind a desktop PC, or a globetrotting executives armed with the latest ultrabook, the “physical” hardware keyboard continues to play a crucial role in productivity.The last thing you want in the heat of the moment is to fumble around for a mouse or have to take multiple steps to complete a task that could be done with a quick keyboard shortcut. Of course, learning and remembering such shortcuts can be hard work, and you’ll need to take some time to find the appropriate shortcuts for you.We’re here to assist. This list of valuable Windows keyboard shortcuts will help you work smarter and faster.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Windows surfer

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If you hope to master Windows keyboard shortcuts, you should start with the Windows desktop. The following shortcuts let you toggle between app windows and quickly resize them without having to reach for a mouse or align your apps.

  • Windows key (a.k.a., “Winkey“) + D.  Minimize all app windows and jump straight to the desktop. Hit the shortcut again to bring all apps back to the foreground.
  • Winkey + Comma. Take a quick peek at your desktop, and then release the keys to snap all apps back to the foreground.
  • Winkey + Left Arrow, or Winkey + Right Arrow. Dock your app windows to the left or right of the screen.
  • Winkey + Down Arrow, or Winkey + Up Arrow. Maximize or minimize a selected app. Or dock your app windows to the top or bottom of your display, when app windows are already docked to the left or right.
  • F11 – Toggle an active window in and out of full screen mode.
  • Ctrl + Esc – Bring up your Start menu. (This is particularly helpful if you use a keyboard that doesn’t have a Winkey.)

Windows keyboard shortcuts for the Kung Fu typer

These useful shortcuts help zoom the cursor around your page much quicker than if you use a mouse or trackpad.

  • Ctrl + Right Arrow, or Ctrl + Left Arrow. Move the cursor one word to the right or left.
  • Ctrl + Down Arrow, or Ctrl + Up Arrow. Move the cursor to the start or end of the next or previous paragraph.
  • Ctrl + Z, or Ctrl + Y. Undo or redo almost any action, as long as the app supports the feature.

Windows keyboard shortcuts for virtual desktop Jujutsu

Long a staple feature in Linux and the Mac, Microsoft finally officially incorporated virtual desktops into its Windows 10 OS. The indispensable feature lets you create additional desktops to better manage multiple app windows.

  • Winkey + Ctrl + D, or Winkey + Ctrl + F4. Create or close a virtual desktop.
  • Winkey + Ctrl + Left Arrow, or Winkey + Ctrl +Right Arrow. Toggle through your virtual desktops.
  • Winkey + Tab. Display the “Task View” interface for an overview of all virtual desktops. You can use the Arrow keys to toggle through desktops if you also hit Tab when in this mode. Hit Enter to jump to a selected desktop.

Windows keyboard shortcuts for the browser ninja

You’ve probably used a web browser for as long as you’ve had a computer, but do you take full advantage of keyboard shortcuts for browser navigation? These browser shortcuts all work the in latest versions of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

  • Alt + D. Put the cursor into the browser’s address bar.
  • Ctrl + W, or Ctrl + T. Close or open a new browser tab.
  • Ctrl + Shift + T. Reopen the last browser tab you closed. (This comes in handy when if you hit Ctrl + W too quickly.)
  • Ctrl + Plus sign, or Ctrl + Minus sign. Zoom in and out on a web page. Reset the zoom level with Ctrl + 0.
  • Ctrl + Tab, or Ctrl + Shift + Tab. Toggle to the next browser tab from left to right, or from right to left.
  • Alt + Right Arrow, or Alt + Left Arrow. Browse forward or backward through recently visited websites. These shortcuts perform the same function as a browser’sForward and Back buttons.

Windows keyboard shortcuts for locking up and shutting down

This guide wouldn’t be complete without some shortcuts that help you shut down your PC and then lock things up.

  • Winkey + L. Immediately lock your PC.
  • Ctrl + Shift + Esc. Open the Task Manager to monitor app or forcibly shut down frozen programs.
  • Alt + F4. Close an active app. Using this shortcut key when your desktop is at the forefront invokes the “Shut Down Windows” prompt.

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99% of business machines have not upgraded to Windows 10, according to study

According to a new study released by Softchoice, less than 1% of business machines have upgraded to Windows 10, opting instead for Windows 7.

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Windows 10 has been one of the more controversial OS releases of recent memory, bringing privacy concerns, bugs that disable certain hardware, and other nasty surprises. And the enterprise, it seems, is avoiding it altogether.

According to a recent study by IT services firm Softchoice, less than 1% of Windows machines were actually running Windows 10. That means that, one year after the release of the latest Microsoft OS, more than 99% of machines haven’t yet made the switch.

The study was performed as part of a TechCheck analysis by Softchoice, which looked at more than 402,814 Windows devices operating among 169 organizations. So, what were these firms choosing instead of Windows 10? Overwhelmingly, they were running Windows 7.

“It appears businesses are hesitant to take advantage of the various Windows 10 upgrades and, at least for now, are satisfied with Windows 7,” Softchoice’s David Brisbois wrote in a press release. “Historically, OS upgrades have been viewed as major time and resource-consuming undertakings, and this may be influencing the decision today to hold off on Windows 10.”

The Softchoice looked at these Windows machines in both US and Canadian firms from January 1, 2016 through May 31, 2016. At the time, only 2,999 devices were running Windows 10, which accounted for a grand total of 0.75% of the whole.

In terms of business break down, 42 of the 169 businesses (25%) had no trace of Windows 10 in their environment. Additionally, 73 of the 169 (43%) had fewer than 10 devices running Windows 10 present in their environment.

In contrast, 91% of the machines were operating with Windows 7, which marked an 18% increase over the same period of time in 2015. The next largest group were the Windows XP holdouts, which counted for 5% of the devices. Devices running Windows 8 were at 4%, which is double from the 2% measured the year prior.

“It seems businesses don’t see an urgent need to move operating systems, so long as their cloud-based applications are still running fine on Windows 7,” Softchoice’s Microsoft director Craig McQueen wrote in a press release. “In addition to the security benefits, I think once organizations grasp the user benefits—such as touch and Cortana—we will start to see a boost in adoption.”

Although, some of those features may not be enough to sway some users. Cortana, for example, has proven very difficult to get rid of, and other updates have led to frozen machines. The most recent Windows 10 Anniversary Update actually broke some third-party webcams, without a workaround or fix until September. That’s bad news for a business that relies heavily on video conferencing.

Still, there are a host of new features and tools that could make it easier to get work done.

The 3 big takeaways for Readers

  • 1. A recent study by Softchoice has shown that less than 1% of enterprise organizations have upgraded their Windows devices to Windows 10, even a full year after the OS was released.
  • 2. Most business were still running Windows 7, according to the study, as Windows 8 also saw poor adoption rates after its release.
  • 3. A plethora of concerns over privacy and functionality, combined with the effort it takes to upgrade a whole organization, likely led to the low adoption numbers for Windows 10.

Have questions?

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11 awesome back-to-school gadgets for students

Whether you’re just starting high school or about to graduate college, our list of essential gear for students will ensure that you have a productive—and fun—school year.

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New school year, new school gear

With classes back in session (or about to begin), hopefully you already have everything from your back-to-school list. Laptop? Check. The perfect bag for said laptop? Check. Schedule and text books? Check and check. Though your laptop and books are, of course, your school lifeline, there are some other gadgets you can add to your list to make your life easier. From practical picks (mice, keyboards, hard drives) to streaming sticks (hey, it’s all about that work/life balance!), our gear guide is full of recommendations designed to aid you in all the demands of student life.

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Logitech K480 Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard

Your standard laptop keyboard is fine, but a wireless Bluetooth keyboard that you can sync with your mobile devices might be more comfortable for serious study work.Logitech’s K480 ($50 MSRP, $30 on Amazon) can be connected to three devices at once on any platform—Mac, PC, iOS, or Android—with familiar shortcut keys for all. It also has a handy groove at the top to prop up your phone or tablet.

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Logitech MX Master

Your laptop’s trackpad, however, is not going to cut it for extended use—you’ll be much more comfortable with a mouse. The MX Master ($100 MSRP, $70 on Amazon), also by Logitech, has customizable buttons, supports trackpad gestures, and is comfortable to use. It’s a wireless mouse; pick between Bluetooth or 2.4GHz radio frequency to connect.

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Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones

A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones is a must—something to block out roommates (If you have them) or excess library/coffee shop sounds as you’re cranking out your midterm paper. Bose’s QuietComfort 35 ($349.95 MSRP, same price onAmazon) is a pricey pair, but worth it—they’re wireless, so they won’t get in the way as you’re moving about. There’s no way to disable the noise-cancelling feature, but that’s okay—they run for 20 hours on a single charge. While the audio quality varies, the noise-cancelling feature is second to none.

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Altec Lansing Mini Life Jacket 3

You’ll want a great-sounding Bluetooth speaker, but one that’s easy to schlep around from party to party, and one that won’t die if it gets into an accident with a red cup.Altec Lansing’s Mini Life Jacket 3 ($100 MSRP, same price on Best Buy) has a rugged exterior that’s also waterproof—it can survive a dunk for up to 30 minutes—so it’s up for the challenge. We were impressed with its good fidelity and sound quality, and loved that it comes with a hardware kit for you to mount the speaker on your bike as you cruise around campus. And at $100, it’s priced for students, too.

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Seagate Backup Plus Slim Portable

A hard drive may not be the most exciting thing on our list, but it’s the most practical—you’ll need something to back up your hard work just in case your laptop crashes.Seagate’s Backup Plus Slim Portable ($50 to $90 MSRP, same price on Amazon) will do just that. It’s compact, comes in a variety of capacities, and is available in four different colors and finishes.

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Fitbit Alta

A smartwatch or fitness tracker is a must-have for maintaining your work-study balance. If you’re looking for a device that handles your push notifications, reminders, and more, then go with an all-around smartwatch that’s an extension of your phone. For iPhone users, that’s easy—go with the Apple Watch ($299 MSRP and up, available at the Apple Store). For Android users, we like the Huawei Watch ($350 MSRP and up, $299 and up on Amazon) for its style, features, and customizable options.

If it’s just the fitness stuff you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the Fitbit Alta ($129.95 MSRP, $119 on Amazon). This sleek activity tracker monitors your workouts, steps, and sleep automatically, and pairs it all within the Fitbit app on your phone (it’s compatible with both iOS and Android phones) so that you can keep an eye on your habits. Reminding yourself to stay active in between study sessions has never been so easy.

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Livescribe 3

Spend one lecture with the Livescribe 3 Smartpen ($150 MSRP, $138.84 on Amazon) and corresponding app for your smartphone, and you’ll never want to go back to a regular old Bic. As you write in the Livescribe’s specialty notebooks, the smartpen sends a digital copy of your hand-written notes to your phone via Bluetooth, so you can access them at any time. It can also record audio notes through the Livescribe app on your smartphone, which get linked to your hand-written notes. When reviewing notes later, tap any word to hear what your professor was saying at that moment. If you’ve left yourself a doodle, abbreviation, or mnemonic device, tapping that word will bring you right back to the lecture. The pen itself can last 14 hours on a single charge.

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Roku Streaming Stick

Your dorm may include a cable hookup for your TV, but it won’t play well with your Netflix subscription. The solution? Roku’s Streaming Stick ($50 MSRP, $39.01 onAmazon) a thumb-sized device that plugs into your TV or monitor’s HDMI port that streams web-based content—Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and more. It’s fast, has a dedicated remote, and is compatible with most of the major streaming content players.

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OtterBox Universe Case System

Some school days, you never know what kind of gear you’ll need. Will your smartphone make it through the day without needing a recharge? Will you want to snap a picture of something being presented during lecture? What if you need to quickly transfer a file to a classmate?

OtterBox’s Universe Case System ($49.95 MSRP for the base, modules are extra; $44.95 on Amazon) has extra add-ons that can help you do all of those things. This system consists of various accessory modules that you can attach to your iPhone via its protective case—so you can snap on a battery pack ($50 on Amazon), a flash drive (64GB for $60 on Amazon), a tripod ($30 on Amazon), and more in a pinch.

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Anker PowerCore 20100

A one-device battery pack might not cut it—you may want a dedicated battery pack for a long school day, to power up your tablet or other gear besides your phone. Anker’s PowerCore 20100 ($80 MSRP, $43 on Amazon) is small, light, and powerful, with two USB ports to charge two devices at once. Its whopping 20,000mAh battery can charge your phone seven times, or your iPad mini (or other small tablet) twice.

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Stir Kinetic Desk M1

Standing desks are still having a moment in the health-tech spotlight, so if you’re considering a splurge on a new desk setup, dream big with Stir’s Kinetic Desk M1 ($2,990 MSRP, same price on Amazon). This smart desk is a well-built, comfortable workstation that smoothly adjusts between sitting and standing positions set to your preferences. You can tell the desk how often you’d like to stand up, and it will gently “nudge” you into your standing position by slightly raising up to coax you to move. The future is here, and this desk is proof.

Don’t have an extra $3,000 lying around? Grovemade’s Desk Collection (pictured in first slide) will keep your desk organized—and make it look like a million bucks for a fraction of the cost.

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10 killer PC upgrades that are shockingly cheap

Looking to put more pep in your PC’s step? These surprisingly cheap PC upgrades and accessories do the trick without breaking the bank.

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No need to break the bank

Sure, swanky new Surface Pros and $1,200 graphics cards may capture all the headlines, but on a practical level, the real story is that PCs aren’t cheap. But if your computer’s starting to feel pokey, there’s fortunately no reason to rush out a spend hundreds on a new one.

Investing small amounts in key new PC hardware can keep your computer running strong for years to come. These upgrades—most costing well under $100—breathe new life into slow machines. You just have to be strategic and make sure you’re putting your money in the best place for your particular system.

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Speed up your PC with an SSD

Let’s start in the most obvious place. If your PC still runs with a mechanical hard drive, swapping it out with an SSD will make it feel like a whole new computer. SSDs inject face-melting speed into a PC, drastically improving boot times, file transfers, and overall system responsiveness.

A lot of PCs don’t have SSDs, for two reasons: Solid-state drives use to be extravagantly expensive, and computer makers often charge hefty mark-ups for upgrading to an SSD. Fortunately, SSD prices have plummeted in recent years. Superb models like theSamsung 850 EVO ($89.39 for 250GB on Amazon) and the OCZ Trion 150 ($45 for 120GB on Amazon) can be found for well under $100 online. If you find the storage capacities a bit too tight, you can always install the SSD as a boot drive alongside your current hard drive.

A word of warning about SSDs, and all the hardware discussed in this article: You can often find lower prices if you sift through Amazon or Newegg for no-name or lesser-known brands. But you’re gambling on reliability and support when you move away from established PC hardware makers. Stick with name brand gear unless you absolutely, positively can’t afford it.

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Mass storage is dirt cheap

Good news if your available storage space is filled to the brim: Traditional hard drives are even cheaper than SSDs these days. A 1TB Western Digital Blue hard drive spinning at a speedy 7,200rpm will only set you back $50 on Amazon, while a 3TB WD Blue drive is just $90 on Amazon (albeit at a slower 5,400rpm).

Hybrid drives blend the best of both worlds, combining a large amount of traditional storage with a small, speedy flash storage cache. The drive monitors your oft-used files and keeps them on the cache, where they benefit from SSD-esque speeds. A Seagate 1TB hybrid drive goes for $85 on Amazon with an 8GB SSD cache, or $114 on Amazonwith a 32GB cache.

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Add RAM for more multitasking

If your computer’s having trouble running multiple tasks simultaneously, low memory is a likely culprit. Two gigabytes of RAM is the absolute minimum modern Windows systems need to run smoothly, and even PCs with 4GB of memory can start to feel pokey if you’re running several programs, keep a dozen Chrome tabs open, or game with some background processes still running.

Fortunately, memory is dirt cheap. Picking up an 8GB memory kit from Corsair ($36 for 2x4GB kit on Amazon) or Kingston ($36 for 2x4GB kit on Amazon)—two reliable brands I’ve had nothing but success with personally—will set you back less than $5 per gigabyte.

Just be sure to get the right type of memory for your PC! RAM comes in all sorts of different packages. The easiest way to tell what type of RAM resides in your PC is to download the free, superb CPU-Z software, then open the Memory tab and look for the “type” option.

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MAYBE upgrade your CPU

A pokey PC may be the result of an outdated processor. Unfortunately, replacing your CPU often means replacing your motherboard too, making the endeavor pretty pricey. But not always—especially if you have an AMD-powered system.

AMD’s AM3+ and FM2 motherboards have been powering AMD’s CPUs and APUs, respectively, since mid-2012. Since many prebuilt AMD systems sport modest processors, upgrading to a modern CPU can give your PC a shot in the arm. If you’re on FM3+, the new Athlon X4 860K ($75 on Amazon) is a solid entry-level quad-core processor for gaming, while the 8-core FX-8320E ($130 on Amazon) is a great step-up option and price-to-performance champion. If you have an FM2-based system with an AMD APU, the A10-7860K ($110 on Amazon) could be a solid upgrade, complete withintegrated graphics that let you get into e-sports games at modest frame rates.

Intel switches out its motherboards and socket types much more often, and its chips tend to be much more expensive. Replacing Intel chips aren’t really an affordable upgrade in most cases.

It’s important to make sure your new chip is compatible with your existing motherboard! Before you buy, fire up CPU-Z and search for the “Package” entry in the main CPU tab to see what sort of socket your motherboard packs.

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Gaming doesn’t have to be expensive

Want to dip your toes into PC gaming? Despite what fearmongers may tell you, gaming doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

AMD’s Radeon RX 460 ($110 and up on Newegg) delivers great performance in e-sports games like League of Legends and Overwatch. It also lets you play modern games at a console-esque 30 frames per second with High graphics settings at 1080p, or up to 60fps at Medium settings. That’s damned good for a hair over $100. Even better: Many models pull their power directly from your motherboard, with no need for additional power connectors. That makes AMD’s budget card a great option for adding gaming capabilities to prebuilt “big box” PCs from the likes of HP and Dell, as they often pack modest power supplies that lack extra connectors.

Be careful though: Some of the more potent Radeon RX 460 models require extra 6-pin power connectors. You don’t want that if you don’t have one available—unless you want to buy a power supply, too. A 500 watt power supply from a reputable company doesn’t cost much, as evidenced by the EVGA 500 W1, which only costs $35 on Amazon.

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Buy some canned air

No, seriously. If you haven’t cleaned out your PC in a year or more, mounds of dust and debris can be collected inside. Clogged fans and exhaust ports lead to overheating, which leads to your PC throttling back performance. Single containers of canned air can be relatively pricey; grab a four pack ($16.22 on Amazon) for a lower price and enough air to clean out your PC for years to come.

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Improve your cooling, improve your performance

If your PC’s still running hot after blowing out the dust, the thermal paste coating the area where your CPU or GPU touches its cooler could be old, dry, and ineffective, especially if you’ve had the equipment for several years.

First, install SpeedFan and double check that your CPU or GPU is indeed overheating. If one (or both!) is, grab a syringe of thermal paste—Arctic Silver 5 ($7.43 on Amazon)—then use guides to installing a CPU cooler and refreshing your graphics card to help you apply new thermal paste after scraping off the old stuff.

Still running hot overall? Try adding a case fan or two. Case fans from reputable vendors are shockingly cheap ($7.91 from Cooler Master on Amazon, or $9 from NZXT on Amazon) and can be installed in mere minutes.

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A better monitor

You spend most of your time interacting with your computer’s input and output devices, so it’s definitely worth investing in decent peripherals if you spend considerable time at your PC.

Start with your monitor. If you’re still using a lower-resolution display or (shudder) a fat CRT display, embracing a high-definition 1080p monitor will provide a huge step up in usability. It won’t break the bank either: You can buy a 1080p HP with a 21.5-inch IPS screen for just $100 on Amazon. IPS screens provide a much more vibrant image than the twisted-nematic panels found in most budget monitors.

Alternatively, if you’re a gamer with a Radeon graphics card, consider buying a monitor that supports AMD’s FreeSync technology. FreeSync synchronizes the refresh rate of your graphics card and display to eliminate stutter and screen tearing in games. While monitors with Nvidia’s competing G-Sync technology fetch steep price premiums, FreeSync adds minimal cost to a display. A 22-inch 1080p FreeSync display by ViewSonic costs just $110 on Amazon, for example.

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Aural bliss

Treat your ears, too. The speakers that come bundled with prebuilt PCs tend to be utter garbage. While audio gear pricing can escalate to frightening levels, some of our favorite headsets will set you back less than a Benjamin.

If you’re a gamer, our favorite all-around gaming headset is the Kingston HyperX Cloud($67.93 on Amazon). The sound quality is second to none in this bracket, the build quality is superb, and it’s extremely comfortable—though its microphone is merely average.

Don’t need a mic? Music lovers will find a lot to love in the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro ($99.95 on Amazon), which I’ve personally been using for years now. The comfortably snug cans lack the extreme bass kick of, say, Beats or Monster headphones, but make up for it by delivering rich, accurate, and dynamic audio across the full sound spectrum. They’re beloved among Amazon buyers for a reason.

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Enhance the parts you physically touch

If you’re used to crappy bundled PC keyboards, or laptop keyboards, upgrading to a mechanical keyboard will change your life. The well-reviewed Logitech G610 Orion withCherry MX Brown or Red switches only costs $90 on Amazon.That’s probably more than most people have spent on a keyboard before, but it’s cheap by mechanical standards. Once you’ve tried it, you won’t be able to go back to a rubber-dome board.

Likewise, investing in a decent mouse makes interacting with your PC that much more pleasant. The Razer DeathAdder ($42.69 on Amazon) is ostensibly a gaming mouse, but its ergonomic design and high DPI sensor help it feel good in your palm and generate nice, smooth cursor movements. I’ve been using one for more than five years now, and grimace whenever i’m forced to use a cheap mouse bundled with a prebuilt PC.

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But first…

Speeding up your well-loved PC doesn’t actually have to cost any money. You’ll find a few tips repeated from here—seriously, buy an SSD—but for the most part, it focuses on no-cost software solutions for potentially boosting your computer’s performance. Try those before dropping dough on new gear!

Have questions?

Get answers from Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner!
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South Jersey Techies, LL C is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design ServicesServer SupportNetwork ConsultingInternet PhonesCloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.

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The 16 most pivotal events in Windows history

Thirty years of Windows is a lifetime.

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Thirty years of Windows

For better or for worse, Windows has defined the modern era of personal computing. Microsoft’s signature OS runs on the vast majority of PCs worldwide, and it has also worked its way into servers, tablets, phones, game consoles, ATMs, and more.

Windows’ 30 years or so of existence has spanned generations of computing and entire lifetimes of companies and their products. Understandably, choosing the most noteworthy moments of Windows’ long life has been a challenging task, but we went for it. On the following slides we present our our list of the obvious, and not-so-obvious, milestones in Windows history.

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Windows 1.0

On Nov. 20, 1985, Microsoft launched the first iteration of Windows, essentially a graphical shell that overlaid Microsoft’s well-known MS-DOS. Requiring a couple of floppy drives, 192KB of RAM, and, most importantly, a mouse, Windows wasn’t actually that well-received. But Bill Gates told InfoWorld that “only applications that run Windows will be competitive in the long run.” He was right—for a time.

Featuring tiled windows that could be minimized or extended to cover the full screen, plus “apps” like Calendar and Write, Windows was the precursor to what the majority of PC users run today. Oh, and it was sold by Microsoft’s eventual CEO, Steve Ballmer, in perhaps the best computer commercial (Apple’s “1984” ad notwithstanding) ever shown.

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Windows 3.x

Windows puttered along until May 1990, when the first iconic Windows release, Windows 3.0, was released. It’s difficult to decide whether Windows 3.0 or its immediate successor, Windows 3.1, was more important; Windows 3.0 introduced sound to the Windows platform, but Windows 3.1 added TrueType fonts.

Yes, Windows 3.1 included File Manager (drag and drop!) and Program Manager, but the real innovations were more fun: support for MIDI sound and AVI files.  More importantly, Windows 3.x introduced screensavers (a staple of shovelware for years) and the ultimate timewasters: Solitaire (Windows 3.0) and Minesweeper (Windows 3.1). An entire generation learned how to place digital playing cards, one on top of the other, all for the glory of seeing all the cards bounce when a game was completed.

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Windows 95

Early iterations of Microsoft’s Windows operating system catered more toward the business user than anyone else. That changed on August 24, 1995 with the launch of Windows 95.

It featured a few key technical upgrades: Windows 95 was Microsoft’s first “mass-market” 32-bit OS. It was the also first to add the Start button that we use today. The first integrated web browser, Internet Explorer, just missed the launch and shipped later.

With a promotional budget of hundreds of millions of dollars, much of what we remember about Windows 95, though, was tied up in the marketing: a midnight launch, an ad campaign built around the The Rolling Stones hit “Start Me Up,” a partnership with Brian Eno that produced the iconic boot melody.

Oh, and Windows 95 also allowed users to pay $19.95 to try out a time-limited beta of the OS, which expired at the launch. Good times.

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Microsoft Bob

Windows 3.1, however, also gave us Microsoft Bob, a March 1995 release that remodeled Windows as a series of “rooms.” Each was populated by virtual objects that might have a purpose—but you wouldn’t know until you clicked on them. Bob also featured a series of “assistants” that offered to help you perform all sorts of tasks, whether you wanted to or not.

Bob bombed. But Microsoft never quite gave up on trying to humanize Windows, a noble if slightly pathetic effort that would later produce the unfortunately iconic Clippy assistant.

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Windows NT

Though PCWorld tends to focus on the PC (natch), we’d be remiss to neglect Windows NT, the precursor to Windows’ expansion into the server and workstation space. Windows NT was Microsoft’s first 32-bit OS designed (and priced) for both the server and workstation market, with specific versions optimized for the X86, DEC Alpha, and MIPS series of microprocessors. It eventually was combined with the standard Windows architecture to form Windows XP.

Today, Microsoft has built a sizeable portion of its business upon Windows Server, SQL Server, and Windows Center, among others, plus its investments in the Azure cloud. All of this originated with Microsoft’s desire to take on UNIX in the server space.

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Windows XP

Whether it’s due to nostalgia, good design, or the famous “Bliss” backdrop featuring an emerald-green hillside in California’s wine country, 2001’s Windows XP remains one of the more beloved Windows operating systems. Shoot, it managed to erase the memory of Windows ME, one of Microsoft’s biggest blunders.

Windows XP shipped in two editions: one for professionals, the other for home users, with features stripped out of the “pro” version, such as domain join. But Windows XP also shipped with a Media Center edition that transformed a PC equipped with a TV tuner into a powerful DVR. (Media Center remains one of the more popular, and mourned, features of Windows today—it’s one reason users cite for refusing to upgrade to Windows 10.)

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Windows Genuine Advantage

Maybe you thought every pivotal Windows moment was a product release. Not so. As good as it was, Windows XP also unleashed Windows Genuine Advantage—or what we now refer to as “activation”—upon an unsuspecting world. It was the first step in evolving Windows from a “hobby” to what some would refer to as “Micro$oft.”

This attitude was nothing new. In 1976, Bill Gates penned “An Open Letter to Hobbyists,” where he complained that the amount of royalties paid by customers using its BASIC software amounted to about $2 per hour. “Most directly, the thing you do is theft,” Gates wrote, essentially equating sharing code with outright stealing.

Microsoft sought to curtail this activity with the release of Windows Genuine Advantage, which stealthily installed itself onto millions of PCs by way of a high-priority “update.” (Sound familiar?) Windows Genuine Advantage consisted of two parts, one to actually validate the OS and another to inform users whether they had an illegal installation: In 2006, Microsoft said it had found about 60 million illegal installations that failed validation.

Now? Virtually every standalone product Microsoft sells comes with its own software protections and licenses. If you want a “hobby” OS, you run Linux—which Microsoftalso spent millions trying to discredit, to no avail.

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United States v. Microsoft

In May of 1998, following government concerns that bundling Internet Explorer within its operating system gave Microsoft an unfair advantage, the Department of Justice and several states filed a landmark antitrust suit against the company.

The trial lasted 76 days. Cofounder and chief executive Bill Gates appeared on videotape, seemingly dismissing questions put to him by government lawyers. Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson ultimately ruled that Microsoft had acted as a monopoly and should be broken up into two companies, though that ruling was later overturned by an appeals court.

Years later, an integrated browser is generally viewed as part and parcel of an OS, though consumers are free to select any browser they choose. Today, Microsoft and IE still power most older PCs, but consumers selecting new browsers are turning to Chrome.

Judge Penfield argued that consumers would have benefitted from a breakup of Microsoft. But we’ve argued before that Microsoft would have, too.

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Browser-choice screen

In 2009, Microsoft struck a deal with the European Commission, ending the EU’s own antitrust investigation. That agreement created what became known as the “browser-choice screen,” encouraging European consumers to pick a browser besides Internet Explorer.

The browser-choice screen didn’t kill Internet Explorer; in fact, IE remained the most popular downloaded browser until March 2016, when Windows 10 helped push it out of the top spot. But the browser-choice screen certainly reminded consumers that other browsers existed, and that they could pick and choose whichever they preferred, rather than accepting what Microsoft provided to them.

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Windows 7

For many, Windows reached its apex with Windows 7, which continues to be the dominant OS in Windows’ history: It reached a high of almost 61 percent market share in June 2015, and still commands about 47 percent of the market today.

Why? Any number of reasons, not the least of which is familiarity: Windows’ UI remained relatively static for almost 11 years, from the 2001 launch of Windows XP on up to the dramatic tiled revamp of 2012’s Windows 8. Windows 7 also added several elements that we take for granted in Windows today: the taskbar, a more evolved Snap function, and support for multiple graphics cards. It’s also important to note that Windows 7 supports DirectX 11.1, which is arguably still the dominant graphics API today. Until DirectX12 supersedes it, gamers won’t have a reason to leave.

Windows 7 also eliminated many of the annoying UAC popups that its predecessor, Windows Vista, had put in place. And (as our commenters have repeatedly pointed out) it lacks the frustratingly frequent updates of the current Windows 10, allowing users to essentially “set it and forget it.”

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Laptop Hunters ads

Microsoft ran a series of “Laptop Hunters” ads during 2009, featuring real people buying real laptops from real stores—and consistently picking Windows PCs over the more expensive Apple options. For about three years, Microsoft had been stung by the barrage of “I’m a Mac/I’m a PC” ads portraying PCs as clunky and out of touch, and “Laptop Hunters” effectively skewered that message as pretentious and expensive.

The campaign followed a $300 million “I’m a PC” push a year earlier, which lacked the real-world punch of Lauren and other real-world customers. Both campaigns illustrated Microsoft’s pivot to being the face of the PC. The “Dude, you’re getting a Dell!” days are long gone.

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Windows 8.1

I vividly remember the first time I saw a Windows 7 user try out Windows 8: He stabbed at tile after tile, unable to figure out what to do with Microsoft’s new OS. Most of the public did the same. Today, we barely even talk about Windows 8.

Instead, we talk about Windows 8.1: the “service pack” update that undid at least some of the flaws that plagued Windows 8. In my opinion, the most notable thing about Windows 8.1 was that it showed Microsoft was listening to its customers again, even adding a hidden “boot to desktop” command to remedy one of its users’ biggest complaints. (It also was the last time SkyDrive, later renamed OneDrive, actually acted like the cloud backup we wanted.)

By itself, Windows 8.1 is a relatively minor release. But it stands as an important admission of guilt, and an apology, for the sins of its predecessor.

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The rise of Android, the fall of Windows Mobile

In February 2007, Microsoft debuted Windows Mobile 6, its first mobile operating system for true smartphones and arguably one of the company’s most successful. In November 2007, however, the free Android OS debuted. A year later, HTC launched the first Android smartphone: the HTC Dream, seen here. It was all downhill from there for Microsoft.

Yes, you could make a strong argument that Microsoft’s massive $7.8 billion acquisition of Nokia’s devices business in 2013—which, by now, has been almost completely written off—was actually the last gasp of Microsoft’s mobile vision. But the launch of the Dream, and the hundreds of millions of Android phones that followed it, lured away third-party developers Microsoft needed for its mobile aspirations to thrive.

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Windows 10: The ‘last Windows’

With Windows 10, Microsoft made the gutsy call to bring beta testers in as partners rather than as guinea pigs. The Windows Insider program lets users try out and evaluate builds almost as quickly as Microsoft can churn them out, fostering an air of camaraderie between users and Microsoft.

Windows 10 also introduced a number of features: a revamped Start menu, better notifications, virtual desktops, and more. It launched Cortana, a digital assistant that Microsoft hoped would eliminate the grunt work of setting reminders and sending quick texts and email.

But Cortana’s privacy-intruding nature and Microsoft’s aggressive upgrade practiceswashed away some of the goodwill Windows 10 originally engendered. Today, Windows 10 is one of the more polarizing operating systems in recent memory, with many Windows 7 fans loudly criticizing it, and others supporting the direction Microsoft has taken.

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The evolution of the digital assistant

 Of course, Microsoft has a long, controversial history with digital assistants, beginning way back in 1995 with the debut of Microsoft Bob. That program was meant to help familiarize Windows users with various applications by anticipating the users’ needs. While universally derided, Bob introduced the concept of ostensibly helpful characters, from a superhero dog to a clone of Albert Einstein to the infamous Office assistant  “Clippit,” aka “Clippy.”

You can make the case that Clippy and its ilk evolved, over time and behind the scenes, into the far more sophisticated digital assistant that’s built into Windows 10: Cortana. The difference, of course, is that Cortana is part of a larger trend, joined by Google Now and Siri, digital assistants in their own rights for the Android and iOS platforms, respectively. Indeed, Microsoft is pushing its Bot Framework, which enables the creation of intelligent digital helpers, into all sorts of new applications beyond the OS, such as Skype and Bing.

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Patches, good and bad

Windows has bugs. Windows requires patches. And while there have been many, many updates over the years to fix bugs, slowdowns, and other incompatibilities, there have also been many, many screwups, too. InfoWorld has an entire list of them.

My favorite? A patch that put a mysterious black bar on one side of Internet Explorer—and if you clicked it—CRASH!—down came your machine with a BSOD. For a time, Microsoft allowed you to refuse Windows patches. Windows 10, unfortunately, did away with all that.

That concludes our list of Windows’ most pivotal moments. We could have spent dozens upon dozens of slides diving deep into Windows’ history, but we had to stop somewhere. Is there anything we missed? Tell us below.

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10 reasons why you shouldn’t upgrade to Windows 10

The end of Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade offer is right around the corner. But while Windows 10 is great, there are valid reasons to reject it.

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An offer you can refuse

The clock is ticking, folks. If you want to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, you only have until July 29, 2016 to do so. And most people should! Windows 10 is the best Windows yet, chock full of handy new features, sleek under-the-hood improvements, andheadache-killing extras.

But it’s not for everybody. There are some very real, very valid reasons not to upgrade to Windows 10.

If you’re on the fence about whether to accept or reject Microsoft’s freebie, read on for some concrete justifications for staying put.

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No Windows Media Center or DVD support

Before we dig into the meatier stuff, let’s take a look at what you’ll potentially give up if you upgrade to Windows 10, starting with some robust media playback options.

Windows 10 kills Windows Media Center off completely, after Windows 8 pushed it into a dark corner. There’s a reason for that: Windows Media Center is fairly niche, and not a lot of people use it. But if you do, you won’t want to upgrade to Windows 10 unless you’re prepared to dive into alternatives like Kodi, Plex, and DVR workarounds.

Oh, and if you’re on Windows 7, be aware that Windows 10 doesn’t offer native DVD playback, though there are no-cost alternatives you can use.

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No desktop gadgets or widgets

Likewise, if you’re a big fan of Windows 7’s gadgets and widgets for the desktop, they aren’t available in Windows 10. Which is good, because they’re horribly insecure. Whether you choose to stay on Windows 7 or upgrade to Windows 10, you’d probably be better off using Rainmeter’s seriously slick interactive desktop software.

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No OneDrive placeholders

Windows 8.1 offered a handy feature for hardcore OneDrive users: placeholders. Placeholders showed everything stored in your OneDrive account in the Windows 8.1 file system, but only downloaded files to your PC when you opened them. It was a wonderful way to stay on top of your cloud-stored files without downloading all of them to every Windows device you logged into with your Microsoft account, especially if you’ve stashed dozens of gigabytes’ worth of stuff into OneDrive.

Unfortunately, users found it confusing, and Microsoft ripped placeholders out of Windows 10. There are hints that a similar feature may make an appearance someday, but it hasn’t yet, so if placeholders are a must-have feature for you, you’ll want to avoid upgrading to Windows 10. The new operating system’s less granular selective sync options just aren’t the same.

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No control over Windows Updates

Aaaaaand here’s the biggie. Windows 10 utterly eradicates the ability to manually control your system updates. Windows 10 Pro will let you defer updates for a few months, but that’s the extent of it. If Microsoft pushes out an update, your system willinstall it eventually (though identifying your Wi-Fi connection as “metered” lets youchoose when updates download, at least).

This isn’t a big deal for people who stuck with Windows 7 and 8’s default Windows Update options, which downloaded patches automatically. But if you like to control your own update destiny, this could be a showstopper.

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Privacy concerns

That segues nicely into another controversial Windows 10 “feature.” Microsoft’s new operating system tracks you far more closely than previous versions of Windows, especially if you use the express settings during the initial setup. The search bar utilizes Cortana, Windows 10’s digital assistant, and sends all your queries to Microsoft servers. Your Windows Store app usage is tracked for ad targeting. Windows 10 tracks your typing, location, Edge browser behavior, program installations and more.

It’s a lot. To be fair, a lot of the concern roaring around this is overblown; most of Windows 10’s potential privacy concerns can be disabled. But there’s no way to turn off some of the telemetry data Windows 10 collects about your system and beams back to the mothership. Microsoft executives don’t consider this a privacy issue. If you do, Windows 10 isn’t for you.

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Ads and more ads

Windows 10 doesn’t only track your Windows Store app usage for improved ad targeting; it frequently pushes ads of its own at you. By default, you’ll see pop-up notification ads imploring you to get Skype or Office (even if you have Office), ads for suggested Windows Store apps slipped into your Start menu, and even occasional full-screen lockscreen ads for high-profile Windows Store releases.

I loathe the idea that my paid-for operating system—and yes, Windows 10 isn’t truly free—is pushing ads in my face. Fortunately, all of the offenders can be disabled. But doing so requires diving into arcane system settings located in different far-flung corners of the operating system.

Microsoft’s aggressive upgrade tactics

Microsoft’s been acting pretty shady in its aggressive quest to push Windows 7 and 8 users to Windows 10, employing unstoppable pop-ups, malware-like tactics, forced upgrades, intrusive full-screen takeovers, and nasty tricks to coax—and sometimes outright deceive—people into adopting the new OS. It eventually became so heavy-handed that some users have disabled Windows Updates entirely rather than suffer the barrage.

But you know that. If you’re still considering upgrading to Windows 10, you’ve lived through it.

None of that detracts from Windows 10’s underlying awesomeness. But it may have detracted from your desire to upgrade to Windows 10—and rightfully so. If you’re unhappy with Microsoft’s ethics and tactics in handling Windows 10 upgrades, you’re well within your rights to stay put where you’re at.

Software compatibility

In the wake of those forced upgrades, dozens and dozens of readers reached out to me with tales of woe, many revolving around software that simply doesn’t work with Windows 10. As my colleague Glenn Fleishman recently pointed out at Macworld, old software isn’t inherently bad software—but some of it won’t work in Windows 10.

If you rely on particular pieces of software, do a quick Google search to make sure they’ll work in Windows 10 before you upgrade. Office 2003—the last pre-Ribbon UI Office—isn’t compatible, for instance, nor is software that requires the use of Windows 7’s “XP Mode” compatibility, which isn’t available in Windows 10. Microsoft’s upgrade advisor is supposed to let you know if any software won’t work with Windows 10, but users report that it isn’t very reliable. Doing some homework now could save you some big headaches in the future.

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Hardware compatibility

Similarly, you’ll want to make sure Windows 10 works with your PC, too. No matter whether you’re running Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, I’d recommend running Microsoft’s hardware compatibility tool to scan your system. To do so, open the Get Windows 10 app—the taskbar icon that’s been tossing out all the upgrade pop-ups—and click on the compatibility report option.

But wait! That’s not all. The tool only checks your core PC reliably. Some people who upgrade to Windows 10 discover that their hardware peripherals won’t work, particularly older printers and scanners. If you have any aging peripherals connected to your PC, be it a printer or a beloved keyboard, I’d again suggest conducting some quick Google searches to ensure your gear won’t become paperweights if you decide to upgrade.

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Ain’t broke, don’t fix it

This final reason applies more to people who resist change or aren’t very technically savvy. Yes, Windows 10 is stellar and absolved Windows 8’s worst sins. Getting used to the new operating system shouldn’t be too difficult for many PC users—but the transition isn’t entirely seamless. From Cortana to the introduction of the Edge browser to the radically new-look Start menu, and Windows 10’s evolution into being a more cloud-centric operating system, there are some big changes you’ll need to wrap your head around.

Do Windows 10’s new features and under-the-hood improvements make upgrading worthwhile? I think so. But if you aren’t comfortable dealing with changes on your computer, you might want to stay put. I know several less technically inclined people who paid technicians to revert their PCs to Windows 7 after they couldn’t wrap their heads around Windows 10.

Conversely, if you’ve perfected your workflow on your current operating system and don’t see much benefit in marquee Windows 10 features such as Cortana, the Windows Store, DirectX 12, and virtual desktops, it may not be worth the hassle to switch over to Windows 10.

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Windows 10: Reasons not to upgrade; 5 good resume apps

From privacy to compatibility and control, these are the reasons why you might want to give the upgrade to Windows 10 a miss.

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At the end of this month Windows 10 will, at least for now, cease to be available as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8 users.

Microsoft is engaged in a final push to get users to upgrade, stressing the new OS introduces fresh features to Windows and overhauls its design. However, is Windows 10 right for you? Here are some of the reasons you might not want to upgrade.

1. You’re worried about privacy

By default Windows 10 collects more data than many users are comfortable with. This includes information about how Windows and Windows apps are used, what you type, your contacts, your location, calendar appointments and more. If the virtual assistant Cortana is enabled, this data extends to web browsing history, voice commands and even more information about your activity.

Users of Home and Pro versions of Windows 10 can only reduce this data collection to the “Basic” level. On this setting, Windows 10 collects information about security settings, quality-related info (such as crashes and hangs), and application compatibility. Microsoft describes this information as being essential for maintaining and improving the quality of Windows 10 and says that only “anonymous identifiers” are transmitted.

However, questions remain about the information that Windows 10 sends back to Microsoft, even when you turn the data gathering settings down a minimum. Tech website Arstechnica found that even with the virtual assistant Cortana disabled, Windows 10 sends a request to www.bing.com that appears to contain a random machine ID that persists across reboots. Similarly, even when Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage was disabled and Windows 10 was not tied to a Microsoft account, the OS still seemed to be sending information to a server connected to OneDrive. While Microsoft stressed there is no query or search data being sent, Arstechnica queried the inclusion of a machine ID.

ZDNet’s Ed Bott has said the very basic telemetry data collected by Microsoft is anonymized and doesn’t reveal anything more than very high-level information along the lines of an unidentified Windows 10 user ran a particular app for half an hour.

However, for some users, even the gathering of anonymized usage data is more than they’re willing to put up with.

2. It might cause pain for older machines

Windows 10 can run on a computer with relatively modest specs, working on many older PCs that shipped with Windows 7. But just because you can run Windows 10 on paper, you may not be able to in practice.
While the Get Windows 10 app that schedules the upgrade from Windows 7 or 8.x should check your system compatibility, some users that pass this test complain the upgrade still fails or devices don’t work properly.

As Microsoft states: “The upgradability of a device includes factors beyond the system specification.”

Microsoft gives you the option to rollback your machine to its previous OS, but there are reports from multiple people who claim the upgrade left their machine virtually unusable. In these cases either the rollback feature didn’t work or it did work but the earlier OS is no longer stable, with previously working programs crashing.

f the upgrade process completes successfully, missing driver and firmware support has also caused difficulties for some Windows 10 users. Those affected cite problems such as monitors not working at their native resolution. Some of the Intel integrated graphics chips used in older laptops are also incompatible with Windows 10, though Windows 10 should warn of this fact.

These problems don’t seem to affect the majority of upgraders, but it’s worth being aware they exist, particularly if upgrading an older machine.

On a less serious level, upgrading to Windows 10 may not break your machine but it could mess with your settings. Microsoft has come under fire for Windows 10 changing users’ default settings in a number of areas, such as swapping the default browser to its own Microsoft Edge.

3. Less control over updates

Windows 10’s update process happens both more frequently and less obviously, with Windows Home and Pro users automatically receiving updates when they’re available.

Windows Home users have less control over how long they can postpone updates for, and less easily-available information about what changes these updates will make.

The lack of control that Home users have over when updates are applied led to a group of users petitioning Microsoft to let them delay and refuse these downloads. Their reasoning was that since forced updates can crash machines, for instance via bad firmware or driver updates, all users need control over how updates are applied.

Another core concern for some users when it comes to Windows 10’s frequent updates is the amount of data downloaded, with updates often weighing in at hundreds of megabytes. However, Windows 10 does allow users to block all but essential updates by toggling on ‘metered connection’ in the WiFi settings.

4. You don’t like the new look

As much as Windows 10 has won people over by bringing back elements of the classic Windows desktop and Start menu — anyone fresh from Windows 7 will need to adjust to Windows 10’s new look.

Unlike Windows 7, Windows 10’s Start Menu takes up far more room, thanks to a menu full of tiles that is bolted onto the side. While most users should be able to quickly adjust to these cosmetic and layout changes, other alterations may grate more. Perhaps the most controversial tweak to the Start Menu is theinclusion of adverts for apps in the Windows Store. These promoted apps are tiles that link to the Windows Store or to apps that have been automatically installed on your PC by Microsoft. With the latest Anniversary Update, the number of these promoted apps will double, from five to 10.

And while it can be argued that Windows 10 is arguably easier to navigate, with its search function built directly into the Taskbar, the new OS introduces some significant changes that may confuse new users.

Whereas Windows 7 allowed users to adjust their system settings using the Control Panel, Windows 10 has both the Control Panel and Settings pages — with some configuration options exclusive to one or the other. This mix and match approach has been described as disorientating by some users.

5. Missing features

Windows 10 may add many new features — the virtual assistant Cortana, the new Edge browser — but it also lacks some key elements of earlier Windows operating systems.

Perhaps the biggest omission are the placeholders for Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service. In Windows 8.1, placeholders, also called smart files, let users see all of the files stored in the OneDrive service, whether those files were stored on the device or not. This feature was removed from Windows 10.Microsoft appears to be working on reintroducing placeholders, although there is still uncertainty about when they will be brought back.

Windows Media Center, the software for TV, music and movie playback is also gone from Windows, so if you are particularly attached, and not willing to mess around with an unofficial version, you may want to pass on the upgrade.

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10 compelling reasons to upgrade to Windows 10

The deadline for Microsoft’s free Windows 10 upgrade looms. Here’s why you don’t want to let it pass by.

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An offer you shouldn’t refuse

The deadline cometh. July 29 looms, and after that, Windows 7 and 8 users will no longer be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free. If you’ve been waiting for Microsoft to polish out the operating system’s initial bugs, it’s time to make the leap.

This article’s more for the fence-sitters—the folks who haven’t decided whether to stick with what they know or embrace Microsoft’s new-school operating system. There are some very valid reasons not to upgrade to Windows 10, to be honest. But Windows 10 is the best Windows yet, and most people should claim the free upgrade while there’s still time.

Here’s why.

Improved desktop experience
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Let’s be frank: Windows 8’s fugly, unfunctional, and obnoxiously colored Start screen sucked. So did the way Windows 8 hid crucial information behind hidden “charms,” which had no on-screen hints for how to access them. It scared a lot of people away from upgrading, and rightfully so.

You don’t have to worry about that with Windows 10.

Windows 10 takes the same core ideas behind Windows 8, but makes them palatable for the desktop audience. Windows Store apps are still present, but they’re in desktop windows that can be resized and used like any other. The Start menu’s back, with a pop-out section that puts information-delivering Live Tiles to better use—and yes, they can all be deleted if you want.

True, there are some changes to wrap your head around if you upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10. But the basic building blocks of the operating system will be largely familiar.

Enthusiast-friendly additions
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More than simply being familiar, Windows 10 is superior to Windows 7 for PC enthusiasts, because Microsoft made an active effort to woo desktop diehards.

Windows 10’s hardcore tools range from virtual desktops (pictured) to improved high-DPI monitor support to pasting text inside the command prompt. Easy file version recovery? Better storage management tools? Windows 10 has it all.

The operating system even provides power-user tools for Windows Updates, letting you schedule updates to run at a specific time or distribute patches across your local network using peer-to-peer technology. It’s great.

Under-the-hood improvements
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If you’re upgrading from Windows 7, you’ll be amazed at just how quick and modern Windows 10 feels. Microsoft optimized Windows’ underlying code in Windows 8, resulting in an operating system that boots like greased lightning—especially if you have an SSD—and just plain feels faster.

It’s just one of the many Windows 8 improvements that Windows 7 holdouts will enjoy in Windows 10.

Native security protection
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This appeals more to everyday PC users than hardcore enthusiasts, but Windows 10 is inherently much more secure than Windows 7. The operating system ships with Microsoft’s Windows Defender antivirus software and the Windows Firewall installed and enabled by default, which provides many PCs with a huge security uplift. (You’d be amazed how many people never bother to install new security software after their free Norton or McAfee trial runs out.)

But Microsoft didn’t stop there. Windows 10’s UEFI Secure Boot requirement protects against low-level rootkits that could infect your PC, the SmartScreen filter guards against malicious websites, and Windows Hello makes biometric-based authentication easy-peasy.

Better security is always a good thing.

Cortana
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Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google Now replaces Windows 10’s basic search functionality, and I couldn’t be happier. Cortana mixes good humor with web-based smarts that can help you set reminders and alarms, stay on top of sports scores and news, navigate and operate your operating system, track packages, plan trips, and more. Even better: Cortana’s going to become more proactive and usefulwhen the Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls around August 2.

Microsoft’s powerful, next-generation DirectX 12 graphics technology is exclusive to Windows 10 devices. If you’re a PC gamer, this feature alone is worth the upgrade.

We’re still in the early days of DirectX 12 adoption. Most PC games still release in DirectX 11. We’re not really sure of the graphics API’s full potential, but early DX12 implementations in games tend to result in smoother experiences and higher overall frame rates. That’s especially so on PCs with AMD Radeon graphics cards, thus far—check out our Radeon RX 480 review for hard benchmarks—but Nvidia’s GeForce cards enjoy DX12 benefits, too.

More and more games are starting to embrace DirectX 12. Seriously: If you’re a gamer, upgrade now. This isn’t coming to Windows 7 or 8.

Universal Windows apps

But DirectX 12 has come to the Xbox One. That’s because Microsoft’s console runs Windows 10 under the hood, and Windows 10 devices can all run universal Windows apps. One tangible benefit of the cross-device compatibility is the forthcoming Xbox Play Anywhere feature, which lets you buy a game once and play it on both Windows 10 and the Xbox One, as well as transfer saves and play multiplayer games across the two platforms. Nifty!

Play Anywhere is definitely the highlight so far, but universal Windows apps likewise morph to fit the screens of tablets, phones, and even Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset. The one caveat: Microsoft hasn’t yet convinced developers to embrace the Windows Store en masse.

The little extraswindows-10-print-as-pdf-8

Windows 10 quietly eliminates many of the biggest little irritations present in previous versions of Windows. You can finally print to PDF natively now, and hovering your mouse over a background window lets you scroll that, rather than the in-focus program. Per-monitor display scaling eliminates visual oddities with multi-monitor setups. Cortana’s natural language search—“Hey Cortana, show my pictures from last Christmas”—can be a serious time-saver when used correctly.

All in all, these little touches add up to a big usability difference. Check out PCWorld’s story on the 12 obscure new Windows 10 features that eliminate everyday hassles for all the details.

It’s free!
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C’mon. It’s a free upgrade until July 29. If you’re considering upgrading to Windows 10 at any point in the future, now’s the time to do it. Just be aware of what you’re giving in return.

Microsoft isn’t resting on its laurels now that Windows 10 is out in the wild. A majorWindows 10 Anniversary Update is due to land on August 2, stuffed with new features and bug fixes, and Microsoft’s continually updating the operating system with the help of its legion of Windows Insider preview testers.

Windows 7, meanwhile, is solidly past the new-feature phase of life, though security updates will keep on a-rolling until 2020. Windows 8 is still ostensibly in its mainstream support phase through the beginning of 2018, but don’t expect to see any new goodies added there.

Counterpoint
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That’s a pretty compelling list of reasons to upgrade to Windows 10—and the security boost might even push you into encouraging your non-geeky friends (you know, the ones always asking you for unofficial tech support) into accepting the upgrade, too. A safer environment for normal people is a safer world for everybody.

But again, there are some valid justifications for rejecting Microsoft’s offer. Most people should embrace the new operating system with open arms, but before you make the leap, be sure to read PCWorld’s list of the 10 reasons why you shouldn’t upgrade to Windows 10—especially if you’re using older hardware or software.

Have questions?

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If Microsoft can’t install Windows 10 on your PC, it’ll give you a new one

Terms and conditions apply, but if the company’s stores can’t perform a same-day upgrade on your Windows 10-compatible PC, it’ll give you a new Dell notebook.

Windows 10- SJTechies

As the free Windows 10 upgrade offer nears its end on July 29, Microsoft is pulling out all the stops to convince users to upgrade. It’s even willing to give you a new laptop.

As spotted, Microsoft retail stores are offering to install Windows 10 on any compatible machine for free. If the store’s technicians don’t complete the upgrade by the end of that business day, they’ll give you a free 15-inch Dell Inspiron notebook.

The offer runs between now and July 29.

There is, of course, plenty of fine print. The free installation offer only applies to a single PC that’s capable of running Windows 10 (If it isn’t, you may be eligible for a $150 credit toward a new PC). You also need to check in your computer by noon for the offer to be valid. It’s also limited only to the US and Canada, so customers of the Microsoft Store in Sydney are out of luck.

The story behind the story: This free PC offer is the latest in a series of highly aggressive moves Microsoft has made to get its users onto Windows 10. Its deceptive, malware like pop-ups in Windows 7 and 8.1 effectively trick users into installing Windows 10, whether they want to or not. Windows 10 spiked in market share in June, seemingly as a result of these forced updates, but the company has since admitted that it likely won’t hit its goal of having Windows 10 on one billion devices by mid-2018.

Have questions?

Get answers from Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner!
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The end is near: Say goodbye to the Windows 10 free upgrade

The deadline for a free Windows 10 upgrade is right around the corner. Find out what happens after the offer expires.

Windows 10-July29

Don’t look now, but July 29, 2016, is coming up fast. That is the one-year anniversary of the release of Windows 10, which means the ability to upgrade to the new operating system for FREE will soon expire. (If you are interested, you can take a look at the official countdown here.)

In a January 21, 2015, Windows Experience blog post titled The next generation of Windows: Windows 10, we learned that Windows 10 would be a free upgrade. Author Terry Myerson said:

Today was a monumental day for us on the Windows team because we shared our desire to redefine the relationship we have with you—our customers. We announced that a free upgrade for Windows 10 will be made available to customers running Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 who upgrade in the first year after launch.

A little over six months later, on July 28, 2015, Myerson penned another Windows Experience blog post, titled Windows 10 Free Upgrade Available in 190 Countries Today, in which he reiterated the free upgrade policy:

From the beginning, Windows 10 has been unique—built with feedback from five million Windows Insiders, delivered as a service with ongoing innovations and security updates, and offered as a free upgrade to genuine Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 customers.

If you’ve been reading articles by Woody Leonhard or Paul Thurrott in recent months, you know that Microsoft has been upping its game with the Get Windows 10, or GWX, program it built into Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. It really wants every Windows user everywhere to be running Windows 10.

Any holdouts—Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 users who have been sticking to their guns so far—have only a few more weeks to go before losing their chance to get Windows 10 for free.

In a recent Windows Experience blog post titled Windows 10 Now on 300 Million Active Devices – Free Upgrade Offer to End Soon, Yusuf Mehdi, the corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group, said:

…we want to remind you that if you haven’t taken advantage of the free upgrade offer, now is the time. The free upgrade offer to Windows 10 was a first for Microsoft, helping people upgrade faster than ever before. And time is running out. The free upgrade offer will end on July 29 and we want to make sure you don’t miss out. After July 29th, you’ll be able to continue to get Windows 10 on a new device, or purchase a full version of Windows 10 Home for $119.

What will Windows 10 cost after July 29?

As Mehdi pointed out in his post, you will be able to purchase a full version of Windows 10 Home for $119.

But how much will Windows 10 Pro cost?

Well, if you head over to the Microsoft Store right now, you’ll find that you can purchase both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro as a download or on a USB flash drive. Windows 10 Pro will cost you $199.99. And moving past the July 29 deadline for the free upgrade, it’s a pretty safe bet that prices will remain the same—especially since they’re the same price points that the full versions of Windows 8.1 Home and Pro sold for when that operating system was new.

Will there be upgrade versions of Windows 10 after July 29?

Since Microsoft provided free upgrades for a full year, I wonder if there will be upgrade packages for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users who decide to upgrade to Windows 10 after July 29. I suppose that it’s possible, but then again, maybe not. When Microsoft introduced Windows 8.1 packages, it offered only the full versions—there were no upgrade versions of Windows 8.1. With that in mind, it’s easy to speculate that this may also be the case with Windows 10.

Have questions?

Get answers from Microsofts Cloud Solutions Partner!
Call us at: 856-745-9990 or visit: https://southjerseytechies.net/

South Jersey Techies, LL C is a full Managed Web and Technology Services Company providing IT Services, Website Design ServicesServer SupportNetwork ConsultingInternet PhonesCloud Solutions Provider and much more. Contact for More Information.