Windows 10 cheat sheet

When Windows 10 was originally made available in July 2015, it was an obvious winner. It restored the Start menu and removed the cumbersome Charms bar, among other damages caused by Windows 8. Along with these important additions, Windows 10 also brought in a host of other innovations, like the Edge web browser, cloud storage service integration with Microsoft OneDrive, a form-shifting interface that functions seamlessly on both touch- and classic PCs, and much more.

Over the course of the eight years since its release, Microsoft has released twelve significant upgrades for Windows 10, refining existing capabilities, introducing new ones, and eliminating some that proved ineffective. For instance, Windows 10 no longer has the digital assistant Cortana, which was formerly a key component.

Even with its advanced age and the fact that Microsoft is now concentrating its development efforts on Windows 11, Windows 10 continues to be the most widely used desktop operating system worldwide. This story covers the most significant features that Windows 10 has added over time to help you get the most of it. In addition to providing quick-reference charts with helpful keyboard shortcuts, touchscreen motions, and touchpad gestures, I'll go over everything you need to know.

The features listed here and the pictures you see may not match if you have an older version of Windows 10, as this narrative is based on Windows 10 version 22H2, which was launched in October 2022. According to Microsoft, Windows 10's 22H2 update is the last one. You will thus effectively see the same thing tomorrow as you see now.

Note: You must use a Microsoft ID as your user account if you want to get the most out of Windows 10. You won't be able to utilize many Windows 10 apps or synchronize settings across several devices without a Microsoft ID. Thus, when you initially install Windows 10, log in using an already-existing Microsoft ID or establish a new one.

Get to know Windows 10

The Start menu
Windows search
Windows updates
Windows apps
Windows 10 on a tablet or 2-in-1
The Edge browser
OneDrive in Windows 10
Other useful features: Action Center, People, Task View, Timeline, Windows Clipboard
Settings and preferences

The Start menu

The most common grievance expressed by desktop users with Windows 8 was its lack of a Start menu. It has returned with a vengeance in Windows 10. Upon booting into Windows 10, either a desktop or laptop will be used. The Start menu, or command central for conventional PC users, appears when you click the Start button in the lower left corner of the desktop. (If Windows 10 is being used on a tablet, the user will see the Start screen instead; more about that later in the narrative.)

In Windows 10, the Start menu serves as the command center. (To view a larger image in this story, click on it.)

There are two areas to the menu. On its left side, the following is located:

All Apps: A list of all Windows apps and desktop programs can be toggled on and off using the "hamburger menu" (three parallel horizontal lines) located at the upper left corner of the screen. As a default, the list is enabled. The applications you use the most or those Microsoft thinks you might wish to use are at the top of the All applications list. (To select which applications you wish to see listed—your most used apps or recommended apps—go to Settings > Personalization > Start.) All of your PC's apps and programs are listed alphabetically just below that. To open an app, click on it.

Any program that you right-click will show you a list of the files you've recently opened. To launch the program or apps with the file loaded into them, click the file. Icons for removing the program from the Start menu and uninstalling it are located above the list of files you've opened. A "More" option provides other choices, such pinning the app to the taskbar and running it as an administrator. The menu choices change based on the application.

Word's submenu displays recently opened files and provides choices like unpinning it from the Start menu.

Account: A series of stacked icons may be found toward the bottom left of the Start menu. The icon for your user account is the first one. To lock your computer, modify your account settings, or sign out of Windows, click this button. You may alter your password, account image, and a number of other options on the screen that appears when you select to edit your account settings.

Pictures, Settings, Documents, Power: It's clear what these symbols at the bottom left of the Start menu mean: File Explorer can be used to access the Documents folder; File Explorer can be used to access the Pictures folder. Power allows you to restart, shut off, or put your PC to sleep. Settings takes you to the Windows Settings program (more on that later).

Simply move your cursor over any of the symbols to see which ones correspond to Account, Documents, Pictures, Settings, and Power if you're unsure. The text labels take the place of the icons when they vanish.

Windows programs and desktop apps have tiles on the right side of the Start menu. To launch the corresponding app, click on any tile. Your applications are organized into Productivity and Explore categories, and if you have more than that, they are arranged into nameless categories underneath that. As you install new desktop apps and programs, more tiles will be added to the groupings.

(Take note that if you're using Windows 10 in a business version, your IT department could have set up other categories, like support tools or productivity apps, to show up on the right side of the Start menu. Your PC maker may occasionally introduce new categories. For instance, I must acknowledge that the OEM category on my Evoo laptop is not a very clever use of branding.)

Certain tiles are "live," meaning that they receive real-time data that is fed into them. For instance, the Mail tile displays your most recent email, the Weather tile displays the current weather, and so on. Live tiles are exclusive to Windows programs. Microsoft Office and other desktop apps don't. The majority of tiles occupy one column by default, and each group of tiles is three columns wide.

Start menu customization is rather flexible. Hover your mouse over its top border until a two-headed arrow appears, then drag it up or down to make it larger or smaller to adjust its height. While this doesn't work for everyone, on some Windows 10 installations, you can do the same thing at the menu's right border to extend it to the right or reduce it back.

Click the group name and enter a new name to rename a set of tiles. Additionally, you may drag tiles to form a new group or move them about the Start menu by dragging them from one group to another. By clicking on the empty space above an unnamed group and entering a name, you may give it a name.

Moreover, you may enlarge the groups in the Start menu to make tiles fill four columns as opposed to three. To accomplish this, choose Settings > Personalization > Start from the Start menu, then drag the slider to the "Show more tiles on Start" setting. The tiles will now occupy four columns, but you will need to physically move the tiles to the fourth column in order to utilize the additional space.

From this Settings tab, you may customize a plethora of other characteristics of the Start menu, such as having the Start screen run in full screen mode and displaying your most used apps at the top of the All Apps list.

A menu appears when you right-click on a tile. This is where things may get a little confused because different desktop and Windows apps have different pop-up menus. You may need to select More in your installation to view some of these options. The majority choose one or more of these options:

Remove the pin from the beginning: When you choose this, the tile disappears from the Start menu.

Resize: This allows you to resize the tile, as you might imagine. Small, Medium, and Large are the options available, while many tiles additionally include a Wide option that expands the tile to fill two columns within its group.

Turn off the live tile to prevent real-time data from being sent into the tile. You will receive a Turn live tile on choice if it is already off.

As the name implies, this pins the application to the taskbar. If it's already pinned, the option to unpin it from the taskbar will appear.

App settings: This opens a page where you may adjust the parameters of the application, including whether to let it use your microphone or operate in the background.

Remove: This gets rid of the application. Microsoft has produced certain Windows programs that are uninstallable, such Skype and Solitaire. But over time, Windows 10 has made it possible to remove more built-in programs than ever before, such as Sticky Notes, Calendar, Mail, and others.

Review and rate: Only programs that have been downloaded from the Microsoft Store are eligible for this feature. It takes you to a website where you can leave a review and evaluate the app from one to five stars. The Microsoft Store description of the app includes the rating and review.

Share: This allows you to send a link to the application via Twitter, email, and other channels.

To execute an application or program as an administrator, select execute as Administrator.

Open file location: This command causes File Explorer to open in the application's home folder.

Depending on what they're used for, several Windows programs also provide extra options. For instance, you may map or unmap a network drive when you right-click the This PC app.

The File Explorer, Settings, and Power icons beneath the "Most used" program list on the left side of the Start menu may all be right-clicked if you've enabled this feature. Similar options to those previously described are usually found in Windows programs and desktop applications under the "Most used" app menu (some being concealed under the "More" submenu). Furthermore, you may discover the following options:

The "Most used" list of apps is moved to the right side of the Start menu when an app is pinned to the start.
Run as a different user: This allows you to utilize the application as a user other than the one that is logged in at the moment.
Not displayed in this list: removes the program from the list of "Most used."

Windows search

Over time, the Windows 10 search that you have been accustomed to since the release of the operating system has evolved. Initially, Cortana, the digital assistant from Microsoft, was closely linked with Windows search. However, a few years ago, Cortana was taken out of the search box, and as of right now, Microsoft has entirely discontinued Cortana. Therefore, even if you believe you understand how search functions, you may want a refresher, which I'll provide you here.

If there is a Search icon instead of a box at the bottom left of the page, click it and enter your search on the screen that displays. Alternatively, put a word or phrase into the box to conduct a search. You may use the right-click menu to bring up the search icon by choosing Search > Show search icon. Instead, right-click the taskbar, choose Search > Show search box, to have the Search box appear there.) Search searches through your files, cloud storage on Microsoft OneDrive, music and video files, PC programs, settings, email, and the internet using the Bing search engine.

A row of tabs shows at the top of the screen when you conduct a search:

All displays all search results.
Apps shows any app-related matches.
Documents shows documents on your PC that match the search.
Web displays results from the web.
More shows results from other places, including individual folders, email and apps including Music, People, Photos, Settings, and Videos. You’ll have to click the down arrow next to More to see them all.

Search shows results in a flyout mini-browser.

Even if you don't do a search, the Search box might still be helpful. When you point your mouse over it, a list of the applications you've used most recently will appear. You can also click on a list of "Trending searches" to discover what others are presently searching for on Bing. Additionally, there is a collection of thumbnails under "Top sites," which are the websites you have visited the most.

You may also perform focused searches by putting your cursor inside the search box. You can restrict searches to certain websites, applications, documents, and more. Enter your search criteria and select the relevant tab at the top of the screen.

Search only searches a small number of pre-configured libraries and folders by default, including as OneDrive, Documents, Downloads, Music, Images, Videos, and Desktop. It cannot locate files stored on your computer in other locations. But that's something you can alter. Navigate to Settings > Search > Searching Windows, then choose Enhanced under "Find My Files." Windows will then be instructed to search your whole computer. To exclude certain folders from the search, navigate to the "Excluded Folders" section, click Add an excluded folder, and then choose the folder you wish to keep out of the search.

Windows updates

There won't be any more significant feature upgrades for Windows 10; version 22H2, which was published in October 2022, was the final one. On the other hand, Microsoft often publishes small updates—known as "Patch Tuesdays"—to address bugs and repair security flaws. Furthermore, the business continues to include a few new features in its little upgrades.

These more compact updates can be put on hold for up to 35 days. under order to accomplish this, navigate to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, click Select date under the "Pause updates" section, and choose a date that is seven days away from your current date. You may do it many times after the first seven days, for a total of five times to postpone it for thirty-five days.

For a maximum of 35 days, you can postpone small Windows 10 updates for seven days at a time.

Furthermore, Windows has a safety feature that will remove updates that are harmful to your computer. After installing an update, if your machine still won't start up correctly, Windows will identify the issue and attempt to resolve it. In the event that it is unable to, it will remove any recent driver or Windows 10 update that may be the root of the issue and prevent a 30-day window from opening.

Additionally, you have the option to instruct Windows to notify you through a system tray icon if a PC reboot is required to complete an update. Move the slider to On under "Show a notification when your PC requires a restart to finish updating" after selecting Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced Options.

There are even more options for managing Windows 10 updates, such as deciding when Windows updates, removing updates, and more.

It should be noted that Windows 10 will no longer get mainstream support on October 14, 2025. This implies that Microsoft will stop providing any new updates—including monthly service updates—for it as of that date. You would do well to update to a newer version of Windows before that date, as running Windows 10 beyond that date will leave it exposed to hacking unless you pay for Extended Security Updates (price still to be revealed). (After that date, security fixes will still be sent to businesses who employ the long-term servicing channel, or LTSC.)

Windows apps

With a series of little programs that were first created for the Windows 8 touch-oriented Start screen interface, Microsoft has caused a great deal of uncertainty. Over time, the titles of these programs were changed from Metro apps to Modern apps, Windows Store apps, and finally Universal Windows apps. Currently, the only option is Windows applications, however the business occasionally refers to them as Universal Windows apps. I'll refer to them as Windows programs in this piece.

And what about desktop applications? These are now known as Windows desktop apps by Microsoft. For the purpose of simplicity, I'll refer to them as desktop programs in this post.

Windows programs and the desktop did not get along with Windows 8. Windows programs could not be executed from the desktop; they could only be launched from the Start screen. Furthermore, you could only run them full-screen or side by side with another Windows application (but not a desktop application), filling the screen with the two apps. They didn't show up in standard application windows. This meant that desktop programs could not be used in conjunction with other Windows apps that were open in separate windows. It was simply another example of how Windows 8 seemed like two different operating systems.

In Windows 10, that is no longer the case. Windows apps may be minimized, resized, and closed in the same manner as desktop apps are. To resize a Windows application, drag its edges. To minimize, maximize, and close the application, use the well-known icons located in the top right corner of the window.

Windows applications may be shrunk, resized, and dismissed in the same manner as desktop programs in Windows 10.

A better method to access all of the capabilities of Windows programs is also included. The icons for the various functionalities of the app are usually located on the left side or bottom of the app window. Depending on the application, the icons vary. The Weather app, for instance, features icons for historical local weather, maps, pollen counts, and other information.

Although the majority of the applications display helpful information by default, it's still worthwhile to look into each app's customization choices. Click the symbol that resembles a star with a row of lines next to it — it's two icons below the home icon — to personalize the News app so it displays just the news you're interested in. You may then specify to the app whatever news categories you want to see, such US News, World News, Business News, Sports, Technology, Entertainment, and so on.

The Mail app may be configured to function with many web-based services, such as Gmail, in addition to Microsoft's web-based mail service, Outlook.com. After starting Mail, choose Accounts, then click Add Account from the "Manage accounts" page that displays. Next, choose the type of mail account you wish to add (e.g., Google, Yahoo, iCloud POP and IMAP mail, Outlook.com, Office365, and so forth) and adhere to the instructions. For accounts on the web, it's simple. You'll need to have your account details available for POP and IMAP accounts, including the names and passwords for the POP and SMTP servers.

Mail from several accounts can also be merged into a single, cohesive inbox. Click Accounts > Link inboxes and combine the desired accounts to do the task.

Your mail accounts will be immediately connected to by the Calendar app, which will then show their calendars. For instance, the calendars linked to your Outlook.com and Gmail accounts will show up in the Calendar app immediately if you set them up in Mail.

Please take note that Microsoft Outlook will eventually replace Windows Mail and Calendar in 2024. Turn the Try the new Outlook slider to On in the top right corner of the screen if you would want to test it out before it is officially published.

Windows 10 on a tablet or 2-in-1

The fact that Windows 8 required desktop users to adopt an interface meant for tablets was one of its major flaws. Microsoft addresses this in Windows 10 with a technology called Continuum, which detects the device you're using automatically and adjusts Windows 10's interface to fit it. For tablets, this means the Start screen, which is similar to Windows 8, and for laptops and desktops, it means the desktop and Start menu.

Continuum functions in a dynamic way. When utilizing a tablet with a keyboard connected, such the Microsoft Surface, the desktop interface is displayed; however, when the keyboard is removed, the tablet requests to convert to tablet mode, which utilizes the Start screen interface. To go to tablet mode, tap Yes. In a similar vein, when you connect a keyboard to a tablet when it's in tablet mode, a notice asks you to exit tablet mode.

When a 2-in-1 device's keyboard is detached, Windows 10 detects this and prompts you to convert to tablet mode.

To avoid receiving the notification in the future, choose Remember my response and don't ask again. From that point on, based on whether a keyboard is connected to your device, you'll automatically flip between desktop and tablet mode. There won't be a notice. Choose Always ask me before switching if, for some reason, you prefer such alerts.

As I'll discuss later in the tale, you can also manually enter and exit tablet mode via an icon in the Action Center.

Windows 10's tablet mode functions using the standard touch and swiping motions, much like Windows 8 did. Similar to Windows 8, there is no desktop but rather the Start screen, which is made up of groups of tiles that represent your programs. These tiles are arranged similarly to how they are on the desktop's Start menu, but they fill the entire screen in this instance. To open a tile, tap on it. The tiles may be slid across, but be aware that they do so vertically now instead of horizontally as they did in Windows 8.

Tablet mode in Windows 10 features the Start screen, which will be familiar to Windows 8 users.

Other distinctions exist between the Windows 10 tablet mode Start screen and the Windows 8 Start screen. Six icons are located on the left side of the screen, with three clustered at the top and three at the bottom.

The hamburger menu, which sits at the top, is largely useless. When you tap it, all six of the icons gain text labels and the left half of the screen becomes dark. If you tap it once more, the dark screen and labels disappear. The pinned tiles icon, located directly below the hamburger menu, may be tapped to display the Start screen's tile-filled default tablet interface. The All Apps icon is located beneath the pinned tiles icon. When you tap it, a full-screen all apps view appears instead of pinned tiles, allowing you to swiftly browse through all of your desktop and program selections.

You can see the all apps listing even on a tablet.

Three icons that are located toward the bottom of the screen and are recognizable to users of the desktop and laptop interface are: There are three: one that takes you to the Settings app; one that lets you put your tablet to sleep; one that lets you shut it down or restart it; and one for your user account, which allows you to sign out of Windows, lock your computer, transfer to a new user account, or modify your account settings.

Even if you hadn't hidden the taskbar in desktop mode, you may still do it while you're in tablet mode. Go to Settings > System > Tablet Mode and enable the option Automatically conceal the taskbar in tablet mode if you want it to automatically hide in tablet mode.

The Edge browser

Microsoft finally said goodbye to Internet Explorer with Windows 10. June 2022 marked the end of IE support, as the majority of Windows 10 installs no longer enable the outdated browser. ”’Microsoft Edge is the browser of the future.

However, the Edge included with Windows 10 now is significantly different from the Edge that debuted with the operating system in July 2015. Microsoft retired the previous iteration of Edge in January 2020 and introduced a new version built on the open-source Chromium framework, which was initially created by Google and serves as the foundation for Opera, Brave, and Google Chrome.

The previous Edge version included several clumsy features that nobody used, such the ability to share and annotate web pages and read e-books. Less than 300 extensions were available for that version, compared to hundreds for Chrome.

The new Chromium-based version of Edge has eliminated many unnecessary features from the old Edge, so it’s a far cleaner, simpler, faster browser and can use the many thousands of extensions written for Chrome. (For a hands-on review, see “Microsoft’s new Edge browser: Third time’s the charm?”) If you’ve stayed away from Edge in the past, you might want to give it a second look.

Edge functions similarly to every other browser. The forward, backward, and page-reload arrows are located in the upper left corner. In the address bar, enter URLs or search phrases to utilize the address bar as a search box. The star with three horizontal lines symbol located in the upper right corner of the screen allows you to access your favorites. Click the three-dot symbol in the upper right corner of the page to access advanced features. From there, you can adjust settings, check your downloads, review your history, manage extensions, and more. Click the star symbol to the far right of the address bar to add favorites.

The ability to utilize Chrome-specific extensions is, for some, the browser's greatest enhancement. Extensions are available via specific websites, the Microsoft Edge Addons website, and the Chrome Web Store.

Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen, then choose Extensions to manage your extensions. A list of all the installed extensions will appear. To use some of its features or edit it, click on any extension. If you use the ad blocker Ghostery, for instance, you can do many things with its icon, including temporarily disabling it, turning it off for particular websites, and turning it back on. To delete an extension from Edge, see its web permissions, hide it from the toolbar, and more, click the three dots symbol to the right of the extension.

Click Manage Extensions beneath the list of extensions to see a screen where you may enable or disable any extension. Further information on each extension is also available here.

Additionally, Edge offers a very helpful privacy feature called tracking protection that prevents you from being tracked by ad providers across websites. Because of this, it becomes more challenging for businesses to create thorough profiles of your hobbies and activities.

By default, it is activated. However, you may adjust how it functions, making it less or more restricted by weighing your need for online privacy against your want to view advertisements and other material that is relevant to your interests.

In order to accomplish this, choose Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner of Edge's screen. You have the following three options:

Simple. This permits the majority of trackers and only disables those that Microsoft deems dangerous. Although your privacy will be diminished, you'll be exposed to more tailored content and advertisements.
Fair. This is more restricted than Basic and bans a lot of trackers. It is Edge's default configuration. Compared to Basic, you'll have greater privacy, but there won't be as many tailored advertisements and content. It also filters dangerous advertisements, just as Basic. You may use both Balanced and Basic settings to ensure that the websites you visit function as expected.
Strict. This filters out unwanted advertisements and most trackers from all pages. You'll be the most private, and there won't be any customization in the advertisements or information. When you select this option, certain website functionality could be affected.

By selecting Exceptions, you may further alter tracking prevention. This enables you to designate websites that you want to allow all trackers to visit. You may also view which ad trackers Edge has blacklisted. To view them, click Blocked trackers. Additionally, you may check which trackers are banned on whatever page you are presently viewing. To accomplish this, select Trackers from the menu that displays at the bottom after clicking the lock icon to the left of the URL.

This is where you may alter Edge's anti-tracking settings.

Additionally, you don't need to use Edge in order to access websites like Computerworld or Facebook as stand-alone applications. To launch a website as an application, click the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen, choose Applications > Install This Site as an App, then press the Install button. After that, you may pin the website to the taskbar and it will appear in your Windows 10 app list just like any other app. Simply click the app's icon, and Edge will render the webpage with all of its capabilities; however, it will function independently of any other Edge features.

Alternatively, you may pick the app from the menu that displays after choosing Apps from Edge's three-dot icon. Click Details beneath the program listing, then select Uninstall at the bottom of the page that displays if you want to remove any installed apps.

OneDrive in Windows 10

Microsoft bundles Windows 10 with its OneDrive online storage service. If you purchased a PC already pre-installed with Windows 10, then it is yours. You immediately connect into your Microsoft account when you login in. OneDrive may be accessed without a Microsoft account by clicking on the cloud icon on the taskbar and logging in with your Microsoft account details. OneDrive requires a Microsoft account to utilize.

When Windows 10 is launched for the first time on a PC that has been updated to Windows 10, you will be notified that OneDrive is accessible. Initiate the setup procedure by clicking the notice. Turn off the alert if you don't want to utilize OneDrive. Look for the OneDrive icon on the taskbar and click it to configure it later. You can set it up if you put onedrive into the Search box and don't see the symbol.

You should familiarize yourself with the terrain before utilizing OneDrive. Although OneDrive is stored in the cloud, you have the option to sync its files and folders to your desktop computer. You may choose to sync all or just part of the files and folders you currently have on OneDrive with your Windows 10 computer. You don't need to do anything; sync happens on its own.

File Explorer is how you access OneDrive on Windows 10. This displays OneDrive files and folders that are locally stored on your computer by default—those that you have selected for syncing. Visit onedrive.com if you'd like to see OneDrive in the cloud. As an alternative, you may use File Explorer to view and access all of your OneDrive files—including those that are stored in the cloud—if you have OneDrive Files On-Demand. Below, I'll go over how to utilize that function.

OneDrive with One Drive Files On-Demand activated on Windows 10. File types are shown by icons adjacent to the files: local, cloud, and synchronizing.

Now that we have that information, let's return to setup. Upon initial setup of OneDrive, you will be prompted to choose between syncing all of your cloud-based folders or only certain ones to your local computer. You may select which folders to sync if you select individual folders.

However, you won't have to stick with that choice forever. Suppose that you initially just wanted to sync a portion of your folders, but later on you decide you would want to add more and remove others. To accomplish this, choose Settings from the context menu, choose the Account tab, choose folders, and right-click the OneDrive icon on the taskbar.

A screen comes up. Check the box next to "Make all files available" if you wish to sync all folders. Uncheck that box, then tick the boxes of the folders you want to sync and uncheck the boxes of the folders you don't want to sync if you would want to only sync a portion of them.

You can choose which folders to sync in OneDrive.

One piece of advise about OneDrive is to reconsider your folder arrangement if you want to utilize it as your main source of cloud and local storage. Microsoft has been pressuring you to use different folder structures throughout the years, such keeping everything in Documents or Libraries. That presents a challenge for OneDrive as doing so will make it difficult to sync them with OneDrive.

Thus, if you start using OneDrive seriously, I suggest keeping everything organized inside of your OneDrive folder. In this manner, new files and folders you create on your computer will immediately sync with the cloud.

Using OneDrive Files On-Demand.

For those who own numerous PCs, OneDrive Files On-Demand is an excellent option since it allows you to access all of your OneDrive files on any device without requiring a download.

You may more easily conserve local hard disk space while maintaining access to all the necessary data by turning on One disk data On-Demand. This manner, even with a little amount of local storage, you can easily access all of your OneDrive files, allowing you to purchase a less costly laptop with less storage than you would typically require.

Before using it, confirm that it is switched on: On the taskbar, click the OneDrive icon. On the right side, click the Settings icon (shaped like a gear). On the resulting screen, click Settings. On the Sync and backup tab, select Advanced settings. At the Files On-Demand section, near the bottom, select Free up disk space.

By doing that, you'll configure all of your PC's files to be accessible online rather than locally. Every file in File Explorer will have a cloud symbol next to it, letting you know it's on the cloud but may be downloaded. To open and download it from the cloud, double-click on it. It will now show a little blue circle with a checkmark in the center, suggesting that it is available on your PC in addition to the cloud, rather than the cloud symbol.

Icons next to every file or folder as you navigate your PC show you if it's saved on your PC as well (the checked circle icon) or simply on the web (the cloud icon).

A file that is located on your PC or in both places may be opened from your PC by double-clicking it in File Explorer. One that is only available online can be double-clicked to download it to your computer and work on it locally. It then syncs to OneDrive and becomes accessible on your PC as well.

Any file or folder may have its status changed from local to cloud storage or vice versa with ease. Right-click the file or folder to accomplish this. Next, choose to download the file or folder to your PC by selecting Always retain on this device. Alternatively, you may choose to free up space and delete the file or folder from your PC to free up additional storage space while preserving it in OneDrive online.

Both File Explorer and programs can use this. Upon opening Microsoft Office, files from OneDrive's online storage become available for download to your computer.

Other useful features

Aside from the Windows Clipboard, Windows 10 offers a few other interface gimmicks worth being aware of. These include the Action Center, People, Task View, Timeline, and more.

The Action Center

In Windows 8, the Charms bar was a cumbersome interface that you used to access system settings and other hidden capabilities. It has been superseded in Windows 10 by the Action Center, which you might or might not find helpful. But in order for you to make an informed choice, you should at least be aware of what it is and how it operates.

There are three ways to launch it:

If your device is touch-based, swipe from the right.
Select its icon located in the taskbar on the far right. (It resembles a word balloon that is rectangular.)
Hit the Windows key plus A.

The Action Center springs up with a swipe, a click, or a keyboard combo.

The Action Center is made to perform two functions: it shows alerts for things like new emails, security alerts, and feed notifications, and it allows you to adjust a few standard settings for things like turning on and off Wi-Fi, going into and out of tablet mode, and adjusting brightness.

First, notifications show up in the desktop's bottom right corner by themselves. They then vanish after a short while. The Action Center is there in case you decide not to click them immediately. They survive on the desktop but come back to life in the Action Center.

In general, it's wise to pay attention to system and security notifications. For instance, you can be informed that preventing pointless apps from starting at startup will speed up your computer. You may halt them from running by tapping the notice, which will take you to the Task Manager. The notifications also notify you when you experience problems with your printer, OneDrive, or other related concerns. All things considered, you'll probably find that checking the Action Center frequently is worthwhile.

Regarding email, such notifications may not be very helpful as the Action Center doesn't always work properly with your mail service provider. When fresh email arrives in your Gmail account, if you have configured the Windows 10 Mail app to connect to it, you will receive a notice in the Action Center. The Mail app opens when you click the notice, and you may read the message there. You will still receive notifications for messages you've received even if you've previously read them in Gmail and erased them since the Action Center doesn't remember whether you've viewed your Gmail account in a browser.

Nevertheless, I'll go over how to disable Mail notifications from the Action Center below.

The Action Center's bottom-mounted rapid action icons are more helpful. To execute the desired action, simply click its icon. The majority, like enabling or disabling Bluetooth or joining a Wi-Fi network, are self-explanatory.

In the quick-actions box, the top row of icons has four icons by default. Click Expand directly above the row of fast action icons to see icons for every quick action you have access to in the Action Center. You'll see all of the remaining quick-action icons. The specific symbols that show up rely on what your machine is capable of. For instance, you might only have eight or so quick-action icons on a desktop PC, but on a laptop or tablet, you probably have more icons accessible for features like Bluetooth, Airplane mode, battery saver, and so on. Click Collapse to reduce the Action Center's enlarged view to a single row of icons.

To modify the ones that show up in the row, select the Settings icon from the Start menu. Next, navigate to the System group, click Notifications & actions, and then select the "Quick actions" section located at the top of the page. Click Edit your fast actions underneath it. All of your quick action icons will be visible in the Action Center, along with a pin located in the upper right corner of each symbol. To eliminate a pin's associated fast action, click it.

Click Add in the bottom-right corner of the screen to add fast action icons. A list of the quick actions you've eliminated will appear. To add something, click any. Click Done once you're done. Any icon in the Action Center may also have its position altered by dragging it to the desired spot.

Additionally, you have the option to disable or modify which alerts appear in the Action Center. To disable notifications, move the slider to Off under the "Get notifications from apps and other senders" area. You can also click the Manage notifications link at the top of the Action Center or navigate to Settings > System > Notifications & actions. To enable alerts, move the slider to On. Next, choose the notification types you want to view by scrolling down, and disable those that you don't want to see. You'll be able to disable and enable alerts from specific applications, like Mail, or choose and conceal generic kinds, like Windows tips or app notifications. Toggle them On or Off in the "Get notifications from these senders" section after scrolling to accomplish the latter.

Additionally, you may prioritize which applications receive more notifications than others and arrange for their notifications to appear first in your list of notifications. Navigate to Settings > System > Notifications & actions, then choose an app by scrolling down to the "Get notifications from these senders" area. You may adjust the notification appearance of that app on a new screen that pops up. Three priority levels are displayed at the bottom of the screen: Normal, High, and Top. Normal is the lowest priority level, while Top is the highest. Select the preferred option.

Additionally, you may change the number of alerts that show up in the Action Center for any app at any one moment. Three is the default. In order to modify it, click Number of notifications shown in action center from the same screen. Then, choose one, three, five, 10, or 20 from the drop-down list.

People

People is a helpful program that allows you to connect with contacts without opening a separate app by pinning them to the Windows taskbar.

You can make it simpler to contact people in different ways by pinning contacts to the taskbar using the People app.

Click the People button, which resembles the heads and shoulders of two people, on the taskbar's right to use it. (If the button isn't visible, you may choose the Show People on the Taskbar button by right-clicking the taskbar and selecting it from the screen that opens.)

A Get Started button shows up when you use the app for the first time. After you click it, select People from the menu at the top of the screen. A list of persons you've communicated with regularly appears at the top of the screen. To pin a contact to the taskbar, click on them. Click Find and Pin Contacts at the bottom of the screen to pin additional contacts. This opens a search bar where you may look up contacts to pin.)

The contact is then permanently pinned to the taskbar. (Right-click a contact and choose Unpin from taskbar to unpin it.) They may now be reached without requiring you to launch an additional software like Skype or Mail. Simply select the desired app from the contact details screen that appears after clicking the symbol for the person you wish to speak with. From the contact information page itself, you may make contact.

You have the ability to go through the contact's past correspondence. You will see a threaded list of every communication that the two of you have exchanged. It encompasses not just email but also instant messaging and video conversations on Skype.

Additionally, People has some drag-and-drop functionality. For example, you can use drag to reorder contacts in the taskbar and drag to send a file to a contact who is pinned to the taskbar by dragging the file to their icon.

You may tack up to ten individuals to the taskbar using People. Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. In the People section, scroll down and select any number between 1 and 10 for the number of contacts you wish to see.

Task View and multiple desktops

Another handy feature of Windows 10 that some users could find helpful is the option to create numerous desktops using Task View. Keep in mind that Timeline, another functionality, is paired with the Task View interface.

You may use the Windows key + Tab to bring up Task View, or you can click its icon in the taskbar, right next to the search button. Task View is represented by a rectangle with portions of two smaller rectangles above and below it. When you do this, the Timeline feature and Task View appear on the same screen.

You will notice a "New desktop" button at the very top of the screen, and underneath it, you will see thumbnails of every program that is now open on your desktop, allowing you to quickly check what is running. To navigate between apps, click any thumbnail, or use the Esc key to exit Task View and go back to your previous location. Timeline, which has thumbnails of the documents you've ran over the previous thirty days, is displayed beneath that. (See Timeline's section below for further information on how to use and operate Timeline.)

You may still navigate between open programs and applications using the traditional Alt + Tab key combo, but Task View offers a few new features. Any thumbnail that you move your mouse pointer over will get a little X in the top-right corner. To exit that program or those apps, click the X.

Task View, located at the top of the screen, displays the applications you are now using, while Timeline, located below, displays your activity history.

You may also make many virtual desktops using Task View, each running a distinct desktop program or Windows software. Click New desktop in the upper left corner of the screen after turning on Task View to create a new desktop. The new desktop allows you to run a distinct selection of Windows apps and desktop programs. For example, you may set aside one desktop for work-related programs and applications and another for entertainment-related programs and applications.

Click the Task View icon and select the desktop you wish to move to in order to transition between them. In this approach, you may continuously create new desktops and move between them.

The inability to execute a Windows application on more than one desktop at once is an oddity with virtual desktops. When you attempt to open it from one desktop while it's running on another, you'll instantly zoom in to the first desktop. Nonetheless, desktop apps may be opened on numerous PCs.

Timeline

Using Timeline, you may access files you've begun on your computer and review and restart actions. Make sure the box next to "Store my activity history on this device" is ticked to activate it by going to Settings > Privacy > Activity history.

Go to the "Show activities from these accounts" section and tick the boxes next to all the accounts whose actions you want to display on Timeline if you want activities from other accounts you've signed into on your PC to appear on your Timeline. Additionally, you may disable Timeline by moving the slider to the "Off" position for each of your accounts under the "Show activities from these accounts" area.

Timeline may be accessed in the same manner as Task View in Windows 10, as previously mentioned. When you get there, a list of your actions over the last 30 days, broken out by day and containing files you've opened, will appear.

Your 30-day history of Windows 10 actions is displayed by the Timeline feature.

Every action is displayed as a sizable tile with the file name and document title across it, and the name of the program or apps that generated it at the top. The history is arranged into days, with a link at the top of each day allowing you to view all of the activities for that day (e.g., See all 12 activities). Up to 10 activities for each day are accessible. Click it to view them all. This allows you to view all of them in a day in chronological order by hour, which is useful on hectic days when you need to monitor your work completed throughout the day. Click See just top activities to view only 10 activities while viewing the Timeline.

Using a mouse, arrow keys, or the slider on the right side of the screen, you may navigate through the tiles. By using the search icon located at the top of the screen, you may go through them. However, a Timeline search will not locate a document if you have worked on it within the previous 30 days and it has the term "market share" in the body but not in the title. This is because the Timeline search only looks for file names and titles, not the contents of the documents you have viewed.

To open a tile, click on it. When using a program, like Word, the file will be open when the application launches. When you open a file, the most recent version of the file appears on the Timeline, not the condition it was in that day.

You have the option to delete certain entries or every entry for a given day from Timeline. To remove an entry, right-click on it and choose Remove from the pop-up menu. Instead, choose Clear all from [date] to remove everything from that day, such as Clear all from April 30.

But remember that Timeline is not without its flaws. It mostly monitors Microsoft apps, which includes all Office apps. Timeline was removed by Microsoft in Windows 11, thus it's doubtful that it will be updated in Windows 10. Furthermore, sharing timeline data across several Windows 10 machines is no longer possible.

The powered-up Windows Clipboard

Since its introduction in Windows 1.0 over thirty years ago, the Windows Clipboard has been weak and of little use. However, Microsoft has paid it considerable attention over time, and as a result, it is now quite helpful.

The previous clipboard could only retain one clip at a time so you could paste it into a document; the new one can do much more. It can now keep numerous clips, share clips across Windows 10 devices, preview clips and select which one to paste into a document, and store clips indefinitely.

It might be necessary to activate these new features. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard to accomplish it. Slide the slider from Off to On in the "Clipboard history" section. Click Start under "Sync across devices" and follow the instructions if you want to sync your clipboard history across several Windows 10 devices.

Use what you've always done to copy an item to the Clipboard: To copy something, highlight it and use Ctrl + C. Alternatively, utilize the menu of the application—Office apps, for example, Insert > Copy. Other methods include choosing Copy Image from the menu that comes when you right-click an image on the internet.

Once you've copied clips to the Clipboard, you may select which ones to paste into a document by scrolling through and previewing them. Place your cursor where you want the clip to appear in the page to do this. After that, hit Windows + V. The clips you pasted to the Clipboard display in a tiny window. Once you locate the clip you wish to paste, simply scroll through and click on it. To copy only your latest video clip into a document, just use Ctrl + V, exactly like you would in previous Windows iterations.

The powered-up Windows Clipboard in use.

Any other Windows 10 devices running version 1908 or later will likewise receive the clips you save when connected into your Microsoft account, which are subsequently transferred to the cloud and copied to the Clipboard. Therefore, they're always accessible, regardless of the device you're using.

Your clips are lost when your computer shuts off. However, some can be permanently saved. To accomplish this, open the Clipboard, select Pin by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner of any clip. The clip is now pinned to the clipboard. Unless you remove the pin, it remains there indefinitely.

Additionally, you have the option to manually clear your Clipboard by erasing individual clips or all of them at once. To remove a specific clip, click the three dots in the upper right corner and choose Delete. Click the three dots to the upper right of any clip and pick Clear All to remove every clip from the Clipboard. You cannot remove pinned clips unless you remove each one separately.

Remember that there are some restrictions on the Clipboard. Any clip larger than 4MB won't fit on it. More beyond that will still allow you to copy and paste clips into documents, but you won't be able to view or control them in the Clipboard. Additionally, only videos that are 100 KB or less can be shared with other devices over the cloud.

Settings and preferences

If you wanted to alter your settings on Windows 8, you had to search around a little and hope you found what you were looking for. Windows 10 simplifies your life. The options app contains the majority of options, including the most crucial ones.

Click the Start button, then select Settings to access it.

Your system's settings are completely controlled by the Settings app.

System, Devices, Phone, Network & Internet, Personalization, Apps, Accounts, Time & Language, Gaming, Ease of Access, Search, Privacy, and Update & Security are the 13 areas that make up the Settings app. It is simple to operate: Select an icon to travel to the desired location. Type into the app's search bar to quickly access a specific setting. For example, to turn autocorrection on or off, type autocorrection into the search bar, select Autocorrect misspelled words, and drag the toggle switch to the desired setting.

It is incorrect to suggest that the Settings app has everything. Instead, you could discover what you're searching for under the Control Panel—something that only a tinkerer would want to modify. Therefore, the Control Panel is the place to go if you want to do things like assign your PC a static IP address, make files that are ordinarily hidden visible on your system, or access other similar tech-related options.

By putting control panel into the Settings app's search box and choosing Control Panel, you may access it. You can search for your assignment or browse the groups here. For instance, "File Explorer Options: Show hidden files and folders" appears when you type hidden into the Control Panel's search field.

Security settings

Additionally, you may enable Controlled Folder Access, an anti-ransomware feature that restricts access to Windows system files and data folders to only authorized programs, if you're concerned about ransomware. Go to Windows Security and choose Virus & Threat Protection to activate it. Click Manage ransomware protection after swiping down to the "Ransomware protection" setting. You will notice the "Controlled folder access" box at the top of the screen that displays. Slide the slider to the "On" position.

You may alter how it functions once you do that, specifying which files should be secured and which programs should be able to access them. To add a folder that you wish secured, click secured folders. (Note: The ones that Microsoft automatically protects cannot be removed.)

By restricting access to critical files to approved programs only, Controlled Folder Access guards against ransomware.

Alternatively, you may select Allow an app through Controlled folder access, then click Add a permitted app to add an application that can access the folders. You may choose between "Recently blocked apps" and "Browse all apps" when you do that. If you wish to allow a program that Controlled Folder Access has prohibited to run, click Recently prohibited Apps. A list of applications will appear. Decide which ones you wish to let pass.

Click Browse all applications to add an app that hasn't been blocked recently. The path of the executable file that launches the application must be known to you. Go to the file, click on it, and it will be let to pass.

There are some of the windows 10 cheat sheets to help you know more about windows 10, stay tuned for the handy touchpad gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and touchscreen gestures which I'll be posting soon on my website here. Hope this was informative and you have learned something new, thanks for reading this article 🙏. My regards

Zaza-Tech

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