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Windows 10 Anniversary Update: Watch out for these nasty surprises

A major update to Windows 10 is being rolled out. These are the gotchas that are catching out early users.

windows-10-anniversary-update

Windows 10 users are getting the first major update to the operating system in just under a year, with the release of the Anniversary Update.

But alongside the new features and fixes are some more unwelcome changes, ranging from less control for users to frozen machines.

Here are the main gotchas to look out for, as well as some fixes.

Less time to change your mind

With the arrival of the Anniversary Update, those upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8 have less time to switch back to the earlier OS.

Prior to the Anniversary Update, Windows 10 users had 30 days during which they could choose to reset their machine and restore their original OS. However, following the update Microsoft has reduced this period to 10 days.

Microsoft claims it reduced the period after noticing that most users who chose to switch back did so within a few days of upgrading, adding the change will free storage space on users’ machines.

The reduction also coincides with the end of period during which Windows 7 and 8 users could upgrade to Windows 10 for free – meaning those now paying $120 or more to upgrade will likely be less keen to switch back.

Frozen computers and broken systems

When you update software there is always risk that something will break, and that’s exactly what seems to be happening for some who have received the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

The most common complaint seems to be that the update causes the computer to lock-up soon after loading the desktop.

In response to the problem, Microsoft has been advising users to run Windows 10’s Maintenance Troubleshooter and if that doesn’t work, to perform a clean boot of the system.

Meanwhile, users are reporting the most reliable fix has been to roll back to an earlier build of Windows 10.

Another repeated complaint is that Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana is missing from the Task Bar, replaced instead with a search box. In affected systems, Cortana also seems to be disabled inside the Edge web browser.

Some users of Avast and McAfee anti-virus – both widely used products – are also reporting problems after the upgrade, as are gamers trying to use Xbox One controllers.

Cortana is more difficult to get rid of

If you’re not a fan of Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana then prepare to dislike the Anniversary Update.

Following the update, it is no longer possible to turn off Cortana from the virtual assistant’s in-built Settings menu.

Instead, if users want to ditch Cortana they will need access to specific admin tools or to edit the registry.

Users can also minimise the information that Cortana collects, although thisdoes require altering various settings.

Harder for admins to block ads

Another less welcome change is that Windows 10 Pro users lose the ability to use admin tools to block ads.

Prior to the update, admins could edit Group Policy settings to stop ads for apps showing in the Start menu and on the lock screen.

However, Windows 10 Pro users will lose that ability, and, following the update, disabling these ads via Group Policy settings will only be available to those running Windows 10 Enterprise, Windows 10 Pro Education, or Windows 10 Education editions.

Individual users should be able to turn off many of these ads by disabling Windows 10 tips, tricks, and suggestions and Windows Store suggestions in the Settings app, however.

Following the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, new installs of Windows 10 will show double the number of ads for Windows Store apps in the Start Menu. Some users have also reported a possible increase in the number of ads shown on the lock screen following the update.

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Windows Tip of the week: Get additional Snap Assist options

Get additional Snap Assist options:

Most users are familiar with the Snap Assist function in Windows 10, where dragging a window to either side will snap that window into one-half of the screen. However, many users are unaware of how the Snap Assist function has been enhanced for Windows 10.

Not only can you drag and snap to one-half screen—now, if you drag a window to one of the four corners of the screen, it will snap to fill one-quarter of it. This means you can easily position four windows to be open at once, as shown in Figure.

Figure

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Windows Tip of the week: Remove Windows.old

Remove Windows.old:

Hard drive storage is not as costly or as limited as it once was, but that doesn’t mean you want to waste space if you don’t have to. If you upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or 8, you probably have a folder on your hard drive that contains the old version of Windows. On the assumption you are never going to revert back to Windows 7 or 8, you can delete that folder and regain the storage space on your hard drive.

To delete the folder, open File Explorer, navigate to the hard drive where Windows 10 resides (typically this is the C drive), and right-click it. Now, click the Properties menu item to get to a screen similar to the one shown in Figure. Click the Disk Cleanup button to start the scan and then click the Clean Up System Files button.

Figure

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Windows Tip of the week: Create a custom shortcut folder

Create a custom shortcut folder:

If you use the Windows 10 Start Menu to get to your apps, this next advanced tip may be for you. You can create a custom Start Menu folder to contain shortcuts to any apps, documents, etc., that you care to include. You can then pin that folder to the Start Screen or the Taskbar.

Begin by opening File Explorer and navigating to this folder (Figure):

C:\Users\mark.MRKM11X\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

Note: AppData is a hidden file, so you will have to select the Show Hidden Files check box on the Ribbon. Of course, your username will be different from mine.

Figure

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In the Programs folder, you can add your own subfolder. In my example I used the folder name A_Custom_Start_Folder so it would display in the “A” section of the Start Menu. You can put any shortcuts to apps in that folder you want.

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Windows Tip of the week: Change the location where apps install

Change the location where apps install:

Many computers these days are shipping with a combination of SSD and large capacity mechanical data drives. A great idea, but it does require a bit more management, particularly when it comes to where to install new apps. In most cases, you will want new apps installed on the data drive, not the smaller capacity solid-state boot drive.

To change the default drive for apps, click the Start Button and navigate to All Apps | Settings | System | Storage. You should see a screen similar to the one shown in Figure. From this screen you can change the default locations for apps, documents, music, pictures, and video.

Figure

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Windows Tip of the week: Take advantage of OneDrive Fetch

Take advantage of OneDrive Fetch:

When you create a Microsoft account, one of the best perks is that you also get OneDrive cloud storage at no additional cost. But a little-used feature called Fetch can get you even more than that.
Note: This does not apply to OneDrive for Business.

Right-click the OneDrive icon and navigate to Settings. On the next screen, click the Settings tab to get to the screen shown in Figure. Look for the checkbox called Let Me Use OneDrive To Fetch Any Of My Files On This PC. This will allow you to access any file on that PC from any computer using any browser simply by logging into your online version of OneDrive.

Figure

d10quicktips

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Windows Tip of the week: Limit Cortana’s reach

Limit Cortana’s reach:

If you want to change Cortana’s search behavior even more, you can limit the parameters of the search itself. For example, Cortana can be told not to search the internet at all.

Click the Cortana search box in the Taskbar and then navigate to the Cortana settings screen, as shown in Figure. At the bottom should be a setting that says Search Online And Include Web Results. Switch that to Off and Cortana won’t display any more web results no matter which search engine is the default.

Figure

c10quicktips

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Windows 10 hack: How to beef up your jump lists to show more pinned items

The Windows 10 jump lists feature offers a convenient way to start your apps–but there’s no easy way to increase the size of the list. Here’s a hack for that.

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Microsoft Windows 10 gives users several choices when it comes to how and where to start their applications. Some people use the desktop exclusively and some swear by the Start Menu, while others, prefer the pinned lists that hang off the icons on the Taskbar.

However, there is one small problem with the Taskbar pinned list in Windows 10—by default, there is a 12-slot limit.

Windows 7 allowed users to extend that number with a simple change to a configuration setting. But that feature is currently missing in Windows 10 for reasons no one has been able to explain. The workaround involves editing the Windows Registry file.

Standard disclaimer: Incorrectly editing the Windows Registry file could break your computer. Create a Restore Point before making any changes.

Jump listItems

Figure A shows an example of the default jump list hanging off the Word icon in a typical Windows 10 Taskbar. Note that there are 26 copies of the example file, but only 12 are listed in the pinned section. This is despite the fact that I have actually pinned them all, which is why the Recent section is fully populated.

Figure A

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To increase the number of pinned items displayed, we’ll have to change the maximum number of jump list items associated with a particular key in the Windows Registry file.

Press Windows key + R or right-click the Start Menu icon and navigate to the Run command to open the Run prompt (Figure B). Type regedit into the box and click OK.

Figure B

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Navigate to this set of keys in the Windows Registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Look through the list in the right-hand pane until you find this DWORD: JumpListItems_Maximum

In case, the JumpListItems_Maximum DWORD is not there, create it.

Right-click the JumpListItems_Maximum DWORD and select Modify. Click the Decimal radio button and change the number to a value that works for you. As you can see in (Figure C).

Figure C

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To complete the change, you may need to restart your computer. You should now be able to see the number of pinned items you specified (Figure D).

Figure D

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Windows 10 Start menu will soon show twice as many ads. Here’s how to get rid of them

Want to never see a promoted app in the Start menu again? Follow this step-by-step guide for home users and businesses.

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Microsoft is to double the number of adverts for apps that appear in Windows 10’s Start menu.

Windows 10’s Start menu currently has five tiles that display ‘promoted apps’, which are Windows Store apps the user hasn’t installed on their PC. Three of these tiles are links to apps on the Windows Store and two are Windows Store apps that Windows 10 has previously automatically installed on the machine.

In future versions of Windows 10, the number of ‘promoted apps’ tiles in the Start menu will rise to 10. To make room, the number of tiles linking to apps installed on the machine will decrease, from 17 to 12.

Microsoft discussed the changes at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in late April, as part of a briefing on new features in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, due out this summer.

It remains unclear whether all versions of Windows 10 will eventually see the Start menu changes or just new installs. Microsoft has been contacted for clarification.

If you don’t want adverts appearing in your Windows 10 Start menu, here’s how to remove them.

For home users

One option for removing these tiles is to install Classic Shell. The software will allow you to customize the look and feel of Windows, including changing the Start menu to resemble that of Windows 7 or earlier Microsoft operating systems.

If you don’t want to do that, here’s how to manually remove each tile from the Start menu.

In the slides below, you can see which tiles you will want to remove to get rid of promoted apps. Figure A shows the layout of promoted app tiles before the Anniversary Update changes and Figure B shows after.

Figure A
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Figure B
win10after

Depending on which version of Windows you’re running, you’ll want to remove each of the tiles highlighted in Figure A or B. Let’s start by removing promoted apps that are installed on your machine. Right clicking on these tiles will show a drop down menu with an ‘Uninstall’ option at the bottom, as shown in Figure C. Click on this option to remove the app.

Figure C

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Next to get rid of those promoted apps that link to the Windows Store. Right clicking on these apps will again show a drop down menu but this time click ‘Unpin from Start’ at the top, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

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Finally, to remove suggested apps from the sidebar in the Start menu, you’ll need to make a change in Settings. Go to Settings->Personalization->Start and click the slider to ‘Off’ that sits under ‘Occasionally show suggestions in Start’, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E

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For businesses

If you are running the Education or Enterprise versions of Windows 10 then promoted apps can also be disabled by changing a Group Policy setting. First open the Local Group Policy Editor. Next, as shown in Figure F, open the following folders in the left hand menu: Administrative templates->Windows Components->Cloud Content.

Figure F

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Next double click Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences, as shown in Figure G.

Figure G

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Inside the Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences window, click the radio button marked ‘Disabled’ and then click ‘Ok’ at the bottom of the window, as shown in Figure H.

Figure H

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10 mechanical keyboards to help make you more productive at work

1. Unicomp Ultra Classic

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Mechanical keyboards started as a trend among PC gamers but have crossed over into the realm of developers and IT pros. Here are 10 models worth checking out.

Modeled after the grandaddy of all mechanical keyboards, the IBM Model M, the Unicomp Ultra Classic offers the same buckling spring design and a similar aesthetic (which makes sense because Unicomp bought the technology behind the Model M in the 1990s). If you want the reliability of a classic Model M, but don’t want to deal with decades of keyboard funk on a vintage model, go with the Unicomp. But, if you want the nostalgia factor, you can probably find an old Model M on eBay.

2. Das Keyboard 4 Professional

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Known for its sleek designs and strong build quality, Das is one of the biggest names in mechanical keyboards. The Das Keyboard 4 Professional uses cherry MX switches with gold contacts, and has a design that would fit well in an office environment.

3. Ducky Legend

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Ducky is better known for its Shine series of keyboards, but the aluminum case Legend would be more at home in an office setting. The keys are backlit by LEDs and users can choose which switches they want to use.

4. Logitech G710

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The G710 is a good middle-of-the-road selection from Logitech’s G series keyboards. The G710 uses Cherry MX blue switches for a good mechanical feel, but operates quietly so you won’t disturb your coworkers.

5. Kinesis Advantage

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The Kinesis Advantage combines the tactile comfort of Cherry MX brown switches with the support of an ergonomic design. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it comes with a 60 day guarantee.

6. Ultimate Hacking Keyboard

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The Ultimate Hacking Keyboard bills itself as a split design mechanical keyboard for professionals. This keyboard uses Cherry MX switches and has additional modules that can be snapped into place to customize it.

7. Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L

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If you’re after cool lighting options and good performance, consider the Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro L. This keyboard is powered by a ARM Cortex M3 processor and brings a minimal design.

8. Razer BlackWidow

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Razer is a big name in the gaming world and their BlackWidow is a mechanical keyboard built for gaming. It uses proprietary Razer switches and gold contact points, and offers lots of lighting options.

9. ErgoDox EZ

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ErgoDox initially made noise in the keyboard market with its ErgoDox kit that required a lot of assembly, including soldering all the points by hand. The ErgoDox EZ, however, is a ready-made kit based on an open source design that is a nice split design option.

10. CODE Mechanical Keyboard

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The CODE mechanical keyboard was designed with developers in mind. Using 6-Key USB rollover, it opens up many options for shortcuts.

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