3. Accomplishing Windows 10 Essential Tasks
In this chapter, you learn how to find your way around the Windows 10 desktop by performing tasks such as
Exploring the Windows 10 desktop
Perhaps it’s the mark of progressive software in our day and age: Windows 10 anticipates the tools you will need before you need them. Case in point: If you start Windows 10 on your traditional computer or laptop, the operating system knows to display the operating system in Desktop mode, with the Start menu available behind the Windows Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen. If you launch Windows 10 on your tablet or touch device, such as the Surface 4, the software automatically displays Windows 10 in Tablet mode, with the Start screen optimized (with larger tiles and more space) so you can easily get where you want to go using a fingertip or pen. Whether you will be using Windows 10 on a desktop or a touch device—or a combination of both—there are a set of essential tasks you will perform as you launch and use apps, organize your files, check your social media accounts, and communicate with friends, family, and colleagues.
In this chapter, you find out how to do those basic tasks whether you’re using a desktop computer or a touch device. You learn how to navigate your way around the interface, work with the Start menu, tweak the taskbar to suit your liking, work with program windows, use a pen with Windows 10, and even create multiple desktops (which sounds complicated but isn’t). By the time you finish this chapter, you will know much more about how to navigate the essentials of Windows 10 so that you can get on to the fun stuff.
Exploring the Windows 10 Desktop
If you’re using a computer or device connected to a mouse or keyboard, your version of Windows 10 launches directly to the Windows 10 desktop. If you have used a version of Windows prior to Windows 8, you are likely to feel at home here: The majority of the screen is open space, with the Recycle Bin in the upper-left corner, the Start button in the lower-left corner, a search box and taskbar (containing icons for the tools you use often) along the bottom, and on the far right side, the notifications and system tray tools.
Learning About the Windows 10 Desktop
By default, the Windows 10 Desktop is designed to optimize your space on the screen so you can find what you need easily and still have plenty of space to work with your open applications. You’ll probably spend much of your clicking time in the lower-left corner of the screen; this is where you find the Start menu, the Search box, and the tools you’ll use regularly, such as Task view, Microsoft Edge (Microsoft’s new browser), File Explorer, the Microsoft Store, and any other apps you pin to the taskbar.
You’ll use the Start button as your command center in Windows 10, launching apps, changing settings, accessing your social media, and more.
The Search box and Cortana give you two unique and connected ways to find information and items on the Web, on your computer, or in your schedule. Search by default aggregates results from both online and off; Cortana is your personal digital assistant that can listen and act on your voice commands, whether you want to locate information, set an appointment, find a restaurant, or something else.
Task view enables you to see thumbnails of all your open apps so that you can move directly to the one you want to work with next.
Microsoft Edge is Microsoft’s new browser, a state-of-the-art replacement for Internet Explorer. Edge takes advantage of the latest web technologies to give you a smoother, cleaner browsing experience online.
File Explorer is the familiar tool you use to organize and manage your files and folders in Windows 10.
The Microsoft Store is your source for finding and downloading apps of all types, as well as media and more.
The Notifications area includes the new Notifications tool and displays the Action Center, where you can see any messages Windows 10 has for you. This area also enables you to make changes to your computer on-the-fly; for example, you can check how much battery life you have left, adjust the volume of media playback, adjust your wireless settings, or display the onscreen keyboard.
The Recycle Bin is where all your deleted files and folders go; while they are stored in the Recycle Bin you can still retrieve them for use.
Using the Windows 10 Start Button
The Windows 10 Start button, in the lower-left corner of the screen, opens the Start menu. Right away, you’ll notice that the Windows 10 Start menu isn’t your ordinary menu. Microsoft added the best of Windows 8.1 (the updating app tiles) to what folks liked best about the Windows 7 Start menu (the list of programs and the ability to view All Programs with a click of the mouse) and put them together in one customizable menu for Windows 10.
When you click the Start button, the menu opens. On the left side, you see your profile at the top, followed by a list of Most Used apps. Beneath that list is an alphabetical list of all the apps installed on your system.
On the right side of the Start menu, you see colorful app tiles. You can group and arrange these app tiles in any way you like. You can also change the size of some app tiles (if the app developer has enabled this feature). You learn how to work with app tiles on the Start menu later in this chapter.
To work with the Windows 10 Start menu, follow these steps:
Click the Start button. The Start menu opens.
Review the apps in the Most Used list. You can launch these apps by clicking the one you want to use.
Move the cursor to an app tile. The tile highlights. To open the app, click the tile.
Using the Start Menu
As you can see, the Windows 10 Start menu tries to give you a simple, graphical way to find what you need while still offering the flexibility and functionality that get you there quickly. Whether you prefer lists or tiles, you can use the items you prefer and skip the ones you don’t. That’s not a bad system.
Microsoft also knows that to really enjoy and use the operating system in the way it’s intended, you need to be able to make it your own. So the Start menu is highly customizable. You can add new app tiles to the Start menu; you can change the size of tiles and control whether they update with new information. You also can group similar tiles and add a group name if you like.
Within the colorful Start menu are several options for the ways you work with your system. You might want to click an app tile to launch a program, point to an item on the Most Used list to display a set of options, change to All Apps view, or put your computer to sleep.
Working with the Start Menu
Click the Start button. The Start menu appears.
Launch an app by clicking the app’s tile.
Alternatively, click an item in the apps list to launch the tool or app.
Open the Start menu again and then click the alphabetical heading to collapse the apps list so you can move quickly to another part of the list.
Changing User and Profile Information in the Start Menu
The Start menu displays your Microsoft account profile picture to the left of the apps list. You can interact with your account settings directly by clicking your account picture and choosing Change Account Settings. You can also lock your computer or sign out at that point, if you like.
Click the Start button to display the Start menu.
Click your profile picture on the left side of the Start menu. A menu appears.
Click Change Account Settings if you want to update your Microsoft Account information. This action takes you to the Accounts page of the Settings window, where you can update your account picture or change other items.
Click Lock to lock your computer so no one else can access it. (To unlock your computer, sign in using your Microsoft account and password.)
To sign out of your computer, click Sign Out.
Adding App Tiles to the Start Menu
Although Windows 10 provides a selection of app tiles for you on the Start menu by default, you can add new tiles to the Start menu and arrange them in the way that makes the most sense to you. This enables you to tweak your Start menu so the apps you use most often are easily within your reach.
Click the Start button to show the Start menu and the alphabetical listing of all apps installed on your computer.
Right-click the app you want to add to the app tiles. An options list appears.
Click Pin to Start to add the app as an app tile on the Start menu.
Removing App Tiles from the Start Menu
In addition to adding your own favorite apps to the Start menu, you might want to remove some app tiles you never use. This frees up space for app tiles you’ll appreciate having around.
Click the Start button to show the Start menu.
Right-click the app tile you want to remove.
Click Unpin from Start.
Resizing App Tiles
One of the things that makes the Start menu look so inviting is that the app tiles are colorful and dynamic, offering a variety of information—pictures, icons, and some with live updates—all in different sizes. Depending on which app you’re working with, you might be able to change the size of the app tile to take up more or less room on the menu.
Display the Start menu.
Right-click the app tile you want to resize.
Click Resize. A list of size options appears.
Click the size you want to apply to the selected tile.
Turning Off Live Tile Updates
Some of the app tiles in your Start menu have the capability to update information as new content becomes available. You can see this, for example, on the Money app tile, which shows an image and a headline from the most recent article posted in that app. Likewise, your weather app shows you a picture or icons forecasting weather for the near future. Additionally, app tiles such as Mail and Calendar display helpful information, such as the number of new email messages you’ve received or upcoming appointments in your daily calendar. If you find the updates distracting, you can turn them off so that Windows 10 displays colorful, but static, tiles.
Show the Start menu and right-click the app tile you want to change live tile status for.
Click More to display additional choices.
Click Turn Live Tile Off. The app tile displays an icon and the name of the tile but no longer shows an image or updating information.
Using Tablet Mode
If you have a 2-in-1 tablet or you dock your tablet and connect it to a keyboard and mouse, you might be switching back and forth from Desktop to Tablet mode often. In most cases, Windows 10 makes this change automatically for you. When you undock the tablet or flip the screen to use your 2-in-1 as a tablet, Windows 10 adjusts itself so that the touch-optimized features are available. You can specify whether you want Windows 10 to make that change instantly or whether you want to be prompted before the change is made.
You can also manually choose Tablet mode, which is handy if you’re using a 2-in-1 device but want to navigate by touch (whether or not the keyboard is active).
Making the Change Manually
Windows 10 should make the change to Tablet mode as soon as you undock your computer. The operating system recognizes that you’ve “gone mobile” and puts the touch optimization features in place. Depending on which setting you’ve selected, you might see a notification in the bottom-right corner of your screen, asking whether you want to switch to Tablet mode. You also have the option to switch your computer to Tablet mode manually. Here’s how to do that.
On the Windows 10 Desktop, tap the Notifications icon in the system tray to display the Action Center.
Tap Tablet Mode. The Start menu changes to display a grid of app tiles on the screen, and Windows 10 is now in Tablet mode.
Using the Start Menu with Touch
When you’re using a tablet, the Windows 10 Start menu appears as a screen-wide grid of tiles so that you easily can choose what you want to use. Even though the interface looks a bit different, all Windows 10 tools and techniques are available to you by touch.
Tap the Expand button to display a list of tools for working with Windows 10 in tablet mode.
Tap All Apps to display the list of apps installed on your device.
Tap Pinned Tiles to return to the app tiles display on the Start screen.
Tap Power to shut down the tablet, put it to sleep, or restart it.
Tweaking the Start Menu with Touch
You can easily tweak the Start menu to better fit the way you like to work. At the top of the All Apps list on the Start menu, you see the Most Used list. You can remove items from that list or add apps to it. You can also add app tiles to the Start menu and the taskbar to further personalize your Start experience.
Tap the All Apps tool to display all your installed apps in the Start screen area.
Tap and hold an item on the Most Used list that you’d like to remove. A context menu appears.
Tap More.
To remove the item from the list, choose Don’t Show in This List.
To add the item to the taskbar, tap Pin to Taskbar.
Setting Tablet Mode Options
You can choose a number of preferences for the way in which Windows 10 behaves when you either undock a tablet or switch your device to Tablet mode. You’ll find the preferences in the Tablet Mode tab of the System Settings.
Tap the Settings tool just above the Power tool on the far-left edge of the Start screen. The Settings window opens.
Tap System.
Tap Tablet Mode. In the center of the window, you see four tablet settings.
To choose which mode your computer uses when you sign in, tap the down arrow and select Use Tablet Mode, Use Desktop Mode, or leave Use the Appropriate Mode for My Hardware selected. (It’s the default.)
To choose whether you are prompted before Tablet mode is activated, tap the down arrow and choose Don’t Ask Me and Don’t Switch, Always Ask Me Before Switching, or Don’t Ask Me and Always Switch.
If you want app icons on the taskbar to be hidden when you’re working in Tablet mode, slide the selection to On.
If you want to hide the taskbar when you’re working in Tablet mode, slide the selection to On.
Tailoring the Taskbar
The taskbar is a place for lots of activity on the Windows 10 desktop. By default, just to the right of the Search box, you’ll find several icons: Task view, Microsoft Edge, File Explorer, and Microsoft Store. You can start these programs by clicking or tapping those icons.
You can also add apps you use often to the desktop taskbar so you can launch them. For example, if you record audio notes often, you might want to add Sound Recorder to the taskbar; if you work with illustrations, you could add Windows Paint. Any app you use regularly is a good candidate for the Windows 10 taskbar.
Adding Apps to the Taskbar
Some people prefer to put their favorite apps in the taskbar where they are easily within reach. You might think the Start menu serves the same purpose, but if you can save a click of the mouse, why not? The process is simple. Begin by right-clicking the app tile of the app you want to add.
Click Start to display the Start menu.
In either the All Apps list or the app tiles area, right-click the app that you want to add to the taskbar.
Point to More.
Click or tap Pin to Taskbar.
Using Jump Lists
Jump lists are popular features in Windows that enable you to get right to documents and files you’ve worked with recently without opening menus or launching new programs. A jump list keeps track of the most recent files you’ve worked with in a program you’ve pinned to the taskbar. You can display the list by right-clicking the icon on the taskbar. You can then click the file you want and move right to it.
Display the taskbar on the Windows 10 desktop.
Right-click the program icon to display the jump list for that program.
To open one of the files in the jump list, click or tap the one you want to view.
Working with Windows
When you work with programs on the Windows 10 desktop, they appear in the windows you are familiar with if you’ve used previous versions of Windows. You can open, close, minimize, maximize, arrange, and resize the windows. You can also click or tap the title bar of the window and move it from place to place, and you can arrange more than one window on the screen at the same time.
Window Basics
The windows you open on the Windows 10 desktop have a number of elements in common:
The title bar displays the name of the program and may display the name of the open file.
The Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons control the size of the window. Minimize reduces the window to the taskbar; Maximize opens the window so that it fills the screen; and Close closes the window.
The Quick Access toolbar gives you access to commands you might want to use with the program. You can customize the Quick Access toolbar by clicking the arrow on the right and selecting additional commands from the list.
Click the Help button to display help information related to the program you are using.
The Ribbon tabs offer different sets of tools related to the tasks you’re likely to want to perform in the program.
Click the Minimize Ribbon tool to reduce the display of the ribbon so that only the tab names show. When the Ribbon is hidden, the tool changes to Expand the Ribbon.
You can click and drag the window border to resize the window.
Moving a Window
Moving a window is as simple as clicking and dragging a window in the direction you want it to go. You can position the window where you want it manually, or you can use a tool to arrange the windows in an orderly way. (You find out how to do that in the next section.)
Tap and drag—or click and drag—the window’s title bar.
Drag the window in the direction you want to move it, and release it in the new position.
Resizing a Window
The easiest way to resize a window, from small to large, is to use the Maximize button in the window controls in the upper-right corner of the window. You can also resize a window by positioning the pointer on the window border or corner and dragging in the direction you want to resize the window.
Tap or point to a corner or side of the window. The pointer changes to a double-headed arrow.
Drag the border in the direction you want to resize the window, and release the border (or the mouse button) when the window is the size you want it.
Arranging Windows
Another important task when you are working with multiple open windows at one time is having the capability to arrange the windows the way you want them to appear. If you want to compare two documents, for example, it would be nice to show them side by side. You can arrange windows the way you want on the Windows 10 desktop.
Right-click the taskbar and select Cascade Windows.
Right-click the taskbar and select Show Windows Stacked.
Right-click the taskbar and click Show Windows Side by Side.
Using Task View
Windows 10 also includes a view called Task view, which enables you to navigate quickly among open apps so that you can choose which one you want to work with next. This serves as a simple alternative to Alt+Tab, which cycles through open apps so that you can select the one you need. Task view, by contrast, shows all the open apps as thumbnails on the screen at one time so you can easily choose the one you want.
Displaying and Using Task View
The tool you need for displaying Task view is just to the right of the Search box on the Windows 10 taskbar.
Click the Task View tool in the taskbar. Your open apps appear as thumbnails in the center of the screen.
Click the image of the application you want to use.
Alternatively, hover the mouse over the right corner of an application image to display the Close box, and click the Close box to exit the app.
Working with Notifications and the Action Center
Another feature you’re likely to use often in Windows 10 is the Notifications tool, which opens the Action Center along the right side of the screen. You’ll notice that notifications also slide in from the right toward the bottom of the screen—announcing their presence with a chime—whenever a new file is posted to the cloud, you plug in a new device, you miss a phone call, or a setting needs your attention.
The Notifications tool resembles a small speech balloon, and it appears on the far-right side of the taskbar. When you click the Notifications tool, the Action Center panel opens, listing all the notifications in various apps and settings. At the bottom of the Notifications panel, you have access to various system settings, which enable you to tailor the functioning of your computer easily without going through the Start menu to display the Settings window.
Checking Notifications
Windows 10 lets you know when a new notification arrives by displaying a small rectangular message box in the lower-right corner of the screen. In Windows 10 2017 Fall Creators Update, you can see a small number indicating how many new notifications you have received. You can also click the Notifications tool at any time to see a list of all recent notifications.
Click the Notifications tool in the taskbar. The Action Center opens on the right side of the screen.
Review the list of notifications.
To act on a notification, click it, and a window opens taking you to the app that needs your attention.
Remove a notification you no longer need by hovering the mouse over the down arrow on the right side. A close box appears above the arrow. Click the X to remove the notification.
To delete all notifications, click Clear All.
Turning Notifications Off and On
If you find the notifications distracting (or the sound annoying), you can turn off notifications for a period of time while you focus on the task at hand.
Right-click the Notifications tool in the taskbar. A small context menu appears.
Click Turn on Quiet Hours. When you’re ready to turn on notifications again, click Turn Off Quiet Hours.
Using Ink with Windows 10
Windows 10 has been designed from the ground up to allow you to use the software in whatever way—and on whatever device—feels most comfortable for you. Now in Windows 10 2017 Fall Creators Update, the Ink feature has been dramatically improved. Not only can you easily use a pen to write, draw, and select items on the screen, but in many cases you can also simply use your finger to draw, highlight, and add other enhancements on the fly.
Displaying the Windows Ink Workspace
The Windows Ink Workspace tool is in the notifications area on the right side of the taskbar. When you click or tap the tool, the Windows Ink Workspace opens.
Click or tap the Windows Ink Workspace tool.
Choose the tool you want to use. Windows Ink Workspace gives you the choice of creating a sticky note, using the sketch pad, or capturing and annotating a picture of your computer screen.
Creating a Sticky Note
Windows Ink enables you to easily add sticky notes in places you need reminders—perhaps you want to remind yourself that it’s your day to pick the kids up from soccer or that you need 20 copies of your PowerPoint presentation for tomorrow’s board meeting.
Click Sticky Notes in the Windows Ink Workspace (not shown). A sticky note appears in the center of your screen.
Using your pen or your finger, write the item you want to remember on the note.
Click or tap the Menu button to change the color of the note.
Click Add Note if you want to create another sticky note.
Click or tap Delete Note to delete the sticky note. Windows 10 asks you to confirm that you want to delete the note; click Delete to remove it.
Setting Reminders
If you write a specific time on your sticky note, the text for the time changes color. This happens because Windows 10 recognizes what you wrote as a time, which means you might want to add it to your calendar and set a reminder so you won’t forget.
Display the sticky note with the time you want to set a reminder for.
Tap the time. A small options bar opens at the bottom of the note.
Tap Add Reminder. Windows 10 opens the Cortana panel, giving you several options for setting the reminder.
Tap to choose when you want to be reminded.
Tap and select how often you want to be reminded.
Tap or click Remind to save the reminder.
Creating and Using Multiple Desktops
Another exciting feature in Windows 10 that is getting a lot of attention is its multiple desktops. Now you can easily create separate desktops to organize tasks, projects, and apps for different uses. For example, you might want to create one desktop for “work” and one for “home.” You can create two desktops and put the apps you use in each of those places on the different desktops. Then when you get home, or you get to work, you can simply display the desktop you want to use and have all your favorite apps right there.
Creating a New Desktop
Creating a new desktop is as simple as a click. Here’s the process:
Display Task view by clicking the Task View tool in the desktop taskbar.
Click New Desktop. The desktop appears as a thumbnail along the bottom of the screen. The top of the desktop is blank because you need to add the apps you want to use to the desktop.
Adding Apps to the New Desktop
After you create the new desktop, you need to add the apps you want to use there. You can use Task view to determine which desktop is active and move the apps you want to use on the new desktop.
Display Task view by clicking the tool in the desktop taskbar. As you can see, open apps appear in the center of the screen, and your desktops appear at the bottom of the screen. Make sure the original desktop is selected.
Right-click the app in the original desktop you want to move to the new desktop.
Point to Move To.
Choose Desktop 2. The selected app is moved to the second desktop.
Closing a Desktop
When you’re ready to do away with a desktop you’ve created, you can remove it as easily as you would close a file.
Click Task view to display the open apps and desktops.
Hover the mouse over the desktop you want to close.
Click the Close box to close the desktop.
