Introduction

It’s taken a couple of generations (as least as far as software development goes), but with Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft is realizing some of the visionary features promised when the first blush of Windows 8 turned things upside-down. From the outset of this new approach to operating systems, developers envisioned a seamless computing experience that was consistent, smooth, and easy to use whether users were working on tablets, desktops, or phones. Developers also pictured an operating system that was built to help us spend our time on the things we’re most interested in—social media, gaming, and creative efforts—without compromising anything in terms of productivity and security.

In the Creators Update of Windows 10, made available in September 2017, Microsoft delivers a slate of features designed to help users be more creative, take advantage of the latest technologies (such as virtual media and gaming enhancements), and streamline online tasks. Additionally, changes to the Cortana digital assistant mean users can access supportive services within apps; use touch to interact in new ways; and personalize the look, feel, and function of the operating system.

This book shows you all these new and enhanced features in Windows 10 Creators Update and provides all the coverage you need for essential tasks. Whether this is your first experience with the “new” Windows 10 or you’ve been following along since the first iteration of Windows 8, chances are that you’ll be pleased (if not fascinated) by the tools and changes you’ll find in these pages.

Beyond that, Windows 10 Pro offers additional features for those who will be using Windows 10 for professional tasks. Pro offers the additional security features of Windows Information Protection and Bitlocker and includes a number of business management tools, such as Mobile Device Management, group policy, Windows Store for Business, dynamic provisioning, shared PC configuration, and more. Additionally, Windows 10 Pro includes high-end networking and enterprise-level tools such as Domain Join, Remote Desktop, Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer, and Client Hyper-V.

Microsoft has recently introduced one more version of Windows 10, known as Windows 10 S. This version is a streamlined version of the operating system that focuses on security and efficiency without all the bells and whistles that can reduce system processing time.

Whichever version of Windows 10 you are currently using, the Windows 10 Creators Update will be installed automatically through Windows Updates.

Specifically, you’ll find these new and enhanced features in Windows 10 Creators Update:

• The Fluent Design is being used by Windows 10 app developers and is included in the Windows 10 interface as well. This gives your apps a consistent look and feel whether you’re working on a desktop, tablet, or phone.

• The new Night Light feature dims the blue ratio of your screen after 9:00 p.m., which makes it easier on your eyes in darker environments. You can customize this feature to the schedule you prefer.

• Significant Cortana improvements bring the value of the digital assistant into apps you use every day. From within your favorite app (or the Microsoft Edge browser), you can ask for help and Cortana will spring into action. Cortana can also respond to commands to turn on or off your PC, change the volume, and play songs from Groove music.

• Creators Update also includes social improvements, such as the My People Hub, which enables you to keep up to three of your favorite contacts pinned to the hub on your taskbar so you can communicate easily with them throughout the day. There is also expanded support for shared experiences that enables you to share content, games, and sites across devices and with friends.

• Big enhancements in Microsoft Edge offer a way to set tabs aside (giving you more screen space), and you can preview tab thumbnails before you select them. Now you can now read PDFs and ePub files in the browser without needing an ereader app. To go along with the ebook feature, Windows Store includes thousands of ebooks you can download and read in Edge. The browser also includes a read-aloud feature so that you can listen to an audio book while you work on other things.

• Now Windows 10 has 3D support, thanks to Paint 3D and Remix 3D. Both creative tools enable you to create designs on the fly and extend your creation by showing it in different dimensions and environments. It’s easier than you might think!

• Developers have focused on streamlining the behind-the-scenes processing in Windows 10 so that downloads happen faster, videos stream longer and without interruption, and the overall drain on the processor is lessened by significantly reducing the processing load. You’ll notice that you spend less time waiting and more time being productive. This efficiency also extends to OneDrive, which now grabs the file you need “on demand,” even though you can see all your OneDrive files in your File Explorer window. This reduces the amount of storage space you need on your computer or device, and the faster processing retrieves the file you need instantly, with no lag time.

• Gaming has gotten significant attention in Windows 10 Creators Update and has been given its own category in the Settings window. You can use the Game bar to control game flow, start live game broadcasting with Beam, and capture live audio and video of your gameplay.

• Windows 10 Creators Update is more secure than ever, with new ransomware protections, enhancements to Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection that add specialized protection tools, and improvements to Defender’s Antivirus tool.

• Chapter 1, “Hello, Windows 10!” gets you started with the basics of Windows 10 and introduces you to all the key new features of the operating system. You learn how to use touch gestures, as well as the mouse and keyboard, to navigate with Windows 10 Creators Update. You also find out how to put Windows 10 to sleep, wake it up, and power down your computer, which you can now use Cortana and voice commands to do.

• Chapter 2, “Connecting and Managing Your Desktop and Devices,” shows you Windows 10 functions in different domains—desktop, tablet, and phone. You find out how to add your phone to your Microsoft account so you can have a seamless experience no matter which device you may be using. You also find out about input improvements for the mouse, keyboard, and pen, and you learn about improvements in the process for adding new devices to Windows 10. You’ll also find out how to set app notifications, make sure you have Internet access, learn about managing your PC’s power, and find out how to refresh or reset your system.

• Chapter 3, “Accomplishing Windows 10 Essential Tasks,” introduces you to the feel and functionality of the user interface in Windows 10. You take a tour of the desktop, as well as tablet mode, and learn how to set up Windows 10 to work the way you want it to. You find out how to tailor the Start experience so you have access to the apps and features you want most, and you see out how to manage the tools that are part of your daily life.

• Chapter 4, “Using Cortana: Your Personal Digital Assistant,” introduces you to Cortana. Here you learn how to set up Cortana to work the way you do; teach Cortana to recognize your voice, and use voice commands to carry out basic tasks. You discover how Cortana can work alongside you, listening for commands as you create, research, produce, compile, or work with favorite apps, data, and sources.

• Chapter 5, “Personalizing Windows 10,” covers all kinds of personalization features, beginning with customizations for the Lock screen, color schemes, profile picture, badges, notifications, and accessibility features. You find out how to set up the new Night Light feature, explore the new categories in Settings, and tweak the way apps work in the background. You also learn how to create multiple desktops in Windows 10 so that you can set up the apps and features for different people or places in your life.

• Chapter 6, “Securing Your Computer—for Yourself and Your Family,” helps you ensure that your computer is as safe as possible by setting a password, customizing your login, creating user accounts, adding a PIN logon, setting location privacy, and telling Windows 10 how—or whether—you want apps to share your information. You’re introduced to the new privacy tools so you can make nuanced choices about what you want to share online. You also find out about Windows Hello, which uses biometric login features to recognize faces, irises, and thumbprints. Additionally, in this chapter, you learn about setting up and using Family Safety features to safeguard your kids online.

• Chapter 7, “Discovering, Using, and Sharing Favorite Apps,” introduces you to the redesigned Microsoft Store and shows you how to find, download, install, and update the apps that interest you. You find out how inking is now available in many popular apps and see how various apps work together to get you instant access to the information you need. This chapter also explains how to update apps and organize them on your system so that you easily can find the ones you need when you need them. This chapter also shows you the big new changes in the Microsoft Store—including thousands of ebook titles—and how to search for new apps you want to try.

• Chapter 8, “Working with Your Files in File Explorer and OneDrive,” spotlights the tasks you need to know to organize your files and folders in Windows 10 Creators Update. Saving files to the cloud has become a big thing in recent years, and OneDrive is Microsoft’s answer to in-the-cloud storage. In Windows 10, you can choose which folders you want to sync to the cloud so you can access the files you need easily, no matter which computer or device you may be using. You also find out about the new OneDrive on-demand file retrieval process, which opens only the file you need at a given time (freeing up storage space on your local computer or device). Along the way, you find out how to manage the changes in File Explorer and discover how easily you can copy, move, and share your files with others.

• Chapter 9, “Streamlined Surfing with Microsoft Edge,” introduces the many new feature improvements in Microsoft’s leading-edge browser. You’re introduced to the new strategy for getting tabs out of the way (to give you more screen space), thumbnail previews for tabs, optimized processing for faster downloads and longer, smoother video streaming and browsing, and more. Also covered are the tools you use to read ebooks (PDFs or ePub files) in your Edge browser window, as well as the read-aloud feature that turns your ebook into an audio book. With Microsoft Edge, you can annotate web pages and share them easily with friends in your social media circles. You can use Edge’s reading mode to clearly view the content on the pages that interest you (skipping the ads and formatting that are distracting).

• Chapter 10, “Staying in Touch (and in Sync) with Windows 10,” walks you through the dramatic makeover of the Mail app and helps you set up the People app and learn how to add contact information for friends and family. You’ll also learn about the Calendar app and find out how to use Skype to stay in touch with those on your Contacts list. This chapter also introduces the new My People hub, which you can use to keep close those contacts whom you regularly communicate with throughout the day.

• Chapter 11, “Bringing Out Your Inner Artist with Photos and Paint 3D,” introduces you to tools in the Windows Photos app and showcases the new Paint 3D app and the Remix 3D community. These fun and creative tools take artistry to a whole new level by enabling you to design, create, and place 3D designs into different landscapes and perspectives.

• Chapter 12, “Getting Your Groove on with Favorite Music and Movies,” shows you the ins and outs of the Windows 10 popular music service. You learn how to find the artists and albums you like, download music, play it the way you like, create playlists, and more. The chapter also introduces the Groove Music Service, explains how to create custom radio stations, and shows you how to play your favorite songs—by voice command—from the Windows 10 Lock screen. In addition, this chapter also shows you how to find, save, and watch your favorite shows and movies using Windows 10.

• Chapter 13, “Entertainment for the Gamer in You,” uncovers the exciting new features in gaming. After a focus on basics—finding the game you want to play, launching it, and managing game play settings—you learn about game broadcasting with Beam, working with the new Game bar, turning on game mode to optimize your experience, and even recording audio and video while you play.

• Chapter 14, “Caring for Your Computer and Updating Windows,” gives you some basic pointers on how to regularly back up your files, update your copy of Windows, and use Windows 10 system tools to improve your computer’s performance and clean up your hard drive. In Windows 10 Creators Update, you have more control over how and when Windows is updated; this chapter shows you how to make that call. You also learn about the updates to Windows Narrator (now with Braille support).

The chapters are organized so that you can jump in and read about whatever interests you most, or you can choose to go through the book sequentially. Along the way are tips, notes, and two kinds of sidebars: Go Further, which gives you additional information about getting more from the topic at hand, and It’s Not All Good, which lists common pitfalls and trouble spots to watch out for.

After the update is finished (it takes only a few minutes), you’re prompted to restart your computer, and the update wraps up a few final details. Then, when you see the colorful image of the Windows 10 Lock screen, the process is complete. That’s where you begin exploring Windows 10 Creators Update.