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How to Encrypt Your Hard Disk or USB Drive Using VeraCrypt

November 11th, 2020 by Admin

What is the best way to protect sensitive data from being stolen? Can’t enable BitLocker without TPM? VeraCrypt is a good alternative to BitLocker, which lets you create a virtual disk image for securing your sensitive files with password. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps of encrypting files on your hard disk or USB drive in Windows 10 using VeraCrypt.

Part 1: Download VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a free open source software for real-time disk encryption, which is available for Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. Just download VeraCrypt (about 34.5Mb) from its official website. The installation is as easy as clicking Next a bunch of times.

Part 2: Create a Protected Virtual Disk Image

  1. When you open up VeraCrypt, you’ll see a listing of unused drive letters. To start, we need to create a protected virtual disk image (aka “encrypted file container”). Click on the Create Volume button.

  2. Choose “Create an encrypted file container” and click on Next.

  3. VeraCrypt supports two different types of encrypted volumes. Here we select “Standard VeraCrypt volume“.

  4. Next, use the “Select File” button to pick a name and location for the virtual disk image you wish to create. This image can be stored on a local drive or an external USB drive.

  5. Choose your encryption options. The default settings of AES and SHA-512 are good enough for most purposes.

  6. Enter your volume size. It must be large enough to hold your sensitive files.

  7. Enter a volume password which will be later used for mounting this virtual disk image.

  8. Select what file system you want to use. It is recommended to choose NTFS so you will be able to use files bigger than 4GB. In order to generate strong encryption keys, simply move your mouse randomly until the blue bar reaches the end. Click on Format.

  9. Once the volume has been successfully created, click on Exit.

  10. Your volume is actually a disk image file which you can view from File Explorer.

Part 3: Mount the Virtual Disk Image

  1. Open up VeraCrypt again, select an unused drive letter and click on “Select File” to locate your protected virtual disk image, and click on Mount.

  2. Enter your password and click OK.

  3. Your protected virtual disk image will be mounted as a new drive. Open File Explorer and you can move your sensitive files onto that drive.

Part 4: Dismount the Volume

Don’t forget to dismount the VeraCrypt volume when you no longer need to work with it. From within the VeraCrypt interface, select the drive letter of your mounted volume and click on Dismount.

Your VeraCrypt volume will be automatically dismounted after you restart or shut down your computer, so your sensitive files will remain protected.

That’s it!

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Posted in Free Software, Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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How to Turn on Virtual Touchpad in Windows 10 Tablet / Laptop

November 9th, 2020 by Admin

What to do if your touchpad is out of work and no mouse is available? In case you’re experiencing problems with your mouse and touchpad, you can still move the cursor or click using the virtual touchpad. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to turn on virtual touchpad in Windows 10 tablets or laptops.

How to Turn on Virtual Touchpad in Windows 10

To enable the virtual touchpad, right-click an empty area in the taskbar and select “Show touchpad button” from the context menu. If your mouse or touchpad doesn’t work properly, using a finger to tap the touch screen and hold for a few seconds will trigger a right-click.

You’ll see a touchpad icon in the notification area of the taskbar. Click it to open up the virtual touchpad. It looks like a physical trackpad, which includes the left and right click buttons at the bottom of the window. You can move the cursor by swiping your finger in the large area.

Note that this virtual touchpad feature is only available for Windows 10 tablets or laptops which has a touch screen.

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Press a Key to Open Right-Click Context Menu in Windows 10

November 3rd, 2020 by Admin

How to right-click without a mouse on your laptop? Just hold down the SHIFT key and then press F10 and it will bring up the right-click context menu, but using that keyboard shortcut is still not fast or easy when you need to access the right-click menu frequently. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to assign right-click function to a keyboard key in Windows 10, so you can press a single key to open right-click context menu.

How to Map a Key to Open Right-Click Context Menu in Windows 10

  1. Before getting started, download Microsoft’s new PowerToys app from Github and install it on your computer. On the first launch, you should toggle “Always run as administrator” on, and turn on “Run at startup” to let the app run in the background.

  2. Select Keyboard Manager from the left-hand column. On the right side, click on the “Remap a key” button.

  3. The “Remap keys” window will pop up. Click the plus sign (+) to add a new key mapping.

  4. Under the “Key:” column, click on the Type button.

  5. Press a key you want to use for calling up the right-click context menu, and click OK. I recommend you use a rarely used key (the CTRL or ALT key on the right side of the keyboard) so it doesn’t conflict with any keyboard shortcut.

  6. Under the “Mapped To:” column, click the drop-down list to select “Apps/Menu“. When it’s done, click OK at the top right corner.

  7. Click on Continue Anyway.

  8. Now, go to the Desktop or File Explorer, press your mapped Menu key and it will open up the right-click context menu quickly.

    As long as PowerToys is running in the system tray, the key mapping will work all the time. If you want to undo the changes, just launch PowerToys and delete the key mapping.

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How to Change the Default “New folder” Name in Windows 10

November 2nd, 2020 by Admin

When you create a new folder or a text file in Windows 10, it’s named “New folder” or “New Text Document” by default. If you prefer, you can customize and change the default name template for newly-created folders or files in Windows 10 using a registry tweak.

How to Change the Default “New folder” Name in Windows 10

  1. Open Registry Editor. Copy the following path and paste it into the Address Bar at the top and hit Enter.
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

    In the left-side pane, right-click on the “Explorer” key and select New -> Key.

  2. Name the new key “NamingTemplates” and make sure it’s selected. In the right-hand pane, right-click the blank area and select New -> String Value.

  3. Name the new string “RenameNameTemplate” and double-click it to modify. In the Value data field, enter the new default name you want to use for newly-created folders/files, and click OK. Note: Do not use any of the following characters in the default name:
    \ / ? : * " > < | " ' *

  4. Close Registry Editor. Try to create a new folder in File Explorer and it will be named with your new default name instead of “New folder”.

  5. Whenever you need to restore the default “New folder” name, just change the value of the string “RenameNameTemplate” to %s or simply delete the string altogether.

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How to Change Function Keys Behavior on Your Windows Laptop

October 28th, 2020 by Admin

F2 key doesn’t rename file in Windows 10? Function keys for brightness control (F11, F12) do not work any longer? Most laptops have a Fn key on the keyboard which can change the behavior of function keys (F1 – F12). On my laptop, the default function of F2 is to rename files, while pressing Fn + F2 will lower volume. If I accidentally activate the Action Keys (Hotkeys) mode, then F2 will lower volume and I have to press Fn + F2 for renaming files.

If function keys or the Fn key don’t work as expected, then you need to disable or enable Action Keys (Hotkeys) mode on your Windows 10 / 8 / 7 laptop.

Method 1: Disable or Enable Action Keys Mode from UEFI/BIOS

  1. Turn on your computer, immediately and repeatedly press a specific key (F2, F12, DEL, F10, ESC, etc.) to enter into the BIOS Setup. If you’re running Windows 10/8, you can access BIOS from Command Prompt, the Settings app or Windows sign-in screen.
  2. Once inside the BIOS/UEFI Setup, navigate to the Configuration Tab (Advanced tab or System Configuration tab) and look for an option called “Hotkey Mode” or “Action Keys Mode“, set it to Disabled or Enabled.

    On modern DELL laptops, select “Function Key Behavior” and press Enter to choose one of the following options:

    • Function Key – Disable Action Keys mode. Requires pressing Fn key to perform the actions printed on the function keys.
    • Multimedia Key – Enable Action Keys mode. Does not require pressing Fn key to perform the actions printed on the function keys.

  3. Now the behavior of the Fn key has been changed. Save and Exit the BIOS/UEFI Setup.

Method 2: Disable or Enable Action Keys Mode Using Fn Lock Key

The Fn Lock key is usually indicated by a lock icon with “Fn” printed on it. If your keyboard has a Fn Lock key, just hold down the Fn key and then press the Fn Lock key simultaneously, it will enable Action Keys mode. Pressing the Fn key and Fn Lock key again will disable Action Keys mode.

On some DELL or Lenovo laptops, the Fn Lock key is the Esc key. Pressing Fn + Esc can enable or disable the Action Keys mode with ease.

Conclusion

When Action Keys mode is enabled, function keys will work as multimedia keys by default. So you can press a single function key (F1 – F12) to mute/unmute the audio, adjust the volume or project to a screen, without having to hold down the Fn key. If you am very used to using the F2 key to rename files, just disable Action Keys mode and you’re good to go.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

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How to Open File Explorer from Command Prompt in Windows 10

October 26th, 2020 by Admin

How do I open a File Explorer window in a given directory from cmd.exe? Previously we’ve covered many ways to open File Explorer in Windows 10, but here I’ll show you how to open File Explorer in a specific folder using Command Prompt.

Method 1: Using the Start Command Line to Open File Explorer

Open the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter. This will launch File Explorer and open the current folder location that you were in at the Command Prompt.
start .

To open a specific folder, simply run the command below. The folder path must be double quoted even if it doesn’t contain spaces. The first quoted argument will be interpreted as the window tile, and we can leave it empty.
start "" "your_folder_path"

Method 2: Using the Explorer Command Line to Open File Explorer

Open the Command Prompt window, type explorer and hit Enter. It will open File Explorer to Quick access or This PC depending on your Folder Options setting.

If you want to open File Explorer in a specific folder, then type the following command. Make sure the folder path is enclosed in double quotes if it contains spaces.
explorer "your_folder_path"

The above commands also work at Windows PowerShell console.

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How to Protect Outlook .OST File from Unauthorized Access

October 23rd, 2020 by Admin

How can I set a password for my .OST file in Outlook 2013? It’s super simple to password protect a .PST file, but Outlook doesn’t offer built-in encryption for OST file. If you need to prevent other users from accessing the email messages stored in an .OST file, you can protect Outlook .OST file using third-party software – Protect My Folders.

Part 1: Find the location of OST file

Before getting started, you need to find the location of OST file in Outlook application. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icon view, and click on the Mail option.

  2. When the Mail Setup window appears, click on the the Data Files button.

  3. The Account Settings dialog should list .pst or .ost files for all your email accounts in Outlook. Choose the .ost file you want to protect, and then click on the “Open File Location” button.

  4. File Explorer will open the folder that contains the specified outlook .ost file.

Part 2: Protect Outlook OST File from Unauthorized Access

  1. Download and install the Protect My Folders application on your computer. The first time you launch the program, it will prompt you to set up a master password in order to manage protected folders / files.

  2. Just drag your desired .ost file from File Explorer and drop it to the Protect My Folders app, it will be hidden and locked down.

  3. Nobody can access, copy, or delete a secured .ost file. If you launch Outlook application, you’ll get the error that says the ost file can’t be opened.

  4. Whenever you need to access the secured .ost file, just launch Protect My Folders and enter the master password. Select your .ost file and click on “Unlock“. You can then start Outlook application and access anything stored in that .ost file.

That’s it!

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

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How to Disable Bing Web Results in Windows 10 Search Box

October 16th, 2020 by Admin

When you type anything in the search box on Windows 10 taskbar, it will display web results from Bing search if there are no local results.

If you just want to perform a local search only, here are 2 simple ways to disable Bing web results in Windows 10 Search box.

Method 1: Disable Bing Web Results in Windows 10 Search Box via Group Policy

  1. Open Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to: User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> File Explorer. Locate the policy called “Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box” and double-click it.

  2. Select the Enabled option and click OK.

  3. Close Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer to apply the new policy. Now you’ve successfully disabled the Bing integration in Windows 10 Search box.

Method 2: Disable Bing Web Results in Windows 10 Search Box via Registry Editor

If Local Group Policy Editor is not available in your PC, the following registry tweak will do the same effect.

  1. Open Registry Editor and browse to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies \Microsoft\Windows. In the left pane, right-click on the Windows key and select New -> Key, and name that Explorer.

    If the Explorer key already exists, just skip this step.

  2. Select the newly-created Explorer key. Right-click empty place in the right pane and then select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  3. Name the value DisableSearchBoxSuggestions. Then, double-click on it and set its value data to 1.

  4. Close Registry Editor and reboot Windows 10. When you use the Windows 10 search box, Bing web results are not included and it now only shows you local results.

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3 Ways to Mute or Turn off Microphone in Windows 10

October 6th, 2020 by Admin

Is there a way to mute the microphone but keep the speaker on? Clicking the Volume icon in the system tray can mute the speaker easily, but there is no such straightforward way to mute the microphone. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 methods to mute or turn off microphone in Windows 10.

Method 1: Mute or Turn off Microphone from System Tray

Right-click the Volume icon in the taskbar notification area and select “Open Sound settings“.

This will launch the Settings app and open the Sound page. On the right side, scroll down to the Input section and click on the “Manage sound devices” link.

Under the Input devices section, select your microphone and click on Disable.

Method 2: Mute or Turn off Microphone via Settings App

Press the WIN + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app. Click on the Privacy category.

Select Microphone in left-hand side. On the right, click on the Change button under “Allow access to the microphone on this device”.

In the popup window, toggle the setting to Off. This will disable access to your microphone in Windows 10.

Method 3: Mute or Turn off Microphone via Command Prompt or Third-Party App

There is a portable freeware called SoundVolumeView which lets you mute or unmute any sound device from Command Prompt and GUI. After downloading SoundVolumeView, unzip it and launch the .exe file. It will list all sound devices available on your computer. To mute your microphone, just select the microphone device and click the Mute icon in the toolbar.

If you want to mute the microphone from the Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter.
{path to SoundVolumeView.exe} /Mute "Microphone"

You can also create a desktop shortcut along with custom keyboard shortcut to run this command, which will make muting the microphone much easier.

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How to Show App Name without Combining Icons in Windows 10 Taskbar

September 29th, 2020 by Admin

Is there a way to disable taskbar buttons combining in Windows 10? Can I get the taskbar to show the names of programs? By default, Windows 10 taskbar hides the labels next to the icons of running applications. If you open two instances of an application, they will be combined into a single icon in the taskbar, rather than displaying separate app icon for each instance.

How to Show App Name without Combining Icons in Windows 10 Taskbar

Right-click the blank area in the taskbar and select Taskbar settings from the pop-up menu.

In the Settings window, click the “Combine taskbar buttons” drop-down list and select Never.

Now, you’ll see the title of each application or document you’re working on in the taskbar. The taskbar will never combine windows from the same program into one icon.

To prevent others from enabling taskbar buttons combining again, you can lock down the taskbar settings and the “Combine taskbar buttons” option will be greyed out.

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