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Restore Control Panel Missing from Win+X Menu in Windows 10

May 8th, 2017 by Admin

Control Panel disappeared from Windows 10’s Win+X menu? In recent release of Windows 10 Creators Update (build 1703), the Control Panel shortcut in the Win+X menu was replaced with the Settings app. Luckily there is a simple way to restore the missing Control Panel shortcut to Win+X menu in Windows 10.

How to Restore Control Panel Missing from Win+X Menu in Windows 10?

  1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run command box. Copy & paste the following path and press Enter.
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\WinX\Group2

    run-to-winx-folder

  2. This will open the Group2 folder in File Explorer, which contains a “Control Panel” item, but this appears in the Win+X menu as “Settings“. In order to restore Control Panel back to Win+X menu, you have to rename the existing “Control Panel” item.

    rename-control-panel-shortcut

  3. Download the old style Control Panel shortcut from this link: Win10-Control-Panel. After the file downloads, right-click on it and select Extract All.

    extract-shortcut-file

    Note: If you want to use the Control Panel shortcut created by yourself, you have to use the hashlnk program to “patch” the shortcut. Otherwise, your shortcut will not appear on the Win+X menu.

  4. Copy the extracting file and then paste it into the Group2 folder.

    copy-control-panel-shortcut

  5. Restart your computer and Control Panel will appear again in the Win+X menu!

    restore-control-panel-to-winx-menu

    You might notice that the Settings option is still there even if we’ve renamed it. If you want to remove “Settings” from Win+X menu, just delete the original “Control Panel” item from the Group2 folder.

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Stop Mouse / Keyboard from Waking Computer in Windows 10

May 7th, 2017 by Admin

By default, moving your mouse or pressing the keyboard will wake up your computer from sleep / hibernation mode. But, the slightest movement of the mouse or even a cat walking on the keyboard can cause Windows to wake up. That could be really annoying. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to stop mouse or keyboard from waking computer in Windows 10.

How to Stop Mouse / Keyboard from Waking Computer in Windows 10?

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, and then click on Mouse. If you want to prevent keyboard from waking computer, click on Keyboard instead.

    mouse-control-panel-app

  2. In the Mouse (or Keyboard) Properties window, switch to the Hardware tab. Select the mouse you want to control from the list and then click on Properties.

    mouse-properties

  3. Under the General tab, click the Change settings button.

    change-mouse-settings

  4. Select the Power Management tab, and uncheck the box next to Allow this device to wake the computer. Click OK.

    allow-this-device-to-wake-pc

  5. That’s it. Now neither your mouse or keyboard will wake your Windows 10 system from sleep mode. You’ll need to press the computer’s Power button to wake it.

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2 Ways to Turn On or Off PIN Expiration in Windows 10

May 4th, 2017 by Admin

Just like the local account, Windows 10 also allows you to set up expiration date for PIN login. A PIN usually contains only numbers, and this makes it easier for anyone with physical access to break into your computer. It’s good practice to enable PIN expiration policy to prompt users to change PIN regularly.

In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to turn on or off PIN expiration in Windows 10. When your PIN is expired, you’ll receive the message “Your organization requires that you change your PIN” during login.

windows-10-pin-expired

Method 1: Turn On / Off PIN Expiration in Windows 10 Using Group Policy

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor by pressing the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut and then typing gpedit.msc.

    gpedit

  2. Navigate to the following location in the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor:
    Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\PIN Complexity

    Next, double-click the Expiration policy in the right pane.

    windows-pin-complexity

  3. This will open the Expiration window. To enable PIN expiration, select the Enabled option and enter a number between 1 and 730 days for when to expire after. If you use default 0 the PIN will never expire.

    enable-pin-expiration-in-windows-10

    If you want to disable PIN expiration, just select either Disable or Not Configured, and click OK.

  4. Close local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer to apply your changes.

Method 2: Turn On / Off PIN Expiration in Windows 10 Using Registry Editor

  1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut and then typing regedit.

    regedit

  2. Navigate to the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork\PINComplexity

    The last two keys (PassportForWork, PINComplexity) may not exist on your machine, so you will have to create them (right-click on the previous key and select New->Key in the context menu that appears).

  3. Right-click on the PINComplexity key in the left pane, and then select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

    new-dword-value

  4. Name the new DWORD value as Expiration, and then double-click on it to modify.

    pin-expiration-registry

  5. Select the Decimal option, you can enter a number between 1 to 730 days before requiring users to change PIN. Click OK.

    turn-on-pin-expiration-windows-10

    If you want to disable PIN expiration later, just delete the Expiration value itself.

  6. Close Registry Editor and reboot your PC for your changes to take effect.

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2 Ways to Move Taskbar Location on Screen in Windows 10

April 28th, 2017 by Admin

“My taskbar decided to go vertical instead of horizontal. How do I move the taskbar back to its horizontal position at the bottom of my screen?”

Is there a way to change taskbar location in Windows 10? By default, the taskbar is at the bottom of the desktop, but you can also move it to any edge of the screen. This tutorial will show you 2 simple ways to move taskbar to different locations (Bottom, Left, Right, Top) of your screen in Windows 10.

windows-10-taskbar-at-top

Method 1: Drag Taskbar and Move it to Any Edge of the Screen

Right-click an empty space on the taskbar. If you see a check mark next to the “Lock the taskbar” option, the taskbar is locked and you’re unable to change its location. You need to click that option again to unlock the taskbar.

unlock-windows-taskbar

Next, click an empty space on the taskbar, and then hold down the mouse button as you drag the taskbar to one of the four edges of the desktop. When the taskbar is where you want it, release the mouse button.

Method 2: Change Taskbar Location from Settings App

The other way to change the taskbar location is through the Settings app. Right-click an empty space on the taskbar, and then select Taskbar settings from the context menu.

windows-taskbar-settings

This will open the Taskbar page in the Settings app. Scroll down and find the “Taskbar location on screen” drop-down box. You can choose any of the four sides of the display from the list.

taskbar-location-on-screen

After changing taskbar location, you can lock the taskbar to stop you moving or resizing it accidentally.

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3 Ways to Add Run Command to Start Menu & Taskbar in Windows 10

April 26th, 2017 by Admin

Most users prefer to open the Run command box by pressing the Windows + R key combination. But if you’re using a tablet or a PC without keyboard, the fastest way is to open the Run command by pinning the shortcut to Start Menu or taskbar. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to add Run command to Start Menu & taskbar in Windows 10, so it can always be seen and launched right away.

open-run-command-in-windows-10

Method 1: Using Cortana Search

Click the Cortana search box in Windows 10 taskbar and type Run. When you see the Run app showing up in the search result, right-click on it. You will see both Pin to Start and Pin to taskbar options in the context menu.

pin-run-to-start-menu-or-taskbar

Method 2: Using Start Menu

Click the Start button, and then browse to the Windows System folder at the bottom of Start Menu. Expand it and you’ll see the Run command there.

Right-click on the Run command and pick Pin to Start from the context menu.

pin-run-to-start

If you want to add Run to Windows 10 taskbar, just select More -> Pin to taskbar from the context menu.

pin-run-to-taskbar

Method 3: Right-click on Run desktop shortcut

To get started, you need to create a shortcut for the Run command on Windows 10 desktop. When it’s done, right-click on the Run shortcut and you can find the options to pin Run to Start Menu & taskbar.

run-command-dekstop-shortcut

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How to Create a Run Shortcut on Windows 10 Desktop

April 26th, 2017 by Admin

Using the Run command in Windows, you can run quick commands and programs, open folders or files, etc. In previous post we’ve covered all kinds of ways to open the Run command box, here we’re going to show you how to create a Run shortcut on Windows 10 desktop.

windows-run-desktop-shortcut

How to Create a Run Shortcut on Windows 10 Desktop?

  1. Right-click any empty area on the desktop and select New > Shortcut.

    new-shortcut

  2. This will open the Create Shortcut wizard. Copy and paste the location below into the location area, and then click Next.
    explorer.exe shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

    shortcut-location

  3. Name the shortcut as ‘Run‘ and click Finish.

    name-the-shortcut

  4. The default icon for your newly created shortcut is a folder icon. To change the icon, right-click on the new Run shortcut on the desktop, and then select Properties from the context menu.

    shortcut-properties

  5. Under the Shortcut tab, click the Change icon button.

    change-shortcut-icon

  6. In the Change Icon window, browse to select the file C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll. Next choose the Run command icon and click OK.

    select-shortcut-icon

  7. Now, the Run shortcut should now show up on the desktop with the original Run command icon. You can double-click on it to open Run command box for quick access.

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2 Ways to Reset Chrome to Default Settings without Reinstall

April 25th, 2017 by Admin

Have you messed up with your Chrome profile settings? Chrome is running slow and you have adware or pop-up ads problems? In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 ways to reset your Google Chrome settings and data to default without reinstall.

Method 1: Reset Chrome to default from Chrome settings

This will reset your homepage, new tab pages, and search engine, disable your extensions and unpin all tabs. It will also clear other temporary and cached data, such as cookies, content and site data. However, your saved bookmarks and passwords will not be cleared or changed.

  1. Open your Chrome browser, and then click the More icon (with three lines or dots) in the upper-right corner and select Settings.

    chrome-menu

  2. Chrome’s Settings should now be displayed in a new tab. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Show advanced settings link.

    chrome-settings

  3. Scroll down to the Reset settings section, as shown in the screenshot below. Click on the Reset settings button.

    reset-chrome-settings

  4. A pop-up window will come up and ask for confirmation the restoration process.

    confirm-resetting-chrome

    Once you click Reset, you will get clean and default Google Chrome.

Method 2: Reset Chrome to default by deleting the user profile

Another way of resetting Chrome to default settings is to delete your Chrome profile. This will completely reset all Chrome settings to default and delete your browser profiles, themes, extensions, bookmarks, history, cache, passwords, cookies, and web form auto-fill information. Here’s how:

  1. Open your Chrome browser, and then click the More icon (with three lines or dots) in the upper-right corner and select Settings.
  2. In the People section of the Settings page, select your current profile and click the Remove button underneath. After deleting, Chrome will automatically set up a new profile with default settings.

    delete-chrome-profile

  3. All of your chrome user data, bookmarks, history, cookies and cache will be cleared, and you will get fresh Google Chrome running on your computer.

If you want to remove data and settings for all Chrome profiles, just open Windows Explorer and go to the directory C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data, delete all files in it. That’s it!

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How to Restore Missing Command Prompt to Win+X Menu in Window 10

April 21st, 2017 by Admin

If you’ve installed Windows 10 Creators Update (build 1703), you may find that Command Prompt is missing from the context menu when you press WIN + X shortcut keys. Microsoft has replaced it with PowerShell, which is a bit annoying if you are a fan of Command Prompt. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to replace PowerShell with Command Prompt in Windows 10, so you can access Command Prompt in the Win + X menu again.

windows-10-replace-cmd-with-powershell

How to Restore Missing Command Prompt to Win+X Menu in Windows 10?

Right-click on any empty space on the taskbar, select Taskbar settings (or “Settings” for earlier build of Windows 10) from the context menu.

windows-10-taskbar-settings

The Settings app will be opened directly at the Taskbar page. Turn the “Replace Command Prompt with Windows PowerShell in the menu when I right-click the Start button or press Windows key+X” option to Off.

replace-cmd-with-powershell

This change will take effect immediately. When you right-click the Start button, or hit the Windows + X keyboard shortcut, the Power User Menu will pop up as usual but the PowerShell will be replaced with Command Prompt. That’s it!

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Set Mouse Wheel to Scroll One Screen at A Time in Windows 10

April 20th, 2017 by Admin

When you roll the mouse wheel one notch, a webpage or a document will be scrolled up or down 3 lines. If this default scroll speed is too slow for you, you can increase the mouse wheel scrolling speed in Windows 10 and make it scroll one screen at a time.

How to Set Mouse Wheel to Scroll One Screen at A Time in Windows 10?

  1. To change mouse wheel scroll speed, you need to access the Settings app. To do so, click the Settings icon from Windows 10 Start Menu, or press the Windows + I keyboard shortcut to open the app.

    open-settings-via-start-menu

  2. When the Settings app launches, click on Devices.

    devices-settings

  3. Choose Mouse on the left, you’ll see various mouse configuration settings. Under the “Roll the mouse wheel to scroll” setting, you can choose between “Multiple lines at a time” or “One screen at a time“. The first is the default setting, which makes scrolling smoother and slower.
  4. If you choose the “Multiple lines at a time” option, you can use the slider underneath to choose the number of lines that are moved up/down with each notch of the wheel.

    scroll-multiple-lines-at-a-time

  5. If you choose the “One screen at a time” option, the slider below will gray out and when I roll the mouse wheel one click, the wheel will skip an entire page of content at once, rather than going through it line by line. This setting is drastic if you have a large monitor with a high resolution.

    scroll-one-screen-at-a-time

After changing the mouse wheel scroll settings, you can open a webpage or a document, and check which scrolling method you prefer, and adjust the scroll speed to what you want.

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Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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