Author Archive

Restore Missing “Extract All” Option to ZIP Right-Click Menu

January 17th, 2017 by Admin

Windows has built-in native support for ZIP files. When you right-click on a .zip file in Windows Explorer, the “Extract All” option from context menu allows you to extract all contents of the zip file to a folder of your choice.

If the “Extract All” option is missing or overridden by third-party zip/unzip software, you can restore it with a registry hack in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista.

How to Restore Missing “Extract All” Option to ZIP Right-Click Menu?

This registry hack requires you to log into Windows as administrator. Follow these steps:

  1. Download this REG file (add_extract_all_context_menu.reg) and save it to a folder where you can find easily. Tips: the .reg file is actually a text file and you can view the content using NotePad.
  2. After the download is complete, double-click on the .REG file. Click Run if prompted by Security Warning.
  3. Registry Editor will confirm if you want to import the registry settings in your .reg file, click Yes.

    add-extract-all-context-menu

  4. Once it’s done, right-click on a .zip file and the “Extract All” option will show up in the Explorer’s right-click context menu.

If you want to remove the “Extract All” option from Explorer’s right-click menu, you can run this .reg file (remove_extract_all_context_menu.reg) instead. That’s all there is to it.

How to Set a Password on Outlook 2016 Data File

January 16th, 2017 by Admin

Let’s say you share a computer with other people. To prevent other users from viewing your email messages in Outlook, you’d better set a password to protect your Outlook data file (.pst). In this tutorial we’ll show you how to set a password on Outlook data file in Outlook 2016.

How to Set a Password on Outlook 2016 Data File?

  1. Open the Outlook 2016 application. Right-click on the name of your email account in the left pane, and then select “Data File Properties” from the popup menu.

    outlook-data-file-properties

  2. This will open the Properties dialog box. Click on the General tab, and from there click on the Advanced button.

    outlook-account-properties

  3. The “Outlook Data File” dialog box will appear. Now click on the Change Password button.

    outlook-data-file

  4. You will be asked to enter an old password if you have previously set a password for your Outlook data file. If not, leave the field blank and enter a new password and verify the password. Click OK.

    change-outlook-data-file-password

    Note: If you share a computer with others, don’t select the “Save this password in your password list” check box. Anyone with access to the computer could potentially open your .pst file.

  5. The next time you open Outlook 2016, the Outlook Data File Password dialog box displays asking you to enter your pst password before you can access your email account.

    outlook-ask-data-file-password

Setting a password on your Outlook data file is one of the easiest ways to protect others against accessing your Outlook emails and calendars. If you want to change Outlook data file password later, just access the Change Password dialog box using the steps we described above. Enter your current password in the “Old password” field, then type your new password. That’s all!

6 Quick Ways to Open Settings App in Windows 10

January 12th, 2017 by Admin

PC Settings is a touch-friendly app introduced since Windows 8, which is created to replace the classic Control Panel. The option to change Windows password is not available in Control Panel, and now you have to change it through PC Settings. In this tutorial we’ll show you 6 quickest ways to open Settings app in Windows 10.

windows-10-pc-settings

Method 1: Press WIN + I Hotkey to Open the Settings app

Just press the Windows + I shortcut keys together on your keyboard. This should be the fastest way to open the Settings app in Windows 10.

Method 2: Open the Settings app from Start Menu

Click the Start button. When the Start Menu appears, click the Settings icon (a little gear icon directly above the Power icon) near the menu’s bottom-left corner. The Settings app will launch immediately.

open-settings-via-start-menu

Method 3: Open the Settings app via Cortana Search

Click the Cortana Search box in the taskbar and type settings. Once the search results are loaded, click the Settings modern app.

open-settings-via-cortana

Method 4: Right-click Taskbar to Open the Settings app

Right-click on any empty space on Windows 10 taskbar, and then select Settings from the context menu.

open-settings-via-taskbar

Method 5: Open the Settings app in Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Open the Command Prompt (or PowerShell) in Windows 10. Type the following command at the Command Prompt.
start ms-settings:

open-settings-from-cmd

Once you press Enter, Windows 10 will instantly launch the Settings app.

Method 6: Open the Settings app in Windows 10 from Run

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type ms-settings: and press Enter. This will open the Settings app immediately.

open-settings-via-run

How to Disable or Uninstall Internet Explorer in Windows 10

January 10th, 2017 by Admin

With Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a new browser called Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer becomes an optional component that you can uninstall it from Control Panel. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to disable / uninstall Internet Explorer in Windows 10. After uninstalling, you can reinstall Internet Explorer again using the similar steps.

How to Disable or Uninstall Internet Explorer in Windows 10?

  1. Open the Control Panel in Windows 10. This can be done by pressing Windows Key + X and selecting Control Panel from the menu.

    open-control-panel-via-winx

  2. Once Control Panel is launched, set the View by option to Large icons. Click Programs and Features.

    programs-and-features

  3. On the left side, click the link called Turn Windows features on or off.

    turn-windows-features-on-off

  4. In the Windows Features window, uncheck the Internet Explorer 11 option and click OK. (If you want to install Internet Explorer later, just check that option again).

    uninstall-internet-explorer

  5. You will get a confirmation dialog that says: “Turning off Internet Explorer might affect other Windows features and programs installed on your computer, including default settings“. Click Yes.

    turn-off-internet-explorer

  6. When the uninstallation is done, you’ll be prompted to restart the PC.

    windows-needs-reboot

    After rebooting, you should be unable to open Internet Explorer in Windows 10.

How to Change Active / Inactive Title Bar Color in Windows 10

January 10th, 2017 by Admin

Don’t like white title bar in Windows 10? By default, the title bar is white for both active window and inactive window. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change the active / inactive title bar color in Windows 10.

Part 1: Change Active Title Bar Color in Windows 10

  1. Right-click on any empty space on the desktop, select Personalize from the context menu.

    personalize

  2. When the Settings window opens, click Colors on the left side.
  3. On the right side, pick an accent color and turn on the “Show color on title bar” setting.

    show-color-on-title-bar

When it’s done, Windows 10 will display your selected color for the title bar of any active window. But inactive title bar remains white as usual.

Part 2: Change Inactive Title Bar Color in Windows 10

Unfortunately there is no option to change the color of inactive title bar in the Settings app, and you have to change it using this registry hack:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type regedit and hit Enter.

    regedit-via-run

  2. Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
  3. Right-click the DWM key on the left side, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value from the context menu.

    registry-new-dword

  4. Name the new DWORD value as AccentColorInactive. Then double-click on AccentColorInactive on the right side. In the popup window, type the RGB value of the color of your choice under Value data box and click OK. You may need to google the RGB value of your preferred color.

    AccentColorInactive

  5. Close Registry Editor. You’ve successfully changed the title bar color for inactive window.

How to Reinstall Windows 10 Mail App

January 9th, 2017 by Admin

Can’t open the Mail and Calendar app in Windows 10? Is it constantly crashing or freezing? Mail is the built-in email client that comes with every Windows 10 installation. If your Mail app stops working, you can consider reinstalling the “Mail and Calendar” app in Windows 10.

windows-10-mail-app

Part 1: Uninstall “Mail and Calendar” App Using PowerShell

  1. To get started, open PowerShell in administrative mode. You might need to click Yes when you see the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
  2. When the PowerShell prompt opens, paste the following command and hit Enter.
    Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage

    uninstall-windows-10-mail

  3. This will remove / uninstall the “Mail and Calendar” app within one minute.

Part 2: Install “Mail and Calendar” App from Windows 10 Store

  1. Launch the Store app from Windows 10 Start Menu.
  2. Click the Search box in the Store’s upper-right corner, type “Mail and Calendar” and open its page. Click the Install button.

    install-mail-and-calendar

  3. Once the app is installed, you’ll see the “This product is installed” message below the description of the “Mail and Calendar” app. Now you can access the Mail app from Windows 10 Start Menu.

How to Add Email Account to Windows 10 Mail App

January 9th, 2017 by Admin

Windows 10 comes with a built-in Mail app (known as Mail and Calendar). The mail client supports all popular mail services, including Outlook, Exchange, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, iCloud and other POP/IMAP account. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to set up an email account in Windows 10 Mail app, which makes it easier to keep track of your email.

How to Add Email Account to Windows 10 Mail App?

  1. Click the Start button. When the Start Menu appears, click the Mail icon.

    windows-10-mail-app

  2. Once you launch the Mail app, click the Settings icon in the lower left-hand corner. Select Manage Accounts from the Settings menu appeared in the right side.

    windows-10-mail

  3. Next click Add account.

    add-mail-account-in-windows-10

  4. When the “Choose an account” window appears, choose the type of email account you want to add. For example, click Yahoo! Mail option if you want to add a Yahoo! mail account.

    choose-an-account-in-mail

  5. Simply enter your email address and password if prompted. Click Sign-in. This sign-in procedure is different based on the type of email account you chose in the previous step.

    type-mail-address-and-password

  6. Once the setup procedure is complete, you’ll see the All Done message. Now you can send and receive email from within Windows 10 Mail app.

    set-up-mail-account-done

How to Show Previous Logon Activity on Windows Welcome Screen

January 5th, 2017 by Admin

How to view users logon activity in Windows? Do you need to know the time of the last login? In this tutorial we’ll show you how to deploy a GPO in Windows to display information about previous logons during user logon. This feature works on all computers running Windows 10/8/7, Windows Server2008 or later.

Method 1: Show Previous Logon Information with Group Policy Editor

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

    gpedit

  2. In the Local Group Policy Editor, drill down to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Logon Options.

    windows-logon-options

    On the right panel, find the “Display information about previous logons during user logon” policy and double-click it.

  3. Select the Enabled option. Click OK and restart your computer.
    display-previous-logon-in-windows

  4. The next time you log into Windows, after entering your password, you will see the following screen that shows you the time of last successful logon and unsuccessful logon attempts. Click OK and it takes you to the desktop.

    windows-previous-login-activity

Method 2: Show Previous Logon Information with Registry Hack

If you have a Windows Home edition, you need to use the following registry hack to enable the “Display information about previous logons during user logon” policy on your computer.

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.

    regedit-via-run

  2. When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
  3. Look for the REG_DWORD value DisplayLastLogonInfo in the right panel. If it doesn’t exist, right-click the empty space and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new value DisplayLastLogonInfo.
  4. Double-click DisplayLastLogonInfo and then change the value from 0 to 1. Click OK. (If you don’t want Windows to show previous logon information after sign-in, just change the DisplayLastLogonInfo value back to 0)

    DisplayLastLogonInfo

  5. Close Registry Editor and restart your computer. The next time you log into your Windows account it will display last interactive logon information on the welcome screen.

Windows 10: Change Default Location Where New Apps will Install

January 3rd, 2017 by Admin

When you download an app from Windows Store, it just downloads the app without asking where you want to install it. By default, Windows 10 stores all apps in C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Packages. If you find yourself always on the verge of running out of disk space on system(C:), you can change the default location where Windows 10 saves and installs new apps.

How to Change Default Location Where New Apps will Install?

  1. Open the Settings app. You can either click the Settings icon from Windows 10 Start Menu, or press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut.

    open-settings-app

  2. Click on the System option.

    system-settings

  3. On the left-side, click Storage. On the right side under Save locations, select the drive you want New apps will save to and click Apply.

    new-apps-save-location

  4. Close the Settings app and restart your system. Now whenever you install a new app from Windows 10 Store, it will be installed in a newly-created folder named “WindowsApps” under the root path of your new default location.