Archive for the ‘Others’ category

Tutorial: Change Screen Resolution in Windows 10

November 13th, 2016 by Admin

With a lower resolution all the texts and images appear larger. Likewise, at a higher resolution, the items look sharper and smaller. When you install Windows 10, it automatically sets the recommended screen resolution fix to the screen. But sometimes your game or software might won’t work with the default resolution, so here we’ll show you how to change screen resolution in Windows 10.

How to Change Screen Resolution in Windows 10?

  1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop. Select Display settings from the context menu.

    display-settings

  2. In the right pane, you can see the options to change the text size, brightness and orientation. Scroll down and click on Advanced display settings.

    advanced-display-settings

  3. Click on the drop-down box under Resolution to view all supported resolutions, and select one of the listed resolutions and then click Apply button.

    custom-screen-resolution

  4. If your desired resolution is not shown in the drop-down box, scroll down to the bottom and click Display adapter properties.

    display-adapter-properties

  5. In the display adapter’s Properties dialog box, select the Adapter tab, and then click List All Modes.

    list-all-modes

  6. This will open a new window listing every single resolution that your display can support. Select a resolution and click OK and then Apply.

    valid-screen-resolution

How to Restore Desktop Icons in Windows 10

November 11th, 2016 by Admin

All your desktop icons were missing after restarting your computer? How can I get those icons showing up again? It’s a known issue in Windows 10 that all of a sudden the icons on your desktop might disappear without warning. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 methods to restore missing / disappeared desktop icons (including This PC, Network, Control Panel and Recycle Bin) in Windows 10.

Method 1: Make sure Show Desktop icons is enabled

Right-click on any empty space on your desktop. From the context menu, select View and then check for the Show desktop icons at the bottom. You should be able to see all of your desktop icons.

show-desktop-icons

Method 2: Turn off tablet mode

If you’ve accidentally enabled tablet mode, Windows 10 will display the Start Screen instead of the desktop every time you sign into your account, so you will see no desktop icons showing up on your screen. Switching back and forth between Desktop mode and Tablet mode would fix your problem.

tablet-mode-in-action-center

To disable Tablet mode, click the Action Center icon (looks like a speech balloon) on the taskbar, and then click on the Tablet mode button. Your system will then change back to desktop mode. Hopefully all your desktop icons are restoring back.

Method 3: Restore Most Common Desktop icons

If your default desktop icons (like This PC, Control Panel etc.) are missing, you can make them visible from the Settings app. To get started, press the Windows key + I hotkey to open the Settings window. Click Personalization. Next select Themes tab on the left, click the Desktop icon settings link on the right. From the popup window, you can check all desktop icons and click OK.

Now Windows 10 should display the common desktop icons on the screen. That’s about it, I hope this article helped you to get your desktop icons back. If you have any comments, or questions, just reach for the comments below.

How to Change DPI Scaling Settings in Windows 10

November 5th, 2016 by Admin

A lower DPI will make screen elements (for example, icons, fonts and windows) appear smaller and a higher setting will make them appear bigger. By default Windows has system-wide scaling setting of 96 DPI. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to change Windows 10 DPI settings to the scaling level you want.

Method 1: Change Windows 10 DPI Settings from Settings

  1. Right-click an empty area on your desktop, and then select Display settings from the context menu.

  2. The Settings app will open the Display tab. In the right pane, click on the drop-down menu to “Change the size of text, apps, and other items” and select the DPI percentage you want to set for your display.

  3. Just underneath that you’ll see a link labelled “Custom scaling“. If you don’t like the default scale levels, you can click that link to set a custom scaling percent from 100 to 500.

  4. When you’re done, sign out and sign in to see the DPI changes.

Method 2: Change Windows 10 DPI Settings from Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view. Click Display.

    display

  2. Under Change size of items, click on the set a custom scaling level link.

    set-custom-scaling-level

  3. This brings up the familiar old Custom sizing options dialog. From there, you can select the scaling percentage you want from the drop-down menu, or drag the ruler left or right to the scaling percentage that suits your monitor.

    custom-sizing-options

  4. Click OK and sign out for the new DPI settings to take effect.

Method 2: Change Windows 10 DPI Settings Using Registry Editor

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

    regedit-via-run

  2. Navigate to the following registry key in the left pane.
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
  3. In the right pane you’ll see two settings labeled Win8DpiScaling, LogPixels. In my example, LogPixels is set to (decimal) 96 for 96 DPI.

    Win8DpiScaling

  4. Set Win8DpiScaling to 0 if you want to disable DPI scaling, or set it to 1 for enabling custom DPI scaling. When Win8DpiScaling is set to 1, you can then change the DPI scaling level by modify the LogPixels value.
  5. When it’s done, close the Registry Editor and reboot your computer.

How to Disable Sticky / Filter Keys Permanently in Windows 10

November 4th, 2016 by Admin

Windows 10 sticky or filter keys ruining your gaming experience? For example, if you accidentally press the Shift key on your keyboard five times in a row, then the Sticky Keys window pops up and asks you if you want to turn on Sticky Keys feature. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to disable / turn off the annoying Sticky & Filter Keys permanently in Windows 10.

filter-keys-popup

How to Disable Sticky / Filter Keys Permanently in Windows 10?

  1. Open the Control Panel and change the view to Large icons, and then click Ease of Access Center.

    ease-of-access-center

  2. Scroll down to the Explore all settings section, then click Make the keyboard easier to use.

    make-keyboard-easier-to-use

  3. In the window that shows up, uncheck the boxes for “Turn on Sticky Keys” and “Turn on Filter Keys” to turn off the Sticky / Filter Keys features.

    disable-sticky-filter-keys

  4. To prevent Windows from popping up the Sticky / Filter Keys popup dialog, you also need to disable the corresponding keyboard shortcuts.

    • Disable Sticky Keys Keyboard Shortcut

      Click the Set up Sticky Keys link. In the Sticky Keys setup screen, uncheck the box for “Turn on Sticky Keys when SHIFT is pressed five times“.

      disable-sticky-keys-popup

    • Disable Filter Keys Keyboard Shortcut

      Click the Set up Filter Keys link. In the Filter Keys setup screen, uncheck the option for “Turn on Filter Keys when right SHIFT is pressed for 8 seconds“.

      disable-filter-keys-popup

  5. Click OK to save your changes. Now you’ve successfully turned off both Sticky Keys and Filter Keys permanently in Windows 10. You will never be disturbed by the annoying window that pops up asking you for turning on the Sticky / Filter Keys.

2 Ways to Recover BitLocker Recovery Key for Surface Pro

November 3rd, 2016 by Admin

Surface Pro keeps asking you for BitLocker recovery key at startup? If you’re locked out of the tablet, there is no way to backup your files even if you boot it from Linux/WinPE bootable media, because Surface Pro has BitLocker encryption turned on by default. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 ways to find, retrieve and recover the BitLocker recovery key for Surface Pro tablet.

Method 1: Recover Surface Pro BitLocker Recovery Key from Command Prompt

If you can still log on to your Surface Pro tablet as administrator, you can find and recover BitLocker recovery key easily, by using the Command Prompt. Here’s how:

  1. Press the Windows key + X to open the Power User menu. Select “Command Prompt (Admin)“.
  2. At the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter.
    manage-bde -protectors C: -get

    recover-bitlocker-recovery-key-from-cmd

  3. You’ll see the output screen similar to the picture above. The 48-digit password is the BitLocker recovery key that was used to encrypt your hard drive. Write it down on a piece of paper that you keep somewhere safe, or store in an external USB flash drive.

Method 2: Recover Surface Pro BitLocker Recovery Key from Microsoft Account

When you’re locked out of Surface Pro, you still have chance to recover the BitLocker recovery key from Microsoft account. The first time you log into Surface Pro with Microsoft account, the BitLocker recovery key is automatically uploaded to iCould. Here’s how to find it:

  1. Using a working PC or phone connected to the Internet, open the the Microsoft OneDrive Recovery Key page and sign in with the same Microsoft account you used on your Surface Pro.
  2. After logging into your online Microsoft account, you’ll see the actual key ID and long BitLocker recovery key number. You can either write the key down or print it out to a piece of paper.

    onedrive-bitlocker-recovery-key

If your Surface Pro is displaying a BitLocker recovery screen each time it boots but you’re still unable to find the recovery key, you might have to reset Windows to factory defaults. You’ll be able to use your tablet again, but you’ll lose all the files stored on it.

How to Disable Any Shortcut Keys in Windows 10 / 8 /7

October 31st, 2016 by Admin

Is there a way to disable certain keyboard shortcuts in Windows? Sometimes or even frequently you might press a hotkey accidentally that can disrupt your productivity. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to use the freeware AutoHotkey to disable any certain global hotkeys (keyboard shortcuts) in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Disable Any Shortcut Keys in Windows 10 / 8 /7?

In this example, we’ll demonstrate how to disable the [Windows] + [+] hotkey in Windows 10. Just make a few changes with the AutoHotkey script and you can disable other keyboard shortcuts as well.

  1. AutoHotkey is a free, open-source automation and scripting tool for Windows platform. Go to AutoHotkey’s website and download the installer.
  2. After the download is complete, double-click the installer. When you’re asked to choose the installation type, select Express Installation.

    autohotkey-install-type

  3. When the installation is complete, click Exit. Now it’s time to create your first script.

    complete-install-autohotkey

  4. Right-click any empty space on your desktop (or any directory), and then select New -> AutoHotkey Script from the context menu.

    new-autohotkey-script

  5. Name the script file whatever you like, then open it up with your favorite text editor or NotePad.

    edit-autohotkey-script

  6. Place your cursor at the end of the last sentence and press Enter. Copy and paste the following line which tells AutoHotkey to disable the [Windows] + [=] / [+] shortcut key.
    #=::Return

    disable-windows-plus-hotkey

    In this case, the # symbol represents the Windows key. Here’s an example script to disable Alt + Tab, Windows + Tab, Left/Right Windows key:

    ; Disable Alt+Tab
    !Tab::Return

    ; Disable Windows Key + Tab
    #Tab::Return

    ; Disable Left Windows Key
    LWin::Return

    ; Disable Right Windows Key
    RWin::Return

  7. Save the script file. Right-click on it and select Run Script. Now press the [Windows] + [+] keyboard shortcut and you’ll find nothing happen. This way allows you to temporarily disable your desire shortcut keys by running the script manually.

    run-autohotkey-script

If you want to permanently disable the shortcut key, you can create a scheduled task to run your AutoHotkey script when your PC starts up.

3 Ways to Turn Off / Disable Magnifier in Windows 10

October 31st, 2016 by Admin

Accidentally activate the Magnifier that disrupts your work? Look for a way to prevent the Magnifier from starting up automatically at every startup?

windows-magnifier

When you press the (Win & +, Win & ) keyboard shortcuts, it will open the Magnifier immediately and you then have to press the Win & ESC keys to close it. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to turn off or disable Magnifier permanently in Windows 10.

Method 1: Stop Magnifier Loading Up When Windows 10 Starts

If the Magnifier starts up automatically every time you turn on the computer, you can turn off Magnifier from Control Panel and get it to stop loading up at the boot time.

  1. Open the Control Panel in Windows 10, select Large icons or Small icons from the View by menu. Click Ease of Access Center.

    ease-of-access-center

  2. In the “Explorer all settings” section, click the “Make the computer easier to see” link.

    make-pc-easier-to-see

  3. Scroll down until you find a section that says “Make things on the screen larger”. Uncheck the box next to “Turn on Magnifier” and click OK.

    turn-off-magnifier

Method 2: Disable Windows 10 Magnifier Permanently

Even if you’ve turned off Magnifier at startup, the Magnifier can also be activated if you press the (Win & +, Win & ) keyboard shortcuts mistakenly. Then you can consider disabling Windows 10 Magnifier permanently. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Command Prompt in Administrator mode. This can be done in Windows 10 by pressing the Win + X keys and selecting “Command Prompt (Admin)“.

    winx

  2. Run the following two commands to change the ownership of the Magnify.exe app and grant full permissions to Administrators. Without this step you’re unable to rename or make any change to the Magnify.exe file.
    takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\Magnify.exe
    cacls C:\Windows\System32\Magnify.exe /G administrators:F

    change-magnify-ownership

  3. Open your File Explorer and go to your system directory: C:\Windows\System32. locate the Magnify.exe file. Right-click on it and rename the filename to Magnify.exe.bak.

    rename-magnify

  4. Now when you press the (Win & +/) shortcut keys, the Magnifier application will not start any longer.

Method 3: Disable Keyboard Shortcut for Activating Magnifier

AutoHotkey is a free macro-creation and automation-oriented scripting utility for Windows. Just create a simple script and you can disable the keyboard shortcut (Win & +) which can activate Magnifier accidentally. To get started, please check out the next post: How to Disable Any Shortcut Keys in Windows 10 / 8 /7

6 Ways to Open On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10

October 28th, 2016 by Admin

On-Screen Keyboard is a virtual keyboard that can be used in place of a physical keyboard. You can use your mouse or other pointing device to type the keys. In this tutorial we’ll show you 6 ways to turn on / open On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10.

on-screen-keyboard

Method 1: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Control Panel

Open the Control Panel and select either Large icons or Small icons in the View by menu. Click Ease of Access Center.

ease-of-access-center

Click Start On-Screen Keyboard.

start-on-screen-keyboard

Method 2: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Run or Command Prompt

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, or open the Command Prompt. Type osk and hit Enter. This will open the On-Screen Keyboard immediately.

run-osk

Method 3: Open On-Screen Keyboard from PC Settings

Press the Windows key + I to open the PC Settings app. Click Ease of Access.

ease-of-access-settings

In the left sidebar, select the Keyboard option. Under On-Screen Keyboard on the right side, move the slider to the right to turn it on. This will launch On-Screen Keyboard immediately. After closing it, the slider will be automatically put back to Off.

turn-on-onscreen-keyboard

Method 4: Open On-Screen Keyboard via Cortana Search

Click the Cortana Search box on the taskbar, type osk and then click the “On-Screen Keyboard” desktop app to launch it.

search-on-screen-keyboard

Method 5: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Start Menu

Click the Start button. From the Start Menu, expand the Windows Ease of Access folder and you can access On-Screen Keyboard.

on-screen-keyboard-in-start-menu

Method 6: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Login Screen

At Windows 10 login screen, click the Ease of Access icon at the bottom-left corner. From the popup menu, you can select On-Screen Keyboard, and then use it to type your Windows password.

on-screen-keyboard-at-login