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How to Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7

June 13th, 2019 by Admin

Windows 10 desktop icons too wide? How can I adjust the spacing of icons on the desktop with Windows 10? Is there a way to increase or decrease the horizontal and vertical spacing for desktop icons? In this tutorial we’ll show you a registry tweak to change desktop icon spacing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Tips: If you want to make your desktop icons bigger or smaller, see this article on how to change taskbar & desktop icon size in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7

  1. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

    You’ll see two DWORD values named IconSpacing and IconVerticalSpacing on the right pane. The IconSpacing value lets you adjust the horizontal desktop icon spacing, while the IconVerticalSpacing value can control the vertical spacing between desktop icons. If you want to customize the horizontal spacing, double-click on IconSpacing to modify it.

  2. The default value is -1125. You can change it to anything between -480 and -2730, where -480 represents the minimum spacing and -2730 represents the maximum spacing.

  3. Click OK to save changes and close Registry Editor. After logging off or restarting your system, you can see the changes made to the icons on the desktop.

That’s it!

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5 Ways to Reset Firewall Settings to Default in Windows 10

June 12th, 2019 by Admin

Mess up the firewall settings accidentally? Need to delete all the custom firewall rules to troubleshoot your network connectivity issue? In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to reset / restore firewall settings to default in Windows 10.

Method 1: Reset Firewall Settings to Default via Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel and change the View by option from Category to Large icons. Click on Windows Defender Firewall.

  2. Click on the Restore defaults link on the left side.

  3. Click on the Restore defaults button.

  4. When the confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes and your Windows firewall settings will be restored to default immediately.

Method 2: Reset Firewall Settings to Default via Windows Defender

  1. Open the Windows Defender app and select Firewall & network protection on the left menu bar. Next, click the “Restore firewalls to default” option on the right side.

  2. Click on the Restore defaults button.

  3. You will be asked for confirmation once again. Click Yes to reset all Windows Firewall settings.

Method 3: Reset Firewall Settings to Default via Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, type wf.msc and hit Enter to open the “Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security” console.

  2. Right-click on the top item “Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security on Local Computer” in the left pane and select “Restore Default Policy“.

  3. Click Yes when you see the following confirmation dialog box.

  4. All the firewall rules are now reset to their initial values, as they were when you first installed Windows 10.

Method 4: Reset Firewall Settings to Default via Command Prompt

  1. Open the Command Prompt as administrator, and type this command:
    netsh advfirewall reset

  2. Once pressing Enter, all the firewall settings are now reset to their default values.

Method 5: Reset Firewall Settings to Default via Windows PowerShell

  1. Open Windows PowerShell as administrator, and run the following command:
    (New-Object -ComObject HNetCfg.FwPolicy2).RestoreLocalFirewallDefaults()

  2. Your Firewall rules will be restored to defaults in no time, without any additional confirmation.

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How to Change Default Font in Office Word and Excel 2016 / 2019 / 365

June 10th, 2019 by Admin

Starting with Office 2007, both Word and Excel use Calibri as the default font. In order to make your document or spreadsheet more readable, you may want to change the default font style or adjust the font size. In this tutorial we’ll show you the easy steps to change default font in Office Word and Excel 2016 / 2019 / 365.

Part 1: Change Default Font in Office Word

Open any document with your Office Word application. Click the Home tab in the ribbon menu, then click on the arrow icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the Font section.

Once the Font window appears, you can change the default font style, size, effects, and even the color if you want. When done, click the Set As Default button in the bottom left corner.

In the next dialog asking which default to set, select “All documents based on the Normal.dotm template” and click OK to confirm your changes.

Now, all new documents created with Word will use your font of choice by default.

Part 2: Change Default Font in Office Excel

Open any spreadsheet with Office Excel application. Click the File tab in the ribbon menu and then choose the Options tab.

When the Excel Options dialog appears, select the General tab. In the right pane, scroll down to the “When creating new workbooks” section and you can choose your desired font type and size.

Click OK when you’re done. Now every time you create a new spreadsheet in Excel, the default font size and style will be exactly what you set it to.

Conclusion

Are you frustrated by always having to change the font when you create a document in Word or Excel? Just follow the above procedure to change the default font in Office Word/Excel 2016, 2019 and 365, it will save you tons of frustration and time.

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Add or Remove Check Boxes to Select Multiple Files in Windows 10 File Explorer

June 5th, 2019 by Admin

Selection check boxes don’t show up in File Explorer? How can I remove check marks on desktop icons? File Explorer allows you to use check boxes to select multiple folders / files without having to hold down the Ctrl key. When some files are selected or you hover the pointer over a file, check boxes will appear and you can check or uncheck to make your selection.

This feature is very useful for tablet users. If you’re accustomed to use the Ctrl key to select multiple files, you can get rid of check boxes. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 methods to add or remove check boxes to select multiple files in Windows 10 File Explorer.

Method 1: Add or Remove Check Boxes to Select Items via Folder Options

  1. Open the File Explorer. Select the View tab on the Ribbon and then click on Options.

  2. When the Folder Options dialog box opens, go to the View tab, scroll down to the bottom and check or uncheck the “Use check boxes to select items” option.

  3. Click Apply and then OK. Your changes will take effect immediately.

Method 2: Add or Remove Check Boxes to Select Items via Registry Editor

  1. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    Double-click the DWORD AutoCheckSelect in the right pane to modify it.

  2. Set it to 1 to enable using check boxes to select items. Otherwise, set it to 0 (this is default setting).

  3. Log off or restart your computer to apply the changes.

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How to Change Language in Microsoft Office 2019 / 2016

May 29th, 2019 by Admin

“I have a copy of Microsoft Office 2016 on my laptop that is defaulted to the Thai Language. How do I change it to English? Thanks!”

No matter what the default language is, Office can easily be switched to the language of your choice. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the procedure of changing the editing and display language in Microsoft Office 2019 / 2016.

Part 1: Find Your Office Version

The first thing you’ll need to do is find your Office version. Open the Word program, click the File tab and choose Account. You’ll see which version of Office you’re running. For more information such as the architecture of Office, click on the About Word button.

A dialog box opens, showing you the full version number and if you are running 32-bit or 64-bit Office.

Part 2: Add Keyboard Layout Language

Open your Word application and go to File -> Options. When the Options dialogue box opens, select the Language tab. Under the “Choose Editing Languages” section, select your desired language from the drop-down list and click Add.

If the Keyboard layout column show “Not enabled“, then you have to add the input language to your Windows OS. Just click that link and it will directly open the Language page in the Settings app.

Click the Add a language button.

Find the desired language you want to add, and click Next.

Click the Install button to download the language pack and keyboard for that language.

Part 3: Add Proofing Tools

If the Proofing column show “Not installed“, then you have to download language accessory pack for spelling and grammar checking. Just click that link and it will open the Language Accessory Pack for Office page with your web browser.

Click the “Newer versions” drop-down list and select your desired language. The Language Accessory Pack comes with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. You need to download the appropriate one depending on the architecture of your Office.

After the download is complete, just double-click it and you can go through the installation process in a minute or two.

Part 4: Change Editing and Display Language for Office

Under the “Choose Editing Languages” section, you should see that the keyboard layout and proofing tools for your desired language are successfully installed. Just select your desired language and click on Set as Default.

Go to the “Choose Display Language” section to change the language for the display (user interface) and the Help files. Once you’re finished, restart Office for the new language to take effect.

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How to Unlock the Keyboard on Windows 10 / 8 / 7 Computer

May 28th, 2019 by Admin

Keyboard is locked and you can’t type anything? If you’ve locked the keyboard unintentionally and couldn’t recall how you did it, just follow this troubleshooting tutorial and you should be able to unlock the keyboard on your Windows 10 / 8 / 7 computer.

Before getting started, you have to find if certain keys or the entire keyboard has broken physically. For external USB / PS2 keyboard, you can connect it to a different computer. If the issue still exists, it is possible that your keyboard is physically damaged. Otherwise, it should be a software issue and you can fix it with the steps below.

Step 1: Turn Off Filter Keys

If your entire keyboard is locked, it’s possible that you’ve turned on the Filter Keys feature accidentally. When you hold down the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds, you should hear a tone and the “Filter Keys” icon appears in the system tray. Just then, you’ll find that the keyboard is locked and you can’t type anything.

To unlock the keyboard, you have to hold down the right SHIFT key for 8 seconds again to turn off Filter Keys, or disable Filter Keys from the Control Panel.

Step 2: Turn Off NumLock

If your keyboard doesn’t type the correct characters, it’s possible that you’ve turned on NumLock or you’re using a incorrect keyboard layout. To fix such issue, you have to disable NumLock or change your keyboard layout by following these tutorials:

Step 3: Reinstall or Update Keyboard Driver

The keyboard may become locked due to a faulty or outdated driver. To get your keyboard back to work, you may need to reinstall or update the keyboard driver. Follow these steps:

Open Device Manager and expand the Keyboards category. Right-click on your computer’s keyboard and select either Update driver or Uninstall device.

If you’ve chosen the “Uninstall device” option, restart your PC. Windows will automatically install the default keyboard driver.

Conclusion

With these troubleshooting tips you should be able to unlock your keyboard most of the time. If you problem still persists, try to contact your computer’s manufacturer or seek help from their forums. For HP Pavilion laptop, you might unlock the keyboard by pressing the Ctrl + PrntScr keyboard shortcut.

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How to Reduce PowerPoint File Size in Office 2019 / 2016

May 27th, 2019 by Admin

How can I reduce the size of my PowerPoint presentation and make it easier to upload or share? Embedded pictures are the common cause for large PowerPoint files. In this tutorial we’ll show you an easy way to compress the embedded images and reduce the PowerPoint file size in Office 2019 / 2016.

How to Reduce PowerPoint File Size in Office 2019 / 2016

  1. Open the PowerPoint file you want to compress with Office 2019 / 2016 application. Click the File tab in the upper-left corner.

  2. In the new window, select the Save As tab on the left side and then click on the Browse icon.

  3. You’ll then need to choose where to save the compressed PowerPoint file and give it a new file name.

  4. Click the Tools drop-down list in the lower right of the Save As dialog, and select Compress Pictures.

  5. Uncheck the “Apply only to this picture” option so you can reduce the size of all the images in your PowerPoint presentation. Leave the “Delete cropped areas of pictures” option checked, and select E-mail (96 ppi): minimize document size for sharing. Click OK.

  6. When you come back to the Save As dialog, click on Save. You’ll get a smaller PowerPoint file with all the embedded images compressed. It’s as simple as that to reduce PowerPoint file size in Office 2019 / 2016.

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How to Disable Windows 10 Face Recognition or Fingerprint Login

May 22nd, 2019 by Admin

How do I remove Window Hello from the Lock Screen? Windows Hello is a new feature based on biometric technology that lets you log in to Windows 10 with fingerprint or facial recognition. If you want to disable Windows Hello for saving battery life, here are several ways to disable Windows 10 Face Recognition or Fingerprint login.

Method 1: Remove Windows 10 Face Recognition or Fingerprint Login

  1. Press the Windows logo + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app, and head to Accounts -> Sign-in options. In the right-side pane, look for the Windows Hello section and click the Remove button under Face Recognition or Fingerprint.

  2. After completing the steps, you can once again sign in to Windows 10 using a password.

Method 2: Disable Windows Hello Biometrics Using Group Policy

  1. Open Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to: Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Biometrics. Double-click the “Allow the use of biometrics” policy on the right pane.

  2. Select the Disabled option. Click Apply and then OK.

  3. Now, the Windows Hello feature is removed from the lock screen. If you open up the Settings app and head to the Sign-in options page, you should see a “Face and fingerprint recognition are not available on this device” message appear under Windows Hello.

Method 3: Disable Windows Hello Biometrics Using Registry Editor

  1. Open Registry Editor and browse to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Biometrics. If the Biometrics key doesn’t exist, you have to create it.
  2. Right-click on the Biometrics key and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it Enabled and leave its value data to 0. (0: disallow the use of biometrics; 1: Allow the use of biometrics)

  3. Close Registry Editor and reboot your PC to apply the changes.

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How to Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection in Windows 10 / 8

May 20th, 2019 by Admin

In Windows 10 / 8, Microsoft has implemented Early Launch Anti-Malware (ELAM) protection which can check the integrity of system files and prevent malicious drivers or programs from starting very early in the boot process. The well documented sticky keys exploit lets you escalate privilege from Windows login screen, but it is no longer working because of ELAM.

However, if a driver is classified as malware by ELAM because it is malicious or a false positive, it may prevent your system from booting. To solve this issue, you may need to temporarily turn off ELAM so that you can either update your antivirus software or remove the problematic malware driver. In this tutorial we’ll show you a simple way to temporarily disable Early Launch Anti-Malware protection in Windows 10 / 8.

How to Disable Early Launch Anti-Malware Protection in Windows 10 / 8

  1. When you are on Windows login screen, click the Power button, hold down Shift key and choose the Restart option to access the Advanced Boot Options screen.

    If you don’t even get to the Windows login screen, just boot your PC with Windows installation media and click on “Repair your computer“.

  2. Next, click on the Troubleshoot option.

  3. Click on Advanced options.

  4. If you couldn’t see the Startup Settings option, click on See more recovery options.

  5. Click on Startup Settings.

  6. Click on the Restart button.

  7. Your computer should automatically reboot into the Startup Settings menu as shown below. Now, you can press the 8 or F8 key on your keyboard to disable early-launch anti-malware protection.

  8. This will launch Windows, but with the early launch anti-malware protection disabled temporarily. Note that the next time you restart the computer, early-launch anti-malware protection will automatically be enabled again.

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