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2 Ways to Disable Microsoft Edge InPrivate Browsing in Windows 10

March 19th, 2018 by Admin

InPrivate browsing in Microsoft Edge is similar to Chrome’s Incognito mode, which lets you browse the web without leaving behind browsing history, cookies, etc. So if you want to track online activities on a shared Windows 10 PC, you have to disable InPrivate browsing on Microsoft Edge.

Method 1: Disable Microsoft Edge InPrivate Browsing via Group Policy

  1. Press the Windows key + R together, type gpedit.msc in the Run box and press Enter.

  2. When the Local Group Policy Editor opens up, browse to the following path:
    Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge

    On the right side, double-click the Allow InPrivate browsing policy.

  3. To turn off inPrivate browsing, select Disabled, click Apply and then OK.

  4. Now, open your Edge browser. Click on the More actions button (three dots). When the drop-down menu appears, the option labeled New InPrivate window will appear grayed out.

Method 2: Disable Microsoft Edge InPrivate Browsing via Registry Editor

If you’re using Windows 10 Home, the Local Group Policy Editor is inaccessible, but you can still disable Microsoft Edge InPrivate Browsing using the Registry Editor.

  1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft
  2. Right-click on Microsoft key in the left pane and choose New -> Key, and name it MicrosoftEdge. Now right-click on the newly created key MicrosoftEdge and choose New –> Key, and name it Main.
  3. Select the Main key in the left, and then right-click empty space in the right pane. Select New -> DWORD (32-bit Value), name it AllowInPrivate and set its value to 0.

  4. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect. Open Microsoft Edge. The New InPrivate window option should be greyed out.

If you want to turn on Microsoft Edge InPrivate browsing again, just following the same instructions above. But, change the value of AllowInPrivate from 0 to 1.

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Find Location of Mouse Pointer Using Ctrl Key in Windows 10 / 8 / 7

March 12th, 2018 by Admin

Mouse cursor has disappeared after upgrading to Windows 10? This may happen irrespective of whether you use a wireless or a wired mouse. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to enable Windows to show the location of mouse pointer when pressing the Ctrl key.

How to Find Location Of Mouse Pointer Using Ctrl Key in Windows?

Press Windows key and R key at the same time. When the Run box appears, type main.cpl and hit Enter.

In the Mouse Properties dialog, select the Pointer Options tab at the top. Check the box “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key” and click OK.

From now on, you just need to press the CTRL key to find and show the pointer location on the screen.

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

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How to Open Mouse Properties in Windows 10 / 8 / 7

March 12th, 2018 by Admin

If you want to change mouse sensitivity or customize mouse cursor in Windows, you have to access the Mouse Properties dialog. This tutorial will show you the easiest ways to open Mouse Properties in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Open Mouse Properties via Run Command

Hold down the Windows Key and Press R on your keyboard. Once you’ve got the Run command box open, type main.cpl and press Enter.

This will open the Mouse Properties dialog immediately.

Method 2: Open Mouse Properties via Control Panel

Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, and then click the Mouse option.

Method 3: Open Mouse Properties via Settings App in Windows 10

Open the Settings app in Windows 10, and click the Devices category.

Select the Mouse tab, then click the Additional mouse options link on the right side.

Now you can access the Mouse Properties window.

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3 Ways to Open Edge in Private Mode in Windows 10

March 7th, 2018 by Admin

Can I start Microsoft Edge in Private mode from a shortcut? Private mode is a useful feature of Microsoft Edge that allows you to surf without leaving traces (like your history, temporary internet files, and cookies) of your activities on your PC. Here are 3 simple ways to open Edge in Private mode in Windows 10.

Method 1: Open Edge in Private mode from Start Menu or Taskbar

If you’ve pinned the Edge browser to Start Menu or taskbar, just right-click on it and then click New InPrivate window option.

Microsoft Edge will then launch in Private mode.

Method 2: Access Private mode from within Edge Browser

Start your Edge browser, then click on the three dots labelled More actions. Select New InPrivate window to open a new window in Private mode.

Method 3: Create a Desktop Shortcut to Open Edge in Private mode

  1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop, and then select New -> Shortcut.

  2. When the wizard of creating shortcut appears, copy and paste the following in the location box. Click Next.

    cmd.exe /c start shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe!MicrosoftEdge -private

  3. Give a name for the shortcut. E.g., Microsoft Edge InPrivate.

  4. Now you can see the newly-created shortcut on your desktop, but it uses the Command Prompt icon. To change the icon, right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.
  5. In the Properties window, go to the Shortcut tab. Click the Change Icon button.

  6. Copy and paste the following path into the “Look for icons in this file” box, and hit Enter. When you see the Edge icon, click OK.

    %SystemRoot%\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge.exe

  7. You’re all done. Simply double-click the Edge shortcut on the desktop and you can open Edge in Private mode automatically.

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Fix: Can’t Type Special Characters on Windows Login Screen

March 5th, 2018 by Admin

Can’t log into Windows if your password contains certain special characters? If you’re concerned about the security of your Windows account, you may use some ultra complex password generated from password manager. When setting up password via Control Panel, you can input special characters with a copy and paste operation, or using the built-in Character Map utility. The problem is that these ways don’t work on the Windows login screen.

In this tutorial we’ll explain how you can enter special characters on Windows login screen, or simply remove your password to unlock your computer.

Method 1: Type Special Characters on Windows Login Screen

To insert the special character (such as #, &, @, {,}, [,],) shown on the upper part of a key, just hold down SHIFT and press the desired key to type it. If your desired characters (such as ©,®,∆,√) that are not on the keyboard, you can type it using Alt key codes:

  1. Place your cursor in the location where you wish to insert a special character.
  2. When the NUM LOCK key is on, press and hold down the Alt key, then tap the numbers (ALT code) on the numeric keypad at the right side of your keyboard.
  3. Release the Alt key, the desired character will appear.

For example, let’s say you want to type the copyright symbol ©. It’s ALT code is 0169. With Num Lock enabled, hold down Alt key and tap the sequence of numbers (0, 1, 6, 9) on the numpad, then release the Alt key.

The following is the ALT codes for the most common characters:

Note: You must use the numeric keypad to type the ALT code. However, most laptops and tablets don’t have the traditional numeric keypad. To type special characters, you may have to add an external USB keyboard with embedded numeric keypad.

Method 2: Remove Windows Password to Bypass the Login Screen

If you’re still unable to type special characters on the login screen, you may be completely locked out of Windows admin account. In order to regain access to your system, you can use PCUnlocker to remove the login password before Windows loads up.

  1. To start, use a second computer to download the ISO image of PCUnlocker. Run the ISO2Disc utility and browse for the ISO file you just downloaded, just select your USB drive and start the process to create a bootable PCUnlocker USB drive.

  2. Plug the USB drive into your locked computer. Enter into the BIOS setup and change the boot sequence to force your computer to boot from USB drive first.

  3. After PCUnlocker loads from the USB drive, you can see all local accounts found on your computer. Just select your admin account and click on Reset Password button. This lets you remove / delete the Windows password that you’re unable to type on the login screen.

  4. Reboot your computer and restore the BIOS boot sequence to boot from hard drive. Windows will log in to your local admin account without prompting you to type password any longer. Done!

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

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Easy Ways to Open Character Map in Windows 10

February 28th, 2018 by Admin

How can I access Character Map in order to type a special character that is not shown on my keyboard? Character Map is the built-in utility for helping you insert all possible text symbols or special characters into your document. In this tutorial we’ll show you different ways to open Character Map in Windows 10.

Method 1: Open Character Map in Windows 10 via Run Command

Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open Run command box, type charmap and press Enter.

The Character Map utility will start. When you first using Character Map, you may be amazed at what characters you could insert into a document.

Method 2: Open Character Map in Windows 10 via Start Menu

Click the Start button. When the Start Menu opens, scroll down to the Windows Accessories folder. Expand it and you’ll see the Character Map shortcut.

If you’re running Windows 7, you can access Character Map via Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Character Map.

Method 3: Open Character Map in Windows 10 via Cortana Search

Simply type character into the Cortana Search box at the taskbar, then click the Character Map app appeared in the result list.

Method 4: Create a Character Map Shortcut on Your Desktop

Open your Windows Explorer and browse to the C:\Windows\System32\ folder. Right-click on the charmap.exe file and then select “Send to” -> “Desktop (create shortcut)” from the context menu.

Once the shortcut is created on your desktop, you can rename it to “Character Map“. When you need to type special symbols, just double-click the Character Map shortcut to launch it quickly.

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4 Ways to Enable or Disable Aero Peek in Windows 10 / 8 / 7

February 24th, 2018 by Admin

Aero Peek is a usability feature available since Windows 7, which allows you to temporarily view the desktop without having to minimize all the open windows. Just move the mouse at the far right end of the taskbar, it makes all the open windows go transparent and you can see the desktop. Move the mouse away to see your open windows again.

If you don’t like Aero Peek, you can disable it easily. In this tutorial we’ll show you 4 ways to enable or disable Aero Peek in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Updated: These methods don’t work with Windows 11. If you want to disable desktop peek in Windows 11, please check out this tutorial.

Method 1: Enable or Disable Aero Peek via Right-clicking “Show desktop” Button

Move your cursor over the “Show desktop” button, which can be found as a small rectangle present at the right corner of the taskbar. Right-click the “Show desktop” button, and then select “Peek at desktop” from the popup menu.

When Aero Peek is turned on, there should be a check mark next to the “Peek at desktop” option. Clicking that option again will then disable Aero Peek.

Method 2: Enable or Disable Aero Peek via Right-clicking Taskbar

Right click an empty space on the taskbar, and then select Taskbar settings from the popup menu.

On the Taskbar settings window, just toggle the “Use Peek to preview the desktop when you move your mouse to the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar” option on or off to enable or disable Aero Peek.

If you’re running Windows 7, right-click on the taskbar and select Properties. You’ll get a similar option “Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop” that allows you to enable or disable Aero Peek.

Method 3: Enable or Disable Aero Peek via System Properties

  1. Press the Windows + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog, then type sysdm.cpl and hit Enter.
  2. On the System Properties dialog box, select the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button under the Performance section.

  3. Select the Visual Effects tab, look for the option entitled “Enable Aero Peek” or “Enable Peek“, which allows you to turn the Aero Peek feature on or off.

  4. Click Apply and then OK.

Method 4: Enable or Disable Aero Peek via Registry Hack

  1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
  2. Double-click a DWORD value called DisablePreviewDesktop on the right pane, set its value to 0 if you want to enable Aero Peek, or change its value to 1 when you don’t use Aero Peek.

  3. Close Registry Editor. Restart or log off your system.

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How to Disable Change Password Option from the CTRL + ALT + DEL Screen

February 23rd, 2018 by Admin

How to remove the “Change a password” option from the Ctrl+Alt+Del screen in Windows 10? When pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keyboard combination, it will invoke the Windows Security Screen and users can change the login password there. Here’s how you can disable the ability of changing password from the Ctrl+Alt+Delete screen in Windows 10 / 8 / 7, through group policy or registry tweak.

Method 1: Disable Change Password Option from the CTRL+ALT+DEL Screen via Group Policy

  1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut, then type gpedit.msc into the Run command box and click OK.

  2. Once the Local Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to the following path:
    User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Ctrl+Alt+Del Option

    On the right, double-click the Remove Change Password policy.

  3. Select Enabled. Click Apply and reboot your computer.

    The next time you press the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination, you should no longer see the “Change a password” option on the screen.

Method 2: Disable Change Password Option from the CTRL+ALT+DEL Screen via Registry Tweak

  1. Press the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut, then type regedit into the Run command box and click OK.

  2. In the Registry Editor window, browse to the following path:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    If the System key isn’t present, you have to create it. Right-click Policies key on the left, and select New -> Key, then name it System.

  3. Right-click blank area on the right side, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the key DisableChangePassword and set its value from 0 to 1.

  4. These changes require that you restart your computer. After that, the “Change a password” option will be missing from the screen when you press Ctrl + Alt + Del.

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3 Ways to Enable or Disable Touch Feedback in Windows 10

February 21st, 2018 by Admin

When you tap or draw something on a touch screen, a round spot appears under your fingertip if you’ve enabled Touch Feedback in Windows 10. This provides you with visual feedback that your tap was recognized. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to enable or disable Touch Feedback in Windows 10.

Method 1: Enable or Disable Touch Feedback via Settings

  1. Use Windows + I keys on the keyboard to open the Settings, and then click Ease of Access.

  2. Select the “Other options” in the left menu. There you should see a setting for “Show visual feedback when I touch the screen” on the right.

  3. Toggle it off if you want to get rid of the annoying grey touch circle on your screen. Or toggle it on to enable Touch Feedback and optionally turn on “Use darker, larger visual feedback (ideal for presentations)“.

Method 2: Enable or Disable Touch Feedback via Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, and click Pen and Touch.

  2. In the Pen and Touch window, click the Touch tab at the top. Check the option “Show visual feedback when touching the screen” to turn on Touch Feedback. If you want darker and larger visual feedback, check the “Optimize visual feedback for projection to an external monitor” box.

  3. If you want to turn off Touch Feedback, uncheck the option “Show visual feedback when touching the screen“. Once you have set the desired options, click Apply and then OK.

Method 3: Enable or Disable Touch Feedback via Registry Editor

  1. Open the Registry Editor and browse to the following registry location:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Cursors
  2. There you should see two DWORD values “GestureVisualization” and “ContactVisualization” on the right. If you want to disable Touch Feedback, just set both of them to zero. If you want to enable Touch Feedback, set GestureVisualization to 31 in decimal, and set ContactVisualization to 1.

  3. If you to turn on “Darker, Larger Visual Feedback”, keep GestureVisualization as a decimal value 31 and set ContactVisualization to 2.
  4. Close Registry Editor and reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

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