Archive for the ‘Tips & Tricks’ category

Enable Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge Using F7 or Regedit

February 6th, 2017 by Admin

Caret browsing is a useful feature in Microsoft Edge, which allows you to copy a block of text from a web page using the keyboard, not the mouse. Just place your cursor anywhere on a body of text, then use the arrow keys to move the cursor to select the text you want to copy. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 methods to enable / disable caret browsing in Microsoft Edge in Windows 10.

use-caret-browsing

The “Always use caret browsing” option seems to be gone from the Settings menu in Microsoft Edge. So you have to turn on/off caret browsing using the F7 shortcut or registry editor.

Method 1: Enable / Disable Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge Using F7 Shortcut

Open Microsoft Edge and browse to a web page where you’d like to select text, press F7 key on your keyboard. This will bring up a confirmation window, asking you if you want to turn caret browsing on. Select Yes to turn it on.

turn-on-caret-browsing

If you don’t want to be prompted the next time you press F7, just check the option “Don’t ask me again when I press F7“. When you want to turn off caret browsing, just hit F7 again.

turn-off-caret-browsing

Method 2: Enable / Disable Caret Browsing in Microsoft Edge Using Regedit

  1. Press the Windows Key + R keys simultaneously, then type regedit in Run dialog box and press Enter.
  2. When the Registry Editor window opens, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.microsoftedge_8wekyb3d8bbwe\MicrosoftEdge\CaretBrowsing
  3. In the right pane, double-click the DWORD EnableOnStartup to modify. Set its value data to 1 if you want to enable caret browsing, or turn off caret browsing by resetting it to 0.

    enable-caret-browsing-in-edge

  4. When it’s done, close Registry Editor and relaunch Microsoft Edge to see results.

If you don’t want to use Registry Editor to make the registry changes above, just download one of these .reg files (enable-caret-browsing-in-edge.reg, disable-caret-browsing-in-edge.reg). After downloading, double-click the .reg file and apply the registry settings to your system.

Fix: Sleep Option Missing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 Power Menu

February 5th, 2017 by Admin

Missing sleep option in the power menu in Windows 10? When you click the Start button, then click the Power icon (or click the arrow next to shut down), you might find the Sleep option is missing or greyed out. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to fix the issue: Sleep option missing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 Power menu.

sleep-in-power-options-menu

Method 1: Enable Sleep Mode in Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view. Click Power Options.

    power-options

  2. Click the “Choose what the power button does” link on the left side of the window.

    choose-what-power-does

  3. Click the link that says “Change settings that are currently unavailable“.

    change-settings-unavailable

  4. Scroll down to the Shutdown settings section. Now check the Sleep checkbox and click Save changes button.

    enable-sleep-option

Method 2: Enable Sleep Mode Using Group Policy

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> File Explorer.
  2. On the right side panel, double-click on Show sleep in the power options menu settings in the list as shown.

    show-sleep-in-power-options-menu

  3. In the next window that opens up, select either Enabled or Not Configured and then click OK.

    enable-sleep-via-group-policy

    This would add the Sleep option in the Power Options menu in Windows.

Method 3: Turn on Connected Standby (InstantGo)

InstantGo (previously called Connected Standby) is a smart feature in Windows 10/8 that allows your PC to maintain network connectivity when your screen is off in sleep mode. However, Any attempt to disable InstantGo may likely disable the regular Standby/Sleep mode too, as most devices supporting Connected Standby does not support traditional sleep options.

If you’ve disabled InstantGo, you have to turn it on again. Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power
  2. On the right side pane, double-click CsEnabled and set its value to 1.

    enable-connected-standby-InstantGo

  3. When it’s done, close the Registry Editor and reboot your computer.

Method 4: Install the Latest Display Driver

If your system is using the generic display driver, the Sleep option might also disappear from the Power Options menu. You need to download and install latest display driver from the manufacturers website.

How to Slide to Shut Down Windows 10 Laptop / Desktop Like a Tablet

February 4th, 2017 by Admin

The “Slide to shut down your PC” feature is the easiest & funny way to shut down a Windows 10/8 tablet. Just hold the Power button for a few seconds to slide to power off. Actually this feature also works with non-touch screen devices. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to slide to shut down Windows 10 laptop/desktop like a tablet.

Part 1: Add the “Slide to shut down” Shortcut in Windows 10

Right-click on the empty space on the desktop, then select New -> Shortcut.

new-shortcut

When the Create Shortcut wizard opens, copy and paste the following path in the shortcut location box, and click Next.
%windir%\System32\SlideToShutDown.exe

slide-to-shutdown-location

Enter a descriptive name for the shortcut (e.g., SlideToShutdown). Click Finish.

name-the-shortcut

Part 2: Slide to Shut Down Windows 10 Laptop / Desktop Computers

Now, you can drag the new shortcut icon to the taskbar if you want, or you can leave it on the desktop.

slide-to-shut-down-shortcut

When you want to shut down, just double-click the shortcut icon, and the slide to shutdown screen will open from the top. Use your mouse to slide down or press the Enter key, and your computer will power off.

slide-to-shut-down-pc

How to Export and Import Firewall Policy in Windows 10

January 23rd, 2017 by Admin

Windows Firewall allows you to create custom rules for allowing or blocking an app from accessing the network. If you don’t want to lose all your current firewall settings after reinstalling, or need to migrate the firewall exceptions to a new PC, it’s a good idea to make a backup of your firewall rules. In this tutorial we’ll explain how to export and import firewall policy in Windows 10.

Method 1: Using Windows Firewall with Advanced Security

Just press the Windows key + R shortcut, then type wf.msc in the Run command box and press Enter.

wf-msc

This will open the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security MMC snap-in. Under the Actions pane in the right side, you can click the corresponding link to export policy, import policy, or restore default policy.

windows-firewall

Just follow the step-by-step GUI wizard to export/import your firewall policy. The firewall policy will be exported to a single binary file with the .wfw extension.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

If you prefer the command line, you can also backup or restore Windows Firewall rules using the netsh command. Here’s how:

Open the Command Prompt in administrator mode. Type the following command and press Enter. This will export all your firewall policies to a file named firewallpolicy.wfw in the root path of C:\ drive.
netsh advfirewall export "C:\firwallpolicy.wfw"

export-firewall-rules-via-cmd

To import the firewall policy, just paste the following command and press Enter.
netsh advfirewall import "C:\firwallpolicy.wfw"

import-firewall-rules-via-cmd

If you want to restore the firewall policy to the defaults, just type:
netsh advfirewall reset

How to Enable Old / Vertical Volume Control in Windows 10

January 23rd, 2017 by Admin

When you click the volume icon in the system tray, a new horizontal volume slider will appear on the screen. It just feels a little weird that you have to adjust the volume horizontally. Luckily there is simple registry hack that can help you get back the old / vertical volume control back in Windows 10.

new-volume-control

How to Enable Old / Vertical Volume Control in Windows 10?

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

    regedit-via-run

  2. When the Registry Editor window opens, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\MTCUVC

    If the MTCUVC key doesn’t exist, right-click on CurrentVersion and then choose New -> Key. Name the new key MTCUVC.

    new-registry-key

  3. Select the MTCUVC key on the left pane. Right-click any empty space on the right pane, then choose New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

    new-dword-value

  4. Name this new DWORD EnableMtcUvc and leave the Value data to be 0. If you want to enable the new / horizontal Volume Control later, just change its data back to 1.

    EnableMtcUvc

  5. Log out of your Windows account and log back in. Click the Volume icon in the system tray and you should see your old vertical Windows mixer.

    old-volume-control

    Actually, this tweak might work instantly without having to log out or restart your PC.

4 Options to Rename One or Multiple Worksheet Tabs in Excel

January 23rd, 2017 by Admin

How can I rename multiple worksheets at one time using VBA code? In Excel, you can assign a unique name to each sheet tab in your workbook so you can easily find the tab you want. In this tutorial we’ll show you 4 simple methods to rename one or multiple worksheet tabs in Excel.

Note: The name of a worksheet tab can have a maximum of 30 characters only.

Option 1: Rename worksheet tab with the “Rename” shortcut menu

Right-click on a specific tab you want to rename. You can see many options coming up when you right click. From there, choose the Rename shortcut menu.

worksheet-rename-menu

Type a name that you want to give to the worksheet tab and press Enter. Repeat this procedure for each tab you want to rename.

type-new-name-for-worksheet

Option 2: Rename worksheet tab by double-clicking the tab

Another way to rename a worksheet tab in Excel is by double-clicking on the sheet tab. When you double-click on the worksheet tab at the bottom, the tab name (e.g. Sheet1) is highlighted. After that, you just have to type the new name.

double-click-sheet-to-rename

Option 3: Rename worksheet tab using keyboard shortcut

Select the worksheet tab that you want to rename, then press the keyboard shortcut Alt + O + H + R (Just press these 4 keys on the keyboard one by one in the sequence), type a name and press Enter.

Option 4: Rename multiple worksheet tabs using VBA code

It could be a time-consuming task if you use the above methods to rename lots of worksheet tabs. To simplify the job, you can rename multiple worksheet tabs using VBA code.

  1. After opening your Excel workbook, press the Alt + F11 shortcut to open Visual Basic Editor. Right-click on VBAProject on the left pane and choose Insert -> Module to insert a new module.
  2. Copy the following VBA code and paste it to the right pane of the VBA editor (“Module1” window). Click the Run menu, and select Run Macro.

    Sub RenamingSheets()
    nmbr = InputBox("What's the first number you want to name the sheets?", "Renaming Sheets")
    For ws = 1 To Worksheets.Count
    Sheets(ws).Name = "KB" & nmbr
    nmbr = nmbr + 1
    Next ws
    End Sub

    rename-sheet-with-vba

  3. All your worksheet tabs will be quickly renamed with new names like “KB1”. You can change the VBA code to rename worksheet to what you want.

    multiple-sheets-renamed

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