Windows 10 Windows 10 FAQ and Tips

V_R

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First up, I take no real credit for this, its mostly a copy and paste from a thread over at OcUK, but the info here is well worth sharing. All credit goes to Danny091. :)

Before doing ANYTHING i highly recommend performing a full backup of your computer so you can recover if anything does go wrong!


Link to Microsoft's own Win 10 FAQs: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-faq


I cannot get the tool to reserve windows 10 on my computer
Go straight to download the ISO, you do not need to "Reserve" for the free upgrade! OR Please read through this post on Microsoft's help site: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...i/848b5cce-958b-49ae-a132-a999a883265b?auth=1


I have reserved Windows 10, however my download has not started / It just says notify me when ready. Can i use the ISO instead?

Yes! Just run the ISO from inside windows and it will update.

Be wary of leaving the ISO (DISK) or USB (if you are using this kind of media) in the system during reboots as it might try to boot from it rather than continuing the install.


Which Version Should I download for my free upgrade?

Windows 7
Windows 7 Starter will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Home Basic will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Home Premium will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home
Windows 7 Professional will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro
Windows 7 Ultimate will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro

Windows 8
Windows 8.1 will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home
Windows 8.1 with Bing will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home
Windows 8.1 Pro will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro


Download

HELP... Windows 10 wont activate i am getting the error 0xC004F034 or Invalid Key / Key blocked


People are reporting that this a load issue on the servers and after trying for a while it does activate. (This has been confirmed now)
Pushing activate repeatedly until it work's seems to work for most people. Be aware it might take something like 20 tries

For key blocked / invalid try restarting the computer a few times. This should resolve it.


Windows Could Not Update the System Reserved Partition

Thanks to Reddit! https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/3a6znd/we_couldnt_update_the_system_reserved_partition/

Press win+r and type diskmgmt.msc

Click on your C: drive

Below the list of drives there will be a partition map, the first partition will be Data or some such, listed at 100MB, right click on it and go to change drive letters and paths -> add -> now choose Y: for the drive letter

Right click the CMD.EXE start menu icon and choose 'Run as Administrator'.

Type: Y: <enter> in the cmd window

Run these commands:
takeown /f . /r /d y
icacls . /grant administrators:F /t <see note below>
attrib -h -s -r bootmgr

NOTE: for the icacls command you can use your username instead of administrators, to find out your username type 'whoami'

Now open explorer (win+e) go to the Y: drive under computer, Make sure hidden files and system files are visible through folder options. Then go into the Boot folder, and delete all languages other than en-GB. Languages are in the form xx-XX. Make sure to shift+delete and not just delete so they don't go to the recycle bin. Empty the recycle bin afterwards just in case
.
now go back to the admin command prompt, and type this command:
chkdsk Y: /F /X /sdcleanup /L:5000

this truncates the NTFS log to 5MB, it can be very very big, not leaving enough space for the install. At the end of the output it should tell you that you have at least 50MB of free space on the partition
proceed with the windows 8.1 installation

once booted into 10 and set up, you can go back into diskmgmt.msc and remove the drive letter for the boot partition


How does the CD keys work Now, Do i need a new Key for a Clean install?

First you should do an upgrade.

When you upgrade to windows 10 it registers a unique ID based on your motherboard with that version of windows. Now when you do a fresh install simply SKIP the Key step. When windows goes online and it realizes your system matches the one that is registered it will activate.

Originally Posted by Microsoft
If you upgraded to Windows 10 on this PC by taking advantage of the free upgrade offer and successfully activated Windows 10 on this PC in the past, you won't have a Windows 10 product key, and you can skip the product key page by selecting the Skip button. Your PC will activate online automatically so long as the same edition of Windows 10 was successfully activated on this PC by using the free Windows 10 upgrade offer.


Can I perform a clean install, after upgrading to Windows 10, some time in the future (e.g. after the upgrade period)

As long as you upgraded from Windows 7/8/8.1 to 10 within the upgrade period, you can perform a clean install using the ISO provided by Microsoft. If it asks for the key, skip it and it will activate when it first goes online. Windows 10 is activated against the hardware so you don't need a key, as long as you upgraded and previously had a valid copy of W10 installed.


I want to change my motherboard system ext... I originally had a Retail version of windows. Can i move my windows 10?

It is not currently clear what will happen with this. Their is conflicting information on microsofts own site |:



Some tweaks to do after Install

Outlook Will Not Send Emails After Upgrade
Emails stay in the mailbox with an error 0x800CCC13. Run sfc /scannow as that seems to fix it.


How to get the start screen back (for those of us not trapped in 1995)
Settings > Personalization > Start, Toggle "Use Start full screen" to on.


How to stop auto driver updates
Control Panel - System- Advanced System - Hardware - Device Installation Properties > turn off the Always install drivers through updates.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3073930 This tool also allows you to hide / skip updates.


Wifi - Sharing
Remember if you upgrade on a mobile device e.g. Laptop or surface you might accidentally share Access to your WIFI. If you DON'T want to share access to your WIFI with your Skype, Outlook, Facebook friends then;

1) Don't tick share when your inputting your password.

2) Go to Settings, Wifi > Manage wifi settings and check the one's in the known network list have not automatically gone to shared. (If they have i recommend unsharing it and changing your password)

3) If you want to make sure no one can share your network (e.g. a friend inputs your password and clicks share by accident) If you add _optout to the end of your WiFi Network Name then it will not be shareable... E.G. Change 'SkyH39Rjk' to 'SkyH39Rjk_optout'


Peer to peer updates
Also by default windows 10 could be peer to peer sharing updates (uploading with your connection) go to updates and change this to LAN only if your worried about bandwidth issues!


Updates from other places
Go to Start then Settings > Update & security > Windows Update , and then select Advanced options.On the Advanced options page, select Choose how updates are delivered, and then use the toggle to turn Delivery Optimization off. When turned off, you'll still get updates and apps from Windows Update and from the Windows Store.


Cleaning up old files (If you are sure you don't wish to roll back!)
Right click your C drive > properties > disk cleanup > click the clean system files > Tick all old installs and ok it.


Using Photo Viewer Instead of Photo's
This reg edit will re-add "Photo Viewer" like in windows 7 and 8 to the default options for photo files! This will allow you to open them inside the desktop rather than being thrown into pictures.

https://mega.co.nz/#!WMU13Cxa!cZK2Z0DJYhgbrNPiXRKtUQyCkSZC8M7iaHgwo8GnZO4

How to use

1) Run and let it add the registry entries
2) Right click a photo and change the default application to photo viewer


Cortana Wrong Language

Your speech is most likely set to US or some other language.

My guess is your default install language was US? You need to go to Time and language in settings > Region and Language > Install the UK pack. Keyboard / Speech / Handwriting.

Restart

Go to Time / language and > speech change it to UK (it will now be an option.)

She should now work for you.


Disable Login Screen Background
Here is a quick guide on disabling the windows 10 login screen background and just having the theme accent colour:
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dows\System
Create a new DWORD file
Name it DisableLogonBackgroundImage
Set value data to 1


Other stuff

Disable Web Search
Start, type random gibberish. Click Cog, turn off Include web search results

Default Browser
Start > Settings. System > Default apps.

Shrink Start Menu
drag edge to make narrower (may need to remove tiles first)

Disable Lock Screen Splash (pointless keystrokes or clicks)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Win dows\Personalization]
"NoLockScreen"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\TestHooks]
"Threshold"=dword:00000000

Remove Search Bar
Right click taskbar, Search > Hidden

Remove Task Switcher
Right click taskbar, Show Task View button

Snap Behaviour
Start > Settings. System > Multitasking disable When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it

Make File Explorer Open to “This PC” Instead of Quick Access
To make File Explorer open to the This PC view, click the File menu, and select “Change folder and search options.” Click the “Open File Explorer to” box at the top of the window and select “This PC” instead of “Quick access.”


Privacy

ALSO SEE THIS POST

Start > Settings. Privacy
General
advertising id (tracking)
how I type (tracking, pw leakage?)
language list (tracking)

Location - turn off
Account Info - turn off sharing
Contacts - turn off
Messaging - turn off
Background apps - turn off
Camera / Microphone - turn off


Enable Hibernate
Control Panel > Power Options > Choose What Buttons Do. Shutdown Settings. (may need to do powercfg -h on)


To remove the AWFUL ClearType/Font AA

Disable ClearType (Type ClearType in start to find setting easily)

Open Regedit, navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Delete FontSmoothing named string (REG_SZ)
Set DWORD FontSmoothingType to 2

For nVidia
Open 3D Settings in nVidia Control Panel
Set Global AA setting to 'Off'
Configure per application based settings to preference.


How to remove built in apps

Paste these comments into Powershell (as Admin)
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.3DBuilder | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.Getstarted | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.SkypeApp | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.WindowsMaps | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.BingWeather | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.Office.OneNote | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.XboxApp | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.ZuneMusic | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.ZuneVideo | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.BingSports | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.BingNews | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.WindowsPhone | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.BingFinance | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.Windows.Photos | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.WindowsCamera | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.WindowsAlarms | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.People | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Remove-AppxPackage
 

V_R

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Privacy Concerns

Do not use Cortana if you want to avoid sending copious amounts of personal data to MS. It's not magic....its data collecting to achieve it's functionality.


Adjust Privacy Settings

ZWWscVf.jpg
 

muckshifter

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Here are some of the most important Windows 10 keyboard shortcuts:

Winkey 10 keyboard shortcut Description
Winkey + Tab ... Activates Task View
Winkey + A ... Activates Action Center
Winkey + C ... Activates Cortana with speech
Winkey + D ... Shows desktop
Winkey + E ... Opens File Explorer
Winkey + G ... Activates the new Xbox game bar to let you record games or take screenshots.
Winkey + H ... Activates share feature in Windows 10 apps
Winkey + I ... Opens Windows 10 settings
Winkey + K ... Activates Connect feature to stream to wireless displays and audio devices
Winkey + L ... Locks a machine
Winkey + P ... Project a screen
Winkey + R ... Run a command
Winkey + S ... Activates Cortana (WinKey + a box of Black Magic chocolate shuts her up)
Winkey + X ... Opens power user features
Winkey + Left / Right / Up / Down ... Snaps apps to the side of a screen (press Up or Down after snapping left / right to enable four apps to snap)
Winkey + Ctrl + D ... Creates a new virtual desktop
Winkey + Ctrl + F4 ... Close virtual desktop
Winkey + Ctrl + Left or Right ... Switch between virtual desktops
Winkey + Shift + Left or Right ... Move apps from one monitor to another
Winkey + 1 / 2 / 3 ... Open programs that are pinned on the taskbar. The first app is number one.

copy-paste-print

Enjoy! :)
 

V_R

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OMG you can now use Ctrl a, c and v in command prompt! :eek:

You can also scroll windows just by hovering over them. They don't have to be the active window anymore. This is actually a good thing in my book.
 

V_R

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How to disable Telemetry and Data Collection in Windows 10

Windows 10 now comes with the telemetry feature enabled by default which collects all sorts of user activity and sends it to Microsoft. Unfortunately, Microsoft has provided no way to disable it completely using the Settings app for Home and Pro editions of Windows 10. Only Enterprise users can turn it off. Here is a solution for editions other than Enterprise to disable Telemetry and Data Collection in Windows 10.


Source: http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-disable-telemetry-and-data-collection-in-windows-10/
 

muckshifter

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... done!

no adverse effects, yet ... although I think it may take MS a few hours to send over any swat team. :)
 

EvanDavis

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Installed on HP G60 laptop and so far so good. Only issue is MS are saying my MS Office 2010 is not activated.
 

V_R

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After the Windows 10 installation, the clean-up -- here's what to do

Once you have settled into your new Windows 10 installation and are satisfied with how everything works, you can do a simple maintenance task that will save you a significant amount of space on your device.

This is not so much of an issue if you are on a desktop or laptop with a large hard drive however, on systems with small storage devices it can recover a few gigabytes of space which can be helpful.

When your Windows 7 or 8.1 machine is upgraded to Windows 10 your Windows folder from the previous OS is stored on your hard drive in a folder named Windows.old. The files in this folder are used to revert back to your old OS if there is any issue in Windows 10 during the upgrade.

When your Windows 7 or 8.1 machine is upgraded to Windows 10 your Windows folder from the previous OS is stored on your hard drive in a folder named Windows.old. The files in this folder are used to revert back to your old OS if there is any issue in Windows 10 during the upgrade.

If the upgrade goes well the Windows.old folder it is maintained so that you can revert back during the first 30 days after upgrading to Windows 10. I suspect that after the 30 day period this folder will be removed automatically or you could possibly be prompted to delete it. One thing is for sure – there is only a 30 day window to revert back to your previous OS. After that reverting back means reinstallation of your former version of Windows.

So with all that known – once you have decided that your install of Windows 10 is good to go and you are satisfied then you can carry out this clean up task.

The Windows.old folder cannot be manually deleted as it will result in an error since it is a system level folder. In order to remove it you must use the Disk Cleanup program on Windows 10.

Guide here: http://winsupersite.com/windows-10/windows-10-post-install-clean
 

EvanDavis

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Outlook Will Not Send Emails After Upgrade
Emails stay in the mailbox with an error 0x800CCC13. Run sfc /scannow as that seems to fix it.


Glad I saw this before looking up the error on Google. Problem solved.:cheers:
 

floppybootstomp

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Good to see solutions for some of Microsoft's Orwellian behaviour being found, the question should be just why do MS want to know everything about you? Once an answer is found to disable auto-update and let you make a choice on which updates to install (as it is in Win 7) then I may give Win 10 a go.

I did notice when I installed Win 10 from disk if I left all options enabled as MS wanted me to it pretty much gives them open rein to your PC and everything you do with it. Like - go away Redmond, I'll use your OS but I don't want you knowing my shoe size or what I had for breakfast, that is wrong.

I'm now getting a pop-up from MS each time I boot urging me to 'upgrade' to Win 10 so I suppose this means the initial rush is over and perhaps the servers MS are using to roll out their new OS are relaxing a little.

I'm following this thread with interest, good work V_R :thumb:
 
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muckshifter

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There are several things that need to be 'fixed' before I put Windows Ten on my main system.

Sorry MS, but my "PC" is a PC, not a Phone, and anyway, Google already know everything about me, just ask my Nexus. :)

I'll agree with what some of the 'professionals' are saying around the internet ... if you have Windows Seven, keep it for now, if you have Windows eight or point-one, then go ahead and 'upgrade' ... we all have some time yet before we have to make a choice.

:user:
 

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How to Uninstall Windows 10’s Built-in Apps (and How to Reinstall Them)

Windows 10 includes a variety of universal apps, and there’s no easy way to hide them from the “All Apps” view in the new Start menu. You can uninstall them, but Microsoft doesn’t allow you to easily uninstall them in the usual way.

You probably don’t want to do this. These apps take up very little space on your device so it’s best to just ignore them if you don’t want to use them. But, if you really want to uninstall them, you can. If you’ve already uninstalled included apps, you can get them all back with a single command.
http://www.howtogeek.com/224798/how...-10s-built-in-apps-and-how-to-reinstall-them/


This was one of the first things I did after my upgrade. :thumb:
 

V_R

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Just given this a little tidy, and removed some now redundant information.
 

Abarbarian

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Gosh this new Windows sounds so easy to use and so intuitive. I just wish I had a spare month or so to do an install and set up. An I am really looking forward to Microsoft taking the load of me with their auto updates thingy, it will be a great help when I do not have to make choices and do manual updates like in my Arch.
harhar.gif
 

V_R

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Give it a rest man, all you do is cry about Windows. We get it, you like Linux.

FWIW, my upgrade from 8.1 to 10 took around 20 - 30 minutes then about 5 to do the tweaks above.
 

Abarbarian

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Give it a rest man, all you do is cry about Windows.

With good reason as an update from Windows 7 completely blacked out my pc and the famous Windows 7 backup feature failed to work. An you may have a fast broadband but I do not and it takes a long long time to download all the updates you need for a fresh install.

An yup I do like penguins. :nod:
 

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