How to add a Local Account to your computer

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 Switch to Local Account 

Click on Settings Then click on Your account. If your email address is at the top of this window then you are using the Microsoft Cloud setting. If so, it will have a link that says "Switch to a Local Account" Click on that link & then type in your name & leave the password window empty.  Make sure you write down the password you used the last time you logged into your computer, that is now your Microsoft Store Account password that you will use to add Apps to your computer.

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 Sign out - switch to another user on the computer

Press & hold on the CTRL + Alt keys on your keyboard then tap the Delete Key. Then click on Signout.

     If you have the Classic Shell installed, then click on Start then Log off.

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Add a photo to your Profile

Click on Start (white window) then click on Settings. Then click on Accounts (see above). Then click on Your Account. Click on the Browse button then click on Pictures & find your picture. Then click on OK. Click on the X to close the window.

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Add a Printer to your computer (Make sure the printer is already on your wireless network)

Click on the Start button then click on Settings. Then click on Devices. Then click on Printers & scanners. Click on the + Add a printer & if your printer is on the network it will show in the next window. Click on it & the correct printer driver will install.

Close all the windows & you are all set.

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Add Documents, Pictures, Music, etc to your Start menu :

Click on Start menu then click on Settings. Click on Personalization. Next click on Start. Here you can decide what shows up on the start menu, turn off what you do not want to appear. 

Move the sliders to the right to turn on Documents, Pictures, Music on the Start menu. Close the window when you are done (there is no Save button, it saves your changes automatically). 

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Change the Color of the Start menu & Taskbar - Personalization

Click on Start menu then click on Settings then click on Personalization.

Background - allows you to change the picture on your computer desktop.

Colors - Allows you to change the color on your Windows start menu & the taskbar (bottom bar).

Light - changes it to a light grey color

Dark - changes it to black

Custom - You can change it to any color in the color pallet below. 

Default Windows Mode - I recommend Dark (makes task bar a dark color) Light will change it to grey.

Default App Mode - I recommend Light - windows with white backgrounds. Dark will change all your windows to a black background with white type.

Transparency effects - makes start menu & taskbar seem see-through but uses lots of ram. If your computer is slow, do not turn on this option.

Custom Color - pick your favorite color & see what happens! Make sure to check the last 2 boxes

Start, task & action center

Title bars & windows borders.

To add icons to desktop click on Themes then Desktop icons. I recommend Control Panel & Computer.

 

 

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Show or Hide Tray Apps - Click on Start then Settings then System. Then click on Notifications & actions. Then click on Select which icons appear on the taskbar.

Turn off or on the icons you want to show or hide.

 

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Default Apps   Click on Start then Settings then System. Then click on Default Apps. Then click on the icon to the left of each item to choose what program to use to open this item.

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Opt out of Torrent Windows Updates (using other peoples computers worldwide to get your updates)

Microsoft calls this Windows Update Delivery Optimization (WUDO). This is how they explain it: Windows Update Delivery Optimization lets you get Windows updates and Windows Store apps from sources in addition to Microsoft. This can help you get updates and apps more quickly if you have a limited or unreliable Internet connection. And if you own more than one PC, it can reduce the amount of Internet bandwidth needed to keep all of your PCs up-to-date. Delivery Optimization also sends updates and apps from your PC to other PCs on your local network or PCs on the Internet. 

"PCs on my local network and PCs on the Internet" is a scary option to use other peoples computers connected to the Internet to get updates & then let Microsoft use your computer to push the updates to other computers worldwide. Click here to read more about this option from Microsoft, but I recommend that you opt out of this option.

"PCs on my local network is OK"

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 How to Sign out or Switch User

     

Remember that if you use the Switch user option that all users must be Signed out before you turn off the computer. For this reason I recommend that you use the Sign Out option.

CTRL + ALT + Delete then Signout also can be used.

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How to do a System Restore

If you are getting loading your account correctly and you restarted your computer and the error came back then you may need to restore your computer back to a previous date before your were having trouble. Below are the steps you will need to take. This is a task that should not be preformed by novice users, if you are uncomfortable doing advanced tasks on your computer please contact Joe McDonald for assistance.

If your Start menu is locked then on your Keyboard press on the following keys - CTRL + ALT + Delete Then a window will appear, click on Sign Out. Then click on the Administrator account on your computer, if there is a password type it in and click on the arrow or press the Enter key on your Keyboard. Then your desktop should load.

1 - Click on Start menu then Settings

2 - Click on Update & Security

3 - Click on Recovery then Restart now

4 - If there are any pending Windows Updates they will install now (this may fix the issue you are having but proceed to System Restore just in case)

5 - Click on Troubleshoot

6 - Click on System Restore

7 - Now the computer will enter the System Restore mode, when the above screen appears click on the Administrator account on your computer. 

8 - If there is a password, type it in

9 - If there are no restore points and you get the message above you will need to call Joe McDonald for assistance.

10 - Click on the Next button

11 - Click on Show more restore points then pick a date that is about 1 week before the date your computer started to give you trouble. Then click on the Next button.

12 - The restore process will start and it may take a while. During this process additional Windows Updates may install.

13 - Then the computer will return to your administrator account, type in the password then right arrow or enter in keyboard

14 - Your desktop will load & you will get a message that the System Restore was successful. Close the window then Click on the Start menu then click on the name at the top then click on Sign out.

Then return to your account.

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Windows 10 Settings Menu

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Privacy Settings

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Turn Off Background Apps

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Make a System Image backup

A system Image is like taking a picture of exactly how your computer is setup. If your hard drive fails you can insert a new drive & restore your computer using a system image. You would need an external hard drive in order to create this type of backup file.

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Hide The Edge Internet Browser

 

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The Start menu 

 

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Windows as a Service, Windows 10 is the final version. Microsoft has changed the way they do business. Windows 10 will be the final version stopping the cycle of releasing a new Windows version every 5 to 7 years. The new process involves releasing a new version of Windows 10 every 12 months.  Click here for more information on Windows as a Service.

 

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New Windows 10  - Windows Updates - Active Hours

     

             

 

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New Windows 10  - Settings Menu 

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New Windows 10 - What's New Nag

     

 

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Install Themes from Microsoft Store

 

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New Windows 10 - Night Light Settings

   

   

 

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New Windows 10 - Troubleshooting

   

 

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New Windows 10 - Windows Defender Security Center Account Protection

   

 

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The Classic Shell Installation Steps

After an update you might get this pop up. Click on OK then click on Yes for the User Account Control.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Windows 10 Steps to setup a new computer. The computer talks to you but if you find it annoying (I do) you can click on the Speaker icon then click on Mute.

Then Desktop icons load.

 

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Turn off High Contrast Mode

 

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Where is the Favorites in the Edge Internet browser

 

If you are going to use the Edge Internet browser then you will need to use the 3 dots in the top right corner to get to the Favorites, Print and other important tools.

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Things to do after a Windows 10 Update

When you get a new version of Windows 10 installed Microsoft is now adding the Microsoft Edge icon to your desktop. If you are not using the Edge then just delete this shortcut from your Desktop.

Devices & Printers missing the green check mark to show you the Default printer. Open Settings then click on Devices then un-check the check mark to let Windows manage the Default printer. As great of an idea this was Windows has been marking the wrong item to be Default, preventing users from printing. Without the green check mark you have no idea what is default.

Turn off any options for Microsoft to give you Suggestions. Suggestions will be in the form of advertisements promoting different products Microsoft Suggests you purchase from them.  You will find the word Suggestions in 4 places in the Settings menu. Turning these off tells Microsoft you do not want their ads!

Active Hours = Time that you are using your computer and you do not want updates installing, slowing you down.

Make sure that you adjust your Active Hours in the Settings, Update & Security settings. You can set it for up to an 18 hour window. This tells Microsoft that they are not allowed to restart your computer & install updates in the middle of your day. Lately these updates take over 2 hours to install, preventing you from using your computer. Setting the window to 6am to 10pm gives you a full days access. When you turn off your computer at night, that is when the update will install.

 

Classic Shell Start menu - Approve Configuration 

 

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The Cortana Spy issue

 

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Pause Windows 10 Updates

Sometimes Microsoft Updates do more bad then good, causing some computers to have Start up issues and in some extreme cases, an update can actually delete your files. If you see on my website an alert or in the News that Microsoft Updates are causing problems with computers, you can pause the updates so the updates do not mess up your computer.  

 

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How to Import Favorites into Edge browser

1 - open Edge browser then click on 3 dots in top right then click on Favorites

2 - Click on 3 dots (as shown below) then click on Import favorites

3 - Pick the browser you are importing the Favorites/Bookmarks by clicking on the Import from list. Leave all the checks in the boxes. Then click on the blue "Import" button.

4 - click on blue "Done" button

 

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Steps to Setup New Edge

1 - click on 3 dots then click on Settings

2 - Click on Appearance on left then Setup as shown below. www.google.com is just an example, fill in your favorite home page. Remember to click on the Save button to save your choice.

3 - Click on Startup then click on Open to a specific page then type in your home page then click on the Blue add button.

4 - Click on System then turn off top button. You do not want the Internet browser to run when you close it, it will only slow down your computer.

 

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Screen Upside down

Luckily it does not happen often, it might be a combination of keystrokes on your keyboard or it happens when you are playing a game. All of a sudden, everything on your computer screen is upside down. 

1 - Right click on Desktop then Left click on Display settings.

2 - Then click on the menu under Display Orientation. The correct setting is Landscape, so click on Landscape & everything returns to normal.

 

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Disable Skype Startup

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