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Appearance and Personalization

How to personalize Windows, Android, iOS, macOS, and other software platforms. How to customize the appearance of your gadgets, apps, and hardware.

The Windows 10 Night light: What it does and how to use it

The Windows 10 Night light: What it does and how to use it

Whether it is because we look at them too much or because they radiate too much blue light, screens are known to cause eye problems. It is almost impossible to avoid screens in our daily lives. There are also many night owls like ourselves, regularly watching our computers' screens during the night. The good news is that Windows 10 includes a special night mode called
Desktop.ini - What is this file? Why are there two of them on my desktop?

Desktop.ini - What is this file? Why are there two of them on my desktop?

If you've recently tinkered with File Explorer's settings in Windows, you might be surprised to discover some files called desktop.ini in all the folders on your computer or device. The two desktop.ini files present on your Desktop are the most noticeable and raise a lot of questions: What are these files and why are there two of them on your Desktop? What purpose do they
How to make PowerShell and the Command Prompt transparent

How to make PowerShell and the Command Prompt transparent

If you frequently use the Command Prompt or PowerShell, you may be tired of their opaque app windows. They are functional, useful, but also dull. Another issue is that when you work in a busy office, people can easily see what you type, due to their opacity. If you are a Windows 10 user, one neat little personalization that you can perform is to make
Fix problem: Windows 10 apps are not shown in the Start Menu

Fix problem: Windows 10 apps are not shown in the Start Menu

At times, the Windows 10 Start Menu may be populated with what appears to be invalid tiles, with download icons, and which do not work. This happens after you install Windows 10, or after a major feature update such as the May 2019 Update, or when you create and log in with a new user account. Here's more information about this problem, what is going
The Quick actions in Windows 10: access them, use them, customize them!

The Quick actions in Windows 10: access them, use them, customize them!

On top of constantly keeping you informed on what is happening on your device, Windows 10's Action Center includes, at the bottom of its panel, a set of buttons aptly named Quick actions. They offer you a fast and easy way to access apps and settings, without having to memorize complicated keyboard shortcuts. Here is everything you need to know about Quick actions and what
How can I make my Skype theme dark (or light)?

How can I make my Skype theme dark (or light)?

You might be asking yourself: Is there a dark theme for Skype? Yes there is, and there's also a light theme, just like in Windows 10 May 2019 Update. Both themes are available in Skype for Windows 10, Android, and iOS. In this guide, we share how to change your Skype theme to dark or light, depending on what you want, on all platforms:
Hide or show your e-mail address on the Windows 10 sign in screen

Hide or show your e-mail address on the Windows 10 sign in screen

When Windows 10 was first launched, it displayed the email address of your Microsoft account each time you accessed the sign in screen. This was annoying for laptop users who traveled a lot because, when using their Windows 10 laptops in public areas, like airports, cafes or events, others could easily see their email address. Fortunately, Microsoft listened to feedback, and newer versions of Windows
How to temporarily stop Windows 10 notifications with Focus Assist (Quiet Hours)

How to temporarily stop Windows 10 notifications with Focus Assist (Quiet Hours)

Focus assist (formerly known as Quiet hours) is a feature that helps stop Windows 10 notifications during specific time intervals, during presentations or while playing games or running apps in fullscreen. If you configure it and turn it on, you can enjoy some peace, away from notifications that interrupt you and distract you from what is important. Here is how to use and how to
The location of Windows 10 wallpapers for the Desktop & Lock Screen

The location of Windows 10 wallpapers for the Desktop & Lock Screen

Windows 10 uses impressive pictures for the desktop background and for the Lock Screen. Some of them look great, and we especially like the new default wallpaper for Windows 10 May 2019 Update. If you want to know the location of those images, so that you can use them as wallpapers for other PCs and devices, read this article: Where to see the background
How to right-click on a Mac

How to right-click on a Mac

Right-clicking is an integral part of using any operating system, as it brings up the useful contextual menu which you can use to perform different actions. One of the biggest shocks for Windows users when switching to a Mac must be the mouse, which does not appear to allow you to right click. There are however ways to get this feature so let's see what
Windows 10 ads: How to turn them off from everywhere

Windows 10 ads: How to turn them off from everywhere

Do you see ads on the Windows 10 Lock Screen, in the Start Menu, or even in File Explorer? Are you growing tired of ads on your Windows 10 PC, laptop or Surface Pro? Do you want to have an ad-free experience in Windows 10? If you do, you are in the right place. In this tutorial, we show you how to completely turn off
How to show more tiles on the Start Menu, in Windows 10

How to show more tiles on the Start Menu, in Windows 10

Building on the paradigm first introduced to computer users in Windows 8, the Start Menu in Windows 10 relies on using tiles to make it easy for us to access apps and to get quick bits of information from the apps that we are using. By default, the Start Menu from Windows 10 shows tiles in groups that are as wide as 3 medium-sized tiles.
How to enable or disable the Light Mode in Windows 10

How to enable or disable the Light Mode in Windows 10

Windows 10 May Update introduces a new feature called the Light Mode. What it does is change the appearance of certain Windows interface elements from black and other colors to white. In other words, the Light Mode whitens your Windows 10. This mode looks surprisingly good, and many users may prefer it instead of the Dark Mode or the default Windows 10 theme. If you
Stop Windows 10 from promoting apps on the Start Menu

Stop Windows 10 from promoting apps on the Start Menu

Microsoft's decision to show advertisements in Windows 10's Start menu appears to be universally disliked. So you just bought a new computer with Windows 10, for the first time, and you open the Start menu to find that it looks like the Disney channel?!? Having already paid for a Windows 10 license or a Windows 10 PC, it is not unreasonable to be bothered when
How to set the default view/tab for the Windows 10 Task Manager

How to set the default view/tab for the Windows 10 Task Manager

Starting with the Windows 10 May 2019 Update or version 1903, the Task Manager receives a few improvements. One of them is the fact that you can now set the default tab displayed by Task Manager when you open it. Today, you either see the compact view with few details, or the Processes tab. You can now set it to any tab you wish: Performance,
Manage groups of tiles and shortcuts on the Start Menu from Windows 10

Manage groups of tiles and shortcuts on the Start Menu from Windows 10

The Start Menu from Windows 10 has all its tiles and shortcuts organized in groups. By default, you see only a few groups, like Life at a glance or Play or Explore, but you can create more. In this article, we show you how to create new groups of tiles and shortcuts in the Start Menu, how to move tiles and shortcuts from one group