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Productivity

What does it mean to use technology productively? Which apps and gadgets make your work easier? How to personalize the computers and other gadgets you’re using?

Book Review - Windows 8.1 Step By Step, by Ciprian Rusen & Joli Ballew

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
When I reviewed the first edition of this book - Windows 8 Step By Step - I said that it was "the kind of book to keep handy by your computer for reference, because it will give you confidence that you can do everything right. It's a winner!" Other sites, including Amazon, where reviewers are notoriously cranky, have given it 5-star and 4-star ratings as well, and it's one of

How to Set AutoPlay Defaults for Media & Devices in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
In Windows 8.1 you can also set the AutoPlay settings for your media and devices, directly from PC Settings. There you have access to almost the same customization options found in the Control Panel. This tutorial shares where to find the AutoPlay settings and how to fiddle with them. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Where to Find the AutoPlay Settings in PC Settings? Open PC Settings. Then, click or tap PC and devices. AutoPlay,

How to Set How Much Data Tiles Use in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
If you are a tablet user with Windows 8.1 and you have a poor data plan, then you will want to limit how much data is used by the operating system, including the tiles. Depending on the apps you have installed and what updates they display on their tiles, they might end up consuming a lot of data. Luckily, Windows 8.1 provides a way for you to control how much

How to Work with File History in Windows 8.1, from PC Settings

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
One of the minor but welcome changes in Windows 8.1 is that it allows users to use the File History from PC Settings. If you have a tablet or a computer with touch, you can quickly turn on this feature, select the drive where your data is backed up and perform manual backups. Here's how it works. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] NOTE: Before you enable File History, plug in an external hard drive

Windows 8.1 Step by Step - The Best Book for Windows 8.1 is Available

  • news
  • Radu Tyrsina
If you plan to use Windows 8.1 or buy a PC, hybrid, or tablet with Windows 8.1, you should consider buying a good manual for it. We're happy to announce that Windows 8.1 Step by Step is available worldwide and there are some good offers you can find online. Also, now it is well stocked on all distribution channels. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] Windows 8.1 Step by Step - A Good Book Turned

Introducing Windows 8.1: What are the Charms & How to Use them

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
One of the most important features in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are the Charms. "Charms"... in Windows? It sounds strange! Right? Actually, they are not that hard to understand. To help you out, we will share how to access them, what they do and how to use them. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] How to Access the Charms Simply put, Charms are a set of shortcuts to common tasks, available anywhere in the system. There

Introducing Windows 8 & 8.1: How to Switch Between Sign-In Options

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 are optimized for use on a wide range of devices. Whether you're using a desktop computer, a tablet or even a hybrid device, Windows 8 and 8.1 have you covered. While many features will be accessible across all platforms, some tasks may be easier done on one form of device or another. This can be seen with a task as simple as signing in. On

How to Customize or Disable Search with Bing in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
As mentioned in many other articles, one of the biggest changes in Windows 8.1 is related to Search and its strong integration with Bing. In this operating system, Bing provides you with search suggestions and web results when performing any kind of search, directly from the Start screen. Some users will love this but will want to tweak the way it works while others will be freaked out and will

Introducing Windows 8.1: How Does Search Work & How to Use It?

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Search in Windows 8.1 has been completely redeveloped. It is so different from Windows 8 and Windows 7 that some users might have trouble understanding how it works. That's why I decided to create this complete guide on Search, filled with screenshots and examples. As you will see, the integration of Bing into Windows 8.1 is both very powerful and scary. Here's how it works: [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] How to Start a

Introducing Windows 8 & Windows 8.1: 6 Ways to Access the Start Screen

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
The Start screen was the most important novelty in Windows 8 and it was further improved in Windows 8.1. Even though accessing it is easy, figuring out all the ways to launch it can take some work and experimentation. That's why I decided to create this guide and show all the ways to access it, both in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] 1. Use the Keyboard - works in

How to Set Up and Use Work Folders in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
One of the many new enterprise-friendly features in Windows 8.1 is named Work Folders. Folders? Work? Sounds boring, doesn't it? :) But, to some people this feature will be very useful. Especially to people that have many devices and need to work also on their personal PCs and devices. Here's how to set up Work Folders on the client side and how to use them to do your work and

How to Upgrade Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 through the Windows Store

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Microsoft has made available Windows 8.1 as a free upgrade for Windows 8 users. The procedure is performed through the Windows Store and, even though it is not very complicated, there are some important requirements and steps you should keep in mind. For the complete upgrade guide, with screenshots and detailed instructions, read this tutorial. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] What to do Before the Upgrade Begins There are a couple of things you

Introducing Windows 8.1: What are Quiet Hours & How to Configure Them?

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 8.1 introduces a neat little feature, named Quiet Hours. As the name implies, quiet hours are an interval within the day when you don't want to be interrupted by notifications, by any Windows app, not even the Mail app. You can also set that, during those quiet hours, you won't even take calls through Skype. Here's where to find this feature in Windows 8.1 and how to configure it.

Reviewing the Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard

  • review
  • Radu Tyrsina
Nowadays, tablets are becoming more and more popular, and rightly so. They're versatile, and most are a lot more easily portable than even a netbook. However, typing on a tablet screen is not something that comes naturally to many people, and even the widest tablets have only so much screen real estate on which to display the keyboard. Only people with small hands have a chance of touch typing efficiently.

How to Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

  • misc
  • Radu Tyrsina
Microsoft did not provide any support for setting Windows 8 to boot straight to the Desktop and skip the new Start screen. There was no registry setting available, no group policy and most of the hacks that worked with the test versions of Windows 8 do not work in the final version. Since many people want this feature in Windows 8, Microsoft gave in and, in Windows 8.1 is can

How to Install Windows 8.1 RTM On Your Computer

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
If you have gotten your hands on Windows 8.1, the final version (build 9600) or on any of the leaked builds, you can install it using this step by step guide. We will cover each step of the process and share useful information regarding more special installation scenarios. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] What to Expect from Windows 8.1 There are many new things in Windows 8.1. Some were presented in this article based

How to Configure the Windows 8 Apps Inside Which You Perform Searches

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Performing searches in Windows 8 is fast and easy. One important difference versus Windows 7 is that you can perform searches inside Windows 8 apps, directly from the Start screen. You type a search term, select the app where you want to perform the search and the results are displayed inside that app. Pretty cool, isn't it? Also, you can configure the list of apps inside which you perform searches.

How to Add or Remove Buttons on the Windows Explorer Toolbar

  • misc
  • Radu Tyrsina
If you are using Windows 7, you have a small selection of buttons available on the Windows Explorer toolbar and this may not help you be very productive. You may want more buttons on it. Luckily, the team from WinAero have created a free tool that you can use to enhance the toolbar and add new buttons to it. With it, you can transform the boring toolbar into a mini-ribbon.
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