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Tutorials and how to guides about using gadgets, hardware, and software. Our tutorials cover all major operating systems: Windows, Android, iOS and others.

How to Learn the Countries Where Windows Store Apps are Available

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Even though each app in the Windows Store has its own webpage that can be found using a search engine, Microsoft doesn't offer a full web version of the Windows Store. Also, in the Windows Store app, you cannot view apps that are not available in your region. This raises an interesting issue: you can't learn the countries where an app is available. It can happen that an app that

How to Use Windows Defender in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Guess what Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 users: when you're using Microsoft's newest operating system you don't need to install virus protection... Oh god, we sound like those Mac elitists, don't we? Well, we aren't saying this due to an over-confidence in virus coders lack of interest in a comparatively small market share. We're saying this because Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 have a baked in antivirus that is sufficient

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

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 8.1: Change the Start Screen Wallpaper & Colors

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 8.1 offers more personalization options than Windows 8 and Windows 7 do. One of the things that can be configured in more detail is the Start screen itself. For example, in Windows 8.1 you have more options for setting the wallpaper (background image), background and accent colors. You can even set it to use the same wallpaper as the Desktop, which changes every couple of minutes with something new.

Change the Location of a Network from Private to Public in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
When connecting to a new network in Windows 8.1, you are asked whether you want to find PCs, devices and content on the network. If you answer Yes, the location of the network is set as Private and if you answer No, the location is set as Public. But what if you have made a mistake and you want to change the location from Private to Public or vice-versa? Here's

How to Use the Action Center in Windows 8 & 8.1 to Keep Your PC Secure

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
The Action Center was first introduced in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and, since then, it has been constantly updated. In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 it offers many of the old and familiar options but also some exciting new ones, aiming to further increase the security and stability of your system. In this tutorial I will show how to open the Action Center in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1,

Introducing Windows 8.1: Configure the Action Center & its Messages

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
The Action Center in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 has an important role in keeping safe your computer or device and having it run well. This feature has received many improvements and it is now more powerful than ever before. In this article, I will show how to access its settings window and how to configure the way it works and how it notifies you. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] The Action Center Keeps

How to Add, Change or Remove VPN Connections in Windows 8.1

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 8.1 provides a more complex PC Settings panel that, for some tasks and settings, it is better and more complete than the traditional Control Panel. One of the surprising things you can do with it is that you can create VPN connections, configure them in detail and remove them when you no longer need to use them. Here's how it all works: [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK] How to Start the Add VPN

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
tutorial Set Windows 8.1 Apps that May Use the Webcam, Microphone & other devices

Set Windows 8.1 Apps that May Use the Webcam, Microphone & other devices

Another useful new feature in Windows 8.1 is that you can set in detail which apps can use devices like the webcam, microphone and others. This tutorial shows how this configuration is performed. As you will see, it is very quick and painless. :) NOTE: The settings detailed detailed in this tutorial apply only to apps from the Windows Store. Desktop applications are

Introducing Windows 8.1: How to Improve Your Privacy When Using Apps

  • tutorial
  • Radu Tyrsina
Windows 8.1 brings many welcome changes, some of which have not been communicated very well by Microsoft. One of the lesser known changes is that Windows 8.1 has very good privacy controls for working with Windows Store apps. As you will see in this tutorial, these controls are detailed and really useful. If you want to set which apps use what data, then reading this guide is a must. [DC-SUMMARY-BREAK]

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.
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