Robert Kingsley

Robert Kingsley is a full time freelance tech writer with a degree in Computer Networking Systems. His experience as an IT Support Engineer gives him a strong background in the use, support and administration of all varieties of Windows operating systems.

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Editor's Recent Articles

The Complete Guide to the Weather App in Windows 8 & 8.1

Knowing the weather is essential to planning anything from an upcoming weekend away to which route to drive to work. While many users watch the news for their weather information and others might check the Internet, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 provide a great alternative with their bundled Weather app. Once configured, this app provides extended forecasts, hourly forecasts, weather maps and even historical data. This is a very useful app whether you want to know if your company picnic will be canceled for rain or even what sort of coat to put on in the morning.

How to Use Windows Defender in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

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 to protect it against most malware threats. The Windows Defender you see in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1 isn't the basic malware scanner you saw in Windows 7.

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

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 a standard PC, you'll select your account and type in a password. Using a full-sized keyboard this is the fastest and easiest way to do the job. But what happens when you're on a tablet or touch screen?

How to Remove Network Locations Mapped as Drives in Windows 8

The process called mapping, assigns a drive letter on your computer to a location on a remote system allowing you to access and save files over the network easily. We have shown how to make these links permanent by reconnecting them every time you log on, which assures they'll never disappear on you. However, it also means you'll get annoying messages from your tray if the network drive doesn't exist anymore. If your connected drives change or go away - or you just don't want them connected anymore - you'll have to go ahead and unmap or delete the connected locations.

10 Features that Make Windows 8 the Most Secure Windows Yet

It will be quite obvious to any first-time user that Windows 8 is very different from previous versions. While the obvious interface changes will be the most talked about, the addition of a number of great security features is really worth getting excited over. Combine new features like early launch anti-malware with oldies like the Windows Firewall and you have an operating system that you can feel secure using.

How to Restore Windows 8 to Its Initial Clean State Using Reset

In previous versions of Windows, the only tools available for restoring Windows to a previous state were System Restore and Windows Backup. Even though they are useful tools, you cannot use them to restore Windows to its initial, clean state. You have to perform a manual reinstallation of the operating system. And that is a bit of a pain. Windows 8 introduces a great new feature named Restore. With the Restore wizard, you can easily restore Windows 8 to its default clean state, as if you were performing a clean reinstallation of the operating system.

Windows Defender in Windows 8 and Windows 7 - What's New & Different?

Windows Defender is an antimalware scanner that's been baked into Windows since the days of Windows Vista. Users may know it and dismiss it as a lightweight spyware scanner that is helpful, but by no means comprehensive. That was true of the old Windows Defender; it could never be used as a sole means of protection from malware, but that is not true of the version included in Windows 8.

How to Schedule a Virus Scan with Windows 8's Built-In Antivirus

If you've spent any time looking at Windows 8's Defender interface, you've likely noticed that it doesn't include any options for scheduling a scan. While Windows Defender provides most of it's protection in real-time, if you're like us, you'll want a back-up scan occurring regularly. Though the user interface does in fact omit a simple way to schedule a scan, this option exists within the Windows 8 Task Scheduler. Read on and we'll show you how to get the job done.

Introducing Windows 8: The Complete Guide to the Messaging App

Chatting has become a very large part daily computer usage for many people. Whether messaging on Facebook or with a chat client, you've likely spent a significant amount of time messaging with friends back and forth. Using separate clients to chat with contacts can get annoying, so Windows 8 has taken a step to try and make it easier. The Messaging app allows you to aggregate your contacts from both Windows Live Messenger and Facebook into a single utility. It provides a simple that works especially well with touch. Let's see how it works.

Introducing Windows 8: How to Manage Your Mail App's Inbox & Messages

While we've already covered the basics of configuring and using the Windows 8 Mail app in quite a few guides, there's more to it. Once you've got your accounts set up and you're receiving emails you may want to dig into the intricacies of this useful app. At first glance you may think there isn't much more to the Mail app than folders and inboxes. This is a simple mistake to make as the features we'll be covering here are hidden in menus that can only be accessed by right-clicking or swiping up from the bottom of a touchscreen device.

Popular Reviews

ASUS RT-AX58U is part of a recent wave of more affordable Wi-Fi 6 wireless routers. While it still bundles all the advanced features that you expect from an ASUS router, it also provides support for Wi-Fi 6, and its price is lower than that of the first wave of Wi-Fi 6 routers. Does this lower price translate into less performance? Is ASUS RT-AX58U a reliable wireless router that you can buy to future-proof your home's Wi-Fi network? Read this review and find out:

ASUS RT-AX58U: Who is it good for?

This wireless router is a suitable choice for:

Archer AX6000 is TP-Link's first consumer wireless router with support for the new Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard. It is a large router with many antennas, powerful hardware, and plenty of features. This router should be able to handle more devices than previous generations and provide faster Wi-Fi to everyone. If you want to know more about TP-Link Archer AX6000 and what it has to offer in terms of real-life performance, read this review:

TP-Link Archer AX6000: Who is it good for?

Fitbit makes great fitness trackers that are polished, good looking, and very useful. However, in the smartwatch space, they are not a big player, lagging behind Apple. In the last quarter of 2019, they launched their best smartwatch to date: Fitbit Versa 2. We tested it for about a month, daily, and tracked everything we could with it, from sleep and daily steps to workouts. Here is what the Fitbit Versa 2 has to offer to users interested in buying a new smartwatch:

Fitbit Versa 2: Who is it good for?

This smartwatch is an excellent choice for:

Robert Kingsley

Contact Options

The Complete Guide to the Weather App in Windows 8 & 8.1

How to Use Windows Defender in Windows 8 & Windows 8.1

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

How to Remove Network Locations Mapped as Drives in Windows 8

10 Features that Make Windows 8 the Most Secure Windows Yet

How to Restore Windows 8 to Its Initial Clean State Using Reset

Windows Defender in Windows 8 and Windows 7 - What's New & Different?

How to Schedule a Virus Scan with Windows 8's Built-In Antivirus

Introducing Windows 8: The Complete Guide to the Messaging App

Introducing Windows 8: How to Manage Your Mail App's Inbox & Messages

How to view and clear your off-Facebook activity

How to use your Android phone as a webcam for your PC

5 ways to configure how the Windows 10 Search works

ASUS RT-AX58U review: Wi-Fi 6 at a more affordable price!

TP-Link Archer AX6000 review: Unlocking the potential of Wi-Fi 6!

Fitbit Versa 2 review: A smartwatch with great fitness tracking!