Microsoft’s latest operating system is so full of features that it’s hard to learn them all. After countless hours answering questions and fixing issues related to Windows 10, we’ve put together a list of the most useful apps, settings, and features. See how many of our picks you already know!

Night Light

This feature lets you reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your screen, which reduces eye strain and boosts sleep efficiency. Night Light is disabled by default, so you need to enable it by following these steps:

• Click the Start Menu
• Open the Settings app (or press the Windows key + I to quickly open Settings)
• Select the System icon followed by the Display option in the left-hand pane
• Set Night light to “On” or “Off”

Taskbar pin

It takes only a few seconds to open a browser and enter a web address or choose a saved page from the bookmarks menu. However, Windows 10 makes the process even quicker with Edge browser’s “Pin this page to the taskbar” feature. This is an essential shortcut for anyone who relies on web-based apps such as email or company intranets.

Pin your open windows

Do you struggle to organize a screen cluttered with open windows? Holding the Windows key and pressing an arrow should solve most of your problems:

• Windows key + Left – Resize the current window’s width to half the size of the screen and align it to the left
• Windows key + Right – Resize the current window’s width to half the size of the screen and align it to the right
• Windows key + Up – Maximize the current window to fit the entire screen
• Windows key + Down – Downsize the current window

When none of those keys are enough to set you straight, holding the Windows key and pressing the Tab button will show you all the apps you currently have open.

Focus Assist

Notifications are frustratingly distracting. Windows 10’s Focus Assist feature helps you tackle this issue by customizing which contacts and applications can interrupt you during predetermined periods of time. Try it out by:

• Opening the Settings window
• Clicking the System icon
• Selecting Focus Assist from the left-hand pane
• Adjusting the notifications settings based on your preference

If you wish to disable it and receive all notifications, click “Off.”

These are just a few of our favorites. For more software and productivity recommendations, give our experts a call today.

Windows 10 is full of useful features, and more are added every time Microsoft releases an update. If it’s been a while since you’ve familiarized yourself with the operating system’s capabilities, you could be missing out on a game-changing enhancement. We’ve created a list of our favorites.

Night Light

This feature lets you reduce the amount of blue light emitted from your screen, which reduces eye strain and boosts sleep efficiency. Night Light is disabled by default, so you need to enable it by following these steps:

• Click the Start Menu
• Open the Settings app (or press the Windows key + I to quickly open Settings)
• Select the System icon followed by the Display option in the left-hand pane
• Set Night light to “On” or “Off”

Taskbar pin

It takes only a few seconds to open a browser and enter a web address or choose a saved page from the bookmarks menu. However, Windows 10 makes the process even quicker with Edge browser’s “Pin this page to the taskbar” feature. This is an essential shortcut for anyone who relies on web-based apps such as email or company intranets.

Pin your open windows

Do you struggle to organize a screen cluttered with open windows? Holding the Windows key and pressing an arrow should solve most of your problems:

• Windows key + Left – Resize the current window’s width to half the size of the screen and align it to the left
• Windows key + Right – Resize the current window’s width to half the size of the screen and align it to the right
• Windows key + Up – Maximize the current window to fit the entire screen
• Windows key + Down – Downsize the current window

When none of those keys are enough to set you straight, holding the Windows key and pressing the Tab button will show you all the apps you currently have open.

Focus Assist

Notifications are frustratingly distracting. Windows 10’s Focus Assist feature helps you tackle this issue by customizing which contacts and applications can interrupt you during predetermined periods of time. Try it out by:

• Opening the Settings window
• Clicking the System icon
• Selecting Focus Assist from the left-hand pane
• Adjusting the notifications settings based on your preference

If you wish to disable it and receive all notifications, click “Off.”

These are just a few of our favorites. For more software and productivity recommendations, give our experts a call today.

Ransomware attacks are in the news again. Thankfully, business owners are becoming more aware of the damaging effects of malicious software. Companies now realize that without safe and reliable data backup, important business information can fall into the wrong hands or be lost forever. Good thing Windows 10 offers easy-to-use tools like File History and OneDrive.

File History is back in Windows 10

Users will be glad to know that Windows brought the same functionality of File History from Windows 8 (and 8.1) to Windows 10. Apart from the slight design changes, there really isn’t much difference.

Serving as the main backup utility, File History enables users to regularly schedule backing up of files on their PC and store them on an external drive. That means you can connect your PC to a network or USB drive and make backups as needed.

However, be sure to regularly connect the external drive if you intend to use File History for backups. Otherwise, Windows will prompt you that your files have not been backed up every day. You can ignore this warning at your own risk. If you back up to a mapped network that is unavailable, File History will commence backup in the local disk until the network drive becomes available.

Setting up File History

Anyone can set up File History. After all, it was designed to make data backup and recovery easy for users. By default, File History backs up the main file folders, but you may also pick which folders you want to back up and bring in folders from other parts of the PC to do this.

From the Start menu, click on Settings > Update & Security > Backup.

Once in Backup, it’s time to connect an external drive. Click on Add a drive to see a list of external hard drives hooked up to your PC and choose one.

When you return to the Backup section, you will see that the Add a drive option has changed to Automatically back up my files (by default). This allows backups to be created at periodic intervals, which you can set to anywhere from every 10 minutes to once a day (the default option is once every hour). You may also set how long to keep the backups (the default option is forever).

Restoring files that have already been backed up is just as easy as setting up backups. Simply type “File History” in the search bar. Then, you will see the “Restore your files with File History” folder. When you select it, a new window showing the folders backed up onto your external drives will appear.

Setting up OneDrive backup option

If you have access to a network drive or the cloud, back up to it instead of locally. One such cloud option is OneDrive. You can prompt OneDrive to automatically back up your files. Just click on the cloud icon in the Windows notification area, then select More > Settings > Backup > Manage backup. Not only will selected folders sync in OneDrive, new and existing files will also be backed up to OneDrive, so they can be accessed on other devices in case something happens to your PC.

Making system image backups

A system image is an exact replica of your entire operating system, along with all the programs, settings, and files. If you created a system image backup using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool in Windows 7, it will still work in Windows 10.

To use this feature, access the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option from the Control Panel. Click on Create a system image, choose where to store the backup (external hard drive, network drive, or DVD), and which drives or files to back up. You will then be asked to make a system repair disc, which you can use to start a PC and restore the image backup.

Never worry about losing files in Windows 10. For more tips on how to successfully backup and restore data, contact us today.

Businesses rely on computers for their daily operations, so succumbing to a ransomware attack is devastating. Ransomware blocks access to all data, which can result in financial losses and the company closing down temporarily or permanently. Fortunately, Windows 10 offers built-in tools and cloud storage options so you won’t have to fear data loss.

File History is back in Windows 10

Users will be glad to know that Windows brought the same functionality of File History from Windows 8 (and 8.1) to Windows 10. Apart from the slight design changes, there really isn’t much difference.

Serving as the main backup utility, File History enables users to regularly schedule backing up of files on their PC and store them on an external drive. That means you can connect your PC to a network or USB drive and make backups as needed.

However, be sure to regularly connect the external drive if you intend to use File History for backups. Otherwise, Windows will prompt you that your files have not been backed up every day. You can ignore this warning at your own risk. If you back up to a mapped network that is unavailable, File History will commence backup in the local disk until the network drive becomes available.

Setting up File History

Anyone can set up File History. After all, it was designed to make data backup and recovery easy for users. By default, File History backs up the main file folders, but you may also pick which folders you want to back up and bring in folders from other parts of the PC to do this.

From the Start menu, click on Settings > Update & Security > Backup.

Once in Backup, it’s time to connect an external drive. Click on Add a drive to see a list of external hard drives hooked up to your PC and choose one.

When you return to the Backup section, you will see that the Add a drive option has changed to Automatically back up my files (by default). This allows backups to be created at periodic intervals, which you can set to anywhere from every 10 minutes to once a day (the default option is once every hour). You may also set how long to keep the backups (the default option is forever).

Restoring files that have already been backed up is just as easy as setting up backups. Simply type “File History” in the search bar. Then, you will see the “Restore your files with File History” folder. When you select it, a new window showing the folders backed up onto your external drives will appear.

Setting up OneDrive backup option

If you have access to a network drive or the cloud, back up to it instead of locally. One such cloud option is OneDrive. You can prompt OneDrive to automatically back up your files. Just click on the cloud icon in the Windows notification area, then select More > Settings > Backup > Manage backup. Not only will selected folders sync in OneDrive, new and existing files will also be backed up to OneDrive, so they can be accessed on other devices in case something happens to your PC.

Making system image backups

A system image is an exact replica of your entire operating system, along with all the programs, settings, and files. If you created a system image backup using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool in Windows 7, it will still work in Windows 10.

To use this feature, access the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option from the Control Panel. Click on Create a system image, choose where to store the backup (external hard drive, network drive, or DVD), and which drives or files to back up. You will then be asked to make a system repair disc, which you can use to start a PC and restore the image backup.

Never worry about losing files in Windows 10. For more tips on how to successfully backup and restore data, contact us today.

To any business, ransomware means trouble. From operational disruption and revenue loss to total shutdown, it spares no part of the company. That’s why it’s wise to regularly back up your business data in multiple locations, including the cloud. If your computer is running on Windows 10, you’re in luck because the operating system makes backing up and restoring your files as easy as pie.

File History is back in Windows 10

Users will be glad to know that Windows brought the same functionality of File History from Windows 8 (and 8.1) to Windows 10. Apart from the slight design changes, there really isn’t much difference.

Serving as the main backup utility, File History enables users to regularly schedule backing up of files on their PC and store them on an external drive. That means you can connect your PC to a network or USB drive and make backups as needed.

However, be sure to regularly connect the external drive if you intend to use File History for backups. Otherwise, Windows will prompt you that your files have not been backed up every day. You can ignore this warning at your own risk. If you back up to a mapped network that is unavailable, File History will commence backup in the local disk until the network drive becomes available.

Setting up File History

Anyone can set up File History. After all, it was designed to make data backup and recovery easy for users. By default, File History backs up the main file folders, but you may also pick which folders you want to back up and bring in folders from other parts of the PC to do this.

From the Start menu, click on Settings > Update & Security > Backup.

Once in Backup, it’s time to connect an external drive. Click on Add a drive to see a list of external hard drives hooked up to your PC and choose one.

When you return to the Backup section, you will see that the Add a drive option has changed to Automatically back up my files (by default). This allows backups to be created at periodic intervals, which you can set to anywhere from every 10 minutes to once a day (the default option is once every hour). You may also set how long to keep the backups (the default option is forever).

Restoring files that have already been backed up is just as easy as setting up backups. Simply type “File History” in the search bar. Then, you will see the “Restore your files with File History” folder. When you select it, a new window showing the folders backed up onto your external drives will appear.

Setting up OneDrive backup option

If you have access to a network drive or the cloud, back up to it instead of locally. One such cloud option is OneDrive. You can prompt OneDrive to automatically back up your files. Just click on the cloud icon in the Windows notification area, then select More > Settings > Backup > Manage backup. Not only will selected folders sync in OneDrive, new and existing files will also be backed up to OneDrive, so they can be accessed on other devices in case something happens to your PC.

Making system image backups

A system image is an exact replica of your entire operating system, along with all the programs, settings, and files. If you created a system image backup using the Windows 7 Backup and Restore tool in Windows 7, it will still work in Windows 10.

To use this feature, access the Backup and Restore (Windows 7) option from the Control Panel. Click on Create a system image, choose where to store the backup (external hard drive, network drive, or DVD), and which drives or files to back up. You will then be asked to make a system repair disc, which you can use to start a PC and restore the image backup.

Never worry about losing files in Windows 10. For more tips on how to successfully backup and restore data, contact us today.

Earlier this summer, Microsoft introduced an extra layer of security to its Dropbox competitor, OneDrive. The security features, called OneDrive Personal Vault, allow users to protect their files with two-step verification, like a fingerprint or facial recognition, PIN code, or a one-time code sent through email, SMS or Microsoft Authenticator. At the time of launch, however, the feature was only available to select markets. Today, it’s rolling out worldwide and introducing new features, including expandable storage.

The company said OneDrive Personal Vault would initially be available to Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but would reach all OneDrive users by the end of the year.

With today’s expansion, it’s a little ahead of schedule as it’s just now the end of September.

Personal Vault is available to all OneDrive users, with some limitations.

For those using OneDrive’s free or standalone 100GB storage plan, you’re able to store up to 3 files in Personal Vault. Office 365 subscribers can store as many files as they want, up to their storage limits.

Stronger authentication is the key selling point for Personal Vault, but it also comes with additional security measures. This includes “Scan and Shoot,” which lets you scan documents or shoot photos directly to Personal Vault, bypassing your device storage, like the camera roll. Personal Vault will also automatically lock files after a period of inactivity, restricts sharing on the files saved to prevent accidental shares, and automatically syncs files to a BitLocker-encrypted area of the hard drive on Windows 10 PCs.

In addition to the global launch of Personal Vault, Microsoft also today introduced new storage options for One Drive, plus new features like PC Folder backup and dark mode.

Starting today, OneDrive users will now be able to add storage to their plans in 200GB increments, starting at $1.99 per month.

Meanwhile, PC Folder backup will allow OneDrive to back up your desktop, documents and picture folders from your Windows PC to the cloud, similar to rival desktop apps from Dropbox and Google Drive, for example. This option is available to Windows 7, 8 and 10 PCs. On Windows 10, it’s integrated so users can even opt to enable it during Windows setup or updates.

And OneDrive will now support a dark mode on iOS 13.

Personal Vault is live globally, as of today.

Microsoft has sold Office 365 and Windows 10 to businesses in various ways. While some business owners don’t mind purchasing the two solutions separately, others prefer one bundle that offers both. That’s possible with Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 caters to the workplace by combining Office 365 and Windows 10 into one solution, which is available in two plans: Microsoft 365 Business and Microsoft 365 Enterprise.

Microsoft 365 Business

Designed for small- to medium-sized companies, this bundle includes some of the best productivity tools, security, and device management capabilities that Microsoft has to offer.

Productivity apps:

• Access, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
• SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, OneDrive, and Exchange
• Business tools from the Office suite (Microsoft Invoicing, MileIQ, Outlook Customer Manager, and Bookings)

Enterprise-grade security and device management capabilities:

• Intune App Protection for Office and other mobile apps
• Exchange Online Archiving to back up, preserve, and protect your data
• Windows Defender Exploit Guard and Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection to keep your system safe from sophisticated malware and external threats like phishing

Additional services:

• Regular updates for Windows 10 and the Office 365 apps
• Automatic installation of Office apps on all Windows 10 devices
• An admin console for managing and setting up devices and users

Microsoft 365 Business is available in three pricing plans: Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise

Microsoft 365 Enterprise is designed for larger companies.

Productivity cloud-based and local apps:

• Office 365 ProPlus, including apps like Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word for your Mac or PC
• Online services for meetings, collaboration, file storage, email, and more
• Windows 10 Enterprise, which includes app and device management features, providing users with the most secure version of the operating system yet

You can subscribe to Microsoft 365 Enterprise through three plans: E3, E5, and F1.

By choosing the right subscription model, you’ll be able to make the most out of Microsoft’s growing number of service offerings. If you’re looking to upgrade to Windows 10 and have any questions about the operating system, or are wondering which of the two plans to choose, give us a call today.

Microsoft pays more attention to customer feedback than you might think. Many business owners who complained about having to purchase Office 365 and Windows 10 separately have gotten what they wanted: Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 caters to the workplace by combining Office 365 and Windows 10 into one solution, which is available in two plans: Microsoft 365 Business and Microsoft 365 Enterprise.

Microsoft 365 Business

Designed for small- to medium-sized companies, this bundle includes some of the best productivity tools, security, and device management capabilities that Microsoft has to offer.

Productivity apps:

• Access, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
• SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, OneDrive, and Exchange
• Business tools from the Office suite (Microsoft Invoicing, MileIQ, Outlook Customer Manager, and Bookings)

Enterprise-grade security and device management capabilities:

• Intune App Protection for Office and other mobile apps
• Exchange Online Archiving to back up, preserve, and protect your data
• Windows Defender Exploit Guard and Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection to keep your system safe from sophisticated malware and external threats like phishing

Additional services:

• Regular updates for Windows 10 and the Office 365 apps
• Automatic installation of Office apps on all Windows 10 devices
• An admin console for managing and setting up devices and users

Microsoft 365 Business is available in three pricing plans: Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise

Microsoft 365 Enterprise is designed for larger companies.

Productivity cloud-based and local apps:

• Office 365 ProPlus, including apps like Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word for your Mac or PC
• Online services for meetings, collaboration, file storage, email, and more
• Windows 10 Enterprise, which includes app and device management features, providing users with the most secure version of the operating system yet

You can subscribe to Microsoft 365 Enterprise through three plans: E3, E5, and F1.

By choosing the right subscription model, you’ll be able to make the most out of Microsoft’s growing number of service offerings. If you’re looking to upgrade to Windows 10 and have any questions about the operating system, or are wondering which of the two plans to choose, give us a call today.

Are you bothered that Office 365 and Windows 10 are sold separately? If so, you’re not the only one, and thankfully, Microsoft has devised a solution to streamline your purchases. Here’s everything you need to know about Microsoft 365.

Microsoft 365 caters to the workplace by combining Office 365 and Windows 10 into one solution, which is available in two plans: Microsoft 365 Business and Microsoft 365 Enterprise.

Microsoft 365 Business

Designed for small- to medium-sized companies, this bundle includes some of the best productivity tools, security, and device management capabilities that Microsoft has to offer.

Productivity apps:

• Access, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
• SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, OneDrive, and Exchange
• Business tools from the Office suite (Microsoft Invoicing, MileIQ, Outlook Customer Manager, and Bookings)

Enterprise-grade security and device management capabilities:

• Intune App Protection for Office and other mobile apps
• Exchange Online Archiving to back up, preserve, and protect your data
• Windows Defender Exploit Guard and Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection to keep your system safe from sophisticated malware and external threats like phishing

Additional services:

• Regular updates for Windows 10 and the Office 365 apps
• Automatic installation of Office apps on all Windows 10 devices
• An admin console for managing and setting up devices and users

Microsoft 365 Business is available in three pricing plans: Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, and Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Enterprise

Microsoft 365 Enterprise is designed for larger companies.

Productivity cloud-based and local apps:

• Office 365 ProPlus, including apps like Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word for your Mac or PC
• Online services for meetings, collaboration, file storage, email, and more
• Windows 10 Enterprise, which includes app and device management features, providing users with the most secure version of the operating system yet

You can subscribe to Microsoft 365 Enterprise through three plans: E3, E5, and F1.

By choosing the right subscription model, you’ll be able to make the most out of Microsoft’s growing number of service offerings. If you’re looking to upgrade to Windows 10 and have any questions about the operating system, or are wondering which of the two plans to choose, give us a call today.

No matter what version of Windows you’ve got—the free upgrade, the licensed OS, or the Professional version—you will see ads and notifications. Though at times helpful, they can get tiresome. You can’t even manage your own files in File Explorer without seeing one. If you’re looking for a solution, follow this step-by-step guide to make the ubiquitous file manager ad-free.

Who are getting these ads?

With ads being displayed in different parts of Windows 10 — the start menu, on the lock screen, from the taskbar, and in other Microsoft apps — overwhelming negative reactions to this Microsoft practice have been popping up online.

However, the company doesn’t consider them ads. They call it “suggestions.” These suggestions promote Microsoft products and services and third-party apps in the Windows Store. The tech giant may be doing users a favor by reminding them they can easily grab apps in the store that can benefit them. But to many, the presence of ads is less a favor and more a nuisance.

How do I turn them off?

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to turn them off. In fact, you could disable these ads right now by doing the following:

1. Open your File Explorer.
2. Select View from the ribbon along the top of any File Explorer window.
3. Click Options on the far right hand side.
4. From the drop down arrow below Options, select Change folder and search options.
5. Once in the Folder options window, go to the View tab.
6. In the Advanced Settings window pane, scroll down and deselect ‘Show sync provider notifications’.
7. Click Apply and close the Folder Options window.

That’s all it takes! Keep in mind that we highly recommend the services Microsoft suggests. Office 365, OneDrive, and others are all great cloud platforms for safely working and collaborating from any device in any location — we just don’t want to see advertisements for them when we’re hunting down sales records.

If you’re looking for Windows tips and tricks, this is the best blog on the web. If you’re looking for something a little more robust however, our managed services are second to none. Get in touch with us today to learn more!

Most of us hate distractions; so it is only natural to remove disruptive ads from your life as much as possible. File Explorer features such ads, but don’t fret. Here’s an easy solution to clean your File Explorer of ads.

Who are getting these ads?

With ads being displayed in different parts of Windows 10 — the start menu, on the lock screen, from the taskbar, and in other Microsoft apps — overwhelming negative reactions to this Microsoft practice have been popping up online.

However, the company doesn’t consider them ads. They call it “suggestions.” These suggestions promote Microsoft products and services and third-party apps in the Windows Store. The tech giant may be doing users a favor by reminding them they can easily grab apps in the store that can benefit them. But to many, the presence of ads is less a favor and more a nuisance.

How do I turn them off?

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to turn them off. In fact, you could disable these ads right now by doing the following:

1. Open your File Explorer.
2. Select View from the ribbon along the top of any File Explorer window.
3. Click Options on the far right hand side.
4. From the drop down arrow below Options, select Change folder and search options.
5. Once in the Folder options window, go to the View tab.
6. In the Advanced Settings window pane, scroll down and deselect ‘Show sync provider notifications’.
7. Click Apply and close the Folder Options window.

That’s all it takes! Keep in mind that we highly recommend the services Microsoft suggests. Office 365, OneDrive, and others are all great cloud platforms for safely working and collaborating from any device in any location — we just don’t want to see advertisements for them when we’re hunting down sales records.

If you’re looking for Windows tips and tricks, this is the best blog on the web. If you’re looking for something a little more robust however, our managed services are second to none. Get in touch with us today to learn more!

Surprised that ads have taken over your Windows 10 PC, laptop, or Surface Pro? You can still have an ad-free experience with Windows 10 In this tutorial, we will show you how to turn off ads that Microsoft sends in File Explorer.

Who are getting these ads?

With ads being displayed in different parts of Windows 10 — the start menu, on the lock screen, from the taskbar, and in other Microsoft apps — overwhelming negative reactions to this Microsoft practice have been popping up online.

However, the company doesn’t consider them ads. They call it “suggestions.” These suggestions promote Microsoft products and services and third-party apps in the Windows Store. The tech giant may be doing users a favor by reminding them they can easily grab apps in the store that can benefit them. But to many, the presence of ads is less a favor and more a nuisance.

How do I turn them off?

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to turn them off. In fact, you could disable these ads right now by doing the following:

1. Open your File Explorer.
2. Select View from the ribbon along the top of any File Explorer window.
3. Click Options on the far right hand side.
4. From the drop down arrow below Options, select Change folder and search options.
5. Once in the Folder options window, go to the View tab.
6. In the Advanced Settings window pane, scroll down and deselect ‘Show sync provider notifications’.
7. Click Apply and close the Folder Options window.

That’s all it takes! Keep in mind that we highly recommend the services Microsoft suggests. Office 365, OneDrive, and others are all great cloud platforms for safely working and collaborating from any device in any location — we just don’t want to see advertisements for them when we’re hunting down sales records.

If you’re looking for Windows tips and tricks, this is the best blog on the web. If you’re looking for something a little more robust however, our managed services are second to none. Get in touch with us today to learn more!