5 Handy tips for organizing your desktop
Imagine a workstation with papers, folders, food, and electronics strewn all around, then having to scour through everything to find an unlabeled thumb drive containing an important sales report. This is practically the same hassle you and your staff suffer when you have cluttered desktops. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to get organized again. 1. Arrange, sort, and prioritize Before you delete everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will vary from person to person, but most people use their desktop for storing files, folders, and apps that they want to access quickly. Take the time to sort your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons), mouse over on View, and select Auto arrange icons. This will organize your icons into a grid format. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over Sort by and select Date modified to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top. 2. Create a folder for holding files and another for keeping app shortcuts People often use their desktop to store downloaded files, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments, which can lead to a messy desktop. However, you don’t need all these on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop that will serve as your dumping ground for all your nonessential files and folders. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Revisit this folder every once in a while to delete the files you no longer need. It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. But these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. Create a separate folder for programs that aren’t used that often. 3. Clear out unnecessary files Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, get rid of it. Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use. You’ll also want to delete outdated files you no longer need and place the rest in relevant folders. 4. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps In Windows 10, you can pin apps to the Start menu and the taskbar. This is a great alternative to having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (i.e., click the Start button at the bottom-left corner of the screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Select Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar for the option you want. 5. Choose a wallpaper you love looking at An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at — whether it’s your favorite motivational quote, a photo of your family, or a picture of your dream house, car, or destination. Having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum, so if you can’t see the image anymore, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few. If you are looking to learn more about how to use Windows more effectively, contact us today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Useful Microsoft Edge features you should know about
Microsoft Edge is a web browser that boasts faster loading times, better support, and stronger security than its predecessor, Internet Explorer. However, these improvements merely scratch the surface of what Microsoft Edge is capable of. Here are a few great features available in the newly updated web browser. 1. Vertical tabs Vertical tabs are a handy feature if you often find yourself opening dozens of tabs at once at any given time. Instead of having to hover over or click on one to see which page it’s on, you can easily find and manage your tabs on the side with a single click. You’ll never have to lose track of or accidentally close tabs again. With the recent Microsoft Edge update, users will now be able to hide the horizontal title bar at the top of the screen so there’s additional vertical space to work with. To enable this feature, go to Settings > Appearance > Customize toolbar and select Hide title bar while in vertical tabs. 2. Tab groups Microsoft Edge allows you to group related tabs so you can better organize your web browser and workspace. For instance, you can have all project-related tabs grouped together and designate another tab group for recreational YouTube video watching. Using tab groups is as easy as right-clicking on an open tab and selecting Add tab to a new group. From there, you’ll be able to create a label and choose a color to identify the tab group. When the tab group is set up, you can add tabs to the group by clicking and dragging. 3. Collections Collections allows you to gather information from different sites, then organize, export, or return to it at a later time. Doing these can be especially difficult if you’re working across several sites and multiple devices. To use this feature, simply click on the Collections button and a pane will open on the right side of your browser window. Here, you can easily drag and drop web pages, text, images, videos, and other elements into a group, which you can then import to a Word document or Excel workbook. 4. Tracking prevention Whenever you visit a site, online trackers can collect information about your internet activity, including pages you visit, links you click on, your search history, and more. Companies then use the data collected to target you with personalized advertisements and experiences. The tracking prevention feature in Microsoft Edge is designed to keep you from being tracked by sites that you aren’t accessing directly. It’s enabled by default, and it gives you control over the types of third-party trackers to be detected and blocked, thereby enhancing your online privacy. 5. Password Monitor Millions of online personal credentials are frequently exposed due to data breaches and sold on the dark web. To keep your online accounts safe from hackers, Microsoft developed the Password Monitor. When enabled, this feature notifies you if the credentials you’ve saved to autofill are on the dark web. It then prompts you to take action, allowing you to view a list of all the leaked credentials and then leading you to the respective site to change your password. 6. Immersive Reader Built into the new Microsoft Edge, Immersive Reader makes reading online easier and more accessible by removing distractions on the page and creating a simplified environment that helps you to focus. This feature also gives you access to a variety of capabilities, including hearing text read aloud or adjusting the text size. 7. Easy switching Microsoft Edge is available to download for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. What’s great is that you can easily copy or migrate your bookmarks, form fill information, passwords, and basic settings to the new Microsoft Edge with just a single click. If you want to learn more about the latest features of Microsoft Edge and how to enjoy these benefits on your business computers, give us a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Want a faster Windows 10 PC? Try these 4 simple tweaks
Windows 10 has no shortage of performance improvements over previous versions of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, but it can be further optimized. Learn how to speed up your computer by making these four simple tweaks. Prevent programs from launching at startup Windows makes certain programs readily available by loading them at startup. While Microsoft likely has good intentions for doing this, this auto-launch feature slows down your computer. To fix this issue, you’ll need to adjust your settings. Open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. On the Startup tab, select a program you don’t want launching at startup — such as a media player or an optional accessory that doesn’t have to be active all the time — then click Disable. To be on the safe side, however, keep essential apps such as antivirus software enabled. Get rid of useless applications Having too many programs installed on your computer uses up valuable memory and hard disk space. This slows down your machine and makes it work harder than necessary. Quickly uninstall programs you don’t need by following these steps: Tap the Windows key on your keyboard and type “Add or remove programs” in the search bar. Selecting the first result opens a System settings window. Under Apps & features, you will see all the apps stored on your computer. Select the program/s you no longer want, and click Uninstall. You’ll then be guided through several steps to complete the uninstallation process. Organize your disks It’s important to regularly clean out your computer of data you don’t need. Thankfully, Microsoft’s Disk Cleanup tool makes it easy to do so. To find the tool, tap on the Windows button on your keyboard and type “Disk Cleanup.” If you click on the first result, the tool will launch and automatically find files that take up too much memory space, such as temporary internet and system memory dump files. Make sure that the checkbox before each option is selected, then click OK to send these files to your Recycle Bin. Turn off apps running in the background You may not know it, but there are a lot of programs that run in the background as you use your computer. Even when you’re not actively using them, these apps run in the background so they can receive information, send notifications, and download and install updates. However, they also slow down your CPU. Disabling these apps will reduce the burden on your computer and speed it up. To find out what programs are running in the background, press the Windows button on your keyboard, type “Background apps,” and hit Enter. Find the programs you don’t need running and toggle the On-Off button. By following these four steps, you’ll see a noticeable difference in your PC speed. If you want to learn how to optimize your Windows system further or need assistance with other Microsoft products, give us a call. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Protect your privacy in Windows 10
Since its release in 2015, Windows 10 has gotten a bad rap for supposedly gathering too much personal information from its users. Whether you believe Microsoft’s operating system is invasive or you just want to pull out all the stops to keep your personal information safe, here are some Windows 10 settings you can tweak to protect your privacy. Turn personalized advertising off Windows 10 assigns each user an “advertising ID” that is used for ad personalization based on your recent browsing history. If you’d rather see generic ads targeted to you based on demographics rather than your ID, we recommend turning this feature off. Here’s how to do it: Click on the search box at the bottom left of your screen. If your search bar is hidden, right-click the taskbar and select Search > Show search box. Next, type in “Privacy,” then click on Privacy Settings and select General. Turn off the option that states “Let apps use advertising ID to make ads more interesting to you based on your app activity.” Lastly, open your web browser and go to this link. Once there, turn off the “Personalized ads wherever I use my Microsoft account” and “Personalized ads in this browser” options. Following these steps resets your ad ID, letting you surf the web without targeted advertisements. Disable Cortana Voice-controlled digital assistants have become big business. Microsoft aims to capitalize on this market with Cortana, an incredibly resourceful built-in assistant that allows you to quickly set reminders, schedule events, and send emails, among many other intuitive features. However, the way it uses the information it collects can become overbearing at times. Here’s how to disable Cortana: Type “Task Manager” in the search box, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc. In Task Manager, click the Startup tab and find Cortana in the list of programs. Right-click the row and click Disable. Open the Start menu, then find Cortana under All Apps. Right-click on Cortana, select More, and click on App settings. Toggle the switch under “Runs at log-in.” Once disabled, the Cortana option disappears and you’re now left with just a search bar, which you can use to search for things online or on your desktop. Stop peer-to-peer file sharing With peer-to-peer or P2P file sharing enabled, Windows 10 shares downloaded updates to your PC with other Windows 10 users in the same network by default. This helps other users update their systems faster and speeds up your upgrade downloads. However, if you are unhappy with your files being used by other users, you can turn P2P sharing off. Click the Windows icon and head over to Settings. Click on Update and Security then choose Delivery Optimization from the sidebar. Under “Allow downloads from other PCs,” switch the toggle to “Off.” If you want to share your files with PCs on your in-house network only, leave this option on and select the option that says “PCs on my local network.” For more detailed instructions on how to stop P2P updates, click here. Blunt Microsoft’s Edge Microsoft Edge is chock-full of features — such as Cortana Integration and typing prediction — that send data back to Microsoft. To turn off these intrusive functionalities, open Edge and click on the three dots in the far right corner. Then, click on Settings > Cookies and site permissions. There you have the option to disable a bunch of settings, such as those related to ads, automatic downloads, and location sharing. These simple security tips will stop Microsoft from tracking your online activities for good. Don’t hesitate to contact us today for all matters security-related. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Things you need to know about hosted Exchange
Business email servers such as Microsoft Exchange often need infrastructure investments that may be beyond a small business’s budget. A good way to deal with this issue is by using hosted Exchange services. What is Microsoft Exchange? Microsoft Exchange is a messaging system that offers businesses a number of services, including email, calendaring, task management, and address lists. By integrating Exchange into your business, you can access all of these services from any location and on almost every device. Many companies that purchase Exchange install it on their on-premises servers, which can be a bit expensive, especially for small businesses. Moreover, the server required to host it can take up space that a business may not have. This is why many companies prefer to operate on cloud-based systems. What is hosted Exchange? To make Exchange available to more businesses, many IT companies like Microsoft now offer hosted Exchange. In this setup, your IT provider allots a space on their servers where they install Microsoft Exchange and make it accessible only to your company over an internet connection. They are in charge of ensuring that the data stored is secure and accessible to you at all times. Many hosted Exchange providers will also offer extra features like improved security, full-time management, and data backup. In other words, hosted Exchange is the cloud-based version of Microsoft Exchange managed by a host company or provider. You and your employees will still be able to access Exchange as if it were hosted in your office. Benefits of hosted Exchange Companies looking to integrate hosted Exchange into their business can enjoy the following benefits: 1. Predictable and lower costs Like many other hosted services, the majority of hosted Exchange services are offered on a monthly, per-user basis, inclusive of maintenance and hosting. This makes costs predictable, as you’ll be paying a fixed fee every month. Hosted Exchange also lowers overall costs. If a business were to calculate the cost of purchasing Microsoft Exchange and the infrastructure required to use it, plus maintenance fees, the total and per-user cost will likely add up quickly. For many small businesses, paying a monthly fee will be far less expensive than hosting a Microsoft Exchange solution in house. What’s more, you save money on maintenance overhead and future expenses. 2. Easier implementation Implementing Microsoft Exchange in your office would require you to find space for the server. Once you install Exchange on this server, you’ll have to manage it and add new accounts and users. In case the service goes offline, you’ll have to fix it yourself. But with a hosted Exchange solution, your IT partner will take care of hosting, installation, and management, so you can focus on running your business. 3. Flexible solutions Growing businesses may find it tough to scale up or down on an in-house Microsoft Exchange solution because of the server’s limited capacity. With hosted Exchange, scaling up or down is as easy as contacting your provider, who can ensure that space and resources are available. They can also help scale your solutions in case you move offices. Looking to learn more about hosted Exchange and how your business can benefit from it? Chat with us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Windows 10 bloatware and their risks
Bloatware is a fact of life these days. It is present in both mobile and non-mobile devices, even in PCs and laptops. And it takes up precious space and memory, which encumbers workflows and productivity. Read this article to learn about bloatware and how to eliminate it for good. New PCs and laptops are always fun to unpack, especially since Microsoft continuously optimizes its software’s user experience to make it engaging right from the start. But so many users are dismayed to find out that after the great time they had setting up their computers, they’ll tend to have a not-so-fun experience of dealing with bloatware. The term “bloatware” refers to software and apps that are preloaded into computers even if the user doesn’t want them. These apps tend to take up storage space, consume processing power, and be quite a headache to remove. Bloatware has long been a scourge of mobile devices, particularly those that run on Android operating systems. But these days, even laptops are no longer exempt from such nuisances — software giant Microsoft has packaged its Windows 10 operating system to come with preinstalled apps that most users won’t even give a second glance to. Some of the worst offenders are as follows: 3D Viewer (previously called Mixed Reality Viewer) Candy Crush Cooking Fever Disney Magic Kingdoms Groove Music Movies & TV Paint 3D Snip & Sketch Sticky Notes Voice Recorder While many of these programs are pleasant add-ons for those who find value in them, many users prefer to start with a leaner operating system due to storage space and processing power concerns. If they want a particular software program, they prefer to download it themselves. This gives them greater control over their machines and their hardware and software experience. What’s worse is that bloatware can also cause critical vulnerabilities. The most ironic example of this was a pre-installed version of Keeper Password Manager. Instead of keeping passwords safe, it allowed malicious people behind any website to steal passwords. While Windows 10 users needed to enable Keeper to store their passwords for them to become vulnerable, it makes you wonder why such a flawed password manager app is there in the first place. How to rid your device of bloatware Removing inclusions you did not ask for is a hassle in and of itself, but thankfully, the process is not too tedious. Click the Start menu, then the gear icon. In the Settings window, select Update & Security. On the left-hand side, click Recovery. Select Reset this PC. Click Get Started. Select Keep my files and then choose where you wish to store them. Lastly, set “Restore preinstalled apps?” to “No.” Bloatware not only clutters your laptops and PCs, but it can render your business vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches as well. Save yourself from tons of headaches down the line; learn more about protecting your computers from bloatware. Call our team of IT experts today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Here’s how to get rid of ads in File Explorer
Getting a slew of ads on your computer screen while you’re working can be both distracting and annoying. If you’re using Windows 10 on your PC, laptop, or Surface Pro, you might have seen ads pop up in File Explorer and are not happy about it. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to get rid of these ads. Why are users getting these ads? Ads are being displayed in different parts of Windows 10 and not just on File Explorer — the Start menu, on the lock screen, from the taskbar, and in other Microsoft apps. Microsoft has been displaying ads that promote Office 365 and OneDrive since the Creators Update. Overwhelming negative reactions to this practice have been popping up online as a result. However, the company doesn’t consider them ads but “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, ads are more of a nuisance than a favor. How do I turn off ads? Fortunately, there’s a simple way to turn ads off. You could disable them right now by doing the following: Open File Explorer. Select View from the ribbon along the top of any File Explorer window. Click Options on the far right-hand side. From the drop down arrow below Options, select Change folder and search options. Once in the Folder options window, go to the View tab. In the Advanced Settings window pane, scroll down and deselect “Show sync provider notifications”. 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 easily and securely working and collaborating from any device in any location — but we understand that some don’t want to see these ads when they’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 advanced, however, our managed services are second to none. Get in touch with us today to learn more! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Get rid of PC clutter with these tips
Has your Windows 10 PC been running slowly? It’s likely because your desktop and hard drive are a jumbled mess of shortcuts, files, and other digital clutter. Let’s take a look at five types of clutter you should remove to get your computer performing like new. 5 Types of PC clutter There are five types of clutter that may be causing your Windows 10 computer to run more slowly than it should. Windows updates – This includes failed update downloads. While Windows will delete some of these corrupted and unusable files, others will hang around your computer forever if you don’t look for and delete them. Registry bloat – This type of PC clutter includes files and applications you’ve deleted as well as every action performed in Windows, which is recorded in your computer’s registry. Error logs – These are log files kept by Windows whenever software in your system crashes or encounters errors in processing. Just like registry bloat, error logs accumulate in your computer over time, slowing it down considerably. User bloat – This refers to large numbers of your files, especially if they’re unorganized. Bloatware – This refers to unwanted preinstalled software such as trial versions of antivirus programs, games, and the like. Bloatware takes up plenty of space in your computer’s central processing unit, random access memory, and storage. What’s more, it poses a raft of security risks; for instance, it can introduce apps designed to exploit personal information stored in computers. How to remove PC clutter To remove these five types of clutter and optimize your PC’s performance, try these methods: Run Disk Cleanup Windows has a built-in tool called Disk Cleanup that removes hidden junk files. To run this tool, type “disk cleanup” in the search box on the taskbar, and select Disk Cleanup from the results. Pick the drive you want to clean, then click OK. Under “Files to delete,” select the file types you want to get rid of, then click OK. Delete programs you don’t use or need Free up memory and storage space by removing unused and redundant programs that you rarely use or don’t need. To do this, type “add or remove programs” in the search box on the taskbar, and select Add or remove programs from the results. Click on the files you’d like to remove, then click Uninstall. If necessary: Refresh Windows 10 You can start fresh with a clean and up-to-date Windows 10 installation to get rid of clutter. This option will remove most installed apps (e.g., Microsoft Office, antivirus software, etc.) but it will keep your personal files and some Windows settings. However, it’s still best to back up your files before installing a fresh version of Windows 10. To do this, type “recovery” in the search box on the taskbar and select Recovery Options. Under “More recovery options,” click Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows. Click Yes in the pop-up window that says, “Did you mean to switch apps? Settings is trying to open Windows Security.” This will launch the Windows Security app where you can click Get started to begin the Windows refresh process. These are just some of the ways you can enhance your Windows 10 PC’s performance and get the most out of it. For more useful Windows tips, give our experts a call today. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
Handy keyboard shortcuts for Windows 10 users
First released in 2015, Windows 10 is packed with various features that make it easier for users to accomplish their tasks. Among these helpful features are time-saving keyboard shortcuts that can be extremely helpful to workers. In this blog, we’ve compiled our favorite keyboard shortcuts. Snap If you’ve never used Snap, then you’re missing out on one of Windows 10’s key features. Snap allows you to put two to four windows side by side, making it easier to compare documents or do two things at the same time. You can use Snap with these keyboard shortcuts: Windows Key + Left – Snaps the current window to the left side of the screen Windows Key + Right – Snaps the current window to the right side of the screen You can also select a snapped window and press Windows Key + Up/Down to move it to your desired corner of the screen. Task View This window management feature allows you to see all of your opened windows and browser tabs so you can quickly return to a specific program, document, or web page. This is particularly useful if you have multiple windows open at once. You can access Task View by clicking on its button on the taskbar or using these keyboard shortcuts: Windows Key + Tab – Opens the Task View interface with windows from your current desktop Alt + Tab – Switches between open windows and browser tabs on all virtual desktops Ctrl + Alt + Tab – Functions similarly to Alt + Tab but the thumbnails stay on the screen even after you release all the keys Virtual Desktop This nifty feature enables you to create a new desktop that can display different open windows and apps. You can dedicate virtual desktops for certain functions. For instance, one virtual desktop could be used solely for work and another one for entertainment. You can quickly manage your virtual desktops using the following keyboard shortcuts: Windows Key + Ctrl + D – Opens a new virtual desktop Windows Key + Ctrl + F4 – Closes the current virtual desktop Windows Key + Ctrl + Left/Right – Switches to the virtual desktop on the left or right If you’re looking for more time-saving technology tips or have any questions about how Windows 10 can help streamline your operations, just give us a call. Our IT experts are more than happy to assist you. Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.
The benefits of hosted Microsoft Exchange for your business
Servers can host almost every type of business program, with email being one of the most common. Businesses commonly install email servers on-site and use Microsoft Exchange as their software. But if you’re looking to save on infrastructure costs, consider hosted Exchange. Here’s what you need to know. What is Microsoft Exchange? Microsoft Exchange is a messaging system that offers businesses various services, such as email, calendar, task management, address lists, and more. By integrating Exchange into your business processes, you can access all of these services from any location, on almost any internet-connected device. Many companies that purchase Exchange install it on on-premises servers. This setup can be costly, especially for small businesses. Moreover, the server needed to host it can take up a significant amount of physical space. This is why other companies prefer to operate on cloud-based systems. What is hosted Exchange? To meet the demands of various businesses, many IT services providers started offering hosted Exchange. In this setup, your IT provider allocates some space on one of their servers. They then install Microsoft Exchange in a space accessible only to your company, over an internet connection. The provider is in charge of ensuring that the data stored is secure and accessible to you at all times. Some hosted Exchange providers also offer extra features like improved security, full-time management, and data backup. In other words, hosted Exchange is the cloud-based version of Microsoft Exchange. You and your employees will still be able to access hosted Exchange as if it were installed on an in-house server. Benefits of hosted Exchange Companies looking to integrate hosted Exchange into their business can enjoy the following benefits: Predictable and lower costs Like many other hosted services, the majority of hosted Exchange services are offered on a monthly, per-user basis, inclusive of hosting and maintenance. This makes costs predictable as you’ll be paying a fixed fee.Hosted Exchange also lowers overall costs. If you calculate the cost of purchasing a new server, Microsoft Exchange, and supporting infrastructure, plus maintenance fees, the total and per-user cost will add up quickly. For many small businesses, paying a fixed monthly fee will be far more cost-efficient than hosting a Microsoft Exchange solution in-house. What’s more, you save money on future expenses such as hardware replacements and new software licenses. Easier implementation Implementing Microsoft Exchange in your office would require you to allocate physical space for the server and to install the server and Microsoft Exchange. On top of this, you also have to manage Exchange and add new accounts and users. In case the service goes offline, you’ll have to troubleshoot it yourself. But with a hosted Exchange solution, your IT partner will take care of hosting, management, and installation, so you can focus on more important business matters. Flexible solutions Growing businesses may find it difficult to scale up or down on an in-house Microsoft Exchange solution due to the server’s limited capacity. With hosted Exchange, you can simply contact your provider whenever you need to adjust your server requirements. The hosted Exchange provider can also help scale your solutions in case you move offices. Looking to learn more about hosted Exchange and how your business can benefit from it? Talk to us today! Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.