Windows 10 All-in-One for Dummies

by Woody Leonhard

The most comprehensive guide to Windows 10! If you're a first-time Windows 10 user looking for an authoritative, accessible guide to the basics of this new operating system, look no further than Windows 10 All-in-One For Dummies . Written by trusted Windows expert Woody Leonhard, this all-encompassing guide cuts through confusing jargon and covers just what you need to navigating the start menu, personalizing Windows, working with the desktop, maximizing Windows apps, and enhancing Windows 10. Plus, you'll find helpful instructions on connecting online with Apps, controlling your system, securing Windows, and so much more. Whether you're upgrading to the new Windows 10 operating system with the hopes of keeping in touch with loved ones via webcam or instant messenger, viewing videos, or looking to make your work or personal life more organized and streamlined, all the guidance you need to make the most of Windows 10 is at your fingertips. Whether you're a businessperson looking to use Windows 10 to streamline your work or a home user just upgrading to the new operating system, Windows 10 All-in-One For Dummies makes it easy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Technology

952 pages, Paperback

First published September 8, 2015

Reviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive guide to Windows 10, by an author with many years of experience with Windows, who's candid about what works well and what doesn’t. I appreciate that Leonhard injected personality and humor throughout the book. I liked that security and privacy were often discussed. The book is somewhat repetitive, which is probably due to this being an "all-in-one" book that's actually a combination of 10 mini-books.

Notes
Part 1 - Starting Windows 10
Windows 10 for the Experienced
Restore options
• PC Reset: wipes everything and reinstalls Windows 10
• PC Refresh: same as PC Reset, but keeps your data, Microsoft Store apps, settings (deletes Windows Desktop apps
• Start Fresh: installs new copy of Windows 10

Windows 10 can't create whole-disk image backups. Third-party software (e.g., Acronis), can.

Hyper-V is included in 64-bit versions of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise.

Which Version?
Windows 10 Pro features
• Ability to connect to corporate domain
• Encrypting File System (EFS) and BitLocker
• Hyper-V
• Ability to be Remote Desktop host

Many Windows editions can run in S mode, which is stripped-down, fast-starting, battery-friendly, and harder to infect.

BitLocker provides all-or-nothing protection for an entire drive. EFS lets you encrypt specific files or groups of files.

Part 2 - Personalizing Windows
Changing the Lock and Login Screens
Picture password security
• Start with a picture that has many interesting points.
• Use a mix of taps, circles, lines.
• Don't let anyone watch you sign in.
• Keep your screen clean so your pattern doesn't show.

Controlling Users
Unless you use BitLocker (in Windows 10 Pro), anybody who can restart your PC can look at, modify, or delete your files, or install malware, by running another OS.

Child accounts have child protection enabled. An administrator account can control which websites the child can access, what time of day the account can be used, and the total daily amount of time the account is used. The parental controls are online, not in Windows. There's a small fee.

Most experts recommend using a standard account, and only switching to an administrator account when you need to (to install software or hardware, or access files outside shared areas).

Microsoft accounts are more convenient than offline/local accounts, because they sync data through Microsoft. However, they give Microsoft much more of your data. "Microsoft account login also lets Microsoft associate your account with a specific electronic address and IP address."

Microsoft Account—To Sync or Not to Sync?
If you log into Windows 10 with a Microsoft account, and don't modify Cortana's searching behavior, Microsoft will track every search you make on your computer.

If you enable "Hey, Cortana," Cortana listens to everything you say, all the time.

If you're signed into a Microsoft account and use Edge or Internet Explorer, Microsoft can keep records of all your browsing "(except, presumably, InPrivate browsing)."

Privacy Control
Setting Diagnostic and Usage Data to Basic reduces the telemetry sent to Microsoft.

Location Privacy: Start > Settings > Privacy > Location.

Minimizing Privacy Intrusion
• Create a new Microsoft account and use it only to log into Windows 10. If you use the Universal Mail app, People app, or Skype, you'll need to set them to use your bogus account.
• Don't use the Windows 10 apps for Mail, People, Calendar, Skype, or OneDrive.
• In Microsoft Office go to File > Options > Trust Center > Privacy Options. Deselect "Send us information about your use and performance … "
• Additional tips

Part 3 - Working on the Desktop
Hey, Cortana!
1. Click in the "Type here to search" box. Click the Settings (gear) icon.
2. Toggle "Let Cortana Respond to 'Hey Cortana'" to on or off.
3. Enable or disable "Keep my device from sleeping …"
4. Enable or disable "Let Cortana Access My Calendar, Email, …"

Increase privacy
• Start > Settings (gear) icon > Privacy > Speech, Inking & Typing. Click link to Privacy dashboard. Click Clear to delete data.
• Start > Settings (gear) icon > Privacy > General. Change settings as desired. Disable "Let Apps Use Advertising ID …"

Maintaining Your System
PC manufacturers can include third-party software in the Reset with Remove Everything option. The Fresh Start option in the Defender Security Center installs a clean copy of Windows, without third-party software.

Rollback to the Previous Version rolls back to the previous version, or build, of Windows. It's useful if a Windows update causes problems.

Restore with a Restore Point: restores your PC's internal settings to an earlier state. Windows 10 doesn't automatically create restore points.

Reset This PC with the Keep My Files option almost always works. It's much better than System Repair, safe mode, and recovery mode. If your PC is flakey, this should be your second choice, after restore point.

If someone answers the password challenge questions correctly, they can get into Windows, even if they don't know the password.

Set security questions
1. Log into Windows with a local account.
2. Start >  Settings > Accounts > Sign-In Options.
3. Click Update Your Security Questions.

Windows Update troubleshooter, KB 10164 is useful for troubleshooting Windows Update.

Part 7 - Controlling Your System
Troubleshooting and Getting Help
If an update causes trouble, you can often get the PC working again by booting into safe mode, uninstalling the cumulative update, blocking it, then rebooting normally.

Part 8 - Maintaining Windows 10
File History, Backup, Data Restore, and Sync
The following are no longer recommended or supported: system repair discs, restore points, image backups, recovery mode, safe mode.

A Fresh Start—Restore and Reset
Reset with Remove Everything has an option for thorough reformatting, which writes random patterns of data to the hard drive, making data recovery almost impossible.

Go Back removes the last cumulative update.

Restore rolls the registry back to an earlier restore point, without touching data or programs. It's useful if you have a bad driver or problematic program change.

Use Reset with Remove Everything when you're going to sell or give away your PC.

A restore point contains registry entries and copies of certain critical programs, including drivers and key system files.

Create restore point
1. In Windows search bar, type "restore point."
2. Click Create a Restore Point.
3. If the Protection column says Off, click Configure, click Turn on System Protection, and click OK.
4. Next to Create a Restore Point Right Now, tap or click Create.

Part 9 - Securing Windows 10
Spies, Spams, and Scams are Out to Get You
Top security tips
• Don't use IE, Flash, Java, Adobe Reader
• Install security updates
• Be careful about clicking OK in dialog boxes
• Be careful about installing software

Fighting Viri and Scum
Windows Defender is good enough for anyone who isn't a high-profile target.

About once a month, run Windows Defender Offline (WDO), which scans for rootkits. Windows Defender Security Center > Click Virus & Threat Protection > Advanced Scan > Windows Defender Offline scan.

About once a month, run Malwarebytes.

Controlled Folder Access (CFA) can block ransomware. It's annoying, because it blocks every program unless you specifically give a program access. You can turn off access to your Documents folder but allow access to Word and Excel.

Enable Controlled Folder Access (CFA)
1. Windows Defender Security Center > Virus & Threat Protection icon.
2. Scroll down and toggle Control Folder Access to On.
3. Click Protected Folders.
4. To add another folder to the blocked list, click Add a Protected Folder icon and select folder. Repeat as necessary.
5. Click back arrow.
6. If you have any programs that need access to those folders, and the apps aren't automatically identified as friendly, click Allow an App through Controlled Folder Access. Navigate to app that you want to allow, and click Open.

Part 10 - Enhancing Windows 10
Best Free Windows Add-Ons
Recuva is a good undeleter which can also be used on USB drives, SD cards, and many phones and cameras that can be attached to a PC.

Revo Uninstaller uninstalls programs. Based on its observations of the uninstaller and its own database, it removes remaining pieces.

HWiNFO gives hardware info.

[Anthony Faber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best all-around reference for Windows 10 I've seen. Elementary enough that I think anyone can get up to speed, but plenty of stuff for advanced people. The author is not a Microsoft syncophant and he'll give credit where he thinks credit is due & tell you about things that are handled badly, while usually suggesting a free or low cost alternative from someone else that works better (or works, period).

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a first-time owner of a Windows-based machine, I found this very useful to read once, although in honesty, I'm not sure I'll find myself going back to it as a reference.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for an all around look at Windows 10. Many users that have used Windows 10 will know much of the tricks in the book, but there a few recommendations that I didn't know even though I have used Windows ever since Windows 98. I recommend borrowing from the library to see if this book is worth having for a long-term reference, as I did.

[Norman J. Cedarstrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many side comments that were distracting from subject matter. I could recommended it only to people that were very experienced with computers. Not the inexperienced home computer owner.

Needed instruction. Twenty more words required to complete this comment is absurd. Actually very, very, very, very very very absurd

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly-written book, with good coverage of the features of Windows 10 and of other things that PC users need to consider, such as security and alternatives to Microsoft products. Seasoned with a witty humour that isn't dull. Well-worth reading.

[Annette McIntyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers everything you need to do to be able to use Windows 10 and does so in a way that takes into account that you may not actually know how to use a computer at all, and does so in an informative and humourous way.