Windows 10 has a hidden video editor that works a bit like Windows Movie Maker or Apple iMovie. You can use it to trim videos or create your own home movies and slideshows. You can even have it create videos automatically. Lets explore how to find and use the Video Editor.
Windows 10 has a hidden video editor that works a bit like Windows Movie Maker or Apple iMovie. You can use it to trim videos or create your own home movies and slideshows. You can even have it create videos automatically. Lets explore how to find and use the Video Editor.
This is for devices running Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Open Video Editor Inside of Photos App
You can get started with a custom video project by launching the Photos app from your Start menu. Enter “Photos” (without quotes) in the Cortana search box next to Start. Now, click the the New Video button and select an entry from the drop-down list. Also, you can switch to the Video Editor app. This is confusing; launching the Video Editor inside of Photos. Where to launch the Video Editor depends on what you are trying to do. (See section on DetermineWhere to Launch the Video Editor below). Refer to below image:
Selecting a new video inside the Photos app
Open Video Editor Outside of Photos app
Also, Windows 10 now lets you launch the Video Editor from the Start menu, too. First, click the Start menu. Next, in the Cortana search box next to Start, enter “Video Editor” (without quotes). Now, in the upper left-hand corner, click the Video Editor app shortcut. See below image:
Selecting the Video Editor app outside of the Photos app
Now, launch the Newvideo project shortcut in the upper left-hand corner. If you have used the Video Editor, a Welcome Back message will be displayed. Note! You are now in the Photos app under the Video Editor tab. See following image:
Selecting a new video project
This shortcut opens the list of “Video Projects” in the Photos app. From here, you can create a new video using the New Video tab, then click the Add button and chose a location for your photos. Also, you may edit an existing video using the Pencil icon. Refer to below image:
Create or Edit a video
Determine Where to Launch the Video Editor
To quickly make smaller edits on individual videos—for example, to trim an individual video rather than combining multiple videos together; you must open those videos directly in the Photos app from File Explorer.
Using the File Explorer
First, select an image from the File Explorer, open the image in the Photos app, Now, click on the Edit & Create button and select an entry from the drop-down list. See below image:
Create. add effects, or edit a video
From here, play around with the various tools and effects. Click Finish when done to export your video in mp4 format. Have fun in creating and editing your videos.
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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Has Windows been acting flaky? It could be a specific piece of software that’s wreaking havoc on your system. Maybe you have installed a new application or driver. Perhaps Windows is crashing or blue screening and you have no idea why. Do not worry because all is not lost if you have a system Restore Point waiting to roll your PC back to functionality.
Has Windows been acting flaky? It could be a specific piece of software that’s wreaking havoc on your system. Maybe you have installed a new application or driver. Perhaps Windows is crashing or blue screening and you have no idea why. Do not worry because all is not lost if you have a system Restore Point waiting to roll your PC back to functionality.
This is for devices running Windows 10. Also works for Windows 8 and 7. Screenshots are from Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
A Restore Point is essentially a snapshot of Windows at any given time. You can create restore points on a regular basis, and if Windows ever breaks, you can bring it back to a point from before the problem occurred. The best part of using this method over a Recovery Drive is that only system files and settings will be affected, while all your documents and personal files will be left untouched.
Windows automatically creates a Restore Point, if enabled, at key moments, such as when you install certain software programs and drivers or apply Windows updates. However, you should manually create these points yourself on a regular basis, perhaps once a month, to ensure that your system can be restored to a recent state in the event of a mishap. You should also create one before you attempt any type of major change to Windows that could inadvertently lead to unstable behavior or other issues.
Create a Automatic Restore Point
First, locate the Restore Point utility by clicking Start and entering the text “restore” (without quotes) in the Cortana search box located next to Start. Refer to below image:
Entering the Restore search criteria in Cortana search boc
Next, click your search result, Create a restore point, in upper left-hand corner. See below image:
Selecting the Control Panel applet to Create a Restore Point
Now, you will be taken to the System Protection tab of the System Properties window.
If System Protection has not yet been enabled, the Create button is grayed out. In this case, select the drive you want to protect and then click the Configure button.
If System Protection is enabled for a drive, highlight the drive and click the Configure button. See following image:
Selecting a drive to Configure
Next, click the Turn on System Protection radio button if not enabled. You will now need to decide how much disk space you want to devote to all your restore points. If you run out of space, the oldest restore points will start getting deleted. If you have ample free space, then you may want to devote more storage for the restore points. Otherwise, you can stick with the suggested percentage, usually anywhere from 1% to 3% depending on the overall size of the drive or move the slider to the percentage you want. Once set, click OK. Refer to below image:
Configuring the drive and amount of storage space for a Restore Point
Your restore points will be created automatically at certain key moments. You can repeat these steps if you have other drives that you wish to protect. You can also return to this screen in the future to delete all existing system restore points if you are running low on disk space. To do this, click the Delete button and click Continue to confirm the deletion.
Create a Manual Restore Point
Head back to the Configure screen (second image above). This time, highlight an available drive and click the Create button. See below image:
Selecting to create a manual Restore Point
Next, type in a name for the restore point. Since the current date and time will automatically be added to the name, you might want to include a note about the action you are about to take or another reason for the restore point. If you have multiple drives, include the drive name or letter in the name. Now, click the Create button. See following image:
Assigning a name for the Restore Point
Windows will tell you if the restore point was created successfully. Now, click the Close button. Refer to below image:
Pop-up message indicating the success of creating a Restore Point
You can repeat the above steps if you want to create a restore point for your other drives. When done, click OK to shut down the System Protection window
Restore to a Previous State
If you have an issue, you can return to the System Protection window and click the System Restore button. See below image:
Selecting the System Restore button
At the Restore system files and settings screen, Windows explains what SystemRestore does. Click Next to continue. See following image:
Verbage screen about the Restore
Now, select a drive restore point, then click the Scan for affected programs button. Refer to below image:
Selecting Scan for affected programs button
Windows scans for any applications that were added since the last restore point in order to delete them and looks for any that were removed in order to restore them. It also scans for any programs and drivers that might be restored but may not work correctly and may need to be reinstalled. Note the results if Windows finds anything important. After the scan completes, click Close to return to the previous SystemRestore window. See below image:
Displaying the results (if any) of the scan. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to this screen!
Make sure the restore point you want to use is selected. Now, click Next. See following image:
Continuing the Restore
Windows will display a Confirm your restore point window. Next, click the Finish button. Refer to below image:
Confirming your Restore. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to this screen!
You will be told that the System Restore cannot be interrupted. Next, click Yes to continue. See below image:
One last chance to back out of the Restore. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to this screen!
Windows will bring your system back to the restore point you selected and reboot, telling you that your files and settings are being restored. Once Windows is back up again, you can log back in.
Next, you should receive a pop-up screen regarding the success of the Restore. You may now need to reinstall any applications, drivers, or other software that were removed. You will also want to play around in Windows to see if the problem that prompted you to restore it has been eliminated.
You are now finished. Now you know how to create a system RestorePoint for all your hard drives and restore your system to a previous state. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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CThe author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Have you ever been getting things done with a bunch of apps open then suddenly need to logout or restart your PC? It can be annoying when you log back in and having to restart all the apps you were using. For some good news, Windows 10 offers a switch in Settings that will resume select apps after logging out and back in again. This makes Windows remember which apps to reopen so you can resume where you left off.
Have you ever been getting things done with a bunch of apps open then suddenly need to logout or restart your PC? It can be annoying when you log back in and having to restart all the apps you were using. For some good news, Windows 10 offers a switch in Settings that will resume select apps after logging out and back in again. This makes Windows remember which apps to reopen so you can resume where you left off.
This is for devices running Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
This feature works with most modern apps like Office, Edge, other apps you have downloaded from the Microsoft Store, or those apps considered restartable. It might not work with legacy desktop apps like Photoshop, for example. Still this is a nice feature, so let’s explore how this is done.
First, open Settings by clicking the Start menu and select the small gear icon, or press Windows+I. Refer to below image:
Accessing Settings
Next, in the Settings screen, click on Accounts. See below image:
Accessing Accounts
Now, on the Accounts screen, click Sign-in options in the sidebar. See following image:
Accessing Sign-in options
In Sign-in options, scroll down the page until you see the Restart apps option. Toggle the switch just below it until it’s turned On.
Turning on Restart apps
Now, you may exit Settings.
The next time you log out and log back in, what Microsoft calls your “restartable apps” will be reloaded automatically.
These are its universal apps available through the Store. The Windows Store only includes apps written for Microsoft’s new “Universal Windows Platform,” or UWP.
Legacy apps (that use the Win32 API) written for Windows versions prior to Windows 8 may not be restarted automatically. Still, you may find this feature useful.
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The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
If you do not want Google Chrome to remember your activity, you can browse the web privately in Incognito mode.
If you do not want Google Chrome to remember your activity, you can browse the web privately in Incognito mode.
It is easy to quickly open an Incognito window using a keyboard shortcut. Lets explore how to do this.
This is devices running Google Chrome
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
First, open Chrome. Next, with any Chrome browser window open, press the following keyboard combination to open a new Incognito window:
Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS: Press Ctrl + Shift + N.
Mac: Press ⌘ + Shift + N.
After pressing the keyboard shortcut, a special Incognito window will open. If you want to block third-party cookies, just toggle the switch to On, the default setting. Refer to below image:
Your Incognito window
Whenever you are in Incognito mode, you will be able to tell because the Chrome browser window’s toolbar will have a darker color scheme and there will be a small Incognito icon beside the address bar in the toolbar. See below image:
The icon and text telling you are in Incognito mode
You can switch between Incognito windows and regular Chrome windows. You will only browse in private when you are using an Incognito window.
While browsing within an Incognito window, Chrome will not locally store your browsing history, site data, cookies, or saved form data once you close the Incognito window. However, downloaded files and bookmarks will be saved unless you manually remove them.
At any time, you can press Ctrl+T (or ⌘ + T on Mac) to open a new tab within the Incognito window, and browsing activity within that tab will be locally private as well.
Remember that Incognito mode is not perfect, and it does not protect you from those who might view your activity on the web remotely, such as your employer, school, ISP, or the websites you visit. It is only to prevent local snooping of your browsing history.
If you see a number next to the Incognito text at the top right, you have more than one Incognito window open. See following image:
Your number of Incognito windows open
When you are ready to stop private browsing, you will need to close the Incognito window(s). To do so using a keyboard shortcut:
Windows, Linux, or Chrome OS: Press Alt + F4
Mac: Press ⌘ + Shift + W
Or you can just click the “X” in the corner of the window with your mouse.
That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter, as mentioned below.
I hope you have found this post helpful. If so, click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Check out TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Nobody wants their communications to have spelling errors left in, so let Microsoft Outlook help by automatically spell checking emails before they are sent.
Nobody wants their communications to have spelling errors left in, so let Microsoft Outlook help by automatically spell checking emails before they are sent. Of course you can manually check before sending by opening an Outlook email and head to:
Review > Spelling & Grammar
But who wants to do this for every email you send. Instead, the Microsoft Outlook desktop client has a setting that forces spell check to take place after you click the Send button. If no errors are found, the email is sent like normal. If a spelling error is found, Outlook gives you the option to correct it before the email is sent.
This is for PCs running Outlook
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
To enable this feature, open the Outlook desktop application and click:
File > Options
Refer to below image:
Accessing Options
Next. in the Mail > Compose Messages section, toggle on the Always check spelling before sending checkbox. See below image:
Enabling Spell Check
Now, click OK in the bottom-right corner to save and close the Options panel. See following image:
Saving your change
Now, when we click Send on an email with a spelling error, Microsoft Outlook will pick it up and give you the chance to change it. Refer to below image:
Spell Check in action
If the spell checker has found a misspelled word and you want to change it, click Cancel. Or, you could use one of its suggestions. See below image where “Savvy” is misspelled:
Cancel your email
If you choose to cancel, a dialog box will open that lets you quit sending the email. Click No to stop the email from being sent. See following image:
Cancel sending your email
Note! The spell checker will not pick up the wrong words, just words that are spelled incorrectly. So, if you meant to type in “Savvy” but instead typed “Savoy”, the spell checker will not pick that up because “Savoy” is a correctly spelled word.
You are finished. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Unfortunately, not all microphones are created equal. Baseline volume levels differ significantly between models, and while one may sound more than adequate, another may be vastly underpowered. The issue can be particularly pronounced when using microphones with communication applications such as Skype.
Unfortunately, not all microphones are created equal. Baseline volume levels differ significantly between models, and while one may sound more than adequate, another may be vastly underpowered. The issue can be particularly pronounced when using microphones with communication applications such as Skype. Let’s explore how to adjust your microphone volume.
This is for devices running Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
All microphones, whether you are using an internal or external one, have different base volumes when transmitting your voice to other parties. If you find that people often complain of not being able to hear you during meetings, the most likely culprit is the out volume of your PC’s microphone.
Use Settings
First, click the Start menu, then select the gear icon on the bottom left to open Settings. You can also press Windows+i to open it. Refer to below image:
Accessing Settings
Now, click the System option. See below image:
Selecting the System option
Next, select Sound in the sidebar. See following image:
Selecting the Sound option
Now, scroll down to the Input section and select the device you would like to configure using the Choose your output device drop-down list. Then click Device properties option. Refer to below image:
Accessing the selected device properties
Next, use the Volume slider to adjust the output level of the microphone. See below image:
Adjusting the Sound volume
The louder the volume, the louder the output signal will be when you use the microphone. Louder is not always better, however, if the signal is too loud, your voice will be distorted. Try to find the ideal volume where your voice (or other sound source) is loud enough without having any kind of distortion.
If you need help, click the Start test button and speak into the microphone at a normal volume. See following image:
Running a sound test
When you click Stop test, you will see the highest percentage level registered by the test program. You can then adjust the volume slider accordingly. If you keep hitting 100% by talking at a normal volume, then the volume slider is adjusted too high. Reduce the volume and try again. Refer to below image where you will get a zero percent if no microphone is plugged in:
Results of your sound test
When you are satisfied, close Settings. If you ever need to adjust it again, revisit the above steps.
Use Control Panel
You can launch this tool from the speaker icon in your taskbar’s notification area, which is opposite the Start button. First, right-click the speaker icon and select Sounds from the menu that appears. See below image:
Accessing the Sounds option
Now, click the Recording tab. See following image:
Selecting the Recording tab
You will see a list of microphones installed on your system. Select the one you would like to adjust, then click the Properties button. Refer to below image:
Accessing the selected Microphone properties
Next, click the Levels tab. See below image:
Selecting the Levels tab
Now, use the Microphone slider to adjust the output level of the microphone. The higher the level, the louder your microphone signal will be while it is in use. That means your voice will come through louder. But a signal that is too loud will distort, so try to find the sweet spot where it is loud enough but not too loud to distort your voice. Next, click OK, then click OK again to close the Sound window. See following image:
Adjusting the Sound volume
If you need to adjust the level again, revisit the above steps.
That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Check out TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
When creating or modifying a Microsoft Word document, it can be beneficial to insert or embed another file into it. By inserting a file into a Word document, that file becomes a part of the Word document. A reader can open and view the embedded file without requiring special permission or access.
When creating or modifying a Microsoft Word document, it can be beneficial to insert or embed another file into it. By inserting a file into a Word document, that file becomes a part of the Word document. A reader can open and view the embedded file without requiring special permission or access.
Nearly any file can be inserted into a Word document, However, be aware that inserting a file into a Word document can increase its size significantly.
In this post, instead of using “copy and paste” from one document into another, we will show you another way, using the Insert feature.
This is for devices running Word
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
First, open the Word document that you would like to add the contents of, another Word document to.
Next, in the Text group of the Insert tab, click the drop-down arrow next to the Object option. Refer to below image:
Accessing the Object option
A drop-down menu will appear. There are two options to choose from here; Object and Text From File.
Object: Embeds an object such as a Word document or Excel chart
Text From File: Inserts the text from another file into your Word document
The Text From File option is essentially a quicker way to “copy and paste” the content of another file into this one.
Now, click the Text From File option in the drop-down menu. See below image:
Accessing the Text from file option from drop-down menu
Next, the File Explorer (Finder on Mac) will open. Find the file you would like to copy the text from, select it, then click Insert. See following image:
Selecting the file to be inserted into original Word document
The contents of that Word document will now appear in the current Word document. This works well if there is not a lot of content in the other Word document, but if there is, embedding it may be a better option.
You may want to add headings/subheadings to the inserted document.
If your original Word document has a Table of Contents, make sure you update your table. First, under the References tab, select the Update Table option. Refer to below image:
Accessing Update Table option
Now, from the pop-up window that will be displayed, select an option. It is recommended you choose the Update entire table option, then cli ck OK. See below image:
Selecting how you want the Table of Contents to be updated
That’s it. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
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Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
The default sound input device is the device that Windows uses to record or hear sound. When you connect more than one microphone or other recording devices to your PC, you can select which device you want to use by default.
The default sound input device is the device that Windows uses to record or hear sound. When you connect more than one microphone or other recording devices to your PC, you can select which device you want to use by default.
This is for devices running Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Windows 10 users often need to juggle several microphones. There might be one built into a PC, one on a webcam, on a headset, and perhaps a podcasting microphone.
It’s worth noting that in some apps (such as Zoom), you can select your microphone device within the app, and that choice will function independently of the Windows system sound settings.
To set your default microphone system-wide, follow the steps below. Every app that uses the default Windows microphone, that is the default option for most apps, will use it.
Using Settings to Set the Default Microphone
Before we begin, it’s worth mentioning that if you have only one microphone, it will be the default.
First, open Settings by clicking the Start menu and selecting the gear icon in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. You can also press Windows+i to open it. Refer to below image:
Accessing Settings
Now, in the Settings window, click the System option. See below image:
Accessing System option
Next, on your System screen, click the Sound option from the sidebar menu. See following image:
Accessing Sound option
Now, scroll down to the Input section. In the drop-down menu labeled Choose your input device, select the microphone you would like to use as your default device. Refer to below image:
Selecting your default microphone
Once you have selected a device from the drop-down menu, Windows will use that device as your default microphone. Now, exit Settings.
Using Control Panel to Set the Default Microphone
First, right-click the speaker icon in the system tray in the lower right-hand corner of your screen and select Sounds from the pop-up menu. See below image:
Accessing Sounds
Next, click the Recording tab. Now, you will see a list of recording devices recognized by your system, which includes microphones. Select the microphone you would like to use as the default from the list and click the Set Default button. Note! If there is only one microphone listed, it will be the default. See following image:
Setting the default microphone
The microphone you have selected will have a green checkmark beside it and include the label DefaultDevice. Next, click OK to close your Sound window. Refer to below image:
Accepting the default microphone
If you want to change your default microphone again, just select Sounds from the speaker icon in the System tray and follow the above steps for using the Control Panel to set the default microphone.
You are finished setting your default microphone. Now you may close any openwindows. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Check out TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
The author’s Vietnam eBook on the Battle for Tra Bong: Events and Aftermath
Are you frustrated by Edge loading at Windows 10 startup? Do you prefer using Chrome as your default browser? In Windows 10 Home edition, Edge is the default browser, even if you make Chrome the default; Edge seems to ignore the Chrome setting.
Are you frustrated by Edge loading at Windows 10 startup? Do you prefer using Chrome as your default browser? In Windows 10 Home edition, Edge is the default browser, even if you make Chrome the default; Edge seems to ignore the Chrome setting.
To disable Edge, we are going to use the Group Policy Editor (the gpedit.msc file). But, back in Windows 7, Microsoft quit making the Editor a part of its operating system, especially the Home editions. So, we are going to install the Editor, and use the utility to disable preloading of Edge at startup in Windows 10.
This is for Windows 10
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Install Group Policy Editor
Note! You will only need to do this if you have Windows 10 Home edition. If you have the Pro edition, you can bypass this step.
First, download the GPEdit Enabler script from the link below:
and save the “gpedit-enabler.bat” file to your desktop. Now, right-click the file and select Run as Administrator. Refer to below image:
Access gpedit batch file as Administrator
This will start the installation process. It may take some time depending upon your system performance. Once the process is complete, press any key to close the Command Prompt window. You may be prompted to download and install some Microsoft Net files; if so, allow permission to do so.
Although a restart is not required, if the policies are not working, you should restart your computer.
Run Group Policy Editor
First, open the Run dialog by pressing the Windows+R keys. Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter or OK button. This should open gpedit in Windows 10 Home or Pro.
On Windows 10, Microsoft Edge loads some processes in the background during startup to improve the speed when launching the application. But, we want to disable this feature and use Chrome instead.
How to Disable Preloading Edge
In the Group Policy Editor, browse to the following path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge
Now, click on the Setting column to sort it alphabetical. On the right side, double-click the Allow Microsoft Edge to pre-launch at Windows startup, when the system is idle, and each time Microsoft Edge is closed policy. See below image:
Accessing Group Policy Editor for Edge for pre-launch option
Now, select the Disabled option. See following image:
Selecting the pre-launch Disabled option
Next, click Apply, then OK.
Now, on the right side, double-click the Allow Microsoft Edge to start and load the Start and New Tab page at Windows startup and each time Microsoft Edge is closed policy. Refer to below image:
Accessing Group Policy for Edge for Start and New Tab option
Next, select the Disabled option. See below image:
Selecting the Start and New Tab Disabled option
Next, click Apply, then OK.
Now, repeat the above steps substituting User Configuration for Computer Configuration.
Now, exit the Editor and save any open work. You must RESTART your computer for the changes to take effect.
The Edge browser will no longer pre-load processes freeing up resources for more important apps and services.
In the case you change your mind, you can roll back the previous settings using the same instructions, but instead of selecting Disabled, select the Not Configured option.
Make Chrome the Default Browser
Click Start then Settings (the gear icon)
Click on Apps
Click on Default apps
Click on Web browser and select Google Chrome. See following image:
Setting Chrome as the default browser
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Windows computers sometimes do get viruses and other malware, but not every slow or misbehaving PC is infected by malware. Let us explore how to check if you actually have a virus; and whether a suspicious process is dangerous or not.
Windows computers sometimes do get viruses and other malware, but not every slow or misbehaving PC is infected by malware. Let us explore how to check if you actually have a virus; and whether a suspicious process is dangerous or not.
This is for the PC
Copyright Scott Adams, Inc./Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS
Signs of a Virus
If you notice any of the following issues with your computer, it may be infected with a virus:
Slow computer performance (taking a long time to start up or open programs)
Problems shutting down or restarting
Missing files, such as DLLs, or Master File Table, or Master Boot Record
Frequent system crashes and/or error messages
Unexpected pop-up windows
New applications (toolbars, etc.) that appear without you downloading them
Overworked hard drive (the fan makes sounds and seems to be whirring and working hard when you are not doing much)
Emails that send autonomously from your accounts
Browser lag or redirects
Malfunctioning antivirus programs or firewalls
Just because your PC is running fine does not mean it does not have malware. The viruses of a decade ago were often pranks that ran wild and used a lot of system resources. Modern malware is more likely to lurk silently and covertly in the background, trying to evade detection so it can capture your credit card numbers and other personal information. In other words, modern-day malware is often created by criminals just to make money, and well-crafted malware will not cause any noticeable PC problems at all.
There’s no one-size-fits-all piece of evidence to look for without actually scanning your PC for malware. Sometimes malware causes PC problems, and sometimes it’s well-behaved while sneakily accomplishing its goal in the background. The only way to know for sure whether you have malware is to examine your system for it.
Check Your Processes
You might be wondering if your computer has a virus because you have seen a strange process in the Windows Task Manager.
First, open the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc or by right-clicking the Windows taskbar and selecting Task Manager. Refer to below image:
Selecting the Task Manager
It is normal to see quite a few processes here. Many of these processes have strange, confusing names. That is normal. Windows includes quite a few background processes, your PC manufacturer added some, and applications you install often add them. See below image:
Accessing your system Processes
If you do not see many entries, click the More details link in bottom left-hand corner.
Badly behaved malware will often use a large amount of CPU, memory, or disk resources. GoogleChome and/or chrome.exe are resource ‘hogs’. If you see a lot of these entries, first, save and close all your work. Then. right click on each one and select End Task. Now, you will need to restart your computer and relaunch GoogleChrome to reopen this post. Now, access your processes again and check for Google Chrome and/or chrome.exe. If you still see entries that are using lots of system resources, continue reading for other options. See following image:
Ending a Task
If you are curious about whether a specific program is malicious, right-click it in the Task Manager and select Search Online to find more information.
If information about malware appears when you search the process, that is a sign you likely have malware. However, do not assume that your computer is virus-free just because a process looks legitimate. A process could lie and say it is Google Chrome or chrome.exe but it may just be malware impersonating Google Chrome that is located in a different folder on your system. If you are concerned you might have malware, we recommend performing an anti-malware scan.
In our example, Google Chrome has a number at the end, number 15. This refers to the number of running Chrome instances. To see the detail, click its Expand arrow. If you use Chrome a lot, just ensure that the CPU percentage is very low; which means the Chrome task is “not overloading your system”. If it is, End Task as mentioned above. Refer to below image:
Expanding a Process
Scan Your Computer
By default, Windows 10 is always scanning your PC for malware with the integrated Windows Security application, also known as Windows Defender. You can, however, perform manual scans.
On Windows 10, open your Start menu, type WindowsSecurity in the Cortana search box. Now, click the Windows Security shortcut in upper left-hand corner to open it.
You can also navigate to:
Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Open Windows Security
See below image:
Selecting Windows Security
To perform an anti-malware scan, click Virus & threat protection in the sidebar. Now, click Quick Scan to scan your system for malware. If you do not see the Quick Scan option, ensure that Windows Defender is running. Windows Security will perform a scan and give you the results. If any malware is found, it will offer to remove it from your PC automatically. See following image:
Performing a Quick Scan
Another option is to use a third-party application. We recommend Malwarebytes. The free version of Malwarebytes will let you perform manual scans to check for viruses and other malware on your PC. The paid version adds real-time protection. But, the free version will work just fine to check your PC for malware.
To download, click here. Then install and run. You may receive an Update Now screen. If so, just click the Update Now button and follow the instructions. Then, click the “free 14-day trial” button to run a scan. Refer to below image for the opening screen of Malwarebytes:
Malwarebytes main screen
If any of the above steps fail, you can restart your computer in Safe Mode by pressing the Shift +Restart, or pressing the F8 key repeatly, or using a Recovery drive. When you get to the advanced troubleshooting tools, you will arrive at a screen that lets you access these tools. Click the Troubleshoot button to proceed.
You are finished. Please feel free to share this post! One way to share is via Twitter.
Just click the Tweet icon below. This will launch Twitter where you click its icon to post the Tweet.
Check out TechSavvy.Life for blog posts on smartphones, PCs, and Macs! You may email us at contact@techsavvy.life for comments or questions.
Please feel free to leave a comment. I would love hearing from you. Do you have a computer or smart device tech question? I will do my best to answer your inquiry. Just send an email to contact@techsavvy.life. Please mention the device, app and version that you are using. To help us out, you can send screenshots of your data related to your question.
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