In this mini Windows 10 guide dedicated to beginners and the less experienced, we mainly see how to keep good performance on a Windows 10 PC and how to solve problems that may occur, so as to be ready for any hitch or inconvenience and not to be frightened in case something went wrong.
To begin with, it is important to know that Windows 10 is an operating system in continuous evolution, which is updated twice a year with new features and changes, which is the last in the history of Windows, because there is absolutely no release of a Windows 11.
Basically sooner or later everyone will have to switch to Windows 10, because Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be abandoned by Microsoft in a few years and becoming obsolete and insecure as XP and Vista.
Below, we answer some of the most frequent questions that beginners and novices ask about Windows 10, whose answers will also be useful to refresh the memory to those who think they already know everything.
NOTE: An important premise to consider is the fact that while the classic Control Panel has remained in Windows 10, almost every configuration and troubleshooting operation can now be done by the Settings application which can be found in the Start menu or via the Research.
Windows 10 Settings can also be opened by pressing the Windows + I keys together.
Even if over time they have been partially modified, in another article you can still read the guide to Windows 10 Settings.
READ ALSO: What changes in Windows 10 for those who have Windows 7
Another important thing that you must always keep in mind is that any program or setting can be searched by pressing the search icon in the system tray. This is useful to know so, even if a particular option is not found, you can search for it by writing it.
1) How do I uninstall programs and applications in Windows 10 "> ways to get into safe mode in Windows 10 .
3) How to update Windows 10 and install the "Updates"?
We said that Windows 10, twice a year, is updated to a new version.
As of this writing, the latest is the October 2017 Fall Creators Update.
Windows Update in Windows 10, to prevent people from keeping their PCs out of date even in terms of security patches, is completely automatic.
To verify that all updates are installed correctly, open Settings, go to Update and security, go to the Windows Update tab and press the Check for updates button.
If there is a need to stop updates, the procedure is more complex than other versions and we explained it in the guide on how to block automatic updates in Windows 10.
4) What to do if the shield icon on the taskbar (near the clock) marks a yellow or red warning symbol?
The shield icon at the bottom right near the clock is that of the Windows 10 antivirus, already included in the system with the name Windows Defender.
If the icon is not green, it means that there is some problem so you have to click this icon and find out what is wrong.
If disabled, you need to activate Windows Defender, the Firewall, the control of the app and the browser.
In another article, the guide to the Windows 10 Security Center, important to read.
5) How to create or edit accounts in Windows 10?
Windows 10 requires access to an account that can be local or a Microsoft account.
Account creation is done at the first installation.
This, however, can be edited and managed in Settings> Accounts .
What is important to know are in advantages in using a Microsoft account in Windows 10, such as to synchronize settings between different PCs and to be able to recover the password in an easier way.
Conversely, if you don't want to use an online account, you can always use the classic local Windows 10 login account.
6) How to restore Windows 10 to factory settings
If you want to start over with Windows 10 it is absolutely not necessary to reformat the disk and reinstall, just press a button.
Open the Settings app, go to Updates and Security, to the Recovery tab and then to Reset PC .
You can then choose whether to keep your personal files (documents, images, videos) or to delete everything.
The settings will then be reset with the factory options and all uninstalled programs.
For more details, refer to the guide on how to reset Windows 10.
Note that Windows 10 also has an option to clean up the system of pre-installed programs, with the Windows 10 "Scratch Install" tool
7) How to use system restore?
In Windows 10, the System Restore tool can be turned off by default and must be turned on manually.
For beginners, this tool is the one that undoes changes to system files and returns them to yesterday's or past day's state, so that if yesterday your PC was fine and today it is not, you can quickly solve the unknown problem.
In another article, how to activate recovery points in Windows 10.
8) How to do if there are errors or problems in Windows 10?
While we have seen how to reset Windows 10, in the following guides you can find all the instructions to solve any type of error that can happen.
- Solve Windows 10 problems: crashes, crashes or various errors
- Ways to repair Windows 10 and create recovery disk
9) How to keep your PC fast and fit with Windows 10?
Also for this question we refer to specific guides including:
- Maintenance of Windows 10, what changes and what remains to be done
- First options to be changed in Windows 10
- 20 Windows 10 tricks to make it better
10) How to change backgrounds, colors and Start menus?
By reading the guide to customize Windows 10 you can learn how to change wallpapers, how to customize the start menu, folders, the taskbar, the notification center and almost everything you see on the PC desktop.
Although there is still a lot to learn, I believe that starting from this page we are already a good step forward in understanding how to use the computer, not to be a beginner anymore.
In 2020 Microsoft released an official interactive PDF guide to explain all the features of Windows 10 . You can download the Windows 10 guide (in English) from this page.
To begin with, it is important to know that Windows 10 is an operating system in continuous evolution, which is updated twice a year with new features and changes, which is the last in the history of Windows, because there is absolutely no release of a Windows 11.
Basically sooner or later everyone will have to switch to Windows 10, because Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be abandoned by Microsoft in a few years and becoming obsolete and insecure as XP and Vista.
Below, we answer some of the most frequent questions that beginners and novices ask about Windows 10, whose answers will also be useful to refresh the memory to those who think they already know everything.
NOTE: An important premise to consider is the fact that while the classic Control Panel has remained in Windows 10, almost every configuration and troubleshooting operation can now be done by the Settings application which can be found in the Start menu or via the Research.
Windows 10 Settings can also be opened by pressing the Windows + I keys together.
Even if over time they have been partially modified, in another article you can still read the guide to Windows 10 Settings.
READ ALSO: What changes in Windows 10 for those who have Windows 7
Another important thing that you must always keep in mind is that any program or setting can be searched by pressing the search icon in the system tray. This is useful to know so, even if a particular option is not found, you can search for it by writing it.
1) How do I uninstall programs and applications in Windows 10 "> ways to get into safe mode in Windows 10 .
3) How to update Windows 10 and install the "Updates"?
We said that Windows 10, twice a year, is updated to a new version.
As of this writing, the latest is the October 2017 Fall Creators Update.
Windows Update in Windows 10, to prevent people from keeping their PCs out of date even in terms of security patches, is completely automatic.
To verify that all updates are installed correctly, open Settings, go to Update and security, go to the Windows Update tab and press the Check for updates button.
If there is a need to stop updates, the procedure is more complex than other versions and we explained it in the guide on how to block automatic updates in Windows 10.
4) What to do if the shield icon on the taskbar (near the clock) marks a yellow or red warning symbol?
The shield icon at the bottom right near the clock is that of the Windows 10 antivirus, already included in the system with the name Windows Defender.
If the icon is not green, it means that there is some problem so you have to click this icon and find out what is wrong.
If disabled, you need to activate Windows Defender, the Firewall, the control of the app and the browser.
In another article, the guide to the Windows 10 Security Center, important to read.
5) How to create or edit accounts in Windows 10?
Windows 10 requires access to an account that can be local or a Microsoft account.
Account creation is done at the first installation.
This, however, can be edited and managed in Settings> Accounts .
What is important to know are in advantages in using a Microsoft account in Windows 10, such as to synchronize settings between different PCs and to be able to recover the password in an easier way.
Conversely, if you don't want to use an online account, you can always use the classic local Windows 10 login account.
6) How to restore Windows 10 to factory settings
If you want to start over with Windows 10 it is absolutely not necessary to reformat the disk and reinstall, just press a button.
Open the Settings app, go to Updates and Security, to the Recovery tab and then to Reset PC .
You can then choose whether to keep your personal files (documents, images, videos) or to delete everything.
The settings will then be reset with the factory options and all uninstalled programs.
For more details, refer to the guide on how to reset Windows 10.
Note that Windows 10 also has an option to clean up the system of pre-installed programs, with the Windows 10 "Scratch Install" tool
7) How to use system restore?
In Windows 10, the System Restore tool can be turned off by default and must be turned on manually.
For beginners, this tool is the one that undoes changes to system files and returns them to yesterday's or past day's state, so that if yesterday your PC was fine and today it is not, you can quickly solve the unknown problem.
In another article, how to activate recovery points in Windows 10.
8) How to do if there are errors or problems in Windows 10?
While we have seen how to reset Windows 10, in the following guides you can find all the instructions to solve any type of error that can happen.
- Solve Windows 10 problems: crashes, crashes or various errors
- Ways to repair Windows 10 and create recovery disk
9) How to keep your PC fast and fit with Windows 10?
Also for this question we refer to specific guides including:
- Maintenance of Windows 10, what changes and what remains to be done
- First options to be changed in Windows 10
- 20 Windows 10 tricks to make it better
10) How to change backgrounds, colors and Start menus?
By reading the guide to customize Windows 10 you can learn how to change wallpapers, how to customize the start menu, folders, the taskbar, the notification center and almost everything you see on the PC desktop.
Although there is still a lot to learn, I believe that starting from this page we are already a good step forward in understanding how to use the computer, not to be a beginner anymore.
In 2020 Microsoft released an official interactive PDF guide to explain all the features of Windows 10 . You can download the Windows 10 guide (in English) from this page.
