Category Archives: Windows

Windows: Suppress Unwanted Notifications with Focus

 

Scenario: You’re giving a PowerPoint presentation to a group and an email notification – which displays the Subject of the email – pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen for all to see. (Note: I once had a smug colleague (knowing that I was giving a presentation) teach me a lesson by sending me an email with the subject “Your probation officer called”.

 

Or maybe you’re trying to get some serious work done and the constant barrage of notifications is interruptive.

 

You can solve this issue with the Windows 10 Focus Assist feature. It enables you to control how and when Windows notifies you of newly received email, messages, phone calls and alarms.

 

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Windows 10: EDITING the QUICK ACTIONS

 

As a traveler, I find myself needing to access my Wifi, HotSpot, Airplane Mode and similar features on a fairly regular basis.

 

Although the Wifi icon is available in the Sytem Tray (also at the bottom-right corner of the screen) – the numerous other travelling features are not.

 

That’s when the Quick Action buttons come into play.

 

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Windows 10: A few wicked little tips

 

TIP #1: Start a second program

 

TIP #2: Keyboard shortcuts for switching between active programs

 

TIP #3: TIMELINE!

 

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WINDOWS: How to rename numerous files at once

 

Scenario: You’ve taken a bunch of photos at an event or occasion. You import them onto your computer – into the same folder. But they’re all named something ambiguous like IMG_20140405_033848.jpg, IMG_20140405_033849.jpg, etc.

 

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Windows 10: Jump to a distant folder with one click

 

Scenario: in the Windows Explorer RECENT list, you see a file that you worked on recently – but it’s another file in that same folder that you really want. How do you open the folder that that recent files belongs to?

 

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Windows 10: ZIP (file compression) is built into Windows

 

Good-bye WinZip and other third-party compression programs – that feature is built right into Windows 10.

 

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Windows 10: PIN a specific folder to Windows 10 File Explorer

 

I use my CTC OneDrive (for Business) folder more than any other on my computer. So, when I open the File Explorer, 99% of the time it’s because I want to access that particular folder.

 

But the File Explorer opens to your Quick Access list, by default. What to do?

 

It’s too many steps to create a custom Windows 10 shortcut that automatically opens to that folder. Besides…sometimes you might want to open File Explorer to a different folder.

 

So, I say…PIN your favourite folder to the File Explorer icon located down on your taskbar at the bottom of the screen…

 

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Windows 10: Record Quick Videos

 

You’re trying to explain a software function or concept to someone – and they’re just not getting it?

 

Show them exactly what you mean – by sending them a mini-video.

 

If you are doing this on a laptop – you can use the laptop’s built-in microphone. If you’re doing it on a desktop computer – you’ll have to have a microphone plugged in.

 

These instructions assume you’re using a laptop.

 

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Windows 10: Instantly Tidy Up Your Desktop

 

We all do it – quickly save files to our Desktop just to save them in a hurry without having to think about where we should store them. Or maybe we know we’ll only need the files for a short while. Before you know it, your Desktop is one cluttered mess and you can barely see that beautiful picture of a Cuban sunset that you have for your background.

 

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Windows 10: File Explorer (now called Windows Explorer) Gems

 

TIP #1: SEE MORE DETAIL ABOUT YOUR FILES

 

TIP #2: SO MANY MORE WAYS TO FILTER YOUR FILES!

 

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