The command prompt (cmd.exe) in Windows allows you to change the font and font size to make it more readable. The default font is small and that can be an issue for users of modern displays with high resolution. If you try to change the font in the command prompt window, you will notice that the scroll bar disappears! This is very annoying when you run some console app with several lines of output, and it gets displayed only partially. Here is how you can fix the issue and restore the scroll bar even for custom font settings.
Category: Windows 8.1
How to customize and personalize the Start screen in Windows 8.1
The Start screen in Windows 8 is the one stop shop for touch screen users to access everything on their PC. It is your personalized home screen where you can pin the tiles you want for Modern apps, desktop programs, website shortcuts, settings and even your most needed files. You can also search from the Start screen to access local files on your hard drive or web resources. The Start screen provides several options to make it look more personal and unique so it can suit your needs. Today I would like to cover these Start screen personalization features.
How to reset the Windows Store cache and why you might want to do it
The Windows Store is a new way to install software in Windows 8 and above. It lets you install and update Modern Apps by 1 click. By default, Windows Store is set to update apps automatically. It caches some details about installed and available apps to speed up the process of browsing them and improving the responsiveness of the Store app. However, sometimes the Store app fails to update apps or you may also be unable to install new apps. In such a case, you must reset the Windows Store cache.
How to backup the Start screen layout in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8
In Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, the Start Screen is designed as the touchscreen-friendly Start menu replacement. It allows you to customize its layout as you want. You can pin and unpin your favorite apps and documents as tiles there, in the order you want. Once you have organized your Start screen layout according to your personal preferences, you might want to backup the layout for further use, e.g. to use it again after a re-install of Windows. Here's how you can back up the customized layout that you have.
How to force Windows Store to check for updates in Windows 8
The Windows Store is a new way of installing software in Windows 8 and 8.1. It allows you to discover and install Modern apps as well as keep them updated. It was designed mostly for touch screen devices, but Desktop users can find some Store apps useful too. Windows Store has a feature to automatically check for updates to installed apps. However, you may wish to check for updates manually if you disabled auto update for apps. In this article, we will look how to make the Store app check for updates of installed apps via a special direct command.
SlideToShutdown is the Start Screen’s power button alternative in Windows 8.1
Do you know that Windows 8.1 comes with an alternative way to shutdown your PC? The feature called 'Slide To Shutdown' provides a fancier user interface to shutdown Windows with a swipe. It was created for PCs and tablets with Connected Standby. Connected Standby is a power management feature similar to what smartphones have. Most Desktop PCs and x86 tablets do not support the Connected Standby sleep state. However, you can use this Slide-to-Shutdown feature regardless. Here's how.
How to change the icon of a pinned desktop app on the Start screen
The Start screen in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 allows you to pin Desktop app shortcut for fast access. After pinning a shortcut, the Start screen shows a tile with the app's icon and its name. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has improved the visual appearance of such tiles by making the background color of the tiles match the icon's predominant color. The one thing the Start screen lacks is the ability to change the pinned app's icon. Let's look how it can be done.
Learn all the possible ways to open PC Settings in Windows 8
Windows 8 features a new, touch-friendly UI to change your operating systems settings via a special app called "PC Settings". Along with classic Control Panel which remains in the Desktop, the PC settings app allows you to change the most important parameters of your PC. You can manage your user accounts, devices, change your personalization preferences and network settings, and so on. Since Windows 8.1, many more settings from the classic Control Panel are available in PC Settings. In this article, we shall see all the ways to open the PC Settings app in Windows 8.
How to rename your Windows 8.1 tablet
In Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 Update, Microsoft has evolved many PC Settings and made them independent of the classic Control Panel which you access from Desktop mode. In the initial release of Windows 8, in order to rename your tablet, you had to use the Advanced System Properties applet. It was an old applet and not touch friendly. Thankfully, Windows 8.1 provides a new useful otpion to rename your tablet.
How to open advanced settings of a power plan directly in Windows 8.1
By default, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Vista come with three power plans: High Performance, Balanced, and Power Saver. These plans are designed to quickly let you switch a group of hardware and system power settings (like display, sleep, etc). These power settings affect how long your battery lasts and how much power your PC consumes. It is possible to customize these power plan settings but it requires too many clicks to get there. If you change these settings often, you can use a special command to directly open them.
