The more apps you install on your computer, the longer it will take to start up Windows. This is because many apps load at startup and slow down the boot process. The longer that list gets, the slower your OS loads after a restart or shutdown. In this article, we will review some basic ways to manage startup apps in Windows 10 so your OS remains more responsive. This article is also applicable to Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.
Install Windows 10 using UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
If your new computer came with UEFI instead of the legacy BIOS, you are able to get a significantly faster boot time of your Windows OS. UEFI is designed to initialize the hardware faster and then delegate the boot process to the OS. To enjoy the benefits of UEFI, you need to install Windows correctly in UEFI mode. Here is what you need to do for Windows 10.
Tip: Enable Libraries in File Explorer navigation pane in Windows 10
In Windows 7, the Libraries feature was introduced which is really a useful way to organize your files. Libraries can aggregate files from several different folders and show them under a single, unified view. In Windows 10, the Libraries item is missing by default in the Navigation pane. If you use Libraries frequently, you might want to make them visible like in Windows 7. Here are instructions to enable them for Windows 10.
Skype command line switches
Skype is the most popular app for free audio and video calls via the internet. Despite this, not every Skype user knows that it supports numerous command line arguments which can improve your usage of Skype. Let's see which command line switches Skype has.
Nature HD#45 theme for Windows 8
Tip: Mute several tabs at once in Google Chrome
Recently we covered how to mute the audio of a tab in Google Chrome. Read this article if you are interested to know how to do that: How to mute audio for a tab in Google Chrome. Today, I would like to share with you a simple tip to mute the sound from several tabs at once. This can be useful if you have opened two or more YouTube videos. Let's see how it can be done.
How to add Libraries to the Home folder in Windows 10
Libraries is a special folder in Windows, introduced in Windows 7. It allows you to create libraries - special folders which can aggregate files from several different folders and show it under a single, unified view. A library is an indexed location, meaning Windows Search will be completed faster in a library compared to a regular non-indexed folder. In Windows 7, when you opened Explorer using the mouse, it opened the Libraries folder. In Windows 10, the Home folder is the location at which Explorer opens so if you wish to add Libraries to the Home folder, here's how you can do it.
Fix: Skype does not run in Windows 10 build 9860
Some users have faced a strange issue: in Windows 10, the built-in Skype app (the Modern one) does not start and does not work properly. Windows 10 is still under active development, so it will be fixed by RTM but it is easy to fix this issue in the current build. Here is why it happens and how to fix it.
How to restore default grouping in Home folder in Windows 10
If you accidentally or intentionally changed the grouping order in the Home folder in Windows 10, you might want to restore the default look back. Unfortunately, this can be very confusing for people who are not familiar with File Explorer features. It takes some time even for me to find the proper grouping criteria, so I would like to share with you this simple tip.
How to create a bootable UEFI USB drive with Windows 10 Setup
Previously, I showed you how to install Windows 10 using a bootable USB stick. This method is suitable for devices which boot using the legacy BIOS mode. If you need a UEFI bootable USB stick, the earlier-mentioned method will not work. In this article, we will see how to create a bootable UEFI USB drive containing Windows 10 Setup.
