How to Reset Security Key to Factory Defaults in Windows 10

A security key (ex: YubiKey) is a physical device that you can use instead of your user name and password to sign in. Since it’s used in addition to a fingerprint or PIN, even if someone has your security key, they won’t be able to sign in without the PIN or fingerprint that you create. Security keys are usually available for purchase from retailers that sell computer accessories.

There are different types of security keys that you can use, like a USB key that you plug in to your device or an NFC key that you tap on an NFC reader. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the type of security key you have by reading the instruction manual from the manufacturer.

Starting with Windows 10 build 18298, you can now set up a security key straight from Settings that you can log you into applications.

When you set up a security key, you add a FIDO2 PIN that helps keep it safe. Your security key PIN can be changed or reset if needed.

When you reset a security key, the security key will be reset to factory default settings. All data, credentials, and PIN on the key will be cleared.

This tutorial will show you how to reset your security key to factory default settings in Windows 10 to clear all data and credentials on the security key.

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How to Add Sync Center Context Menu in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

The Sync Center allows you to view recent sync activity, sync now, or change your sync settings for your offline files.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove a Sync Center desktop context menu to for all users to manage their Offline Files in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Context Menu, Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Manually Sync Offline Files in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Users can also create custom sync schedules for their Offline Files sync partnerships to begin at a scheduled time they want or for when an event occurs. User can view, edit, or delete their existing Offline Files sync schedules at anytime.

Users will also be able to manually sync their offline files to update them as needed at anytime while connected to the network server.

This tutorial will show you how to manually sync all or selected Offline Files for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Delete Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Users can also create custom sync schedules for their Offline Files sync partnerships to begin at a scheduled time they want or for when an event occurs.

User can change or delete their existing Offline Files sync schedules at anytime.

This tutorial will show you how to delete existing Offline Files sync schedules for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Create New Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Users can also create custom sync schedules for their Offline Files sync partnerships to begin at a scheduled time they want or for when an event occurs.

This tutorial will show you how to create a new custom Offline Files sync schedule for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Offline files for all users on the computer are stored in the protected C:\Windows\CSC folder by default.

The size and number of your offline files determine how much hard disk space your offline files use. This includes the space used by automatically cached files and files that are specifically made always available offline. Files can be automatically cached if the user accesses a file on an automatic caching network share.

Files that were cached automatically are removed on a least-recently used basis if the maximum cache size is reached.

Files that were cached manually (always available offline) are never removed from the local cache. When the total local cache size limit is reached and all files that were cached automatically have already been removed, you can not make files available offline until you specify a new limit or delete files from the local cache by using the Offline Files control panel applet.

By default, Windows limits the space that offline files occupy to 25 percent of the total space on the drive where the Offline Files cache (ex: “C:\Windows\CSC”) is located. The limit for automatically cached files (temporary files) is 100 percent of the total disk space limit.

If you like, you can specify the disk space limit (in megabytes) for offline files and also specify how much of that disk space can be used by temporary files (automatically cached files) for all users on the computer.

This tutorial will show you how to view and change the maximum Offline Files disk usage limits for all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

How to Create Offline Files Folder Shortcut in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

This tutorial will show you how to download or create an Offline Files Folder shortcut to view offline files for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

How to Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

Users can encrypt the contents of their Offline Files cache on the computer to protect it from unwanted access.

This tutorial will show you how to encrypt or unencrypt the Offline Files cache for your account or all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged ,

How to Set or Unset Network Files as Always Available Offline in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

This tutorial will show you how to set or unset network files as always available offline for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Posted in Network, Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Offline Files in Windows

Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable offline files for all users on the computer in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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Posted in Network, Offline Files, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged

How to Create Shortcut to Directly Open App in Microsoft Store in Windows 10

You can easily use an URL link for an app to open it in the Microsoft Store online in your web browser, but what if you wanted to directly open the app to its page in the Microsoft Store app in Windows 10?

You can create a link that launches the Microsoft Store and goes directly to your app’s listing page without opening a browser. These links are useful if you know your users are on a Windows device and you want them to arrive directly at the listing page in the Microsoft Store app.

This tutorial will show you how to create a shortcut of an app that will directly open the app’s listing page in the Microsoft Store app without opening a browser in Windows 10.

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Posted in Microsoft Store, Windows 10

How to Add or Remove Rotate Left and Rotate Right Context Menu in Windows 10

Windows 10 has a built-in feature to allow you to quickly rotate an image if needed.

You can rotate left to turn the selected image 90 degrees to the left.

You can rotate right to turn the selected image 90 degrees to the right.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Rotate left and Rotate right context menu of image files for all users in Windows 10.

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How to Check Expiry Date of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build

As pre-release software, Insider Preview builds have a built-in expiration date that is called a “timebomb”. This has been included ever since the first Windows 10 Insider Preview build and helps ensure Insiders stay up to date with the latest feature and quality updates.

Two weeks before a build’s license expires, you will start getting “This build of Windows will expire soon” warnings that you should update to the most recent build.

Once a build expires, Insiders will be provided a “Install a new build of Windows now” warning once a day that the build has expired. Your PC will automatically restart ever few hours, and eventually will fail to start. In addition to that, Insiders will also see User Access Control (UAC) warnings as well. Insiders in both the Fast and Slow rings need to make sure they are running the latest builds offered to those rings.

Two weeks after your build expires, Windows 10 will no longer start when you boot your computer. You will get a “Recovery” screen instead with a “Your PC/Device needs to be repaired” “A component of the operating system has expired” message. If this happens, you will need to clean install the latest Windows 10 build.

This tutorial will show you how to check when your Windows 10 Insider Preview build expires to avoid hitting the timebomb.

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Posted in Windows 10, Windows Insider

How to Specify when Storage Sense Delete Files in Downloads Folder in Windows 10

Starting with Windows 10 build 15014, Microsoft has added a new Automatically free up space with Storage Sense option in Storage Settings to automatically get rid of the files you don’t need to save you an extra step when low on disk space. Currently this is only supported for unused temporary files, files in your recycle bin over 30 days, and files in your Downloads folder that haven’t changed for over 30 days.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17720, Storage Sense can now turn itself on when your device is low on storage space. Once activated, Storage Sense will intelligently run whenever your device runs low on storage space and clear temporary files that your device and applications no longer need.Storage Sense looks for and will remove the following types of files:

  • Temporary setup files
  • Old indexed content
  • System cache files
  • Internet cache files
  • Device Driver packages
  • System downloaded program files
  • Dated system log files
  • System error memory dump files
  • System error minidump files
  • Temporary system files
  • Dated Windows update temporary files
  • …and more.

When Storage Sense is turned on or enabled, it can delete files in the user’s Downloads folder if they have been there for over a certain amount of days.

Starting with at least Windows 10 build 18282, you can now configure a group policy to specify when Storage Sense (if turned on or enabled) will delete files in the Downloads folder for all users.

This tutorial will show you how to specify when Storage Sense will automatically delete files in the Downloads folder for your account or all users in Windows 10.

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How to Specify when Storage Sense Delete Files in Recycle Bin in Windows 10

Starting with Windows 10 build 15014, Microsoft has added a new Automatically free up space with Storage Sense option in Storage Settings to automatically get rid of the files you don’t need to save you an extra step when low on disk space. Currently this is only supported for unused temporary files, files in your recycle bin over 30 days, and files in your Downloads folder that haven’t changed for over 30 days.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17720, Storage Sense can now turn itself on when your device is low on storage space. Once activated, Storage Sense will intelligently run whenever your device runs low on storage space and clear temporary files that your device and applications no longer need.Storage Sense looks for and will remove the following types of files:

  • Temporary setup files
  • Old indexed content
  • System cache files
  • Internet cache files
  • Device Driver packages
  • System downloaded program files
  • Dated system log files
  • System error memory dump files
  • System error minidump files
  • Temporary system files
  • Dated Windows update temporary files
  • …and more.

When Storage Sense is turned on or enabled, it can delete files in the user’s Recycle Bin if they have been there for over a certain amount of days.

Starting with at least Windows 10 build 18282, you can now configure a group policy to specify when Storage Sense (if turned on or enabled) will delete files in the recycle bin for all users.

This tutorial will show you how to specify when Storage Sense will automatically delete files in the recycle bin for your account or all users in Windows 10.

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Posted in Recycle Bin, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Specify when to Run Storage Sense in Windows 10

Starting with Windows 10 build 15014, Microsoft has added a new Automatically free up space with Storage Sense option in Storage Settings to automatically get rid of the files you don’t need to save you an extra step when low on disk space. Currently this is only supported for unused temporary files, files in your recycle bin over 30 days, and files in your Downloads folder that haven’t changed for over 30 days.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17720, Storage Sense can now turn itself on when your device is low on storage space. Once activated, Storage Sense will intelligently run whenever your device runs low on storage space and clear temporary files that your device and applications no longer need.Storage Sense looks for and will remove the following types of files:

  • Temporary setup files
  • Old indexed content
  • System cache files
  • Internet cache files
  • Device Driver packages
  • System downloaded program files
  • Dated system log files
  • System error memory dump files
  • System error minidump files
  • Temporary system files
  • Dated Windows update temporary files
  • …and more.

Starting with at least Windows 10 build 18282, you can now configure a group policy to specify to run Storage Sense (if turned on or enabled) Every day, Every week, Every month, or During low free disk space for all users

This tutorial will show you how to specify when to run Storage Sense for all users in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Storage Sense to Delete Temporary Files in Windows 10

Starting with Windows 10 build 15014, Microsoft has added a new Automatically free up space with Storage Sense option in Storage Settings to automatically get rid of the files you don’t need to save you an extra step when low on disk space. Currently this is only supported for unused temporary files, files in your recycle bin over 30 days, and files in your Downloads folder that haven’t changed for over 30 days.

Starting with Windows 10 build 17720, Storage Sense can now turn itself on when your device is low on storage space. Once activated, Storage Sense will intelligently run whenever your device runs low on storage space and clear temporary files that your device and applications no longer need.Storage Sense looks for and will remove the following types of files:

  • Temporary setup files
  • Old indexed content
  • System cache files
  • Internet cache files
  • Device Driver packages
  • System downloaded program files
  • Dated system log files
  • System error memory dump files
  • System error minidump files
  • Temporary system files
  • Dated Windows update temporary files
  • …and more.

Starting with at least Windows 10 build 18282, you can now configure a group policy to enable or disable allowing Storage Sense to delete temporary files for all users on the computer.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable allowing Storage Sense to delete temporary files for all users in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged ,
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