How to Set App and Game Limits for Microsoft Family Child on Windows 10, Xbox One, and Android

A family group helps families stay connected and keeps kids safer on Windows 10, Xbox One devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Launcher. It’s free, and it’s one of the many benefits of having a Microsoft account. With the settings on family.microsoft.com, you can get reports on a child’s activity, set screen time limits, check on a child’s location, limit which websites and games they can access, and require your approval to purchase from the Microsoft Store.

Once you set up your family group, you can add or remove child and adult members.

If your child is spending too much time on certain apps, you can set limits on the apps to help them achieve a healthy balance. App limits are available on Windows 10 and Xbox One devices, along with Android devices with Microsoft Launcher installed. Once you set a limit on an app, that limit will work across all of their devices. (For example, if you give them three hours on YouTube, they can spend a total of three hours on Windows 10, Xbox One, and Android.)

This tutorial will show you how to turn on an manage app and game limits for a child member in your Microsoft Family group on their Windows 10, Xbox One, and Android devices.

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Posted in Android, Microsoft Family, Windows 10, Xbox | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Windows Update Status Taskbar Notification Area Icon in Windows 10

The Windows Update Status icon in the taskbar notification area was first introduced in the Windows 10 April 2018 Update (version 1803).

By default, the Windows Update Status notification icon will only show on the taskbar when there is a warning or alert about Windows Update showing on the Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update page.

You can click/tap on the Windows Update Status icon to open the Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update page.

You can right click on the Windows Update Status icon, it will open a context menu to click/tap on available options. The available options will vary depending on what the warning or alert is for, but can be: Restart now, Schedule restart, Download now, Open Windows Update, and Hide for now.

If you prefer to not to see the Windows Update Status icon, you can disable it.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the Windows Update Status icon in the taskbar notification area for your account or all users in Windows 10.

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Posted in Taskbar, Windows 10, Windows Update

How to Turn On and Setup or Turn Off Calls in Your Phone app on Windows 10 PC for Android Phone

Microsoft has made an early preview of a new Calls feature available for the Your Phone app version 1.19092.399.0 in Windows 10 for Windows Insiders.

No need to dig for your Android phone to answer your personal or work calls. You can now stay connected by simply answering (or not) your phone calls on your PC. Tap into your PC’s speakers, microphone, and large screen for a richer calling experience.

With the Calls feature you can:

  • Answer incoming phone calls on your PC.
  • Initiate phone calls from your PC using in-app dialer or contact list.
  • Decline incoming phone calls on your PC with custom text or send directly to your phone’s voicemail.
  • Access your recent call history on your PC. Clicking on a specific call will auto populate the number within the dialer screen.
  • Seamlessly transfer calls between your PC and phone.

This tutorial will show you how to turn on and set up or turn off the Calls feature to make and receive calls from an Android phone in the Your Phone app on a Windows 10 PC.

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Posted in Android, Windows 10, Your Phone | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Double Tap to Enable or Disable Touchpad in Windows 10

If your Windows 10 PC (ex: laptop) has a built-in touchpad, you may want to enable or disable on demand.

The TouchPad Disable Zone feature allows you to enable or disable the touchpad by double tapping on the corner zone (top left) of the touchpad.

If the touchpad is enabled, you can double tap on the top left corner of the touchpad to disable it.

If the touchpad is disabled, you can double tap on the top left corner of the touchpad to enable it.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the TouchPad Disable Zone feature to double tap to enable or disable touchpad for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Touchpad Tapping and Tap to Click in Windows 10

If your Windows 10 PC (ex: laptop) has a built-in touchpad, you may want to enable or disable the tapping feature (aka: Tap to Click) as needed.

Tapping means quickly touching and then lifting your finger off the touchpad surface.

When tapping is enabled, a tap on the touchpad performs the actions of the left mouse button.

When tapping is disabled, the touchpad buttons are the only way to click from the touchpad.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable touchpad tapping (aka: Tap to Click) on demand for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged , ,

How to Lock OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 10

OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service where you can view, browse, upload, and share the files you saved online to OneDrive.

OneDrive runs on the trusted Microsoft cloud, which has many security measures in place to keep your files safe. But Microsoft understands that some people want more protection for their most important and sensitive files, which is why they are introducing Personal Vault.

Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive where you can store your most important or sensitive files and photos without sacrificing the convenience of anywhere access.

Personal Vault adds to the robust privacy and security that OneDrive currently offers, including file encryption at rest and in transit, suspicious activity monitoring, ransomware detection and recovery, mass file deletion notification and recovery, virus scanning on download for known threats, and version history for all file types.

You will need to set up Personal Vault separately on each device where you want to use it.

Just enter a PIN, or use your fingerprint, face, or a code delivered by email or SMS1 to unlock and access your files—no need to remember multiple passwords. Additionally, Personal Vault can be unlocked with the Microsoft Authenticator app. Whichever way you choose, unlocking is quick, convenient, and helps secure your data.

Personal Vault uses more than just two-step verification to help keep your files safe and private. On Windows 10 PCs, OneDrive syncs your Personal Vault files to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your local hard drive. And like all files in OneDrive, the contents of your Personal Vault are encrypted at-rest in the Microsoft cloud and in-transit to your device. For further protection on mobile devices, it is recommend that you enable encryption on your iOS or Android device. Together, these measures help keep your files protected even if your Windows 10 PC or mobile device is lost, stolen, or someone gains access to it.

Personal Vault automatically relocks on your PC, device, or online after a short period of inactivity. Once locked, any files you were using will also lock and require reauthentication to access. There’s no need to worry about whether you left your Personal Vault or your file open—both will close and lock automatically after inactivity (20 minutes on the web, 3 minutes on a mobile app).

This tutorial will show you how to manually lock your OneDrive Personal Vault at any time in Windows 10.

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Posted in OneDrive, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Unlock OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 10

OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service where you can view, browse, upload, and share the files you saved online to OneDrive.

OneDrive runs on the trusted Microsoft cloud, which has many security measures in place to keep your files safe. But Microsoft understands that some people want more protection for their most important and sensitive files, which is why they are introducing Personal Vault.

Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive where you can store your most important or sensitive files and photos without sacrificing the convenience of anywhere access.

Personal Vault adds to the robust privacy and security that OneDrive currently offers, including file encryption at rest and in transit, suspicious activity monitoring, ransomware detection and recovery, mass file deletion notification and recovery, virus scanning on download for known threats, and version history for all file types.

You will need to set up Personal Vault separately on each device where you want to use it.

Just enter a PIN, or use your fingerprint, face, or a code delivered by email or SMS1 to unlock and access your files—no need to remember multiple passwords. Additionally, Personal Vault can be unlocked with the Microsoft Authenticator app. Whichever way you choose, unlocking is quick, convenient, and helps secure your data.

Personal Vault uses more than just two-step verification to help keep your files safe and private. On Windows 10 PCs, OneDrive syncs your Personal Vault files to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your local hard drive. And like all files in OneDrive, the contents of your Personal Vault are encrypted at-rest in the Microsoft cloud and in-transit to your device. For further protection on mobile devices, it is recommend that you enable encryption on your iOS or Android device. Together, these measures help keep your files protected even if your Windows 10 PC or mobile device is lost, stolen, or someone gains access to it.

Personal Vault automatically relocks on your PC, device, or online after a short period of inactivity. Once locked, any files you were using will also lock and require reauthentication to access. There’s no need to worry about whether you left your Personal Vault or your file open—both will close and lock automatically after inactivity (20 minutes on the web, 3 minutes on a mobile app).

This tutorial will show you how to unlock and open your OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 10.

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Posted in OneDrive, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Set up OneDrive Personal Vault in Windows 10

OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service where you can view, browse, upload, and share the files you saved online to OneDrive.

OneDrive runs on the trusted Microsoft cloud, which has many security measures in place to keep your files safe. But Microsoft understands that some people want more protection for their most important and sensitive files, which is why they are introducing Personal Vault.

Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive where you can store your most important or sensitive files and photos without sacrificing the convenience of anywhere access.

Personal Vault adds to the robust privacy and security that OneDrive currently offers, including file encryption at rest and in transit, suspicious activity monitoring, ransomware detection and recovery, mass file deletion notification and recovery, virus scanning on download for known threats, and version history for all file types.

You will need to set up Personal Vault separately on each device where you want to use it.

Just enter a PIN, or use your fingerprint, face, or a code delivered by email or SMS1 to unlock and access your files—no need to remember multiple passwords. Additionally, Personal Vault can be unlocked with the Microsoft Authenticator app. Whichever way you choose, unlocking is quick, convenient, and helps secure your data.

Personal Vault uses more than just two-step verification to help keep your files safe and private. On Windows 10 PCs, OneDrive syncs your Personal Vault files to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your local hard drive. And like all files in OneDrive, the contents of your Personal Vault are encrypted at-rest in the Microsoft cloud and in-transit to your device. For further protection on mobile devices, it is recommend that you enable encryption on your iOS or Android device. Together, these measures help keep your files protected even if your Windows 10 PC or mobile device is lost, stolen, or someone gains access to it.

Personal Vault automatically relocks on your PC, device, or online after a short period of inactivity. Once locked, any files you were using will also lock and require reauthentication to access. There’s no need to worry about whether you left your Personal Vault or your file open—both will close and lock automatically after inactivity (20 minutes on the web, 3 minutes on a mobile app).

This tutorial will show you how to set up OneDrive Personal Vault for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in OneDrive, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Personal Vault in OneDrive and Windows 10

OneDrive is a cloud-based storage service where you can view, browse, upload, and share the files you saved online to OneDrive.

OneDrive runs on the trusted Microsoft cloud, which has many security measures in place to keep your files safe. But Microsoft understands that some people want more protection for their most important and sensitive files, which is why they are introducing Personal Vault.

Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive where you can store your most important or sensitive files and photos without sacrificing the convenience of anywhere access.

Personal Vault adds to the robust privacy and security that OneDrive currently offers, including file encryption at rest and in transit, suspicious activity monitoring, ransomware detection and recovery, mass file deletion notification and recovery, virus scanning on download for known threats, and version history for all file types.

You will need to set up Personal Vault separately on each device where you want to use it.

Just enter a PIN, or use your fingerprint, face, or a code delivered by email or SMS1 to unlock and access your files—no need to remember multiple passwords. Additionally, Personal Vault can be unlocked with the Microsoft Authenticator app. Whichever way you choose, unlocking is quick, convenient, and helps secure your data.

Personal Vault uses more than just two-step verification to help keep your files safe and private. On Windows 10 PCs, OneDrive syncs your Personal Vault files to a BitLocker-encrypted area of your local hard drive. And like all files in OneDrive, the contents of your Personal Vault are encrypted at-rest in the Microsoft cloud and in-transit to your device. For further protection on mobile devices, it is recommend that you enable encryption on your iOS or Android device. Together, these measures help keep your files protected even if your Windows 10 PC or mobile device is lost, stolen, or someone gains access to it.

Personal Vault automatically relocks on your PC, device, or online after a short period of inactivity. Once locked, any files you were using will also lock and require reauthentication to access. There’s no need to worry about whether you left your Personal Vault or your file open—both will close and lock automatically after inactivity (20 minutes on the web, 3 minutes on a mobile app).

This tutorial will show you how to enable (add) or disable (remove) Personal Vault in your OneDrive and Windows 10 PC.

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Posted in OneDrive, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Adjust Touchpad Sensitivity in Windows 10

If your Windows 10 PC (ex: laptop) has a built-in touchpad, you may need to adjust the touchpad sensitivity for your needs.

Touchpad sensitivity is how much pressure must be applied on the touchpad before it responds.

If your pointer is moving or clicking erratically or to easily, decreasing sensitivity may help.

If you have to press too hard to operate the touchpad or the touchpad does not always respond to your taps, increasing the sensitivity may hay help.

This tutorial will show you how to adjust the touchpad sensitivity for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Enable or Disable Taskbar Thumbnail Live Previews in Windows 10

When you hover over the taskbar icon of an opened item (ex: Google Chrome), it will show you a thumbnail preview of its opened windows or tabs.

If you hover over the thumbnail preview of this item, it will instantly show you a live preview (peek) of only that item on your desktop. If you like, you can change the thumbnail live preview hover delay time to how many milliseconds you want instead of showing the live preview instantly.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable showing taskbar thumbnail live previews for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in Taskbar, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Find Windows Defender Antivirus Version in Windows 10

Windows Security is built-in to Windows 10 and includes an antirvirus program called Windows Defender Antivirus.

While Windows Defender Antivirus is automatically updated via Windows Update by default in Windows 10, you may want to check what version of Windows Defender Antivirus is currently installed.

This tutorial will show you how to find the version number for the currently installed Windows Defender Antivirus, scanning engine, and antivirus and spyware definitions (security intelligence) in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10, Windows Defender

How to Create Disk Cleanup All Items Checked Shortcut in Windows 10

You can use Disk Cleanup on a regular basis to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can free up drive space and help your PC run better. It can delete temporary files and system files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove a variety of other items that you might no longer need.

Disk Cleanup will already have items to delete checked and unchecked by default. You may want to have all items checked by default instead.

This tutorial will show you how to create a Disk Cleanup shortcut that opens with all items checked by default in Windows 10.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged ,

How to Block Websites using Hosts File in Windows

The Hosts file is used by the operating system to map human-friendly hostnames to numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which identify and locate a host in an IP network. The hosts file is one of several system resources that address network nodes in a computer network and is a common part of an operating system’s IP implementation.

The Hosts file contains lines of text consisting of an IP address in the first text field followed by one or more host names. Each field is separated by white space (Tabs are often preferred for historical reasons, but spaces are also used). Comment lines may be included, and they are indicated by a hash character (#) in the first position of such lines. Entirely blank lines in the file are ignored.

This tutorial will show you how to block websites for all users on the computer using the Hosts file in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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

How to reset Hosts file back to default in Windows

The Hosts file is used by the operating system to map human-friendly hostnames to numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which identify and locate a host in an IP network. The hosts file is one of several system resources that address network nodes in a computer network and is a common part of an operating system’s IP implementation.

The Hosts file contains lines of text consisting of an IP address in the first text field followed by one or more host names. Each field is separated by white space (Tabs are often preferred for historical reasons, but spaces are also used). Comment lines may be included, and they are indicated by a hash character (#) in the first position of such lines. Entirely blank lines in the file are ignored.

If the Hosts file is changed from default, resetting it can help resolve some connectivity issues.

See also: How to reset the Hosts file back to the default | Windows Support

This tutorial will show you how to reset the Hosts file back to default in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

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

How to Create a Sync Clock Time shortcut in Windows 10

Your PC’s clock is used to record the time whenever you create or modify files on your PC. You can change the clock’s time and time zone.

You can synchronize your PC’s clock with an Internet time server. This means that the clock on your PC is updated to match the clock on the time server, which can help ensure that the clock’s time on your PC is accurate. Your clock is typically automatically updated once a week and needs to be connected to the Internet for the synchronization to occur.

If your PC is on a domain, you can’t synchronize your clock with an Internet time server. Your clock will automatically synchronize with the domain controller instead.

This tutorial will show you how to create or download a Sync Clock Time shortcut for your account in Windows 10 to make it easy to synchronize the clock on demand with an Internet time server or domain.

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Posted in Windows 10 | Tagged , ,

How to Create File History shortcut in Windows 10

File History was first introduced in Windows 8, and has been improved in Windows 10.

You can use File History to automatically back up versions of your files on a schedule to a location you select to save to. You can select to save backups to an internal hard drive, externally connected drive (ex: USB drive), or you can save to a drive on a network. You can add, remove, and exclude folders to be backed up by File History.

Over time, you’ll have a complete history of your files. If the originals are lost, damaged, or deleted, you can restore them. You can also browse and restore different versions of your files.

File History takes advantage of a feature built into the NTFS file system called the change journal to keep track of changes to files. Essentially, when any change is made to a file or folder on your hard disk, the change journal is updated with a description of the change and the name of the file or folder. So to determine which files need to be backed up, File History simply consults the NTFS change journal. Using the change journal is fast and efficient and won’t use up a lot of system resources like running a conventional backup routine does.

If the drive selected as the backup location becomes unavailable, such as when a USB cable is disconnected or the network goes down for maintenance, File History will continue to do its job by saving the copies to a cache on the local drive. Once the backup location becomes available again, the cached contents are transferred to that location and removed from the local drive.

This tutorial will show you how to create or download a File History shortcut for your account in Windows 10.

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Posted in Backup, Windows 10 | Tagged

How to Hide or Show Shortcuts on New Tab Page in Google Chrome

When you open a new tab Ctrl+N in Google Chrome, you will see shortcuts of websites you visit often by default under the search box.

When you have Google set as your default search engine in Google Chrome, you can open a New Tab page Ctrl+N in Google Chrome and click/tap on the Customize button at the bottom to see the New Tab page customization menu.

Starting with Google Chrome 77, you can enable to use an updated second version of the New Tab page customization menu.

When you enable the second version of the New Tab page customization menu, it still allows you to change the Background of the New Tab page, but it adds a new Shortcuts menu that allows you to select to show My shortcuts, Most visited sites, or Hide shortcuts on the New Tab page in Google Chrome.

This tutorial will show you how to hide or show shortcuts on the New Tab page in Google Chrome.

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Posted in Chrome, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged , ,

How to Enable or Disable New Tab Page Customization Menu version 2 in Google Chrome

When you have Google set as your default search engine in Google Chrome, you can open a New Tab page in Google Chrome and click/tap on the Customize button at the bottom to see the New Tab page customization menu.

Starting with Google Chrome 77, you can enable to use an updated second version of the New Tab page customization menu.

The second version of the New Tab page customization menu still allows you to change the Background of the New Tab page, but it adds a new Shortcuts menu that allows you to select to show My shortcuts, Most visited sites, or Hide shortcuts on the New Tab page in Google Chrome.

When you enable the second version of the New Tab page customization menu, you can also enable showing the Color and Theme menu in the New Tab page customization menu if wanted. The Color and Theme menu allows you to change the Google Chrome browser color scheme using a color you select. You can select from a number of preset colors, the default color, or a custom color.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable using the second version of the New Tab page customization menu in Google Chrome.

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Posted in Chrome, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8 | Tagged
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