Understanding user accounts

Windows allows several people to work on the same computer, yet it keeps everybody’s work separate. To do that, it needs to know who’s currently sitting in front of the keyboard. When you sign in — introduce yourself — by clicking your username, as shown in Figure 2-2, the Windows Start menu and desktop appear as you just left them, ready for you to make your own personalized mess.

When you’re through working or just feel like taking a break, sign out (explained at this chapter’s end) so that somebody else can use the computer. Later, when you sign back in, your own files will be waiting for you.

Although you may turn your work area into a mess, it’s your own mess. When you return to the computer, your letters will be just as you saved them. Jerry hasn’t accidentally deleted your files or folders while playing Words with Friends. Tina’s Start menu still contains links to her favorite quilting websites. And nobody will be able to read your e-mail.

Until you customize your username picture, you’ll be a silhouette, like the accounts listed in the bottom corner of Figure 2-2. To add a photo to your user account, click your username in the Start menu’s upper-left corner and choose Change Account Settings. When the Settings menu’s Accounts section appears, click the Camera icon to take a quick shot with your computer’s built-in camera. Still wearing your pajamas? Then choose Browse to choose a photo already stored in your Pictures folder.

Keeping your account private with a password

Because Windows lets many people use the same computer, how do you stop Diane from reading Rob’s love letters to Miley Cyrus? How can Grace keep Josh from deleting her Star Wars movie trailers? Using a password solves some of those problems.

In fact, a password is more important than ever in Windows 10 because some accounts can be tied to a credit card. By typing a secret password when signing in, you enable your computer to recognize you and nobody else. If you protect your username with a password, nobody can access your files. And nobody can rack up charges for computer games while you’re away from home.

To set up or change the password on your account, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button and then click the word Settings.

   When the Start menu appears, click the word Settings in the lower-left corner. The new Settings app appears.

2. Click the Accounts icon (shown in the margin). When the Accounts pane appears, click the words Sign-in Options along the pane’s left edge.

   Options for signing into your computer appear on the right.

3. From the Password section on the app’s right side, click the Change button, shown in Figure 2-3. Don’t have a password? Click the Add button instead.

   You may need to type your existing password to gain entrance.

4. Type a password that will be easy to remember.

   Choose something like the name of your favorite vegetable, for example, or your dental floss brand. To beef up its security level, capitalize some letters and embed a number in the password, like Turnips4Me or Floss2Kleen. (Don’t use these exact two examples, though, because they’ve probably been added to every password cracker’s arsenal by now.)

5. If asked, type that same password into the Retype Password text box so Windows knows you’re spelling it correctly.

6. In the Password Hint box, type a hint that reminds you — and only you — of your password.

   Windows won’t let you type in your exact password as a hint. You have to be a bit more creative.

7. Click the Next button and click Finish.

   Do you suspect you’ve botched something during this process? Click Cancel to return to Step 3 and either start over or exit.

After you’ve created the password, Windows begins asking for your password whenever you sign in.

• Passwords are case-sensitive. The words Caviar and caviar are considered two different passwords.
• Afraid that you’ll forget your password someday? Protect yourself now: Flip ahead to Chapter 14, where I describe how to make a Password Reset Disk, which is a special way of resetting forgotten passwords for local accounts. (You can reset a lost Microsoft account password online at http://live.com.)

• When you change your Microsoft account password on your PC, you also change it on your Windows phone, your Xbox, and every other device where you sign in with a Microsoft account.

• Windows also allows you to create a picture password in Step 4, where you drag a finger or mouse over a photo in a certain sequence. Then, instead of entering a password, you redraw that sequence on the sign-in picture. (Picture passwords work much better on touchscreen tablets than desktop monitors.)
• Another option in Step 4 is Create a PIN. A PIN is a four-digit code like the ones you punch into Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). The disadvantage of a PIN? There’s no password hint to a four-digit password.
• Forgotten your password already? When you type a password that doesn’t work, Windows automatically displays your hint (if you created one) which should help to remind you of your password. Careful, though — anybody can read your hint, so make sure that it’s something that makes sense only to you. As a last resort, insert your Password Reset Disk, a job I cover in Chapter 14.

I explain lots more about user accounts in Chapter 14.

Signing up for a Microsoft account

Whether you’re signing in to Windows for the first time, trying to access some apps, or just trying to change a setting, you’ll eventually see a screen similar to the one in Figure 2-4.

You can sign in to your computer with either a Microsoft account or a Local account. Although a Microsoft account makes Windows much easier to work with, each type of account serves different needs:

• Local account: This account works fine for people using traditional Windows programs on the Windows desktop. However, Local account holders can’t store files on OneDrive. They can’t download apps from the Windows Store, either.
• Microsoft account: Required to access many of Microsoft’s services, this consists of simply an e-mail address and a password. Microsoft account holders can store files on the Internet with OneDrive, download apps from the Windows Store, and monitor their children’s online activities.

You can sign in with a Microsoft account in one of two ways, ranked according to simplicity:

• Use an existing Microsoft account. If you already have an account with Hotmail, MSN, Xbox Live, Outlook.com, or Windows Messenger, you already have a Microsoft account and password. Type in that e-mail address and password at the screen shown in Figure 2-4, and then click the Sign In button.
• Sign up for a new Microsoft account. Click the words Create One!, shown in Figure 2-4, and Microsoft takes you to a website where you can create your own Microsoft account. You can use any e-mail address for a Microsoft account. You simply enter that e-mail address, create a new password to go with it, and wham: You’ve created a Microsoft account.

If you’re signing into Windows on your computer for the first time and don’t want a Microsoft account, click the words Skip This Step near the screen’s bottom, left corner. On the next screen, Windows 10 walks you through creating a Local account, which is limited to your own computer.

But until you sign in with a Microsoft account, the nag screen in Figure 2-4 will haunt you whenever you try to access a Windows feature that requires a Microsoft account. (I explain how to convert a Local account into a Microsoft account in Chapter 14.)

When you first sign into your new account, Windows may ask whether you want to find other PCs, devices, and content on your network. If you’re using a home or work network, click the Yes button. (That lets you print to network printers, as well as share files with other networked computers.) If you’re connecting to a public network, perhaps at a hotel, coffee shop, or airport, click the No button.

Launching a Start menu program or app

Windows stocks your Start menu’s right edge with apps, which are small programs for performing simple tasks. In fact, Windows now refers to all Windows programs as apps. To see all the apps and programs installed on your PC, choose the All Apps option in the Start menu’s bottom-left corner. An alphabetical list of every installed program and app appears.

Each name or tile on the Start menu is a button for starting an app or a traditional Windows program. Of course, Windows complicates things by offering several ways to launch an app or a program:

• Mouse: Point at the tile and click the left mouse button.
• Keyboard: Press the arrow keys until a box surrounds the desired tile. Then press the Enter key.
• Touchscreen: Tap the tile with your finger.

No matter which app you’ve chosen, it jumps onto the screen, ready to inform you, entertain you, or, if you’re lucky, do both.

I explain the Start menu’s built-in apps later in this chapter. If you feel like digging in, you can begin downloading and installing your own by clicking the Start menu’s Store tile. (I explain how to download apps in Chapter 6.)

Finding something on the Start menu

You can scour the Start menu until your eagle eyes spot the program or tile you need, and then you can pounce on it with a quick mouse click or finger tap. But when the thrill of the hunt wanes, Windows offers several shortcuts for finding apps and programs hidden inside a crowded Start menu.

In particular, look for these Start menu sections:

• User Name: Atop the Start menu’s upper-left edge, your user account name appears. Click your user account name, and a drop-down menu lets you change your account’s settings (covered in Chapter 14), lock your computer, sign out, or let somebody else log in (all covered at this chapter’s last section, “Exiting from Windows.”)
• Most Used: Beneath your user account’s name and photo, the Start menu’s Most Used section automatically updates itself to list your most frequently visited apps and programs. Look here first to find your favorite computing destinations.
• Recently Added: This area only appears when you’re recently installed a new app or program. Its name appears here for a while, then disappears into the All Apps section, described next.
• All Apps: Click these words along the left column’s bottom edge, and the Start menu’s left column switches to reveal a list of all of your computer’s installed apps and programs, presented in alphabetical order.

Chances are good that you’ll spot your desired item on the Start menu without much digging. But when an app or programs proves to be particularly elusive, try these tricks:

• After opening the Start menu, keyboard owners can simply begin typing the name of their desired app or program, like this: facebook. As you type, Windows lists all the apps matching what you’ve typed so far, eventually narrowing down the search to the runaway.
• Don’t spot your desired app listed as a Start menu tile along the right edge? That right column is scrollable with an upward flick of your finger. Or, point your mouse at the column, and flick the mouse’s scroll wheel that lives between the mouse’s two buttons. No scroll wheel? Then drag down the scroll bar along the left edge of the Start menu’s column of tiles. Either way, more tiles will scroll into view.
• If the tiles you see don’t reflect the way you work, it’s time to customize the Start menu to meet your needs. Head for this chapter’s later “Customizing the Start menu” section for a heads up.

Viewing or closing your open apps

On a desktop PC, it’s fairly easy to move from one app to another. Because they’re all in windows on your desktop, you just click the app you want: It pops to the forefront, ready for work. (For more detail about the desktop, flip ahead to Chapter 3.)

On a tablet, apps and programs hog the entire screen when running, making it difficult to switch between them.

Whether you’re running Windows on a PC, laptop, or tablet, you can bring any missing app to the forefront by following these two quick steps:

1. Click or tap the Task View button.

   The screen clears, and Windows displays miniature views of your open apps and programs, shown in Figure 2-7.

2. Tap or click any thumbnail to return the app or program to full size.

These three tips can help you keep track of your running apps as well as close down the ones you no longer want open:

• Currently running apps and programs also appear as icons on the taskbar, the narrow strip along the bottom of the screen. (I cover the taskbar in Chapter 3.)

• To close an unwanted app shown in thumbnail view, click or tap the X in its upper right corner (shown in the margin). With a mouse, you can also right-click the app’s thumbnail, and choose Close from the pop-up menu.
• After you close an app, the miniature views of the other running apps remain onscreen, letting you either switch to them or close them. Or, to leave the Task View mode, click or tap the desktop.

Getting to know your free apps

The Windows Start menu comes stocked with several free apps, each living on its own square or rectangular tile. Every tile is labeled, helping you know what’s what.

The tiles for some apps, known as live tiles, change constantly. The Money app tile, for example, constantly updates with the stock market’s latest swings, and the Weather tile always tells you what to expect when you walk outdoors.

The Windows Start menu shows only some of your apps. To see them all, click the words All Apps in the Start menu’s lower-left corner. The Start menu’s right column changes to show all of your installed apps, sorted alphabetically. (Click the word Back to return to normal viewing.)

You may spot some or all of the following apps on the list, ready to be launched at the click of a mouse or touch of a finger:

• 3D Builder: A perk for the few owners of three-dimensional printers, this lets you create plastic doodads from computer files.

• Alarms & Clock: This offers a world clock, timer, and stopwatch, but you’ll probably visit for the alarm clock. It lets you set different wakeup times for every day of the week.
• Calculator: With a toggle between standard, scientific, and converter modes, this app will please grade schoolers, math majors, chefs, and physicists.
• Calendar: This app lets you add your appointments or grab them automatically from calendars already created through other online accounts.
• Camera: Covered in Chapter 17, the Camera app lets you snap photos with your computer’s built-in camera or webcam.
• Contact Support: Click here to begin your journey through Microsoft’s official technical support channels.
• Get Started: Discussed in Chapter 21, this app offers descriptions Windows 10’s most basic features.
• Mail: Covered in Chapter 10, the Mail app lets you send and receive e-mail. If you enter a Windows Live, Yahoo!, AOL, or Google account, the Mail app sets itself up automatically and stocks your People list with your contacts.

• Maps: Handy for trip planning, the Maps app brings up a version of Microsoft Bing Maps.

• Microsoft Edge: Microsoft’s new browser, Microsoft Edge, arrives in Windows 10, ready to replace Internet Explorer.
• Microsoft Solitaire Collection: New to Windows 10, this app contains several popular solitaire games.
• Money: This live tile opens with business headlines. Scroll to the right to see a 30-minute delay of the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P with the usual charts depicting fear and uncertainty.
• Movies & TV: Microsoft’s video storefront lets you rent or buy movies and TV shows, as covered in Chapter 17. The app also lets you watch videos you’ve taken with your camera or smartphone.
• Music: Covered in Chapter 16, this app plays music stored on your PC. But Microsoft hopes you’ll buy or rent music from its store, as well.
• News: Visit here to read the news of the day, compiled from news services around the world. (Techie alert: You can add RSS feeds from your favorite websites.)
• OneDrive: This term describes the Microsoft Internet cubbyhole where you can store your files. By storing them online in OneDrive, covered in Chapter 5, you can access them from nearly any Internet-connected computer, phone, or tablet.

• OneNote: This popular note-taking app receives an entry on the Start menu in Windows 10.

• People: Windows 10’s People app simply collects your friends’ names and contact info.
• Phone Companion: This app helps you link your Windows, Android, or Apple phone with Windows so they can share information.
• Photos: Covered in Chapter 17, the Photos app displays photos stored in your computer, as well as on OneDrive, your Internet storage space.
• Scan: Introduced in Windows 8 but removed from Windows 10, this app simplifies the often complicated process of scanning text and images into your computer. I cover the Scan app in Chapter 8. (You can still download it for free from the Store app.)

• Search: This fetches Cortana, your personal search assistant, who responds to your commands, both verbal and typed into the Search box.

• Settings: This takes you to the new Windows 10 Settings app, which contains almost all of the settings found in the Control Panel from earlier Windows versions.

• Sports: You can find sports news and scores here, as well as a way to add listings for your favorite sports teams.
• Store: Covered in Chapter 6, the Windows Store is the only way to add more apps on your Start menu. The Windows Store also carries some programs you can install on your Windows desktop, covered in Chapter 3.
• Weather: This weather station forecasts a week’s worth of weather in your area, but only if you grant it permission to access your location information. (Unless your computer has a GPS — Global Positioning System — the app narrows down your location by closest major city rather than street address.)
• Xbox: Coveted mostly by owners of Microsoft’s Xbox One video game console, this lets you track high scores (for both you and your gaming buddies), chat with other gamers, view your achievements, and visit the Store app to buy more games.

The bundled Windows apps work best when running full screen on a tablet, and they’re not as powerful as normal desktop programs. But for some odd reason, Microsoft configured the Windows desktop to use some of these Start menu apps rather than standard desktop programs.

I explain in Chapter 3 how to choose which apps and programs handle which tasks, but here’s a temporary hint: On the desktop, right-click a file and choose Open With. A menu appears, letting you choose which program should handle the job. To stay on the desktop, choose your desktop program from the menu, not the currently assigned Start menu app.

Adding or removing Start menu items

Microsoft dumped a random assortment of items on the Windows 10 Start menu, and the resulting jumble is certainly not tailored to your personal interests or work habits. This section lets you fix that shortcoming.

Removing items from the Start menu is easy, so you can begin there. To remove an unwanted or unused tile from the Start menu, right-click it and choose Unpin from Start from the pop-up menu. The unloved tile slides away without fuss.

On a touchscreen, hold down your finger on the unwanted tile. When the Unpin icon appears, tap it to remove the tile.

After removing the unwanted items, spend some time adding items to the Start menu, making them as easy to reach as a pencil holder on an office desk.

To add programs or apps to the Start menu, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button and then click the words All Apps in the menu’s lower-left corner. (On a tablet, click the All Apps icon, shown in the margin.)

   The Start menu presents an alphabetical list of all your installed apps and programs.

2. Right-click the item you want to appear on the Start menu; then choose Pin to Start.

   Repeat until you’ve added all of the items you want.

   You must right-click and pin each item separately. The Windows 10 Start menu no longer lets you select and add several items simultaneously.

3. From the desktop, right-click desired items and choose Pin to Start.

   The Start menu tiles aren’t limited to apps and programs. From the desktop, right-click any folder, file, library, or other item you want added to the Start menu and then choose Pin to Start from the pop-up menu. Newly attached items appear at the Start menu’s bottom-right corner. (On well-stuffed Start menus, you may need to scroll down to see them.)

When you’re through, your Start menu will have grown considerably with all your newly added destinations.

Can’t find a newly installed app? Chances are good that it’s hiding in the Start menu’s All Apps area. Windows places newly downloaded apps in the All Apps area rather than as a tile on the Start menu. If you want it visible along the Start menu’s right edge, you need to pin it there yourself.

After you’ve stuffed your Start menu with your favorite desktop destinations, head to this chapter’s “Customizing the Start menu” section to finish organizing. When you finish, you’ll have created a Start menu that meets your needs.

Customizing the Start menu

The Start menu splits itself between two columns: names of apps on the left, and tiles of apps on the right. The clumps of tiles aren’t set up in any particular order, however, which comes at a cost: How can you find your favorite stuff?

Give yourself a fighting chance by organizing your Start menu. The following steps begin with a small dose of organization: purging unwanted tiles and adding tiles for your favorites.

Keep following these steps, and you’ll eventually reach organizational nirvana: A Start menu full of neatly labeled groups (collections of related tiles) that match your interests.

You can organize the tiles any way you want, into any number of groups with any names. For example, you may want to organize the Start menu tiles into four groups: People, Work, Play, and Web. (For a quick peek at what organized and labeled groups look like, page ahead to Figure 2-11.)

But no matter how organized you want to be, follow these steps to begin turning that haphazard Start menu into your own piles o’ tiles:

1. Remove tiles you don’t need.

   Spot a tile you don’t need? Right-click it and choose Unpin from Start from the pop-up menu. Repeat until you’ve removed all the tiles you don’t use. (On a touchscreen, hold your finger down on an unwanted app and then tap the Unpin icon.)

   Choosing Unpin from Start doesn’t uninstall the app or program; removing the tile merely removes that item’s “start” button from the Start menu. In fact, if you accidentally remove the tile for a favorite app or program, you can easily put it back in Step 3.

2. Move related tiles next to each other.

   As an example, you might want to keep your people-oriented apps — Mail, People, and Calendar — next to each other. To move an app to a new location, point at its tile with your mouse and then hold down your left mouse button as you drag the tile to the desired spot. As you drag the tile, other tiles automatically move out of the way to make room for newcomer.

   On a touchscreen, hold down your finger on the app; when the pop-up menu appears, drag the app to its new position.

   When you’ve dragged an app’s tile to the desired spot, lift your finger or release the mouse button to set the tile into its new place.

   To conserve screen real estate, shrink a wide rectangular tile to a small square tile: Right-click the wide tile, choose Resize from the pop-up menu, and choose a smaller size from the second menu. (You can also enlarge an app’s tile, turning it into a live tile that shows updated information about the app’s contents.)

3. Add tiles for apps, programs, folders, and files you need.

   I explain how to add tiles for apps, programs, folders, and files earlier, in this chapter’s earlier “Adding or removing Start menu items” section.

   After you’ve purged any unwanted tiles, rearranged the remaining tiles, and added new tiles for items you need, your Start menu may meet your needs. If so, stop. You’re done!

   But if your Start menu still sprawls below the Start menu’s bottom edge and you can’t find important items, keep reading.

   Still here? Okay. Look closely at the Start menu, and you see two groups of tiles. Windows labels them “Life at a Glance,” and “Play and Explore.” If you’re like most people, you probably didn’t notice the subtle gap separating the two groups. And that brings you to the next step.

4. To create a new group, drag and drop any tile away from the two existing groups.

   Drag and hold a tile away from the existing groups. A horizontal bar appears, as shown in Figure 2-8, creating an empty space below it for your incoming tile. Drop the tile, and the tile forms a new group of one lonely tile, located below the two other groups.

5. To add more tiles to your newly created group, drag and drop additional tiles into the group.

   Drag and drop new tiles next to your new group’s first tile to keep it company. After you drop a tile into a group, you can drag the tile around to a new position within the group.

   Want to create yet another group? Then repeat Steps 4 and 5, dragging and dropping a tile away from the existing groups to create yet another group.

   You might find groups of related tiles to be enough organization for you. If so, stop. But if you want to label the groups, go to the next step.

6. Name the groups.

   Click in the blank space directly above any group of tiles, and a box appears, ready for you to type in a name or replace the existing name. After typing the name, press Enter, and the box disappears, leaving your tile group bearing its new name.

   Type in names (or change existing ones) for any other tile groups, as well.

   When you’ve finished naming the tile groups, you can finally bask in your organizational prowess, as shown in Figure 2-9.

• There’s no right or wrong way to organize the Start menu. Just as in real life, be as organized or as messy as you want. You can move groups, as well, by dragging and dropping them by their titles.

• As you install new apps and desktop programs, remember to look for them in the All Apps area, not on the Start menu itself. To keep things organized, right-click the newcomers and choose Pin to Start menu. After you place your new apps as tiles on the Start menu, you can drag and drop them into your existing groups or make new groups for the new tiles.

• Feel free to create a group for your favorite websites, as well, making it easy to get to them straight from the Start menu. (To pin a website to the Start menu, click the Settings menu in Edge and choose Pin to Start from the drop-down menu.)

Temporarily leaving your computer

Windows offers three options when you’re leaving your computer temporarily, perhaps to reheat some fish in the office microwave and sneak back to your cubicle before anybody notices. To make the right choice among the various “temporary leave” scenarios in Windows, follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button to fetch the Start menu.

2. Click your user account picture in the Start menu’s upper-left corner.

   There, as shown in Figure 2-10, you can choose one of these options:

   • Change account settings: This option whisks you straight to the Settings app, where you can tweak your account’s settings. You can change your photo, for example, or change the password of a Local account.
   • Lock: Meant to add privacy while you take short trips to the water cooler, this option locks your PC, veiling your screen with the Lock screen picture. When you return, unlock the screen by pressing any key and then typing your password. Windows quickly displays your work, just as you left it.
   • Sign Out: Choose this option when you’re through working at the PC and somebody else wants to have a go at it. Windows saves your work and your settings and then returns to the Lock screen, ready for the next person to log on.
   • Another account: Below your name, as shown earlier in Figure 2-10, Windows lists names of any other accounts on the computer. If one of those people wants to borrow the computer for a few minutes while you’re grabbing some coffee, let him choose his name from the list. When he types in his password, his customized screen appears, ready for him to work. When he signs out and you log back in, all your work reappears, just as you left it.

Each of the three options lets you give up your computer for a little while, but leaves it waiting for your return.

If you’re finished for the day, though, you’re ready for the next section.

Leaving your computer for the day

When you’re done computing for the day — or perhaps you just want to shut down the laptop while on the subway or that flight to Rome — Windows offers three ways to handle the situation.

Follow these steps to choose from the available options:

1. Click the Start button and click the Power icon (shown in the margin).

   The Power icon’s pop-up menu offers three settings, as shown in Figure 2-11.

   Here’s the rundown on your options:

   • Sleep: The most popular choice, this saves your work in your PC’s memory and on its hard drive and then lets your PC slumber in a low-power state. Later, when you return to your PC, Windows quickly presents everything — even your unsaved work — as if you’d never left. And if the power goes out, your PC will still wake up with everything saved, but it will take a few more seconds.
   • Restart: Choose this option as a first cure when something weird happens (a program crashes, for example, or Windows seems dazed and confused). Windows turns off your computer and then starts itself anew, hopefully feeling better. (Newly installed programs sometimes ask you to restart your PC.)
   • Shut Down: This option turns off your computer completely. It’s just like Restart but without turning back on again. And, if you’re worried about preserving battery life on a laptop or tablet, it’s your best choice.

That should be enough to wade through. But if you have a little more time, here are some other facts to consider:

You don’t have to shut down your computer each night. In fact, some experts leave their computers turned on all the time, saying it’s better for their computer’s health. Other experts say that their computers are healthier if they’re turned off each day. Still others say the Sleep mode gives them the best of both worlds. However, everybody says to turn off your monitor when you’re done working. Monitors definitely enjoy cooling down when not in use.

Want your laptop or tablet to wake up in Airplane mode, cut off from Internet access? Then switch to Airplane mode and use Sleep rather than Shut Down. When your laptop or tablet wakes back up on your transatlantic flight, it stays in Airplane mode, disconnected from the Internet. (I cover Airplane mode in Chapter 23.)

To turn off your computer as quickly as possible, right-click the Start button, choose Shut Down or Sign Out from the pop-up menu, and choose Shut Down from the submenu.