Windows 10: The Personal Trainer

Your personalized 350-page guide to Windows 10 from one of the world's foremost Windows experts. Learn the new Microsoft operating system using this hands-on guide to mastering laptops, tablets, desktops and other computing devices running Windows 10.

Whether you are a casual user, an IT professional or just someone who wants to learn how to use the operating system, you can get everything you need to conquer the essentials by reading this book. Inside, you'll find practical advice and step by step procedures, documented examples and much, much more.

One of the goals is to keep the content so concise that this personalized handbook remains compact and easy to navigate while at the same time being packed with as much information as possible.

Want something for your laptop, tablet, desktop or smart phone? Look also for the ebook edition!

Table of Contents
Windows 10: The Personal Trainer2Contents at a Glance5
Table of Contents7
Introduction10
What’s This Book About?10
What Do I Need to Know?11
How Is This Book Organized?11
What Conventions Are Used in This Book?12
Other Resources12
Chapter 1. Getting to Know Windows 1014
Using Touchscreens15
Installation Notes16
Getting Signed In17
Local Accounts, Domain Accounts, Microsoft Accounts, Oh My!19
Getting Around the New Desktops22
Getting Around the New Start Menu29
Entering and Exiting Tablet Mode33
Customizing User Accounts35
Chapter 2. Customizing the Windows 10 Interface40
Boosting Your Desktop IQ41
Making the Start Menu Work for You56
Making the Taskbar Dance64
Chapter 3. Personalizing the Appearance of Windows 1074
Customizing Basic Interfaces75
Optimizing Backgrounds, Themes and More84
Chapter 4. Customizing Boot, Startup, and Power Options120
Customizing Your Computer’s Firmware Interface120
Getting Firmware and Power Management Information133
Customizing Startup and Boot Configuration135
Resolving Restart or Shutdown Issues158
Chapter 5. Organizing, Searching, and Indexing163
Exploring Your Computer in New Ways163
Customizing File Explorer176
Searching and Indexing Your Computer187
Fine-Tuning Windows Search191
Indexing Your Computer210
Chapter 6. Managing Your Apps218
Working with Desktop Apps218
Installing Desktop Programs226
Managing Desktop Programs and Features238
Managing Currently Running Apps, Programs and Processes250
Chapter 7. Tracking System Performance and Health254
Getting to Know Your Computer’s Hardware254
Checking Current Performance Levels259
Event Logging and Viewing270
Chapter 8. Analyzing and Logging Performance275
Resolving Failures and Reliability Issues275
Recording and Analyzing Performance Data292
Chapter 9. Optimizing Performance Tips and Techniques306
Optimizing Power Management Settings for Performance306
Maintaining Performance with Updates318
Optimizing Performance: Final Tune-up Suggestions322
Automating Maintenance335
About the Author340

Windows 10: The Personal Trainer covers all editions of Windows 10. In this book, I teach you how features work, why they work the way they do, and how to customize them to meet your needs. I also offer specific examples of how certain features can meet your needs, and how you can use other features to troubleshoot and resolve issues you might have. In addition, this book provides tips, best practices, and examples of how to fine-tune all major aspects of Windows 10. This book won't just teach you how to configure Windows 10; it will teach you how to squeeze every last bit of power out of it and make the most of the features and options it includes.