A revised and updated edition of the personalized guide to Windows 10 written by technology expert William Stanek. 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 learn 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. When you start working with Windows 10, you'll see at once that this operating system is visually different from earlier releases of Windows. What won't be readily apparent, however, is just how different-and that's because many of the most significant changes to the operating system are under the surface. These changes affect the underlying architecture, not just the interfaces. Click Look Inside and discover this hands-on computer handbook. Scroll to the top of the page and select the Buy Now button. Want something for your laptop, tablet, desktop or smart phone? Look also for the ebook edition! Table of Contents Introduction 19 Chapter 1. Getting to Know Windows 10 25 Using Touchscreens 26 Installation Notes 27 Getting Signed In 28 Local Accounts, Domain Accounts, Microsoft Accounts, Oh My! 30 Getting Around the New Desktops 33 Getting Around the New Start Menu 40 Entering and Exiting Tablet Mode 45 Customizing User Accounts 47 Chapter 2. Customizing the Windows 10 Interface 53 Boosting Your Desktop IQ 54 Making the Start Menu Work for You 71 Making the Taskbar Dance 80 Chapter 3. Personalizing the Appearance of Windows 10 91 Customizing Basic Interfaces 92 Optimizing Backgrounds, Themes and More 102 Chapter 4. Customizing Boot, Startup, and Power Options 141 Customizing Your Computer's Firmware Interface 141 Getting Firmware and Power Management Information 155 Customizing Startup and Boot Configuration 157 Resolving Restart or Shutdown Issues 182 Chapter 5. Organizing, Searching, and Indexing 187 Exploring Your Computer in New Ways 187 Customizing File Explorer 201 Searching and Indexing Your Computer 213 Fine-Tuning Windows Search 217 Indexing Your Computer 238 Chapter 6. Managing Your Apps 247 Working with Desktop Apps 247 Installing Desktop Programs 255 Managing Desktop Programs and Features 268 Managing Currently Running Apps, Programs and Processes 281 Chapter 7. Tracking System Performance and Health 285 Getting to Know Your Computer's Hardware 285 Checking Current Performance Levels 291 Event Logging and Viewing 302 Chapter 8. Analyzing and Logging Performance 309 Resolving Failures and Reliability Issues 309 Recording and Analyzing Performance Data 327 Chapter 9. Optimizing Performance Tips and Techniques 341 Optimizing Power Management Settings for Performance 341 Maintaining Performance with Updates 353 Optimizing Performance: Final Tune-up Suggestions 358 Automating Maintenance 372 Index 377 About the Author 387