Exploring Windows 10 May 2020 Edition E-Book

Kevin Wilson

• Herausgeber: Elluminet Press
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Serie: Exploring Tech
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 223

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Updated to cover the May 2020 Update, also known as Version 2004 and 20H1.  Exploring Windows 10 is the essential guide for those who want to get to grips with the fundamentals of Microsoft Windows 10. Written in a clear and practical way using illustrations, screenshots, video demos, and easy to follow instructions, Exploring Windows 10 will help you:

Install or upgrade to Windows 10 May 2020 update

Master the key features of Windows 10

Find your way around the Desktop, Start Menu, and the Taskbar

Organise your files with File Explorer

Learn about external drives, flash drives, and memory cards

Learn to use Action Centre, Timeline, and Cloud Clipboard

Search the web with the Microsoft Edge Browser

Keep in touch using email and skype video chat

Organise, enhance, and share your photos with the Photos App

Create home movies with your video clips, photos 3D models, effects, and music to share with friends

Have fun with 3D models and Paint 3D

Listen to your favourite music with Spotify and Groove Music App

Learn how to watch your favourite TV programs and films using the Films & TV App

Play your DVD collection on your PC

Learn about apps, find and download them

Understand how Cloud storage with OneDrive works, and use it for free storage and sharing files

Try out the new Cortana experience, the voice-activated Personal Digital Assistant who can perform searches on your computer or the web, and actions like opening apps or documents, or setting reminders. As well as a new chat style feature.

Use the Cloud Restore feature

And a whole lot more…

In addition, you will learn how to make the most of the new features of Windows 10 with clear explanations and video demos to help you along the way. Finally, maintenance tips to help you keep your PC running smoothly complete this invaluable guide. You'll want to keep this edition handy as you make your way around the new OS.

Leseprobe

ExploringWindows 10May 2020 EditionKevin Wilson

Exploring Windows 10 May 2020 Edition

Copyright © 2020 Elluminet Press

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. Exempted from this legal reservation are brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis or material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the Copyright Law of the Publisher’s location, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from the Publisher. Permissions for use may be obtained through Rights Link at the Copyright Clearance Centre. Violations are liable to prosecution under the respective Copyright Law.

Trademarked names, logos, and images may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, logo, or image we use the names, logos, and images only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.

The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights.

While the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication, neither the authors nor the editors nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein.

Publisher: Elluminet Press

Director: Kevin Wilson

Lead Editor: Steven Ashmore

Technical Reviewer: Mike Taylor, Robert Ashcroft

Copy Editors: Joanne Taylor, James Marsh

Proof Reader: Mike Taylor

Indexer: James Marsh

Cover Designer: Kevin Wilson

About the Author

With over 15 years’ experience in the computer industry, Kevin Wilson has made a career out of technology and showing others how to use it. After earning a master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, and multimedia systems, Kevin has held various positions in the IT industry including graphic & web design, building & managing corporate networks, training, and IT support.

He currently serves as Elluminet Press Ltd’s senior writer and director, he periodically teaches computer science at college in South Africa and serves as an IT trainer in England. His books have become a valuable resource among the students in England, South Africa and our partners in the United States.

Kevin’s motto is clear: “If you can’t explain something simply, then you haven’t understood it well enough.” To that end, he has created the Exploring Technology Series, in which he breaks down complex technological subjects into smaller, easy-to-follow steps that students and ordinary computer users can put into practice.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all the staff at Luminescent Media & Elluminet Press for their passion, dedication and hard work in the preparation and production of this book.

To all my friends and family for their continued support and encouragement in all my writing projects.

To all my colleagues, students and testers who took the time to test procedures and offer feedback on the book

Finally thanks to you the reader for choosing this book. I hope it helps you to use your PC with greater understanding.

Have fun!

Table of Contents

Windows 10 14

Windows Editions 14

The May 2020 Update 15

What’s New? 16

Setting up Windows 10 20

Upgrading to Windows 10 20

If you Already have Windows 10 21

Buying Windows 10 21

Upgrading from Windows 7 & 8 24

Update Assistant 30

Media Creation Tool 34

Creating Installation Media 34

Media Creation Tool to Upgrade your PC 38

Running Windows the First Time 41

Regional Settings 41

Terms Of Use 42

Connect to your WiFi 42

Enter WiFi Password 43

Sign in for the First Time 43

Set a PIN Code 44

Link your Phone 44

Set up OneDrive 45

Meet Cortana 45

Do More with your Voice 46

Location 46

Find my Device 46

Send Diagnostic Data 46

Improve Inking & Typing 47

Get Tailored Experiences with Diagnostic Data 47

Let Apps use Advertising ID 47

Adjusting System Settings 49

Screen Resolution 52

Power Options 53

Date and Time 54

Regional Settings 54

Verifying Accounts 55

Connecting to WiFi Networks 56

Linking your Phone 58

Android Phones 58

iPhones 62

Create a Microsoft Account 63

Setting up Additional Users 64

Adding a New User with Microsoft Account 64

Adding a New User with Local Account 66

Change an Account Type 68

Set up OneDrive 69

Setting up Printers 72

Using USB 72

Using WiFi 74

Older Printers 77

Managing Printers 78

Downloading Printer Drivers 80

Setting up Windows Hello 82

Finger Print Scanner 83

Facial Recognition 84

Sign in with a PIN 86

Pairing Bluetooth Devices 87

Dynamic Lock 88

Pair your Phone 88

Enable Dynamic Lock 89

Focus Assist 90

Change Focus Assist Mode 90

Open Priority List 90

Add People & Apps to Priority List 91

Configure Automatic Rules 92

Storage Sense 93

Configure Storage Sense 94

Blue Light Reduction 95

Dark Mode 97

Light Mode 99

Cortana Settings 100

Voice Activation Settings 101

Microphone Settings 102

Adjust Microphone Recording Volume 103

Windows Subsystem for Linux 104

Enable WSL 104

Installing a Linux Distribution 105

Family Safety 106

Child Accounts 106

Monitoring Family Activity 108

Web Activity 108

App Usage 110

Screen Time & Curfews 111

Navigating Windows 10 112

Start Menu 112

Tile Folders 113

Customising your Start Menu 114

Add Tiles to Start Menu 115

Move Tiles on the Start Menu 118

Naming Groups of Tiles 119

Remove Tiles from Start Menu 119

Resize Tiles on Start Menu 120

Resize Start Menu 121

The Desktop 122

Desktop Anatomy 122

Themes 122

Organise Icons 123

Changing the Background 124

Task Bar 125

System Icons 126

Jump Lists 126

Pin Icons to your Task Bar 127

Taskbar Tools 128

Action Centre 129

Select What Notifications you See 130

Edit the Quick Actions 130

Quick Configure Notifications 131

Timeline Activity History 132

Using Multiple Desktops 134

File Explorer 136

Share Ribbon 137

View Ribbon 137

Sharing Files from File Explorer 138

Basic File Management 140

Creating Folders 141

Moving Files 142

Copying Files 143

Renaming Files 144

Sorting Files 145

Deleting Files 146

Restoring Files 146

Searching for Files 147

External Drives 148

Memory Cards 151

Near Share 153

OneDrive 155

Files on Demand 156

Enable and Disable Files On Demand 157

Making files available Offline 158

Cloud Clipboard 159

Copying Multiple Items 160

Copying Across Devices 161

Screen Snip 163

Multiple Screens 166

Using Projectors 168

Duplicate PC screen onto Second Screen 169

Second Screen Only 169

PC Screen Only 169

Extend PC screen onto Second Screen 170

Arranging Windows on Desktop 171

Moving a Window 171

Resizing a Window 172

Minimise, Maximise & Close a Window 173

Window Snap Feature 173

Keyboard Shortcuts 176

Windows Search 177

Searching for Files 177

Searching for Apps 178

Searching for Windows Settings 179

Narrowing Down the Search 179

Cortana Personal Assistant 180

Using the Chat Feature 181

Using Voice Commands 182

Voice Reminders 183

Windows 10 Tablet Mode 184

Using a Tablet 184

Gestures for Touch Screens 187

One Finger Tap 187

Tap and Hold 187

One Finger Slide 188

Two Finger Pinch & Spread 188

Two Finger Rotate 189

Scroll 189

Swipe from the Left Edge 190

Swipe from the Right Edge 190

Three Finger Tap 191

Three Finger Swipe Left/Right 191

Customising your Start Screen 192

Move Tiles 192

Add Tiles 192

Resize Tiles 193

On-screen Keyboard 194

Changing Keyboards 195

Cases 197

External Keyboards 197

Hybrid Devices 198

Change Between Desktop & Tablet Mode 199

Pens 200

Other Accessories 201

Internet, Email & Communication 202

Microsoft Edge Browser 202

Set your Home Page 205

Favourites Bar 206

Add Website to Favourites Bar 207

Organising the Favourites Bar 207

Revisit a Website on Favourites 209

Managing Favourites 209

Import Favourites 210

Export Favourites 212

Collections 213

Finding Files you’ve Downloaded 216

Browsing History 217

Reading Mode 218

Page Translator 219

Print a Page 220

Share a Page 221

Pin Website to TaskBar 222

Edge Extensions 223

Install Chrome Extensions in Edge 225

Google Chrome 226

Bookmarks Bar 228

Add Website to Bookmarks Bar 228

Organising the Bookmarks Bar 229

Browsing History 231

Finding Files you’ve Downloaded 232

Printing Pages 232

Extending Chrome 233

Mail App 235

Adding Other Email Accounts 236

Reading Mail 239

Writing a New Message 240

Reply to a Message 241

Adding Attachments 242

Inserting Images 243

Calendar App 244

Add an Event 245

Add Calendar Event From Taskbar 248

People App 250

Edit Contact 251

Pin Contacts 253

Share Files with Contacts 255

Skype 256

Making a New Call 257

Calling Someone on your Contact List 259

Sending Files 260

Answering Calls 260

Screen Sharing 261

Your Phone App 263

Mobile Hotspot 265

Remote Desktop 266

Multimedia 268

Photos App 268

View a Photo 269

Crop a Photo 270

Straighten a Photo 271

Adjusting Brightness & Colour 271

Spot Fix 273

Annotating Photos 274

Animated Text 275

3D Effect 276

Creating Videos 277

Creating Videos Automatically 277

Creating Custom Videos 279

Add and Arrange your Media 281

Add Text Titles 282

Add Music 283

Add Audio File 284

Slideshow Motion 285

3D Effects 286

Adding 3D Models 290

Export your Video 292

Share your Creations 293

Camera App 295

Groove Music App 299

Music on your PC 300

Playlists 300

Spotify 301

Movie & TV App 303

Purchasing Content 304

Viewing Purchased Content 305

Search for New Content 306

Personal Content 307

Picture-in-Picture 308

Playing DVDs & Blu-Rays 309

Fun with 3D 312

Paint 3D 312

Drawing 315

3D Objects 317

3D Models 318

Manipulating Objects 319

2D Shapes 320

Stickers 321

Custom Stickers & Textures 322

3D Doodles 323

3D Text 325

Share your Creations 326

Magic Select 327

Remix 3D site 329

Mixed Reality Mode 331

Holographic Interface 332

HoloLens 332

Getting Around the Interface 334

The Start Menu 334

The App Bar 334

Hololens Gestures 335

Gesture Frame 335

Gaze 335

Air Tap 335

Air Tap & Hold 336

Bloom 336

Voice Commands 336

Mixed Reality Headsets 337

Windows Ink 338

Microsoft Whiteboard 338

Getting Started 339

Inserting Objects 342

Inviting Collaborators 343

Ink to Shape 345

Ink to Table 345

Sticky Notes 346

Snip & Sketch 348

OneNote Support 350

Microsoft Word Pen Support 351

Microsoft PowerPoint Pen Support 353

Windows 10 Apps 354

Microsoft Store 354

Browsing the Store & Downloading Apps 355

Searching the Store & Downloading Apps 357

Browsing Deals 358

Payment Options 360

Maps App 361

Get Directions 362

Street View 364

Ink Directions 365

Measure Distances 366

Annotations 367

Explore in 3D 368

Weather App 370

News App 372

Alarms & Clock App 373

Voice Recorder 375

Calculator App 376

Unit Converter 377

Currency Converter 378

Graphing 379

Maintaining your Computer 380

Anti-Virus Software 380

Windows Security 380

Avast 381

AVG 382

Windows Security 383

Running a Virus Scan 385

Scan a Specified File or Folder 386

Dealing with Threats 387

Threat Protection Settings 388

Controlling Folder Access 389

Exploit Protection 391

Windows Firewall 392

Enable or Disable 392

Allow or Block an App 393

Windows Sandbox 395

Opening Files 396

Backing Up your Files 398

Creating a Backup 398

Adding Folders 400

Setting Backup Schedules 401

Restoring Files 402

Password Recovery 403

PIN Recovery 406

Windows Update 408

Settings 408

Pause Updates 409

Active Hours 409

Update History 411

Bandwidth Limiting 412

Update Delivery Optimisation 413

Fonts 414

Disk De-fragmentation 415

Start-Up Programs 419

Resetting Apps 424

Task Manager 425

System Recovery 428

Force Windows into the Recovery Environment 429

Reset your PC 430

Boot from External Drive (USB) 432

Re-install Windows from USB Installation Media 433

Restore from Recovery Drive 436

Create a Recovery Drive 437

Activate Windows 439

Video Resources 440

Windows 10

Windows 10 is the latest operating system from Microsoft Corporation and is one that represents a major shift in the devices we use. In other words Windows is designed to adapt to the device it’s installed on, so you’ll get a point and click environment on desktop PCs, workstations, laptops, and all-in-one PCs called desktop mode, and a touch screen environment on tablets, hybrid laptop/tablet, and other small screen devices called tablet mode.

So what’s an Operating System? An Operating System is a computer program that manages the computer’s hardware resources such as memory, processor and disk drives.

The Operating System also provides a platform for you to run apps such as word processors, web browsers, games, open files, and so on. These are represented as graphical icons on the screen. Apps open up in a window allowing you to interact with them using either a mouse, keyboard or touch-screen. Commands and options are organised into menus for you to select. This is called a graphic user interface.

Windows Editions

There are two editions of Windows 10 available to consumers: Home and Pro.

Windows 10 Home is designed for use on PCs, laptops and tablets. This edition is intended for the every day home user. If you bought a laptop or tablet device from a computer store, then this is the version you’re most likely to have.

Windows 10 Pro is the same as the home edition, except it has additional features that are oriented towards business environments and power users.

Microsoft subsequently released other editions of Windows 10 aimed at different markets.

Windows 10 Enterprise is aimed at medium to large scale organisations that have hundreds or even thousands of computers in their offices and networks. This edition is very similar to Windows 10 Pro except it has a couple of extra features.

Windows 10 Education is very much like Windows 10 Pro and Windows 10 Enterprise but is distributed to educational establishments such as schools, colleges, and universities.

Windows 10 S is a feature-limited edition of Windows 10 designed primarily for low-end devices and the education market. Windows 10 S only allows the installation of software from the Windows Store. You can only use Microsoft Edge as the web browser and Bing as the search engine.

Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is designed for high-end hardware for intensive computing tasks and supports Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron processors, up to 4 CPUs, 6TB RAM, the ReFS file system.

The May 2020 Update

Windows 10 - May 2020 Update, Version 2004, also known as 20H1, introduces some new features and improvements over the previous update.

What’s New?

There is a new cloud download option for reinstalling windows, making it a bit easier to download and install windows if you run into problems.

Cortana now has a chat feature, and you can move the window.

You can rename your virtual desktops, instead of desktop 1, desktop 2, desktop 3, etc.

Windows Ink Workspace has had a few tweaks and now takes up less screen space.

Windows ink workspace has been streamlined so now when you click the icon on the taskbar you either select the ‘whiteboard’ app or the ‘fullscreen snip’ app.

Windows Search experience is a little faster, and the File Explorer search experience makes it easier to find your files.

A better touch experience in desktop mode for convertible PCs such as the surface tablet, surface pro, or lenovo yoga etc. Not to be confused with full tablet mode.

Icons on the task bar are more spaced and optimised for touch screen interfaces.

Bluetooth pairing has been improved making it easier to connect bluetooth devices to your machine.

Windows now allows users to add IP cameras to their PC, enabling photo capture and streaming of video in camera applications.

Some other minor tweaks give you more control over Optional Updates in Windows Update, you now need a PIN to enter Safe mode, and you can make some devices passwordless allowing you to use a PIN code, finger print scan or facial recognition cameras.

There is also a restart apps option which allows you to manage whether apps that aren’t closed during shutdown are reopened automatically on the next start up.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) has also had a few improvements

Setting up Windows 10

New PC laptops, tablets and computers will come with Windows 10 already installed, usually the home edition. If you are running an older system such as Windows 7 or Windows 8 you should upgrade your system to Windows 10.

Microsoft’s free upgrade may be over, but since they want as many people on Windows 10 as possible, those with activated versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 can still upgrade for free. If you are running either of those two operating systems, you should upgrade as soon as possible.

In this chapter we’ll take a look at how to upgrade - you can do this using the media creation tool, available from Microsoft’s website.

Also we’ll go through system settings, monitoring child accounts and family safety, blue tooth devices, and various other features in Windows 10.

We’ll also take a look at running Windows 10 for the first time as well as setting it up, installing printers, connecting to WiFi and Windows 10’s many other features.

Let’s begin with a look at upgrading to the latest Windows 10 update...

Upgrading to Windows 10

If you have a fully licensed version of Windows 7 or 8 installed on your machine, you can still upgrade for free using the Media Creation Tool - see section on upgrading from Windows 7 & 8.

If you’re upgrading, make sure your PC meets the following specification. A computer with the minimum spec recommended by Microsoft will run painfully slow, so I’ve included a recommended minimum spec below that I’ve tested.

2GHz or faster CPUAt least 4GB of RAMAt least 32GB Hard Disk SpaceAt least 1152x864 screen resolutionGraphics card with WDDM support and DirectX 9 or above.

If you Already have Windows 10

If you are already running Windows 10 and simply want to get the May 2020 Update, then you should automatically receive a notification on Windows Update.

Go to Start Menu, click Settings icon. Select ‘Update & Security’ then ‘Windows Update’. Click ‘check for updates’.

Windows 10 will check for any available updates. The May update is version 2004. When it’s available, you’ll see a ‘feature update’ notification in windows update. Click ‘download and install now’.

To complete the update, you’ll need to restart your machine when it’s finished. Go to Start > Power > ‘Update & Restart’. If you only see ‘restart’ on the menu, then the update hasn’t finished downloading yet.

Buying Windows 10

If you can’t upgrade free for whatever reason, you can buy Windows 10 from any computer store or online retailer. The installation media for Windows 10 will either come as a download, a DVD disk or a flash/usb drive.

The best place is to buy a copy from Microsoft’s Online Store, using your Microsoft Account. Head over to the following website.

www.microsoftstore.com/windows

Scroll down and click ‘Windows 10 Home’, or ‘Windows 10 Pro’, for most users the home edition is fine.

Select ‘how do you want to get Windows 10’. You can select either Download disk image or a USB stick. Having Windows 10 installer on a USB stick is useful for installing and is easier to use than a disk image.

Click ‘buy and download’.

You’ll see a summary of your order and how much it is going to cost. Click ‘checkout’, when you’re happy.

Click ‘sign in and checkout’. Sign in with your Microsoft Account email address and password.

Run through the steps to enter payment details and confirm order. You’ll be able to download Windows 10 and Microsoft will send you a copy on a USB stick.

This will associate your Windows 10 license with your Microsoft Account and the device you’re installing it on. This means that when you log into Windows 10 with your Microsoft Account email address and password, Windows will automatically activate on your device, even if you have to re-install Windows.

To install Windows 10, insert the USB stick, open up your file explorer, navigate to the USB stick and run the ‘setup.exe’ file; see next section. You can also upgrade using the Media Creation Tool.

If your device, laptop or PC came with Windows 10, you don’t need to buy a copy, unless for example, you have Windows 10 Home and want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

Upgrading from Windows 7 & 8

At the time of writing, if you have an activated version of Windows 7 or Windows 8, you can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free. To do this, go to the following website and download the media creation tool.

www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10

Double click on mediacreationtool.exe, or click ‘run’ when prompted by your browser. If you don’t see it, the file will be in your downloads folder on your file explorer.

On the opening blue screen, make sure ‘upgrade this PC now’ is selected and click ‘next’.

Follow the instructions on screen. Leave the setting selected; ‘download and install updates’. This will insure you get the latest release of Windows 10. Click ‘next’.

Click ‘Accept’ to accept the licence terms.

On the next screen, choose what data you want to keep. You have three options.

Keep personal files, apps and Windows settings

This upgrades everything to Windows 10 and transfers all your installed apps, settings and personal files.

Keep personal files only

Use this option if you want to remove installed apps, old windows settings and applications but keep all your personal files. If you choose this option you will need to re-install your applications. This is usually the best option to select.

Keep Nothing

This will wipe all your files, applications and settings. Only do this if you have backed up all your personal files. Useful if you want a fresh install of Windows 10.

If in doubt click ‘keep personal files, apps and windows settings’ to keep everything. This will keep all your files, any compatible applications and windows settings such as Edge/Explorer browser histories, contacts, desktop themes/backgrounds and so on.

Click Next.

Windows will shut down and restart. Once restarted windows update will kick in and configure the updates. This will take a while.

Setup will restart and Windows will proceed with the install. This will also take a while.

Once Windows 10 is installed, you’ll see the ‘welcome to windows 10’ screen.

Welcome to Windows 10. You will notice Windows 10 has imported your username from Windows 7/8. Click next.

Select ‘use express settings’ to let Windows 10 use the default settings.

Click next on the following screen. Windows will start to configure itself and restart. Once it restarts you will land on the new Windows 10 desktop. You may need to go through ‘running windows the first time’ section, if you selected ‘keep nothing’ and decided to do a fresh install.

Upgrading from Windows 8 the same procedure.

Once you see the desktop you should switch to your Microsoft Account if Windows doesn’t do it for you.

To check, go to the start menu and select settings on the bottom left.

From the settings dialog box that appears, select accounts. Select ‘your info’ from the panel on the left.

If you see ‘Local Account’ then click ‘Sign in with a Microsoft Account’ - follow the instructions on screen.

If you see ‘Microsoft Account’, you don’t need to do anything here and can skip this step.

Update Assistant

The Update Assistant downloads and installs the latest version of Windows 10.

Open your web browser and navigate to the following website.

www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10

You’ll need to purchase a license from the Microsoft Store, if you don’t already have one. On the webpage click ‘update now’.

Click ‘run’ when prompted by your browser

Once the update assistant starts, click ‘update now’.

Update Assistant will do a check on your device to make sure it is able to run the update.

Click ‘next’ on the bottom right when the check is complete.

The Update Assistant will now download and install the update.

You can leave the Update Assistant open or you can minimise it and carry on working.

To minimise the assistant and run it in the background, click ‘minimise’.

Once the update has been configured, click ‘restart now’. You’ll also notice a countdown on the left hand side of the screen. This means your device will restart automatically when the countdown hits zero.

Your device will restart and installation will begin. This can take a while to complete.

Once the installation is complete, you’ll need to run through some settings.

You can turn them all on, but keep diagnostic information to ‘basic’, then click ‘accept’. Select your username, if there is more than one, then click ‘next’.

Click ‘next’ on the following screen. You can then log in when prompted.

Media Creation Tool

Microsoft has released a tool that you can download and run on your computer. This will allow you to create an install DVD or USB stick. These can be useful if your machine fails or has problems and will allow you to reinstall Windows 10 on your PC.

Open your web browser and navigate to the following website. You’ll need to purchase a license from the Microsoft Store, if you don’t already have one.

www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10

Scroll down the page and at the bottom click ‘download tool now’.

The download will appear on the bottom left of your browser screen. Click on it to run the tool.

Creating Installation Media

You can use this tool to create a DVD or a USB stick that you can use to re-install Windows 10 on your PC. This media is useful if your PC fails to start or your hard disk fails.

You can start your PC up from the installation media and run the installation process again to restore your computer.

To create the installation media, we are going to use a USB stick. Make sure your USB stick is at least 8GB.

First, plug your USB stick into your PC.

From the media creation tool, select ‘create installation media (USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC’

Click ‘next’.

The media creation tool will start to download windows 10 and create the installation media. This might take a while...

Select your language, edition of Windows 10 (home or pro) and your computer’s architecture (either 32bit for older machines and 64bit for machines purchased in the last 10 years).

Most of the time, the media creation tool will automatically select these settings based on your current version of windows and hardware.

Click ‘next’.

Select your installation media. In this case, we are using a USB stick, so select ‘USB flash drive’.

Click next.

The media creation tool will scan for your USB stick and will display what it finds in the next window.

Click ‘next’ to start the process.

This process can take a while depending on the speed of your PC. Once it has finished, store your USB stick in a safe place, as you probably won’t need it unless you have problems or want to install a fresh copy of Windows 10.

If you run into problems with your PC, you can always start it up using the USB stick you just created.

Take a look at the ‘media creation tool’ demos in the maintenance section of the accompanying video resources. Go to the following website.

www.elluminetpress.com/windows10-maintenance

Media Creation Tool to Upgrade your PC

Open your web browser and navigate to the following website. Note you’ll need to purchase a license from the Microsoft Store, if you don’t already have one.

www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows10

Scroll down the page and at the bottom click ‘download tool now’.

The download will appear on the bottom left of your browser screen. Click on it to run the tool.

From the main screen select ‘upgrade this PC now’.

Click ‘next’. Windows 10 installation files will be downloaded. This may take a while depending on your internet connection speed.

Once downloaded, accept the license terms. Windows creation tool will now download any updates it needs to install.

On the ‘ready to install’ screen, click ‘change what to keep’.