Table of contents for November 2017 in Windows Help & Advice

It’s amazing how quickly your PC can get junked up with all kinds of detritus – duplicate files, unwanted or unused apps and, of course, there’s the ever-present threat of malware. On page 11 , we show you how to clean up your PC by getting rid of viruses and ransomware; wipe potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) and save gigabytes of storage space by getting rid of multiple copies of files, such as photos. We even explain how you can keep your PC clutter-free and safe in future – and show you how to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch, just in case you want to perform a complete do-over. On page 52 we’ll also show you how to stream almost anything from your PC; and on page 60 how you can…

What’s this, then? It’s Microsoft’s take on Virtual Reality (VR). Strap on an appropriate headset and it blends the real world with your Windows desktop (and a bunch of special apps which take advantage of the technology) for what Microsoft calls ‘immersive experiences that you will love’. That probably depends on your stomach. So it’s HoloLens? Yes and no. HoloLens was the first step on the mixed reality road, and Microsoft’s debut in the field. It’s now farmed the relevant protocols and design ideologies out to a host of interested third parties, which means a stack of new headsets are due towards the end of this year, with more coming at the beginning of 2018. Like what? The Lenovo Explorer will probably be the first. Available as a headset-only package…

osmlab.github.io/show-me-the-way/ OpenStreetMap is a quite remarkable project, a democratised collection of maps, freely available for anyone to use or work with, created entirely by its users. But exactly how does a project of that magnitude come together? Show Me The Way shows you how. Head to the site and you can watch the most recent additions to OpenStreetMap – roads, paths, buildings, zones and more – added live, drawn over the top of satellite imagery. It’s fascinating not just to see how accurate OpenStreetMap is, but to take a tour around some of the more obscure locations in the world as they’re added to its vast database. And if you’d like to see – or even make use of – the maps, head to openstreetmap.org where you can browse locations,…

This month’s Explore section is packed with tips and tricks to help you make the most of your PC – from organising your music collection with the fantastic, and free, MusicBee ( page 29 ) to creating an amazing flame effect with Photo Pos Pro ( page 38 ). We’ll also show you how to make Minecraft run perfectly on your PC (page 32); turn any PDF into an editable text document (page 44); back up your most important files to the cloud using Google Drive (page 46); and even how you can track down a lost or stolen Windows device (page 50).…

At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 OPTIONS Here you’ll find general settings for the player. You scan for new music files on your PC, rip CDs and much more. NOW PLAYING Clicking here will show you details of the current track, along with song lyrics and images of the artist or band. ARTIST CATALOG These are all the performers whose music you own. If any images are missing, just copy and paste new ones. MUSIC EXPLORER These are all the albums you own by a particular artist. Right-click one to update its metadata or artwork. RATINGS Rate your songs and MusicBee will enable you to create automatic playlists based on your favourite songs. PLAYLIST You…

Your guide Ian Evenden says… “Adding special effects to your photos is easy with this free image editing program” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 TOOLS The user interface looks rather like Photoshop, so here are your tools on the left-hand side. TABS Having multiple images open is a breeze thanks to the tabbed interface. INTERFACE SWITCHER If you want to swap between Novice and Pro modes, then simply click the button here. LAYERS The Layers palette lets you add several different elements to an image and then combine them for a creative effect. CURVES You can easily adjust the brightness and tone in your flame image using the Curves palette in Photo Pos…

Your guide Ian Evenden says… “Use Google’s online storage service to documents safe and in sync across all of your devices” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 INCOMING Documents that have been shared with you by other Google Drive users appear under this heading on the right. GOOGLE DOCUMENTS Double-clicking a Google document opens it in a new browser tab for editing. Right-clicking gives you more options. OTHER DOCUMENTS Double-clicking on a document, such as a PDF, opens it as a read-only preview. Download, print or share it from the top bar. FOLDERS You can organise your documents into folders in the same way you would on your storage drive. OTHER FILES Any file,…

Just starting your Windows journey? Confused by the changes Microsoft has made to the Creators Update? Maybe you just want to learn something new about Windows 10. Well, this is the section for you! There’s not enough space to tell you absolutely everything you need to know here, but Windows Help & Advice always has your back. On page 72 we’ll show you how to master the desktop, customise application icons and take control of notifications; and on page 74 we’ll explain how you can customise the Start menu from changing the default colours to managing your Live tiles. www.facebook.com/windowsmag…

Things can, and do, go wrong. Hard drives fail, computers go up in smoke, and with them go the things you need and love. Family photos, financial documents, all gone – unless you’re clever. Backing up files to an external drive is certainly one way of ensuring they’re safe, but going one stage further and having your files also wend their way to a cloud service, with all the security of protected server rooms and their own dedicated and invisible backups, is a no-brainer. Many companies offer some kind of cloud backup for free. Microsoft’s OneDrive, for example, offers free 5GB of free storage (down from the 15GB it previously offered), a free Dropbox account gets you 2GB, Google Drive offers you 15GB, and so on. Each of these –…

The recent US election, and the Twitter protestations of the eventual winner, brought an alarming trend to public attention: fake news. The term generally refers to highly biased articles, often entirely fabricated or filled with falsehoods. We’re not talking about parody or humour; fake news is more insidious, generated in order to sway public opinion one way or the other, and designed in such a way that the articles will rise to the top of social networks, such as Facebook. It’s a problem. You might have been influenced by fake news without even knowing it. But it’s a problem that the internet’s biggest names are working to stamp out, although it won’t be easy. FACE THE FACTS Twitter, for example, is mulling over the idea of a ‘fake news’ button,…

Packed with informative tutorials Every issue, we guarantee to pack the magazine with great tutorials teaching you all the best things you can do with your PC. Each article features step-by-step instructions to make learning new skills fast and enjoyable. Customise Windows to work your way We all know how to do the basics but getting the most from Windows isn’t always easy. Our dedication to the operating system means you get the very best tips and tricks for all versions of Windows. Get more from your favourite websites We all have our list of favourite sites but often we miss out on great features because they’re difficult to use or hidden from sight. We’ll show you how to do more online, for a more satisfying web life. Discover new…

Your guide Alex Cox says… “Minecraft’s simplicity is one of the key reasons for its enormous popularity, but getting it running well on your PC isn’t quite so easy…” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 ALEX’S BEST TIP! If you buy Minecraft you’ll get a free code for the Windows 10 edition when you login to Mojang’s website. Breaking blocks, building stuff – Minecraft is virtual Lego in the best way. Its simplistic graphics leave room for plenty of imagination, and its gameplay is entirely up to you: you can build a house out of mud, you can create a functioning farm, or you can embark on an epic adventure to alternate dimensions. Or,…

At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 PERSONALISATION The personalisation screen in Windows’ Settings panel gives you lots of options for changing the way it looks. WALLPAPER A wallpaper from either your photo library or Microsoft’s website can help guide your desktop colour theme. COLOURS You can change the colours of Window elements and see how they look in the Preview window. AUTO-PICK COLOUR Windows can be set to automatically pick the colour of accents based on the wallpaper background you choose. THEMES You can save your adjustments as themes and then easily switch between them to match your mood. MORE THEMES If you’re lacking inspiration, you can try one of Windows’ default themes or get…

Your guide Nick Peers says… “Improve your sleep patterns and protect your eyes without banning the use of PCs after dark with the help of this brilliant free utility” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 NICK’S BEST TIP! Click ≡ and select Extras to make further tweaks, including giving f.lux control over your Philips Hue lighting system. Anyone who’s had to work late at the office will know how staring at a bright monitor can affect your ability to sleep when you get home. Much of this problem is caused by your monitor’s screen temperature – cool blues are great during the daytime when you want a bright, colour-accurate display, but as the sun…

Night light is a brand new feature of the Windows 10 Creators Update, which can be set to automatically adjust the colour temperature of your PC’s display in the evening and at night. There are two benefits to this: one is that it helps reduce eyestrain; the other is that it promotes restful sleep by reducing your exposure to blue-white ‘daytime’ light. To set up Night light, head to Settings > Display > ‘Night light settings’.…

Virtual Private Networks or VPNs are an increasingly popular way to protect your privacy when surfing the internet. Essentially they enable you to avoid the unwanted attentions of snoopers and hackers, while also allowing you trawl the web icognito. We’ve reviewed and rated four of the best, and free, VPN clients on page 88. You’ll also find reviews of the new Dell XPS 15 (page 78); Asus’ modestly priced Surface alternative (page 80); Cujo firewall (page 82); Sony’s MDR-1000X wireless headphones (page 84); and the Acer Swift 3 (page 86).…

Some have accused Apple of following rather than leading in recent years, and there’s certainly some truth in that – its new iPhone X (pronounced ‘ten’) doesn’t do anything that scattered competitors in the Android world haven’t been doing for some time. But it’s certainly a bold release, both in the way engineers have changed up the iPhone design and in the way the company is asking an astonishing £999 for the pleasure of using it. Here’s what it’s best at……

1 What does pressing [Alt] + [F4] do to the current window? A Minimises it B Takes a screenshot C Closes it 2 What does pressing [F5] usually do? A Refreshes the currently selected window B Restarts your PC C Records your screen 3 For what is [F2] usually a shortcut? A Deletes an object B Renames an object C Duplicates an object 4 What action does pressing [Shift] + [F10] replicate? A Right-click B Power off C Eject 5 What does pressing [F11] do to most internet browsers? A Takes you back B Takes you forward C Enters fullscreen 6 In Microsoft Word, what does [F7] do? A Checks spelling B Removes formatting C Summons Clippy…

Next, we’re moving on to programs, add-ons and files that inhabit a ‘grey area’ – these are potentially unwanted (hence the term PUPs, or potentially unwanted programs) and fall into a number of categories. Most PUPs are installed alongside seemingly legitimate software – usually for financial reasons, an increasing number of supposedly free tools are bundled up inside installers that attempt to do more than simply install the original program. These additional actions may be to attempt the installation of further programs. Others offer you browser toolbars while attempting to change your browser search settings or homepage. The offerings are usually legitimate, but the tactics used to get them on to your PC are not. Items are usually pre-selected, and it’s not always clear which options you need to select…

Your guide Dan Grabham says… “It’s easy to create great-looking, shareable projects and add to them whatever you choose” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 ADD CONTENT Use the Insert menu to add to your Sway. You’ll see various options to choose from, including YouTube and Flickr. CARDS The building blocks of your Sway. You can add, delete and rearrange them, and change the content within them. DESIGN & LAYOUT Change the look and feel of your Sway using the ready-made designs and groups of fonts, or customise your own. PLAY YOUR SWAY The Play button enables you to preview your Sway as others would see it, complete with interactive content. SHARE YOUR SWAY…

Your guide Nate Drake says… “Tweak your system by uncovering some of the hidden gems and less well known features of Windows” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 GOD MODE This gives you instant access to system settings, such as configuring your internet connection. INTEGRATED PDF PRINTER Windows 10 now includes a virtual printer, which you can use to convert any file to PDF. SNAP ASSIST Windows 10 can automatically resize windows to take up one half or one quarter of the screen using your mouse. SHOW FILE EXTENSIONS Use the View menu in File Explorer to display the three letter extension for each of your files. QUICK LAUNCH FROM TASKBAR Add a browser…

Your guide Ian Evenden says… “You might not be able to edit a PDF directly, but you can easily convert it into something you can change using cloud-based tools and downloadable apps” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 IAN’S BEST TIP! You can easily create a PDF in Windows 10 by choosing ‘Save as PDF ’ from the dialog box under File > Print. Being able to export a PDF from the free Adobe Reader as a file you can edit in another application would be a really useful thing to be able to do – and Reader teases you with its export functionality, letting you select the format you want and click a…

Your guide Cat Ellis says… “Don’t wait until your laptop or tablet goes missing – install Prey now and you’ll always have an eye on it” At a glance Skill level… Anyone can do it Straightforward Tricky in parts Suitable for… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7 CAT’S BEST TIP! When your device is reported missing, Prey will send you regular email updates on its whereabouts so you don’t have to keep checking online yourself. Lightweight laptops, tablets and convertible devices, such as Microsoft Surface, make it easy to carry the power of a full-size PC wherever you go. But this convenience comes with a risk – every time you take your Windows 10 device outside, there’s a chance that it could be lost or stolen. All it takes…

You can trust our reviews Our reviewers are 100 per cent independent, with years of experience in the world of computing. Our rigorous testing procedures mean that only genuine, high-quality products are awarded high star ratings. If you see an item of hardware bearing a high score, you can be confident that it is an excellent product. We choose the best products Thousands of new PC products are released every year and choosing between them can be an impossible task. Our experts select only the best hardware and software to feature in this magazine. Even better, our star rating system makes it simple to find the best products, giving you a fast, trustworthy guide. How we review Our expert reviewers guarantee to test every piece of hardware rigorously and thoroughly,…

1 Tunnel Bear  www.tunnelbear.com TunnelBear might have a cutesy design, but it’s a serious free VPN. There are free and paid-for subscriptions to choose from. The only restriction with the free one is that you are limited to 500MB of traffic each month. This isn’t a huge amount, so you won’t be able to use TunnelBear without paying, but it’s great for those times when you feel like you need a little extra protection. Performance is impressive and ease of use is second to none. In all likelihood you won’t need to change any of the default settings, and the automatic connection option should work fine, but you can manually choose from one of 20 countries as your adopted location. Delightfully simple and reassuringly secure, TunnelBear is certainly one of…