WINDOWS 10 DIY REPAIR GUIDE
MAKE YOUR PC RUN LIKE NEW AGAIN • FIND & FIX WINDOWS’ MOST ANNOYING PROBLEMS • TAKE CONTROL OF WINDOWS UPDATE • OPTIMISE YOUR LAPTOP & DESKTOP
THE PERFECT WINDOWS PC
If you’re planning to move to Windows 10, installing the OS might be the first area where you run into problems. Installing a new operating system requires a certain amount of free space on your drive, so that it can be downloaded and certain elements can be run successfully.
For Windows 10, the minimum space requirement is 16GB, which should be kept free on the main system drive the computer uses. This is actually the same as previous versions of Windows, so if you’ve upgraded before, you can most likely do it again. To check how much space you have left, go to “My Computer” (or “This PC,” depending on the version of Windows you’re running), where any drives you have are listed. You can see the remaining space indicated underneath each drive, or you can right-click and select “Properties” for a clearer overview (the system drive is usually C:). Just as with space requirements, your PC also has to be capable of running Windows 10. This means it must reach certain minimum system requirements. Thankfully, the requirements for running Windows 10 are relatively low: a processor of 1GHz or faster; 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) of RAM; 16GB of free drive space; a Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device; a Microsoft account; and Internet access. To find out your PC’s spec, go to “Control Panel” and select “System & Security,” then “System.”
ACTIVATE
Some users have reported issues with activating their copies of Windows 10, which could have been down to a number of different reasons. In some cases, the easiest way to get around the problem is to ensure you have purchased a legitimate copy of Windows 10.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, this latest one is almost exclusively available online, which means that official Microsoft websites are the best bet for your purchase. The company was once giving the OS away for free, but that promotion has now ended.
Microsoft has a helpful website that provides a downloadable copy in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions. If you find that you’re unable to activate Windows 10, Microsoft has introduced an activation troubleshooter; head to “Settings,” then click “Update & Security,” go to “Activation,” and select “Troubleshoot” (you won’t see this option if Windows 10 has already been activated).
UPDATES
Windows 10 is, in many ways, a truly Internet-based OS. Mostly this is a bonus, but there are times when it isn’t — and Microsoft’s attitude toward downloading and installing operating system updates is one such time.
The most annoying part of automatic updates is the restarting, which can seemingly come at random (and inconvenient times). The simplest way to counteract this is to head to Windows Update (in “Settings > Update & Security”), click “Advanced Options,” and then “Notify to Schedule Restart,” which means the OS will request a reboot rather than trample all over the work you’re not quite done with yet.
Each version of a new operating system also comes with its own set of backward compatibility issues, and Windows 10 is no exception. The transition from Windows 8.1 to 10 was far less jarring than the move from Windows 7 to 8, but there are still certain applications that can become broken and, in some cases, cease to work at all.
One such application is Chrome, which some users have had to fully delete and reinstall. If a program isn’t working with Windows 10, try looking in the Microsoft Store or on the official website for the software to find an update. If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall it. Over time, more and more developers have updated their programs for Windows 10 compatibility, so this is now less of a problem than it was.
BROWSERS
The web browser has become the heart of the modern PC. Microsoft ships Windows 10 with Edge, the successor to its Internet Explorer browser (although IE is still present in the operating system). For many people, however, using Chrome or Firefox is the norm, no matter what Microsoft wants.
To install Chrome or Firefox, open Edge, search for either browser, and find a Windows 10 version. Download it, install it, and make sure it’s set as the default browser option, so Edge doesn’t keep reappearing. To do this, head to “Settings > System,” and click “Default Apps”—click under “Web Browser,” and then select your preferred default browser.
If you do want to use Edge, you’ll find it’s actually a decent browser, but it does come with some annoying features. Because it’s a Universal Windows App, Edge runs on smartphones, tablets, PCs, and almost
any other device. This means that it sometimes has a problem with being too much like a phone app rather than a PC program.
One of the ways this manifests itself is by sometimes refusing to play media when minimised, just as a phone app wouldn’t. There’s a fix for this, but it’s tucked away in a rather obscure location. Head to “Settings > Privacy > Background apps,” and enable Microsoft Edge (switch it to “On”) in the list on the right, to enable the browser to keep itself going in the background. There’s another issue with Edge, and it’s often one of personal taste: many people just don’t like the Bing search engine, most likely because they’ve always used Google. That’s fine, and we’re sure Microsoft understands.
Changing Edge’s search engine over to Google is relatively simple. Navigate in Edge to www.google.com (or Yahoo, or whatever your preference), and click the ellipsis (…) in the top-right. A drop-down menu appears: Select “Settings,” then navigate down to click “View Advanced Settings.” From here, scroll down to “Search in the address bar with…” and select “Add New.” Some users have reported that “Add New” often has no results in it, suggesting that no new search engine can be added. This isn’t true. To get past this, close and then reopen Edge, and (hopefully) some results will appear. One slight issue: You can’t ask Cortana to search with Google; it always uses Bing, which can be something of an irritation.
PRIVACY
Data security is incredibly important as hackers become more sophisticated, and the number of complex cyber-attacks is on the up. An unprotected PC is basically an invitation to be interfered with, and you might not know you’re being exploited — the days of openly malicious viruses are mostly behind us.
Windows 10 comes with a decent set of built-in protection measures, but you can never be too careful. One such feature that should be disabled by privacy-minded individuals is Wi-Fi Sense, which automatically shares the Wi-Fi password across Win 10 devices on the same account.
Microsoft updated Wi-Fi Sense to share less data, but switching it off is the ideal way to prevent anything you don’t want to happen. Go to the Start menu, select “Settings,” click “Network & Internet,” then “Wi-Fi,” and head to “Manage Wi-Fi Settings”—turn off all the options in here. Also in “Settings,” you can get an overview of everything else happening on Win 10 in terms of privacy under the “Privacy” section. Here, you’re presented with a bunch of toggles that adjust some privacy
options to help keep everything under control.
Windows 10 also ships with a variety of security features that are worth looking at. One such feature to be aware of is Windows Defender, which is designed to detect and remove malware from PCs – it’s under “Settings > Update & Security.” Make sure you turn it on if you don’t have a third-party antivirus solution running. Equally, don’t rely on Defender; it’s one of the least effective antivirus tools there is, and you should definitely apply some third-party protection, even if it’s something free, such as Avira ( www. avira.com).
Windows Firewall is the other half of Microsoft’s basic efforts to keep your PC safe. It’s easy to turn on, but configuring the firewall is a slightly more involved matter. To switch on the firewall, or rather, to make sure it’s switched on as it should be by default, type “firewall” into the search/Cortana box (next to the Start menu), and click “Windows Firewall.” From here, there’s an option to turn it on (or off), and you can also adjust its relative “strength.”
Windows Firewall can be set as incredibly strong via “Advanced Settings”—blocking all suspect apps without asking – or slightly weaker, so there’s a slightly greater risk that your PC will be hit by an infection, but the firewall won’t interfere as much.
INPUT ISSUES
If you’ve bought a Windows 10 machine with a touchscreen, you are, by and large, getting the best experience with the OS. Ever since Win 8, Microsoft has been optimising its operating system for the finger – and sometimes pen – with large tiles, easy-to-scroll menus, and so on. It can still be a little disjointed, but the way to remedy this is simple: Go to “Start > Settings > System > Tablet Mode.” Then turn Tablet Mode on—this optimises Win 10 for fingers rather than pointers, making it far easier to use.
Having a touchpad-enabled laptop is also good for Windows 10, but some users have reported that the upgrade from Windows 7 (and sometimes Windows 8) breaks it.
One of the ways to solve this is by first checking to see if your keyboard has a key that turns the touchpad off. You usually have to use the Fn key on your laptop with one of the F-keys; look for a symbol that looks like a rectangle with a cross through it.
If your laptop doesn’t have such a function – or the right setting is toggled and you’re still having issues – head to “Devices > Mouse & Touchpad > Additional mouse options.” A new window appears. From here, select the “Device Settings” tab, then “Devices,” and make sure the touchpad is enabled. If none of these options work, press Win-X, select “Device Manager,” then “Mice and other pointing devices,” and update the driver. This should fix things.
HARDWARE
We can’t all keep up with the latest changes in tech—and neither should we have to—but this can, naturally, cause issues. Let’s start with printer compatibility. If you’re jumping from Windows 7 (or earlier) to Windows 10, it’s definitely worth updating all available printer drivers, which should help prevent them not working post-upgrade. Doing this is simple. Just search Google (or Bing, depending on your preference) for the name of your printer, and download the latest Windows 10 compatible drivers. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install them, and you’re good to go.
Now on to screens. Users have reported issues with high-resolution displays and Windows 10, including experiencing blurriness in applications that had been rendering fine on previous versions of the OS, such as Windows 8.1.
The easiest way to solve the issue of blurriness is by going to “Control Panel > Display,” and fiddling around with the settings here. There is no single setting that will fix all issues, so experiment and see what works (and what doesn’t).
To fix blurriness in specific applications, right-click the app’s icon, and select “Properties.” Under the “Compatibility” tab, there is an option to “Disable display scaling on high DPI settings.” Check this and – hopefully –
the problems will disappear.
You may also find that your screen is flickering – this isn’t always a hardware issue, as some users have found it to occur when upgrading to Windows 10.
The easiest way to fix this is to update all relevant drivers for monitors, as well as Norton Antivirus, iCloud, and IDT Audio, which are all suspected to be potential causes of these problems. It may even help to uninstall and then reinstall them.
Windows 10 does automatically update drivers, so there is also a chance it’s forcing an incompatible version of a driver on to the PC without realizing.
If you found that an upgrade to Win 10 broke the connection of a Bluetooth device (or devices) that was previously paired up just fine with your machine, there is an easy fix for this. According to Microsoft, all you have to do is head to Device Manager (just type “device manager” into the search/Cortana box next to the Start menu), select the Bluetooth driver, and update it to the latest version, which will be compatible with Windows 10. The operating system should be able to automatically search, and then update, the driver. If that fails to work, unpairing (or “forgetting”) the device before repairing it should fix the issue.
MOBILE COMPUTING
Battery life is important to anyone who regularly uses a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and, of course, Windows 10 can be used on all three of those devices. Microsoft recognizes this – as shown by the marketing of its Edge browser as being battery-friendly – and has built several tools into Windows 10 to help cut down on excessive battery drain. All apps that run in the background can be toggled off, for example, which stops them from sucking up precious juice.
Windows 10 also includes a dedicated set of power options, which you can find via “Settings > System > Power & Sleep.” From here, display sleep times can be set, and under “Additional Power Settings,” you can select a power plan that means a lighter load for your battery.
If just fiddling with the settings isn’t enough, Windows 10 can also generate a battery report. To do this, head to the Command Prompt Admin (which you get from right-clicking the Start menu), and type “powercfg / batteryreport / output “C:\battery_report.html”.” This saves a file to any chosen folder—for example, C:\ in this case, the root of your system drive—which gives you a hugely detailed look at battery quality, cycles, how much charge is left, and much more. The report is a little dense, so be warned.
Location-based apps are fairly
“If you haven’t logged in, or Win 10 hasn’t booted, your immediate diagnostic path should be to check your Internet connection, then boot your PC in a different way. ”
prominent in Windows 10, which makes it a good idea to let your PC know where you are. Cortana, for example, can give far more information if it can pinpoint where in the world it’s being used.
To update your location settings, head to the Start menu, click “Settings > Time & Language,” then click “Region & Language,” and make sure the correct country is selected. To turn on Location services, go to “Settings > Privacy > Location,” and flick the “Location” switch to “On.”
If you’re on a tablet that has 4G, or if you’re using a mobile hotspot, or surfing the web via a 4G-enabled laptop, the operating system may have a nasty surprise for you. Users have been reporting that the default configuration of Windows 10 sucks up data like there’s no tomorrow, potentially going over your data allowance, and leaving you with a hefty bill. Fortunately, there’s an option that addresses the problem. Go to “Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi.” Click “Advanced Options,” then “Set as metered connection” to stop Windows 10 collecting so much data in the background.
MAJOR CRASHES
While Windows 10 is far more stable than many OSes that came before it, it’s still prone to the odd bout of madness, so it pays to be prepared. A black screen on Windows 10 can mean several things, depending on whether you’ve logged in to the OS or not.
If you haven’t logged in, or Win 10 hasn’t booted, your immediate diagnostic path should be to check your Internet connection, then boot your PC in a different way. If you logged in, then the screen went black, unplug all external devices and, failing that, boot via Safe mode. It’s just what you’d expect—a safe way of booting up a PC and running the system with no startup apps and only essential drivers, which should hopefully enable the computer to boot successfully (when it won’t otherwise, due to some issue or other). With Windows 10, to access Safe mode, hold down Shift while booting up (or select “Restart” from the desktop while holding down Shift), then follow the menus on screen.
The Blue Screen of Death, also known as a BSOD or stop error, may sound bad, but it’s certainly fixable in the majority of cases. When the problem manifests, it halts your PC completely, stopping it working, and showing a blue screen, usually with some kind of message about restarting or a critical error. You then need to reboot.
To fix this, you can explore several options. First, check how much available space you have left on your system drive, and if it’s low, make some room by deleting bigger files or programs you don’t need. Also, ensure all the latest updates are applied to the software on your machine, because having outdated apps can cause issues. While you’re at it, update the hardware drivers of any peripherals, as the problem could be caused by Win 10 clashing with something. Head to “Device Manager,” which you can reach by searching for it in the Start menu. Here, you can ensure that peripherals such as your monitor, webcam, printer, or scanner have the latest drivers, simply by right-clicking the device in question. Select “Update Driver Software,” then click “Search automatically for updated driver software.”
GLITCHES
It’s not uncommon for certain software, particularly older apps, to encounter glitches or even fail to run completely with Windows 10. There’s one potential way to get around show-stopping bugs, though: right-click the icon for the app, select “Properties,” then click the “Compatibility” tab. From here, click the checkbox next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for,” and in the drop-down menu underneath that, choose the version of Windows that the program previously ran fine on. Over time, many developers update their apps to remove bugs, so the software in question may eventually work perfectly well with Windows 10. An easy way to help this process is by reporting any bugs you come across – this can usually be done via the developer’s website.
Alternatively, your machine may be in the grips of slowdown – perhaps your hard disk is whirring away like crazy? If so, there’s a good chance that one of the programs you’re currently running has developed some kind of issue, and is sapping all of your system resources. Luckily, there’s a very simple way to find out whether an app has gone haywire and is bogging down your computer: You need to head over to Task Manager (press Ctrl-Shift-Esc together), and click “More Details”— you’ll then see a list of processes, which is all the different apps and services that are running on your machine. Scan down the list, and look for any apps that are hogging CPU, memory, or disk usage – or perhaps all of the above.
Once you’ve discovered the culprit, select it. There’s an option in the bottom-right corner to “End Task.” However, be careful that you aren’t ending important system-critical tasks – usually ones with confusing names that don’t mean anything to you – because this could cause your computer to crash.
If in doubt, Google or Bing is your friend here – open your web browser, search for the app/service you need information on, and you’ll almost certainly find an answer about exactly what it does.