Tutorials (4 Viewers)

How to Create a Password Reset Disk on a USB Flash Drive in Windows 8 and 8.1 This will show you how to create a password reset disk on a USB flash drive that you could use to reset the password for your local user account with if forgotten in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1. This will only reset your normal password created during the installation of Windows 8, and will not reset your pin number or picture password. This will only create a password reset disk for...

How to Turn On or Off Adaptive Brightness in Windows 8 and 8.1 This will show you how to turn adaptive brightness on or off to have Windows 8 use a light sensor (usually built into the display) to automatically adjust the screen brightness to match the lighting conditions in your PC's surroundings. To determine if your laptop or computer monitor supports adaptive brightness, look for the Enable adaptive brightness setting in Power Options in the steps below. If the Enable adaptive...

How to Turn Navigation Pane "Expand to Current Folder" On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1 This tutorial will show you how to turn Automatically Expand to Current Folder on or off in your File Explorer navigation pane in Windows 8. If Expand to current folder is turned on (checked), the navigation pane will automatically expand to whatever folder you select from the address bar or main window in File Explorer. You can also quickly expand the navigation pane to the current location you are...

How to Create and Add a New User Account in Windows 8 and 8.1 A user account is a collection of info and settings that you use to interact with your PC and personalize Windows to work the way you want. With user accounts, several people can easily share a single PC. Each person can have a separate account with their own settings and preferences, like a desktop background or screen saver. User accounts also help control which files and apps each person can access and what changes they can...

How to Delete "Windows.old" Folder in Windows 8 and 8.1 If you performed a refresh of Windows 8, upgrade to Windows 8, or a custom install of Windows 8 without formatting the drive for a clean install and selected to install Windows 8 on the same partition of the previous Windows installation, then you may have a C:\Windows.old folder left over in your new installation. The Windows.old folder contains a copy of the previous Windows installation, and can be quite large in size. If you...

How to Enable or Disable Automatic Maintenance in Windows 8 and 8.1 Windows depends on execution of inbox and third party maintenance activity for much of its value-add, including Windows Update, and automatic disk defragmentation, as well as antivirus updates and scans. Additionally, enterprises frequently use maintenance activity such as Network Access Protection (NAP) scanning to help enforce security standards on all enterprise workstations. Maintenance activity in Windows is designed...

How to Switch from a Microsoft Account to a Local Account in Windows 8 and 8.1 If you are using a Microsoft account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, or Windows RT 8.1, then this will show you how to switch to a local account to sign in with instead. Using a local user account, like how it was in Vista and Windows 7, your settings will not sync between the PCs you use. You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. Microsoft account: You can...

How Enable or Disable Secure Sign-in with Ctrl+Alt+Delete in Windows 8 and 8.1 Secure sign-in provides an additional layer of security that guarantees that the authentic Windows sign-in screen appears, protecting the system from programs that mimic a sign-in to retrieve password info. This will show you how to enable to disable requiring all users to have to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete on the lock screen before signing in to Windows 8 for added security. You must be signed in as an...

How to Back Up and Restore Jump Lists in Windows 8 and 8.1 Jump Lists contain a list of pinned items, recent items, and frequent places of your recently opened files, folders, websites, etc... when you right click or press and hold on a program's icon on the taskbar, or when you open File Explorer (Windows Explorer) and click/tap on the File tab. This tutorial will show you how to back up and restore the recent items, frequent places, and pinned items in taskbar and File Explorer Jump...

How to Clear Apps Live Tile Notifications on Exit in Windows 8 and 8.1 Windows 8 Store apps can deliver periodic or real-time information to you that will be displayed as notification updates on your Metro app tiles in Start. Apps that you choose to use as lock screen apps can also show updates on the lock screen. Store apps that are pinned to Start can update their tiles with text, images, or text and images. Store apps that are set to show status on the lock screen can update the lock...

How to Clear App Live Tile Notification Updates on Start Screen in Windows 8 and 8.1 Windows 8 Store apps can deliver periodic or real-time information to you that will be displayed as notification updates on your apps' tiles in Start. Apps that you choose to use as lock screen apps can also show notification updates on the lock screen. Store apps that are pinned to Start can update their tiles with text, images, or text and images. Store apps that are set to show status on the lock screen...

How to Create a "System Repair Disc" (CD/DVD) in Windows 8 This will show you how to create a system repair disc (CD/DVD) in Windows 8 to use to boot to the system recovery options that can be used to help recover Windows 8. A system repair disc is not the same as OEM factory recovery/restore/repair disc. A system repair disc cannot be used to install Windows 8. A created 32-bit system repair disc can only be created in a 32-bit Windows 8, and used to repair a 32-bit Windows 8. A...

How to Add or Remove "Sleep" or "Hibernate" from Power Menu in Windows 8 and 8.1 This will show you how to add or remove the Sleep or Hibernate option from all Power menus for all users in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. You will not be able to add Sleep or Hibernate to the Power options menu if Windows 8 is running from a VHD file in a virtual machine. EXAMPLE: Power options...

How to Add or Remove DLNA Media Servers from This PC in Windows 8 and 8.1 DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) media servers that display under Network locations in your Computer (Windows 8/RT) or This PC (Windows 8.1/RT 8.1) are from PCs in your network or Homegroup that allowed your PC to access and play their shared media. This tutorial will show you how to remove all DLNA media servers under Network locations in This PC for all users on the PC in Windows 8 and 8.1. You must be...

How to Add "Windows Media Center" to Windows 8 and 8.1 You can use Windows Media Center, a home entertainment center in Windows, to watch and record live TV, create slide shows of your photos, listen to songs in your music library, and play CDs and DVDs. Some editions of Windows include Windows Media Center. If you don't have Windows Media Center, follow these steps to get the Windows Media Center Pack. Note that you need an analog or digital TV tuner to play and record live TV. A TV...

How to Generate and View a System Health Report in Windows 8.1 A System Diagnostics Report, also called a System Health Report, details the status of local hardware resources, system response times, and processes on the local computer along with system information and configuration data. This report includes suggestions for ways to maximize performance and streamline system operations. You can use this information to help track down any errors that may occur within your software or...

How to Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 8 and 8.1 User Account Control (UAC) helps prevent potentially harmful programs from making changes to your computer by notifying you before changes are made to your PC that require administrator-level (elevated) permission. By default, UAC is set to notify you whenever apps try to make changes to your PC, but you can change how often UAC notifies you. Accessibility devices or apps—such as screen readers—work best with either...

How to Find Your Phone Number in Windows Phone 8 This tutorial will show you how to find the phone number on a Windows Phone 8. Here's How: 1. On Windows Phone 8, do step 2 or 3 below for how you would like to open the Phone app. 2. On the Start screen, tap on the Phone app tile, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below) 3. Open the App list, tap on Phone, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below) 4. Tap on the More button. (see screenshot below) 5. Tap on...

How to Enable or Disable Built-in Elevated "Administrator" Account Windows 8 and 8.1 This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable the hidden built-in elevated Administrator account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1. You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. Standard user (Users) - The standard account is an unelevated restricted user account then can be a local account or Microsoft account. It can help protect...

How to Hide or Show Your Caller ID in Windows Phone 8 Caller ID (Caller Identification) lets you know who is calling before you answer the call. Caller ID displays the phone number of an incoming call on your screen. Calls to another wireless phone number will display the caller's phone number on the recipient's Caller ID. The caller's name may also appear if the recipient has the calling party's name listed in their devices address book or contact list. When placing calls to a wireline...