Windows 10 has a built-in free screen recorder that you might not know about
You've very probably been using Windows 10 for a long time now, but that doesn't mean that you've discovered everything it has to offer. The operating system is packed with features, but there are some that are hidden away to the extent that they could be considered secrets.
One such gem is the screen recording tool. What? You didn't know that Windows 10 could record videos of on-screen activity? You're not alone. The screen recorder is built into the Game bar and you may well not have seen it. If you've ever wondered how to make video of what you're doing in Windows, this is precisely the utility you need. Here's how to access and use it -- including details of a secret keyboard shortcut.
Forget buggy Windows 10, Windows 11 is the operating system we want
Windows 10 is a very good operating system, but the October 2018 Update has left a bad taste in many users' mouths. It caused a multitude of problems, got pulled, and even after it was made available again, new issues surfaced. The April 2018 Update rolled out to users at lightning speed, but the October 2018 Update has only been installed on about 3 percent of systems to date. Ouch.
Microsoft has said previously that Windows 10 will be the "last version of Windows", but is it time to rethink that idea and give users an operating system that goes up to 11? Take a look and make up your own mind.
Google Store sent me kicking and screaming back to Apple
Part 1 of three. Google Store's bureaucratic ineptitude is beyond belief. My recent, unresolved customer crisis is an experience in artificial unintelligence. For a parent company whose core competency is supposed to be indexing, crunching, and disseminating information, it's inconceivable that something so simple as fixing a single order error could escalate into a tragically comic Catch-22. I should have abandoned all efforts long before reaching the point of penning this post and looking back to the Apple Way.
To summarize: I received the wrong Pixel phone nearly a month ago. Google Store struggled to process a return authorization, because the device in hand didn't match the one in the order. I eventually agreed to keep the thang, so long as the retailer could transfer the extended warranty -- so-called "Preferred Care" -- that I had paid for. But the process proved to be complicated, then necessity, after I unexpectedly needed to file a damage claim. You'll have to read on for the sordid punchline, but suffice to say it all ends in a comedy of compounding errors.
Windows 10 -- 1990s edition is the retro operating system we want
Windows 10 is a great operating system, but it’s not without its problems from time to time. That said, it’s still a huge leap forward from past Microsoft offerings, like Windows 95 and 98.
If you’ve ever wondered what Windows 10 would be like if it had been released at the end of the last century, then take a look at Windows 10 -- 1990s Edition. Who needs Cortana when you can have Clippy helping you out?
Chrome has a secret Material Design mode -- here's how to enable it
With the launch of Chrome 68 a few days ago, Google changed the way it handled non-HTTPS websites. But the browser update also hides a secret -- a Material Design mode that you can enable by tinkering with the relevant hidden settings.
The new look is currently available on the desktop and in the iOS version of Chrome, and it gives the browser a much cleaner, fresher look and a bit of a UI rejig.
Avast is ruining CCleaner -- malware, bundled software, popup ads... what's next?
Security software firm Avast acquired Piriform -- the maker of several popular system utilities, including CCleaner -- last year. Things didn’t go too well from the off however, as shortly afterwards, it was revealed that CCleaner had been hacked and a dangerously modified version had been available to download for a number of weeks.
Avast was quick to point out Piriform’s IT systems were breached before it acquired the company, but it was still in charge when the infected build was released. That sort of thing is very unfortunate -- and even more embarrassing given the business Avast is in -- but it could be forgiven. Unfortunately, since then Avast seems to be working hard to alienate CCleaner’s devoted userbase.
Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition is the Microsoft operating system you've been waiting for
Windows 10 is a very good operating system, but despite Microsoft initially offering it as a free upgrade, many users were reluctant to switch from Windows 7, and it’s easy to understand why. A lot of Windows 10’s big changes -- the Microsoft Store, bundled third-party apps, live tiles in the Start menu, Cortana, Bing integration, and so on -- simply weren't that appealing to users of previous versions of Windows.
Windows 7 still offers everything that most people would want from an OS, but nearly a decade on from its debut, it now looks and feels quite dated compared to its successor. But if the aging OS had a modern makeover, could it win back many of those people who have moved on to Windows 10? I suspect so. Take a look at Windows 7 -- 2018 Edition and make up your own mind.
How to rollback and uninstall the Windows 10 April 2018 Update
The Windows 10 April 2018 Update is rolling out to users. If you install it and encounter major problems, as some users doubtless will, you might want to go back to your previous version, and wait until the update is a bit less buggy.
If you've been using Windows 10 for a while you’ll probably know how to do this, although the process may be slightly different to what you've been used to.
Free up over 30GB of storage space by cleaning up after the Windows 10 April 2018 Update
Microsoft has just released another huge update to Windows 10. The April 2018 Update introduces lots of new features and general improvements, including Timeline, and Focus Assist, as well as some lesser known improvements.
Of course, a big update like this requires a big download, and the files that Microsoft places on your system don’t get removed afterwards. In other words, the April 2018 Update could be responsible for taking a massive bite out of your free hard drive space -- tens of gigabytes in fact. Fortunately it’s easy enough to reclaim this.
Roundup: The best Windows 10 tweaking and customization tools
Unless you're a fan of using a computer that looks and feels the same as everyone else, you probably want to spend some time tweaking Windows so it works the way you want it to. Broadly speaking, tweaks fall into three categories -- those that change appearance, those that boost performance, and those that change the way things work.
Windows 10 does -- through Settings and the Control Panel -- afford you a decent degree of control over how the operating system looks and works, but if you want to get serious about things you have two options: head into the registry, or turn to a dedicated tweaking and customization tool. Now there are endless apps to help make life easier, so here's a roundup of the best Windows 10 tweaking and customization tools.
Top 5 free data recovery tools for Windows
We all back up our data, right? That's what everyone does! But of course, that's far from true. Most people don't get much further than thinking about putting a backup plan in place, promising themselves it's something they'll sort out one day -- and, all of a sudden, it's too late.
Deleting files by accident is easily done. If you're tinkering with partitions, it's also scarily easy to wipe out the wrong one! These are just two of the ways in which you can lose files, and if you don’t have a backup to hand, you're going to need help from a data recovery tool. Here we look at five of the best free options to help bring your files back from the dead.
How to install and use the fantastic Kodi alternative that's gaining in popularity
Kodi is a superb, and very flexible free media center, but in the past year or so legal crackdowns, court cases, vanishing add-ons and other bad publicity have made people wary of it, and understandably so. It’s not illegal to use Kodi, but installing add-ons that let you stream copyrighted content for free could get you into trouble.
In the wake of all this bad publicity, rival streaming service Mobdro has been gaining in popularity. The app can be installed on any Android device, including phones, tablets, Amazon's Fire TV Stick, and Google's Chromecast 2.
Hackers gear up to target Winter Olympics
With the 24th Winter Olympics due to start in Pyeongchang, South Korea in a few weeks, athletes are not the only ones preparing for the event.
A report from security analytics platform Cybereason shows that hackers and cyber criminals are gearing up too, the scale and cost of the event making it a prime target.
PC market is up... or down -- what would you like to hear?
Boy, do we have something for everyone today. If you think the PC market has no future and that it's all going downhill, you're going to love this story. If, on the other hand, you think that there's hope and that people are still loving the PC, guess what? You're going to love it too!
You must be sitting there confused, wondering what the heck I am on about. It can't be both, right? Well, no, but if you read the latest reports on PC shipments in Q4 2017 from IDC and Gartner you are going to get that impression. IDC thinks we've just had the first growth quarter in six years, while Gartner claims shipments are down year over year. Isn't this interesting?
How to use Kodi to play classic video game ROMs -- Mario, Sonic, Zelda, and more!
As someone who was born in the 1980s, I experienced the golden age of video games. While the graphics were archaic by today's standards, the games were much more fun than the ones of today. People tend to forget that fun is the most important aspect of video games -- sound and graphics be damned. You bought a completed game and there were no updates, DLC or loot crates to be had. It was an amazing time.
Luckily, enjoying these classic games of yesteryear is very easy thanks to emulators. While the legality is a bit sketchy, you can download thousands of retro games (ROMs) and play them on your PC with near-flawless results. To make things even more convenient, the Kodi media center can now be used to play these ROMs. If you want to try this for yourself, I am happy to say you can do so immediately. The folks over at TVAddons have created a very useful guide.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.