You probably shouldn’t install Windows 10 on your primary PC. But, if you are going to, you should at least install it in a dual-boot configuration. You can then reboot to switch between your installed versions of Windows. Be sure you have backups of your important files before doing this. You shouldn’t lose your files if you follow this process, but a mistake or bug could cause you to lose them....
VLOOKUP is one of the most misunderstood functions in Google Sheets. It allows you to search through and link together two sets of data in your spreadsheet with a single search value. Here’s how to use it. Unlike Microsoft Excel, there’s no VLOOKUP wizard to help you in Google Sheets, so you have to type the formula manually. How VLOOKUP Works in Google Sheets VLOOKUP might sound confusing, but it’s pretty simple once you understand how it works....
We talk about a lot of cool things here at How-To Geek that you can do by editing the Windows Registry. Occasionally, though, you will run into a Registry key or value that you don’t have permission to edit. When you try, you’ll see an error message saying “Cannot edit _____: Error writing the value’s new contents.” Fortunately, just like in the Windows file system, the Registry provides tools that let you take ownership of and edit permissions for keys....
The Rise of Nintendo Switch Digital Sales A couple of years ago, seeing a good digital game on sale in Nintendo’s eShop was quite rare. However, as Nintendo’s store becomes an increasingly popular way for people to buy titles for their Switch, the number of sales has also grown. There are now dozens of Nintendo Switch games on sale on the eShop every week, from indie games to blockbuster titles....
Microsoft thought they were being helpful when they set up notifications for new email. However, a constant barrage of notifications can also disrupt your train of thought. You can turn the notifications off completely, or–better yet–you can set up Outlook to only notify you about important emails. How to Create a Simple Rule RELATED: How to Disable Desktop Notifications in Outlook 2013 If you need to be responsive to certain people, such as clients, your boss, or your family members, you can use Rules in Outlook to receive notifications about certain messages only....
If you want to know who’s calling without looking at your phone, you can customize your contacts with special ringtones and vibration alerts. Then it doesn’t matter if it is across the room or in your pocket, you’ll know who is phoning you. As is the case with most things iPhone-related, customizing your contacts is a snap. That said, you will have to make changes to each contact you want to affect, but even if you have dozens or hundreds of contacts, chances are only a few of them actually call you regularly....
The Action Center in Windows 10 shows and logs various types of notifications, while also providing one-click access to different features with the Quick Action Buttons. If you don’t use the Quick Action Buttons, though, you can easily hide them using a registry hack. RELATED: How to Use and Customize the Windows 10 Action Center How to Remove Quick Action Buttons by Editing the Registry You can customize the actions available on the Quick Action Buttons or hide the entire Action Center....
One of the things we really enjoy about OS X is the ability to move about it and almost never take our hands off the keyboard. This includes locations all over the system such as your applications, documents, utilities, servers, and much more. It’s easy to understate how convenient this is. After all, it’s also easy to just open the Finder and click many of these locations from the sidebar....
It’s easy to think you’re stuck using boring old letters and numbers to name your smartphone’s app folders, but with the wonderful world of emoji, your folders will take on a new life of their own. RELATED: How to Use Emoji on Your Smartphone or PC We aren’t afraid to admit we think emoji are fun. We even wrote a whole article on how to use them. In fact, emoji are so much fun that we even use them to rename our folders....
Phishing and other email scams are on the rise. One of the best ways to identify scam emails is to examine the email header for detailed information about the sender. Here’s how to do that in Outlook. Outlook itself provides a basic view of email headers. If that’s not enough, there’s a free add-in that breaks down the headers to give you a more human-friendly view. We’ll cover that as well....
Need a file from an old Windows backup on your Mac? Macs can read Windows drives, but Time Machine won’t help you recover files from a Windows backup. You have to extract files from the backup manually, and it’ll take a bit of work. We’ll cover three different types of Windows backups here: File History backups created with Windows 10 or 8, Windows Backups created with Windows 7, and System Image Backups created with either....
Your kids need internet access to do their homework, but that doesn’t mean you’re comfortable with them accessing everything online. There’s no technological substitute for proper adult supervision, but a free service called OpenDNS Family Shield makes it easy for parents to all block adult content with one simple tweak. If you want a little more control, you can set up an account for OpenDNS Home Internet Security and block adult content alongside things like malware and piracy sites....
Good window management is important for getting things done quickly and efficiently on any computer. While most users know how to “snap” windows to the sides of the display on Windows and macOS, it’s always surprising how many don’t realize this is also available on Chromebooks. In fact, it’s even more powerful. First off, there a couple of different ways to go about snapping windows—one with the mouse, one with the keyboard....
In this age of remote working, many Slack users rely on external services such as Zoom or Google Meet for video chats. But few know that it’s just as easy to start a video call within Slack itself without any extra software or services. Here’s how. First, open a Direct Message with the person you’d like to video chat with. To place a call, click on the “Call” icon (that looks like a telephone handset) in the line near their name....
You can use the hardware buttons, a Quick Settings tile, or Bixby to shut down your phone. Later, you can turn your phone back on with the press of a button. Use Hardware Buttons to Turn Off Your Phone One way to power off your Samsung Galaxy phone is to use your phone’s hardware buttons. Depending on your phone model, you’ll either press a single key or multiple keys....
The HomePod mini is an AirPlay speaker. This means that you can use it as an audio output for devices that support AirPlay 1 or 2. These devices include your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and even Mac. RELATED: Interested in the HomePod mini? Here’s What You Need to Know And because it uses the AirPlay protocol, the process of using it with your Mac is not the same as for any old Bluetooth speakers....
Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service now includes a “Personal Vault” for your sensitive files. These files are encrypted and protected with additional two-factor verification, even when they’re synced to your Windows 10 PC. OneDrive’s Personal Vault became available worldwide on September 30, 2019. It works on Windows 10, Android, iPhone, iPad, and the web. What Is the “Personal Vault” in OneDrive? The Personal Vault is an extra-secure storage area for your files in OneDrive....
Rainmeter is a lightweight application for customizing your Windows desktop. Rainmeter works by installing community made ‘skins’, many of which can change how the desktop works with widgets like app launchers, RSS and email readers, calendars, weather reports, and many others. It has been around since Windows XP, where it was used as a tool for displaying basic info on the desktop, but has since gained a large community following which has produced high quality skins which can change the whole desktop experience....
Hulu doesn’t work out-of-the-box on modern Linux distributions. While Netflix “just works” if you’re using Google Chrome, Hulu’s DRM has gotten old and clunky. You can get Hulu to work on Linux, but it’ll take a little tweaking. It wasn’t always so hard. Back when Netflix was making life hard for Linux users, Hulu even offered a Linux desktop app. But that desktop app is now discontinued. Hulu relies on Adobe Flash, and Adobe Flash’s DRM code is falling apart on Linux....
Your new smartwatch claims to be waterproof, your fitness tracker claims to be water resistant, and your smartphone’s manufacturer advertises their phone working in a glass of water, yet all three of those devices might not survive a trip into a swimming pool. Read on as we untangle the advertising jargon and explain what water resistance really means. The entire market for water-resistant and “waterproof” gadgets is rife with labels and ratings (many of which are loosely or poorly applied) combined with a heaping pile of (well earned) consumer confusion....
