Windows 10: Top 10 hidden tricks to boost your productivity

Windows 10 is a vast operating system with many features.You can now make the most of Windows 10 hidden tricks which will save you time and effort.

WINDOWS 10: TOP 10 HIDDEN TRICKS

1. Minimise all windows except the active one

If your desktop screen has become too crowded with open windows you can quickly minimise them all except the one you are currently working in. Just click the title bar of the window you want to remain open to select it. Hold the mouse down and move the window back and forth quickly.

2. Create an event without opening the Calendar app

Windows 10’s latest update lets you quickly add events to your Microsoft calendar directly from your Taskbar without actually having to open the calendar at all.

Heres how to do it:

1. On your Taskbar, click the box with the time and date in it in the right corner.
2. Click the date when you want to schedule an event.
3. Enter the event name, time and location. (If you have multiple calendars, click the down arrow next to the event name field to choose the one you want to add it to.)
4. Click save. The event should appear in your Calendar app across your devices.

3. Take a screenshot

If you want to capture and save a picture of your entire screen, the easiest way is to hit the Windows key + Print Screen key, and that picture will be saved to the Pictures > Screenshots folder.

To capture just one part of your screen, hit the Windows key + Shift + S to open a tool called Snip & Sketch, which allows you to click and drag to create a screenshot, which is saved to your Clipboard.

4. Open items on your Taskbar with keyboard shortcuts

If you pinned programs to your Taskbar at the bottom of your screen to create a shortcut, you don’t have to click the icons to open them. Instead use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + [Number key], with the number key corresponding to the position of the program on the Taskbar. For example, Windows key + 2 will open the second item on the Taskbar.

This is especially useful if you are typing and don’t want to lift your fingers from the keyboard.

5. Figure out how much space apps are taking up

Computers start running slower as they grow short on space. One quick way to speed them up may be to get rid of apps that take up more space than they should especially if you don’t regularly use them.

To see how much space an app uses, navigate to Settings > System > Storage. Click on the drive you want to search (likely the local storage, “This PC”), and click Apps & games to see a list of apps installed on your machine and how much space they are taking up.

6. Get rid of ads in your Start menu

When you run Windows 10 with default settings, you may sometimes see apps on the right side of your Start menu. Microsoft calls them “suggestions,” but they are actually ads for Windows Store apps you can buy.

To get rid of the ads in your Windows 10 Start menu, go to Settings > Personalization > Start. Toggle the setting called Show suggestions occasionally in Start to the off position.

7. Shut down background apps

Apps that run in the background can receive information, send notifications, and stay updated, even when you are not using them .This can be useful but can also suck your battery and your data if you connected via a hotspot.

To control which apps are running in the background and save some battery power and data go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps. To stop all apps from running in the background, toggle Let apps run in the background to off. You can choose which apps to run in the background individually by going down the list on the same page.

8. Use background scrolling

Windows 10 lets you scroll up and down on any window even if its not the one you’re directly working in. This is a useful tool when you have a lot of windows open that you want to look through at the same time. The feature should be on by default, but if its not go to Settings > Devices > Mouse and toggle Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them to on.

9. Show file extensions in File Explorer

Microsoft hides file extensions by default, which makes life difficult for people who need to look for specific types of files, like JPEGs and JPGs. To see file extensions in File Explorer, do the following:

1. Go to the Search bar at the bottom of the screen, and type in File Explorer Options, and click it. (There are a number of other ways to get here too, but that one seems fastest.)
2. In the window that pops up click the View tab.
3. Uncheck the box that says Hide extensions for known file types. Click Apply, and OK. You should now see file extensions for all files in the File Explorer.
4. You can also use the File Explorer Options menu to choose to show empty drives, hidden files and folders, and more.

10. Cut down on distractions with Focus assist

Its frustrating to try and get work done when you keep getting interrupted with notifications. You can determine how many you get with Focus assist.

Set it up by going to Settings > System > Focus assist. Choose from three options: Off (Get all notifications from your apps and contacts), Priority (See only selected notifications from a priority list that you customize, and send the rest to your action centre), and Alarms only (Hide all notifications, except for alarms).
You can also choose to automatically turn this feature on during certain hours, or when you are playing a game.