Archive for May, 2018

How to Disable Automatic Drive Optimization / Defrag in Windows 10

May 31st, 2018 by Admin

How to disable automatic disk defragmentation in Windows 10? By default, Windows 10 will run the drive optimization (previously called disk defragmentation) task once a week. When Windows 10 runs the scheduled disk defragmenter in the background, the computer begins to lag behind and becomes slow.

If you don’t want to get disturbed by automatic drive optimization / defragmentation, here’s how to disable it in Windows 10. After disabling, you can also optimize drives on your PC manually.

How to Disable Automatic Drive Optimization / Defrag in Windows 10?

  1. Open File Explorer. Right-click on any drive connected to your PC and select Properties from the context menu.
  2. Select the Tools tab, and then click the Optimize button under the “Optimize and defragment drive” section.

  3. Click on the Change settings button.

  4. Uncheck the “Run on a schedule” box to disable automatic drive optimization completely.

    Or click on the Choose button to turn off automatic optimization for individual drives.

  5. Click OK and you’re done!

How to Install and Open XPS Viewer in Windows 10

May 29th, 2018 by Admin

How can I view XPS document in Windows 10? Since the April 2018 Update (version 1803), XPS Viewer is no longer installed by default. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to install XPS Viewer and then show you different ways to open XPS Viewer in Windows 10.

Part 1: Install XPS Viewer in Windows 10

Press the Windows key + I to bring up the Settings app, and then click Apps.

Select the Apps & features tab and click the “Manage optional features” link.

Click on the Add a feature button.

Look for the XPS Viewer feature. Select it, and click on the Install button.

Wait for it to install and that’s about it.

Part 2: Ways to Open XPS Viewer in Windows 10

Once you’ve installed XPS Viewer, you can open it by typing “xps” in the Cortana Search box at the taskbar, and then clicking the XPS Viewer app in the result.

Another way of accessing XPS Viewer is to press the Windows key + R to bring up the Run command, then type xpsrchvw and hit Enter.

If you have got a XPS document, just double-click it and Windows 10 will open it with XPS Viewer by default.

2 Ways to Backup and Restore Start Menu Layout in Windows 10

May 28th, 2018 by Admin

Windows 10 comes with the most customizable Start Menu than ever. It allows you to resize the Start Menu itself, pin, unpin or resize the tiles, etc. Over time, your Start Menu might get all messed up and you want to restore the layout. Here’s two simple ways to backup and restore Start Menu layout in Windows 10.

Note: This method is not applicable to Windows 10 build 1703 or earlier version. To reset or restore your Start Menu on the previous version, please click here.

Manually Backup Start Menu Layout in Windows 10

  1. Open Registry Editor. Just copy and paste the following registry location into the address bar and hit Enter.
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount

    Right-click on the DefaultAccount key, and select Export in the context menu.

  2. Type a file name and save this .reg file to a backup location.

  3. Next, press the Windows key + R to open the Run command. Copy and paste the following path, and then press Enter to open that folder in File Explorer.
    %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

  4. Copy the DefaultLayouts.xml file to the same folder where you stored the .reg file.

    At this point you’ve successfully backed up the Start Menu layout.

Manually Restore Start Menu Layout in Windows 10

  1. Whenever you need to restore the Start Menu layout, open Registry Editor and navigate to the “DefaultAccount” key as outlined above.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount

    Right-click on the DefaultAccount key in the left pane and select Delete.

  2. Open File Explorer and browse to the location where you stored the Start Menu layout backup. Double-click on the .reg file to import it into Windows Registry.

  3. Now, right-click on the DefaultLayouts.xml file and select Copy. Paste it to the folder %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell.

  4. Log off and then log back into your Windows account. The Start menu should return to the original layout it was when you created the backup.

Use Command Prompt to Backup and Restore Start Menu Layout

To simplify the steps above, you can use Command Prompt to perform essentially the same job quickly and quietly. When you want to backup the Start Menu layout and save it to D:\backup, just open an elevated Command Prompt and run the following commands:

reg export HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount D:\backup\defaultaccount.reg /y
copy %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\DefaultLayouts.xml D:\backup /y

To restore a backup of the start menu, execute the following commands instead:

reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CloudStore\Store\Cache\DefaultAccount /f
reg import D:\backup\defaultaccount.reg
copy D:\backup\DefaultLayouts.xml %LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Shell /y

That’s it!

Disable Right-Click Context Menu on Taskbar in Windows 11 / 10 / 8 / 7

May 28th, 2018 by Admin

Is there a way to disable the right-click context menu on the Windows 10 taskbar using group policy? In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to disable right-click context menu on the taskbar in Windows 11 / 10 / 8 / 7. This is really useful if you want to prevent inexperienced users to delete or add any apps in your taskbar.

Method 1: Disable Right-Click Context Menu on Taskbar Using Group Policy

  1. Press Windows + R hotkey to open Run Command. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter key.

  2. In the left side of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar, then double-click the “Remove access to the context menus for the taskbar” policy in the right side.

  3. Select the Enable radio button. Click Apply and then OK.

    Now you have successfully disabled taskbar right-click context menu in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 2: Disable Right-Click Context Menu on Taskbar Using Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows + R hotkey to open Run Command. Type regedit and press Enter key.

  2. Navigate to the following key in the Registry Editor window:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

    If the Explorer subkey is not available, right-click on Policies key and select New -> Key, then name the new key as “Explorer”.

  3. Now right-click on blank area in the right pane, and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  4. Give it the name NoTrayContextMenu and click OK. Then double-click the name and set the value data as 1.

  5. Log off or reboot for these changes to take effect. The next time you right-click on the taskbar, it won’t show up the context menu any longer.

How to Disable Right Clicking on Start Menu in Windows 10 / 11

May 25th, 2018 by Admin

Is it possible to disable context menu in the Start Menu in Windows 10? How can I stop users from right clicking on the Start Menu and making changes? In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to remove the ability to right click on the Start Menu in Windows 11 / 10.

Method 1: Disable Right Clicking on Start Menu Using Group Policy

  1. Press the Windows key and R at the same time to invoke a Run command. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
  2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Start Menu and Taskbar. Double-click the “Disable context menus in the Start Menu” policy in the right pane.
  3. Select Enabled and click OK.

    Now, when you right-click on the apps in the Start Menu, the context menu will not show up any longer.

Method 2: Disable Right Clicking on Start Menu Using Registry Editor

  1. Press the Windows key and R at the same time to invoke a Run command. Type regedit and press Enter.
  2. In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\ExplorerIf you do not have the “Explorer” subkey, then just create it.
  3. Create a new 32-bit DWORD value DisableContextMenusInStart, and set it to 1 to disable the context menu in the Start Menu.
  4. Close Registry Editor and reboot for the changes to take effect.

How to Disable Changing Geographic Location in Windows 10

May 24th, 2018 by Admin

Geographic location is is an indication of the country or region in which you are residing. This could be used by Weather app to display the current weather and temperature in your location. If you want to lock the geographic location in Windows 10 and prevent users from changing it, then this tutorial will help you.

Method 1: Disable Changing Geographic Location Using Group Policy

  1. Press Windows Key + R to bring up the Run command, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

  2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, expand to the following location:
    Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Locale Services

    Then double-click on Disallow changing of geographic location in the right pane.

  3. In order to disable changing location in Windows 10, select Enabled and click OK.

  4. That’s it. Now restart your system and no one will be able to change the geographic location from either Control Panel or the Settings app.

Method 2: Disable Changing Geographic Location Using Registry Editor

  1. Open the Registry Editor, and navigate to the following key:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\International

    If both “Control Panel” and “International” keys don’t exist, you have to create them manually.

  2. In the right pane, create a new 32-bit DWORD value as PreventGeoIdChange, and set its value data to 1 if you want to disallow changing of geographic location in Windows 10.

  3. Close Registry Editor and reboot your computer to make the changes take effect.

2 Ways to Change Region Location on Windows 10

May 23rd, 2018 by Admin

The region location in Windows 10 is used by apps to provide localized content. For example, the built-in news or weather app shows you local news or weather forecast for your country, and the Windows Store shows local apps in the first place. By default, the region location is configured during Windows 10 installation but you can change it later. Here are 2 simple ways to change region location on Windows 10.

Method 1: Change Region Location on Windows 10 Using Control Panel

  1. Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, and then click Region.

  2. In the Region window, go to the Location tab. You can select a new country from the “Home location” drop-down list.

  3. Click OK to confirm changing the region location.

Method 2: Change Region Location on Windows 10 Using Settings App

  1. Press the [Windows] + [L] keys to access the Settings app, and then click Time & language.

  2. Choose the Region & language tab in the left side. On the right, click the “Country or region” drop-down list and select the new country you want applied.

  3. Restart your computer to force all apps to use the new region location.

Remove Logoff or Sign out Option from Start Menu in Windows

May 22nd, 2018 by Admin

How can I remove “Sign out” from the Start Menu in Windows 10? Is there a way to prevent users from logging off a public computer? In this tutorial we’ll show you how to remove Logoff or Sign out option from the Start Menu in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Remove Logoff or Sign out Option from Start Menu Using GPO

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to the following setting:
    User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar

    Then double-click on the “Remove Logoff on the Start Menu” policy in the right side panel.

  2. Select Enabled and click Apply.

  3. Restart your computer and the “Log off” or “Sign out” option should have been removed from the Start Menu.

Method 2: Remove Logoff or Sign out Option from Start Menu Using Registry Editor

  1. Start the Registry Editor window, and then navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Policies\Explorer

    If the Explorer subkey doesn’t exist, create it (from the Edit menu, select New -> Key and type “Explorer” without the quotes) and navigate to that subkey.

  2. Right-click the blank area in the right pane, and then select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  3. Name the created value StartMenuLogoff, and then set it to 1 to disable Logoff or Sign out option in the Start Menu.

  4. Restart you computer and Logoff or Sign out option is no longer available in the Start Menu.

How to Prevent Windows Users from Changing Date and Time

May 21st, 2018 by Admin

How to block access to changing the time for Windows 10? Is there a way to lock the system date and time on a public or shared computer? Here’s how to use group policy to prevent users from changing date and time in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP.

How to Prevent Windows Users from Changing Date and Time?

By default, only administrative accounts are able to change the system time. Follow these steps to prevent specific user or even administrators from changing date and time in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista / XP.

  1. Press the Windows key + R together to open the Run command. Type secpol.msc and hit Enter to open the Local Security Policy window.

  2. On the left-hand side, drill down to Local Policies -> User Rights Assignment. On the right, double-click the “Change the system time” setting to modify.

  3. In the Properties window, select any specific user or group that you want to block from changing the system date / time, and click on Remove.

  4. Click Apply and then OK. Restart your computer for this policy to take effect. The next time you try to change the date and time from Control Panel, you’ll get the error message “Unable to continue. You do not have permission to perform this task.

    This setting will also prevent you from changing the system date/time using the Settings app in Windows 10. If you’re running Windows 10 Home, you have to add Local Group Policy Editor to Windows 10 Home before running the secpol.msc command.