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Windows or Mac? Keys to solving – which operating system to choose

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Smartphone, computer, Tablet … Many devices and a common denominator, what operating system? Which one works best for me and meets my needs? Do they have similarities or is it all differences? Check it here.

Some will say that in the digital world there are two kinds of inhabitants: those who use Windows and those who use Mac. And in a way it is. Years ago, Linux was also an operating system used in a more or less (rather less) generalized way, but today Windows 10 and Mac OS are the operating systems par excellence.

Thus, when buying a computer the dilemma arises about which operating system to choose, and it is not always easy to solve as we will see. The important thing is to be clear about our priorities and also what budget we have.

The first difference between Windows and Mac OS, which is not exactly small, lies in the relationship between Microsoft and Apple with computer manufacturers. While Microsoft “lets” other hardware manufacturers use Windows as the operating system for their computers in addition to using it on their own computers, Apple reserves Mac OS X for its Macbook, iMac, Mac Pro, or Mac Mini.

This exclusivity from Apple makes Mac OS computers set the price bar at a high point, so that we will not always be in a position to buy a Mac OS computer if our budget is not as high as its prices.

Windows or Mac

Computers with Windows systems, on the other hand, can be found at very low prices at times, and we can even think of making our own computers from hardware components and installing Windows 10 on our own later. Of course, Windows 10 has a cost (you can upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1), while Mac OS X is free for Apple users. Anyway, for those who buy a Windows computer, the operating system, for all practical purposes, will also be free as it is included in the price of the computer as well as its subsequent updates.

In recent times, however, and returning to the issue of the price of the equipment, the prices of manufacturers like Microsoft both in laptops and in all in one of the Surface Studio style, are at a level comparable to that of Mac equipment. In any case, there is more price diversity in the Windows universe than in the Mac.

If you want a Mac, it will have to be with Mac OS, more or less

This hardware exclusivity means that if you want an Apple computer, it will have to be with Mac OS. But in practice, Apple “allows” the installation of Windows 10 using Bootcamp technology by which we can create a Windows partition on the Mac, to boot from it.

Other options are to use a virtualization tool on Mac OS like Parallels to run Windows, although with limited performance by the resources assigned to the virtual machine.

Another option is to boot from an external hard drive where we have installed a version of Windows to Go, although it is not obvious to create this type of configuration, everything is said. In any case, there are options for using Windows on a Mac, which is not the other way around.

There are “alternative” options for running Mac OS X on Windows computers, but they require advanced knowledge to “adapt” Mac OS to the hardware of native Windows computers. You can find more details about this on the Hackintosh website.

The UI dilemma

Leaving aside the hardware section and focusing on the differences inherent to the operating system, the differences between Windows and Mac OS in the user interface part are also relevant.

Mac OS X has its origin in a Linux distribution called BSD, and it was a break with Mac OS 9 from the year 2002. The window system, the management of access permissions, file permissions and basically all the ” The foundations “of the system are familiar to users familiar with Linux, including the command console, which can be used incredibly well on Mac to perform advanced tasks.

In the latest versions, however, Apple is moving away from its Linux origins by eliminating “low-level” functionalities and betting more on a “user friendly” operating system. Mac OS has always been friendlier than Windows in general, especially before Windows 10.

Since the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft has tried to simplify its user interface, imitating Apple in aspects such as dialog boxes for system settings. And even offering the possibility of installing a Linux command console for somewhat more “pro” users, but without complicating the desktop part.

In both operating systems there are interesting combinations of keyboard shortcuts to speed up certain actions, advanced search tools, file manager, images, as well as integration with personal assistants such as Cortana in Windows and Siri in Apple.

Touchscreen, Windows only

For now, those who want to have a touch interface and computers with touch screens will have to stick with Windows. Microsoft has learned to integrate the touch and non-touch parts in a single interface, so that nothing happens if you do not have a touch screen, but adding interaction through touch on the screen with your fingers or with precision digital pens those that can be drawn or written in a fluid and natural way. Convertible computers like Microsoft’s Surface Pro are examples of what can be achieved by taking full advantage of the possibilities of technology.

Read more – 5 reasons why Windows is better than Mac

Apple adds touch functionality to iPad Pro tablets using digital pens, for example, but not to Mac OS X-based computers.

Windows 10 vs Windows 7: which one is better?

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Microsoft made so many radical changes to the desktop version of the Windows 8 operating system that many users chose to keep it on their Windows 7 computers. We explained why it was time to upgrade for all of them to Windows 10, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of both systems.

Should I buy Windows 10?

Windows 7 continues to be a very stable and reliable version of the operating system. However, general support from Microsoft has ended and security updates are scheduled to cease in 2020.

Given this scenario, you may not want to upgrade to Windows 10 right now if you still have a computer with limited hardware resources. But if Windows 8 generally left a bad taste in your mouth, the time has come to take the step to the latest edition of Windows 10, the one that will make it possible for you to be much more productive.

Windows 10 analysis

Windows 8 was a radically different version of the operating system from its predecessor Windows 7, which caused some suspicion among the user community when carrying out the update.

With the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft brought back the legacy look of Windows 7, also improving the performance of computers and adding new features. As a result of these differences, we have decided to develop this article that clarifies what the real differences between the two are.

From the outset, it should be known that Windows 7 security updates will continue until January 2020, although Microsoft offers another formula so that professional users can pay for updates additionally until 2023, something that will not be an option for home users.

In this way, it is convenient to consider making the jump to Windows 10 on the basis that January 14, 2020 is the date set by Microsoft to somehow put aside the support and the most relevant updates to this operating system.

Currently, Windows 10 comes standard with countless new PCs and laptops, although some continue to be marketed without an operating system or with free software alternatives. You can choose to buy a license in the Microsoft online store, although as an alternative, it is usually cheaper to obtain a computer with an OEM version.

You should know that Windows 8.1 is still being marketed at a price of € 60.

READ MORE –  Everything Microsoft improved with Windows 10 and upcoming Updates

The start menu

The Windows 7 interface has always been simple and user-friendly, with the natural evolution that was expected by making the leap from its predecessor Windows Vista or Windows XP for many users.

Just click on the ‘Start’ menu in the lower left corner to start browsing the operating system options. When the Windows 8 engineering group decided to supplant this main-button-centric approach to the toolbar, it soon became apparent that not many users wanted large icons (tiles, as they were called), nor did menus that move. From top to bottom or laterally.

In fact, many people chose to resort to tools like Classic Shell or Start8 that allowed to skip and skip this procedure to return to the usual desktop mode of previous Windows editions with its simple start menu.

Windows 10 didn’t make the same mistake. In fact, Microsoft was quick to listen to feedback from the user community to return to offer what was really in demand. With successive versions of Windows 10 we have been able to verify how new very useful features have been added to the fundamental essence of use.

Windows 8 Active Tiles are now included on the right side of the menu, so if you prefer not to show them on your desktop, you can easily remove them. Additionally it is also possible to run the ‘Start’ menu in full screen mode.

The left side of the menu provides a continuation with Windows 7 in the sense that it maintains the presence of the applications that are used more regularly, the file explorer, the settings and the search bar.

With the update to Windows 10 Anniversary Update, the so-called Live Tiles take on greater prominence by offering information in real time, instead of taking you to the home page of each application.

More important still is the ‘All apps’ list, which has become the default view when opening the ‘Start’ menu. This also changes the position of the power button, which now resides in the left corner. All of this adds up to a better Windows 7 experience through the ‘Start’ menu.

Search the web from the desktop

One area where the changes between both versions of Windows 7 and Windows 10 are more tangible is in the search section. In Windows 10, the search bar not only searches for folders, apps or files on your PC, but it is also linked to the Windows Store and browser so you can also search the web directly from your desktop. It is something that many people are unaware of.

It is not necessary to navigate to the right tab when you want to search for something, since you just have to press the Windows key, start typing and the results will be displayed in a browser window. There is also another very relevant difference such as the presence of Microsoft’s personal assistant, Cortana.

5 reasons why Windows is better than Mac

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Thinking of buying a new computer? If you need help choosing an operating system, we give you 5 reasons why Windows is better than Mac.

Thinking of buying a new computer? If you have not yet decided on a model (or operating system), we are going to give you five reasons why Windows is better than Mac to help you make your choice. In other words, reasons why you should consider buying a Windows PC before an Apple computer.

We will agree on something:  Microsoft’s operating system is by far the most popular and used by users around the world. While deployment and usage data alone cannot determine that it is the best operating system, just being the standard alternative gives it a number of benefits that macOS does not enjoy.

In this case, we will explain the opposite: the reasons why Microsoft’s operating system is better than Apple’s. The main reasons why Windows is better than Mac are that the price of the equipment is cheaper, that it offers greater flexibility than Apple when configuring a computer or that it has a wider catalog of both programs and video games.

why Windows is better than Mac

In addition, as it is the most widely used operating system, software, accessories and peripheral manufacturers take it more into account when developing their products, so you will have much less compatibility problems. Here are the main reasons to choose a Windows computer.

5. Windows computers are cheaper

Price is one of the main advantages of Windows over Mac. While buying a new Apple computer costs more than 1,000 euros from the most basic alternative, we can find a wide range of Windows computers below that price that perfectly meet the needs of many users.

It should be noted that it is possible to configure a PC in parts with the same power and performance as a Mac at a cheaper price. In addition, you must also bear in mind that if you have to carry out repairs or replace a component, if you have an Apple computer it will be more expensive than if you have a Windows computer.

  1. Windows offers more flexibility

Another reason why Windows is better than Mac is that it provides greater flexibility than Apple for the user to configure the computer according to their personal requirements and needs.

To buy a Mac we have to choose between the models and configurations available in the Apple store or authorized distributors, and the possibilities of updating and improvement are practically non-existent without the intervention of the technical service of the Cupertino Company.

On the contrary, users have endless possibilities to configure a PC in pieces. You have the option to choose the processor that interests you the most, the graphics card that best suits your needs, or the memory you prefer. In addition, as we said in the previous point, the price will be cheaper than that of an Apple computer. For example, you can assemble and configure your gaming PC for less than 600 euros .

3. Touch screen, Windows only

A touch screen computer can be very useful for carrying out a variety of tasks, such as taking notes by hand with a digital pen or making freehand drawings and sketches. If you are interested in this feature, Windows offers you support for the use of this type of screen and is betting heavily on it throughout its Surface range.

However, Apple has shown no interest in incorporating this feature into its desktops or laptops – beyond the iPad Pro -. Therefore, if you would like to enjoy the advantages of a touch screen, the operating system that allows you to do so is Windows.

  1. The video game catalog is much broader

If you are a gamer, Windows is a better operating system for you than macOS . Although in recent years we have increasingly found more games for Mac, the truth is that the video game catalog is much broader and more varied in the case of Windows.

To check this, for example, just take a look at the Steam catalog. If we filter the titles available on Valve’s platform by operating system, we can see that for Windows there are more than twice as many video games as for Mac . For this reason, macOS users who want to run PC games on their Mac have to resort to solutions such as  installing Windows with Boot Camp .

In addition to the variety of the catalog, gamers prefer Microsoft’s operating system to play video games because PCs are customizable, while the same cannot be said for Macs , which are almost impossible to update or modify, and certainly not at an affordable price.

As we mentioned in point 4, all components, from the processor to the graphics card or memory, are susceptible to being updated in order to optimize performance to get the most out of video games.

1. Windows is the “standard” operating system

Another of the main reasons why Windows is better than Mac is that Microsoft’s operating system is by far the most widely used on the market. According to data collected by Net Market Share , last December Windows led the ranking with a market share of 88.51% , followed very far by macOS with 9.02% and Linux by 2.12% .

In practice, the fact that Windows is the standard operating system means that, when developing new products, companies give priority to versions for Windows in order to reach a greater number of users . This is the reason why many applications, video games, accessories and peripherals are only available for PCs, and not for Mac.

Therefore, having a computer with Microsoft’s operating system guarantees compatibility with many more products than macOS , a very good reason to opt for Windows when buying a computer.

Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer – Explained Easy Guide Tour

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The Back to and Forward buttons buttons forward backward allow you to navigate backwards (to the folder we came from) and forwards (if we have used the back button). We can also use the delete key located above ENTRAR to go back.

The computer keeps a history of the folders that we are visiting within that same window to allow us to go back and forth. We can have this list in the small arrow on the right. When pressed, it is displayed and allows us to choose a location directly, without having to go forward or backward step by step.

  1. Address bar .address bar

This bar tells us where we are located and what other folders are at the same hierarchical level.

Let’s understand it better with the image of the example. In the address bar of the image we can interpret the following:

We see three levels of folders, as many as black arrows appear small arrow. From left to right are the main level, Libraries and Images.

We are located in the Images folder, because it is the one that appears to the right. Therefore, the file list that we saw corresponds to the contents of Images Folders are always contained within the one to their left.

Windows Explorer

Arrow displayed if we want to go to the Libraries folder, just click on it directly. We can also use the arrows small arrow to see which folders contain Libraries without moving from Images. Two details must be taken into account: that the contents of the folder can always be seen from the arrow to the right of its name and that in the drop-down that appears when clicking on it, no files such as text documents or images appear, and simply its subfolders are displayed.

Few More Things You should Know

If we click on the small triangle at the end of the address bar, small arrow drop-down will open with the last folders we have visited and by clicking on any of them we will move to that location.

The Refresh Reload button to the right of the address is used to reload the contents of the current folder, although most of the time it is updated automatically.

You can write directly on the address bar, just click on it and type the path or address of a folder, then you have to press the key ENTER or the button Go button that will appear in the position where the button usually is Reload button. Notice that when you click on the address bar, the address format changes to the absolute address: Libraries \ Images.

If we write a web address directly, pressing the button will go button automatically open the Internet Explorer web browser to access that page.

When you start typing in the address bar, a drop-down will open with addresses similar to the one we are typing, if we click on one of them we will go directly to that address. Remember that you also have the Back to and Forward buttons that we just saw and that are usually a faster method to navigate recently visited folders.

orange ball3. Search box buttons forward backward . This box starts the search automatically when you type the first letter, without having to press any button. Look in the folder in which we are located and in all its subfolders, if it has them. For example, in this case we could search for any content in the Pictures folder but it would not find information from the Music or Documents folder.

Orange ball4. Toolbar

This bar contains buttons for the most used operations, in this way it speeds up our work since we have the most necessary at hand. This bar adapts to the type of files on the screen, that is, the buttons on the bar are different depending on where we are. For example, if we are viewing music files, a Play button will appear to listen to a file; If we are viewing image files, a button will appear to view a Presentation of the images.

Preview On the right are three buttons: Change the view , Show the preview pane, and Get help .toolbar

Change view is Change view button used to choose what information we will see in the File List . We will see in detail later.

Show the preview panel View preview pane button will open a new panel to the right of the File List in which we will see the preview of the image or the selected document. We can also activate this option from the Organize menu , select Design and then Preview Panel . Preview is not available for all document types.

Get help Help button displays a Windows help window to learn more about the browser or any other Windows 7 function.

5. Navigation panel .

Navigation panel Only drives and folders appear in this pane, not files. We see them arranged hierarchically and we distinguish which folder belongs to which other thanks to a slight tab to the right. That is, it has a tree structure, with its ramifications. For example, in this image there are four main folders that contain other folders:

Favorites : Contains Downloads , Desktop, and Recent Sites . Recent sites can be very useful, because it saves a direct link to the last visited folders.

Libraries : Contains Documents , Images , Music and Videos . In addition, we are located in images, which contains My Images and Public Images . But Logo aulaClic does not appear within Images , because it is a Team .

Network

We also see small arrows next to the name of each folder. These arrows allow, by clicking on them, to expand or contract a folder, that is, to show or hide its subfolders without having to open them.

version of Windows

What version of Windows 10 you have installed. How to Check?

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With this article we want to present, in a very simple way, everything you need to know about Windows 10, the most used pc operating system in the world, whether for home or professional users.

In recent years Windows has evolved a lot, it has become a strong, stable and secure operating system, far away are those blue screens, or nonsensical system failures.

Windows receives updates frequently to correct problems, update drivers, and become more device-friendly. But in addition, every year it receives a major update that adds new functionalities and features and a minor one, focused on correcting bugs. Surely some of the added functions can be very useful or we may have overlooked a new function or feature in previous updates.

Before entering fully we are going to solve some basic questions about Windows 10 in the following questions.

version of Windows

What is Windows 10?

Windows 10 is Microsoft’s operating system most used by personal computer users, it was released in July 2015 and since then it has received many updates to improve it.

An operating system is the main software of a computer, and as such it is in charge of managing the physical resources of the computer and the communication with the different peripherals to serve as a platform to run its own and third-party applications.

Difference between Windows 10 and previous versions?

Windows 10 is more advanced and adaptable to current hardware than previous ones, it also has new functions that were previously impossible to implement due to physical hardware limitations.

What are the minimum requirements for Windows 10?

Processor: 1 GHz or more

RAM: 1 GB for the 32-bit version or 2 GB for 64-bit

Disk space: 16 GB for the 32-bit version or 32 GB for the 64-bit version

Graphics card: DirectX9 or later compatible with WDDM 1.0 driver

Screen: minimum resolution of 800×600.

Internet connection required for certain functions.

How can I download and install Windows 10 for free?

You can download Windows 10 for free by following this guide, also if you are a Windows 7 owner you can upgrade to Windows 10 with your Windows 7 product key.

What version of Windows 10 to install?

If you are a home user, the ideal would be Windows 10 Home, if you are an advanced user you can opt for Windows 10 Pro, if it is for a company you should look for the necessary utilities in the different versions and install the ones that these tools contain for your work.

Throughout this article we will learn much more about Windows 10 and its functions, in addition to many details and other options that the star operating system of Redmond has. We will know variants and versions available, whether for home, work, studies, or even for small connected devices.

We will also know the history of Windows and the evolution of Windows 10, we will discuss its main characteristics and those that differentiate the various versions of Windows 10. We will talk about the Microsoft Store, the Microsoft store where in addition to software you can buy accessories, Xbox consoles and Surface devices.

We will also tell you why this version of Windows is the best to play, thanks to the Xbox application and the subscription plans for games that Microsoft currently has. We will talk about the program to test new versions of Windows 10, Windows Insider, even the instructions to access these preview versions if you want.

In the last sections we will teach you some tricks and guides with which to solve problems or make your Windows 10 much more efficient.

Five things every Windows 10 user should know

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The release of Windows 10 was riddled with bugs on Microsoft’s part. Many of them have been maintained or have been repeated, but in the end the Redmond giant has managed to polish its latest operating system to make it a stable, fast and secure platform.

I’m not talking to speak, on my main computer I use a Windows 10 Pro license that I got updating from Windows 7 Pro. I did a clean install for the update process more than two and a half years ago and since then I have not had the slightest problem. Neither a format nor a restoration, nothing, and that I use the equipment for an average of 10 hours a day. As security tools I have Windows Defender and Malwarebytes in their premium version.

In general, the Windows 10 interface is quite balanced, since it brings together the best of the most classic Windows with some of the successes of Windows 8.1. This is noticeable in many aspects, including the start button, although we also find interesting news such as the integration of Cortana or the notification center.

window

I know that many of our readers have opted for Windows 10 and that there are others who are considering the jump to that operating system or who have made it recently, so we have decided to make this special article in which we will share with you five things that all Windows 10 user should know.

1-Customize the start menu

Five Things Every Windows 10 User Should Know 33

Windows 10 allows you to carry out a fairly complete customization of the start menu. You will not only be able to customize the view of the icons, but also to pin and unpin applications, adjust the size and even delete them directly.

This will affect the applications that will be available when you click on the start menu, but also the visualization that you will have when you open it. This is more important than it sounds, as some applications benefit from having a larger live tile and displaying more information.

In general, you can greatly modify the start menu and leave only the applications and tools that you really use, something that will be very useful and that you can do in a few clicks. If you want to add items to the start menu, you can do it from the path «Personalization> Start».

2-You can improve performance effortlessly

Five Things Every Windows 10 User Should Know 35

Since the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft confirmed that its new operating system was not going to be especially demanding in terms of hardware, a reality that it has maintained until now despite all the updates it has accumulated, since it is possible to enjoy an acceptable experience even with a dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM.

However, if you want to improve the performance of Windows 10 without having to update the hardware of your quiet PC, it is very easy if you follow the steps that we will give you below:

Configure the power plan in high performance : to activate it you just have to type  “Edit Power Plan”  in the Cortana search bar and select  “Change advanced power settings”. If you use a laptop keep in mind that this will increase energy consumption and reduce autonomy.

Disable startup programs : This will help us to reduce the programs that will load when Windows 10 starts and will improve system startup times. We just have to right click on the task bar; select  “Task Manager”  and we go to the “Start” tab . Once there, we go to  “Status”  and disable the programs that we do not want to start with the system.

Disable animations and visual effects : It is a process that we explain in depth  in this other practical. To apply this setting we press  “Windows + R”  and write  “sysdm.cpl”. Once this is done, we follow the path  “Advanced Options> Configuration> Performance> Adjust to Get the Best Performance”.

3-It has advanced security solutions

Five Things Every Windows 10 User Should Know 37

Windows Defender has improved remarkably and has reached such a good level that it has become a security solution that we can consider as “sufficient” to renounce the use of an additional antivirus, provided that we make proper use of the computer and put “common sense”.

Personally, I recommend accompanying it with an inexpensive antivirus that stops attacks in real time, is light and has good support. Malwarebytes is my favorite today, but if you decide to rely solely on Windows Defender remember that in addition to the usual firewall and malware cleaning options, it integrates a function called “controlled folder access” that you should configure from the first moment.

This feature reduces the chances that we will be affected by a ransomware attack, since it limits access to certain folders and all their content, preventing modifications from being made and alerting in the event that malicious activities are identified. To activate it, we just have to open Windows Defender, enter the option “Protection against viruses and other threats” and select the last option called “Protection against ransomware”. There we will find controlled access to folders and recovery through OneDrive.

4-Comes with a dark theme

Five Things Every Windows 10 User Should Know 39

With the numerous updates to Windows 10 that Microsoft has released, a dark theme has been introduced that we can activate and deactivate at will. Although it does not yet apply to all elements of the operating system, it adds a unique customization touch, and adds visual comfort when navigating through certain sections and using certain Windows 10 applications.

Little by little Microsoft is extending the possibility of using the dark theme in a greater number of applications, something that we already mentioned a few hours ago in MuyPymes when talking about the Microsoft To-Do update.

To activate the dark theme we just have to follow these steps:

We go to the Cortada search bar and enter “Configuration”.

Once there we enter “Personalization> Colors”.

Once this is done we just have to look for the option “Choose the default application mode” and select “Dark”.

5-Windows 10 is not a product, it is a service

Five Things Every Windows 10 User Should Know 41

With Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and earlier versions, Microsoft had followed a product model. With Windows 10 a clear transition has been made towards the service model, something that can be seen in the model of biannual updates and in the weight that these have not only in terms of the introduction of new functions, but also in the operating system life cycle.

Each semi-annual update adds new features that can be very varied, ranging from new features in general to those focused on security and performance, but also extends the life cycle of the operating system by a year and a half (standard support). This affects the reception of traditional Microsoft security patches, which arrive independently but depend on whether the operating system is still supported or not.

For example the original version of Windows 10 is no longer supported and does not receive security updates. To regain support, it would be enough to install one of the latest semi-annual updates released by Microsoft. If you want to know what version you have, it is very easy, just enter “Winver” (without quotes) in Cortana’s search bar (1803 is the most current version).

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Everything you need to know about Windows 10

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A funny anecdote circulates around the corners of the web: legend has it that the versions of Windows finished in even numbers or released in even years (such as Windows 2.0, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows Vista and Windows 8) have not enjoyed Best of luck. We are not talking about their failure, but their results in the end did not meet expectations. Behind that unfortunate coincidence would be the reason why Microsoft chose to skip number 9 to venture with Windows 10.

“It seems they wanted to break a curse,” said entrepreneur Freddy Vega of the online education community Platzi , jokingly . Microsoft has another reason, of course. According to company executives, the 10 symbolizes a new era, a renewal. And it is. For the first time, Windows will be offered for free as of today, July 29, 2015, for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Those who have pirated copies will not enjoy such benefit. Nor will customers of the Enterprise version (for companies) access this gift. The gift will run until July 29, 2016. If you do not upgrade during that year, you will have to pay for Windows 10.

Windows

If you participated in the Windows 10 trial phase, (that is, you are ‘Insider’) and want to continue receiving copies evaluation, you can continue in the program after July 29. You will continue to receive trial versions. You can choose to exit the program at any time and purchase an official copy. What will happen to those who wish to purchase a Windows 10 license?

Windows 10 tested

They may do so for a price of $ 120. Windows 10 tested Enlarge Installation takes about an hour or a little longer, depending on several factors, including the power of your equipment. At the beginning of the process, Windows will offer you the option to keep your personal files, applications and configuration data. With this option, even your desktop background or custom interfaces will be kept. However, you will surely have to reinstall several programs. In turn, you can choose to keep only your files or delete everything.

Windows 10 engineer Muhammed Sanji, in dialogue with Tecnósfera , confessed that, indeed, during the development process, Microsoft took the best of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to create a product that was innovative and familiar to users at the same time. Weather. The result is a clean and intuitive interface. Windows 10 pleases those who love simplicity. For example, the Settings area has few icons and is easy to understand. The Start Menu takes up the concept of tiles and highlights the most used programs at the top. He is friendly. On the taskbar there is a button to open a Notification and Action Centre that is inspired by the control zones of mobile operating systems. In that place, you can activate and deactivate basic options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode or GPS. Cortana becomes part of the taskbar.

Next to the icons of the most used programs, there is a search field under the name “Ask me everything”. Cortana will ask you what your name is and will begin to interact with you using voice or text commands. Like Siri and Google Now, it has a repertoire of fun answers to casual questions. If you ask him: “Who is your father?” It will respond with a jocular: “Technically, Bill Gates.”

Future of Windows

The future of Windows Analysts expect Microsoft to aim to turn its operating system into a service that requires a membership to pay for as with Office 365 or the Adobe suite. It is also assumed that future versions will arrive more frequently, as happens with mobile operating systems and Mac OS X in the universe.

The file explorer apparently it looks the same. But Microsoft has improved one aspect: the icons have been worked to make them look better on very high-resolution screens, such as 4K. This responds to complaints from some users saying that icons look very small in this type of monitors. Edge is cleaner and faster Edge has a clean interface. It is much faster than Internet Explorer and its performance is close to that of its main competitors: Firefox and Chrome. However, it will not accept plug-ins. If you want to continue using Explorer, you can do it, you’ll find it in the Accessories folder. Minimum requirements Take note, your PC must have a 1 Ghz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit version or 2 GB for the 64-bit version, between 16 and 20 GB of hard disk space and a memory card. Video that supports DirectX 9 or higher.

The minimum screen resolution should be 1024 by 600 pixels. Multiple desks one of the most striking options in Windows 10 is its task manager. They are now displayed as bullets. It is a concept that is already familiar to users thanks to experience with other operating systems such as iOS and android and their arrival at Microsoft’s solution is appreciated. Within that area, we have the option of creating multiple desktops.

Cortana

How many? According to engineer Muhammed Sanji, an Insider pushed this functionality to the limit and reached 177 desktops. There is no limit from the point of view of software. Control what Cortana knows about you for some, the fact that Cortana learns about your content consumption and tool management habits is a risk. However, there is a notebook or notebook to which can be accessed to adjust how much you know about the wizard. If you want to migrate, virtualization is an option for some companies, migrating to Windows 10 can be inconvenient.

There are firms whose software solutions were designed for previous operating systems and it will be necessary to reprogram them or adapt them to the characteristics of the new platform. This can take months of development. Companies like Citrix virtualization provide options for users to run the software packages required in a virtual machine, which would facilitate migration.

Best 5 Windows solutions for system recovery

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It will be difficult that your Windows personal computer has not suffered different malfunctions at the software level. Last week we talked about System Restore as a good way to get ahead of system errors and today we are going to review tools like Windows PE that go beyond a simple restoration and are very useful to avoid a complete format and installation from scratch with the consequent loss of data if we do not have backup copies or worse, a trip to a repair shop that will waste time and money.

External recovery media are ideal for identifying, isolating, and troubleshooting operating systems and / or applications. Interestingly, although we are talking about troubleshooting in Windows, most of them use a Linux environment (Live CD-Live USB) as we saw in this rescue disc special. But there are also Windows-based solutions like this PE (Windows Reinstallation Environment).

Five Windows Rescue Disks

This is a lightweight version of Windows 10, which you can use to install, test, and repair a full system installation. A Windows PE-based recovery disk expands its functionalities, adding free and open source tools specially designed to recover, restore or analyse to prevent problems on your Windows machine.

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Although Windows PE is a fully operational version of Windows 10, it cannot be used as a daily operating system. Microsoft avoids using Windows PE as a normal operating system with an automatic restart after 72 hours of continuous use and in a period that cannot be configured. Also, when a Windows PE recovery environment is established, any jobs or programs are permanently destroyed.

However it is ideal as a rescue disk. A dmite all applications, drivers, network tools, partitions, administrators, virtualiser Hyper-V and other characteristics of the system. To all of them you can add free and open source tools for maintenance and troubleshooting. They can also and often include security solutions against malware.

Although you can create your own Windows PE solution as we will see below, there are free pre-built solutions that save a few steps. Five of the ones we like are:

– Hiren’s BootCD PE.

A legendary all-in-one rescue disk packed with tools to help the user recover from operating system failures, malware, password recovery, account management, and more. Although the original Hiren’s BootCD was a Linux environment it stopped receiving updates years ago and in 2018 it was revitalized as a Windows PE rescue disk. It features tons of free and open source tools within a familiar Windows 10 environment.

An environment very similar to the Windows desktop

– Bob.Omb’s Modified Win10PEx64. Another modified Windows PE environment with a long list of tools for analysis and recovery, against infections with Malwarebytes Antimalware or for data recovery with EaseUS Data Recovery. Unlike other rescue discs, it includes various ransomware “decryptors”, which can scan the system for this type of malware, remove it and restore encrypted files as long as it is available, since many types of Ransomware have not been decrypted.

– Kyhi’s Recovery Drive. It is one of the most powerful against failures in Windows, disk and partition repair, backup and recovery, although it has antivirus, administration tools and many others. The developer has stopped updating it, but older versions can still be used.

– Gandalf’s Windows 10PE x64. Surely the most complete of these environments by adding 200 tools. There is a bit of everything, hardware and software diagnostics, backup programs, anti-malware applications, network analysis, and much more. It also stands out for its updates, every few months.

Windows PE

The number of tools is impressive

– Sergei Streclec’s WinPE. From Russia comes this solution that, like the previous ones, includes a large number of Windows maintenance and recovery applications, but stands out for its organization. All the tools are organized into practical categories that help you find what you need.

How are these environments created and operated?

The creation of the previous solutions is as simple as downloading the image and burning it to a DVD (they usually take up more space than what a CD allows) or much better to burn the image on a safer USB flash drive and with better performance than optical media. whose support is disappearing from many new equipment.

For recording, you can use your favorite application. You know that here we have a predilection for the fireproof Rufus. You can check our practical to create this type of external drives.

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Its operation is the same as any rescue medium or bootable antivirus. They work independently of the Windows operating system installed on the system and hence their ability to know, isolate or solve problems. It is the only way to do it for example with some types of viruses that load / hide in memory.

The five solutions listed work well, include a ton of tools, and make it easy to create these Windows PE environments. But they do not allow customization of the applications to be included in the medium. If you want to create a solution perfectly tailored to your needs, you can also do it from scratch.

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For these cases it is best to use Win10XPE, a complete Windows PE environment developed by the renowned customizer ChrisR. The project provides a good foundation for building such an environment using a copy of Windows 10. It supports 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, has a wide range of core Windows features, plus you can add a variety of custom applications..

You also need an ISO image of Windows 10 that you can download from the official website, mounting the image and creating the medium by adding the applications you need from a long list. You can go over this special article with the whole process in case you need it.

Keep them handy because these Windows PE external media are very useful for maintenance and repairs. They make it possible to identify, isolate and fix errors in operating systems and / or applications and also act against malware as a bootable all-in-one. And all this in an environment in which all Windows users will feel comfortable since it is not very different from the desktop version.

Hacker attacks and virus infections Easily Identify

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  1. Unknown devices can be found in the WLAN

In many company networks that have existed for a long time, no optimal security configurations are used for the WLAN. The outdated WEP protocol for encrypting WLAN data can easily be bypassed. Employees may also have read out the WLAN key, which is very easy to do in Windows, for example, via the properties of the network connection, and passed the key on to acquaintances or outsiders. Former employees may still be able to connect to the network. You should therefore always check regularly whether unknown computers and users are connected to the WLAN and identify known devices. This is very easy to do with additional tools.

With the iPad app Fing you can find currently connected devices in the WLAN

For example, you can use the free iPad app Fing for regular searches . This shows all currently connected devices and also supports the storage of descriptions. You can also find the relevant data in the web interface of your WLAN device. There are also numerous other tools in this area.

10 Different Types of Cyber Attacks & How To Recognize Them | InfoSec Insights

  1. Real or false virus reports appear on the computers

As soon as any virus warnings appear on the computers, you should take them seriously. Make sure whether the message comes from your real virus scanner or from a so-called fake anti-virus program. Both are bad, because the fake anti-virus is also a virus that has smuggled onto your computer without authorization.

If you use your virus scanner to remove the virus, check to see if it keeps reappearing because the virus may have come from another source on the network. In this case, scan all affected computers.

If it is a fake virus program, you can use tools such as Remove Fake Antivirus to find it and have it deleted.

  1. The browsers open other Internet sites without the user starting anything

Very often it is not the entire computer that is infected by viruses or Trojans, but primarily the browser. This manifests itself in the fact that unwanted Internet pages are constantly opened without users wanting to. If that happens, you can be pretty sure that the browser has been hijacked.

In general, a virus scan and deleting the temporary Internet files help here. You should also check in the browser settings whether an external proxy server has been entered or whether additional tools have been installed as add-ins. Remove them from the computer and install security add-ins such as the powerful and free NoScript.
Microsoft also offers a help page in this area . But Symantec also helps with programs such as Norton Power Eraser.

  1. Unknown programs run on the computers, which also slow down the system

Even if the virus scanner does not show a message or the PCs are otherwise running clean, an attacker can be up to mischief in the network. This is often noticed when unknown programs are running on the computer, including via the Windows autostart. Even if individual programs consume a lot of computing resources, an attacker can have lodged on the system. In this case you can start the computer with a rescue CD like the one from Kaspersky or with the PC-WELT emergency DVD and have it scanned.

You can also display the autostart programs on the computer using tools such as AutoRuns .

You start the Task Manager in Windows via the context menu of the taskbar. Check here whether there are any unknown programs. You can also search for the program name on the Internet.

  1. Partners / customers inform you that virus / spam emails have been sent from your network

If you are informed that virus and spam e-mails are being sent from your company’s e-mail addresses, you can be almost 100 percent certain that either your mail server has been hacked or one or more PCs in your company have been hacked. In this case you should immediately have the server and all workstations searched with virus scanners, including the rescue CDs mentioned above. In this case, also cut off the internet line until you have isolated the problem.

Mail servers must be cleaned with special scan programs, and the settings must also be examined by professionals.

  1. Numerous popups, menu bars and windows open in the browser on the desktop PCs

No third-party websites open, but popups and other annoying tools when you open the browser, make sure that the installed programs have no annoying menu bars. To do this, call up “Control Panel, Programs, Programs and Features” in Windows (you can reach this menu more quickly if you enter appwiz.cpl in the “ Search programs and files” input window of the Windows Start menu). Remove programs you don’t need here.

In addition, let the computer search with Spybot Search and Destroy . Remove all browser add-ins that you do not know about.

  1. The internet connection is constantly busy

If you notice that your Internet connection is constantly busy, you should check which computers it is coming from and which programs are causing the load. To do this, check your firewall and router regularly.

You should regularly keep an eye on the load on your Internet connection

Viruses and Trojans also transmit data to the Internet. Open a new command prompt on the relevant computers.

Enter netstat -o at the command prompt . If you want to redirect the output to a text file, enter the command netstat -o> C: \ netstat.txt . You can then edit and read the file with an editor. You can see all running programs and their current connection status. In the Remote address column you can see to which server or to which address in the Internet the tool will establish a connection.

  1. The virus scanner on the client PCs or the server is constantly switched off

Many virus scanners do not have sufficient self-protection. This means that attackers first switch off the virus scanner and can then attack the system unhindered. In this case, check the computer’s event display to see whether this happens regularly and make sure that the scanner’s self-protection is activated. You should also have the computer checked with another virus scanner. For example with an external virus scanner from CD / DVD or with a stand-alone tool like the Microsoft Windows tool for removing malicious software. However, you should not install two full-fledged virus scanners on one PC at the same time. These can block each other and paralyze your PC.

Download: Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

The virus scanner’s self-protection should always be activated

The action center in Windows 7/8 / 8.1 is also an important point of contact. You start this by entering wscui.cpl in the input field of the Windows start menu . In the Security area, check whether the virus scanner and firewall are activated.

The action center provides information about security functions in Windows 7/8 / 8.1

  1. You receive alleged reports from the police / GEZ that pirate copies can be found on your computers

Such messages are in all cases viruses and Trojans. No authority locks a PC, no matter how real the message looks. Here you only have one chance: You have to start the computer with a rescue CD, such as the PC-WELT emergency DVD , and have it scanned. If the scanner cannot remove the virus, back up all files on the computer and reinstall the computer. Check the backed up files for viruses.

  1. False reports are constantly being published via the users’ social network accounts

If you allow access from social networks in the company, there is also a risk that users will catch Facebook Trojans. These unauthorized post false status messages that attract other users and identify their computers. Such messages can often be found as vouchers or appeal for donations. Here you will find reports about current attackers and what you can do about them.

Safe mode and advanced startup Windows 10 & Windows 8.x

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Advanced startup options
With the extended start options, which appeared up to Windows 7 when you started the system with “F8”, many users should have come into contact at some point. They also appear if, for example, Windows 10 was “involuntarily” closed several times (3x).

With the advanced start options you can start Windows in safe mode, boot the system in a low resolution, activate a start logging or just let it start up to the command prompt. Starting in safe mode is often the only way to get into the system in emergencies.

This mode is also still available under Windows 8.x and Windows 10. Only the way there has changed somewhat, which we describe below.

In addition, Windows 7 offers the creation of a system repair disk, which is independently bootable and offers advanced system recovery options. This Windows 7 emergency window can also be started via the advanced start options behind the item “Repair your computer”.

4 ways to boot into Safe Mode in Windows 10
Advanced startup options Windows 7

The command prompt contained there is particularly useful if, for example, Windows did not boot itself and this had to be initiated manually via bootrec.exe or bootsect.exe .

System recovery options

Another use case for the command prompt is the possibility to bypass a forgotten password under Windows with a trick that we have found in the article ” Forgot user password for logging on to Windows 7, 8x or 10 ” under the point “With any installation DVD and the Utilman.exe “is described.

Changes since Windows 8.x
Since Windows 8.x ff, the extended start options no longer appear when pressing F8 during the boot process. The background is very trivial: Microsoft has summarized all help in the “extended start” and changed the combination of actions to CTRL + F8 !

But that’s not all. New systems boot so quickly that you can hardly find the time when the boot process was transferred from BIOS to Windows in order to press the key combination in time.

The way to the extended start options is not blocked – they can be reached on different paths.

If Windows is still starting, you can click on the “Restart” link when logging in while holding down the SHIFT key. Restart with the shift key

You can also force the extended start from Windows by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking on “Restart”.

The start mode can also be forced from Windows 8.x or Windows 10 by going to Windows 8 in the settings under “Update / Restore” -> “Extended start

Recovery on Windows 8.1 or under Windows 10 in the settings under “Update and Security” -> “Recovery” -> “Advanced Start”.

Advanced startup Windows 10

Whose system does not boot can also use the installation disk and boot the system from it. Before starting the installation, there is a button for the repair environment with the extended start options at the bottom left. With the key combination SHIFT + F10 you can also start the command prompt here .

Computer repair options

You can also create and boot from your own system repair disk. We have described the way to the data carrier separately for Windows 8.x and Windows 10: Create system repair data carrier for Windows 10 , create a USB recovery drive under Windows 8.1 .
After several unsuccessful start attempts, Windows automatically offers the extended start options . You only need to switch off the PC three times in a row while Windows is still booting (press and hold the power button).
Regardless of how you initiate the “Advanced Start”: Windows 8.x or Windows 10 will restart and then offer an option menu for selection.

Extended start

After “Troubleshoot” you will find the advanced options, which differ between Windows 8.x and Windows 10 only in the point “Return to the previous build”, which is not yet available in Windows 8.x.

Advanced options Windows 10

System Restore
Restore system allows you to reset the system to one of the previous restore points, of which Windows usually creates some before major operations (installation of software, drivers or updates), provided that System Restore has been activated in the system under computer protection . We discussed this topic separately in the “ Windows System Restore and Reset ” article along with “Going back to the previous build”.

Recovery points

System image recovery
The system image recovery is used to restore a system image created by Windows itself .

System image

You can also find a detailed description of this rescue option in the above-mentioned article ” System restore and reset under Windows “.

Jump start
The start-up help analyzes the Windows start-up environment and tries to independently correct any errors for which a changed or deleted boot loader or autostart entries in Windows may be responsible.

command prompt
The command prompt enables the direct entry of CMD commands, as we have described, for example, in the articles ” The command line under Windows ” or ” Forgot Windows login password “. A very good overview of possible commands in the command line is provided by Microsoft’s command line reference , for example .

The old tricks of manually restarting a Windows that does not start using bootrec.exe or bootsect.exe are also possible. But this can also be done with the newer command bcdboot .

bcdboot

Startup settings
Behind Start Settings you will find the text menu with the “advanced start options”, which has been known since Windows XP.

Startup settings

This is only started after a message about the functionality and offers the functions known from Windows XP times such as safe mode or starting with a standard VGA graphics card driver.