The File Explorer in Windows is the file management tool used for viewing folders and files. File Explorer in Windows 11 helps you get to the files you need quickly and, in fact, every time you open a folder in Windows, you are seeing the File Explorer. To start using the File Explorer in Windows 11, select it on the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows key + E on your keyboard. In This Lesson… Explore the File Explorer In Windows 11, the File Explorer application has been updated, and the interface has been simplified. When you…
Author: novus01@skill
You were able to “snap” windows into various positions in previous versions of the Windows OS, but in Windows 11 this process has been made easier and expanded to allow you to create multiple groups of snapped items. Learn how to create Snap Layouts and Snap Groups in Windows 11, and why you should. In This Lesson… What is Snapping? Snapping essentially means automatically moving and resizing a window to occupy a certain portion of the screen. Previously, this meant making a window occupy a quarter or half of the screen (both horizontally and vertically). This was, and indeed still…
Widgets are (sort of) a new feature of Windows 11. The Widgets tool allows you to create a pop-out panel that contains weather, news and other information based on your interests. A similar feature was quietly added to Windows 10 in one of the latest incremental updates, and could be viewed by clicking the weather summary that appeared on the right side of the Taskbar. In Windows 11, that existing News & Interests panel has been turned into a more prominent and expanded feature. In This Lesson… How to Customise Your Widgets You can open the default Widgets panel by…
As with some of the other features covered in this guide, Virtual Desktops aren’t a new feature of Windows 11, having been introduced with the previous version of the OS. It has, however, been tweaked and upgraded for the latest version, with several features that are easy to miss. In This Lesson… Creating Virtual Desktops Virtual Desktops are extremely useful if you often have to have several different apps open at the same time. A single desktop can soon become cluttered and difficult to navigate easily, but by splitting your working areas into two or more spaces, finding the apps…
Search hasn’t changed much from the later versions of Windows 10, but if you are used to using an older version where search and Cortana were integrated, the search feature of Windows 11 may seem very different. The most obvious change is, of course, where the search field now lives: not in the Taskbar, but within its own search panel. In This Lesson… How to Search for… Anything! Click the search icon in the Taskbar to open the search panel. You can also open the search panel using the keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + S. 1 – At the top…
These two tools, which are really an extension of the Taskbar, used to be combined into a single panel called the Action Center in Windows 10, accessed by clicking the date & time or by pressing Win Key + A. In Windows 11, these two tools have been separated. In This Lesson… Using the Notification Center The Notifications Center can still be opened by clicking the date & time, although if you have no waiting notifications, it will not be shown. You can also use Win Key + N. 1 – If you have unseen notifications waiting, a small numerical…
Just like the Start Menu, the Taskbar in Windows 11 has changed, both in terms of what it contains and what it can do. If you are coming from Windows 10, you will notice the missing search field and Cortana button (and the centre-positioned icons), but other than that it looks very similar to how it did in the previous version. The Taskbar gives you quick access the all of the main features of Windows 11, and unless you are playing a game on your PC, will almost always be visible. It runs along the full length of the bottom…
The changes to the Start Menu and the Taskbar are probably some of the first things you noticed when moving to Windows 11 from an earlier version. Knowing how to make the most of these two important parts of Windows is an essential step to mastering the OS, and will make your everyday use of Windows 11 much easier. Not only has the Start Menu button moved, but the whole visual design of this integral feature of Windows has been updated. In all honesty, how the Start Menu works hasn’t changed all that much, but if you are used to…
There are several possible Bluetooth devices you may need to connect to or pair with your Windows 11 computer, from mice and keyboards to headphones, speakers and even secondary screens. Not all desktop computers have Bluetooth (although you can fit relatively cheap Bluetooth adaptors if you wish), but almost all modern Windows laptops and tablets will. In This Lesson… Bluetooth Pairing Connecting Bluetooth devices, also referred to as pairing devices, is generally fairly easy. In some cases, however, you might run into problems. Read on to learn how to connect Bluetooth devices without fuss. 1 – Open Settings > Bluetooth…
Unless you are completely new to Windows and computers in general, connecting a PC to the Internet will likely be something you have done many times. It can, however, be frustrating trying to connect a new PC, and even more so in an operating system you have not used before. Here’s how to quickly and easily get online in Windows 11. In This Lesson… Connecting Your PC to a Network We are assuming you already have a broadband account with your chosen Internet provider set up and ready to go. If not, you obviously need to do this first. Open…