An absolute astonishing number of people use Microsoft Windows as the operating system for their computer. Amazingly out of all the people in the world who use Microsoft Windows there are plenty who are not aware of some of the most basic tasks required to keep their operating system running smoothly. In fact man people do not even realise that from time to time you may need to change a setting on your computer or know how to recover your system from any number of disasters.
Here we take a look at a few tasks that every Microsoft Windows user should understand and know how to do.
Opening the Command Prompt.
Sometimes when you run into a computer problem the Windows based operating system is simply incapable of getting the job done. At times like these it is best to turn to what is known as the command prompt. It is really simple to access the command prompt all you need to do is click start, click run, type CMD. It may be hard to believe that most people do not even know how to do this simple task. It really is amazing how powerful the command prompt is. It can be used for a whole range of tasks including troubleshooting system problems on a microscopic level.
Accessing the Boot Menu and Booting into Safe Mode.
The boot menu of your computer is a handy menu which when accessed allows you to choose which state your computer boots up in. This is particularly handy if you are experiencing computer problems such as viruses or other programming errors. By accessing your computers boot menu and booting in safe mode you will be allowed access to various key components of your computers system which gives you the opportunity to troubleshoot things and rid yourself of various problems.
You can access your computers Boot Menu by simply pressing F8 when your computer is booting, just before the Windows logo appears.
Access Your Computers BIOS
The BIOS of your computer is vitally important in getting your computer to run correctly. The BIOS is responsible for running things that your operating system does not. Things such as your computers fans which keep it cool, the order in which your computer chooses to boot from its hard drives and various other hardware related items.
There are several ways in which to access your computers BIOS depending on the model of computer that you have. You will usually see an option flash on screen as the computer is booting which says to press a certain key to access the setup or boot menu. Usually the key you will need to press to access your computer BIOS is either F1, F2, DEL, ESC, F10, or F12. If you do not have access to your computers manual or see no indication of which key is used when your computer is booting then it is advisable to boot your computer several times and try each key till you find the correct one.
Search / Filter by Date.
If you are unsure of the exact name of a file that you are searching for but you happen to know the date on which it was installed, accessed or modified then you can use the search by date feature of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
In the search box you simply type ‘datecreated mm/dd/yyyy’ or ‘datemodified mm/dd/yyyy’ or ‘dateaccessed mm/dd/yyyy.’
Access the Task Manager.
If you are unlucky enough to have a software program that won’t shut down or other unruly process which will just not go away you may need to access the task manager which will allow you to do this. You can access the task manager by simply pressing CTRL, ALT, DEL together.
Access and Use the Control Panel.
The control panel within the Windows operating system is very important and it is even more important that you know how to access it and use it to fix problems and make necessary alterations, big and small, to your Windows PC.
In order to access the Windows control panel simply go to ‘My Computer’ and you will see the option named ‘Control Panel’ which you click on. You can also access the control panel through the Start Menu.
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