24 hidden Windows settings to help you compute better

Windows has been with us since the mid-1980s. During this time, the operating system accumulated a lot of features and settings. But some of them are easy to overlook. So, we'll focus on 24 hidden ways, from improving security to saving energy, where you can customize your computer.

1. Strengthen safety

Make sure no one will snoop your Windows account when you leave your computer—even if you are only briefly leaving the machine for a few minutes—the way is to ask for a valid password to access the system. Click the gear icon on the left side of the Start menu panel to open Windows Settings. Then select the Account and login options . From the drop-down menu marked at the top with Need to log in , select when the computer wakes up from sleep.

2. Save energy

You can save a lot of power by adjusting your free time before the screen becomes dark or goes to sleep. Click the gear icon on the Start menu to start the settings, select

System, and then select Power and Sleep. Use the drop-down menu that appears to select how long the screen and the entire system should wait before entering hibernation.

3. Change the default program

By default, Windows will use the set program to open each file type—for example, images use JPG, audio use MP3, and documents use PDF. For example, it will start Microsoft Word to access the .docx file. To view and change which programs open which files, open settings via the gear icon on the Start menu. Then click

Apply and Default App. Select any file type to make changes.

4. Automatic playback of CD

Save clicks by having Windows automatically start playing when you insert discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs. Click the gear icon on the Start menu to open the settings, then click

Device , and then click Autoplay . Enable the Autoplay option to start playing immediately when you insert the disc. Then check the drop-down menu below Autoplay to set up related actions such as starting a movie when inserting a DVD, or importing photos when inserting a memory card.

5. Hide the taskbar

Want to maximize available screen space? You can make the taskbar hide until the cursor hovers over it, just like a Dock on a macOS machine. Simply right-click on the taskbar, select

Taskbar Settings , and then open the Automatically hide the taskbar in desktop mode.

6. Find shortcuts

Speaking of the taskbar, where you can find the icon for any open program on the screen. You can right-click this icon to access quick links and settings for their apps. For example, the next time you open your web browser, right-click its icon to view a list of commonly used websites and access common shortcuts, such as opening a new window.

7. Improve sleep quality

Blu-ray will tell your brain to stay awake, which is why using a computer before bed can affect your sleep. To avoid this problem, Windows is equipped with night mode, which can reduce the blue light emitted by the screen. To configure it, open Settings (via the gear icon on the Start menu), and select to display , Night Mode, and Night Mode Settings . Here you can enable this feature manually or set it to start automatically on a regular basis.

8. Stop the background application

Running the application in the background allows it to start quickly—but if you put too many programs in this continuous ready state, system performance may be affected. To see which programs have permission to run in the background and revoke that permission if necessary, open Settings (via the gear icon on the Start menu), click Privacy, and select Background App 🎜>.

9. Prevent Cortana eavesdropping

Cortana is listening to background noise all the time so it doesn't miss the "Hey, Cortana" voice command. Fortunately, you can easily disable this aspect of Microsoft Digital Assistant. Click the search box in the taskbar to bring up the assistant. Then click on the gear icon on the left and close the

let Cortana respond to the "Hey, Cortana" option.

10. Protect the lock screen

Even if your computer has a password-protected lock screen, it may still display program information that you don't want passers-by to see. So make sure it doesn't show any potentially sensitive information. Click the gear icon on the Start menu to open the settings, select

Personalization, and then click Lock Screen to control which programs can publish updates on the lock screen.

11. Show hidden files

You may want to view hidden files such as temporary files and system files when troubleshooting computer problems or trying to clear hard disk space. Open any File Explorer window, switch to the

View tab, and check the box marked Hidden items . While browsing this menu, you can also use the checkbox directly above Hidden items to hide or display the file extension.

12. Custom File Explorer

When you start File Explorer, it displays the Quick Access pane by default, which lists common locations and most recently opened files. If you prefer, you can make it display your drive and folder list instead. To do this, open the

View the tab and click the option . Finally, select from the drop-down menu at the top.

13. Convert any content to PDF

Windows comes with a convenient print-to-PDF feature. Basically, anything you can print, you can also convert it to a PDF file, which is a convenient format that keeps the page layout even if you open it in various applications or computing platforms. Print an item in any application and the Print dialog box will appear. Set the printer to Microsoft Print to PDF, click Print, and you can specify a file name for the new PDF.

14. Avoid accidental restart

Windows needs regular updates to fix errors and patch security vulnerabilities. However, you do not want the update process (subsequently a system restart) to start when you are working on important tasks. To schedule the time to allow restarts, open Settings and select Update and Security , Windows Update , and then select Change the activity time . Now you can set busy times you don't want the system to restart.

15. Disable tablet mode

Many Windows devices can switch between standard desktop mode and more friendly touchscreen tablet mode. If you find this too distracting, you can disable tablet mode. Open Settings, select System, and then click Tablet Mode. Here, scroll down to the second drop-down menu and select Don't ask me, and don't switch .

16. Clean up junk files

To maintain a healthy computer, your disk needs to retain enough free space. Windows can help with this task. To view the remaining space on the disk, open Settings and click Storage. Here you can also enable the Storage Awareness option, which allows Windows to automatically delete files in the Recycle Bin.

17. Switch to Dark Mode

Want to customize the appearance of Windows display? Switching to Dark Mode is one of the easiest and most compelling changes you can make. To apply this setting, right-click the blank part of the desktop, select Personalization, and open the Color screen. Here, check out Select your default application mode and then select Dark.

18. Adjust the volume of each application

Windows allows you to specify different volume levels for different applications, for example, this can prevent system alerts from interrupting your iTunes music. To configure each level for each program, open Settings and select Sound, and then select Apply Volume and Device Preferences.

19. Share your Wi-Fi

To help friends surf the Internet or connect your phone to a stronger internet connection, you can make your Windows computer act as a mobile hotspot, broadcasting its own Wi-Fi network. To activate this feature and protect your new network with your password, launch Settings, click Network and Internet, and select Mobile Hotspot.

20. Silent notification

By default, Windows will show you as many alerts as possible. To control this notification flow, open settings via the gear icon on the Start menu, select System, and then select Notifications and Actions. Here you can turn notifications on or off for individual applications. You can also access the Quiet Times panel to set periods where no alerts are allowed to distract you.

21. Check the battery

The ability of your computer to run stably depends on its battery. Fortunately, Windows can provide detailed reports on battery health, although not easy to find. Right-click the Start menu button, select

Command Prompt (Admin) , and then, in response to the prompt, type powercfg /batteryreport /output "C:battery_report.html" . Finally, start File Explorer and open C: drive, and you should find the battery health report saved in HTML format in the first folder.

22. Graffiti on the website

The Microsoft Edge web browser is built into your Windows machine and it has the ability to doodle on pages. Open Edge and you will see a toolbar in the upper right corner of the page. Click the pen icon on the toolbar, select your pen type, and start doodling. After you comment on the page, you can use the options on the toolbar to share notes or save notes.

23. Reading website

Edge also offers another convenient option: it can read the website aloud. This is very useful if you are working on multiple tasks at the same time but want to listen to articles in the background, or if you have trouble viewing text on the screen. Open Edge, click the menu button (three dots) in the upper right corner, and select

Read aloud to listen to the current page. To stop the audio, press the Esc key.

24. Save password

Lastly, Microsoft Edge has another trick: It can remember and securely store your password. Additionally, Edge can track personal information, such as your preferred delivery address and use it to automatically fill out forms. Open the Microsoft Edge menu (three dots in the upper right corner), select

Settings , and then select to view advanced settings . Here you can enter your information, or click Manage Password or Manage Form Entry to view detailed information that your browser has saved.

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