70 |^ |^ June 2019
T
he Windows desktop has
undergone some radical
changes over the past
few years, but after
experimenting with
Windows 8’s Metro user
interface – which was rapidly scaled
back in Windows 8.1 – Windows 10 has
returned the desktop to something
closer to Windows 7. This means the
desktop has returned to its original
function – as a virtual desk. You can use
it as a simple backdrop when switching
between application windows, or keep
shortcuts, files and folders on it for easy
access (right-click on it and choose
Personalise to change its look and feel).
Adding items to the desktop is simple
enough – just drag them from a File
Explorer window following the tips on
page 72. You can also create desktop
shortcuts by right-clicking the file or
folder in question and choosing ‘Send
to‘ > ‘Desktop (create shortcut)’. While
this is convenient, your Windows
desktop can quickly become messy,
and get buried beneath any application
windows that you have open.WKHUHWRSODFHVKRUWFXWV
An alternative route to follow is to
keep the desktop clutter-free – simply
right-click the desktop, choose View
and untick ‘Show desktop icons’ to hide
everything without removing it. You can
then store shortcuts using other
desktop elements, such as the Start
menu or the Taskbar. The most visible
place is the Taskbar – ‘pin’ a program
here and you’ll be able to access it with
a single click from anywhere.
To pin items, open a program window
so its icon appears in the Taskbar, then
right-click the icon and choose ‘Pin to
taskbar’. Once pinned, simply drag items
around to reorder them. You can also
pin items from elsewhere – right-click aprogram’s Start menu shortcut and look
under the More menu or click and drag
a program file or shortcut from File
Explorer on to the Taskbar itself.
There’s also the Start menu for
shortcuts – the step-by-step guide on
the page opposite includes steps for
pinning shortcuts to the Start menu in
addition to customising it in other ways.
Also take the time to right-click the Start
button to reveal a list of handy shortcuts
to system tools and settings – this Quick
Access menu can also be invoked by
pressing the [Win] + [X] keys.MRUHTDVNEDUWULFNV
The Windows 10 Taskbar also includes
shortcuts to Cortana (covered on page
73) and Task View, which enables you
to view all open windows in a grid-like
view, making it easy to switch between
them. Task View also enables you to
organise your windows into multiple
virtual desktops, then switch between
them. Either click ‘New desktop’ to
create a blank desktop, or right-click a
window in Task View and choose ‘Move
to’ and select an existing desktop or
create a new one from scratch.
In the right-hand corner of the Taskbar
sits the notification area. You’ll see a
selection of small app icons providingupdates and access to key apps and
settings. Many programs set to start
with Windows hide away here, enabling
you to right-click them to access their
features, tweak their settings or simply
exit the program completely. Click the
‘^’ button on the left to reveal ‘hidden’
app icons. Just drag icons from here on
to the notification area to pin them
permanently, or vice versa to hide them
from view. More options for configuring
these can be found under Settings >
Personalisation > Taskbar – click ‘Select
which icons appear on the taskbar’.In the far right-hand corner is the
Action Centre, which is Windows 10’s
notifications system. Click the button to
view a slide-out window that provides
notifications from a range of sources.
These are displayed chronologically,
and many come with buttons for taking
further action. At the bottom of the
Action Centre are a series of buttons
giving you quick and easy access to
certain functions such as ‘Night light’,
as well as system shortcuts.
Again, the Action Centre is fully
configurable to your personal needs –
choose which buttons are displayed,
plus control how notifications behave
by visiting Start > Settings > System >
‘Notifications & actions’.“Click the button to view a slide-out
window that provides notifications
from a range of sources”
Master the desktop
The Windows 10 desktop can be at once both familiar and
alien. Discover how to make the most of its best features
The Windows 10 desktop can easily be customised.You can easily set up and manage multiple virtual
desktops using Windows 10’s Task View.