5 best Windows 10 time-saving tips

Getting old is humbling and enlightening. Case in point: I now actually set aside time to thoroughly learn about the everyday tools I use for work so that I can be more productive when I use them. Younger Doug would scoff at Older Doug for becoming such a square, but Older Doug is quantifiably more efficient than Younger Doug ever was. The older I get, the smarter I work: take that, younger me!

If you use Windows every day, it’s worth your while—regardless of age—to take a few minutes now to internalize some of these time-savers. Quick note: these tips were gleaned from a Windows 10 Home machine running version 1903 (free tip: type “WinVer” into the Windows search box to see your version) but should apply to many recent and future Windows versions.

Nothing like starting things off with a controversial security bypass, but if you’re sick of logging into your machine every time it boots up or wakes up from sleeping, you can tell Windows to stop asking you to log in by typing “netplwiz” into the search box and unchecking the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” option. You’ll then be prompted to enter your password a couple times and, after a quick reboot, you’ll be shuttled along to the Windows desktop without any fuss.

Now, doing this is a terrible idea if your computer is at risk of being lost or stolen. But it works well for those of us that use desktop machines at home—or laptops that spend most of their time anchored to a desk. I use this trick with my own laptop, since I work from home 95% of the time. But when I travel, I toggle the feature off before I go mobile.

We’ve all been there: You’ve got a million windows open, and it’s getting really tough to focus on the task at hand. Windows’ cool “Shake” feature was introduced in Windows 7 but is still around in Windows 10. Simply grab an app that needs your undivided attention by its title bar and give it a little wiggle back and forth with your mouse. At that point, all the other apps you have open will be minimized. Once you’re ready to re-clutter your desktop, give the same app another wiggle to bring the rest back.

Source: Fastcompany.com

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