Chapter 3
Windows comes with a number of features that enable you to personalize your computer. Not only can you change the appearance of Windows to suit your taste, but you can also change the way Windows works to make it easier to use and more efficient.
Pin an App to the Start Screen
Change the Start Screen Background
Change the Lock Screen Background
Synchronize Settings Between PCs
Configure the Start Screen
You can personalize how the Start screen looks and operates to suit your style and the way you work. For example, you can rearrange the Start screen tiles so that the apps you use most often appear together on the screen.
You can also make your Start screen more useful and more efficient by resizing some of the app screen tiles. For most apps, the Start screen supports three tile sizes: Small, Medium, and Wide. Some apps also support a Large size, which is the same width as Wide, but twice as tall.
Configure the Start Screen
Move a Tile
On the Windows Start screen, click and hold the app tile that you want to move.
Drag the tile to the position that you prefer.
A Windows reduces the tile sizes slightly and adds extra space between the tiles.
B Windows moves the tile to the new position.
Change a Tile Size
C This is an example of the Small size.
D This is an example of the Medium size.
E This is an example of the Wide size.
F This is an example of the Large size.
Right-click the app tile that you want to resize.
G Windows displays the application bar.
Click Resize.
Click the size you want.
H Windows resizes the tile.
TIPS
Can I combine similar apps into a single group of tiles?
Yes. Drag the first app tile all the way to the left edge of the screen until you see a vertical bar, and then release the tile. Windows creates a new group for the app tile. To add other tiles to the new group, drag and drop the tiles within the group.
Can I name an app group?
Yes. This is a good idea because it makes the Start screen even easier to use and navigate. Right-click an empty section of the Start screen and then click Customize. Click Name group above the group you want to name, type the group name, and then press 
.
Pin an App to the Start Screen
You can customize the Start screen to gain quick access to the programs that you use most often. If you have an app that does not appear on the Start menu, you usually open the app by swiping up from the bottom edge of the screen to reveal the application bar and then clicking All Apps. For the apps you use most often, you can avoid this extra work by pinning their icons permanently to the main Start screen. After you have pinned an app to your Start screen, you can launch it by scrolling right and clicking the app.
Pin an App to the Start Screen
Move the mouse pointer (
) anywhere on the Start screen.
Click All apps (
).
Locate the app that you want to pin to the Start screen.
Right-click the app tile.
A The application bar appears.
Click Pin to Start.
Windows returns to the Start screen.
B A tile for the pinned app appears on the Start screen.
Open the PC Settings App
You can configure and customize many aspects of your Windows system using the PC Settings app. PC Settings is the Windows app that you use for customizing and tweaking your PC. Many of the tasks that follow in this chapter, including changing the Start and Lock screen backgrounds and adding an app to the Lock screen, are performed using the PC Settings app. PC Settings also offers a wealth of other options that you can use to customize your PC.
Open the PC Settings App
Move the mouse pointer () to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen.
Click Settings.
The Settings pane appears.
Click Change PC settings.
The PC Settings app appears.
A Use the tabs on the left side of the screen to navigate the PC Settings app.
TIP
If I know which tab of the PC Settings app I want to use, is there a quick way to display it?
Yes, you can use the Settings Search pane, which enables you to quickly search for the setting that you want to work with. Display the Charms menu and click Search to open the Search pane. Use the Search list to click Settings, and then begin typing the name of the tab or setting you want.
For example, if you want to go directly to the Accounts tab, type accounts and then click Add, delete, and manage other user accounts in the search results. Note that PC Settings items appear in the search results with the PC Settings icon (
).
Change the Start Screen Background
To give Windows a different look, you can change the default Start screen background. The Start screen background is the area that appears “behind” the tiles. By default, it consists of an abstract pattern formatted with a green color scheme. If you find yourself using the Start screen frequently, the default background might become tiresome. If so, you can liven things up a bit by changing both the background pattern and the background color.
Change the Start Screen Background
Move the mouse pointer () to the top-right corner of the screen.
The Charms menu appears.
Click Settings.
Click Personalize.
The Personalize pane appears.
Click the background image that you want to use.
Click the background color that you want to use.
Click the shade of the background color that you want to use.
Click the accent color that you want to use.
Click the shade of the accent color that you want to use.
The background image and color that you chose appear on your Start screen.
Change the Lock Screen Background
You can make your Lock screen more interesting by changing the image that appears as its background. Locking your computer is a useful safety feature because it prevents unauthorized users from accessing your files and your network. If you find yourself looking at the Lock screen frequently, you might prefer to see something other than the default image. Windows comes with several system pictures that you can use, or you can use one of your own pictures.
Change the Lock Screen Background
Display the Lock Screen Settings
Open the PC Settings app.
Note: See the section, “Open the PC Settings App,” in this chapter.
Click Lock screen.
The Lock screen settings appear.
Click the picture that you want to use.
The image appears the next time that you lock your computer.
Choose One of Your Own Pictures
Click Browse.
Click the picture that you want to use.
Click Choose Image.
The image appears the next time that you lock your computer.
TIP
How do I lock my computer?
On the Start screen, tap your user account tile and then tap Lock, or press 
+
. You can also configure Windows to automatically lock the computer after it has been idle for a specified amount of time:
From the Start screen, type lock pc.
Click Lock the computer when I leave it alone for a period of time.
Click On resume, display logon screen (
changes to 
).
Use the Wait text box to set the number of minutes of idle time after which Windows locks your PC.
Click OK.
Add an App to the Lock Screen
When you lock your PC, Windows displays status icons for some apps. For example, the status icon for the Mail app shows the number of unread messages. The Lock screen also shows any new notifications that appear for the Calendar app, such as an upcoming appointment. If you lock your computer frequently, you can make the Lock screen even more useful by adding icons for other apps, including ones that support notifications.
Add an App to the Lock Screen
Open the PC Settings app.
Note: See the section, “Open the PC Settings App,” in this chapter.
Click Lock screen.
The Lock screen settings appear.
To add a status icon for an app, click an Add button (
).
The Choose an app window appears.
Click the app for which you want to add a status icon to the Lock screen.
To choose which app displays a detailed status, click here.
Click the app.
To add recent alarms to the Lock screen, click the existing alarm button.
Click the app.
Windows puts the new settings into effect, and the apps appear on the Lock screen the next time that you use it.
Synchronize Settings Between PCs
If, besides your Windows desktop computer, you also have a Windows notebook, a Windows tablet, and a Windows smartphone, using the same Microsoft account on each platform means that you can synchronize data among them. You can synchronize customizations, such as backgrounds and themes; system settings, such as languages and regional settings; Internet Explorer data, such as favorites and history; app settings, and more. This gives you a consistent interface across your devices and consistent data so that you can be more productive.
Synchronize Settings Between PCs
Open the PC Settings app.
Note: See the section, “Open the PC Settings App,” in this chapter.
Click SkyDrive.
The Sync screen appears.
Click the Sync your settings on this PC switch to On.
Under Personalization settings, click the switch to Off beside each type of setting that you do not want to include in the sync.
Click the Apps switch to Off if you do not want to sync your installed apps.
Click the App data switch to Off if you do not want to sync your app data.
Under Other Windows settings, click the switch to Off beside each type of setting that you do not want to include in the sync.
The next time Windows syncs, it does not include the settings that you turned off.
Access an App's Features
By design, apps appear simple and uncomplicated. They take up the entire screen, and when you first launch them, you usually see a basic interface. However, almost all apps include a number of features — commands, settings, views, and so on — that you cannot see at first. To access these features, you must display the application bar (sometimes called the app bar), a strip that appears along the bottom or top of the screen. You can then click the feature that you want to use.
Access an App's Features
Display the Application Bar
Open the app that you want to work with.
Right-click the screen.
On a tablet PC, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
A The application bar appears.
B The application bar's icons represent the app's features.
Hide the Application Bar
Note: If you click an application bar feature, the app automatically hides the application bar. You need to manually hide the application bar if you decide not to select a feature.
Click an empty section of the app screen outside of the application bar.
C The app hides the application bar.
TIPS
Do apps always display a single application bar at the bottom of the screen?
No. In some apps, the application bar appears at the top of the screen, and in other apps, you see two application bars —one on the bottom and one on the top of the screen.
Are there more app features that I can access?
Yes, you can also display the Settings pane for each app. The layout of the Settings pane varies between apps, but it usually includes commands for setting app preferences and options. To display an app's Settings pane, move the mouse pointer () to the top-right or bottom-right corner of the screen (or swipe left from the right edge of the screen) and then click Settings.
Pin an App to the Taskbar
Pinning an app to the Start screen is helpful only if you use the Start screen regularly. If you use the desktop more often and you have an app that you use frequently, you might prefer to have that app just a single click away. You can achieve this by pinning the app to the taskbar. You can pin an app to the taskbar either from the Start screen or from the desktop.
Pin an App to the Taskbar
Using the Start Screen
Display the Charms menu and then click Search.
Type the name of the app that you want to pin to the taskbar.
Windows displays the search results.
Right-click the app.
Click Pin to Taskbar.
A An icon for the app now appears in the taskbar.
From the Desktop
Launch the app that you want to pin to the taskbar.
Right-click the running app's taskbar icon.
Click Pin this program to taskbar.
Click Close (
).
B An icon for the app remains on the taskbar.
Adjust the Volume
While an audio or video file is playing, you can adjust the volume up or down to get its audio just right. If you are listening to media by yourself, you can adjust the volume to suit the music and your mood. However, if there are other people nearby, you will probably want to use the volume control to keep the playback volume low to avoid disturbing them. If you need to silence the media temporarily, you can mute the playback.
Adjust the Volume
Display the Charms menu and then click Settings.
Click the Volume icon (
).
Click and drag the slider to set the volume level that you want.
A You can also click Mute (
) to mute the volume.
Windows sets the system volume to the new level.
Set the Time Zone
To ensure that your system clock is accurate, you should set the time zone to correspond to your location. When Windows configures your computer, it performs a number of chores, including setting the current system time and time zone. However, for the time zone, Windows defaults to Pacific Time in North America. If this is not the time zone used where you live, you must select the correct one to ensure that you have the accurate system time.
Set the Time Zone
Open the PC Settings app.
Note: See the section, “Open the PC Settings App,” in this chapter.
Click Time and language.
. Click your time zone.
Windows adjusts the time to the new time zone.