If you want to prevent Windows 10 from downloading and installing updates automatically, here are some ways to do it. Nothing lasts forever, though, and Windows – like a lot of software these days – is updated automatically. Microsoft considers Windows more of a service than a piece of traditional software, and you can’t put off updates forever, and nor should you. Plenty contain important security patches and bug fixes.....

A few years ago, it was all but impossible to install Google’s ChromeOS onto a Windows laptop. Now, though, there’s a piece of software called CloudReady which is free for home use and uses a version of Chromium OS that’s very similar to ChromeOS which Chromebooks use. Here’s how to install it on your old laptop or desktop PC. How to install ChromeOS on an old laptop: make a bootable USB drive The first thing to do is to head to CloudReady’s website and download the free version – around 640MB....

There are any number of reasons why you might want to keep some of the files on your Android device secret. Preventing the likes of WhatsApp and other apps from bringing them up as options when you want to post something is one, especially when we’re frequently having online meetings at the moment, which can include sharing your screen to demonstrate things to co-workers. It could also be that you’re putting together a collection of images for a surprise birthday gift for a partner and don’t want them accidentally stumbling over them when they borrow your phone....

Much of the internet is a fabulous resource for kids, whether it’s Wikipedia for helping with homework, online games, social networks, videos, music and more. However, there is an equal – or greater – number of websites that you wouldn’t want them going anywhere near. One of the greatest challenges facing parents these days is how to ensure that their children remain safe online. With so many kids now having tablets , smartphones , or PCs of their own, it’s increasingly difficult to know what content they access and who they’re meeting on the web....

Is there something in your past that threatens to ruin your reputation – something to which Google insists on flagging up whenever someone Google’s your name? Good news: a recent ‘Right to be forgotten’ EU court ruling means you can now ask Google to remove specific listings about you from its search results. Here’s how to remove your name from Google search results and make Google forget you. How to make Google forget you: Hidden, but not gone It’s worth pointing out that although Google is the largest search engine, it is not the only search engine....

Vibrations are one of the most effective ways to receive notifications discreetly, without sound. Whether you’re in a meeting, at a movie, or just prefer the quiet, using your phone’s vibration function ensures that you won’t miss important calls or messages. Whether you’re using one of the best Android phones or the best iPhones , this guide will walk you through the process to make your phone vibrate. How to make your iPhone vibrate Here’s a step-by-step guide for iPhone users:...

These days, most of us are reliant on a PC or laptop in some capacity, making them a key part of our everyday lives. That’s due in part to how capable they are. The thought of one device being able to edit videos, connect with people around the world, play graphic-intensive games and type long documents would have been scarcely believable 20 years ago. With so much functionality within a relatively compact form factor, it begs the question: just how much power do these things use?...

The release of the PS5 marks an exciting time in the gaming world, ushering in a new generation of games enhanced by Sony’s new powerful console and the innovative DualSense controller. There are plenty of PS5 exclusives on the way, but what if you want to play them when you’re on your morning commute or even on holiday in another country? The PS5 is a big ol’ machine, as we all know, so it’s not exactly easy to take with you....

What formats does a Kindle support? Microsoft Word (.DOC, .DOCX) HTML (.HTML, .HTM) RTF (.RTF) JPEG (.JPEG, .JPG) GIF (.GIF) PNG (.PNG) BMP (.BMP) PDF (.PDF) You can connect your Kindle to your laptop or PC with the USB cable that came with it and then use it just like any removable USB drive to drag and drop files to its internal storage. The names of the folder you see when you view the Kindle in Windows’ File Explorer will vary depending on the exact model, but should be something like Documents or Internal Documents....

After setting up a Windows device for the first time, you’ll notice plenty of software that’s already been installed. Some of this is genuinely useful – most people couldn’t live without Settings or File Explorer, for example. But there are lots of other apps you’ll never use and might even forget about. Microsoft includes lots of its own stock apps in Windows 11, but some PC and laptop makers also add their own....

Sometimes you don’t want to print off an entire spreadsheet to bring to a meeting, but rather just the salient figures that show something about a particular subject. This can be done by highlighting the cells you want before hitting Ctrl+P. But what if you want to print the same area on every page of your spreadsheet? We show you a few ways to make this happen. What is a print area?...

While many people associate livestreaming games with Twitch and YouTube , Microsoft also offers a platform for budding livestreamers dubbed Mixer. It boasts unique features, and even offers built-in support for Xbox One and Windows 10 , meaning gamers don’t need to download any additional software to broadcast their gameplay to the platform. Here, we explain what Mixer is, why it’s different to the competition and how to broadcast to Mixer from PC, Xbox One and even iOS & Android ....

How to use macros in Excel: Enable the macro setting While macros are a standard feature in Excel, you can’t actually see the option to create them until you enable the Developer tab. To do this you’ll need to launch Excel then select the File tab. In here you’ll find Options near the bottom of the left hand menu. Click this and you’ll see a pop up box appear which includes the selection Customize Ribbon....

Movie Maker, a once-staple of Windows, was ditched as an app with the launch of Windows 10 in 2015. The reasoning behind it was perhaps understandable – Movie Maker was extremely basic and most people would use something like Adobe Premiere Pro for regular video editing on Windows. However, there are occasions when you might need to edit a quick video but don’t want or need to pay a subscription, and fortunately there still is a tool for this built-in to one of Microsoft’s stock apps....

With the release of Windows 10 drawing ever closer, it won’t be long now until you can try out the new Universal apps across all their devices. We’ve had a play with some early versions and here explain how to use Universal apps in Windows 10 and which apps you can expect to see in the near future. What are Universal Windows Apps? Universal apps (or Windows Apps as Microsoft recently renamed them) are ones that can work on any Windows 10 machine – be it a PC, tablet, phone, or even your Xbox One once the Windows 10 update arrives in the Autumn....

During the coronavirus outbreak, video conferencing app Zoom went from unknown outsider to the leading digital communications platform on the planet. It hit an incredible peak of 200 million daily active users , making it highly likely you’ve used it at some point during 2020. The beauty of Zoom lies in its simplicity, which allows people to create, schedule or join a meeting with just a few clicks. It also offers an excellent level of functionality in the free version, even if officially there’s a 40 minute limit....

After four bumper days of announcements, E3 2021 comes to an end today. The trade show has moved online this year due to the pandemic, but it’s been a welcome return after last year’s event was cancelled. One of the headline acts on the final day is Bandai Namco, the Japanese company behind classic titles like Pac-Man and Tekken. It’s a real force in the modern gaming industry too, counting the likes of Project Cars and Dragon Ball Z among its recent releases....

One of the biggest surprises of the Disney Plus launch was that it includes the first ever 4K or UHD versions of the classic Star Wars trilogy, with HDR support thrown in to boot. You can’t even get those on disc, making Disney’s streaming service officially the best way to watch Star Wars in 4K – so long as you can put up with yet more changes to Han and Greedo....

Despite being a sequel (and being released whilst the pandemic is still ongoing, no less), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 managed to storm ahead of the first movie to become the highest-grossing videogame adaptation film of all time. The introduction of fan favourites Miles ‘Tails’ Prower (played by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles the Echidna (played by Idris Elba) set a precedent for where this franchise will go in the future – plus it is a great flick for all the family....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Lightweight and refined design All-day battery life Strong performance Cons Noisy fan Screen glare Speakers on the bottom Our Verdict The HP Envy 13 (2020) is premium, powerful and portable – and minor niggles don’t detract from this great all-rounder laptop. Best Prices Today: HP Envy 13 (2020) The HP Envy 13 (2020) is a true all-rounder laptop with a slim design, large display and lots of storage space....