made easyLaptops

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04 Your laptop explained

05 Upgrading your system

06 Modern features

08 Setting up your laptop

10 Internet and email

14 Connecting and syncing devices

16 Installing and updating software

18 Speed up your laptop 20 Protect your laptop data 23 Jargon buster

ContentsWelcome

© Which? Ltd 2015 This guide has been produced for general information and interest only. Which? makes every effort to ensure that the information in the guide is correct but we cannot guarantee that it is 100% free of inaccuracies, errors and omissions. The guide may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or otherwise made available to third parties without the written permission of Richard Headland, Editor of Which? magazine. Commercial use of the guide is not permitted.

Laptops can seem difficult to get to grips with,

especially when you’re faced with jargon and

technical features.

This straightforward guide will help you familiarise

yourself with your laptop, from navigating Windows

to surfing the internet. We’ll guide you whether you’re

starting out with Windows 10, or looking to do more

with an older laptop.

We explain how to set up and get the most from

your email account and, of course, how to protect

your laptop from viruses and other security threats.

We’ve also highlighted some basic laptop

maintenance tasks that are easy to do and will help

keep your laptop running smoothly and problem-free,

including how to back up and keep your valuable

information safe.

Finally, some jargon is necessary to understand

and work with your laptop: we’ve tried to keep it to

a minimum, but, where it’s unavoidable, we define

technical terms on p23.

Richard Parris

Editor, Which? Computing

Which? Computing offers practical advice on making the most of your computer, including everything from social networking to email. Our team of experts has more than 40 years’ experience working in and writing about technology. As a Which? title, we’re entirely independent and offer unbiased advice.

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Your laptop explained Upgrading your systemHere’s a guide to the most important laptop features

If you’re ready to update your system, here’s how to do it

Optical drive (not shown)Some laptops have a DVD optical drive that can burn DVDs, or a Blu-ray disc drive that can be used to play Blu-ray films. However, this feature is less and less common.

Laptop screensLaptops come in a range of screen sizes – from 10 inches to 17 inches. Most screens have a glossy finish – good for playing games or watching films. Some are matte, which helps to reduce glare caused by bright lights.

KeyboardMost laptops have a full- sized keyboard, similar to one you might use with a desktop PC. Some keys serve dual functions, such as also dimming the screen brightness.

Operating systemThe program that runs your laptop. Most laptops come with Windows, though Apple computers run Mac OSX.

TrackpadLaptops have large trackpads that control the cursor on the screen. Trackpads typically include two buttons that mimic the left and right buttons on a desktop PC mouse.

Internal componentsProcessor Also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU), this is the brain of your laptop – its speed is measured in GHz (gigahertz). An Intel Core i3 or Core i5 is recommended as the minimum for a home laptop.

Hard disk Where Windows stores all your program and file information. Its capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB). Most laptops have at least 500GB, which is enough for everyday use.

Memory Also known as Ram, this stores data temporarily and is needed to open programs and files – 4GB is normal in most laptops for home use .

WebcamWebcams are fairly standard on laptops and are used for video calls and taking low-resolution photos.

USB portsUsed to connect devices, such as hard drives.

1 Back up your filesIt’s always best to back up

your files before you upgrade

your operating system. To do

this, click Start, type ‘backup’,

then click Backup and restore

in Windows 7, or Save copies

of your files with File History

in Windows 8.1. Connect to an

external hard drive, then click

Set up backup in Windows 7,

or Turn on in Windows 8.1.

Follow the steps on your

screen, selecting the external

drive as the destination for

your backed up files.

2 Back up your system

Make a full disk image backup

so you can revert to an older

version of Windows if you

need to. Connect to an

external drive with space for

a copy of your entire C: drive,

then open the Backup/File

History tool (see Step 1). Click

System image and follow the

steps on your screen.

3 Upgrade through Windows Update

On Windows 7 or Windows 8.1,

you should see a Windows

logo in the Notification Area

(the bottom-right of your

desktop). Click on it, then click

the menu button. Next click

Check your PC – the app will

create a compatibility report,

showing advice about any

programs or devices that may

pose a problem after Windows

10 installs. Click the menu

button, and follow the steps to

download the upgrade file.

4 Download the software

You can also download the

software directly from

Microsoft. First check if you

will need the 32-bit or 64-bit

version. To do this, press the

start button (Windows 7), or

move your cursor to the

bottom-right of the screen

(Windows 8.1) and select

search. Type System and

select the System app. Look

for System type and note

whether your current

operating system is 32-bit or

64-bit. Then visit Microsoft’s

Windows 10 download page

and download the tool.

5 Install the updateOpen the Media Creation

Tool, tick Upgrade this PC

now and click Next. The

Windows 10 installation files

will download and a small

window will open once the

files are complete. The tool

will check for any required

updates before continuing.

Click to agree to the licence

terms, and setup will check

for any further updates.

Click Change what to keep

to see which settings, files

and apps Windows 10 will

keep. Click Next or Install,

and the installation and

upgrade will proceed. Your

PC will restart several times.

6 Choose your settings

Log in with your existing

Microsoft user account, or

create a new account if you

don’t already have one, by

clicking I’m not [username].

Then click Next and select

Use Express Settings (or you

can click the Customise

Settings link on the left of the

screen). On the New apps for

the new Windows page, you

can click Let me choose my

default apps on the left, or

just click Next to go to your

new Windows 10 desktop.

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Modern featuresIf you’re used to using a traditional desktop, the most recent update to your operating system might feel rather modern. Get to know your laptop’s new features

which.co.uk ❘ 7

Windows 10 introduces a range of new,

interesting and useful features. If you’re on

the fence about whether or not to upgrade,

these system highlights may tip the scales.

Start ButtonWindows 8’s Start screen and Charms bar are

gone, and a Windows 7-style Start button menu

is reinstated for Windows 10. It’s not completely

new, but it’s different to the Start button menu

you might remember from Windows 7. Not only

is it great at allowing you to search your PC,

but you can customise the tiled area. Pinning

and placing your favourite apps exactly where

you want them, you can re-arrange, resize and

remove apps as you like. You can even resize

the Start menu itself.

Cortana Microsoft’s voice-controlled virtual assistant,

Cortana, has made the jump from Windows

smartphones and is now built into Windows

10. You can use Cortana to do all sorts of

things, and it’s accessible right from the

Ask me anything bar. Cortana can search

the Internet, set reminders and notes, and

provide information about events, restaurants

and sports teams. Cortana can also perform

calculations, open apps, identify music, send

emails and more. It’s a powerful tool, and

makes using Windows 10 even easier.

Tablet ModeAlthough the iconic Windows 8 Start screen

is missing from Windows 10, the operating

system’s new Tablet Mode has a similar feel.

On convertible devices, this mode removes

the desktop in favour of a Start Screen

appearance. You might prefer this mode if

you’re using your laptop as a touchscreen

device. Tablet mode will actually activate

automatically when a tablet is detached

from a keyboard dock. It deactivates

when the device is docked once again.

Microsoft EdgeInternet Explorer does feature in Windows

10, but Microsoft’s new Edge browser takes

centre stage. It’s simpler in appearance, and

designed to be quicker when browsing from

page to page. And, with help from Cortana

and Bing search, it should be a more personal

experience too. Edge also includes a ‘reading

view’ to reduce distractions when you’re

reading articles or other text. But even without

this view enabled, it’s a minimalistic browser

with very little in the way of menus and buttons.

Windows DefenderIf you’ve used Windows 8, you may already

be familiar with the features and functions of

Defender. Windows Defender provides anti-

virus and anti-spyware protection. It’s a built-

in feature of Windows 10, so even if you later

decide that you’d prefer to use a different free

or paid-for security program, you’ll be covered

from the moment you set up or update your

PC. If you do opt for new security software,

remember to uninstall Windows Defender

first, since running two security programs at

the same time can put your PC at risk.

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Setting up your laptop

Create user accountsWhen you first set up your

laptop, Windows creates an

Administrator account. This

is an access-all-areas pass to

your laptop, and you must have

one to set up your PC. Anyone

logged in on this account can

install programs and make

changes. So, if your laptop is

used by other people, it could

be open to a few risks.

It’s a good idea to create a

user account for each person

who will use the laptop. You’ll

also be able to add parental

restrictions for younger family

members’ accounts.

If you have a Microsoft

account, you can use it to log

in on your laptop. The benefit

of using a Microsoft account

is that you’ll be able to share

settings and files across all the

Windows devices you use, like

tablets and smartphones. This

isn’t a requirement, though.

Here’s how to get set up:

■ Press the Windows key and

click on Settings. On the

settings screen click on

Accounts. Then select Family

& other users.

■ Choose from Add a family

member or Add someone

else to this PC and select the

option you need.

■ Under Add a family

member you can choose

Adult or Child. Choosing

Child will save time later

when setting up family

safety options.

■ When adding family

accounts, you will need to

enter an email address or

set up a Microsoft account

for them. If you choose Add

someone else to this PC,

you can skip this step and

simply create a local account.

■ Enter a username and

enter and verify a password

for this user, and add a

password hint as a

reminder in case they

forget the password.

■ Click Next to return to the

Family & other users page.

The new user will be listed

at the bottom.

Change settingsThere are several ways to

change your Windows 10

settings: from Settings in

the Start Menu or the

Control Panel.

Open Settings■ To open settings, press the

Windows key on your keyboard

and select settings near the

bottom of the start menu.

■ Here you will find a collection

of useful and often needed

options and settings. Settings

include PC power usage,

devices and printers, network,

personalisation, user accounts,

accessibility options, and

privacy and security.

Open the Control Panel■ Press the Windows key on

your keyboard, or select the

Search bar next to the Start

menu button on your desktop.

■ Press the Windows key, then

type ‘control panel’ into the

search bar. Select Control

Panel from the list. Then click

one of the following headings:

System and SecurityView technical information

about your laptop and carry

out tasks, such as transferring

or backing up data.

Network and InternetSet up a connection to the

internet and a home network.

Hardware and SoundView and attach devices, set

display and power options.

ProgramsUninstall unwanted programs.

User AccountsManage user accounts and

the Your family user group.

Appearance and Personalisation

Here you can customise how

Windows looks and sounds.

This is also where you can

change the size of text.

Clock, Language and RegionHere you can set the time,

date and language and

adjust display formats.

Ease of AccessHere you’ll find tools and

settings to make using your

laptop easier.

Turn your laptop off■ Press the Windows key on

your keyboard and click Power

on the start menu

■ Now click on Shut down

to shut down any running

programs and fully turn off

your laptop.

Other options You can choose two other

Power options from the pop-up

menu:

■ Restart, which turns off then

immediately turns the laptop

back on to start afresh.

■ Sleep, which saves your

session and puts the laptop

into a low-power mode, much

like standby mode on a TV.

If you’re keen to get started with your new laptop, these basic tasks will get you up and running

TipOnce you’ve

set up multiple accounts, you can switch between users without signing out of your own account.■ Press the Windows key on your keyboard to bring up the Start menu.■ Select your name and profile at the top of the menu.■ From the list, click the user account you want to switch to and sign in. When you switch back to your account, everything will be as you left it

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Internet and emailWe explain the types of broadband, setting up an account with a provider and creating an email account

Getting broadbandIf you’re setting up a home internet account for

the first time, the options can feel daunting.

■ When you see prices quoted for broadband

deals, these often exclude the cost of line rental

for a phone line. It may be easiest to take your

broadband from your current phone provider,

but check for better deals from other companies.

We regularly review broadband companies in

Which? magazine to recommend the best.

■ High speed internet is great if you want to use

services such as BBC iPlayer, but it costs more

per month. If you only want to browse the web

and send emails, more basic accounts with

lower speeds are fine and can cost much less.

■ You’ll be sent a wireless router for your home

broadband, typically for free as part of taking the

contract. This is a small box that you connect to

your phone line. It beams wireless internet (wi-fi)

around your home, so you can easily connect a

laptop, phone or tablet to get online.

■ There may be a one-off charge for line

activation and you’ll usually have to wait up to

a week for your account to be up and running.

ADSL broadbandADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)

broadband uses BT’s copper-wire phone

network and is available to more than 99%

of households in the UK.

To get it, you need a fixed phone line, and

there are many available from different line-

rental providers, such as the Post Office or Sky,

that also use BT’s network.

Advertised download speeds range from

2Mbps (megabits per second) to more than

24Mbps. But the speed you’ll actually be able to

get depends on many factors – most importantly,

your distance from the exchange.

Cable and fibre broadbandVirgin Media, BT and other broadband providers

offer faster cable and fibre broadband packages

at a range of speeds up to 120Mbps. Virgin

Media is available to around 50% of the UK,

while BT’s fibre service is available to 8 million

UK homes, mostly in urban areas.

Some providers offer discounts if you take a

package of more than one service from them, for

example digital TV, home phone, broadband and

mobile phone contracts.

Mobile broadbandYou can use mobile broadband to get online

when you’re out and about. You’ll need a

‘dongle’, which plugs into your laptop’s USB port.

You can connect to the internet via a mobile

phone network using either a 3G or faster 4G

data connection. Mobile broadband is less

widely used than fixed-line broadband. If you’re

a fairly light internet user, however, it could

be a good alternative.

But do bear in mind that mobile broadband

speeds and internet usage caps are fairly low

compared with many fixed-line deals, and

exceeding these caps can be very expensive.

So, if you’re a heavy internet user, you might

find mobile broadband restrictive.

Wi-fiAll laptops include built-in wireless connectivity,

known as wi-fi, so you can connect to the

internet without the need for cables. This gives

you the freedom to send emails and surf the

internet anywhere in your house. You can also

go online when out and about by connecting

through a wireless hotspot – typically found in

airports, hotels, cafés and pubs.

You will need a wireless cable or ADSL router

to set up a wireless broadband connection.

Create an email accountMany people now use a webmail account rather

than a desktop email program. Using a web-

Using the web Once you have broadband, it’s quick and easy to

use a web browser to view web pages. The web

browsers available include Microsoft’s Internet

Explorer and Edge, Mozilla’s Firefox, Google’s

Chrome, Apple’s Safari and Opera.

Internet Explorer and Edge come pre-installed

with Microsoft Windows 10, but you can switch

to a different browser by downloading it free

from the provider’s website.

Web addressesEach web page has its own unique web address.

For example, the Which? website is which.co.uk.

If you know the web address, you can type it

straight into the address bar of the browser and

click the Go button or press Return.

Website linksMost web pages contain links to other pages.

Click on a link and the relevant web page will

open up. Links will appear in a different colour –

often blue – or as underlined text. To check

whether something is a link, hover your cursor

over it – if the arrow turns into a pointing finger,

this means it’s a link and you can click on it.

Multiple accountsThere’s no limit to the

number of free webmail accounts you can set up. We recommend that you create two: use one for shopping and registering your email with websites (these addresses are often targeted by spammers), and reserve another for emails sent to and from friends and family.

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based email account means that you can easily

access your email from any computer, not just

from your laptop.

There are a number of webmail accounts to

choose from, including Google Mail (gmail.com)

and Yahoo! Mail (uk.mail.yahoo.com). Outlook.

com is Microsoft’s webmail, and was designed

to replace its older Hotmail service. For more on

how to create an Outlook account, see below.

Create an Outlook.com account■ Go to outlook.com.

■ Click Sign up now.

■ Enter your details, select a username and

choose a password for your account.

■ Enter an alternative email address, if you

have one, then Outlook.com can send a

password reminder if needed.

■ Alternatively, click Or choose a security

question for password reset. Click the drop-

down arrow to choose a reminder question

and enter your answer.

■ Next, finish adding your personal details,

type in the series of characters at the bottom

of the screen, then click I accept.

■ To make changes to your profile, click your

name in the top-right of the window and then

click Edit Profile.

■ Click the Edit buttons if you want to add or

change contact information. Click Change

picture to upload a photo of yourself.

■ When you’ve finished editing your profile,

click the down arrow next to Profile and then

click Mail.

■ Now you’re ready to start sending and

receiving email.

Send an emailOnce you’ve set up a webmail account, find out

the email addresses of family and friends and

you’re ready to get started.

■ Go to outlook.com and sign in with your

username and password.

■ To send an email click New and type the

email address of the recipient in the To box.

■ Enter a subject for your email and compose

your message.

■ If you want to send a file with your email (a

photo, for example) click Attach files. Browse to

the file you want to send, select it and click Open.

■ Click Send.

Cc and bcc fieldsMost email programs have a cc (carbon copy)

and bcc (blind carbon copy) field. With cc, all

recipients are aware of who’s been sent the

email. With bcc all recipients are hidden.

Add a person to your contacts list■ Next to the person’s email address, simply

click Add to contacts.

■ Click the down arrow next to Outlook in the

upper-left corner of the window. Click People to

view your contacts.

■ The list of your contacts will be under the

heading People. Search it by typing a name in

the search bar and clicking the Search icon.

Keeping in touchIn addition to email, modern technology has

other ways to stay in touch with family and

friends, such as video chat and through social

media networks like Facebook.

Using video chatSkype pioneered video chat over the internet. If

you have a webcam built into your laptop or one

you can attach, you can make video calls for

free. With broadband and wi-fi in the home, you

have everything you need.

On a laptop, visit skype.com and click Join us

before you get started. Alternatively, download

the app and set up your Skype account by

following the steps.

Using Skype is easy. You can add contacts by

searching for people by their name, Skype

username or email address, then add them by

clicking the Add Contact button. Once you’ve

added them, click on their name or icon to see

their details. If they’re available, you’ll see a

green dot or checkmark next to their user name.

If not, you can use Skype’s free built-in instant

messaging to arrange a time. To make a voice

call – like a normal telephone call – simply click

the green phone button. To start a video call, just

click on the green movie camera button.

Using social mediaSocial networks like Facebook, Google+ and

Twitter have revolutionised the way we interact

with other people. You can join online groups,

send messages to friends, post notes and share

opinions, and publish photos and video clips.

First, you’ll need to sign up and enter

some personal details to create your account,

then you’ll need to add contacts. Family and

friends can give you their usernames, so you

can add them to your friends list or your

Google+ circle, but these services are also

good at trawling through your email contacts to

find your friends from there.

You can invite people to become your

friends, or receive invitations and accept them.

You can also create a ‘profile’ – a page of

information that details who you are, where you

live and your interests. You can keep the details

to a minimum, but it might make it harder to

make new friends or contacts.

Social networks have lots of different

features, but the most important ones are

updates or posts. These are short messages

that go out to your contacts through their

newsfeed or timeline, and might be anything

from a snippet of family news, a photo you’ve

just taken or something funny you’ve just found

on the internet.

On Facebook you can also post

messages to a friend’s wall – a kind of virtual

pinboard for birthday wishes, messages of

congratulations or their own personal news,

which all their friends will be able to see. You

can send private messages, too.

Spam is the electronic equivalent of junk mail. It

can simply clog up your inbox, but may also

contain offensive material or carry viruses and

phishing scams. To filter out junk mail in Outlook.

com follow these steps:

■ In your inbox, click Options (the cog-like icon

next to your account name) and from the menu

click More email settings.

■ Under Preventing Junk Mail, click Filters and

reporting. From the list that appears, choose how

you want your account to deal with junk mail.

■ Click Save when you’ve made your changes.

Filter out junk email in Outlook.com

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Connecting and syncing devicesIt’s easy to connect external devices like printers and scanners to your laptop – but did you know that you can also hook up to other devices?

If you own a tablet or a smartphone, you may

want to access files or data from your laptop

across all your devices. This might mean having

access to email on your tablet, or transferring

photos from your smartphone to your laptop.

Transferring filesYou can transfer files from your tablet or

smartphone to your laptop. Use the cable that

comes with your device: one end will have a

standard USB connector that plugs into your

PC, while the other end will plug into your

phone or tablet.

Windows treats Android and Windows

devices like a hard disk and allows you to

drag and drop files and folders from one to

the other. With an iPad or iPhone, you can

Cloud storageCloud storage services are

also great for sharing files or photos with others, particularly if they create an account with the same service. Upload family photos to Dropbox, for example, and you can make them accessible to others, and they can upload photos to the same folder.

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use Apple’s iTunes software to transfer files

across to your laptop.

Online cloud storageCloud storage services are designed to take

files from a device and copy them to a secure

location on the internet – the ‘cloud’. These

files can then be synchronised across all your

devices, so that they’re either copied

automatically to a device, or made available

to download at the tap of a button.

Take photos with your smartphone and they

will transfer to the cloud once you’re back in

range of your home wi-fi connection. Some

cloud storage services let you edit documents

online, and you can share files with others by

sending them a link to click on.

Apple, Microsoft and Google all have their

own cloud storage services – iCloud, OneDrive

and Google Drive – which provide between

5GB and 15GB of storage space for free. As

each is tied into the relevant mobile operating

system, it is often easier to use the appropriate

service for your device. However, there are

some excellent storage alternatives, such as

Dropbox and SugarSync, which also come with

some free storage and can work well if you mix

and match devices, like an Android phone with

a Windows laptop.

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Installing and updating softwareAlways download software from the web safely, and update your laptop on a regular basis to keep it in good health

Downloading softwareThere are many programs

available to download from

the web and, in many cases,

these are free. However, be

sure to download only from

reputable sites – check

which.co.uk/softwareadvice

for websites with free image

editing and anti-virus software

that you can trust.

■ Before downloading any

program, close any other

windows you have open.

■ Go to the website offering

the software you want. Click

on the Download button.

■ A window, often known as

the installation wizard, usually

appears to guide you through

the download process.

■ If your browser has been set

to block downloads, a security

bar will appear at the top of

the window. Click on the

message and select to

permit the download.

Uninstall programsYou can remove unused

programs using the Control

Panel. This will free space on

your hard drive.

■ Right-click the bottom-left

corner of the screen to bring

up a pop-up menu. Click on

the Control Panel option.

■ Under the heading

Programs, click Uninstall

a program.

■ Select the program you want

to remove from the list of

programs. Click Uninstall.

■ You’ll see a warning window

asking if you’re sure you want

to uninstall the program. If it’s

the correct program, click Yes.

Updating WindowsBy default in Windows 10,

updates will be made

automatically. It’s easy to

check for new updates.

■ Press the Windows key on

your keyboard, and choose

Settings from towards the

bottom of the menu.

■ Click Update & Security.

■ Sometimes a download can become corrupted or doesn’t

complete. You can check to see whether your download was

successful by checking your browser’s download history. If what

you’ve downloaded isn’t working properly, you can remove it and

then reinstall it: go to Control Panel and click on Programs and Features.

■ Download software from reputable sources. Rogue software

may contain viruses that can damage your laptop or compromise

your data.

DownloadsInstall updates automatically■ Press the Windows button

on your keyboard, and choose

Settings from towards the

bottom of the menu.

■ Click Update & Security,

and select Advanced options

from below the Check for

updates button.

■ Make sure that for ‘Choose

how updates are installed’,

Automatic (recommended) is

selected. You can choose this

option from the dropdown list.

■ To ensure that all Microsoft

products are kept updated,

including Office and Windows

Live, check the box next to

Give me updates for other

Microsoft products when I

update Windows.

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Speed up your laptopIf your computer is acting sluggish, you can start to improve its performance by getting rid of things you don’t need

If you’re running Windows 10, here are six

top tips to make your laptop run faster.

1 Limit startup programs If Windows takes ages to start, it may be

bogged down by programs that begin running

invisibly in the background when you turn on

your computer. Many programs are set to

launch automatically when Windows starts.

This helps a program to launch quickly when

you click its icon – useful for those you use

regularly – but the overall effect can slow

your Windows startup to a crawl.

For a faster startup, turn off the programs

that you don’t immediately need. Click Start,

type ‘system configuration’ in the search bar

and press Enter.

In the System Configuration window, click

the Startup tab, and then click Open Task

Manager. From the list of programs, select

the ones you don’t need as soon as your

computer starts. Once a program is selected,

click the Disable button.

2 Check for viruses and spyware

Serious computer slow-down is often caused

by a malware infection. Viruses can sap your

computer’s speed, while spyware can

compromise security by collecting information

about you.

Make sure that you have up-to-date

anti-virus software installed, and make sure

you run a full scan of your hard disk regularly.

There are plenty of free anti-virus programs

available, including SuperAntiSpyware.

As well as using third-party security

software, Windows 10 users can also use the

built-in anti-spyware program Windows

Defender to scan for and remove spyware

from their computer. To launch Windows

Defender, click Start, then type ‘defender’

into the Search box. From the results, click

Windows Defender, then Scan now.

3 Uninstall unwanted programs

If you’ve owned your computer for a while,

there may be lots of programs installed that

you no longer use. These may include trial

versions of software that came with the

computer or out-of-date anti-virus programs.

Ditching these programs can help speed up

your computer’s performance. In Windows 10,

right-click the Start button, select Control

Panel from the list and left-click on it. Choose

Uninstall a program under Programs. From

the list of programs that appears, click the one

you want to uninstall, and then click Uninstall.

4 Turn off visual effects Windows 10 has a less graphically

demanding appearance than previous

versions of Windows. However, turning off

visual effects will still help boost performance.

Press the Windows key, type ‘control panel’

and press Enter. In the search box type

‘performance’, and under System click on

Adjust the appearance and performance of

Windows. Ensure the Visual Effects tab is

selected and then click Custom. From the list,

deselect the effects that you’re happy to live

without. Alternatively, click Adjust for best

performance to deselect all options.

5 Clear your cache When you visit a webpage, your browser

stores or ‘caches’ information about each

page. This lets the browser display the page

more quickly the next time you visit it,

speeding up your browsing. Over time,

however, these files can reach several

gigabytes in size, using up valuable hard disk

space. They may also become out of date or

even corrupted – all of which can cause web

browsing speeds to suffer. Clearing out your

browser’s cache can help.

In Microsoft Edge, click the Hub icon (three

horizontal lines). Select History and click Clear

all history. Here you can check next to the

items you wish to delete and click Clear.

6 Remove temporary files The Windows Disk Cleanup utility can

help speed up your computer’s performance

by removing temporary files and unnecessary

system files that are clogging up your

computer’s hard drive. In Windows 7, click

Start, and in the search box type ‘disk

cleanup’. From the list of results that appears,

click Disk Cleanup.

In the list of drives, click the hard disk drive

that you want to clean. For most people this

will be the C: drive. Click OK.

In the Disk Cleanup box, select the type of

files that you want to delete, click OK and then

click Delete files.

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Protect your laptop data

Make sure your computer and data are protected with comprehensive, up-to-date security software

Protecting your laptopTo provide complete protection

you’ll need to have three

security safeguards installed on

your laptop – and it’s important

to keep them all up to date. We

recommend regularly using:

■ a firewall – this is a program

or device that sits between

your laptop and the internet. It

protects your laptop from

incoming attacks.

■ anti-virus software – this

helps protect your laptop from

viruses and other security

threats. A virus is a program

that can infect your laptop or

computer, resulting in it slowing

down, losing data or even

becoming corrupted.

■ anti-spyware software –

spyware is malicious software

that downloads to your laptop

without your knowledge.

It can monitor your activity,

collect information about you

and even hijack your browser.

Anti-spyware software scans

your laptop to detect this, and

removes any spyware it finds.

You can buy a security suite

that contains all the elements

you’ll need. A suite costs

around £40 and usually

includes a year-long

subscription to updates to

keep the suite up to date

with protection against the

latest threats.

However, you may not

need to buy additional

software. Windows 8 and 10

users are protected by a

built-in firewall, as well as

the anti-spyware and

anti-virus program Windows

Defender. Both are turned

on by default. Windows’

SmartScreen filter also

helps protect against phishing

scams and malicious software.

Set your security software

to update automatically and

to scan for viruses regularly.

Your anti-virus software scans

every file on your PC – a full

scan can take more than two

hours. Subsequent scans can

be set to run while you’re not

using your laptop and shouldn’t

take as long.

Security tips■ Download regular security

updates – your chosen

program should be set

to do this automatically.

■ Don’t install more than one

security suite at a time, as it

can cause laptop or computer

errors. The exception to this

rule is with anti-spyware,

where you can use several

programs. Only one of these

programs should be set to scan

in the background, though.

■ Security suites can place

high demands on system

resources. If your laptop

only just meets the technical

requirements of a suite, it’s

worth looking for alternative

software options.

The smart screen helps to protect against

phishing and malware attacks by warning you if a

website or download location has been reported

as unsafe. It will also check every file you

download from the internet to stop malicious

programs from running. To check Windows

SmartScreen settings:

■ Press the Windows key on your keyboard,

then type ‘smart’ into the search bar.

■ Click Change SmartScreen settings

from the search results.

■ In the Action Center click Change Windows SmartScreen settings.

■ Here you can choose one of three security

options, though it’s advisable to tick the

recommended option to ensure that you’re

fully protected.

Windows smart screenCreating strong

passwordsProtect yourself by not storing passwords or login details on your laptop. Don’t use the same password for every account you use online. A ‘strong’ password consists of a mixture of letters (upper and lower case) and numbers.

?

This is Windows’ anti-virus and anti-spyware program. It runs in

the background, scanning for viruses and malicious software,

then alerts you if you need to take action. You can also run

your own scan. To turn on Windows Defender:

■ Point your cursor to the top-right of the screen and click

Search, then type ‘Defender’ into the Search box.

■ Click on Windows Defender from the results.

■ Click Turn On to check your laptop for spyware.

■ Click the Settings tab and then tick the check box next to

Turn on real-time protection (recommended), then click

Save changes.

■ Click the Scan now button to perfom a scan of your laptop.

Choose either a quick or full scan – or the custom option to

scan selected files.

Windows Defender

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■ 3G The third generation of

mobile networks lets mobile

devices access the internet at

broadband speeds.

■ 4G Mobile networks that

deliver speeds faster than 3G.

■ ADSL (Asymmetric digital subscriber line) A way of

sending data over a copper-

wire telephone line.

■ Adware Software that tracks

your web use to deliver relevant

advertisements.

■ Anti-spyware Software that

prevents and/or removes any

spyware on your computer.

■ Anti-virus Software that

scans for viruses and removes

or quarantines them.

■ Application A program that

lets you carry out tasks, such as

making a spreadsheet.

■ Browser The software that

enables you to view web pages.

■ Cloud storage Allows you to

store your files remotely online

and backs them up safely.

■ Cursor The symbol on the

screen that indicates where

the mouse is pointing.

■ Desktop The main screen

you see when your laptop has

started up (in Windows 10).

■ Download To copy or transfer

data or a program from the

internet to your own computer.

■ Driver Software that lets your

laptop communicate with other

devices, such as a printer.

■ Firewall Software that blocks

unwanted communication from,

and frequently to, the internet.

■ GHz A measurement of a

laptop’s processor speed.

■ Gigabytes (GB) A measure of

data storage; 1,024 megabytes

make a gigabyte.

■ Hard disk (or hard drive) The primary long-term storage

space used by your laptop to

store data and files.

■ Icon A small picture on the

screen of your laptop that

represents a document, a file,

an application or a program.

■ ISP (Internet Service Provider) The company that

enables and services your

internet connection.

■ Malware A generic term

for any program that is harmful

to your laptop.

■ Mbps (Megabits per second) A measure of the speed of data

transfer, often used in relation

to the speed of broadband.

■ Microfilter A device attached

to your telephone socket,

enabling you to make phone

calls and use broadband via

ADSL at the same time.

■ Network A series of

computers that are connected

together, either using wires or

wireless technology.

■ Operating system Software

that manages and controls

your laptop.

■ Phishing A scam whereby,

in order to trick you into giving

away your personal or financial

details, someone sets up a web

page to masquerade as

a trustworthy site.

■ Pop-up A window that

appears on your laptop screen

to give additional information.

■ Port A socket for connecting

external devices, such as

printers or external hard drives.

■ Processor The computer chip

(CPU) that controls your laptop.

■ Ram Your laptop’s working

memory – not to be confused

with your hard disk, which

provides permanent (unless

deleted) storage for data.

■ Router (or modem) A device

that routes data between

laptops. Routers can connect

several laptops to each other

or to the internet.

■ Software A general term for

programs or applications used

to operate laptops.

■ Spam Unsolicited ‘junk’ email.

■ Spyware Software that tracks

your behaviour and sends

details to a third party.

■ Trojan A virus that disguises

itself as an innocent program.

Once installed to your

computer, trojans can give third

parties remote access to your

computer without you knowing.

■ USB (Universal Serial Bus) A ‘plug and play’ connection

between a PC and other

devices such as keyboards.

■ Virus A malevolent program

that spreads from computer

to computer within another

program or file.

Jargon BusterProtecting your dataIt’s important to back up your

files, photos and documents,

so that if the hard drive fails

or your laptop is damaged

or lost, you can restore them.

Connect an external hard driveAn external hard drive is an

easy, cost-effective way to

back up your files. You can

use Windows 10’s File History

for this, or to quickly back up

specific files, do the following:

■ Connect the hard drive to

your laptop with the USB

cable provided.

■ The external hard drive

will appear in a window

on screen.

■ Either drag and drop or copy

and paste files and folders

onto the external hard drive.

■ To restore files, reattach the

hard drive and copy files back

to your laptop’s hard drive.

If you use a laptop frequently

it can become clogged with

information that slows it down.

In Windows, you can remove

any unnecessary files using

Disk Cleanup.

■ On the Start menu, select

the search bar and type ‘disk

cleanup’.

■ Click Disk Cleanup from the

list of results.

■ Disk Cleanup will run –

working out how much

space it can free up.

■ In the Disk Cleanup

window that appears, you can

choose to clean up different

types of files, including

temporary files (see page 19).

Click on an entry to see a

description of the file. Click OK

and then click Delete Files.

Windows 10’s File History

continuously backs up files in

your Libraries, Desktop,

Favorites and Contacts location.

Every time a change is made to

a file, a copy of the file is stored

– so over time, you can see a

complete history of the

changes that have been made.

To turn on File History follow

these steps:

■ Connect the external hard

drive to your laptop with the

USB cable provided.

■ Right-click the bottom-left

corner of your screen and

from the pop-up menu click

Control Panel.■ Click System and Security

and then click File History.

■ Click Turn on. File History is

now activated and will back up

your files every hour.

■ To restore files, click Restore personal files and then choose

the files you wish to restore.

Automatically back up files

Free up space on your hard disk