10 Windows 10 tips to make you more productive

As businesses prepare for the Windows 10 Creators Update this month, here are 10 tips for increasing your productivity using the OS

Though many enterprises have been hesitant to upgrade to Windows 10, experts predict that its deployments will pick up this year. The newest major update for the OS, dubbed the Creators Update, will roll out on April 11 with new features for business users.

"Regardless of your industry, computers are likely leading the charge on how work is performed," wrote TechRepublic contributing writer Jesus Vigo. "And since the bulk of commercial systems run on Microsoft Windows, anything that can be done to save time and boost productivity can make a real difference."

Here are 10 TechRepublic articles with Windows 10 tips to help enterprise users enhance their productivity.

1. How to remove unwanted apps from Windows 10 (even though Microsoft doesn't want you to)

Business users who prefer a clean desktop will find that in Windows 10, it is not possible to uninstall certain applications with a simple right-click. To uninstall apps including Xbox, Mail, Calendar, Calculator, and Store, users must use PowerShell and some specific commands. Here, TechRepublic contributing writer Mark Kaelin explains how to remove these apps, as well as how to reinstall them if needed.

2. How to juggle multiple applications using Task View in Windows 10

Task View, Windows 10's native virtual desktop feature, offers users the ability to multitask, moving between different projects on multiple desktops without minimizing and maximizing windows. In this article, TechRepublic contributing writer Greg Shultz walks you through features including Snap, Shake, and Peek that allow you to move between multiple applications.

3. Be prepared: Create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive

To best protect your data, enterprise users should create a Windows 10 Recovery Drive, which allows you to reboot your system if it encounters a virus or other problem. Here, Shultz walks you through how to create a Recovery Drive on a USB flash drive or on an optical disc.

4. Reset your Windows 10 system with the Keep My Files option

If your device encounters a virus, an incompatible software application, or an unreliable device driver, the Windows 10 Recovery Drive tool mentioned above can help you revive an unstable system without losing any of your data. In this article, Shultz explains what options to select to install a fresh version of Windows 10 while keeping your files and information intact.

SEE: Windows 10: Streamline your work with these power tips (free PDF)

5. How to personalize Windows 10

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Windows 10 can be personalized based on a business user's individual taste, which can go a long way in terms of improving productivity and ease of use. In this tutorial, Kaelin describes how to personalize different features of Windows 10, including desktop background, colors, lock screen, and themes.

6. Manipulating Windows 10's Start Menu

With Windows 10, Microsoft reintroduced the Start Menu, which Shultz describes as "an amalgamation of the Windows 7 Start Menu and the Windows 8 Start Screen." However, unlike previous versions, it is highly customizable based on user preference. Here, Shultz explains how to personalize the Start Menu by dragging all apps into view, resizing it, using full screen, and paring it down.

7. How to tap into the benefits of Windows 10's Default Programs tool

The Default Programs tool is often overlooked, but is very useful for configuring your Windows 10 setup, Shultz writes. In this article, he describes how to set your default programs, associate a file type or protocol with a program, change AutoPlay settings, and set program access and computer defaults.

8. How to clean up system files with the Windows 10 Disk Cleanup tool

Another often overlooked feature of Windows 10 is one built into the Disk Cleanup tool, called Clean Up System Files. This feature allows business users to regain valuable hard disk space by removing system files that are no longer necessary to the functioning of the operation system, such as old installation files and outdated device drivers. Here, Shultz explains how to use the feature, and the type of files it is designed to remove.

SEE: 12 tips to get more out of Windows 10

9. Restoring files from Windows 10's File History

Windows 10 includes a File History tool that allows users to restore files if they are corrupted or accidentally deleted. Here, Shultz explains how to initiate a restore operation, restore versions of a file, restore individual files, and restore after a hard disk crash.

10. How to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro using the Update & Security tool

Business users who work from a home office may want to consider upgrading their Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro to ensure they have access to features including Group Policy Management, Remote Desktop, and Enterprise Mode Internet Explorer (EMIE). In this article, Shultz describes the process for upgrading, and the cost.

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Also see

• Windows 10: The smart person's guide (TechRepublic)
• Windows 10: You've got questions, I've got answers (ZDNet)
• Windows 10: The smart person's guide (TechRepublic)
• How to prevent your PC from upgrading to Windows 10 (ZDNet)
• Windows 10 spotlight: Prepare, repair, and recover (Tech Pro Research)