Windows Files Explorer gives you the ability to hide and unhide files at will. Some files and file extensions are hidden by default in Windows. When a file is hidden, it is hidden from File Explorer’s normal views, but it is still there in its folder. You won’t be able to see the file just by browsing the folder, this a great in that important files are kept out of plain sight....

Your Windows clock is used to record events and time associated with those events whenever you create or modify files. Time helps you record events that occur from the past through the present and future, and to compare the duration of events or the intervals between them. Keeping the correct time for your PC is important. Windows lets you set your time and time zone automatically, or you can set them manually....

Recently we showed you how to use color filters in Windows to help folks with low vision avoid eye strain. You can read that post here. If you’re still having problems seeing what’s on your screen even with color filters, you can try Windows 11 high contrast themes to help distinguish between things that differ only by color. This changes the color palette of objects on the screen which brings out the contrast and could help you see clearly....

Antivirus cloud protection services, also referred to as Microsoft Advanced Protection Service (MAPS), provides rapid identification of new threats, sometimes even before a single endpoint is infected. The cloud-delivered protection is enabled by default and will automatically turn on when you enable Virus & threat protection in Windows Security app. Disabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus cloud protection drastically reduces the protection on your endpoints and is not recommended. You can turn Microsoft Defender Antivirus cloud protection on or off by using one of several methods:...

This post shows new users and students what the mkdir command is used for and how to use it. For students and new users learning how to use Linux systems, the easiest place to start might be on Ubuntu Linux OS. Ubuntu is an open-source Linux operating system that runs on desktops, laptops, servers, and other devices. When you’re ready to learn how to use the mkdir commands, follow the guide below: About mkdir command: The mkdir command on Ubuntu allows users to create new directories if they do not already exist on the file systems....

By this time, if you were following our previous posts, you should know how to install, configure and use VirtualBox on Windows and Linux systems (Ubuntu). This brief tutorial shows students and new users how to mount or insert an external USB flash/thumb drive into a VirtualBox guest machine running Windows or Ubuntu Linux VMs. It will allow you to access physical USB content from the guest’s machine. You won’t be able to access external USB devices from your VirtualBox guest machines without first installing its guest additions tool....

Adding a network location or place allows you to access FTP, sFTP, Windows file shares, and some HTTP servers directly from File Explorer, without having to use an FTP client. Unlike a mapped network drive, a network location has no drive or label attached, can point to either external or internal resources, and is easy to set up. Network location is very useful for people connecting to sFTP or FTP servers....

On Windows, one can turn On or Off Bluetooth, pair a Bluetooth device to Windows, fix common Bluetooth errors and enable Bluetooth Swift pairing. When you turn on Bluetooth on Windows, a notification icon will show on the taskbar or corner overflow by default. If Bluetooth is turned off or disabled, you will not see its icon on the taskbar or corner overflow. If for some reason Bluetooth icon is not showing on the taskbar even when it is enabled or turned on, use the steps below to show or hide the Bluetooth notification icon on the taskbar in Windows 11....

There are different actions one can select to specify what to do when the PC power button is pressed. These include doing nothing, going to sleep, hibernating, or shutdown when the power button is pressed. Changing the way the power button works in Windows 11 requires that you log in as administrator and open the Control Panel app in Windows 11. Below is how to configure one’s PC power button action in Windows 11....

These days you won’t see a dedicated sleep button on many PCs. It use to be a thing. If your PC does have a sleep button, you can specify what happens when you press it. There are different actions one can select to specify what to do when the sleep button is pressed. These include doing nothing, going to sleep, hibernating, or turning off the computer’s display. Changing the way the sleep button works in Windows 11 requires that you log in as administrator and open the Control Panel app in Windows 11....

In some cases, you may want to connect to the Ubuntu desktop via a remote desktop using existing protocols. At this moment, it’s pretty easy. Simply install a few packages and you’re ready to go. Xrdp is an open-source implementation of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that allows you to graphically control a remote computer. It provides a fully functional Linux terminal server, capable of accepting connections from rdesktop, freerdp, and Microsoft’s own terminal server / remote desktop clients....

By default, Windows displays Tooltips and Infortips which are collectively described as tips. These are small pop-up windows that concisely describe the object being pointed to, including command buttons, folders, and desktop items. Tooltips are used for File Explorer. When you hover your mouse over a folder or desktop item, it provides basic property details such as Date created, Size, Folders, and Files within the folders. This can come in handy when you want to know what is in a folder without opening it....

SmartScreen filter was introduced with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) web browser. It was developed to protect user computers from viruses and spyware programs online. SmartScreen filter seems to be so successful that Microsoft implemented this security mechanism within the OS itself starting with Windows 8 and it comes enabled by default. This brief tutorial shows you how to disable and re-enable the SmartScreen filter in Windows 10. Whenever Windows suspects an unrecognized application, it blocks and displays a screen error message that reads: You’re then given a choice to run the program anyway or don’t run it at all....

By default, Windows Update helps get the latest fixes and security improvements, keeping your device running smoothly and staying protected. In some cases, Windows will install device drivers along with other updates. Additionally, users can also install and update device drivers that are included with Windows optional updates. When you do, drivers for specific devices will be installed or updated. Windows also has a policy setting to exclude drivers with Windows updates....

A MAC address is assigned to a network adapter or network interface controller (NIC) which is used for communications on a physical network segment. Knowing your device’s MAC address can help you identify and troubleshoot networking issues. There are many ways one can find their device’s MAC address when using Windows 11. The steps below will go over a few methods you can use to identify your Windows device MAC with a few clicks and simple commands....

Sometimes you may want to know which version of Windows is installed on your PC. Knowing the version can help you decide what software or system drivers to install if you need to. While you probably won’t want to know the exact version number for whatever Windows version you have installed, knowing the general information about your systems can be important. Seasons professionals can simply run a few commands and determine Windows’ version....

In some cases, you may not want to update a particular package. For instance, you have an Nginx web server configured with specific settings and you know updating will change its configuration and stop it from working. You can set up a package hold so that it won’t be updated even when updates are available until you’re ready to update it. Preventing a package from being installed or updated is known as “package holding“....

Jellyfin is an open-source media stream. Anyone can install and set up their own media library similar to Netflix or Plex. With Jellyfin you organize your media content (books, movies, music, etc.) and stream to any device from your server, with no strings attached. Your media, your server, your way. After setting up your home media server with Jellyfin, you can then link your media using Jellyfin Android/iOS app. It’s simple to set up and use....

Ampache is a free, open-source web-based audio/video streaming application. It works like a file manager and allows anyone to stream and access their music and videos from anywhere around the world with Internet access. With Apache, you can browse and manage your music collection, listen to your music and watch your videos from any device from a simple web interface. Whether you’re a small one-person DJ or independent music streaming company, Ampache software has features that can help you broadcast your music to your fans directly from the internet for free....

With its powerful interface and easy-to-use design, you can push notifications and email groups across multiple accounts from different providers. BlueMail is also ad-free, so it can be a great replacement for proprietary email clients on Linux systems. BlueMail brings users together to communicate and share so work can get done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Whether you’re a small or large enterprise, BlueMail can help your team communicate and collaborate and these conversations will be available on the desktop, mobile devices, and everywhere you have the BlueMail app installed....