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Windows Search is great, but for privacy reasons, you may want to restrict what can be reviewed about a user’s search history. With the recent release, Windows 11 now allow users to view recent search history simply by hovering over the search icon on the taskbar. You can turn this feature off with a few clicks. By default, the feature is turned on and enabled. The new Windows 11 comes with many new features and a new user desktop, including a centered Start menu and taskbar, rounded corners windows, themes, and colors that will make any computer look and feel modern....

By default Microsoft Defender SmartScreen is turned on and which helps protect your device by checking for unrecognized apps and files from the web. If you try to go to a website known to be dangerous, SmartScreen will show you a warning screen that identifies the suspected threat and gives you a chance to close the browser tab before anything bad can happen. These protections are built into Windows and it works with Microsoft Defender Endpoint on your device and in the cloud....

Windows comes with an Encrypted File System or EFS that provides an additional level of security for files and folders or directories. Encrypting your files and folders on your device using EFS increases security. When your files are encrypted and your device is stolen or lost, the data on the device will remain encrypted and secure. If you have files and folders that are encrypted on your device and you want to distinguish them from regular files and folders, you can turn on a feature that turns encrypted and compressed files in color in File Explorer view....

Windows 11 comes with a feature to enhance the sound quality output from your computer to provide a more immersive experience, especially when watching movies or playing games. You can choose from three different spatial sound providers to enhance your computer sound quality: Windows Sonic for Headphones, Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and Dolby Atmos for home theater. Windows Sonic for Headphones can be used with any headphones, earbuds, or headsets....

Windows Security by default will send notifications with critical information about the health and security of your device. The Windows Security app will notify users whenever the Virus & threat protection feature takes action, either by blocking unwanted apps or websites. These notifications are purely informational with no actions required from users. If you are constantly receiving notifications that a threat was successfully blocked, or that a malware scan was completed successfully, and you don’t want to keep receiving these, you can turn it off....

Windows 11 allows you to stop Bluetooth pairing with the other device or disconnect it so that it doesn’t automatically connect to its pairing partner when both are within range. Or simply remove the device altogether from Windows so that all settings are deleted. Pairing and unpairing Bluetooth devices on Windows 11 is simple and all can be done from the System settings pane with few clicks. To get started unpairing Bluetooth devices on Windows 11, follow the steps below....

New users and students learning how to use Linux should start 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 gpasswd commands, follow the guide below: About gpasswd command: The gpasswd command is used to administer /etc/group and /etc/gshadow files. Like using your mouse and keyboard to manage users and groups, the gpasswd is the way to do it on the command line....

With its intuitive web portal, you can create as many inboxes as you’d like on your server. iRedMail focuses on privacy, to make sure all your data are protected on your servers, and the best security practices are enabled by default forcing all users to use mail services through secure connections (POP3/IMAP/SMTP over TLS, webmail with HTTPS). If you’re looking for a free, open-source mail server for your environment, you may want to take a look at iRedMail....

Directus CMS is an open-source, headless content management system (CMS) built on the LAMP or LEMP stack. It comes with a flat, crisp, and clear design to help you create great content. It decouples content for use in apps, websites, or any other data-driven projects. Whether you’re creating a personal or business website, Directus can help you manage your content with an intuitive interface on every device. For more on Directus, please visit its home page...

The kernel is what sits between the computer hardware and the software(s) that want to use the hardware. The kernel is the middleman and processes requests from software apps that need the machine to perform some functions or tasks. The kernel is very important! If you are running older Linux kernels than the computer it is running on, you can use the steps below to upgrade to the latest so supported devices can function properly....

Those computers running Windows 10 should be able to with easily as long as Windows 11 straight requirements are met. Windows 11 is available to you for free, but not all processors (CPUs) are compatible. Most Windows 10 PCs may not upgrade simply because of the straight requirements put in by Microsoft. Computers running Windows 10 should meet the requirements, including TPM 2.0 and UEFI with Secure Boot enabled. Without these, upgrading to Windows 11 may not work....

Ubuntu Linux is a multi-user operating system. Simply put, you can have multiple users using the same computer with separate and unique accounts and profiles. With Ubuntu Linux multi-accounts functionality, all users can use one device while giving everyone their sign-in (username and password), and access to their files, browsers, and desktop settings. There are two types of system account one can create in Ubuntu Linux: Standard or Administrator. By default, when you create an account, it will automatically be a Standard account....

Windows 11 will allow you to change the desktop background with any photo you like. You don’t have to settle for images that come with your computer. Go and personalize your desktop to suit your taste. Although Windows 11 comes with many new changes, changing one’s desktop background hasn’t changed much. It’s still done in the Windows settings pane, under Personalization, or right-clicking a blank area on the desktop and selecting Personalization to take you to the settings pane, and this post is going to show you how to do that....

Windows allows you to change your password if you know your current password. You can do this easily with Windows. However, if you do not know your current password, then you’ll have to reset it. This is quite difficult and maybe a bit of a challenge for someone who has no technical background. If you’re a student or new user looking for a computer to start learning on, the easiest place to start is Windows 10....

This would be as if you were directly connected to the network at work, but the actual network connection would be through a public (hotel, airport) internet connection. VPN connections are usually encrypted to prevent people from accessing the local network you’re connecting to without logging in. There are different types of VPNs and some require users to install proprietary software for it to work with specific VPN settings. In these cases, you may want to find compatible software for Linux systems, including Ubuntu....

This post series will help you with the step-by-step process of registering for a domain, setting up a cloud server, and installing all the software and apps needed to run your websites online. When you create a domain, it does nothing until you point or forward the domain’s name to a server. The server hosts your content. The content you want your audience to view and use online. Since we already have a registered domain, let’s go and get a Google Cloud server that we will use to host our content....

When you think of a host file, think of it as a plain-text file used by the operating systems to map IP addresses to the hostname on the local computer. The host’s file has priority over DNS. When you type a domain name in your browser to go to a website, your computer translates the domain name your typed into an IP address and connects to the server that hosts the website....

Windows 11 comes with predefined desktop themes that one can use to change the look of Windows’ background, color, sound, and mouse cursor. There are themes for different seasons and styles. Windows lets users change and add custom themes easily. Administrators can also choose a defined theme and apply it to all users, and disable the ability to change it. Below is how to restrict changing desktop themes in Windows 11....

By default, it takes double clicks to open an item in File Manager in Ubuntu Linux. The double clicks feature is meant to prevent the accidental open of items when opening files and folders. Those who cannot properly use double-click can enable single-click which allows users to click once to open items. When you use single-click mode, you can hold down the CTRL key while clicking to select one or more files....

The Recycle bin holds items that are temporarily deleted. Items will stay in the Recycle bin until the bin is emptied or restored by the user. In a multi-drives computer, each drive or partition will have its own hidden $Recycle.Bin system folder and settings. By default, removable drives such as USB flash drives and memory cards do not have a Recycle Bin. When you delete items on these drives, they are permanently deleted and cannot be restored....