STOP USING SOFTWARE
Remember the days of dial-up internet? Every minute spent online cost money, so you had to carefully consider which software to download, when and how often. These days, super-fast broadband, unlimited usage and a seemingly endless supply of free software – all available at the click of a button – means we download with much greater abandon.
However, each new download remains a leap of faith to some extent. Your antivirus may block malware, but it won’t stop you installing junk with features you’ll never use and that slows Windows to a crawl. So why take the risk, when so many tasks can be carried out without needing to download anything at all? Over the next few pages, we reveal the amazing tools in Windows 10 that can get the job done just as well (and often better).
Of course, we’re not suggesting you stop installing software completely – in fact, we’re big fans of some of the downloadable programs we mention here. But if you want to perform a relatively simple task (such as tweaking a video or checking whether your hard drive is about to fail), there’s little point cluttering up your computer with more programs when Windows has everything you need. Better still, if you use several computers, there’s no need to waste time installing the same programs on each one.
Most of the Windows tools we recommend are quick and easy to use, and all work with both the Home and Pro editions of Windows 10. Some of the more powerful tools require you to tinker with Command Prompt, but we’ll explain how to use them, step by step and jargon free.
We’d also love to hear which software you’ve ditched in favour of Windows’ built-in tools. Drop us a line at letters@computeractive.co.uk and we’ll publish the best recommendations.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Get a more accurate indication of your Wi-Fi signal strength
• Partition your hard disk into separate drives
• Check the health of your hard drive, memory and laptop battery
• Share your clipboard across multiple computers
TOOLS TO MANAGE & FIX YOUR WI-FI
Check your Wi-Fi signal
You realise how much you rely on Wi-Fi when it starts playing up – and a poor signal is often the cause of slow-downs. The tiny Wi-Fi symbol by your PC’s clock gives you an indication of current signal strength, but trying to count the bars it has requires sharp eyesight. Tools such as Wi-Fi Analyzer (www.snipca.com/38118) give you a more accurate signal strength and will illustrate it on a fancy chart, but you could just as easily use Command Prompt.
Click the Windows Start button, type cmd, then press Enter to launch a new Command Prompt window. Next, type netsh wlan show interfaces, followed by Enter. After a pause, you’ll see a variety of details relating to your Wi-Fi – look towards the bottom and you’ll see an).
