Windows 10: These hidden settings make work easier

Some settings make working with the complex Windows 10 operating system significantly easier. However, many useful functions are hidden deep in Windows and deactivated by default. Find out how to activate them here. By CHIP expert Jörg Hähnle

Optimize Windows 10 with just a few clicks of the mouse. You can access all of the following options via the Windows settings. You call this up with the key combination Windows key + I or with a mouse click on the gear symbol in the start menu.

1. Customize the start menu

Open the Windows settings. Once there, click on the Personalization category and then on the Start menu item in the left half of the window.

• For example, if you want to hide the list of all programs installed on your system, set the slider of the option "Show app list" in the start menu to "Off".
• You can switch off the list of recently installed applications by deactivating the Show recently added apps option.
• Via the menu item "Occasionally show suggestions in the start menu" you can ban annoying web displays for apps from your start menu.

Be sure to take a look at the other options in the Personalization - Start category and experiment a little with the setting options.

About the author

Jörg Hähnle has been writing books on all versions of Windows for many years. He runs the Paules-PC-Forum.de forum, in which users help each other to solve their PC problems, and was awarded Microsoft's Windows Insider Most Valuable Professional (WI MVP) in July 2018.

2. Less blue light for a comfortable sleep

If you often work on the PC in the evening or late hours, you should take a look at the night mode. The blue light emitted by the screens keeps us awake at night. The night mode significantly reduces the amount of blue, making it more pleasant. warmer light, which promotes sleep. You can find the settings for the night mode in the "Windows Settings" under "System - Display."

The useful mode is deactivated by default. Set the slider of the option to "On" to activate it. Via the menu item "Settings for night mode" you can individually set the color temperature and thus set the light warmer or colder. You also have the option of specifying in detail when night mode should be switched on and off.

The first few minutes with activated night mode will appear unusual to you, but after a short time you will no longer want to do without this setting.

3. Spring cleaning with Windows 10

A lot of data garbage accumulates on every system over time. Instruct Windows to delete temporary files that are no longer required by an application or to delete the contents of the recycle bin if necessary. Thus you create valuable storage space.

You can access the options for memory optimization via "Windows Settings - System - Memory". Then click in the right half of the window in the section Memory Optimization on the menu item "Change storage space automatically".

Use the "Memory Optimization" drop-down menu to determine when the cleaning should be carried out. Also activate the "Temporary files" option if you want these files to be removed regularly. For example, you can set the number of days after which files are automatically deleted from the recycle bin.

Tip: Be careful when activating the "Delete files from the" Downloads "folder that are older than" option. In this case, back up your downloads to another directory if necessary to prevent them from being accidentally removed.

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4. Set the font size individually

Windows 10 offers the possibility to enlarge the font and also the display of buttons and other control elements without having to change the screen resolution.

Open the "Windows Settings", navigate to the "Ease of Operation" category and finally click on the "Display" menu item in the left half of the window.

If you only want to enlarge the screen texts, use the slider to set them to the desired size in the "Enlarge text" section. The change is finally accepted with the "Apply" button.

In the section "Make everything bigger" you can also adjust the size of all elements according to your wishes. Select the preferred setting from the drop-down menu, e.g. 125 percent. Of course you can correct and redefine the setting at any time.

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Tip: You can change the font size on Internet pages by holding down the Ctrl key and turning the wheel on your mouse at the same time. You can return to the standard font size using the key combination Ctrl + 0 (Zero).

5. Make optimal use of the new clipboard

With the update in October 2018, Windows 10 received an extended clipboard. Finally, you can store several elements and even save them for long-term use. To be able to use the new options, however, the clipboard history must first be activated. You can find this option in the "Windows Settings" under "System - Clipboard."

You activate the "Clipboard history" by setting the slider of the option of the same name to "On". From now on, you can use the key combination Windows key + V to open the history of the storage and select the desired element for insertion.

You can use the "Delete" button to clean up the clipboard history at any time.