Short Takes Weekly: What went on in the world of Microsoft August 3-7, 2015

This week in the news: We assess the state of Windows 10, ten days after launch; we stock up on nearly 50 different Windows 10 how-tos; we debuted "News from the Future"; we rolled out some great X-box tips.

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10 Days with Windows 10 — Windows 10 is forcing us to change our mindsets about the Windows operating system. No longer is it a finely polished operating system but a work in progress and with that comes various stages of success and failure when it comes to its operation and day to day use.

How To: Join the Windows Insider Program from Within Windows 10 — Microsoft has made it extremely easy to join the Insiders program directly in the Windows 10 UI – too easy, in Rod Trent's opinion.

How To: Manage Websites Allowed to Use Microsoft Edge in Full Screen — Much like Windows 10, Edge was a work in progress. Microsoft has promised features that admittedly won't show up until the next major Windows 10 update, rumored to release in September.

How To: Manage notifications in Windows 10 — Quiet Hours is one way to mute both visual and audible notifications in Windows 10 but it is an option that is meant for temporarily disabling notifications.  You can configure quick access to that button very easily in the Action Center.

Introducing: News from the Future — If you watch the news of now, you can see how the future's shaping up. Here's what we have our eyes on.

Here's your options for moving your files, apps and personality to Windows 10-loaded PCs — For those coming from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to Windows 10, you may have been used to utilizing a Microsoft-supplied program called Windows Easy Transfer. Boy, do we have news for you …

How to manage sites allowed to serve pop-ups in Microsoft Edge — Microsoft Edge lets you allow or block sites from serving pop-ups when you are browsing them, but managing the sites you've allowed or blocked takes a little extra attention.

How To: Hide Specific Updates from Windows 10 — If you're running Windows 10 Home edition, updates flow down from Microsoft automatically and install. This could cause a bit of trouble, particularly if driver updates are reported to cause problems. So here's how to "hide" specific updates.

Q. If I use Xbox One streaming to Windows 10 can I perform a different activity on the Xbox from the streaming user?
A. Nope — the local Xbox console will be "in use."

How To: Easily Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro —Evaluate whether you'd like to do things like connect your own Windows 10 computer to your company's network or access your PC remotely, then follow these steps.

Word of Warning on DoNotSpy10 Windows 10 Privacy Tool — Yes, gathering your own information to come to terms with the settings is a task that is time consuming. But don't take the easy way out with this tool.

The SuperSite Windows 10 How To Collection: From set-up to productivity — Consider this slideshow the equivalent of a visual cheat sheet, with all of our most hands-on how-to articles in one place. As of now, we've got 37 articles and counting.

The Great Windows 10 Privacy Debate — If you're one of those most concerned that Microsoft may suddenly be taking the Google path and doing something nefarious with your information and your computing habits, use our Settings gallery here to locate where to turn data sharing off in Windows 10. Every component in Windows 10 has a setting with which to turn it ON and OFF.

How To: Manage Favorites in Windows 10 Microsoft Edge  —  Want to know how to edit, rename, and delete favorites in Microsoft Edge? It's actually a pretty quick and easy task.

How to connect Xbox One to a network that requires web based authorization — The solution is to first connect to the wired connection using my laptop and accepting the agreement via Internet Explorer.

Microsoft Sway Makes Its Official Windows 10 Debut — Sway takes creating personal presentations to the next level and makes it easier than ever to create "stories" around topics like vacations and life events. Some have suggested that Sway is a PowerPoint killer, or will be someday.

Windows 10 Mobile Devices: Are you on the approved list?  — Many are wondering if Microsoft can refocus its efforts on the mobile version of Windows 10 and provide a mobile OS that creates the same excitement as the desktop version.

Windows DVD Player app released for Windows 10; will be free for some  — In what might be considered compensation for users who are losing access WMC, which allowed anyone using it on Windows to play DVDs, Microsoft has released a Windows DVD Player app for Windows 10 that will be free for some users and cost $14.99 for everyone else.

How To: Change How Windows 10 Delivers Updates to Peers — Just like every other setting in Windows 10, Peer Update can be configured to match requirements and personal conviction. To locate the setting go to: Settings > Update & security > Windows Update, and then select Advanced options. On the Advanced options page, select Choose how updates are delivered.

How To: Fix 0x803f8001 Windows 10 Store App Download Error — As has been the case with most app problems in Windows 10, the fix is to locate the app in the Windows 10 All Apps area, then uninstall it. 

You can now opt back into receiving Windows 10 Insider builds — Microsoft's flipped the switch to turn enrollment back on from their end. Check out the  Settings>Update & security>Advanced Options>Get Insider build option.

How To: Organize the Windows 10 Quick Folders on Start — You can modify what shows in the list of quick-access folders right above the Start button.

How To: Test Cortana in International Markets — By altering the computer region, even those without immediate Cortana support can take her for a spin. Here's how.

Windows 10 Wi-Fi Sense is a Valuable Feature that Gives Full Control Over Shareable Networks — "To customize how Wi-Fi Sense works follow the gallery above, which takes you to All Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage Wi-Fi Settings."

We now know why Windows Media Center is not in Windows 10 — Here's why: Because the Xbox One is poised to take over as the next iteration, including off-the-air DVR capabilities.

New Surface Tablets Come with Windows 10, No Upgrade Required — "The latest round of Surface 3 and Surface Pro 3's, available from the Microsoft Store, come pre-installed with Windows 10. Additionally, Microsoft is knocking off $150 from select Surface Pro 3's."

Bug: Automatic App Update Feature Grayed-out in Windows 10 Store — There's a growing number of complaints about a potential bug in the new Store in Windows 10 where users cannot turn on the ability for the Store to automatically update apps.

OneDrive can now sync Shared Folders — Shared Folder sync allows users to browse their OneDrives via their mobile devices or a Web based client, then sync their shared folders to their desktop computers.

Windows 10 related scams on the rise — Beware of unsolicited tech support calls and emails with your "new" Windows 10 operating system attached as a download.

How To: Get Your Browser Favorites into Microsoft Edge When the Import Fails in Windows 10 — There's a way to make your browser favorites available to Microsoft Edge manually.

How To: Customize the Background Picture in the Windows 10 Mail App — To make the app truly yours, customizing the background picture is a must. So here's how to do it.

How To: Turn On and Customize Email Notifications per Account in the Windows 10 Mail App — You can turn on email notifications and actually customize notifications for each individual email account. Here's how to do it…

How To: Fix HP Support Assistant After the Windows 10 Upgrade — "The fix is simple. You need to download and reinstall the HP Support Assistant app. It installs right over top the broken one – no need to uninstall the old one first."

How To: Recover from Windows 10 Start Screen Lockups — Print out this advice when you can, then prevent another machine freeze in Windows 10.

How to Activate God Mode on Windows 10 — "God Mode" contains links to all of the settings on a Windows system, and you can easily access it once you follow our directions.

"Show Me Tips" Causing High CPU Utilization in Windows 10 — For whatever reason, this is a thing that's happening. But you can fix it by deselecting the "Show me tips about Windows" option.

What are the Windows 10 N and KN Editions? — "Due to a ruling for anti-competitive practices by the European Commission in 2004, Microsoft has been forced to maintain special editions for its Windows operating systems. Labeled "N" for Europe and "KN" for Korea, these editions include all the base features of the operating system but without Windows Media Player and related technologies pre-installed. For the Windows 10 editions, this includes Windows Media Player, Music, Video, Voice Recorder and Skype."