windows 8 online training

A Firewall is an application designed to prevent hacking activities, which can effect a computer, or the entire computer network. It also stops one PC from sending malicious software to other systems.

Here is a quick guide to enabling/disabling Window Software Firewall in Windows 8:

Step 1: Open the “Control Panel.”

Step 2: Go to the “Windows Firewall” option.

Step 3: Click on the “Turn Windows Firewall On or Off” option.

Step 4: As you can see in the screenshot below, the setting is by default set to “Turn on Windows Firewall.”

Step 5: Select the “Turn Off The Windows Firewall” option and click on the “Ok” button to continue.… Read the rest

Overview

About this Course

Gain the knowledge and skills you need to support the Windows 8.1 operating system and solve technical troubleshooting problems in a Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 networking environment. This course is designed for IT professionals who have experience with Windows devices and who work as Windows Enterprise Desktop Support Technicians (EDSTs) in Tier 2 support environments. Through this instructor lead, five day Microsoft Official Course, with extensive hands-on labs you will learn how key components of the Windows Operating system work in order to aid in troubleshooting system problems. How to identify and resolve issues with networking, Windows Store apps, security, group policy, Internet Explorer, remote access, and support of mobile devices.… Read the rest

Windows 8 comes preloaded with a simple yet highly secure “file or folder sharing feature” which allows users to share files/ folders with other users on a public network, as well as Work network groups and Home groups. In this quick tutorial, we will explain how you can use folder sharing facility in Windows 8.

Similar to the previous versions of Windows, including Windows Vistas and Windows 7, you can very easily establish connection with all computer systems running on Windows 8, and effectively transfer data files without having to manually set IP addresses.

As Windows 8 File Sharing Feature is an advanced version of Windows 7 File Sharing system, it therefore comprises of additional file sharing constraints to secure shared files from external attacks.… Read the rest

The Windows 8 app store provides quick and easy access to hundreds of paid and free apps. However, the administrators may be concerned, as standard employees who are not local administrators, can use Windows Store to install numerous new and undesired applications.

Some of these applications may even pose security threats. So, it’s worth the effort to learn how to disable the Windows Store in Windows 8.

Some of the applications which the users install from the Windows 8 App store might contain a wide range of unsuited materials that can negatively affect the essential line of business application already running on the workstation – thereby hampering the productivity. … Read the rest

A “local user account” allows a user to make use of most Operating System capabilities. However, permission from an administrator is required in case the user wishes to make alterations which can affect other users or cause a potential threat to the security of the computer system. In this post, we’re going to demonstrate how you can set up a new local account in Windows 8 OS.

Though you can use most of the computer programs with a local account, you cannot perform major operations such as installation and un-installation functions on software or hardware attached to the system. Also, you cannot delete such files which are required for the computer to work smoothly; you’re not even allowed to alter the computer settings that can affect other users of the system.… Read the rest

Windows 8 Operating System comprises of an excellent “Disk Management Tool” which can effectively meet most of your day to day disk management needs such as those pertaining to partitioning, formatting and merging, etc. In this post, we will explain (with detailed steps and screenshots) how you can create a new volume drive in Win 8 by using the Disk Management Tool.

First things first, to create a partition using Disk Management, you must be logged in as a system administrator. Also, there should be sufficient unallocated disk space or free space within the extended partition on the hard disk.

In case you don’t have sufficient unallocated disk space available, you can just create some free space by shrinking a partition (an existing one).… Read the rest

With an all new Start Screen, Full Screen Apps, the Windows Store, cloud synch options, improved task manager and built-in antivirus with Windows Defender, Windows 8 is just the kind of Operating System we all wanted. It’s the next generation operating system, which appears to have been customized for the mobile age. Since Android and iOS are here and become popular already, it was but natural for Microsoft to come up with something exciting and current. If you want to understand how to install Windows 8, you’ve just landed on the right page. Here, we’ve got a step by step guide on Windows 8 OS installation ready for you!… Read the rest

A domain is a collection of multiple computers; they are essentially a part of the network. It comprises of common rules and procedures, all of which are administrated together as a single unit.

Each domain is classified by its unique name. They are typically used for networks spread across workspaces.

In case, you want to connect your PC to a domain, it is important for you to know the specific domain name. In addition, you’re also required to have an active user account on the same.

Follow the step by step guide mentioned below on how to connect a computer to a domain:

Before you get started, it is important to verify the following network configurations or you may just fail to join a domain in Windows 8 time and again:

• The  IP address and subnet mask of client computer must be in same class as that of the domain controller under consideration
• Preferred DNS Server of client will always be domain server IP address; there’re no exceptions to this standard rule (Check the screenshot below)

Step 1: Log in as ‘Administrator’ and open the Command Prompt to check the connectivity with the Domain Server.… Read the rest

Certain programs and features (such as Internet Information Services) included with the Windows Operating System, must be turned ‘ON’ before they can be used. Various other features are turned ‘ON’ by default, but you can easily turn them ‘OFF’ in case you don’t use them. In this post, we will discuss how to turn Windows feature ON/OFF.

In the earlier versions of Windows OS, to turn off a feature, users were required to completely uninstall the feature from the computer system.  However, in the current versions of Windows OS, such features remain stored in the hard disk of the computer.… Read the rest

A User Group can be defined as a “set of user accounts” having similar security rights. At times, these user groups are also referred to as security groups. Creating users and groups in Windows 8 is pretty easy but before we demonstrate how to do that, let’s go through some basics first.

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A user account can be a member of more than one group at a given time.

Amongst the many user groups, two most common types of user groups include

• Administrator Group
• Standard User Group

A user account is generally referred to by the user group it is in.… Read the rest

Windows Update is a sure-shot way to keep MS Windows 8 Updated with the latest patches and essential service updates. These updates help ensure that your Windows 8 Operating System continues to run smoothly without needing any major repairs. Get hands-on experience and learn about CompTIA A+ Training program we offer.

Fundamentally, you just have to turn Windows 8 Update “ON” to enjoy the latest security and program updates.

Follow the step by step instructions mentioed below to successfully Update Microsoft Windows 8.

Step 1: To get started, go to the Start Menu and click on the “Control Panel” tab.… Read the rest

BitLocker is a great security feature in Windows 8 Operating system; it provides full “drive encryption” for both fixed and removable drives. It protects your data from unauthorised access even when the drive is removed and accessed from anywhere else. Learning how to turn BitLocker option on or off in Windows 8 is pretty easy.

Follow the steps mentioned below to learn how to turn On/Off the BitLocker option in Windows 8:

Step 1: Click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop and right-click on the drive for which you want to enable BitLocker option.

Step 2: Click on the “Turn on BitLocker” option in the dropdown menu that appears.… Read the rest

Often, Windows OS downloads important updates silently in the background. While you are working on your system, the OS installs these updates on your next restart. In case, you wait for too long to reboot your device or the updates take place at a programmed time, your Operating System may warn you that it is going to reboot on its own, within a few minutes – unless, of course you postpone the message for a certain time. However, if you miss the postpone message, Windows will reboot automatically without waiting for your permission.

Providentially, you can set Windows 8 to stop restarting automatically after updates; you just have to make a small registry change.… Read the rest

Depending on your wallpaper, Windows 8 can automatically adjust the taskbar and border colours. Fortunately, Windows 8 does not take away the “power to personalise” from you. You can manually change the Wallpaper and border colours in Windows 8 OS.

Here’s how you can change the Wallpaper and Window Border colour in Windows 8:

Step 1: To get started, right click the blank space on your desktop and select the “Personalize” option from the menu that appears. (Check the screenshot below)

Step 2: The “Personalization” dialogue box will appear on your screen. Now, click on the “Desktop Background” option. (Check the screenshot below)

Step 3: Click on a desirable wallpaper option you want for your system.… Read the rest

One of the best ways you can improve the performance of your PC is by optimising its drives. Windows 8 OS includes various features that help in optimizing different types of drives used by computer systems today.

So, no matter the type of drive used by your PC, Windows automatically selects the optimization technique that’s right for your computer system. In this post, we will guide you on how you can optimize any drive in a Windows 8 machine.

By default, Optimize Drive (known as Disk Defragmenter in previous versions), automatically runs on weekly schedules. But, you can also optimize the drives “manually” on your computer system.… Read the rest

System Restore is a Windows OS service which runs in the background and creates snapshots or restore points of your operating system every day. In case your Windows 8 encounters any technical problem which you are unable to repair, you can immediately restore your computer to a “restore point” you knew your computer was working properly. In this post, we’ve outlined detailed steps on how to restore Windows 8 using restore points.

Sometimes, installing new drivers or a new software can corrupt our Windows 8 Operating System or slow it down to a point that you find it almost impossible to perform even the most basic tasks such browsing the Internet or playing music.… Read the rest

Windows Defender is antispyware software which is included in Windows 8 installation package. It functions to protect your computer system against potentially unwanted software and spyware; it runs automatically in background when you turn it ON. For best results, it is important that you know how to update Windows Defender in Windows 8 or run a scan with it.

If you’ve a Windows 8 machine and do not have any anti-virus software installed on it, use Windows Defender program for scanning your computer. Here’s a detailed, step by step guide on how to update and scan with Windows Defender in Windows 8:

Step 1: Open the main screen on your “Windows 8” operating system and go to the “Search Bar”.… Read the rest

Computers operating over a network need unique and easily recognisable names. This way, they can easily identify and communicate with each other. If two computers functioning on the same network have identical name, it will obviously lead to a conflict for network communications. While most computers come with a default name, you generally have the option to change them. In this post, we will explain exactly that.

It is advisable to use easily recognizable and short name for your computer. Generally, fifteen characters or less are considered ideal for PC names.

When naming your PC, make sure that you only use Internet-standard characters comprising of numbers between 0 and 9, upper and lower case letters from A to Z, along with the following characters:

< > – ; : ” * + = \ | ?… Read the rest