 Unlike Windows 10 desktop PC, every Windows laptop keyboard has special keys we know as the Function Keys or the F1, F2, …F12 keys on the top row that lead to different shortcuts to certain features or functions. But what if you don’t aren’t a frequent user of such features or functions and you just want to use them as the regular function keys? Want to use the function keys without pressing the Fn button? There’s a whole lot of things you can do with the function keys, you can change the brightness, control the volume, control the music using the dedicated media playback keys, toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, and so on. These keys are just fine and come handy at times, however, the function keys on your Windows 10 PC comes with a specific Fn key that temporarily gives you access to the standard Fn keys such as F1, F2, …F12 keys and disables these features. What if you don’t want to press the double keys (F1, F2… keys along with the Fn key) to work with the actual F1, F2, …F12 keys? You can disable the special features that your laptop offers via the function key and simply gain access to the regular F1, F2, …F12 keys on Windows. However, altering the function keys on Windows 10 isn’t as easy as you see on Mac. Use Of The Keyboard Shotcut is a method for those who have a Windows laptop with the Fn lock key on the keyboard. The quickest way to disable the Fn key and use the standard function keys instead of the special features, no need to enter the BIOS settings for changing it. Although this shortcut is pretty much handy, not all laptops come with the Fn lock key, notice the Fn lock icon or lock/unlock symbol on the F1, F2… keys or Esc key. Once you find it, press the Fn Key + Function Lock key simultaneously to enable or disable the standard F1, F2, …F12 keys. Voila! You can now use the functions keys without pressing the Fn key. Your laptop manufacturer offers you either software for disabling the function key features or you do it through the BIOS or UEFI settings. Your laptop needs to boot into the BIOS mode or UEFI settings which can be accessed before starting the Windows. Whenever you restart your laptop or start by pressing the power button, a quick screen with a logo at the start comes by and this is where you can access the function key and the rest of the system settings. Look for the shortcut like Press F2 or F10 for BIOS settings. The shortcut isn’t the same across the manufacturers, you may press the shortcut given to your Windows laptop. In some cases, the shortcut can be F1, F9, or F12 too, but before pressing these keys, make sure you look at your laptop’s start screen carefully for the shortcut mentioned below. You can try for F2 if the screen doesn’t show at the start. Once you enter the BIOS or UEFI settings, locate to the function keys option in the system configuration or advanced settings, once you find it, enable or disable the function keys as desired. For detailed instructions navigate to OUR FORUM.  Windows 10 May 2020 Update is the first of two feature-packed releases planned for this year. The new version of the operating system brought a redesigned Cortana app and the ability to make your PC password-less ...to name just a few new additions. Unfortunately, there were some unplanned changes that arrived with the update too, including users left unable to connect to printers, randomly deleting emails in Gmail, problems accessing files saved in OneDrive cloud storage, and stuttering video games. And now there's another quibble to add to the ever-growing list since the rollout of Windows 10 May 2020 Update. Spotted by Microsoft-centric blog Windows Latest, a number of users who installed the latest Patch Tuesday – a monthly bundle of bug fixes and security improvements pushed out by Microsoft – have started to notice issues with their internet connection. Windows 10 users who are impacted by the issue are being alerted by a "No Internet Access" warning message that appears within the "Network and Internet" panel in the Settings app. Bafflingly, the issue only appears to affect select internet-enabled services baked into the operating system. According to one user, while the "No Internet Access" warning appears within the Settings app, browsing the internet works without a hitch... but asking Cortana a question doesn't return an answer – only a notification that an active internet connection is required to use the digital assistant. Even though there is an active internet connection to your device, a number of apps and system features will not work if Windows 10 believes – incorrectly, in this case – that there is a problem connecting to Wi-Fi. Anecdotal evidence from the Windows Latest blog post suggests the main features impacted for users are Cortana, Microsoft Store, and Spotify. That's enough to cause users a serious headache. Thankfully, Microsoft is well aware of the issue and is actively looking into a fix. With any luck, that means we won't have to wait very long until a new update is rolled out to fix the problem. The next Patch Tuesday is scheduled on August 11, 2020, although Microsoft could rush it out to users a little earlier as long as it's ready / considered urgent enough. It's another blow for Windows 10 users who have had a rough time with the latest operating system. And as millions of people stay home to work and study due to the ongoing public health crisis, it's not an ideal time to be breaking essential features like internet connectivity, printers, and emails. (As for the video game problem, that's admittedly less essential ...but equally annoying). Keep up with all the problems Microsoft is having with bad updates by visiting OUR FORUM on a regular basis.  We’ve long heard rumors of Microsoft making a new lightweight version of Windows codenamed “Windows Lite”. Last year, Microsoft finally announced Windows 10X, a modular and lightweight operating for the dual-screen hardware with the ability to run Win32 apps in a virtualized container, but now it seems plans may have changed. According to multiple sources, Microsoft has delayed Windows 10X to Spring 2021 and it won’t arrive on dual-screen hardware until 2022. Windows 10X will first arrive on low-end PCs without legacy Win32 apps, but support for streaming legacy apps on Windows 10X could be delivered later through a “cloud-based solution”. In addition, Microsoft is also looking to launch and advertise Windows 10X as a web-first i.e web-focused operating system for low-cost PCs to take on Chromebooks. Windows 10X is a more modular hybrid version of Windows 10 desktop. It offers a simpler user interface and it includes “app container” for Win32 (legacy apps) backward compatibility. When Microsoft demoed Windows 10X on Surface Neo in 2019, Microsoft said that this version of Windows was specifically intended for dual-screen devices. In 2020, Microsoft said Windows 10X is being retooled for single-screen devices and it will show up on dual-screen hardware later. The plans have now changed and Microsoft is looking to deliver Windows 10X with Chromebook-like affordable 2-in-1s in early 2021 and that version of Windows 10X will not include Win32 apps container support. In other words, Windows 10X will operate a bit like Windows 10 S, but it will offer a different set of capabilities, functions and security features than the Windows 10 desktop, which should make it a viable alternative to the Chromebook. The core interface of Windows 10X will be similar to Windows as it exists today, but it will work like a lightweight OS with greater touch optimizations and less cluttered interface to deliver long-lasting performance and battery backup. As is the case with mobile platforms, there’ll be some limitations to improve the performance and security of the OS. For example, you won’t be officially allowed to modify your Windows Registry to customize the experience and Microsoft will also remove the legacy components, such as Control Panel and classic File Explorer. Windows 10X will be both faster and leaner than previous Windows operating systems because it ditches the legacy components. Like Windows 10 in S Mode, it will reportedly only run UWP and PWAs downloaded from the Microsoft Store. The PWAs generated using Microsoft Edge will also work on Windows 10X. Windows 10X won’t have local support for Win32 apps when it launches next year, but Microsoft is planning to offer “app streaming” support. According to reports, you will have to stream the desktop or legacy apps you want to use over an internet connection using Microsoft’s cloud-powered streaming technology. According to a job post on LinkedIn, Microsoft has already started exploring a new virtualization service called “Cloud PC” where software such as Office will be delivered virtually by Microsoft. The tech giant’s work on “Cloud PC” might allow users to run Win32 apps on Windows 10X in future, but the highly-anticipated Win32 container support won’t be there next year because of power and resources problem. As I reported earlier this year, Microsoft has had problems with Win32 app performance in internal builds of Windows 10X apps. Learn more about this interesting new operating system at OUR FORUM. |
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