Windows 10 update secrets

While a neat idea in theory, I dislike the lack of precision for “when is the phone out of range”

If I could specify 2m that would be fine. But as it is, the washroom is within BT range and I bet I could make the coffee machine as well before it would lock.

4 Likes

1709 is going to be my companies first mass upgrade to a new W10 version (if you dont count our Win7 to Win10 upgrade)

The group that went to 1703 was only a few hundred. I’m generally happy with my task sequence, I just need to fine tune a couple of things for the VPN only folks. And figure out a weird OneDrive message that pops up on occasion.

It’s a living.

3 Likes

I’ve been using Classic Shell since Win 8, which makes it seem more like v.7. The shut off/lock/log off/hibernate is where it’s supposed to be. But as @Nonentity mentioned, windows key L is easiest.

6 Likes

While I have no proof of this, it seems like it’s a bit more granular than just “out of range” – it seems to take into account signal strength so when I get more than a few feet away with my phone it immediately locks my screen.

I mean, sure, it’s no substitute for just Win+L’ing your damn machine before walking away but I find it to be a really nice feature.

This really is a “welcome to 2003” feature though – my old Nokia 6620 had the same functionality. Pair it with my computer, and their software would lock my screen when I got far enough away.

I guess being able to just walk away from my computer and have it lock has been a wish-list feature of mine ever since I had that functionality with my old Nokia. A few years back, I threw together an Arduino Micro with an ultrasonic sensor that would send a lock command to my computer when it detected I wasn’t sitting in front of it. Unfortunately I could actually hear the pings of the sensor (or more accurately, noise from the components) and it drove me crazy enough to abandon the project. It was a nice little proof of concept, though.

4 Likes

hmmmmm. Ultrasonics have never bothered me.

Damn it though I just started playing with my MagPi Voice Kit.

I will have a digital assistant that responds to “IGOR!” (That will randomly quip back “It’s eye-gor, master”)

6 Likes

I don’t run Windows but I knew there was an update this week :unamused:

1 Like

Aha! I used to have one but for some reason it was gone after the update. I re-added it and that solved it.

4 Likes

The one good thing about the Windows key on the keyboard? Win+L = instant lock. I do it all the time when at work.

4 Likes

So hard to find a keyboard these days without one.

Pretty much the only thing I use that key for is locking the screen… I know there’s other shortcuts using it, but I’ve never felt the need. Most of the time it just ends up being accidentally hit when I’m aiming for something else.

[edit] Well, I got curious and looked. It looks like there are a (very) few shortcuts using that key that I may have to remember. Most of them are either things I’ve never needed to do or ones I can do just as easily without the key, though.

5 Likes

Windows+arrow key to snap a window to a position on-screen is very useful if you’ve only got one (16:9) monitor but need to reference information from several different programs at once. I probably use it more than any other keyboard shortcut, come to think of it…

8 Likes

Everything was patched this week.

And then half those patches were pulled and new patches released.

Hell of week to stop sniffin’ glue.

10 Likes

7 Likes

Except when it doesn’t. Like it didn’t earlier today. Well that’s Windows for you.

4 Likes

The peer-to-peer stuff fucked our wifi for like two or three days.

In the past I thought I could “fix” it by blocking some router ports but it didn’t really work. It’s not like Microsoft is going to document anything so we can reliably make it stop.

The guy whose computer it is blames any problems he has on Comcast :roll_eyes:

If I NEED unfucked wifi for a bit I can log into the router and block him completely, but I don’t think anybody else in the house has even that tiny amount of clue. I’ve explained it to everybody but to them anything I say about it is just WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH

5 Likes

but why did they ditch the free form thing? win 10 forces you to pair a window with another, just like mac does. prior to 10, win-left or win-right was glorious.

3 Likes

Sounds like misdirected requirements.

Before, it was “As a user, I want this window to be maximised over the half of the screen I specify [so I can tile, probably]”.

Now it’s, “As a user, I want to tile this and one other window, with this window tiled in the area I indicate.”

4 Likes

It would be really nice if Winders actually managed windows. The RDS focus stealing and other shit is maddening. “Actually trying to get some shit done here that requires concentration. It’s not my job to chase down fiddly dialog boxes all the fucking time. Taking a few days off to go break some kneecaps in Redmond.”

6 Likes

Try ShutUp10. You’ll need to set the settings each update but totally worth it.

1 Like

Still on 7, but we’re supposed to get new hardware soon. Working from home on the 4k tv will become easier with the updated tiling.

2 Likes

It’s not my computer. Dude doesn’t even understand his device is the problem.

I could explain it again but he’ll forget everything I say as soon as I stop talking.

3 Likes