You can add, remove, or completely strip metadata from pictures, and in this guide, we'll show you how to do it.

Every time you take a photo using your phone, digital camera, or using any other device, the file that is created not only includes the image, but an array of data about the device, author, date, and other important details, which are known as metadata.

Thanks to metadata, applications, such as the built-in Photos app can show you information, including when the image was taken, dimensions, ISO, size, etc.

The caveat is that sometimes the information recorded in the metadata is missing or incorrect. Fortunately, Windows 10 allows you to easily edit this information or completely remove it from virtually any file type.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to edit the metadata information on photos (but you can use the same steps to edit other type of files).

How to edit image file metadata

To edit the metadata on image files, do the following:

1. Right-click the file and select Properties.

2. In the image properties, click on the Details tab.

All the information you see in the Details tab is part of the metadata, and you can quickly edit the information by clicking the value field next to the property. However, keep in mind that some data cannot be modified.

The Details tab divides metadata properties in a number of sections, which can be different in other file types. In this case, the image file is divided in six sections. The first section is called Description, and you can simply click the value field for Title, Subject, Tabs, Comments, and edit its information. You can even rate your image clicking one of the five possible stars.

In Origin, you can edit the Author, Data taken, Date acquired, and Copyright.

Then there is Image, and in the section, you can view relevant information about the image, all of which is automatically added an cannot be modified:

• Image ID
• Dimensions
• Width
• Height
• Horizontal resolution
• Vertical resolution
• Bit depth
• Compression
• Resolution unit
• Color representation
• Compressed bits/pixel

The Camera section includes the details of the camera that was used to take the picture, including:

• Camera maker and model
• F-stop
• Exposure time
• ISO speed
• Exposure bias
• Focal length
• Max aperture
• Metering mode
• Subject distance
• Flash mode and energy
• 35mm focal length

You can only edit some of these metadata fields.

The Advanced photo section, includes a number of fields that will be particularly useful for photographers. You can only edit some of the fields, but things like lens, camera serial number, light source, white balance, EXIF version, and more.

The last section is File, where you can view file name and type, location path, date created and modified, owner, and computer name where the file resides. However, you can't edit any of these fields.

Once you're done editing the metadata, click Apply, and OK to close the picture properties.

How to remove picture metadata

While metadata can be useful, sometimes it can also be considered a security concern for many people. Thankfully, you cannot only edit metadata, but the operating system also lets you remove in bulk certain properties that might contain personal information, such as name, location, etc.

To remove your personal metadata information, do the following:

1. On the Details tab of the picture, click the Remove Properties and Personal Information link.

2. Select Create a copy with all possible properties removed or you can also select Remove the following properties from this file, and select the properties you want to remove.

3. Click OK.
4. Close the picture properties to complete the task.

Wrapping things up

Although metadata is usually ignored, it's useful information that can help you organize your files. Also, metadata makes search easier on your computer, because this is the kind of information Windows search looks for to return a search query. This means that most metadata information you add, the more accurate the search results will be.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Have a Google mail account but you'd rather avoid using their web client? Why not add it to Outlook.com?

Gmail on the web isn't exactly the most elegant way to get your mail, and if also have a Microsoft email account why not switch to using Outlook instead. Outlook.com is a pretty solid email client but you might not have known you could also pull in your Googles as well.

It's really easy to do, whether you have a standard @gmail.com address or a work email provided through a G Suite (formerly Google Apps). Here's how!

1. Log in to Outlook.com
2. Click on the settings cog in the top right corner.

3. Next, click on connected accounts.

4. Under add a connected account click on Gmail.

5. Select the options for importing; either merge your Gmail into the existing inbox or create a separate one with any sub-folders already set up.

6. Click OK and then log in to your Google account.

That's all there is to it. Now, Outlook will pull in your email just as if you were using Gmail on the web. Initially, the sync might take some time, affected by how much mail you have! But it's a really simple operation and a great way to unify your online email experience.

Looking for a quick upgrade for storage or speed? Here is my latest guide on replacing the SSD in the Razer Blade

Modern, high-end laptops bring with them some very performant specifications these days. The Razer Blade 14 (late-2016) is one of my favorite gaming laptops– for those willing to shell $2K for the privilege.

But can we make it faster?

Today, I'll share with you how to upgrade the Razer Blade's internal SSD with a faster, more future-proof solution – the new Samsung 960 EVO at 1TB.

Why Upgrade?

Unlike most laptops, Razer already uses some reliable SSD storage devices in their laptops. Some of the initial late-2016 Razer Blade 14's shipped with a Samsung PM951 SSD, but recent shipments now included the updated PM961, which is even faster.

The bad news is while you can upgrade the Blade's SSD the actual improvement will be less noticeable compared to other laptops with slower and cheaper SSDs. That makes this upgrade purely optional in my opinion.

CystalDiskMark (Higher is better)

Nonetheless, you can still upgrade your SSD simply for increased storage capacity e.g. going from 512GB to 1TB for instance. If money is no object you can even spring for the 2TB Samsung 960 PRO, but that will set you back around $1200.

SSDs: Price per gigabyte

Putting in a faster SSD into the Razer Blade is mostly for the write speed versus read. However, for gaming laptops, the read times are what matters for game loading. If, however, you output 4K video using Adobe Premiere Pro then a performant SSD is a good choice.

For more information about the Samsung 960 EVO you can read my full review including benchmark speeds and results.

See Samsung 960 EVO at Amazon

Finally, I should note that upgrading the SSD, while easy, could technically void your warranty. Or rather, if you send Razer a broken laptop to repaired and they find a user-replaced SSD it could cause some headaches with the warranty.

Difficulty Rating

Physically swapping out the SSD in most laptops is very simple. The hard and weird part comes in cloning or backing up your current SSD to the new one so that you can just pick up from where you left off in using the laptop.

The actual hardware swap should take no more than 15 minutes. Doing the backup and restore can take longer.

Backing up

Doing a backup and restore from the old SSD to the new one is not hard, but there are multiple ways to do it.

Alternatively, you could just reinstall Windows 10 with an ISO on the new drive and start from scratch. The Windows 10 key is stored in the BIOS/UEFI, so it'll be autodetected, and you will not need a new license.

Personally, I use a third-party solution with Macrium Reflect. You can use the free version for this task and do not need to pay the $70 for the full license. The $70 option gets you an app that routinely and automatically backs up your computer as opposed to a one-time manual backup and restore, which is what we're interested in doing.

Restoring a Macrium Reflect image to a new SSD

The process is as expected: Run the software on your current SSD and backup/image your PC to an external USB drive. After swapping out the SSD, boot the Razer Blade to the USB drive and restore the image.

Samsung also makes their free Data Migration software for use with their SSD drives as well with accompanying documentation. While Samsung's option is free, you do need a way to connect the new SSD to the laptop to directly copy its contents. For a laptop SSD, this means you need to buy an enclosure with a USB connection (though that means you can then repurpose your old SSD as a new external drive).

I should note that if you are going from a 512GB to 1TB SSD you will need to expand the partition after the restore. More on that below.

What you need

You will need a few tools like hex and Philips screwdrivers and a small pry to help remove the bottom cover on the Razer Blade.

Some of the tools you will need for this job

You may have your own tools, but since I plan on doing this more often, I picked up the E-Durable Pro Bit Driver Kit on Amazon. It was a mere $12 and includes every tool you will need to work on electronics like a laptop, and I recommend it if you don't have anything now.

See E-Durable Pro Kit on Amazon

You will also want a clean and well-lit workspace and somewhere safe to put the screws from the bottom of the Razer Blade.

Opening the Razer Blade

Where the Razer Blade's SSD is located

To begin, shut down (not sleep or hibernate) your laptop and unplug it from the power adapter.

You should also use an Anti-Static Wrist Strap when touching the internal components.

See Anti-Static Strap at Amazon

To open the Razer Blade, you will want to do the following.

1. Place the Razer Blade bottom-up. I recommend on a cloth to prevent any scratches.
2. Remove the 10 Torx head screws from the bottom.
3. Remove the bottom cover (it should just lift off without much prying)

Be careful to place the ten screws in a small cup or to the side to not lose them.

Changing the SSD

I recommend cleaning your hands to remove any excess oil. Getting any kind of grease, dirt, or oil on the SSD can act as a heatsink, but in a bad way. Only grab the SSD by the edges and try to minimize contact when holding it.

With the display hinge oriented away from you, you'll find the SSD below the exhaust fan and to the left on the Razer Blade just above the battery.

1. Remove the placement screw at the base of the SSD.
2. Gently lift the old SSD at a 20-degree angle and slide it out.
3. Insert the new SSD firmly into the slot at the same 20-degree angle.
4. Lay down the new SSD and replace the placement screw.

Try not to touch any components or the area below the SSD.

Reassemble and boot

1. Position the laptop's base panel in place.
2. Replace the 10 screws around the edge of the base.
3. Turnover and open the laptop.
4. Install the old SSD in your external drive enclosure.
5. Plug the old SSD into any USB port on the Razer Blade.
6. Press the power button in the top right corner to boot the laptop.
7. Immediately press and hold F12 until the Boot Menu appears.
8. Use the arrow keys to select the USB drive and boot from the old Windows 10 install.
9. Use your choice of software to copy the contents of the USB SSD to the newly installed SSD.

Remember, if all else fails, you can just put back your old SSD.

Install Samsung NVMe Driver 2.0

Although the Samsung 960 EVO works out of the box, you will want to install Samsung's Drive 2.0 to max out performance.

Grab the NVMe Driver 2.0 direct from Samsung, download, and install on the new drive.

Expanding the Partition

This section only applies if you are replacing your Razer Blade's SSD with one that has more storage e.g. going from 512GB to 1TB.

The problem: After booting into Windows 10 after the restore your "new" 1TB drive will only show the same 512GB partition size as the old drive. The "other" 500GB is not allocated or being used. The issue is complicated by the fact that Windows 10 cannot adjust partition sizes of the primary drive while in Windows (same reason why you cannot do brain surgery on yourself).

Solution: You need to boot into another environment independent of the primary C: drive that can then let you resize the partition. Total time of this process should be about 5 minutes.

Download: Get the free AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition and install it while in Windows 10 on your new Razer Blade SSD.

1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant.
2. Select C: and right-click to bring up Merge Partitions option.
3. Check C: Disk and Unallocated and then choose Ok.
4. Select Proceed and let the computer reboot into AOMEI.
5. AOMEI Partition Assistant will then boot into a DOS-like system where it will Move the partition and then resize the partition to its full capacity.

No data will be lost, and AOMEI Partition Assistant will do all the work for you in just a few minutes.

Results!

While benchmarks are one thing, what about differences in using the Razer Blade? I picked the Blade specifically because it is a premium gaming laptop where top tier performance is expected. For this review, I loaded numerous games like DOOM (2016), Gears of War 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Rocket League, and even Witcher 3.

CrystalDiskMark (Higher is better)

My methodology included starting the clock from the moment I clicked a game to launch up to where I could hit 'A' on the controller to navigate a menu. All the games were loaded in 45 seconds or less with the default Samsung PM951.

Loading off the 960 EVO… was no different. There was simply no discernable difference between the PM951 and 960 EVO for loading games. If DOOM took ~40 seconds to load using the PM951 it also took ~40 seconds to load using the 960 EVO.

Such results reveal that a device like the Razer Blade with a quad-core Core i7 processor and GTX 1060 video card is already pushing the limits. The PM951 SSD is not the bottleneck on that laptop — it's the processor, which is already a class above most Ultrabooks that are only dual-core and running at a lower wattage.

The PM951 SSD (left) is much slower when rendering high quality video files in Adobe Premiere Pro compared to the 960 EVO (right)

Nonetheless, the above testing was about read speed. What about write performance for video rendering? Here there is a massive difference for people who need to render larger files and write to disk. In this test, we rendered a video file in Adobe Premiere Pro at 1920 x 1920 resolution. Output was at high bitrate H.264 with maximum render quality enabled. The resulting file was a 103MB MP4 video.

Adobe Premiere Pro 2017 (manually timed)

Here there is a world of difference. These results demonstrate a four-fold improvement in write performance, which is remarkable. If this were a 4K file, the time difference would be even more dramatic.

In the end, things like resume the laptop from Sleep with many apps opened is quicker. Many apps and parts of the OS feel zippier and the experience is positive. It's just not dramatic as compared to going from a slow HDD or slow SSD. Still, you are getting a high-end drive that has longer durability for read and write tasks and more performant abilities under specific environments.

Overall, upgrading the Razer Blade's SSD is not necessary, but it is a nice option to have to either increase storage or get overall improved read and write times. Just make sure you allocate a budget for the replacement.

What is the difference between Express and Custom when setting up Windows 10?

Whether you're resetting your PC or setting up Windows 10 for the first time, you'll eventually arrive at the "Get going fast" blue setup screen. At this point, you might be anxious to start using your PC, and the "Use Express settings" button sticks out at you because of its lighter shade of blue.

Hold it! There are a few important things to know about the Express setup and what happens instead when you click "Customize"— Hint: setting up Windows 10 how you want it isn't complicated.

Here are the differences between Express and Custom Windows 10 setups, and which you should choose.

• Using the Express setup
• Using the Custom setup
• How to change these settings once Windows 10 is installed

Using the Express setup

Following the Wi-Fi screen in the setup process, you have the option to use Express settings or to customize your Windows 10 install. If you choose to use Express settings, all of the following will happen:

• Your speech, typing, and inking input data will be sent to Microsoft for better suggestion and recognition platforms.

• Windows apps will use your location, Find My Device will be turned on, and your advertising ID will be shared with apps to better personalize your experience.

• Page prediction and SmartScreen Filter are automatically turned on, and your internet browsing data will be sent to Microsoft.

• Your PC will automatically connect to open hotspots.

• Full diagnostic and usage data will be sent to Microsoft. Updates will come in from other PCs on the internet and you'll send updates to other PCs.

• Skype will automatically use your contacts and verify your phone number.

Yikes. While leaving all of these settings enabled will definitely let Windows do its things as it intends, anyone concerned with their privacy is probably yelling at their screen right now.

Couldn't care less about what Microsoft knows about you and want to see every feature enabled? No problem — click "Use Express settings" and carry on with the setup process.

If any of the above features seem unnecessary for your Windows experience, you'll want to forego the Express settings and go with a Custom setup.

Using the Custom setup

Novice Windows users might feel a bit overwhelmed given the opportunity to customize their Windows setup, but it's really just a matter of clicking some switches below the features you want on or off.

Many people will just turn everything off and worry about it later — all of these settings are configurable once Windows 10 is set up— but you can choose to enable and disable anything you want.

Once you arrive at the "Get going fast" screen, follow these steps to customize your Windows 10 installation:

1. Click Customize.
2. Click the switch beneath any options you'd like to turn off. Options include:
   • Send input data to Microsoft
   • Send typing and inking data to Microsoft
   • Let apps use your advertising ID
   • Let Skype access your address book and verify your phone number.
   • Use Find My Device and let apps see your location and location history. Send Microsoft your location data.
3. Click Next.
4. Click the switch beneath any options you'd like to turn off. Options include:
   • Automatically connect to open Wi-Fi hotspots.
   • Automatically connect to hotspots temporarily to see if paid networks are available.
   • Send full diagnostic and usage data to Microsoft.
5. Click Next.
6. Click the switch beneath any options you'd like to turn off. Options include:
   • Use SmartScreen to protect against malicious downloads and websites.
   • Use page prediction to speed up browsing — your browsing data is sent to Microsoft when enabled.
   • Get updates from and send updates to other PCs on the internet.
7. Click Next.

Windows 10 will now finish the setup.

How to change these settings once Windows 10 is installed

Did you use the express install and now want to change some of the settings? No problem. Here's where you'll find and how to change these settings.

Speech, inking, and typing

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Privacy.

4. Click Speech, inking, & typing.

5. Click Stop getting to know me.

6. Click Turn off.

Advertising ID

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Privacy.

4. Click General.

5. Click the switch beneath Let apps use my advertising ID… so that it turns Off.

Location

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Privacy.

4. Click Location.

5. Click Change.

6. Click the switch below Location for this device so that it turns Off.

Wi-Fi

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Network & Internet.

4. Click Wi-Fi.

5. Click the switch below Connect to suggested open hotspots so that it turns Off.

6. Click the switch below Paid Wi-Fi services so that it turns Off.

Diagnostic and usage data

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Privacy.

4. Click Feedback & diagnostics— you might have to scroll down a bit to find it.

5. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Windows should ask for my feedback.

6. Click Never.

7. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Send your device data to Microsoft.

8. Click Basic.

SmartScreen Filter

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Privacy.

4. Click General.

5. Click the switch beneath Turn on SmartScreen Filter... so that it turns Off.

Page prediction

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.
2. Click the More button in the top-right corner of the window. It looks like •••

3. Click Settings.

4. Click View advanced settings.

5. Click the switch below Use page prediction… so that it turns Off.

Updates

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. It looks like a gear.

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Advanced options.

5. Click Choose how updates are delivered.

6. Click the switch below Updates from more than one place so that it turns off.

Your setup

Did you choose Express or Custom installation for your Windows 10 PC? Let us know in the comments section!

You want to hook up your XPS 13 to your TV, but how do you go about doing that?

It sounds simple, but without a HDMI output on the XPS 13 you can't just pick up a cable, plug it in and away you go. It's a mild inconvenience, but never fear, there's always a way around these things, you just need the right equipment.

You've got a couple of easy options. The first is by getting an adapter. While the XPS 13 doesn't have a HDMI output, it does have mini DisplayPort if you're on the older model from early 2015, or Thunderbolt 3 on the refreshed version.

If mini DisplayPort is what you have, simply grab a mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable to hook up the laptop to the TV. These are really cheap and can be had for under $10.

There's a quick fix if you're on an older model, but what about the newer ones? Thankfully, Thunderbolt 3 ports are also USB-C, and you have a number of options open to you to not only get a video output but to further extend your connection options.

For example, you could use something like Microsoft's Display Dock which will give you HDMI capabilities as well as extra USB and Ethernet all in one little box. Or, you can get a straight USB-C to HDMI cable if you don't need anything else.

The idea of a dock is something you can entertain on both models, especially if you're using the TV to get some computing done versus just plugging it in to look at some photos or watch a movie. There are a range of USB-C docks out there, some good, some not so good, but we're fans of Microsoft's because it's a well made, reliable product.

Dell has some slightly more powerful offerings that you can snag, too, again covering you on the older XPS 13 through to the latest Kaby Lake refresh. The downside is the price, with the Thunderbolt 3 dock costing $300. If a TV is what you're using, even a 4K TV, and nothing else, it's probably overkill.

If you are wanting to go Dell, the older, less expensive USB 3.0 dock at $170 is a better bet. It still allows a video output over HDMI as well as a bunch of USB connectors and gigabit Ethernet.

It ultimately comes down to use. Bottom line is if you want to just get the screen from your XPS 13 to your TV, get a cheap cable or adapter as described above. If you're entertaining using your TV as a monitor for some couch computing, maybe go for a USB-C or USB 3.0 dock. You've got plenty of options whatever you need.

How do I use OneDrive to back up my photos on Windows 10?

There's no doubt about it; your photos are precious. To keep them safe, your best bet is to back them up to either a cloud storage service or an external hard drive. Here's how to back up your photos on Windows 10.

• How to back up your photos with OneDrive
• How to back up your photos to an external hard drive

How to back up your photos with OneDrive

The easiest way to back up your photos on Windows 10 is to use OneDrive. You can sync certain folders on your PC to back up to OneDrive automatically, so you won't have to worry about losing your photos. Here's how to set up and sync using OneDrive whether you're just starting out or you're already an established user.

If you need more OneDrive space than the introductory 5GB, a variety of plans are available and come bundled with Office 365.

If you're using OneDrive for the first time on your PC

Haven't yet opened the OneDrive app on your PC? No worries; setup takes less than a minute, and at the end, your photos will be synced.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click OneDrive— you might have to scroll down a bit to find it.

3. Type your email address.

4. Click Sign in.

5. Type your password.

6. Click Sign in.

7. Click Next.

8. Click the checkbox next to any folders you want to sync with OneDrive. Make sure you check the box next to the folder holding your photos.

9. Click Next.

10. Click Open my OneDrive folder.

If you've already set up OneDrive on your PC

Have you already set up OneDrive on your PC but don't have it set to sync your photos? No problem; here's how to change which folders sync to OneDrive.

1. Launch File Explorer from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.
2. Right-click OneDrive from the left-side menu.

3. Click Choose OneDrive folder to sync.

4. Click the checkbox next to any folders you want to sync. Make sure you check the box next to the folder holding your photos.

5. Click OK.

Any photos in the folder you chose can now be found on OneDrive.

How to transfer individual photos to OneDrive

Not wanting to sync entire folders to OneDrive is understandable — sometimes you just want to safeguard a few photos in your collection. The easiest way to sync individual photos, and indeed any file, is to drag and drop it on the OneDrive folder.

1. Launch File Explorer from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.

2. Click the dropdown arrow next to OneDrive so that you can see the folder you want to transfer photos to. You can also transfer photos straight to OneDrive and organize them later.

3. Navigate to the picture you want to back up to OneDrive.

4. Click the picture and drag it to the OneDrive folder or the subfolder of choice.

That's it! If you want to get fancy, use the Ctrl + Click shortcut to select multiple files before dragging them over to OneDrive.

How to back up your photos to an external hard drive

Those of you who'd rather have a harder copy of your photos might want to back them up to an external hard drive. Windows 10 makes this as easy as possible.

If you don't yet have an external hard drive, we've made choosing one easy — just check out our best external hard drive buyer's guide.

How to set up an automatic backup to an external hard drive

Before starting these steps, make sure you plug an external hard drive into your PC.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button — it looks like a gear.

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click Add a drive.

6. Click a drive.

7. Click More options. Here you will see all subfolders in your user folder are backed up by default.

8. Click any folder in the Back up these folders list that you don't want backed up.

9. Click Remove. Continue removing folders until you have only the photos and files you want backed up remaining.

10. Click Back up now to back up your photos immediately. You might have to scroll up a bit to find the button.

How to change the frequency of automatic backups

By default, your files will be backed up every hour as long as the external hard drive is plugged into your PC. Here's how to change how often files are synced.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings button — it looks like a gear.

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click More options.

6. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Back up my files.

7. Click a backup option.

How to manually transfer photos to your external hard drive

If you don't want to set up an automatic backup — almost useless unless you always have an external hard drive plugged in — you can always move files manually. Before starting, make sure you have your external hard drive plugged into your PC.

1. Launch File Explorer from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.

2. Click the dropdown arrow next to your external drive so that you can see the folder you want to transfer photos to. You can also just transfer photos straight to your drive and worry about organization later.

3. Navigate to the picture you want to back up to your external hard drive.

4. Click the picture and drag it to the drive or the subfolder of choice.

If you want to transfer multiple files, use the Ctrl + Click shortcut to select multiple files before dragging them over to your external drive.

How do you back up your photos?

Do you use an external hard drive or do you use OneDrive? Let us know in the comments section!

Microsoft Edge extensions install through the Store like other apps, but where do you find them?

It's not immediately obvious just how to locate browser extensions for Microsoft Edge— you have to know exactly what you're looking for. Perhaps it should be simpler, or maybe the Windows Wtore isn't the best way to distribute them. Regardless, it's not super clear.

If you scroll all the way to the bottom on the main Store page you'll find a box that'll link you to the Microsoft Edge extensions collection. But if you go to Apps, it doesn't seem to show up. Confusing much? In any case, this is the best way to make sure you always get where you're going.

1. In Microsoft Edge click on the three dots icon in the top right corner.
2. Click on extensions. Any extensions you have installed already will be listed here.
3. Click on Get extensions from the Store. This will be listed after any already-installed extensions.

Clicking on this will now always take you to the Edge extensions collection in the Windows Store, regardless of what the Store itself is displaying at any time to help (or not as it may be) find them yourself.

So, if you've been poking around wondering where to find these things, now you know the best way to get there every time!

Stardew Valley is available now on Xbox One, and while it looks simple on the surface, there is a lot to learn!

With changing seasons, tool upgrades and ores and minerals to collect, animals to look after and crops to harvest... where on earth do you start? These tips should help you on your way to creating a successful and bountiful farm!

What is Stardew Valley?

Stardew Valley is an indie farming simulation game, with RPG elements. It is available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, and it's bloody wonderful. Your grandfather has passed his old farm onto you and you need to get it up and running.

Just how you do that is entirely up to you. Stardew is a particularly 'open' game; you have a lot of freedom to farm just how you want and if you don't keep a goal in sight, it's easy to get off track and lose your momentum.

See on the Xbox Store

Before you even begin...

You'll need to create your character and pick where your farm is located. Here is a breakdown of each location you could choose:

• Standard - offers a large amount of open space to get creative with your farm design.
• Riverland - the farm is on a number of islands and riverbanks. Fish are more common.
• Forest - the woods are on your doorstep, limiting the space, but an increased bounty of natural goodies.
• Hilltop farm - set on a rocky terrain and a winding river, there isn't a lot of space for creative farming, but there is a mineral deposit for mining.
• Wilderness - lots of spacious land, but monsters come out at night.

Home on the range

When you're able to take control of your character and start your new life as a farmer, you'll notice you have some tools on your toolbar.

• Hoe - tills soil to plant crops.
• Sickle - cuts grass and vegetables.
• Watering can - watering crops.
• Axe - cutting down trees and logs.
• Pickaxe - breaking stones and boulders.

Later you can also get a fishing pole and a sword. More on these later!

As you use your tools, they level up in Proficiency. Proficiency can have a number of different effects: it will mean you use less energy when you use a tool, you could hold a tool's action before releasing to have a larger area of effect, the green 'reel' bar in fishing becomes bigger, or you may be able to learn a new crafting recipe or pick a perk.

Your first task should really be clearing a patch in the awful mess that has grown in the time Grandpa has been "gone". Clearing the rocks will give you stone, trees and branches will give you wood, and clearing weeds and grass will give you mixed seeds and fibers. Hang onto these for as long as it takes until you're able to build a chest. They will stack to a maximum of 999, so you don't have to worry about them taking up loads of inventory space.

Green thumbs

On your first day, when you wake up you'll find a box on the floor of your house. It contains 15 parsnip seeds, and this is a good opportunity to get to sowing.

Scroll to the hoe in your toolbar. You'll need to make a patch of 15 tilled tiles, plant the seeds on the soil, and water them. Maintaining your growing patches will be a constant battle, and you'll also have to take your farm design into account when deciding what crops to plant. If a crop creates a patch that you can't walk over once it has begun shooting, you're going to lose access to the plants behind it. Those will wither and die, so take that into consideration.

Some crops such as green beans will be on a trellis. You can't move through these, so it's a good idea to create a patch of "strip plots" - plots that are long or tall but only one or two tiles wide, with enough space to access all of the squares from one side or another.

Note: Sickles/scythes will not cut down crops that aren't ready to be harvested yet! Go crazy with them in your vegetable patch and see what happens... Spoiler: nothing.

How often should I water my crops?

Crops should be watered once a day, with a couple of exceptions.

• On rainy days.
• When you have fertilized the soil with Retaining Soil, which should (but not always) hold water overnight.
• When you have installed a sprinkler system. The basic sprinkler will water the crops around them in a cross shape +, an advanced sprinkler will water every square that surrounds it to a depth of one tile, and an Iridium sprinkler will water up to 24 tiles at once.

Sprinklers will really cover you when you upgrade your watering can and don't have access to it for a couple of days.

Where do I get seeds?

Seeds can be bought at Pierre's, the General Store in Pelican Town. You can also buy them at special events throughout the year, at the Oasis in Calico Desert, get them as rewards from donating books to the Town Library and fulfilling Junimo bundles at the Community Centre. You could also learn a crafting recipe for, or create a Junimo bundle to receive a Seed Maker, which takes one crop and turns it into a couple of seeds!

How do I grow giant crops?

Have you ever walked out of your house one morning and found a GIANT crop sitting in the middle of your vegetable patch? I'm not talking the difference between a normal and large milk... this thing is 9 tiles in size! Don't worry if you haven't, here's how you can. To grow crushing cauliflowers or massive melons, till the toil in a 3x3 grid, fertilize with Quality Fertilizer, and plant cauliflower, melons or pumpkins. To harvest it, you'll need to hit it with an axe, and it will yeild twice the amount of produce. Leaving ripened crops for a day or two after they are due for harvesting may also prompt them to join together into one large crop.

Worm patches

See the little wriggly worms here and there while tending to your duties? You'll find them on the farm and in the town and all surrounding areas. If you dig them up with your hoe you can get different items. The most common are seeds, or clay and stone - but sometimes you can dig up artifacts that can be donated to the Town Library. Rewards for donating will help you on your farm, or decorate your house, but if you donate enough you will be given the Rusty Key to open the Sewer.

Boulder Breaker

Mining is a necessity in Stardew Valley. Your Pickaxe will become your most-used tool, and is useful not only on the farm but in the Mines and Quarry, too. Mining is a great way to make money and collect a lot of resources that you will need to upgrade items.

The Mine

When the Mine is opened after Day 5, you will be given a challenge to plumb the depths. As you descend, you will come across monsters and more rare and valuable gems and ores. The elevator on the ground-floor of the Mine will become active once you have reached level 5, and every 5 subesquent levels will become available once you have reached those floors. Some floors have an open ladder showing the way to the next floor below, but when there isn't you'll have to find one by breaking the rocks on the floor. You can speed this process up by using bombs to clear out clusters, which also saves on using your energy.

Skull Cave

When you reach level 120 of The Mine, you'll have reached the bottom and your reward is a mysterious Skull Key. The Skull Key opens Skull Cavern, found in Calico Desert. Skull Cavern is bottomless, and you will descend for as long as you can, collecting rare ores and items and fighting monsters.

Geodes

Geodes can hold a variety of mundane or rare items inside them. They can be broken open by Clint the Blacksmith at 25G per geode. Sometimes he may find a rare artfact or mineral inside that can be donated to the Town Library.

How can I get the most out of Mining?

First and foremost, take some health and stamina restoring items with you every time you go into the Mine. Meals are often a good idea because they can come with buffs that might also increase your proficiency for a short time.

If you want to make big bucks from Mining, select the Geologist perk at level 5 which will increase the likelihood of gems appearing in pairs by 50%, and select Gemologist at level 10 which increases gems value by 30%. A diamond will go from 750G to 975G.

Fishing Master

Fishing can be difficult, and until you get the hang of it, is quite likely to be your most under-developed skill. The aim of the fishing mini-game is to keep the green 'fishing' over the fish icon, until the 'catch' bar on the right hand side fills to the top. The difficulty comes in that some fish dart around quite quickly, making it very hard for you to keep the reel bar on the fish, and the catch bar decreases while they are not in contact. When the catch bar is empty, the fish has gotten away and you will have to recast your line.

Bait

Whether you use bait is up to you. Its purpose is to increase the 'bite rate', the amount of time between casting the line and waiting for a fish to bite. It may be an idea to use bait when you are after a particular fish that only comes out at certain times of day during particular weather conditions, just so you have a larger number of potential catches in the sometimes tiny window of opportunity.

Crab Pots

Crab Pots have to be baited, but if you pick the Trapper perk at Level 5 (Less resources required to make Crab Pots), when you reach level 10 you will be able to choose between never having to bait the Crab Pots, or never catching trash in them. Both are equally attractive perks, but if the money aspect is more important to you I'd pick never catching trash, as trash is essentially useless (even if you have a recycling machine you can get trash to recycle everywhere else). I have 9 Crab Pots, with the no bait perk I'd still have up to 9 pots to fill with trash, I just won't be wasting the bait to catch it. Whereas if I had the no trash perk, I'd still have to bait my pots, but I'd always catch something I could sell.

Fishing with Crab Pots still increases your fishing skill, as does catching trash.

Tackle

Tackle and lures can make fishing much easier, though you should bear in mind that fishing gets easier the higher level you are. There are some tackles like the Cork Bobber which increases the length of your fishing bar, making it easier to catch fish that zip about in a smaller area. You can get one that stops your line from bouncing on the floor. You will learn crafting recipes for these, or you can buy them from Willy's shop.

Is there money to be made in fishing?

Almost certainly. There are many places to fish all around Stardew Valley, even in the sewer and mines. In those barren days at the start of the seasons when you're waiting for your crops to mature, you could spend your time at the riverbanks fishing for Shad, or take a wander down to the beach and fill your pockets with shells. Then head to Willy's shop on the water and sell him your fishy foragings to make some more room - rinse and repeat! At Fishing level 5 you pick the perk to increase the shipping value of fish by 25%, and at level 10 you can increase it with the Angler perk, for an additional 50%.

Farming Fanatic

Some people argue getting chickens is a waste of time because the eggs they produce are not worth very much money (50G), and they're costly - 800G layout on one chicken before you begin to even get close to breaking even on their egg shipping values. This is understandable, the coop is expensive when you're only shipping about 500G a day and requires lots of resources, and it is a necessity to even be able to buy the chicken. Before long though, you'll have access to crafting recipes for small machines and helpful items for your farm which will increase the shipping values of your produce. These are known as Artisan Goods.

• Bee Hive: Produces wild honey
• Tapper: Collects sap, syrup and tar from trees.
• Mayonnaise Maker: Eggs go in, mayo comes out.
• Cheese Press: Milk goes in, cheese comes out.
• Preserves Jar: Creates fruit jelly, or pickles from vegetables.
• Keg: Makes wine from fruit, juice from vegetables, and other beverages.
• Loom: Turns wool into cloth.
• Oil Maker: Turns truffles into truffle oil, and sunflower seeds or corn into oil.
• Cask: Ages cheese and matures wine, ale, beer and mead, increasing their quality

If you get the Carpenter to build a shed on your farm, you can fill it with all your Artisan Goods Makers. You can even put some of them into the animal barns. If you keep the Mayonnaise Maker in the chicken coop, you will be able to grab the new Mayo, collect the eggs and set the Maker to go again all in one visit. Time management can be essential.

Note: When processing large items, for example large eggs or large milk, the resulting product will not be 'large', but the quality will be gold star, which has a higher shipping value again.

Are these Makers really worth it?

If you keep produce back instead of shipping it immediately, and have enough Preserve Jars, Mayonnaise Makers and Cheese Presses, as well as having Tappers on as many different types of trees, you will begin to make thousands of Gold per day. With the Artisan Farming Perk at Level 10, your processed goods will also be worth 40% more which is often the difference of at least 100G. If you've got a shed of Makers, you're pretty set to start raking in the cash. Not only this, but you don't have to pay anything towards crafting one. Once you're able to make one, you should think about making as many as you think you're going to sustainably keep going. If you grow lots of crops, you might want to split the haul between the Preserve Jars and the Kegs, and they can take a couple of in-game days before they're ready for shipping - so having more Preserve Jars and Kegs means you can process more of your crops at one time. While they're processing, you can plant more.

Build them. Lots of them.

Know of any other ways to make stacks of cash? Let us know in the comments!

See on the Xbox Store

While testing Halo Wars Definitive Edition on my Surface Book, I noticed that it wasn't using the powerful discrete NVIDIA GPU, defaulting instead to the integrated graphics.

I'm not entirely sure why this was happening, but it's likely a bug that will be fixed in the future. Since then, however, I've noticed that other UWP games sometimes default to the integrated Intel GPU, both on my Surface Book and other laptops. Thankfully, there's an easy way to fix it.

Here's how to force your Surface Book to use your NVIDIA GPU, and check whether your games are using it as appropriate.

1. Type Nvidia into the Start Menu to find the Nvidia Control Panel.
2. Click Manage 3D Settings is selected in the left column.

3. Select the Program Settings tab on the right side.

4. Find the game you want in the drop down list, or click Add if you can't find it.

   Note: Often UWP games don't find their way into the list by default, and need to be added.

5. Click Add Selected Program to include it in the menu.

6. With your target game selected in the first drop down menu, now select High-performance NVIDIA processor in the bottom drop down menu.

   Note: The program might lock up briefly while it does the switch over, be patient!

Win32 games seem to have no issues when it comes to defaulting to the correct graphics processor, but sometimes games from the Windows 10 Store seem to get a bit confused. This is the best workaround for now until Microsoft issues a more comprehensive fix.

Where can I try out IMAX VR?

IMAX, the larger-than-life movie experience, has joined ranks with virtual reality to create a futuristic union of enormous fun. Here's what you need to know and where you can try out IMAX VR for yourself.

Read more at VR Heads!

We take a look at some of the problems that can arise when building your next PC. Don't be that person who breaks something because the utmost care was not taken.

Make sure it will work

One of the bonuses of building your own PC is the excitement of taking delivery of all the parts required. That is until you work out that you've mistakenly ordered the wrong part or a specific component like RAM isn't compatible with the motherboard. Research should always be thoroughly carried out prior to filling up an online (or physical) cart and parting with hard-earned cash.

There are websites that can even do the hard work for you. While they're handy to utilize, we still recommend you double-check everything before ordering.

Make sure all your PC parts are compatible

Not enough cables

A PC requires a number of cables to hook every component up and ensure it all works flawlessly. Some cables like specific power (e.g. PCI) and data (e.g. SATA) are included with a Power Supply Unit and motherboard, but should you be adding numerous hard drives and possibly multiple GPUs in SLI/CrossFire configuration it won't hurt to order a few extra cables. Just in case.

Size matters

You've got everything installed in that awesome, compact chassis you found on sale. It's a mid-tower and is perfect for securing all your components within. The last task is to insert the GPU into the corresponding PCI slot. There's only one problem: it won't fit. Do your homework with the chosen case (or one you already own). Fetch a measuring tape and check that the larger components will fit inside.

For example, the GTX 1070 AMP! Extreme Edition by Zotac is a superb GPU, but it measures in at a whopping 325mm!

Discharge yourself

A preventative measure you should always employ is to discharge any static electricity your body may have conducted. This can be caused by rubbing against carpet, wearing wool clothing, etc. While incredibly rare, you could inadvertently cause damage to components by short circuiting them. Luckily, it's super easy to avoid this.

How to prevent frying your PC with static electricity

Airflow is important

Fans, fans, fans. You need them to help keep components adequately cooled. Before even powering up your newly assembled system, it's worth checking each fan to make sure you've positioned them correctly, they're facing the right direction, and they're plugged into the motherboard (or PSU if you have a lack of headers). The last thing you need is to have heat issues down the line, especially if overclocking is on the cards.

Is it worth going green? Here's what to consider!

With today's most popular VR headsets still in their early days, methods for VR software distribution are still undergoing change. Although both HTC and Oculus have their own storefront with Viveport and the Oculus Store, third-parties are also jumping in to fulfill the needs of VR users.

Green Man Gaming is one of the latest virtual reality software vendors, offering some significant price cuts on today's latest VR titles. But why should you be buying from a third-party vendor? Here's what you need to know!

Read more at VR Heads!

How do I disable Flash in Internet Explorer and Edge for Windows 10?

Flash is dying a slow death on the internet due to security issues, increasing incompatibility, bugs, and the improving capabilities of open web standards. Microsoft Edge is taking the initiative in the upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update by automatically blocking Flash content. According to Microsoft, "sites that support HTML 5 will default to a clean HTML5 experience."

For sites that rely on Flash alone, you'll instead see a prompt pop up that asks you whether or not you want Flash content to run. Until the Creators Update is officially released, however, you still have to go into Edge's settings to manually enable and disable Flash.

• How to disable Flash in Edge for Windows 10
• How to disable Flash in Internet Explorer for Windows 10

How to disable Flash in Edge for Windows 10

You probably won't even notice Flash is disabled, as most major sites have migrated to HTML5, but if you find you can't load your favorite destination, you can always go back into settings and turn it back on.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.
2. Click the More button in the top-right corner of the window. It looks like •••

3. Click Settings.

4. Click View advanced settings. You might have to scroll down a bit to find it.

5. Click the switch beneath Use Adobe Flash Player so that it turns Off.

How to disable Flash in Internet Explorer for Windows 10

If you still like to use Internet Explorer on your Windows 10 PC, you can also disable Flash within. Here's how to do it.

1. Launch Internet Explorer from your Start menu, taskbar, or desktop.

2. Click the Tools button — it looks like a gear and is located in the top-right corner of the window.

3. Click Manage add-ons.

4. Click Shockwave Flash Object.

5. Click Disable.

6. Click Close.

What's your stance on Flash?

Do you disable Flash, or do you keep it enabled? Let us know in the comments section!

Windows 10 by default compresses JPEG images you set as desktop wallpapers, but you can use this guide to show images in their full, glorious quality.

If you like to set a picture or another type of JPEG image as your desktop wallpaper on Windows 10, you've probably noticed that the quality of the image in the background isn't the same as the original. This is because, by default, the operating system automatically compresses the JPEG file before setting it as your desktop wallpaper.

Basically, when you set a new JPEG file as your desktop wallpaper, the operating system imports a reduced quality copy of the image into a TranscodedWallpaper file located in the %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Themes folder. Then instead of using the JPEG, Windows 10 simply loads the image from the TranscodedWallpaper file. Through this quality reduction process, Windows 10 can save a bit of storage, reduce memory usage, and improves the overall system performance when displaying the wallpaper on the screen.

If you happen to have a computer with good performing hardware, it's possible to disable automatic image compression to view JPEG image files in full quality as they appear on your desktop. Especially if you've got a high-quality 4K display that'll bring out all the detail in your original wallpaper.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to disable JPEG image compression for desktop wallpapers on your device using the Registry.

How to disable JPEG image compression for desktop wallpapers

Important: As always, this is a friendly reminder warning you know that editing the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your computer before proceeding.

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type regedit, and click OK to open the registry.

3. Browse the following path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

4. On the right side, right-click, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

5. Name the DWORD JPEGImportQuality and press Enter.
6. Double-click the newly created DWORD, and user Base, select the Decimal option.

7. Change the DWORD value from 0 to 100.

   It's important to note that default compression setting on Windows 10 is 85 percent, and if you set the DWORD to 100 will completely disable automatic JPEG image file compression. If you simply want to increase the quality of the image without completely disabling the feature, simply pick another percentage number. For example, 95 instead of 100.

8. Click OK.
9. Close the Registry.
10. Restart your computer to complete the task.

Once your computer restarts, you should now see a desktop background image without compression.

If you want revert the changes, simply right-click the DWORD JPEGImportQuality on HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop, select Delete, and click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Keep in mind that automatic compression only occurs for JPEG image files, if you're using PNG images, you don't need to change the settings because Windows 10 doesn't compress PNG files when you set them as desktop wallpapers.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Use these tips to make your next trip easier to plan using the Windows 10 Maps app and Windows Ink.

The Maps app is an essential tool built in Windows 10 to search, explore, and find locations nearby and around the world. And with the addition of Windows Ink, planning trips or explaining directions to other people becomes even easier tasks.

Thanks to Windows Ink on Maps, you can now easily draw in the app, get directions, measure distances, and writes notes using the pen on Windows 10.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to use Windows Ink to get the most out of the Maps app using your touch-enabled device.

• How to draw and annotate using the pen on a map
• How to measure distance using the pen on a map
• How to get directions using the pen on a map
• Windows Ink's ruler, Touch Writing, & Eraser

How to use Windows Ink on the Maps app

When you open Maps, alongside your traditional map tools, you'll now see a new pen icon in the top-right corner to access the Ballpoint pen, Measure Distance, Directions, and Touch writing.

How to draw and annotate using the pen on a map

The Ballpoint pen is the option you can use to sketch or annotate anything on a map. Using this feature, the ink will attach to the map, but you won't be able to measure distance or get directions.

To draw and leaving notes on a map, do the following:

1. Open Maps.
2. Click the Windows Ink toolbar icon.

3. Click the Ballpoint pen button, and select your color and pen size.

4. Using the pen start drawing or annotating anyway you want on the map.

You'll find this feature useful when adding a note for something you don't want to forget, such as the name of a person or a particular place, or you want to highlight an important area on the map.

How to measure distance using the pen on a map

If you're looking to use your pen and Windows Ink to figure out the distance between two points on a map, then you'll need to use the Measure Distance tool.

To get the exact distance between two locations, do the following:

1. Open Maps.
2. Click the Windows Ink toolbar icon.
3. Click the Measure Distance button, and select your color and pen size.

4. Start drawing a line between point A and point B, and let Maps tell you the exact distance between the two points.

This feature can particularly come in handy when planning a trip, and you can visually identify your destination on the map, but you don't have an address. For example, let's say you're about to go hiking on a mountain, but of course, in such a terrain you won't find any addresses. However, now you can use this new feature to measure the distance you'll be hiking until you get to your destination.

How to get directions using the pen on a map

Using the Directions tool, you can quickly draw the path you want to take to get to your destination, and the Maps app will give you accurate step-by-step directions to your destination using the selected path.

To get directions using the pen on Maps, do the following:

1. Open Maps.
2. Click the Windows Ink toolbar icon.
3. Click the Directions button.

4. Using your pen draw the path from your location to the destination, and then look the ink on the map transform into actual directions.

This is a tool that can give you directions more quickly, as you don't have to spend time typing your starting and destination addresses. In addition, Directions is particularly useful to get alternative directions if you need to avoid a particular route on the default directions.

Windows Ink's ruler, Touch Writing, & Eraser

You'll notice that Maps also includes the Windows Ink's ruler in the toolbar, which you can drag around with one finger or rotate using with two fingers to draw straight lines onto a map when leaving notes, measuring distances, or getting directions.

If you have a touch-enabled device, but you don't have a stylus like the Surface Pen, you can use your finger as a pen. The only thing you need to do is to click the Touch Writing button in the Windows Ink toolbar, and then use your finger to draw like a pen on the screen.

Then there is also the Eraser tool that you can use to delete the strokes you draw with the pen. However, if you want to delete directions on a map while in the Windows Ink experience, you must close the current tab with the directions, as you can't use the Eraser with this tool.

Wrapping things up

While most users are still used to use Maps with the keyboard and mouse on Windows 10, the addition of Windows Ink can make the experience a little simpler and help you to plan a trip more quickly using a pen.

It's worth pointing out that at the time of this writing, Windows Ink on Maps isn't supported using the Aerial view. The new inking capabilities are only supported for the Road view in Maps.

Have you tried Windows Ink on Maps? What do you think about this experience on Windows 10? Tell us in the comments below.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers on Windows 10, you can visit the following resources:

• Windows 10 on Windows Central – All you need to know
• Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks
• Windows 10 forums on Windows Central

Did you know you can overclock your PC monitor? No? Well, you can! Here's how — and why.

Overclocking your monitor is essentially for the same purpose as overclocking your processor; to get a little more performance. It involves increasing the refresh rate beyond the stock rating, meaning it can draw more frames on the screen per second.

For most people most of the time it's not exactly an essential thing to do, but that doesn't mean it's not a neat trick or that you shouldn't do it. Here's what you need to know.

What is refresh rate?

By definition, just this:

The number of times per second that an image displayed on a screen needs to be regenerated to prevent flicker when viewed by the human eye.

So simply put, a 60Hz monitor will refresh the image 60 times every second, 75Hz will do it 75 times a second and 144Hz will refresh 144 times per second. Generally speaking, especially in computing and PC gaming, higher is better. The human eye and brain see at around 24fps, but we're capable perceiving far greater refresh rates than that.

Can any monitor do it?

Potentially. Whether you can increase the refresh rate or not depends on your specific panel. Even in identical monitors, the display panels within them are not all created equal. You may read stories of significant increases for some on your particular monitor, but your own might not be so lucky.

For example, I use a BenQ RL2455HM and there are many successful reports of folks overclocking from 60Hz to 75Hz. My own monitor can only go up to 70Hz.

Update: As pointed out in the comments, take every step to check your panel specs first. Not only are not all panels created equal but some manufacturers may have applied a factory overclock already. In this instance, the risks are much higher if you attempt to push the limits even further.

It's very much one of those your mileage may vary situations.

How to overclock your monitor

It's actually a very straight forward process. You can either use a third-party tool called CRU, or attempt to use software from AMD, NVIDIA or Intel. All are free, so we'll look at each.

CRU - Custom Resolution Utility

This one is one of the older methods, and may not be compatible with all GPUs or integrated Intel graphics. It does, however, seem to work very well with AMD graphics. You can download it here and once installed it's a straight forward process to change up your refresh rate.

1. Open CRU
2. You'll see two boxes, one for detailed resolutions and standard resolutions.
3. Under detailed resolutions click add.

4. Click on timing and change it to LCD standard.

5. Change refresh rate to something above the standard value, a good start is an increment of 5Hz.
6. Click OK.
7. Reboot your PC.

Next you'll need to change the refresh rate in Windows 10, steps which apply to any other method of overclocking.

1. Right click on the desktop and select display settings.
2. Click on advanced display settings.
3. Scroll down and select display adapter properties.
4. On the monitor tab select the desired refresh rate from the drop down box.

If it's worked, the monitor won't go black, basically. If you went too high the screen won't display anything and will revert to old settings after 15 seconds.

Using AMD Radeon settings

If you're using an AMD GPU you can achieve similar results using the AMD Radeon Settings application. Right click its icon in your taskbar and follow these steps.

1. Right-click on the desktop and select AMD Radeon settings.
2. Click on the display tab.
3. Next to custom resolutions, click create.
4. Change the refresh rate to your desired level.
5. Click save.

Reboot and use the steps above next to change to your custom refresh rate.

Using NVIDIA control panel

The steps for NVIDIA users are mostly similar as for AMD, with the main difference being NVIDIA's controls look a bit more utilitarian!

1. Right-click on the desktop and select NVIDIA control panel.
2. Expand the display menu.
3. Click change resolution and then create custom resolution.

With the NVIDIA control panel you can test your created settings before applying. Once you're happy, reboot and hit the steps above to implement.

Using Intel graphics

Intel's own graphics control panel will also let you create custom resolutions and refresh rates fairly easily.

1. Open Intel HD graphics control panel.
2. Select display.
3. On the left click on custom resolutions.
4. Enter your width, height and desired refresh rate. 5 Click add.

If your display can't go any higher, you'll be prompted and will have to either quit or try again. If you get a successful lock-in, reboot and hit the steps above to make sure you've got the new one selected.

How to verify your overclock

This is a bad photo on purpose.

To test and make sure that your new refresh rate is working as it's supposed to, there's a great online test that you can run. Visit http://www.testufo.com/#test=frameskipping in your browser and follow the steps on screen. It will recognize the refresh rate you've got selected for your monitor at that time.

What you basically do is take a photo of the moving graphic with a lower shutter speed and if everything is working as it should you'll get a (poor quality) photo like the one above. If the shaded boxes are in a line and unbroken, then you've been successful. If the boxes are separated, then you're getting skipped frames.

Not bullet proof and at your own risk

Just like overclocking a processor, all of this is done at your own risk. You should be able to experiment without blowing up your PC monitor, but there are never any guarantees . So be careful with your gear. Also bear in mind that the connection to your monitor from the PC could have an effect, as does the resolution. You might be able to overclock at 720p, for example, but not at 1080p.

And as already mentioned none of this is an exact science and your mileage may vary. It's hard to say we'd recommend this as an essential thing to try, but if you like to tinker there's nothing stopping you.

If you're an old hand at doing this, be sure to drop any tips or tricks into the comments below!

Not everyone is a fan of Beam's new look website. But you can make it go away.

In particular, folks accessing Beam on a phone (like all of us who use Windows 10 Mobile) will have noticed that the updated site isn't quite ready for mobile primetime. It'll get fixed, we're sure, but that doesn't do anything in the meantime.

There's also the possibility you just don't like it. Whatever your beef, the good news is that, for now at least, you can make it go away and go back to the ways of old.

Here's how.

Note: As the mobile site seems to be mostly unusable for many, it's best to apply this change on your PC.

1. Log in to your Beam channel
2. Click on your avatar in the top right hand corner.
3. Next, click on account.
4. Under choose site version in the lower right, turn the toggle switch to on.
5. Click save.

Now, reload the Beam homepage and all will have reverted back to the old look site. This one should still work OK in Microsoft Edge on mobile, so at least for now it'll bring you back into the game.

And while you're there, be sure to drop by the Windows Central channel and give us a follow!

How do I move my data from an old computer to a new computer?

Moving to a new Windows 10 PC is an exciting time — shiny new hardware and a snappy system are sitting there waiting to be used. The problem is that your familiar files are sitting on the old PC, and you don't want to start over entirely anew. To ease your transition between PCs, here are four ways you can transfer your data.

• Use OneDrive to transfer your data
• Use an external hard drive to transfer your data
• Use a transfer cable to transfer your data
• Use PC Mover to transfer your data

Use OneDrive to transfer your data

One of the easiest ways to back up and transfer your data is to use the cloud storage service OneDrive. If you have a Microsoft account, you automatically get 5GB of storage for free.

This isn't a lot of space for a backup, especially if your old PC has been around for a long time, but there are affordable options with much more storage. 50GB of space will cost you about $2 per month, while 1TB of space will cost you about $7 per month and will also get you a subscription to Office 365.

Transferring your files and folders between PCs is easy as long as you have an internet connection, and you can enjoy knowing that your data is protected from hard drive failure. The only downside here is that your applications and settings won't make the trip over to your new PC.

See at Microsoft Store

Use an external hard drive to transfer your data

Using an external hard drive to transfer your data from an old PC to a new PC also gives you a backup of your data in case things go wrong. This mostly manual process might take a bit longer, but if you already have an external drive laying around, you can transfer your files without spending more money.

All you have to do is plug your hard drive into your old PC, move your files and folders from your old PC onto the drive, then plug it into your new PC and reverse the transfer process. Note that using an external hard drive does not let you transfer your Windows settings or applications — this is a method for moving your files and folders only.

If you're interested in using an external drive to back up and transfer your data, check out our roundup of the best external hard drives available now.

Use a transfer cable to transfer your data

If you don't want to subscribe to cloud storage services or spend the money on an external hard drive, there is a relatively cheap option that lets you transfer your data between Windows XP all the way up to Windows 10.

This Windows transfer cable from Plugable is about $30 and uses two USB 3.0 male connectors to plug into each PC. Once the PCs are connected, the included software will move you through the process of transferring your files, settings, user accounts, and folders. If both PCs don't have USB 3.0 ports, there is also a USB 2.0 option available.

If you're looking to move entire applications, however, you'll have to go with something like PC Mover Professional. Also, note that using a transfer cable does not create a backup of your files when they are transferred.

See at Amazon

Use PC Mover to transfer your data

Back in the days of Windows 7 and Windows 8, Microsoft had a service called Easy Transfer that allowed users to move their files and settings between PCs using either a physical USB transfer cable, a set of DVDs, an external hard drive, or a network.

Unfortunately, Easy Transfer was scrapped in Windows 10, but you've not been abandoned completely — Microsoft's partnered up with Laplink PC Mover to duplicate that functionality, except now it's no longer free.

PC Mover Express

Microsoft offers users a half-price deal on PC Mover Express — it will cost you about $15 for a single-move license. The Express version lets you select folders, user profiles, files, and settings you want transferred over to your new PC. All you have to do then is connect the two PCs to the internet and let everything transfer. PC Mover will do its best to make your new PC seem like your old PC, but, depending on how old of an OS you're moving from, you will likely see some changes. In the case of anything going wrong, there is 24/7 assistance to get you through the problem.

This version of PC Mover does not allow for full application transfer between PCs. It is compatible with Windows operating systems between and including Windows XP and Windows 10. Keep in mind that PC Mover does not create a backup of your files when they are transferred.

See at Microsoft

PC Mover Professional

PC Mover Professional will cost you more — about $50 for a single-move license —but if you want to also transfer your applications, you'll want to go with this option. It works essentially the same as PC Mover Express, except you can choose which applications to transfer as well as your folders, user profiles, files, and settings. It also has 24/7 assistance in case anything goes wrong.

This works on Windows operating systems between and including Windows XP and Windows 10. Keep in mind that PC Mover does not create a backup of your files when they are transferred.

See at Amazon

What do you use?

Did you recently move from an old PC to a new PC? Which method, if any, did you use to transfer your data? Let us know in the comments section!

Final Fantasy XV has a unique and fluid Battle system with a lot of moving parts. Due to that it's easy to mostly ignore the Armiger feature, and everything it can do for you. That would be a serious mistake though, especially since Armiger attacks and chain attacks fill in the place of having limit breaks within Final Fantasy XV. That's why we've put together this handy guide for how to use Armiger abilities.

What is the Armiger Arsenal?

The Armiger Arsenal is made up of the Royal Arms found throughout the world, and their use is a special ability of Noctis. He's able to attack viciously, cycling through the various different Royal Arms you have acquired during your journey. While Armiger skills are active, Noctis will have greatly increased power and attack speed.

Once it has been fully filled you can lauch the Armiger Arsenal

To employ the Armiger Arsenal you'll first need to charge it up adequately. This is done by attacking, using warp strikes, and generally engaging in battle. A circular gauge that surrounds the arms display on the bottom left of the screen will show you as the Armiger gauge fills. Once it has been fully filled, you can launch the Armiger Arsenal by pressing LB and RB.

Once you've triggered Armiger mode, the gauge will deplete until it empties. This generally takes about 10 seconds, although if Noctis drops into danger you will drop out of Armiger mode entirely, thankfully retaining what remains on your Armiger gauge.

Use the Armiger Arsenal effectively

Unlike most earlier Final Fantasy games, there are no limit breaks within Final Fantasy XV. Instead, you get access to the Armiger Arsenal, which allows you to cause absolutely deadly amounts of damage to your enemies in battle. In this way Armiger mode acts as a limit break system for Noctis, without giving you access to anything explosive the way that earlier games did.

Armiger mode is an absolute boon in combat.

That being said, Armiger mode is a an absolute boon in combat. It uses the Royal Arms that you have acquired from Tombs of Kings to access much nastier attacks. Chaining together these attacks is an easy way to wipe the floor with enemies that are far stronger than you, or to deal serious damage during a boss battle.

The more weapons you recover from Tombs, the nastier your attacks will become. That's because the Royal Arms will appear around Noctis in battle, and he will switch between them as he fights. While within Armiger mode, all attacks have an automatic 1.5 times multiplier. Noctis will actually automatically dodge some projectiles in this mode, as well as automatically choosing the best Royal Arm for each attack.

Where to find the Royal Arms

Royal Arms are all hidden within the Tombs of the Kings, which means to add them to your Arsenal, you'll need to find them. The first weapon, Swords of the Wanderer are found automatically as part of the story. Several of the Royal Arms are found during the main quest, and are fairly easy to add to your Armiger Arsenal.

However, several of the arms will require you to hunt down hidden Tombs to find them. In one case, the Royal Arm has been stolen from it's original resting place and will require you to slog your way through an extremely difficult dungeon in order to reclaim it.

Here's where you can find each Royal Arm out in the world of Eos.

• Sword of the Wise: Found during quest "Legacy". You'll automatically receive this sword during the quest.
• Axe of the Conqueror: Found during quest "The Power of Kings". At the end of Keycatrich Trench you'll find the Tomb of the Conqueror where the Axe is stored.
• Bow of the Clever: Found within the Royal Tomb at the Balouve Mines. Be forewarned you'll need to defeat a Level 52 Aramusha to get to the Bow.
• Swords of the Wanderer: Found during quest "Sword in the Waterfall". There is a dungeon hidden behind a waterfall. Once you clear the dungeon you'll find the Tomb of the Wanderer.
• Blade of the Mystic: Found during quest "The Archaen". You'll find this sword hidden in the Tombs of the Mystic, which is where you are when fighting the Titan.
• Star of the Rogue: Found within Royal Tomb at The Myrlwood. Myrlwood is located near Vesperpool, and inside it you'll find the Tomb of the Rogue.
• Sword of the Tall: Found within Royal Tomb at Castlemark Tower. This one is a bit tricky. You'll need to go after the 'Gods and Kings' quest to the Tomb of the Tall in Falgrove. However it is empty, and has been sacked. From there head to Castlemark Tower, where you'll need to complete the dungeon and defeat a Level 58 Jabberwock to get the sword.
• Shield of the Just: Found with Royal Tomb at Tomb of the Just. You can find this tomb at Thommel's Glade, to the west of the disc.
• Mace of the Fierce: Found within Royal Tomb at The Rock of Ravatogh. You'll need to climb all the way to the top of the Rock of Ravatogh, located at the southwestern corner of the map.
• Scepter of the Pious: Found within Royal Tomb at the Malmalam Thicket. The Tomb of the Pious is where you'll find the scepter, but come prepared. It's guarded by a nasty dungeon and a Level 38 Bandersnatch.
• Trident of the Oracle: Found during quest "Breath of the Glacian". You'll get the Trident by completing the train portion of the main story, after you defeat the Level 34 Deathclaw.
• Katana of the Warrior: Found during quest "The Hand of the King". This is another weapon that you'll get by completing the main story and defeating the Level 38 Marlboro in the mine.
• Sword of the Father: Found during quest "Zegnautus Keep". This Armiger is picked up automatically near the end of the game.

Filling the Armiger gauge

While it is easy enough to fill the Armiger gauge without really thinking about it, there are ways to ensure that you fill it as quickly and effectively as possible. This is particularly helpful if you're dealing with a long drawn out fight. Waiting to use your Armiger Arsenal until you're in a nasty fight is a fine strategy, but if you know how to fill it quickly you can wreak havoc on your foes without nearly killing your party in the process.

Attacking, using warp strikes, counter attacks and shield blinks will all net you a small increase to your Armiger gauge. Of these, warp strikes are the least helpful. Phasing through enemy attacks is where you'll really fill up the Armiger gauge — each time you phase you'll add roughly 5%.

Phasing through enemy attacks is where you'll really fill up the Armiger gauge.

If done quickly and effectively, especially against Empire rifle shots, you can easily use the Armiger gauge more than once in a single battle. You'll need to keep an eye on Noctis, though, to make sure he doesn't eat through all of his MP while phasing through enemy attacks. Each phase costs MP, though the cost can be lowered by picking up the Light Phase and Ultralight Phase skills from within the Ascension tree.

Your friends can get in on the action too

By using the skills in the Armiger Ascension tree, your friends can share in the Armiger Arsenal action too. You'll need to unlock Armiger Chain as well as acquire the Blade of the Mystic before it is available. Once you've done these two things Armiger mode becomes much more powerful and much, much nastier for your foes.

Using Armiger Chain immediately makes Armiger mode far deadlier, since everyone in the party is doing more damage than usual.

That's because Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis will all equip one of the original 4 Royal Arms that you have found. Noctis uses the Blade of the Mystic, Gladiolus picks up the Axe of the Conqueror, Prompto attacks with the Sword of the Wise, and Ignis will wreak havoc with the Swords of the Wanderer. The Armiger Chain actually requires you to hit RB and LB a second time in order to trigger it, and if there are obstacles preventing it's implementation the option will be greyed out on your screen.

Using the Armiger Chain ability immediately makes Armiger mode far deadlier since everyone in the party is doing more damage than usual. If you go the extra mile and pick up the associated abilities from within the Ascension tree, you can ensure that the damage keeps going after the Armiger gauge has depleted. This is because there is an ability which will give you unlimited access to MP for 60 seconds after Armiger Mode. Considering how you're constantly reminded to keep an eye on MP, this can be absolutely devastating to your foes.

Armiger Arsenal recieves it's own Ascension tree

Armiger in #FFXV makes me feel like I'm Goku or something. pic.twitter.com/5ewh69Z4TT

— Jez Corden XV (@JezCorden) December 7, 2016

In Final Fantasy XV the Ascension tree controls all of the skills that Noctis and his friends can gain access through by using AP. In Chapter 3, when you receive the first Royal Arm, a new tree specifically for Armiger skills will open up inside of the Ascension menu. There are 9 nodes within the Armiger Ascension tree that will open up new skills for Armiger attacks, as well as increasing the time and damage of Armiger mode.

We've put together a list of each Armiger ability within the Ascension tree as well as what each one does so that you can get the most out of spending your AP.

• Armiger: The first ability in the tree, this allows you to go into Armiger mode when the gauge is full.
• Armiger Harvester: Located to the right off of Armiger, this node will boost Armiger gauge gains from attacks by 30%.
• Iron Armiger: Located to the left off of Armiger, this node will reduce the Armiger gauge depletion by 30%.
• Armiger Action: Located above Iron Armiger, this node will let you gain 1 AP each time you go into Armiger Mode.
• Armiger Chain: Located below Armiger, this node allows your friends to use Royal Arms and chain attacks with Noctis within Armiger mode.
• Armiger Warchain: Located below Armiger Chain, this node boosts Armiger Chain damage by 50%.
• Armiger Chain Reaction: Located below Armiger Warchain to the left, this node awards 1 AP each time you unleash Armiger Chain.
• Armiger Sagechain: Located directly below Armiger Warchain, this node boosts experience from Armiger Chain kills by 100%.
• Armiger Freechain: Located below Armiger Warchain to the right, this node awards unlimited MP for 60 seconds after executing an Armiger Chain.

Using Royal Arms outside of Armiger mode

While it isn't technically part of Armiger mode, it's worth noting that Noctis can equip the Royal Arms outside of Armiger mode. Each one has it's own benefits and drawbacks, and can cause serious damage to a foe who is soaking up damage. However, anytime you use a Royal Arm outside of the Armiger mode, it will sap at your Max HP.

So long as you keep an eye on Noctis's HP, you should be fine to use these weapons. Handy especially against bosses, or higher level enemies, all Royal Arms get a bonus in combat. If Noctis's HP does start to drop low then you'll want to use elixirs to regain his max HP, and probably move to more common weapons that won't drain him in combat.

Conclusion

Armiger mode quickly becomes a regular part of the battle system after you unlock it and see it in action the first time. Between the increased damage, new skills, and vicious attacks it enables, Armiger Mode is Final Fantasy XV's solution to the lack of a limit break system in the game. Using it effectively can make sure that Noctis and his team are ready to deal with any enemy that crosses their path.

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Save space by mounting your Rift sensors with your Vive Lighthouses!

HTC included some great mounting brackets for their Lighthouses; you can easily attach them to pretty much any surface you don't mind putting holes in, and they allow for swiveling and rotating. If you happen to own both VR headsets — Rift and Vive — and if you already have your Vive Lighthouses mounted in a perfect spot, you can easily attach the Rift's sensors.

This is perfect for room-scale Rift setups, but it also works for a single Rift sensor if you prefer to sit while you play.

Read more at VR Heads!