When it comes to computers and data, recycling leaves traces of information on storage drives that can be retrieved using special software. However, this scenario can be avoided by "shredding" data rather than simply emptying your recycle bin.

Here's what file shredding is, why it's important, and how you can do it.

• The importance of shredding
• Antivirus suites
• File shredders
• The choice is yours

The importance of shredding

Shredding physical documents is an important step toward securing your identity and other sensitive information, especially regarding financial and legal matters. The same practices should be carried out when it comes to computers and virtual data. Throwing away an important document with your personal information plastered in the header is similar to right-clicking on an important PDF file and moving it to the recycle bin. It's not a good idea.

The problem with deleting files this way is if someone else gains access to your PC, they will have the opportunity to retrieve the data through the use of specialist software. It's important for consumers to protect themselves from their data falling into the hands of others — passwords, contact information or even bank cards. Merely deleting files or formatting your hard drives and reinstalling Windows will not remove all references to old data.

To solve this problem, we recommend "wiping" your hard drives using software to write random data on connected storage and remove all references to the old data. The same goes for shredding files, but instead we're restricting the random write to the file location in question and not the entire drive, which is ideal if you simply wish to delete a few files and not reinstall your entire OS.

Whether you plan to sell your desktop or laptop, or you simply wish to better bolster your own protection, it's really easy to shred important files.

Antivirus suites

It's highly likely your chosen antivirus suite will have a feature to shred files securely. Depending on the software at hand, the way you go about launching this tool differs between available brands. The best part about using your antivirus package is there's no need to download and install more software to shred files. It's worth noting that some companies may require you to pay for an optional download.

The following antivirus solutions feature file shredding functionality in some form:

• Avast.
• AVG.
• McAfee.
• Norton.

If your antivirus suite doesn't have this option, or you'd like to try a dedicated piece of software to handle file shredding, we've got you covered with some great alternatives.

File shredders

These programs are either specifically designed to shred files or have some sort of related functionality built in.

• BitKiller
• CCleaner
• Eraser
• Moo0 File Shredder

BitKiller

BitKiller is an open-source suite that can not only handle the destruction of files and folders but can easily take on an entire storage drive. It's also portable, for use on removable storage, which means it can be run from a USB stick without the need to install anything on the target PC. It's incredibly straightforward and simple to use, too, especially with version two.

There's also the option to use Gutmann algorithm, for a total of 35 passes and additional security. It's secure but time-consuming, so be sure to go and fetch a hot (or cold) beverage while it carries out the file deletion. Much like Moo0 File Shredder (more coming up on that tool), BitKiller lets you drag and drop files into the app. It's absolutely up there as one of the easiest shredders to use.

Download BitKiller

CCleaner

CCleaner is one of the best tools for checking what files are taking up valuable space on your PC. The suite also handles file deletion with random overwriting, so if you already have it installed you don't need to install another tool to carry out shredding. CCleaner need to be configured to handle the secure deletion of files, but once that's set up you'll be good to go.

To access the file shredder in CCleaner, you'll need to go to Options> Include to add any folders or files you wish to have CCleaner securely delete on its next system scan and delete pass. The easiest way to manage this feature (if you want to shred files on a regular basis) is to set up a folder where you can dump files you wish to permanently delete. Then you can simply add this folder to CCleaner and it'll delete everything within the folder.

Here's a quick look at how to add individual files, and folders are added in a similar fashion:

1. Hit "Add".
2. Choose "Browse" under "File". (For folders, simply choose the top option.)
3. Select the file for CCleaner to shred. (You can't do multiple selection here.)

4. Hit OK.

5. Choose "Cleaner" in the side menu.
6. Hit "Run Cleaner."

Having a dedicated shredder folder will allow CCleaner to clear out and shred files contained within on each cleaner run. That makes it real easy to delete files normally through Windows and shred important or sensitive information using the suite.

Download CCleaner

Eraser

Eraser is incredibly easy to use. In fact, you control pretty much everything through Windows Explorer context menus. Need to shred a file quickly? Simply right-click on it, choose Eraser and then the use erase option. If you'd like to go slightly more advanced, firing up the software can allow for scheduling tasks, much like CCleaner but without any user interaction. You just add a folder or two, and the software handles the rest.

The default erase method is Gutmann, which overwires files 35 times. While secure, this means the process can take a little time to complete.

Download Eraser

Moo0 File Shredder

Another great leightweight file shredding tool is from Moo0. It's small, highly secure and it gets the job done without issue. A great feature of Moo0's shredder is the ability for you to drag and drop files into the software to have it carry out the process. Forget having to set up automated tasks and specific folders for shredding.

The suite can be configured to remain on top of all programs, to make accessing it more convenient, and there are four rather humorous options for shredding: Vaporize, Into Ashes, Extra Carefully and Shred Once. The first is the most thorough option based on the Gutmann algorithm, and Shred Once is a light but fast attempt to overwrite the file.

Download Moo0 File Shredder

The choice is yours

What software you use to shred files is entirely up to you. A good way to see how well your choice works is to run a file recovery program, such as Recuva, and then have it search for a test folder you used to shred some files. If it can detect and recover your deleted files, you'll know to either use a more secure setting or opt for an alternative shredder suite.

It can be dangerous to mess with Windows 10's Registry. In this guide, we detail the steps to restrict users from accessing and editing the Registry database.

On Windows 10, the Registry is a critical database that stores low-level settings that are essential for the OS and many applications. Although you can use it to change numerous settings on your computer (such as stopping Windows auto updates and blocking users from changing the desktop wallpaper), it's never wise to edit this database unless you know exactly what you're doing, because a tiny mistake can result in many problems.

While most tech-savvy users are aware of the risks of using the Registry, it might not be so obvious for non-technical users. For example, you could be sharing your device with other users. If they're looking to change certain settings, the instructions they'll find could involve editing the Registry, which may result in errors and other issues on your PC.

If you don't want others to change settings on your Windows 10 device, it's possible to prevent users from opening and editing the Registry in at least two different ways.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to block users from opening and editing the Registry using Group Policy and (ironically) the Registry itself.

• How to prevent users from accessing the Registry using Group Policy
• How to prevent users from accessing the Registry using Registry

How to prevent users from accessing the Registry using Group Policy

The easiest way to block users from opening and editing the Registry on Windows 10 is by using the Local Group Policy editor. However, you can only use this option if you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education.

To prevent users from launching and editing the Registry using Group Policy, do the following:

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy editor.

3. Browse the following path:

   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System

4. On the right side, double-click the Prevent access to registry editing tools policy.
5. Select the Enabled option.

6. Under "Options," select Yes from the drop-down menu if you don't want users to use the Registry while still being able to edit settings silently using the regedit /s switch. Or select No to prevent running the editor at all.

7. Click Apply.
8. Click OK.

Using the Local Group Policy editor, you only need to enable the option on one account to apply the changes to all users. Once you complete the steps, anyone who signs in to the computer won't be able to use the Registry editor.

When you no longer need this option, you can follow the same steps, but on step No. 5, select the Not Configured option. These changed settings via the Local Group Policy editor should take effect immediately, and you shouldn't need to restart your computer.

How to prevent users from accessing the Registry using Registry

If you're running Windows 10 Home, you won't have access to the Local Group Policy editor, but you can still prevent users from using the editor by modifying the Registry.

Important: While it might be redundant, it should be noted that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. We recommend making a full backup of your computer before proceeding.

Unlike using Group Policy, which blocks the Registry for all users on all accounts at once, if you're using the Registry, you'll need to perform this task on every account in which you don't want users to use the editor.

Disable Registry

To prevent users from accessing the editor using the Registry, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for regedit, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator. If you're dealing with a standard account, you must enter the credential for your administrator account to continue. Otherwise, you won't be able to make the changes unless you change the account type temporarily to Administrator.

3. Browse the following path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

4. Right-click the Policies (folder) key, select New and click on Key.

5. Name the key System and press Enter.

6. Right-click on the right side of "System," select New and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

7. Name the key DisableRegistryTools and press Enter.

8. Double-click the newly created DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1.

   DisableRegistryTools value options:

   • 0 - Registry editor works normally.
   • 1 - Registry editor won't open, but it can be started in silent mode using the /s switch while using commands.
   • 2 - Registry editor cannot be started normally or silently.

9. Click OK.

If you don't have access to Group Policy, it's not recommended to use the value of 2, because it'll be extremely difficult to revert the changes.

After completing the steps, you won't be able to open and modify the Registry in the account to which you applied the restriction.

Repeat the steps described above on every account in which you don't want users to mess with the Registry.

While this option is intended for those who can't access Group Policy, you can also use this option if you want to block the editor for other users while allowing yourself continued access to the Registry.

Enable Registry

If you need to revert the changes, you'll need to use alternative steps because, for obvious reasons, you won't be able to open the Registry.

1. Open Notepad.

2. Copy and paste the following code into the text file:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System] "DisableRegistryTools"=dword:00000000

3. Click the File menu and select Save as.
4. Save the file in a location that's easy to find with a descriptive name and using the .reg extension (for example, enableRegsitry.reg).
5. Open Start.
6. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result and select Run as administrator.

7. Type the following command to navigate to the path of the .reg file you created and press Enter:

   cd C:\Users\Admin

   • In the command, change C:\Users\Admin for your path to the .reg file.

8. Type the following command to enable the Registry and press Enter:

   regedit.exe /s enableRegistry.reg

9. Close Command Prompt.

These steps will change the DisableRegistryTools DWORD from 1 back to 0. If you didn't get any errors, you should now be able to regain access to the Registry immediately.

Wrapping things up

While you can use these instructions to prevent users from accessing the Registry if you're the tech support person for family and friends, you should also consider applying these changes to their computers to minimize the help they'll need if they mess with the Registry.

Finally, this guide is focused on Windows 10, but you can use the same steps on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

If Windows Update isn't working, it could be caused by a problem with the SoftwareDistribution folder, and here we'll show you how to fix it.

On Windows 10, the "SoftwareDistribution" folder is an essential component for Windows Update, which temporarily stores files needed to install new updates to keep your device secure and with the latest fixes and improvements.

This folder is maintained by the WUAgent (Windows Update Agent), and typically, it should be left alone, but there will be times when you may need to clear its content manually in the case the Datastore and Download folders aren't synchronized, and it's preventing Windows Update from applying new updates to your PC.

Usually, if you're having trouble with Windows Update, or after updates have been applied, it's safe to empty the content of the SoftwareDistribution folder. Windows 10 will always re-download all the necessary files, or re-create the folder and re-download all the components, if removed.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to delete the content inside the SoftwareDistribution folder. As an alternative option, we'll also show you the steps to rename the folder, in case you only want to test if the folder's content is the one causing problems.

• How to clear the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder
• How to rename the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder

How to clear the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder

To delete the content inside the SoftwareDistribution folder, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.

3. Type the following command to stop the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

   net stop wuauserv

4. Type the following command to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

   net stop bits

5. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.

6. Open File Explorer and browse the following path:

   C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution

7. Select all its content and click the Delete button to clear the content.

   Quick Tip: In the case, you're having trouble deleting all the files, simply restart your computer, and try again.

8. On Command Prompt, type the following command to start the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

   net start wuauserv

9. Type the following command to start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

   net start bits

Once you completed the steps, Windows 10 will reconfigure the folder and re-download all the necessary components.

How to rename the 'SoftwareDistribution' folder

If you don't want to delete the content inside of the folder, you can alternatively, rename the folder to troubleshoot Windows Update problems.

To rename the SoftwareDistribution folder, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.

3. Type the following command to stop the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

   net stop wuauserv

4. Type the following command to stop the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

   net stop bits

5. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.

6. Type the following command to rename the folder and press Enter:

   rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak

   Quick Tip: If the command isn't letting you rename the folder, try steps No. 3 and 4 one more time, and then try to rename the folder.

7. Type the following command to start the Windows Update Service and press Enter:

   net start wuauserv

8. Type the following command to start the Background Intelligent Transfer Service and press Enter:

   net start bits

After you've completed the steps, Windows 10 will re-create the folder and re-download all the necessary components.

The only caveat with this process is that the SoftwareDistribution folder also includes the Windows Update history information, which means that emptying up the folder will result in loss of this data. In addition, you'll notice that Windows Update will take longer than usual to detect and update your computer because the WUAgent must check and re-create the Datastore information. However, it's a small price to pay to get your device to update again.

While sometimes the folder may grow, it's only recommended to use these instructions only when necessary. You shouldn't mess with the SoftwareDistribution folder to free up storage space on your computer.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

When you're shopping for a PC monitor, what exactly does response time mean and how does it affect your buying decision?

PC buying and building is full of jargon and that doesn't stop when it comes to choosing a monitor. There are some key data points to consider when choosing the display you're going to be looking at while you work and play, and it's important to understand them before you drop your money.

One such piece of potentially confusing information is response time. Here, we'll help you cut through the jargon and try and make the right decision for your setup.

What is response time?

This definition provided by a member of the Overclock forums describes it perfectly:

Response time is how quickly the display can have a LCD pixel to change from fully active (white) to fully inactive (black), then back to fully active again. A lower response time typically means less ghosting of the image and better picture quality.

This differs from refresh rate, which is how many times per second the panel can redraw the image. With refresh rate you want a higher number, response time you want to go lower. It's measured in milliseconds, so a 5ms response time means that a monitor can go from white to black to white in 1/200th of a second.

What you need to know about monitor refresh rates

So just get the lowest, then?

Yes and no. Like refresh rate, response time will vary depending on manufacturer and what type of monitor you're getting.

Gamers will traditionally want the lowest possible response time, and 1ms monitors are commonplace, particularly in eSports. What you don't want when you're gaming is image ghosting interfering with your experience. You want the sharpest picture you can get.

There are some great, inexpensive gaming monitors out there with a 1ms response time, like the BenQ RL2455. It costs under $200, has a 1ms response time and a 60Hz refresh rate and is a solid all-rounder for PC and console gaming.

If you're looking at higher resolution panels, right now you're not going to be finding much in the way of 1ms displays, but 5ms is still a great middle ground that shouldn't give off much ghosting.

Does lower always mean better?

Unfortunately, response time is still at the whim of the manufacturers actually producing the monitors. In theory, the lower response times should always be better and reduce image ghosting. But the type of panel used and its quality will still be a factor.

A bad monitor will still be a bad monitor, sadly.

But combine a lower response time with a higher refresh rate and you should be onto a winner.

How do I delete print jobs stuck in the queue?

Printers can be very finicky devices, especially when it comes to the print queue. Have you ever set a few items to print only to check the queue and see that a failed or stuck print job is holding up the entire process? Not only that, you can't delete or cancel the stuck print job from the queue, which is seriously frustrating.

To get the queue unglued and your documents printing again, here's how to cancel a stuck print job in Windows 10 when conventional methods won't work.

Before you begin

When you can't remove a print job from the printing queue window by right-clicking the stuck job and clicking Cancel, you can try restarting your PC. This will sometimes remove offending items from the queue. If conventional methods and restarting your PC doesn't clear the stuck job, move on to the next steps.

How to remove a stuck print job from the print queue

To begin, you need to stop the Print Spooler service.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Click Run.

3. Type services.msc and hit Enter on your keyboard.

4. Right-click Print Spooler— you might have to scroll down to find it.

5. Click Stop.

   Leave the Services window open. Now that the Print Spooler service is stopped, you can navigate to the Printers directory and delete the files within. This will effectively remove the stuck print job, but it will also remove any other print jobs you have pending in the queue.

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

7. Click the address bar in the File Explorer window.

8. Type C:\Windows\System32\Spool\Printers and hit Enter on your keyboard.

9. Click and drag to highlight the files.

10. Right-click the selected files.

11. Click Delete.

    You can now return to the Services window and complete the process by restarting the Print Spooler service.

12. Right-click the Print Spooler service.

13. Click Start.

More resources

Be sure to check out our collection of Windows 10 help articles, and have a look at our roundups of the best cheap printers, best all-in-one printers, and best photo printers.

More Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks

See the best cheap printers

See the best photo printers

See the best all-in-one printers

Did you know that you can intentionally force a Blue Screen of Death on Windows 10? Now you do.

A "stop error," commonly known as the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD), is a nasty error that appears after a serious system crash. It's almost always a terrible thing to come across. However, there are rare times when you may need to force a blue screen error to test your system or an application's resiliency (or if you want to play a prank to a friend).

Whatever the reason, Microsoft actually has a documented process to modify the Registry to use a keyboard shortcut sequence to force a Blue Screen of Death on your Windows 10 computer using a PS/2 or USB keyboard with a Scroll Lock key.

If you landed on this guide, but you're hoping to fix a BoSD error, check our guide to troubleshoot the Blue Screen of Death on Windows 10.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to force a BoSD error on your PC.

How to force a Blue Screen of Death error

Warning: This is a friendly reminder to let you know that editing the Registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. We recommend making a full backup of your PC and saving all of your work 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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\kbdhid\Parameters

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

5. Name the new DWORD CrashOnCtrlScroll and press Enter.

6. Double-click the newly created DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1.

7. Click OK to confirm the new value.

8. Browse the following path:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters

9. Right-click on the right side, select New, and then click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

10. Name the new DWORD CrashOnCtrlScroll and press Enter.

11. Double-click the newly created DWORD and change its value from 0 to 1.

12. Click OK to confirm the new value.
13. Restart your computer to apply the new settings.

Once you complete these steps, you can use your keyboard to intentionally crash your computer by holding down the (right) Ctrl key, and pressing the Scroll Lock twice.

Windows 10 will then trigger a KeBugCheck and generate a 0xE2 error displaying a BSoD with a "MANUALLY_INITIATED_CRASH" message. This will also create and save a crash dump to your computer that can be used for debugging purposes.

If you no longer need to force a Blue Screen of Death, you can use the same steps mentioned above to revert the changes, but on step No. 3 and step No. 8, right-click and delete the CrashOnCtrlScroll DWORD.

Although we're focusing this guide on Windows 10, the same steps will work in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

You can stop Windows 10 from automatically restarting after updates, and in this guide, we'll show you how to do it.

Windows 10 is an advanced OS that includes an extensive list of great features, but its tendency to reboot automatically to apply new updates is not one of them.

Although updates are necessary to ensure your device are in line with the latest improvements and security patches, if you don't restart soon enough, Windows 10 will eventually reboot automatically to finish applying updates. It simply isn't a good user experience.

In an attempt to mitigate this issue, in the Anniversary Update, Windows 10 introduced Active Hours to prevent installing updates while you're actively working on your computer. However, this won't stop Windows 10 from restarting during off hours, which can be a problem if you typically leave your computer in the middle of a task for an extended period.

Fortunately, there is a workaround that can be traced to Winaero, which allows you to take full control and prevent Windows 10 to reboot on its own everytime a new update installs.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to prevent Windows 10 from rebooting after downloading and installing an update.

How to stop your PC from automatically restarting after installing updates

Important: Before proceeding note that this is a workaround not supported by Microsoft, and it can stop working at any time. You should use it at your own risk.

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Task Scheduler and click the result to open the tool.

3. Right-click the Reboot task and select Disable.

Once you completed the steps, your device will no longer restart after downloading and installing new updates. However, new updates won't apply, and future updates won't install until you manually reboot your computer.

Additional steps (if needed)

In the case, Windows 10 automatically re-enables the Reboot task; you can stop this behavior by doing the following:

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.

2. Type the following path and click OK:

   %windir%\System32\Tasks\Microsoft\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator

3. Select the Reboot file without an extension, right-click it, and select Rename.

4. Rename the Reboot file to Reboot.old.

5. Right-click inside the folder, select New, and click on Folder.

After you've completed the steps, Windows 10 will no longer be able to re-create the task to reboot your computer automatically.

If you want to revert the changes, go back to the UpdateOrchestrator folder and delete the Reboot folder and rename the Reboot.old file back to Reboot.

Then follow the Task Scheduler steps mentioned above but on Step 3 select Enable.

Note: We're not saying that you should skip installing updates, as they're important to keep your device secure and up to date. However, there are scenarios where you make want to take full control and decide exactly when to restart your computer to apply new updates, and this is when knowing how to stop automatic reboots comes in handy.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

Multiple monitors are cool - but could they be hurting your VR experience?

If you own a desktop gaming rig, it's becoming increasingly common to hook up extra monitors. Opening up supplementary on-screen real estate, this can hugely improve productivity and multitasking across multiple windows. However, with additional power being fed into other monitors, do they influence the performance of your virtual reality headset?

Read more at VRHeads

How do I use a guitar with Rock Band VR?

Rock Band VR is ready to put you in the limelight, but before you begin you need to connect your guitar with your Oculus Touch controller. Not exactly sure where to start? Here's everything you need to know so that you can start rocking the minute the curtain lifts.

Read more at VR Heads!

If your Outlook inbox looks like a stack of digital dynamite recently exploded inside of it, you can use Outlook Categories to organize and sort important messages. Here's how to use and master Outlook Categories.

Outlook Categories let you assign colors to certain messages, so they stand out in your inbox, and so you can quickly group and view all the messages assigned to a category. If for example, you're a tech blogger, you could create a "Potential Story Ideas" category and then tag relevant press releases, pitches or messages from possible sources in that category for easy access in the future.

To use Outlook categories effectively, you must first create a new category or customize an existing one, then assign a category to a message or messages, and finally, you can sort your inbox by Categories to view all tagged messages.

• How to create a new Outlook Category
• How to rename an existing Outlook Category
• How to add color Categories to Outlook messages using 'Quick Click'
• How to add color Categories to Outlook messages
• How to sort your Outlook inbox by Categories

How to create a new Outlook Category

1. On your Outlook Home tab, navigate to the Tags section (it's the fifth section from the right) and click Categorize.

2. In the pop-up box, scroll down to the bottom of the list and click All Categories.

3. A box labeled Color Categories appears, and you should click the box for New along the right side.

4. In the Add New Category box, add a custom name for your Category by typing the text in the Name field.
5. Choose a custom color from the Color drop-down menu.
6. Add a shortcut key for your Category using the Shortcut Key drop down, if you want to use one. Leave that menu with the default value of (None) if you don't want to use a shortcut.
   • You can use Outlook category keyboard shortcuts to quickly add color categories to messages in your inbox.
7. Click OK to close the Add New Category box.
8. Click OK again on the Color Categories box to save your new category.

If you'd rather customize the existing default Categories in Outlook, or change the name of a Category, use the following process.

How to rename an existing Outlook Category

1. On your Outlook Home tab, navigate to the Tags section (it's the fifth section from the right) and click Categorize.

2. In the pop-up box, scroll down to the bottom of the list and click All Categories.
3. In the Color Categories box, click on the Category you want to rename to highlight it.

4. Click the box for Rename.

5. Start typing your new name, and it will appear next to the Category you want to edit.

6. Click OK to save the name of your new Category.

After you've created and customized your Outlook category list the way you want it, you can begin adding color Categories to messages, in a few different ways. (Note: You can add more than one Category to a single message, and all categories you apply attach to future contributions to the email chain — replies and forwards, for example.)

How to add color Categories to Outlook messages using 'Quick Click'

If you use one category more often than any other, you may want to add it to your "Quick Click" function, which sets that color as your default Category.

1. On your Outlook Home tab, navigate to the Tags section (it's the fifth section from the right) and click Categorize.

2. Within the Categories drop-down menu, scroll all the way to the bottom of the list and click Set Quick Click

3. In the Set Quick Click box, open the drop-down menu and choose the category you want to set as your default Quick Click Category.

4. Click OK to save your Quick Click selection.
   • If you ever want to change your Quick Click color, just repeat these four steps.

5. To quickly add your Quick Click color to messages in your inbox, navigate to your inbox, locate the Category section or column, and click the empty box next to the message you want to categorize with Quick Click. The default color will appear in that box, and the message will be categorized appropriately.

   • You can also right-click on the small box in the Category column to access the full Categorize menu and modify categories of your Quick Click default.
   • And if you want to remove a Quick Click category, just again click the box in the Category column for the message you want to de-categorize to remove the color label.

It's also easy to add color categories that aren't set as your Quick Click default to messages in your Outlook inbox.

How to add color Categories to Outlook messages

1. Navigate to your Outlook inbox, and click on the message you want to categorize.
2. With the message highlighted, right click to show a new drop-down menu.
3. From that menu, scroll down to Categories.
4. In the new menu that appears to the side of the first menu, navigate to the color category you want to add and click to select it.
5. That message will now be categorized and tagged with the color label of your choice.
   • If you set a custom shortcut key for any of your Categories, you can easily add a Category by selecting the message you want to label in your inbox and then hitting the appropriate key combo. (Note: Some keyboards may require you to lock the Fn key to trigger Outlook Category shortcuts.)

After you've categorized your messages, you can quickly sort your inbox to view correspondence by category using the following process.

How to sort your Outlook inbox by Categories

1. When you're ready to sort messages by Category, simply click the Categories column or section in the horizontal bar that appears above your Outlook messages.

2. With the Categories section open, you can close and expand certain category lists using the small triangle in the upper-right corner of the Category header.

Additional Outlook and Microsoft Office resources

For more Outlook tips, tricks and how-tos, read:

• How to recall a sent email message in Outlook
• How to master Outlook's out-of-office automatic replies
• Never miss an important message again with color-coded Outlook mail

You may also want to check out our main Office 101 page:

• Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

It's possible to change the Windows Store region settings to enable you to keep shopping in one Store region when you travel or if you move to another country. Here's how.

On Windows 10, Microsoft wants you to use the Windows Store to get apps, games and media. While you can download free apps and other goods from the Store regardless of your location, paid products and services work differently.

When using the Windows Store to purchase apps, games, and other goods, you must specify a payment method, along with banking details that include your country name, which you can't change. In order to make purchases, the country name set in the Store has to match the one associated with your credit card or other payment method, or you won't be able to complete a purchase.

Although you can't change this information in the Windows Store app, it's possible to change your system's region settings to select the correct location to continue shopping.

If you don't make purchases at the Store, it's still a good idea to change your location to enable Windows 10 to show local relevant content on apps and so you ca see localized products in the Store.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to change the Windows Store region to purchase apps, games, and other goods when you're traveling or if you move to another country.

How to change the Windows Store region

To change your region settings on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Start.
2. Click on Time & language.
3. Click on Region & language.

4. Under Country or region, select the country you want to use from the drop-down menu.

Once you complete these steps, you'll see a message that the Windows Store needs to refresh to change the region or language, and then you'll be able to keep shopping at the Store based on your old location.

You can complete this process without changing your computer's language. However, you'll notice that the content inside the Windows Store will translate to the official language of the region you selected.

At any time, you can revert the changes by following these same steps and restoring your old location.

It should be noted that some products you purchased using the Windows Store in one region may not work in another. For example, Microsoft services such as Groove Music Pass and Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, and other specific content, may not work in all locations.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

How do I keep data stored in the cloud secure?

In light of another recent round of celebrity hacks, many people are coming to the realization that their cloud storage isn't exactly as secure as they thought. While all the blame in the world can be placed on the hackers responsible, this sort of thing will almost certainly happen again, and placing blame won't protect your data if it is targeted. No matter what cloud storage service you use, there are a few things you can do to ensure sensitive data remains as secure as possible.

• Dealing with passwords
• Setting up two-factor authentication
• Encrypting your data in the cloud
• Avoiding phishing and scams

Dealing with passwords

When it comes to passwords, there are some general rules to follow that will make it harder for hackers to guess or brute-force their way past the gates you set up.

Ditch old, weak passwords

The old TV trope of guessing a user's password by simply typing "password" didn't come about for no reason. Plenty of people used to (and likely still do) use a variation of this weak password.

Setting your password to something as easy to remember as "password" or something close — like your birthday, hometown or address — means any interested hackers will have an easy time getting in.

A strong password is a long password that includes letters, numbers, and symbols arranged in no particular pattern. These passwords are virtually impossible to guess, and using brute force takes longer for longer passwords. These can be difficult to remember, but that's where password managers come in.

Use different passwords for different services

Creating a great password for your cloud storage account will keep your data safer in the long run, but not if you use that same password for other services. Say you create an account on a random shopping website so that you can receive newsletters about sales, and you use the same great password you used for, say, OneDrive.

Now it's revealed that the shopping website didn't really protect its users' information, and an interested hacker has a new collection of passwords. Because your password isn't different between services, that one weak website has potentially compromised a collection of services you use every day.

Use a password manager to keep track of your passwords

One of the main reasons people use short, common passwords is because they're easy to remember. Now that you have a different strong password for each service, they're not exactly easy to keep track of. Enter password managers. These services will keep track of all your passwords, will auto-fill password fields, and will even generate quality passwords so you don't have to. There are plenty of password managers out there, but check out our choice for the best:

See the best password manager for Windows 10

Play it smart when using security questions

Plenty of services will ask you to provide a security question or two when you sign up. These security questions can be used in the event of a forgotten password, but they can also be used as a way for other people to get into your account. Why? Most security questions involve something about your school, your hometown, or your mother's maiden name. In plenty of cases, especially if you're at all in the public light, the answers to these questions can be researched and found.

If you have the option, forego adding security questions. If the service you're signing up for requires you to add a security question or two, don't use answers that can be researched. Instead, create a long, strong password as an answer to the security question. Store the "answers" in your password manager and access them if the need arises.

Setting up two-factor authentication

On top of creating a strong password as an access point to your data, setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) should be done wherever possible. Once 2FA is set up, you'll receive a unique code that must also be entered. Many services will text a code to your phone, while others take advantage of dedicated apps that deal with distributing your 2FA codes. This extra step will take more time to log in, but it is invaluable.

Wondering how to use this extra protection? Have a look at our guide to which services that support 2FA:

How to easily check if your favorite service has two-factor authentication

How to set up two-factor authentication for your Outlook and Microsoft accounts

And here's a look at one of our favorite 2FA gadgets.

YubiKey

YubiKey is a neat little tool that gives you 2FA to carry around in your pocket. It's essentially a USB stick you can put on your keyring, or around your neck, that is compatible with Windows Hello and a number of other services, including Dropbox and several password managers.

In order to, say, get into your password manager's vault of saved passwords (an incredibly potent vault), you have to enter the master password plus insert the YubiKey into a USB slot on your PC. Any would-be hackers would need to actually get the physical YubiKey from you, providing that crucial secondary authentication method.

See at Amazon | YubiKey 4 (USB)

See at Amazon | YubiKey 4 Nano (USB)

See at Amazon | YubiKey NEO (USB and NFC)

Encrypting your data in the cloud

When you upload photos and data to the cloud, you expect some privacy and security, which, in most cases, comes in the form of encryption. And not only transit encryption, but resting encryption for your files that are already saved in the cloud. Many services already provide this level of security — some require you to go with business accounts — but there is still a problem. In most of these cases, the cloud service itself holds the key to the encryption, meaning if they are compromised, your data will potentially be served up on a platter.

Instead of trusting the cloud service to safeguard the key to your data, you can take matters into your own hand by encrypting especially sensitive files before they even leave your PC. There are plenty of these encryption services available, including Boxcryptor and Rclone, but make sure to pick one that is compatible with your cloud service of choice.

Remember, you don't have to personally encrypt everything that goes into the cloud, but you'll be glad if you did in the event of a hack.

Avoiding phishing and scams

Now that you've created a strong password and have set up 2FA, you must remain vigilant when it comes to phishing. Phishing tactics usually involve an enticing or official-looking email sent your way that requires you to click a link and enter your password on the website the link opens.

These nefarious sites will closely resemble official sites, but they are designed to nab your username and password — no matter how strong — with your help. If you ever receive an email asking you to sign in through a link, ignore it.

Instead, navigate your way to the website in question by typing it into your browser. This ensures you're accessing the real website, and any problems mentioned in the suspect email (if they exist) should also be evident when you log in.

The number one rule to avoid phishing is to be wary at all times when navigating the internet. If something seems off or a little too good to be true, it probably is.

The bottom line

Although nothing is ever 100 percent safe online, following the methods explained above will help keep your data safer than before. If you're sending private documents to other people, don't forget to ensure they're also following these guidelines for keeping online data safe.

Half the fun of VR experiences is letting others watch while you play. You might also have an insane surround sound system that you want to test out with a 3D video or game. In these cases, you'll have to split the experience's audio between VR and some external speakers. Whether you're using a Rift or a Vive, here's how to mirror your VR audio.

Read more at VR Heads!

Earn every Achievement in Mass Effect: Andromeda while you colonize the game's galaxy.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is finally here, allowing you to explore a new galaxy and colonize it along the way. With so much to do, there are tons of Achievements to snag that reward you for everything from landing on new planets to increasing the viability of all planets to 100 percent. With this much content, it can be hard to suss out precisely what you need to do in order to collect all of the Achievements. That's why we put together this list with every Achievement, as well as what you need to do to earn them all. With more than 50 different achievements to collect, there is a lot to browse through. Also, be sure you are prepared for spoilers, because many of these Achievements are collected by completing parts of the story!

Check out our full review of Mass Effect: Andromeda

• First contact: Land on an alien planet; Gamerscore 10.
• Data mining: Scan 100 different objects; Gamerscore 10.
• Terminator: Kill 2,000 enemies; Gamerscore 15.
• Fireworks: Perform 100 power combos; Gamerscore 15.
• Death from above: Kill 100 enemies while hovering; Gamerscore 15.
• Close combat specialist: Kill 100 enemies with melee attack ; Gamescore 15.
• With our powers combined: Detonate 10 targets that were primed by another character; Gamerscore 15.
• Pinpoint shot: Hit 250 enemy weak points while using a scope (single player); Gamerscore 15.
• Medic!: Perform 25 revivals on teammates; Gamerscore 15.
• Mastermind: Using constructs, kill 100 enemies; Gamerscore 10.
• Fastball: Hit an enemy with a thrown enemy 25 times; Gamerscore 10.
• Trapshooter: Hit 25 floating enemies with Concussive Shot, Lance or Incinerate; Gamerscore 10.
• Sucker punch: Hit 25 pulled enemies with a melee attack; Gamerscore 10.
• Icebreaker: Shatter a frozen enemy with a jump melee attack; Gamerscore 10.
• Rough landing: Detonate a trip mine with a thrown enemy; Gamerscore 10.
• Friendly fire: Direct your Remnant VI to attack each type of remnant enemy (Breacher, Destroyer, Assembler, Observer, Nullifier, and Architect); Gamerscore 10.
• Pyrotechnics expert: Light three enemies on fire with one continuous flamethrower attack; Gamerscore 10.
• Long-distance jump: Travel at least 30m in a single jump; Gamerscore 10.
• Matchmaker: Romance three different characters (across all playthroughs); Gamerscore 20.
• Vanguard Surprise: Hit an enemy with a Charge attack out of Tactical Cloak; Gamerscore 10.
• Hang time: Keep the Nomad airborne for 35 seconds; Gamerscore 10.
• Unwavering: Complete an "insanity" single-player game, or "Gold" multiplayer extractions from each firebase; Gamerscore 90.
• Veteran: Successfully complete a combined 25 strike team missions or APEX multiplayer mode extractions; Gamerscore 30.
• APEX: Complete the tutorial mission in multiplayer; Gamerscore 10.
• Explorer: Complete a combined five strike team missions or APEX multiplayer mode extractions; Gamerscore 10.
• Mission accomplished: Activate Meridian; Gamerscore 30.
• Activation: Activate the Remnant city; Gamerscore 20.
• Family connections: Reboot the Pathfinder; Gamerscore 20 .
• Liberation: Free the Salarian Ark; Gamerscore 20.
• Foothold: Establish an outpost; Gamerscore 15.
• Exaltation: Destroy the exaltation facility or save the angaran prisoners; Gamerscore 15.
• First steps: Neet the angara on Aya; Gamerscore 15.
• Alliance: Ally with an Outlaw faction; Gamerscore 15.
• Pathfinder: Become the new pathfinder; Gamerscore 15.
• Initiated: Gain access to the Tempest; Gamerscore 15 .
• World-shaper: Activate the first Remnant vault; Gamerscore 15.
• Buccaneer: Recover the Krogan colony ship; Gamerscore.
• Building bridges: Stop the Roekkar leader; Gamerscore 15.
• United: Unite the outposts against a common threat; Gamerscore 15.
• Helping hand: Lend a helping hand to Vetra's sister; Gamerscore.
• Signal tracking: Find the source of the strange signal Peebee discovered; Gamerscore 15.
• Role model: Rescue the Asari Ark; Gamerscore 15.
• Full roster: In single-player mode recruit all six squadmates; Gamerscore 15.
• Peak condition: Reach level 40 in single-player or 20 in multiplayer; Gamerscore 30.
• Kitted out: Kill a foe with a Rank Five weapon in a single-player game or equip a Rank 10 weapon in multiplayer; Gamerscore 30.
• High performance: Unlock Rank Six for each single-player profile type, or obtain a level Level Six multiplayer bonus stat; Gamerscore 30.
• Full power: Evolve one tech, combat, and biotic power to Rank 6; Gamerscore 20.
• Almost there: Reach Level 25 in single-player or level 15 in multiplayer; Gamerscore 20.
• Teamwork: Create six strike teams or earn 25 assist medals in multiplayer mode: Gamerscore 20.
• Top talent: Have a level 20 strike team; Gamerscore 20.
• Jack of all trades: Equip three different types of profiles; Gamerscore 10.
• All clear: Increase all planets to 100-percent viability (in a single playthrough); Gamerscore 90.
• Terraformer: Increase a planet to 100-percent viability; Gamerscore 15.
• Craftsmanship: Craft a gun with three augments: Gamerscore 10.
• Cryptographer: Complete 20 Remnant puzzles in a single playthrough; Gamerscore 10.

As you can see there are tons of ways to grab Achievements in this game. It's worth remembering that while a few require multiplayer action, many can be picked up just by completing story missions, or by finishing loyalty missions for your allies. Are you on a mission to collect every achievement in Mass Effect: Andromeda? Which one has proven the hardest to earn? Be sure to leave us a comment below.

See at the Xbox store

Clicker Heroes is a deceptively simple "idling" game that you play with clicking attacks. But reaching the late-game content and unlocking every "Achievement" takes careful planning and lots of strategy. This guide will help you get there as quickly and efficiently as possible.

See on the Xbox Store

Gameplay tips

Before we discuss specific Achievement strategies, let's examine how Clicker Heroes works and outline basic strategies for success. This guide applies to both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. The PC version is several updates ahead of the console games.

Play styles

Clicker Heroes is an idling game – a game that you interact with in short bursts and then check back up on after time has passed. There are several ways to play with varying levels of involvement:

• Idle: This play style requires the least attention from players, but it also offers the slowest progression. You'll set the controller down and let the game do all the work – once you have the appropriate heroes and Ancients. As long as you have either Libertas or Siyalatas in your Ancients roster, you'll enter idle mode by not clicking or activating a skill for 60 seconds.
• Active: At the opposite end of the spectrum, this style involves constantly clicking the attack button in order to deal maximum damage. Thus you'll progress through the game faster, reaching higher maximum levels earlier than other play styles would. This style relies on the Bhaal, Fragsworth and Juggernaut Ancients. A controller or accessory that provides Turbo or Autofire functions (such as a Brook Super Converter or Titan One) makes this style much easier to accomplish.
• Hybrid: The best of both worlds, this style involves idling through early levels and then switching to active clicking when progress begins to slow down in the later levels. It's slower than Active and requires the purchase of more Ancients, but most players without access to a turbo function will find it the most reasonable play style.

Best Ancients to buy

Ancients are equippable beings that provide important buffs and bonuses. The ability to purchase Ancients unlocks after you complete your first Ascension. Upgrades and new Ancients cost Hero Souls, which are earned by defeating Primal Bosses, performing Ascensions, and buying Quick Ascensions.

Each consecutive Ancient costs exponentially more Hero Souls to buy, so only buy Ancients that benefit your chosen play style. Some Ancients provide more useful benefits than others – those marked "Top Tier" and "High Tier" at the Clicker Heroes Wiki are the ones to buy first.

• Idle: Atman, Siyalatas, Libertas, Mammon, Dora, Mimzee, Solomon, and Fortuna
• Active: Atman, Fragsworth, Bhaal, Mammon, Dora, Mimzee, Solomon, and Fortuna
• Hybrid: Atman, Siyalatas, Libertas, Fragsworth, Bhaal, Mammon, Dora, Mimzee, Solomon, and Fortuna
• Mid-game: After you have every other Ancient you want, buy Morgulis and put Hero Souls not needed for Gilds or Ancient upgrades into him. Unused Hero Souls normally provide a 10-percent damage boost. Souls spent on Morgulis give an 11-percent boost.

General flow of the game

First Run

1. Progress through Zones 1 to 100.
2. Buy every new Hero when they become available.
3. Zone every new Hero to 10 after you get them and then purchase their first upgrade.
4. Upgrade every Hero to 25 and purchase their second upgrade. Repeat this process until you've bought all abilities (except for Amenhotep's Ascension upgrade).
5. Once Heroes reach level 200, they start to receive a 4X damage bonus every 25 levels. Only concentrate on leveling up the ideal Heroes past 200: Masked Samurai. Brittany, Ivan, Great Forest Seer, Treebeast, and Frostleaf. Everyone else should stay at the level that unlocked their final abilities, until you're ready to Ascend.
6. After reaching Zone 100, you'll start to occasionally encounter Primal Bosses who award Hero Souls upon defeat.
7. Upgrade all Heroes as much as possible before choosing to Ascend. Every 2,000 Hero Zones will award an additional Hero Soul upon Ascension. Check the Stats screen to see your current Total Hero Zones.
8. Ascend once your Ascension bonus (displayed below Hero count on the main window) reaches at least seven Hero Souls, somewhere between levels 120 to 160.

Subsequent Runs

1. Immediately after Ascension, buy and upgrade any Ancients you need.
2. Buy a Quick Ascension at the start of your run, when you can afford it.
3. When you can afford to do so at the beginning of a run, move Gilds off of unwanted characters (at a cost of two Hero Souls per Gild) or directly add Gilds to ideal Gild characters (at a cost of 80 Hero Souls per Gild, see Gilded Heroes section).
4. Try to retain an increasingly high number of Hero Souls for the 10-percent damage bonus they provide. Balance this reservoir of Souls with your Ancients and Gild spending.
5. After Zone 100, you'll earn one Relic per run. Try to avoid Ascending before finding a Relic, at least before you have a full arsenal of four useful Relics.
6. After Zone 100, you have a chance of encountering Primal Bosses every five levels. You want to fight as many of these as possible before Ascension, because they're your primary source of Hero Souls.
7. The gap between hiring Frostleaf and Dread Knight is vast. It will require several Ascensions before your team can push far enough to hire Dread Knight.
8. Only Ascend when progress starts to slow down significantly. Push farther each time, reaching higher and higher maximum levels between Ascensions.
9. Remember, upgrade all Heroes as much as possible before choosing to Ascend.

Which shop items should you buy?

The shop initially offers four items to purchase with Rubies, the game's hard currency. The number of items you can buy increases after your first Ascension.

You can sometimes earn Rubies for free by clicking on fish whenever they randomly appear. Each fish has a 44 percent chance of dropping a Ruby. Only one fish will appear at a time, so it's important to grab them when they show up. Non-idle builds should also try to activate the Metal Detector ability before clicking on a fish, because it will double the gold bonus.

You can also buy Rubies with real money. If you enjoy the game and wish to support the developer, we recommend buying at least $5 worth of Rubies so that you can get Double Damage as soon as possible.

Shop items

• Double Damage: This costs 50 Rubies and should be your very first purchase. It permanently doubles all damage.
• Quick Ascension: This is the only type of purchase you really should make after Double Damage, also at a cost of 50 Rubies. While other purchases offer benefits as well, nothing outweighs the Hero Souls boost you'll get from Quick Ascension. Using one instantly gives you a Hero-0Souls reward based on the maximum level you have reached. It does not reset your progress in the way that a regular Ascension does.
• Three Random Gilded Heroes: A three-pack of Gilds costs 30 Rubies. (See Gilded Heroes section below for tips.)
• Three Relics: After Ascending for the first time, a three-pack of Relics becomes available to buy for 40 Rubies. You might buy a pack early on, just to fill out your equipped Relics. But since you'll earn one Relic for every subsequent run and can only keep a total of four, it's far from necessary to buy them.
• Timelapse: For 20 Rubies, you get a small pile of gold and all of your ability timers refresh. The idea is that you could spend a little money to refresh your abilities on a boss, right after using them all on a previous boss. But it's not worth the cost.

Gilded Heroes

Each Gild a Hero received provides that Hero with a 50-percent damage boost. Thus, Golds become fairly important over time. However, it's also important to only apply Gilds to the right Heroes – the ones with the best upgrade-cost-to-damage ratio. In the early portion of the game (up until Zone 500 or so), those Heroes are Masked Samurai, Brittany, Ivan, Great Forest Seer, Treebeast, and Frostleaf.

You'll receive a random Gild at level 100 and every 10 levels thereafter. You could also opt to buy a few random ones with Rubies, but the cost in Hero Souls of reallocating those random Gilds to the proper Heroes makes this a less-than-ideal solution. If you want to buy some Gilds, try to do so early in your very first run, when Brittany or Masked Samurai is the highest Hero you've encountered. That way, you have a much greater chance of the random Gilds going to an ideal Hero.

Achievements

At launch, the console versions of Clicker Heroes have 103 in-game Achievements. Only 12 of those have associated Xbox Live Achievements or PlayStation Trophies. The remainder of this guide focuses on those 12 Achievements.

The adventure begins! (50)

Reach level 10

This Achievement is a "gimme" and will be the first one you unlock.

Each non-boss Zone of the game has the same completion requirement: defeat 10 enemies. Once that happens, you can stay or move on to the next level (by pressing Right Trigger on Xbox One). Every fifth and tenth Zone consists solely of a boss that must be defeated within 30 seconds. Upon reaching the second boss near the beginning of the game, you'll get the Achievement.

Coaching hero (50)

Get 50 hero upgrades

Upgrades are the boosts or abilities you can purchase when Heroes reach specific level milestones. All Heroes have upgrades available for purchase at levels 10, 25 and 50. The fourth upgrade can come at level 75 or 100. The most upgrades a single Hero offers is seven (Cid) and the least is four.

You should always level up every Hero until their final upgrade becomes available, and purchase every upgrade. The only exception is Amenhotep's Ascension upgrade, which you'll use at varying points after level 100 when you're specifically ready to Ascend.

To track upgrade progress, see Upgrades Purchased on the Stats page. You should naturally reach 50 upgrades before your first Ascension.

Legion killer (50)

Kill 10,000 monsters

Killing enemies is how you progress through each level, so this one will come naturally in time. To reach Zone 100, you'll have to kill a minimum of 800 enemies plus 20 bosses (but bosses don't count for this Achievement). In reality, you'll also have to stop and grind whenever a boss proves too tough for your team.

Just keep playing and you should get this during your first or second run. If you'd rather speed the process along, go back to the highest Zone on which your team can kill enemies in one hit. Stay on that Zone, either actively clicking or idling, and you'll reach 10,000 kills fairly quickly. Kills accumulate when offline, too.

You can track your progress by checking Monster Kills on the Stats page.

Clicker hero (50)

Attack 50,000 times

This is another Achievement that you should get early on, as long as you don't start with an Idle play style.

Simply press the attack button (X on Xbox One) to attack. Do this as rapidly as you can, and your clicks and attacks will accumulate over time. You can also use the Clickstorm ability (unlockable when Cid the Adventurer reaches level 25), which clicks 10 times per second for 30 seconds. Clickstorm stacks with manual clicks.

To track your current click count, look under Clicks on the Stats page. Click count persists through playthroughs, so Ascension won't reset it.

Remember, a controller or accessory that provides Turbo or Autofire functions (such as a Brook Super Converter or Titan One) makes accumulating clicks much easier. Such a peripheral is an extremely useful investment for Active players.

Boss exterminator (50)

Kill 1,000 bosses

Every fifth and tenth level is a boss Zone. Bosses must be defeated within 30 seconds. Initially, they're easy to kill, but you'll eventually encounter bosses that are too tough for your team during every run.

You'll naturally kill 1,000 bosses over the course of the game, but you can get this one a lot sooner with a little grinding. Just go back to the highest Zone in which your team can kill the boss in one hit. Stay on that level, either actively clicking or idling, and you'll reach 1,000 boss kills in no time.

To track your progress, check under Boss Kills on the Stats page.

World traveler (50)

Ascend for the first time

Ascension is an important part of progression in this game. Every time you do it, you'll start back at level one and lose a few elements of your progress: Gold, Heroes, Hero levels and upgrades, Zone progress, and any unequipped Relics. But you keep Rubies, Hero Souls, Ancients, Gilds, and Forge Cores.

Why Ascend? To collect the pending Hero Souls you've earned from defeating Primal Bosses and leveling up Heroes during the current run. Each Hero Soul provides a ten percent damage bonus, and can also be spent to distribute Gilds to Heroes or purchase and level up Ancients. You want to earn as many Hero Souls as possible, which involves frequently Ascending.

The best time to make your first Ascension is between Zones 140 and 160, when you have at least seven Hero Souls pending. If your team is capable of beating the next boss in a short period of time, always try to beat the boss and hope it's a Primal Boss. Primal Bosses randomly appear in place of regular bosses after level 100. Defeating them gets you hero Souls upon your next Ascension.

To Ascend, level the Hero Amenhotep up to 150 and then buy this Ascension upgrade. This will instantly perform he Ascension and send you back to Zone one, so only buy the upgrade when you're ready. Remember, you get one bonus Hero Soul for every 2,000 Hero levels upon Ascension. So upgrade all Heroes as much as possible before choosing to Ascend.

You can also buy Instant Ascensions for 50 Rubies. These count as an Ascension, but they don't reset your progress in the current run. You'll stay on the same Zone and keep everything you've collected so far. Because the number of Hero Souls you get from Instant Ascensions grows as you reach higher Zones, try to get as far as you can before spending Rubies on these. Maybe buy one Instant Ascension in the Zone 100s, and one in the 200s or 300s.

Relic hunter (50)

Find a relic

After Ascending for the first time, you can find one equippable Relic per run. These provide valuable bonuses like increasing Click damage, ability duration, and gold income. You can equip up to four Relics at one time.

Any additional unequipped Relics must be sacrificed for Forge Cores before Ascension. At launch, Forge Cores annoyingly serve no purpose, but a future update will add the ability to use Forge Cores to upgrade Relics.

You get Relics by defeating the Relic Ooze monster. This enemy appears once per run after Zone 99, and after you've Ascended for the first time. Upon defeating the Relic Ooze, you'll receive a Relic and no more Relic Oozes will spawn until after your next Ascension.

Relics come in varying levels and rarities. The quality of the Relic you get depends on the Zone in which you receive it. If you find a Relic in Zone 200, for instance, it will be a higher level than a Relic found in Zone 100.

Farmer boy (100)

Level up heroes 25,000 times

As you play the game, you'll naturally spend gold earned from killing monsters to level up your Heroes. To get this Achievement, you must level up your team of Heroes a total of 25,000 times during a single run. It will take several Ascensions before your team becomes powerful enough to reach the point at which you can realistically earn enough gold to level them so many times.

Just keep following the strategies laid out already, acquiring as many Hero Souls and leveling the appropriate Ancients as much as possible, and you'll get this eventually. I got it just before Zone 400.

Goldfinger (100)

Open 10,000 treasure chests

Treasure Chests are a special type of enemy that appear randomly in place of regular enemies. They drop 10 times as much gold as a regular enemy by default, and they start out with a one percent chance of appearing.

Luckily, the Ancient called Dora increases the chance of encountering Treasure Chests. At level one, we'll increase the chance of finding Treasure Chests from one percent to 1.2 percent. Each additional level you put into her boosts the chances by 0.2 percent. At level 50, the current maximum Ancient level on consoles, she'll add 10 percent to your chances, for a total of 11 percent chance of finding Treasure Chests.

Because Dora is so essential for this Achievement, you'll want to buy her as soon as possible. To summon an Ancient, you must first have Ascended once. At that point, go to the Ancients tab and select Summon an Ancient.

If Dora is not one of the four Ancients randomly available for purchase, you can either buy a different Ancient (see the Best Ancients section of this guide) or spend a few Hero Souls to randomly generate a new pool of four purchasable Ancients. Re-rolling for Ancients is a waste of Hero Souls, so consider just buying the best Ancients until she finally turns up. But if you can afford it, re-rolling a few times isn't the end of the world.

Once you have Dora, continue to level her up whenever possible. You'll naturally defeat 10,000 Treasure Chests eventually if you possess a high-level Dora. But you can also grind this one out by going back to the highest Zone on which your team can kill enemies in one hit. Stay on that Zone, either actively clicking or idling, and you'll encounter a lot more Treasure Chests than you normally would. If you choose to grind, I recommend waiting until Dora is level 50 or close to it.

To track your progress, check under Treasure Chests on the Stats page.

Epic hero (100)

Defeat all Centennial Bosses

Centennial bosses occur every 100 Zones. To get this one, you'll have to defeat the Zone 900 boss, Tako Returns. It will take dozens of Ascensions and weeks of playing before you can reach that point. Buying Quick Ascensions will definitely speed things along.

Just keep following the strategies laid out already, acquiring as many Hero Souls and leveling the appropriate Ancients as much as possible, and you'll get this eventually.

The boss (150)

Hire all heroes

Heroes are the primary way you'll deal damage to enemies. Each one costs gold to hire and level up. Once you accumulate enough gold to buy a new Hero, the next Hero will appear for purchase in your list as well.

At launch, there are a total of 35 Heroes in the console versions of Clicker Heroes. Ideal early-game Gild candidates appear in the list below in bold:

1. Cid, the Helpful Adventurer
2. Treebeast
3. Ivan, the Drunken Brawler
4. Brittany, Beach Princess
5. The Wandering Fisherman
6. Betty Clicker
7. The Masked Samurai
8. Leon
9. The Great Forest Seer
10. Alexa, Assassin
11. Natalia, Ice Apprentice
12. Mercedes, Duchess of Blades
13. Bobby, Bounty Hunter
14. Broyle Lindeoven, Fire Mage
15. Sir George II, King's Guard
16. King Midas
17. Referi Jerator, Ice Wizard
18. Abaddon
19. Ma Zhu
20. Amenhotep
21. Beastlord
22. Athena, Goddess of War
23. Aphrodite, Goddess of Love
24. Shinatobe, Wind Deity
25. Grant, the General
26. Frostleaf
27. Dread Knight
28. Atlas
29. Terra
30. Phthalo
31. Orntchya Gladeye, Didensy Banana
32. Lilin
33. Cadmia
34. Alabaster
35. Astraea

The gulf in costs between Frostleaf and Dread Knight is immense. The rest of the Heroes after that have similar gulfs. It will take dozens of Ascensions and weeks of playing before you can buy the final Hero. Buying Quick Ascensions will definitely speed things along.

Just keep following the strategies laid out here, acquiring as many Hero Souls and leveling the appropriate Ancients as much as possible, and you'll get this eventually.

Zone conqueror (200)

Reach level 3,600

This late-game Achievement involves reaching Zone 3,600. It will require scores, maybe hundreds of Ascensions, and months of playing before your team becomes strong enough to delve that deep. Buying Quick Ascensions will definitely speed things along.

As with other late-game Achievements, just keep following the strategies laid out here, acquiring as many Hero Souls and leveling the appropriate Ancients as much as possible, and you'll get this eventually.

Impending updates that the PC version has already received will change the balance of the game and add new mechanics, such as Relic upgrades and Transcendence. We'll update this guide whenever a major change comes along.

Become a Clicker Hero

Clicker Heroes is a deceptively simple game. Behind that basic mechanic of clicking the attack button repeatedly lies numerous complex systems. Success involves more than just clicking – it takes careful planning and plenty of patience.

If you're looking for a good game to idle and check up on, give this one a try. It's free to play and fairly monetized, so the only thing you have to lose is time ... lots and lots of time.

See on the Xbox Store

How do you open and view messages that are protected with Microsoft's Office 365 Message Encryption (OME), on your iPhone or iPad? Microsoft's got an app for that.

If you're an iPhone or iPad user, and you receive mail from Outlook users who protect their messages with Microsoft's Outlook encryption, you'll want to download the company's free OME Viewer app for iOS.

Microsoft's OME message security features can only be enabled by Office 365 admins, so OME is not a feature the average consumer can use on their own. (Learn more about OME on Microsoft's website.)

However, if your organization uses OME, or you regularly receive encrypted messages on your iOS device from colleagues, the app, which is not new, can come in very handy. And it works along with a number of popular iOS mail apps, including Outlook for iOS, Apple's native iOS Mail app, Yahoo Mail and Google's Gmail app.

How to use Microsoft's OME Viewer app for iOS

Here's how to use the OME Viewer iPhone app alongside Outlook for iOS. If you use another email app, the process is very similar.

When you receive a message that's encrypted using OME, it will contain a secure attachment with the message's body text. To open and view that attachment using OME Viewer, follow this process:

1. Install the OME Viewer app for iOS, which is available for free in Apple's App Store.
2. Open an encrypted message using the Outlook for iOS app.
3. Click the attachment, which should be named something like message.html, to open a related options screen.
4. On the iOS option screen that appears, tap the upward-facing arrow in the upper-right corner.

5. Choose the Open in ... option at the bottom left of your display.

6. Select the Copy to OME Viewer option from the available actions in the middle of your screen.
7. When the OME Viewer app opens, tap Use a one-time password.
8. Return to your inbox, and then look for the new message with your password. (If you don't see the message, check your junk mail or other message folders to see if it landed there.)
9. Open the message, and then tap the passcode to open the OME Viewer app and read the encrypted message.

Note: If any of these steps stall or hang up during the process, simply close both your Outlook for iOS app and the OME Viewer app, relaunch them and try the steps again.

Microsoft's OME Viewer for iPhone and iPad is available for free on the Apple App Store.

Check out our Office 101 help hub for more related articles:

• Microsoft Office 101: Help, how-tos and tutorials

When you want to prevent users from running extensions on Microsoft Edge, use this guide to disable the feature.

On Microsoft Edge, extensions are small applications you can plug into the browser to add new features or change and enhance existing functionality to improve the overall experience.

Windows 10 introduced support for extensions on Edge with the Anniversary Update, and you can now acquire them from the Windows Store. However, most extensions are designed by third-party developers, and if they're not coded correctly, they can affect your browsing experience and even impact battery life.

If extensions on Microsoft Ege is your least favorite feature, or if you're sharing your computer and you don't want other people adding new extensions, you can disable the feature on Microsoft Edge in at least two different ways.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to disable extensions on the Microsoft Edge web browser.

• How to disable extensions using Group Policy
• How to disable extensions using Registry

How to disable extensions using Group Policy

The easiest way to disable extensions on Microsoft Edge is using the Local Group Policy Editor, as long as you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education.

To prevent users from installing extensions on Edge using Group Policy, do the following:

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

3. Browse the following path:

   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Microsoft Edge

4. Double-click the Allow Extensions policy.

5. Select the Disabled option to turn off the feature.

6. Click Apply.
7. Click OK.

Once you complete the steps, users will no longer be able to use or install extensions on Microsoft Edge. Furthermore, while using the browser, the Extensions item in the settings menu will also be disabled.

If you want to revert the changes, simply follow the same steps mentioned above, but on step No. 5 select the Not Configured option.

How to disable extensions using Registry

If you're running Windows 10 Home, you won't have access to the Local Group Policy Editor, but you can still disable Microsoft Edge extensions by editing the Registry.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder to let 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 PC before proceeding.

To disable extensions on Edge using Registry, do the following:

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_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft

4. Right-click the Microsoft (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.

5. Name the new key MicrosoftEdge and press Enter.
6. Right-click the MicrosoftEdge (folder) key, select New, and click on Key.
7. Name the new key Extensions and press Enter.

8. Inside Extensions, right-click on the right side, select New, and click on DWORD (32-bit) Value.

9. Name the new DWORD ExtensionsEnabled and press Enter.

10. Double-click the newly created DWORD and make sure the value is set to 0.

11. Click OK.

After you have completed the steps, you won't be able to use or install extensions on Microsoft Edge, and the Extensions item in the settings menu will also be disabled in the web browser.

You can at any time revert the changes by following the same steps, but on step No. 10 change the DWORD ExtensionsEnabled value from 0 to 1.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

How do I back up my files on Windows 10?

File History is a handy tool that lets you back up files on your PC to any hard drive connected to it, whether that connection is external via USB or internal via a bus. You can also back up to a network location if one is available. Here's how to use File History to safeguard your important files.

• How to add a drive to use with File History
• How to back up files using File History
• How to change the frequency of backups
• How to switch the drives that use File History
• How to restore files from File History
• Best external drives and NAS solutions

How to add a drive to use with File History

Before starting these steps, you should ensure a secondary drive is connected to your PC or that a network is set up.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear and is located in the bottom-left corner of the Start menu.)

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click Add a drive.

6. Click the drive you'd like to use as a backup. You can also choose to back up to a network location if one is available.

You now have a drive or network location associated with File History, and it's time to choose which files you want to back up.

How to back up files using File History

File History will automatically back up files from folders it deems important, but you can customize exactly which folders and files its backs up.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear and is located in the bottom-left corner of the Start menu.)

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click More options.

6. Click Add a folder.

7. Click a folder you want to back up.

8. Click Choose this folder.

   • If you add the wrong folder or simply want to remove a folder from the backup list, perform the following two steps.

9. Click a folder in the Back up these folders list.

10. Click Remove.

How to change the frequency of backups

If you don't need your files backed up on an hourly basis, you can change how often a backup occurs, as long as the drive is connected or the network location is available.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear and is located in the bottom-left corner of the Start menu.)

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click More options.

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

7. Click a frequency options.

   • You can also change how long the backups are kept on the drive or network using the following two steps.

8. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Keep my backups.

9. Click a time limit.

How to switch the drives that use File History

If your backup drive is full, or if you just want to start using a different drive, you have to manually switch the drive in the File History settings.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear and is located in the bottom-left corner of the Start menu.)

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click More options.

6. Click Stop using drive.

You can now connect a different drive, and back up to it, using the steps listed above.

How to restore files from File History

If something goes wrong and you lose files, you can easily restore them from the File History backup. Make sure the drive that contains the backup is connected to your PC or the network location is accessible.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the Settings button. (It looks like a gear and is located in the bottom-left corner of the Start menu.)

3. Click Update & security.

4. Click Backup.

5. Click More options.

6. Click Restore files from a current backup. (You might have to scroll down to find it.)

7. Click the Restore button. (It is green and has a circular arrow on it.)

Your files contained in the backup will now be restored to their original location.

Best external drives and NAS solutions

If you don't already have an extra hard drive, check out our picks for the best available right now:

See the best external hard drives

If you'd like to take some extra steps and create a network storage solution, have a look at our guide to building your own NAS, or our collection of the best pre-built NAS systems:

How to build your own NAS

Best NAS for a Plex server

More resources

If you want to create an image of your drive to use in the event of a complete failure, Windows has a built-in tool that is quite easy to use. We've also created a guide to walk you through each step of that process:

How to make create an image backup on Windows 10 and Windows 8.1

Using File History and Windows Image Backup are just the tip of the iceberg. If you'd like more info on creating data backups, have a look at our roundup of six easy backup methods:

Six easy and effective ways to back up your PC

You can install Microsoft Edge extensions from sources other than the official Windows Store. In this guide, we show you how.

Starting with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft Edge includes support for extensions, which are small programs intended to add new features and enhance the web browser experience.

Microsoft makes these extensions available through the Windows Store, but it's also possible to install them manually. For example, if you're a developer trying to test an extension you created, or you want to install a beta version of an official extension that isn't available in the Store, you can install them on your own.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to install extensions on Microsoft Edge from sources other than the Store.

How to install Edge extensions that don't come from the Windows Store

If you want to load an extension that is not available in the Store, you can use these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. In the address bar, type about:flags, and press Enter.

3. Check the Enable extension developer features option.

4. Close and restart the web browser.
5. Select the menu (...) button on the top-right corner.

6. Select Extensions.

7. Click the Load extensions button.

8. Browse to the folder with the extension you want to sideload, and then click the Select folder button.

Once you complete these steps, you can start using the extension as you would any other extension that you got from the Store. You'll also notice that unlike regular extensions, those you install from outside the Store have an additional option in case you need to reload the extension.

If you want to remove the extension from Microsoft Edge, simply right-click it, and select the Remove button. If you want to disable the feature, follow the same steps, but on step No. 3, clear the check box for the Enable extension developer features option.

While it's possible to install any extension from sources other than the Store, such as the Turn Off the Light extension, you should only load those from sources you trust. Otherwise, you could put your device or data at risk.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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

You can hide specific drives on Windows 10 to prevent users from prying into your files or misusing your data, and in this guide, we'll tell you how to do it.

On Windows 10, you can find a number of reasons to hide files you store on your computer. Typically, the easiest way to hide content is to use File Explorer or Command Prompt. However, if you're dealing with a lot of files, it's not ideal to hide the content individually. A more suitable solution would be to hide an entire drive to prevent other users from seeing your private files.

If you want to keep specific files or drives under wraps, Windows 10 lets you hide specific drives with at least three different tools, including using Disk Management to set a mount point and making the folder a hidden item or removing the drive letter. You can use the Registry to hide any drive you want manually, or the Local Group Policy editor to hide certain drives from your computer.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to hide an entire drive to prevent users from snooping into your files.

• How to hide a drive using Disk Management
• How to hide a drive using Registry
• How to hide a drive using Group Policy

How to hide a drive using Disk Management

Using Disk Management, you can hide an entire drive by mounting a drive as a folder or removing the letter from the drive.

How to hide a drive using a mount point

The easiest way to prevent a drive from appearing in File Explorer is to mount it as a folder, instead of using a drive letter, and making it hidden.

To mount a drive as a folder and make it invisible, do the following:

1. Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut and select Disk Management.

2. Right-click the drive you want to hide and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.

3. Select the drive letter and click the Remove button.

4. Click Yes to confirm.
5. Right-click the drive again and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

6. Click the Add button.

7. Select the Mount in the following empty NTFS folder option.

8. Click the Browse button.
9. Navigate to the location you want to create the mount point. For example, C:.
10. Click the New Folder button.
11. Type the descriptive name for the folder. For example, secretDrive.

12. Select the newly created folder and click OK.

13. Click OK.

14. Open File Explorer (Windows key + I).

    Quick Tip: To keep the drive invisible, make sure in the View tab on File Explorer, the Hidden items option is clear.

15. Navigate to the path you specified as a mount point.

16. Right-click the mount point, and select Properties.

17. On "Attributes," check the Hidden option.

18. Click Apply.

19. Select the Apply changes to this folder only option, as we're just trying to hide the drive.

20. Click OK.
21. Click OK again.

Once you completed the steps, the drive will no longer appear in File Explorer, but you can still access its content by navigating the location using the mount point path (e.g., C:\secretDrive) in the File Explorer address bar or Command Prompt.

You can always revert the changes by doing the following:

1. Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut and select Disk Management.
2. Right-click the drive you want to hide and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
3. Select the mount point and click the Remove button.
4. Click Yes to confirm.
5. Right-click the drive again and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
6. Click the Add button.
7. Select the Assign the following drive letter option.

8. Select a new letter for the drive.

9. Click Apply.
10. Click OK.

How to hide a drive by removing the drive letter

Alternatively, you can remove the drive letter to hide files and folders you have on a secondary drive. However, this method will prevent anyone (including you) from accessing its content. You should use these steps to hide content you rarely use, such as backups.

1. Use the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut and select Disk Management.
2. Right-click the drive you want to hide and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.

3. Select the drive letter and click the Remove button.

4. Click Yes to confirm that you're removing the drive letter.

After you have completed the steps, the entire drive will become invisible to all users.

When you need to access the files again, you can follow the same steps, but on step No. 3, select the Assign the following drive letter option and pick a new letter for the drive.

How to hide a drive using Registry

In this case, perhaps the best way to hide a particular drive on your computer would be using the Registry.

Warning: This is a friendly reminder to let 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 PC 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_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ Explorer

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

5. Name the new DWORD NoDrives and press Enter.
6. Double-click the newly created DWORD.
7. Under "Base," select the Decimal option.

8. On "Value data" enter the decimal number that represents the drive letter you want to hide. For the purpose of this guide, we'll be using value 16, because we're hiding the E: drive.

   If you want to hide multiple drives, you'll need to add the decimal numbers. For example, if you're trying to hide drive D: and E:, you'll need to add 8 + 16, which means that the value you need to enter is 24.

   Quick Tip: You can use these decimal numbers as reference to hide specific drives: A: 1, B: 2, C: 4, D: 8, E: 16, F: 32, G: 64, H: 128, I: 256, J: 512, K: 1024, L: 2048, M: 4096, N: 8192, O: 16384, P: 32768, Q: 65536, R: 131072, S: 262144, T: 524288, U: 1048576, V: 2097152, W: 4194304, X: 8388608, Y: 16777216, Z: 33554432, ALL: 67108863.

9. Click OK.
10. Close the Registry.
11. Restart your computer to apply the new changes.

Once your computer rebooted, you'll no longer see the drive listed in File Explorer. However, you'll still be able to access the drive content by navigating the location using the drive path (e.g., E:) in the File Explorer address bar or Command Prompt.

At any time you can revert the changes by following the same steps, but on step No. 3, make sure to right-click and delete the NoDrives DWORD.

How to hide a drive using Group Policy

If you're running Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise or Education, you can also use the Local Group Policy editor to hide specific drives. However, unlike the Registry, you're only available to restrict a limited number of drive combinations.

To hide specific drives using Group Policy, do the following:

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

3. Browse the following path:

   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

4. Double-click the Hide these specified drives in My Computer policy.

5. Select the Enabled option.

6. Under "Options," select the drive combinations you want or select the Restrict all drives option from the drop-down menu.

7. Click Apply.
8. Click OK.

Once you completed the steps, the drives you specified will no longer appear in File Explorer without having to restart your computer. However, remember that you're only removing the drive icons, you'll still be able to access the drive content by navigating the location using the drive path (e.g., C:) in the File Explorer address bar or Command Prompt.

While using the Local Group Policy editor is very specific on the drives you can hide on Windows 10. It's still a good option if you're only trying to prevent users from messing around with files inside the C: drive.

It should be noted that there is a way to customize this policy to make more drive combination available, but it's something aimed at enterprise networks, and it goes beyond the scope of this guide.

If you want to revert the changes, you can follow the same instructions mentioned above, but on step No. 5 select the Not Configure option.

Wrapping things up

The ability to hide drives on Windows 10 is only meant to keep users out of your private files and to protect specific drives from being misused. This doesn't prevent users from using different methods to gain access your content inside the hidden drive.

If you store sensitive data on your device, and you don't want that data to fall into the wrong hands — if it gets lost or stolen — you should be using BitLocker or another third-party tool to encrypt the entire drive.

While we're focusing this guide on Windows 10, you can also use these instructions to hide specific drives on Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

More Windows 10 resources

For more help articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, 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