How do I buy and read e-books with Books in Windows Store?

The Creators Update for Windows 10 has added an e-reader function that lets you purchase and read e-books. Officially known as Books in Windows Store, books are purchased through the Windows Store and accessed through Edge. While some users have been calling for a standalone e-reader app, having everything in Edge is quite convenient.

Ready to start reading? Here's how to buy e-books and get everything set up in Edge.

• How to buy and download e-books
• How to change font, text, and theme
• How to add and access bookmarks
• How to have your book read aloud and how to change settings
• How to search for words and phrases

How to buy and download e-books

Books in Windows Store can be primarily operated through Microsoft Edge, although you can just launch straight into the Windows Store and navigate to the Books tab.

Here's how to buy and download an e-book when launching through Edge.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click the Hub button. It looks like three horizontal lines stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Books button. It looks like three books in a row.

4. Click Sign in. If you're already signed in, skip to step 7.

5. Click your account. If you haven't already signed in with a Microsoft account on this PC, enter your username and password.

6. Click Continue.

7. Click Get books. The Windows Store will open.

8. Click the Search field.

9. Type the name of a book or author you're looking for, and hit Enter on your keyboard. You can also browse pre-made lists.

10. Click a book you'd like to purchase and download.

11. Click Buy.

12. Type your password.

13. Click Sign in.

14. Click a payment method if you already have one on record. If this is the case, skip ahead to step 17.

15. Click Add a new payment method if you don't already have one connected with your account.

16. Click a payment method and add your corresponding payment information.

17. Click Buy.

18. Click Read. This should bring Edge back to the forefront in which you'll see your book in the Books frame.

19. Click your book. It will open and you can begin reading.

Using the arrow keys on your keyboard is the easiest way to navigate through the pages two by two, but you can also click and drag the slider at the bottom of the window.

How to change font, text, and theme

E-books you download are all pretty much formatted the same by default, but you can change their appearance to make reading more enjoyable.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.

2. Click the Hub button. It looks like three horizontal lines stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Books button. It looks like three books in a row.

4. Click a book.

5. Click the Options button. It looks like a large and small A.

6. Click a Text size button to make the text bigger or smaller.

7. Click a Text spacing button to make the spacing wider or narrower.

8. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Font style.

9. Click a font.

10. Click a Page theme button to change the appearance of the page.

How to add and access bookmarks

If you're reading a book and a certain page jumps out at you (or you just want to mark your spot), you can add a bookmark which you can later access.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click the Hub button. It looks like three horizontal lines stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Books button. It looks like three books in a row.

4. Click a book.

5. Click the Add a bookmark button when you're on a page you'd like to save for later. It looks like a ribbon.

6. Click the Bookmarks button when you're ready to access your bookmarks. It looks like a ribbon with lines on it.

7. Click a bookmark.

How to have your book read aloud and how to change settings

Not only can you read in Edge, you can also have your books read back to you.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click the Hub button. It looks like three horizontal lines stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Books button. It looks like three books in a row.

4. Click a book.

5. Click the Read aloud button. It looks like a book with a speaker on it. A voice will immediately begin to read aloud.

6. Click the pause button to pause the reading.

7. Click the forward button to skip ahead a line.

8. Click the backward button to skip back a line.

9. Click Voice settings button.

10. Click and drag the bar on the slider to change the reader's speed.

11. Click the dropdown arrow beneath Voice.

12. Click a voice.

13. Click the blue X near the top-right corner to return to normal reading.

How to search for words and phrases

One of the benefits of e-books is that you can search for those specific phrases you love so much.

1. Launch Edge from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click the Hub button. It looks like three horizontal lines stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Books button. It looks like three books in a row.

4. Click a book.

5. Click the Search button. It looks like a magnifying glass.

6. Type a word or phrase and hit Enter on your keyboard.

7. Click a search result. You will be taken to the page, and the word or phrase will be highlighted.

More information about the Windows 10 Creators Update

If you're wondering exactly what the Creators Update is all about, be sure to check out Zac Bowden's amazing review.

See the definitive Windows 10 Creators Update review

How do I use the new night light in Windows 10?

The Creators Update for Windows 10 has brought a ton of new features, one of which is the night light. It is a welcome addition that cuts down on blue light coming from your screen. Why does this matter? Excessive blue light can cause damage to your eyes and can disrupt your natural sleep pattern.

Let's take a look at how exactly night light works and how to program it to your needs.

• How to enable night light
• How to manually turn on night light
• How to schedule night light
• How to change the color temperature of night light

How to enable night light

First, we need to enable night light in Windows 10 settings.

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

3. Click System.

4. Click Display.

5. Click the switch beneath Night light so that it turns On.

Night light is now enabled but it might not be on due to scheduling settings based on your location.

How to manually turn on night light

Instead of setting a schedule for night light, you can simply turn it on manually.

1. Right-click the Start button.

2. Click Settings.

3. Click System.

4. Click Display.

5. Click Night light settings.

6. Click Turn on now.

There is also a new Action Center button that lets you manually turn on night light.

1. Click the Action Center button in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

2. Click Night light.

To turn it off from the Action Center, simply click the night light button again.

How to schedule night light

If you'd rather not turn night light on and off manually, you can set a schedule. For the automatic schedule, location services must be enabled on your PC. Don't want to enable location services? You can set your own schedule.

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

3. Click System.

4. Click Display.

5. Click Night light settings.

6. Click the switch below Schedule night light so that it turns On. By default, night light will be scheduled to turn on between the times relevant to your location. Continue these steps to set custom hours.

7. Click Set hours.

8. Click the field below Turn on.

9. Set a time to turn on.

10. Click the checkmark when you're satisfied with a time.

11. Click the field below Turn off.

12. Set a time to turn off.

13. Click the checkmark when you're satisfied with a time.

How to change the color temperature of night light

If you find that the color isn't quite right when night light is enabled, you can change the temperature.

1. Right-click the Start button.

2. Click Settings.

3. Click System.

4. Click Display.

5. Click Night light settings.

6. Click and drag the bar on the slider below Color temperature at night.

More information about the Windows 10 Creators Update

If you're wondering exactly what the Creators Update is all about, be sure to check out Zac Bowden's amazing review.

See the definitive Windows 10 Creators Update review

How do I fix the black screen hourglass bug on Oculus Rift?

Using your Oculus Rift with Steam VR is usually a painless experience, but some people are reporting a bug that essentially ruins a gaming session. In the middle of playing, you will be switched over to a black screen with an hourglass in the middle — the default loading screen for the Rift. The problem: the black loading screen doesn't go away until you restart the game.

There is no official fix from Steam or Oculus, but that doesn't mean the bug can't be avoided. It seems as though being a part of the SteamVR and Steam Beta Update is what's causing the problem, and people who have opted out of the Beta have not seen the bug again.

See the full fix at VR Heads!

How do I win in PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS?

PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS recently hit Steam Early Access and has seen an exponential player-base growth. It's been consistently in the top three streamed games on Twitch and Beam due to it being about as much fun to watch as it is to play.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS?

The premise is simple: similar to the Hunger Games, you're dropped from an airplane with 99 other people onto an enormous island, and it's up to you to loot the buildings for weapons and armor. You can team up in pairs or squads, as well as going solo.

A circle is shown on the map, and you have to move into it before a timer expires. If you're caught outside, an encroaching wall of death will drain your health until you die. Sound easy? It isn't. Those other players are all trying to get to the same spot, and the circles keep getting smaller.

To help you last longer and potentially be the final survivor, here are five tips that every player should follow.

See at Steam

Operate outside the flight path

When the game starts, you'll find yourself in an airplane flying high over the island. If you look at your map, you'll be able to see the exact direction of the plane, and you can get a pretty good idea of where people will be going to loot. Military bases and cities are the most popular because they have great loot, but they're also the deadliest because of the high concentration of players.

Once you have an idea of the flight path, jump out someplace that might have a vehicle. As soon as you land, jump in and start driving in a direction perpendicular to the flight path. There will be way fewer people around, and you'll be able to loot mostly in peace. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to get back into a good spot for dealing with the circle and wall of death.

Only use a vehicle at the start of the game

Vehicles are a great way to get around the map at the start of the game. You'll oftentimes drop into an area that's quite far from the safe circle and will need one to escape the wall of death, or you'll take one off the beaten path for some safe looting. Most people are so preoccupied with gearing up at the start of a match that they won't pay any attention to the noise of a car driving by.

Later on, however, when the circle is small, and there are only a few of you left, a vehicle is basically an alarm telling everyone exactly where you are. In most cases, you'll want to ditch your vehicle after the first couple of circles and go the rest on foot. You're much less likely to be shot when you're silent.

Don't get greedy

Looting the person you just killed is often necessary at the start of a round. They might have that ACOG scope you're looking for, or they might have a better vest or backpack. Looting at the outset is fine, but in an end-game scenario, it is almost always unnecessary. By the time 10 or fewer players are remaining, you should already have the gear needed to win. You generally want at least Tier 2 armor, a short-range weapon, a long-range weapon, and first aid kits and stimulants.

If you shoot a player on a mountainside because they were silly enough to run down blindly, don't make the same mistake and loot their gear. Some other player might be watching, and in that case, you'll end up in the same position as the person you laughed at moments earlier. If you down someone who was hiding in a bathroom, though, you're probably safe to have a look through their stuff.

Use Free Look to check your surroundings

By default, you can hit Alt on your keyboard and move your mouse around to get a view of your surroundings without changing your direction. This is especially important when running through open areas. You don't want to waste time in getting to your destination, but you also don't want to ignore the hills on either side of you or the house behind you. Get used to holding Alt while running or even while stationary and you'll have a much better chance of spotting enemies before they spot you.

On this note, rather than going prone while hiding in a bush, simply crouch down. Using the Alt key when prone will often cause your player's body to move around when you release it, making you visible to other players. There isn't as much movement when crouched and you'll have a much easier time staying hidden.

Choose a circle strategy and stick with it

There are basically two main strategies when it comes to dealing with the deadly circle. You can stick to the outside and move in with the circle, as this mostly prevents anyone from shooting you in the back. Unfortunately, it can also lead to you getting caught outside the circle and watching your health drain away as you chase the safe boundary.

The other option is to stick near the center of the increasingly smaller circles. This strategy works better if you already have all the gear you need for an end-game scenario; you can pick a position inside a house or other fortified area and hold out against enemies, only moving when absolutely necessary. This is a popular strategy for squads, but you run the risk of seeing far more enemies than if you were on the edges of the circle.

What you don't want to do is choose one strategy and switch mid-game. Running in the open is the last thing you want to do. Decide on a strategy near the start depending on your initial jump position and play smart.

Are you battling to the death?

Have you had a chance to give PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS a try? How did it go? Be sure to leave us your top tips in the comments section.

See at Steam

How do I use the new Start menu in Windows 10 Creators Update?

The Windows 10 Creators Update brings the Start menu a few new customization options to help make it feel more familiar.

You can now create and resize live folders to hold more apps in a smaller area, and you can remove the app list that normally appears on the left side of the Start menu. Let's take a look at how to create and customize live folders and how to hide your app list.

• How to create and customize a live folder in the Creators Update Start menu
• How to hide your app list in the Creators Update Start menu

How to create and customize a live folder in the Creators Update Start menu

Windows Mobile users will immediately recognize this feature that lets you group apps together into something called a live folder. This allows you to keep many more app tiles in your Start menu without having to expand the size. Here's how to create a live folder.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click and drag a tile onto another tile. The live folder will be created automatically.

3. Click the up-arrow tile to close the live folder.

In some cases, you might want to resize the live folder so that all tiles within are visible, or perhaps you'd like to make the live folder smaller to save space.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Right-click the live folder.

3. Click Resize.

4. Click a size.

Did you add an app to a live folder and now want to remove it? No problem.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the live folder.

3. Click and drag a tile outside of the live folder.

How to hide your app list in the Creators Update Start menu

Further following the trend of having the Start menu on Windows 10 look more like the Windows Mobile Start screen; you can hide the list of your apps that normally appears when you click the Start button.

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

3. Click Personalization.

4. Click Start.

5. Click the switch below Show app list in Start menu so that it turns Off.

You can still see a list of your apps in the Start menu with the above option turned off.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Click the All apps button. It is located near the top-left corner of the Start menu and looks like a series of lines and boxes stacked atop each other.

3. Click the Pinned tiles button to return to the standard view. It looks like four tiles.

More Creators Update goodness

For more information on what the Creators Update for Windows 10 is all about, be sure to check out Zac Bowden's in-depth review. Also, check out our full guide to customizing your Start menu for more great tips and tricks.

• See the definitive Windows 10 Creators Update review
• How to customize your Start menu in Windows 10

Fans can come in some unusual color schemes (looking at you, Noctua!) but manufacturers are allowing for easy customization through LED lighting and even removable extras.

Should you find taking a fan apart or painting the entire unit to be off the table, options like these can be both time and life savers. Today we'll take a quick look at the results of spending half an hour painting the colored rings bundled with Corsair SP and AF series fans.

Each fan purchased comes with three rings that can be attached to one side of the cooler. The three colors are red, blue, and white. This is great for anyone needing one of the said options for a PC build, but what if you need a green, black, pink, or orange? This is where a can of paint spray comes into action. Grab some newspaper or a surface you don't mind spraying some color onto and we're good to go.

It's best to read through the instructions on the side of the can before applying any particles to the rings. We were tasked with shaking for a good minute and then applying an even coat from around 20-30cm away. It's better to do a thin layer with each coating rather than go all out with a heavy coat on the first pass, and don't forget to flip them over and spray the rear.

After allowing the rings to dry and inspecting them to ensure all sides are the correct color, it's simply a case of snapping them back onto the fans themselves. Mission accomplished!

How do you personalize fans inside a PC case?

With more choices than ever before, which GPU is best for you?

With a growing list of VR-capable graphics cards on the market, choosing one that suits your demands is becoming increasingly difficult. Whether you're on a budget or reaching for the best performance through your rig, these are our picks for every type of virtual reality user.

Read more at VRHeads

If you're a newcomer to the world of modern PC gaming, you don't want to miss this article.

PC gaming contains a rich and relatively open world of niche titles, monstrously powerful systems, and epic Steam digital sales. It can, also, be quite complex and inaccessible.

Shrugging off the simplicity of the console world, Windows-powered gaming PCs give you access to piles of tools, tweaks, and various storefronts for buying all of those yummy games.

Whether you're a complete newb or a seasoned vet, here are a few tips and tools that might help you get more out of your gaming PC purchases.

Best Gaming Laptops 2017

1. Know your storefronts

If you're completely new to PC gaming, you might be wondering about the best places to actually buy PC games.

• Amazon.com's PC store: Physical retail isn't as widely used for PC gaming as it used to be, with the rise of digital storefronts like Steam, but Amazon, naturally, still carries a selection of PC games for those who want to keep boxed versions.
• Steam: You can't talk PC gaming without mentioning Steam. Valve's digital store has almost total dominance over the digital PC game distribution market, allowing users to sync settings and licenses across devices, complete with a huge, huge selection of games, new and old. You jus sign up for an account, pay with PayPal, make friends, create wishlists, and indulge in some insane seasonal sales. Steam is quite arguably the best place to buy games as a PC gamer.
• GreenManGaming: GreenManGaming is another popular solution for purchasing PC titles that rocks some impressive deals of its own.
• Origin: Origin is Electronic Arts' (EA) own digital distribution platform, allowing you to pick up PC versions of franchises like Battlefield, Mass Effect, Dragon Age and more.
• Windows Store: Microsoft hosts a increasingly diverse selection of both casual touch games and core PC titles, including Halo Wars 2, Fallout Shelter, and Gears of War 4. Games purchased from the Windows Store tie into your Microsoft Account, too, granting access to Xbox Live achievements, and sometimes, Xbox Play Anywhere.

2. PC monitoring tools

Whether you're discussing your PC in a forum online or trying to troubleshoot an issue, knowing what's actually inside your PC is critical. That's why there are dozens of quality (and free) tools for this very issue.

• Speccy is a lightweight tool that gives you quick information on everything inside your PC.
• HWMonitor is another great app that gives you real-time information on voltage, heating, and the current load that's affecting your PC. It can be particularly useful for troubleshooting issues with overheating.

3. PC maintenance and optimization

PCs are a little like houses; without the proper care and attention, they can become cluttered, damaged and maybe even fall apart. Thankfully, there are piles of free tools to help keep your PC performing at its best.

• CCleaner is a beloved program for clearing out junk files from your system. It can be a little too powerful at times, however, so make sure you review what options are checked before you hit that clean button.
• IOBit Uninstaller helps you get rid of the remnants of uninstalled programs, plugins, and beyond, keeping your system cleaner, smoother, and happier.
• GeForce Experience is a great tool for those who don't fancy tweaking the settings of each and every game. GeForce experience is a catch-all program for PCs using supported NVIDIA GPUs, and it contains a few neat tricks. First and foremost, it will automatically provide optimal visual settings based on your hardware for hundreds of games. Not all games are supported, but the list is growing. Additionally, it also allows you to quickly update and access new drivers, and even record, share and stream game clips.
• AMD Gaming Evolved is similar to the GeForce Experience app, but is used for AMD-based PCs.

4. Capturing game footage

As noted above, you can use GeForce Experience and AMD Gaming Evolved to capture game footage, but there are also a few other tools worth considering.

• DXTory is, as far as I know, is the lightest way to losslessly record both Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and Win32 (Steam) games and apps. It's incredibly easy to use, lightweight and provides visual feedback. Head over to my GPD Win review to see it in action.
• XSplit is another great solution for recording and streaming games, but it is a little pricey.
• OBS is an alternative to XSplit that is 100 percent free and open source, but it can be tricky to use in certain situations.
• You can also use Windows 10's Game Bar by pressing Windows Key + G to record games and apps. Head here for more information.

5. Miscellaneous tips and tricks

• If you don't already have a solid state drive (SSD) in your machine, consider picking one up to store games. SSDs are invariably faster than their hard disk drive (HDD) cousins, providing faster texture streaming, load times, and improved performance in general. If you can pick one up to install Windows itself on, too, that would be great. Here's a list of our picks for the best SSDs in 2017.
• Clean your PC at regular intervals. If you're using a laptop, this could be a lot trickier, but most desktop PC towers are easy to get into these days, with simple screws and hinges for accessing your PC's innards. Head here for more info on how to clean your PC.
• Consider buying gaming focused peripherals, including mice, keyboards, and a decent mouse mat.
• Get acquainted with PC-focused gaming communities, such as the highly-sarcastic but often helpful PCMasterRace subreddit; the less sarcastic and also helpful PCGaming subreddit; and the GamingPC subreddit, all of which contain a lot of resources on building your own PC.

Share your tips

What tools, programs, and advice would you offer new PC gamers? Let us know below, or in our dedicated PC gaming forum.

There's no need to pay full price for PC games if you take the time to shop around a little.

A few specific places mostly have the monopoly on PC game distribution these days, but that doesn't mean you can't get a good deal elsewhere. Steam, for example, might be the official place to actually get a game, but you can often find cheaper prices on its games outside of its store. You just have to know where to look.

Here are a few of the best places to look to save money on PC games.

Green Man Gaming

UK-based Green Man Gaming (GMG) is a popular, well-stocked reseller of PC games from various different online services. It offers frequent deals, and for folks who sign up to be a VIP, exclusive additional discount codes are frequent.

GMG also offers loot boxes sometimes, a lucky dip of game codes for a very low price. You don't know what you'll get but it's nice to be surprised sometimes.

See at Green Man Gaming

CDKeys

CDKeys is an excellent source of game codes. It's not only for PCs, but its largest offering is for just that. In its wide catalog of codes, you'll usually find some solid discounts on popular and current titles, as well as for preorders for upcoming games.

CDKeys is a respectable store used by gamers all over the world. When you use it, you're still buying keys directly from official stores, just at a (usually) lower price.

See at CDKeys

Humble Store and Humble Monthly

You've probably heard of the Humble Bundle and how its charity-supporting game bundles can net you some top titles for a low price. Beyond these one-time only offers, Humble also has a full store and a monthly subscription service that will always give you some hot PC games for $12 every month.

Recent monthly bundles have included titles such as Total War: Warhammer and The Witness, which on their own are worth more than $12. The Humble Store also has frequent sales with big discounts, and if you sign up for it you get a newsletter letting you know when the deals are going down.

See at Humble Store

Amazon

Amazon isn't just for physical goods, and you can buy digital game codes there, as well. As is often the case with Amazon, you'll find great deals from time to time.

They are a little more difficult to highlight, with Amazon being a huge store for much more than PC games, but if you know what you're looking for you can usually find yourself a saving. We suggest taking your time on Amazon and kicking around to compare prices.

See at Amazon

Your tips

Those are some of the places we use to get discounts on our PC games, but what about you? Drop your suggestions in the comments and share the savings.

How do you use the updated Movies & TV app in the Creators Update?

The Creators Update for Windows 10 brought a bunch of changes to the built-in apps we love, including Movies & TV. Most notably, the UI has been redesigned to keep your movies in one place (it's easier to find everything!), and there is now a picture-in-picture mode. To help get acquainted with the new look, let's take a look at how to use the Movies & TV app.

• How to sign into the Movies & TV app
• How to remove associated devices with the app
• How to buy or rent movies and TV shows
• How to search for movies and TV shows
• How to change where to save media
• How to download media you've purchased
• How to remove media you've downloaded
• How to use picture-in-picture mode
• How to add personal videos to Movies & TV
• How to change the app's theme

How to sign into the Movies & TV app

The first thing you want to do is sign into the app. This will associate the device you sign in on with the app. You can have five devices associated at one time, and you can access purchased or rented content on any of those devices.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the Sign In button. (It is located near the top-right corner of the window.)

3. Click your account if you have one associated with the device. If you don't use a Microsoft account to log into the device, you'll have to add an account.

4. Click Continue.

How to remove associated devices with the app

You can have up to five devices associated with the Movies & TV app. All five devices can access the media you have purchased and saved in your account. Once you log into the app on a device, it will be automatically associated. You can check which devices you have associated with the app, and if you'd like you can remove devices.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.
2. Click the More options button. (It looks like three dots.)

3. Click Settings.

4. Click Show my download devices. A small frame will open with a list of the devices on which you signed in and downloaded content.

5. Click Remove this device.

Remember, there's no problem with keeping your devices associated with the app. Devices are generally removed when you're no longer using them or when you want to make room for a new device.

How to buy or rent movies and TV shows

The Movies & TV app displays a selection of media it thinks you'd like to watch, including movie trailers and 360-degree videos. Everything you see is available for download, for rent or for free.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.
2. Click the Explore tab.

3. Click a section button. You can choose from trailers, 360-degree videos, movies or TV. You can also scroll down to see recommended and trending videos in each section.

4. Click a movie or TV show you'd like to rent or buy. A Store window will open.

5. Click the dropdown arrow in the resolution field.

6. Click a resolution.

7. Click the Buy button or the Rent button. You'll now be asked to verify that it's you with either Windows Hello or the PC's PIN.

8. Click OK.

9. Click Change if you'd like to use a different method of payment.

10. Click a payment method.

11. Click Buy.

If you chose to rent the movie or TV show, there is one extra step. You can choose to stream the movie online (great if you're certain to have internet access), or you can choose to download the movie to your device in order to watch it offline. The rest of the steps — including choosing a payment method — are the same as for buying content.

Once you rent a movie, you have 14 days to start watching it. Choose your time carefully, because you have 48 hours to finish watching the movie once you've started it.

How to search for movies and TV shows

Don't see the movie or TV show you're looking for? You can also do a search that includes your content and content in the Store.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the Search button. (It looks like a magnifying glass.)

3. Type the name of the media you're looking for and hit enter on your keyboard.

4. Click the media to view it in your library.

If you don't have anything that matches your search already in your collection, you can also view any matches in the Store.

1. Click In the Store.

2. Click an option. A Store window will open in which you can buy or rent the media.

How to change where to save media

In order to change where the movies and TV shows you buy or rent are saved, you can either access the Settings menu through the Start menu, or you can access it directly through the Movies & TV app. We will use the latter method. Note that these changes only work if you have an external drive or a secondary internal drive hooked up to your PC.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the More options button. (It looks like three dots.)

3. Click Settings.

4. Click Modify your storage settings.

5. Click Change where new content is saved.

6. Click the dropdown arrow below New movies and TV shows will save to:

7. Click a save location.

8. Click Apply.

How to download media you've purchased

Sure, you can stream everything you purchase, but you might want to download it to your PC to watch it later when you're away from internet access.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the Purchased tab.

3. Click the movie or TV show you want to download. In this case, we will download a TV episode.

4. Click the Download button. (You will have to hover your cursor over it for the button to appear.)

You can also choose to download an entire season by clicking the Download season button.

How to remove media you've downloaded

Movies and TV shows you purchase and download don't have to live on your PC forever. Here's how to remove them using the app.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the Purchased tab.

3. Click the movie or TV show you want to remove. In this case, we will remove a TV episode.

4. Click the Remove download button in the episode row. (You will have to hover your cursor over it for the button to appear.)

If you want to remove all episodes of a TV show, you can also just click the Remove all button.

How to use picture-in-picture mode

One of the primary new features for the Movies & TV app in the Creators Update: You can now keep your video player on top of all other windows, giving you a sort of picture-in-picture. Whether you're taking notes from a recorded meeting or watching your favorite TV show while you're browsing the internet, it's a welcome feature.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click a movie, trailer, or TV show to start playing it.

3. Click the Play in mini mode button. (It is located near the bottom-right corner of the window.)

4. Click the Leave mini mode button to return to the normal Movies & TV view.

This small window will stay on top of any other windows you have open. Click the top of the window and drag your mouse to move it around, or click a corner and drag to resize the window.

How to add personal videos to Movies & TV

If you already have media saved on your PC, you can import it into the Movies & TV app.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the More options button. (It looks like three dots.)

3. Click Settings.

4. Click Choose where we look for videos.

5. Click the Add folder button. Note that by default Windows 10 will add any media to your videos folder.

6. Click the folder you want to add.

7. Click Add this folder to Videos.

8. Click Done.

Want to remove a location?

1. Click the X in the top-right corner of the gray rectangle.

2. Click Remove Folder.

How to change the app's theme

Plenty of apps feature theme options, and Movies & TV is no different. You can change the background to something darker (and easier on the eyes), leave it light, or go with the theme you have set for your PC.

1. Launch the Movies & TV app from the Start menu, desktop or taskbar.

2. Click the More options button. (It looks like three dots.)

3. Click Settings.

4. Click a theme option. You can choose from:

   • Light
   • Dark
   • Use system settings

The Creators Update for Windows 10, officially released on April 11, 2017, brings a host of new features to the OS. The name fits well, because many of the improvements and updates to apps are focused on bringing more creators over to the platform. But don't fret if you aren't a creative type; the update benefits everyone.

See at Microsoft

Whether you're already using Windows 10 or you just adopted it, we assembled a collection of articles detailing many of the changes made to official apps and the OS. More importantly, the articles here detail the steps needed to navigate the changes. We will continue to add content to this page as guides are created, so if you want to get the most out of the Creators Update, bookmark us and check back often.

If you need a hand with other aspects of Windows 10, be sure to check out our collection of Windows 10 Help articles, or visit our forums, where a community of Windows fanatics is waiting to offer advice.

You may also want to check out our Senior Editor Zac Bowden's in-depth Windows 10 Creators Update review for way more information.

The definitive Windows 10 Creators Update review

Running an Insider preview build of Windows 10? Here's what you need to know (and do) after the Creators Update is released.

After months and countless hours of work, the Windows 10 Creators Update is now finalized and will soon officially roll out to devices, starting April 11. The update is available for PCs and Xbox One, and phones will get Windows 10 Mobile on April 25.

In this new version, which Microsoft refers as 1703 (identifying the year and month of the release), there are a slew of features and improvements designed to make Windows 10 more productive and secure.

After installing the update, you'll find changes on Cortana and the Start menu, Windows Update, and security. The Creators Update also introduces new gaming features, such as Game Mode to boost gaming performance and Beam integration for in-game broadcasts. You now get more granular control of how apps get installed on your PC. Microsoft Edge gains a new ebook experience, and a lot more. You can learn more about this update in Senior Editor Zac Bowden's Windows 10 Creators Update review.

If you're part of the Windows Insider Program, you're not a stranger to the Creators Update, because throughout the development cycle you have already been testing all the new enhancements and features. However, now that the update is officially rolling out, you may still wonder what will happen with your installation after April 11.

Windows Insiders already have the Creators Update

Whether your device is enrolled in the Fast, Slow, or Release Preview rings of the Windows Insider Program, you're likely already running the latest and final version of the Creators Update.

You can quickly check by opening the Settings app and on the About page, inside the Devices section, the version number should read 1703, and the OS Build number should be 15063.xx.

Now's the time to opt-out of the program

Although the Windows 10 Creators Update is out, that doesn't mean that the Windows Insider Program has concluded. If you keep your computer enrolled in the program, it'll continue to receive previews for the next versions of the OS as soon as they become available. We've already seen this with the rollout of the Windows 10 build 16170 in the Fast ring, part of the Redstone 3 update, which Microsoft plans to launch before the end of 2017.

The problem with early builds is that they can be extremely buggy, and they don't include new features. In this case, your best option is to opt-out of the program to prevent your device from getting future builds.

To stop getting previews of Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.

3. Click the Stop Insider Preview Builds button.

4. Select the Keep giving me builds until the next Windows release option.

5. Click the Confirm button.

6. Click the Restart Now button.

After completing the steps, your device will stay on build 15063.xx, and then you're all set. You don't need to reinstall Windows 10, and moving forward your device will continue to get maintenance updates to fix any issues and improve the overall experience.

Going back to the previous version of Windows 10

If you kept your computer enrolled in the Windows Insider Program, it's possible to stop getting previews, even after getting a new build, but the steps are slightly different.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that you only have 10 days to go back to the previous version. The reason is because Windows 10 keeps a copy of your previous installation inside the Windows.old folder, inside the C: drive. After 10 days, that copy gets automatically deleted to reclaim disk space, thus removing the option to go back.

If your PC has been upgraded to a new build, part of the next version of Windows 10, you can do the following to roll back:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click on Recovery.

4. Under "Go back to the previous version of Windows 10," click the Get started button.

5. Select the reason you're going back to the previous version.

6. Click the No, thanks button.

7. Click the Next button.

8. Click the Next button again.

9. Click the Go back to earlier build button.

10. Once your computer restarts, open Settings.
11. Click on Update & security.

12. Click the Stop Insider Preview Builds button.

13. Select the Keep giving me builds until the next Windows release option.

14. Click the Confirm button.

15. Click the Restart Now button.

Once you complete the steps, you'll be back on the Windows 10 Creators Update.

If you don't have the option to rollback, unfortunately, the only way to go back is by doing a clean install of Windows 10 with the Creators Update.

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

Bias lighting looks awesome, and it can help your eyes.

Bias lighting for PCs is something you might have seen before but never known what exactly it was. Simply put, it's a series of (usually) LED lights that you place on the rear of your PC monitor or TV, creating a kind of halo effect that projects behind it.

Not only does it look amazing, but it's affordable and there are some actual benefits for your eyes.

This excellent post from PCPartPicker outlines some of the positives:

If you use your computer in complete darkness a lot, the sudden drop in luminance from your monitor to the surrounding darkness creates a sharp contrast that your eyes strain to manage.

The second benefit is what gives it the name 'bias' lighting. The color of the light used behind the display changes how your brain interprets the colors from the display itself, i.e., you bias your brain's color interpretation. If you shine an orange light behind the monitor, you perceive everything on-screen as slightly more orange. Same with every bias color, including white.

White light can actually help your brain to perceive more accurate colors, which is beneficial to anyone who does creative work where accuracy is a necessity.

If all of this sounds interesting, the good news is it's really low-cost and very simple to install.

A kit like this one is a great example of what to look for, and there are plenty of options out there. Make sure to find one that's powered by USB, because you'll be able to just plug it into your PC, or even your monitor to power it. No additional power outlets are required.

You'll also need to make sure you get the right length to go around your monitor. Attaching it is simple, because the kits come with adhesive strips on the rear so you literally just need to stick them on, plug them in and go with the glow.

You don't have to go with white, either. Other colors will change your perceptions a little, but whatever you go for you'll feel a benefit if you work a lot at night on your PC. Eyestrain is common if you spend long hours looking at a PC screen, so anything you can do to help make the effects less is worth the effort.

See at Amazon

The Windows 10 Creators Update is here, but if you want to avoid early adopter problems, these are the steps to delay the update.

Microsoft is finally rolling out the Windows 10 Creators Update, and during the next few months millions of devices will get the latest version automatically through Windows Update.

Similar to previous releases, the company is pushing out the update slowly, starting with newer devices that have been tested and are known to work with the Creators Update. Then it'll reach other devices based on feedback from telemetry during the initial phase. However, whether you have a relatively new PC or older hardware, it's expected that you may come across some installation issues and unknown bugs during the initial rollout. If you've read our Windows 10 Creators Update guide, you already know some of these problems (and the fixes).

Although updates are now mandatory and they download and install automatically, if you want to prevent early adopter issues, it's possible to block the new version of Windows 10 in a number of ways.

In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the steps to delay the Creators Update installation until you're ready to install it, or until Microsoft releases more updates to fix any problems with the new version.

• How to schedule the Windows 10 Creators Update installation
• How to defer the Windows 10 Creators Update
• How to block the Creators Update on Windows 10 Home

How to schedule the Windows 10 Creators Update installation

If you haven't changed your Windows Update settings, the Creators Update can download at any time after April 11. When this happens, Windows 10 will also set a schedule to apply the new version outside of your "active hours" schedule.

If you're planning to go through with the update, but you want to set a different time, you can reschedule the update using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.
3. Click on Windows Update.

4. Under "Update settings," click the Restart options link.

5. Turn off the Schedule a time toggle switch.

6. Pick a time and date (up to six days in advance).

Alternatively, if you want to install the update the same day but at a different time, you can "change active hours" to prevent your computer from restarting when you're actively using the device.

How to defer the Windows 10 Creators Update

Windows 10 also offers an option to delay the installation of major updates using the Settings app. The option is called "Defer feature updates," and once enabled it will delay the download of the Creators Update for 60 days, or until you clear the option.

Note: The option to defer updates is only available on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education, but if you use other versions, keep reading for additional options.

To postpone feature updates on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & security.

3. Under "Update settings," click the Advanced options link.

4. Check the Defer feature updates.

After completing the steps, your PC will continue to receive cumulative and Windows Defender-antivirus updates, but the Windows 10 Creators Update will be blocked.

How to block the Creators Update on Windows 10 Home

If you're running Windows 10 Home, it's still possible to block your computer from getting the Creators Update using a metered connection.

A metered connection is a feature built in Windows 10 meant to help you control data usage if you have a limited data plan for internet access. However, when you set a network connection as metered, it also prevents the OS from downloading and installing updates.

Although updates are important to keep your device secure and running with the latest enhancements, you can temporarily use a metered connection to prevent the Windows 10 Creators Update from installing without compromising the security of your device.

To set a network connection as metered on Windows 10, do the following:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & internet.
3. Click on Wi-Fi.

4. Click the network connection you use to connect to the internet.

5. Turn on the Metered connection toggle switch.

After Windows 10 receives several updates, and you feel it's ready, you can revert the changes by using the same steps, but make sure you turn off the Metered connection toggle switch on step No. 5.

Unfortunately, this only works on Wi-Fi connections, and there is no specific option on the Settings app to set an Ethernet connection as metered. However, you can use this guide to get around this issue.

It should be noted that starting with the Creators Update, you can now set Ethernet connections as metered using the Settings app.

Wrapping things up

Although we listed a number of ways to block the Windows 10 Creators Update, we're not suggesting that you shouldn't install it. The new major update of Windows 10 brings a lot of great improvements, including a better update delivery system, new security tools, tons of new options and tweaks in the Settings app, support for 3D and mixed reality, and much more.

However, during the initial phase of a new rollout, there is a chance that your PC, laptop, or tablet may come across unwanted issues, and delaying a new feature update until you're ready for it may prove to be a wise move.

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 you add custom skins to Windows 10?

Stardock makes an array of powerful customization tools for Windows, but few are as great as WindowBlinds. And the tool just got updated for the Windows 10 Creators Update, allowing users to easily, quickly, and safely skin the entirety of Windows.

Here's a quick look at how it all works.

You can pick up WindowBlinds from Stardock's website for the reasonable price of $9.99. It also comes with a free trial if you want to give it a test run.

Unlike other skinning methods for Windows, WindowBlinds does all the heavy lifting for you, and it's wrapped in a neat and intuitive UI.

It comes with an array of pre-installed themes, but you can also grab more from WinCustomize, and they instantly install themselves into WindowBlind for use.

Here are a few examples of content you can grab from WinCustomize's WindowBlinds section:

When you select a skin for customization, you can also modify various other aspects of the skin before you apply it.

Here's what you can alter before committing, but note that not all skins support full customization, particularly the community-created ones on WinCustomize:

• Change the accent colors.
• Use your own fonts.
• Add textures to windows.
• Alter transparency.

If you dive deep into the settings, you can further customize the behavior of applicable skins. For example, some skins come with custom Start menu icons, and the settings menu allows you to disable them, and much more.

In the settings, you can customize:

• WindowBlinds' appearing in the system tray.
• Toggling sounds that come with skins.
• Toggling the Windows 10 pixel frames.
• The default Start menu icon.
• Toggling which menus appear in Explorer.
• Toggling system or skin accent colors.
• Toggling accent colors on backgrounds.
• Toggling the ribbon in Explorer.
• Using different skins for different features.
• The taskbar size.
• Special settings for clicking on window title bars.

You can also change settings per application, for endless amounts of additional customization.

After playing around a bit, here's what my desktop looks like with WindowBlinds' Ice skin active and my default, standard desktop:

WindowBlinds with the Ice skin.

As you can see, WindowBlinds skins Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, as well as Win32 features, making it pervasive throughout the OS.

Windows 10 default shell.

Final thoughts on WindowBlinds

WindowBlinds is a tremendous tool for the rapid customization of Windows 10, an OS that doesn't offer a huge amount of features for changing its style. The Windows 10 Creators Update allows us to add our own custom accent colors, but it pales in comparison to the unique textures, skins, and various other customization features available in WindowBlinds.

At $9.99, it's a great value for a lifetime license that lets you modify the look of Windows. Not everyone will be interested in this capability, but if you want to stand out in a world dominated by flat, metro-style designs, WindowBlinds is the worthy answer.

See WindowBlinds at Stardock

How do I use the Dynamic Lock feature in the Windows 10 Creators Update?

Another ease-of-use addition available in the Windows 10 Creators Update is Dynamic Lock, which uses a Bluetooth connection between your phone and your PC to automatically lock your PC when you (and your phone) move out of range.

Your PC will stay unlocked for 30 seconds after it senses you've left the Bluetooth range. It doesn't unlock your PC; if you go out of range and Dynamic Lock shuts things down, you have to sign in with your password, PIN, or Windows Hello.

Despite its shortcomings, Dynamic Lock can be useful for people who uses their devices in public or for anyone who likes to lock their device every time they leave the desk. This feature works with any Bluetooth-enabled phone. Let's take a look at how to set everything up so you can add an extra layer of security to your PC.

How to pair your phone with your PC

First, you need to change some settings on your phone. As stated, Dynamic Lock can work with any Bluetooth-enabled phone, but here we lay out the steps using a Windows phone.

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
2. Tap All settings.

3. Tap Devices.

4. Tap Bluetooth.

5. Tap the switch below Status so that it turns on.

Second, you need to set up your PC and pair your phone.

1. Right-click the Start button.

2. Click Settings.

3. Click Devices.

4. Click Bluetooth & other devices.

5. Click the switch below Bluetooth so that it turns on.

6. Click Add Bluetooth or other device.

7. Click Bluetooth. (Your PC will search for your phone.)

8. Click your phone.

9. Click Connect, as long as the PINs match on both devices.

10. Click Done.

How to turn on Dynamic Lock

Now that your phone and PC are paired, you can enable Dynamic Lock.

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

3. Click Accounts.

4. Click Sign-in options.

5. Click the checkbox in the Dynamic Lock section so that a checkmark appears. (You might have to scroll down to find it.)

That's all there is to it. When you and your phone leave the range of Bluetooth, your PC will lock within 30 seconds. Keep in mind that if someone intercepts your laptop and begins using it before the 30 seconds elapses, the lock won't take effect.

The delay is a way to prevent your laptop from locking up when the spottiness of Bluetooth causes a random drop, but it's also a bit of a security risk. However, as long as you don't rely solely on Dynamic Lock to keep your laptop safe, it is a handy way to add an extra layer of security.

Before you throw away an old laptop hard drive, think about recycling it instead!

If you're upgrading the storage inside your laptop, or perhaps upgrading your laptop entirely, there's no need to send everything to the great electronics scrapheap in the sky. With basic tools, knowledge and a little time, you can reuse those existing drives somewhere else.

You can never have too much storage, right?

What you can do

If you have or are going to acquire a desktop PC, the most obvious thing to do would be to add another mass storage drive made up of your old laptop storage. This will only really apply to 2.5-inch drives, since m.2 drives attach directly to the motherboard and many modern desktop systems already have one.

Desktop PC cases generally have space to accommodate multiple storage drives of both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch sizes. If you're building your own PC you'll almost certainly have space for extra drives, and adapting a 3.5-inch bay to fit the laptop-sized 2.5-inch drives is easy with an inexpensive adapter, such as this one from Corsair.

Away from slotting into a desktop PC, you have other options. You can turn an old internal drive into an external drive quite easily and you've got a portable HDD or even an additional drive to use with your Xbox One (or your PS4 if you play that way.)

What you need

Drives inside a laptop will be one of two sizes. You'll have either a 2.5-inch SSD or HDD or an m.2 SSD stick. The only thing the specific drive alters is which additional parts you buy to reuse it.

To get inside your laptop you shouldn't need anything other than a screwdriver. Some laptops have easily accessible internals, with a single screw to remove an access panel. Others will require you to remove several and pull off the entire base of the laptop.

If you're relocating the drive into a PC desktop then you shouldn't need any additional parts. Whether a pre-built or one you made yourself, you should already have the drive caddy and fixings to mount the drive into your case. If you need to buy an adapter as detailed above, it will come with any fixings you need.

Likewise you should have a spare power connector for the drive, but you may need to supply an additional SATA data cable yourself. But these aren't expensive, and you just connect one end to the drive and another to an empty SATA port on the motherboard.

To use the old drive with your Xbox One or as a portable HDD, much of the process is the same. You'll need an enclosure for the drive and a suitable cable to connect it to a PC or Xbox. The important thing to remember is that you can only use the old drive with the Xbox One if it's 256GB or larger.

The Xbox will format the drive for you when you first connect it, but if you're going to use it with a PC you'll have to perform that task yourself to clean it of your old laptop data. But the enclosures are really affordable, so it's something worth doing.

Find out more on using an old drive with the Xbox One in our full guide, linked below.

How to reuse an old hard drive with the Xbox One

That's all there is to it. With minimal cost you can strip out the storage of your old laptop and make it work for you somewhere else.

Are my files encrypted when I save them to the cloud?

After another round of high-profile celebrity hacks, it's clear that cloud storage isn't exactly as safe as it's made out to be. It's easy to sync your files with a service such as OneDrive or Dropbox, but it's also easy to forget about those files down the road. You may have deleted some sensitive photos from your phone, but they still ended up synced in the cloud, and now they're in the hands of a hacker.

Let's take a look at how your cloud data can be potentially compromised and how you can add another layer of protection by encrypting them before they reach the cloud.

Cloud-storage encryption

There are two forms of encryption when you're dealing with cloud storage services: transit and resting. When your files travel between your PC and a cloud service, the files and folders you upload are generally encrypted with at least 128-bit secure sockets layer (SSL) technology.

When your data is resting in storage, however, there is less of a chance that it will have encryption, and if it does, the cloud service will likely hold the key. In the case of OneDrive, only those with a business subscription can take advantage of resting encryption. Dropbox, on the other hand, provides resting 256-bit encryption, but it holds the encryption keys.

Encryption of your data, while it's in transit and comfy in the cloud, works great against brute-force attacks. It would take a supercomputer years to crack the 256-bit encryption. It's much more likely that failure on the user side will involve a phishing attack or a weak password that can be guessed by an interested party. If your account can be accessed through the front door, decryption isn't necessary.

Keeper of the encryption keys

To otherwise unscramble the encrypted data, a key is needed. Each time data is encrypted, one of these keys is created and is saved somewhere. Many online backup services — which are separate from cloud-sync services— let you create the encryption key and take responsibility for keeping it safe. If you lose the key, say goodbye to your backed up data.

Cloud storage services used for syncing and sharing, such as Dropbox, do not provide users with the option to create their own encryption keys. It's up to the user to trust the service with creating and safeguarding the key. There's less of a chance that you'll end up locked out forever because you forgot that key, but there's also a chance that the service itself will be compromised, in which case the entire thing is out of your hands. Bottom line: No matter how careful you are, things can go wrong when someone else holds the keys.

Encrypt your data before it reaches the cloud

Some people refuse to use cloud storage because of security concerns. Others claim they have nothing to hide and wouldn't care if their files were released to the general public. Regardless of your opinion, it's not a bad idea to use protection on the internet. It's not getting any safer out there, and people can take advantage of the smallest bits of information.

Yes, it's just another thing you have to worry about, but encrypting your data yourself before sending it to the cloud will help protect you. You don't have be a whiz to perform this extra step. Encryption software is generally easy to use, you can create a unique encryption key that only you hold, and most options work well with popular cloud-storage services. Even if you don't want to pay, there are plenty of free encryption tools out there.

Services such as AxCrypt and Folder Lock, both of which are PCMag editors' choices, have free, basic versions of their software, and they also offer paid subscriptions that come with plenty more features, including local disk encryption to help keep things safe on your end.

There are a ton of free alternatives that can encrypt one file at a time before sending them to the cloud. 7Zip and Boxcryptor are standouts in this arena.

More resources

For more information on creating strong passwords and avoiding phishing, check out our full guide on how to ensure your cloud data remains safe. And if you're interested in full cloud backups of your PC, have a look at our choice for the best online backup service.

How to ensure your data in the cloud remains secure

See the best online backup service

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

Update 13 April 2017: Don't screw it up — we've added a few more helpful tips for building your first PC.

Make sure it will work

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

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

Make sure all your PC parts are compatible

Don't buy cheap power

The Power Supply Unit is the most important component of any PC simply because it's tasked with supplying reliable power to everything it's connected to. You could pick up a cheap PSU from a relatively unknown brand, but you run the risk of one-day experiencing a shutdown because it has blown or worse fired a some of your expensive components.

Don't cheap out on your PSU! We strongly recommend you fork out some money here for a solid, recommended unit.

Best Power Supplies for your PC

Not enough cables

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

Pesky headers

There are a number of annoying headers that need to be plugged into the motherboard. These provide power to a power button, reset button, hard drive activity light, and power indicator. The pins themselves are usually labelled in the motherboard manual and sometimes on the board itself, so pay close attention to the positive and negative corresponding pins.

Size matters

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

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

Best GPUs for your PC

Ground yourself

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

How to prevent frying your PC with static electricity

Storing Screws

As you remove screws from various components and sections of the case, it's worth having a bowl or container nearby for easy storage of all the screws. The last thing you need to happen is to get to a point where you're unable to continue with the build because a screw or two are missing. Keep them safe!

Airflow is important

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

Best CPU air coolers

How do I stream games in Windows 10 Creators Update?

Broadcasting games on Beam from your PC is easier than ever thanks to the Windows 10 Creators Update. Instead of having to use third-party software, there's now a streaming tool built right in. All you have to do to start streaming is log into a few apps, launch a game, and click to start the broadcast.

To help you get started on the path of becoming a gaming superstar, here's how to broadcast on Beam in Windows 10 Creators Update.

• How to set up a broadcast for the first time
• Changing broadcast setup overlay settings
• Changing live broadcast overlay settings
• Changing Windows broadcast settings
• How to customize your Beam channel

How to set up a broadcast for the first time

First, you need to ensure your privacy settings allow you to broadcast from your PC. By default, broadcasting should be allowed, but here's how to check.

1. Navigate to the Xbox user settings page.

2. Type your username.

3. Click Next.

4. Type your password.

5. Click Sign in.

6. Click the Xbox One/Windows 10 Online Safety tab.

7. Click the Allow button in the Broadcast gameplay section. You might have to scroll down a bit to find it.

8. Click Save.

Now that your privacy settings will allow you to broadcast, you can start getting things set up.

1. Launch the Xbox app from your Start menu, desktop, or taskbar.
2. Click Let's play to sign in. You can also switch accounts or add an account if yours is not displayed.

3. Launch a game or app you want to broadcast.

4. Hit the Windows key + G shortcut on your keyboard to bring up the game bar. If you're using a gamepad, you can also hit the Xbox button.
5. Click the Broadcast button. A broadcast setup overlay will open containing a bunch of settings for your impending broadcast.

6. Click Start broadcast when you're ready to start.

Changing broadcast setup overlay settings

This new broadcast setup overlay gives gamers the ability to quickly tweak their stream before going live.

Click the field below Broadcasting window in order to switch between broadcasting just the game or your entire desktop.

Click the checkbox next to Camera on to include a small frame of yourself in the broadcast. This setting can also be toggled when you're already broadcasting.

You can move the camera window around the broadcast window by clicking the field below Camera Position. There's no dropdown menu, so just keep clicking until your camera window is in the right spot. You can choose from:

• Bottom left
• Bottom middle
• Bottom right
• Middle right
• Top right
• Top middle
• Top left
• Middle left

Click the checkbox next to Microphone on to let yourself be heard. This setting can also be toggled when you're already broadcasting.

Click More in Windows settings to find more broadcast options.

Changing live broadcast overlay settings

A small window containing a preview of your broadcast will be overlaid on the game you're playing when you're live.

The pause button will temporarily pause your broadcast.

The stop button will put an end to the broadcast and will close the broadcast overlay completely.

The microphone button will enable or disable your microphone. You can tell it's off when there's a small X above it.

The camera button will enable or disable your camera. You can tell it's off when there's a small X above it.

The window button switches between the stream view, the chat view, and the minimized view.

Click and drag the move button to place the overlay anywhere in the game's window. This is essential for not ruining your view if you're playing in windowed mode.

Changing Windows broadcast settings

Windows broadcast settings can be reached one of two ways; you can find it in the standard Windows Settings menu, or you can reach it through the Game Bar broadcast setup overlay by clicking More in Windows settings. Here we will demonstrate the former method.

1. Right-click the Start menu.

2. Click Settings.

3. Click Gaming.

4. Click Broadcasting.

Here you'll find a bunch of additional performance settings to help make your stream the best it can be.

Click the switch below Record audio when I broadcast so that it turns on to ensure your viewers can hear the game's audio.

Click the dropdown arrow below Record audio when I broadcast and click an audio quality. The recommended option should be good enough, but options are there for lesser or higher quality.

Your microphone and camera can be toggled on and off while you're streaming, but you probably want to leave auto echo cancellation enabled. This cuts down on any looping audio that will make viewers turn off the broadcast in a hurry.

Click and drag the sliders to adjust the game volume and your microphone volume.

Click the switch below Use camera when I broadcast so that it turns On if you want to include yourself in the stream.

Click the dropdown arrow next to Camera and click a camera if you have more than one option.

Click the checkbox next to Capture mouse cursor in broadcasts to toggle whether or not your mouse shows up in the stream.

How to customize your Beam channel

In order to actually customize your Beam channel — things like title, tag, audience restrictions, etc. — you have to visit your channel in a web browser. There's a quick link in the broadcast setup overlay that will take you straight there.

1. Click Your channel in the broadcast setup overlay. An Edge window will open.

2. Click Log In.

3. Click Microsoft.

4. Type your username.

5. Click Next.

6. Type your password and hit Enter on your keyboard.

7. Click the avatar in the top-right corner of the window.

8. Click Manage channel.

From here you can tweak your channel to your heart's content.

Are you broadcasting?

Have you tried broadcasting with the new tool built into Windows 10 Creators Update? How did it go, and where can we find your channel?

For more information about the Creators Update, including more game-related changes, check out Senior Editor Zac Bowden's in-depth review.

See the definitive Windows 10 Creators Update review