[WATCH] Free Training Videos for Windows 10

Learn Windows 10 By Watching

Some people don't appreciate Microsoft's push to get people to move to Windows 10. If you're one of those who got a "surprise" update, you may be scrambling to learn the ropes, or wondering how to use some of the new features.

Windows 10 can rejuvenate older computers, and offers some attractive features, but it is a subtly different experience from its predecessors.
For example, in Win 7 the Start menu has a “Shutdown” icon which, when your cursor hovers over its arrow, reveals the Restart and other options; in Win 10, this is icon is in roughly the same place but it’s labeled “Power.”

There are also many big differences, such as Windows 10’s Edge browser, the Cortana virtual assistant, and a slew of privacy settings that you may want to tweak. See TEN Windows 10 Features You Didn't Know About and http://askbobrankin.com/tweak_unwanted_windows_10_features.html for more detail on these topics.

Microsoft has an elaborate Windows 10 Help page that includes such details as “See what’s on the Start menu”. There is a high-quality video guide to the Start menu, and if you don’t blink you’ll see what’s hidden beneath the Power icon. Expand this video and all others to full-screen size to see the details.

When you have mastered the basics of Windows 10, be sure to check out Microsoft’s free library of Windows 10 Power Tools. These professionally produced videos get into nitty-gritty subjects such as fine-tuning performance, troubleshooting, organizing everyday tasks and information, using the Microsoft Management Console, and more. The fine points of Win 10’s File Explorer are covered in their own video. Using the Registry Editor has its own video for intrepid geeks who like to tweak things at the registry level.

Windows 10 Beginner's Guide Video

Let's back up a little... If you're not ready for the geeky stuff, start here. The Windows 10 Beginner’s Guide is another good video resource. This 38-minute video covers the Windows 10 Start Menu, System Settings, Windows 10 Universal Apps, Taskbar, Cortana Digital Assistant, Task View (Multiple Desktops), File Explorer, Notification Area, Action Center, Show Desktop, and Snap Assist.

This tutorial was created by JAGTutorials. “JAG” are the initials of Jesse A. Gedutis, the producer of this and 49 other high-quality tutorials. Jesse explains each step without assuming you already know what's going on, and zooms in on each part of the screen so you can see exactly what to do.

Jesse, apparently, was in an auto accident that left him “unable to work,” so the advertising dollars from his YouTube videos are his sole income - plus any donations viewers may make. I assume that Jesse means he’s unable to work at his former occupation, because the amount of work that went into this tutorial and his others is truly impressive. He even added closed-captioning!

If you learn best by watching actual operations, instead of by reading descriptions of them, then these free video tutorials are probably ideal for you. I look forward to your comments on them.