I’ve spent almost two full weeks with Windows 10 now and, despite a few minor irritations common to older Samsung laptops (like Samsung Easy Settings being incompatible with Windows 10),  I doubt I’ll be going back to Windows 7.

If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 10, you may have run into a few issues. Below we share tips to fix six of the more common Windows 10 issues, including speeding up startup, reinstalling your printer, personalizing the Windows Edge browser, protecting your privacy, and more.

How to change Windows 10 startup programs for a faster start

In Windows 10, a number of programs and apps will automatically start up when you switch on your PC. While some, like those using cloud storage to sync, can be handy to have running in the background, other apps running while you’re not actively using them only slow down your machine’s startup time.

To select which apps run at startup, right-click on the Start button (Windows logo in bottom-left corner) and select Task Manager from the popup menu.

Click on More details in the bottom-left corner to expand the window. Now, click on the Startup tab (fourth from the left) to see a list of programs and apps that can be launched at startup. Next, click on the Status column to sort the list of apps by Disabled and Enabled.

Scroll through the list of apps and decide which you want to run at startup and which you’d rather disable to speed up boot time. To disable or enable an app, right-click on it and select Disable or Enable from the menu.

Note: you can see what potential impact an app will have on startup time in the Startup impact column (High, Medium, or Low).

Reinstall drivers for hardware that doesn’t work

Some hardware may not work after you upgrade to Windows 10. For me, this was my default printer.

You’ll have to remove the printer, reinstall the drivers and set the printer as the default again. Go to Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners > click on the printer in question > click Remove device > confirm the action.

Now, download the printer drivers from the manufacturers website and install them. Go back to Printers & scanners > click on Add printer or scanner > Windows will search for and find the printer (assuming it’s connected to your machine or on the same network) > set the printer as our default again.

Reinstalling drivers should also work for other hardware not working on Windows 10 like keyboards, etc. If the manufacturer does not have Windows 10 drivers available, try the Windows 8 drivers as these usually also work.

How to import your bookmarks into the Windows 10 Edge Browser

Windows 10 comes with a new browser, Windows Edge, which replaces Internet Explorer. Windows Edge is better than Internet Explorer in a number of ways, and you can get started by importing your favorites from Internet Explorer or Chrome so that you’ll have all your bookmarks at your fingertips.

Open the Windows Edge browser > click on the three horizontal lines in the upper right-hand corner > select Import favorites > select the browser to import from > click Import. Once the import is done, access your bookmarks by clicking on Favorites (star icon) under the menu (three lines as above) or to active your favorites bar click on the three dots > click Settings > toggle On the Show the favorites bar option.

How to stop annoying pop-up ads in the Windows Edge browser

One drawback of the Windows Edge browser is the annoying pop-up ads Microsoft shows you (guess they have to keep the lights on somehow). The good news is that you can easily block pop-up ads in the Edge browser.

Click in the three dots > click Settings > scroll down and click on View advanced settings > toggle On Block pop-ups.

Side note: You may have noticed that the Home button is missing in the Edge browser. Get it back by toggling On Show the home button while you’re blocking those pop-ups.

How to set default apps in Windows 10

After your Windows 10 upgrade, some of your files may no longer open with your default app of choice. For me, this was my music and video files. The upgrade set the default apps to Microsoft’s new Groove Music and Movies & TV apps. I prefer using VLC media player as my default for music and video.

Whatever your preference, to reset your default apps, right-click on the file you want to open > select Open with > click Choose another app > select your preferred app and tick the box for Always use this app > click OK to set your new default app.

How to disable Wi-Fi Sense in Windows 10

Wi-Fi Sense is a new feature in Windows 10 that automatically shares your Internet connection via Wi-Fi with contacts you have stored in Windows. This makes it easy when friends and family come to visit as you don’t have to trot out your complicated password every time someone wants to connect, but if you’re worried about privacy, you can easily disable Wi-Fi Sense.

Go to Start > Settings > Network & Internet > click Manage Wi-Fi settings > clear all of the boxes under For networks I select, share them with my to disable Wi-Fi Sense.

Main image credit: Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay