Saturday, January 25, 2014

HOW TO REMOVE QVO6 VIRUS ?

Qvo6.com Homepage – Virus Removal Guide

Qvo6 is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to qvo6.com.
This in itself is not considered malicious as there are many legitimate programs that change these settings as well. What is considered malicious, though, is that it will also append the argumenthttp://www.Qvo6.com/ro/?si=41460&shortcut=true&tid=293 to random Windows shortcuts on your desktop and your Windows Start Menu.
[Image: Qvo6 virus]

When Qvo6 has hijacked your browser shortcuts, each time you’ll open Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome, you’ll be redirect to Qvo6.com.

Qvo6 Search will display advertisements and sponsored links in your search results, and may collect search terms from your search queries. The Qvo6 Search hijack is used to boost advertising revenue, as in the use of blackhat SEO, to inflate a site’s page ranking in search results.

Qvo6 Search got on your computer after you have installed a freeware software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this browser hijacker.
For example, when you install MyFFVideoConverter, you will also agree to change your default browser homepage to Qvo6.com and set your default search engine to qvo6.com. However when you uninstall MyFFVideoConverter from your computer, your web browser’s default settings will not be restored. This means that you’ll have to remove Qvo6 homepage from your favorite web browser manually.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Qvo6 Search. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

Qvo6 Search – Virus Removal Guide

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove Conduit Search from your Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any pointSTOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Remove Qvo6 virus from your computer with AdwCleaner
STEP 2:Clean up the various Windows shortcuts that have been hijacked by Qvo6 virus
STEP 3: Remove Qvo6 virus from your web browser with Junkware Removal Tool
STEP 4: Remove Qvo6 malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 5: Double-check for the Qvo6 infection with HitmanPro

STEP 1: Remove Qvo6 virus from your computer with AdwCleaner

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer for Qvo6 malicious files, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer)
Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.

If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the Scan button as shown below.

AdwCleaner will now start to search for Qvo6.com malicious files that may be installed on your computer.
To remove the Qvo6.com malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the Clean button.

AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or data as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button.

STEP 2: Clean up the various Windows shortcuts that have been hijacked by Qvo6 virus

Search for your browser shortcut (Desktop, Taskbar or Start Menu Shortcut), then right click on it and select Properties.
In the Shortcut tab, in the Target field, remove the http://www.Qvo6.com argument. Basically, there should be only the path to browser executable file. Nothing more.

If you are experiencing problems while trying to remove the Qvo6.com search shortcut hijack, you can download Shortcut Cleaner from the below link, and then you’ll just need to run this utility to fix your Windows shortcuts. When it is done, it will show you a log that contains a list of shortcuts that were cleaned.
SHORTCUT CLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new webpage from where you can download Shortcut Cleaner on your computer)

STEP 3: Remove Qvo6 virus from your web browser with Junkware Removal Tool

Junkware Removal Tool is a powerful utility, which will remove Qvo6 Search from Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome, and will double-check for any other compromised Windows shortcuts.

You can download the Junkware Removal Tool utility from the below link:
JUNKWARE REMOVAL TOOL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download the Junkware Removal Tool utility on your computer)
Once Junkware Removal Tool has finished downloading, please double-click on the JRT.exeicon as seen below.

If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run Junkware Removal Tool, please allow it to run.
Junkware Removal Tool will now start, and at the Command Prompt, you’ll need to press any key to perform a scan for the Qvo6 virus.

Please be patient as this can take a while to complete (up to 10 minutes) depending on your system’s specifications.
When the scan Junkware Removal Tool will be completed, this utility will display a log with the malicious files and registry keys that were removed from your computer.

STEP 5: Remove Qvo6 malicious files from your computer with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

You can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free from the below link,then double click on it to install this program.
MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)
When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process.
Do not make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, click on the Finish button.
On the Scanner tab, select Perform quick scan and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.
Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer as shown below.
When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed,click on Show Result.
You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected.Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked) and click on the Remove Selected button.

STEP 5: Double check for the Qvo6 infection with HitmanPro

You can download HitmanPro from the below link, then double click on it to start this program.
HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
HitmanPro will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the Next button) to start a system scan with this program.
HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for malware, as seen in the image below.
Once the scan is complete,you’ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you’ll need to click on Next to remove these malicious files.
Click Activate free licenseto start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.

Your computer should now be free of the Qvo6 infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Qvo6 Search virus from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.

FC Barcelona fan, Starbucks addicted and super geek.
I am the creator and owner of MalwareTips.com
My area of expertise includes malware removal and computer forensics. I'm active in the various online anti-malware communities where I do researches for new malware threats as they are released.
I live in Bucharest (Romania), where I run my own local computer repair shop.
I repair both hardware and other operating systems related issues, however most of my business is malware related problems.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

5 Ways to Run Linux Software on Windows

Linux users often want to run Windows software on Linux, but Windows users may want to run Linux software, too. Whether you’re looking for a better development environment or powerful command-line tools, you can run Linux software without leaving Windows.

There are many different options for running Linux software on Windows. It’s easier than running Windows software on Linux, as anyone can set up a virtual machine with a free Linux distribution — no need for software licenses.

Virtual Machines

Virtual machines allow you to run any operating system in a window on your desktop. You can install the free VirtualBox or VMware Player, download an ISO file for a Linux distribution such asUbuntu, and install that Linux distribution inside the virtual machine like you would install it on a standard computer.

When you need to boot up your Linux system, you can do it in a window on your desktop — no need for rebooting and leaving all your Windows programs behind. Everything but demanding games and advanced 3D effects should work just fine, but you likely won’t want to use those, anyway.

If you’re installing Ubuntu in a virtual machine, you may want to try installing an Ubuntu derivative like Xubuntu instead. Ubuntu’s default Unity desktop uses 3D effects and the desktop interface doesn’t perform as smoothly in a virtual machine as past desktops did. Xubuntu uses Xfce, which is much more lightweight.

You could even try using VirtualBox’s seamless mode or VMware’s unity mode to run Linux applications directly on your desktop — they’ll be running in the virtual machine, but their windows will be present on your Windows desktop instead of trapped in a single virtual machine window.

Cygwin

Cygwin is a collection of tools that offer a Linux-like environment on Windows. It’s not a way to run existing Linux software on Windows — the software will have to be recompiled. However, much software has already been recompiled. Cygwin will give you a Linux-like terminal and command-line environment with many of the command-line programs you may already be used to.

We’ve previously covered installing and using Cygwin. You can even use Cygwin to install an OpenSSH server and get SSH access to a Windows system.

This solution is ideal for users missing crucial Linux utilities on Windows — it’s not a way to run a full Linux desktop.

Install Ubuntu via Wubi

This method is technically installing Linux, not running Linux software on Windows. You’ll have to reboot each time you want to use your Linux system just as if you had installed it in a standard dual-boot configuration.

However, Wubi doesn’t install Ubuntu in the normal way. Instead, it creates a special file on your Windows partition and uses that file as your Ubuntu drive. This means that you can install Ubuntu and use it without any partitioning and you can uninstall Ubuntu from the Windows Control Panel when you’re done.

If the partitioning aspects are what’s holding you back, give Wubi a try. Performance won’t be quite as good as a normally installed Linux system when it comes to disk read and write times, but it should be faster than a virtual machine.

Ported and Compiled Programs

Many common Linux programs have already been ported to Windows and compiled versions have been made available online. If you really miss Emacs, you’ll find versions of Emacs for Windows. If you want to run a specific program on Windows, perform a Google search for the name of that program and “Windows” — there’s a good chance you’ll find a version of the program that ‘s been ported to Windows.

coLinux-based Distributions

coLinux stands for Cooperative Linux. It’s a way to natively run Linux alongside the Windows kernel in a way that offers much faster performance than simply running Linux in a virtual machine.

This is a great idea, but there’s a problem. coLinux doesn’t yet support 64-bit versions of Windows, so you’ll need to be running a 32-bit version of Windows on your machine to do this — that’s increasingly rare. coLinux hasn’t released a new version in over two years, so development seems to be either stalled or moving very slowly.

If you want to try this out, you may want to try out Portable Ubuntu Remix. This coLinux-based distribution was last updated in 2011, so it’s a bit old — but other options like andLinux are even more out of date. andLinux, which we’ve covered in the past, was last updated in 2009.

coLinux-based distributions would be a great option, but they seem to be getting left behind. If you don’t mind using years-old Linux software and a 32-bit version of Windows, this option may work for you anyway.

What You Need to Know About Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 is available to everyone starting today, October 18. The latest version of Windows improves on Windows 8 in every way. It’s a big upgrade, whether you use the desktop or new touch-optimized interface.

The latest version of Windows has been dubbed “an apology” by some — it’s definitely more at home on a desktop PC than Windows 8 was. However, it also offers a more fleshed out and mature tablet experience.

How to Get Windows 8.1

For Windows 8 users, Windows 8.1 is completely free. It will be available as a download from the Windows Store — that’s the “Store” app in the Modern, tiled interface.

Assuming upgrading to the final version will be just like upgrading to the preview version, you’ll likely see a “Get Windows 8.1″ pop-up that will take you to the Windows Store and guide you through the download process.

You’ll also be able to download ISO images of Windows 8.1, so you can perform a clean install to upgrade. On any new computer, you can just install Windows 8.1 without going through Windows 8. New computers will start to ship with Windows 8.1 and boxed copies of Windows 8 will be replaced by boxed copies of Windows 8.1.

If you’re using Windows 7 or a previous version of Windows, the update won’t be free. Getting Windows 8.1 will cost you the same amount as a full copy of Windows 8 — $120 for the standard version. If you’re an average Windows 7 user, you’re likely better off waiting until you buy a new PC with Windows 8.1 included rather than spend this amount of money to upgrade.

Improvements for Desktop Users

Some have dubbed Windows 8.1 “an apology” from Microsoft, although you certainly won’t see Microsoft referring to it this way. Either way, Steven Sinofsky, who presided over Windows 8′s development, left the company shortly after Windows 8 was released. Coincidentally, Windows 8.1 contains many features that Steven Sinofsky and Microsoft refused to implement the first time.

Windows 8.1 offers the following big improvements for desktop users:

Boot to Desktop: You can now log in directly to the desktop, skipping the tiled interface entirely.
Disable Top-Left and Top-Right Hot Corners: The app switcher and charms bar won’t appear when you move your mouse to the top-left or top-right corners of the screen if you enable this option. No more intrusions into the desktop.
The Start Button Returns: Windows 8.1 brings back an always-present Start button on the desktop taskbar, dramatically improving discoverability for new Windows 8 users and providing a bigger mouse target for remote desktops and virtual machines. Crucially, the Start menu isn’t back — clicking this button will open the full-screen Modern interface. Start menu replacements will continue to function on Windows 8.1, offering more traditional Start menus.

Show All Apps By Default: Luckily, you can hide the Start screen and its tiles almost entirely. Windows 8.1 can be configured to show a full-screen list of all your installed apps when you click the Start button, with desktop apps prioritized. The only real difference is that the Start menu is now a full-screen interface.
Shut Down or Restart From Start Button: You can now right-click the Start button to access Shut down, Restart, and other power options in just as many clicks as you could on Windows 7.

Shared Start Screen and Desktop Backgrounds; Windows 8 limited you to just a few Steven Sinofsky-approved background images for your Start screen, but Windows 8.1 allows you to use your desktop background on the Start screen. This can make the transition between the Start screen and desktop much less jarring. The tiles or shortcuts appear to be floating above the desktop rather than off in their own separate universe.
Unified Search: Unified search is back, so you can start typing and search your programs, settings, and files all at once — no more awkwardly clicking between different categories when trying to open a Control Panel screen or search for a file.

These are just the improvements specifically for desktop users. Windows 8.1 includes other useful features for everyone, such as deep SkyDrive integration that allows you to store your files in the cloud without installing any additional sync programs.These all add up to a big improvement when using Windows 8.1 on the desktop. Microsoft is being much more flexible — the Start menu is full screen, but Microsoft has relented on so many other things and you’d never have to see a tile if you didn’t want to. For more information, read our guide to optimizing Windows 8.1 for a desktop PC.

Improvements for Touch Users

If you have a Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet or another touch-based device that you use the interface formerly known as Metro on, you’ll see many other noticeable improvements. Windows 8′s new interface was half-baked when it launched, but it’s now much more capable and mature.

App Updates: Windows 8′s included apps were extremely limited in many cases. For example, Internet Explorer 10 could only display ten tabs at a time and the Mail app was a barren experience devoid of features. In Windows 8.1, some apps — like Xbox Music — have been redesigned from scratch. Internet Explorer allows you to display a tab bar on-screen all the time, while apps like Mail have accumulated quite a few useful features. The Windows Store app has been entirely redesigned and is less awkward to browse.
Snap Improvements: Windows 8′s Snap feature was a toy, allowing you to snap one app to a small sidebar at one side of your screen while another app consumed most of your screen. Windows 8.1 allows you to snap two apps side-by-side, seeing each app’s full interface at once. On larger displays, you can even snap three or four apps at once. Windows 8′s ability to use multiple apps at once on a tablet is compelling and unmatched by iPads and Android tablets. You can also snap two of the same apps side-by-side — to view two web pages at once, for example.

More Comprehensive PC Settings: Windows 8.1 offers a more comprehensive PC settings app, allowing you to change most system settings in a touch-optimized interface. You shouldn’t have to use the desktop Control Panel on a tablet anymore — or at least not as often.
Touch-Optimized File Browsing: Microsoft’s SkyDrive app allows you to browse files on your local PC, finally offering a built-in, touch-optimized way to manage files without using the desktop.
Help & Tips: Windows 8.1 includes a Help+Tips app that will help guide new users through its new interface, something Microsoft stubbornly refused to add during development.

There’s still no “Modern” version of Microsoft Office apps (aside from OneNote), so you’ll still have to head to the desktop to use Office apps on tablets. It’s not perfect, but the Modern interface doesn’t feel anywhere near as immature anymore. Read our in-depth look at the ways Microsoft’s Modern interface, formerly known as Metro, is improved in Windows 8.1 for more information.

In summary, Windows 8.1 is what Windows 8 should have been. All of these improvements are on top of the many great desktop features, security improvements, and all-around battery life and performance optimizations that appeared in Windows 8.

If you’re still using Windows 7 and are happy with it, there’s probably no reason to race out and buy a copy of Windows 8.1 at the rather high price of $120. But, if you’re using Windows 8, it’s a big upgrade no matter what you’re doing.

If you buy a new PC and it comes with Windows 8.1, you’re getting a much more flexible and comfortable experience. If you’re holding off on buying a new computer because you don’t want Windows 8, give Windows 8.1 a try — yes, it’s different, but Microsoft has compromised on the desktop while making a lot of improvements to the new interface. You just might find that Windows 8.1 is now a worthwhile upgrade, even if you only want to use the desktop.

14 Special Google Searches That Show Instant Answers

Google can do more than display lists of websites – Google will give you quick answers to many special searches. While Google isn’t quite as advanced as Wolfram Alpha, it has quite a few tricks up its sleeve.

We’ve also covered searching Google like a pro by learning the Google search operators – if you want to master Google, be sure to learn those.

Calculator

You can use Google as a calculator – just type in a quick calculation and Google will provide an answer. Google now offers a clickable calculator tool when you search for a calculation, so you can use Google like you’d use a calculator application on your desktop or smartphone.

Unit Conversions

Google can also convert between a variety of units. Just type a search in the form X unit to unit. For example, 40 degrees f to c converts 40 degrees Fahrenheit to Celsius.

As with the calculator, the unit conversion tool is clickable.

You can also combine unit conversations and math. For example, the search two miles plus 500 yards in kilometers will return a valid answer.

Currency Conversions

Google can also do currency conversions for you. You can do a search such as usd to cad to see the exchange rate between two currencies, or do a search such as 500 usd to cad to see how much a certain amount of currency is worth in another currency.

Your IP Address

You can determine your current public IP address by typing what is my ip into Google – or just search for my ip.

Weather

To see the weather in a specific location, search for weather location – for example, search forweather new york to see a weather forecast for New York. If you enter weather without a location, Google will show you the weather for your current area.

Sunrise and Sunset

You can also view the sunrise or sunset times for a location by typing sunrise location orsunset location. Like with the weather search, searching for sunrise or sunset without a location will show you the sunrise or sunset times for your current location.

Times

View the current time for a location by typing time location – for example, searching for time paris will show you the current time in Paris, France. Like with the weather searches, searching for time without a location will show you the current time where you are.

Package Tracking

If you want to track a package, you can enter a UPS, USPS, or Fedex tracking number directly in the Google search box. Google will link you to the appropriate package-tracking page.

Dictionary Definitions

To view the dictionary definition for a word, search for define word – Google will show you the definition of the word, along with a button you can click to hear the word pronounced aloud.

Flight Tracking

View the status of a flight by typing an airline name followed by a flight number.

Flight Schedules

Search for available flights by searching for flights from city to city. Google will show you a list of available flights along with their prices, durations, and airlines – you can enter your dates and locate flights right from the search page.

Movie Schedules

Want to see a movie in a theater? Search for movies followed by your postal code to view a list of movies playing near you.

Data

You can view many types of data for different cities and countries, such as the population and unemployment rate, by searching for them. For example, searching for population location will show you the population of that location, whether it’s a city, state, or country.

Stock Information

View about a stock, including its price and a graph of its price history, by searching for any stock symbol on Google.

10 Great New Features for Tablet Users in Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 adds many improvements to the Windows 8 experience, both for classic PC users and users with hybrid devices or tablets. These 10 features will be appreciated by users with touch screens in Windows 8.1, so if you have a tablet or a hybrid device with Windows 8, here’s what’s exciting about Windows 8.1.

Ciprian Rusen is a blogger at 7 Tutorials and co-author of Windows 8.1 Step by Step.

1. Better, more customizable Start screen & app tiles

The Start screen has received many improvements. First of all, you have a wider range of options for tile sizes than in Windows 8. This is great because you can make certain tiles much bigger and have them display more useful data, or make others much smaller. For example, you can set the Weather app tile to display more data for the locations that interest you or you can view more of your daily schedule displayed by the Calendar app tile. If you use also desktop apps on your tablet or hybrid device, you can make their shortcuts very small so that you don’t confuse them with the tiles used by modern apps. Also, using small tiles means you can add more of them to the Start screen.

The process for adding new tiles and shortcuts, grouping them and naming groups has also been improved. In Windows 8.1, it is much easier to pin shortcuts to the Start screen. For example, in Windows 8, pinning “PC Settings” to the Start screen wasn’t possible without using a weird workaround. In Windows 8.1 this is done with a few taps.

Last but not least, there are many more ways to configure the look of the Start screen. There are more wallpapers, and background and accent colors to choose from. Also, you can use a custom wallpaper by setting the Start screen to use the same wallpaper as the Desktop.

2. PC Settings is growing into a great Control Panel for touch users

For Windows 8 touch users, the introduction of PC Settings was really important. The problem with it was that it did not include many settings and users had to go to the Control Panel, on the Desktop, quite often. That’s OK if you also have a mouse and keyboard but really frustrating when using touch. Fortunately, Microsoft has put a lot of effort into improving PC Settings. In Windows 8, this panel had only 12 categories of settings. In Windows 8.1, PC Settings has 43 subcategories of settings, split into 9 big categories. That means you can set the way Windows 8.1 works in a lot more detail, and you will need to get back to the Desktop a lot less often.

3. More ways to snap apps side by side

In Windows 8.1, depending on the size and the resolution used by your touch screen, you can snap two or more apps side by side, and in general, you can snap apps in many more ways than in Windows 8.

This makes it easier for Windows 8.1 tablet users to multitask.

4. Many improved touch apps

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft took the most important apps they bundled with Windows 8 and improved them. For example, Mail has been completely redesigned and it has become a very friendly and easy app to use. The Internet Explorer app has received many improvements as well: it can now work with more than 10 tabs open at the same time, it has a much better download manager, a new “Reading View” for viewing web pages without ads and other distractions, and a better rendering engine that’s faster and has better compatibility with the specifications of the HTML5 standard.

The Windows Store has also been redesigned. In Windows 8.1 it is a lot easier to browse the Store and discover new apps. Its tile also displays live data about the new apps that are published in the Store. Therefore, you will receive useful app suggestions without having to open the Windows Store. Another thing I enjoy about it is that it analyzes the apps you install and it builds a personalized list of recommendations based on your app purchase history.

Other apps have also received improvements, including the Camera app that is better at taking pictures & recording video and has more editing features. The Xbox Music app has also been redesigned and the user experience is now better than it was in Windows 8. The list of improvements doesn’t stop here, though. The complete list of updated and improved apps is just too long to mention.

5. New & useful touch apps

Windows 8.1 also introduces many new touch apps: Alarms, Calculator, Sound Recorder, Food & Drink, Health & Fitness, Reading List and Scan. As you can see, they are very diverse in what they do, but if there’s one thing they have in common, it’s that they are very useful.

They all are high quality apps that work well at what they do and can be useful to most tablet users.

6. Search is faster and better

For me, this is one of the biggest new features in Windows 8.1 – search and its integration with Bing and other services. Not only can you perform faster searches in Windows 8.1, but the results are displayed in a beautiful manner. They include not only local files, shortcuts and apps but also information taken from the web and services like Xbox Music, Wikipedia, Freebase, the Windows Store and Bing.

Another improvement in Windows 8.1 is that there is a Search box in each new app. If you want to discover content from that app only, use the search box found in its user interface. There’s no need to bring up the charms and perform a search there. For most users, this is a more logical way of doing in-app searches.

7. Useful typing improvements for touch screens

The touch keyboard in Windows 8.1 has also received attention from Microsoft. One of the new features I love is that you can press the key of a letter and keep it pressed. A menu is then shown with all the special characters based on that letter. This is very useful to users who need to write in more than one language, like myself. Another improvement is that if you see a number displayed on the top left corner of a letter, you can quickly drag up that letter and have that number typed.

Last but not least, you can choose from three types of keyboard layouts, so that you can type as fast as possible.

8. Hands-Free mode is an interesting way of interacting with your tablet

Hands-Free mode is a new feature that’s available for Windows 8.1 apps. This mode uses the camera on your tablet or hybrid device to scan your hands’ movements to navigate through the contents of an app. While this mode is on, you can use your right-hand to scroll to the left or your left-hand to scroll to the right, without touching the screen. Just move your hands in front of the camera, as shown in the tutorial for this mode.

One of the best uses for this mode can be found in the Bing Food & Drink app. You can load a recipe prior to the moment when you start cooking, and then scroll through it when cooking without touching the screen with your dirty hands.

I’m sure developers will find great uses for this feature and that they will implement this mode in more apps.

9. Taking pictures & recording videos from the lock screen

This is a small but nifty feature. Lock your tablet (do not sign out) and then, on the lock screen, place your finger on the top of the screen and drag downward. The Camera app is opened and you can use it to take quick pictures or record video, without signing into Windows 8.1. If you have a front camera, you can also switch between cameras with only a press of a button.

10. It is easier to get help when meeting Windows 8.1 for the first time

A big complaint about Windows 8 was that Microsoft did not offer much in terms of help for new users to learn the quirks of its new interface. Luckily, Windows 8.1 has fixed this problem by providing a new app named “Help+Tips”.

You can use it to quickly learn the basics about the Start screen, built-in apps, basic actions for navigating the operating system, customizing settings and more.

Conclusion

I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that all these improvements add-up to a more productive experience when using Windows 8.1 on devices with touch. My list is not comprehensive by any means. Microsoft has made so many small improvements that it is difficult to notice and document all of them. If you have used Windows 8.1 and you know other useful features for users with touch screens, don’t hesitate to share them in a comment.

Ciprian Rusen is a blogger at 7 Tutorials and co-author of Windows 8.1 Step by Step. The book is for average computer users who want to learn how to use Windows 8.1 and configure it to suit themselves. It covers almost everything you need to know, from how to install Windows 8.1 and how to personalize it, to how to work with SkyDrive, secure Windows 8.1 or troubleshoot problems.

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