Enable system protection in Windows 10

(Since this article’s original publication, Microsoft issued an update to this process in Windows 10 that requires users to also select System info. The update is reflected in the instructions below.)

Q. We’ve finally upgraded our company to Windows 10. Should we make any special setting adjustments?

A. By default, Windows 10 has system protection disabled on many computers. (Whether this tool is enabled depends on the group policy settings employed by computer manufacturers or corporate IT departments that initially set up Windows on your computer.) If your system protection is disabled, I recommend you enable it in Windows 10, as follows. Right-click the Start button and select System, System info, System protection. Then click Configure (if necessary), and click the Turn on system protection option as pictured below, and then click the Apply button in the lower-right corner of the System Protection for Data dialog box.

Next, in the same dialog box, click the Create button to set an initial restore point, assuming your computer is functioning properly. This will give you at least one restore point to turn to if your computer develops a problem.

As another setup suggestion, you should edit your Windows Start Screen to place and display the tiles you most frequently use more conveniently at your fingertips. For example, in the screenshot below, I’ve resized and organized the Start Screen’s menu tiles to display those apps I use most frequently, by dragging them from the Start Menu (as suggested by the red arrow below). This visual menu makes it easier to access my favorite applications, especially on my touchscreen devices.

About the author

J. Carlton Collins (carlton@asaresearch.com) is a technology consultant, a CPE instructor, and a JofA contributing editor.

Note: Instructions for Microsoft Office in “Technology Q&A” refer to the 2007 through 2016 versions, unless otherwise specified.

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