February 2020 – A Blog about Microsoft Office and Windows Software

How to Rename Scheduled Task in Task Scheduler on Windows 10

If there are tasks on Windows that you simply do daily, like launching a course when you start your system, copying files, closing Windows at a specific time, etc., then the thing you need is Windows Task Scheduler. Though it looks simple, Windows Task Scheduler is very powerful and enables you to automate just about anything in Windows.

I automate several tasks on my Windows machine. For instance, I have a task to spread out Thunderbird and Firefox when I get on my system, an activity to backup Thunderbird, an activity to launch FreeFileSync batch files, an activity to backup data, a task to auto shutdown Windows when asleep, etc.

TL;DR, I use Task Scheduler extensively to automate quite a few things on Windows.

As useful as it is, for whatever reason, once you create a task within the Task Scheduler, you cannot rename scheduled task. You are tied to whatever name you gave while creating the task.
Why Can’t You Rename Task in Task Scheduler

There is no definitive answer to why you cannot rename a task in Task Scheduler. Maybe it somehow messes with how Task Scheduler works together with the duties. But that is not the case on older versions of Windows. In Windows XP and Windows 2000, the task files are usually saved in the %SystemRoot%\Tasks folder with .job extension. Whenever you want to rename an activity, all you need to do is rename the file and you’re simply all set.

In the newer Windows versions, you can no more do this. Should you visit the Tasks folder, you will not even find any files, at least using the .job extension.

But, i am not saying you can’t rename scheduled tasks. Without further ado, let me show you how you can rename task in Task Scheduler in Windows 10.

Rename Scheduled Task

I’m showing the process in Windows 10, however it will work on Windows 7 and Windows 8 too.

The secret to rename scheduled task in task scheduler is to export the job and import it again. It sounds complicated but it’s not. Follow the steps and you will rename the task all right.

1. First, search for “Task Scheduler” within the start menu and open it.

2. In the Task Scheduler, select “Task Scheduler Library” on the left panel to determine all the tasks. Now, right-click around the task you need to alter the name and select “Export.”

3. Browse to any location and save the file by clicking the “Save” button. You are able to name the file anything you want, just mind the .xml file extension.

4. We have to import the task again to rename it. On the right-panel, select “Import task” option.

5. Browse towards the previous location, choose the exported task and click on the “Open” button.

6. While importing you can rename the job. Go into the new task name in the “Name” field, enter a proper description in the “Description” field and click on the “Ok” button.

7. That’s it. You’ve successfully renamed scheduled task in Task Scheduler.

8. Don’t forget to delete the duplicate task with the old name. To delete the job, right-click on it and choose “Delete.” If you want to be careful, disable the task by selecting the “Disable” option. When you are sure the imported or renamed scheduled task is being employed as it ought to, you are able to delete that old disabled scheduled task.

I know this can be a roundabout way but it’s the very best you have to rename scheduled task in Task Scheduler on Windows.

How to Force Delete Files in Windows 10 (2019 Simple & Easy)

Every so often, there will be instances when you can just can’t delete the file. In those case, stick to the below steps to force delete files in Windows 10.

Generally, in Windows, you can delete a file or folder by simply pressing the Delete button. When deleted, the file is gone to live in the Trash can. If you have enabled the Storage Sense feature, Windows will automatically clear the Recycle Bin every 30 days or so. Obviously, you can also completely skip the Trash can by pressing the Shift + Delete key.

That being said, at times, the target file might be being used and therefore, Windows cannot delete the file. This really is mainly because the file is locked. If the file is locked with a few other process, Windows cannot delete it.

However, the thing is, it’s not no surprise that or what application or process is blocking the file from being deleted. In those situations, you are able to execute a single line command to force delete files.

Warning: Before force deleting, make sure that no important data is kept in the file. Additionally, produce a backup before deleting the file. Once deleted, you cannot restore the file.

The command to make Delete Files

To force delete personal files in Windows, we are going to make use of a single line command. As soon as you execute the command, it’ll force delete the prospective file.

1. The very first thing you need is the file path. It’s very easy to find. Open the file explorer, go to where the file is stored. Next, click the address bar and you will see the path. Copy it.

2. Now, open the Command Prompt as administrator by searching for “cmd” within the start menu deciding on the “Run as Administrator” option.

3. Within the command prompt window, you have to visit the folder in which the file is stored. If the file is kept in another drive, execute the below command while replacing X using the actual drive letter. For instance, my file is stored in the E: drive. So, I entered E within the below command.

Note: If the file you are attempting to delete is in the C drive, you are able to skip this step.

4. Using the above command, you’ll be come to the drive where the file is situated. Next, execute the below command while replacing the dummy path using the actual path where the file is located.

cd E:\Dummy\Folder

Note: If you are unsure, use the dir command to list all of the files and folders within the directory and see if the file you are trying to delete is in the list.

5. Once you are in the folder in which the file is situated, execute the below command while replacing fileName.ext using the actual file name along with its extension. With my case, the file I’m trying to delete is really a zip file. So, I entered the file name and its .zip extension.

del /s /q “fileName.ext”

6. If Windows has the capacity to delete the file, you will see a “Deleted File” response.

Wrapping Up

That is it. It’s that simple to force delete a file in Windows 10.

How to Event Log Login and Shutdown Activities in Windows 10

In Windows, you can track all logins and shutdowns with Event Viewer. For those who have multiple users making use of your system and want to know which user logged in and logged off when then follow the below steps to log shutdown and login activities to event viewer in Windows 10.

Windows has some incredible tools that whenever used properly, will give you a lot of control and information. Event Viewer is one such tool.

In case you don’t know, Windows logs nearly every event that occurs in your body. You can see those logs in case Viewer. However, some events like login and leave are just logged to the Event Viewer after specifically enabling the policies. Once you start logging the login and shutdown activities, you can easily know when someone logged to your PC by checking the log times.

So, without further ado, let me show how you can log login and leave events to event viewer.

Log Shutdown and Login Activities to Event Viewer

Like I said before, you need to enable a simple policy in the Group Policy Editor. The advantage of the insurance policy is that it will log all successful without success login or log off activities. So, theoretically, you may also know if someone tried and failed to log into your PC.

1. Open Group Policy Editor by trying to find “Edit Group Policy” and hitting the result. You can also look for “gpedit.msc” too.

2. All of the policies are divided into a number of different folders. You can see those folders around the left panel. Visit the following folder on the left panel.

Computer Configuration → Windows Settings → Security Settings → Local Policies → Audit Policy

3. Around the right panel, find and double-click around the “Audit logon events” policy.

4. Within the policy properties window, select both “Success” and “Failure” checkboxes and then click the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons in order to save changes. Selecting both the checkboxes will help you to log both successful and failed logon events.

5. To apply the alterations, reboot Windows.

After rebooting, Windows will log all login and shutdown activities to the Event Viewer.

View Login and Shutdown Logs

Now, once you have enabled the logs, it’s only natural that you want to see those logs as and when needed. Fortunately Windows logs both shutdown and login events with their event ID. Meaning you can easily find those events.

1. To see the login and leave events, open Event Viewer by looking it up within the start menu.

2. In case Viewer, go to “Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Security” appearing on the left panel.

3. To obtain the login or shutdown events, search for the big event ID’s 4624 and 4634 respectively. All of the IDs are listed underneath the Event ID section in the centre panel.

4. Sometimes, it may be quite hard to find the big event you are looking for. This is especially true for those who have a ton of events. In those situations, you can use the built-in Filter functionality. To filter events, click on the “Filter Current Log” option appearing around the right panel.

5. Within the filter window, select “Last Hour” from the Logged drop-down menu, go into the Event ID (4624 for login events, 4634 for log off events) within the field above Task Category and click on the “Ok” button.

A fast tip: You are able to separate event IDs with , to view multiple events. For instance, to determine both login and leave events, enter “4624, 4634” in case ID field.

6. The above action will show the filter the outcomes and show just the era of your interest.

That is it. It is that easy to log login and shutdown activities and know when someone logins to your computer.

How to Add Folder to “Send To” Menu in Windows 10 (and Programs too)

Send to option, which appears in the right-click context menu is one of the oldest features in Windows 10. Typically, you will notice the “send to” option when you right-click on the file or folder. Follow the below steps to add custom folders to the send to menu in Windows 10.

The default “send to” menu has destinations like Bluetooth device, compressed folder, desktop shortcut, fax recipient, mail recipient, etc. Additionally, you will begin to see the removable device too if it’s plugged in.

The default options are good but they’re not too useful considering the first is fax recipient and the other is mail recipient. Should you hold down the shift key while right-clicking, you will notice a long send to menu with a whole couple of other options. Even so, the extra choices are not too great. To repair that, you can include folders to send to menu to obtain most from it.

For example, if you add your favorite folder to send to menu, you can move files and folders in the downloads folder to it with just a few clicks. No need to copy/cut and paste. Other than folders, you can add specific files and programs to the send to menu. So, let me show you how to add folders to transmit to menu in Windows 10.

The same method works in Windows 7 and Windows 8 too.

Add Folders to “Send to” Menu

Fortunately, it is quite easy to add folders to send to menu. All you need to do is add the target folder shortcut to the “send to” folder. Send to is a special folder in Windows.

1. First, press Win + R to open the Run dialog box. In the run dialog box, enter shell:sendto and press Enter.

2. As soon as you press enter, the SendTo folder will be opened within the File Explorer. Here you will see all of the shortcuts available in the send to menu.

3. Now, to add a folder towards the send to menu. Discover the folder you need to add, choose the target folder, hold down the Alt key and drag and drop it in to the send to folder.

4. If you want to, you are able to rename the shortcut to anything you want.

5. That is all, you’ve added the folder to the send to menu.

Add Programs to Send To Menu

As I said before, you can also add programs towards the send to list out.

To include a program to transmit to list, hold down the Alt key and drag and drop the EXE file of the program. By adding a course towards the send to menu, you will soon send the file or folder to that particular program. This eliminates the necessity to open this program after which added the files manually.

For example, I FileOptimiser to compress images. So, I added FileOptimizer towards the send to menu. After i wish to optimize the pictures, I merely select all of them and select FileOptimizer from the send to menu. This course of action will instantly launch the FileOptimizer, add some files, and begin optimizing them.

Handy, is it not?

New Windows 10 Build Available as Version 2004 RTM Shouldn’t Be Far Away

A new Windows 10 build has become available for users enrolled in the Fast ring of the Windows Insider program because the software giant keeps polishing the next feature update for the OS.

Windows 10 build 19569 doesn’t bring any additional features, but only bug fixes and additional improvements in front of the RTM expected sometime the following month.

This new build is really a preview from the 20H1 update, or version 2004, which according to Microsoft’s typical release calendar, should reach RTM in March after which be pushed to production devices in April or May. People acquainted with the matter said the work on this update was finalized in December, and Microsoft has become only attempting to further polish it before the official launch.

No additional features, obviously

Today’s build introduces a series of fixes (which are embedded in the changelog below), including for errors experienced with virtual machines. Microsoft explains:

“We resolved an issue where SCSI drivers weren’t being recognized with certain third-party virtual machines, which was causing c1900191 errors on these units. We’re continuing to investigate additional c1900191 errors on other devices.”

This build also corrects some Start menu reliability issues, as well as OneDrive glitches that caused high CPU usage on some devices.

As far as the known issues are concerned, one of these affects the brand new Microsoft Edge browser and accessibility.

“We understand Narrator and NVDA users that seek the latest release of Microsoft Edge based on Chromium can experience some difficulty when navigating and reading certain web content. Narrator, NVDA and also the Edge teams know about these issues. Users of legacy Microsoft Edge won’t be affected. NVAccess has released a NVDA 2019.3 that resolves the known problem with Edge,” Microsoft says.

The brand new build can be downloaded at this time by users within the Fast ring from Windows Update.

It’s Not only Microsoft: Apple Also Using Ancient Icons in the Operating System

Microsoft originates under fire several times lately for using ancient icons in Windows 10, some of them even dating back to the Windows 98 era, however it looks like this isn’t something that just the Redmond-based software giant does in an operating system.

Apple, for instance, sticks with similar default user profile images in macOS as with the versions launched a lot of years ago, something obviously unexpected given the operating system in general continues to be improved substantially.

Netflix engineering manager Maria Kazandjieva signaled this issue on Twitter, emphasizing that despite using a 2020 device, she’s still “trapped in some absurd old-school realm of flowers, birds, a lipstick kiss, and sports.”

Refreshing an operating system

While you may use your own profile picture in macOS, Apple indeed hasn’t updated the default account image set in its operating system for some time. This is either intentional, possibly so that they can keep your macOS legacy alive, or unintentional, in which case Apple simply forgot that this a part of its operating system needs a modern refresh as well.

Certainly, this isn’t a vital issue of macOS, but on the other hand, it does show that overhauling a whole operating-system from one system to a different isn’t an easy thing to do.

Microsoft, for example, continues to be in the process of refreshing the look of Windows 10, despite the OS launching in 2015. Parts of the company’s Fluent Design, which was announced many years ago, are still being rolled out to devices gradually, because the focus on the facelift advances.

The icons are something which requires a lot of work, and much more recently, Microsoft started shipping a refreshed icon pack – however, not every icons are getting a contemporary overhaul, only part of them, with the rest prone to follow within the coming weeks and months.

New Intel Wireless Bluetooth Driver Is Up for Grabs – Get Version 21.70.0 Now

Intel has made available a new Wireless version compatible with several of its adapters, namely version 21.70.0, which adds general functional and security optimizations, and fixes a Windows stop error (BSOD) seen when resuming from hibernation.

Moreover, producer makes sure that the Bluetooth device won’t appear as Unknown USB Device in the Device Manager during ongoing file transfer via Bluetooth, and removes an insect that prevented the sound recording from working whenever a certain headset was connected via Bluetooth.

As for the available files, Intel has provided two executables for end-users (home users and business customers) running Windows 10 platforms, one for each 32- and 64-bit architectures, and 3 archives for advanced IT administrators running exactly the same Windows 10 platforms.

So far as installation goes, the process is very simple: just save the appropriate package ideal for your system configuration and bit variant, run it, and follow all instructions displayed for a complete and successful upgrade.

In addition to that, once the installation has finished, it might be a good idea to execute a reboot to be able to allow all changes to take effect properly. If this task isn’t requested automatically, make sure to carry it out manually.

Considering all aforementioned aspects, download Intel Wireless Bluetooth Driver 21.70.0, stick to the one that is valid for computer configuration, put it on, and also check our web site to bear in mind whenever a newer version can be obtained.

How to Clear Icon Cache and Fix Black Background in Windows 10

From time to time, the Windows icon cache may become corrupt or broken. In those situations, the icon will turn black or shows black background behind the icons. In that case, clear icon cache in Windows. Here’s how.

Generally, Windows dynamically builds the icon cache when needed. Once the icons are made, they’re kept in a cache database folder. Next time you visit the same folder, Windows can just show the icons from the cache. Showing icons from cache is a lot faster than dynamically generating theme.

However, there will be instances when Windows shows a black icon or black background behind the particular icon. This occurs because either the icon cache database is broken or corrupt. The good thing is, you are able to clear and rebuild icon cache with a few simple steps.

So, without further ado, allow me to show you how it’s done.

Clear Icon Cache and Rebuild It

Though we are using big words like database, all you need to do is delete several cache files and Windows will automatically rebuild the icon cache whenever needed.

However, there’s one catch. Since icon cache files are actively utilized by the File Explorer, we cannot delete them from the File Explorer. Rather, we have to use a couple of commands. It’s pretty easy. Just follow the steps as is and you’ll be good.

1. First, open the start menu, look for “Command Prompt” and choose the “Run as Administrator” option. You can also choose the same option by right-clicking on the Command Prompt result.

2. In the Command Prompt window, make use of the below command to visit the folder in which the icon cache files are stored.

cd %homepath%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

Related: Wondering what’s the %homepath% within the above command? This is an environment variable. Here are some useful Windows environment variables.

3. Because the File Explorer is actively while using icon cache files, we first need to stop File Explorer. To achieve that, make use of the below command. Don’t worry when your screen goes blank. It’s totally normal.

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

4. After stopping File Explorer, we are able to safely delete the icon cache files. Execute the below command to do so.

del iconcache*

The above command is only going to delete the icon cache files. Once deleted, you will not see any message as long as there is no error.

5. Finally, restart explorer while using below command.

explorer.exe

Overall

That is all. It is that simple to clear icon cache in Windows 10 or other versions of Windows. As mentioned before, you don’t have to manually rebuild the cache. Windows will dynamically generally the cache when you initially go to a folder.

How to Take away the Botched Windows 10 Update KB4524244

Microsoft has recently pulled Windows 10 security update KB4524244 after the company discovered that in some cases, not just that it does not install, it causes other issues by breaking down certain options that come with the operating-system, such as the Reset this PC option.

This security update was published last month 11 as part of this month’s Patch Tuesday rollout and was aimed at all Windows 10 versions released so far, including those no longer getting updates for Home and Pro SKUs.

The Windows 10 versions that received the KB4524244 update are the following:

Windows 10 version 1607 (Anniversary Update)
Windows 10 version 1703 (Creators Update)
Windows 10 version 1709 (Fall Creators Update)
Windows 10 version 1803 (May 2018 Update)
Windows 10 version 1809 (October 2018 Update)
Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update)
Windows 10 version 1909 (November 2019 Update)

Microsoft says you will find technically a number of different issues that you can experience after installing this update, as it follows:

Installation failure
Unnamed post-installation errors
Reset this PC option divided

However, Microsoft says it pulled the update to prevent these problems from hitting more devices. Systems in which the update already installed correctly and no issues are experienced whatsoever don’t need to take it off. On the other hand, if update KB4524244 was installed from Windows Update and you are now encountering these errors or other glitches, removing it’s the only way to correct the behavior.

“To help a sub-set of affected devices, this standalone security update continues to be removed and won’t re-offered from Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) or Microsoft Update Catalog. Note This does not affect any other update, including Latest Cumulative Update (LCU), Monthly Rollup or Security Only update,” Microsoft says.

Removing KB4524244 isn’t a difficult move to make if you’re able to boot towards the desktop – should you can’t, you’d better allow Windows to undo changes after which boot to the old desktop; because the update is no longer available for download from Windows Update, it shouldn’t be provided again.

So what you need to do on Windows 10 is adopt these measures to uninstall KB4524244:

Windows 10 > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Update History > View your update history > Uninstall updates

Search for KB4524244 in the listing of installed updates and then remove it. A reboot from the system will be required to save your changes – again, because the update is no longer offered on Windows Update, it shouldn’t reattempt to set up, so no further modifications are required on your side and everything ought to be normal again.

Additionally, you can also uninstall the update from the command line. To get this done, click the Start menu, type cmd.exe > Right-click Command Prompt > Run as administrator after which within the app type the following command:

wusa /uninstall /kb:KB4524244 /quiet

A reboot may also be required after running the command in order to save the changes to the system.

While Microsoft says it would no more re-release the update after it corrects the problems, the organization claims that the patched version would go reside in the approaching weeks. Most likely, Microsoft will wait until the next Patch Tuesday rollout to solve the issues – in March, Patch Tuesday happens on the 10th, so we’re still some 3 weeks away from the moment a full patch would land.

“We are working with an improved form of this update in coordination with our partners and can release it in a future update,” Microsoft says.

Three Windows 10X Features We Need in Windows 10

Windows 10X isn’t only a practical system that’s designed to power a brand new category of devices, but also the platform accountable for introducing a series of changes towards the modern Windows experienced pioneered by Windows 10.

Given it’s supposed to be utilized on dual-screen and foldable PCs, Windows 10X comes with several notable changes that should eventually make their way to full Windows 10 as well. And judging from sources acquainted with the matter, this is something which Microsoft is definitely considering right now.

The beginning menu

As we know already, Windows 10X features a redesigned Start menu that’s with different significantly simplified approach versus the sibling that’s currently available on Windows 10.

To begin with, there are no live tiles, which makes sense given that the reason for the Start menu is first of all to let you launch apps. Live tiles only result in the UI more cluttered, and on a device such as the Surface Neo, you really don’t want this to occur.

The new Start menu in Windows 10X displays the pinned app icons in a super-clean way. You can launch the Start menu in the auto-hiding taskbar at the bottom of the screen – this behavior, however, shouldn’t be moved to Windows 10, because the current implementation from the taskbar, along with a Start button to launch the beginning menu, will work better on the PC going forward.

However, the beginning menu overall looks cleaner and serves its purpose better in Windows 10X. Previously, sources with understanding of the matter said Microsoft was considering transitioning this Start menu to full Windows 10, but a choice in this regard hasn’t been made.

The centered taskbar

Since it’s based on Windows 10, Windows 10X also includes its own taskbar that is displayed separately on each screen. Which means you can launch the Start menu separately on both screens, as this approach enables you to open newly discovered apps on each display and run them alongside.

The taskbar icons, however, are centered in Windows 10X, unlike in Windows 10 where they’re aligned left. This is really an element that users have been drooling after for a long time – in Windows 10, you can align taskbar icons to the core screen using an app called FalconX.

Microsoft, however, should at least offer such functionality as an option, allowing users to choose how they want the taskbar to appear like. Sure, centered icons on the taskbar would make it look a lot more like the dock in macOS, but after your day if users like it by doing this, there’s absolutely no problem if Microsoft causes it to be happen.

The experience center

I’ve never been an enormous fan of the present action center in Windows 10, despite using it regularly, and so i would rather possess a more simplified approach that just displays the quick actions without eating a lot space on screen.

Much like the one out of Windows 10X, that is, because this the first is cleaner and perfectly aligns with the rest from the OS anyway. The action center here displays simplified buttons in a light theme (a dark theme will also be offered, and also the action center will adapt to this visual style).

The amount controls, are much cleaner in Windows 10X and overall feel much more modern, that is absolutely mandatory on the device having a dual-screen or foldable form factor.

Of course, given Windows 10X is still in development right now, many of these should get further refinements by the time this OS makes its way to the first production device.