Your Windows 10 product key should be listed on a sticker located on your computer hardware somewhere - typically in the most inaccessible spot possible. A 25-digit alphanumeric code printed in fine print on the backside of your PC.
cmd (admin) > wmic path softwareLicensingService get OA3xOriginalProductKey
PS > PowerShell" (Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from SoftwareLicensingService').OA3xOriginalProductKey"
regedit > Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform > BackupProductKeyDefault (may be different from OA3xOriginalProductKey)
If you bought Windows 10 from the Microsoft Store, your account order history would have product key information available.
A virtual desktop is not the same thing as desktop virtualization, which refers to a method of running a separate operating system instance on top of an already-existing OS.
Disk2vhd - Sysinternals | Microsoft Learn - The program creates a VHD (virtual hard drive) by copying a system from another computer. VHDs work with both Virtual PC or Hyper-V. Once launched in a VM, the image will run, work, and reactivate. It’s just not legal.
See also: VMWare
Is this valid?: Simply enable your free Hyper-V on most editions of Windows 10 and 11, only takes a couple of minute to spin up a Windows guest O/S and play in Microsoft’s safest sandbox.
One-liner in PowerShell: <span class=”hljs-pscommand”>Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature</span><span class=”hljs-parameter”> -Online</span><span class=”hljs-parameter”> -FeatureName</span> <span class=”hljs-pscommand”>Microsoft-Hyper</span>-V<span class=”hljs-parameter”> -All</span>
Making it possible to run, in parallel, pretty much any x86-based operating system in a virtual machine on top of the host operating system. Tons of RAM is as great an idea as is having as fast a processor as you can get your sweaty hands on.
R-click on Taskbar > Toolbars > New Toolbar > Paste this string into the text box: %appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch -or- %UserProfile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
R-click on the Quick Launch area of the Taskbar > Properties > Uncheck Show Text > Uncheck Show Title (The Quick Launch Properties are not available in the newest Windows versions.)
Search / Control Panel / Settings / Win-X / Cortana / Search by clicking on Start button / ...
Under Settings > Search > Searching Windows > Find My Files > Classic (set search to Classic, which only applies to Libraries and Desktop, or choose Enhanced indexing to search the whole computer).
R-click on the Taskbar > Search > Hidden
Just touch the Windows key and start typing to find anything on your computer.
Warning! -Back up the Windows Registry file and create a valid restore point before you proceed.
System configuration will show the version of Windows running on the machine
cmd > regedit.exe > Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop > modify or create a new 32-Bit DWORD value PaintDesktopVersion - change the Default value from "zero" to "1" > reboot
Warning! - It may be necessary to reset this value to 1 after every major Windows Update.
cmd > regedit.exe >
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows > Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisplayVersion > 1 (or whatever the current version is) > exit regedit > F5 to refresh Desktop
C:\Users\[YourUserName]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
Rename the files by adding “.jpg” to the end of their names. You don’t have to keep the same long filenames; you can change them to whatever you’d like.
Start > Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional power settings
CLI (Admin command prompt or PowerShell) > powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61 (Ultimate power plan)
CLI (Admin command prompt or PowerShell) > powercfg -duplicatescheme 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c (High performance power plan)
Start > Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional power settings > check that "Ultimate power plan" and "High performance power plan" are now available to the Power Options Control Panel.
Windows10 > Run > taskschd.msc > Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Application Experience > Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser> Disable
Windows10 > Run > gpedit.msc > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds >
Double-click Allow Telemetry > Disabled > Apply > OK
Windows10 > Run > regedit > User Account Control > Yes > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > DataCollection > right-click on DataCollection > New > DWORD (32-bit value) > Give this new value name Allow Telemetry > double-click it > Change Value data to 0 (zero) > OK.
Windows > Start > Network status > Status > Properties > IP Settings > Edit > Manual (drop-down menu) > IPv4 > On > Preferred IP address > 1.1.1.1 > Alternate DNS > 1.0.0.1 > Save
Windows > Start > Network status > Status > Properties > IP Settings > Edit > Manual (drop-down menu) > IPv6 > On > Preferred IP address > 2606:4700:4700::1111
Should you use a local account? (or your Microsoft account?) -
By Ed Bott (TechRepublic Microsoft Weekly 2019-10-11)
When you set up a new PC for your personal use, one of the most important choices you have to make is what kind of account to set up. Many longtime Windows users instinctively prefer a traditional local account over a Microsoft account, on the theory that anything stored in the cloud must be less secure.
I understand that instinct, but I also strongly recommend that you use a Microsoft account, which is, paradoxically, more secure.
For starters, you can easily recover from a forgotten password using a Microsoft account. You can also retrieve a BitLocker recovery key (just sign in at microsoft.com/recoverykey), which can prevent your encrypted data from being irretrievably lost to hardware or software glitches. A Microsoft account (or an Azure AD account) is also a requirement to use Windows Hello biometric authentication.
If you're concerned about privacy, one easy solution is to create a new email address for a Microsoft account when you set up a new PC, and then use that address only for signing on. Don't link it to your real email address, and don't use it for online services. In that configuration, you get all the advantages of online backup without having to worry about your personal data.
Rename user - C:\Users\UserName
Recommendation: Don't rename it unless it is on a new clean Windows installation. Too many problems.
Searching with Google will find many ways to rename the user's folder name. Not easy. Not necessarily safe. It could screw up that user's account.
If you are using a MS account, it may automatically create a username folder which is not what you want. Windows will automatically take the first five characters of the user's email address. WTF was MS thinking?
Don't just simply rename the folder.
If you are setting up a new system, without any important info in the folder:
Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Add someone else to this PC > Use a MS account login (instead of a local account)
Search for Computer Management > Local Users and Groups > Users > Right-click on the account's Name
Reboot
Log into the new user account
Confirm (using MS File Explorer) that the username's folder is correct (C:\Users\UserName),
Summary - Rename a User Profile
Remind yourself that this is a risky operation.
Backup everything (cloud)
Create a system image (Macrium Reflect)
Create a system restore point
Win > restore
Win > Cmd (Run as administrator) > net user Administrator /active:yes
log out of the user profile you want to change
log into an Administrator account
Settings > Accounts > Family & other users > Other users > Add someone else to this PC
Create account
Change account type > Administrator
Reboot
Log into the new user account
Win > Cmd > lusrmgr.msc > Local Users and Groups > Users > Rename the folder
Windows File Explorer > C:\Users > select the username folder > Rename the folder
It is highly recommended to create a system image before doing the steps in this tutorial to be able to quickly restore the image to undo the steps if needed since renaming a user profile folder name may have unknown side effects. For example, some programs not referencing the new profile folder name. (Macrium Reflect or Windows 10)
Sign out
Sign in with an administrator account
Win > Cmd > wmic useraccount get name,SID > make a note of the user SID
select the SID in the ProfileList and double-click on the ProfileImagePath value > enter the new profile folder name
Windows File Explorer > C:\Users > select the username folder > Rename the folder
Create a symbolic link using the command below in an elevated command prompt. This is so anything that still references the old user profile folder name will be automatically redirected to the new user profile folder name.
mklink /d "Full path of old profile folder name" "full path of new profile folder name"
Verify the OneDrive folder location for your account is correctly using the new profile folder name. If it's not, then change the OneDrive folder location to correct it.