Shake Away the Mess
Windows 7 users should know about this little trick. If you have a display full of windows, clear the clutter by grabbing the top of the window you do like and "shaking" it on the screen to minimize all the other windows. Suddenly having shaker's remorse? Shake again and the windows will come back.
Enable 'God Mode'
This may be a little too niche for most users, but if you are a power user or IT professional who wants access to all of Windows' control panels from one folder, God Mode is for you. Right-click on the desktop and select New > Folder. Re-name the new folder with this bit of code:
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
To enter God Mode—or the Windows Master Control Panel shortcut, as it is officially called—simply double-click the folder and go nuts.
Drag to Pin Windows
We all multitask, and Windows 10 makes it simple by letting you pin windows in different parts of the screen. Grab any window and drag it to the left or right boundary of the screen and it will "fit" to that half of the screen. You can also move a window to any of the four corners of the screen to lock it to that corner. You can prompt similar behavior with a selected window by combining the Windows key and any of the directional arrows. For instance, move a window to the left side of the screen with the Win + left arrow shortcut. Then use Win + up or down arrow, and the window will snap to the corner.
Quickly Jump Between Virtual Desktops
Quickly switch between virtual desktops in order to separate, say, your work apps, personal apps, and social media into different desktops. Just click the Task View icon in the taskbar (the one that looks like small boxes) to see all your open windows and desktops.
You can then drag any of them over to where it says New desktop, which creates a new virtual desktop. Once you click out of Task View, you can toggle between virtual desktops by pressing the Windows key + Ctrl + right/left arrows.
Nearby Sharing
In an open document or photo, you can share the file directly with nearby devices the same way Apple's AirDrop works. Click the Share icon atop your doc or photo toolbar to open the panel, and then click Turn On Nearby Sharing to send files to another computer using Nearby Share. Control this feature by going into Settings > System > Shared Experiences to turn Nearby Sharing on and off. You can also set it to share with anyone or only your devices.
Cloud Clipboard
We all use the Windows clipboard to cut and paste, but did you know you can save multiple items at once and paste across devices? Use the command Win + V to view recent clipping saved to the clipboard. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard to control this feature and to sign into your Microsoft Account for cross-device usage.
Revamped Screen Capture Tool
For years, the Snipping Tool was the only screen capture software built into Windows, but the Snip & Sketch app has changed screenshots in Windows 10 forever. Use the shortcut Shift + Win + S to choose between rectangular, freeform, window, or full-screen snip. You will then find the tool has a built-in image editor separate from Microsoft Paint.
Test Files and Apps in the Sandbox
Windows 10 Pro users have an extra asset to protect them against dangerous apps and files. If you enable Windows Sandbox inside the Control Panel, it will create a virtual instance of Windows inside Windows. You can then safely open anything you're not sure about before introducing it to your actual Windows installation. Once you close out of Sandbox, everything inside it goes away without hurting your computer.
Xbox Game Bar
Using the Win + G command, you can pull up the Xbox Game Bar, which lets you record and broadcast your gaming sessions, control your audio, monitor CPU usage, link third-party accounts, view your Xbox friends list, and do so much more.
You can also go to Settings > Gaming and configure custom keyboard shortcuts for turning your microphone, screen capture, recording timer, and more on and off while gaming. There are also settings for capturing gameplay, turning on Game Mode for increased performance, and monitoring your network.
Unlock Kaimoji and Symbols
Hit Windows Key-Period(.) to pop up an expanded bottom-right menu of emoji, "Kaimoji" characters built from Unicode characters, and a wide array of miscellaneous symbols.
Take Measurements
Windows has several built-in apps that may look useless but offer helpful hidden features. For instance, the Calculator app can also calculate the difference between two dates and convert basically any unit of measure, including time, energy, temperature, mass, and even currency.
The Alarms & Clock app can calculate the time difference between two locations, even into the future. Open the app, click the Clock tab, and select the plus (+) icon at the bottom to add locations. Click the Compare icon to open a timeline. As you scroll across the timeline, time changes on the map points, allowing you to keep track of time differences more easily.