Tips (Windows)

Last updated
Tips
Microsoft Tips icon.png
Get Started.png
Tips in Windows 10 in light mode
Developer(s) Microsoft
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Replaces Help and Support Center
Website www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/p/get-started/9wzdncrdtbjj

Tips is the latest of a series of tutorial hubs in Microsoft Windows that provides information about using features. Information is presented as screenshots, text descriptions, videos, and web links. As Windows upgrades have traditionally been drastic, each version since Windows 95 has had its own tutorial app, and the name has changed frequently. Notably, the feature list shown has tended to expand as newer versions of Windows are released and the most recently released tutorial receives updates through the Microsoft Store, allowing it to receive updates more frequently than Windows itself is upgraded.

Microsoft U.S.-headquartered technology company

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Its best known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge Web browsers. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface lineup of touchscreen personal computers. As of 2016, it is the world's largest software maker by revenue, and one of the world's most valuable companies. The word "Microsoft" is a portmanteau of "microcomputer" and "software". Microsoft is ranked No. 30 in the 2018 Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.

Microsoft Store (digital) digital store

Microsoft Store is a digital distribution platform sponsored by Microsoft. It started as an app store for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 as the primary means of distributing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. With Windows 10, Microsoft merged its other distribution platforms into Microsoft Store, making it a unified distribution point for apps, digital videos, digital music, and console games. e-books were included until 2019. Some content is available free of charge from the store.

Contents

Evolution

Tips originated with a popup in Windows 95 named Welcome to Windows 95, a series of screens that resembled Windows Installer and introduced the user to the Start menu and dial-up networking. The popup appeared the first time a user logged into Windows. [1] A nearly identical popup named Welcome to NT was included in the 1996 release of Windows NT 4.0. [2] The Windows 98 version featured a new sidebar design and a cloud background. The contents were arranged into four categories: Register Now, Connect to the Internet, Discover Windows 98, and Maintain Your Computer. [3]

Windows 95 operating system from Microsoft

Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented operating system developed by Microsoft as part of its Windows 9x family of operating systems. The first operating system in the 9x family, it is the successor to Windows 3.1x, and was released to manufacturing on August 15, 1995, and generally to retail on August 24, 1995. Windows 95 merged Microsoft's formerly separate MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows products, and featured significant improvements over its predecessor, most notably in the graphical user interface (GUI) and in its simplified "plug-and-play" features. There were also major changes made to the core components of the operating system, such as moving from a mainly co-operatively multitasked 16-bit architecture to a 32-bit preemptive multitasking architecture, at least when running only 32-bit protected mode applications.

Windows Installer

Windows Installer is a software component and application programming interface (API) of Microsoft Windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software. The installation information, and optionally the files themselves, are packaged in installation packages, loosely relational databases structured as COM Structured Storages and commonly known as "MSI files", from their default filename extensions. Windows Installer contains significant changes from its predecessor, Setup API. New features include a GUI framework and automatic generation of the uninstallation sequence. Windows Installer is positioned as an alternative to stand-alone executable installer frameworks such as older versions of InstallShield and NSIS.

The Start menu is a graphical user interface element used in Microsoft Windows since Windows 95 and in some other operating systems. It provides a central launching point for computer programs and performing other tasks. It has different names in different operating systems and window managers, such as Kickoff Application Launcher in KDE, Dash in GNOME and Unity, and Start screen in Windows 8.

In the Getting Started with Windows 2000 popup, the Maintain Your Computer section was removed and the Windows 2000 logo was added. [4]

Windows 2000 personal computer operating system by Microsoft released in 1999

Windows 2000 is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on December 15, 1999, and launched to retail on February 17, 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0.

Windows ME replaced the static information popup with a much larger Flash-based narrated tutorial popup named Welcome to Windows ME. It began with a video and included four main sections: Digital Media, Rich Internet Experience, Home Networking, and Improved User Experience. [5]

Adobe Flash is a deprecated multimedia software platform used for production of animations, rich Internet applications, desktop applications, mobile applications, mobile games and embedded web browser video players. Flash displays text, vector graphics and raster graphics to provide animations, video games and applications. It allows streaming of audio and video, and can capture mouse, keyboard, microphone and camera input. Related development platform Adobe AIR continues to be supported.

XP followed up with a larger Flash-based narrated tutorial called Windows XP Tour, [6] which was also published online, [7] with five sections: Best for Business, Safe and Easy Personal Computing, Unlock the World of Digital Media, The Connected Home and Office, and Windows XP Basics. While the narrator showed users around, music based on the XP theme played. [8] The tour emphasizes Windows XP's then-new features but also explained basic features such as windowing and the Recycle Bin. When all sections are played in one session, the session lasts about 20 minutes. [9] [10]

Windows XP personal computer operating system by Microsoft released in 2001

Windows XP is a personal computer operating system produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and broadly released for retail sale on October 25, 2001.

Windows Vista replaced the Windows XP Tour with a Control Panel screen called Welcome Center that provided links to tools available to users, with an emphasis on setting up a new computer or using Vista for the first time. [11] It was originally known as Welcome Center and opened at startup, although it could be disabled. [12] [13] Welcome Center informed users what edition of Vista they were using at the top and 21 links to other items at the bottom. Some of the links provided information at the top of the current screen, some opened other parts of the Control Panel, and some linked to the Internet. The 21 links included View computer details, Transfer files and settings, Add new users, Connect to the Internet, Windows Ultimate Extras, What's new in Windows Vista, Go online to learn about Windows Live, Go online to find it fast with Windows Live, Go online to help protect your PC with Windows Live, Go online to Windows Marketplace, Go online to find more ways to help protect your PC, and Sign up online for technical support. [14]

Windows Vista personal computer operating system by Microsoft released in 2006

Windows Vista is an operating system that was produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and media center PCs. Development was completed on November 8, 2006, and over the following three months, it was released in stages to computer hardware and software manufacturers, business customers and retail channels. On January 30, 2007, it was released worldwide and was made available for purchase and download from the Windows Marketplace; it is the first release of Windows to be made available through a digital distribution platform. The release of Windows Vista came more than five years after the introduction of its predecessor, Windows XP, the longest time span between successive releases of Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems.

Control Panel (Windows) part of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface

The Control Panel is a component of Microsoft Windows that provides the ability to view and change system settings. It consists of a set of applets that include adding or removing hardware and software, controlling user accounts, changing accessibility options, and accessing networking settings. Additional applets are provided by third parties, such as audio and video drivers, VPN tools, input devices, and networking tools.

Windows Live former brand name for Microsoft online services

Windows Live is a discontinued brand-name for a set of web services and software products from Microsoft as part of its software plus services platform. Chief components under the brand name included web services, several computer programs that interact with the services, and specialized web services for mobile devices.

Despite Welcome Center's emphasis on online features and add-ons, it was not designed for receiving frequent updates and has not been updated. As a result, it still links to the discontinued Windows Live, discontinued Windows Marketplace, discontinued Windows Ultimate Extras, and renamed Windows Live Search.

In Windows 7, Welcome Center was renamed Getting Started. Getting Started featured fewer links, and the links provided reflect the new features in Windows 7 and Windows Live in 2009. Get Started includes nine links: Go online to find what's new in Windows 7, Personalize Windows, Transfer files and settings from another computer, Use a homegroup to share with other computers in your home, Choose when to be notified about changes to your computer, Go online to get Windows Live Essentials, Back up your files, Add new users to your computer, and Change the size of the text on your screen. Getting Started does not start up automatically, but it is pinned to the Windows 7 Start menu. [15]

In Windows 8.0, Getting Started was completely removed. Windows 8.1 introduced a new app called Help + Tips that was pinned to the Start screen. It features a primary screen with a search box six tiles that focus exclusively on features new to Windows 8: Start and apps, Get around, Basic actions, Your account and files, Settings, and What's new. The info in each tile's section is viewed with horizontal scrolling. In addition to the app, Windows 8.1 features hints for finding hidden navigation menus, buttons, and flyouts. [16] [17]

Windows 10's introductory app was originally titled Getting Started [18] but was renamed Get Started before it was generally released to the public. The first few iterations featured a large, comprehensive hamburger menu with sidebar links for most major topics. Later iterations minimized the interface by including a welcome page with links to the Internet, a section for new topics, and a page with links to all topics in the app. It continues to receive updates from the Windows Store as Windows 10 apps and the system itself continue to change.

In the Windows 10 Creators Update, Get Started was renamed Tips.

Tips' interface is entirely different in Windows 10's Retail Demo Mode, which is used on Windows 10 PCs on display at stores. In Retail Demo Mode, Tips features a different set of information that informs the consumer about Windows 10, Microsoft Office, and sometimes the brand of the computer Tips is running on. [19]

Related Research Articles

Windows key computer key

The Windows logo key is a keyboard key which was originally introduced on the Microsoft Natural keyboard in 1994. This key became a standard key on PC keyboards. In Windows tapping the key brings up the start menu. Ctrl+Esc performs the same function, in case the keyboard lacks this key.

Windows Defender is an anti-malware component of Microsoft Windows. It was first released as a downloadable free antispyware program for Windows XP, and was later shipped with Windows Vista and Windows 7. It has evolved into a full antivirus program, replacing Microsoft Security Essentials as part of Windows 8 and later versions.

Windows Mobility Center

Windows Mobility Center is a component of Microsoft Windows, introduced in Windows Vista, that centralizes information and settings most relevant to mobile computing.

The Windows shell is the graphical user interface for the Microsoft Windows operating system. Its readily identifiable elements consists of the desktop, the taskbar, the Start menu, the task switcher and the AutoPlay feature. On some versions of Windows, it also includes Flip 3D and the charms. In Windows 10, the Windows Shell Experience Host interface drives visuals like the Start Menu, Action Center, Taskbar, and Task View/Timeline. However, the Windows shell also implements a shell namespace that enables computer programs running on Windows to access the computer's resources via the hierarchy of shell objects. "Desktop" is the top object of the hierarchy; below it there are a number of files and folders stored on the disk, as well as a number of special folders whose contents are either virtual or dynamically created. Recycle Bin, Libraries, Control Panel, This PC and Network are examples of such shell objects.

Windows DVD Maker Movie maker for Windows Vista to Windows 8.

Windows DVD Maker was a DVD authoring utility developed by Microsoft, first released in 2007 in Windows Vista. The utility allows users to create DVD slideshows and videos for playback on media devices such as a DVD player. It is comparable to Apple's iDVD, which was released in 2001.

Quick Assist

Quick Assist, originally known as Windows Remote Assistance, is a feature of Windows XP and later that allows a user to temporarily view or control a remote Windows computer over a network or the Internet to resolve issues without directly touching the unit. It is based on the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). It is complemented by Get Help, a feature introduced in Windows 10 that enables the user to contact Microsoft directly but does not allow for remote desktopping or screen sharing.

Development of Windows XP started on February 5, 1999 in the form of Windows Neptune. Neptune was originally going to be the successor of Windows Me, though based on the NT kernel. Microsoft merged the teams working on Neptune with that of Windows Odyssey, Windows 2000's successor, in early 2000. The resulting project, codenamed "Whistler", went on to become Windows XP.

Windows Ultimate Extras are optional features offered by Microsoft to users of the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista and are accessible via Windows Update. Ultimate Extras replaced the market role of Microsoft Plus!, a product sold for prior consumer releases of Microsoft Windows. According to Microsoft's Barry Goffe, the company's goal with Ultimate Extras was to delight customers who purchased the Ultimate edition of Windows Vista, the most expensive retail edition of the operating system.

Windows SteadyState

Windows SteadyState is a discontinued freeware tool developed by Microsoft that gives administrators enhanced options for configuring shared computers, such as hard drive protection and advanced user management. It is primarily designed for use on computers shared by many people, such as internet cafes, schools and libraries.

Windows Easy Transfer

Windows Easy Transfer is a specialized file transfer program developed by Microsoft which allows users of the Windows operating system to transfer personal files and settings from a computer running an earlier version of Windows to a computer running a newer version.

Windows 8 personal computer operating system by Microsoft released in 2012

Windows 8 is a personal computer operating system that was produced by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. The operating system was released to manufacturing on August 1, 2012, with general availability on October 26, 2012.

The transition from Windows 7 to Windows 8 introduced a number of new features across various aspects of the operating system. These include a greater focus on optimizing the operating system for touchscreen-based devices and cloud computing.

Windows 8 was released with four editions, with varying feature sets. The editions each with varied features are called Core, Pro, Enterprise, and RT. There are versions of these that features modified for legal or marketing reasons.

Microsoft Office 2013 version of Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office 2013 is a version of Microsoft Office, a productivity suite for Microsoft Windows. It is the successor to Microsoft Office 2010 and the predecessor to Microsoft Office 2016. It includes extended file format support, user interface updates and support for touch among its new features. Office 2013 is suitable for IA-32 and x64 systems and requires Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 or a later version of either. A version of Office 2013 comes included on Windows RT devices. Mainstream support ended on April 10, 2018. Extended support ends on April 11, 2023.

Windows 8.1 personal computer operating system by Microsoft released in 2013

Windows 8.1 is a personal computer operating system that was produced by Microsoft and released as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released to manufacturing on August 27, 2013, and reached general availability on October 17, 2013, about a year after the retail release of its predecessor. Windows 8.1 was made available as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows RT users via the Windows Store.

Windows 10 introduced a number of new elements, including the option to use a touch-optimized interface or a traditional desktop interface similar to that of Windows 7 along with live tiles from Windows 8. However, unlike previous versions of Windows, where most, if not all, major features for that release were completed by its RTM, Windows 10 continues to receive major features and changes beyond its initial release to market. Microsoft describes Windows 10 as an 'operating system as a service' that will receive ongoing updates to its features and functionality. This is supplemented with the ability for enterprise environments to receive non-critical updates at a slower pace, and to use long-term support milestones that will only receive critical updates, such as security patches, over their ten-year lifespan of support. Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, argued that the goal of this model was to reduce fragmentation across the Windows platform.

References

  1. ↑ Menga, Rich. "RETRO FRIDAY: "DID YOU KNOW…"". PC Mech.
  2. ↑ "The Welcome Window". Tech 2U.
  3. ↑ "Windows 98". Guidebook Gallery.
  4. ↑ "Windows OS Installation Guides". Sir Sherwin's Computer Tutorial. Balara High School.
  5. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (May 24, 2000). "Windows Me "Out-Of-Box Experience" (OOBE)". Supersite for Windows. Penton.
  6. ↑ "Where is the Windows XP Tour music? - Windows XP - Tom's Hardware". Tom's Hardware. August 12, 2005.
  7. ↑ "Experience" (SWF).
  8. ↑ ScienceOfThePS3 (16 February 2009). "The Windows XP Tour Music [Original]" – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ CEO100able (21 June 2012). "Windows XP Tour (Released Version) Walkthrough" – via YouTube.
  10. ↑ Fifo F. (23 October 2012). "Windows XP Full Tour" – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ "Image".
  12. ↑ "The new Getting Started tool in the Windows 7 Control Panel".
  13. ↑ "How to: Disable the Welcome Center at startup in Windows Vista". AskDrexel. November 13, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Photo by Joel Dsouza". PhotoBucket.
  15. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (October 6, 2010). "Windows 7 Screenshots: Enterprise Edition". Supersite for Windows. Penton.
  16. ↑ Thurrott, Paul (August 17, 2013). "Hands-On with Windows 8.1: Help + Tips". Supersite for Windows. Penton.
  17. ↑ Kelly, James (26 December 2014). "Using the Help + Tips App in Your Windows 8.1 Machine - Windows Techies". WindowsTechies.
  18. ↑ Wahid, Ahmad (December 14, 2014). "Leaked Windows 10 build 9901 includes overhauled Store, PC Settings, Xbox, Calculator and Getting started app [Images]". Windows 8 Core.
  19. ↑ Sams, Brad (July 10, 2015). "Windows 10 has a secret retail demo mode with a new app and video loop". Neowin .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.