Windows 10 has a lot of new features, but things have also gone missing. The classic start menu is a well-known example, but there are more parts that were dropped with the new Windows version. In this article we discuss these and you can read how to get the functions back. All solutions are free!
Safe tinkering
All applications in this article have been extensively tested, but incorrect use of some tools and settings can have negative consequences. Never change settings you don't know or can't undo. For the latter, Windows System Restore (see tip 14) is recommended. Restore Point Creator makes it even easier to quickly create a system restore point before committing changes.
01 Play DVDs
Windows 10 no longer has the ability to play DVDs by default. This is not a loss for many people because playing DVDs on the computer regularly causes annoyance. If you still want to play DVDs in Windows 10, you can do it for free with VLC Media Player. The program has a good DVD function on board and also plays your video files without any problems, whether or not they come from a legal source. Also read: 40 super tips for Windows 10.
02 Start menu
So much has been complained and written about it that we hardly dare to call it the classic start menu. In our opinion, the menu of Windows 10 has been greatly improved compared to the previous Windows version, but tastes differ.
If you're happy with the Windows 10 start menu, but you're annoyed by its giant size, right-click to remove the large tiles. If you really want to go back to the classic start menu, Classic Shell is a must.
03 Mail
Windows 10's Mail app takes some getting used to for many people, and that's to say the least. If you can't or don't want to work with this, there are many alternatives. The best choice is to switch to webmail from Google or Microsoft, then you can access your messages from anywhere in your browser. You can also install an alternative program like Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird. Both programs also work together with Gmail and Outlook.com. Windows Live Mail is part of Windows Essentials 2012. Be careful during installation to avoid unwanted extra programs.
04 Desktop Widgets
The desktop widgets are completely gone, which is a shame. The small information screens showed the current weather, the status of your battery and other useful information. Sidebar Desktop Gadgets give you similar capabilities in Windows 10. Right-click on your desktop, choose gadgets and indicate which widgets you want to use. You can display the gadgets in a bar (7 Sidebar) or let them float above your desktop.
05 OneDrive as an application
Okay, in this tip we are not going to bring anything back or add anything, but we are going to tear something out. In previous Windows versions, OneDrive, like Dropbox and Google Drive, was a program that you could or could not install. In Windows 10, OneDrive is baked into the operating system by default, and not everyone likes that. It is possible to deactivate OneDrive via a step-by-step plan from Microsoft, but this requires 'gpedit', the Group Policy Editor (or Group Policy Object Editor). This utility is not present in all Windows 10 versions. You can completely remove OneDrive with another step-by-step plan. Both options are reserved for experts only.
