Click any lettered heading to reveal this hidden index
Click to enlarge
The latest incarnation of the Windows 10 Start menu includes a scrolling list of installed apps and desktop programs, arranged in alphabetical order. Depending on how many apps you’ve installed, scrolling through that list can get tedious.
To relieve the tedium, you have two choices.
The fastest option is to just start typing in the search box. That option replaces the scrolling list with one showing results that match whatever you type.
But what if you still want to see the full list? For that, you can jump to any spot with two clicks or taps. This is a feature that will be familiar to anyone who ever used the mobile version of Windows, but it might be unfamiliar to those who’ve only used Windows on a PC.
To jump to a specific spot in the list, tap any of the lettered headings. That collapses the list to an index, with highlighted letters. Tap any letter to jump to that spot in the list and scroll up or down.
Pro tip: The same basic technique works in the Groove Music app, when you browse by artist or album name. You can use a similar technique in the Photos app to see a list of dates and avoid scrolling through a long display of pictures.
Previous tip: Keep your Microsoft account secure with 2-factor authentication
Next week: Another Windows 10 tip from Ed Bott
see all of ed bott’s Windows 10 Tips
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Shut down OneDrive completely
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Find your PC’s original product key
Stay organized using virtual desktops
Change UEFI firmware settings or start in Safe Mode
Create a perfect background for your desktop
Turn off Cortana completely
Find out if your PC can run Hyper-V
Switch back to a local account from a Microsoft account
Stay organized using virtual desktops