Microsoft Edge is not only the default web browser in Windows 10 but also the default PDF reader. This is definitely a good thing as we can finally view PDF files without having to install third-party apps, but it’s more of a basic PDF reader.
If you prefer to have a feature-rich application as the default PDF reader instead of Edge, then you have plenty of options to choose from. In this article, we’ll show you how to change the default PDF reader in Windows 10.
Change the Default by Using Open With in File Explorer
Open File Explorer and navigate to a folder containing your PDF file. Right-click on a file and choose “Open with > Choose another app.”
A pop-up will appear that will let you choose a program for just one time. Or you can also select the “Always use this app” link to make it permanent. From this window, choose the default PDF reader of your choice.
If the default app is not listed in this window, then you can select a different program located in your PC. Click “More apps,” select an app or scroll down to see “Look for another app in this PC” link. Click this link to browse to the program that you want to set as the default PDF reader, and choose “Open” button to set it as the default.
Change the Default by Using Default Programs in Control Panel
Open Control Panel (icon view) and select “Default Programs.” Click the link labelled “Associate a file type or protocol with a program,” and wait for a couple of seconds to load all file types.
Scroll down the list to see .PDF entry. Click on “.PDF” entry, and then click “Change program” button.
A pop-up will appear that will let you choose an app from the list.
If the default app is not listed in this window, then you can select a different program located in your PC. Click “More apps,” select an app or scroll down to see “Look for another app in this PC” link. Click this link to browse to the program that you want to set as the default PDF reader, and choose “Open” button to set it as the default.
Changing the default PDF reader app in Windows is a simple procedure, and that’s all there is to it.
Lots of us use video conferencing, either to catch up with friends, or when being interviewed for a job. But how do you invite people to a video conference over email? This week, Matthew Hughes explores just that.
A Reader Asks:
I work as a recruitment consultant. Part of my job sees me conduct preliminary face-to-face interviews with potential clients, before referring them to the companies I work with. When that’s not possible, I do it over the phone.
I’m curious, is there a way to start a video conference over email? I use Windows as my day-to-day operating system. We have a self-hosted email server which we access over Outlook. My browser is Chrome.
Matthew’s Reply:
Once upon a time, if you wanted to do a video conference, your options were limited.
Businesses that were cash-rich could invest in a professional-grade video conferencing system like Polycom or Citrix. The advantages of these was that the video and audio tended to be of a relatively high quality, and came with companion hardware that could accommodate an entire boardroom full of participants.
Consumers had to make do with Skype. Although at the time it was nothing short of revolutionary, it was hamstrung by relying on a client that was unreliable, was rife with security vulnerabilities and didn’t offer feature parity for Mac and Linux users. There were other competitors (like ooVoo), but few matched Skype in terms of user base and maturity.
Things are much better now. For starters, we’re no longer dependent on installing a client. It’s now possible to start an HD-quality conference call in the browser. Quite often you don’t need to create an account, either.
Rabb.it
You mentioned you’re a recruitment consultant, so I’m going to lead with the service I think you’ll find the most exciting.
Because, let’s face it: if you’re a recruitment consultant, odds are good you’re going to be asking some technical questions. If you’re hiring for the role of a developer, you’re going to want to get the potential candidate to write some code, and see how they process problems.
Rabb.it allows you to start a video conference with up to fifteen different people. You don’t need to create a login (although you certainly can). You don’t even need to install a client or a plugin. Rabbit runs in the browser, and uses WebRTC; a HTLM5 API used to do in-browser real-time communication. The only pre-requisite is that both you and the other participants are using a modern version of either Firefox, Opera or Chrome.
But what’s most exciting is that you can share a browser window, which can be used in real-time, and control handed over to any participant at any point.
Since my fiancé lives overseas, I use this feature to watch movies with her. It’s fast enough to play Netflix in high-definition, and sound and video is generally synchronized well. For you, I can see you using a web-based IDE — such as IDEOne, or Codenvy, which we reviewed in 2013 — to test the skills of potential clients and see if they know their Fibonacci numbers from their for loops.
When you need to invite someone to a chat, you just need to copy the URL of your Rabbit room, and paste it into an IM window or email client. There’s even an iPhone app.
What could be easier?
Appear.in
We first covered appear.in early last year. We were impressed with how delightfully simple it was to create a room, and its pioneering use of WebRTC. Two years later, I still have a bit of a soft spot for it.
Appear.in has a lot of similarities with Rabbit.
You don’t need to install a client or a plugin. You do need to run a newer version of Chrome, Firefox, or Opera. You can invite people to conference calls by simply sending them a link, which you create yourself.
There are some differences though. While Rabbit will actually host a browser window for you, Appear.in only lets you share control of your screen. Appear.in also comes with some compelling features that set it apart from the pack.
For starters, it’s really easy to embed an Appear.in room into an existing web page or blog post, and there’s an API (an Application Programming Interface) for developers to use.
There’s also free applications for both iOS and Android. Although I haven’t used these personally, I know a lot of people who have. If you’re using iOS, you can only use Appear.in with the app, since Safari (like Internet Explorer) doesn’t support WebRTC.
Skype
Finally, let’s touch on Skype. There’s two main ways to invite somebody to a Skype chat. Perhaps the easiest is by directly linking to your Skype profile.
Either in your email body, or in the header, add an anchor tag, with the href attribute being “skype:yourskypename”. So, this would read like:
<a href="skype:yourskypename"> Skype me!</a>
If you need a reminder when it comes to HTML, check out this piece from Ryan Dube.
There’s another way, too. In the homepage of the Windows, Mac, or Web version of Skype, click the plus icon. This will create a new chat window. You’ll also be given a unique (and customizable) link to that chat window. To invite people to the chat window, you’ll need to share that link with them. You can also send it via-email through the Skype app.
It’s worth noting that if they’re using the browser version, they’ll need to download the Skype plugin to make voice or video calls. The plugin is not required if you’re only using the instant messaging functionality.
Wrapping Up
In short, there are three incredible options here. Skype is, of course, the established option. Then there’s the upstarts, Rabbit and Appear.in. I’m inclined to suggest you use these products, simply because they offer the most fluid and streamlined service. The downside of this is that calls only work when all parties are using a compatible web browser.
For more inspiration, check out this list of nine awesome video conferencing apps.
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While most of us do not need to pack our external hard-drives with us everywhere we go, there are some people who may need to carry them wherever they travel. With that in mind, can noticeable differences in temperature have a negative impact on those hard-drives? Today’s SuperUser Q&A post has the answers to a worried reader’s questions.
Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.
Photo courtesy of Gillware Data Recovery (YouTube).
The Question
SuperUser reader misha256 wants to know if external USB hard-drives are at risk from internal condensation:
Apparently, you can kill a USB hard-drive by moving it from a cold temperature environment to a warm one and powering it up (the killer being internal condensation).
How real is the risk? What kind of temperatures are we talking about? I do not want to waste time acclimatizing my hard-drive every day if it is not necessary. Are there technologies or solutions available to mitigate the risk?
Surprisingly, I have found nothing useful on the Internet that provides satisfactory answers to my questions.
Are external USB hard-drives at risk from internal condensation?
The Answer
SuperUser contributor harrymc has the answer for us:
Condensation is a real danger for hard-drives. You can see in a real-life YouTube demonstration by a data-recovery specialist what a hard-drive looks like when taken out of a freezer and briefly turned on (it is full of scratches):
Such scratches could possibly damage the hard-drive to a point where even a data-recovery specialist would be unable to recover the data. A Control Data (later Seagate) factory packaging manual for hard-drives says:
If you have just received or removed this unit from a climate with temperatures at or below 50°F (10°C), do not open this container until the following conditions are met, otherwise condensation could occur and damage to the device and/or media may result. Place this package in the operating environment for the time duration according to the following temperature chart.
It seems that dangerously low temperatures start when a computer is brought in from temperatures below 50°F (10°C) into a room-temperature area and it may need several hours for acclimatization. This long time is explained by the fact that in a mechanical hard-drive, the head is supported by airflow entering through special air-intakes. These intakes are heavily filtered against dust, but not against humidity. They are also small enough that it slows down the evaporation process of internal humidity.
You could possibly minimize the acclimatization time by wrapping the disk in watertight plastic while it is acclimatizing in order to reduce the humidity that would enter via the air-intakes. You should allow for some drying-off time after unwrapping the disk (for the humidity in the air already contained inside the disk).
This is not the only danger, as explained by data-recovery specialist ReWave Recovery:
A hard-drive is at risk for sudden temperature changes including overheating and condensation.
A sudden change in temperature that causes condensation inside the hard-drive can cause the material on the platter to evaporate which causes the read/write heads to stick to the platter and stop it from rotating.
Overheating can also be an issue. Overheating can cause the platters to expand which makes the read/write heads travel farther to read the data. The expansion of platters can cause friction which can lead to a head crash.
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.