How to Start a WordPress Blog (Step by Step)

Do you want to start a WordPress blog the right way? We know that starting a blog can be a terrifying thought specially when you are not geeky. Guess what – you are not alone. Having helped over 130,000+ users start a blog, we have decided to create the most comprehensive guide on how to start a WordPress blog without any technical knowledge.

The process is easy to follow whether you are 20 years old or 60 years old. However if you need help, our expert team will help you setup your blog for free. → Click Here to Get Your Free WordPress Blog Setup! ←

What do you need to start a WordPress blog?

There are three things you need to start a WordPress blog:

1. A domain name idea (this will be the name of your blog i.e wpbeginner.com)
2. A web hosting account (this is where your website live on the internet)
3. Your undivided attention for 30 minutes.

Yes, you read it right. You can start a blog from scratch in less than 30 minutes, and we will walk you through the whole process, step by step.

In this tutorial, we will cover:

• How to Register a Domain Name for Free
• How to Choose the Best Web Hosting
• How to Install WordPress
• How to Change Your Theme
• How to Write Your First Blog Post
• How to Customize WordPress with Plugins
• Resources to Learn WordPress

Ready? Let’s get started.

Step 1. Setup

The biggest mistake beginners make when starting a blog is choosing the wrong blogging platform. Thankfully you’re here, so you won’t be making that mistake.

For 95% of users, it makes more sense to use WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress. Why? Because it is free to use, you can install plugins, customize your site design, and most importantly make money from your site without any restrictions (see the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org).

Now you have probably heard that WordPress is free.

You might be wondering why is it free? What’s the catch?

There’s no catch. It’s free because you have to do the setup and host it yourself.

In other words, you need a domain name and web hosting.

A domain name is what people type to get to your website. It’s your website’s address on the internet. Think google.com or wpbeginner.com

Web hosting is where your website live. It’s your website’s house on the internet. Every website needs web hosting.

A domain name typically costs $14.99 / year, and web hosting normally costs $7.99 / month.

That’s a lot for beginners who are just starting out.

Thankfully, Bluehost, an official WordPress recommended hosting provider, has agreed to offer our users a free domain name and over 60% off on web hosting.

→ Click here to Claim this Exclusive Bluehost offer ←

Bluehost is one of the oldest web hosting companies, started in 1996 (that’s before Google). They are also the largest brand name when it comes to WordPress hosting because they host millions of websites including our own.

On top of all this, Bluehost has been working with WordPress since 2005, and they are committed to giving back. That’s why they have promised us that if you cannot get your blog online within 30 minutes by following this tutorial, then our expert team will complete the process for you without any cost. They will compensate us, so you don’t have to. Contact us for free blog setup help.

NOTE: At WPBeginner we believe in transparency. If you sign up with Bluehost using our referral link, we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (in fact, you will save money and get a free domain). We would get this commission for recommending just about any WordPress hosting company, but we only recommend products that we use personally use and believe will add value to our readers.

Let’s go ahead and purchase your domain + hosting.

Open up Bluehost in a new window and follow along.

First thing you need to do is click on the green Get Started Now button to get started.

On the next screen, select the plan that you need (basic and plus are the most popular).

After that, you will be asked to enter the domain name for your website.

Lastly, you will need to add your account information and finalize the package info to complete the process. On this screen, you will see optional extras that you can purchase. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you purchase these, but we generally don’t recommend purchasing these. You can always add them later on, if you decide that you need them.

Once completed, you will receive an email with details on how to login to your web hosting control panel (cPanel). This is where you manage everything from support, emails, among other things. But most importantly, this is where you install WordPress.

Step 2. Install WordPress

In the cPanel, you will see dozens of small icons for different services and features. This can be a bit overwhelming, so ignore 95% of them because you will never need to use them.

Scroll down to the website section and click on the WordPress icon.

You will be redirected to the Bluehost Marketplace Quick Install screen for WordPress. Click on the Get Started button.

On the next screen, you will be asked to select your domain name. Choose the domain from the dropdown and then click Next.

After that, you need to enter your Site Name, username, and a password for your site. You also need to check all the checkboxes and then click Install.

The QuickInstall will start installing WordPress. The marketplace will prompt you to browse WordPress themes, while WordPress is being installed.

No need to do that right now. We’ll show you how to get free WordPress themes in the next step.

Once WordPress is finished installing, you will see the success notice in the top header bar.

Click on the Installation Complete link, and it will take you to the screen with your WordPress login URL and password.

Congratulations, you have created your WordPress site. That wasn’t too bad right.

Your WordPress login URL will look like this:

http://yoursite.com/wp-admin

Click on the WordPress login link to login to your dashboard.

Now we’re ready to customize your site’s appearance and start blogging.

Step 3. Selecting your WordPress Theme

The visual appearance of your WordPress blog is controlled by themes. When you first visit your blog, it will look something like this:

This is not very appealing to most people.

Customizing the look and feel of your blog is by far one of the most exciting and rewarding part in the journey of creating your WordPress site.

There are thousands of pre-made WordPress themes that you can install on your site. Some of them are free, while others are paid.

You can change your theme by going to your WordPress dashboard and clicking on Appearance » Themes.

Go ahead and click on the Add New button.

On the next screen, you will able to search from the 4100 free WordPress themes that are available in the official WordPress.org themes directory. You can sort by popular, latest, featured, as well as other feature filters (i.e industry, layout, etc).

When you have found the theme that you like, simply bring your mouse on it, and it will show the Install button. Click on it and wait for the theme to be installed. After that, the install button will be replaced with an Activate button. You need to click on it to Activate the theme.

Once you have installed your theme, you can customize it by clicking on the Customize link under the Appearance menu.

If you need help selecting a theme, then please refer to our guide on 9 things you should consider when selecting a perfect WordPress theme.

Once you have selected your WordPress theme, you are now ready to create your first blog post.

Step 4. Creating Your First Blog Post

To write your first blog post, click on the Posts » Add New menu in your WordPress dashboard.

You will see an editor area where you can write your first blog post.

Once you’re done writing, go ahead and click on the Publish button on the right to publish your first blog post to the world.

On the posts screen, you will notice several other sections such as Categories and Tags. You can use these to organize your blog posts. We have a great writeup on the difference between categories vs tags, which we highly recommend that you read.

To utilize all the features on the posts screen, you should read our article on how to add a new post in WordPress (video included).

Often beginners are confused between posts and pages menu in the WordPress dashboard. That’s why we have written a complete guide on the difference between posts vs pages in WordPress.

Step 5. Plugins & Customizations

Once you have written your first blog post, you probably want to get started with adding other usual elements on your website such as a contact form, about page, and more.

To further customize WordPress and add features like contact forms, galleries, sliders, etc, you need to use WordPress plugins.

WordPress plugins are apps that allow you to add new features to your website.

There are over 46,000 WordPress plugins available. At WPBeginner, we feature the best WordPress plugins to help you add the functionality that you need.

We have a step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Often readers ask us which plugins do you use on your website. You can check out our Blueprint to see the list of plugins and tools that we use.

Here’s a list of 24 must have WordPress plugins for business websites.

Step 6. Mastering WordPress

WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners.

At WPBeginner, our main goal is to provide cutting-edge helpful WordPress tutorials that are easy to understand for small businesses, bloggers, and non-techy WordPress website owners (see more about us).

To expand your WordPress knowledge, you should check out:

• WPBeginner Dictionary – The best place for beginners to start and familiarize themselves with the WordPress lingo
• WPBeginner Videos – New to WordPress? Watch these 23 videos to master WordPress.
• WPBeginner Blog – The central place for all our WordPress tutorials.

You can also subscribe to WPBeginner’s YouTube Channel where we regularly share video tutorials to help you learn WordPress.

Lastly, you can use Google to type your question and add WPBeginner in front of it. Our users find this very helpful because you’ll likely find an answer to any WordPress questions that you have.

In case you don’t find an answer to your question, simply use our contact form to send us a message. We love helping users get started with WordPress.

We hope that you found our tutorial on how to start a WordPress blog to be helpful. You may also want to check out our article on 19 actionable tips to drive traffic to your new WordPress site.

How to unlock an iPhone so you can use any SIM

In this article we show you how to unlock all iPhones, including how to unlock an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Our guide includes how to unlock an iPhone for free with an unlock code from your mobile phone company, as well as how to legally unlock an iPhone without requiring a jailbreak. If you're trying to unlock an iPad (which is a very similar process), try How to unlock iPad from network.

Read next: How to update iOS on iPhone or iPad. You might also like: Best SIM-only deals.

How to unlock an iPhone: Is it legal?

If you purchased your iPhone within the past year or two, it's likely to be unlocked already. However, if your iPhone is older than that, it might be locked to a particular provider. That doesn't mean you're stuck with that provider forever, though. You should be able to get your provider to unlock your iPhone for you for free. In fact, you might even be able to unlock your iPhone yourself without ever needing to contact the original provider.

It's completely legal to unlock your iPhone if you have finished paying for your contract or you purchased it outright unsubsidised. However, if you're still in the process of paying for your contract it means you don't fully own the iPhone yet, so you're best to check with your carrier before unlocking it.

If you're not sure whether your iPhone is locked or not, follow the instructions in our Is my iPhone locked? article. The issue usually occurs if you've purchased your iPhone second-hand or inherited one from a friend or family member who has updated to a newer model. If it's locked, you'll find that the iPhone isn't working on your mobile network, and that's because it's tied to a different network.

If you discover that it definitely is locked, read on to find out how to unlock it. We've separated the article into the UK's popular carriers to talk you through how to go about getting your iPhone unlocked if it's restricted to that network.

How to unlock an iPhone: EE (including Orange and T-Mobile)

If you've had your EE, Orange or T-Mobile account for at least six months and have paid all of your bills to date, EE will unlock your iPhone for you. It'll cost you £8.99, though, and it could take up to seven days, which is not ideal.

If you're a Pay as You Go customer and have enough credit to pay the £8.99 admin fee, EE will unlock your iPhone for you at that price.

However, if you're not an EE customer and you've got an iPhone that's locked to EE, you're going to need to do some digging and if you got it from eBay the chances are it's not going to be easy. You'll need to find out the original owner's name, EE phone number and maybe some additional account information. Then you'll need to fill out the online form.

Of course, it's not always going to be possible to find out the information you need to unlock the iPhone, in which case you might need to use a third-party unlocking service as described later in this article.

How to unlock an iPhone: Vodafone

Similarly, Vodafone requires you to have an account or know the details of the person who did. If those details are already available, you can go straight ahead and use Vodafone's online unlocking form. It'll take up to 48 hours for the company to get back to you and up to 10 days to unlock it.

It's free to unlock your Vodafone iPhone if you've been with the company for more than 12 months, but if you haven't it'll cost you £19.99. Same goes for any Pay as You Go customers.

How to unlock an iPhone: Three

Three makes things much simpler, you'll be pleased to hear. On its website, the carrier states that any iPhone purchased after 1 January 2014 from Three is automatically unlocked as soon as you connect it to WiFi or connect it to iTunes.

But even if you purchased your iPhone before that, you simply need to connect the iPhone to iTunes and restore the device to unlock it. You'll want to back up your content first, though, as restoring it is going to wipe all of its data.

Alternatively, you can fill out Three's online form.

How to unlock an iPhone: O2

If your iPhone is locked to O2, you'll be required to fill in an online form to unlock it. If you're a Pay Monthly customer you can unlock your phone at any time, but you'll still be required to finish paying for the rest of your contract.

Pay & Go O2 customers are required to wait for 12 months before they can unlock their iPhone. That's according to O2's website, which also claims that it'll cost £15, but when we spoke to an O2 representative they said they could unlock all O2 iPhones for free.

The same representative also told us that, if you're not an O2 customer, you can simply put a non-O2 SIM card into the iPhone, plug it in to your computer and then open iTunes to unlock the iPhone, but we've yet to test whether this works (have you? Let us know in the comments).  We'll be testing this as soon as possible and will update this article when we know for sure.

We would recommend trying this before filling out O2's online form, even if you are an O2 customer, as it could save you a lot of time (it takes up to 72 hours for O2 to unlock it for you).

How to unlock an iPhone: Virgin Mobile

Virgin says that any iPhone purchased from the company within the past year or so will be unlocked already, but some older iPhones might not have the same luck.

The good news is that all you'll need to do is update your iPhone to iOS 8 or iOS 9 and it'll be unlocked for you.

If your iPhone isn't compatible with iOS 8 - that is, if it's an iPhone 4 or older - you'll be able to perform a full restore of your iPhone to unlock it in the same way you can if you're on Three. Don't forget to back up your data first, though.

How to unlock an iPhone: Tesco Mobile

If you've been with Tesco Mobile for 12 months or more, or if you've completed your contract, you'll be able to get an unlock code from Tesco for free by calling 0345 301 4455 and choosing "unlock your mobile."

How to unlock an iPhone: Giffgaff

Giffgaff has a handy tool that helps you figure out how to unlock your Apple iPhone from its network, which you'll find here.

How to unlock an iPhone: Using an iPhone unlocking service

An alternative to contacting your carrier and asking them to unlock the iPhone is to use a mobile phone unlocking service. There are many retailers in most areas who will arrange an unlock code for a small fee (usually around £25). Although they aren't always reputable, you can also find online services that will unlock your iPhone, but we would advise against it. If you do decide to use one, please make sure that you read all of the small print before you buy, because they can surprise you with extra bills at the end of the process.

We've tried Doctor SIM, which promises to refund you if the unlock is unsuccessful, so that could be an option if you've tried all of the methods listed above.

How to unlock an iPhone: How much should I pay to unlock my iPhone?

Ideally you shouldn't pay anything to unlock your iPhone, because your carrier should unlock it for you for free. But some carriers are making admin charges of around £20. Third-party companies seem to charge between £10 and £25 to unlock an iPhone, and we wouldn't pay over £25 to unlock an iPhone. Shop around if anybody quotes you a higher price than that.

How to unlock an iPhone: How to know if the unlock was successful

Once your phone has been unlocked you will receive a confirmation on the phone unlocking from the carrier. Now follow these steps:

1. Power down the phone. Hold down the Sleep/Wake button and move your finger across.
2. Use the SIM card tool (or a straightened paper clip) to eject the SIM card holder from the side of the phone.
3. Remove the old SIM card from the SIM card holder. Place your new SIM card into the SIM card holder.
4. Reinsert the SIM card holder into the iPhone.

How do I update an unlocked phone without the SIM card?

If you've requested an unlock from your carrier, but have not got the original SIM card, you will need to reset the phone before it will be unlocked. First ensure that you have requested an unlock from the carrier. Now follow these steps

1. Back up your iPhone. Either using Backup (Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > Back Up Now) or by connecting the iPhone to a computer and Using iTunes to perform a backup.
2. Erase your iPhone. Click on Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.
3. Complete the setup assistant and restore from your backup.

The iPhone should now be unlocked.

When you turn the iPhone back on, complete the setup assistant and restore your iPhone from the backup you created. Then you can insert the new SIM card and it should now work. So there you have it, your iPhone is unlocked!

How to Get a Free Internet Connection

1. 1
   Go wardriving. It's a little less exciting than it sounds, unfortunately. Grab your vehicle (you'll look a bit suspicious on a bicycle, but more power to you), your mobile device, and start scanning the skies. You probably have an unsuspecting neighbor or two that hasn't yet bothered to put up a password on their network. But be warned, connecting to a wireless network, open or closed, without permission is technically against the law, and can result in anywhere from probation, to 5 years in prison depending on the severity.

   • Use a hotspot database. WiFi has a huge list of over 100 million Wi-Fi hotspots around the world, including rural areas you might not expect. They've also got apps for iPhone and Android, so you're never without a search engine to find yourself a connection.
     • If your device still isn't cutting it, there is software you can download (for free!) to enhance your network-finding capabilities. Even the hidden networks will turn up. For Windows, NetStumbler, InSSIDer or Ekahau Heat Mapper are good bets. For Macs, iStumbler or KisMac; for Linux, Kismet or SWScanner.^[1]
     • Just don't do any banking or online purchases on this connection; you're going through an unencrypted connection. Please note that this may be illegal in some areas.
2. 2
   Tether your phone. It's not the most ideal situation (your data will get used, the battery will drain faster, the connection won't be super fast), but it gets the job done. That's really all that matters.

   • If you're on an iPhone, you can make use of the Personal Hotspot feature, located in Settings.
   • On Android? Then it's Settings - Wireless & Networks - Portable Wi-Fi hotspot; and make sure it's checked on.
3. 3
   Get a connection through your cable company. You're in for a big surprise: If you have internet through your cable company, you may have access to tens of thousands of hotspots you don't even know about. Check your provider's web site for a map of nearby hotspots, or if they have one, download their mobile app from your app store of choice and find them that way.

   • Even better, cable companies are starting to get friendly: There are five major providers that allow each other's customers to use their hot spots for no extra charge and those are Bright House Networks, Cox, Optimum, Time Warner and Xfinity. You'll have access to over 100,000 free hot spots nationwide. This CableWiFi project, as it's called, could solve your WiFi woes.^[2] If you were thinking about changing cable companies, now's the time!
4. 4
   Share an ISP account or Internet connection with a neighbor, friends, or family. In exchange for this service, offer to routinely do yard work, repairs, or take out their trash. You each may have something the other needs.

   • If that's not an option, try Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that offer free access. For example, NetZero offers a free connection, though with a lot of banner ads. You can also use AOL free for one month provided that you’ve never had an account with them before.

HOW TO SECURE WINDOWS 10

 How to Secure Windows 10

If you’ve recently bought a Windows 10 machine or upgraded your PC to Windows 10, you might be wondering how secure the operating system is. Luckily, by default, Windows 10 is more secure than Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. It has a lot of new security features that help block viruses and malware infections. This is especially true if you are using newer hardware.

Even though Windows 10 is more secure, there is still more room for additional security. In this post, I’m only going to talk about various settings in Windows that you can configure to make Windows more secure. I won’t be mentioning any third-party programs like anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc. For additional security tips, you should check out my post on how to protect yourself from hackers and spyware.

Windows 10 Privacy Settings

The first thing I do whenever I setup a new Windows 10 machine is to turn off all the tracking features that Microsoft included with Windows 10. Unfortunately, this is one area that is not better than older versions of Windows.

Windows 10 has several features that connect back to Microsoft and, even though they are not going to cause you to be hacked or get a virus, they are still a little unsettling. Do I really want Microsoft knowing what I’m typing on my computer all the time or listening to everything in the room all the time because of Cortana? Not really.

This is much easier to do when you first install Windows because you can click Customize and disable everything all at once. Obviously, if you can’t reset or reinstall Windows, you can manually change the settings.

To do this, go to Settings and then click on Privacy. You’ll find a whole slew of items on the left side along with their On/Off options to the right. I literally have everything to Off and only turn something on if I run into an app that requires a certain permission.

Enable Automatic Updates

If you’re running Windows 10, you should definitely enable automatic updates. It should be enabled by default, but it’s a good idea to check anyway. Click on Start, type in Windows Update and then click on Windows Update settings.

This will bring you to the Settings dialog on Windows Update. Click on Advanced Options and make sure the drop-down box says Automatic (recommended).

Also, make sure to check the Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows. This is especially important if you have Office installed as it will install all Office-related security and feature updates too.

Enable Windows Defender

Again, this should be enabled, but to check, click on Start, then Settings and Update & Security. Click on Windows Defender and make sure the following three settings are enabled: Real-time protection, Cloud-based protection, and Automatic sample submission. 

I’ve been using only Windows Defender on my Windows 10 machine for many months and haven’t had to install any third-party anti-virus or anti-malware software. Windows Defender does a great job of protecting your computer and it’s built right into Windows, which is great.

Enable Windows Firewall

The built-in Windows firewall is a very powerful feature, if you really want to control how your computer communicates with other device on the network. However, the default settings will work fine for most people. By default, all outbound communication is allowed to pass through the firewall.

Inbound connections are controlled by a list where you can check or uncheck which programs are allowed through the firewall. First, click on Start, type in firewall and then click on Windows Firewall.

If your screen shows green shields with check marks, that means the firewall is On. If not, click on Turn Windows Firewall on or off to enable it. Next, you should click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall to pick the programs that should have free access through the firewall.

You’ll notice there are two columns with check marks: Private and Public. Check out my post on the Network and Sharing Center in Windows 10 to learn the difference between public and private networks. The more items you can uncheck from the Public column, the better your security. Items like File and Printer Sharing or Netlogon Service should never have a check in the Public column. You’ll have to Google to figure out which items you can uncheck.

It’s also a good idea to uncheck anything that has “Remote” in the name like Remote Assistance, Remote Desktop, etc. Unless you connect to your computer remotely, you can uncheck both the Private and Public columns for all of these programs/services.

Advanced Sharing Settings

While you are in the Network and Sharing Center, you should also configure the Advanced Sharing Settings. Scroll down to the Advanced Sharing Settings section of the article. For a quick review, here is what you should choose for the settings for maximum security. Adjust them accordingly if you need to.

Private

• Turn off network discovery (Only if you never access other devices on your network using this PC)
• Turn off file and printer sharing
• Allow Windows to manage HomeGroup connections

Guest or Public

• Turn off network discovery
• Turn off file and printer sharing

All Networks

• Turn off public folder sharing
• Turn off media streaming (enable only when you need to stream content from the PC to a device)
• Use 128-bit encryption for file sharing connections
• Turn on password protected sharing

User Account Control (UAC)

UAC has been around in Windows for a long time now. You’ll always read articles on the Internet explaining how you can disable UAC if you don’t like those pesky prompts all the time. In my opinion, I don’t get them that often and it’s not worth making your computer less secure just for a minor convenience.

Click on Start, type in UAC and then click on Change User Account Control Settings. By default, the slider should be at Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer, but you should try Always notify if you can bear it.

This is definitely a good option if you visit websites that are sketchy in nature. Keeping UAC to the highest setting will prevent certain changes from being made on your computer without your consent.

Use a Local Account

Since Windows 8, Microsoft has been pushing users to login using their Microsoft account. This has some benefits like two-factor and being able to sync your desktop to any computer, but it also has downsides. Firstly, again, I don’t want Microsoft knowing when I’m logging into my computer or anything else about my computer.

Secondly, what if my Microsoft account gets hacked or something else? Do I have to worry about someone being able to remotely log into my computer, etc.? Instead of worrying about all of that, just use a local account like you were with Windows 7 and earlier. To do that, click on Start, type account and then click on Manage your account.

Click on the Sign in with a local account instead link and follow the steps. You’ll get some warnings from Microsoft as to why you shouldn’t do this, but just ignore them. Nothing bad will happen to your computer.

Use a Lock Screen

If you want to keep your computer secure, you should make sure the screen is locked automatically when you’re not around. To do this, click on Start, type lock screen and select Lock screen settings.

Click on Screen timeout settings and select an appropriate value that works for you. Also, be careful which apps you allow on the lock screen as others will be able to access that information without entering a password.

Secure Boot & UEFI

If you have a newer computer, you should make sure that you enable secure boot and UEFI instead of legacy BIOS. These options are changed in the BIOS, so you’ll have to Google around to get into the BIOS first and then enable these settings.

It’s worth noting that you may or may not have the option for secure boot on your computer. Also, if you switch from LEGACY+UEFI to just UEFI and your computer doesn’t boot, just go back into the BIOS and change it back.

Disable Flash and Java

Two of the biggest threats to all computers are Flash and Java. Literally, every week there is a new security vulnerability found in one of these platforms. Most websites have moved beyond Flash because HTML 5 is now supported in all major browsers.

My suggestion would be to disable Flash and Java and just use your computer normally. Like me, you might find that you never really needed either installed in the first place.

Check out my previous post on how to disable Flash in Microsoft Edge. If you’re using Internet Explorer still, just click on the gear icon, then Internet Options, then Programs, then Manage Add-ons.

Under Show, select All add-ons and then right-click on Shockwave Flash Object and select Disable. If you are using Google Chrome, type in chrome://plugins in the address bar and then click on Disable under Adobe Flash Player.

For Java, just go to Control Panel, Programs and Features and uninstall any Java version currently installed on your computer. You can also read my post on how to uninstall or disable Java in Windows and Mac.

Encrypt Hard Drive

Finally, you should encrypt your entire hard drive if you want the maximum security for your PC. Encryption is more protection against someone stealing your computer or gaining access to your machine physically rather than online threats, but it’s still important.

I’ve written a detailed article on how to encrypt a hard drive using BitLocker in Windows. If you have a computer with a fast CPU, the encryption will not make a noticeable difference in speed. If you have an older computer, I would probably avoid using encryption unless you upgrade the hardware.

Overall, you should be in pretty good shape if you follow all the steps above. Remember, though, visiting the wrong websites will harm you no matter what security you have on your computer. A good option is to use Chrome since it tries to warn you before you visit a malicious website or download something harmful. Enjoy!

How to install Windows 10 from USB

Create a Windows 10 USB Bootable Flash Drive (Updated)

Usually, when we cover creating bootable USB drives for Windows, we recommend the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (time to update that name Microsoft), but I’ve had some problems creating one and started looking for a different option.

So this time around, I thought I would try the free utility called Rufus. Here’s a look at using it, and in the end, I had a faster experience using it than the older Microsoft tool.

Update 7/29/2015 (Windows 10 Day): To get the ISO for the official release of Windows 10, head to this Microsoft page and download the 64 or 32-bit version of the media creation tool. It will allow you to upgrade your Windows 7 SP 1 or Windows 8.1 PC, or download the ISO to use later for a clean install.

For more on that, read our article: How To Download Windows 10 ISO for a Clean Install

Create Windows 10 Technical Preview USB Drive

First of all, make sure you download the Windows 10 Technical Preview by joining the Windows Insider Program as explained in this article. Also, make sure you’re using a USB drive that is at least 4 GB for the 32-bit version and 8 GB for the 64-bit version.

One of the first cool things about Rufus is that no installation is necessary, which means you can stick it on a network location, or another external drive to run it. When you run it, setting it up is simple. Select the USB drive you want to use, select your partition scheme – it’s worth noting that Rufus also supports a bootable UEFI drive.

Then select the disc icon next to the ISO drop-down and navigate to the location of your official Windows 10 ISO.

After that click Start and you should be good to go, within minutes. If you want to be extra careful, check the option to check device for bad blocks. I didn’t do that, and my bootable drive turned out fine.

In my experience, using the older USB 2.0 port and drive, it took less than five minutes to create the drive. If you use a USB 3.0 set up, I would love to know how fast that works!

Anyway, after it’s created, you can go ahead and install the Windows 10 Technical Preview on a spare computer.

Let us know what you think of this tool over Microsoft’s Windows 7 USB/DVD Tool, for me; I am going to continue to use Rufus – at least until Microsoft updates or recreates a new utility – if it does at all.

And yes, of course, you can use this to create other versions of Windows or a Linux distros from an ISO you can.