The definitive guide on How To Get Help in Windows 10, tips and tricks for a better living.
Using an operating system is not always easy. You may face issues with the system, want to become a pro with the system or have an inquiry on a specific issue. You will need help. A novice user and one with some experience with the earlier Windows Versions may need help with Windows 10.
The constant upgrading of the system could also have changed the functionality of something and will need you to ask.
Fortunately, Windows 10 has numerous help services. You could fetch answers online or from the inbuilt instructions or utilise tutorials and guides built into the system. Below we look in detail at the various available methods to get help in Windows 10.
Use Get Help Application
In the wisdom of Windows developers, they assigned an application known as ‘Get Help” to solve the most basic queries with Windows. To get the assistance of the application;
- Start the application from the start menu or search for it on the search button on your taskbar
- Type your question on the search box in the application. Search over the list of articles recommended and find one that solves your problem
- If you are not satisfied, click on the Contact Us button to chat with a virtual agent
- If the resolution provided is unsatisfactory, key in “talk to a human”, and you will be connected to support personnel
Use The F1 Key
The F1 key has been the approach to help for a while. While on any application, hitting the key will take you to the program’s help menu. For Windows, hit the key when on the Windows desktop, and Windows will conduct a Bing search for”how to get help in Windows 10″.
Consult The Web
The web is a good method for finding answers to your problem. If an error note pops up, use the same phrasing when searching online to filter for the best answers. Another solution is accessing the Microsoft Support Website that has all Microsoft Products support articles. On the site, you will find support for your specific problem among the many categories.
Use Built-in Trouble Shooters
Windows has troubleshooters that can solve the problem automatically after it is detected. It also forwards the diagnostic data to Microsoft for direction.
- Go to Settings > Update and Security > Troubleshoot
- Alternatively, access Troubleshoot Settings by typing Troubleshoot in Windows Search
- A list of troubleshooters will appear, choose the one concerning your problem
Use The Search Box
The Search Box on your Windows 10 taskbar is a bypass to Windows settings and also presents outcomes from Bing.
- Type your problem on the Search Box
- Results including, the default troubleshooter for the problem, settings shortcut and online search results will be displayed
- If no satisfactory answer is found, consider running a Bing search
Use The Help Button
All Windows tool features a help button, normally blue with a question mark. Click on it to initiate Bing support content. Depending on the program you are using, the act will open help within the program.
Finding a solution for a Windows 10 problem is as easy as choosing your preferred method of looking for answers. If the problem is not solved consider contacting Microsoft.
What If You Want To Get Rid Of The Get Help Instead
Many websites give you the instruction I did, which led to the help in Windows 10. But what If you actually get that message too frequently and you want to get rid of the annoying help menu? If you have installed Windows 10 operating system to your PC, you have probably realised it keeps on popping up ‘How to get help in Windows 10’ in the Microsoft Edge web browser using the Bing search engine.
Microsoft Edge automatically starts and opens the Bing search page to show all possible results for ‘How to get help in Windows 10.’ You may get irritated if the Bing search page continues to open from time to time.
You have perhaps searched the internet about this problem, to stop the message from appearing. Some of you may think this is malware or virus that’s trying to infiltrate the machine.
In most cases, these unusual ‘How you can get help Windows 10’ messages launch in Microsoft’s default inbuilt browser, the Microsoft Edge. Still, they can open in another default browser, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Brave, Opera, etc.
In today’s article, you will get the truth regarding this irritating problem and how to remove or disable these unwanted ‘How to get help in Windows 10’ search pages from your PC.
Why Does The Message Pop Up?
First, remember this message doesn’t mean your machine has malware. It often occurs when you press your keyboard’s F1 key. Windows 10 uses the F1 key to search for help with the opened program.
In the previous Windows operating systems, such as Windows 8/8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, Microsoft designed the F1 key to start the ‘Windows Help & Support’ feature to assist users in getting answers to their problems.
But Microsoft didn’t include the Help & Support feature in Windows 10. So, pressing the F1 key starts the HelpPane.exe program in the background. This then launches the Microsoft Edge web browser and searches for the chosen program, option or setting via Bing search.
You can independently test this by launching File Explorer and then pressing the F1 key. You will find out the action opens the Microsoft Edge browser and displays the results for ‘get help in Windows 10.’ It first opens this page from the Microsoft Edge browser and shows Bing search page results.
On the other hand, you can go to your Desktop and press the F1 key. By doing this, the PC will launch the ‘How you can get help in Windows 10’ search page by using the Bing search engine in Microsoft Edge. It opens this link and then redirects you to the Bing search page mentioned above.
Now, launch Task Manager and browse to the Details tab. Here, you will notice that HelpPane.exe is running in the background.
If this annoying message keeps on frequently appearing on your Windows 10 device and you haven’t pressed the F1 key, the problem might be the key is jammed on the keyboard and thus automatically launches the search page. Else, you could be incorrectly pressing this key as you try to press other keys like Esc, F2 or the number keys.
How To Remove ‘Get Help In Windows 10’ Pop Up Message
Luckily, there are a couple of ways to solve this problem and eliminate these nuisance Windows 10 pop-up searches. You can either remove the HelpPane.exe program or turn off the F1 key to disable these messages from showing on your Windows 10 desktop or laptop. Now, let’s go through the common methods you can use:
First Method:
Stop The F1 Key From Starting The Bing Search Page
You can disable the F1 key from launching the HelpPane.exe program through a simple registry modification. The F1 key cannot automatically start the Bing search page after disabling HelpPane.exe. Even if you accidentally press the key or get jammed, you rest assured ‘Get help in Windows 10’ search page will not appear.
One can modify HelpPane.exe program’s Class ID (8cec58ae-07a1-11d9-b15e-000d56bfe6ee) to stop F1 against starting the program. The good news is that modifying this registry key will not completely make F1 useless. You will still have the ability to use it in other applications like games. However, it won’t be able to start the HelpPane.exe program.
Keep in mind that altering the registry is no mean feat, especially if you don’t have technical IT background. Due to this, we saw it fit to give you a pre-made registry script that will help you disable the F1 key, and in the end, stop it from automatically launching the Bing search page.
Get the zipped registry file on this link, extract the files using your preferred file archiver application and finally run the Registry files. The best thing about this Zip file is that it consists of a registry script file to restore the PC to default settings. Isn’t this amazing?
Although changes are instantaneous, you have to reboot your machine for them to take effect. Afterwards, you can attempt to press the F1 key, and you will be contented to realise it no longer opens the annoying Bing search page in your default browser.
Second Method:
Disabling The F1 Key’s Functionality Completely
If you wish to totally disable the F1 key functionality, so it stops opening Bing search pages or the help & support module in any program, this is the method to follow. This section talks about a registry script that turns off the F1 key forever.
It’s worth keeping in mind that turning off the F1 key completely means that it will stop the start of the Bing search page, in addition to stopping working anywhere else on your machine. If this is your favourite solution, get the script’s zip file from this link, extract them and run the resulting Registry file.
As a general rule, it is advisable to restart the operating system to let the changes take effect. Subsequently, you can try to press the F1 key to find out whether it functions. And like the other script described above, this file comes with another registry script to help you restore the registry to default settings if you wish to.
Third Method:
Rename Or Delete The HelpPane.exe File
You can opt to rename or delete the HelpPane.exe executable file since it’s the one that is responsible for opening the Bing search on your browser whenever you press the F1 key. Windows 10 will not access after renaming or deletion, and you will not get the annoying Bing search results again. Here is how to go about this:
- Launch File Explorer in Windows 10 and go to this folder C:\Windows\
- Search for the HelpPane.exe file. Remember, Windows will not allow you to rename or delete the file directly from this location. Thus, you have first to take the file’s full control and ownership. Click on this Microsoft website to learn how you can take full control of a folder or files.
- After taking total control of the HelpPane.exe file, you can either opt to rename or delete it.
Note
If you find it tricky to rename or delete the file even after giving yourself the rights, you may consider opening the Task Manager and ending the HelpPane.exe task first.
Fourth Method:
Check Whether A Software With Startup Permission Is Causing The Problem
First, you can scan the operating system to find out whether there is a virus infection. In rare cases, the ‘Get Help’ may appear due to malware presence in some applications. So, either uses the inbuilt Windows 10 antivirus or a third-party antivirus to remove potential malware. Restart the PC to check whether the message disappears.
If the used antivirus fails to detect any unusual programs, try to follow these steps:
- Press the Windows Key + X synchronously and click on the Task Manager from the list.
- Click on the Startup tab. Assess all programs whose startup permissions are enabled and check whether you can recognise a strange service or application. If you identify a program that doesn’t need to be on this list, then it possibly shouldn’t.
- Consider disabling the permission of that service or application and then reboot the PC. Check if the message stops popping.
The Final Thoughts
The above-mentioned simple and useful methods will assist you to eradicate the annoying ‘Get Help Pop Up in Windows 10.’ While some of the fixes are temporal, others are permanent and may necessitate alterations if you want to revert.
Whatever the case, remember that you may not be able to launch or access Windows 10 Help Tool if you ended up renaming the HelpPane.exe or disabling the F1 key. Having said that, Help Tool is a webpage that launches in the Microsoft Edge browser and isn’t quite significant. So, you can use other techniques when the need arises to solve Microsoft-related issues.
Sources
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-get-help-in-windows-10-711b6492-0435-0038-8706-7c6b0feb200a
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_vista-performance/how-to-disable-windows-help-and-support-pop-up/751e7e91-39d1-4dd3-938d-7260a912f1bf