How Tos

windows can wreck your linux dual boot in four ways heres how to fix each one Running Windows and Linux on the same machine leaves your setup open to Windows breaking it without warning. Windows may move its own boot manager back to the top of the boot order, leave its drives locked because of Fast Startup, change which bootloaders Secure Boot will trust, or shut you out entirely with BitLocker. Every one of these problems can be fixed, and with some preparation before you make changes, you can avoid most of them.

Windows Can Wreck Your Linux Dual-Boot in Four Ways: Here’s How to Fix Each One

skip the installs 5 browser tools that handle occasional desktop jobs Some desktop programs sit on your machine for jobs that come up only twice a year, and a browser tab can usually do those jobs instead. For quick image edits there's Photopea. iLovePDF takes care of everyday PDF work, and PairDrop moves files between your phone and PC. CloudConvert deals with unusual file formats, and diagrams.net draws flowcharts. Below we explain what each one does, how to use it, and when an installed app is still the better option.

Skip the Installs: 5 Browser Tools That Handle Occasional Desktop Jobs

authenticator apps explained a step by step guide to adding two factor protection to your accounts If your password is exposed in a data breach or handed over through a phishing scam, it can't keep your accounts safe by itself. A two-factor authentication (2FA) app closes that gap. It adds a second check: you enter a short code generated on a device you control, which means an intruder who has only your password still can't log in.

Authenticator apps explained: a step-by-step guide to adding two-factor protection to your accounts

speed up a sluggish windows pc in just 10 minutes a quick cleanup guide Most of the time, a sluggish and cluttered Windows PC is down to a handful of problems you can fix fast: too many programs launching when you boot, a system drive that's almost out of space, power settings that hold your CPU back and a browser stuffed with open tabs. Follow the steps below and you can recover most of your lost speed without reinstalling anything. If the machine still drags afterward, look at an SSD or RAM upgrade next.

Speed Up a Sluggish Windows PC in Just 10 Minutes: A Quick Cleanup Guide

windows dynamic lock how to make your pc lock itself when you walk away Forgetting to lock your laptop before stepping away is an easy mistake to make, and Windows includes a built-in tool called Dynamic Lock to handle it for you. First, pair your phone with your PC over Bluetooth. Then enable Dynamic Lock under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. If you leave with your phone and the Bluetooth link drops, Windows can lock the PC by itself.

Windows Dynamic Lock: How to Make Your PC Lock Itself When You Walk Away

windows 11 running slow four background services you can disable to reclaim ram A Windows 11 machine that has started to drag may be weighed down by background services you have no use for. This guide covers four of them: the Windows AI Fabric Service (WSAIFabricSvc), Delivery Optimization, the DiagTrack telemetry service and the Xbox services. On some systems, shutting down the AI Fabric Service by itself has released roughly 5GB of memory.

Windows 11 Running Slow? Four Background Services You Can Disable to Reclaim RAM

five microsoft defender protections worth enabling on windows 11 and how to do it Microsoft Defender on Windows 11 runs through the Windows Security app, and that app includes several stronger protections that are frequently left disabled: Memory Integrity, Local Security Authority protection, Smart App Control, Controlled folder access and potentially unwanted app blocking. All five can be enabled from within Windows Security. Before Memory Integrity shows up, you may first have to enable virtualization in your BIOS. Enable them one at a time. That way, if an app stops working, you'll know which setting is responsible.

Five Microsoft Defender Protections Worth Enabling on Windows 11, and How to Do It

windhawk guide restoring lost start menu and taskbar controls in windo Many of the Start menu, taskbar and File Explorer settings found in older versions of Windows were removed in Windows 11. Windhawk, a free, open-source platform for Windows mods, can bring most of them back. You install Windhawk first and then add separate mods, each one fixing a specific problem.

Windhawk Guide: Restoring Lost Start Menu and Taskbar Controls in Windows 11

why your windows pc keeps waking up at night and how to stop it When a Windows PC comes out of sleep on its own overnight, it's because something has been allowed to wake it. The culprit is nearly always one of three things: a scheduled task or wake timer, a wake signal from the network, or a USB or Bluetooth device. To find out which one it is, open an elevated Command Prompt and run powercfg /lastwake. Then take that permission away.

Why Your Windows PC Keeps Waking Up at Night, and How to Stop It

greenshot guide capture annotate and send screenshots in three clicks Windows ships with its own screenshot utilities (Snip & Sketch, the classic Snipping Tool and the newer Snipping Tool), and they're fine for a fast grab. They fall short on editing, sharing and resizing. Greenshot is a free, open-source capture tool with a built-in image editor. It takes the screenshot, lets you edit it and passes it to another app or folder in a single flow. You pick a hotkey and decide what happens after each capture, and the rest can run on its own.

Greenshot guide: capture, annotate and send screenshots in three clicks