Windows how-to questions

Select the text or file, press Ctrl + C to copy, click where you want it, then press Ctrl + V to paste. To move instead of copy, use Ctrl + X to cut. You can also right-click and choose Copy or Paste.

Press the Windows key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool overlay and drag to capture an area. Press Print Screen (PrtScn) to copy the whole screen. Both copy the image so you can paste it.

Press Windows key + Shift + S, choose a snip type at the top, and drag over the area. The image is copied and a notification lets you open it in Snipping Tool to save or edit.

Press Windows key + Shift + S to snip part of the screen, or Windows key + PrtScn to save a full-screen image to your Pictures folder under Screenshots.

Screenshots taken with Windows key + PrtScn are saved in Pictures, in a folder called Screenshots. Ones taken with Print Screen alone or Windows key + Shift + S are only copied to the clipboard until you paste and save them.

Click the window, then press Alt + PrtScn to copy only that window to the clipboard. Paste it into Paint, an email or a document. You can also use Snipping Tool's Window mode.

Press Windows key + G to open the Xbox Game Bar, then click the Capture button and Record. On Windows 11, Snipping Tool also has a video record option. Recording works best in a single app window.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager directly. You can also press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and choose Task Manager, or right-click the Start button and pick it from the menu.

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, or right-click the Start button and select Task Manager. Ctrl + Alt + Delete also works and shows it as an option on the blue screen.

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, select the frozen app under Processes, and click End task. If the whole window is stuck, Alt + F4 may also close it.

Wait a minute, then try Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and end the stuck app. If nothing responds, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, or hold the power button for about 10 seconds to force a restart.

Press Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter. A small window shows your Windows version and build number. You can also check Settings, then System, then About.

Open Settings, then System, then About to see your processor, installed RAM and Windows edition. For more detail, press Windows key + R, type dxdiag, and press Enter.

Go to Settings, System, About and look for Installed RAM. Task Manager's Performance tab, under Memory, also shows the total and how much is currently in use.

Open Task Manager, click the Performance tab, and select GPU. The card name appears in the top right. Device Manager under Display adapters also lists it.

Open Settings, System, About and check Device specifications, which often shows the model. You can also look for a sticker on the bottom of a laptop or run msinfo32 from the Start menu.

Open Command Prompt and type wmic bios get serialnumber, then press Enter. On many PCs it is also on a sticker on the bottom of the laptop or back of the desktop.

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run wmic path softwarelicensingservice get OA3xOriginalProductKey. Many modern PCs have the key stored in firmware and activate automatically when you sign in with a Microsoft account.

Open Settings, then System, then Activation. It tells you whether Windows is activated and whether it is linked to your Microsoft account or a digital license.

Open Settings, then Windows Update, and click Check for updates. Install anything it finds and restart when asked. On Windows 10, Settings is under Update & Security.

Go to Settings, Windows Update, and select Check for updates. Windows will download and install available updates and tell you if a restart is needed.

Updates can take a long time, so wait at least an hour if the disk light is active. If it is truly frozen, restart, then run the Windows Update troubleshooter in Settings, System, Troubleshoot.

Open Settings, Windows Update, and use Pause updates or set Active hours so restarts happen outside your work time. You cannot turn updates off completely on home editions.

Go to Settings, Windows Update, and choose a pause option such as Pause for 1 week. You can extend the pause a few times, and updates resume automatically afterward.

Open Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, then Optional updates to see driver updates. You can also right-click Start, open Device Manager, right-click a device and choose Update driver.

Hold Shift while clicking Restart, then choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options, Startup Settings, Restart, and press 4 or F4 for Safe Mode. Press 5 for Safe Mode with Networking.

Restart the computer normally and it should boot into regular Windows. If it keeps returning to Safe Mode, press Windows key + R, type msconfig, go to Boot, and uncheck Safe boot.

Hold Shift while clicking Restart, choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options, then UEFI Firmware Settings. You can also tap the key shown at startup, often F2, Del or F10, depending on the brand.

Open Settings, System, Recovery, and click Reset PC under Recovery options. Choose whether to keep your files or remove everything, then follow the prompts. Back up important files first.

Go to Settings, Update & Security, Recovery, and click Get started under Reset this PC. Pick Keep my files or Remove everything, and follow the steps. Back up your data beforehand.

On Windows, open Settings, then System, Recovery, and select Reset PC. Choose Remove everything for a full wipe. Plug the laptop in first because the process can take an hour or more.

Use Settings, System, Recovery, Reset this PC, and choose Keep my files. It reinstalls Windows and removes apps but keeps your personal files. Back up important data anyway as a precaution.

Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft's website, run it with a blank USB drive of at least 8 GB, and choose USB flash drive. It downloads Windows and makes the drive bootable.

Open Settings, Windows Update, and see if the Windows 11 upgrade is offered. Your PC needs to meet the requirements, including TPM 2.0. The PC Health Check app can tell you if it qualifies.

Windows 11 needs a compatible 64-bit processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI with Secure Boot and TPM 2.0. Microsoft's PC Health Check app checks this for you.

Press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter. The window shows whether a TPM is present and its version. If it says compatible TPM cannot be found, check your BIOS settings.

Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Home users can enroll in the Extended Security Updates program for an extra year, or upgrade to Windows 11 if their PC is eligible.

Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, turn Bluetooth on, click Add device, and choose Bluetooth. Put your headphones or device in pairing mode, then select it from the list.

Make sure Bluetooth is on and Airplane mode is off, then restart the computer. If it still fails, remove and re-pair the device, or update the Bluetooth driver in Device Manager.

Click the network icon in the taskbar, choose your Wi-Fi network, click Connect, and enter the password. Tick Connect automatically to rejoin it next time.

Open Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi, then Manage known networks. Select the network and click Forget. You will need the password to join again.

Open Command Prompt and run netsh wlan show profile name="NetworkName" key=clear, replacing the name with yours. The password appears next to Key Content. You can also check Network and Sharing Center.

Restart your computer and router, then toggle Airplane mode. If it persists, run Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, Network and Internet, or update the Wi-Fi adapter driver.

Open Settings, Network & internet, choose Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then your connection to see the IPv4 address. You can also type ipconfig in Command Prompt.

Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, and click Add device. Choose your printer when it appears. For a wired printer, plug it in and Windows usually installs it automatically.

Check that the printer is on, connected and has paper and ink. Restart both the printer and PC, clear any stuck print jobs, and run the Printer troubleshooter in Settings.

Open Printers & scanners, select your printer, click Open print queue, then Printer menu and Cancel All Documents. If jobs remain, restart the Print Spooler service in Services.

Go to Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Printers & scanners, select the printer and click Set as default. You may need to turn off Let Windows manage my default printer first.

Install the Windows Scan app from the Microsoft Store, open it, choose your scanner, and click Scan. You can also use the Scan option in your printer's own software.

Right-click the desktop, choose Display settings, and pick a resolution under Display resolution. The one marked Recommended usually looks sharpest on your monitor.

Open Settings, System, Display and drag the Brightness slider, or use the brightness keys on your laptop. In Windows 11 you can also use the quick settings panel by the clock.

Open Settings, System, Display and switch on Night light, then click it to set strength and a schedule. It makes the screen warmer in the evening to reduce blue light.

Go to Settings, Personalization, Colors and set Choose your mode to Dark. On Windows 10, choose Dark under Choose your default app mode.

Connect the second monitor, then press Windows key + P and choose Extend. Open Settings, System, Display to arrange the screens and pick which is the main display.

Plug in an HDMI cable, then press Windows key + P and choose Duplicate or Extend. Set the TV to the matching HDMI input. For wireless, use Windows key + K to cast.

Press Ctrl + Alt + an arrow key if your graphics driver supports it, or go to Settings, System, Display and change Display orientation. Choose Landscape to return to normal.

Press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B to restart the graphics driver. Check your monitor cable and input, and try another display. If it persists, restart or boot into Safe Mode.

Open Settings, System, Display and use the Scale dropdown to pick 100%, 125%, 150% or another size. This makes text and apps larger or smaller without changing resolution.

Type Snipping Tool in the Start menu and open it, or press Windows key + Shift + S. Choose a snip mode, drag over the area, then save, copy or annotate the capture.

Press the Windows key to open the Start menu. You can then start typing to search for apps, settings or files immediately.

Common ones are Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, Ctrl + Z for undo, Alt + Tab to switch apps, Windows key + D for desktop, and Windows key + E for File Explorer.

Press Ctrl + Z to undo your last action and Ctrl + Y to redo it. This works in most programs, including File Explorer, Word and browsers.

Hold Alt and press Tab to cycle through open apps. Windows key + Tab opens Task View, which shows all windows and your virtual desktops.

Press Windows key + L to lock your PC instantly. You will need your password, PIN or Windows Hello to get back in.

Press Windows key + E, or click the folder icon on the taskbar. You can also right-click the Start button and choose File Explorer.

Press Windows key + R. Then type a program name or command, such as notepad or cmd, and press Enter.

Click Start, type cmd, and press Enter. To run it as administrator, right-click Command Prompt in the results and choose Run as administrator.

Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager. You can also press Windows key + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter.

Click Start, type Control Panel, and press Enter. You can also press Windows key + R, type control, and press Enter.

Press Windows key + period (.) or Windows key + semicolon (;) to open the emoji panel. Click an emoji to insert it where your cursor is.

Press Windows key + V. If it asks, click Turn on to start saving what you copy. Then you can paste any recent item from the list.

Tap the touchpad with two fingers, or press the lower right corner. If neither works, check Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad for the right-click options.

Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Touchpad and switch the toggle off. Many laptops also have a function key, often F6 or F9, or a double-tap on a corner that disables it.

Restart the PC and check that the keyboard is connected or has fresh batteries. Try a different USB port, and update or reinstall the keyboard driver in Device Manager.

Open Settings, Bluetooth & devices, Mouse and adjust the Mouse pointer speed slider. You can also change the primary button and scrolling there.

Open Settings, Time & language, Language & region, click Add a language, and choose one. Switch between layouts by pressing Windows key + Space.

Go to Settings, Time & language, Date & time. Turn on Set time automatically for the most accurate result, or switch it off to set the date and time manually.

Open Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, and select Password, then Change. Enter your current password and a new one. For a Microsoft account you can also change it online.

On a Microsoft account, use the Reset password link on the sign-in screen. For a local account, answer your security questions if you set them up, or use a password reset disk.

Open Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, and choose Face, Fingerprint or PIN. Follow the prompts to enroll. Face and fingerprint need compatible hardware.

Go to Settings, Accounts, Other users, and click Add account. Follow the prompts to use a Microsoft account, or choose to create a local one.

Open Settings, Apps, Installed apps, find the program, click the three dots and choose Uninstall. On Windows 10, the list is called Apps & features.

Open Settings, System, Storage and turn on Storage Sense, or click Temporary files to delete junk. Uninstalling unused apps and emptying the Recycle Bin also frees space.

Type Disk Cleanup in the Start menu, pick your drive, tick the file types to remove and click OK. Use Clean up system files to include Windows update leftovers.

Open File Explorer, click This PC, and look at the bar under each drive. Settings, System, Storage shows a more detailed breakdown of what uses the space.

Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and choose Empty Recycle Bin. You can also open it, select files, and delete them one by one.

Check the Recycle Bin first and right-click a file to Restore it. Otherwise, right-click the folder, choose Properties, then Previous Versions, or use Windows File Recovery from the Microsoft Store.

Open Settings, Accounts, Windows backup in Windows 11 to sync folders to OneDrive. You can also copy files to an external drive, or use File History on Windows 10.

Plug in an external drive, open Settings, Update & Security, Backup, and click Add a drive. Turn on Automatically back up my files. In Windows 11, search for File History in Control Panel.

Search for Create a restore point in Start, select your drive, click Create, and name it. This lets you roll back system changes if something goes wrong.

Search for Create a restore point, click System Restore, and choose a restore point from before the problem started. Windows restarts and undoes recent system changes, leaving your files alone.

Open Windows Security, click Virus & threat protection, and choose Quick scan. For deeper checks, select Scan options and run a Full scan or Microsoft Defender Offline scan.

Open Windows Security, Virus & threat protection, Manage settings, and switch off Real-time protection. It turns back on automatically. It is best to leave it on unless you use another antivirus.

Open Windows Security, click Firewall & network protection, choose your network profile and switch Microsoft Defender Firewall on.

Restart it, close unused programs, and disable startup apps in Task Manager's Startup tab. Free up disk space, install pending updates, and scan for malware. An SSD or more RAM can help too.

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Startup apps tab, right-click a program and choose Disable. This does not uninstall it.

It is often caused by updates, antivirus scans, indexing or a failing hard drive. Wait for background tasks to finish, check which process is using the disk, and consider an SSD upgrade.

Windows does not show it in Task Manager. Check the BIOS or use a free hardware monitoring program. Many laptops also show temperatures in the maker's own support app.

Open Command Prompt as administrator, run powercfg /batteryreport, and open the HTML file it creates. Compare Design capacity with Full charge capacity to see wear.

Open Settings, System, Power & battery and switch on Battery saver, or set it to turn on at a certain percentage. It lowers brightness and limits background activity.

Go to Settings, System, Power & battery, then Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts. Choose how long the PC waits before the screen turns off or it sleeps, on battery and plugged in.

Hold Shift while clicking Shut down to bypass Fast Startup for a full shutdown. You can also turn off Fast Startup in Control Panel, Power Options, Choose what the power buttons do.

Check that the volume is not muted and the right output device is selected by clicking the speaker icon. Then run Settings, System, Sound, Troubleshoot common sound problems, or update the audio driver.

Open Settings, Apps, Default apps, choose your browser, and set it as the default for web links. Windows 11 may ask you to confirm for each file type.

Open Settings, Apps, Default apps, search for the file extension such as .pdf, and choose the app. You can also right-click a file, select Open with, and tick Always use this app.

Open File Explorer, click View, then Show, and tick File name extensions. In Windows 10, the box is on the View tab directly.

In File Explorer, click View, then Show, and select Hidden items. Hidden files and folders appear slightly faded.

Select the files, right-click, and choose Compress to ZIP file. In Windows 10, choose Send to, then Compressed (zipped) folder. A new ZIP appears in the same folder.

Right-click the ZIP file and choose Extract All, then pick a destination and click Extract. You can also double-click it to browse the contents.

Open the print dialog with Ctrl + P, select Microsoft Print to PDF as the printer, click Print, and choose where to save the PDF.

Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, then set Taskbar alignment to Left. The Start button and icons move to the left corner like Windows 10.

Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and set Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. This option is available on recent Windows 11 versions.

Click Show more options at the bottom of the right-click menu, or press Shift + F10 on a selected item. Windows 11 has no simple built-in setting to make the full menu the default.

On Windows 11, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and set Search to Hide. On Windows 10, right-click the taskbar, choose Search, then Hidden.

On Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and check Automatically hide the taskbar. On Windows 10, right-click the taskbar, open Taskbar settings and turn on the auto-hide option.

On recent Windows 11 versions, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors and turn on Show seconds in system tray clock. Windows 10 needs a registry edit, so many people skip it.

Search for the app in Start, right-click it and choose Pin to taskbar. You can also right-click an open app's taskbar icon and pick Pin to taskbar.

Find the app in Start or search, right-click it and choose Pin to Start. To remove it later, right-click the pinned tile and choose Unpin from Start.

Right-click an empty spot on the desktop, choose New > Shortcut and browse to the app or file. Or right-click the app in Start, choose Open file location, then right-click the app and send it to Desktop.

Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings, check Computer (This PC), then click Apply. You can add Recycle Bin, Network and User files the same way.

Press Windows + Tab and choose New desktop, or press Windows + Ctrl + D. Switch between desktops with Windows + Ctrl + Left or Right, and close one with Windows + Ctrl + F4.

Press Windows + Left or Right to snap the active window to one half of the screen, then pick another window for the other half. You can also drag a window to the screen edge.

Hover over a window's maximize button or press Windows + Z to see layout options, then click a zone. Pick other open windows to fill the remaining zones.

Press Windows + I to open Settings on Windows 10 and 11. Windows + X opens a quick menu with links to Device Manager, Disk Management and other tools.

On Windows 11, press Windows + A or click the Wi-Fi, volume and battery icons on the taskbar. On Windows 10, press Windows + A to open Action Center.

Press Windows + W or click the weather icon on the left of the taskbar. To remove it, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and turn Widgets off.

Open Settings > System > Notifications and switch Notifications off, or turn off individual apps in the list below. You can also use Do not disturb on Windows 11 or Focus assist on Windows 10.

Open the notification center with Windows + N and click the bell icon at the top, or go to Settings > System > Notifications and turn on Do not disturb. Notifications then go quietly to the notification center.

Press Windows + G. From there you can record clips, take screenshots and check performance. If nothing happens, turn it on in Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.

Go to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and switch it on. It limits background tasks like updates while you play, and it is on by default in many recent Windows versions.

Go to Settings > System > Power & battery and choose a Power mode such as Best power efficiency, Balanced or Best performance. Choices vary slightly by device and plugged-in status.

Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what closing the lid does. Pick Do nothing, Sleep, Hibernate or Shut down for battery and plugged-in use.

Open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, click Change settings that are currently unavailable, then uncheck Turn on fast startup and save. A full shutdown then behaves more like a clean boot.

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run powercfg /hibernate on. Then enable Hibernate in Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Shutdown settings.

Open Command Prompt and type shutdown /s /t 3600 to shut down in one hour (the number is seconds). Cancel it any time by typing shutdown /a.

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find Windows Explorer in the Processes list, right-click it and choose Restart. This often fixes a frozen taskbar or Start menu.

Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager first. If it keeps happening, install pending Windows updates, run sfc /scannow in an administrator Command Prompt, and restart the PC.

Restart Windows Explorer in Task Manager, then restart the PC. If it still fails, run sfc /scannow in an administrator Command Prompt and install any pending Windows updates.

Restart Windows Explorer, then check Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows and make sure indexing is on. Restarting the PC and installing pending updates also fixes many search problems.

Right-click the program and choose Run as administrator. From the Start search box, you can also select the app and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Select the files in File Explorer, press F2, type a new name and press Enter. Windows renames them with the same name plus numbers in brackets, such as Vacation (1), Vacation (2).

Right-click the downloaded font file and choose Install, or Install for all users. You can also drag font files into Settings > Personalization > Fonts, then restart open apps to see them.

Press Windows + R, type %temp% and press Enter, then select all files and delete them, skipping any that are in use. Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files is a safer option.

Go to Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense. Click it to choose how often it runs and when it empties the Recycle Bin and Downloads folder.

Open Settings > System > Storage to see space by category, such as Apps, Videos and Temporary files. In File Explorer you can also open a folder, click the Size column and sort largest first.

Open Task Manager, sort by CPU and close or end the app using the most. Then restart, install pending updates and scan for malware if a process keeps eating CPU.

Search for View advanced system settings, click Settings under Performance and choose Adjust for best performance, or uncheck individual effects. In Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects you can also turn off animations.

Open Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch on Windows 11, or Ease of Access > Cursor & pointer on Windows 10. Drag the size slider and optionally change the pointer color.

On Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad > Scroll & zoom and change Scrolling direction. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Touchpad.

On a precision touchpad, two fingers scroll, pinch to zoom, and tap with two fingers to right-click. Three fingers swipe up for open windows and swipe down to show the desktop.

Press Windows + H in any text field to start voice typing, then speak. You need an internet connection and microphone access allowed in Settings > Privacy & security.

Press Ctrl + Windows + O to turn the on-screen keyboard on or off. You can also find it in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.

Press Windows + P and pick Duplicate to show the same screen, or Extend to use the second display as extra space. Second screen only and PC screen only are also there.

Press Windows + P and choose Extend, then open Settings > System > Display and click Detect. Check the cable and input, try another port, and update the graphics driver.

Press Windows + K to see nearby wireless displays, pick your TV and connect. The TV must support Miracast or be connected to the same network; otherwise use an HDMI cable.

Open Settings > System > Display > Advanced display, pick your monitor and choose a Refresh rate. Only rates your monitor and cable support will appear.

Go to Settings > System > Display, select your HDR-capable screen and turn on Use HDR. Windows + Alt + B also toggles HDR in many setups.

Update your graphics driver, check the refresh rate in Advanced display settings and try a different cable. If it only flickers in one app, update or reinstall that app.

Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and choose Windows spotlight, Picture or Slideshow under Personalize your lock screen. Windows spotlight rotates images automatically.

Right-click the desktop, choose Personalize, then Background and pick a picture, solid color or slideshow. You can also right-click an image file and choose Set as desktop background.

Open Settings > Accounts > Your info and choose a file or take a photo with your camera. If you use a Microsoft account, the picture also syncs to your account.

On Windows 11, click the volume icon in the taskbar, then the arrow next to the slider and pick a device. On Windows 10, click the speaker icon and choose from the device list.

On Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer to set volume per app. You can also right-click the speaker icon and choose Open Volume mixer.

Check Settings > System > Sound > Input and pick the right mic. Then confirm Settings > Privacy & security > Microphone allows your apps, unmute the mic, and test it with the input level bar.

Open Settings > Privacy & security > Camera and allow apps to use the camera. Check for a physical shutter or camera key on your laptop, update drivers and test it in the Camera app.

Search for Camera in Start and open it. If you see yourself, the webcam works, and any problem is likely in the app you were using.

Try another USB port or fresh batteries, and re-pair if it is Bluetooth. Then unplug other USB devices, restart the PC and update the driver in Device Manager.

Try a different port and cable, then check Disk Management (Windows + X) to see if the drive appears without a letter. Right-click it to assign a drive letter, or update the USB controller drivers.

Right-click the drive in File Explorer, choose Format, pick a file system such as exFAT or NTFS and click Start. Formatting erases everything, so back up first.

Click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar tray, or right-click the drive in File Explorer, and choose Eject. Wait for the message before unplugging.

Press Windows + X and choose Disk Management. You can also type diskmgmt.msc in the Run box (Windows + R).

Open Disk Management, right-click your main drive, choose Shrink Volume and enter an amount. Then right-click the new unallocated space and choose New Simple Volume to finish.

Open File Explorer, right-click the drive, choose Properties > Tools > Check. Or run chkdsk C: /f in an administrator Command Prompt, which may schedule a scan at restart.

Open Command Prompt as administrator, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. It scans and repairs damaged system files and can take 10 to 20 minutes.

Open Command Prompt as administrator and run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. Let it finish, then run sfc /scannow and restart.

On recent Windows 11 versions, open Settings > System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks & volumes > Properties to see drive health. Manufacturer tools give more detail.

Go to Settings > System > About and click Rename this PC, then enter a new name and restart. Use letters, numbers and hyphens for best results.

Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region, add a language and set it as the Windows display language. Sign out and back in to apply it.

Go to Settings > Accounts > Your info and choose Sign in with a local account instead, then follow the prompts. Some setups, especially new Windows 11 installs, limit this option.

Open Settings > Accounts > Other users, select the account and choose Remove. Back up its files first because the account's data can be deleted.

Go to Settings > Accounts > Other users, select the account, choose Change account type and set it to Administrator. You need an administrator account to do this.

No, Windows 10 and 11 no longer include a built-in guest account. Create a standard local account with a limited-access name for visitors in Settings > Accounts > Other users.

Open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options > PIN (Windows Hello) and choose Remove. If the option is grayed out, turn off Only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts first.

Press Windows + R, type netplwiz, uncheck Users must enter a user name and password, and enter your password. Only do this on a PC that nobody else can reach.

Add a child account in Settings > Accounts > Family, then manage screen time, app limits and content filters at the Microsoft Family Safety website or app. Each child needs a Microsoft account.

Search for Manage BitLocker, choose Turn on BitLocker and save the recovery key somewhere safe. Full BitLocker needs Windows Pro or higher; Home may offer a simpler device encryption.

Open Terminal or Command Prompt and use winget, for example winget install appname. Use winget search to find the exact app name first.

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, click the three dots next to the app, choose Advanced options and try Repair, then Reset if needed. Reset can delete the app's data.

Press Windows + R, type wsreset.exe and press Enter. A blank window opens for a moment, then the Store restarts with its cache cleared.

Open Settings > System > Activation, find Switch to Windows 11 Home or Pro and follow the steps through the Microsoft Store. It is free but you cannot go back to S mode.

Go to Settings > System > Activation and choose Change product key or Upgrade your edition. You can enter a Pro key or buy the upgrade from the Microsoft Store.

Open Settings > System > Recovery and click Go back. This works only for about 10 days after upgrading, and only if the old Windows files were not deleted.

Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history > Uninstall updates (Windows 11) or Settings > Update & Security > View update history > Uninstall updates (Windows 10). Choose the update and click Uninstall.

Go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Restart now next to Advanced startup. You can also hold Shift while clicking Restart on the Start menu.

Search for Create a recovery drive, plug in a USB drive and follow the steps. Use a drive that is at least 16 GB, as everything on it will be erased.

Boot into Advanced Startup options, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Repair. If Windows will not boot, use a Windows USB installer and choose Repair your computer.

Search for Windows Backup on Windows 11 and sign in with your Microsoft account. Pick folders, settings and apps to back up to OneDrive, within your free storage limit.

Copy files to an external drive or a cloud service such as OneDrive, then copy them to the new PC. You can also share them over your home network or use Windows Backup to restore.

Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar, open Help & Settings and choose Pause syncing. To stop it completely, unlink the PC in Settings > Account.

Go to Settings > System > Remote Desktop and turn it on. The PC being controlled needs Windows Pro or higher; Home can connect to others but not host.

Press Ctrl + Windows + Q or search for Quick Assist. One person gets a security code, the other enters it, and the helper can view or control the screen with permission.

Open Phone Link on your PC and the Link to Windows app on your Android phone, then sign in and pair them. iPhone support is more limited, mainly calls, texts and notifications.

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile hotspot, choose to share your connection over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and switch it on. Set a network name and password under Properties.

Click the Wi-Fi and volume area on the taskbar, then click the Airplane mode tile, or go to Settings > Network & internet > Airplane mode. This turns off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular radios.

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) > Hardware properties, edit DNS server assignment, switch to Manual and enter the addresses. A public DNS can sometimes improve reliability.

Open Command Prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns, then press Enter. It clears stored website addresses, which can help when a site will not load properly.

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset on Windows 11. On Windows 10 it is under Network & Internet > Status. It removes saved Wi-Fi networks and VPNs.

Open Settings > Network & internet > Data usage to see usage by app over the last 30 days. You can also set a data limit for a network there.

Press Ctrl + Windows + Enter to start or stop Narrator, the built-in screen reader. You can also turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Narrator.

Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to the Performance tab and click GPU. The Processes tab also shows a GPU column for each running app.