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News
Office is too slow, so Microsoft is making it load at Windows startup
Microsoft knows Office is slow to load. The solution is, apparently, to make Windows load slower.
News
Microsoft is streamlining logins for Windows, Xbox, and M365
Expect to see a new design, simpler flow, and greater emphasis on passwordless security by the end of April.
News
Windows Game Bar gets design tweaks for better handheld gaming
Microsoft has adjusted the Game Bar interface so it's much easier to see and use on a tiny screen with a controller attached.
News
Optional Windows 11 update fixes USB printers spitting out nonsense
Back in January, a Windows 11 update caused USB printers to print out weird text. Microsoft has finally provided a fix for this problem.
News
Microsoft is bringing back a failed app from Windows 8
Microsoft's People app survived throughout Windows 8 and Windows 10, but Microsoft killed it. Now, People and File Search are new Microsoft 365 mini-apps for Windows that Microsoft is testing again.
News
Windows Photos adds fancy editing features from other Microsoft apps
Microsoft is rolling out an update to the Windows Photos app that combines the creative elements of Designer with OCR capabilities for increased productivity.
News
A useless Copilot button is being tested on Windows Photos
Microsoft's AI tool, Copilot, is being added to the Windows Photos app. Is this really Microsoft adding visual AI to Windows, or is it just another useless feature?
News
First signs of Windows 11 25H2? Here's what we know so far
It seems like Microsoft could be gearing up the Windows Insider Dev Channel to start development on the next big version of the operating system.
News
Google ships Drive for Snapdragon PCs, fixing a key compatibility concern
Google said Monday that it has begun shipping Google Drive for Windows on Arm PCs, solving one of the obstacles that stands in the way of widespread adoption of Arm PCs.
News
Windows 11's File Explorer will unpack ZIP files much faster soon
It's one of the improvements currently being tested in a preview version of Windows 11.
News
Heads up! Microsoft is killing OneNote for Windows 10 soon
With Windows 10 coming to an end in October, Microsoft is also ending support for OneNote for Windows 10. You'll start experiencing performance hits as early as June.
How-To
Is your Windows PC's security firewall good enough? An explainer
Does the Windows firewall protect your computer sufficiently? What contribution does your router make — and who needs additional security software? This article explains.
News
Leaked Windows feature explains why your PC hardware struggles
A hidden FAQ in the Settings app may suggest a GPU or RAM upgrade if it determines that your PC is a little lackluster.
News
Windows 10 users struggle with several problems after March update
It's been over 10 days since Microsoft released update KB5053606 for Windows 10. Users are now reporting various problems after installing it.
News
Microsoft's DirectX update could double ray tracing performance in PC games
Microsoft has announced DirectX Raytracing 1.2, a graphics technology that could drastically improve ray tracing performance in Windows PC games.
News
Do you want Microsoft Copilot sniffing your OneDrive files? Too late
Microsoft said that it's turning on Copilot for OneDrive on consumer accounts, giving its AI analytical tools access to the files you've stored in the cloud.
News
Windows 11 24H2 finally available on PCs with this unusual game installed
If the Windows 11 24H2 update was blocked on your PC because you play this game, it will be available again soon.
News
Microsoft issues emergency Windows update to restore Copilot app
It apparently fixes the problem where Microsoft's Copilot app was being uninstalled by a previous Windows update.
News
Microsoft celebrates its 50th birthday with some ugly free wallpapers
Do you like retro-pixelated wallpapers? Then these new free wallpapers from Microsoft are just the thing for you.
News
Microsoft is now sending emails to get you moving on from Windows 10
Windows 10 users are reportedly receiving reminder emails about Windows 10's imminent end of support and what to do before it hits.
Feature
I made a 'paranoid PC' to dodge hackers. Its secret? An obscure Windows feature
If you want to optimize your PC for security and privacy, may I suggest building a "Paranoid PC"? It just takes a little-known feature of Windows combined with some other security tools.
News
Oops! Microsoft's latest Windows update removes Copilot from PCs
A faulty Windows update just removed the Copilot AI assistant from Windows PCs. If you want it back, here's what you can do.
News
Microsoft's Remote Desktop app is being killed soon
Microsoft warns that you'll need to switch from the Remote Desktop app to the new Windows App by the end of May.
News
Windows 11 24H2's March update is riddled with failures and crashes
Mandatory cumulative update KB5053598 is causing problems for users in all kinds of ways.
News
Fortnite is coming to Snapdragon PCs: 'We're all in on PC gaming'
Qualcomm shores up its gaming cred by landing Epic's Easy Anti-Cheat software, as well as the hit game Fortnite.
News
Windows 11 bug with Nvidia GPUs prevents apps from launching
Some Windows Insiders with Nvidia GPUs are unable to launch apps or do anything that utilizes DirectX 9. Microsoft has confirmed the problem.
News
Printers are spitting out nonsense after a borked Windows update
Printers are horrible and I hate them, but this time it's 100 percent the fault of Windows and Microsoft.
Feature
Windows survival skills: 8 things every PC user should know how to do
Understand your PC even better with our handy survival tips for your PC and Windows. Knowing is half the battle!
News
Windows 11 will start reminding you to add a password recovery email soon
You'll soon be encouraged via notifications to add an email address or phone number for password recovery purposes.
News
Big March patch fixes dozens of security flaws in Windows and Office
Microsoft fixed 58 security vulnerabilities on Patch Tuesday, including several that are already being exploited in the wild.
News
Don't have a Copilot key? Microsoft is adding a keyboard shortcut for you
Soon you won't need a dedicated Copilot key to initiate a voice conversation with the AI assistant.
News
Giant, AI ads are coming to Windows Copilot. Thanks, Microsoft
Microsoft Advertising has shown off new ad formats that insert massive ads right into Copilot, alongside pilot programs to allow brands to create their own AI agents to sell you stuff.
Tip
How to keep app volumes consistent in Windows 11
If you watch TV or videos on your computer, volume normalization can help reduce fluctuations in volume.
News
Revealed: The new laptop battery level icons coming to Windows 11
A better laptop battery charge indicator is coming to Windows 11. Here's a first look at the new design.
News
I told Windows Notepad's new AI to turn Nvidia's fail into poetry
Microsoft has quietly added a new feature to Windows 11: A Rewrite feature that uses AI for editing is now part of Windows Notepad.
News
Microsoft adds JPEG XL support to Windows 11 with a quick download
Microsoft has made the JPEG XL image extension available in the Microsoft Store. It's the next evolution of the ubiquitous JPEG format and it offers some major advantages.
News
Microsoft's Copilot AI will no longer help you pirate Windows 11
The AI chatbot was providing guidance on how to activate pirated versions of Windows 11.
How-To
How to make Microsoft Windows services work for you
Although they work invisibly under the surface, the services are an important part of Windows. Many of them can be deactivated, but this is usually not advisable.
Feature
What happened to DirectStorage? Why don't more PC games use it?
DirectStorage was released for PC in 2022 but it hasn't really taken off since then. What's going on? Is it dead in the water? Or is there still hope for it going forward?
News
Do you cover your computer camera? Don't forget this vital extra step for privacy
Covering up your webcam lens prevents unwanted spying. But there’s another step you should take for full privacy.
News
Microsoft is killing Skype and wants you to switch to a Teams app nobody uses
Microsoft said today that it will sunset Skype, the company that popularized voice calls over the web, in favor of its own Teams app.
Tip
How to block all access to your PC's webcam
Webcams are great for video conferencing, but they can also be misused by attackers to spy on the user. This is how you can remedy the situation.
Tip
Should you encrypt your PC's hard drive? The pros and cons explained
Encrypting your system's hard drive is a great way to protect your laptop if it ever gets stolen.
News
Windows 11 24H2 now blocked on PCs running older AutoCAD software
Issues with AutoCAD 2022 have led Microsoft to block the Windows 11 24H2 on PCs with that version of the technical design tool.
News
Optional Windows 11 24H2 update brings fixes and more advertising
The optional KB5052093 update for Windows 11 24H2 is rolling out with improvements and some steps backward.
Tip
How to use a video as your Windows desktop background
If you're looking to make your desktop background more dynamic, you should try embedding a video with the open source app Lively Wallpaper.
Feature
Never say these things to ChatGPT. It could come back to bite you
AI chatbots can be super convivial and even lead you share your personal information. But doing that can be a big mistake. Here's why…
News
Microsoft quietly bumped up Windows 11 24H2's CPU requirements
An 11th-generation Intel Core CPU is now required for Windows 11 version 24H2. Previously, you only needed an 8th-gen Intel CPU.
Updated
Microsoft's free, ad-supported Office was just a 'test'
Microsoft is taking another stab at a free Office app, allowing you to create documents in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel at the cost of some features.
How-To