Latest PCs & Components How-To Stories
SEE PC & COMPONENTS STORIES BY CATEGORY
Answer Line
You can securely wipe your files, hard drive or SSD with one of these free utilities
You delete a file, then empty the recycle bin. But the contents of that file remains on your drive. Here's what to do about that.
How-To
Don’t panic! How to fix 5 common PC emergencies
Spilled soda on your laptop? Broke your screen? Here’s what you can do.Hassle-Free PC
3 surprisingly easy PC repairs you should do yourself
You could pay someone to take care of these repairs for you, but you'd be surprised how easy they are with a little patience.How-To
How to overclock your graphics card and make PC games run faster for free
Want more performance in your PC games for free? Overclocking your graphics card is the answer. Here's how.Answer Line
What to do when the PC turns on but the screen remains black
You turn on your PC. The lights come on. The fan spins. But the screen remains black. Here's what you should do about it.Hassle-Free PC
How to personalize your PC’s power settings for every situation
Need to make sure your PC never turns off, or you want the most extreme power savings possible? Here's how you can set up your own power plan.Answer Line
5 things you can do with a second internal drive
Sure, you could just store more stuff, but other options range from virtual machines to games.How-To
How to make Linux’s desktop look good on high-resolution displays
You've paid good money for a high-resolution display. Here's how to enjoy it with Linux's GNOME desktop.
How-To
Tip: WinDirStat can help you free up storage space for GTA V (or anything else) in a flash
This tried-and-true program just helped me free up over 100GB worth of drive space in mere minutes.Answer Line
How to clean a touchscreen: All you need is a simple cleaner and a special cloth
Thanks to your greasy fingers, touchscreens get dirty quicker than old-fashioned monitors. Here's how to clean off the schmutz.
How-To
How to replace a broken laptop screen
If your laptop's LCD screen is cracked, black, or otherwise broken, it doesn't mean your notebook's a paperweight. Here's step-by-step instructions on how to replace a broken laptop screen.How-To
4K monitors: Everything you need to know about UltraHD PC displays
Here's everything you need to know before spending big bucks on a pixel-packed 4K monitor.
Hassle-Free PC
This trick can quickly fix many mysterious hardware failures
You can't do much if your hardware is truly broken, but often PC component issues come down to a software problem you can fix in a few clicks.Answer Line
When your fast PC suddenly slows down
Last week, your PC speeded along like a champ. Now it moves like an arthritic turtle. Let's see if we can fix this.Answer Line
The easy answer to the laptop vs. desktop question: Use a docking station
You can have the power, upgrade options, and ergonomic advantages of a desktop without sacrificing the portability of a laptop.Hassle-Free PC
3 tools for finding and eradicating duplicate files on your hard drive
Do you have more files than space on your PC? These three tools can help you eke out a little more free space by getting rid of duplicate files and folders on your hard drive.Smart Mobile Tricks
Six ways to make your iOS or Android phone easier on the eyes
These settings will make your screen a bit easier to read, from boosting the size of text to zooming your display with your fingertips.How-To
How to turn your old phone into a basic PC for cheap
Don't let that old smartphone waste away in your junk drawer! Turn it into an Android-powered PC for less than the cost of a couple pizzas.
How-To
Beat it, bloatware: How to clean Superfish and other crap off your PC
Preloaded software bogs down your hard drive, your start menu, and worse. We're looking at you, Superfish. Clean it out with these handy tools and tricks.Answer Line
How to fix a laptop’s broken screen (with many caveats)
A broken laptop screen takes all the fun out of using your PC. And it can be expensive to fix.Smart Mobile Tricks
How to replace your Android or iOS keyboard
Tweak your settings, or buy a third-party keyboard app that's better at guessing your words or understanding your typing habits.Hassle-Free PC
Don’t throw it out! 5 handy uses for a secondary PC
Tossing out old PCs is such a wait. Put secondary computers to work instead with one of these five different uses.
Answer Line
If Windows virtual memory is too low, you can increase it, but there are trade-offs
Virtual memory can expand your PC's capabilities, but it will also slow it down. Understanding the swap file will help you make the right decision.How-To
Supercharge your PC’s storage with a RAID setup: Everything you need to know
Configuring multiple drives in RAID can protect against disaster and provide face-meltingly fast transfer speeds.How-To
Red Team rocking: Build the ultimate AMD gaming PC
If you want to crack 5GHz, AMD's the only way to fly–and a powerful all-AMD gaming PC will cost you less than half of our top Intel builds.How-To
Build a hellacious PC with Intel’s Devil’s Canyon and AMD’s dual-GPU graphics monster
Combining Intel's fastest processor with AMD's beefiest graphics card melted our faces–in both gaming performance and sheer power usage. Join us as we build the beast.How-To
How we built one of the most powerful DIY gaming PCs you can buy today
PCWorld's new graphics card test rig surges with the power of Haswell-E, Nvidia's GTX 980, and other high-end components. Walk with us as we build this fire-breathing monstrosity.Answer Line
Do the research before you upgrade your RAM
Adding more RAM can speed up your PC and allow it to run more powerful programs. But you need to know how much RAM your system can take, and what kind to buy.Answer Line
Avoid typos: Disable the Caps Lock key
You meant to hit Shift, but instead you hit Caps Lock. Here's how you can avoid LOOKING LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING.
Answer Line
When to buy a flash drive, an external hard drive, or an external SSD
What kind of external storage do you need? This guide will help you decide how best to spend your money.Answer Line
Why you can’t use all of your RAM
Your PC has 4GB of RAM, or maybe even 8GB. But Windows doesn't even use 4GB. Here's what's going on.How-To
It’s cheap and easy to make your own portable hard drive from an old PC drive
An external enclosure is all you need to give your old storage a new lease on life.Hassle-Free PC
Three free tools that reveal your PC’s deepest details (including product keys)
Finding a complete list of your specs is easy enough in Windows, but these apps go deeper than the Control Panel ever could.Answer Line
Computer repair: Prepare your PC for a trip to the shop
You may not know what's wrong with your rig, but you should know how to back up your storage and protect the data from inquisitive eyes.Hassle-Free PC
Need help? Microsoft Stores offer free tech support, PC tune-ups, malware removal
If you've got a problem with your PC. The Microsoft Store may be able to fix it for you for free.How-To
Safe from Shellshock: How to protect your home computer from the Bash shell bug
The 'Shellshock' Bash shell bug is a big deal, but it's relatively easy to keep your home PC safe.Hassle-Free PC
Will that game play on your PC? Can You Run It tells you
Can You Run It scans your PC and compares it against a game's hardware requirements.How-To
5 ways to access and control your PC remotely
Use your desktop, your files, and even games from anywhere, with the right services and utilities.Answer Line
What to do when your USB device doesn’t work
You plug a USB device into your PC's USB port…and nothing happens. Now what?Answer Line
Save money by not buying a larger SSD than you need
By the gigabyte, an SSD is much more expensive than a conventional hard drive. You may be able to save money by buying one with a smaller capacity.How-To
How to set up Raspberry Pi, the little computer you can cook into DIY tech projects
The tiny $35 Raspberry Pi computer doesn't come from a bakery, but it can power your robot army or other DIY electronics project. Here's how to install Raspbian and get cooking with Pi.
Answer Line
How to test the speed of your USB drives
How fast are your flash drives and external hard drives? Here's how to find out.
Answer Line
When your computer won’t turn on
Your Windows computer no longer boots? Here's what to do about it.Answer Line
Brush up on your tech acronyms
You hear and read the same acronyms over and over again. Many you know well. Others you can guess. And some just baffle you. Let's unclutter the alphabet soup.Answer Line
Computer shutting down on its own? Maybe it’s time to play it cool.
If your computer has acquired the habit of shutting down when you didn't ask it to, there's a good chance that it's overheated. Here's how to cool it down.Hassle-Free PC
Get tough on stubborn programs with Revo uninstaller
Sometimes you just can't get the job done with an app's built-in tools. That's when you may have to turn to a third-party uninstaller.Answer Line
What to do when a second hard drive bricks your PC
You install a second hard drive, plug in the power, and turn on the PC. But Windows doesn't boot. Run through this checklist to fix the problem.
Answer Line
USB 3.0 speed: Real and imagined
In theory, USB 3.0 transfers data at an awesome 5gbps, but the flash drives available now can't even hit USB 2.0's much-lower speed ceiling.Answer Line
Don’t use the same external drive for backup and storage
External hard drives can provide both backup and storage. But don't use the same drive for both.How-To