Windows

A guide to personalising the taskbar in Windows 10 and 11. It covers icon alignment, pinning apps, choosing which tray icons show, and behaviours such as auto-hide.

A preparation checklist for moving a PC to Windows 11. It covers confirming the PC is eligible, signing in with a Microsoft account, backing up key folders and then installing through Windows Update.

Describes the Windows features for juggling several apps at once: snapping windows, quick app switching and separate virtual desktops for different projects.

A reference list of the default keyboard shortcuts in Windows 10 and 11, grouped by area such as text editing, the desktop, File Explorer and the taskbar. Some apps can change how particular shortcuts behave.

Shows how to arrange open windows side by side using Snap, Snap Assist, Snap layouts and Snap groups. It also explains where to switch the Snap options on or off.

Explains how to take a screenshot of all or part of the screen with the built-in Snipping Tool, then mark it up, save or share it. It also mentions screen recording and copying text out of an image.

A set of ways to stretch battery life on a Windows PC, covering energy recommendations, energy saver, display brightness and refresh rate, and wireless features. Separate instructions are given for different Windows versions.

How to adjust text and app size, resolution and screen orientation on Windows 10 and 11, including picking a monitor when you have more than one. It notes the recommended option is usually best because lower resolutions look less sharp.

Explains how Windows notifications work and how to silence them with Do Not Disturb, either manually or on a schedule, while still allowing chosen apps or reminders through.

Shows how to switch between light, dark and custom colour modes and pick an accent colour, either automatically from your background or by hand. It also links to contrast and colour-filter accessibility options.

Walks through the Power & battery settings that control sleep timers, power mode and background activity so you can save energy or extend battery life.

Several ways to toggle Bluetooth on Windows 10 and 11. Switching it off and on again can also reset a flaky connection.

Explains why a nearly full drive slows a PC and blocks updates, and lists methods to reclaim space, to try in order while rechecking free space after each. Options include Storage Sense, cleanup recommendations and OneDrive Files On-Demand.

What to do when Windows says there is not enough room for an update. It shows how to clear space with Storage Sense and cleanup recommendations, or to use a temporary external drive.

Describes how Files On-Demand shows all your cloud files in File Explorer without storing them all locally. You can mark files as online-only to free space or keep chosen ones available offline.

Shows how to temporarily hold back Windows updates until a date you choose without turning automatic updates off for good. A pause can be extended, up to 35 days from the current date.

Answers common questions about how Windows 11 receives updates and how to check manually, pause, schedule restarts, view history and remove an installed update.

How to remove a recent update that is causing problems, either from Settings while Windows runs or from the Windows Recovery Environment when it will not start.

A fix-it guide for failed Windows 10 and 11 updates, from the automated troubleshooter through common error codes to clearing the update cache. It recommends backing up personal files before you start.

Lists twelve fixes for a slow Windows 10 or 11 PC, from updating and scanning for malware to freeing space and trimming startup apps. It notes that older PCs with outdated hardware may not improve much, and upgrading may be the best long-term fix.

Covers why Windows might show a black or blank screen at startup, after signing in or after an update, with basic and advanced fixes.

Explains that a failing driver, device or piece of software can make Windows restart suddenly with a stop code. Gives basic checks to try and links to deeper guidance for advanced users.

Describes how to change how Windows boots for troubleshooting, including Safe Mode, which loads only essential services and drivers to help isolate a problem.

Explains how to use DISM and System File Checker to find and repair damaged Windows system files, plus how to read the CBS log and replace a stubborn file by hand.

Describes the Account protection area of Windows Security, which shows your Microsoft account status and links to Windows Hello and Dynamic lock settings.

Device Encryption applies BitLocker protection on more devices than full BitLocker, including Windows Home. It turns on by default with a Microsoft or work/school account, while local accounts must enable it manually.

Describes potentially unwanted apps that sit between safe software and malware, such as ad-heavy programs, and how to reduce the risk and remove them.

A plain-language tour of Windows 11's built-in defences against phishing, password theft, malware and scams, including Defender Antivirus, passwordless sign-in, SmartScreen and Smart App Control.

How to use the built-in Windows Security app for antivirus, firewall and other protections, including running scans and managing real-time protection.

Explains that passkeys replace passwords with your device's face, fingerprint or PIN, are tied to a specific site or app, and resist phishing. It includes checks for when passkey options are missing on Windows.

A hub for everyday network tasks in Windows 10 and 11, such as finding your IP address, setting a data limit, toggling airplane mode, choosing a public or private profile and setting DHCP or manual IPs.

Nearby sharing sends files and links to close-by devices over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. This page lists common problems and what to try.

Troubleshooting steps for Wi-Fi problems on Windows 10 and 11, starting with the automated network troubleshooter and moving to manual fixes and network resets.

Explains how to share files and folders on a local network, map a network drive, stop sharing and troubleshoot connection problems.

Troubleshooting for wired connections that will not get online, covering cable and router checks, PC network settings and adapter driver fixes, with network reset as a last resort.

How to share a printer attached to one Windows PC so other Windows PCs on the network can add and use it.

Explains the difference between backup, restore and recovery and introduces the built-in tools for each, including Windows Backup, File History, System Restore and Recovery Drive. It walks through the options on the Recovery settings page.

Helps you pick a recovery method for a Windows 10 or 11 PC, depending on whether it still starts, beginning with the least disruptive option. It recommends backing up your important files first.

Describes the Fix problems using Windows Update option, which reinstalls the Windows version already on the PC to repair system files while keeping apps, files and settings. It also covers why the option can be missing.

How to roll back to the earlier Windows version after an upgrade. The option is only available for a limited time, usually 10 days, and apps installed after the upgrade may be removed.

Point-in-time restore rolls a PC back to an earlier snapshot including apps, settings and files, using restore points created roughly daily and kept for up to 72 hours. Changes made after the chosen point are lost.

Explains how to reinstall Windows with options to keep or remove personal files, cloud download versus local reinstall, and how to start the reset from Settings or recovery.

Introduces Windows Terminal, a host for Command Prompt, PowerShell and WSL shells with tabs, panes, themes and customisable shortcuts and launch options.

A first chapter for new PowerShell users: where to find and how to launch it, running it as administrator only when needed, checking your version and what execution policy does.

Reference for chkdsk, which checks a volume's file system for logical and physical errors. Run without switches it only reports status, while /f and /r fix errors and look for bad sectors.

Reference for ipconfig, which shows the current TCP/IP configuration and can refresh DHCP and DNS settings. Switches such as /all, /release, /renew and /flushdns are handy for network troubleshooting.

Reference for ping, which tests IP-level connectivity by sending echo requests and showing round-trip times. Pinging both a name and an IP address helps tell connectivity problems from name resolution problems.

Reference for the System File Checker command, which verifies protected system files and replaces bad versions. Lists switches like /scannow and /verifyonly and notes it needs an administrator account.

Official walkthrough for installing and removing server roles and features with the Server Manager wizard or PowerShell, on a local server, a remote server or an offline VHD. It also shows how to export the wizard choices to an XML file so the same roles can be pushed to several servers.

Shows how to switch on Remote Desktop in Settings, add other users who may connect, and connect with the Remote Desktop Connection app. It recommends keeping Network Level Authentication on; do not publish RDP directly to the internet without a VPN or gateway in front.

Explains the choice you make in Windows Server setup between the command-line-only Server Core and the full graphical install. Microsoft recommends Server Core unless you need the GUI tools, and you cannot convert between the two later without a clean install.

Explains what Server Manager is for: managing local and remote servers from one console, grouping servers, and viewing or changing installed roles. It includes a table showing which tasks need Administrators rights and which a standard user can do.

Describes SConfig, the text menu used for first setup of a Server Core machine: networking, domain join, updates, Remote Desktop, restart and an exit to PowerShell. From Windows Server 2022 it launches automatically at sign-in on Server Core, and it cannot be used from a remote PowerShell session.

Covers installing the OpenSSH client and server as optional Windows features, starting the sshd service, and connecting from another machine. Installing the server opens inbound TCP 22 in the firewall, so think twice before making that port reachable from the internet.

The answer explains that the Hyper-V Default Switch is an internal switch that uses NAT automatically and cannot be modified. If your VMs need a different connection type, create an External virtual switch and attach them to it.

Shows how to enable Hyper-V on Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise (Control Panel, PowerShell or DISM) and how to add the role on Windows Server via Server Manager or PowerShell. Hyper-V cannot be installed on Home editions, and other hypervisors such as VirtualBox or VMware may misbehave while it is running.

Lists the requirements for Windows Sandbox (virtualization enabled, 4 GB RAM minimum, two cores) and how to turn it on from Windows Features or PowerShell. If the option is greyed out, the machine does not meet the requirements; inside a VM you must enable nested virtualization on the host.

The official starting point for Windows Subsystem for Linux: one command installs the needed features and Ubuntu, and new installs default to WSL 2. It also covers choosing another distro, checking and switching WSL versions, and what to try if the install hangs.

Explains the two config files: .wslconfig in your Windows profile for global WSL 2 VM limits (memory, CPUs, swap, networking mode) and /etc/wsl.conf inside each distro (automount, systemd, default user). Changes only apply after WSL fully stops, so run wsl --shutdown and wait a few seconds.

Explains the three virtual switch types (external, internal, private) and how to create one in Hyper-V Manager or with New-VMSwitch. It also covers sharing the host adapter with the management OS, VLAN IDs, and a NAT option for Windows clients; creating an external switch can briefly interrupt the host's network connection.

Windows 11 Settings only lets you toggle tray icons one by one. This answer opens the old Notification Area Icons control panel through a shell GUID, where the 'Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar' checkbox still exists. Later Windows 11 updates may have changed or removed this.

The top answer avoids turning Credential Guard off. Instead it removes the saved Remote Desktop (TERMSRV) credentials and re-adds them as generic credentials with cmdkey, which Credential Guard accepts.

This error happens when WSL still has a distro registered but its virtual disk is gone, for example after reinstalling WSL. The fix is to unregister the stale distro and launch it again from the Microsoft Store. Warning: unregistering permanently deletes that distro's files.

Windows Firewall blocks incoming ping (ICMP echo) by default, which makes a PC look offline to network tools. The answer enables the built-in inbound rule for ICMP echo requests in Windows Defender Firewall's Advanced Settings, for the network profile you're using.

Windows 11 has no built-in shortcut for moving a window to the next virtual desktop. The accepted answer adds Win+Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right with an AutoHotkey script that uses a virtual-desktop helper library. It needs AutoHotkey and that library installed.

The answer removes the Gallery (and Home) entries by deleting their Explorer namespace keys from the registry, with reg delete commands for an elevated prompt. Registry edits can break things, so export the keys first, and expect feature updates to bring the entries back.

Kevin Stratvert shows how to use Windows Sandbox, the built-in lightweight virtual machine for trying things safely.

Pureinfotech covers three ways to turn on Windows Sandbox in Windows 11 and 10.

A walkthrough from H2X Tech on getting into the Windows Recovery Environment from a powered-off PC on Windows 10 or 11.

NetworkChuck explores running Linux on Windows and Windows on Linux, per the title. An older video, so details may have changed.

A full setup guide from Tech With Landon for running Linux apps on Windows 11 with WSL2.

Pureinfotech shows how to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux using both the command line and the GUI, with a focus on avoiding errors.