When you're planning a fresh Windows 11 installation, a bit of preparation can save you time and hassle later. From backing up important files to downloading drivers, getting everything ready makes ...

This process is called a clean install, which is ironic as there's nothing particularly clean about it: Microsoft has enshittified Windows Setup.

PCs, for a long time, had a bloatware problem. The major PC manufacturers—Dell, Asus, Acer, and the like—had a bad habit of including "free trials" of software like Norton AntiVirus on new devices.

For a certain kind of computer buyer, the first thing you always did with a new laptop or desktop from a company like Dell, HP, Acer, or Asus wasn’t to open the box and start using it. Instead, you ...

Justin Pot is a freelance journalist who helps people get more out of technology. Microsoft keeps adding more and more stuff to Windows and it often seems to get in the way more than it helps. A ...

A new Microsoft update patches a bug affecting Windows recovery. The bug prevented the use of USB mice and keyboards in WinRE. The new patch is available through Windows Update. Microsoft has fixed a ...

As part of its recent campaign to make Windows the platform of choice for "hybrid work," Microsoft is rolling out a new security feature. It's called Smart App Control and it's kind of like Windows ...

Windows Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and hasn’t been used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. 1] Are you using the right product key? Make ...