How-To Guides about Windows Tips

If you've ever walked away from your desk and wondered whether your PC is still unlocked, your phone can help — but the best method depends on the phone you use.

Microsoft announced the Surface Laptop Ultra a few days ago, and while the device won't reach stores until later this year, its default wallpaper is already out. Someone extracted the high-resolution asset from pre-release materials, and Neowin is hosting both it and an unofficial light variant. To download the Surface Laptop Ultra wallpaper and apply it to your Windows 11 desktop, the whole process takes under a minute.

Windows 11 gives you three built-in ways to find your IP address, and none of them will show you what you might actually need. That's not a bug it's a distinction worth understanding before you start clicking around. The methods built into the OS return the local (private) address your router assigns to your device. The public address, which belongs to the router itself and is what the outside internet sees, lives somewhere else entirely. This guide covers how to find IP address on Windows 11...

Can You Restore a System Image to a New Hard Drive: Full Guide

Windows 11 now has a speed test option built directly into the taskbar. Added this month as part of the March 2026 cumulative update, it gives you a one-click path to check your internet speed on Windows 11 without hunting for a website. That said, knowing how to perform an internet speed test in Windows 11 also means understanding what the feature actually is: it's a browser shortcut to Bing, not a native network diagnostic tool. The Ookla engine behind it is solid, but the results are only as...

This guide walks through building a single USB drive that boots Windows 11, runs MemTest86 for memory diagnostics, and holds additional tools all without ever reformatting. By the end, you'll have a drive you update by copying files, not rebuilding from scratch.

Microsoft's official end-of-support timeline for Windows 10 creates a compelling deadline that makes those tempting budget laptop deals far riskier than they appear. While the bargain prices on used Windows 10 machines might seem attractive, the hidden costs and security implications tell a different story entirely.

Windows 10 has been your reliable digital companion for nearly a decade, but time is running out. Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, which means no more security patches, software updates, or technical assistance after that date. This sets up a potential cybersecurity crunch, with research from Canalys suggesting up to 240 million Windows 10 users could face security risks once Microsoft cuts support. There is a lifeline, though. Microsoft’s Extended Security...

For the past three or four months, Microsoft has been pushing advertisements onto the lock screens of some Windows 10 users as part of its "Windows Spotlight" feature. This feature normally shows you scenic photographs and gives you the option to learn more about them by launching an Edge window once you log in. However, the aforementioned users have reported seeing the image below for the new Rise of the Tomb Raider game.

The digital pen on the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book is an indispensable tool for serious note-takers and artists alike.

Google Play Music has been my go-to music service ever since its release. The free cloud storage for 50,000 songs and full access to Songza-powered radio stations make it a great music app, even without the $10/month streaming service.

Windows 10 runs on laptops, desktops, tablets, and even phones—but even though the operating system should scale accordingly, fonts and icons aren't always perfectly sized for every screen. Luckily, though, there's a handy new menu for adjusting the size of your screen's contents, which you can use to make everything bigger or smaller to match your preferences.

Windows 10 definitely has a sleek and modern look to it, but some of these visual changes have been made at the expense of functionality. For instance, the slider that appears when you click the volume icon in your notification tray now sports a completely minimalist look that lacks the quick link to the full volume mixer from past Windows versions.

Windows has always had an "Administrator" account that allowed you to install programs and manage system files with elevated privileges. The difference between this account and a regular user account with administrator access was that you never got bothered by annoying User Account Control popups when you were logged in as Administrator.

As mobile devices become more and more popular, service providers have unfortunately resorted to capping data. What this means is that, depending on the plan you have with your ISP, you could have limits placed on how much data you can use for a set period of time. Once you've hit the limit, your ISP could drastically slow down or throttle your internet speed or charge you outrageous overage fees.

Since the release of Windows 8, Microsoft has been heavily encouraging users to use Windows with a Microsoft account. According to Microsoft, the main benefit of using a Microsoft account is the ability to sign in and sync your information across various Microsoft devices and services. Furthermore, you have access to a singular cloud storage solution which can contain documents, pictures, settings, and more on whatever system you're using with the Microsoft account.

Windows has always been pretty customizable, and there are a ton of ways to change up the way your PC looks—though, it hasn't always been easy. In the past, changing anything other than wallpapers, titlebars, and fonts involved long hours of switching out system files with modified versions and changing icons to no end, but that's not the case with SkinPacks.

Windows 10 has so many new features that we couldn't even cover them all with one article. From keyboard shortcuts to revamped search functions and all-new window gestures, Microsoft definitely piled on the fresh functionality in the latest version of their operating system.