Does Power Options in Windows 7 can really help to save energy? Short answer, yes! We are in a time where saving energy is very important and every little bit helps. With Windows 7 you can accomplish better battery life in portable devices, and you can also save a good amount of energy on desktop computers by properly configuring the Power Options. This is great for the environment and you will be saving some money too....
Microsoft is in process to remove the Windows Media Player app starting with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (version 1709). A number of reports have been surfacing in the web claiming that update KB4046355 for version 1709 removes the beloved Windows Media Player. Back in July 2017, Microsoft published a list of several legacy features leaving Windows 10, and while Windows Media Player didn’t make it to the list, it seems that is the case with update KB4046355, which is not available for those still enrolled in the Windows Insider Program....
To change the brightness on Windows 10, open “Action Center” and use the slider to adjust the settings. You can also adjust the brightness from System > Settings > Display using the brightness slider. It’s also possible to change the brightness levels using a battery saver, the controls located on the monitor, and the Control Panel. UPDATED 1/12/2024: On Windows 10 , you can change the brightness levels in at least five different ways, and in this guide, I will show you how....
On Windows 11 , you can change the design style of the Search box available through the Taskbar, and in this guide, we’ll show you how. In the Taskbar settings, Microsoft has been working to improve the design experience of the Search element available through the Taskbar. In the past, you were only able to hide the button, but now, you can choose from several options to make it more visible or smaller to fit more pins in the Taskbar....
The best way to upgrade to Windows 10 22H2 is to perform a clean installation using a USB flash drive with a bootable media. Usually, you should perform an in-place upgrade using Windows Update, but changing the current installation can lead to problems and errors due to possible compatibility issues and custom configurations. A clean install of Windows 10 22H2 minimizes the risks because it deletes everything on the hard drive and sets up a fresh copy of the operating system....
On Windows 10, you get a number of recovery options, including the ability to create a recovery drive, which you can use on your computer to access the Advanced startup options to troubleshoot and fix issues, even if the device won’t start. If your computer also includes a recovery partition, you can copy it to the recovery drive, which you can then use to reset your computer to the default factory settings....
To create a partition during the installation of Windows 10, start the PC with a bootable USB, continue with the installation process, choose the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option, select and delete the correct partitions, choose the “Drive 0 Unallocated Space,” click “New,” set the storage size, click “Apply” and “OK.” On Windows 10, you can resize a partition at any time. However, if you plan to create a dual-boot system or want to keep files separate from the installation, you can create a custom partition for Windows 10 and apps during the Windows Setup installation process....
On Microsoft Teams, in addition to scheduling meetings, you can also create live events, which are similar to regular meetings, but with more options that allows you broadcast video and content to a large group of attendees. In this guide , you’ll learn the steps to create a live event on Microsoft Teams whether you’re running Windows 10 , macOS, or Linux. How to set up live event on Microsoft Teams To create and schedule a live event using Microsoft Teams, use these steps:...
To disable driver updates on Windows 10, open Settings > System > About > System Protection , click on “Device Installation Settings,” choose “No (your device might not work as expected),” and save changes. It’s also possible to stop automatic driver installations from Group Policy, Registry, and the “Show and hide updates” troubleshooter. UPDATED 8/19/2025: On Windows 10 , the system can automatically detect and install hardware drivers. However, you can disable automatic driver updates if the operating system keeps installing incompatible or buggy versions that can negatively affect the experience, or if you prefer a known working driver....
Windows 10 now includes “Night light,” a new feature to help you reduce eye strain and improves quality sleep when you’re in front of a computer screen. Night light on Windows 10 works by reducing the amount of blue light your display emits, which is the kind of light you see during the day. At night, if your eyes continue to receive this kind of light increases the chances of your eyes strain and disrupting your sleep....
On Windows 11 , you can enable a hidden Camera privacy indicator to receive notifications when the camera connected to your computer turns on or off. Although almost every camera includes an LED indicator as a security measure to let you know that the device is turned on and being accessed by an application, Windows 11 also includes a software indicator to notify you when the built-in camera or USB webcam is powered on or off....
Windows 11 has some hidden themes, but this isn’t an “Easter egg.” Instead, the themes have been designed to be only available for the education variant of the operating system. However, a simple Registry modification (via PhantomOcean3 ) can make them available on any device running version 22H2. In total, there are six themes, including Flowers, Planets, and Sunsets, in both light and dark versions that feature colorful wallpapers and custom accent colors....
On Microsoft Edge 93, you can enable the “Windows 11 Visual Updates” flag to try out the new visual improvements that Microsoft plans to introduce to align the browser’s design experience with Windows 11 . The new visual updates include new transparency for context and all the other menus and around the browser frame, more specifically in the tab area. The new visuals use Mica, a new opaque material that surfaces are subtly tinted with the user’s desktop background color....
On Windows 11, you can now enable an early preview of the new Task Manager that brings a new design using rounded corners, mica material, and new iconography that matches the new design language we have seen across the latest version of the OS available through the Windows Insider Program. The redesigned app has been announced with the release of Windows 11 build 22557 , but since a number of users have been reporting Task Manager rolling back to the classic version, you can use a third-party tool known as “ViVeTool” created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub to enable the new experience on your device....
Microsoft Edge now includes a password generator that automatically suggests strong passwords when creating an account online – whether it’s for a retailer, bank, or your favorite website. The feature also suggests new complex passwords that are difficult to guess when changing existing credentials. When using this feature, if you decide to use the suggested password, Microsoft Edge will save and sync it automatically across all your devices connected with a Microsoft account....
On Windows 10, Reserved Storage is a feature designed to allocate part of your device available storage for updates and upgrades to avoid problems as a result of not enough space. The feature has been available since version 1903 , and it comes enabled by default after a clean installation or on newly manufactured devices. Starting with version 2004, Windows 10 is introducing new commands for the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command tool, which allows you to determine if Reserved Storage is configured as well as to enable or disable the feature....
On Windows 11 , if you use the desktop app or the web version of Outlook, you can use encryption to add an extra layer of security to the emails you send to other people to protect your sensitive messages and files. In this guide, I’ll show you how to complete this task. Although emails you send using your “Outlook.com” address use different types of security layers (such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) ) to encrypt the connection between your device and Microsoft’s servers to protect the data while in transit, these are only basic security features....
I know software updates are important to improve your computer experience and patch security holes, but in the last Patch Tuesday , which Microsoft released on Aug. 12th, that also included the August update (Update 2) , its hurting Surface Pro 3 more than it’s helping. Since I updated Surface Pro 3 to the latest August firmware update, I have been having a bunch of Wi-Fi issues. For example, almost every time I wake the tablet, I see that it’s not connected to my wireless network; upon login, I am sometimes lucky enough to see that it reconnects automatically....
To install VirtualBox on Windows 11, download the installer from the Oracle website, run the setup file, and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation. You can also use the winget install Oracle.VirtualBox command from Command Prompt (admin). After setup, configure preferences from the app’s settings to customize storage, display, and update options. UPDATED 1/2/2026: Oracle VirtualBox is a free virtualization tool (also referred to as a hypervisor) you can install on Windows 11 , Windows 10, macOS, and Linux to create and run virtual machines ....
To install Windows 11 without bloatware, launch the setup from a USB bootable media, choose the “English (World)” or “English (Europe)” option from the “Time and Currency format” setting, and continue with the on-screen directions as normal to complete the clean install. Once on the desktop, you will have to choose the correct language and region settings from the Settings app. On Windows 11 , you can use a workaround to install the operating system without third-party apps, and in this guide, you will learn how....
