Windows 7

How to Watch Picture-in-Picture Videos on Windows 10 or 11

With picture-in-picture mode, you can have your favorite video playing over other open windows on your Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7 PC. You can use this mode on some of the popular video sites including YouTube and Netflix….

Mahesh Makvana Nov 8th, 2021

The 10 Greatest Versions of Windows, Ranked

Over the past 35 years, Microsoft has released at least 30 major versions of the Windows operating system. But they weren’t all created equal, so we thought it would be fun to rank the 10 greatest desktop versions of this ess…

Benj Edwards Mar 15th, 2021

How to Fix the Black Wallpaper Bug on Windows 7

Microsoft is no longer updating Windows 7, but there’s a problem: In Windows 7’s last update, released on January 14, Microsoft introduced a bug that can replace your desktop wallpaper with an empty black screen….

Chris Hoffman Jan 24th, 2020

How to Upgrade From Windows 7 to Linux

If you’re still using Windows 7 because you just don’t like Windows 10, that’s understandable. But there’s an alternative upgrade path: You can install Linux on your PC for free, and you’ll have a supported operating system t…

Chris Hoffman Jan 17th, 2020

How to Secure Your Windows 7 PC in 2020

Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows 7 with security updates. In other words, Windows 7 is now just like Windows XP—an older operating system that will gradually accumulate unpatched security holes. Here’s how to keep …

Chris Hoffman Jan 16th, 2020

Windows 7 Dies Today: Here’s What You Need to Know

Microsoft released Windows 7 in October 2009. Now, more than a decade later, it’s being retired. Your Windows 7 PCs will keep working, but Microsoft is no longer issuing security patches as of January 14, 2020….

Chris Hoffman Jan 14th, 2020

RIP Windows 7: We’re Going to Miss You

More than a decade after its release, Windows 7 support ends on January 14, 2020. Let’s look back at what made Windows 7 so awesome and why it’s a great operating system we’ll remember for the rest of our lives….

Chris Hoffman Jan 13th, 2020

How Windows 7’s “Extended Security Updates” Will Work

Windows 7 isn’t long for this world. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft ends “extended support” for Windows 7, and it will stop getting security updates. But there’s a way around it: Paying for “Extended Security Updates.”…

Chris Hoffman Oct 9th, 2019

Windows 7’s July 2019 Security Patch Includes Telemetry

To the surprise of Windows watchers, the latest Windows 7 “security-only” update includes telemetry. The telemetry in question is Microsoft’s “Compatibility Appraiser,” which checks PCs for problems that could prevent upgradi…

Chris Hoffman Jul 11th, 2019

Windows Updates Are Breaking PCs With These Antivirus Programs

On April 9, Microsoft issued a Windows patch that broke PCs with certain antivirus programs installed. This affects PCs running Windows 7, 8.1, Server 2008 R2, Server 2012, and Server 2012 R2—not Windows 10, this time….

Chris Hoffman Apr 19th, 2019

How to Avoid Windows 7’s End-of-Support Nags

Windows 7 will soon start nagging you to upgrade to Windows 10—again. Specifically, you’ll see a message informing you that Microsoft will officially stop supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Here’s how to avoid it….

Chris Hoffman Mar 22nd, 2019

Windows 7 Only Has One Year of Security Patches Left

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 with security updates on January 14, 2020. It’s like Windows XP all over again—but much worse. Many more people are sticking with Windows 7 than stuck with XP….

Chris Hoffman Jan 14th, 2019

What It Means When Microsoft Stops Supporting Your Version of Windows

Microsoft only supports each version of Windows for so long. For example, Windows 7 is currently in “extended support” until January 14, 2020, after which Microsoft will no longer support it. Here’s what that means….

Chris Hoffman Nov 2nd, 2018

How to Keep Your Windows PC and Apps Up to Date

We know, updating your PC is a hassle–but it’s essential. New security flaws are discovered on a regular basis, and most companies are pretty good about issuing fixes for those flaws as they crop up. Plugging those holes, ho…

Walter Glenn Aug 13th, 2018

Why You Should Always Install 64-bit Windows

Microsoft still offers both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 10. But, whether you’re installing Windows 10 or Windows 7, you should almost certainly skip the 32-bit version and get the 64-bit version instead….

Chris Hoffman Apr 12th, 2018

Microsoft Blocks All Windows 7 Security Updates Unless You Have Antivirus

Microsoft is now withholding security updates from Windows 7 users who don’t have an antivirus installed. There’s a way around this limitation, but you have to manually set a registry key.

Chris Hoffman Mar 14th, 2018

How to Stop the Meltdown and Spectre Patches from Slowing Down Your PC

The Windows patches for Meltdown and Spectre will slow your PC down. On a newer PC running Windows 10, you probably won’t notice. But, on a PC with an older processor—especially if it’s running Windows 7 or 8—you may see …

Chris Hoffman Jan 17th, 2018

What Is UEFI, and How Is It Different from BIOS?

The BIOS will soon be dead: Intel has announced plans to completely replace it with UEFI on all their chipsets by 2020. But what is UEFI, and how is it different from the BIOS we’re all familiar with?

Chris Hoffman Nov 27th, 2017

A Short History of the Blue Screen of Death

It’s iconic, but Microsoft wishes it wasn’t. In the 90s it was as core to the Windows experience as Paint and Solitaire, but these days it’s not seen very often.

Justin Pot Nov 27th, 2017

How to Check Your BIOS Version and Update it

You probably shouldn’t update your BIOS, but sometimes you need to. Here’s how to check what BIOS version your computer is using and flash that new BIOS version onto your motherboard as quickly and safely as possible….

Chris Hoffman Nov 15th, 2017

The Only Safe Way to Update Your Hardware Drivers on Windows

Want to update your computer’s hardware drivers? Get your driver updates from Windows Update or your device manufacturer’s website. Here’s how.

Chris Hoffman Oct 2nd, 2017

How to Disable User Account Control (UAC) on Windows

User Account Control is an important Windows security feature. If a running application wants full access to your system, it has to ask with a UAC prompt. If you disable UAC, all running applications can gain Administrator ac…

Chris Hoffman Sep 27th, 2017

Restore Missing Desktop Icons in Windows 7, 8, or 10

If you’ve previously added or removed the some of the “special” icons like Computer, User, and Control Panel to the desktop—or just want to know how to add them in Windows 10—here’s how to do it.

Lowell Heddings Jul 18th, 2017

Change Your Computer Name in Windows 7, 8, or 10

If you’ve ever bought a new computer with Windows already installed, you might be annoyed by the default name of your PC. Or maybe you’re just ready for a change. Here’s how to rename your PC to whatever you like….

Lowell Heddings Jul 5th, 2017

How to Open the Start Menu Folder in Windows 7 or 10

Do you like to keep Start menu clean, tidy, and organized? All you have to do is open a special Start Menu folder and organize to your heart’s content. Here’s how to get it done.

Lowell Heddings Jun 22nd, 2017

Complete Guidesby How-To Geek

Our Latest Product Roundups

Reader Favorites

More from How-To Geek

Latest Geek News

Reader Favorites

More from How-To Geek

Latest Reviews

Across LifeSavvy Media

Complete Guides
by How-To Geek