Featured Articles - The Best of How-To Geek

ARM vs. Intel: What It Means for Windows, Chromebook, and Android Software Compatibility

Intel x86 or x64 processors have traditionally been found in laptops and desktops, while ARM processors have been found in lower-power embedded devices, smartphones, and tablets. But you can now buy laptops with ARM chips and...

How to Troubleshoot Wireless Router Problems

Are you having a problem with your Internet connection or Wi-Fi? Whatever the problem — from a flaky connection to Wi-Fi troubles or even no access to the Internet at all — some router troubleshooting could fix th...

Warning: Your Browser Extensions Are Spying On You

The internet exploded Friday with the news that Google Chrome extensions are being sold and injected with adware. But the little-known and much more important fact is that your extensions are spying on you and selling your br...

How To Tell If a Virus Is Actually a False Positive

A false positive is a mistake that happens occasionally — the antivirus thinks a download is harmful when it’s actually safe. But malicious people may try to trick you into downloading malware with this assurance....

10 Things You Need to Know About Windows 8.1

Windows 8 was very different from Windows 7, but change is only speeding up — Windows 8.1 has seen quite a few changes since Windows 8. You’ll have new things to learn, whichever which version of Windows you&#8217...

How to Use the Chrome OS Desktop on Windows 8 (and Why It Exists)

Chrome 32 now offers a new feature on Windows 8: A full-screen, Chrome OS-style desktop mode. The Chrome app launcher can bring Chrome OS to the Windows desktop, but Chrome can now replace the Windows desktop entirely....

How to Use the SteamOS Desktop

Valve’s SteamOS is a living-room operating system you can install yourself, but it will start shipping on Steam Machines later this year. While SteamOS is intended as a living-room operating system, it actually has a fu...

USB 2.0 vs. USB 3.0: Should You Upgrade Your Flash Drives?

New computers have now been coming with USB 3.0 ports for years. But just how much faster is USB 3.0? Will you see a big speed improvement if you upgrade your old USB 2.0 flash drives?

Beginner Geek: How to Configure Your Router

If you have Internet access, you probably have a router — and your router has its own settings screens full of options. Everyone should know how to use their router’s web interface, if only to configure their Wi-F...

How to Enable Family Options (aka Parental Controls) In Your Steam Client

Earlier this week, Steam released Family Options, their version of parental controls, for the Steam game client. Read on as we show you how to lock down adult games, online content, and purchasing options to make your Steam c...

Jason Fitzpatrick Jan 12th, 2014

Is Windows Update Broken? 5 Broken Updates Microsoft Released In 2013

What happened to Windows Update in 2013? Quality control seems to be suffering as Microsoft scrambles to update their software faster than ever. They’ve released quite a few buggy and broken Windows Updates this year....

The 10 Best Gadgets of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in 2014

This year’s CES unveiled a ton of new gadgets, but most of them aren’t that interesting. Here are the ones that we liked the best — just the most interesting gadgets and gear that we looked at....

Google+ Now Allows People to Email You; Learn How to Opt Out Here

Google just announced a new feature where Google+ acts as a bridge between the social network and your personal email. Anyone who follows you on Google+ can now email you directly. If this sounds like a terrible thing (we cer...

Jason Fitzpatrick Jan 10th, 2014

Why Microsoft’s Scroogled Ads Are Wrong About Chromebooks

Microsoft’s Scroogled campaign is wrong about Chromebooks. Chromebooks definitely aren’t for everyone, but they’re not completely useless either. And Chromebooks have more in common with Microsoft’s vi...

How to Dual Boot Windows and SteamOS

Valve’s SteamOS is a living-room gaming operating system based on desktop Linux. It’s currently in beta, but you can install it yourself on almost any computer thanks to Ye Olde SteamOSe, a modification of the Ste...

Why Browser Plug-Ins Are Going Away and What’s Replacing Them

Browser plug-ins are on their way out. Apple’s iOS has never supported plug-ins, Flash is long-discontinued for Android, and the new version of IE for Windows 8 doesn’t support most plug-ins. Chrome will soon be b...

5 Ways to Get Windows 7 On Your New PC

Yes, Windows 7 is still available. If you want a new PC and you also want Windows 7, you can probably get it. This is easiest for businesses, but even home users have ways to get Windows 7.

Lock Down Your Wi-Fi Network With Your Router’s Wireless Isolation Option

Some routers have a Wireless isolation, AP Isolation, Station Isolation, or Client Isolation feature that allows you to lock down your Wi-Fi network. This feature is ideal for businesses with public Wi-Fi networks or anyone w...

How to Get Access to Experimental Features in Chrome (and on Chromebooks)

Chromebooks are great because they’re simple, secure, and stable. If you’re the type who likes to tinker, however, you can deviate from that stable bit by enabling experimental features.

Cameron Summerson Jan 6th, 2014

5 Terrible Cellular Carrier Practices That Are Changing

We’ve written about all the different ways cellular carriers are gouging you, from long, expensive contracts to $22,000 bills for roaming data. Believe it or not, some of these terrible practices are actually changing....

Why Using a Public Wi-Fi Network Can Be Dangerous, Even When Accessing Encrypted Websites

There are a few big problems with using a public Wi-Fi network. The open nature of the network allows for snooping, the network could be full of compromised machines, or — most worryingly — the hotspot itself co...

How to Download Windows 8.x and Create a Bootable DVD / USB (Legally)

Over the years, readers have written in asking how to download Windows and make a bootable install disk, and we’ve always had to tell them that there isn’t a great way to do that. Microsoft has finally fixed this ...

Use Voice Dictation To Speak To Your Mac

Macs have voice dictation built-in, allowing you to talk instead of type. This feature functions more like voice dictation on a mobile operating system, and less like the more complicated Speech Recognition feature found in W...

How to Work Offline on a Chromebook

Contrary to all the criticism out there, a Chromebook can be surprisingly useful offline. The key to using a Chromebook offline is preparing ahead of time and ensuring your apps and data will be ready....

Stock Android Isn’t Perfect: 3 Things It Does Badly

Google’s stock Android often gets a free ride from Android geeks who flock to Nexus and Google Play Edition devices, avoiding devices running Samsung’s TouchWiz, HTC’s Sense, and other manufacturer skins. Bu...

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