How to Fix Startup Problems with the Windows Startup Repair Tool
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2009-12-16-[23-53-01].png" />It can be a horrible feeling if your new Windows 7 computer doesn’t boot properly into Windows or startup at all. If it happens to your machine, don’t panic, and try out the Startup Repair Tools included with the OS.
How to Make Your Own DVDs from Almost Any Video File
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot4cbbf47b11a34.jpg" />If you’ve got a lot of AVI videos in your media collection, you might want to be able to play them on your DVD player—or even more likely, give a DVD to a family member to watch. Here’s how to create your own DVDs easily.
How Do I Know if I’m Running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows?
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-07-12-1-18-38-19.png" />Friends and family members seem to ask me all the time whether they are running 32-bit or 64-bit Windows, and I’ve finally realized that it would make more sense to show everybody how to figure it out for themselves. Here’s the two-step process to find out for yourself.
How to Run Android Apps and Games on Your Windows Desktop with BlueStacks
If there’s an Android application you really love and wish you could run on your computer, now you can: there’s a dead simple way to run Android apps on your PC or Mac without the fuss of moonlighting as an Androi...
How to Open an Explorer Window from the Command Prompt’s Current Directory
Have you ever done something on your computer without really thinking about it, but the person next to you has a surprised and confused look on their face? If so, then you might have performed a Stupid Geek Trick. Today we'll show how to open an Explorer window from the current command prompt directory.
How to Temporarily Lock Your PC if Someone Tries to Guess Your Password
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-09-26-1-21-32-11.jpg" />Have you ever worried that someone could figure out your password by trying different key combinations? Here’s how you can prevent this by temporarily locking your computer when the password is entered incorrectly a couple of times.
What Is conhost.exe and Why Is It Running?
You are no doubt reading this article because you’ve stumbled across the Console Window Host (conhost.exe) process in Task Manager and are wondering what it is. We’ve got the answer for you....
How to Check Open TCP/IP Ports in Windows
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-09-11-1-20-46-32.jpg" />Whenever an application wants to make itself accessible over the network, it claims a TCP/IP port, which means that port can’t be used by anything else. So if you need to use an in-use port, how do you tell what application is holding it?
Map Any Key to Any Key on Windows 10, 8, 7, or Vista
If you are tired of the way certain keys on your system work, such as the Caps Lock key, you can re-map them to function as a different key by using a registry hack. But there should be an easier way, right?
What Is hiberfil.sys and How Do I Delete It?
You’re likely reading this because you noticed a gigantic hiberfil.sys file sitting on your system drive and you’re wondering if you can get rid of it to free up some space. Here’s what that file is and how...
Browser Slow? How to Make Google Chrome Fast Again
Web browsers are our constant companions, so having a browser that feels slower than it should—or even crashes on you—is no fun at all. Here are some ways you can get Chrome running like new again....
How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7, 8, or 10
The built-in backup utilities in Windows are pretty solid. Let’s take a look at how to create a full backup image of your PC without the need for a third party utility.
How to Use Different Wallpapers on Multiple Monitors in Windows 7
One of the most popular articles around here has been the article I wrote a year ago about using different wallpapers on each desktop using Active Desktop in Windows XP. The problem with that article is that it didn't work in Windows Vista... but now we have a great solution that is also free.
Prevent Windows Asking for a Password on Wake Up from Sleep/Standby
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2009-12-18-14-53-33.png" />If you've configured Windows to automatically log you in rather than having to enter a password, you might find it annoying that you still need to enter a password when your PC comes out of sleep mode. Here's the quick fix.
How to Edit Your Hosts File on Windows, Mac, or Linux
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-08-31-[23-19-00].jpg" />On occasion you will need to edit the hosts file on your machine. Sometimes because of an attack or prank, and others so that you can simply and freely control access to websites and network traffic.
How to Migrate Your Windows Installation to a Solid-State Drive
Many older (or cheaper) Windows laptops come with traditional mechanical hard drives—which these days, are pretty outdated and slow. Upgrading to a new, super fast solid state drive (or SSD) is the surest way to speed u...
How To Uninstall, Disable, and Remove Windows Defender
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-04-26-[21-02-56]-[1].png" />If you're already running a full anti-malware suite, you might not even realize that Windows Defender is already installed with Windows, and is probably wasting precious resources. Here's how to get rid of it.
How to Customize the Manufacturer Info for Your Windows PC
If you have a computer with pre-installed Windows Vista, most likely you'll notice the manufacturer's support information when you look in the system properties window. If you'd like to customize this information or use a picture of your own in this space, you can do so easily.
How to Move the “Show Desktop” Icon to the Quick Launch Bar or the Taskbar in Windows
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-09-11-[18-09-25].png" />If you aren’t a fan of scrolling your pointer over to the lower right corner of your monitor to Show the Desktop, we have a cool tweak that will let you create a Show Desktop icon in the Quick Launch or anywhere on your Taskbar.
How to Add “Take Ownership” to the Right-Click Menu in Windows Explorer
Take ownership of a file with a single click with this registry hack.
How to Pin an External Drive to the Windows Taskbar
<img src="http://www.howtogeek.com/geekers/up/sshot-2010-09-03-[00-43-02].png" />Do you have an external drive connected to your Windows 7 computer and would like to access it from the Taskbar? Here we show you a work around that will allow you to pin it to Taskbar.
