PCs, for a long time, had a bloatware problem. The major PC manufacturers—Dell, Asus, Acer, and the like—had a bad habit of including "free trials" of software like Norton AntiVirus on new devices.

When you're planning a fresh Windows 11 installation, a bit of preparation can save you time and hassle later. From backing up important files to downloading drivers, getting everything ready makes ...

Justin Pot is a freelance journalist who helps people get more out of technology. Microsoft keeps adding more and more stuff to Windows and it often seems to get in the way more than it helps. A ...

Above and beyond the benefits of a fresh do-over, clean installing Windows 11 improves security, exposes new features, and more. With the Windows 10 end of support date arriving on October 14, ...

As part of its recent campaign to make Windows the platform of choice for "hybrid work," Microsoft is rolling out a new security feature. It's called Smart App Control and it's kind of like Windows ...

Windows Activation helps verify that your copy of Windows is genuine and hasn’t been used on more devices than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. 1] Are you using the right product key? Make ...

I just installed a bunch of Windows 11 instances in a VM for product testing, and the amount of popups and notifications is making me livid. It. Never. Ends. At this point the culture at Microsoft is ...

I've used computers daily since the 80s, and feel like they have peaked in real usability along the way. While I used to look forward to new releases, now I dread them. What always baffles me, while ...

Microsoft has not yet removed a mandatory clean install requirement for a Windows 11-exclusive feature, which is said to boost performance. Performance gains are something likely everyone looks ...