Secret button in your Windows 10 and 11 taskbar: Clicking it will minimize everything you have open. It’s located in the bottom right corner of your screen, past the time and notification icon — a tiny sliver. Click it again to bring your stuff back. Good one!
Use Windows 11? Later this year, Microsoft will introduce “checkpoint cumulative updates.” Versions with significant changes will be checkpoint updates; security fixes and new features will be patches. The goal? To save hard drive space and time.
Use a Windows PC? Create a folder with your favorite wallpapers or pics. Right-click on your desktop, choose Personalize and set the background to a Slideshow with the folder you created.
Talk it out: On a Windows PC, hit Windows key + H to open a handy-dandy speech recognition tool so you can use your voice with any active program in which you’d normally type. Cool!
Windows upgrade: Setting up multiple desktops means you can keep life, work, vacation and your hobbies separate. To make them easy to navigate, customize each. Now you know blue is work, yellow is home and orange is for DIY projects.
Get a little space: Virtual desktops on Windows let you keep work, play, vacation planning and whatever else separate. Hit Windows key + Ctrl + D to create a new virtual desktop. Use Windows key + Ctrl + the left or right arrows to move between your desktops. When you’re done, hit Windows key + Ctrl + F4 to close your current virtual desktop.
I wonder why: Microsoft brought back its official guide for Windows 10 and 11 users wanting to switch from a cloud account to a local one. They pulled the steps from their site in June, probably to push folks toward the more ad-focused version. Want to go back? Here are the steps (at the bottom).
Windows user? Use “God Mode” to access all your Control Panel settings in one place. Just create a new folder anywhere, like on your desktop, and rename it to this exact string: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} Hit “Enter,” and the folder icon will change to a Control Panel icon. Opening this new folder will give you a powerful, centralized view of virtually all settings and configuration options in Windows.
⚙️ Fast access: Find hidden shortcuts from the Start button on Windows 11. Press Windows key + X or right-click the Start button to reveal a list of shortcuts, including Settings, Task Manager and the Run prompt.
Like Photoshop but free: Try Generative Erase in the Windows Photos app. It uses AI to remove something you don’t like in a pic (a rando in the background) and fill it in with something you want (the sunset). Open a pic in Photos, then click the editing icon on the far left. Select Erase, “paint” whatever you want to get rid of, and then click Erase again.
📶 Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11? Forget the network and start fresh. In the taskbar, click the network icon > the network status button (top left). Right-click the network you’re on, then hit Forget. Now, go back to the network icon, click the arrow next to the wireless icon, and re-add your Wi-Fi network. Lovely.
Not now, Microsoft: If you don’t want a massive Windows update interrupting something you’re doing, pause them temporarily. Go to Settings > Windows update > Pause updates. Just remember to undo this.
Put it on the tab(s): Windows File Explorer can use tabs, just like your web browser. Click the + (plus) on the toolbar at the top to create a new tab. You can also right-click on folders and pick Open in new tab. Nice.
It’s official: I’ve been warning you about this, and now we have a date. Support for Windows 10 ends Oct. 14, 2025. Your PC will still work, but no more updates — security or otherwise. Let me know if you need recs for a new laptop or PC.
Windows 10 death date: Microsoft has announced you won’t get any updates or support for Windows 10 after Oct. 14, 2025. That’s plenty of time to save up for a new Mac … just sayin’.
👊 Close the Windows: There are pros to having your Microsoft and Windows 11 accounts tied together, but if you want to stop Microsoft from sharing your data with advertisers, disconnect from the cloud. Move to a local account with these steps: Open Settings, then Account > Your Info > Sign In. Log into a local account, then confirm your changes.
What’s your function? On a PC, F2 lets you rename a selected file or folder, and F3 allows you to search within an open or active application. Alt + F4 closes your active window, and pressing F5 lets you refresh or reload a page or document window. Now you know.
Leave me alone: You’re trying to get something done on your PC and the notifications won’t stop. Click on the Start menu > Settings > System > Focus assist. You’ll see options for customizing the notifications you receive — including one to make them all silent.