In case you don’t know, Windows contains a feedback mechanism that generates error reports from hardware and software problems. These reports are temporarily stored in the system and send them back to Microsoft so that it can find solutions to the reported problems and fix them in the upcoming updates. However, as time goes by, these reports actually take a lot of space in your computer which is why end-users like you are free to delete them with the help of the new Free Up Space feature in Windows 10.
As useful the Free Up Space feature may be, there are times when you won’t be able to use it for some reason which is why in this post, you will be guided on how to use alternative ways in deleting very large System queued Windows Error Reporting file, some of which may run in Gigabytes.
Every time the Windows Error Reporting or WER sends out an error file and looks for a solution, the WER server at Microsoft sends out a solution instantly. And if the solution is under investigation or is unknown, then you will be notified about it right away and will be asked for more details.
As mentioned, even though the Free Up Space feature in Settings will be able to clear the error reporting files, there are instances when it won’t be able to delete very large System queued Windows Error Reporting files. Alternatively, there is an option to delete these files using the Disk Cleanup Utility.
Feel free to select which option you’d like to use to get rid of Windows Error Reporting Files.
Option 1 – Delete Windows Error Reporting Files via Settings
Go to Settings.
From there, go to System > Storage > Free Up Space and then click on it to launch it.
Afterward, give it some time to populate all the files and folders. Once it’s done, select “System created Windows Error Reporting files” to mark its checkbox while leaving the other options unchecked.
Next, click on the Remove files button to delete all the Windows Error Reporting files from your computer.
Option 2 – Manually delete the Windows Error Reporting Files
Tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer.
Next, enable the Hidden Files view from the menu.
Then go to C:/ProgramData/MicrosoftWindowsWER.
From there, you will see various folders like LocalReportArchive, ReportArchive, ReportQueue, and Temp.
Open each one of the aforementioned folders and delete the archive files. Note that these files will have names similar to “00c58c1f-b836-4703-9bcf-c699ca24d285”.
Note: If you are not able to delete any of these files, you have to take ownership of the folder. To do so, refer to these steps:
Right-click on the folder and then select Properties.
Next, click on the Edit button in the Properties window and click OK to confirm if you got a User Account Control elevation request.
After that, select user/group from the permission windows or click on the Add button to add another user or group. It would be best if you add “Everyone” to give permission.
Then check “Full Control” under the “Allow” column to assign full access rights control permissions.
Now edit the permission to Full Control for “Everyone”.
Click OK to save the changes made and then exit.
On the other hand, if you do not want to go through all these troubles in deleting the Windows Error Reporting files, you can just disable it especially if it already becomes a daily annoyance as the files generate every day and their sizes are mostly gigabytes. And besides, there are times when these files do not make it to the Microsoft WER server and end up only occupying a lot of space for nothing.
Open Source Software is developed, tested, or improved through public collaboration and distributed with the idea that the must be shared with others, ensuring an open future collaboration. In other words, it is free software developed and maintained by public contribution. Many open-source projects have reached performance and usability like their paid alternatives, some have even surpassed them. Here we will explore open source alternatives to paid applications, you will find alternatives to paid ones that aim to do the same task.
LINUX - alternative to Windows or macOS
When it comes to the operating system, Windows and macOS mostly dominate the home market, but if you go a little deeper into the OS world you will hear this talk about LINUX and its distributions. LINUX is an open-source operating system, it has many various distributions aimed at different types of users and they are also open source as well. Its security and account privileges, as well as complete control over it, make it one of the best-operating systems in the world, many servers that run websites today use LINUX as their choice of operating system mostly due to its superior security features. If LINUX is good enough for big web companies, I am sure it will be at least satisfactory to you as well. Get your LINUX distribution here.
Thunderbird - alternative to outlook
A great alternative to any mail client actually, connect all of your emails into thunderbird and use it as the centralized email client for all of your email needs. Thunderbird does not lack any features that its paid counterparts have and overall it is a great application worth installing. Grab it from here.
VLC media player - media player able to play almost anything
Are you looking for a great media player alternative to Windows media player or iTunes? Look no further, VLC is a lightweight media player that can play almost any file type, it is customizable and packed with features even its paid counterparts would envy. Its playback features are unmatched by other applications and once you try it, I am sure you will hardly go back from it. Give it a go and grab it from here.
KeePass - password manager
Keepass is a simple, user-friendly lightweight password generator and manager, it uses industry-standard AES encryption and two-factor authentication to keep the details of your accounts safe and secure. you can store him and the database on a USB stick for safekeeping making it a great one to use on a go, wherever you need it. Get it from this link.
FileZilla - FTP client
A lightweight and future-rich FTP solution. It supports remote file editing and resuming of lost transfers, overall great application which anyone who needs this type of software should not overlook. Download it from its official website.
Audacity - alternative to Audition, Fl, apple logic pro,...
Digital audio editor and recording computer software with some great features like recording audio from multiple sources, post-processing of all types of audio, including podcasts by adding effects such as normalization, trimming, and fading in and out. Audacity has a great following and it is well documented, easy to learn and use. Grab it from here.
Shortcut - alternative to adobe premiere, avid media composer, DaVinci resolve
The shortcut is a video editor application that demonstrates how long an open-source project can go if enough dedication and work are put into it, started as not so great and not so feature-packed in beginning, today it can easily contend with its paid counterparts with its non-destructive editing, color gradation, keyframing, etc. It is running and using FFmpeg, an open-source video framework that lets it open and works with virtually any video or audio format. Download it from here.
Gimp - alternative to adobe photoshop
This one has been around since 1996 and it is one of the best maintained open source applications. With its features like built-in support for layers, filters, and automatic photo enhancement. It also makes it easy to create new graphic design elements and you can really take things to the next level by downloading plug-ins created by the broader GIMP open source community. Gimp is the best pixel manipulation-free tool on the market and with the right skills, it can go side by side with adobe's flagship product. Check it out here.
Inkscape - alternative to adobe illustrator, Corel draw
What is Gimp for photoshop that is Inkscape for illustrator. This free open-source vector graphic tool does not fall behind with its tools in comparison to its paid counterparts and I would highly recommend it for anyone. Features like alpha blending, cloning on-point path manipulations can assure that you can create anything you want inside it. get your copy from here.
Libre office - alternative to MS office
Libre office is one of the most quality office suite there, it has spreadsheets, word processor, presentation app, calculation applications, database application, and diagrams. All these applications create and make one great suite that can open Microsoft Office files and even work with them naturally. Completely free and active in development there is no reason, not t use it in your daily routine. Go to its official website and download it for a test run.
Amarok - alternative to iTunes
Amarok is an audio player with a broad range of features like integration with multiple Web audio services, dynamic playlists, bookmarks, scripting, context view, and more. get it from here.
PDF Creator - alternative to adobe acrobat
As its paid counterpart PDF Creator lets you make PDF files from any application that could print. It works the same way as adobe acrobat and supports encryption and digital signature, it lacks in PDF forms a little but if that is not something that you need, it is a great alternative to acrobat and completely free. Download it from here.
Blender - Alternative to Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3dmax, foundry Modo, cinema4d,...
3D modeling and animation software is very expensive. From the point of home user long it has been lost dream to have industry quality 3D modeling, animation, and rendering application for an affordable price. Blender has made that dream a possibility, completely free and open-source this package offers everything that its paid counterparts offer, some could even argue that since its open-source nature and availability of full code it offers even more. Why you are still here? Go get it here.
Bluefish - alternative to Adobe Dreamweaver
When it comes to web editing and code editing applications, notepad ++ seems like a person go-to application, but if you prefer a more professional suited IDE for web development check out Bluefish, auto-filling, code syntax, and constant development make sure that this application will not go away soon and it is worth investing your time in it. Get it from here.
ClamWin - alternative to Kaspersky, BItdefender, Norton
This antivirus has over 600000 users and active database updates also feature a full email scanner, scanning scheduler, and File Explorer integration. It is far better than other freeware alternatives and if you are looking for a free antivirus option look no further, ClamWin is here to stay. Grab it from here.
Natron - alternative to adobe aftereffects, foundry nuke
Full-featured node-based composition and effects suite. Natron is a powerful Digital Compositor that can handle all of your 2D/2.5D needs. Its robust OIIO file formats and OpenFX architecture is what makes Natron the most flexible open-source compositor for the visual effects community. Its interface and functionally are the same across all platforms such as macOS, Linux, and Windows. Natron has a powerful keying, roto/roto paint, 2D tracking tools that are staple for all current film production project that requires visual effects. Get natron from here.
Clonezilla - alternative to Norton Ghost
When it comes to cloning hard drives usually there is only one application, Norton ghost. Clonezilla tends to change that by offering the same usability as the ghost. Grab your copy from here.
FreeCAD - alternative to Autodesk AutoCAD
Autodesk AutoCAD has years of development and dedication of its team behind it to keep it as the best CAD application on the market and it shows. However, if you are not really a hardcore professional who needs all of AutoCAD features and can live without some automation inside it FreeCAD is one of the best free open source options, it will certainly get the job done and with its dynamic simulation and analysis, it is guaranteed that you can achieve same results as in AutoCAD with little more time investment. Get if here.
Octave - alternative to MATLAB
Octave is the best open-source educational tool used for numerical computation with an interactive environment. The tool features powerful mathematics-oriented syntax with built-in plotting and visualization tools and also Octave syntax is largely compatible with Matlab. Get your copy from here.
Godot - alternative to Unity3D, Unreal
Godot is a lightweight feature-packed node-based game development engine, completely open-source and free to use for commercial projects. The engine has reached 3.2 version and it is more and more adopted by various independent game makers across the globe, recently there are to of video tutorials and documentation to get you up and running and its open-source nature lets you modify the engine itself in any way that suits and benefits you. Also, any project made with Godot is completely yours, there are no hidden fees or anything similar. Download it from here.
Conclusion
That's it, my pick for 20 open source alternatives which I believe you should at least try and if you end up with at least one, you have saved some hard-earned money.
And always remember:
Open-source programs give you complete freedom without any shady terms and conditions.
Open-source software code is readily available for anyone who wants it, so anyone can use it, share it, modify it for their own needs, and study it.
No spying eyes, no tracking, and no telemetry
In some cases, open-source tools offer features or performance benefits that surpass their commercial counterparts.
No hidden charges, completely free.
If you would like to read more helpful articles and tips about various software and hardware visit errortools.com daily.
For a while now, Microsoft has been working hard to add various built-in troubleshooters in Windows 10. In fact, there is a troubleshooter for almost every standard or common error in Windows 10. And now with the newly released Windows 10 v1903, Microsoft has added the Recommended Troubleshooting which allows Windows 10 to automatically fix a lot of critical issues on your computer, and in this post, you will be guided on how you can turn on or off the Recommended Troubleshooting in Windows 10.
The Microsoft Diagnostic & Feedback data only provides two settings – Basic and Full. So if you want to turn off the Recommended Troubleshooting for some reason, the only way to do so is to stop it from collecting complete data from your PC. And to turn it on or off, you can choose to switch between them. To do that, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Diagnostics & feedback and from there, select Basic under the Diagnostic Data section. After that, go back to Settings and go to Update & security > Troubleshoot. Once you’re there, you should see a warning message saying, “Share Full Diagnostic data to get additional troubleshooting recommendations”. Based on the message, Microsoft will only offer the recommended troubleshooting based on the Full Diagnostic data which it collects from your computer.
On the other hand, if you know how to navigate and use the Windows Registry, then you can enable or disable the Recommended Troubleshooting via Registry Editor but before you proceed, make sure that you create a System Restore point. Once that’s covered, follow these steps:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “regedit” in the field and tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
Next, navigate to this registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoft
From there, look for the key named “WindowsMigration”. If you can’t find it, just right-click on the left pane and create a new key and then name it “WindowsMigration”.
After that, create a DWORD “UserPreference” and double click on it to set its value to “0” if you want to turn it off or “1” if you want to turn it on.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Note: The Recommended Troubleshooting functionality can look into the error logs sent back to the Microsoft team and use an algorithm to set up a solution for you and they’re nothing but Diagnostics and Feedback data that Windows collects and sends back to Microsoft. Moreover, the recommendations are only visible if you are connected to the internet, else it will show the same message.
As you know, the CHKDSK utility is proven to be one of the useful tools to fix any issues that concerns file system, storage, and disk. However, as useful as it may be, it is still not immune to issues as you could encounter errors when running it. One of these errors is the “One such error is the CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode” error. If you receive such an error message while running CHKDSK, then you’ve come to the right place as this post will help you sort the problem out.
It is possible that the drive is read-only or that the Write Protection is enabled. It could also be that the drive is already being used and scanned by a different program or utility. To get rid of this error, there are a couple of suggestions you need to check out. You can try to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery or run it on Boot. You could also try to disable Write Protection. For more detailed steps, follow the given instructions below.
Option 1 – Try to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery
The first thing you can do to resolve the error in CHKDSK is to run the CHKDSK utility from Recovery. How? Follow these steps:
First, boot into the installation environment for Windows 10 from a Windows installation media.
Next, click on the “Repair your computer” option.
After that, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
After opening Command Prompt, type this command and tap Enter: chkdsk <Partition Letter>: /r /f
Wait until the disk error checking process is completed.
Once it’s done, exit the Command Prompt window and restart your computer and then see if the error is fixed.
Option 2 – Try running the CHKDSK utility on Boot
On the other hand, you can also try to run the CHKDSK utility on Boot so you can fix the error and recover any damaged segments of the drive.
Open an elevated Command Prompt and enter this command: chkdsk /r
After that, you will a message that says, “Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)”
Type Y and tap Enter to schedule a CHKDSK scan once your computer reboots next time.
Option 3 – Try to remove the Write Protection from the drive
As mentioned, removing the Write-Protection on the concerned drive could also help you fix the problem and there are two ways to get rid of the write protection – you can either use the Diskpart utility or the Registry Editor. How? Refer to the following steps.
Via Diskpart utility:
Open Command Prompt with admin privileges and then type the “diskpart” command and tap Enter to execute it.
Next, type “list disk” and tap Enter to get the list of all the Disk connects or all the partitions that are formed on those disks.
After that, you need to choose one command depending on the list of commands you entered. Type “select disk #” and tap Enter to select the disk or partition you want to select.
Then type “attribute disk clear readonly” and tap Enter to Disable the Write Protection on the selected disk or partition.
Via Registry Editor:
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run utility and type “Regedit” in the field and then tap Enter to open the Registry Editor.
If you encounter the “Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes” error when you try to change the read-only state of a storage device using the Diskpart application and the request is denied, worry not for this post will give you a couple of fixes to resolve the problem. As you know, Diskpart is used for resolving read-only storage devices by changing their attribute via the command line. So if it is not able to change the attribute of the storage device, then you will most likely encounter an error such as this one. This kind of error is not uncommon and as long as there are no damaged physical attributes, you can resolve it right away.
There are tons of reasons why you’re getting this error while using Diskpart, it could be that the storage device has a physical write-protected switch or the disk is hidden or has bad sectors. It could also be because the storage drive might be in RAW format or that you are running the Diskpart application without admin privileges. Whatever the cause may be, here are some options you can try to fix the problem but before you proceed, make sure that you log on to your PC as an administrator.
Option 1 – Check if there is a physical switch on the storage device
There are some USB devices and SD card readers that have a write-protected physical switch that disables all the writable options on the storage device and so if it is turned on, Diskpart won’t be able to change the disk attribute to writable. To check, simply look for the physical switch on both sides of the device and once you found it, make sure that it is toggled off and then plug the storage device back in then try running Diskpart once again.
Option 2 – Modify the WriteProtected key in the Registry Editor
Before you proceed, you have to create a System Restore Point first.
Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
After that, look for the “WriteProtect” registry entry which is located on the left side of the window, and then double click on it.
Change its value to “0” and click OK to save the changes made and exit the Registry Editor.
Option 3 – Run CHKDSK to check the drive for errors
When it comes to some issues concerning the hard drive or removable devices, there is a utility in Windows that might help which is called “chkdsk”. This error check utility can help with several issues in the system including the “Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes” error.
Tap the Win + S keys to open the Search box.
Then type “command prompt” in the field and from the search results that appear, right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.
After opening an elevated command prompt, copy and paste the following command and hit Enter:
Note: In the command given above, “[/F]” will try to fix the system errors while “[/R]” will be the one to fix the bad sectors.
Now if you are prompted to run CHKDSK after your reboot your PC, just tap Y and reboot your PC.
If CHKDSK is not able to find any errors, tap the Win + E keys and navigate the access window. From there, right-click on the concerned drive and click on Properties.
After opening Properties, click on the tab Tools and then click on the “Check” button under the Error-checking section.
Wait until the process is completed and then restart your computer.
Option 4 – Clear the attributes on RAW
Tap the Win + S keys then type “diskpart” in the field.
Click the Diskpart application and if a User Account Control dialog box pops up, click Yes to proceed.
After opening an elevated Command Prompt, type in the commands listed below and make sure to tap Enter right after you key in one command after the other.
list volume
select volume‘n’ (In this command, you have to replace ‘n’ with the volume number of the drive)
format fs=fat32 quick (In this command you also have the flexibility to change the format to ‘ntfs’ or ‘exfat’)
After executing the commands given, unplug the removable storage device and wait for a couple of seconds and then plug it back in.
Now try any normal write operations and see if the error no longer appears.
Option 5 – Try checking the hardware components
On the other hand, it is also possible that the issue has something to do with a hardware problem and so you need to check the hardware components on your computer to determine that.
If you suddenly find your Windows 10 computer stuck on the “Preparing to configure” screen for quite a long time now after you run Windows Update, read on as you will be guided on how you can fix that issue in this post.
During an update process, there’s a lot of things that go on in the background which is why Windows Updates take quite a while before it finishes. It can be at 25%, 50%, or even 100% but the only message you’re going to see on your screen is the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer”. However, if you notice that the Windows Update is taking a longer time than it’s supposed to, the first option is to wait some more but if it’s still the same, then there’s definitely something wrong. This kind of issue occurs when Windows Update fails to configure in short correctly download and install the update. When this happens, it will revert all the changes which are why you were advised to wait for a couple of hours.
There are two possibilities why your computer is stuck on the “Preparing to configure Windows, Don’t turn off your computer” screen. The first one is that the Windows 10 operating system is installing any updates. The second one is when the user profile takes time to load or encounters an error. There are several options you can try to fix the problem. You can try running System Restore or boot your computer in Safe Mode or repair the corrupted profile via Registry Editor. You might also want to try using installation media to boot and repair your computer if the other options didn’t work.
Option 1 – Perform System Restore
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and check if the problem is fixed or not.
Note: If you can’t boot into the desktop of your computer, you can run System Restore in the Advanced Startup Options by following these steps:
Boot your computer into the Advanced Startup Options screen.
From there, you will see some options to troubleshoot when you can’t log in to Windows in the usual way.
Now select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.
After that, type “rstrui” and hit Enter to execute the command which will start the System Restore process.
Once it’s done, restart your computer.
Option 2 – Boot your computer in Safe Mode
You can try to tap the F8 key if you have it enabled in your Windows 10 computer, as you start your system to boot into Safe Mode. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can access the Start Menu and the Mouse and Keyboard. Aside from that, you can also access your files and other built-in tools in Windows such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Computer Manager, Device Manager, Event Log Viewer, and many more. On the other hand, if you haven’t enabled the F8 key, you can just go to the Advanced Startup options to boot your computer into Safe Mode. Once you’re there, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart > Tap the number 4 key. After that, your computer will restart in Safe Mode. If you want to reboot into Safe Mode with Networking instead, you can tap the number 5 key and for Safe Mode with Command Prompt, tap the number 6 key. Once your computer is in Safe Mode, you can use any of the built-in tools to restore your computer or troubleshoot the problem that’s causing your computer to get stuck at the “Preparing to configure” screen.
Option 3 – Try to repair your corrupted profile via Registry
In this third option, you can try to repair the corrupted profile using the Registry but before you proceed, take note that you can only try this if you can boot into your desktop and if you can, make sure to create a System Restore Point and then follow the steps below.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Then type “Regedit” in the field and hit Enter or click OK to open the Registry Editor.
Next, go to this registry key: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionProfileList
Once you’ve opened the registry key, you should see a list of all the user profiles on your computer. Now click on each S-1-5 folder and look for the “ProfileImagePath” entry and double click on it to check which user account it is related to. You will see a path like “CUsersACK” where “ACK” is the username.
You should know which of the user account is corrupted. Just look for a key named “RefCount” and change its Value data to “0” and click OK. And if it isn’t available, simply right-click on the right pane and create it.
After that, double click on the key named “State” and make sure that the Value data is “0” and click OK.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer to apply the changes made.
Option 4 – Try to use installation media to boot and repair your computer
Another thing you can try to resolve the issue is to use the Windows installation bootable media so you can boot and repair the operating system. To use it, follow these steps:
You need to first create an installation media which has the dame version of the operating system installed in your computer.
After that, once you reach the Install Windows screen, click on the “Repair your computer” link.
Wait until the repair is completed and then shut down your computer
Now once your computer has restarted, check if it can now boot properly.
After Plex, DoorDash, and LastPass, Samsung has also confirmed that they also have experienced a data breach and that some customer data has been stolen.
On Friday, September 2nd Samsung announced that an unauthorized third party gained access to some of the company's U.S. systems in late July and that Samsung learned in August that some personal information was affected. It was also stated that affected information is: names, contact information, demographics, dates of birth, and product registration information. Also so far it was said that no Social Security numbers nor credit card number information have been compromised.
For now, Samsung is sending an email directly to anyone that has been affected by this data breach, however, they did not state what service or product has experienced this breach, we just know that it has happened at Samsung Electronics America which sells everything, from smartphones to debit cards. Also keep an eye on your inbox if you are a Samsung user since it took them a whole month in order to go public with this information and there is no justification for this, if it was reported on time people could change their information and take other steps.
Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world and how Microsoft is opening doors to everyone in its new store Reddit took a logical step and made a Progressive web application and placed it in it.
Being a Progressive web app makes it more familiar and feels like a home experience using it for a lot of Reddit users.
Reddit itself has a large community and active topics discussions all the time about anything. Bringing it to Windows as an application is, in my opinion, a great move since as an application it is independent, more light-weighted, and offering some other advantages specifically tied to being a standalone windows application.
Everyone familiar with and using the Reddit website will feel right at home in this app and you can start using it right away.
Finally upgraded to Microsoft’s newest OS, but the performance is a bit sluggish? Here are a few useful tips you may not have thought about that could significantly transform your experience!
How to speed up Windows 11?
1. Disable startup programs
There are many programs that launch right on startup that really aren’t essential. This, in turn, causes your PC to launch and run more slowly.
To check which programs are enabled on startup, go into the Task Manager and select the Startup tab. Find every program that doesn’t need to launch immediately, right-click on it and press ‘Disable’.
This will not shut down the program in that instant. It’ll just prevent it from running automatically as you turn on your PC. You can always launch it manually when you need it.
2. Expand your memory and storage
If you want your PC to run super smoothly, you need to have enough memory to support that. This is especially significant for those of you who love to multitask. Upgrading your RAM gives your PC more space to store the temporary data it needs to complete processing tasks. In other words, processing takes a lot less time.
Your long-term storage is equally important. Hopefully at this point you’re already using SSD over HDD, since this type of storage offers a faster boot time.
Credit: Marc Pezin on Unsplash
In any case, we recommend expanding your storage capacity. The more files and data you store, the more there is to load, significantly influencing your PC’s speed. Larger storage capacity means new data and essential updates can be stored comfortably, preventing any strain on your PC’s performance.
3. Clean up disk space
If you aren’t willing to upgrade your storage just yet, the least you can do is clean up your storage right now.
Aside from manually deleting stuff you no longer need, you can also get rid of temporary files that clutter up your storage and eat up performance for no reason. To get to them, click Windows + X and select ‘Run’ (or just type it in the search bar).
A small window will pop up, where you need to type %temp%. This will take you to a whole folder full of all the temporary files you can remove without thinking twice.
For those who upgraded from Windows 10, there’s a neat trick to get rid of potential leftover files you don’t need on your brand new iteration. Only do this if you’re 100% sticking with Windows 11, though. Go to System > Storage > Temporary files. Make sure to only leave ‘Previous Windows Installation’ and ‘Windows Update Clean-up’ checked and click on ‘Remove files’.
Lastly, make use of Windows 11’s fantastic Storage Sense feature. Turning it on will enable your PC to constantly watch out for junk or unused files to optimize your PC’s performance to the maximum.
4. Install pending updates
This one should go without saying, but pending updates can be detrimental to your Windows 11 performance. The longer you leave them untouched, the more bugs the outdated programs and patches can cause. So, make sure to regularly check for updates and install them as soon as they’re available.
5. Disable visual effects
As cool as visual effects, animations, shadows and transparency are, they can also put quite a toll on your computer’s speed. On a newer setup this generally shouldn’t be a problem, but if you do notice a drop in performance, definitely consider turning off some of these settings.
To do this you can go to the Control Panel, System Properties and click the ‘Advanced’ tab. In the Performance section, choose Settings. If you’d like a quicker way to get to the dialog (Performance Options) with Visual Effects, you can also type sysdm.cpl in the search bar.
Once there, you can either have your PC choose what’s best, choose the best appearance or the best performance. The other option is to manually toggle the effects off and on. The biggest obstacles to speed are taskbar animations, window shadows, control/element animations and animations upon minimizing/maximizing.
Credit: Windows on Unsplash
In the same vein, you should go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and disable Transparency, to prevent your computer from doing overtime just to hit the aesthetic appeal.
6. Get rid of bloatware
Bloatware is one of the biggest culprits of slow computer speed.
Pre-installed software that’s pretty much useless but takes up valuable system resources has been around since day one. No matter which device or platform you’re talking about. Luckily, a lot of it is removable, making it easy to lighten the load on your device.
To boost your Windows 11 computer, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.You’ll probably see a bunch of apps you don’t want or need. Click on the three dots next to each one you want to remove and press ‘Uninstall’.
Aside from helping optimize performance, removing bloatware has another great benefit. Unfortunately, often this pre-installed software is quite vulnerable, exposing you to great risk of cyberattacks. So, removing it definitely improves your device’s security and gives you at least some peace of mind.
Summary
These are a few of our fastest tips for boosting performance. There are other, more complex and time-consuming ways, of course. If you’ve tried these quick ones and still need advice on how to improve your PC’s speed, feel free to reach out!
The euphoria around Windows 11 is not dying and reveal that Android apps will work natively inside Windows 11 has raised many emotions and questions.
So, Microsoft has announced that Android apps will run natively inside Windows 11 OS and that they will reside alongside your other installed ones as icons, etc.
It is no secret that many users have been using emulation software to run Android apps inside Windows so far, so what is the difference?
It is still emulation
Whatever you would like to believe it is still emulation and Android apps are at the end of the day still Android apps running inside emulated environment.
This time we will not need third-party emulation software running inside Windows, we will have third-party emulation services running inside Windows.
Intel has teamed up with Microsoft in order to integrate Intel bridge algorithms in order to run Android apps, meaning that yea, pretty much we have emulation services running in order to run the application.
The problem with this kind of approach is that well emulation software is running and consuming system resources only when we start it, this kind of service is always running and always consuming resources and for someone who really does not care about Android apps at all, this is just a waste of resources.
Android store
The store is another issue here, instead of the Google play store we will have the Amazon app store integrated inside the new Microsoft store.
This means that any kind of for example game progress or login information from Google store cannot be transferred into Windows 11, add to that information that in the Amazon app store there are tons of missing applications like SLACK, TRELLO, BitWarden, etc and we might have a serious question here about the use of this feature.
Android apps that do not use Android services
If you even look past that it is still emulation and that it is available on the Amazon app store there is still concern about applications not using Google services for their running.
Many Android apps are relying on Google services like location or optimize their use of on-device resources, handle in-app purchases, etc. that cannot be found on this system.
Uber is a prime example that uses Google location service to determine your location and for its mapping data, with that application, is useless.
Other like Guardian will even pop up message that says Google play service is required in order to even work.
Android apps without Eero system
Amazon Eero system for enhanced internet access is not even yet available in its own app store which brings us to missing some key players like Bank of America, Chase mobile, Bueller, etc.
And across the board, the apps that are present in the Amazon Appstore are often as good as abandoned. Lots of titles are numerous versions behind their up-to-date Play Store counterparts, and plenty of programs you encounter in the Amazon environment clearly haven't been touched in years.
Conclusion
Many new Windows 11 features are quality features that I personally consider good but although this one seems innovative and good I simply cannot stand back it up.
Android apps were already inside Windows with emulation software which used google services and was working just fine, this was not needed in my opinion.
Microsoft has implemented a number of small features in Windows 10 to enhance user productivity. These features make a difference in the overall experience and productivity of users. However, there are times that instead of helping users, these small feature causes some issues instead which causes the computer to function in an unusual way. One of the issues caused by these features is where the Mouse automatically scrolls up or down even without any user intervention. This can get really annoying especially when you’re doing an important task on your computer. So if this bug takes place repeatedly, it can make your computer unusable. If you are currently facing this problem, worry not for this post will guide you on what to do to fix the mouse auto-scrolling issue in your Windows 10 computer.
Use the options provided below to fix the mouse auto-scrolling issue.
Option 1 – Try to toggle the appropriate Mouse 10 setting
Tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings app.
After that, navigate to Devices > Mouse.
From there, toggle the “Scroll inactive windows when I hover over them” setting to off.
Now restart your computer and see if the issue is resolved.
Option 2 – Try to uninstall the installed Windows Updates recently
The mouse issue might have something to do with a recent update you have installed on your computer. It is possible that there are some recently installed updates that have messed up some settings in your computer. Thus, you can try to uninstall this recent Windows Update to try and fix the problem. Not that the best way to do this is in Safe Mode.
Boot your computer into Safe Mode first.
Once your computer has restarted, tap the Win + I keys to open the Settings app.
Next, click on Update and Security, and from the left side menu column, select Windows Update.
After that, select the “View installed update history” option on the right-side column.
Then click on Uninstall Updates. This will open a window where you’ll see the list of all the installed updates on your computer.
Select the update you want to uninstall and click on the Uninstall button located in the lower-right corner of the window.
Option 3 – Try to run System Restore
You might have made some adjustments in your computer’s settings that caused the issue with the mouse. You can undo those changes using System Restore.
Tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box.
After that, type in “sysdm.cpl” in the field and tap Enter.
Next, go to the System Protection tab then click the System Restore button. This will open a new window where you have to select your preferred System Restore point.
After that, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the process and then restart your computer and then check if your mouse is now back to its normal state.