Windows 10 / 11 — the full list

Every Windows fix, in one list.

91 tested fixes grouped by what they do — speed, updates, gaming, cleaning, maintenance, hardware and security. Each one timed to the minute and written in plain English.

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  • Tested fixes 91
  • Categories 8
  • Jargon None. Ever.
91 fixes · 8 categories

The full list

Grouped by what they fix. Search, jump to a category, or open any fix for the full steps — no sign-up, no jargon.

Speed Windows Everyday how-tos Gaming Cleaning Maintenance Hardware Security

Speed7 fixes

  • Disable startup bloat

    Every app that launches at boot slows your PC down. Most don't need to.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time2 min
    • RiskLow

  • Switch the power plan to Best Performance

    The default Balanced plan throttles the CPU to save power. On a desktop, just use full performance.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time1 min
    • RiskLow

  • Fix 'My PC is slow all of a sudden' — the order of attack

    When a fast PC suddenly crawls, it's almost always one of four things. Check them in this order.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Hunt down memory hogs

    Full RAM is the quiet cause of most 'sluggish' complaints. Find what's eating it and put a ceiling on it.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskMedium

  • CPU at 100% on Windows? Find the culprit in Task Manager

    CPU at 100% on Windows is either normal work — a scan, an update, a video export — or one process stuck working flat out. Task Manager tells you which in a minute, and what to do depends on the name at the top.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • File Explorer slow or crashing in Windows: speed it up

    File Explorer that hangs opening a folder, or vanishes back to the desktop, is usually Quick Access chasing files on drives that are gone, or a folder set to the wrong content type. Both are settings.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Browser slow or crashing on Windows: reset Chrome and Edge

    A browser that crawls, freezes or closes itself is almost always extensions or a corrupted profile. Resetting takes minutes and keeps your bookmarks and saved passwords.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

Windows29 fixes

  • Stop Windows updates at odd hours

    Updates restarting your PC while you're mid-game is a real thing. Set Active Hours so Windows knows when you're working.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time3 min
    • RiskLow

  • Lower Windows transparency and animation effects

    Transparency and animations eat GPU and CPU on modest hardware. Turning them off makes everything feel snappier.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time2 min
    • RiskLow

  • Stop your PC from sleep-glitching your network

    Ethernet that drops right after wake-from-sleep, or Wi-Fi that needs a manual reconnect — it's the NIC trying to save power

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Make Windows Search actually useful again

    When the Start menu search is slow or returns garbage, it's usually just the index and a few settings to fix.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Make big file transfers actually fast

    Drag-and-drop copies files one at a time and scans every byte twice. A few settings make the same transfer feel instant.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Master the keyboard shortcuts that save hours

    You're probably doing 90% of your work with the mouse. Ten keys below will shave minutes off every single day.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Install PowerToys — Microsoft's free utility pack

    Microsoft's own free toolkit fixes the little things Windows gets wrong. It's official, safe and better than most paid utilities.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • No sound? The four-minute fix

    Most 'my PC has no audio' tickets are the wrong output device selected after a driver update or a plugged-in headset.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time4 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Organise your work with virtual desktops

    One giant taskbar full of thirty apps is where focus goes to die. Windows has had real multi-desktop support forever — most people never find it.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Slow internet? Run the five-minute test

    Before you blame your ISP, prove where the slowdown actually is. Five minutes of testing separates 'bad router' from 'bad line'.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Wi-Fi off or missing? The three switches that disable it

    When the Wi-Fi option vanishes or won't turn on, it's almost always one of three switches — airplane mode, the network toggle, or a disabled adapter. All are quick to find and fully reversible.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Check whether your PC can run Windows 11

    Most machines from 2018 onward qualify. The two things that usually block the upgrade — TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot — are often already fitted and simply switched off in the BIOS.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Convert your disk from MBR to GPT for Secure Boot

    Windows installed the old way can't use Secure Boot, and that blocks Windows 11. Microsoft's own tool converts the disk without deleting your files — but it cannot be undone, so the order matters.

    • DifficultyAdvanced
    • Time45 min
    • RiskHigh

  • Fix a printer that won't print

    Nine times out of ten it's a stuck queue or the wrong default printer — not the printer. Work through these before you buy ink, a cable, or a new machine.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Fix a microphone no one can hear

    'You're on mute' is usually a mute switch, Windows listening to the wrong input, or microphone access switched off for the app you're calling from. Windows' own microphone test tells you which in a minute.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Fix a webcam that won't turn on

    A webcam showing black or 'no camera found' is nearly always switched off or blocked — by a shutter or camera key, a privacy setting, or another app holding it — before it's the driver. The Camera app and its error code tell you which.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Bluetooth won't connect? The pairing reset that works

    A Bluetooth device that won't pair or keeps dropping is usually stale pairing data or a tired adapter — not broken hardware. Reset the pairing before you replace anything.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • USB device not recognised? The Device Manager pass

    A keyboard, mouse or drive that Windows ignores is usually a port, cable, or driver state — not the device itself. Work through the path before you buy anything.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Move everything to a new PC

    The files are the easy part. What catches people out is the browser profile, the licence keys and the two-factor codes — sort those before the old machine gets wiped.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time60 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Windows freezes and hangs: find the app locking up your PC

    A PC that freezes, hangs or shows 'Not responding' is usually one stuck app holding everything else hostage — not a dying machine. Task Manager names it in seconds, and ending it cannot damage Windows.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Windows Wi-Fi disconnects every few minutes: stop the dropouts

    Wi-Fi that disconnects and reconnects while you are actively using the PC is usually the adapter powering itself down or hunting for a better signal mid-session. Both are settings, both are reversible, and neither needs a new router.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

  • Windows Start menu or taskbar not responding: restart it

    A Start menu that will not open, or a taskbar that ignores every click, is the Windows shell hanging rather than the whole PC. Restarting one process brings it back without a reboot.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Can't sign in to Windows: PIN, password and lockout fixes

    Being locked out of your own PC feels terminal, but a rejected PIN or password is usually recoverable without losing a single file. Which route works depends on your account type.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Second monitor not detected on Windows: find the missing screen

    A second screen Windows refuses to see is usually the cable, the port or the wrong input source — not a dead monitor or a failed graphics card. Work the path in order before buying anything.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Windows app crashes or won't open: work through five checks

    An app that closes the instant you launch it, or never appears at all, is usually a permissions problem, a broken install or a conflict with something else — rarely a broken PC.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Screen flickering on Windows: driver, cable or refresh rate

    A flickering Windows screen is one of three things, and Task Manager tells you which in about ten seconds — an app, the display driver, or the cable and refresh rate.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium

  • PC won't wake from sleep on Windows? Get the screen back

    A PC that won't wake from sleep — black screen, keyboard ignored — is usually running underneath with the display driver stuck. Wake it without the power button, then ask Windows which sleep it uses and what is interfering.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

  • Take a screenshot or record your screen on Windows

    Windows has several ways to capture the screen and one to record it, and none needs an app. Which you reach for depends on whether you want the whole screen or part of it.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Bluetooth audio cutting out or lagging on Windows

    Headphones that stutter, lag behind video or drop mid-track are usually stuck in the wrong audio profile or fighting interference. The pairing itself is generally fine.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

Everyday how-tos4 fixes

  • Clipboard history: get back what you copied an hour ago

    Turn on clipboard history and Windows keeps your last 25 copies, not just the most recent one. Windows + V brings the list back.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time3 min
    • RiskLow

  • Snap layouts: put two windows side by side

    Stop dragging windows around by hand. Snap layouts give Windows a grid, and three keys put any window exactly where you want it.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time3 min
    • RiskLow

  • Voice typing: type with your voice

    Long email, aching wrists, or a thought you would rather just say — voice typing writes it for you, in any text box.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Dynamic Lock: lock your PC when you walk away

    Dynamic Lock watches your phone's Bluetooth signal and locks the PC when you leave the desk — useful in an office or a shared house.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

Gaming6 fixes

  • Stop games stuttering — the 5-point checklist

    Most 'random lag spikes' trace back to one of five mundane causes. Knock them all out.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time25 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Raise your effective FPS with Windows Game Mode

    Game Mode tells Windows to prioritise the game process and quiet notifications. Leave it on, always.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time1 min
    • RiskLow

  • Reduce input lag in competitive games

    Millisecond matters in FPS games. Cut anything between your hand and the screen.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Save your games the right way

    The #1 cause of 'I lost 200 hours of progress' is not a disk failure — it's saves living somewhere you didn't think to back up.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Game won't launch on Windows: fix it before reinstalling

    A game that closes instantly or never opens is usually a missing runtime, an overlay, or damaged files. Reinstalling fixes it slowly; these checks fix it in minutes.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Controller not detected on Windows: wired and wireless

    A controller Windows ignores is usually a cable that only carries power, a Bluetooth pairing that half-completed, or a game expecting a different controller type.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

Cleaning4 fixes

  • Clean up temp files and browser cache properly

    Temp files and caches pile up gigabytes over months. They're safe to delete — that's what they're for.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Let Windows' Storage Sense do the work for you

    Fully-automated junk cleanup. Turn it on once and forget about disk bloat until your next OS install.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time2 min
    • RiskLow

  • Uninstall the apps you never use

    Every installed app is small overhead — background services, update checks, context-menu entries. Remove what you don't open.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Dodge bundleware when you install anything

    Half of every 'my PC is slow' ticket starts at an installer that checked boxes for you. One extra minute per install prevents most of it.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

Maintenance17 fixes

  • Fix a PC that overheats and fans like a jet engine

    Loud fans usually mean dust, not a failing fan. A clean-out often fixes half of all 'my PC is slow' tickets.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time45 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Check for driver updates (in the right order)

    Stale or wrong drivers cause crashes, audio glitches, and odd lag. Update the GPU first — it's the one that matters most.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium
    • Works onAny

  • Run a disk health check before it's too late

    A drive gives you warning before it fails, if you know where Windows keeps the numbers. Five minutes now is the difference between a planned replacement and a lost weekend.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

  • Repair corrupted system files

    A slow, glitchy PC that won't update? Corrupted system files are usually the cause. Two commands fix most of it.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time30 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Connected but no internet? The safe DNS and stack reset

    Wi-Fi connected, little globe with a slash — the link is up but the path to the internet isn't. A safe, fully reversible stack reset fixes most of it.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Run drive optimization the safe way

    Defragmenting an SSD is actively harmful; skipping it on an HDD leaves speed on the table. Windows has one tool that does both correctly.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Laptop battery life on Windows: make it last longer

    Laptop battery life on Windows comes down to what runs in the background, how bright and fast the screen is, and how the battery is charged. Power & battery shows all three, and a one-line report tells you if the battery itself is worn.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

  • Fix a blue screen (BSOD) without panicking

    A blue screen looks dramatic but it's usually Windows protecting itself from a bad driver or a flaky stick of RAM. The stop code tells you which.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time30 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Windows 10 is past end of support — what to do now

    Windows 10 stopped getting security updates on 14 October 2025. The PC still works — it just stops getting patched, and that gap widens every month.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium
    • Works onWin 10

  • Start Windows in Safe Mode

    Safe Mode loads Windows with only the drivers it cannot do without. If a problem disappears there, it's software — and knowing that one fact saves hours of guessing.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Get back a file you deleted by mistake

    Deleted isn't gone — it's unlinked, and the space is merely marked reusable. Your odds are excellent in the first hour and fall away quickly, so stop writing to that drive now.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • PC won't turn on? Run the five-minute power check

    A completely dark PC is usually one boring thing — a socket, a switch, or a stuck power state. Five minutes of checks separates 'dead' from 'just asleep', and nothing here can damage the machine.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Fix a PC that won't start up

    A dead screen at boot feels like a funeral for the machine, but most 'dead' PCs are one small thing away from life — and your files are still on the disk either way.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Black screen? Check the display signal path first

    A black screen on a powered-on PC is usually the picture not reaching the panel — cable, input source, or projection mode. Check the path before you suspect the GPU.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Windows Update stuck? The safe retry pass

    A stuck update is usually one of three boring things — a pending restart, a full drive or a dead network. This pass clears all three in ten minutes and can't damage Windows; system-file repair only comes after it fails.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Windows PC restarts or shuts down on its own: find the cause

    A PC that restarts without warning is logging why every single time. Reliability Monitor names the cause in a minute, and heat or the power supply are the two usual answers.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Reset Windows: keep your files, or start completely fresh

    Reset Windows with Reset this PC: keep your personal files while it removes every installed app, or remove everything for a completely fresh start after malware or a stranger got into your PC. Either way it reinstalls Windows, and it cannot be undone.

    • DifficultyAdvanced
    • Time60 min
    • RiskHigh

Hardware6 fixes

  • Move your OS or games to an SSD

    HDD → SSD is the single biggest speed upgrade you can make. Boot times go from minutes to seconds.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time1 hr
    • RiskHigh
    • Works onAny

  • Upgrade your RAM (and match it)

    16 GB is the comfortable minimum for modern Windows use. Always buy matched pairs for dual-channel speed.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time30 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Know your BIOS settings (the 5 that matter)

    Most of the speed potential in a PC is already there — it's locked in the BIOS/UEFI. Five settings unlock most of it.

    • DifficultyAdvanced
    • Time20 min
    • RiskHigh
    • Works onAny

  • Size your PSU before the next upgrade

    A power supply that's too small is the quiet cause of random shutdowns under load. Sizing it right takes one calculator and ten minutes.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Fix a hot PC for good: the airflow pass

    Dust cleaning is a band-aid. The real fix is airflow: cool air in one side, hot air out the other, with nothing blocking either.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time45 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Laptop plugged in but not charging on Windows

    A laptop reporting 'plugged in, not charging' is usually a battery-health limit doing its job, a tired charger, or a driver that lost track — rarely a dead battery.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

Security18 fixes

  • Back up properly (3-2-1 rule)

    Three copies, two different media, one off-site. It's boring — until you need it. Set it up once.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time30 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Hardening: accounts, updates, and the firewall

    The default Windows firewalls work. What most people skip is the 20 minutes of account hygiene that prevents 90% of incidents.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time20 min
    • RiskLow

  • Kill shady 'PC optimizer' software

    Half of every 'PC repair' product in the world is useless or actively harmful. There is no magic pill that makes Windows faster.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Protect against ransomware before it's too late

    Ransomware you can't restore from is the only data loss that matters. Three layers make it far less likely to cost you anything.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time20 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Stop Windows tracking your location

    Your PC knows where you are — and most apps don't need to either. Cut it off at the source.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskLow

  • Create a local account that doesn't phone home

    Microsoft accounts sync your activity to their servers. A local account keeps everything on the machine — ideal for shared or guest PCs.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow

  • Tighten up Chrome — the 10-minute pass

    Out of the box, Chrome tracks more than it needs to and keeps running apps after you close it. Ten toggles fix most of it.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Skip paid antivirus — and keep Defender sharp

    Most 'security suites' slow your PC down more than the malware they catch. The built-in defender is better than you think — if you switch it on properly.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Lock down your home Wi-Fi properly

    Your router's default name is a map for attackers — it tells them the make, model and which firmware bugs to try. Fifteen minutes fixes all of that.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium
    • Works onAny

  • Stop emailing passwords and secrets

    Email is not a vault. Passwords, OTP codes and API keys sitting in an inbox are the easiest win a hacker can get.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Turn on full-disk encryption (BitLocker)

    If your laptop is stolen or lost, an unencrypted drive is just a USB stick with someone else's life on it. BitLocker makes the data unreadable without your sign-in.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time5 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Spot a phishing email before you click

    Modern phishing has no spelling mistakes and copies the real branding pixel for pixel. You beat it on process, not on how convincing the message looks.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Tighten up Edge and Firefox

    The Chrome pass only covers one browser. Edge ships on every Windows PC whether you use it or not, and Firefox is the main alternative — both deserve the same ten minutes.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time10 min
    • RiskLow
    • Works onAny

  • Think your PC has a virus? Scan it properly

    A PC that has turned slow, shows odd pop-ups or gave you a warning you are not sure about can be checked with the scanner already built into Windows. Run the full scan, then the offline scan, then read what they found.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time1–2 hours
    • RiskLow

  • Fake virus pop-up or 'Microsoft' call? Tech support scams

    A pop-up that says your PC is infected and shows a phone number, or a caller who says they are from Microsoft, is a tech support scam rather than a real warning. Close it safely, and know what to do if you already called or let someone connect.

    • DifficultyEasy
    • Time15 min
    • RiskLow

  • Think someone got into your accounts? Lock them down

    A sign-in alert you did not expect, a password that stopped working, or friends getting messages you never sent: secure your accounts in this order, email first.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time45 min
    • RiskMedium
    • Works onAny

  • Check for remote-access software you didn't install

    If a stranger talked you into installing something so they could 'help', it may still be on the PC and able to connect again. Find it, remove it, and check Windows' own remote settings are off.

    • DifficultyMedium
    • Time15 min
    • RiskMedium

  • Look deeper with Microsoft's free Sysinternals tools

    Autoruns lists everything set to start with Windows; Process Explorer shows what is running right now. Both are free Sysinternals tools from Microsoft, and both are used here to look, not to change.

    • DifficultyAdvanced
    • Time45 min
    • RiskHigh
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