Windows 10 – Daves Computer Tips https://davescomputertips.com Computer Help, Tips, How-to's, and News Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:01:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 How To Prevent Windows Updating Drivers https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-prevent-windows-updating-drivers/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-prevent-windows-updating-drivers/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:01:43 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150731 Device drivers are programs that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. When it comes to driver updates, the old saying “if it isn’t broken, it doesn’t need fixing” well and truly applies. The one possible exception is graphics card drivers, which often include support for newer games/technology, but even then, the preferred option is to download updated drivers…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-prevent-windows-updating-drivers/feed/ 2 Easily Debloat Windows With ‘Winhance’ https://davescomputertips.com/easily-debloat-windows-with-winhance/ https://davescomputertips.com/easily-debloat-windows-with-winhance/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:17:41 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150605 Looking for an easy solution to slim down Windows? Look no further! Based on a suggestion from one of our regular readers, I checked out “Winhance,” a free and open-source Windows debloat/enhancement utility to see what it offered, and I must say I am very impressed. Many thanks to Reg for the suggestion. There are quite a few Windows debloat/slimming tools around at the moment…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/easily-debloat-windows-with-winhance/feed/ 2 2 Little Known Windows Tricks https://davescomputertips.com/2-little-known-windows-tricks/ https://davescomputertips.com/2-little-known-windows-tricks/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:10:19 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150557 Here are a couple of Windows tricks that I pretty much guarantee you don’t know about. This trick creates a one-click option to quickly shut down the PC, and it’s achieved via an obscure file that’s been tucked away in the System32 folder for many years: Now, when you double-click the new shortcut, a “shade” will drop halfway down the screen. Slide the shade down with the mouse to…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/2-little-known-windows-tricks/feed/ 11 How To Check Your PC’s Reliability Score https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:26:48 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150353 Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 include a “Reliability Monitor” feature that will present a system stability rating from 1 to 10, and also help diagnose problematic apps/processes. However, the Reliability Monitor is tucked away and not easy to locate… unless you know how. Here is a screenshot of my Reliability Monitor in Windows 10 (click the image to enlarge): As you can see from the…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/feed/ 11 2015- 2025: Microsoft’s Dismal Decade https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/ https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:45:07 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150316 I am not a Microsoft basher by nature, but in all my years of working with Windows, I cannot recall a more infamous period. Microsoft’s introduction of the Insider program not only reinforced the company’s lack of regard for the average home user but also signified the beginning of the rot. It’s no coincidence that when Microsoft sacked the team of professional coders, who were tasked with…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/feed/ 10 Enabling Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/ https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:59:31 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148719 Windows 10 will reach End Of Life (EOL) on October 14, 2025. Microsoft is offering consumers a few methods for enabling Extended Security Updates (ESU). But first, you have to see a prompt in your Security and Updates window to enroll. To get there, do this: If your system qualifies for ESU enrollment, you should see an invitation to join the enrollment program. This offer was supposed to…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/feed/ 2 Microsoft Provides Free Windows 10 ESU For Europe https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:01:22 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148550 Microsoft has agreed to provide Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area (EEA) with free extended security updates until 13th October 2026. Microsoft’s decision follows pressure from representatives of the Euroconsumers group, who pointed out that Microsoft’s plan to stop providing security updates as of 14th October 2025 was in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. However…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/feed/ 1 Is Windows 11 Losing Ground to Windows 10? https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/ https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:06:33 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148453 Yet another sensationalist headline – e.g., Windows 10 usage share climbs while Windows 11’s falls – is doing the rounds, suggesting that Windows 11’s user base is shrinking with a corresponding increase in Windows 10 users. These headlines are predicated on numbers provided by StatCounter, which are inherently flawed. To use StatCounter’s numbers to produce these types of clickbait headlines is…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/feed/ 5 How To Get Desktop Gadgets Back https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:10:15 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148434 Most of you will be familiar with the desktop gadgets from the Windows 7 era, which Microsoft later abandoned due to security concerns. I first mentioned “8 Gadget Pack” a few years ago. Now, the developer of this freeware has dropped the “8” from the name and updated almost all the self-contained desktop gadgets. The difference between Windows’ original desktop gadgets and Gadget Pack’s…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/feed/ 5 How To Recover A Microsoft Surface Pro 3 https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/#respond Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:08:56 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148105 In my recent article How I Revived A Fifteen-Year-Old Gaming Laptop, I mentioned that my client’s late husband enjoyed buying quality hardware. When I delivered her Sony Vaio back to her, I came away with a couple of tablets to look at. One is an Asus TF700T, which I can’t bring to life because it doesn’t have any USB ports, and the client has lost the charger and cables for its proprietary…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/feed/ 0 4GB Of Laptop Memory Is An Insult In This Day And Age https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/ https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:01:13 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148003 Recently, I’ve been deluged with laptops coming in for repair or upgrades. Mind you, I’m not complaining because work is work and it’s what I enjoy. Most of the upgrades are simply a matter of upgrading from spinners (HDDs) to SSDs and increasing memory (RAM), resulting in a significant performance boost. However, some laptops are so cynically designed, with cost-cutting being the major factor…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/feed/ 5 5 Steps To Ensure A Smooth Windows 11 24H2 Upgrade https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/ https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2025 04:17:05 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147644 If you’re planning on upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, you need to bear in mind that the upgrade involves a complete code swap, akin to installing a brand new operating system. As such, it is a major upgrade that will take some time to complete. As is the case with all major upgrades, there are several steps you can take before proceeding that will help ensure a trouble-free and smooth transition.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/feed/ 11 Microsoft Now Rolling Out Windows 10 ESU https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2025 04:02:45 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147596 In a recent blog announcement, Microsoft confirmed that the Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) program is now live and the company is in the process of rolling out enrollment options to users. The program extends support for security updates for one year past Windows 10’s end-of-support date (14th October) and currently includes three enrollment options: Plus, of course…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/feed/ 4 Microsoft Adding PC-to-PC Migration Feature https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-adding-pc-to-pc-migration-feature/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-adding-pc-to-pc-migration-feature/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:02:58 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147478 Microsoft has announced the introduction of a new PC-to-PC feature to help users when migrating to a new Windows PC. At the time of writing, this feature is still under development and not yet ready for general distribution. Microsoft has announced it will first roll out the new feature to Insider builds, with general distribution to follow some time later. The general consensus is that the…

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