Computer Operating Systems – Daves Computer Tips

How To Prevent Windows Updating Drivers

Jim Hillier — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:01:43 +0000

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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Sync Time In Windows 10

Terry Hollett — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:09:27 +0000

It’s the winter for power outages around here, with possible rotating outages due to damage at the power plant. These outages can also wreak havoc on our tech. Some minor, some major. One minor problem I had because of the last outage was that the time on one of my computers was out of sync. I usually sync the clocks in my home with the computer or TV. But sometimes those times need to be…

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Why Thousands Of Gamers Are Leaving Windows For Linux

Marc Thomas — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 05:11:02 +0000

Fellow DCT authors Jim Hillier and Terry Hollett have written extensively about Linux in its various forms, not least the growing number of Windows users migrating to Linux. There are many reasons for this, but one of the main ones is the extraordinary lengths Microsoft is going to to drive users away from Windows 11. Hardware requirements (TPM 2.0), the end of Windows 10, and the quite nauseating…

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Easily Debloat Windows With ‘Winhance’

Jim Hillier — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:17:41 +0000

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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2 Little Known Windows Tricks

Jim Hillier — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 05:10:19 +0000

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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Windows 11’s New LARGE Start Menu

Jim Hillier — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 05:04:28 +0000

For months, I’ve been reading about a new Start menu in Windows 11 but hadn’t seen it in either of my Windows 11 systems… until now. The new Start menu was installed on one of my Windows 11 machines yesterday, and now I’m not sure if it might have been better for it to remain unseen. It’s large, very large. By my calculations, around 50% larger than the old Start menu: (on a 27″ monitor)…

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Windows Heading To Full-Blown AI?

Jim Hillier — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 05:37:10 +0000

In all my years of witnessing the introduction of new tech, I’ve never seen anything to match the rapid uptake of AI. The fact that AI is as yet far from perfected doesn’t seem to bother the tech giants as they continue to battle it out for dominance – and the question of whether consumers want AI or not seems to have gotten lost in the heat of battle. Not the least of those AI-mad advocates is…

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Google Is Developing A Rival To Windows 11

Jim Hillier — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 05:01:58 +0000

Reports are circulating that Google is in the process of developing a new PC operating system as direct competition to Microsoft’s Windows 11, with a launch date expected to be sometime within the next 12 months. Microsoft has clearly upset a lot of traditional Windows users with its “like it or lump it” decision-making, and it’s common knowledge that the time is ripe for an alternative PC…

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How To Check Your PC’s Reliability Score

Jim Hillier — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:26:48 +0000

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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2015- 2025: Microsoft’s Dismal Decade

Jim Hillier — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:45:07 +0000

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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ReactOS: A Viable Windows Alternative?

Jim Hillier — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 05:08:09 +0000

ReactOS is a free and open-source project that aims to produce a Windows-like operating system that’s fully compatible with Windows software and drivers. When ReactOS was first announced, it created a great deal of interest, including with yours truly. However, after many years of development with seemingly very little headway, that interest has waned considerably. ReactOS was first released…

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AI – Too Much Too Soon?

Jim Hillier — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:16:02 +0000

Like it or loathe it, AI is permeating every aspect of the PC. Microsoft, Google, software developers, etc., are all pushing AI at every opportunity. But, the critical question here is… is AI truly ready for prime time? In my opinion, AI has been pushed down our throats ahead of its time, and I’ll explain my thinking. There are two hardware components that are essential for AI to function…

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Patch My PC

Terry Hollett — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:15:50 +0000

I recently ran WinGet to update the apps on my computer. It ran OK with one small snag. WinGet Breaks 4K Downloader Plus I was made aware of a program called “Patch My PC”. Thanks, Mindblower. A search shows it’s been covered before in past articles. Read: Top Notch Free Software Updater How To Patch My PC So I decided to try out the latest version. I downloaded the portable…

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Windows 11 Supported CPUs Is Now Even More Confusing

Marc Thomas — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:07:41 +0000

Microsoft recently ‘updated’ its lists of Windows 11 supported processors, but for Intel CPUs, the company chose to list CPU series as opposed to each processor, which is very confusing. For example, it lists the Celeron series being supported when in fact only one out of ten of that series is supported – the Celeron 3867U. What baffles most people is that CPUs such as the mighty Intel 10th Gen…

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