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Productivity

What does it mean to use technology productively? Which apps and gadgets make your work easier? How to personalize the computers and other gadgets you’re using?

article What are environment variables in Windows?

What are environment variables in Windows?

Have you ever wondered about Windows environment variables? Maybe some IT admin or computer geek was mentioning them. Did some programs start malfunctioning and returning errors referring to environment variables? Or did you just have an exam, and the only item you didn’t know how to answer was what an environment variable is in Windows? No matter your reasons for wanting to learn more
tutorial What is an ICM file? How to install an ICM profile

What is an ICM file? How to install an ICM profile

Color is one of the critical elements when working with images and videos. Every computer monitor has a different color profile, rendering it slightly different from other displays. It’s important to make sure that the colors your monitor displays are as close to reality as possible. That’s why you should always install a color profile suited for your display. In this tutorial, I’ll explain
article What do 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2K, 4K, and other resolutions mean?

What do 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 2K, 4K, and other resolutions mean?

In the old days of technology, screen resolution was not much of an issue. Windows came with a few preset options, and to get higher resolution, more colors, or both, you would install a driver for your graphics card. As time passed, you could also choose better video cards and monitors. Today, we have many options regarding displays, their quality, and the supported resolutions.
tutorial How to use Paint in Windows 11

How to use Paint in Windows 11

One of the oldest and most popular graphic editors, Paint has been available in Windows from the beginning. Although for a long time, it remained pretty much the same, over the years, Paint has undergone several changes. Probably the most significant ones in the last decade or so are found in the latest version of Paint that comes with Windows 11. In this article,
tutorial How to restore files and folders from a Windows backup

How to restore files and folders from a Windows backup

Did you create a backup image of your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer using the built-in Backup and Restore (Windows 7) tool? If your PC broke down, you may have difficulties accessing your files and folders because data loss or corruption occurred. So now, you may wonder how to recover files and folders from that backup image you made a while ago. In
tutorial How to check the screen resolution in Windows

How to check the screen resolution in Windows

Whether you have a PC, a laptop, or any other device that runs on Windows, it probably has a screen attached to it. It can be a monitor, a laptop or tablet display, or even a TV screen. Have you wondered what your screen’s resolution is? Do you want to know how to find what resolution your display uses? If you did, read this
tutorial How to change the refresh rate in Windows 11

How to change the refresh rate in Windows 11

A display’s refresh rate is the number of times per second the image refreshes on the screen. Windows 11 allows you to change the refresh rate manually or enable Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR) if your hardware supports it. But where do you find the Windows 11 refresh rate? Moreover, what steps do you need to take to set a lower or enable a higher
tutorial How to recover Windows from a backup with System Image Recovery

How to recover Windows from a backup with System Image Recovery

If you’ve used the Backup and Restore feature to create a backup of your operating system’s files and settings on Windows 11 or Windows 10, you might wonder how to restore them in case of a system failure or data loss. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to restore a Windows backup image with System Image Recovery. Hopefully, by the end of it,
tutorial How to change the screen resolution in Windows 11

How to change the screen resolution in Windows 11

If you want to adjust the size and clarity of the items on your screen, you can change the screen resolution in Windows 11. The screen resolution is the number of pixels your monitor can display horizontally and vertically. A higher resolution means more pixels and details but can also make the items smaller and harder to read. A lower resolution means fewer pixels
tutorial How to use Backup and Restore in Windows 11 and Windows 10

How to use Backup and Restore in Windows 11 and Windows 10

Windows’ Backup and Restore is a feature that allows you to create backups of your personal files, such as documents, photos, music, and videos. Moreover, you can also use it to back up a system image of your computer, which includes the operating system, programs, drivers, and settings. And once you’ve created a backup, Windows’ Backup and Restore can help you restore your files,
tutorial How to change the screen resolution in Windows 10

How to change the screen resolution in Windows 10

Windows 10 does a good job of automatically selecting the screen resolution and the text size for your display. However, you may want to make some manual adjustments to balance clarity, speed, and how many pixels you can cram on the screen. That’s especially true if you play demanding games and need to get a 1920 x 1080 resolution on your Windows 10 computer
tutorial How to check the Windows installation date

How to check the Windows installation date

Do you need to know when you installed Windows on your computer? You may require this information for work or you may want it just to brag about how stable your operating system is after all these years of abuse. Or perhaps you just don’t want your Windows to run for more than six months without reinstalling it. Whatever the reason, here’s how to
tutorial How to use Magnifier to zoom in on a Windows PC

How to use Magnifier to zoom in on a Windows PC

If you’re having trouble seeing small text or details on your computer screen, you might want to use the Magnifier tool to zoom in on certain areas. The Magnifier is a built-in accessibility feature in Windows that allows you to enlarge part or all of your screen, making it easier to read and navigate. In this article, I’ll show you how to turn the
tutorial How to eject an external drive or USB stick from Windows

How to eject an external drive or USB stick from Windows

Did you plug an external hard drive into your Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer and want to remove it safely so that the data on it doesn’t get corrupted? Do you work with USB flash drives and need to eject them safely? In that case, you are in the right place. In this guide, I’ll show you a couple of different ways to
tutorial How to customize the taskbar in Windows 10

How to customize the taskbar in Windows 10

The taskbar has been with us for a long time and is present in Windows 10 too. It’s one of the most useful parts of the Windows desktop, allowing you to access various applications, settings, and notifications on your computer. As such, it deserves to be customized to fit your needs. You can change its position, size, hide it, select which icons to show,
tutorial Make File Explorer open to OneDrive, Dropbox, or another folder

Make File Explorer open to OneDrive, Dropbox, or another folder

If you’re using a Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer, you may want to know how to open OneDrive in File Explorer as soon as you start the latter app. Furthermore, maybe you’re using another cloud storage solution, such as Dropbox or iCloud, and you want File Explorer to open to that folder. Or why not, maybe you want File Explorer to start in
article What is PowerShell and how do you use it?

What is PowerShell and how do you use it?

While many casual users know about the Command Prompt, only a few have heard about Windows PowerShell. PowerShell is not the same as Command Prompt - it’s a much more powerful tool that was created to replace Command Prompt, delivering more power and control over the operating system. Would you like to get a better understanding of what PowerShell is, why it’s such a
tutorial Mouse Keys: Click or right-click with the keyboard in Windows

Mouse Keys: Click or right-click with the keyboard in Windows

Did your mouse malfunction, and do you need to use your computer now? Are you a laptop user who doesn’t like the built-in trackpad? Or maybe you have some motor issues that prevent you from using the mouse? In any of these situations, you’ll be happy to know that you can click, right-click, and navigate Windows using the keyboard. The operating system has some
tutorial How to navigate the Windows Registry

How to navigate the Windows Registry

The Windows Registry is a database that stores configuration settings and options for the operating system and the applications available on it. The Registry contains information like user preferences, file associations, device drivers, and system policies. It is organized into a hierarchical structure of keys and values, where each key can have subkeys, and each value can have data. In order to navigate the