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Tutorials

Tutorials and how to guides about using gadgets, hardware, and software. Our tutorials cover all major operating systems: Windows, Android, iOS and others.

tutorial 3 ways to make a PDF smaller

3 ways to make a PDF smaller

Adobe's PDF (Portable Document Format) files are used everywhere on the internet for sharing all kinds of documents. PDF files are designed to include text formatting and pictures that are displayed the same way on any computer or device, regardless of its type, hardware, or operating system used. That's why PDF files are excellent for creating and sending legal documents, for example. The issue
tutorial 3 ways to get the PUK code of your SIM card

3 ways to get the PUK code of your SIM card

The PUK code or Personal Unlocking Key is a security feature of all the modern SIM cards used in our smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. If you insert the wrong PIN code three times, your SIM card is locked, and you need its PUK code to unlock it. The PUK code is unique to each SIM card, and entering it incorrectly too many
tutorial How to unlock a BitLocker USB drive or external hard drive

How to unlock a BitLocker USB drive or external hard drive

Protecting the data on your external hard drive or USB memory stick with BitLocker To Go is a smart move to ensure that your files are not available to anyone who gets their hands on your drive. While it does take a while for BitLocker To Go to encrypt the data, after the initial setup, you should have no trouble using the encrypted drive.
tutorial How to add a contact to WhatsApp on Android: 4 ways

How to add a contact to WhatsApp on Android: 4 ways

Adding a new contact on WhatsApp is not something you often do, since all the contacts saved on your Android smartphone are automatically available in the popular chat app. However, there are times when you want to use WhatsApp to reach out to someone whose contact is not in your smartphone. This tutorial illustrates how to add a contact on WhatsApp four different ways:
tutorial How to use the People app in Windows 10

How to use the People app in Windows 10

The Windows 10 People app is Microsoft's current attempt at creating an address book for all your contacts. The idea is that, after you import every contact from your email address(es), you can see them all sorted alphabetically in the People app and get in touch more easily. Unfortunately, the feature is not exactly user friendly, so we created this tutorial to illustrate how
article 6+ best Night Light apps for Android

6+ best Night Light apps for Android

Most of us are "attached" to smartphones - those technological wonders that make almost every person look at them over and over again: at work, in bed, in the subway, in airplanes, cafes, everywhere. Besides all the good they bring to the world, smartphones also have the ugly power of tiring our eyes and keeping us from sleeping well. This happens mostly because we
tutorial 2 ways to monitor who accesses your shared files and folders

2 ways to monitor who accesses your shared files and folders

Have you ever felt that your shared files are vulnerable and want to keep an eye on who is accessing them, but didn't know how? Well, we have two solutions for that: one that uses a tool that's built into Windows, and another one from a third party developer, that's called NetShareMonitor. Both are useful apps that can tell you almost everything that's going
tutorial How to share internet from an Android smartphone to a PC via USB

How to share internet from an Android smartphone to a PC via USB

Sharing the internet data connection available on your mobile smartphone with your Windows PC through a USB cable is called USB tethering. In other words, if you're wondering "what is USB tethering?", the answer is quite simple: it's a way of using your Android smartphone as a modem or router to get mobile internet via USB on any PC. Say you have access to
tutorial Is the Windows 10 Search bar missing? 6 ways to show it

Is the Windows 10 Search bar missing? 6 ways to show it

There are several reasons why the Windows 10 Search bar could be missing. It might be a bug from the latest Windows 10 update (again!) or some setting that's hiding the Search box. No matter the reason, if you follow these steps, you should be able to access the Search bar and return it to its rightful place on the taskbar, next to the
article What is a screensaver and should you use one?

What is a screensaver and should you use one?

Have you heard about screensavers? Do you know what they are and what their purpose is? Why do we call them screensavers after all? Do they save our screens? We have done a bit of research and found out that, although popular more than a decade ago, due to changes in monitor technology, the term screen saver has become a misnomer in recent years.
tutorial Get ransomware protection with Windows 10's Controlled folder access

Get ransomware protection with Windows 10's Controlled folder access

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous forms of malware. It takes control of your files and folders and forces you to pay large amounts of money to get them back. And even then, you cannot be sure that you can get your data back. Microsoft noticed how dangerous these attacks are for their users, and decided to take measures: in Windows 10, the
tutorial How to add a contact on your Android: 4 ways

How to add a contact on your Android: 4 ways

There's more than one way to add a contact on your Android smartphone. You can type in the number, add it from your logs or chats. There are also several apps that let you add a new contact on your Android, and you can choose which one to use depending on the situation. This tutorial illustrates four ways to add a contact on your
article 12 tips on how to search in Windows 10

12 tips on how to search in Windows 10

Search has always been one of the essential features of Windows. Although every version of Windows lets you search for files, folders, apps, and other items, none of them offers such a powerful search experience as Windows 10. Microsoft takes the Search feature to a whole new level in Windows 10, eliminating the need to navigate through your computer or open a browser to
tutorial The Android Data Saver and how to enable it

The Android Data Saver and how to enable it

The Android Data Saver ensures that you make the most of your data plan. Most apps run in the background, consuming precious data in an effort to keep you up to date. With the built-in Data Saver on Android, you can decide which apps get unrestricted mobile data access and which are prevented from sending and receiving data in the background. Continue reading to
tutorial How to check the BIOS version from Windows (8 ways)

How to check the BIOS version from Windows (8 ways)

Do you need to know the exact version of the firmware (BIOS or UEFI) installed on your computer's motherboard? Traditionally, this means that you have to restart your computer, manually enter the BIOS and check the version information displayed there. It is one way of doing it, but it's not the fastest, nor the easiest. Without further ado, here's how to find your BIOS
tutorial How to uninstall drivers from Windows, in 5 steps

How to uninstall drivers from Windows, in 5 steps

Drivers are critical because you cannot fully use your computers and devices without them. However, some drivers can be too old and incompatible with your version of Windows or new and insufficiently tested. To get rid of errors, crashes, and Blue Screens of Death, you may need to delete the drivers that are causing problems. Here's how to uninstall drivers from Windows completely:
tutorial How to create and use a picture password in Windows 10

How to create and use a picture password in Windows 10

Windows 10 aims to be the most secure operating system ever created. One of the ways it does that is by letting you use a Microsoft account to authenticate to your computer or device. Unfortunately, passwords for such accounts tend to be long and hard to remember. That's why Windows 10 also offers other means of authentication, including using a PIN code, a fingerprint,
tutorial How to make a Windows Defender Offline scan

How to make a Windows Defender Offline scan

There are times when your computers and devices may be infected by malware that is difficult to remove with traditional antivirus. On other occasions, the malware blocks the installation of any antivirus, and you cannot remove it manually. In such delicate situations, you need to boot an antivirus in a safe recovery environment, to have it running before the operating system is loaded. This
tutorial How to check the data usage and limit it on Android

How to check the data usage and limit it on Android

Unless you have an unlimited data plan, you should know how to limit data usage on your Android smartphone, especially considering today's data-hungry apps and our tendency to constantly check them. Luckily, Android has built-in features to monitor mobile data usage and restrict how much cellular data you're using to avoid additional costs. We know having full control over your data usage is important,
tutorial How to share folders, files, and libraries with the network, in Windows

How to share folders, files, and libraries with the network, in Windows

A lot of people have several computers in their homes and workplaces. If you're one of them, then you may need to share folders, files, and libraries with other users and computers on the same network. Unfortunately, many don't know how to share something on their network, and use other, clunkier methods for sharing, like e-mail. Here is how to use Windows' sharing wizard