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How to stream HDR video on Windows 11
If your fancy new monitor supports HDR video, you can get started with the feature in a few simple steps by going to the WIndows 11 settings app.
Windows 11 comes with many great new features, but one that's been a part of Windows for a while is support for high dynamic range (HDR) video. This kind of video quality is more immersive than standard-range videos. Your screen will get much brighter and the content you're watching will come alive when HDR video is playing. However, to enjoy HDR on Windows, you'll need a display that supports it first, and will have to tweak a few settings. Keep in mind, that you will also need a supported app that uses HDR and the video has to be full-screen.
How to remove McAfee from Windows 11
Follow our detailed McAfee removal guide if you want to remove all traces of the antivirus software from your Windows 11 PC.
McAfee was one of the most popular antivirus products back in the day. However, things are vastly different in the PC landscape today as McAfee is seen as more of an optional software rather than an essential app.
Copilot and a new File Explorer are now rolling out to Windows 11 Insiders in Release Preview
The best new Windows 11 23H2 features detailed during the Microsoft Event are now up for testing in the more stable Release Preview Channel
Microsoft is rolling out Windows 11 build 22621.2361 to the Windows Insiders with PCs enrolled in the Release Preview channel running Windows 11 version 22H2. This new build for this channel is one of the most significant ones yet, as it's delivering Copilot, a new File Explorer, and some of the new Windows 11 23H2 features Microsoft talked about during its September 21 special event in New York.
Download the Windows 11 wallpapers for your PC
Don't have Windows 11 but still want the beautiful backgrounds, you can download them for yourself right here.
Windows 11 is a beautiful operating system, more so than any of its predecessors. Of course, the design of UI elements like the taskbar, Start menu, and included apps all help with that, but the new desktop backgrounds also contribute to this beautiful experience. And if you don't have Windows 11 on your own PC, you can still get some of that beauty by downloading the wallpapers for yourself.
How to check CPU temperature in Windows 11
CPU temperature is a crucial indicator of your PC health and CPU performance
Checking your CPU temperature can be an occasional or frequent activity, depending on what you put your precious processor through. If you primarily use your PC for work and some casual gaming, you might never think about how hot your CPU is running. However, if you're into AAA gaming, editing, or overclocking your CPU, checking your CPU temperature becomes extremely important. Modern processors tend to run quite hot, especially if you're running one of the top desktop CPUs or using the best laptops on the market.
Windows 11 23H2 coming September 26 with Copilot and more
Microsoft has announced that Windows Copilot will make its official debut on September 26th as part of Windows 11 version 23H2.
During its special event in New York, Microsoft has announced that Copilot, its new AI assistant, will make its debut in Windows 11 on September 26th, alongside many other features included in Windows 11 version 23H2. Copilot is also now its own thing, an underlying AI component that lives across all kinds of Microsoft products, including Windows, Edge, and Microsoft 365.
How to disable Hyper-V in Windows 11
You might want to disable Hyper-V if you encounter performance issues in other hypervisors. Here's how to do so on a Windows 11 machine.
Hyper-V ranks among the top three hypervisors besides VMWare and VirtualBox, and its spot is well earned. In addition to its easy-to-use interface, Hyper-V comes bundled with almost all versions of Windows 11, making it quite accessible as you don’t have to jump through multiple hoops when setting up virtual machines on your system.
What to expect from this week's Microsoft Surface event
We're expecting Surface Laptop Studio 2, along with other Surface devices and AI innovations
For the first time since 2019, Microsoft is holding an in-person "special event" in New York City. It's set to kick off on Sept. 21 at 10 a.m. ET and is widely believed to feature a lot of great new Surface devices. Despite the early-week news that former Windows and Surface chief Panos Panay is leaving Microsoft, you should expect other executives, like Yusuf Mehdi, to shell out details about new laptops and Windows tablets from Microsoft coming this fall, like the Surface Laptop Studio 2, Surface Go 4, and Surface Laptop Go, along with updates on AI features like Bing Chat. There might even be surprises in store.
How to repair Windows 11
The operating system is the most important software on your PC, so you want to fix any OS-related errors as soon as you detect them.
Windows 11 may have been released almost two years ago, but that doesn’t mean it's free from bugs. Corruption of Windows system files is more common than you may realize and is the leading cause of stability issues like slowdowns, freezes, and crashes.
Major WSL update brings automatic VHD shrinking, mirrored networking, and more
WSL's September 2023 pre-release update brings a number of exciting features including improved networking, firewall, and automatic VHD shrinking.
Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is a handy utility present in Windows 10 and Windows 11 that allows developers to run GNU/Linux environments directly inside the operating system without requiring virtual machines (VMs) or dual-boot configurations. The implementation became generally available via the Microsoft Store about a year ago, making it easier for interested users to install it quickly. Now, Microsoft has rolled out a new pre-release version of WSL with a lot of interesting, experimental features.
How to download and install Windows 11
Curious to check out Microsoft's new operating system? Here's how you can download Windows 11 right now to try it for yourself.
Windows 11 has been out for nearly two years, and for many of us, it's already old news, but it's still a great operating system. The initial release of Windows 11 brought a brand-new design language, a new Start menu, and other changes, and newer updates have come out to add even more. With releases like version 22H2 and the upcoming version 23H2, Windows 11 keeps getting better. But even though it's getting more popular, many of us are still installing Windows 11 for the first time.
Paint on Windows 11 moves closer to Photoshop with layer support
The paint app in Windows 11 is getting a bit more sophisticated, as Microsoft appears to be testing a new layers feature that you'd get in Photoshop
The Windows 11 Paint app is moving closer to replacing Photoshop for your photo editing needs. Microsoft is apparently testing a new layers feature in the Paint app, letting you use the app as an actual canvas for all your creation needs. The feature is currently rolling out to Dev and Canary Channel Windows Insiders.
How to install Pip on Windows
Pip and Python go hand-in-hand to help you execute both simple and complex programs.
Pip is one of the most important tools to have at your disposal when you're getting started with a Python project. It allows you to install and manage millions of Python packages and libraries to help you set up the right software environment for a project, be it a simple automation task or a complex artificial intelligence or machine learning project. But how do you install Pip on Windows to ensure you have no issues working on Python projects? Thankfully, installing Pip on Windows is a fairly simple task, and you can do it following a few simple steps. There's also a chance that you may already have Pip installed on your system, so read on to learn more about it.
How to optimize Windows 11 for gaming
If you're a PC gamer, casual, or serious, there are a few settings you can change in Windows 11 to ensure your PC is optimized for gaming.
Windows 11 is a great operating system for productivity, thanks to features like Snap Layouts, Android apps, and WSL. The best laptops and desktop computers out there let you do all kinds of work with Windows 11. But if it's gaming that you're planning on doing, then we have some suggestions for how you can make your PC even better. You can turn on Windows 11's dedicated Game Mode to optimize performance for digital gaming, tweak Windows 11's security measures to free up your CPU and RAM for gaming, and so much more.
How to hide the taskbar in Windows 11
The taskbar can be a useful tool in Windows 11, but at times, it just gets in the way. Here's how to hide it.
Microsoft gave its famous operating system a facelift when it redesigned Windows 11, so you might find the feel to be both familiar and different. One area where Microsoft made a few changes was the taskbar, where the design and positioning of items are slightly different from what you'd find on Windows 10.
How to use Threads on desktop in Windows, Mac, Linux, and ChromeOS
No need to wait for the official Threads desktop client!
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Threads by now. Meta’s latest social media app is unapologetically a Twitter (or X) competitor, and it's deeply interconnected with Instagram to create an amalgamation of the two. However, access to Threads was only possible through its official iOS and Android apps when it launched. There was no proper web interface at the beginning, although you could directly go to a user's profile.
Our Windows computers are great at locating files and folders in an instant, but that’s not always to our benefit. Sometimes, there’s content on our PC that we want to keep tucked away from prying eyes. Search tools like File Explorer can make any file visible with just a few typed characters, but thankfully, there are a few system customizations you can make to hide certain files and folders. Here are a few of our go-to methods for hiding those treasured bytes in Windows 11.
Windows 11 features in preview: Everything you can try right now
Windows 11 is on the way, but you can try some of its features right now. These are all the Windows 11 features currently in preview.
Windows 11 first showed its face on June 24, 2021, and became officially available on Oct. 5 of that same year. Today, most laptops sold come with Windows 11 installed out of the box, but the Windows development cycle never stops, and there's always something to look forward to. That's where the Windows Insider Program comes into play, as it lets fans try out new Windows 11 features in preview before anybody else.
Windows 11 Photos app gets background blur and motion photo support
The Windows 11 Photos app is getting background blue features, and the Snipping Tool is also getting text actions for Canary and Dev insiders
Microsoft is rolling out two big updates for some core Windows 11 apps. Windows Insiders in the Canary and the Dev Channels can now test background blur in the Windows 11 Photos app. Also up for testing are new updates for the Snipping Tool, which now can allow you to copy text from your screen captures.
Windows 11 update tracker: Download and install the latest update
Now that Microsoft has released Windows 11 via stable channel, we're tracking all the updates
Keeping Windows up to date will ensure that you’ve got the least buggy version of the OS. When it comes to Windows 11, Microsoft has opted for the one update per year strategy, although it continues to make available regular patches and fixes throughout the year to address known issues. New feature sets, such as the Moment 3 release, are also being seeded through the Windows Update framework. This article will serve as the central repository of knowledge base (KB) articles and download links for all updates related to Windows 11.