Almost everyone needs Word and Excel, but there are many licensing options: subscriptions, one-time purchases, business plans and free versions. Here's what to choose for home and office and why cheap keys from the internet are a false economy.
Read
OneDrive is built into Windows and often switches itself on. As a result, files "disappear" from the desktop, cloud icons appear and once the 5 GB fills up nothing syncs any more. Here's how OneDrive works and how to set it up without surprises.
Read
You press "Print" and nothing happens: the document sits in the queue, the printer is "offline" or prints gibberish. Here are the most common printing errors in Windows and their causes — from drivers to network settings.
Read
After switching on, the computer says it's 2009, the clock drifts by an hour and the browser says "Your connection is not private". Here's why the clock goes wrong in Windows and why it's not as harmless as it seems.
Read
After the latest Windows update the speaker icon has a red cross and the system says no audio devices are installed. Here's why it happens, how to tell a software problem from a hardware fault and how to get the sound back.
Read
Music crackles, voices in calls "bubble" and YouTube videos stutter — even though the computer is powerful and barely loaded. DPC latency is often to blame. Here's what it is and how it's fixed.
Read
In the morning the computer is fast, by evening everything is slow, Task Manager shows memory almost full, and only a restart helps. That looks like a memory leak. Here's where leaks come from and how to track them down.
Read
"MSVCP140.dll is missing", "VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found", "d3dx9_43.dll error" — messages like these stop programs and games from starting. Here's what these files are, why they go missing and how to fix the problem properly.
Read
Registry cleaning programs promise to find thousands of errors and speed up your computer in one click. Here's what the registry is, whether cleaning it does any real good, and why we advise keeping well away from such utilities.
Read
"37 threats detected!", "Your computer is running at 23% capacity", "Call Microsoft support" — there are almost always fraudsters behind messages like these. Here are the most common schemes and how to protect yourself.
Read
Sites load slowly, tabs crash, video stutters and the fan roars as soon as you open the browser. Here's why browsers slow down and how to tell a browser problem from a computer or internet problem.
Read
Instead of Google an unfamiliar search engine opens, the browser opens adverts by itself and notifications about "prizes" pop up in the corner of the screen. Here's how browser hijackers work and why they're so hard to remove on your own.
Read
The computer won't sleep, switches itself on at night, shows a black screen after sleep, and the laptop gets hot and drains in its bag. Here's how sleep and hibernate work and what stops them working properly.
Read
You shut the computer down every evening, yet the problem that a restart "fixes" is still there in the morning. The reason is Windows Fast Startup. Here's how it works, the complications it causes and when to turn it off.
Read
Safe Mode is one of Windows' main diagnostic tools. Here's how it works, which problems it helps uncover, why there's "no sound or internet" in it, and what it means if everything works normally in Safe Mode.
Read
A restore point can get Windows working again within minutes after a bad driver or update. But many people mistakenly treat it as a backup. Here's what it can do — and what it can't.
Read
Need Linux for your studies, or an old version of Windows for one program? Two systems can be installed on one computer, but it carries risks. Here's how dual boot works, the problems it causes and the alternatives.
Read
A MacBook is attractive for its battery life, build quality and silence. But moving from Windows is about more than a new laptop. Here's which programs will work, what you'll need to replace and how to move your data without losses.
Read
Posting a document takes a minute, reports take half an hour, and when several accountants work at once everything freezes. Often the cause isn't 1C itself but the computer, network or server. Here's what can be fixed.
Read
Photoshop closes without warning, Premiere freezes during export and the After Effects preview stutters. Here are the computer-side causes that get in the way of working in Adobe programs and how to fix them.
Read
The game suddenly closes with no message, the computer restarts in the middle of a match or the picture freezes. Here are the most common causes of game crashes and how a specialist tracks down the culprit.
Read
Strange errors, Settings won't open, updates won't install, programs crash — that's often how corrupted system files show up. Here's where corruption comes from, how it's diagnosed and what to do so you don't lose data.
Read
Windows 10 no longer receives security updates. We explain the risks and your options: Windows 11, an upgrade or a new computer.
ReadOpen 24/7
Describe the problem — a technician will contact you, clarify the details and quote a price.
