Windows 10 – Daves Computer Tips https://davescomputertips.com Computer Help, Tips, How-to's, and News Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:26:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 How To Check Your PC’s Reliability Score https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/#respond Wed, 07 Jan 2026 06:26:48 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150353 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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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-check-your-pcs-reliability-score/feed/ 0 2015- 2025: Microsoft’s Dismal Decade https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/ https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2026 06:45:07 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=150316 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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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/2015-2025-microsofts-dismal-decade/feed/ 3 Enabling Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/ https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2025 05:59:31 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148719 Windows 10 will reach End Of Life (EOL) on October 14, 2025. Microsoft is offering consumers a few methods for enabling Extended Security Updates (ESU). But first, you have to see a prompt in your Security and Updates window to enroll. To get there, do this: If your system qualifies for ESU enrollment, you should see an invitation to join the enrollment program. This offer was supposed to…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/enabling-windows-10-extended-security-updates-esu/feed/ 2 Microsoft Provides Free Windows 10 ESU For Europe https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2025 04:01:22 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148550 Microsoft has agreed to provide Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area (EEA) with free extended security updates until 13th October 2026. Microsoft’s decision follows pressure from representatives of the Euroconsumers group, who pointed out that Microsoft’s plan to stop providing security updates as of 14th October 2025 was in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. However…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-provides-free-windows-10-esu-for-europe/feed/ 1 Is Windows 11 Losing Ground to Windows 10? https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/ https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:06:33 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148453 Yet another sensationalist headline – e.g., Windows 10 usage share climbs while Windows 11’s falls – is doing the rounds, suggesting that Windows 11’s user base is shrinking with a corresponding increase in Windows 10 users. These headlines are predicated on numbers provided by StatCounter, which are inherently flawed. To use StatCounter’s numbers to produce these types of clickbait headlines is…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/is-windows-11-losing-ground-to-windows-10-2/feed/ 5 How To Get Desktop Gadgets Back https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/#comments Tue, 23 Sep 2025 04:10:15 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148434 Most of you will be familiar with the desktop gadgets from the Windows 7 era, which Microsoft later abandoned due to security concerns. I first mentioned “8 Gadget Pack” a few years ago. Now, the developer of this freeware has dropped the “8” from the name and updated almost all the self-contained desktop gadgets. The difference between Windows’ original desktop gadgets and Gadget Pack’s…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-desktop-gadgets-back/feed/ 5 How To Recover A Microsoft Surface Pro 3 https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/#respond Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:08:56 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148105 In my recent article How I Revived A Fifteen-Year-Old Gaming Laptop, I mentioned that my client’s late husband enjoyed buying quality hardware. When I delivered her Sony Vaio back to her, I came away with a couple of tablets to look at. One is an Asus TF700T, which I can’t bring to life because it doesn’t have any USB ports, and the client has lost the charger and cables for its proprietary…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-recover-a-microsoft-surface-pro-3/feed/ 0 4GB Of Laptop Memory Is An Insult In This Day And Age https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/ https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2025 04:01:13 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=148003 Recently, I’ve been deluged with laptops coming in for repair or upgrades. Mind you, I’m not complaining because work is work and it’s what I enjoy. Most of the upgrades are simply a matter of upgrading from spinners (HDDs) to SSDs and increasing memory (RAM), resulting in a significant performance boost. However, some laptops are so cynically designed, with cost-cutting being the major factor…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/4gb-of-laptop-memory-is-an-insult-in-this-day-and-age/feed/ 5 5 Steps To Ensure A Smooth Windows 11 24H2 Upgrade https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/ https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2025 04:17:05 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147644 If you’re planning on upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, you need to bear in mind that the upgrade involves a complete code swap, akin to installing a brand new operating system. As such, it is a major upgrade that will take some time to complete. As is the case with all major upgrades, there are several steps you can take before proceeding that will help ensure a trouble-free and smooth transition.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/5-steps-to-ensure-a-smooth-windows-11-24h2-upgrade/feed/ 11 Microsoft Now Rolling Out Windows 10 ESU https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/#comments Wed, 06 Aug 2025 04:02:45 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147596 In a recent blog announcement, Microsoft confirmed that the Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) program is now live and the company is in the process of rolling out enrollment options to users. The program extends support for security updates for one year past Windows 10’s end-of-support date (14th October) and currently includes three enrollment options: Plus, of course…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-now-rolling-out-windows-10-esu/feed/ 4 Microsoft Adding PC-to-PC Migration Feature https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-adding-pc-to-pc-migration-feature/ https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-adding-pc-to-pc-migration-feature/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:02:58 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147478 Microsoft has announced the introduction of a new PC-to-PC feature to help users when migrating to a new Windows PC. At the time of writing, this feature is still under development and not yet ready for general distribution. Microsoft has announced it will first roll out the new feature to Insider builds, with general distribution to follow some time later. The general consensus is that the…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/microsoft-adding-pc-to-pc-migration-feature/feed/ 1 How To Get 1 Year Windows 10 ESU For Free https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-1-year-windows-10-esu-for-free/ https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-1-year-windows-10-esu-for-free/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2025 04:34:47 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147194 Microsoft has previously announced a Windows 10 ESU (Extended Security Updates) plan for home consumers, with the plan extending security updates for 12 months for $30.00. However, Microsoft has now provided details for two options to get the extended security updates for free: The first option would involve OneDrive, which I tend to steer well clear of, so it is not appealing to me.

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/how-to-get-1-year-windows-10-esu-for-free/feed/ 7 Windows11 Market Share On Par With Windows10 https://davescomputertips.com/windows11-market-share-on-par-with-windows10/ https://davescomputertips.com/windows11-market-share-on-par-with-windows10/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2025 10:46:29 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147152 According to StatCounter, as of July 2025, Windows 11’s operating system market share is nearly on par with that of Windows 10. Bearing in mind that StatCounter’s stats are not precise and provide more of a guide than an exact picture. The following graph from StatCounter covers the past 12 months, from July 2024 through to July 2025: (click image to enlarge) As you can see, 12 months ago…

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]]> https://davescomputertips.com/windows11-market-share-on-par-with-windows10/feed/ 3 PC Performance Issues? Try This https://davescomputertips.com/pc-performance-issues-try-this/ https://davescomputertips.com/pc-performance-issues-try-this/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2025 04:08:43 +0000 https://davescomputertips.com/?p=147030 Much has been written on how to help speed up a slow and/or unresponsive system, but one aspect that rarely rates a mention is the SuperFetch/SysMain service. SuperFetch is a service that was first introduced in Vista and has been carried over to subsequent Windows iterations. However, in Windows 10 and 11, it is now known as SysMain. SysMain is designed to improve performance by pre-loading…

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