If you can’t install Windows 11 on your computer, you don’t have to discard your hardware after support for Windows 10 ends. Chrome OS Flex and Linux are available free of charge, and there are other alternatives as well—even without a PC. Because millions of PCs do not fulfil the lofty hardware requirements of Windows 11, Microsoft officially recommended that their owners should simply buy a new computer. But instead of scrapping perfectly functioning hardware, you can continue to use it safely for many years to come with an alternative operating system . The change won’t cost you a cent and can be completed in half an hour. You’ll need a little more time to fully familiarize yourself with the new system after many years of using Windows. But you can get started and launch your first programs immediately. The whole operation is very similar to that of Windows so even noobies can feel confident switching over. Free and simple: Linux and Chrome OS Flex for every PC Both the open-source Linux and Chrome OS Flex from Google run smoothly on older PCs and notebooks. Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition: Although the desktop is different from Windows, it’s quite easy to use.Linux This allows you to continue using non-Windows 11-compatible computers productively and securely. While the goal of both alternatives is identical, the implementation could hardly be more different: While Linux works locally, the cloud-based Google operating system focuses primarily on online operation. Our advice for newcomers to Linux or Chrome OS: Simply try out one of the systems (or both). It’s free, easy and can even be undone after backing up your existing Windows system and all data with Aomei Backupper on an external hard drive. So nothing is broken! Linux has a similar long history to Windows, but unlike the Microsoft system, Linux was initially controlled via commands in the command line. Those days are long gone and most distributions can be operated in a similar way to Windows thanks to the graphical user interface and mouse. Linux Mint makes it easy for long-time Microsoft users to make the switch. This is how it works: The first step is to create a bootable installation disc. To do this, insert a USB stick (with at least 4 GB of memory) into a Windows PC, start Rufus and mount the ISO file with Linux Mint via “Select” on the program interface, click on Start, activate “DD mode”, confirm twice with OK and wait a few minutes. Once you’ve backed up the Windows partition and data from the old PC, boot the computer from the installation stick you have just created and continue with the “Start Linux Mint Cinnamon 64-bit” option. Mint will then start as a live system from the stick. To use Linux permanently from the hard drive, double-click on Install Linux Mint at the top left of the desktop and connect to your WLAN if necessary. Then decide whether you want to install Linux Mint alongside Windows or replace the Microsoft system completely. Follow the next steps and complete the installation by clicking on Restart now. After the reboot, you will be greeted with the message “Welcome to Linux Mint”. Click on Let’s go to access the driver management and the detailed manual. As a rule, everything works straight away, including the connected devices and printers. Linux can be that easy! Chrome OS Flex places important apps in the taskbar, the launcher on the left includes all programs, and the settings of the Google operating system are at the bottom right.Google Installing Chrome OS Flex is similarly simple, either as a live system for booting from a stick or permanently installed on the hard drive. Two notes: Firstly, unlike on the “real” Chromebooks (see below), no Android apps run on the Flex alternative for the PC. Secondly, because Chrome OS Flex always overwrites the entire hard drive and therefore deletes all saved data, it’s essential to back up your data beforehand. Abolish everything on the smartphone and PC? The question of whether you still need a traditional computer at home may sound provocative, but it is a serious one. After all, thanks to the two million or so apps in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, practically everything can be done on a smartphone. So the question is: is it practical and is that what you want? If you don’t want to make do with the touch keyboard and small display, you don’t have to invest a lot of money to connect your smartphone to a keyboard, mouse and monitor. Combined keyboard and mouse sets via Bluetooth work with any mobile device and start at under $30. Without a PC! Even typical office tasks such as word processing and spreadsheets can be carried out on a smartphone as usual with a mouse, keyboard, and large screen.Foundry Existing USB input devices can be used via a Y-connector—USB-C plug for smartphone and two USB-A sockets for keyboard and mouse. The prerequisite for this $15 investment is that the smartphone supports USB OTG (“on the go”). Most Android devices do, and you can check this with the “USB OTG Checker” app from the Play Store. Android version 16 and higher also offers a real desktop mode, but only on a few devices. The option of mirroring the smartphone display to the monitor using a USB-C HDMI adapter is far less common. Check with the manufacturer of your phone or google your specific model to check compatibility. If your mobile device is not able to do this, a slightly more expensive alternative is to transmit the signal via Wi-Fi using a suitable TV or streaming stick: For Android smartphones, this must support Google’s Chromecast standard, or for iPhones Airplay from Apple. Chromebooks and MacBooks can be both cheap and expensive alternatives The question of Windows alternatives has long since been discussed, regardless of the end of support for Windows 10. Apple already has a good 20-30 percent share of desktop operating systems in the U.S.. The advantages of MacOS and the entire ecosystem with iPhone, iPad, and many Apple services therefore need little introduction. Everything comes from a single source and is perfectly harmonized. Until now, however, Apple has also been able to shield its system from the outside world to a large extent, which is why critics like to talk about it as a “golden cage”. In the EU, the Commission responsible for competition is now obliging the U.S. manufacturer to achieve greater interoperability, but interaction with devices and services from other manufacturers remains limited. After all, the devices are not only high-quality, but usually also expensive: the cheapest Apple notebooks can be double or triple the price of some Chromebooks. The Macbook Air from Apple impresses with a fast M4 processor, high-quality workmanship, low weight, and much more. However, all this comes at a price.Foundry At the lower end of the price scale are the so-called Chromebooks, i.e. notebooks with Google’s ChromeOS operating system (without the “Flex” suffix). Because many applications run on them as web apps in the cloud, the hardware requirements are low and therefore the prices are sometimes very favorable. The cheapest Chromebooks are available online for as little as $200, but please don’t save money in the wrong place. Because Google has opened up its desktop operating system to Android apps from the Play Store, a touchscreen is virtually mandatory. Secondly, before you buy, check when support for the model you have chosen will expire. Only Chromebooks released since 2021 will receive security and system updates for the next ten years. As some shops still offer older devices, make sure you check before you buy! Realistically, a modern Chromebook with a full HD touch display costs upwards of $300 of $400. Chromebooks such as the Acer model 514 do not require powerful hardware thanks to the Chrome OS cloud operating system and are therefore comparatively inexpensive. Foundry If you take this into account, you get an easy-to-use and secure system with integrated Google services such as Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Gmail, cloud storage and countless apps from the Chrome Web Store and Android Play Store, many of which are free. Other plus points are the comparatively long battery life in Chromebooks, the fact that it’s ready to use right out of the box, and the fact that the system runs practically maintenance-free for years. Google automatically installs monthly updates. On the other hand, you should bear in mind that Windows programs do not run on the devices and that you need a Google account to use all services. Conclusion: A lot of mental effort and familiarization Experience shows that even long-time Windows users quickly get used to a different OS. So feel encouraged to try out one of the alternatives at least once. Chrome OS Flex and Linux are free, quick to install and deserve a chance. Much is a matter of attitude and habit, and ultimately it doesn’t have to be an either-or choice. Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: 13 gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” Let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Unihand rechargeable hand warmers Unihand As the weather is getting colder, you sometimes wish you could warm up your hands a bit faster. Well, these $18 hand warmers are rechargeable and perfectly ready to keep your fingers toasty for up to 20 hours on a single charge. These gadgets feature a temperature sensor chip that helps you pick one of three temps for precise control. There are plenty of colors to choose from, too. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $17 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is less than $8, so no excuse to pass on this one. Heat It insect bite healer Anyone plagued by mosquitoes in the summer will be particularly pleased with this ingenious gadget. This tiny device, which can be easily connected to your smartphone via USB-C, can significantly reduce the itching of bites and stings with targeted heat. You simply charge the small Heat It bite healer via the app and then hold it on the bite. The heat then does the rest, breaking down the proteins in the mosquito bite that cause the area to swell, itch, and hurt. A true must-have for summer, and it costs only $20 when on sale. A tiny air pump Also perfect for summer is this small air pump from Cycplus, which fits in any bag while on the go. Not only can it inflate a bicycle tire in two minutes at the touch of a button, but it’s also USB-charged. According to the manufacturer, it’s suitable for mountain bikes, road bikes, motorcycles, and even cars! In addition to being an air pump, this practical gadget can also be used as a flashlight or power bank for on-the-go use — all things that come in very handy on a bike ride. And at just $57 (although we’ve seen it for as low as $35) it’s highly recommended if you need quick help with a flat tire. USB-C mini fan These little fans are also pretty ingenious; you can easily carry them in your pocket in the summer and quickly use them whenever you need them. Anyone who’s ever sat on a crowded subway train in 30-degree heat and wished for at least a little fresh air will love this gadget. The mini fan, which costs just $20, has a USB-C port and can be easily powered by power banks, computers, laptops, or USB chargers. There are even smaller and cheaper fans available that can be connected directly to your phone, costing under $10 each. But these also provide less powerful airflow, so we recommend the standalone version. Reading light with a book clamp Anyone who enjoys reading a lot, sometimes late into the night, will appreciate this little gadget: a reading lamp that you can simply clip onto your book. It may not be groundbreaking, but with a total of three color temperatures and five different light modes, you can individually adjust how much light you need for reading. The Gritin reading lamp costs just $8 on Amazon and features a 1200 mAh battery that lasts up to 80 hours depending on usage. Afterward, you can easily recharge it via USB. You can swivel the neck of the lamp back and forth as desired, and there’s even a small charging indicator. What more could you want? External DVD Drive Amicool If your laptop is like mine and lacks a DVD drive, then this little gadget will come in handy for you. This Amicool external DVD drive uses a USB-C (or USB-A) to connect to your laptop and give yout he optical drive you sometimes need. It can read and burn DVDs and CDs with ease, allowing you to install software, copy files, back up data, play games, and so on. You won’t even need to install drives as this thing is plug and play. While this thing’s usually $29, you can often get it for around $20, which is an absolute bargain. Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Type-C microSD card reader Ugreen Most laptops nowadays don’t come with a card reader anymore (I know mine doesn’t), so finding other ways to get data off those little buggers is a must. Whether you need to pull data off your dashcam’s card or if it’s from your camera, this tiny Ugreen USB-C microSD reader will work just fine. This reader is tiny enough that you should probably put it on a keychain of some kind. If you’d rather a slightly more versatile version, Ugreen has a model that also works with SD cards and features both USB-C and USB-A connectors. Any of these will cost you less than $10, so they’re worthwhile investments. USB-C to HDMI adapter Anker If your laptop has a USB-C port but you haven’t updated your monitor in ages, your display won’t feature a Type-C port. This Anker adapter fixes this problem for you, enabling you to connect the regular HDMI cable you plug in your monitor with this gadget. The adapter supports resolutions of up to 4K at 60Hz, which is pretty awesome. This is also a nifty way to connect your phone or tablet to your monitor or TV. This thing’s $20, but we’ve seen it as low as $12. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 16, but was updated to include additional devices. Read...

Google has taken a decisive step towards practical quantum computers. A research team from Google Quantum AI has reported the first “verifiable quantum advantage”—in other words, a measurable computing advantage over conventional supercomputers that can be reproduced by other systems. At the center of it all is a new algorithm called “Quantum Echoes,” which ran on Google’s new “Willow” quantum processor that was unveiled in December 2024. The system performed a simulation of quantum dynamics in just two hours, a task that would have taken the “Frontier” supercomputer around 3.2 years. That’s a 13,000-fold jump, according to a report published in Nature. A bigger leap forward than last time Google previously announced “quantum supremacy” in 2019, but was criticized at the time because the demonstrated computational task was far too theoretical and difficult to understand. This time it’s different. The results of Quantum Echoes are verifiable, meaning that other quantum computers can perform the same exact calculation and arrive at the same result. This is the first measurable proof of the superiority of a quantum architecture in a real scientific task. How Quantum Echoes works The Quantum Echoes algorithm uses a method called out-of-order time correlator (OTOC). Researchers send a signal into the quantum system, deliberately disturb a single qubit, and then reverse the process. The returning “echo” reveals how stable the system remains. (You can think of it similar to an acoustic echo in classical physics.) The experiment ran on Google’s 105-qubit Willow processor, which has already played a role in earlier advances in quantum error correction. The new demonstration shows that Google’s hardware is now precise and stable enough to deliver reproducible results, which is a critical step in building error-resistant quantum computers. This method is not only theoretically exciting, but it can also be used in real-world applications. In cooperation with University of California, Berkeley, the Quantum Echoes algorithm was used to analyze molecular structures—and the results were consistent with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), except it also provided additional details that aren’t captured by conventional measurement methods. What does this mean for the future? According to Google, the Quantum Echoes algorithm could pave the way for practical use cases within the next five years. Examples include pharmaceutical research, the development of new materials, or even the creation of more powerful batteries. AI systems could also benefit, with quantum computing one day generating data that classical computers can’t even simulate. Hartmut Neven, founder and head of the Google Quantum AI Lab, looks ahead: “Classical computers can naturally make approximations in these cases, but they cannot precisely calculate what happens at the molecular level. With a quantum computer, on the other hand, we can speak the language of nature and manage this complexity.” According to Stern, the newly crowned Nobel Prize winner in Physics Michel Devoret, Chief Scientist at Google Quantum AI, calls Quantum Echoes yet another milestone. “If another quantum computer were to perform the same calculation, the result would be the same. This is a new step towards full-fledged quantum computation.” Read...

Welcome to The Full Nerd newsletter—your weekly dose of hardware talk from the enthusiasts at PCWorld. Missed the hot topics on our YouTube show or latest news from across the web? You’re in the right place. Want this newsletter to come directly to your inbox? Sign up on our website!  Pretend for a moment that for a satellite, the only thing that matters is what it does while in orbit. From that view, the news about Starlink’s amped-up new V3 satellites is pretty astounding—as reported by my former colleague Michael Kan, these hulking contraptions will not only dramatically expand download capacity for customers, but also support gigabit speeds. This development definitely piques my interest. And I’m diehard fan of wired internet. Wireless technology captures the heart—it always feels futuristic, no matter how mundane the application. Or how rudimentary the tech. I remember when satellite internet was synonymous with slow. Practically speaking, you signed up for such a service only because nothing better existed. But emotionally? It was comforting to have the option available. And also, as a child of the 90s (when connecting to the web happened via whining beeps and boops), knowing the internet could be beamed to you from the sky was super cool. Heck, even spoiled now by always-connected pocketable computers (aka smartphones), I still feel joy whenever I use a basic wireless keyboard. Something about breaking free of tethers is wondrous—for me, it represents freedom. Infinite possibility. When you can connect without physical contact, the sky is the limit.  (Now literally so, thanks to hardware in literal space, blasting internet into homes at the same theoretical rates as earth-bound services.) Evgeny Opanasenko / Unsplash Still, the pragmatist in me wants to see more. Not more satellites, per se—that’s actually a potential risk, given how at least one Starlink satellite burns up each day, and such debris could add to the severity (and resulting consequences) of climate change. I’m hoping to see an even tighter closing of the gap between wireless and wired technologies. Because as good as it’s become, wireless still has one main weakness. It remains bound by physics. Signal interference will always give wired connections a leg up when rock-solid dependability matters. Starlink’s improved a lot. But heck, even the wireless keyboard I’m currently reviewing acts up if I put its receiver behind the PC. If the technology could become resilient enough to trust through thick and thin, I’d consider abandoning my wired internet. (Or at least, trusting I don’t have to have wireless access points connected via Ethernet backhaul.) Maybe my other wired tech, too. I’m hoping it will. Because even though I am a hard sell on this point, I love that we have options. I love alternatives. I love that a bunch of smart folks decided to trade one set of limitations (physical linking as a requirement) for a different set, so that you can choose what best fits your situation. I love someone asked, “Isn’t this a neat idea?” Because yeah, it is. In this episode of The Full Nerd In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Brad Chacos, Will Smith, and special guest Tom Peterson, Fellow at Intel, dive deep into Xe3 gaming, making a better GPU, and much more. As always when TAP visits us, he guides everyone through an incredible amount of detailed, insightful information—for over two hours! Plus, Tom adds yet again to The Full Nerd cookbook with two mouth-watering suggestions—chicken ballotine and “the best brownie ever.” In his words, these brownies are not chewy but cakey, and “very, very nice.” (Also, I’m hereby proposing that for every guest we have on the show, we ask for a recipe contribution so we can put it into a TFN Cookbook collection at each year’s end.) Willis Lai / Foundry Missed our live show? Subscribe now to The Full Nerd Network YouTube channel, and activate notifications. We also answer viewer questions in real-time! Don’t miss out on our NEW shows too—you can catch episodes of Dual Boot Diaries and The Full Nerd: Extra Edition now! And if you need more hardware talk during the rest of the week, come join our Discord community—it’s full of cool, laid-back nerds.  This week’s wild nerd news So apparently, I should take vacation more often—I was not expecting to come back to word of an itty bitty PCs housing a desktop 5060 Ti 16GB chip, much less a report on butt-breathing could become an actual medical treatment (yes, you read that correctly). Now that is a toy I’d want under my Christmas tree.Mikael Lindkvist ‘Butt-breathing might soon be a real medical treatment’: Look, I can’t summarize this article better than its headline, so I’ll just once again tip my hat in respect to the fine writers at Ars Technica. Also, what clever science. This takes me back: This week’s dose of 90s nostalgia comes courtesy of a Microsoft devblog post, which digs into Windows 95’s most iconic icons. Seeing that desktop computer PC icon hit me hard. Never change, Japan: I sincerely hope Japan never loses its love for physical media—books, discs, and the like. I love the charm of disc drives and calculators (yep, a whole bin full of basic, desk-sized ones) stocked alongside $1,000 AM5 motherboards in Akihabara stores. Fingers crossed mini-disc players have a revival. It doesn’t snow where I live, but I want one: OK, this smart snow blower isn’t computer hardware. It’s also $5,000. But you control it with a dupe of an Xbox controller and it looks like one of my favorite construction toys from when I was a kid. I’m in. Mini but mighty: I built a big PC just a few weeks ago, but I love tiny gaming PCs. And Zotac’s sub-3L offering with a desktop 5060 Ti stuffed inside is delightful. Turns out, enshittification has nuance: At least, Cory Doctorow (the original inventor of the term enshittification) takes this approach to the concept. After reading this interview, I can’t wait to get my hands on his full book. Why put Battlefield 6 on an AIO screen? Why not?Allround-PC.com Battlefield 6 blinding you? The fine folks over at PCGamer have you covered—try their suggestion for adjusting the brightness settings. Or I guess you could just play Battlefield 6 this way instead: I’m betting on a screen that small, it won’t blind you. Well, not from brightness. I’m not the only one: When an astoundingly broad range of people sign an open letter asking for AI development to be paused until it can be done safely—and with large public buy-in—it seems like maybe the tech industry is ignoring how problematic the current approach is. GoG Games has some crazy tales: I think none of us appreciate enough the lengths GoG has gone to preserve gaming—at least, I feel I didn’t after reading about this particular tale. Wow. Well, it was a good run while it lasted: I like how the earth gets a finite end date, but the calculus for humanity’s survival is generalized to, “Well, definitely not as long as earth’s lifespan.” More lucky thrift shopping: On a more cheerful note—$500 for a PC with a 2080 Ti inside. Hot dang. Catch you all next week—I believe the whole TFN crew will be celebrating Halloween in full style. At least, we will be if Adam has anything to say about it. ~Alaina This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of hardware at PCWorld. Read...

Recall is a feature in Windows 11 that regularly creates screen recordings and saves them locally. This also involves processing with AI so that users can search through the data. The aim is to make past work steps, websites, or documents retrievable via a search feature. Microsoft first introduced Recall in 2024, but withdrew it after massive criticism due to insufficient security. The feature has been integrated again since the current versions of Windows 11 from 24H2. In Europe, it is available as an opt-in and can be completely deactivated or removed. Access is via a timeline or by entering keywords in the search. The results appear regardless of the program or browser window in which the content was originally visible. Chris Hoffman / Foundry Tip: If you are using Windows 11 Home, you will miss out on the many advantages of the Pro version, which you can get for a significant discount at the PCWorld Software Store. Activation and everyday use Recall is an optional feature in the current versions of Windows 11, which is only offered on Copilot models. This includes computers with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU), at least 16 gigabytes of RAM, and active drive encryption. After installing a corresponding update, the new “Recall and snapshots” section appears in the settings under “Data protection and security.” The feature can be activated here. Sam Singleton The system only starts to capture screenshots after this conscious consent has been given. In practice, Recall checks every five seconds to see if any content has changed and then adds new recordings. After just one working day, several hundred files are created, which can take up several gigabytes of storage space in total. It is operated via a timeline in which you can jump back to specific points in time. Alternatively, a keyword search can be started. One example is entering “orange sofa,” whereupon Recall suggests a shopping page with the product you are looking for. Content from Office documents, PDFs, or locally saved images also appear in the hits. Deactivation via settings and group policies The feature can be paused or completely deactivated at any time via the settings. Companies have further options via group policies. The “Allow Recall to be enabled” policy exists there. If it is set to “Disabled,” the feature disappears completely from the system, the associated files are removed, and a restart completes the process. This method is intended for the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows. The recall search via keywords divides the results here into text and visual matches. Text matches are assigned to the applications from which the recorded content originates.Mark Hachman / IDG Windows 11 Home users must use the registry editor. Under “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI,” a new DWORD value with the name “AllowRecallEnablement” can be created and set to 0. After a restart, all components are removed. Microsoft also offers administrators the PowerShell command “Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName ‘Recall’ -Remove” which also removes the feature from the system. Security protection The data that Recall collects remains stored on your own computer. It is not automatically transferred to Microsoft servers or a cloud. To ensure that no one can access these recordings unnoticed, Windows requires you to log in via Windows Hello. This means that you must either enter your PIN or use a biometric method such as fingerprint or facial recognition. The recall search via keywords divides the results here into text and visual matches. Text matches are assigned to the applications from which the recorded content originates.Chris Hoffman / Foundry Windows also protects the recall data with a technology called VBS Enclave. You can imagine this as a closed area in the computer that is separated from all other programs. Only Windows itself is allowed to look into this area. This prevents external programs from simply reading the recall data. This is exactly what has happened in the past. Microsoft therefore withdrew this feature at the end of 2024. Encryption keys are anchored in the device’s TPM chip. In theory, this prevents attackers from reading the database without a valid login. However, our tests have shown that this protection has its limits. If a device is controlled via remote software such as Teamviewer, it is sufficient to enter the PIN to gain access to the entire recall history. Biometric procedures can be bypassed in this scenario. The risk of an external connection allowing access to all stored content remains. Filter mechanisms and their limits To protect sensitive data, Microsoft promises a filter that removes passwords or credit card information from the recordings. In practice, this only works to a limited extent. Although passwords are hidden in bank login windows, user names still appear. Credit card numbers in form fields are recognized in most cases, but in emails or unprotected text documents they end up unchanged in the recordings. Account balances from online banking applications also regularly appear in the database, even if parts of the page are anonymized by the filter. The handling of self-created password lists is also problematic. If a text file does not contain any unique keywords such as “password,” it is saved by Recall without restriction. This means that access data can be searched for in plain text if it is visible on the screen in an unprotected document. Benefits in everyday working life Regardless of the risks, Recall certainly offers advantages. In an environment with many applications open in parallel, the search makes it easier to find your way around. If you switch between projects, you can pick up where you left off with just a few clicks. The feature also saves time when researching on the web when dozens of tabs are open. Instead of laboriously searching through the history, a keyword is enough to open the page you are looking for. Recall can also be helpful for users who frequently work with visual content. A designer reviewing visual material can use the keyword search to find screenshots that were only briefly displayed. In this use case, Recall replaces manual documentation of work steps. Legal framework conditions in Europe The delayed introduction in the European Union shows that the regulatory framework plays a central role. Data protection authorities only gave the green light after Microsoft designed the feature as an opt-in and created the option to uninstall it. Users must actively agree before Recall starts. The European version also allows the feature to be removed completely. Mark Hachman Additional requirements apply for companies. Recall may not be used without the consent of employees. Administrators can control the provision, but cannot force snapshots. Microsoft is thus complying with the General Data Protection Regulation, which sets particularly high standards for the processing of personal data. Weighing up the benefits and risks The tests so far have made it clear that Recall is a tool with considerable potential, but also with clear weaknesses. While local storage and encryption provide a solid foundation, the filters remain unreliable. Confidential information can end up in the database and be accessed remotely. Anyone using Recall must be aware that the added convenience of seamless documentation comes with a loss of control over sensitive data. This may be acceptable on private devices with manageable risks. In a corporate environment, however, the concerns outweigh the benefits. Recall should only be used here after careful consideration if there are clear guidelines on the use and protection of data. Conclusion Recall in Windows 11 is technically mature enough to be used productively, but at the same time not yet reliable enough to dispel security concerns. The feature creates transparency about past work steps, but inevitably also saves content that does not belong in a search database. If you want to use Recall, you should check the settings carefully, adjust filters, and empty the database regularly. For security-conscious users, deactivation via group policies, registry, or Powershell remains a necessary means of minimizing risks. It is to be expected that Microsoft will make improvements, but it is also to be expected that tools will appear that can override Recall. From our point of view, the use of Recall is currently not recommended. Further reading: Windows Recall is too risky for your PC. I can’t recommend it Read...

Earlier this year, I impulse-bought a tiny, inexpensive desktop PC for research purposes. I didn’t expect it to change my entire computing setup. But here I am now, using the $319 Beelink SER5 Mini PC as my daily workhorse, powering an ultrawide 1440p 100Hz monitor and smoothly handling any productivity task I’ve thrown at it. This little computer has been so delightful to use that I’ve relegated my full-sized desktop tower PC to the basement television, where it’s now serving exclusively as a gaming rig. Consider this a lesson on technological overkill. Outside of some specialized use cases, the required compute power for getting things done might be a lot less than you think. Further reading: 5 reasons to get a mini PC instead of a laptop Sizing up the mini PC Beelink sells an array of miniature computers, but the one I bought currently costs $319 with the following specs: AMD Ryzen 5 5825U processor 16GB of RAM (DDR4) 512GB of storage (M.2 NVMe) Windows 11 Pro Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 Front ports: Two USB-A 3.2, one USB-C, 3.5mm audio Rear ports: One USB-A 3.0, one USB-A 2.0, two HDMI 2.0, gigabit ethernet Jared Newman / Foundry Spec-wise, this is roughly on par with laptops in the $500 to $700 price range, except of course you’ll have to supply your own mouse, keyboard, and screen. The 5×5-inch frame is small enough to pick up with one hand, and it comes with VESA brackets for mounting the computer to the back of a monitor or television. Further reading: The best monitors we’ve tested The Beelink SER5 also hides a neat feature on its underside: Removing the bottom plate reveals a slot for a 2.5-inch storage drive. I bought a 1TB solid state drive to store all my OneDrive files locally, and the PC recognized it without issue. (The device’s RAM and M.2 storage drive are upgradeable as well.) There’s room for a 2.5-inch SSD in the bottom cover.Jared Newman / Foundry How it fares Going in, my plan was to briefly play around with the SER5’s default Windows 11 Pro installation before going back to my regular desktop for work. Even if I didn’t use the mini PC regularly, I figured it’d be useful for experimenting with other operating systems such as Linux or Chrome OS Flex. In the end, the transition to daily work was so seamless that I never went back to my old computer at all. As a tech journalist, my work typically involves writing in Obsidian, chatting in Slack with colleagues (and my newsletter readers), juggling a few dozen browser tabs in Brave, and attending video calls in Zoom or Google Meet. The Beelink SER5 handled all those tasks without ever noticeably slowing down, and it’s much quieter than the full-sized desktop I’d been using before. I threw some more ambitious tasks at the mini PC as well, such as digitizing some old VHS tapes, recording streaming video sources via PlayOn Home, and running a Plex media server. Even with Plex’s commercial detection and PlayOn’s recording engine running in the background, I continued to work without any noticeable performance setbacks. And while integrated Radeon graphics are no match for a dedicated graphics card, the Beelink SER5 has fared well as a low-end gaming device. Yakuza Kiwami runs at a smooth 60 frames per second on high settings at 1080p, and both Fortnite and the post-apocalyptic cat simulator Stray are playable at 1080p with framerates closer to 30 frames per second. I’ve also used it to play less-demanding games such as the Quake II remaster and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, while leaning on Nvidia’s GeForce Now for more intensive fare. All this led to a realization that my hulking desktop PC was just wasting space while also being excessively loud and energy-intensive, and after a couple weeks I moved it out of my office for good. I gave it a factory reset, configured it exclusively for gaming in the basement, and now only turn it on as needed. Lesson learned Jared Newman / Foundry When shopping for computers, it’s always tempting to buy for every potential use case, both real and perceived, now and in the future. The $319 Beelink SER5 is a reminder that we’ve reached a point of diminishing returns for most computing use cases. Despite having just a mid-range processor (one designed for laptops, at that), I was never wanting for more power or wishing I’d splurged on a pricier computer. But mostly, I’m just happy to have a quieter office and a better place for the gaming PC that once occupied it. This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to learn new tech tricks every Tuesday. Read...

I don’t know how your tech drawers look, but mine are filled with wires I’ll likely never use again because technology has advanced quite a bit. Thankfully, USB-C seems to be here to stay since there is no wrong way to plug these things in. It’s not just smartphones, tablets, and laptops that use these, however, but also a long list of gadgets. We’ve scoured the market for hidden gems: 13 gadgets that will make you think “Wow, I didn’t know I needed that, but it will make my life so much easier!” Let’s dive in and see what cool devices you’ll be able to use your type-C cables and ports with. Unihand rechargeable hand warmers Unihand As the weather is getting colder, you sometimes wish you could warm up your hands a bit faster. Well, these $18 hand warmers are rechargeable and perfectly ready to keep your fingers toasty for up to 20 hours on a single charge. These gadgets feature a temperature sensor chip that helps you pick one of three temps for precise control. There are plenty of colors to choose from, too. Wowstick 1F+ mini electric screwdriver Wowstick If you often have to fiddle around with your computer or other gadgets, this Wowstick mini electric screwdriver may be just what you need. This pen-shaped screwdriver features three LED lights so it’s easier to see what you’re working on and rotates 200 times per minute so you can finish the job faster. The screwdriver has a stylish base so you can hold it on your desk, and a whole collection of 56 aluminum alloy bits. The screwdriver can be charged via USB-C and it can last for hours. This super fun electric screwdriver usually goes for $41. Anker Nano Power Bank Anker One thing you need to have in you bag/pocket/backpack is a power bank because you never really know when your phone will fail you and cry for a recharge. Well, the Anker Nano power bank is tiny enough to fit just about anywhere. It comes with a foldable USB-C connector and a port on the side so you can charge two devices at once if you need to. The 5,000mAh capacity is just about enough for a full phone recharge, so it will be great in a pinch. It’s also only $30, but we’ve seen it as low as $16. Endoscope camera with light Ennovor Although it’s not something you’ll use every day, this Ennover endoscope camera can definitely come in handy. You just plug it in your phone, install and app, and see everything your camera does. Our team swears by it, using it for finding whatever they dropped behind the desk, while working on the car, or looking for pipe leaks. Since it has an IP67 rating, you can even plop it in your aquarium. The camera comes with a 16.4ft semi-rigid cable and several accessories, including a hook, magnet, and a mirror. You can get this one for $17 right now. Blukar flashlight Blukar I don’t care who you are—you need a flashlight. The smaller, the better, because you get to shove it into any pocket. This model from Blukar comes with a built-in 1800mAh battery that you’ll recharge with one of those many type-C cables you have in that tech drawer we were talking about. It can work for up to 16 hours on a single charge, which is pretty decent. There are four different lightning modes to cycle through, including one that will help you signal for help. Plus, one of these is less than $8, so no excuse to pass on this one. Heat It insect bite healer Anyone plagued by mosquitoes in the summer will be particularly pleased with this ingenious gadget. This tiny device, which can be easily connected to your smartphone via USB-C, can significantly reduce the itching of bites and stings with targeted heat. You simply charge the small Heat It bite healer via the app and then hold it on the bite. The heat then does the rest, breaking down the proteins in the mosquito bite that cause the area to swell, itch, and hurt. A true must-have for summer, and it costs only $20 when on sale. A tiny air pump Also perfect for summer is this small air pump from Cycplus, which fits in any bag while on the go. Not only can it inflate a bicycle tire in two minutes at the touch of a button, but it’s also USB-charged. According to the manufacturer, it’s suitable for mountain bikes, road bikes, motorcycles, and even cars! In addition to being an air pump, this practical gadget can also be used as a flashlight or power bank for on-the-go use — all things that come in very handy on a bike ride. And at just $57 (although we’ve seen it for as low as $35) it’s highly recommended if you need quick help with a flat tire. USB-C mini fan These little fans are also pretty ingenious; you can easily carry them in your pocket in the summer and quickly use them whenever you need them. Anyone who’s ever sat on a crowded subway train in 30-degree heat and wished for at least a little fresh air will love this gadget. The mini fan, which costs just $20, has a USB-C port and can be easily powered by power banks, computers, laptops, or USB chargers. There are even smaller and cheaper fans available that can be connected directly to your phone, costing under $10 each. But these also provide less powerful airflow, so we recommend the standalone version. Reading light with a book clamp Anyone who enjoys reading a lot, sometimes late into the night, will appreciate this little gadget: a reading lamp that you can simply clip onto your book. It may not be groundbreaking, but with a total of three color temperatures and five different light modes, you can individually adjust how much light you need for reading. The Gritin reading lamp costs just $8 on Amazon and features a 1200 mAh battery that lasts up to 80 hours depending on usage. Afterward, you can easily recharge it via USB. You can swivel the neck of the lamp back and forth as desired, and there’s even a small charging indicator. What more could you want? External DVD Drive Amicool If your laptop is like mine and lacks a DVD drive, then this little gadget will come in handy for you. This Amicool external DVD drive uses a USB-C (or USB-A) to connect to your laptop and give yout he optical drive you sometimes need. It can read and burn DVDs and CDs with ease, allowing you to install software, copy files, back up data, play games, and so on. You won’t even need to install drives as this thing is plug and play. While this thing’s usually $29, you can often get it for around $20, which is an absolute bargain. Samsung flash drive Samsung The vast majority of flash drives have a USB-A connector, but this one from Samsung has a Type-C connector. With transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, you’ll move files around in no time. The beauty of this thumb drive is that you can even pop it in your smartphone to record 4K vids directly on it. The Samsung Type-C flash drive comes in multiple storage options, starting at 64GB and up to 512GB and they start at $14. The 256GB version, for instance, is $27 at the time of writing. Type-C microSD card reader Ugreen Most laptops nowadays don’t come with a card reader anymore (I know mine doesn’t), so finding other ways to get data off those little buggers is a must. Whether you need to pull data off your dashcam’s card or if it’s from your camera, this tiny Ugreen USB-C microSD reader will work just fine. This reader is tiny enough that you should probably put it on a keychain of some kind. If you’d rather a slightly more versatile version, Ugreen has a model that also works with SD cards and features both USB-C and USB-A connectors. Any of these will cost you less than $10, so they’re worthwhile investments. USB-C to HDMI adapter Anker If your laptop has a USB-C port but you haven’t updated your monitor in ages, your display won’t feature a Type-C port. This Anker adapter fixes this problem for you, enabling you to connect the regular HDMI cable you plug in your monitor with this gadget. The adapter supports resolutions of up to 4K at 60Hz, which is pretty awesome. This is also a nifty way to connect your phone or tablet to your monitor or TV. This thing’s $20, but we’ve seen it as low as $12. Editor’s note: This article was originally published on May 16, but was updated to include additional devices. Read...

Antivirus programs are comprehensive packages that not only detect and block virus types, but often also include functions to protect against phishing and ransomware as well as other features such as a VPN or a password manager. To do this, they require a lot of RAM, which other applications then lack. The most time-consuming part is of course the monitoring of ongoing file actions. When starting and installing programs, the antivirus software monitors all executable files as well as the documents that are subsequently loaded. This ties up both memory and CPU resources. On current PCs with modern multi-core processors and 32GB RAM, this hardly plays a role. With older models, however, it is often clearly noticeable that the virus protection slows down the computer. In this article, you will find a number of tips that you can use to speed up your antivirus software or reduce its impact on the performance of your computer — especially Microsoft Defender. Microsoft Defender has a special status Last year, in a test of antivirus software, we specifically scrutinized its effects on the speed of file actions such as copying and compressing as well as actions on the internet. The assumption at the time was that Microsoft Defender would hardly have any influence on these tasks, as it accesses files that are loaded by the operating system anyway. But the opposite was the case. The Defender even proved to be particularly resource-hungry and ended up in penultimate place in the list of 15 test candidates. We have therefore compiled several tips specifically for Defender in this article. On older, somewhat slower computers, we recommend switching to the resource-saving, free programmes from Avast or AVG or to the test winner Eset Internet Security, which has since been renamed Eset Home Security Essential. Improve the hardware base: Upgrade to an SSD An antivirus program, like any program and Windows itself, benefits from powerful hardware. The speed of virus scans can be significantly increased by moving your system drive from a hard drive to an SSD. Models with a PCIe interface and NVMe protocol are preferable. However, SATA SSDs also have clear advantages over hard drives in terms of speed. Further reading: Best SSDs: From SATA to PCIe 5.0, from budget to premium Another recommended measure is to expand the RAM. a PC today should have at least 16GB of RAM. If you want to be on the safe side, increase to 32GB. In this way, the antivirus engine can be kept completely in the fast RAM and Windows does not have to reload any modules. Quick scan instead of a full scan The recommended scan method for everyday use is the quick scan. You should only run a full scan after reinstalling the antivirus software.PCWorld All antivirus software regularly scans the PC for malware; these scans run invisibly in the background. These are usually quick scans that only include folders that are the preferred targets of malware, such as the Windows folders required for system startup or the registry folders. Removable storage devices such as USB drives are also scanned during a quick scan, as are the active processes, the RAM, and the files in the user profiles. In addition, every antivirus program also offers a full scan. It scans all files in all folders on the hard drive. This process can take several hours. If new virus definitions are loaded during this time, the scan even has to start again from the beginning. You normally have to start a full scan manually. However, you should only use this scan method if you have reinstalled an antivirus programme. Otherwise, a quick scan in conjunction with the real-time scan of the antivirus programmes offers sufficient protection against malware. Microsoft Defender: Quick scan weekly Just like other antivirus programs, Defender also performs regular quick scans (see the box “No daily quick scan with Defender”). You can also set the program to start a scan every week on a specific day and at a specified time. This allows you to select a time for the quick scans when your PC is normally idle. To specify the execution of the Defender’s quick scans, you need the task scheduler, where the Defender already has an entry that you need to adjust.Foundry To do this, proceed as follows: Type tasks into the search window of the taskbar and click on the hit “Task Scheduler.” Click on the small arrow in front of “Task Scheduler Library” and then on “Microsoft > Windows.” Scroll down the folder list and select “Windows Defender.” In the top window of the middle column of the task scheduler, move the tab under “Name” to the right so that the full names are visible and double-click on “Windows Defender Scheduled Scan.” In the “Windows Defender Scheduled Scan Properties” window, open the “Triggers” tab and click on “New.” In the next window, select “Weekly,” set the desired day of the week and time to run the quick scan and close the window by clicking “OK.” Use the “Trigger” tab to set the day and time for the Defender scans in the task scheduler.Foundry Switch to the “Actions” tab, click on “New” and first make sure that the “Start program” option is set next to “Action.” Click on “Browse” under “Program/Script” and select the file “C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MpCmdRun.exe.” Enter -scan -scantype 1 in the “Add arguments” field. This will ensure that the Defender performs a quick scan. Then close all task scheduling windows with “OK.” With other antivirus programs, you can normally set directly in the software that they should only perform a scan on a certain day of the week. In the “Actions” tab, tell the task scheduler which program it should start with which parameters.Foundry No daily quick scan with Defender By default, Defender does not perform daily virus scans for performance reasons, but only starts these scans when necessary, at the latest after one week. However, a number of prerequisites must be met for this: The previous quick scan took place after the last Security Intelligence update was installed. These updates contain, among other things, updated virus definitions. Defender downloads them from the cloud at regular intervals. Real-time protection has not been deactivated since the last quick scan. The computer has been restarted. Reduce the scan volume: Exclude file types Another way to speed up an antivirus program is to reduce the number of files it scans. You can achieve this in two ways: Either you exclude certain file types from the scan or you clean up your computer thoroughly and delete large files in particular. In most cases, malware attacks executable files such as EXE, COM, JAR, PIF, SCR, or BAT files, but also office documents with macros in DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPTX, DOT and XLT formats, PDF files, archive files with the extensions ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, ARJ, CAB, LHA, and LZH, script and control files (VBS, JS, CMD) as well as installation packages in the formats MSI (Windows), APK (Android), and DMG (Mac OS). There are also system files (SYS and OCX) and some other formats such as RTF, XML, and SWF. These file types should therefore always be included in the antivirus program’s scans. Other files, such as the large collection of graphics and sound files, can be ignored without running any great risk. However, this may significantly shorten the scan times of the software. Every antivirus package offers the option of excluding certain file types. Often some are already excluded. In Defender, click on “Virus and threat protection,” go to “Manage settings” under “Virus and threat protection settings,” scroll down and click on “Add or remove exclusions.” Click on “Add exclusion,” select “File type,” enter the file extension, e.g. BMP, and click on “Add.” You can also exclude individual files or entire folders from the scans. In Defender, this is done via the same menu that you use to define the file types for a scan. Installing applications on Dev-Drive Since version 11 23H2, Windows offers the option of setting up developer drives, or dev drives for short. These drives are formatted with the ReFS file system, which offers high access speed, especially for large volumes of data. The Defender also works on dev drives with an asynchronous virus scan. Instead of checking a file for viruses before it is opened, as in normal operation, the scan in this mode only takes place after the file has been loaded, which speeds up the start and execution of applications. However, this speed advantage comes at the expense of security. It is best to create a virtual hard drive for your dev drive. It consists of a single, large file that behaves like a separate partition. Foundry Dev drives must first be formatted. Please note that these drives must be at least 50GB in size. As the ReFS file system is not bootable, you cannot use a dev drive as a system drive. To create a dev drive, open the “Settings” in the Start menu and click on “System > Storage > Advanced storage settings > Disks and volumes > Create dev drive.” In most cases, the easiest way is to create a virtual hard disk (VHD), which then holds the dev drive. Therefore, click on “Create new VHD.” In the following window, give the hard disk a name, specify a storage location (this can be a folder or subfolder) and define the size. A dev drive must contain at least 50GB. You can leave all other settings as they are. Then click on “Create.” Windows offers the option of creating special partitions with higher performance but a lower security level. These dev drives can then accommodate any applications.Foundry Now check whether the dev drive protection is already active. Click on the “Windows Security” icon in the bottom right-hand corner of the taskbar, select “Virus and threat protection,” scroll to “Virus and threat protection settings,” and click on “Manage settings.” In the following window, the switch for “Dev Drive Protection” should be set to “On.” After clicking on “Show volumes,” your newly created dev drive should appear in the overview. This drive will also appear in Explorer with its own drive letter. Microsoft has designed the dev drives for software developers who can save and test their projects on them without Defender protection constantly interfering. However, you can also use these drives for other applications that require high performance. Read...

It’s easy to get nostalgic when things change. When a new version of Windows comes out, for example, many people declare how much better its predecessor was, and now that Windows 10 is going the way of the dodo, a wave of nostalgia is washing over the tech world. The question is: Is Windows 10 really better than 11? I myself switched to Windows 11 when it launched back in 2021. So to find out the difference, I pulled out my old Windows 10 computer and ran it for a week. The test made me realize how much better Windows has actually become—and going back to Windows 10 was unexpectedly painful. Here are my key lessons learned. Also read: Windows 10 is coming to an end – here are your options Things you’ll love Windows Explorer Microsoft The tool we use to manage files and folders on the computer is much better in Windows 11. In particular, I appreciate that Explorer now has tabs, just like in the browser. The overview is clearer and it’s easier to copy and move files. Going back to the old Explorer is driving me crazy. The settings menu The settings menu in Windows 11 is also much faster and smoother than in 10. It’s both easier to find and navigate. Windows screen recorder As a journalist, I often take screenshots, and the Screen Capture tool is much better in Windows 11. In particular, it’s handy to be able to film what’s on the screen. Doing the same thing in Windows 10 is much more complicated. OCR get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Sometimes the text displayed on the screen cannot be selected and copied. In Windows 11 this is not a problem, just open the Snipping Tool and press Text Actions and the text becomes editable—without any complicated extra programs. OCR (Optical Character Recognition), the feature that automatically converts images to text, is built into Windows 11 in much better way than Windows 10. The apps Windows 11 includes powerful free tools like Clipchamp (video), Copilot (AI) and Photos (pictures). While you can currently install them on your own on Windows 10, as the apps continue to evolve for Windows 11, we’ll see more differences between versions. The speed You can’t blame Windows 10 for my old computer feeling very slow, but if Microsoft’s own figures are to be believed, Windows 11 is up to 2.3 times faster than 10. Windows Security I didn’t notice the biggest advantage of Windows 11 during my test, but it’s still an important reason to switch. The system is much more secure and better protects both your private information and the computer system. Ed Hardie / Unsplash Things you’ll hate Of course, there are things that have become worse too. This also became clear during my test. Fortunately, PCWorld has guides available that fix our worst Windows 11 gripes. Surveillance The big downside is that Microsoft is getting more and more aggressive about surveillance and personalized advertising—right in Windows. It has also become increasingly difficult to run Windows without logging in with your Microsoft account. Further reading: Stop Windows 11’s most intrusive ads with these 9 easy tweaks The Start menu Microsoft’s move of the Start button from the bottom left corner to floating around definitely doesn’t sit well with me—but fortunately it’s easy to change. The right-click context menu That tiny “show more options” button hides a lot more contextual info — and this is a fairly streamlined version of Windows 11’s new right-click menu. It’s much worse in many circumstances. Microsoft Even Explorer’s right-click menu has become extremely cluttered since Microsoft split it into two parts in Windows 11, with power options nestled deep into sub-menus within the sub-menu. Ugh. Unlike much else in the interface, this feels anything but well thought out. The death of Windows 10 There is also reason to criticize the move to Windows 11 itself. It’s simply outrageous that Microsoft is removing security updates to Windows 10 when it’s still used on almost half of all computers. However, after a week with Windows 10, it feels clear that Windows 11 is both smoother to use and more powerful than its predecessors. Now I’m looking forward to putting my old computer in the closet where it belongs and switching back to a modern operating system. Further reading: I’m sticking with Windows 10 even after it dies in October. Here’s how Read...

Although support for Windows 10 will not end in October 2025 after all, Microsoft’s additional grace period extends its life by only one year. This means that many users will soon not only have to say goodbye to their operating system, but also to their computer in the near future. Even if its components are powerful enough for Windows 11, it may become electronic waste: This is because Microsoft has strict requirements for the hardware on which the new operating system can run — especially when it comes to the processor. Most PCs and laptops that are more than eight years old are therefore excluded from the upgrade — even though they work without any problems under Windows 10 and would certainly do the same under Windows 11. However, you can make your computer officially fit for Windows 11 with small hardware upgrades: Whether this is worthwhile, whether it is even possible, and how much it costs depends on the specific PC or laptop. Further reading: I’m sticking with Windows 10 even after it dies next week. Here’s how What your computer needs for Windows 11 The requirements that Microsoft places on a computer for Windows 11 look low at first glance: Processor with 64-bit support, two cores and a clock speed of 1GHz 4GB RAM 64GB storage for the installation Many old computers fulfill these requirements, which aren’t dissimilar from the requirements for graphics hardware with Direct X 12: Even PCs that are over 10 years old have suitable components. To make a PC with an Intel processor suitable for Windows 11, it is not enough to simply replace the processor. The new CPU also needs a new motherboard because it has a different socket format. IDG The same is true of Microsoft’s demand for a motherboard that has UEFI firmware with the Secure Boot function: This was already mandatory for computers with Windows 8, so complete systems should have been equipped with it since 2013. The requirement for TPM 2.0 is more problematic: Windows stores security keys in the Trusted Platform Module, which also monitors the PC boot process to ensure that no malware is active before Windows loads. TPM 2.0 was mandatory for complete systems with Windows 10, meaning that computers sold since the end of 2016 should be equipped accordingly. Prior to this, PCs and laptops were usually equipped with TPM 1.2 — which Microsoft believes makes them too insecure for Windows 11. However, most computers will fail to overcome one hurdle when switching to Windows 11: According to Microsoft, they absolutely need a processor that is on the official compatibility list, which is available for Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm models. This rules out all computers intended for private users that are equipped with an Intel processor before the 8th Core generation (“Coffee Lake,” “Kaby Lake R,” “Kaby Lake G,” “Amber Lake Y”) or an AMD CPU whose cores are not based at least on the Zen architecture. Complete systems with a supported CPU were available from spring 2018 — so if your computer is more than seven years old, Windows 11 cannot be installed without detours. Even with very old PCs, RAM, SSD, the processor clock rate or the number of cores are almost never the reason why Windows 11 cannot be installed. However, they lack security functions such as Secure Boot.WhyNotWin11 However, the Microsoft list is not consistent: Older processors such as the Intel Core i7-7820HQ from early 2017 or newer ones such as the AMD Athlon 3000G from the end of 2019, which is based on the Zen architecture, are also listed as suitable for Windows 11, although other processors with this architecture are excluded. Microsoft published new lists for the individual processor manufacturers for the Windows 24H2 update in February: They mainly contain more recent CPU models. However, some CPUs that were previously listed as supported have also been removed — including individual models from generations that are actually considered compatible with Windows 11. Whether this was accidental or intentional is unclear. These lists are actually aimed at PC manufacturers (OEMs), not private users. With older processors in particular, they do not give you any definitive certainty as to whether a particular CPU is supported by Windows 11 — and even if it is now, whether this will also apply to future updates of the operating system. How to check whether your PC is ready for Windows 11 If your computer is suitable for Windows 11 in its current configuration, you will be prompted at regular intervals to switch to the new system. Windows 10 also indicates this with a large window in the settings under “Windows Update”. Foundry If this is not the case for you, you can use tools to check how Windows 11-ready your PC is. Microsoft offers the PC Health Check for this purpose. Start the check by clicking the blue “Check now” button. If the computer fulfills the requirements for Windows 11, the overall result and the results for the individual components are highlighted in green. A yellow mark means that the tool could not perform the test for a specific requirement because the components or function was not recognized or has not yet been activated — for example, because Secure Boot is switched off. A cross in a red circle indicates that this component is preventing the upgrade to Windows 11 — in most cases the processor. Incidentally, you should not trust the age information displayed on the left-hand side of the tool’s start screen — it simply guesses based on certain system information, which has nothing to do with the actual age of the hardware or the Windows installation. The freeware WhyNotWin11 also checks the Windows 11 compatibility of the individual components and functions: Green means passed, red means failed. If the check tool reports that Secure Boot could not be detected, it may be because you have not activated this function. First start the Windows system information by running msinfo32 in the main window: “UEFI” must be in the “BIOS Mode” line. If “Off” is displayed for “Secure Boot State,” the UEFI supports Secure Boot, but it is not activated. To switch on Secure Boot, call up the UEFI settings: The most reliable way to do this is to click on “Restart now” in the Windows settings under “Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced Boot.” After a short time, the blue Windows pre-boot environment will appear: Select “Troubleshooting > Advanced options > UEFI firmware settings > Restart.” The computer now calls up the UEFI setup: Depending on the manufacturer, you will find the options for Secure Boot in the “Boot” or “Security” section. There, set Secure Boot to “Enabled,” “Switched on,” “UEFI,” or “Windows UEFI Mode.” After the restart, the “Secure boot state” in the system information should be set to “On.” If you open the TPM management under Windows with the command tpm.msc, the system will show you whether a corresponding security module is present and switched on. If Windows does not find a TPM in the system, you may first have to activate it in the UEFI setup settings.Foundry Proceed in a similar way to check for TPM: Enter tpm.msc in the Windows search window. If the information for a TPM and “Specification version 2.0” appear, everything is OK, version “1.2” is not sufficient for Windows 11 — you need a new processor here. If you see “No compatible TPM found,” the TPM may be compatible but not active. Now you need to call up the UEFI again and look for an option such as “Security Device,” “TPM State,” or, on a computer with an Intel CPU, “Intel PTT” or “Intel Platform Trust Technology.” The corresponding options for an AMD computer are called “AMD fTPM Switch” or “AMD PSP fTPM.” Set them to “On,” “Enabled,” or “Activated.” You need to replace this hardware for Windows 11 For an older PC, the route to Windows 11 usually involves changing the processor: Older CPUs also fulfill some of Microsoft’s requirements — they usually come with TPM 2.0 and their motherboard offers UEFI firmware with Secure Boot. However, the models on the compatibility list have additional functions that their predecessors do not have and that cannot be added later via an update: In most cases, these are security precautions against malware attacks on the operating system. The quickest and cheapest way to make an older PC fit for Windows 11 is to equip it with a processor that Microsoft allows. To do this, you must first clarify whether the CPU in your computer is soldered to the motherboard or sits in a socket — only then can it be replaced at all. Find out the model designation of the CPU — for example via the Windows Device Manager under “Processors,” in the Windows settings under “System > Info,” or with a hardware analysis tool such as HWinfo 64 or Speccy. Then research the technical data for this model on the processor manufacturer’s website — for example ark.intel.com. The hardware tools are also helpful — in HWinfo 64, look for “Main processor -> CPU platform.” If terms such as “Socket,” “PGA,” or “LGA” appear there, it is a socketed processor that can generally be expanded. If, on the other hand, you see the abbreviation “BGA,” also in the form “FC-BGA,” the processor is soldered onto the board — you cannot replace it. A complete PC with a desktop or tower housing usually has a socketed processor, whereas in many laptops the CPU is soldered. However, there are exceptions: All-in-one PCs or small mini PCs often use soldered laptop CPUs, while large laptops — for example, gaming and high-end laptops — often have a socketed processor. Intel: How to choose a suitable processor If the processor can be changed, the next step is to clarify whether a Windows 11-compatible model can be used instead. The new processor must fit into the existing slot on the motherboard installed in the PC. For older computers with Intel processors, your chances are slim: The socketed models from the CPU generations that are suitable for Windows 11 — from Coffee Lake onwards — use a different slot than their predecessors. This is also called LGA1151 — but version 1 differs from version 2 for Coffee Lake in terms of the electrical connections: You can therefore use a newer processor, but it will not work. When switching to Windows 11, you will therefore need a new processor and a new motherboard for the Intel platform. Only if the processor sits on the board in a socket can it be replaced with a new one. You can use check tools such as HWinfo64 to find out whether this is the case with your computer. IDG Depending on how powerful you want your computer to be after the upgrade, the upgrade will cost you between around $200 and $500. In addition, you can skip several CPU generations from Intel when buying a new processor and motherboard, as newer models are hardly more expensive than older ones: This not only makes the updated computer fit for Windows 11, but also gives it a generous increase in speed. If your old PC uses DDR4 RAM, you can even use the RAM on a board for the 14th core generation “Raptor Lake-R” from last year: A suitable motherboard such as the Asus Prime H610M costs around $100, and you can get a solid mid-range processor such as the Core i5-14400 as a boxed version with cooler for around $140. It will be significantly more expensive if you want to equip your old PC with the latest CPU generation Arrow Lake: Inexpensive processors such as a Core Ultra 5 225 cost around $250, with a suitable motherboard costing just over $100. You will also need DDR5 RAM, which is around $40 for 16GB capacity. If you only have a tight upgrade budget, you can opt for a board with an LGA1200 slot for an Intel PC: CPUs up to the 11th-generation Rocket Lake can be used there, such as a Core i5-11400F, which costs around $115 with a fan. In addition, an LGA1200 board such as the Gigabyte H510M v2 costs around $100. There are no costs for a new drive in any case: All boards for the upgrade options shown have M.2 and SATA connections so that you can continue to use an existing SSD — unless you need a flash memory with a larger capacity. The cheapest M.2 and SATA SSDs with 512GB are around $30 — an SSD with PCI Express 3.0 is sufficient for M.2 because the recommended boards do not support a higher PCIe version for the drive. In many cases, you can continue to use your existing power supply unit: Its connections should be suitable for the new board and the new components, unless you are using a powerful graphics card. However, it is generally advisable to replace the power supply unit on a computer that is six years old or older. Hardware upgrade for an AMD computer The upgrade path to Windows 11 is more favorable if you have a computer with an AMD processor: The manufacturer continued to use the AM4 socket for the older processors until 2022. This means, for example, that a Ryzen 7 1700 that does not work with Windows 11 can be replaced with a processor from the Ryzen 5000 series, such as the Ryzen 7 5700 or the Ryzen 7 5800XT. These models are still readily available and cost between $120 and around $180 with cooler. Many old PCs with AMD CPUs only need to be replaced to make them compatible with Windows 11. Check beforehand whether there is a UEFI Bios update for the installed board that supports the new processor.IDG Before you buy the new processor, check whether your existing motherboard supports it: The manufacturer must provide a suitable UEFI update, which can be found out on the support pages for the relevant board. You can continue to use the built-in RAM and an existing SSD. As with Intel, newer AMD processors support higher clock rates for DDR4: In everyday PC use, however, it is usually hardly noticeable that the existing DDR4 memory in the old computer runs a little slower. Read...