The deadline for Windows 10’s end of support is rapidly approaching, but companies and small businesses have good reason not to rush the switch over to Windows 11 just yet. That’s why many use Microsoft Intune, a cloud-based solution that allows administrators to manage multiple devices and define policies for things like updates. However, a bug in Intune is causing devices to upgrade to Windows 11 despite the update being blocked. Microsoft confirms this in a post in the Microsoft 365 admin center (spotted by BleepingComputer). The problem has apparently existed since April 12, but it only affects organizational devices managed by Intune. What to do if you’re using Intune With Microsoft Intune, system administrators who manage dozens or huundreds of computers for companies and organizations can determine which software updates are available for installation. That includes upgrades to new Windows versions. It isn’t entirely clear why this error is causing Intune settings to be ignored, nor is it known how many systems are affected. However, Microsoft is working on a solution and, for now, the company recommends completely pausing Windows feature updates via Intune. What to do if you’ve been upgraded If you’re managing devices with Intune and those devices were upgraded to Windows 11 despite a policy that should’ve blocked the update, you either have to bite the bullet and move forward with Windows 11 or manually roll back each system to Windows 10. Microsoft doesn’t offer an automated solution to roll back from Windows 11 to Windows 10, and the manual process can be difficult and time-consuming. It mainly involves the creation of Windows 10 bootable device and performing a fresh installation. Learn more in our quick guide to downgrading Windows 11 to Windows 10. Read...

Upgrading to a new SSD can significantly enhance your computer’s performance, whether upgrading to a larger SSD drive, a faster NVMe or M.2 SSD, or replacing an old SSD. For this reason, many users want to clone HDD to SSD for a better user experience. How do I transfer data from one SSD to another? Is it possible to transfer data from one SSD to another without losing data? This post covers three methods to copy data from an old SSD to a new SSD: Use professional disk cloning software to migrate a whole SSD to another Use Windows Explorer to manually copy and paste files between SSDs Use Windows Backup and Restore to create a backup image and then restore  How to prepare for a successful SSD data transfer Before diving into the methods, let’s see what you will need to do to enable a smooth and successful SSD-to-SSD data transfer: Ensure SSD compatibility. Confirm both SSDs use the same interface (e.g., SATA, PCIe, NVMe, M.2) and ensure the destination SSD fits the form factor of your device, such as 2.5-inch, M.2 2280, or M.2 2230. Ensure target SSD has enough space. When purchasing a new SSD, be sure to consider its storage capacity. It is acceptable if the target SSD is smaller than the source disk, but you must ensure it can accommodate all the data from the original disk. The target SSD disk should be larger than the used space on the source SSD drive. Clean up source SSD drive. The source SSD drive may contain numerous unnecessary or junk files, including temporary data, rarely used programs, duplicate files, caches, and corrupted files. The fewer files on the source drive, the shorter the time it will take for the data transfer. Connect destination SSD. You need to connect the target SSD drive to your computer for transferring data from one SSD to another. On a desktop, directly install the SSD alongside your old SSD. On a laptop, buy a SATA to USB cable or external hard drive enclosure to connect the target SSD via the USB port. Verify drive recognition. After connecting your new or larger SSD to your computer, ensure your PC can recognize it. To verify the recognition, go to Disk Management to confirm both SSDs are visible. Method 1. Clone one SSD to another without losing data Cloning is the best way to transfer all data, including Windows, programs, settings, and personal files, from one SSD to another. Some SSDs come with software to help transfer your data, such as those from Samsung, Seagate, WD, and Intel, which can assist in transferring data and Windows from one hard drive to another. For SSDs without a cloning solution, you must use third-party SSD cloning software to enjoy a safe and secure cloning process because Windows lacks built-in cloning features. Clonezilla can help you clone SSD to a larger SSD for data or Windows transfer, but you must run it on a USB drive, which requires a high learning curve and is thus unsuitable for beginners. Fortunately, this is no longer the case with EaseUS Disk Copy, a dedicated and professional disk cloning program with a highly streamlined interface for Windows computers. EaseUS SSD cloning software can move all data from one SSD to another without losing data or reinstalling Windows. EaseUS cloning software can migrate the OS from the first SSD to the new one, transfer C drive to a new SSD, and transfer data from one SSD to another with only one slot on a laptop or PC. Step-by-step guide on how to clone SSD to another SSD using EaseUS Disk Copy: Step 1. Connect the target SSD to your PC. Install the SSD on your desktop or connect it to your laptop via the USB-to-SATA cable. Step 2. Download and install EaseUS Disk Copy. Launch EaseUS SSD cloning software and click Disk Mode. Step 3. Select the source and target SSD drive. EaseUS Step 4. Adjust disk layout (optional). EaseUS “Autofit the disk” will change the target disk layout by default to optimize its performance. “Copy as the source” does not modify the target disk, and the disk layout remains the same as the source disk. “Edit disk layout” allows you to manually resize and move the partition layout on the destination disk. Step 5. Start the cloning process. Click “Proceed” to start cloning. The time required depends on the data size and SSD speeds. Step 6. Boot from the cloned SSD. To use the new SSD as your boot drive: shut down your PC, replace the old SSD, restart your PC, enter BIOS or UEFI settings (press F1/F2/DEL/Esc during startup), and set the SSD as the boot drive. Method 2. Manual copying and pasting files (for specific files) If you just want to move basic files–not system files or program files–from one SSD to another, the cut/paste or copy/paste method is the simplest and most direct way to transfer files from one SSD to another SSD. Use your mouse to select the files, right-click, and copy from C to D disk or from one disk to another in Windows File Explorer. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to transfer data from one SSD to another on PC: Step 1. Connect the SSD. Connect the target SSD via USB-to-SATA cable to your laptop or install it internally on your desktop. Step 2. Copy and paste files Open Explorer and access the source SSD. Choose the files or folders you want to transfer. Copy (Ctrl + C) files. Go to the destination SSD. Paste (Ctrl + V ) files. Method 3. Back up and Restore data from SSD to another SSD If you prefer a built-in solution for transferring data, Backup and Restore (Windows 7) allows you to create a system image backup and restore it to a new SSD. This method is suitable for users with specific computer skills. However, you can’t restore individual files; only the entire image can be restored. You must also regularly recreate the image to ensure you have the latest version of your Windows environment and data. Here is how to use Backup and Restore to copy data from one SSD to another: Step 1. Create a system image backup on one external disk Connect the external disk via USB-to-SATA cable to your laptop or install it internally on your desktop. Go to Control Panel and select Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Click Create a system image and select the target SSD to save the system image backup. Choose which drive to back up, confirm your backup settings, and press Start backup. If Windows cannot boot on its own, you may also need to create a system repair disc or a recovery USB drive. Step 2. Restore the system image to the new SSD Ensure your backup media (external disk where the system backup is stored) and the new SSD are plugged in or inserted. In Windows 10, go to Settings > Update and Security > Recovery and click Restart now under Advanced startup. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Restart now near Advanced startup. When your PC reboots, you will enter Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Go to: Troubleshoot > Advanced options > See more recovery options > System Image Recovery > Select a system image > Use the latest available system image (recommended) > Select Format and repartition disks (for restoring to a new disk, you’d better enable this option) > Click Finish. Then, follow the steps to restore your PC with the system image. If your PC won’t boot at all, boot it with the system repair disc. You will be taken to the Choose an option window, and you can follow the same steps to restore Windows and your data to the previous state. If you don’t want to replace your old SSD or use the target SSD as your boot drive, directly back up data/files from the old SSD to the new one. What to do after transfering files/data from one SSD to another After you migrate data from one SSD to another, perform a thorough verification to ensure everything is working correctly. Verify that all files are transferred correctly and accurately. Confirm that all file types can be opened without issues. Verify whether the data is integrated correctly with your migration goals. Verify whether user experience and computer performance are enhanced. Run some apps to test system features or network connections. Verify whether the system’s functionality and usability are satisfactory. Format the old SSD in Disk Management for reuse. Troubleshoot common SSD data transfer issues 1. Drive not detected Ensure cables/connections are secure. Update SATA/NVMe drivers. 2. Cloning errors Close background apps to free up resources. 3. Cloned hard drive won’t boot Verify boot partition flags. Update BIOS/UEFI. Check BIOS boot order. Rebuild BCD. 4. Slow PC performance Update necessary drivers. Verify connection type (USB/SATA). Conclusion This article covers three methods to transfer data from one SSD to another, including performing SSD cloning, manually copying and pasting, and using Windows Backup and Restore. If you try the Backup and Restore, you must reinstall drivers and apps. Manual methods work for small data transfer sizes, but cloning is the best way to transfer everything from one SSD to another without reinstalling or losing data. If you want a hassle-free solution, try SSD cloning with EaseUS Disk Copy. It lets you migrate all the data from one SSD to another without losing data or reinstalling anything. EaseUS SSD clone software enables you to move data from one SSD to another with the time of a cup of coffee. Try it now! Read...

Mechanical keyboard nuts generally love old vintage keyboard designs—and so does Severance, Apple TV’s smash-hit, high-concept sci-fi series set in a dystopian office. Atomic Keyboard decided to combine these inspirations when it made the MDR Dasher, a revival of a classic design from the Data General Corporation in the 1970s. The Data General’s Dasher terminal series is iconic, with many classic keyboard fans loving its chunky blue keys and huge layout in particular. The Lumon employee cubicle setups in Severance are heavily inspired by—possibly even salvaged from—terminals like the Dasher 6053 from 1977, though they have an altered layout and a trackball mouse area. As DesignBoom notes, the keyboards seen on the show have no Escape, no Control, and no Option keys. It is a dystopia, after all. Atomic Keyboard Atomic Keyboard’s recreation of the massive design element keeps the blue and beige hues and the big black optical trackball on the right side, with two oversized mouse keys. The current design features a 73-key layout in a unique 70% design, an aluminum case, and a USB-C connection, in case you actually want to use it on something manufactured in this century. It’s in pre-production now. When will you be able to buy one? Who knows. Atomic Keyboard is accepting email signups and has a preliminary price of $400, which isn’t unreasonable in the space of big, custom, small-batch keyboard designs. But with the chaos surrounding international trade at the moment, who knows how much it’ll cost when it’s finally ready to head out to buyers? Atomic Keyboard Retro tech is all the rage now, as seen in Severance and the computers from Marvel’s Time Variance Authority in Loki. It’s a retro-futurist style that the Fallout games have been playing with for decades, and some observers are calling it “Cassette Futurism.” You can even see it in the trailer for Naughty Dog’s new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, with a bounty hunter’s Porsche spaceship filled with a CD-based jukebox, chunky keyboards, printers, and CRT screens that look like they fell off the original Alien set. Read...

Virtual PCs have important uses, such as providing a dedicated environment for testing new applications or enabling the parallel operation of multiple operating systems. But the virtualization environment can only demonstrate its strengths in such scenarios if the virtual machine has sufficient hardware resources. The power required essentially depends on two factors: the purpose of the virtual PC and the hypervisor, or virtualization software, used. This is because the three virtualization environments: Microsoft Hyper-V, VMWare Workstation and Oracle VirtualBox differ in terms of their basic requirements. You will therefore find examples of VMs and the optimum configuration for your guest computer in the article. Which is better: Dual boot vs. Virtualization: Which is best for running multiple operating systems? The hardware requirements for virtualization programs On the websites of VMWare, Oracle, and Microsoft you will find the hardware requirements for the smooth running of the virtualization programs. In its online documentation, VirtualBox provides a rough rule of thumb for the main memory: According to this, you should populate your RAM so that the requirements for both the guest system and the host PC are met. In the case of Windows 11, this means at least 2GB of main memory for a 64-bit version, but 4GB is better. If you also want to install the operating system in the virtual environment, you will need an additional 4GB. The optimum amount of memory is therefore at least 8GB. For a powerful virtual PC, you need a CPU with four to six cores. Together with a graphics card with at least 4GB of memory, even more demanding virtualization is possible.IDG In the instructions, you will also find a principle that generally applies to all performance parameters: “The more the better.” If you follow the VM maker’s recommendations on hardware, you have met the basic requirements for operating the environment software and thus covered one side of the equation for smooth virtualization. Then there is the specific application, whereby there might be further requirements for the host hardware depending on the scenario. Crash course: How do virtual PCs actually work? Scenario 1: Standard PC for surfing or online banking We use Windows 11 as the host and guest system for the virtual PC. Microsoft recommends the following for the installation of a Windows 11 computer: a processor with at least 1GHz clock speed, 2GB RAM for the 64-bit version, and around 32GB hard drive space. With a PC equipped in this way, you can surf the internet virtually without any problems. However, if you notice slight limitations with more complex websites or when playing videos, you should also use a separate virtual graphics card to which you allocate sufficient memory. To virtualize such a computer, you therefore need at least 4GB of RAM and 40GB of free space on the hard drive per operating system — at least 80GB in total. You will notice a significant increase in performance if you make more memory available to the virtual PC. If you initially select a Windows 11 computer as the host for VMWare Workstation, the setup wizard suggests the following parameters as the minimum configuration: 2GB of main memory, two processor cores and 60GB of storage space. If you create a virtual machine for Windows 11 and 64 bit with VMWare Workstation, the wizard suggests a disk size of 64GB. With the option “Split virtual disk into multiple files,” only the space that is currently required is physically occupied.IDG However, the latter is allocated dynamically. This means that the space is only fully utilized when the virtual machine really needs it. Depending on your computer’s graphics card, a 3D accelerator is also available for your virtual machine. However, this function should not be absolutely necessary for normal internet surfing and your banking transactions. Instead, the following minimum configuration is sufficient: Your guest computer should have an Intel Pentium i3 or i5 processor or the comparable AMD model. A main memory of 4GB is sufficient, but with 8GB you will be much more comfortable. No more than 20GB is required for the pure virtualized Windows operating system. Scenario 2: Workstation PC for practical use The minimum configuration for a virtual Windows 11 computer described in scenario 1 is of course not sufficient for every virtualization project. You will need a significantly more powerful virtual PC if you not only want to run Office with high performance, but also want to use the image editing software Gimp or a 3D rendering program such as Blender at the same time, for example. Microsoft defines the following requirements for using Office under Windows in the VM: a processor with a clock speed of at least 1.6GHz, 4GB of RAM, and 4GB of free storage space. There are no hardware requirements for Gimp that are needed to run the software. In general, the program can be run on a PC on which the current Microsoft Office version also runs smoothly. In the Workstation Player you can see how much RAM is theoretically available to you (blue arrowhead). In our example with 64GB RAM, up to 55.9GB can be allocated to the virtual Windows 11 system.IDG The Blender rendering software has the most demanding hardware requirements: on the website you will find three categories for the current version 4.3: minimum, recommended, and optimum configuration. For the minimum configuration, you need a dual-core processor with a clock speed of 2GHz, 4GB RAM, and a graphics card with 1GB RAM that supports OpenGL 3.3. Blender recommends a processor with four cores, 16GB RAM, and a graphics card with 4GB. The application with the greatest hardware requirements therefore determines the configuration of your guest computer. Blender uses the recommended configuration as a basis. As you also need to run the guest system with Windows 11, it is best to use a current Intel i5 or a comparable AMD model as the processor. For the RAM, 16GB should be sufficient for the guest system, with 32GB for the host you are always on the safe side. The same applies to the graphics card: a model with at least 4GB of memory is sufficient for the simultaneous operation of Windows 11, the virtualization environment, and the rendering software. The virtualization environments — in this case Virtualbox — allow you to allocate memory individually for each virtual machine.IDG There is one more point you should bear in mind: Match the requirements of your software to be virtualized with the performance of the virtual environment. VirtualBox, for example, does not support OpenGL 3.3, while Blender cannot do without the graphics library. With VMWare Workstation, you should always install VMWare Tools in order to use a 3D engine. Scenario 3: Two virtual machines in parallel operation Running two virtual PCs in parallel on a guest computer makes sense, for example, if one of the virtual PCs is to function as a Linux server while the other is to run an outdated Windows system that no longer receives updates, such as Windows 7. For such a scenario, you first need the right virtualization software before deciding on the optimum hardware configuration. This is because only VirtualBox and Hyper-V allow multiple computers to run in parallel. This is not possible with Workstation. With three parallel computers — one host PC and two guest PCs — the processor and the number of cores also become more important. You should calculate with at least one core per computer. Processors such as a 14th-generation Intel i5 have eight performance and 16 efficiency cores. For even more parallelism, the i7 and i9 CPUs offer a larger number of cores. For the other components such as RAM, graphics card, and storage, it is best to apply the principles from the previous examples again. We recommend at least 16GB of main memory for three parallel computers, but 32GB is better. A graphics card with at least 4GB of memory and a powerful processor is available at a street price of around $200 such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.IDG In the case of the graphics card, consider which applications should run in parallel on the operating systems. As most cards already come with 8GB, you should not save money here. Inexpensive graphics cards are already available at prices between $200 and $250. Experience in dealing with virtual environments Some applications are difficult or even impossible to virtualize. This applies in particular to games or graphics-heavy programs. They usually require DirectX11 or DirectX12, which, with the exception of Hyper-V, is not possible in virtual environments. On the other hand, Hyper-V is very possessive. If you have installed the virtualization environment under Windows 11, the competitors Oracle VirtualBox and VMWare Workstation can only be operated with a handicap, depending on the version. For example, you have to do without nested VT-x. A processor with at least six cores is recommended for the parallel operation of two virtual machines. IDG In this case, you have two options: Either you uninstall Hyper-V in Windows via Control Panel > Programs and Features > Enable or disable Windows features. Alternatively, you can open a command line as an administrator and enter the following command: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off After the following restart, VirtualBox and Vmware Workstation will work as desired. Another challenge that you will encounter when using the VMWare Workstation is the 3D support of the graphics card within the virtualization environment. This is not available as standard, but can be added via the free VMWare Tools. The tools must be installed separately for each virtual machine via Player > Manage > Install Virtual Tools and are then available with additional functions within the virtual environment as an additional drive — usually drive D. Call this up and start the installation. Additional 3D graphics settings are then available under “Display” in the virtual machine settings. Compensate for bottlenecks with additional hardware on the host PC If you want to upgrade the existing PC for virtualization, start with the RAM, storage drive, or graphics card. RAM can often be upgraded on a desktop PC or laptop by expanding or replacing it. In the case of the storage drive, 20- to 30GB of free space is usually sufficient to gain initial experience. If you do not have any free capacity on the internal memory, use a faster USB 3.x drive or a correspondingly large USB 3.0 memory stick for initial tests. Alternatively, you can use the portable (and older) version of VirtualBox for initial testing. VirtualBox Portable is actually intended for virtualization on the move. You will need a memory stick with a capacity of at least 64GB. The stick then contains the VirtualBox software itself and your virtual machine. Conclusion: Try out VMs first, then upgrade your PC in a targeted manner Most scenarios can be modelled in a virtual environment with a greater or lesser use of hardware. The requirements depend very much on the applications that are to be run in the virtual environments. In most cases, a virtual PC can be realized on a normal work PC without much additional effort. For all other scenarios, you may need to make selective upgrades or replace individual components. Our advice: Simply try out the environment and optimize the components one by one if necessary. With a new computer, it is best to plan the individual components for a virtual environment a little more generously so that you do not have to replace individual components such as the graphics card after a short time. Virtualization of games Running games within a virtual environment usually fails. Many games require DirectX11 or DirectX12 under Windows. The only virtualization environment that currently offers this is Hyper-V from Microsoft. However, it only works with the Pro and Enterprise versions of Windows 10 and 11. Read...

It’s easy to spend a lot of money on a laptop, but you don’t have to. In fact, most people don’t need to spend much at all. Whether you’re on a budget or you’re buying for a student or child, sometimes the best laptop is the one that’s most affordable. But just because you’re spending less doesn’t mean you should settle for less. To make sure your laptop won’t leave you frustrated and pulling your hair out, there are a few key specs that you shouldn’t compromise on—or else you’ll probably regret your purchase. What counts as a budget laptop? In this case, we’re aiming for a price around $500 and we’re using PCWorld’s best budget laptop picks to get a sense of what’s possible, what’s reasonable, and what’s non-negotiable. Just be aware that you’ll give up some luxuries (like a dedicated graphics card) at this price point, but you’ll end up with a great daily driver laptop for work, school, and everyday activities. That said, let’s dive into the most important specs for a budget laptop and the absolute minimum acceptable for each one. Further reading: Buying a laptop before China tariffs kick in? Don’t fall for these tricks Operating system Asus, Samsung, Lenovo The very first choice you must make is the operating system. And if you’re on a budget, you really only have two options: Windows or ChromeOS. (You could also run Linux if you’re tech-savvy enough, but if you know enough to run Linux, you likely don’t need this article.) Windows is the de facto choice because it’s used everywhere, everyone is familiar with it, and most apps “just work” on Windows computers. But it has a lot of system overhead so it doesn’t run as well on low-end hardware and you might experience subpar performance. ChromeOS, which is the operating system for Chromebooks, is far more restricted in what apps it can run. If it isn’t available in the Chrome Web Store, you’re pretty much out of luck. (Sure, you can use workarounds like remote desktop-ing into a separate Windows machine, but that kind of defeats the point of buying a budget laptop!) That said, there are plenty of good reasons to buy a Chromebook over a laptop, like the bang-for-your-buck on performance and price, so don’t be turned off. Chromebooks are quite good these days. Note: If you’re buying a laptop for a student, you should definitely check with their school first because some schools have mandatory OS requirements. Even if they don’t, they might have specific software needs—and if that software isn’t available on ChromeOS, you’ll have to go with Windows. What about MacBooks? While it’s possible to buy a MacBook on a budget, you’ll have to give up a lot in the process—or stretch your definition of “budget.” Even the cheapest MacBooks far exceed $500, and they tend to be older discounted models. Generally speaking, Macs aren’t great for getting the best specs for your money. RAM Framework You can think of RAM like the amount of workspace you have on your desk: more RAM means more space to concurrently run apps and keep numerous files open, allowing you to jump between and multitask without having to close and re-open stuff all the time. That’s why RAM is key to laptop performance, and it’s important to get a laptop that has enough RAM to run smoothly. I recommend a minimum 8GB of RAM, but bump it up to 16GB if you want to “future proof” against growing needs in the future. The good news is, finding solid laptops with at least 8GB of RAM isn’t difficult—but if your budget is limited to around $300, you’re likely to be stuck with 4GB options at best. If you can afford it, it’s definitely worth the extra cash to hit 8GB, even on Chromebooks. Otherwise, you’ll find that your laptop’s sluggishness will affect your enjoyment of it. CPU BLKstudio / Shutterstock.com When it comes to CPUs on budget laptops, you have to temper your expectations. You won’t be able to get anything truly powerful, but you will be able to find something that suits your needs and gets you through non-intensive tasks like office work, studying, and watching videos. Among the more affordable Windows laptops, Intel i3 and i5 processors are the most common options. Ideally you should opt for the i5, but you can settle for an i3 if you’re on a tight budget; it should keep up with regular tasks as long as you pair it with at least 8GB of RAM. AMD Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 processors are also frequently seen in budget-tier laptops, and they can save you a little more money than their Intel alternatives. In Chromebooks, you’ll mostly find Intel i3 and i5 processors along with MediaTek options. MediaTek processors are typically found in budget phones because they have better battery life, but they have the disadvantage of being less powerful. Either way, opt for Intel or AMD if you care about performance. Just don’t expect any high-end gaming! You’d need a dedicated GPU for that, and that’s not happening in a budget laptop. Battery life Panos Sakalakis / Unsplash You have lots of options when it comes to battery life, even in the affordable laptop territory. Not only do weaker processors give you longer staying power, but larger batteries can help too—if you’re willing to sacrifice weight and portability. And here, too, is an area where your choice of OS matters. Generally speaking, Chromebooks usually last longer on a single charge than an equivalent Windows laptop. If you travel frequently or simply prefer to use your laptop unplugged, then aim for one that promises 10 to 12 hours of battery life. Most manufacturers overpromise and under deliver, so it’s quite possible you’ll only get around 8 hours despite their claims. Still, 8 hours of battery life on a laptop should be enough to last a workday or a school day, all while letting you live comfortably untethered. If in doubt about a particular laptop, check if PCWorld has reviewed it—we run battery tests to confirm if laptops live up to their promises. Storage capacity Jon L. Jacobi Sticking to a budget means cutting some corners, and storage space is usually among the first areas hit by compromise. That can be a problem if you aren’t careful, though. For the best laptop experience, you’ll want ample storage and you’ll want it to be fast. A slow hard drive with inadequate capacity will leave you micromanaging your files and apps as well as waiting inordinately long for files and apps to load. Among good budget options, you’ll find storage options ranging from 64GB to 256GB. Obviously, more is better, but if you’re on Windows, you shouldn’t dip below 128GB at the very least. (The operating system alone will take up around 30GB, and modern apps are space hogs on top.) Anything less than 128GB and you’ll find yourself running out of space so often that you’ll be tearing out your hair. Chromebooks, on the other hand, can survive pretty well on 64GB of storage for several reasons: the OS doesn’t take up as much space, Chromebook apps are typically smaller, and ChromeOS relies more on cloud storage than local storage. The downside is that you basically need 24/7 internet access for day-to-day use. Note: If you have to settle for a laptop with inadequate storage space, you can always add an external drive to expand capacity. Just make sure the laptop you get has enough ports for it (addressed later in this article), and stick to our picks for best external drives. Storage types Maxx-Studio / Shutterstock.com Modern Windows laptops come with two primary options: SSD or eMMC. Don’t settle for anything less than an SSD. Some cheaper laptops may offer eMMC drives, but eMMC drives run very slow and fill up faster due to their smaller capacities. You’ll be frustrated, trust me. Chromebooks, however, tend to come with three options: SSD, eMMC, and UFS. Again, I don’t recommend eMMC drives for the same reasons, but UFS is worth considering. Universal Flash Storage is “newer” and more typically found on mobile devices, but since ChromeOS is a mobile-like operating system, it’s well-suited to run on UFS. In general, UFS is faster than eMMC but slower than an SSD. If you want the best speeds, an SSD is still the best (but most expensive) option. If your goal is to save money, you’ll do fine with a UFS drive. Display resolution guteksk7 / Shutterstock.com At cheaper tiers, laptops mainly come with 720p or 1080p resolutions. I only saw one laptop featuring a higher resolution, but that came at the expense of cutting other corners. So, when buying a budget laptop, you’ll want to stick to 1080p unless you’re particularly strapped for cash. Going with 720p can save money, but the experience is subpar: text is harder to read, video content suffers, and you have less screen real estate for apps and files. Stepping up to 1080p solves all of that, and you’ll appreciate the improved resolution if you end up using your laptop to watch Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc. Laptop size Thiago Trevisan / IDG The ideal laptop size really depends on your needs. On the larger end, you have 15-inch and 17-inch laptops that provide bigger screens and wider keyboards, but laptops at this size tend to be heavy and detract from portability. And be aware that larger laptop screens may sometimes have lower resolutions, which can affect crispness of image and the actual amount of usable screen real estate. On the flip side, you have smaller 13-inch laptops that are lighter and more portable but generally more cramped with tighter keyboards. I find that the sweet spot for portable productivity is with a 13-inch laptop that has a 1080p resolution. You get ample screen real estate and crisp images, a lightweight body that doesn’t take up much space in a bag, and the price is usually quite affordable. Ports and connectivity Immo Wegmann / Unsplash Ports are important on budget laptops, especially if you’re sacrificing storage space and screen size. With the right ports, you have the flexibility to connect external drives and external monitors. Thankfully, unless you go very low on price, you have good options. If possible, aim for at least one USB-C port and one USB-A port. USB-C has taken over as the dominant connector, but plenty of storage devices and other accessories still rely on USB-A. If you can find a budget laptop with an HDMI port as well, you should consider it because it’ll make it easy to connect an external monitor. USB-C can theoretically handle monitors as well, but not every USB-C port is built the same and capable of supporting the same devices. Note: If you have to settle for a laptop with inadequate ports, you can always add extra ports separately with a USB-C hub or docking station. See our picks for best USB-C hubs and best Thunderbolt docks. Min specs for budget laptops in a nutshell Phew, that’s a lot to digest, so here’s a quick summary of my recommended minimum specs for budget laptops without all the contextual explanations and rationale: RAM: 8GB minimum, 16GB if you can afford it. CPU: Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 minimum, Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 if you can afford it. Battery life: At least 10 to 12 hours of claimed battery life (which is likely closer to 8 hours in real-world usage). Storage capacity: 128GB minimum for Windows, 64GB minimum for Chromebooks. If you need more space, you can always expand with an external storage drive. Storage types: SSD is what you want. For Chromebooks, you can get away with UFS. Avoid eMMC at all cost. Display resolution: 1080p minimum. Laptop size: 13-inch for portability, 15-inch for screen space (as long as you don’t sacrifice resolution to get there). Ports: At least one USB-C and one USB-A port, plus an HDMI port if you plan to use an external monitor. Alternatively, buy a separate USB-C hub or docking station to expand connectivity. All of this can be had for under $500 if you shop around, especially if you can be patient and wait for deals. I’ve seen laptops—both conventional and 2-in-1 laptops—that meet all these minimum specs, so you definitely don’t have to spend a lot for a decent laptop. As long as you aren’t expecting a powerhouse gaming machine that can rip videos in no time flat, you’ll be fine. For more tips, check out our guide to buying a budget laptop without getting screwed, or head over to our guide on the best laptops under $500 if you want explicit recommendations. Read...

I have a confession to make: I don’t always do as I say. I’ve been a tech journalist for 20 years. Over those years, I’ve written countless how-to guides and advice columns, and I’ve made endless recommendations for how you should go about looking after, maintaining, and enhancing your PC. But I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t follow all of the tips and tricks I share, and I sometimes fall into the very traps I warn others against. It’s time to come clean and admit my mistakes. Here are some of my worst tech sins that you should avoid doing yourself. Don’t be like me! I have 38,000 unread emails Jon Martindale / Foundry This is one of those ones that I can get away with pretty easily, mostly because I’m not about to let just anyone take a peek at my email account. But when I’ve occasionally had friends or colleagues glance at my screen while I’m working, they’ve been horrified. “What happens if someone sends you something important?” they ask. “How do you know when you get a new email?” The tech-savvy ones even tell me, “You really should set up some filters.” And they’re all correct. Having tens of thousands of unread emails isn’t just messy. It’s distracting. Impractical. The unread counter is completely arbitrary at this point—I don’t even think about it anymore. Why don’t I deal with it? I suppose I just don’t need to. I get so many emails that if I’d spent all day opening or “reading” them simply so they don’t show up as “unread,” then I’d never get anything done. (I should probably just delete them all!) A quick parse to see if I got anything important, then I’m on to whatever actual task I need to do. My drivers and BIOS aren’t up-to-date I’ve been having some trouble with weird system locks recently. I think it has to do with a misconfigured webcam driver, but it could also be my second monitor, or a faulty HDMI cable. To make sure it wasn’t software-related, I updated my graphics drivers—and apparently I hadn’t updated them since early 2024. Oops. I later went to update my BIOS as another potential fix for my system glitching woes—and apparently I hadn’t flashed that since late 2023. I’ve given myself a well-deserved slap on the wrist for both of these. It’s something I should do more often, but it just keeps slipping my mind and I never find the time to get around to them. I mean, sure, it’s not something you have to do… but it’s a good idea because an outdated BIOS and/or drivers can cause issues. I plug my phone in to transfer files I know there are a bunch of ways to get files off my phone onto my PC. There are apps, network sharing, and cloud storage options that are all pretty straightforward. But for the most part, when I want to back up my photos or transfer documents between phone and PC, I still plug in. I have a USB-C-to-A cable with a USB 3.0 port at best—it isn’t fast, so big data transfers can take time. It’s cable-tied to my desk, though, so it’s always within easy reach. And it does a good enough job for moving data around that I’ve never bothered to investigate a better solution. Lazy? Perhaps. But the time and effort needed to explore better alternatives has always felt better spent elsewhere for me. When I reinstall Windows, I just buy new storage drives Jon Martindale / Foundry This sin is more in the vein of a privileged humblebrag than it is a mistake or bad habit, but it’s a great example of the kind of paranoia I have when moving to a fresh, new Windows install. I’m so concerned that Windows will accidentally delete something I need (or that I’ll forget to back something up) that instead of reinstalling Windows on the same drive (or manually backing up important files and performing an old-school format), I just prefer to buy a new drive altogether and keep the old drive as extra storage. The plus side of this is that I always have a fresh new drive to install new games and apps on, and I have everything else on my older drives. The downside is that my system has grown into a Frankenstein’s monster of drive letters. I still have the 500GB Samsung 850 EVO from three installs ago. It’s also left me with a lot of drives called “Local Disk” and it often takes a few tries for me to find the actual drive I’m looking for. I use a high mouse DPI all the time I’m well aware that many pro PC gamers play at 800 to 1,200 DPI on their gaming mice, with massive mouse pads over which they sweep their arms for pinpoint accuracy. But I’m not about that life. I run my mice at around 2,400 DPI all the time, no matter what I’m doing, and that works well enough for me. I use a fingertip grip style, so my mouse is mostly controlled by my index and ring fingers resting on either side of the mouse, and that means I need a sensitivity level that traverses real distance with minimal movement. At 2,400 DPI, I can perform most of my required mousing in a small space. I don’t play much in the way of high-speed FPS games—where the added accuracy from a lower DPI would be really worth it—but even when I do, I don’t switch it up. I like my mouse sensitivity and I’m not going to kid myself into thinking I can be competitive anyway. I’m just here to score objectives and try not to die more than anyone else on my team. I only reboot my PC when it crawls Mulad Images / Shutterstock.com I quite often finish my work days with tasks still open, projects halfway done, and emails I haven’t gotten to yet, so I usually just minimize those windows, switch to a new desktop view, and come back to them later. And when I’m done for the day, I don’t bother saving everything or bookmarking tabs—I just put the PC to sleep. That means I rarely shut down my computer. Which isn’t a huge deal for the most part, but when I’m several weeks in without a proper reboot, I can usually tell. Network performance drops off a cliff for some reason, videos begin to stutter, browser tabs start lagging… and that’s when I know it’s time to restart. I should do it more often, though. I’ve let my PC pile up with issues I spend most of my days working with and writing about PCs, hardware components, and software, so when it comes to my main work and gaming machine, I just want to use it. Don’t get me wrong: I love fiddling with computers and seeing what I can do with them. But I hate troubleshooting when I need to focus or when I want to relax. That’s resulted in me having a PC with a surprising amount of nagging issues for someone who writes guides on how to fix said issues. For example, I have one odd boot issue where sometimes apps won’t load properly and are only half-responsive. It has something to do with my webcam I’m pretty sure, but I haven’t nailed it down yet. I also have a second monitor that occasionally flickers with weird white bands, but unplugging and replugging it gets it going again. And for a PC running on a 7950X3D and a PCIe 4 SSD, the startup time is awfully sluggish. I really should do something about all of that… but I can’t be bothered. Don’t be like me. Don’t let your problems pile up. I have too many desktop icons Jon Martindale / Foundry This is one that my less-tech-savvy friends rag on me for. It’s not as bad as my 70-year-old mother’s desktop—which is more icon than background at this point—but I’ll admit it’s a bit chaotic. I don’t have any shortcuts there, but I do have far too many folders. They’re often for past projects I haven’t gotten back to in a while, but I swear I will… one day… Honestly, I think this is more aesthetic preference than anything, as functionally there’s little difference between having a folder where I save all my Photoshopped news thumbnails on the desktop or nestled deeper into a drive. Regardless, it doesn’t look super professional. Do as I say, not as I do Writing this article has been an eye opener for me. Not only did I not realize how many tech sins I was committing, but I never knew I was relying on so many stop-gap solutions. A lot of these issues could be solved by just spending a little more time doing things the right way, which I often evangelize in my how-to guides. The truth is, we may share all kinds of advice with you—whether it’s about good digital security habits, extending your SSD’s lifespan, buying a refurbished laptop, or being more productive with Windows 11—even if we aren’t perfect about heeding those very same tips. So, let me make this pledge to you, oh reader who holds yourself to a higher standard than this pontificating tech expert: I will do better. Perhaps I’ll write up another edition of this in a year and we can see how many of my sins I’ve absolved myself of. Read...

This year my laptop turns six–a relatively young age in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it’s gotten slower and the battery life has taken a hit, but since I don’t use it for advanced video editing or gaming, it’s no problem. For lighter workloads like web surfing and emailing, it gets the job done just fine. There’s really only one problem: my laptop is too old for a Windows 11 update. On October 14th, 2025, Windows 10 will reach the end of its life period, which means no new features or security updates. The former is not a big problem. The latter would be a disaster. I’m not alone in this situation. Over 50 percent of users are still running Windows 10, and this figure is gradually dropping. How many will have updated in six months’ time is anyone’s guess, but whatever the percentage, one thing is clear. A large proportion of the world’s 1.6 billion Windows PCs will still be running Windows 10 on October 14th, 2025. What makes this challenging is that Windows 11 is so technically demanding that it’s not possible to update all fully functional computers. Sadly, my six-year-old laptop is one of them. If Microsoft stops updating Windows 10, it would turn into a breeding ground for cybercriminals. A computer without security updates is not only a problem for the user, but it can also spread malware to others. This decision also creates major environmental problems. If a few hundred million fully functional computers are thrown away and users buy new ones, emissions will increase. Manufacturing new computers requires large amounts of energy and the extraction of rare metals. Microsoft has stated that security updates to Windows 10 will still be available for another year, but for a fee. Until now, businesses could subscribe to extended support for old Windows versions and now we consumers can do the same. This is, of course, tempting for Microsoft in the short term, but it’s not a sustainable solution. In such a situation, a large proportion of users would continue to run Windows 10 without paying, thereby compromising security for us all. I personally hope that Microsoft realizes that they should reconsider this decision. The only reasonable thing to do is to send out free security updates to Windows 10 as long as the system is widely used. It’s neither economically nor ecologically sustainable to sell computers with a six-year lifespan. We need to move away from the idea of computers, mobiles, tablets, and other technologies as disposable products. This is a transition from the throwaway society that we all need to make. If Microsoft is serious about being a sustainable company, they should immediately remove the death sentence on my six-year-old laptop and other working Windows 10 computers. Further reading: How to save your older PC when Windows 10 hits end of life Read...

On February 2nd, 2025, computer scientist and OpenAI co-founder Andrej Karpathy made a flippant tweet that launched a new phrase into the internet’s collective consciousness. He posted that he’d “fully given into the vibes” when programming with AI assistance. https://twitter.com/karpathy/status/1886192184808149383 The tweet of course kicked off a flame war, because that’s how X works, especially under the current management. But for me, the tweet hit home—because it perfectly describes how I use AI to code. My experience with vibe coding I’ve always had an interest in programming, because I’ve always had an interest in computers. I put together websites in HTML as a teenager (which, yes, were hosted on GeoCities) and have been occasionally dabbling in Python since. Yet none of my projects got very far and, apart from my early websites, I never made anything useful. My efforts all followed a familiar pattern: I’d fixate on a particular resource—like an O’Reilly book or an online course—and get started with great enthusiasm, but as I’d realize I was months or years away from creating anything remotely useful, I’d give up. I’ve used Claude AI to quickly generate a simple dice roller web app.Matt Smith / Foundry That changed in late 2024 when my general frustration with WordPress, which I was using for my personal website, got the better of me. In a fit, I threw my website’s content plus a screenshot of it into Claude 3.5 Sonnet and asked the AI to replicate my site with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. To my amazement, Claude 3.5 generated a functional website. It wasn’t perfect, but after a couple hours of working with Claude, I wound up with a website I liked even better than its WordPress predecessor. My approach was exactly what Karpathy described. I didn’t read the code, nor did I really try to understand it (though I did have to think a bit about how the featured articles carousel works). That aside, I just told Claude what to do, copy-and-pasted the results in VSCode, saved the file, and reloaded my browser to see what changed. And it worked. A work-in-progress screenshot of my Pico-8 puzzle game and the vibe-coded source.Matt Smith / Foundry But the most important part? It was fun! Fun enough that I’ve since tried my hand at several other coding projects. I made an online tool to track initiative and roll dice when DMing tabletop roleplaying games, I made another tool to simplify rolling dice in Battletech, and I’m currently making a puzzle game for the Pico-8 virtual game console. I also used AI to guide me through setting up tools that require a bit of fussing, like OpenAI’s Whisper speech-to-text model. Notably, all three projects were in different programming languages—HTML/JavaScript, Python, and Lua—none of which I’m even remotely proficient with. I’ve also dabbled in some C#, as I started to make the puzzle game in Unity before deciding it was overbuilt for my needs and swapping to Pico-8. I also toyed with turning my tabletop RPG tool into a Windows app before deciding that wasn’t helpful. The risks and pitfalls of vibe coding So, yeah, I’m vibing. But is it all good vibes? Or does vibe coding herald the same kind of AI slop-driven era for software as we’re seeing for blogs, forums, artwork, video, and music? That’s the big fear of critics, and it’s easy to understand those fears. Karpathy’s “vibe coding” is fast, fun, and approachable, but it isn’t rigorous, detail-oriented, or careful. The code written by AI will often work, but it can contain flaws that aren’t immediately obvious—and that raises an obvious question: how does a know-nothing programmer spot bugs and security flaws in AI-generated code? The simple answer is… they can’t. Take the case of Leonel Acevedo—better known as just “leo”—who posted about his experience vibe coding a SaaS startup, only to find himself dealing with major issues like unsecured API keys. It led to hundreds of videos and social media posts dunking on Leo’s naïveté: https://twitter.com/leojr94_/status/1901560276488511759 To be clear, I don’t have much sympathy for Leo. He used social media to promote his business with posts clearly built to drive engagement. And, well, that’s how chasing influence on social media works. Sometimes you’re the hero and sometimes you’re the villain. (Predictably, Leo is already making content about “rebuilding my SaaS in 30 days.”) Yet, I question what his problems are supposed to prove. Is vibe coding a SaaS and going straight into production dumb? Sure. But are most people vibe coding a SaaS startup and flinging it into the world like the baby in an Xbox commercial? Of course not. The reality is a lot more practical. Some people, like me, see vibe coding as a fun way to tackle simple projects that were previously out of reach. Others, including many software engineers, will use it as way to build prototypes, demonstrate proofs of concept, and—yes!—learn. It’s the blogging revolution… for code In a strange way, vibe coding reminds me of the circumstances from decades ago that paved the way for me to become a tech journalist. I grew up in a small midwestern town. My high school was so small, we didn’t even have a school newspaper. Then I went to college and got a degree… in English Literature. Not journalism or communications. I never wrote for the college paper, either. I then graduated college with no useful contacts or work experience. But I lucked out. I graduated right when the blogsphere exploded and social media took over the internet. Suddenly, formal credentials and an industry-specific degree, though helpful, weren’t necessary. So, I started writing—and eventually publications started paying me for it. I’ve been doing this now for 17 years. To me, vibe coding looks like it will do something similar for future software engineers and the programming landscape. Forget formal training. With AI assistance, people who are interested in programming don’t even need informal training. Anyone who knows their way around a laptop can ask ChatGPT about the tools they need to get started, how to install them and get them working, and generate the very code they need to get the first version of their project up and running. These people will make mistakes. A lot of the code generated will be bad, or at least inelegant. People will lose projects because they encounter a bug they can’t fix. The AI-generated code in my own projects is enough to make a senior software engineer go blind, I’m sure. But if it opens programming a bit wider to people (like me) who otherwise lack the patience to spend six months reading an O’Reilly tome just to spin up a halfway decent Python program, well, that seems like a win. Further reading: I spent $200/mo on ChatGPT Pro so you don’t have to. Here’s what I found and whether it’s worth it Read...

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Trump would enact `a special focus-type of tariff` on smartphones, computers and other electronics products in a month or two. Read...

The Trump tariffs have eased on many technology products, even those from China, according to a new amended executive order the Trump administration filed Friday night. The latest order is a “clarification of exceptions” to Trump’s earlier order on April 2, regarding tariffed goods imported to the United States from China. That order raised tariffs on Chinese goods to 125 percent. Those tariffs of 125 percent remain in place, but exempt a broad swath of the PC industry, plus smartphones. Essentially, it provides relief for PC and component buyers, which has already been plagued by high prices on computers and components. Specifically, the order exempts several classifications of products found on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which in turn provides an esoteric textual description pf products imported to the U.S. For example, one of the listed subheadings, 8473.30, includes “parts and accessories” of “automatic data processing machines” like computers. Those “parts and accessories” specifically describe memory modules. (In this case, The Trump order lists the subheading as 847330, excluding the decimal point.) The list basically includes computers and servers; smartphones; components like motherboards, processors, and memory; monitors; routers and switches; and devices with recorded media upon them, and more. The list also includes category 8542, covering “electronic integrated circuits,” LEDs, and transistors, and machines to produce semiconductors and components. It appears that Trump has totally withdrawn tariffs on all of these devices, based upon the “exemptions” the order lists. It also appears that these products are exempt from tariffs, no matter their country of origin. Gaming consoles like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 do not appear to be included in the exemptions. The entire list of exceptions can be found at the USITC.gov website. The exemptions include the following categories: 8471 847330 8486 85171300 85176200 85235100 8524 85285200 85411000 85412100 85412900 85413000 85414910 85414970 85414980 85414995 85415100 85415900 85419000 8542 Trump’s administration was scheduled to apply a chip tariff of 25 percent to chip imports by April 2, but never did. The president later stated that the chip tariffs would go “substantially higher” over the course of a year. Now, who knows? Read...