CCleaner has long been a classic among Windows system optimizers, and next year the much-loved tool will celebrate its 20th anniversary. It has such an enduring legacy and has been so popular that according to the provider, the freeware has now been downloaded almost three billion times worldwide. So, it’s time to take a detailed look at how to get the most out of the program to optimize your system. Just to explain: the large double C at the beginning of the word is not a spelling mistake, the spelling comes from the former tool name Crap Cleaner. The CCleaner program interface is well structured via the task bar on the left, making it easy to use. The main window shows information on the currently selected function.Sam Singleton The software deletes files very carefully and quite intelligently . The program takes care not to delete files that would impair system stability nor log-in data, such as for e-mail and similar, that you would then have to enter again. Installing CCleaner is quick and easy and the installer guides you through the process. There is a portable version as well, which is ready to go without installation and which you can also take with you on a USB stick for use on other Windows computers. Before we get started, a first tip: Please deactivate all pre-activated checkboxes in CCleaner under “Options -> Privacy“. This will prevent any data from being sent to the manufacturer. Clean up your system and hard drive with just a few mouse clicks When CCleaner starts, it suggests that you perform an initial system scan. To do this simply click on the central Scan button to begin. Later, you can check the system again at any time by clicking on Scan PC. If you have certain programs open when you start the scan, such as a browser, you will be asked to close them. As a result of the tool’s analysis, the tool usually suggests hundreds or even thousands of items for deletion. At the same time, you can see how much additional space is freed up on the hard drive. Click on Clean to follow the suggestions and tidy up your computer’s hard drive. In “Advanced cleanup” you can specify in detail and in some cases with an explanation what CCleaner should delete.Sam Singleton In addition to this quick run-through called “Health Check”, “Advanced Cleanup” on the left in the task bar offers further detailed options for cleaning up. These options are divided into the two sections “Windows” and “Applications”. In the first section, you can select in detail what CCleaner should and should not delete in the operating system. For example, it makes sense to delete downloaded programs and compressed files from the download folder. This is because you generally no longer need this data after installing or extracting it, whereas you may want to keep images or documents from the Internet. Most of the options are self-explanatory and have no direct influence on the functioning of the computer. The situation is different with the settings marked as “Advanced”. CCleaner therefore displays a brief explanation of the selected function as soon as you select an entry. In the “Applications” section, the program shines in that the user really only sees what is relevant for their individual computer after the scan. Anything that is not installed and therefore irrelevant is hidden and remains hidden. This makes it much easier to select the objects to be deleted. Under the individual programs, select what you want to delete and then click on Analyze at the bottom and then on Start Cleaner -> Continue to actually clean up. Ccleaner setup The installation of CCleaner is uncomplicated and can be completed quickly with two mouse clicks. After starting the setup, click on the Install button. You can save yourself time by the time of clicking “Custom” as the manufacturer has already customized the default settings. After a few seconds, CCleaner begins the installation, and that’s it. Reject any additional tools offered, such as AVG Anti-Virus or another browser. Close the reference to the paid Pro version first; we will come back to the extended functions of the subscription version at the end of this guide. In addition to the version for permanent PC optimization, CCleaner is also available in a portable version to take with you on a USB stick. After unpacking, copy the entire directory to the external data carrier, from which you can start CCleaner Portable on any Windows computer using the “Ccleaner64.exe” file. The extras: Various additional functions in CCleaner Free In addition to optimizing and freeing up space, the free version offers a range of other tools and functions. These can be found on the left under “Extras”. “Uninstall” lists the programs installed on your computer. In principle, you can also access it in the Windows Control Panel under “Uninstall programs” and in the Settings app under Apps -> Installed apps. Firstly, you should check the list from time to time for entries or software duplicates that are no longer required and delete unnecessary apps. Secondly, CCleaner also shows some Microsoft services that cannot be removed via the operating system: “Request help” is one such example. “Registry” is the only repair function that we do not recommend using. CCleaner sometimes shows over thousands of “recognized problems” here. However, the risk of damaging the operating system is significantly higher than the potential benefit. If you absolutely want to try out “Registry”, be sure to confirm the note in the next step and back up the complete registry database beforehand. CCleaner recognizes over hundreds of “problems” in the Windows registry on this computer. However, you should only fix them after you’ve backed up the registry file.Sam Singleton “Autostart” shows, among other things, what you also see in the Windows task manager under Autostart of apps. Further entries are added in the two tabs Scheduled tasks and Context menu. A positive note here: Over-ambitious users can only deactivate the entries in CCleaner under “Services”, but not completely remove them from the system. The “Browser plug-ins” show the installed extensions, separated by browser. The plug-ins can be deactivated, reactivated, or completely removed. “Disk Analyzer” provides an overview of the types of data that occupy the individual drives or partitions the most. CCleaner initially differentiates between images, music, documents, videos, e-mail, and compressed files. After the analysis, you can also filter according to individual file formats, i.e. JPG, PNG and so on for images. Specific files can be deleted via the context menu. “Duplicate Finder” detects files that have been saved more than once, take up unnecessary space on the data carrier and should therefore be deleted. The file size settings under Ignore can be used to restrict the search to particularly large duplicates. However, the freeware Alldup offers many more options for searching for duplicates and is therefore preferable to CCleaner for this purpose. “System Restore” makes it easy and clear to delete old restore points that are no longer required. This can open up several gigabytes of additional free space on your hard drive. “Hard Drive Wiper” deletes data from the hard drive. There are two different scenarios here: the “deletion” of free space and the complete deletion of the entire data carrier or a partition. “Free” here only means that Windows can use the storage space to save new data. However, it’s usually not free in the narrower sense because there are still remnants of previously deleted files there. If you want to ensure that none of these files can be recovered, CCleaner deletes these areas by overwriting them with other data in the meantime—several times if required. In principle, deleting entire drives works in the same way, but due to the Windows system it does not work with the system partition, only with other hard drive areas and other (external) data carriers. You can ignore the warning about premature SSD wear during deletion if you only use the program occasionally. Is the a subscription to the paid CCleaner Pro version worthwhile? In addition to the functions described above, you’ll see three other sections on the user interface: the “Performance Optimizer”, the “Driver Updater” and the “Software Updater”. These functions are usually marked with a red dot and display the number of problems recognized. However, these functions can only be used in the paid Pro version; they are disabled in the free version. This raises the question of whether it’s worth paying for the required Pro subscription. If you decide to upgrade to Pro, you’ll pay $44.95 per year for one device, $64.95 per year for up to three devices, or $79.95 for two years and three devices. If you want to save yourself the expense, you can use the free alternatives Snappy Driver Installer (SDI Lite) and UnigetUI to update hardware drivers and installed programs. The aforementioned Alldup and Revo Uninstaller are also free of charge. Both tools offer more and more sophisticated functions than the duplicate search and the uninstall option in the CCleaner freeware. CCleaner on the smartphone CCleaner is also available for Android smartphones and iPhones; you install the apps as usual via the Google and Apple app stores. Similar to the Windows version, the mobile app makes it easy for the user to delete superfluous data and thus create more free space on the internal device memory or on the inserted SD card. The CCleaner app for smartphones deletes superfluous data on the mobile device and thus creates new storage space for photos, apps and more. Sam Singleton The quick access to “memory hogs” is also practical, even if the app only redirects you to the overview and deletion option already available in Android and iOS. Some more advanced functions are also limited to the paid Pro version in the mobile app—the manufacturer is quite insistent in pointing this out in the free version. Read...

Qualcomm chief executive Cristiano Amon promised a “new phase of Snapdragon,” bringing, in his words, “AI everywhere.” One key technology: the next-gen “6G” technology, which will be ready in 2028. Google’s Rick Osterloh, senior director of devices and services, also indicated that his company was building a common technical foundation for PCs, apparently referencing an initiative to merge ChromeOS and Android. Qualcomm is celebrating ten years of the Snapdragon Summit here in Maui, the company’s promotional conference where it presents its roadmap to customers, developers, and fans. In 2024, Qualcomm set out to show how AI could be personalized through innovations like multimodal assistance and running large local models on the device. In 2025, Qualcomm will show you how it scales, Amon said. The approach isn’t new; many technology companies have talked about tapping computing where it lives, both in the cloud and on the edge. Amon said that same approach will be applied to AI, so that handhelds, computers, and servers will all work together. “AI is the new UI,” Amon said, putting AI where the user is. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon outlined several principles that he believes will guide AI.Mark Hachman / Foundry Qualcomm, which has predicted its success on its Snapdragon chips for smartphones, said that it’s expanding beyond smartphones with AI as well as silicon. Devices like a smartwatch are just extensions of the smartphone, Amon said. As AI takes over the phone, those devices will begin to interact with the phone’s AI, he said. It’s not a great exaggeration to say that those devices could be considered agents that will work with the smartphone on specific functions. Amon called that an “ecosystem of you.” Apps that run those devices, like glasses, will continue to evolve, Amon said. Simple applications like calendar or contacts, banking or bills, will be managed by AI. If there is a conflict, for example, the AI will resolve it. As AI technology evolves, Amon said that he sees the models evolving as well, into a collection of tiered models at the edge, designed to allocate tasks efficiently. The cloud will ingest the data and train the model, but it will be the edge that fine-tunes its training data and then applies the model to the user’s needs. “The amount of data will dwarf the amount of data that will train the models,” Amon said. “So that is going to be massive.” Those models and data will need to be communicated, and Qualcomm’s work in “6G” — the evolution of 5G — is going to assume that the network itself will intelligently communicate that data. Amon said that Qualcomm will have 6G “pre-commercial devices” as early as 2028. Qualcomm’s scenario assumes that you’ll be using a device like a smart ring or smart glasses that will recognize people, track steps, and be controllable using gestures, voice, or other means. If there’s a free moment, the AI will ask for your input on critical decisions. And that will carry over to your car, where the car’s computing platform will serve as a supplement for the computing horsepower already on your phones. Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, joined Amon on stage. In a talk that touched upon the first Android phones and other milestones in the two companies’ relationship, Osterloh referred to a “common technical foundation for PCs and desktop computing systems.” “In the past, we’ve always had very different systems between what we’re building in PCs and what we’re building in smartphones, and we’re working to combine that,” Osterloh said. “And I think that this is another way that we can leverage all of the great work we’ve been doing together on our AI stack…bring Gemini models, bringing our assistant, bringing all of our application and developer community into the PC domain.” Osterloh’s comments appear to refer back to and confirm earlier reports by Android Authority and others, which have reported that Google appears to be rewriting Chrome OS, the operating system for Chromebooks, and integrating it with Android. That effort is being referred to as “Project Aluminium,” a source said. “We’re really excited about this,” Osterloh added. “And I think that this is another way in which Android is going to be able to serve everyone in every computing category.” Amon appeared to imply that the two companies were working together on the project. Qualcomm paid for my travel, airfare, and meals to travel to its Snapdragon Technology Summit. The company did not ask for or exert control over PCWorld’s content. Read...

The gaming PC ecosystem should benefit greatly from the forced transition to Windows 11, an analyst firm wrote Friday, with a 35 percent increase in hardware sales alone during 2025. But there are clouds on the horizon: Over the next five years, millions will leave PC gaming entirely. Jon Peddie Research, which has followed the PC graphics market for decades, issued the incredibly optimistic result on Friday. The company’s prediction is that the market for global PC-based gaming hardware — which includes desktops and notebooks, DIY, and peripherals/accessories, JPR said — will grow 35 percent in 2025 to $44.5 billion. And the actual spending by consumers could be even more. “JPR applies a purchase motivation model to the PC gaming hardware market, which calculates financial market magnitude based on the customers’ intent to play video games with the hardware,” the firm said in a release. “As a result, JPR’s data is conservative in relation to total PC hardware expenditure.” JPR’s report comes a day after market researcher Canalys predicted that consumer PC sales in the United States alone will dip by 3.9 percent in 2025 to 25.284 million units, then grow 5.4 percent in 2026 to 26.651 million. Rival market researcher IDC forecast flat U.S. PC sales for the second quarter, though a 6.5 percent increase for the worldwide PC market. Tariffs have roiled the U.S. economy, including the PC market, boosting and lowering sales as they have come and gone. But retail sales in August did climb 0.6 percent, more than expected. Best Buy CEO Corie Bary told Yahoo Finance that shoppers were looking for deals. “We see almost everyone looking for value now,” Barry said. “We actually are seeing a consumer… bifurcated a bit, [that’s] still willing to spend if they really feel like it’s a great value.” Best Buy JPR, however, took into account PC sales as well as DIY components and accessories, all of which has been affected by the Windows 10-to-Windows 11 transition, which goes beyond the financial cost. “Never before in the history of the Microsoft Windows operating system has there been a forced hardware migration requirement,” said Ted Pollak, JPR’s senior analyst of game tech, in a statement. “And this cannot be solved by swapping out a graphics card. It requires a CPU upgrade for over 100 million gamers, which, in turn, requires a motherboard upgrade and most likely RAM as well.” Pollak said that most PC gamers are simply buying new prebuilt systems. But those who built their own systems are prepared, too. The DIY gamers are also prepared for this transition, and many have been building new computers alongside their existing Windows 10 PCs, instead of trying to Frankenstein their current systems,” Pollak said. “This allows them to continue using their PC until their Windows 11 builds are complete.”  Trouble on the horizon? JPR has tracked PC graphics for more than 30 years, and the company reported earlier that Intel’s share in PC graphics had sunk to essentially zero. The future, however, looks less rosy to JPR’s president, Jon Peddie. Peddie said that the firm is projecting a “significant decrease in entry-level PC gaming” over the next five years, reducing the number of entry-level gamers by 13 percent. “Included in this drop are over 10 million people leaving the PC platform entirely,” Peddie said in a statement. “Consoles, handhelds, and mobile all offer compelling value for the budget-limited gamer. However, a few million entry-level defectors are not actually leaving the PC platform but are migrating to the more expensive hardware tiers of midrange and high-end PC hardware.” Read...

When Microsoft’s Copilot key first poofed into existence, I tilted my head and thought… Wait, another shortcut key? I’ve definitely been here before. Does anyone remember the Cortana key? The Office key? The F-Lock key? I hear nothing but the sound of crickets from the peanut gallery, and that’s because none of them stood the test of time.  So, why do new shortcut keys (like Microsoft Copilot) fail to launch? Or maybe launch in the way companies want them to? Well, the answer is embarrassingly simple. Those keys were just plain unnecessary or confusing. Sure, they helped a tiny slice of people, but they weren’t really built for the rest of us. If it doesn’t save you time or actually make life easier, then why bother? Were those keys even made for real people? Microsoft’s shortcut key graveyard Let’s pour one out for the keys that never made their mark in history. The Cortana key, for instance, summoned Microsoft’s voice assistant. The key was supposed to save you the time it’d take to enter the Windows key + C combination, which activated Cortana’s listening mode. But in practice, it was actually quicker to just use that combo, and people prefer to stick with something they’re already familiar with. Many folks didn’t like the idea of Cortana “actively listening,” either–it rightfully raised some privacy concerns. The Office key is another one, which is similar to today’s Copilot key. It promised quick access to Word and Excel, but what it really did was relentlessly pester you into opening Word and Excel. It wasn’t all that helpful for most people, in fact it was mostly chaos.   The F-Lock key was an oddball, that’s for sure. It toggled between standard function and special function, and nobody knew what the heck that meant or if it was on or off. Set it off and suddenly your F5 key is trying to open the calculator instead of refreshing the web page.  These keys, as you might’ve guessed, quietly faded out with time. But that raises a real big question, that question being… Why don’t these shortcuts ever stick? IDG / Mark Knapp Muscle memory is such a deeply ingrained thing, isn’t it? It’s in everything, especially in how we type and interact with our computers and other tech. Throw in or take out a random key and boom! Everything’s all topsy-turvey. For the majority of folks, daily habits are difficult to break and re-wire. But what about accessibility users? Abrupt, unwelcome changes to their keyboard may very well be catastrophic to their daily flow. Unless people are taught to use these keys, they just go, well, unused, taking up valuable real estate on the keyboard — and crucially changing the standard placement of keys, just shifting everything a wee bit off. There’s nothing more panic-inducing than accidentally pressing the wrong key, especially if you’re in the middle of a work presentation–it just disrupts your whole flow and throws you off. AI is the golden goose right now OpenAI AI’s the new “it” girl at the party and everyone’s chasing her (a little creepy, if you ask me). And Microsoft is jumping on this trend like a lion on a gazelle by hardwiring AI directly into the hardware. It’s probably the fastest way to get to Microsoft’s AI assistant. Press the key down and up pops Copilot, and it’s ready to draft your e-mails or conjure up images. On paper, that sounds cool. But AI hit like a crashing wave and before we knew it, we were entirely submerged. For me, I’d rather be the one to decide when and if I jump in. I don’t want anyone to make that choice (looking at you, Microsoft) for me. Is Copilot doomed? So, what do these shortcut keys (now ancient relics) tell us about Copilot’s chances? The hype builds and builds, then there’s the heavy marketing push, and then… cue the tumbleweeds. Companies often roll out shiny new things, it’s kind of par for the course. But at the same time, it’s important to acknowledge the weird disconnect between what users actually want and what Microsoft keeps trying to spoonfeed them with these dedicated keys.  I think it’s still too soon to know if the Copilot key will join the graveyard of forgotten keys. If it fits naturally into one’s workflow and day-to-day life, then sure. But if Reddit is anything to go by, the response is very mixed. It seems to help as much as it hinders.  The takeaway I really get why Microsoft’s pushing with the Copilot key, I really do. It could help people, especially if it genuinely boosts productivity. But shortcuts work only if they serve us and not the other way around. Given Microsoft’s disastrous history with dedicated keys, and people generally shrugging at Copilot, I worry this will wind up being just another victim buried deep in Microsoft’s keyboard graveyard. Read...

Microsoft’s support for Windows 10 officially ends on October 14th, 2025, although there are ways to use Windows 10 a little while longer. With extended security updates (ESU), you can receive a year of extra updates that’ll keep you protected while you weigh your options. There are risks to continuing use of your Windows 10 PC after end of support without getting extended updates. For some, the only real option is to upgrade to a newer PC with Windows 11—but that would mean tossing their Windows 10 PC, which isn’t ideal for the environment due to all the e-waste it would create. Fortunately, that seems to be on Microsoft’s mind too. Apparently, some users are receiving offers from Microsoft to trade in their old Windows 10 computers. Windows Latest has reportedly discovered evidence of this trade-in program, but there’s been no official announcement of it. In the ESU Assistant, which currently isn’t available in all countries, there’s a new path for trading in old Windows 10 PCs: Windows Latest The offer apparently exists for both consumer and business devices, and it leads to the Microsoft Store where you can choose whether you want to exchange your computer for money or “recycle for good.” The latter is possible if your PC isn’t accepted for trade-in. Whether your PC is accepted and how much you can get for trade-in value will depend on several factors, presumably including the age of your device and the hardware components in it. Microsoft obviously wants that money to be invested in new Windows 11 PCs. Read...

Every Windows PC usually starts from the built-in hard drive, as the term “Windows PC” implies. This is because the Microsoft operating system is not anchored in or with the hardware, but is installed on your storage device. However, given the right environment, the computer can also be started in other ways: from CD/DVD, via the network and from external data carriers such as USB flash drives. Because flash drives are most important for external booting, our guide focuses on this scenario. In principle, however, the explanations also apply to other connected storage, such as larger USB hard drives, internal data carriers that are connected via USB cable or adapter, and inserted SD and micro SD cards. Why boot Windows from a flash drive? If the PC usually starts with Windows from the hard drive, the question is justified as to why you should boot from a USB stick. In some cases there are good or even compelling reasons for this. For example, if you bought the computer without Windows, you have to install the operating system first. This can be done easily, quickly and flexibly from a flash drive with customizations. Or if Microsoft’s operating system no longer starts even in safe mode, you can of course reinstall it. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Firstly, however, it is advisable to attempt a repair with a bootable rescue system. The same applies to malware and virus infections as well as accidentally deleted data. This is because an externally booted, so-called live system also provides access to files that are hidden by Windows or the malware. When recovering data, it is crucial that a live system, unlike Windows, does not overwrite empty hard drive areas without being asked, thereby reducing the chances of recovery. Booting from a USB stick also helps with system-related operations such as partitioning the system hard drive and cloning the complete system onto a new PC or a larger SSD. Finally, live systems make it easy to try things out: Instead of installing a Linux distribution or something else on an additional partition including dual boot, booting from the stick eliminates any configuration effort. Important knowledge so that everything works when booting You might be familiar with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool: It creates bootable flash drives for installing Windows 10 and 11. With this tool, all you need to do is confirm the default settings five times, so you don’t have to change anything to configure the setup stick. If it’s so easy, why bother with (a bit of) theory? In fact, the Media Creation Tool hardly causes any problems. But “how” Windows is installed with it is beyond anyone’s control. However, the way it is installed is crucial for certain functions and is therefore important, as the new system should run as long and error-free as possible. Back to the Windows installation stick. All newer computers have long been working with the modern bios successor Uefi (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). This interface between the mainboard and other hardware ensures that all components function smoothly. Two advantages of Uefi over the old bios are the Secure Boot security function and the GPT (Guid Partition Table) partition style of the boot hard disk. Because the latter is closely linked to starting the computer in true Uefi mode and many computers continue to support the bios compatibility mode, the correct installation and operating mode is crucial. Because the Uefi menus differ from PC to PC, a particular setting is not always easy to find – if it is not missing altogether. The picture shows the choice of boot mode. IDG However, this is not easy to control, as Uefi has hardly any fixed standards: Sometimes the compatibility mode is called “CSM” (for “Compatibility Support Module”), sometimes “Legacy Bios”, sometimes simply “Legacy”. Some motherboards even change the boot mode automatically if the Uefi boot fails. In addition, each Uefi menu is structured differently and certain functions cannot always be found immediately – every motherboard and PC manufacturer really does its own thing here. However, as the Media Creation Tool does not allow any settings for the Windows startup mode, you may only be able to see after installation whether the PC is starting in true Uefi mode and the hard drive is running in GPT partition style. Rufus – More control during Windows installation Rufus offers much more configuration control for your Windows setup stick. This is how it works: Insert a USB stick of at least eight GB into the computer and then start Rufus; no installation is required. At the top of the program interface, you will see the inserted USB flash drive under “Drive”. In the line below, check whether the small black arrow is present on the far right behind “Selection”. If not, click on the settings icon at the bottom and change the “Check for new version” setting from “Disabled” to “Daily (default)”. After two clicks on “Close”, restart Rufus, now with a selection arrow for downloading the ISO file from Windows. The two functions mentioned are marked in the illustration at the top right. Tip: As an alternative to downloading via Rufus, you can obtain the ISO files from Microsoft or via the Windows ISO Downloader tool. Continue by clicking on the arrow behind “Selection”, switch to “Download” and click on the button again. Now select the desired Windows version including language and 64-bit architecture. Once everything is set, download the ISO file via “Download”, confirm the storage folder in the next step and wait until the download is complete. Before you click on the “Start” button straight away, take another look at the program interface: For real Uefi operation, the option “GPT” and to the right of it “Uefi (without CSM)” are correct as “Partition scheme”. Finally, create the bootable stick by clicking on “Start -‘ OK -‘ OK”. A stick configured with the option “Uefi (without CSM)” ensures that Windows works in real Uefi mode. On newer computers, it is usually sufficient to insert the stick, switch on the PC and press the boot selection button displayed on the monitor when starting. Use the arrow keys to select the USB stick and confirm with Enter to start the Windows installation. If booting from the stick fails, check the boot mode setting in the Uefi menu again and switch to “Uefi” if necessary. Also check that “Secure Boot” is activated. Tip: You can access the Uefi menu from the Windows operating system by clicking on “System -‘ Recovery -‘ Advanced Boot -‘ Restart Now -‘ Troubleshooting -‘ Advanced Options -‘ UEFI Firmware Settings -‘ Restart” in the Settings app. In Windows 10, “Recovery” is located under “Update and Security” instead of “System”. Important: There is no single correct boot option for all systems. If a live system does not offer Uefi, select the CSM variant in the Uefi menu of the PC to boot from the special stick. If booting from the stick fails What should you do if a USB stick boots without problems on other computers but not on one? First make sure in the Uefi menu that general booting via USB is authorized (“Enabled”). You may need to switch on the option separately for different USB ports. If the problem persists, plug the stick into a different socket. On a notebook, try both sides of the device; on a desktop PC, try the front and back – the only thing that really helps is trial and error. Avoid using USB docks and other pass-through sockets. Not all USB sockets on a computer are equally suitable for booting from a stick. In practice, the only thing that helps on both notebooks and desktop PCs is trial and error. IDG The stick configuration may also not match the current Uefi settings: Change the boot mode from “Uefi” to “Legacy” or vice versa. If the Uefi supports both modes at the same time, try this setting. Depending on the contents of the stick, the mobile data carrier may then appear twice. Another stick can also help. Many other tools: Balena Etcher, Unetbootin & Co. There are also a number of other tools for generating bootable USB sticks. Balena Etcher is characterized by its particularly simple operation. After selecting the ISO file – either saved locally or as a download link – and the flash drive, simply click on the “Flash” button. This is convenient, but nothing can be configured. The interface of ISO to USB is unadorned, but the program fulfils its purpose. Unetbootin focuses on different Linux distributions so it’s not recommended for Windows systems. With Universal USB Installer, the name says it all: In addition to dozens of different Linux variants, the tool offers presets for various anti-virus, rescue and emergency systems. The tool also creates installation sticks for Windows 10 and 11 by selecting the option “Windows 10 or 11 Installer”, not (!) “Windows 10 or 11 on USB”. With Balena Etcher, bootable sticks are created in no time: select the ISO file on the left, specify the USB stick in the centre, then start by clicking on “Flash” on the right. IDG Finally, Universal USB Installer can create multi-boot sticks, i.e. mobile data carriers with several installation or live systems from which you can select the one you want. Win-USB also supports multi-boot sticks, but here the pre-selection of systems is very limited. We will come back to the multi-boot sticks at the end of this guide. The prerequisite for creating bootable sticks with all the tools is the ISO file. You can usually download this from the provider’s website and then integrate it into Rufus & Co. Sometimes, however, a Google search is quicker than contacting the software provider itself. For licensing reasons, not all ISO files can be freely downloaded from the Internet. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro This applies, for example, if a live system is not based on Linux, but on Windows PE (Preinstallation Environment) from Microsoft. In these cases, you must first install the Windows software and then generate the ISO file. The option can usually be found on the software interface under “Tools”, “Tools”, “Boot medium”, “Rescue” or similar. The ISO file is created with just a few mouse clicks and all the components required for Windows PE are then automatically downloaded from the Internet. Finally, you can generate your boot stick from the finished ISO file using Rufus, for example. Converting a PC from CSM to UEFI mode Computers that have long since been upgraded from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 or 11 may still be running in CSM compatibility mode, although true UEFI operation would be possible. You can check this by typing msinfo in the Run field in the taskbar. If the system overview shows the entry “UEFI” after the “BIOS mode” entry, the PC is running in true Uefi mode. However, if it says “Previous version”, we recommend changing the system. To do this, check whether the mainboard supports Uefi mode in the Uefi menu as described. If the PC is running in CSM compatibility mode (“previous version”) and the conditions are right, it can easily be switched to real Uefi operation. IDG If this is the case, first convert the system data carrier to the GPT partition style using the MBR2GPT tool integrated in Windows before switching to true Uefi mode. Multiboot: Packing several live systems onto one USB stick Reserving separate boot sticks for the many live and installation systems would be confusing and a waste of sticks. You can avoid both with a multiboot system, where you call up the system of your choice after booting. Ventoy makes it easy to create and configure a multi-boot stick. To save several systems, select a sufficiently large stick with 16 gigabytes or more storage space if possible. After inserting the stick, start Ventoy and click on “Install -‘ Yes -‘ Yes” on the interface. This step, which is only necessary at the beginning, makes the stick bootable and creates two partitions of different sizes on it. While the smaller of the two often remains invisible in Windows Explorer, the larger one appears as a normal drive: you copy the ISO files of your choice to this drive. After booting from the stick, the Ventoy interface lists the different boot systems with their file names for selection and starting. While FAT32 is the appropriate file system for most boot sticks, Ventoy uses exFAT. This also allows ISO files over four GB in size. Tip: To add or remove a system, add or delete the corresponding ISO file in the Windows file explorer. Read...

Microsoft has begun testing a new feature in Windows 11 that changes how Xbox controllers work in the operating system, reports The Verge. Holding the Xbox button now opens the Windows Task View—a surprisingly useful feature more people should use—making it easier to switch between apps and games. Meanwhile, a short press of the button will still open the Game Bar as it did before, while a longer press will still switch off the Xbox controller. This new feature is currently being tested in the Windows 11 Insider build on the Dev Channel and is expected to become generally available to all Windows 11 users in the coming months once tested. The change is believed to be related to Microsoft’s push into handheld gaming PCs, with Asus’ upcoming ROG Xbox Ally models getting a dedicated activity window. However, it isn’t yet clear whether the same interface will come to all Windows 11 computers. Read...

I used to spend upwards of $10 on cans of compressed air for cleaning my PC and accessories—and every time I bought one, I’d always eye the electric air dusters in envious consideration. I knew it made financial sense to spend $30 up front to never buy compressed air again, but it was tough to justify spending that much just to blow out dust. But eventually I folded. I hated going back to buy yet another can every few months, racking up a bill for basically nothing… so I bit the bullet and bought this 2-in-1 cordless air duster and vacuum. (Actually, mine’s not available anymore, but the one I linked is nearly the same.) Jon Martindale / Foundry And let me tell you: it was $35 well spent. It’s as gloriously over the top as I’d hoped and far more effective than I’d expected. I’ll never have to buy cans of compressed air ever again, and my only regret is that I didn’t buy it sooner. Plus, it’s also a vacuum! What a bonus. It’s better than cans of compressed air Compressed air is great at cleaning inside computers, under keyboard keys, and inside any other nooks and crannies that are either too tight or too sensitive for your typical vacuum cleaner. But compressed air has its quirks. It’s hard to control the strength of each puff, making it feel almost arbitrary—you never know exactly how far you need to hold the can when blowing on certain components. It also has the habit of spitting out liquid propellant if you spray too long, it doesn’t last very long, and you have to keep buying more when it runs out. That’s bad for the environment and your wallet. An electric air duster doesn’t have that problem… and it often comes as a 2-in-1 device with vacuum capabilities. My Whatook air duster and vacuum can blow and suck at an impressive rate, making it useful for not just dusting things off but actively removing dirt and debris. Would you rather blow around the dust inside your PC case or suck it out? Before (left) and after (right). It’s not perfect, but it makes a real difference.Jon Martindale / Foundry The fact that it’s consistent means it can be more useful. You can happily blast away at a huge 480mm radiator with abandon, knowing that if it runs out of battery you can just charge it up again. No need to use quick bursts to avoid condensing propellant on your electronics or to save what little air the can has left for other jobs. You can use it how an air duster is supposed to be used: with all the powah! Yomile 2-in-1 Cordless Duster and Vacuum Best Prices Today: $33.24 at Amazon It’s more effective than expected Seriously, I laughed out loud the first time I used this on my graphics card and CPU AIO radiator. The amount of dust that came out was ridiculous. I wipe them down often and usually do a good job of keeping my dust filters clear enough to keep my PC as dust-free as possible. But with this 2-in-1 electric air duster, I really gave them a good clean. The vacuum attachment is nice. But it’s primarily a blower, not a sucker.Jon Martindale / Foundry It doesn’t remove caked-on dust, so just as you wouldn’t use compressed air to remove that kind of grime, know that this cordless vacuum isn’t going to magically clean it either. But for surfaces that are tricky to clear out, like between heatsink fins and fan shrouds? It’s perfect. I love this thing. It feels like it’d be a one-time-use gimmick, but it’s really the opposite of that. It saves me money, it’s fun to use, and it’s quite effective at its job. I recommend it to all PC owners. Forget the cans. Get this 2-in-1 cordless air duster and vacuum insteadBuy now on Amazon 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: 12 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. 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 $23 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 only $10, 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. 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, 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 $15 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...

Greetings from Maryland, where I’m currently visiting family and using one of the best impulse buys I’ve made in recent memory. I’m taking about those cheap portable monitors that go on sale for about $50 on Amazon, available under a variety of unrecognizable brand names. The one I got is made by BIGASUO (a name I can’t stop saying), but you can find seemingly identical models from the likes of FANGOR and MNN. They all serve the same basic purpose as a travel-friendly way to add an extra screen to your laptop, and they all have the same basic features: 15.6-inch 1080p display USB-C or Mini HDMI input Built-in speakers Audio jack for headphones or external speakers A detachable folio stand Some variants, such as this one by the unfortunately named Dopesplay, have actual built-in kickstands instead of folio cases that double as makeshift stands, but otherwise appear identical. Are these monitors great quality-wise? Of course not. But they’re cheap, light, and versatile. They’re also refreshingly free from a lot of modern tech baggage. I’ve had a great time finding ways to use mine. Allow me to convince you why you should get one of these, too. This column first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get tech advice like this every Tuesday. How does a portable monitor work? These portable screens work a little differently than full-sized monitors, mainly because they don’t have regular HDMI, DisplayPort, or VGA inputs. To connect these monitors, you have a couple options: USB-C to USB-C data cable. This provides power and video to the portable monitor through a single cable, but requires your computer to support video output through a USB-C port. (Modern Macs can do this, and many recent Windows laptops are catching up.) Mini HDMI to HDMI. For computers with HDMI outputs, you can send video to the portable monitor via Mini HDMI, but you’ll need a separate USB-C cable to power the monitor as well. A single USB-C data cable can provide video and power, or you can use the Mini HDMI and USB-C power ports instead.Jared Newman / Foundry Note that these travel-friendly displays don’t have built-in batteries, so they must draw power from either your laptop or an outlet. The lack of a battery makes the monitor lighter, but if you’re using the USB-C to USB-C connector, you’ll likely want to keep your laptop plugged into its own power source for lengthy computing sessions. My BIGASUO monitor included all the necessary cables, but they’re on the short side. To lengthen the connection distance, you’ll either need an HDMI extender or a USB-C to USB-C cable with 10 Gbps transfer speeds. (A basic USB-C charging cable won’t suffice for video connections.) What is a portable monitor good for? The most obvious use for a portable monitor is the main one: while using a laptop on the go, you can attach the portable monitor, prop it up with a stand, and have two screens instead of one. If you’ve never used a dual monitor setup before, this can be a revelation in itself. It’s nice being able to reference a document on one screen while writing on the other, or use one screen just for things like email and Slack while freeing up the main screen for more important tasks. I’ve also managed to prop up my BIGASUO monitor in portrait mode, which can be a bit precarious at times but does make my mobile workspace a bit more compact. (You can rotate the monitor orientation in system settings on both Windows PC and Mac.) Beyond the dual-screen setup, I’ve also experimented with: Turning a phone into a computer: Paired with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, your phone can become a makeshift portable desktop. Samsung’s Galaxy phones are especially well-suited with Samsung DeX, which launches a desktop-like environment when the phone connects to an external display. (You can even use the phone screen as a touchpad.) Plugging a separate USB-C charging cable into the monitor will send a charge back to the phone so you don’t waste battery life. A Samsung Galaxy Fold7 running DeX mode on the monitor, with the phone as a touchpad.Jared Newman / Foundry An extra (or alternate) desktop display: You don’t have to use a portable monitor on the road. I’ve been plugging mine into my desktop gaming PC in the basement while my son occupies the TV with the PlayStation 5. (We have plans to play Fortnite together this way but haven’t gotten around to it yet.) A bigger portable video screen: I’ve connected the portable monitor to my Steam Deck for a bigger view of the action, and I can envision plugging it into a phone or tablet to watch movies in bed or on a plane. A portable monitor just works In the past, I’ve written about using a tablet as an external monitor—and that’s still a viable option. Portable monitors are larger than most tablets, though, and they’re also less finnicky to set up. Not to get overly philosophical here, but portable monitors also remind me why I get excited about technology to begin with. Unlike so many other tech products today, a portable monitor is a no-fuss device that just works when you plug it in, asking nothing of you in exchange. There’s no pairing process, no login procedure, and no privacy policy to accept. I often hear folks pining for a dumb alternative to modern smart TVs—if you ask me, that idea is alive and well in portable monitors. But the biggest endorsement I can offer is this: my wife, after borrowing my portable monitor a couple days ago, now wants one of her own. This column first appeared in Advisorator, Jared’s weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get tech advice like this every Tuesday. Read...