Short, direct answers to the setup and troubleshooting questions people actually search for, followed by full step-by-step instructions.
Recent Windows 11 builds can extract 7Z archives from File Explorer: right-click the file and choose Extract All. If that option is missing or the archive is encrypted, install 7-Zip and use its right-click menu instead.
Windows
macOS cannot open RAR archives on its own. Install Keka or The Unarchiver from the developer's site or the Mac App Store, set it as the handler for .rar files, then double-click the archive.
Mac
Windows 11 cannot add a password to a ZIP archive by itself. Use 7-Zip: right-click your files, choose 7-Zip > Add to archive, set the format, and enter a password with AES-256 encryption.
Windows
In 7-Zip's Add to archive dialog, use the "Split to volumes, bytes" field and enter a size such as 25M or 1900M. Send every resulting part; the recipient extracts by opening the .001 file.
Windows · Mac
On Windows, run certutil -hashfile filename SHA256 in Command Prompt. On macOS, run shasum -a 256 filename in Terminal. Compare the output with the value published by the developer — they must match exactly.
Windows · Mac
Confirm you are on the developer's own domain, check the installer's digital signature, verify the published checksum when one exists, and read every setup screen for bundled offers before clicking Next.
Windows · Mac
Pick one manager, create a long passphrase you never reuse, turn on two-factor authentication, import your browser-saved passwords, then replace reused passwords starting with email and banking.
Windows · Mac
Download the official Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft, open Rufus, select your USB drive and the ISO, choose GPT with UEFI, then click Start. The drive is erased completely.
Windows
Open Settings > System > Storage for a category breakdown, or install Everything and search size:>1gb to list every large file on your drives instantly.
Windows
Drag the app from Applications to the Trash for a basic removal, or use AppCleaner to also delete the preference, cache, and support files the app leaves in your Library folder.
Mac
Windows 11 and 10 cannot open RAR archives without extra software. Install 7-Zip, WinRAR, or PeaZip, then right-click the .rar file and choose Extract to open it.
Windows
Right-click any file or folder in File Explorer and choose Compress to ZIP file to create a ZIP archive with no extra software. For higher compression or other formats, install 7-Zip.
Windows
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find the program, click the three-dot menu, and choose Uninstall. For leftover files and registry entries, follow up with a dedicated uninstaller like Revo Uninstaller.
Windows
Press Windows key + Alt + R to start the built-in Xbox Game Bar recorder for quick clips. For full-screen recording, webcam overlays, or streaming-quality output, use OBS Studio instead.
Windows
Press Windows key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool's region selector, capture the area you want, then paste it wherever you need it. It is copied to your clipboard automatically.
Windows
Use HandBrake, a free open-source converter, to change a video's format, resolution, or file size on Windows 11 or 10. Open the source file, pick a preset, and click Start Encode.
Windows
Use PDF24 Creator, a free Windows tool, to combine multiple PDFs into one file: open its Merge PDF tool, drag your files into order, and save the combined document.
Windows
Press Windows key + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter to see a full summary of your CPU, memory, and OS build in Windows's built-in System Information tool. For deeper hardware detail, use HWiNFO or Speccy.
Windows