PC problems news

Some Windows PCs may wake from sleep because of third-party apps or Windows itself. If your PC is turning on when you did not expect it to, this could be the reason. The report does not give a fix, but it does point to possible causes to check on affected Windows PCs.

Microsoft may be turning Windows 11 Settings into a Microsoft Store app as part of Project Odeon. The change could speed up the long move away from Control Panel, which affects Windows 11 users who manage system settings there.

Windows users should stop disabling SSD defragmentation just to “protect” their drive. The old advice from the Windows 7 era no longer applies, and the summary says SSDs have been paying for it ever since. If you have been turning off defrag on your SSD, you can leave Windows’ built-in maintenance alone.

One Windows setting helped spot a fake PDF before it was opened. The story says a malware file used a PDF icon, which could trick Windows users into double-clicking it. If you use a Windows PC, check the file details before opening anything that looks like a document but may not be one.

Microsoft is killing off Publisher, and LibreOffice now offers free support for PUB files. Windows users who still have Publisher documents can use LibreOffice to open them without converting the files. If you rely on PUB files, this gives you another way to keep working with them after Publisher is gone.

Windows 11 26H2 is reducing memory usage, which may give some laptops nearly 2GB of RAM back. The change may not help low-RAM PCs as much as expected. If you use a Windows 11 laptop, there is nothing to do yet other than watch for how the update affects performance on your device.

Google Drive has removed Photos backups, which affects people who used it to back up PC folders. The summary says Google Photos can still back up folders from Chrome, so users who need that feature should check the Chrome option now.

Windows 11's Dev Drive can be used for more than development, and one writer moved a game library onto it. The post says this was done to cut long load times, so Windows 11 users who want faster game loading may want to consider the same setup.

Windows 11 has a hidden performance power plan that some users can unlock. The story says it may offer only limited upside and should not be enabled on every PC, so readers who want to try it should be cautious and use it only if they understand the tradeoff.

USB4 can silently fall back to USB 3 if a BIOS setting changes, according to this report. That affects Windows PC users with USB4 devices or enclosures that are not performing as expected. Check your BIOS settings and confirm USB4 is enabled if your drive or accessory suddenly seems slower than it should.

Microsoft has given Windows 10 another year of security updates. That affects older PCs that are still on Windows 10, especially machines that do not have a clear path to Windows 11. People using those PCs can keep getting security updates for now, but the Windows 11 upgrade path remains narrow.

Some Windows laptop users may see much slower Wi-Fi if their router is choosing the band automatically. The story says the same router and desk can produce very different speed results, and the fix is to stop relying on automatic band choice if it is causing poor performance.

Microsoft’s free profiler can help Windows users find what is slowing startup. In this case, a full boot trace showed overlapping work instead of one obvious culprit. People who want to troubleshoot a slow boot can use the profiler to look for startup bottlenecks and see what is happening during the boot process.

Windows 11 includes a built-in remote desktop app that can save you from paying for a separate one. The story says Microsoft does not advertise it, but it is already there for people who need to connect to another PC.

Samsung phone owners may not be getting the fastest charging from the USB cable that came in the box. The story says that cable will not hit 45W charging, so users who want the best charging speed should use a different cable that supports it.

Windows 11 Search is getting quick actions for common PC controls. The taskbar search area will let users access inline controls for Bluetooth, muting, and window layouts. This affects Windows 11 users who want faster access to these settings. If the change reaches your PC, you should be able to use Search as a shortcut for these actions instead of opening separate menus.

Windows still asks about a floppy-era setting when you format a drive. The story says this old Windows NT option has persisted for 30 years, so people formatting drives on Windows may still see it and should know it is a legacy setting rather than a new problem.

ASOS customers are receiving a threatening push alert through the shopping app that suggests the service has been hacked. The report affects ASOS app users, but the summary does not say what action readers should take yet.

Windows’ built-in ransomware shield switch is off by default, and the candidate story says it can stop apps from saving files. The issue affects Windows PC users who rely on this protection, especially if they expect it to be on already. If you want the shield enabled, check the Windows security setting and turn it on manually.

Some old printers may stop working on Windows 11 because Protected Print Mode blocks third-party drivers unless users or admins opt out. Windows 11 users with affected printers may need to change that setting or use the workaround to keep printing.

A Microsoft database was exposed after a teenager changed one login field to "admin." The story says an estimated 17.3 trillion Microsoft rows became accessible. Anyone using services tied to that database should watch for security notices and follow any guidance from Microsoft if it is issued.

Google is moving Gemini's advanced models behind a paywall, which affects free accounts. Free users will be limited to Flash Lite, while Pro features are moving to subscription plans. If you use Gemini on a free account, expect the change to take effect there and check whether you need to upgrade to keep the features you use.

A tiny keyboard key is getting a practical new role in Windows 11. The change is meant to shorten deep folder journeys and speed up troubleshooting for Windows PC users who work with files and system tools. If you use Windows 11, you can expect this shortcut to make navigation faster when the feature arrives.

Turning off 802.11b on a router can make smart devices feel snappier. The change affects homes where older Wi‑Fi support is still enabled on the ISP router, and the post says the setting is still switched on in plenty of routers.

A Windows game compression tool can save a lot of space, but the article says compressing every game is a mistake. The writer says games that use DirectStorage can stutter or stream assets more slowly after LZX compression, while many titles save very little space anyway. Windows decompresses these files on the fly, so the impact is often small on faster CPUs, but older processors may struggle. The advice is to check potential savings first, avoid DirectStorage games, and consider cleaning temporary files with Storage Sense instead.

A MakeUseOf article says the familiar 3-2-1 backup rule is missing a key step: testing restores. The writer found that backup files copied for months were corrupted, showing that having three copies on two media types with one offsite is not enough if the files cannot be restored. The article says Windows users should regularly restore a random file or folder, open it, and confirm the backup tool can retrieve it without errors. It also recommends keeping one immutable or air-gapped copy and treating verification as part of the backup plan.