Guiding Tech

Keeping Task Manager on top of all other windows in Windows 10 or 11 can be really useful, especially when you’re: Dealing with crashed or frozen games or full-screen applications. Monitoring CPU, GPU, memory, and disk usage while actively using other software. Identifying suspicious processes or unusual resource usage that may indicate malware. Here are three effective ways of how to keep Task Manager on top .

If your laptop freezes when HDMI is plugged in, the cause is usually some sort of graphics driver or display driver issue between the laptop’s hardware and the monitor’s firmware. There are several possible options for troubleshooting, so go through the fixes one by one.. In some cases, the cable you use might have an issue (such as degraded internal insulation) that causes the laptop to overcorrect or completely freeze up.

If you’re finding that your PC’s USB ports are not recognizing anything you’re putting in them, then you might be searching for fixes. Thankfully, we’ve got some. This article will show you some troubleshooting steps for USB ports not detecting devices (Windows 11). If your USB ports are not recognizing devices, there can be a few causes behind this, including hardware issues like damaged ports to software troubles like corrupted drivers.

There are plenty of symbols and characters we use in our emails every day, not to mention those that other people and countries use into the bargain. If you’re having trouble sending or reading emails due to Outlook not showing special characters, then this article is here to help you with some troubleshooting. If you’re seeing quotation marks where special characters ought to be in Outlook, then you’re primarily dealing with the app failing to successfully interpret them.

Watching a movie on a flight or splitting your earbuds so a friend can hear the same song used to mean a headphone splitter or an awkward single-earbud handoff. The Windows 11 Shared Audio feature fixes that by letting your PC output one audio stream to two Bluetooth devices at once, without any cables or third-party apps involved. Here’s how it works and how to use it. The Windows 11 Shared Audio feature works by splitting the output at the system level and pushing it to devices in parallel.

Quick Tips Start with Display Settings and confirm both the resolution and scale are set to the values marked “Recommended.” This alone fixes most cases. If Windows looks correct but the picture still doesn’t reach the edges, check the monitor’s own on-screen menu. If it’s only one game or app that won’t fit the entire screen, the fix is almost always in that program’s own display settings or compatibility options.

Quick Tips This setting doesn’t overclock your CPU but only changes how quickly and how often Windows requests boost states from a processor that already supports them. Back up the Registry or create a System Restore point to make sure you can roll back any wrong settings. This is a different feature from Windows 11’s newer Low Latency Profile, but the two can run side by side without conflicting.

Quick Tips A green checkmark in the Windows Security app is the easiest way to confirm an updated certificate, while a yellow or red badge means your device needs attention. Without an updated certificate, future boot components and security updates may fail Security Boot validation. PCs built in 2024 or later typically ship with the updated certificates, so this mostly affects older hardware still running on the original 2011 chain.

Quick Tips Collections and the Sidebar app list were removed from Microsoft Edge starting June 4, 2026, in an effort by Microsoft to emphasize Copilot functions. An unofficial command-line flag can sometimes bring Collections back, but it doesn’t work for everyone, and Microsoft can disable it at any time (making it a temporary solution). If you can still see your collections, export them to OneNote or Office right away.

Quick Tips A Windows volume bar that keeps popping up is a sign of hardware or software trouble. Try running the built-in audio troubleshooter, update your machine, or clean boot to troubleshoot third-party services. From the hardware side, unplug devices and check for stuck keys. It’s expected that the Windows 11 volume bar will appear every time you make an adjustment to your volume, or mute or unmute things, but if it refuses to go away after a second or two, things can get annoying pretty fast.