How do I remove unwanted programs from my computer?
Uninstalling software properly on Windows and Mac, clearing what starts automatically, and telling junk from things the system needs.
beginner30 min2 min read
Computers
Speed, storage, maintenance and lifespan.
76 guides in Technology
Why is my computer screen flickering?
One test tells you whether a flickering screen is software or hardware in about thirty seconds. What it is, and what each answer means.
beginner20 min5 min readHow do I make a computer last longer?
The maintenance that genuinely extends a computer's useful life — heat, dust, storage headroom and knowing which upgrade is worth doing.
beginner1 hr3 min readWhat can my USB-C port actually do?
One connector, four separate capabilities, every one of them optional. Why two identical-looking ports behave completely differently, how to read the symbols, and why the cable matters as much as the socket.
beginner25 min7 min readWhat do I do about the spinning beachball on a Mac?
The multicoloured wheel means one application has stopped answering, not that the Mac has crashed. How to get control back without losing work, and how to find out which of four causes is behind it.
beginner25 min5 min readWhat is a driver, and do I actually need to update drivers?
The small pieces of software that let Windows talk to your hardware. Why most of them should be left alone, the three that genuinely matter, and why the programs offering to update them all are the problem rather than the solution.
beginner25 min6 min readWhy does my Mac say an app is damaged or from an unidentified developer?
Three different refusals with three different meanings: unidentified developer, damaged and cannot be opened, and blocked by security settings. What each one is actually telling you, and how to allow a genuine app without disabling the protection.
intermediate25 min6 min readWhy does my cursor jump around while I am typing?
A pointer that leaps mid-sentence, or a touchpad that has stopped responding altogether. The settings that cause both, and why the fix is usually one checkbox.
beginner15 min4 min readHow do I make my laptop battery last longer?
Settings that extend a single charge, and habits that extend the battery's total lifespan — two different things.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I take a screenshot or record my screen?
The built-in shortcuts on each platform, and how to capture only the part you need.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I use two screens properly?
Connecting them, arranging them so the mouse behaves, and the height and scaling settings people never adjust.
beginner30 min2 min readWhy does my PC say "Activate Windows", and what should I do about it?
The watermark in the corner and the greyed-out personalisation settings. What actually stops working, why it usually appears after a hardware change or a reinstall, and how to get it back without buying anything.
beginner25 min5 min readWhy is my computer showing the wrong time, and why does that break websites?
A clock that is out by minutes breaks sign-ins; a clock that is out by years breaks the whole web. The causes in order of likelihood, including the one that means a small part inside the machine has died.
beginner20 min5 min readCan I add more memory to my laptop?
On many laptops yes, on most recent thin ones no, because the memory is soldered on. How to check for certain before buying anything, and whether it will actually help.
intermediate1 hr3 min readHow do I keep an old computer or phone usable?
The upgrades and changes that extend a device's useful life, and the point at which it stops being safe to use.
beginner1 hr 30 min2 min readHow do I change which app opens a file?
PDFs opening in a browser, photos opening in something you never chose, links opening in the wrong browser. How default apps work, the difference between opening once and changing it for good, and what to do when the setting will not stick.
beginner15 min6 min readHow do I clean a laptop safely?
Cleaning screen, keyboard and vents without damaging coatings or forcing dust further in.
beginner25 min2 min readWhat is the BIOS or UEFI, and should I ever update it?
The layer underneath Windows: what it does, how to get into it, the handful of settings that actually matter to a home user, and the honest answer on whether to update it.
intermediate25 min6 min readWhat is the difference between sleep, hibernate and shut down?
Where your open work physically is in each case — and that single fact explains the speed, the power draw and the risk of all three.
beginner15 min4 min readWhy does my laptop get slower when it is unplugged?
It is almost always deliberate. Which settings cause it, how to tell an intentional slowdown from a failing battery or charger, and how to get the speed back without ruining battery life.
beginner20 min5 min readWhy has my fingerprint or face unlock stopped working?
Biometric sign-in that has stopped, on a laptop or a phone. The situations where it is switched off deliberately, the physical causes people never consider, and when re-enrolling is the answer.
beginner20 min5 min readWhy is my monitor not running at its full refresh rate?
You paid for 120Hz or 144Hz and the computer is sending 60. The four things that decide what a screen actually runs at, in the order to check them, and why the cable is more often the culprit than the settings.
intermediate25 min8 min readWhy will my computer not shut down?
Stuck on "Shutting down", or apparently off and still warm, or off and then on again by itself. The four different faults hiding behind one complaint, and how to tell them apart.
beginner25 min5 min readHow do I make text and screens easier to read?
Scaling, contrast and reading modes across computers, phones and browsers — built in, and mostly unused.
beginner20 min2 min read
Going deeper: DecisionHQ
Product and option comparisons with explicit criteria, rather than a single recommendation.