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Make everyday computer tasks and troubleshooting less mysterious.
Search this topicPress the Windows key and Print Screen together to capture the screen. Open File Explorer, then Pictures and Screenshots to find the saved image. Some keyboards require an additional Fn key to use Print Screen. If your device has no Print Screen key, Microsoft also documents Fn, Windows key, and Space as an alternative on supported hardware. Check the saved image before sharing it for anything private.
Open Settings, System, then Storage and review Cleanup recommendations. Look through each proposed category and select only items you no longer need before choosing Clean up. Pay particular attention to personal files and downloads instead of accepting every suggestion automatically. Removing files to free space can delete information you still need, so keep another copy of anything important. Recheck the storage summary afterward to see how much space you recovered.
Check the printer’s power, paper, ink or toner, and any jam or open-cover warning. Confirm that its cable is connected or that the printer and computer use the same Wi-Fi network. Restart the printer by turning it off and unplugging it for about 30 seconds, then reconnect it. If it still will not print, run the printer troubleshooter in Windows Get Help and follow the suggested checks.
Open Start, Settings, then Windows Update. Choose Check for updates and download or install any updates offered. If Windows requests a restart, save your work first and restart to complete the installation. You can adjust active hours in Windows Update to reduce interruptions during your usual working time. Return to the update page afterward to check whether installation completed or another update or restart is still required.
Put the headphones into pairing mode using their manufacturer’s instructions. On your PC, turn on Bluetooth in Settings, Bluetooth & devices. Open the taskbar’s Network, Sound, and Battery area, expand the Bluetooth control, and select the headphones under new devices. Follow any confirmation prompts. The computer needs Bluetooth support, and the headphones must be discoverable and nearby. If they do not appear, confirm they are still in pairing mode.
Open Settings, Apps, then Default apps. Search for the .pdf file extension, select its current app, and choose the installed app you want to use instead. You can also select an app in Default apps to review the file types it handles. Test the change by opening a PDF from File Explorer. Changing one file association does not require making that app the default for every other type of document.
Go to Settings, Apps, then Startup and turn off the app you do not want launched automatically. You can also open Task Manager’s Startup apps section to inspect startup impact and disable an entry there. The app remains installed and can still be opened when needed. Review unfamiliar entries before changing them, since some support device features or background tasks you use.
Press the Windows key and U to open Accessibility, then select Text size. Move the slider, review the sample, and choose Apply. If you also want larger apps, icons, and other interface elements, use the Scale setting under System, Display instead. Start with a small adjustment and check the apps you use most. Text size and display scaling affect different parts of the interface.
Select the files or folder in File Explorer, right-click, and choose Show more options if needed. Select Send to, then Compressed (zipped) folder. Windows creates a ZIP file in the same location; rename it to something descriptive before sharing it. The original files remain available separately. Compression savings depend on the contents, so already compressed files, such as JPEG photos, may become little or no smaller.
In File Explorer, right-click the ZIP file and choose Extract All. Follow the prompts to choose the destination and extract its contents. To retrieve only one item, open the ZIP and drag that file or folder to another location. Work from the extracted files when an app needs normal folders. Windows’ built-in archive support has limits, including encrypted archives, which may require another compatible tool.
Connect the monitor, press the Windows key and P, then choose Extend. Open Settings, System, Display and select Identify to match the numbered screens with your physical monitors. Drag the display rectangles into the same arrangement as your desk and apply the change. If the monitor is missing, use Detect under Multiple displays and check its cable and input selection. Duplicate shows matching content instead of extra workspace.
Open the taskbar sound controls and check that audio is not muted and the volume is high enough. Use the output-device selector to choose the speakers or headphones you actually want; a connected monitor or Bluetooth device may be selected instead. Check cables and the device’s own volume controls. If those checks do not help, run the audio troubleshooter in Get Help to investigate the configuration.
Select the first window and press Windows+Left Arrow or Windows+Right Arrow to place it on that half of the screen. Choose another window from the suggested thumbnails to fill the remaining space. For other arrangements, press Windows+Z and select a Snap layout. The choices available depend partly on your display size.
Open Settings, choose System, then Multitasking, and expand Snap windows. Turn off the particular behavior that interrupts you, such as showing layouts when dragging toward the top of the screen. You can also disable Snap entirely with its main switch. Adjusting one option lets you keep useful snapping shortcuts while removing an unwanted popup.
Press Windows+V to open clipboard history and select the saved item you want to paste. If history is off, enable it there; it cannot reconstruct items copied before it was enabled. Pin entries you need to keep. Unpinned history clears on restart, and older entries are removed as the limited history fills up.
Open the history with Windows+V and use the entry’s menu to delete it. To clear multiple unpinned items, use Clear all, or open System, then Clipboard in Settings and clear the clipboard data. Pinned entries are retained by the bulk-clearing option, so remove those individually too. Review cross-device syncing if you also copy sensitive information between PCs.
Enable Nearby sharing under System in Settings on both PCs and choose who can share with them. In File Explorer, select the file, use Share, and choose the receiving computer. Accept the notification on that computer to save it. Keep the PCs nearby and confirm the recipient’s device name before sending a personal document.
Open Settings, choose System, then Nearby sharing. Find the setting for where received files are saved, choose Change, and select the destination folder. This affects Nearby sharing downloads rather than every browser or app download. While there, review whether sharing is limited to your own devices or available to everyone nearby.
Press Windows+Tab to open Task View, then choose New desktop. Select its name to give it a useful label, such as Study or Invoices. Open the apps you need in that workspace and use Task View to switch between desktops. These workspaces organize open windows; they are not separate user accounts or private file-storage areas.
Windows can show open windows from all virtual desktops, depending on your multitasking settings. Open Settings, choose System, then Multitasking, and expand Desktops. Set the taskbar to show windows only from the desktop you are using if you want a focused view. A separate option controls whether Alt+Tab includes windows from other desktops.
Find the folder in File Explorer, right-click it, and select Pin to Quick access. It will appear in the navigation area for easier access without moving its contents. To remove the shortcut later, right-click the pinned entry and unpin it. Unpinning is different from deleting the folder.
Right-click the file or folder and select Show more options to open the extended context menu. Some installed apps still place their commands there rather than in the shorter Windows 11 menu. If a command is missing from both menus, check whether its app is installed and supports that file type.
In File Explorer, open View, then Show, and enable File name extensions. The suffix after the final period, such as .pdf or .jpg, will be visible in the name. This helps distinguish similarly named files, but a name alone does not guarantee that an unfamiliar download is safe or correctly labeled.
Source checks for these answers: September 21, 2026 – September 22, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.