Whether you are using Windows 10, or if you have remained faithful to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, whatever version of Windows you are using, there are some important activities that every user should know and be able to do. This can be considered a great summary article to be kept as a reference to find all the most important guides to use the PC written on Navigaweb, updated and tested, on how to configure Windows, on how to protect it, on how to solve problems and errors and on how keep it intact .
These are not guides with tricks or technical notions, but practical guides on how to do certain things and work on the computer that you cannot avoid (unless you let a friend or a more technical colleague do it) and that if you don't today, tomorrow or in a month will be required.
1) Start with a new Windows PC
The first guide to read after buying a new computer or installing Windows from scratch.
2) What to do if the computer is slow
Each PC slows down its operations after a certain period of use, here the causes and solutions are explained.
3) Windows Backup Tools
I have written many guides on this topic on Navigaweb.net, including:
- Create a system image in Windows 7
- Create a backup image of Windows 10 and 8
- Automatic backup in Windows 10
- How to backup files and restore in Windows 10
4) How to clean the computer
In this cumulative guide we have seen: how to clean the inside of the PC, how to clean the keyboard and mouse, how to clean the monitor and how to clean Windows, unnecessary files and programs.
5) Restart Windows in safe mode
Like any software, even Windows occasionally crashes or presents errors.
To search for the cause and to try to solve the problem, whatever version of Windows you are using, you need to enter Safe Mode.
6) Optimize Windows startup
Windows is a universal operating system which, unlike OSX which is installed only on Mac, can be installed on any PC.
Microsoft, to make sure that its Windows operating system runs well on all computers, uses a balanced configuration, which is certainly not the best possible.
For this reason, there are many tricks to optimize Windows and make sure that it can load as quickly as possible when turned on.
7) How to turn on the PC if Windows does not start
Sooner or later it always happens that the computer fails to start and does not load the operating system.
Since the situation can be urgent, before calling a technician it is better to try some DIY solutions.
8) Guide to repair your computer without going to the technician
Basic guide with all the solutions for the most frequent problems of a Windows PC.
9) Control Panel Guide
The nerve center of every Windows system is the Control Panel and it is important to know how to get there and how to use its main settings.
10) Guide to Windows 10 settings
In Windows 10, to make system configuration easier, the main Control Panel options have been organized in a new Settings menu.
11) Solutions to common printer problems on Windows
The guide to solve the main printing errors on a PC.
12) Connect the Wifi printer to the computer
Basic guide to connect a wifi printer and use it from any PC in your home or office.
13) DVD RIP for PC
More than a guide, in this article there are the best programs to copy DVD to PC.
14) How to burn CDs and DVDs for free
It is important to know how to copy data to a CD or DVD and how to do it even without additional paid programs.
15) Change the computer name, password and image of the Windows account
To personalize your PC, it's worth starting with the name!
16) All Windows 10 personalization settings
Among these, I also remember the specific guide to customize the Windows 10 Start menu.
17) Dual monitor configuration guide
Using two monitors is a great added value and if you have this possibility, it is important to know how to connect the two monitors to the PC.
18) See the passwords of the saved Wifi networks
If you forget your password to access an already used Wifi network, you can retrieve it at any time on your PC so that you can communicate it to other people.
19) Reset the network cards to restore the internet connection
This guide is important because it explains the first thing to do when the internet connection is lost, to get it back if the problem depends on the PC.
20) How to solve internet connection problems
this is the reference guide where to find every possible solution when the internet is not working.
21) Guide to Windows Networking and Sharing Center
The basic guide to connect to the internet and configure network parameters on a Windows PC.
22) Find the router's IP address
Because to open the configuration panel of the router, you need to know its IP address.
23) Share the Internet connection
If a PC is connected to the internet, with Windows 7, 8 and 10 it is possible to activate a wifi access point and transform the computer into a wireless router.
24) Disable programs in automatic start
One of the primary causes of a slow PC is programs that start automatically when the computer is turned on.
It is therefore important to know how to find them and how to disable this automatic start.
25) Restore Windows to factory settings
Restoring Windows to factory settings may be necessary when you are unable to remove a virus or malware and when your PC is so full of unnecessary programs that it becomes almost unusable.
Today, resetting your Windows 10 PC is really simple and completely automatic, with no need to use recovery consoles or special tools.
26) Create or burn an ISO
An ISO file is the image of a CD or DVD, so you can load the contents of a disc without a disc.
In this regard we have at least two important guides:
- Create ISO images of CDs, DVDs and folders to be saved on the PC or on a hard disk
- Make a USB / SD pen bootable from ISO and IMG files
27) Find Windows Product Key
Not all computers have that little sticker with the Windows authenticity code that must be inserted in case of reinstallation to prove that they have bought it regularly.
In Windows 10 the product key is losing more and more importance as it can now be linked to the Microsoft account used to access the PC.
28) Command prompt help
The command prompt is essential for Windows and should be known by everyone, at least at a basic level, to open it and type some essential commands.
29) Windows Update error solutions
Windows Update is the fundamental Windows service to automatically download and install updates and security patches and it is essential that it works well.
30) Remove malware and viruses
This is the definitive complete guide from which to start to eliminate any trace of virus, whatever it may be, on every Windows PC.
31) Protect Windows
All the programs to use to protect your computer also in a paranoid way.
32) System Restore
More than once this recovery has saved me and allowed me to avoid wasting a lot of time searching because the computer was not working as well as before.
It really is an important tool to be able to use.
33) Format USB stick or external hard drive
It is not so obvious to make an external disk like the USB stick compatible with all operating systems and all computers, so it is important to know how to format it and what it means.
34) Modify predefined programs
By default, Windows opens files with its integrated programs.
However, it is important to know how to choose the preferred program to use by default to open images, music, videos and documents.
35) Reset the Windows login password
If you forget your password to log in to Windows, this guide explains how to recover your login with a new administrator user.
36) How to use MSCONFIG
The MSCONFIG tool included in Windows and somewhat hidden is the first tool to use in case of problems, to selectively boot and find what is preventing the PC from starting correctly.
37) Connect the laptop to the TV
Guide to make the computer screen appear on TV, useful for watching movies also in streaming.
38) File permissions
The file permissions and permissions system in Windows is more complicated than you might think and having an idea of how it works avoids problems such as " Access Denied ".
39) Format a Windows 10 or Windows 8 PC
As you will read in this guide, computers no longer format themselves, because modern operating systems recover themselves.
40) Download and install drivers safely
Guide to install drivers to properly operate any device attached to the PC
41) File recovery from broken hard drive or dead computer
The hard disk is the most fragile component of the computer and the first to break (usually).
At the same time it is also the most important component, the one that if it breaks all personal data, photos and work or school documents are lost.
It is therefore worth knowing what options you have if this breaks.
42) Task Manager
This is perhaps the most important internal Windows tool, to understand what the computer is doing at all times.
I therefore refer to the guides:
- 10 tricks for the Task Manager on Windows 7
- How many things does the task manager on Windows 10 and 8 PCs
43) Share files between PCs and access shared folders
Network file sharing is essential for exchanging data between various computers and having them all available whatever PC you use.
44) How to enter the BIOS
The BIOS is the firmware that manages the startup of the computer, so it is important to know how to access it to change options such as choosing the disk from which to boot it.
45) Corrections to all possible PC errors for free
The guide from which to find solutions to all possible Windows errors.
46) How to maintain your computer and fix Windows
All the basic operations to do every month or two to keep your PC always in shape, fast and without errors.
47) Ways to administer Windows to master the PC
A list of the main activities that the computer administrator must know, (that is, you, if the PC is yours).
48) Do's and Don'ts to make your PC faster
Tricks guide to speed up your PC to its fullest.
49) Legally download each version of Windows
If you need to download the installation disc for Windows 7, 8.1 or Windows 10, there are all the download links on the Microsoft website.
50) Optimal configuration of my PC
It is not a guide, but a description of how I configured my computer trying to get the most out of it.
