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How to reinstall Windows 10 and 11 without losing your files
Get rid of unexpected error codes and fatal issues by reinstalling Windows
Frequent Windows glitches can spoil your ideal work or gaming setup in no time. While Windows has a built-in troubleshooter, sometimes, it fails to detect and resolve the problem. Before you waste your productivity hours, use the tricks below to reinstall Windows 10 and 11 without losing your files.
How to add Python to PATH in macOS
Save time by streamlining your Python development setup in macOS.
If you regularly use Python and its libraries from the terminal or in your shell scripts, adding Python to the system’s PATH variable becomes essential. Once you add Python to PATH, it eliminates the hassle of entering the full path to the Python executable all the time. If you run into a "command not found" error message while running Python scripts, use the steps below to add Python to PATH on your Mac.
How to use ChatGPT: Making an account, prompts, and more
ChatGPT is a tool that many people may have heard of but aren't sure how to use. This is how to get started and what you can use it for!
ChatGPT is still one of the biggest large language models available, and it's a powerful tool with many different applications. You can use it for proofreading, for research and learning, or even in accessibility contexts like helping you to write an email. If you're wondering how to leverage that power, you've come to the right place. We'll walk you through how to use ChatGPT, from making an account to actively making your first prompts.
How to install ADB on Windows, macOS, and Linux
A step-by-step guide to get you started with the Android Debug Bridge tool.
Most of the best phones on the market run Android, and it's preferred by many for being a more open operating system than Apple's iOS. However, several features of Google's OS can be accessed only through paths and methods that are hidden away from the average user. However, many of these capabilities can be accessed by using the Android Debug Bridge (ADB). If you're wondering how to set it up, we're here to help with that.
How to clear cookies on Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and other browsers
If you wanted to know how to clear cookies to prevent tracking while browsing, here's how to do it on your computer and smartphone.
The primary function of cookies is to make sure your browsing experience isn’t reset every time you open a website. For example, if you added something to your cart on Amazon and closed the browser, the item will still remain in your cart the next time you open it. Cookies are also responsible for keeping you signed in on all the websites you visit. But cookies can also threaten your privacy since they track your usage continuously. So, it's always good to know how to clear cookies from your web browser from time to time. It can even speed up your browsing experience, eliminate bugs, or free up space on your computer. We’re going to tell you how you can clear cookies from your PCs, laptops, or even your smartphones to ensure a safe and snappy web browsing experience.
How to enable and use eSIM
As physical SIM cards begin to slowly disappear, many are starting to convert to eSIM. Here's a walkthrough on getting an eSIM on your smartphone.
The popularity of eSIMs (or embedded SIM cards) has skyrocketed ever since Apple replaced the physical SIM slot on the iPhone with the iPhone 14 series in North America. Of course, they've been around for years and have shipped on millions of smartphones, but it's finally safe to say that they've hit the mainstream.
How to use your Android phone as a webcam for your PC or laptop
Here's how to turn your existing Android smartphone into a fully functioning webcam for your desktop or laptop. Read on to know more!
Even though we're now years removed from the global pandemic that forced us all to stay at home, many are still working from home. Regardless of whether you work from home often or not, you've probably noticed that your laptop's webcam isn't anything impressive. In most cases, buying a dedicated webcam will significantly boost your video quality. But the good news is you don’t need to shell out money on a webcam; you already have a good one in the form of your Android smartphone.
Play Store won't open, load, or download apps? Here's how to fix common Play Store app problems
Unable to load the Google Play Store or download your favorite apps? Try these fixes to get it up and running again.
The Google Play Store is a simple application that comes pre-installed on your Android phone. It lets you access a marketplace with millions of apps and games that you can download on your device with just a few taps. The app itself works reliably well for the most part, but there are times when it starts to go wonky. You may notice occasional hiccups during which the Play Store takes forever to download or even load listings. It's particularly annoying when you're trying to download something important, and it keeps loading or throws an error message.
Here's how to share your Wi-Fi password on Android phones
There's no need to remember a long string of characters to share your Wi-Fi password. There are two ways to share it on your Android phone.
It's important to have a strong Wi-Fi password to keep others from getting in and using your home network. But having a long and complicated Wi-Fi password also makes it tough to share it with others. We've all been there, right? Just trying to figure out what the password is when someone asks for it? Thankfully, Android phones make it very easy to share Wi-Fi passwords. There are a couple of ways to share Wi-Fi passwords on Android, none of which involve reading out a long jumble of letters and numbers. If you're wondering how to do that, you've come to the right place.
How to setup and install WSL 2 on Windows 10 and 11
To use Linux on your Windows PC first you need to install WSL 2. Here's how to do just that on both Windows 10 and 11 in minutes.
In case you hadn't heard, Microsoft loves Linux. That phrase draws its skeptics but then we saw Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and started to see the truth in it. WSL 2 allows you to install a Linux environment running a full Linux kernel inside Windows 11, or 10 if you're still using that, with fairly tight integration between the two. The first version of WSL didn't have a kernel and didn't perform nearly as well. WSL is still a virtual machine at heart, but one with deep ties to its Windows host.
How to check if Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) is enabled in Windows 11
Microsoft has confirmed that it is working with partners to enable Virtualization-based security VBS on most new PCs. Here's how to check if it's enabled in Windows 11.
Windows 11 is officially available to download now but there seems to be a lingering thought about the OS negatively impacting gaming performance. This largely appears to be due to Microsoft's implementation of Virtualization-based Security (VBS). At least, that's what UL Benchmarks, the developers of the popular 3DMark and PCMark suite of benchmarking tools, have suggested based on their testing.
How to take a full page screenshot in Google Chrome for Android
You can now take a full page screenshot on Chrome on Android if you're using Google Chrome 94. Here's how you can enable the feature!
Google has updated the Chrome browser for Android with version 94 which brings some new features. One of the more interesting features currently hidden behind a feature flag is the ability to take full-page screenshots. If you're on a webpage that can scroll down and you want to capture the entire contents of the page, you will now be able to do so on this version of Chrome. A lot of smartphone makers include the ability to take scrolling screenshots on their custom UIs, and Android 12 also has the feature built-in. But if you don't have it on your phone by default, you can now use this feature in Chrome.
Tip: You can pinch-to-zoom in Google Messages to resize text
You can pinch-to-zoom in Google Messages to resize text. It doesn't affect the actual font size of texts but does make them more readable!
Even if you use the Google Messages app a lot, you may not be aware that it added a nifty feature somewhat recently: the ability to resize text in a conversation!
How to opt out of Amazon sharing your WiFi network with strangers
Amazon Sidewalk will share your Wi-Fi network with others to form a mesh network. Here's how to opt out of the service before it goes live.
Amazon’s new Sidewalk feature is going live on June 8. Announced all the way back in 2019, Amazon Sidewalk is an ambitious project that aims to create a shared network of connected devices. Amazon has been testing the feature for some time now, but it finally appears to be ready for its prime-time launch.
How to opt out of Google's privacy sandbox (FLoC) in Chrome
Chrome's Privacy Sandbox, aka FLoC, allows targeted advertisements without the use of cross-site tracking cookies. Here's how to turn it off.
Online advertising currently relies on third-party 'cookies,' which are small identifiers that follow you across different websites. Cookies allow companies to track your browsing activity and create an advertising profile, which is why many privacy-centric web browsers (like Firefox and Vivaldi) largely block them. Google Chrome still allows cookies to work with few restrictions, but now Google is working on a new technology to replace them: Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC).
How to turn on Auto Delete for Google to automatically delete your older data
If you are a long-time Google user, this guide lists the steps you need to follow to activate the Auto Delete feature for your data.
Default data retention practices at Google have been changing since they first introduced the auto-delete feature for logged location history, search, voice, and YouTube activity in June 2019. In the beginning, users had to manually visit their My Activity page and configure the new settings. A year later, in June 2020, it was changed so that whenever new users joined the platform, auto-delete would turn on by default.
[Update: Disabled] How to turn off Google Chrome for Android's grid view for tabs
Many Google Chrome users on Android just received the new grid layout for tabs. If you're not a fan of the new look, here's how you can disable it.
Google first announced that it was working on adding a grid layout and tab grouping in Chrome on Android all the way back in September of 2019. Since then, the company has rolled out this new interface for several Chrome users. However, up until this year, the interface wasn't available for a significant chunk of the Chrome userbase on Android. Google finally rolled out the tab grid layout to a large number of Android users in January this year, and if you're not a fan of the new look, here's how you can disable it.
How to enable "Hold for Assistant" gesture from Android 12 on older versions
Android 12's "hold for Assistant" gesture launches the Google Assistant by holding the power button. Here's how to get it on older versions!
Google's big (virtual) I/O developer conference was held last week, and at the show, we were given teasers for all the new services and features that the Mountain View company is working on. The most exciting announcement for us was the big reveal of Android 12, and while the first beta release was missing a lot of promised features, it still had a lot for us to pore over. One of the new features that landed in Beta 1 is a gesture called "Hold for Assistant", but as it turns out, the gesture itself isn't actually new to Android. In fact, a method to enable it has been available in Android's codebase as far back as Android 10, and we're going to show you how to enable it.
How to install apps for Android Auto that Google hasn't approved
Not every Android Auto app is available on Google Play. Here's how you can install unapproved apps without needing root access!
Android Auto is a great service. In compatible cars, you can plug your phone in and get instant access to music, radio, navigation, and more. But it's a pretty closed ecosystem. Only apps that Google approves can officially be used. The official reason for this is for safety. Google doesn't want people watching videos while driving, for instance. But what if you have a legitimate reason for using Android Auto (drive-in graduations, for example)?
How to customize Android's built-in battery saver mode
Looking to save battery life on your Android phone? Here's how you can tweak Android's built-in battery saver mode to your liking.
Android has had a built-in Battery Saver mode for years now. If your phone is about to run out of battery, then you can activate it to keep the device running for a few extra hours. Battery Saver disables quite a few power-hungry features and tweaks a bunch of settings to extend the battery life. While it's quite useful as is for most people, some people may want to tweak it so it doesn't turn certain settings off or make it even more aggressive at saving battery. If that describes you, then here's a tutorial on how to customize Android's battery saver mode.