This week's top tips

A PC troubleshooting toolkit  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ​ Troubleshooting a Windows PC can be complicated, but Windows has a lot of useful tools that can help. Many of them just require a few clicks on your part — Windows will do the rest. But do you know where to find them? Thankfully, on modern versions of Windows, many of these low-level troubleshooting tools and related options are collected on one menu screen. You can use it even if you can't sign into Windows. Whether something hasn't been working right since you installed that last Windows update or you want to erase your Windows installation and start fresh, this screen will help. ⌚ This entire email will take you two minutes to read. Remember: If you'd rather not receive these Monday tip roundups, [you can easily opt out of them](=) without affecting the rest of your subscription. ✅ [Got it — don't show this again](=)​ #top This week's reader suggestion ⚙️ Windows is packed with troubleshooting tools for fixing PC problems, but they're scattered all over the place — and many of them are no help if Windows itself is crashing. But there's one place you can access a variety of useful recovery options, even if you can't sign into Windows. 💻 This works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11. ➜ Windows Intelligence reader Simeon B. highlights how to access the incredibly useful Recovery boot-up menu on Windows: To access the Recovery menu, just hold down the Shift key on your keyboard while clicking a "Restart" option anywhere in Windows. In other words, from the Windows desktop, open the Start menu, click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key, and then click "Restart." Or, from the sign-in screen, click the Power button, press and hold the Shift key, and click Restart. (This also works anywhere else you'll find a Restart option in Windows, like on the Ctrl+Alt+Delete screen or after right-clicking the Start button.) [The Restart option in Windows 11's Start menu.] Windows will reboot your computer into the Recovery menu, which has a lot of useful options! Here's a quick run-down of a few things you can do here: - Use a device: Boot from a device like a USB drive, DVD, or network location. - Reset this PC: Reinstall Windows on your PC. (You can choose whether to keep your personal files or not.) - Startup Repair: Fix problems that prevent Windows from booting normally. - Startup Settings: Start your computer in Safe Mode for troubleshooting (or use other troubleshooting modes, like launching Windows without networking.) - Command Prompt: Get direct access to a command-line interface for advanced troubleshooting. - Uninstall Updates: Uninstall a recent Windows update that may be causing problems on your PC. - UEFI Firmware Settings: Access your computer's low-level UEFI firmware settings — this is the modern replacement for the BIOS. - System Restore: Restore your computer to a recent restore point, which can fix some problems. - System Image Recovery: Restore Windows from a system image file you've created with the System Image Backup tool. [Advanced startup options at boot-up on Windows 11.] Windows should automatically take you to this menu if your computer is ever having problems booting Windows, too. 💡 Got an exceptional tip you'd like to share with other Windows enthusiasts? [Submit it here]( — or just reply to this email and share it with me! Your advice may be featured in a future newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- Some tips you don't want to miss Now, a rapid-fire summary of the best useful tips from our most recent issues — just in case you overlooked something or haven't explored it yet! ⌨️ Transform Caps Lock into something useful: The Caps Lock key doesn't have to get in the way. You can transform it into something else useful, like a Play/Pause key for music playback or a convenient Back button for your web browser. All you need is Microsoft's Keyboard Manager PowerToy. Here's [how to remap your Caps Lock key in just a few clicks](. 📋 Sync your clipboard between PCs (and Android): Windows can sync the text you copy to your clipboard between your PCs — and Android devices, too. This means you can copy something on your phone and paste it on your PC. It's built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, and it's part of Microsoft's SwiftKey keyboard for Android. Here's [how to set up clipboard syncing](). ✍️ Use Microsoft Word for free: Microsoft is removing WordPad from Windows, and the company recommends you use Word instead. There's a way you can use Microsoft Word for free, even if you don't have a paid Microsoft 365 subscription or Microsoft Office license. Head to the [Microsoft 365 website](), sign in with a Microsoft account, and you can use web-based versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in your browser. 🕰️ “Saved me so many hours”: Also, “Incredible.” “Game-changing.” “Like having a superpower.” That’s how people using Upword, an AI-powered research assistant, describe it. Like a cross between Chat-GPT and an actual, full-time research assistant, [Upword](organizes your content and synthesizes entire sections of text, cutting your reading time by a whopping 85%. Readers of The Intelligence newsletters can [try Upword for free with a 7-day trial]( — start today and save yourself tons of time. [SPONSORED] 📺 Track where to stream anything: Want to know where to stream nearly any TV show or movie? Check out [JustWatch](). You can also create an account and track the TV series and movies you want to stream, and then see what's available across different streaming services. This could help you decide which service to subscribe to this month, saving you some cash. --------------------------------------------------------------- What did you think? Was this email worth your time? Did you enjoy reading it? [Thumbs Up]( [Thumbs Down]() Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down above to let me know what you think. Thanks as always for reading, and I hope you have an awesome week! You received this email because your address was signed up for the Windows Intelligence early preview. If you didn't mean to sign up or no longer wish to be subscribed, you can [unsubscribe or update your preferences here](=).