Recent Discussions
Windows 11 Home Edition Freezes Immediately After Clicking Activate
After clicking the "Activate" option in the Windows 11 Home Edition system settings, the interface freezes immediately and becomes unresponsive. Attempting to use KMS activation tools also causes the tools to freeze or hang, preventing any activation process from completing. Solutions are sought to forcibly bypass the frozen state or repair the activation functionality.
Does the "End of Service" Notification in Windows 11 22H2 Pro Require an Update?
The current system is Windows 11 22H2 Pro. I have received an "End of Service" notification (e.g., "This version of Windows is nearing its end of support date"). Clarification is needed: 1. Is it necessary to update immediately to a newer version (e.g., 23H2/24H2)? 2. If I decide not to update, can the system continue to operate normally long-term? If feasible, what specific security or functionality risks will I face?
Battery Percentage Display on Windows 10 Taskbar
I don't know when they added this feature—I just reinstalled Windows and stumbled upon it while browsing through the settings. It’s incredibly useful (especially for laptop users like me). Until now, I had been using the "Battery Percentage Icon" app from the Microsoft Store.Has the Power Mode Quick-Switch Slider Disappeared in Windows 11?
Previously, users could quickly switch power modes (which directly affect CPU TDP settings) via a slider in the taskbar's right-click menu. However, after a Windows 11 update, the slider has disappeared, requiring full access to the settings menu for each adjustment. For devices like the ThinkPad X13, which are not gaming laptops and lack dedicated power management tools from the manufacturer, this has made efficient switching inconvenient. We request the restoration of the quick-access slider or the provision of an alternative fast-switching solution.
Is Enabling Secure Boot Mandatory for Windows 11 Installation?
The device supports TPM 2.0 but it is not enabled. Configuring Secure Boot poses challenges as it requires completely disabling CSM compatibility mode in the BIOS. Attempting to boot in UEFI-only mode results in a black screen issue with the graphics card. Please clarify: 1. Is Secure Boot an absolute requirement for installing Windows 11? 2. How can the black screen issue with the graphics card in UEFI mode and the difficulties in configuring Secure Boot be resolved?
Windows 11 Task Scheduler Unable to Launch the Specified Application
When setting up a scheduled task to launch an application, the task execution fails and returns result code 0x1 (program not started). If a batch script (.bat) is used instead to start the program, the script can be triggered normally, but the target program still fails to launch (double-clicking the script directly can start the program successfully). It has been confirmed that the script uses an absolute path, and the "Run with highest privileges" option is checked in the Task Scheduler. Solutions are sought to adjust the task configuration or alternative methods for scheduled program startup.Which Version of Windows 10 Provides the Best User Experience?
Planning to install Windows 10 and need to understand which version is best regarded for long-term usability (including stability, performance, compatibility, and feature completeness), such as 1909, 20H2, 21H2, or others. Seeking version comparisons and installation recommendations based on actual user experience.Can the New Windows 10 Start Menu Hide and Freely Adjust the "All Apps" Area?
I hope the new Windows 10 Start Menu can offer the same flexibility as before, such as allowing the "All Apps" area to be hidden, freely resizing the Start Menu, or supporting a switch back to the older, more minimalistic layout.How to blend the login password field with the background in Windows 10
The border and color of the password field on the system login interface clash with the background (as shown in the image comparison). We wish to adjust its style (such as transparency, color, or border) to visually blend with the background. Please provide specific configuration methods or tool recommendations.How to Safely Delete 30GB of .MSP Files in Windows 10
A scan with WinDirStat revealed that approximately 30GB of .MSP files have accumulated on the system drive. These files are known to be related to software updates but occupy an unusually large amount of space. Attempting to use the Patchcleaner tool identified only 250MB of "orphaned files," while the remaining 29GB could not be cleaned due to filter limitations. Most of the file names appear in an unrecognizable encoding (as shown in the screenshot), making it impossible to determine their associated programs. It is necessary to safely remove these files to free up disk space while ensuring that existing software functionality remains unaffected.
windows 10's update turned dell laptop in brick
Last security update on Jan 13th broke my laptop. Every program keeps freezing and doesn't do anything. Even when I open task manager it may run for a minute but soon it will freeze, and can't even end task. Only thing that is working is my browser. Yesterday I managed to reinstall windows using a USB and it was working again. While i was away, it forced an update and once again the same issues arise. laptop is too old to install 11, and going to try and reinstall windows again. There a way I can turn off the windows 10 update before this happens again? Don't know if there is a patch to address this soon. Dell inspiron 15 7559
The New Start Menu Is a Perfect Example of Microsoft Forcing Unwanted “Features” on Users
I’m posting this because I’m beyond fed up with the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows, and the latest Start Menu redesign is really unwelcomed. Whoever decided to implement the new “All” section with forced Categories, Grid/List views, and a permanently attached app list seems to have completely forgotten something fundamental: this is my Start Menu, not theirs. I’ve already turned off every bit of clutter I can — Recommended, recent files, “suggestions,” all of it. Yet Windows still insists on injecting an enormous block of UI I never asked for and will never use. I don’t care whether it’s Categories, List, or Grid. I don’t want any of it. I want the Start menu to show ONLY the pinned items I chose, nothing else, the same way it worked for years. But now? Microsoft has deliberately removed the ability to collapse, hide, disable, or eliminate this lower “All” section entirely. It wastes space, disrupts workflow muscle memory, and provides zero value for users who already know exactly what they need. It’s an unwanted visual and functional takeover of the one UI element that should be the most personal and customizable. This is exactly the type of “change for the sake of change” that pushes long‑time Windows users away. It feels like decisions are being made by people who never actually use Windows for real work, and who believe their design experiments matter more than respecting users’ preferences. I’m tired of being forced into UI experiments I never opted into. I’m tired of updates that remove more choice than they add. And I’m tired of Microsoft ignoring the most universal feedback users keep giving: Stop shoving new UI elements in our faces and give us back full control over our own operating system. If Microsoft wants people to stay enthusiastic about Windows instead of increasingly frustrated with every forced redesign, then we need true user‑controlled customization — not “pick between three unwanted layouts,” not “view modes,” not scripts, not policies, not third‑party hacks. Just a simple, basic ability to hide what we don’t want. Give us the Start Menu we choose, not the Start Menu you decide we should have.Unable to Access Windows Hardware Developer Center
Dear Microsoft Tech Community, I am reaching out for help figuring out how to access the Windows Hardware Developer Center in 2026. I have been trying to reach out for help from Microsoft through every available channel and have not made any progress towards resolution over the last 3 months (starting October 2025). We have a new hardware device (PCIe card) for which we need to submit drivers for Microsoft certification. We have been enrolled in the program and have successfully submitted drivers and had them approved and signed by Microsoft in the past (most recently in March, 2022). As far as I can tell, the previous entry point or portal for submitting hardware drivers was removed and/or integrated into the Microsoft Partner Center. However, we currently cannot see or access anything related to the Hardware Developer Center within the Partner Center UI. In the Partner Center, we are shown as a "Verified" developer (under Legal Info). If I try to go through the process to enroll in the "Hardware Program", the screen shows that we are already in the program with a message "Our records indicate that you have already enrolled into this program but your program registration is deactivated." Attempts to get support from Microsoft have resulted in deferral to an appeal process for being out of compliance, but at no point have we been out of compliance or ever received a violation ID or any indication that we were not in compliance (or we would have corrected it). This appeal process (with a 60-day response clock) has not gone anywhere and we seem to be stuck in this "loop" without any way to resolve this. I suspect that something happened during the migration from the former hardware developer portal to the current on that resulted in our hardware developer account not being correctly associated with our Entra ID. I think Tier 1 support is misclassifying this as a compliance issue when it is really a backend account issue. I can't find any available tools to attempt to resolve this ourselves. Support channels I have tried so far include multiple tickets with the Partner Center, Microsoft 365, and sending escalation emails to prior partner support channels (that now bounce back). Has anyone in the community experienced anything similar with hardware developer center access and if so, were you able to resolve it? I am running out of ideas for how to get this in front of the right support folks at Microsoft so we can forward and this has already delayed a product launch by ~90 days. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer, Ryan
Recovery BitLocker key on Win10 Pro
Hello, I've got Windows 10 Pro on my laptop. I have installed Windows myself & have used the same account till now, I haven't changed that. When I log into Microsoft account, I can find my device and the license which is linked to that laptop, but there are no BitLocker keys linked to that. That means, I'm trying to find my BitLocker key but it's not visible on Microsoft account which is linked to my Windows license. I can't access that encrypted SSD because my laptop is down so I can't check it in CMD. I'm trying to use that disc in another laptop but to access that I need a BitLocker key. Just for you to know, I believe I have studied all Microsoft instructions, tutorials etc related to BitLocker key recovering... Could anyone support me with recovering that key, please? I know Win10 is not supported anymore, but I don't believe that is the reason why I can't find my BitLocker key there. Kindly asking for help 🙏The folder named "Delivery Optimization" suddenly appears in the D drive in Windows 11 system
A folder named "Delivery Optimization" was found in the root directory of the D drive. It is currently unclear whether the folder is generated by the system, used for update caching, or an abnormal file. Please explain whether it can be safely deleted and describe the specific function of this folder.
Is It Normal for Windows 11 to Occupy 6-8GB of Memory on Startup in a 16GB RAM System?
A 2021 ultrabook equipped with 16GB of RAM and pre-installed with Windows 11 shows memory usage consistently between 40% and 50% after startup (approximately 6.4GB to 8GB). This value significantly exceeds the widely reported 29% memory usage (approximately 4.6GB) for 16GB RAM systems. I would like to understand whether this memory usage is normal, why it is higher, whether optimization is needed, and whether there is cause for concern.
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