Windows 11 topics

SSD vs HDD vs Hybrid Storage: What Windows 11 Users Should Choose in 2026

JohnNaguib — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:32:29 GMT

In 2026, choosing the right storage device is more important than ever. Whether you’re buying a new Windows 11 laptop, upgrading an existing desktop, or building a custom PC, your storage choice directly impacts speed, performance, gaming experience, productivity, and overall system responsiveness.

https://dellenny.com/ssd-vs-hdd-vs-hybrid-storage-what-windows-11-users-should-choose-in-2026/

Windows for Students & Remote Workers: Productivity, Privacy & Performance Tips

JohnNaguib — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:31:48 GMT

Whether you’re attending online classes, working from home, or juggling both, your Windows PC is more than just a device—it’s your classroom, office, communication hub, and entertainment center. However, without proper optimization, even a powerful computer can become slow, cluttered, and distracting over time.

https://dellenny.com/windows-for-students-remote-workers-productivity-privacy-performance-tips/

The hidden files and folders that I have difficulty locating

Yeungkkaopem — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:54:07 GMT

I'm having trouble locating hidden files and folders on my Windows 11 system. Despite enabling the option to show hidden items in File Explorer, some files remain difficult to find or seem to be hidden deeper within system directories, making it challenging to access or manage certain files. I’m seeking guidance on how to effectively view and locate all hidden files and folders, including those that are protected or deeply hidden, to better organize and troubleshoot my system.

Is CTT debloat damaging on Windows pc?

stusstow — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:50:49 GMT

I am considering using CTT Debloat to remove unwanted Windows 11 apps and features, but I am concerned about whether this process might cause damage or instability to my system. Has anyone experienced issues or system damage after running CTT Debloat on Windows 11, or is it generally safe to use without risking performance or stability problems? I want to ensure my system remains secure and functional after debloating.

Overly Aggressive User Account Control (UAC) Prompts

helsaxbim — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:49:54 GMT

My Windows 11 system is displaying overly aggressive User Account Control prompts, asking for confirmation multiple times even for minor system changes or trusted applications. This frequent interruption is disrupting my workflow and creating frustration, as I have already adjusted the UAC settings but the prompts remain excessively persistent. I am seeking advice or solutions to reduce the frequency of these prompts while maintaining system security.

Remove the pop-up notification in Windows 11 when the NVIDIA Control Panel is no longer supported

BreckenFoster — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:08:53 GMT

Since the NVIDIA App has completely replaced the old NVIDIA Control Panel, if the NVIDIA Control Panel is not installed on your system, Windows will display a prompt recommending that you remove it.

When dragging a file to another folder with the mouse, the file is copied instead of moved

MateoSmith — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:08:09 GMT

When dragging and dropping files from one folder to another on the same drive, the files are copied rather than moved.

Dragging and dropping files on the same drive should result in a move operation.

Comment savoir si mon pc est compatible windows 11?

Creediin — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:51:42 GMT

Salut, je suis un peu perdu avec mon vieux PC et je voudrais passer à Windows 11. Avant de faire une mise à jour, j’aimerais savoir comment vérifier si mon ordinateur est compatible ou s’il manque certains éléments comme le TPM 2.0 ou le démarrage sécurisé.

J’ai cherché quelques informations, mais les méthodes ne sont pas toujours très claires pour les débutants. Quelqu’un peut m’expliquer simplement Comment savoir si mon pc est compatible windows 11 et quels critères je dois vérifier avant l’installation ? Merci pour vos conseils !

Driver Problems and Hardware Incompatibility

Allonso — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:30:43 GMT

I'm experiencing persistent driver problems and hardware incompatibility issues on Windows 10, which are causing system instability and preventing my devices from functioning properly. Despite updating drivers and troubleshooting, the problems continue, leading to frequent crashes, unrecognized hardware, and overall performance degradation. I need help identifying the root cause and finding effective solutions to ensure my hardware works seamlessly with Windows 10.

My Windows 11 get the Network Connectivity Problems

Mandaoy — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:29:52 GMT

My Windows 11 PC is frequently experiencing network connectivity problems, where the internet connection drops unexpectedly or fails to connect altogether. I have tried restarting my router, resetting network settings, and troubleshooting with Windows' built-in tools, but the issue persists, causing interruptions during browsing and online work. I am looking for advice or solutions to resolve these network issues and ensure a stable and reliable internet connection on my Windows 11 system.

File and Folder Access Issues on Windows 11

Amandaops — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:27:16 GMT

I receive error messages indicating I don't have the necessary rights, or the files are inaccessible, even though I am the administrator. These access issues occur intermittently and seem to affect various locations, which significantly hampers my ability to manage and work with my files effectively.

Driver Problems and Hardware Incompatibility

Allonso — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:52:15 GMT

Need some help to bulk convert .mkv to .mp3 on my laptop?

Fletchero — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:49:52 GMT

Can someone help me? I was stuck for a couple of days.

I get a large collection of .mkv video files and need to use the audio from all of them as .mp3 files. Doing them one by one isn't realistic given how many there are, so a batch conversion method is absolutely necessary here.

Spent the last couple of days trying different approaches but keep hitting dead ends — some tools only process one file at a time, others produce distorted audio output, and a few just crash halfway through the batch without any explanation.

Can anyone point in the right direction for bulk converting mkv to mp3? Something that handles large batches without choking and preserves the audio quality would be a lifesaver at this point.

How to remove red eye in photos on Windows 11 without photoshop?

Reeseig — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:09:33 GMT

Have a bunch of old family photos where almost everyone has that classic red eye effect from the camera flash. The photos are otherwise great and worth keeping, but the red eye makes them look off and is really noticeable when the pictures are printed or displayed on screen.

Tried fixing it manually by adjusting colors but the results looked unnatural and the eyes ended up looking worse than before. Not sure if there's a smarter approach that targets just the red eye without affecting the rest of the photo or altering skin tones around the eyes.

What's the most reliable way to remove red eye in photos without making the edit obvious? Would be great to know if there's something that works automatically across multiple photos at once rather than having to fix each one individually.

Clean Windows 11 prints normally; restoring the same system image breaks printing (0x000003e3)

JordanMcGregor01 — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 03:33:11 GMT

I'm trying to track down a persistent printing issue on an HP laptop running Windows 11 with a Canon TS3700 series printer connected by USB.

The short version is this:

• The printer works perfectly on a true clean Windows 11 installation.

• The printer immediately fails again after restoring a full Windows system image of the laptop that was made before doing a clean install.

• The failure is consistent across Windows test pages and normal application printing.

• The error is 0x000003e3: "The I/O operation has been aborted because either a thread exit or an application request."

System information

• Laptop: HP

• Operating System: Windows 11

• Printer: Canon TS3700 series

• Connection: USB (not network/Wi-Fi)

• Backup type: Windows Backup and Restore (Windows 7) System Image

• Backup location: External 1 TB hard drive

What I've already ruled out

I want to eliminate the common first-line troubleshooting suggestions because I've already spent many hours isolating this problem.

• Printer hardware is working.

• USB cable and USB connection are working.

• Windows detects the printer normally.

• The printer appears as "Idle."

• This is not limited to one application.

• This is not a problem with the backup itself, since the system image restores successfully.

The comparison that convinced me this is a Windows software problem

To isolate the issue, I performed a true clean installation of Windows 11.

I booted from Windows installation media, deleted all partitions on the internal SSD, and installed Windows onto completely unallocated space.

Before restoring anything, I installed the Canon TS3700.

Immediately afterward:

• Windows detected the printer.

• Windows successfully printed a Windows Test Page.

• Notepad printed successfully.

• The printer functioned exactly as expected.

That strongly suggests the printer hardware, USB connection, and Windows installation itself are all good.

After confirming printing worked, I restored my grandmother's complete Windows system image from the external SSD using Windows System Image Recovery.

The restore completed successfully.

Windows booted normally.

All files, applications, settings, and desktop returned exactly as expected.

However, the printer problem immediately returned.

Current symptoms after restoring the image

The Canon TS3700 is still detected.

Its status shows "Idle."

However:

• Windows Test Page fails.

• Printing from Microsoft Edge fails (for example, attempting to print a USPS shipping label).

• Other applications exhibit the same behavior.

Windows displays:

Operation could not be completed (error 0x000003e3).

The I/O operation has been aborted because either a thread exit or an application request.

Additional finding during recovery

One unexpected thing I discovered:

The Windows 11 installation USB would not properly launch the legacy System Image Recovery environment.

Clicking "Repair your computer" either failed or returned me to Command Prompt.

I recreated the Windows 11 installation USB from Microsoft's Media Creation Tool, but the behavior was identical.

I then created a Windows 10 installation USB using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool.

Booting from the Windows 10 installer allowed me to access:

Repair your computer

→ Troublesbleshoot

→ Advanced Options

→ System Image Recovery

The Windows 10 recovery environment immediately detected my Windows 11 system image and restored it successfully.

So the backup itself is valid.

Why I believe this is a Windows software issue:

The exact same laptop, printer, USB cable, and hardware produce two completely different results:

Fresh Windows 11 installation:

✔ Printing works perfectly.

Same computer after restoring the Windows system image:

✘ Printing immediately fails with error 0x000003e3.

That tells me something contained within the restored Windows installation is breaking the Windows print subsystem.

At this point I'm less interested in reinstalling Windows again and more interested in identifying exactly what component becomes corrupted.

Has anyone seen error 0x000003e3 persist like this after a system image restore?

I'm especially interested in whether this could involve:

• Print Spooler corruption

• Print processor corruption

• Port monitor issues

• Driver Store corruption

• Registry corruption related to printing

• Windows printing services

• Any other Windows print subsystem components that survive inside a restored system image

Thanks in advance.

C-Drive decreased overnight from 18Gb free to 3 GB free space.

JamesNel — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:06:59 GMT

C-Drive decreased overnight from 18Gb free to 3 GB free space. I have run all Microsoft tools, i.e. Disk Clean and System Clean, and run %temp%, Run prefetch. My Windows 11 Storage Sense is on, and all recommended cleaning actions have been followed. The Storage on Drive C is still at 3.28 Gb.

What else can I do?

Six Sigma promotions won't go away.

Concerned — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:29:21 GMT

Hi, and know that I'm Microsoft experienced but not a coder or programmer. I found a Six Sigma attachment to my online academic course, and the institution claims it isn't on their screens, and isn't approved nor endorsed by them. Now the promotions are flooding my MSN feed. I tried the steps on your and various other outlets with no luck.

How do I stop it? I'm not a Six Sigma practitioner nor a supporter. How did they get into my system, and how to I expell them?

After opening Xbox Game Bar, the performance monitoring panel does not display any data

BladeCipher — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:45:22 GMT

After pressing Win + G to open the Xbox Game Bar, the performance monitoring widget shows that it cannot retrieve performance data.

I tried restarting the Game Bar, updating my graphics card drivers, and turning the background recording feature off and on again, but none of these solutions worked.

How does Phone Link know my iPhone's battery level?

BreckenFoster — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:43:15 GMT

I think it's a little strange, but also pretty cool. Still, that doesn't make sense—I don't recall Bluetooth transmitting that kind of battery data.

Windows 11 has switched to a wide layout that cannot be resized

DashielQuinn — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:41:37 GMT

Why did they change the layout to a wide format without providing an option to adjust the size? I hope they're working on an update to fix this issue.