How-To Geek

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We explain technology. Learn more with our articles, reviews, tips, and the best answers to your most pressing tech questions.
Updated: 20 min 14 sec ago

My PC was painfully slow until I fixed this one SSD problem

27 min 38 sec ago

I've dealt with some slow PCs in my life. At an old job a decade ago, the PCs were so slow that you could quite literally boot the PC, go away for 20 minutes, and come back with it finally ready to be used. But these days, SSDs have thankfully largely eradicated that sluggishness. That is why I instantly knew something was wrong when a 'new' computer was taking forever to reach the desktop.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Chrome on Android is finally getting this desktop feature

29 min 30 sec ago

Have you ever wished that Google Chrome on Android worked a bit more like the desktop variant? If so, you're not alone. This week, and several years later than expected, Google is rolling out a feature that lets you pin tabs in Chrome for Android, keeping the browser tabs you want front and center.

Categories: IT General, Technology

1Password finally fixes its most frustrating browser limitation

42 min 37 sec ago

1Password is rolling out a fix for the inability to handle multiple in-page notifications. After eight years, the the in-page notification system for the browser system was starting to show its age as new features and capabilities were built into the software.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Setting up an LTE smartwatch was more trouble than I thought

56 min 39 sec ago

I’ve tried wearing a smartwatch on and off over the years, but only recently have I tried my first LTE model. Unfortunately, actually getting my watch connected to LTE service was a bigger pain than I expected.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The EV brand most avoided by drivers

1 hour 47 sec ago

Consumer choices aren’t always straightforward. What people like—or don’t like—can be influenced by everything from marketing campaigns and celebrity endorsements to a brand’s reputation for quality.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Microsoft wants to make the File Explorer faster with this trick

1 hour 7 min ago

Microsoft is making some more changes to File Explorer in Windows 11. Thankfully, it's a break from the trend of shoving AI everywhere, and focuses on performance and usability improvements that most people will probably appreciate.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Plex Pass is 40% off for Black Friday

1 hour 14 min ago

Plex is a great way to organize and stream your own media library, and Plex Pass gives you access to features like hardware transcoding, downloads, and remote streaming. Now is the best time of the year to upgrade to Plex Pass, as Plex's annual Black Friday discounts are finally live.

Categories: IT General, Technology

4 genuinely good Netflix movies to watch this week (November 24 - 30)

1 hour 48 min ago

It's Thanksgiving week, which means it's a perfect time to watch some movies on Netflix. There's nothing better than sitting back and putting on a good flick after a hectic day, whether you've been entertaining guests or eating too much food. The tricky part is deciding what to watch.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Japanese crossover outperforms all competitors in reliability

1 hour 57 min ago

The 2026 Lexus NX is turning heads—and numbers. Not only is it the best-selling luxury crossover of 2025, but it also claims the runner-up spot for all luxury vehicles, just behind its bigger sibling, the Lexus RX. So, what’s driving all this hype?

Categories: IT General, Technology

Please stop using your monitor as a USB hub

2 hours 12 min ago

Having USB ports built directly into your monitor is awesome. They’re in a convenient spot, making it easier to plug in things near the monitor, like light bars or frequently used USB devices such as controllers and flash drives. However, most people aren’t aware of the limitations of monitor USB ports and think they can use them like any other USB port.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Best value SUVs under $40,000 you can buy in 2025

4 hours 12 min ago

Finding a well-rounded SUV under $40,000 in 2025 is easier said than done. Prices keep climbing, feature lists vary wildly, and true long-term value isn’t always obvious on the spec sheet. Yet with the right research, buyers can still land a model that offers strong performance, solid reliability, and meaningful everyday practicality, without straining their budget.

Categories: IT General, Technology

8 classic Windows screensavers from the 1990s you can still use today

4 hours 57 min ago

The 1990s were the heyday of Windows screensavers. Back then, Windows was teeming with brilliant screensavers that kept CRT monitors of the time in good working order. Today, screensavers are largely forgotten, but many classic ones still work on modern Windows PCs.

Categories: IT General, Technology

3 quick steps to prepare your Netflix account for Thanksgiving guests

5 hours 27 min ago

It's Thanksgiving week in the US. If you're hosting friends and family, hopefully you've already got the food planned. However, one thing you may have overlooked is the entertainment.

Categories: IT General, Technology

8 Linux shell tricks that completely change how commands work

5 hours 57 min ago

The shell is the unsung hero of your Linux experience. Sitting between you and the programs your operating system runs, the shell is a user interface and a programming language rolled into one.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why a portable Linux install is my favorite troubleshooting tool

18 hours 27 min ago

Computers are everywhere, and unfortunately, they're not quite as reliable as I'd like, given how integral they are to our day-to-day lives. I always carry a portable Linux installation on a flash drive because it gives me ways to troubleshoot almost any computer I encounter—even if the hard drive is completely dead.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I bought a VR headset for productivity, not games

Sun, 11/23/2025 - 22:00

Galaxy XR is the most expensive computer I’ve ever purchased, but it felt justifiable—not as a gaming machine, but for work. I wanted this headset not just because I write about Android, but because it’s the kind of workspace I can easily see myself writing in.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Another airline just had a data leak

Sun, 11/23/2025 - 20:31

Airline breaches are pretty bad, because while you might not fly every day, airlines keep a trove of info on you, especially if you enroll in their frequent flyer programs. This is not an US airline, but if you've ever flown to Spain, you might want to keep reading.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Mechanical keyboard build & buying guide: Everything you need to know

Sun, 11/23/2025 - 20:30

If your friends and tech YouTubers have finally convinced you to upgrade to a mechanical keyboard, but you don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. In this guide, I'll cover everything you need to know before getting your first mechanical keyboard in the simplest way possible. Let's get started.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I 3D printed these 3 tools to make Arduino projects easier

Sun, 11/23/2025 - 20:00

The Arduino has long been a staple of the maker community. Longer than 3D printing has been as popular as it is, in fact. So, with both being mainstream, I decided to marry the two together to make my life a little easier.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I disable almost every Windows startup app. These two are worth keeping

Sun, 11/23/2025 - 19:52

Windows startup bloat is real, and it’s one of those problems you don’t notice until your PC starts feeling slower than it should. Every other app seems to sneak its way into your startup list, quietly running in the background and chewing up resources for no good reason. Over the years, I’ve gotten into the habit of shutting almost all of them off. It keeps my system feeling snappy, and honestly, most apps just don’t need to be running the second Windows loads up.

Categories: IT General, Technology

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