Have you ever encountered a frustrating situation where a program you need to use is open but off-screen in Windows? Maybe you have tried multiple times to open a program, but it never appears on-screen. It could be that the program opened off-screen, and you just cannot see it. Don't worry; there are several methods to bring an off-screen program back on-screen, or close it and I'll guide you through them step by step.

Alt + Tab: Press Alt + Tab to cycle through the open windows. Keep the Alt key pressed and tap the Tab key until you see the off-screen program. Once it is highlighted, release the keys, and the program window should come back into view.

Use window management shortcuts: If you highlighted the program window with Alt + Tab but it did not appear back on screen, Windows has built-in shortcuts for window management, which can be useful for bringing an off-screen program back on-screen. Press and hold the Windows logo key + Left or Right arrow to move the selected window to the left or right side of the current monitor, allowing you to regain sight of it.

Adjust screen resolution: Sometimes, adjusting the screen resolution can bring an off-screen program back into view. Right-click on the Desktop, select Display settings, and adjust the resolution to a different setting. After confirming the change, revert back to the original resolution. This may prompt the off-screen program to reposition itself within the visible area.

Close the program: When all else fails, consider closing and reopening the program you cannot see. Yes, you might lose any changes made to any files open in that program, but this might be the only way to regain access to it.

Right-click on the Taskbar and left-click Task Manager. The Task Manager will open with either a compact view of open programs or a full list of them. If it opens with the compact view, just click on the More details button at the bottom.

All open programs are typically listed in the Processes section under Apps.

To close a hidden program, right-click it and select End task. If the program you want to close is not listed under Processes, look under Details.

Now, programs listed in the Details section are by the actual program name, the executable (which has a .exe extension). For example, the actual executable name for Quickbooks Pro is QBW32Pro.exe. Also, look for the program's logo as the icon for the executable to the left of the program name.

You can also check Desktop shortcuts for the actual program name. Right-click on the shortcut you use to launch the program and left-click on Properties. In the Shortcut tab, the Target field shows the path (C:\..) and program name (..\MyApp.exe). Make a note of the actual program name. Once you have identified the program you cannot see on the screen, scroll down the list of running programs under Details until you find it.

Then right-click on it and select End task.

Dealing with off-screen programs in Windows can be frustrating, but with the methods outlined above, you can quickly bring them back on-screen or close them. There's always a way to retrieve those elusive windows, whether using built-in shortcuts or Task Manager. Try these methods the next time you encounter an off-screen program, and you'll return to your productive self in no time.

Are you looking to update the drivers inside your Windows PC for optimal performance? Keeping your drivers updated is essential for a smooth and efficient computing experience. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through updating your Windows drivers while ensuring that your system runs smoothly and efficiently.

Updating drivers in Windows is a crucial maintenance task that can help resolve hardware compatibility issues, improve system stability, and enhance overall system performance. With the ever-evolving hardware landscape, staying on top of driver updates is essential to ensure that your PC components function at their best. Follow these steps to update your Windows drivers and keep your system running smoothly.

Device Manager

The first thing you should do is check Device Manager for any hardware components that are having driver issues. Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager from the Power User menu. If any devices are having problems, you will find them here.

Look down the list of hardware components and see if there are any with yellow triangles with exclamation marks.

These devices are currently malfunctioning and might need a driver to run correctly. Double left-click on the component to bring up its properties.

On the General tab, you will find the Device status box, which shows you what is wrong with that component. If it is missing a driver, you can go to the Driver tab and select Update driver. Odds are Windows has already tried to update the driver using Windows Update and did not find a compatible driver.

If Windows cannot find a driver, there are a couple of options. Either use a third-party program to detect and find a driver or play detective and research the mystery component. A quick Google search will usually bring up the device manufacturer and device type.

To find out the component information, bring up the component's properties and go to the Details tab. In the Property pull-down menu, select Hardware Ids, right-click on the top Value, and select Copy. Then, use your favorite browser and go to Google. Right-click inside the search box, select Paste from the menu that appears and then hit Enter.

Nine times out of ten, the type of component and its manufacturer will be at the top of the search results. From here, you can to go to the manufacturer's website and look for drivers for that component or use a third-party driver utiltiy (see below). Once all the components are running correctly, you can update the drivers.

Updating Drivers

When it comes to updating drivers, I prefer using the manufacturer's drivers whenever possible. Most laptop, desktop, and motherboard manufacturers have software to assist you in getting the latest drivers for your device. For example, Dell has Dell Update, HP has its Support Assistant, and MSI has the MSI Center.

A quick check for utilities or software in your device's download section should yield either an app for updating drivers or the actual driver itself. You may have to search through the downloads, but an app that will check for and download updates is the preferred way to go.

If you do not find any apps for updating the drivers and you did not find a driver for your mystery component, then using a third-party driver updating program may be your only alternative. There are plenty of them out there. But I have only found one that really works.

A few years back, I had a laptop for which I was reinstalling Windows and had to find drivers. It was an obscure laptop made in China, and the manufacturer had gone out of business. I took the opportunity to test out several of the top-rated driver utilities. The only one that found drivers for all components was the IObit Driver Booster.

In conclusion, updating drivers on Windows is a crucial maintenance task that can help optimize your PC's performance and ensure compatibility with the latest hardware and software. Following the steps outlined above, you can keep your system running smoothly and efficiently while enjoying the best possible computing experience. Remember that regular driver updates can help prevent compatibility issues and ensure that your PC's hardware operates at its full potential.

Did you recently purchase a Windows computer only to discover that you could not install desktop programs? If so, it could be that your Windows computer came with S mode enabled. In this article, I will show you how to switch your Windows computer running in S mode to the Windows Home version.

Most people have never heard of Windows running in S mode. That is probably because S mode was meant to compete with Chromebooks in the education industry. Basically, it's a Home version of Windows that has been restricted to only installing apps from the Microsoft Store.

Now, if you're a parent of a young child, S mode is a perfect match. Using Microsoft accounts, you can utilize the Family Safety feature to configure what software can be installed, where they can and cannot go on the Internet, and when they can use their device.

How to setup Family Safety for Windows using Microsoft accounts

The nice thing is that Microsoft allows you to switch Windows out of S mode and into the Home version. And it is free. But it is a one-way conversion. Once your system switches out of S mode, it will never be able to go back into S mode. It's important to note that switching out of S mode does require an Internet connection. If you are using a laptop, make sure that your device is plugged in or has sufficient battery charge to complete the process.

How to switch out of S mode

Before switching out of S mode, it's important to note again that this process is irreversible. Once you switch out of S mode, you cannot go back. With that in mind, here's a step-by-step guide to switching out of S mode:

1. Begin by opening the Microsoft Store on your Windows computer.
2. In the Microsoft Store, search for Switch out of S mode in the search bar.
3. Select the Switch out of S mode option from the search results.
4. Click the Get button to initiate the process. You may be asked to sign in with your Microsoft account if you haven't already done so.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the switch out of S mode. This process may take a few minutes, and your computer will need to restart to apply the changes.

After switching out of S mode, your computer will be running the Home version of Windows. You will now be able to install and run desktop apps from sources other than the Microsoft Store, giving you greater flexibility and control over your computing experience.

Was your computer manufactured between 2018 and 2021 and still running Windows 10 because you have yet to be prompted to upgrade to Windows 11? If so, it could be Windows 11 compatible and needs a feature turned on. Here is how to enable the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) in your computer.

One of the services we offer is to perform a clean installation of Windows. When doing clean installs, I find that most systems manufactured between 2018 and 2021 do not have the TPM enabled. Once I enable the TPM, I usually will do a clean installation of Windows 11 instead of Windows 10.

So, what is the TPM? The TPM is a microchip that provides hardware-based security functions. It is designed to provide a secure foundation for various security-related functions, such as BitLocker drive encryption, Windows Hello, secure boot, and more. By providing a secure environment for sensitive operations, TPM helps protect the system's integrity and the data's confidentiality.

The first version of the TPM, 1.2, started to appear in computers in 2006 and was a dedicated chip. TPM version 2.0 (the version required by Windows 11) began to appear in computers in 2018 and is a firmware extension of the CPU (Central Processing Unit). Between 2018 and 2021, the TPM function of most computers was turned off by default, as no version of Windows required it.

Then, in 2021, Microsoft released Windows 11 and changed the hardware requirements for Windows. Windows 11 now requires a TPM version 2.0 for Windows 11 to be installed. There were registry hacks and other ways to get around it, but Microsoft quickly patched those flaws.

So, the first thing you need to do is find out the status of the TPM inside Windows 10. By bringing up the TPM Management console, you can see if a TPM is enabled and what version it is. To open the TPM Management console, perform either of the following:

• Open a RUN dialog box by pressing the Windows logo key + R, type tpm.msc in the Open field, and left-click on OK.
  or
• Open a search box by pressing the Windows logo key + S, type tpm.msc, and choose tpm.msc Microsoft Common Console Document.

Once the TPM Management console appears, it will tell you if a TPM is enabled and what version it is.

If it states that a compatible TPM could not be found, you will have to either research the system/motherboard specifications online or boot your computer into the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) / UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).

Now, before you research online or boot into the BIOS/UEFI, let's talk about what you will be looking for. The CPU manufacturers (Intel and AMD) have different names for implementing the TPM firmware extensions.

• The TPM extension inside Intel processors is called Platform Trust Technology (PTT).
• The TPM extension inside AMD processors is called Firmware TPM (fTPM).

The quickest and easiest way to check for a TPM is to boot your computer into the BIOS/UEFI. This may take several tries, as interrupting the booting cycle for your computer can be challenging. If you don't interrupt the boot process the first time, just let the computer boot to the login screen and restart it.

1. Restart your computer and access the BIOS/UEFI settings. The method to access these settings varies depending on the manufacturer of your computer. Typically, you can access the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing a specific key (such as F2, F10, or Del) during the boot process. Most of the time, pressing either the F2 or the Del key rapidly when the splash screen (the manufacturer logo) appears will get you into the BIOS/UEFI settings. Consult your computer's manual or the manufacturer's website for specific instructions.
2. Once in the BIOS/UEFI settings, navigate to the Security or Advanced tab. Look for an option related to TPM or Security. The wording may vary depending on the manufacturer. Remember to look for PTT in systems with Intel processors and fTPM for systems with AMD processors.
3. Enable the TPM feature and save the changes before exiting the BIOS/UEFI settings. Your computer will restart.
4. After enabling TPM in the BIOS/UEFI settings, you can verify that it is enabled in Windows 10 by opening the TPM Management console (as previously outlined). It should now show that TPM is enabled.

Once the TPM is enabled, you can wait for Windows Update to offer the Windows 11 upgrade or manually upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Enabling the Trusted Platform Module on computers manufactured between 2018 and 2021 running Windows 10 is an important step towards being able to upgrade to Windows 11. By following the steps outlined in this article, users can verify the presence and version of a TPM and enable it in the BIOS/UEFI.

Are you planning on upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11? Before you do, there are a few things you should do to ensure a smooth transition. In this article, we'll look at a few things to do before and after upgrading your computer to Windows 11.

Before upgrading to Windows 11

Check hardware compatibility

This is the first thing you need to do. Windows Update will typically prompt you to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 if it sees that your computer has a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 enabled. This is the only hardware requirement that has changed between Windows 10 and Windows 11.

If your computer was built after 2018, it more than likely has a TPM 2.0 component. The problem is that manufacturers disabled the TPM prior to the release of Windows 11, as they felt it was not required for Windows 10, so why have it enabled by default?

So, computers built between 2018 and 2021 have a TPM 2.0 component included but not enabled. To enable the TPM 2.0 component, you will need to turn it on inside your system's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). A quick check inside Windows 10 will tell you if the TPM component is enabled and what version it is.

Using a Run dialog box (Windows logo key + R) or Search box (Windows logo key + S), you can check the status of the TPM component inside your system. Just type TPM.MSC into a Run dialog box and select OK, or type TPM.MSC into a Search box and choose tpm.msc Microsoft Common Console Document.

When the TPM Management console opens, it should display the TPM's status and version. If you get a message stating that a compatible TPM cannot be found and your computer was manufactured between 2018 and 2021, you should check the website of the manufacturer of your computer/motherboard for a user manual to find instructions on how to enable the TPM.

Geek tip: If you ever have to replace the CMOS battery in your computer, the BIOS can reset itself to factory defaults. If the factory defaults had the TPM turned off, then things like Bitlocker drive encryption will not work correctly.

Check your drive for errors

You should definitely check the drive that has Windows installed on it for errors. You want to make sure the folders and files contained on it aren't damaged. There is nothing worse than getting halfway through the upgrade process only to get an error that causes the upgrade to fail.

How to run a standard disk check in Windows 10

1. Open File Explorer using one of the following:
• Left-click on the File Explorer icon (manilla folder) on the Taskbar.
• Press the Windows logo key + E at the same time.
• Use the Power User menu by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting File Explorer.
2. In the left-side column, left-click on This PC.
3. In the right-side column, right-click on the drive you want to check and select Properties.
4. Left-click on the Tools tab.
5. Under Error checking, left-click on Check.
6. Left-click on Scan drive.

If you want to run an advanced disk check, follow the link below.

How to check your drive for errors in Windows 10

Backup your computer

As the old saying goes, "It's always better to be safe than sorry," and this couldn't be more true when it comes to your computer. Having a good 'bare metal' backup is essential when it comes to an operating system upgrade.

Yes, 99.99% of the time, nothing goes wrong with an in-place upgrade, but there is always the possibility. A full backup will definitely bring a greater degree of safety to the whole upgrade process.

Backup your files with File History and Windows Backup in Windows 10

If you decide to do a full 'bare metal' backup, you will definitely want to create a recovery drive just in case.

How to create a recovery drive in Windows 10 and Windows 11

Clean up the junk

Whether or not you upgrade your operating system, giving it a good cleaning can do wonders for your computer's performance, not to mention making the upgrade process a little bit simpler.

Removing temporary folders and files, emptying the recycle bin, and clearing out your downloads folder are just a few ways to prepare your computer before upgrading to Windows 11. Windows 10 has two (2) different programs built in to help with cleaning out junk.

Clean up your Windows 10 computer using the Storage feature

Clean up Windows 10 with Disk Cleanup

Uninstall unnecessary programs/apps

Over time, you may have installed programs that you no longer use. Before upgrading to Windows 11, it's a good idea to uninstall any unnecessary programs to free up space on your computer. This can also speed up the upgrade process and ensure Windows 11 runs smoothly.

How to uninstall a program or app in Windows 10

1. Left-click on the Start menu and left-click on the Gear (Settings) icon. It should be the second icon up from the bottom.
2. Left-click on the Apps category.
3. In the right-hand column, you will find a list of installed programs (App & features).
4. Scroll down the list of apps and left-click any program you would like to remove, and select Uninstall.

Uninstall or disable your anti-virus

If you are using any anti-virus program other than Microsoft Windows Defender, you should disable or remove it before upgrading to Windows 11. I have seen anti-virus programs slow down an upgrade and even cause it to fail.

You can save yourself a headache or two by at least disabling your anti-virus software. Although uninstalling is the best option, disabling should work just as well.

Upgrade to Windows 11

So, if you haven't yet been prompted to upgrade to Windows 11 through Windows Update and your computer has a TPM 2.0 component enabled, you can manually upgrade your computer using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Just download it and run it.

Windows 11 Installation Assistant

After upgrading to Windows 11

Now that you have a new operating system, you will want to ensure you have all of the latest and greatest drivers for the components inside your computer. First, you should check for driver updates on the website of your computer or motherboard manufacturer. After that, if you have a dedicated graphics card, you should look for updated drivers for it. This will help ensure that your computer runs Windows 11 smoothly and efficiently.