If you’re unsure whether you permanently deleted a file, look around for it first. Try performing a search in File Explorer. Hopefully, you just misplaced the file and you can find it again.

You might also want to check your external storage drives, such as flash drives, HDDs, and SDDs, in case you moved the file there and don’t remember.

You can also peek inside the Recycle Bin. If you have a lot of files in there, you can use the search box in the top-right corner of the window to search for the file.

You can also right-click in the Recycle Bin window and select Sort By > Date Deleted to more easily view recently deleted files.

If your file was stored in a cloud storage service like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox, log into your account on the service’s website and check your deleted files there—you may find the file is still recoverable. This is the cloud storage version of the Recycle Bin.

On OneDrive, for instance, click the “Recycle Bin”—the trash can icon—in the left sidebar to see your recently deleted files. Keep in mind that these will only remain in OneDrive for 30 days if it is your personal OneDrive.

Windows File History tool is useful for easily recovering deleted files and older versions of files from an external drive. It backs up files from specific locations, such as Libraries, Desktop, Contacts, and Favorites. If you enabled File History (it’s disabled by default), all you have to do is use it to recover the file.

To do that, open the Start Menu, type File History in the search bar, and click it when it appears in the search results. Next, click “Restore Personal Files” in the left sidebar. Then, select the folder with the missing file and click the “Restore”—a green button with the restore icon—to restore the previous version of that folder.

Microsoft has a tool for recovering deleted and corrupted files on Windows. It’s called Windows File Recover, and it’s an easy-to-use command-line tool that ensures your files aren’t permanently lost.

Once you install Windows File Recovery, launch it by opening the Start Menu, typing Windows File Recover in the search box, and selecting it when it appears in the search results. You need to know which commands to use to find the deleted file, but since this is not an in-depth tutorial on how to use this tool, I will just use an example of finding a find named report.docx.

The command for this would look like this:

winfr C: D: /n \Users\CHIFUNDO\Documents\report.docx

In the above command, C: is the drive to check for the deleted file (source drive), and D: is the drive to store it once found (destination drive). The /n is called a switch, which is a modifier that tells the command to target specific files or folders. The file path afterward tells Windows File Recovery where to find the file on the C: drive.

After the command runs successfully, check the destination drive for the recovered file. Keep in mind that this process can take a few minutes to complete.

The Microsoft To Do application, sometimes abbreviated informally but widely known as To Do, provides a central hub for arranging personal or professional tasks. An intuitive layout greets you with options for creating lists, setting reminders, scheduling tasks for later, and dividing projects into more digestible parts.

My personal preference involves pairing it with Outlook, which synchronizes tasks across devices and ensures that no important duty slips through the cracks. Many users favor its simple layout, reminiscent of handwritten to-do lists, though it’s backed by powerful cloud synchronization, which I’ll go into later.

To access To Do, go to the Windows search bar (or press Windows+S) and search for To Do. Press Enter to open the app. If you are prompted, log in to your Microsoft account.

The “My Day” feature stands out for its focus on daily intentions. A fresh screen greets you each morning, helping you to identify priorities for that specific day. To me, this is important since it clarifies what needs to be done to help tick things off and maintain consistent progress.

You can also set a due date or reminder by typing what needs to be done and by when, and the program will handle it for you. As someone who forgets things constantly, having timed alerts and notifications makes sure I never miss an appointment or deadline.

One aspect of staying motivated includes the psychological trick of self-imposed deadlines. Setting an arbitrary (but realistic) completion date for certain tasks gives you a mild sense of urgency without being too stressful (at least for me, anyway).

You can click on the star icon next to the task to mark it as important, and also sort the tasks by importance, due date, alphabetically, or by creation date:

Well, you may not have to change it completely. To Do integrates with other Microsoft services like Planner and Outlook, which keeps it all in sync across different platforms. Those comfortable with a pen-and-paper approach to scheduling might prefer the app’s minimal design. But you can also explore color-coded categories, collaborative sharing, and customized settings to have a more tailored experience, without it getting overwhelming.

Some people like to keep everything in a single master list, though I find separate categories more practical. I prefer starting with broad categories, such as “Work,” “Personal,” “Learning,” or “Household.” Each category sits in its own list, easily accessible from the left-hand panel as shown below:

You can also drag any of the tasks from “My Day” to any other list (don’t worry, it will still remain in the “My Day” section, since it just gets copied).

My “Work” list usually splits further into separate tasks when tasks have multiple steps involved. Subtasks inside each task item break down broader assignments into discrete, bite-sized chunks. This approach transforms intimidating objectives into sequences of manageable steps:

The app becomes sort of a centralized command center for all professional and personal responsibilities. My calendar remains a separate space for meetings and time-based events, while Microsoft To Do covers the domain of tasks and reminders. Both function together, each with a distinct purpose.

Recently, I had to plan a birthday for a family friend and I ended up using Microsoft To Do to create a list. The list helped us all stay organized and get everything done without overcrowding the group chats. To share a list, go to the list and click on the person icon on the left-hand side of the screen. From here, you can create invitation links to other Microsoft users. You can do the same for any type of list (such as a grocery list) as shown below:

With Windows 11’s metered connection feature, you can reduce the amount of internet data your system uses from apps or updates. It’s handy if you have a data limit.

For example, if you’re using your phone’s internet (hotspot) with your PC, you can mark that connection as metered so you don’t drain the data of your limited mobile plan. You can use the metered connection feature with any internet connection you want.

When you’re on a metered connection, Windows delays installing some non-essential system updates, which means you won’t get the latest Windows features immediately. Other services like Dropbox and OneDrive will also stop syncing your files.

Note that this feature isn’t perfect. My colleague here at How-To Geek had a situation where the Microsoft Store downloaded a 20GB update for a game they had never played, even though the connection was set as metered.

Using Settings is the easiest graphical way to set a connection as metered. To do that, open Settings by pressing Windows+i. From the left sidebar, select “Network & Internet.” On the right pane, choose your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.

Select “[Connection Name] Properties.”

On the following screen, turn on the “Metered Connection” toggle.

Without any prompts, Settings will mark your specific connection as metered. In the future, you can disable the feature by toggling off the “Metered Connection” toggle.

Using Command Prompt

You can use a command in Command Prompt to set a connection as metered, but this method only works for Wi-Fi connections. If you want to set an Ethernet connection as metered, use the other methods listed in this guide.

• To start, open Windows Search (press Windows+S), type Command Prompt, and select “Run as Administrator.” In the User Account Control prompt, choose “Yes.”
• On the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter. You’ll see all your Wi-Fi networks.

netsh wlan show profiles

• On the network list, find the network you want to set as metered. Then, type the following command, replace “YourNetwork” with your network name, and press Enter:

netsh wlan set profileparameter name="YourNetwork" cost=fixed

Your chosen connection is now set as metered. To verify that, run the following command replacing “YourNetwork” with your network name. In the Cost Settings section, next to Cost, it’ll say “Fixed,” which means the connection is marked as metered. If it says “Unrestricted” or “Default,” the connection is unmetered.

netsh wlan show profiles name="YourNetwork"

In the future, to set the connection as unmetered, use the following command. Make sure to replace “YourNetwork” with the name of your wireless network.

netsh wlan set profileparameter name="YourNetwork" cost=unrestricted

With Registry Editor

Another graphical way to set Wi-Fi or Ethernet connections as metered is by using Registry Editor. You tweak a registry item’s value, which sets your connection type as metered. This method sets the entire network type (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) as metered; you can’t select a specific network to be set as metered. Also, follow the instructions carefully as accidental changes can cause your system to be unstable.

To do that, launch Run by pressing Windows+R. Type the following in the Open field and press Enter:

regedit

In the User Account Control prompt, choose “Yes.” Then, navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\DefaultMediaCost

To be able to change certain items, right-click “DefaultMediaCost” in the left sidebar, choose “Permissions,” and give your user account all the permissions.

To set a Wi-Fi connection as metered, on the right pane, double-click “WiFi.” In the open box, click the “Value Data” field and type 2. Then, select “OK”.

If you’d like to set your Ethernet connection as metered, double-click “Ethernet” on the right pane, type 2 in the “Value Data” field, and select “OK”. Then, close Registry Editor and restart your Windows 11 PC to bring the changes into effect.

Set Data Limit for your Metered Connection

You can specify the amount of data for your connection, so Windows 11 knows what amount of data is available to use on your metered connection and doesn’t exceed it.

To do that, open Settings using Windows+i. From the left sidebar, select “Network & Internet.” On the right pane, choose your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection.

Select your connection on the following screen. Beneath Metered Connection, select “Set a Data Limit to Help Control Data Usage on This Network.”

In the top-right corner, click “Enter Limit.” You’ll see a Set Data Limit dialog box. Here, click the “Limit Type” drop-down menu and choose the limit frequency. Select when the limit resets from the other drop-down menu. Click the “Data Limit” field and type the limit. Choose the limit unit from the “Unit” drop-down menu.

Then, select “Save” to save the changes.

• Tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device]
• Tap Erase All Content and Settings.

If asked, enter your passcode or Apple Account password. Forgot your passcode or Apple Account password?

Confirm that you want to erase your device

If you have an eSIM, you can choose to erase your eSIM or keep it. If you erase your eSIM, you need to contact your carrier to reactivate your cellular plan.

Wait for your device to erase

It might take a few minutes to completely erase your data.

If you can’t erase your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

• Learn what to do if you don’t remember your passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled.

• If you forget your Screen Time passcode, you can reset it. Restoring your device using a backup won’t remove the Screen Time passcode.

Updates to your computer’s motherboard, sound card, and network drivers don’t generally give speed improvements. They do often fix rare bugs, but to be honest, they just as often introduce new bugs. So, if things are working okay, it’s typically not worth it to bother.

However, this is not the case with updated drivers for your graphics card, also known as a GPU or video card. NVIDIA and AMD both frequently release new graphics drivers that usually give major performance improvements, particularly for newer games. With Intel getting more serious about integrated graphics performance, they have started releasing more frequent video driver updates, too.

Here is a small portion of the changes to NVIDIA’s most recent graphics driver package (Release 566.14), released on November 12th, 2024:

And that just covers the specific games for which optimization has been improved. There are also numerous bug fixes and new features included.

These sorts of performance increases in updated graphics drivers are not uncommon. While newer games get the bulk of the attention, even some older games see a significant increase in performance with updated drivers, especially if there is improved support for features like DLSS. Of course, if you never play PC games on your computer and don’t care about 3D graphics performance, you don’t really need to update your graphics drivers at all.

Identifying your Graphics Card

There are a number of ways to identify your computer’s graphics hardware, including built-in and third-party system information utilities. However, the easiest way is probably to just hit Start, type System Information into the search box, and then hit Enter.

In the “System Information” window, on the left side, drill down to the “Display” category. On the right, look for your graphics adapter model in the “Adapter Type” or “Adapter Description” entries.

If you see both Intel and NVIDIA hardware on a laptop, your laptop is likely using switching technology to intelligently switch between its better-for-battery-life Intel graphics and better-for-gaming-performance NVIDIA graphics. In this case, you will want to update your NVIDIA drivers to boost your gaming performance.

However, you can generally get updated graphics drivers from your graphics hardware manufacturer’s website:

• Download NVIDIA Graphics Drivers
• Download AMD Graphics Drivers
• Download Intel Graphics Drivers

You will have to select the exact model of your computer’s graphics card, which is displayed in the Device Manager window. For all three of the major manufacturers, you can enter the details of your adapter on the website and download the right drivers directly.

You also have the option of letting the site scan your system to automatically determine what drivers you need. Just be aware that sometimes, you’ll be asked to install a utility that performs the scan.

You also have a third option—special software from your GPU manufacturer. For example, NVIDIA created the NVIDIA app that runs in the background on your PC. You have the choice of the utility downloading and installing them automatically or just letting you know when they’re ready. The NVIDIA app can also help you optimize gaming settings for most PC games, a feature some love and some hate, but that’s entirely optional.

AMD offers a similar program called AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (sometimes just called Adrenalin), and Intel’s take is the Intel Graphics command Center. If you have older graphics hardware, bear in mind that it won’t be supported forever. Manufacturers eventually move older hardware to a stable driver release that they stop optimizing and updating. If your graphics hardware is five years old, it’s very likely that optimized drivers for it are no longer being released. How long your hardware is supported is up to its manufacturer.

A factory reset deletes nearly all data on your Android phone, giving it a clean slate. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re prepared to take such a big step. It does more than reset your device settings and accessibility settings, here’s what a factory reset deletes from your phone:

• Contacts
• Photos and videos
• Music
• Passwords and files
• Accounts
• Messages

Before you restore your Android to factory settings, there are important steps to take to make sure you don’t lose your existing data.

1. Back up your Android phone. The first thing you should do is back up your phone. Uploading it to a service like Google Drive™, or one offered by your phone carrier, will ensure you don’t lose everything during a factory reset.
2. Plug your Android phone in and connect to Wi-Fi. The backup process can be time-consuming, so you’ll want the power boost. It’s also best to save your files over a secure Wi-Fi connection so you don’t use up a lot of mobile data during the transfer.
3. Know your login info to restore data after resetting your Android. Before you reset your phone, make sure you know your login information. A Google Account username and password are required to restore data on an Android device—you can typically find your Google Account in Settings.
4. Unpair your Android device. Be sure to unpair or disconnect Bluetooth® devices like your smartwatch or wireless headphones.
5. Sign out of all accounts. Protect your privacy by signing out of all your apps, services, and email accounts and also delete any cards you have saved in your mobile wallet. You should also turn off Find My Device—check out our guide to learn how.
6. Remove your SIM card. Check out our guide to removing your SIM card from your Android device for easy-to-follow steps.
7. Sign out of your Android phone. After backing up your data and completing the checklist above, don’t forget to sign out of your Android phone too. Although a factory reset removes all the information stored on the device, this will ensure no one can access your account after you sell or trade in your phone for another one.

You can usually perform a factory reset in Settings, but it can take up to an hour to complete. Make sure your phone is plugged in while you’re going through the factory reset process.

To reset a Samsung Galaxy phone:

1. Open the Settings app, then tap General management > Reset
2. Tap Factory data reset > Reset.

To reset other Android devices:

1. Open the Settings app, then search “Reset”
2. Tap Erase all data (factory reset) in the results
3. Tap Erase all data (factory reset) on the Reset options screen, then tap Erase all data and enter your password or PIN to confirm your decision.

To reset a locked Samsung phone (Samsung Galaxy S8 and newer):

1. Turn off the phone if it doesn’t require a PIN to do so. You may have to wait until it runs out of battery and turns off on its own.
2. Press and hold the Bixby®, Power, and Volume Up buttons simultaneously until your phone vibrates and the Samsung logo appears.
3. When the Recovery menu appears, press the Volume buttons to select Delete all user data or Wipe data/factory reset. Then press the Power button to make your selection.
4. Use the Volume buttons again to confirm “Yes” or “Factory data reset,” then press the Power button to select it.
5. Once your phone processes the factory reset, you may see the message “Data wipe complete” at the bottom of your screen. Press the Power button one last time to select the option “Reboot device.”

Your Samsung phone will reset and power back on automatically when it’s time to set it up.

To reset a locked Google Pixel:

1. Turn off your phone
2. Press and hold the Volume Down and Power buttons until you see the Android logo
3. Press the Volume buttons to choose the Recovery Mode menu option, then press the Power button to select it
4. Use the Volume buttons to choose the Wipe data/Factory reset option, then press the Power button to select it
5. Use the Volume and Power buttons to choose and select Factory data reset
6. Your phone will display a message telling you the data wipe is complete. Select Reboot system now to restart your phone.