How to Future-Proof Your CPU: choosing a Processor that will last 5+ years

Future-proofing your CPU is possible as long as you keep your expectations in check. While a 5+ year-old CPU can deliver competitive performance in games and productivity tasks, it won’t match the latest and greatest models.

Glance over the Gamers Nexus review of the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, and you’ll see the 5800X3D achieving great results in games such as Starfield, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and Baldur’s Gate 3; all CPU-heavy titles. Its successors, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the recently released Ryzen 7 9800X3D, are the best CPUs for gaming at the moment. Period.

I’m trying to say that if you’re a gamer and want to future-proof your CPU for the next half a decade or longer, just get an X3D chip and start thinking about which GPU to pair it with.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

If you’re a gamer and want the fastest gaming CPU on the market, get the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, you won’t regret it. Those in need of a CPU for productivity workloads should look elsewhere. If your budget doesn’t allow you to splurge on an X3D CPU, no sweat. Many modern mid-range CPUs are great at gaming. To pick the right one, just look at Hardware Unboxed or TechPowerUp CPU reviews, since those two outlets offer the most comprehensive gaming benchmark suites in my opinion. They include dozens of different titles, so check the performance of each CPU in games you play using these benchmarks, and choose accordingly.

Just keep your expectations in check. A mid-range CPU that’s great for gaming right now will most likely be able to deliver more than 60 frames per second on average in most games five years from now. However, you shouldn’t expect it to deliver the same level of performance with all visual effects, including ray tracing, maxed out, and in future games that will be considered CPU hogs in the late 2020s. It will most likely struggle in some games, unable to deliver a constant 60 FPS or higher, and that’s okay.

For example, I got a Ryzen 5 5600X in late 2020, and four years later, the CPU is still pretty solid in most games, very rarely bottlenecking my RTX 3070. Its biggest weakness is ray tracing, since it can fail to deliver 60 frames per second on average when you enable RT in certain games. In Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales, I had 100+ FPS on average without ray tracing, but turning it on and increasing the quality to 8/10 or higher led to sub-60FPS drops and low GPU utilization when web-slinging near the street level, filled with cars and pedestrians. The lack of full GPU usage is the smoking gun that shows us the CPU is holding things back.

The 5600X can bottleneck my RTX 3070 in some CPU-demanding games that don’t include ray-tracing effects, too. In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, I get subpar GPU utilization in many levels filled with massive enemy hordes, as you can see below, that leads to noticeable frame rate drops. The same happens in Dragon’s Dogma 2 when I’m in towns with lots of NPCs. That said, the performance usually stays above 60 frames per second, which is still a great result for a four-year-old mid-ranger.

In most other games, though, the 5600X can deliver way over 60 FPS on average, and I’m positive it will stay that way at least until we get PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox, which will most likely up the ante of CPU requirements in games.

In other words, the Ryzen 5600X will stay competitive for gaming for at least six years. If you get a modern mid-range CPU that excels at gaming, such as the Ryzen 7 7700X, Ryzen 7 7700, or the newer Ryzen 7 9700X, you should also be fine for half a decade or longer.

For Office Work and Lightweight Tasks, A Quality Quad-core CPU Will do the Trick

Building a PC for office and “everyday” tasks? Just get a modern Quad-core CPU, such as the Intel Core i3-12100F, and you can forget about replacing it for at least half a decade.

Even a more-than-decade-old part such as the legendary Intel Core i5-2500K that came out in early 2011 can tackle any office and lightweight computing task you throw at it without issues even today. So, it’s safe to say that any modern budget CPU that packs at least four cores will stay up to snuff for office and other work that doesn’t strain the CPU too much for the next decade.

Intel Core I3-12100F

The Intel Core I3-12100F is an amazing CPU for $100 or less. It’s perfect for any home PC and more than a decent choice for an entry-level gaming PC.

If you’ve got the cash, you can even get something like the Ryzen 5 7500F (as long as you can find it for $180 or less) or the Ryzen 5 7600 (both six-core designs) and ride that PC until it can no longer handle running a text editor alongside multiple browser tabs or large spreadsheets—which probably won’t happen until, like, 2044, assuming PCs as we know them are still in use by then.

Professionals Ought to Look for High-end and Flagship CPUs

If you earn a living with your PC and want a CPU that will stay competitive for over five years, you should splurge on a high-end or flagship CPU that eats heavy multithreaded CPU loads for breakfast.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

A superb choice for gamers and professionals, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X justifies its flagship status. Its 16-core design is coupled with impressive power efficiency and surprisingly lightweight cooling requirements.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend Intel’s 13th and 14th-gen CPUs here since they suffer from overvolting issues. Intel claims it fixed the problems, but I’d still err on the side of caution if planning to get a long-term CPU upgrade.

So, you’re left with AMD’s Zen 4 and Zen 5 and Intel’s 15th-gen CPU lineups, all offering great productivity performance. Here, I’d look at reviews and focus on use cases important for your workflow. For example, if you need the best CPU for video editing in Premiere Pro, just look at those benchmarks and ignore the rest.

In general, the Ryzen 9 9950X, Ryzen 9 7950X, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K are the best consumer-grade productivity CPUs on the market. You ought to pick one of those for your next PC build if you want it to stay competitive for at least half a decade.

If you’re ready to pay much more, consider getting an AMD Threadripper CPU. Here, the situation’s very clear: the more you pay, the better performance you’ll get. In other words, settle on your CPU budget and then get the best CPU that fits into said budget.

Modern CPUs are incredibly powerful, and many of them will keep delivering solid gaming and productivity performance in the late 2020s and early 2030s. All you’ve got to do in order to future-proof your CPU is read and watch reviews, cull the CPUs that perform the best relative to your budget, and make your pick.

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How to Safeguard your Windows PC against Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data and files, making them inaccessible until a ransom, usually in the form of bitcoin, is paid. Once a ransom is paid, the cybercriminal sends a decryption key for the victim to access their data. The data is unlocked, but sometimes the stolen data is held for a second ransom (this is referred to as double extortion) to prevent the data from becoming public. The ransom can range from a couple of hundred dollars to millions of dollars in bitcoin, depending on the target.

According to Chainalysis, ransomware payments in 2023 surpassed the $1 billion mark, the highest number ever observed. It is an extremely lucrative form of cybercrime, and the techniques used by cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Ransomware actors usually target businesses and institutions that provide critical services such as healthcare and education. This not only prevents these institutions from delivering essential services, but their data is compromised, which can severely affect the company’s reputation, no matter how big or small it is.

However, some actors also target the average internet user, which can compromise their personal and confidential data. A common technique used by ransomware actors is to pose as an official government agency and claim that the system lockdown is necessary for legal security reasons, and demand a fine to be paid to get your data back.

Best Tip to Keep Your Windows PC Protected

Often, these cybercriminals will use reconnaissance tools to locate weaknesses in scanned computers. If a computer has a vulnerability, like if it’s running on an older version of Windows or the operating system is unpatched, it can be exploited. Cybercriminals often target older unpatched versions of Windows, so it’s important to keep your Windows PC up to date with the latest version.

Not only should you keep your Windows machine up to date, but also any apps and browsers you may use.

Avoid Getting Infected in the First Place

One of the most prevalent methods by which ransomware is spread is via phishing. This can happen if a victim accidentally clicks on a link on a phishing email or opens an email attachment, which can infect the computer with ransomware. Phishing could be in the form of emails, but you may also encounter it in messages on social media or SMS. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar sources. Given the risk of being infected by ransomware, it is essential that you learn how to spot phishing emails.

Turn on Windows Ransomware Protection

Ensure that Windows Security is turned on, as this can provide ransomware protection. To do this, click the Windows Start menu (or press Windows+i on the keyboard), search for controlled folder access, and press Enter.

Windows search button searching controlled folder access.

When the window appears, you toggle the button to “On” under Controlled Folder Access.

Toggle on controlled folder access for ransomware protection.

This feature can protect important local folders from any unauthorized programs or malware, including ransomware. Controlled Folder Access on Windows is not the be-all and end-all for protecting against ransomware. Be cautious about other entry points into the system.

Stay One Step Ahead of Ransomware by Having Backups

It’s important to have a strong data backup process since ransomware relies on you not having access to your data and files. A solid backup system means that if the original data is ever encrypted by ransomware, you still have access to the data.

Microsoft recommends storing important files on Microsoft OneDrive since OneDrive includes multi-factor authentication (MFA), built-in ransomware detection and recovery, as well as file versioning, so you can restore the previous version of a file if you ever lose access.

Windows Backup is an additional option for local backups. Once this is set up, Windows will back up your info in the cloud via your Microsoft account and automatically keep it up to date, even if something happens to your PC. Windows Backup does not offer encryption, so it could still be targeted by ransomware unless stored on an external hard drive and disconnected after the backup is complete.

I’d also recommend making physical backups of your data and transfering it to an external hard drive, which provides another layer of protection in case your cloud backups are ever targeted by advanced ransomware.

Simple Habits to Protect Your Windows PC

Maintaining healthy security practices also helps protect against ransomware and other cyberattacks. Here are some good practices:

  • Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) as much as possible for every service and app that you use. This can help prevent unauthorized access to your personal and sensitive data.
  • Avoid using USB sticks and hard drives that don’t belong to you, since they may contain malware and infect your device when plugged in.
  • Make sure you’re using a reputable antivirus and anti-malware solution, not just the built-in protection on Windows. Check that they are set to automatically update and run regular scans.

If you become a victim of a ransomware attack, the FBI recommends not paying the ransom, since paying the ransom doesn’t really guarantee that you’ll get your data back, or that there won’t be a second ransom. After all, there is no honor among thieves. It also encourages these cybercriminals to target more victims because of the money that they make, and offers a financial incentive for others to also get involved in this type of illegal activity.

If you are a victim of ransomware, you should file a report on the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is run by the FBI. Another good resource to be aware of is the U.S. government’s official resource to tackle ransomware .

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How to (Officially) Install Windows on a Steam Deck OLED

Valve’s SteamOS is streamlined and designed with the Steam Deck in mind, but it’s hard to ignore the unending array of Windows native applications and PC-exclusive games. Thanks to some recently-released drivers, you can now give in and install Windows 11 right on your Steam Deck.

The easiest way to install and run Windows on your Steam Deck OLED is by way of a bootable microSD card. You could wipe the drive and install Windows directly on your Steam Deck’s internal SSD but going for the “fresh start” approach effectively forces you to start from scratch. This complicates the ability to reinstall SteamOS at a later date.

Using an SD card for Windows gives you the freedom to change your mind and switch back to SteamOS to overcome performance issues that are impeding your game of choice. As with any major changes to an operating system, make sure to back up your files and games before proceeding.

To kick off the installation, enable the SteamOS Beta and update your BIOS to version 3.6.9 or later. To do this, press the “Steam” button then navigate to Settings > System > Beta Participation and select “Beta” from the System Update Channel list. You’ll be invited to restart your device, after which a new update will be ready for you. Install it and you’re good to go.

Once your hardware is up-to-date, you will need an ultra-high speed microSD card (UHS-I or faster) with a minimum storage capacity of 64GB. You’ll also need a computer running Windows on which to prepare the medium.

  • The first step to creating a bootable microSD card is acquiring the Windows 11 ISO. On your PC, download the Windows 11 or Windows 10 installation media and ISO straight from Microsoft’s website. Both versions of Windows are supported on the Steam Deck, and the installation process is essentially identical.
  • Now that you have the ISO, you’ll use the free, open-source wonder Rufus to actually prepare your card. Visit the official Rufus website on your PC and download the latest version of the executable file. Once downloaded, open the executable to run Rufus.

Insert your microSD Card

Insert your microSD card into your PC’s card reader. It should be recognized by your computer, but make sure to format it if prompted.

Launch Rufus, and you should see the application’s main window open. Rufus automatically detects connected USB devices or memory cards. In the “Device” drop-down, ensure your microSD card is selected as the target device. Be careful to select the correct device, as the process will format the selected card.

Boot Selection

In the “Boot Selection” section, click on the dropdown and select “Disk or ISO image (Please select)”. After this, click the “Select” button next to the menu and locate your downloaded Windows ISO file from your system. Once found, click “Open” to load the ISO file into Rufus.

  • Now select “Windows To Go” from the “Image Option” menu.
  • Rufus Creating Boot Disc Windows 11 Iso
  • Partition Scheme and File System
  • Rufus will automatically set the “Partition Scheme” to GPT and “Target System” to UEFI (non-CSM), which is necessary for compatibility with modern systems like the Steam Deck. The “File System” should be left as NTFS (default for Windows installations).
  • Now is also the time to rename your microSD card by using the “Volume Label” field if you wish.

Windows User Experience Settings

  • Once you click the Start button, Rufus will prompt you with Windows User Experience settings. If you prefer to manually configure regional settings or use an online Microsoft account, you can leave the relevant options unchecked. However, for privacy and convenience, enabling these options is recommended.
  • Finalize Install
  • After confirming your settings, you will be met with a final warning message that all data on your microSD card will be deleted. You’ve already gone this far, click “OK” to proceed. Rufus will now install Windows on your microSD card.

Copy Windows Drivers to Your SD Card

  • With your new operating system resting calmly on your SD card, you’re ready to acquire the drivers needed to make software run smoothly on your Steam Deck. Valve’s Steam Deck: Windows Resources page has all the required files. Download the required drivers to your Windows 11 desktop and unzip the files.
  • Open up the root folder on your microSD and create a new folder. Now you can just select the folders containing the drivers and drag them into the folder you just generated for later use.

Giving SteamOS the Boot

Your freshly prepared boot disc is ready to bring the Windows 11 PC experience to your Steam Deck.

  • First, power off your Steam Deck completely. Now Insert the SD card into the Steam Deck’s microSD card slot. Hold the “Volume Down” button and press the “Power” button, then release both buttons once you hear a sound.
  • You’ll be taken to the boot selection menu. Select your SD card and press “A” to set up Windows.
  • Once inside Windows, you can return your screen to its rightful horizontal position. Right-click and head to Desktop > Display Settings > Scale & Layout > Display Orientation > Switch to Landscape to fix the screen layout.
  • With Windows installed and booting on your OLED Steam Deck, it’s time to set up those essential drivers we left snug in the root directory of your SD card. Navigate to the folder and proceed to install each driver.

Install the APU Driver

  • Find the “setup.exe” file in the folder for the APU driver and run it to install.
  • Install the SD Card Reader Driver
  • Go to the “BayHub_SD_STOR_install” folder and run the “setup.exe” executable.
  • Install the Wi-Fi Driver
  • Navigate to the Wi-Fi driver folder, right-click the “qcwlan64.inf “file, and choose “Install.”
  • Bluetooth Driver
  • For Bluetooth, right-click “qcbtuart.inf” in the Bluetooth driver folder and select “Install”. Keep in mind, if this doesn’t work, you may not have remembered to update the BIOS for your OLED Steam Deck.

Audio Drivers

  • You will need to install three different drivers for full audio functionality: “cs35l41.inf”, “NAU88L21.inf”, “amdi2scodec.inf”. For each driver, right-click, then select “Install.”
  • Once all drivers are installed, Windows will function on your OLED Steam like the desktop you dragged to your buddy’s basement to get in some matches of Counter Strike in 2001.
  • Reverting to SteamOS
  • Since you made the wise decision to install Windows 11 on a bootable SD, it’s a breeze to return to SteamOS if you so choose.
  • First, power off your Steam Deck completely. Hold the “Volume Down button and press the “Power” button. Release both buttons once you hear a sound. You’ll be taken to the boot selection menu.
  • Select your Steam Deck’s SSD and press “A” to boot back into the intended OS.

Alternatively: Installing Windows Directly (Not Recommended)

  • If you are still hellbent on nuking the Steam Deck’s SSD in order to go “full Windows” on your handheld, it’s a similar process with just a few tweaks. Grab a USB drive that can hold at least 32GB of data and connect it to your Windows PC. Download the ISO from Microsoft’s website in the same fashion as previously mentioned, run Rufus, and choose your memory stick of choice in the “Device” window.
  • You will still choose “Disk or ISO Image (Please select)” from the “Boot Selection” menu, click the “Select” button next to it, and open the Windows ISO file. Since you are installing the operating system directly onto the hard drive, select “Standard Windows Installation” from the “Image Option” drop-down.
Windows 11 Full Install via Rufus
  • When greeted by the “Windows User Experience” window, make sure the box next to “Remove requirement for “4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0” is checked and proceed to finalize the installation.
    Optimal Rufus Settings for Windows 11 Install
  • Once you have finished setting up your USB, create a folder in the root and download the drivers, and you are ready for installation.
  • Power off your Steam Deck completely and insert your flash drive into the Steam Deck’s USB port. Hold the “Volume Down” button and press the “Power” button. Release both buttons once you hear a sound. You’ll be taken to the boot selection menu.
  • Select your USB drive and press “A” to start the Windows 11 installation process. Go through the setup and select “Custom: Install Windows Only” when prompted. When asked where to install Windows 11, delete all partitions and create a new one.

There’s no turning back now—this will delete all the information stored on your OLED Steam Deck. Choose the new partition as the installation location. You are good to go. Now fix the screen, install the drivers, and enjoy your odd-shaped Windows 11 laptop.

  • Windows on a Steam Deck is nice, but not essential. There are lots of options for playing games from the Epic Game Store on your Valve handheld that don’t involve a Windows installation.
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How to install a Wi-Fi Printer on Windows 11

Scenario 1: Install a Printer You’ve Never Connected to Your Wi-Fi Network

If you’re trying to set up a printer that you’ve never connected to your Wi-Fi network, you’ll have to use your printer’s utility to connect it to your wireless network first. How you do this depends on your printer’s manufacturer and the specific printer model. I’ll show you how to do that for a Canon MG3670 Wi-Fi printer as an example.

To start, launch a web browser on your PC and head to your printer’s manufacturer website. In my case, I’m heading to the MG3670 page on the Canon site. Click “Download” to download the utility that lets you connect your printer to your Wi-Fi network.

Then, launch the downloaded utility and choose “Yes” in the User Account Control prompt. Select “Start Setup” on the wizard’s first page.

Choose your country from the drop-down menu and select “Next.” Agree to the terms and conditions and keep following the on-screen instructions. When asked to choose the connection method, select “Wireless LAN Connection” and choose “Next.”

Select “Connect via Wireless Router (Recommended)” and select “Next.” Turn on your printer if it isn’t already and wait for the wizard to find the printer. Then, select your printer on the list and choose “Next.”

Follow the on-screen instructions to finish connecting and installing the printer on your PC.

Scenario 2: Install a Printer That’s Already Connected to Your Wi-Fi Network

If the printer you want to add to your PC is already connected to your Wi-Fi network, install the printer automatically or manually using the following methods.

Method 1: Automatically add the Printer from Settings

Launch Windows 11’s Settings app by pressing Windows+i. From the left sidebar, select “Bluetooth & Devices.” On the right pane, choose “Printers & Scanners”.

At the top of the screen, select “Add Device”. You’ll see your printer listed on the list. Next to the printer, click “Add Device.” Windows 11 will add the selected printer to the system. You can now start using this printer with your PC.

Method 2: Add the Printer Manually

If Settings can’t automatically find your printer, manually find the printer’s IP address and add it to your system.

Step 1: Find Your Printer’s IP Address

To install a wireless printer manually, first, find the printer’s IP address. This is how your PC will locate your printer on the network. To do that, use a free IP scanner app like Advanced IP Scanner or Angry IP Scanner. I’ll use the former one.

Download and run Advanced IP Scanner on your PC. When asked to install the app, choose “Run,” which lets you use the app without installing it. When you see the app’s main interface, at the top, click the large “Scan” button. This initiates the scan process for your Wi-Fi network. You’ll see the discovered devices on the list. The “Manufacturer” column will help you find your printer. Once you find your specific printer on the list, note its IP address.

Step 2: Add the Printer to Your PC

  • Open Settings by pressing Windows+i. From the left sidebar, choose “Bluetooth & Devices.” On the right pane, select “Printers & Scanners.”
  • Choose “Add Device” and select “Add Manually.”
  • On the Add Printer window, select “Add a Printer Using an IP Address or Hostname” and choose “Next.”
  • Click the “Device Type” drop-down menu and choose “Autodetect.” Select the “Hostname or IP Address” field and type the printer’s IP address you noted earlier. Then, click “Next.”
  • Select the “Printer Name” field and type a name for your printer, then choose “Next.”
  • Select “Do Not Share This Printer” and choose “Next.”

Finish installing the printer, and it’ll be ready for use.

Print a Test Page With the Newly-Added Wireless Printer

To check if the printer is working correctly, print a test page with it. Do that by opening Windows Search, typing Printers & Scanners, and selecting the item with that name.

  • On the open window, select the printer. Then, choose “Print Test Page.”
  • Your printer will begin printing the test page.

Troubleshoot Issues With the Wireless Printer

If you run into issues installing or using your Wi-Fi printer with your PC, here are a few troubleshooting tips to use.

Restart your Windows 11 PC

If your printer doesn’t appear on the printer list even after adding it, give your Windows 11 PC a reboot. The reboot will refresh the system, making the installed printer available to use. To do that, press the Windows key, select the Power icon, and choose “Restart”

To use a wireless printer with your Windows 11 PC, your printer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your PC. If that’s not the case, connect your printer to your network first.

Windows 11 may not always install all the drivers for your printer. If you can’t use certain printer functions, download the additional drivers for your Canon, HP, Epson, Brother, or another printer and install those drivers. Make sure to restart your PC to bring the changes into effect.

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How to Wirelessly transfer Files between Windows, macOS, Linux and Mobile

LocalSend is a completely free and open-source wireless file-sharing solution that’s available for almost everything. You can send and receive files as long as you have the LocalSend client installed on two devices that share the same Wi-Fi network. The app is built on the REST API and HTTPS, which means it uses the same level of encryption as much of the web.

When you send a file using LocalSend, it is not uploaded to the internet first but rather transferred directly between LocalSend applications. The file is then saved locally on your device. It allows you to send files wirelessly between operating systems and devices that are not normally associated with this kind of seamless interoperability.

First Install LocalSend

To get started, head to the LocalSend website or download the LocalSend client from your store of choice. Apple users can download iOS, iPadOS, and Mac versions from the App Store, while Android users can use Google Play, F-Droid, and the Amazon Appstore (or grab the APK and sideload).

Windows users can download an EXE or a portable version of the app in a ZIP archive. For Linux there are pre-built DEB and AppImage files, plus Flatub, Nix, Snap, and AUR packages. Alternatively, anyone can build LocalSend for themselves by grabbing the source code from the GitHub page.

With LocalSend open on both the sending and receiving device, all that’s left to do is queue some files to transfer. Use the “Send” button to add files, folders, text, or the contents of your clipboard. On a desktop, you can drag files here to queue them up.

With your files ready to go, make sure the receiving device is on the “Receive” page and make a note of the (randomly generated) name you see on the screen. Now initiate the transfer by selecting the target device on the origin device and accepting the transfer on the receiving device

LocalSend should immediately spring into action. How fast your transfer goes depends on how close you are, how fast your Wi-Fi is, and what interference is nearby. In our tests, a 30MB video file sent from an iPhone to a Mac (both with Wi-Fi 6E) took a few seconds.

Set Up LocalSend for Better Results

On the “Settings” page of the LocalSend client, you change a few settings to make your life a bit easier. The first is to change the name of your device to something less random, that’s easily recognizable. Remember to use a random name if you want to hide your true identity.

On desktop you can specify a save location, whereas on iPhone there’s just a toggle for saving media to your “gallery” (Photos library). Turning this off will let you save with Files instead.

You can also turn on “Quick Save” to automatically accept all new incoming transfers (handy if you use LocalSend purely for your own personal devices), add a PIN for better security, and turn on “Auto Finish” to automatically dismiss the transfer summary screen that appears.

LocalSend can replace AirDrop for Apple Users

Perhaps the most surprising thing I noticed when testing LocalSend was that the service appears to be more reliable than Apple’s own AirDrop protocol. This might not be the case for all users, but as someone who uses a VPN on both their Mac and iPhone, AirDrop frequently doesn’t work for me.

Normally I have to turn off my VPN, make an AirDrop transfer, and then remember to turn on my VPN again. This wasn’t necessary with LocalSend. Sending a file from my iPhone to my Mac was effortless, with both devices appearing immediately and the transfer initiating without the usual “will they, won’t they” dance I’ve become accustomed to.

On top of this, LocalSend appears in the “Share” menu on macOS alongside other locations like Messages, Mail, and so on. This makes it easy to select media from your Photos library, hit Share, and then tap “LocalSend” to transfer files wirelessly.

With LocalSend always running in the background on my Mac, I can now easily transfer screenshots (like the one above) with a few taps on my iPhone by automatically accepting all new transfers on my Mac. The biggest roadblock you’re likely to run into is convincing other people to download the app, which of course isn’t the case with AirDrop.

Android User? Try Quick share for Windows or NearDrop for Mac

If LocalSend isn’t doing it for you and you have the very specific combination of Android and macOS or Android and Windows, there are two other apps you can resort to. Quick Share is Google’s own app for transferring between Android and Windows, which was revamped in early 2024.

Install the app on Windows and then log in with your Google Account. You can then set up device visibility preferences, and send wirelessly between the two using Google’s own nearby sharing technology. NearDrop is a free Mac app that works in much the same way, except it’s not at all affiliated with Google. Install it using Homebrew on your Mac, then make sure your devices are sharing the same local network before trying to send.

Also consider SMB for Network Sharing

If you’re mostly concerned with transferring files between computers that are normally on the same network, you can always use the old SMB file-sharing protocol as a fallback. There’s native support for SMB built into Windows and Mac, which makes sharing between Windows and Mac using SMB fairly easy.

On Windows, set up a shared folder as you normally would by right-clicking a file and choosing Properties > Sharing then selecting “Share.” You can further refine these settings under “Network and Sharing Center” in Control Panel. Windows uses SMB by default.

On a Mac, head to Settings > General > Sharing and turn on “File Sharing” then click the “i” button next to the setting to add folders and set permissions. Hit “Options” and enable “Windows File Sharing” for your username. Remember that anyone accessing your shares will need to authenticate with your macOS username and password.

On Linux, instructions will differ depending on which distribution you are using. To create a Windows share in Ubuntu, right-click on the folder you want to share and then click Properties > Local Network Share > Share this folder. You’ll be invited to install the required services and set up your share. You can also install samba and set all of this up using the Terminal.

To make use of SMB, you’ll need to place the files you want to share within the folder you have shared.

When nothing Works, use Cloud sharing

Uploading a file to the cloud to send it to a device that’s within spitting distance is a bit like mailing a letter to your next-door neighbor rather than just dropping it in their mailbox. Sure, it works, but it’s arguably the least efficient method of sharing.

It’s not so bad when the file is small, or you’re trying to collaborate on something (like a text document created in Google Docs), but for larger files like videos or archives that reach into the hundreds of megabytes, there’s almost always a better way.

You’ll have to wait for the upload to complete, have the other party download the file, and then remember to delete it to get your cloud storage back. If everything else is failing you, go for it (but consider using a free cloud storage platform).

How you go about this depends on which service you pick. Most platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive have native clients. This makes uploading easy, and can even add an element of redundancy so that interrupted uploads can easily be resumed.

Failing this, you can always log in using a standard web browser and upload your file this way. Once you’re done use the built-in tools to share the folder with whoever you want.

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How I use Windows 11’s Snap Layouts to Streamline Multitasking

Snap Layouts, also known as Snap Windows, is a helpful feature that lets you divide your screen into different sections and place each open application in its designated area. This makes multitasking more efficient, as you can view and interact with multiple apps simultaneously without constantly minimizing and resizing windows.

My favorite layout divides the screen into two halves, each displaying a different application. If you have more than two apps open, you can choose a layout with four sections, each occupying a quarter of the screen.

How to Enable and Customize Snap Layouts

Snap Layouts is enabled by default, so unless you’ve previously disabled it, it should already be active. However, it’s a good idea to double-check. To do this, right-click the Start button and open the Settings app. Select the “System” tab from the left sidebar, then click “Multi-Tasking” on the right. Make sure the toggle next to Snap Windows is turned on.

Next, expand the “Snap Windows” menu to see various options for customizing your Snap Layouts experience. Here, you can turn off any specific functions that you don’t find helpful.

How to use Snap Layouts on Windows

First, open the apps you want to use simultaneously. Then, press Win+Z to bring up the Snap Layouts box. Alternatively, you can access the layout box by hovering over the maximize/restore button in the upper-right corner of any open window or by dragging a window to the top center of your screen.

When the Snap Layouts box appears, choose the configuration that best suits the number of windows you have open. If you’re working with two apps, select the option to split the screen into two halves. For more than two apps, you can choose from layouts that divide the screen into three or four sections.

Once you select a position, Windows will automatically resize the active window and position it in the chosen section of the screen. Then, select the remaining open windows to position them in the available sections. If you attempt to place a window where one is already positioned, Windows will prompt you to select a new spot for the previously placed window.

If a window gets moved off-screen while adjusting Snap Layouts, you can easily bring it back to your desktop .

How to remove an App from the Snap Group

The windows in a Snap layout form a Snap group, and closing one app within the group doesn’t affect the others. To remove an app from the snapped layout, click the close or maximize/restore buttons. If you minimize an app, it will return to the snapped view the next time you open it.

After maximizing a window, if you click the restore button, it won’t return to its snapped position. You’ll need to place it back in the Snap Layout by following the same process.

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