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It is common for PCs to malfunction, display errors and perform poorly. Sometimes, the only solution to fix some of these issues is to reinstall the OS, but this could mean losing your files. The good news is that you can reinstall Windows 10/11 without dealing with this inconvenience. In this tutorial, we demonstrate how you can do just that.

What Is the Difference Between Reinstall and Reset

Resetting and reinstalling may sound similar and, in a broad sense, have similar functionalities, but they are not the same.

You should resort to a reinstall if you’re facing critical errors and your PC is not functioning as it should. During a reinstall, all of the corrupted files are deleted, and any underlying issues that have been preventing your PC from operating normally, lowering its performance, are usually resolved.

Resetting means going back to your PC’s default settings. It’s a much softer approach to repairing any problems or corrupted files on your Windows PC. Your files won’t be erased, but you’ll lose your apps.

How to Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Files and Apps

If your computer is functioning abnormally or you’re seeing errors when executing programs or commands, you should first consider other methods that could fix the issue before deciding to reinstall Windows.

However, if you’ve tried everything to no avail, then reinstalling Windows might be the best option for you. You don’t even risk losing any files or apps in the process if you follow the instructions below.

1. Create Installation Media

Plug in an empty USB flash drive into your PC.

Download Windows Installation Media for the operating system version you wish to reinstall by visiting Microsoft’s official download page.

2. Reinstall Windows Using Boot Media

Allow some time for this process to complete. Don’t disconnect or turn off your PC while it’s going on.

Once the installation is complete, you can log in with your Microsoft or local user account.

If you don’t want to reinstall Windows but simply take it back to its factory settings, then the reset option might be for you. If you opt for this solution, keep in mind that all your software will be removed. On the other hand, you do have the option to keep your files intact.

Open “Settings” in Windows using the Win + I key combination.

Select “Keep my files” on the next screen.

Hit “Cloud download.”

Even with these methods available, you might want to take some precautions to prevent data loss in case of unpredictable hardware malfunctions or file corruption.

Back up your files regularly: regular file backups are the simplest way to reduce your risk of losing important files. You can use Windows’s own backup and restore tool or a third-party tool like Macrium Reflect to create your backups.

Make sure your computer is protected: Windows 11 ships with Windows Defender so you don’t need third-party antivirus software. However, you can install such software if you want access to more features or want to feel more secure against the threat of malware and other dangers online.

Create an image backup: an image backup is basically creating a copy of your OS, your entire drive or a partition. This type of backup is useful if you want to make sure you can preserve your desktop or server in its exact state and recover it in case of an emergency.

Use a surge protector/UPS: frequent power failure or surges can damage electronic items, and your computer is no exception to that. If you frequently experience such issues at home, protect your computer with a surge protector or use a UPS.

You can back up your Windows computer using “File History” or “Backup and Restore (Windows 7)”.

Cloning lets you create an exact copy of your computer so you can use it on another computer if you are migrating or restoring the information. Macrium Reflect can also help with that. The second option creates a backup of the files, folders, partitions, or hard disk that you want to save for later use. Both the backup and the system image can be stored on a USB flash drive or an external hard drive.

Yes, you won’t lose any of your apps or files. You can downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10 using the “Go Back” feature inside the “Settings” menu within 10 days of updating to Windows 11.

If it has been more than 10 days and you want to downgrade, you will have to perform a clean install of Windows 10.

Image credit: Eduardo Dutra via Pexels. All screenshots by Abdul Moiz.

Abdul Moiz

Abdul Moiz loves technology, fashion, photography, and business. His first love is technology, and he loves talking about it. How does he chill when he’s not writing? You are most likely to catch him eating out, traveling, working out, or watching tech videos.

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How To Delete Temporary Files On Windows 10 (Temp Files)

Every so often you should make a habit of deleting the temp files from your Windows 10 system. It not only saves a fair amount of space but will also speed up some functions on your computer. It’s also quite easy to do and won’t take much time out of your day.

How to Share a USB Printer Over a Network on Windows 10.

Windows Temporary Files (Temp Files) are files that programs and apps store on your computer temporarily. Temporarily is a strange word to use though as some of these files can hang around for quite some time. Most of the time they are replaced with newer versions of themselves in a never-ending cycle. However, this isn’t the case with all temp files, some temp files are left over upgrade logs and error reports from Windows updates and programs.

Generally, these files don’t cause any problems on your machine but they do tend to take up considerable amounts of space after a while. If you are looking to free up some storage space, deleting the temp files on your computer every so often will do just that. Windows 10 has several different ways you can safely delete the temp files on your computer, either using the Disk Cleanup Tool or the Settings App.

The easiest way to remove temp files from your Windows 10 machine is via the Settings App. Simply follow the below instruction to do so:

First, open Settings from the start menu (search it or use the shortcut icon)

After you have used the above method to delete your temp files they will be gone forever, freeing up space on your system. Something to remember is that if you are deleting files related to a previous version of Windows 10, you won’t be able to roll it back to that version. If you have recently installed a feature update (like Creators or Anniversary) the temp files will automatically be removed after 10 days.

This option is only available for users running Windows 10 Creators or newer. To automatically delete temp files from the Windows 10’s temp folder, you will need to follow the below steps.

First, open Settings.

Turn on the Storage sense toggle switch.

If you would prefer to use a different method to clean up your Windows 10 temp files, you can always use the Disk Cleanup Tool.

First, open File Explorer.

Now, check the items you want to delete. Temporary Windows Installation Files, Windows upgrade log files, Recycle Bin, Temporary Files, and System created Windows Error Reporting, etc.

Congratulations you have successfully finished and have now freed up some wasted space on your system. Just remember doing this every so often will make the process quicker and keep more space for other data.

How To Share Files On Windows 11

To share files over the network, open the file or folder “Advanced Sharing” settings, enable sharing, and set the permissions.

On Windows 11, it’s possible to share files with other users in the network quite easily using the default system tools.

If you want to share a folder with documents, pictures, videos, and other types of files, you can complete this task in at least two ways. You can share content using the “File Sharing” feature or OneDrive to share files over the network or the internet.

Although you can still share content with other people over the network, if you use Windows 11 with a Microsoft account, and you sign in with a PIN, face recognition, or you use the passwordless authentication option in your Microsoft account, you may run into a lot of issues setting up file sharing. It’s best to create a new local account that you can use to set up the sharing and avoid problems.

This guide will teach you how to share files over the network using File Sharing, Nearby sharing, and OneDrive on Windows 11 using simple steps.

The best way to share files with other users in the local network is by using the “File Sharing” feature on Windows 11. The reason is that it’s more customizable since it’s possible to use more restrictive permissions and share files with other platforms, including Mac, Android, and Linux devices.

To share files on a local network using the express settings on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open the location with the folder to share.

Select the user or group to share the folder using the drop-down menu – for example, the Everyone group.

Under the “Permission Level” section, select the sharing permissions for the folder’s content:

Read (default): Users can browse and open files.

Read/Write: Users can view, open, modify, and delete the content on the folder they are sharing.

Confirm the folder’s network path that other users need to access the network’s content.

Open File Explorer.

Open the location with the folder to share.

Check the “Share this folder” option.

Quick note: Windows 11 allows other users read-only access to the content you share by default, meaning they can only view files but cannot do anything else. If you want users to edit the files, delete, and create new documents in the location, you must manually select the permissions.

Select the Everyone group.

Check the permissions to access the contents of the folder:

Full Control: Enables users to read, change, and edit permissions, allowing them to take ownership of files.

Change: The user can read, execute, write, and delete files and folders in share.

Read: Allows users to access and view the contents of the folder.

Select the Everyone group.

Select the Everyone group again.

Check the Full control option.

Once you complete the steps, the shared content should be available on the “Network” page of File Explorer from the remote computer. Confirm the user and password for the account you configured in the shared folder when prompted for the network credentials.

If you have a device set up with a Microsoft account, you will get a prompt to sign in to access the network contents in the share, and using your email and password is likely to fail. You can get around this problem by using a local account if you configure the share with the “Everyone” group or the user and password of an account available on the remote computer.

Alternatively, you could switch your Microsoft account to a local account and then again to a Microsoft account, and then you can use the account to sign in.

Windows 11 protects shared content with a password, meaning that only those with the account information can access the shared folder.

If you want to set up network file sharing for people you know and trust (for example, family and friends), you can disable the option to require authentication to access the contents without a password.

To disable password protection for file sharing on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open Control Panel.

Expand the All Networks tab.

Under the “Password protected sharing” section, select the “Turn off password protected sharing” option.

Open File Explorer.

Open the location with the folder to share.

Select the user or group to share the folder using the drop-down menu – for example, the Everyone group.

Under the “Permission Level” section, select the sharing permissions for the folder’s content:

Read (default): Users can browse and open files.

Read/Write: Users can view, open, modify, and delete the content on the folder they are sharing.

Confirm the folder’s network path that other users need to access the network’s content.

After you complete the steps, users should be able to access the shared folder without a password.

This process will only work for devices using a local account. You will always need to sign in if you have a device configured with a Microsoft account unless you use Credential Manager to store the shared folder credential information on the remote computer.

Nearby sharing is a feature available on Windows 11 to transfer files (documents, videos, pictures, etc.) and links to other computers using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi without setting up file sharing. This feature requires Bluetooth and the computers to be on the same network.

To enable Nearby sharing on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open Settings.

Select the option to enable Nearby sharing:

Off – Disables the features.

My devices only – Allows file sharing between computers using the same Microsoft account.

Everyone nearby – Allows file sharing with any nearby computer.

Once you complete the steps, you can start sharing files and links over the network with other devices.

To send a file to another computer with Nearby sharing, use these steps:

Open File Explorer.

Open the folder with the file to share.

Select the file to transfer.

Under the “Nearby sharing” section, select the device to transfer the file.

On Windows 11, Nearby sharing doesn’t work with OneDrive files. If you want to share a file from this location, you need to use the OneDrive sharing option.

You can also share files across a network or worldwide using OneDrive.

To share files using OneDrive on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open OneDrive in File Explorer.

Open the location with the folder to share.

Choose the Specific people option.

Check the Allow editing option.

Confirm the email of the person to share the content.

Quick tip: You can also use the “Copy Link” option to copy the link and send it to anyone you want to share the content.

If you want users to view and edit the content inside the OneDrive folder, you will need to share the folder using OneDrive on the web.

To share OneDrive files from the web, use these steps:

Open OneDrive online.

Open the location with the folder to share.

Specify the email for the person to share the files.

Once you complete the steps, anyone with the link can edit the files in the folder.

Files you share will only be available to users if your computer is turned on, except for the OneDrive sharing method. However, using OneDrive, users must have an internet connection to access the shared content.

How To Change Or Reset Your Disney Plus Password

Keeping track of multiple passwords is not at all easy. Yes, you can use password management apps to store your important passwords, but sometimes, you just end up forgetting them. In the case of streaming services, passwords take a whole new meaning.

Because platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus allow multiple profiles, you inevitably end up sharing your password with your family members or friends. If too many people end up with your password, it becomes a hassle keeping track of who’s sharing your account.

Also read: Disney Plus: The master list of all movies and TV shows

For any of the above scenarios, the fix is simple. Just change your password. In the case of Disney Plus, resetting your account password is super simple. There are different methods for changing your password when you already know it and setting up a new password if you’ve forgotten your old one. In this post, we’ll talk about both methods.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

How to change your Disney Plus password

How to reset your password

Upcoming password and account merging

If you already know your Disney Plus password and want to change it to avoid unwanted logins, you can follow the steps below.

Head to your profile icon.

Select Account from the menu.

Tap on Change Password.

Enter your current password and new password in the appropriate boxes.

Hit Save.

Remember, once you have changed your Disney Plus password, you and anyone watching from the same account will have to log in again on all the devices where the service was being used.

If you’ve forgotten your Disney Plus password and want to create a new one to be able to access your account, here’s what you’ll need to do.

Enter your email address on the log-in page of the Disney Plus app or website.

Select Continue.

Select Forgot Password.

Check your registered email.

You’ll receive a six-digit passcode that may take up to 15 minutes to arrive in your inbox.

If you don’t receive a code, check your spam folder.

If it’s not there, select Resend to send the code again.

Enter your six-digit verification code.

Enter a new password.

Select Continue.

Once you enter the one-time passcode and verify your Disney Plus credentials, your account sign-in details will be updated. You’ll have to re-login on all the devices where your Disney Plus account was being used.

In late 2023, Disney announced that it would make subscribers to Disney Plus merge its accounts with all of its online services, including Hulu and ESPN Plus. If you want to keep your email and password that you use on Disney Plus and use it with those services, you can type in your email address on the Disney Plus site when you sign on. You will then be sent a six-digit passcode to that email that you will type into the Disney Plus site to complete the merger.

We hope this article was helpful and you’ve successfully solved your Disney Plus password issues. If you’re still having trouble accessing your Disney Plus account, you can contact the platform’s customer support channels from this page to resolve your issue.

Next: How to switch languages on Disney Plus

How To Unlock “In Use” Files In Windows

Let’s say you want to edit a file. You may want to give it a different name, move it somewhere else, or delete it altogether. There’s a problem, however; when you go to edit the file, Windows will tell you that another process has “locked” the file. As such, you’re not allowed to edit it. What’s going on?

Windows will naturally stop you from editing a file that’s already opened somewhere else. This is to protect it from being edited while another process is currently using it. For instance, if you open a Word document in Microsoft Word, Windows won’t allow you to delete the document while it’s open. Given how Microsoft Word is currently using the document, editing the file outside of Word may cause strange things to occur!

So let’s say there’s a file on your computer you want to edit, but Windows won’t let you. What do you do now?

To clear things up; when we talk about a “locked” file in this article, we mean a file that is currently in use in another process. This then creates a “locked” file which you can’t edit outside of the process currently using the file. This isn’t about files with a password lock on them or folders that deny you access due to insufficient security rights; these are different ways files can be “locked!”

If you’re lucky, Windows will let you know what app has locked the file. For instance, the above image shows a document locked in WPS Writer. If Windows tells you the process’ name, then it’s a simple case of finding the process in question and shutting it down. The solution in the above example is to find the WPS Writer window with this document open and shut it down. This then releases the lock on the file.

Unfortunately, sometimes Windows will claim the file is locked, but it won’t tell you what, exactly, is locking the file. This is especially infuriating, as there’s no obvious way to fix the issue. How can you shut down the process if Windows won’t tell you which one is the culprit? Thankfully, we don’t have to give up hope just yet; there’s still a few more tricks we can try.

As a simple solution, restarting the PC also restarts all the processes on your computer. This means any process that’s currently hogging your file will be restarted and will hopefully relinquish its grip on your file. It’s not a fantastic solution as it does involve shutting everything down just to unlock a single file. As a quick and easy solution, however, restarting the PC will work the majority of the time.

If restarting your PC sounds like a hassle, don’t give up hope just yet! There are third-party tools you can use to unlock your files instead of having to restart every time. An easy-to-use solution is LockHunter which helps identify what is locking your files and unlocks them for you to edit.

LockHunter will then pop up and inform you of the process locking the file. You can then unlock the file if you’d like, but LockHunter also natively supports deleting and renaming the file through the app for an easier time.

When you want to edit or delete a file, it’s annoying to discover it’s currently being used by a process. Simply closing the process works most of the time, but when things get a little trickier, restarting the PC or using a third-party app can help.

Have you ever been plagued with locked files? Let us know below!

Simon Batt

Simon Batt is a Computer Science graduate with a passion for cybersecurity.

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How To Reset Steam Deck

Steam Deck is a gaming device launched by Valve Corporation. It is one of the most intuitive ways to spread and access Steam’s games. The device has gotten positive responses from gamers and has succeeded in achieving its goal to compete with Nintendo Switch. However, all the devices do face glitches, and crashing issues, and Steam Deck is not so different. Therefore, in this article, we are going to find out some methods to reset Steam Deck.

If you want to reset Steam Deck, look no further than the methods mentioned below.

Force Restart Steam Deck

Reset the Steam Deck using the Recovery feature

Reset Steam Deck to factory settings

Let’s get started.

As steam deck is a gaming device, there can be a lot of glitches or technical issues stopping you from smooth gameplay. In such scenarios, a simple restart will clear all the configurations, leaving you a blank slate to work on.

2] Reset the Steam Deck using the Recovery feature

If force restarting the Steam deck did not help in solving the issue concerning the device, it continues to crash or freeze, then we are going to perform a system recovery method. Doing so reset all the configurations, without compromising personal content and games. Follow the steps given below to do the same.

Download the SteamOS Recovery Image onto the PC from chúng tôi then plug in the USB driver.

Now, download Rufus and open it on your Windows computer, and follow the on-screen instructions to write the SteaMOS recovery file to the USB drive.

Connect the USB hub to the Steam deck.

Now, plug in the recovery drive, properly close the Steam deck, press the Volume Down button, and hold the Power button.

Re-image Steam Deck to perform a full factory reset

Clear Local User data to remove downloaded games as well as personal content.

The Reinstall Steam OS option will reinstall the operating system while preserving the games and personal content.

Recovery tools will allow you to change the Steam Deck boot partition.

Once selected, follow the on-screen steps to reset Steam Deck. If you do not want to delete all your files, the third option, Reinstall Steam OS, is the way to go.

You can now easily open the Steam Deck, log in to your Steam account, and download the games.

SteamOS interface is another method through which we can reset Steam Deck. Without going for hard processes such as enabling Developer options or using the Desktop version. We don’t need any external drive this time, since, we will be using the built-in option of Factory Reset from the Settings of the device. Do keep in mind though, this method will remove all your personal files and you will have to download all your games from scratch. If you are fine with it, follow the steps given below to do the same.

Switch on the Steam deck and log in to the account.

In the Advanced section, select the highlighted Factory Reset button.

Again press the Factory Reset button to confirm the process.

Wait for some time and let the process finish. This will remove all the configuration, games, corrupted files, etc. Once done, enjoy the gaming session.

Steam deck getting stuck on the loading screen is one of the most normal things that its users face. However, fixing this issue is pretty as it only requires you to force restart the device. To do so, press the Power button for at least 12 seconds.

Also Read: How to install Windows 11 on Steam Deck

Well, it actually depends on the gamer’s need. If someone wants to have their Steam games accessible everywhere at any time, then Steam Deck is worth every single penny, however, for normal gamers, it’s just Switch games on smaller devices.

Read: Steam Deck vs Nintendo Switch: Which is the better?

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