Your Dock or Start menu is your way into macOS and Windows, respectively, as well as everything running on top of them. So it makes sense to have these launch systems configured in exactly the way you need them to be. We've got a bunch of essential tips on streamlining your Dock or Start menu, and powering through your computing more efficiently.

If you've been a die-hard Apple fan since you first put your fingers to a keyboard, there's a chance you've never experienced the thrill of Minesweeper -- one of the two classic games that used to be found on Microsoft's Windows operating system. If that's true, or if you just miss the thrill of losing game, after game, after game of Minesweeper, worry not: It's time to Macsweep.

I encountered a quirky problem the other day when I was trying to clean up one of my hard drives before copying its contents to another drive: I couldn't delete a folder.

Microsoft just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and is delaying its Spring Creator's Update (codenamed Redstone 4) due to a bug that resulted in an increase in Blue Screen of Death crashes. Luckily, the issue was spotted in an Insider build of Windows 10, specifically build 17133, meant for developers and not public consumption. Thank goodness for nerds, am I right?

This app isn't something you'll probably have to use very often -- we hope -- but it's a great tool if you're upgrading your system and need to move everything from an old hard drive to a new drive.

Microsoft Windows can get messy. It's not (always) the operating system's fault. You download tons of apps and files, and create new content stuff of your own, until your "Downloads" directory looks like a landfill for old content. Your desktop is so full of icons, you can't see your pretty wallpaper. Your Start Menu looks like an app buffet. In short, your operating system is a mess, but it's not unfixable.

In February, Microsoft introduced a new power policy to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, called "Ultimate Performance". Now, while this policy isn't available in the regular versions of Windows 10 Pro or Home, it is possible to "import" it manually.

Today we're taking a look at Rufus, a lightweight utility that makes it incredibly easy to create bootable USB flash drives.

Nobody likes an operating system that's full of unnecessary stray files, 20 annoying apps that start up when you fire up your computer, and other crap that slows down your system, makes your desktop feel disorganized, or gives you a headache whenever you're trying to work (or game). Thankfully, there are a number of free apps that can help you clean your Windows PC.

Personal computers have come a long way since the 1990s. We're not too interested in reliving the limited, early days of Windows software, but if you're feeling nostalgic, Microsoft just released an old version of its original File Manager that you can now run on your present-day computer.

Microsoft doesn't give you much of choice when it comes to installing Windows 10 updates, even when it can be incredibly disruptive. Fortunately, there's now a way to block updates, permanently or temporarily, using a new tool called "StopUpdates10".

It makes more sense than ever to put some Android apps on you laptop. As well as giving you access to apps that have no desktop or web equivalent (like Snapchat), it's great for playing games on the big screen - we got Alto's Adventure up and running on the Pixelbook with no problems, and plenty of other games would benefit from the extra screen space too.

If you've been gaming on Valve's Steam service for a decent amount of time, you've probably heard of Steam Mover. It's a great tool for transferring your multi-gigabyte Steam games to different hard drives on your system, in case your primary hard drive is running out of space (or bursting at the seams).

Itching to get your hands on Microsoft's big Spring Creators Update for Windows 10? If you can't wait for the scheduled update (dropping next week), you have two options - an easy way and a trickier way.

Passwords are your way into almost all of your online accounts, from social networks to email platforms, but how do you know whether the ones you're using are strong enough to stand up to repeated hacking attempts? If you want to know how to do a self-audit on password security, and the best combinations to use to keep your data safe, we've asked the experts to explain.

I wish I left my computer on when I was on holiday. But when I came back from a week-long, cross-country trip to Lifehacker HQ late on a Saturday night, I made a fatal error. When I got home, I unpacked my bags, brushed my teeth, and fed my cat. I didn't think to flip on my desktop PC and let it chug through a sea of updates overnight, which would have saved me a ton of time.

Installing updates on Windows has always been a pain. Not only does Microsoft seem hellbent on forcing users to update their machines whether they want to or not - including in prior versions of Windows 10 a nightmare "feature" that forcibly seized control of users' systems to start the installation process - the process is infamously slow.

The combination of these factors can make updating a Windows machine feel less like a minor but necessary inconvenience than a suddenly imposed tug-of-war for control of a computer. Fortunately, Microsoft is now mulling ways to make the process less painful.

We've all been there. You plug something into your computer, wait for the ba-donk sound (on Windows, at least), and start navigating your flash drive / listening to your headphones / using whatever else it is you plugged in to your computer.

Sometimes, that doesn't quite happen. What gives?

Your Discover Weekly probably doesn't suck - the feature is so popular that it's the subject of long glowing profiles on tech blogs and business blogs. Spotify even built an ad campaign out of users tweeting how much they love the feature. Each week, every active Spotify user gets a new list of 30 tracks, and over half of them find a new favourite. But depending on your Spotify habits, it is possible to get a garbage Discover Weekly. Here's what's happening and how to fix it.