If you're using a Windows 10 machine, you might want to consider disabling Cortana — at least on the Lock Screen — if you aren't planning to install the latest Windows updates for whatever reason. (And, generally, do you really need a smart assistant helping you out when your PC is locked?)

To be honest, Windows 10's volume controls aren't that special. You can set the volume for the default speakers you're listening to, you can change your default speakers (from your monitor's crappy built-in speakers to your awesome headphones, for example), and... that's it.

Unless you're the world's biggest fan of Microsoft Outlook, odds are good that you don't use a desktop email client at home. You probably use a web-based email service, and your daily routine probably involves firing up your browser to delete, move, and otherwise ignore your messages. Third-party apps like Mail (for Windows or Mac) be damned.

Hooray. You bought a brand-new Windows laptop and, for whatever reason, the manufacturer was nice enough to let you go through the installation process yourself instead of filling your new system full of crapware for you. Just kidding. It's rare when that happens, and buying a laptop that's full of junk is one -- but certainly not the only -- reason why you might want to reinstall your operating system from scratch.

I have a bit of reputation with my family and friends for knowing how to fix people's computer problems. When that person is in front of me, then explaining how to do that thing on Facebook or change that computer setting is pretty simple, but when I'm talking to a friend or family member across the country things get a little dicier.

When it comes to file management, Apple fans have had it easy. Ever since Apple debuted AirDrop in OS X Lion, way back in July of 2011, moving files around your linked desktop and laptop systems (and iPhones and iPads) couldn't be any easier.

Gif. Jif. No matter your pronunciation preference, it's easy to create that word using a variety of apps and services. Since I started working at Lifehacker, I've found that it's sometimes easier to show, not tell, in the form of a little animated image that demonstrates some key feature or setting. Consequently, I've started making a lot of GIFs, and here's the app I use to do it on Windows.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Dropbox, Google Drive, or whatever popular service you use to back files up to the cloud and keep them synchronised between your multiple desktops and laptops. However, data privacy is becoming a bigger deal and we wouldn't question you if you're ready to make the leap away from these kinds of services.

For many of you, a single pair of speakers or headphones is all you probably need for your desktop or laptop system. For others, rocking out, gaming, and listening to movies is a constant battle with Windows over which connected audio device the operating system should use to blast noise.

I discovered a strange quirk with the Windows 10 install on my notebook — the "Run as administrator" option was missing from the context menu for Windows Installer files, which use the extension ".msi". This isn't great, as many installers require admin privileges to make system-level changes.

If you wanted an exhaustive reference for all the command line tools and utilities available in Windows, "/h" was as good as it got. Well, that was until last month, when Microsoft published a whopping big PDF with information on every single terminal command the operating system has to offer.

A couple of days ago, put up a list of five things I wish Apple would steal from Microsoft when it comes to their main personal computing operating system. Now it's time to turn the tables. Although both macOS and Windows are no very mature operating systems with over three decades of development, there's plenty of things that macOS has that could make Windows 10 better.

There's a new Windows update available, and it's got quite a few goodies inside for you to explore: It's one of those rollouts that in days gone by would have been marked by a decimal point increase in the version number. Here's everything you're getting in the latest update for Windows 10.

Microsoft's big Windows update - not a "spring" update but the more boringly named "Windows 10 April 2018" update - has arrived today for eager Windows users who manually trigger the update for their desktops and laptops.

Microsoft is officially rolling out the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, also known as the Spring Creators Update, to computers tomorrow. While that might mean you'll get it first thing, the company typically rolls those updates out slowly, which means you also might be waiting for a bit. If you're anxious to get it now, here's a rundown on how to make that happen. If you'd rather not bite the bullet on the update right now, then you can also delay having that update come to your computer.

Before we begin, Windows users, let's start the affirmation: We use Windows. We all agree that iTunes has a terrible design. We will throw a party if Apple ever modernises its app, but we hate that iTunes is the best possible option for synchronising content with our iPhones and iPads. 

That's right. The "Spring Creators" update is no more; Microsoft is now calling its upcoming mega-update to Windows the "Windows 10 April 2018 Update", and the company is barely locking this name in by releasing the update on Monday, April 30 - the last day of the month.

This one's almost a cop-out, since all Windows users should know about WinDirStat by now. This app has been out for nearly 15 years, and it's one of the most helpful tools you can use to clean up your hard drive.

It sounds weird, but when you click that power button on the start menu to shut down Windows 10, you aren't shutting down Windows 10. Sure, Windows 10 goes through the motions of shutting down. And your computer sure looks like it shut down. And it sort of did, but it didn't.