Welcome to HelpWithWindows.com
You can browse this site for information, tips & troubleshooting information about Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
If you have a question you want to ask, you should post a message on our WindowsBBS support forum.
Disable Windows Automatic Maintenance
June 14, 2013 - 15:00 GMT
Windows 8 includes an automatic maintenance routine designed to run in the background with limited user interaction and minimal impact to performance and energy efficiency. If you want to disable the automatic maintenance (for example if you are running Windows 8 in a virtual environment) you'll have to change some file permissions to be able to do so successfully.
Check Your Mobile Device's Battery Health
May 29, 2013 - 11:45 GMT
Like Windows 7, Windows 8 includes a command that let you view details on your computers power usage including details on your computer's battery. The Windows 8 command will show you even more details if you are running on newer hardware.
Microsoft Confirms Windows 8.1 Update Free for Existing Windows 8 Customers
May 13, 2013 - 15:25 GMT
Today at the JP Morgan Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in Boston, Windows division CFO Tami Reller shared with the audience that the update previously referred to as 'Windows Blue' will be called Windows 8.1 and will be a free update to Windows 8 for consumers through the Windows Store.
A First Look at Windows 8 "Blue"
April 10, 2013 - 15:30 GMT
In this two page article I take a look at the leaked 9364 Build of Windows 8 "Blue" and note some of the small improvements Microsoft seems to be making (mainly to the new 'Modern UI' interface).
March 29, 2013 - 17:30 GMT
In this two page article I look at Windows 8 networking an sharing options including managing Wireless networks.
Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7
March 5, 2013 - 09:45 GMT
At the end of last month Microsoft released Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7. The release is available in 95 languages and can be downloaded from the Microsoft web site.
Optimize Windows 8 for use with a Solid State Drive (SSD)
January 30, 2013 - 14:00 GMT
Microsoft got most things right with Windows 8 and Solid State Drive's (SSD drives have been around for a few years now). So while you don't have to employ all kinds of 'tricks' to get the most out of your SSD drive, you may still benefit from some tips, especially when it comes to saving some disk space (which can come in handy on smaller size SSD drives).
Missing the Start Menu in Windows 8? 
Feb. 20, 2013
January 7, 2013 - 09:30 GMT
In the Windows 8 Developer Preview, Microsoft had a registry setting that allowed you to switch off Windows 8 'Metro' Start screen. This would also enable the 'classic' Windows 7 Start menu. Microsoft took this option away in the Consumer Preview and has not added that simple trick back to the release version of Windows 8, so what do we do now?
How to Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 8?
December 18, 2012 - 12:00 GMT
Microsoft will stop all support for Windows XP on 8th April 2014. This means that it will no longer receive security updates, so most people still using Windows XP would want to look at updating their operating system. So how do you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 8?
Optimize Windows 7 for use with a Solid State Drive 
June 8, 2011 - 12:10 GMT / Updated: January 16, 2013
If you can justify the price, a Solid State Drive (SSD) is a great upgrade that will improve your overall computer experience. There are a few things that will improve your SSD's performance and/or endurance that you can apply, and I'll show you some tips to reduce the amount of space needed for your Windows 7 installation. Since space cost is at a premium in SSD's, these tips could come in handy.
Other Articles:
Did Google and Yahoo help get government snooping off the ground?
Google and Yahoo -- and the other tech giants stung by the recent news of their participation in government surveillance programs -- are in the midst of a public-relations offensive to steady suddenly wobbly reputations. They're sounding a commiserating note, insisting they're just as confounded and concerned as many Americans by the reported exte..
At long last, Microsoft Office comes to the iPhone
Over the past few years, Microsoft has been inching closer to making Office available on any device. By launching its Office Mobile for iPhone app on Friday, Microsoft is just about there. Well, kind of. The app, which launched Friday in Apple's App Store, has a catch. It's available (and free) only for users who subscribe to Office 365, Microsof..
Google tests balloons to beam internet from near space
Google is launching balloons into near space to provide internet access to buildings below on the ground. About 30 of the superpressure balloons are being launched from New Zealand from where they will drift around the world on a controlled path. Attached equipment will offer 3G-like speeds to 50 testers in the country. Access will be intermitte..
Microsoft and Sony are at each other's throats
A big battle is brewing in the world of video games. The battlelines for the living room were drawn this week at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the annual trade show for all things video games, as Microsoft and Sony solidified their plans to introduce new consoles this year. Microsoft's presentation this week was all about software. Last ..
Cisco plans to double the speed of the Internet
If Internet traffic is going to triple over the next five years, as Cisco predicts, we're gonna need a bigger boat. On Wednesday, Cisco unveiled its latest solution to help wireless carriers and Internet service providers manage their customers' insatiable demand for more streaming videos, app downloads and social networking. The new core router ..
Intel could make $200 touchscreen PCs a reality
To give the badly slumping PC market a much-need jolt, Intel is thinking about using one of the most effective tools in its arsenal: lowering chip prices. Intel chips can make up as much as 33% of a PC's cost, according to supply chain analysis firm IHS. That means the chipmaker has the power to lower PC prices drastically. It might do just that...
Was 3-D TV a failure? ESPN to end broadcasts
ESPN will stop broadcasting in 3-D by the end of the year, the network said Wednesday, dealing a major blow to a technology that was launched with great fanfare but has been limping along for years. The sports network said there were too few viewers to make 3-D broadcasts worth it. It didn't say exactly how many viewers had, but the number was "ex..
Germans create lithium-ion EV batteries that could last for over 25 years
Being the tech fans that we are, we’re all well familiar with the relatively short half-life of current lithium-ion batteries. A gadget out of the box can start off with a stellar charge life can quickly devolve into brick unless it’s hooked to the wall every six hours. This is just the way lithium-ions work, though. Right? Not for long. German re..
How is the NSA accessing your data on Google, Facebook and more?
Does the government have 'direct access' to your data and information on Facebook and Google, or not? Internet companies have long been monitoring the data that covers a person's entire life: e-mail, financial information, health-related searches, family members, and location information. It represents a level of surveillance that was never possib..
FBI and Microsoft take down $500m-theft botnet Citadel
The FBI and Microsoft have broken up a huge network of hijacked home computers responsible for stealing more than $500m from bank accounts. The Citadel network had remotely installed a keylogging program on about five million machines to steal data. About 1,000 of the 1,400 or so networks that made up the Citadel botnet are believed to have been ..
US confirms Verizon phone records collection
The US National Security Agency (NSA) is collecting the telephone records of tens of millions of Americans, US officials have confirmed. The practice, first reported by the Guardian newspaper, has been used to stop a "significant" terrorist attack on the US, a senior congressman said. On Wednesday, the newspaper published the secret order directi..
Apple devices vulnerable to attack via bogus charger
Apple iPhones can be taken over with "alarming" ease using a custom-built charger, security researchers warn. Using the bogus charger, a team from Georgia Institute of Technology managed to infect a phone with a virus in less than a minute. Any device using Apple's iOS operating system would be as vulnerable to infection, claim the trio. More de..
Apple loses US trade panel ruling in Samsung dispute
Apple has lost a ruling by a US trade panel in a patent dispute with its rival Samsung. The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple infringed a Samsung patent, which could mean some older models of the iPad and iPhone are banned from sale in the US. The patent relates to 3G wireless technology and the ability to transmit multiple se..
IT professionals demonstrate how hackers can access webcams
Many users of the internet think that by not replying to 'phishing scams' - false invitations encouraging you to hand over personal information - they are safe online. But hackers use increasingly sophisticated techniques to trick more savvy web users, and gain control of their computers. The BBC's LJ Rich visited the Swedish security firm Sentor..
Is the new Wi-Fi standard worth your money?
Home networks used to be the realm of hardcore techies. Now most homes have smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, streaming video boxes and video game consoles. That makes a home network practically mandatory. Fortunately, today's networks are much easier to set up, thanks to wireless networks. No one likes running cables all over the house. Despit..
Apple's new security system has holes
Back in March, Apple unveiled an optional "two-factor authentication" login method for its Apple ID. It's a basic security tool already used by Google, Facebook and Dropbox that requires both a password and a piece of data, such as a string of numbers sent via text message. Twitter also recently unveiled such a system following a series of prominen..
The next great Internet revolution is coming, AOL founder says
The second great Internet revolution is coming, and it will be bigger than the first, one man says. He should know: He helped make the first revolution happen. Internet pioneer Steve Case co-founded AOL as "America On-Line" in 1991. At the time, fewer than 1 percent of the world was online. According to the latest Pew research, more than 80 percen..