Newsletter Archives

• What Windows 11 24H2 offers beyond bugs

  Posted on March 31, 2025 at 02:43 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  If you can get past the persistent glitches, the 2024 flavor of Windows 11 does have some interesting and helpful new features.

  I’d long resisted updating my main laptop to Windows 11 24H2. Though I’d been running this version on a couple of virtual machines, I didn’t want to put one of my core PCs through the ringer. And that’s because Windows 24H2 had been plagued by bugs almost since its official release last October.

  Most major Windows updates are beset with glitches here and there. Before an official rollout of a new version, Microsoft strives to find as many flaws as possible through internal reviews and beta testing. But with so many different Windows PCs and environments in the world, finding every single problem or conflict is difficult — if not impossible.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.13.0, 2025-03-31).

  Windows 11 Camera, File Explorer, Newsletters, Sudo for Windows, Voice Clarity, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 7, Windows 11, Windows 11 24H2, Windows Narrator, Windows Spotlight

• How to fix problems with Microsoft’s Phone Link app

  Posted on February 17, 2025 at 02:45 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 22.07 • 2025-02-17

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Phone Link pairs your iPhone or Android phone with Windows, but it doesn’t always cooperate. Here’s how to fix technical troubles that may pop up in the process.

  I often use Microsoft’s Phone Link to sync my iPhone and Android phone with Windows so I can access mobile calls, messages, contacts, and photos from my phone directly on my PC. I especially like to write and answer texts using my desktop keyboard and mouse rather than my phone’s tiny virtual keys. But Phone Link can sometimes misbehave.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (22.07.0, 2025-02-17).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Android, Bluetooth, iPhone, Newsletters, Phone Link, Settings, Troubleshooting

• The state of Windows 11

  Posted on December 23, 2024 at 02:45 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.52 • 2024-12-23

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  With Windows 11 now three years old, where does it stand today?

  I’ve been running Windows 11 almost since its debut in 2021. At first, I limited it to just test environments. Slowly, I expanded its reach to my two main laptops and a couple of virtual machines. Only my desktop PC is still on Windows 10, mostly so that I can still easily access and use it. But when I replace my desktop next year, the new PC will be running Windows 11.

  Here’s my take, based on my own experiences with it — and how I think Microsoft has handled it.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.52.0, 2024-12-23).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Microsoft, Newsletters, Windows 10, Windows 10 End of Support, Windows 11, Windows 11 24H2, Windows Updates

• How to add all types of accounts in Windows 11

  Posted on November 11, 2024 at 02:44 CST by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Need to juggle more than one account in Windows? Here’s how I do it.

  I use a Microsoft account to sign in to my main Windows 11 PC. But that’s not the only account I’ve set up on the computer. I also have a domain account that I use for work, accounts for email and calendar appointments, an account for an old email forwarding service, and an account for my wife to sign in. That sounds like a lot to juggle. But after the initial setup, I can access all these accounts throughout Windows.

  Maybe you also need to work with multiple accounts in Windows 11. You might have a local account, a Microsoft account, a work or school account, accounts for specific apps, and accounts for other family members. Whatever types of accounts you use, you’re able to add them to Windows — all from the same place.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.46.0, 2024-11-11).

  Windows 11 Accounts, Gmail, Microsoft Accounts, Multiple accounts, Newsletters, Windows 11 Settings, Yahoo

• What is OneDrive Personal Vault, and should you use it?

  Posted on September 16, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  ONEDRIVE

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Personal Vault offers an extra layer of security for sensitive or confidential files stored in OneDrive. Here’s why and how I use it.

  I use Microsoft’s OneDrive. I know some people find fault with it, partly because it doesn’t always work properly and partly because it requires an intrusive Microsoft account. But as someone who has to juggle multiple computers and mobile devices, I rely on OneDrive not just for backing up my files but also for syncing them across all my devices.

  Because my documents, photos, and other important files are housed in OneDrive, I need a way to secure them from unwanted access.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.38.0, 2024-09-16).

  OneDrive Newsletters, OneDrive, Personal Vault, Privacy, Security, Windows 10, Windows 11

• How I learned to use my PC with a broken wrist

  Posted on August 5, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.32 • 2024-08-05

  WINDOWS

  

  By Lance Whitney

  After fracturing my wrist in a recent fall, I had to figure out how to use the accessibility features built into Windows to work and write.

  Despite my writing about the Windows accessibility features in a host of articles over the years, it wasn’t until this accident that I actually had to use them every day.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.32.0, 2024-08-05).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows Accessibility, Dictation, Mouse Keys, Newsletters, Speech Recognition, Sticky Keys, Voice input, Windows 10, Windows 11

• How to get through Microsoft’s sneaky Windows setup

  Posted on May 13, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Trying to set up Windows 10 or 11? Microsoft steers you toward certain features and settings that will benefit itself more than you.

  Here’s how to make the right choices.

  In my job as a technology writer, I often must run through the Windows 10 or 11 setup to test and document the various steps. The process can be tricky because you have to make specific decisions along the way. And Microsoft likes to push you toward certain options that are in its best interests but not necessarily in yours. That’s why you have to be on guard during the entire process so you make the best choices for yourself.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.20.0, 2024-05-13).

  Windows Configuration, Game Pass, Newsletters, Windows, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows setup

• How to preserve your battery charge on a Windows 11 laptop

  Posted on April 15, 2024 at 02:45 CDT by Lance Whitney • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.16 • 2024-04-15

  Look for our BONUS issue on Monday, April 22!

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Lance Whitney

  Frustrated because your Windows laptop runs out of juice at the worst possible times? There are ways to better sustain your battery charge.

  One of the best laptops I ever owned was a Lenovo ThinkPad T460 back in 2016. One major reason why I liked this machine was its dual-battery setup. Packed with both an internal battery and an external swappable battery, this unit easily delivered a solid 12 hours of life on a single charge.

  Sadly, those days are gone. With Lenovo and most other laptop makers obsessed with making machines as thin and light as possible, battery life has suffered dramatically. With my current laptop, I’m lucky to get five hours of life on a single charge. That’s fine if I’m at home or in a place where I can plug the computer into AC. But if I’m in one spot for hours, with no handy electrical outlet, then my battery charge can easily run out.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.16.0, 2024-04-15).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Windows 11 Battery charging, Battery life, Battery management, Control Panel, Newsletters, Power, Windows 11
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