Archive for the ‘Windows 11’ category

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Fix: Unable to remove item checkboxes in File Explorer

September 24th, 2025 by Admin

Can’t disable checkboxes in File Explorer? How do I get rid of those checkboxes on my desktop icons? Item checkboxes is a convenient feature to select multiple files/folders, especially on computers with touchscreen or trackpad. Many people have complained they can’t turn off the check marks in File Explorer. This happens when the Windows operating system fails to detect whether your PC is tablet or 2-in-1 device. In this tutorial we’ll show you some tips to remove the item checkboxes from File Explore in Windows 11.

Method 1: Disable Check Boxes to Select Items in File Explorer

  1. Open File Explorer, and then click the View button in the toolbar. When the drop-down menu appears, select Show, and click the “Item check boxes” option to deselect it.

  2. Normally this will immediately remove the item checkboxes from File Explorer. If it doesn’t work, proceed to go through the following troubleshooting method.

Method 2: Disable Tablet Mode and Convertible Option

  1. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following location:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell


    On the right pane, make sure you set the value of the 32-bit DWORD TabletMode to 0 for turning off Tablet mode.

  2. Next, browse to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl.
  3. Right-click the blank area on the right pane, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  4. Name the new DWORD ConvertibilityEnabled and leave its value data as 0, which indicates that your PC is not convertible. Windows will no longer show as tablet when a keyboard is detached for a 2-in-1 device.

  5. Close Registry Editor and reboot your system. Hopefully this will ultimately fix your issue of removing item checkboxes in File Explorer.

That’s it.

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How to Add Recycle Bin to This PC in Windows 11

September 14th, 2025 by Admin

How do I have File Explorer display Recycle Bin? How can I access the Recycle Bin without using the desktop icon? Previously we’ve covered a way to add Recycle Bin to the navigation pane of File Explorer, which continues to work with with latest version of Windows 11. Here you’ll learn how to pin Recycle Bin to Quick Access or the “This PC” location on Windows 11.

Method 1: Pin Recycle Bin to Quick Access

  1. Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and select “Pin to Quick access” from the context menu.

  2. You’ll immediately see the “Recycle Bin” option appear in the left panel of File Explorer.

Method 2: Add Recycle Bin to This PC

  1. Open Registry Editor, copy and paste the following path in the address bar at the top, and press Enter.
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace

  2. Right-click NameSpace in the left panel and choose New -> Key.

  3. Give the new key the name: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}.

  4. Close out of Registry Editor. Click This PC icon on your desktop to open File Explorer, and you’ll see the Recycle Bin icon listed next to your drives.

That’s it!

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Highlight or Drag without Holding the Mouse Button in Windows 11

July 2nd, 2025 by Admin

Is there any easy way to highlight a section of text when using the touch screen? If you are using a touchpad or trackpad, selecting a chunk of text or dragging an item will require you to hold down the mouse button or the SHIFT key at the same time. After turning on the ClickLock feature, it will become much easier to highlight, drag & drop a text or file, which can be easily done using just one finger. No need to hold down the mouse button or SHIFT key.

How to Turn on ClickLock for Easy Highlight or Drag in Windows 11

Previously we’ve covered a traditional way to enable ClickLock using the Control Panel, here is a new method to turn on ClickLock in Windows 11.

  1. Press the Windows key + I at the same time to start the Settings app. Select Accessibility on the left side and then click the Mouse option on the right panel under Interaction.

  2. Toggle the switch next to “Click lock” to the On position, and then you can drag the slider right under it to set how long you need to hold down a mouse or trackball button before your click is “locked”.

Conclusion

After turning on ClickLock in Windows 11, you will be able to easily scroll, select, drag and drop without having to hold down the mouse button or the SHIFT key.

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Step-by-Step Tutorial: Change Mouse Cursor Color and Size in Windows 11

June 18th, 2025 by Admin

Is there a way to change the mouse pointer appearance? Do you find it hard to see the default mouse cursor against your desktop background? To make your cursor easier to see, you can customize the style of the mouse pointer with ease. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps of changing mouse cursor color and size in Windows 11.

How to Change Mouse Cursor Color and Size in Windows 11

  1. Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app. Choose the Accessibility category in the left column, and click Mouse pointer and touch on the right column.

  2. Under the Mouse pointer style section, you can choose one of the classical themes including White, Black, and Inverted. If you want to have an eye-catching cursor, select the fourth option: Custom, which allows you to use the recommended colors or click the plus button to choose another color.

    Next, find the horizontal slider titled Size. Drag it to adjust the cursor size.

  3. Now you can move the mouse to see if you have problem tracking the cursor.

Conclusion

This tutorial shows you how to customize your mouse cursor the way you want in Windows 11, so you can easily keep track of where your mouse is. It’s very useful for people with eyesight problems to spot a small cursor on the screen.

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How to Auto-Lock your Windows 11 Screen with Screensaver

June 11th, 2025 by Admin

Leaving your workstation unattended can lead to unauthorized access. It’s a good practice to configure your computer to automatically lock down the screen after inactivity, especially when you need to leave it in a rush. Previously we’ve taught you how to auto-lock Windows with a group policy called “Machine inactivity limit”, here we’ll show you a different method – using Screensaver to automatically lock your computer screen after inactivity time in Windows 11.

How to Auto-Lock your Windows 11 Screen with Screensaver

  1. Open the Settings app using the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut. Next, select Personalization on the left sidebar, and click Lock screen on the right pane.

  2. Scroll down to the “Related settings” section, click on the “Screen saver” option to bring up the Screen Saver Settings dialog.

  3. By default, the “(None)” option is selected as the screen saver, which means the screen saver is disabled. You need to select other options from the list, and set the duration of inactivity time to wait before screen saver turns on. Check the box that says “On resume, display logon screen“.

  4. Click Apply and then OK. Windows 11 will automatically activate the screen saver after the specified inactivity time. In order to regain use of your computer after the screensaver activates, you will need to login with your Windows password.

That’s it!

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Fix: Image Preview not Showing in Windows 11

May 31st, 2025 by Admin

The image previews in File Explorer for all my images are not visible/present? Pictures’ thumbnails not showing? When you’re working with a bunch of photos or pictures, it’s quite necessary to have a quick preview of each image without having to open them with a image editor. To fix the issue of image preview not showing, follow this step-by-step tutorial to configure Windows 11 to show thumbnail pictures instead of icon.

How to Show Thumbnail Pictures Instead of Icon in Windows 11

  1. Press the Windows key + R together to launch the Run box, type SystemPropertiesPerformance and hit Enter.

  2. The Performance Options dialog will open to the Visual Effects tab. Make sure to put a check on “Show thumbnails instead of icons“, click Apply and then OK.

  3. Next, open File Explorer and click on the three-dots icon on the toolbar, and then select Options from the pop-up menu.

  4. Switch to the View tab at the top, and uncheck the “Always show icons, never thumbnails” setting. Click Apply and then OK.

  5. Now, all your image files should display their previews rather than generic icons.

That’s it!

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Fix: Mouse scrolling the opposite direction in Windows 11

May 22nd, 2025 by Admin

Mouse scrolling wrong way? How can I reverse the mouse wheel scrolling direction? By default, if you scroll down with the mouse wheel, the page will go down and this is the natural way that we’ve got used to for decades. If your mouse scrolls the opposite way, you can reverse the scrolling direction easily. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change the mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11.

How to Change Mouse Scrolling Direction in Windows 11

  1. Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut. Select Bluetooth & devices on the left sidebar, then click Mouse on the right pane.

  2. Look for the “Scrolling” section, and you can then click the Scrolling direction drop-down menu to choose your preferred option:

    • Down motion scrolls up: Roll the mouse wheel down will move the page up.
      Down motion scrolls down (default): Roll the mouse wheel down will move the page down.
  3. The change will apply immediately. You can test the new settings to ensure you’re happy with the new scroll direction.

That’s it!

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Step-by-Step Tutorial: Change Touchpad Scrolling Direction in Windows 11

May 14th, 2025 by Admin

Touchpad two-finger scroll not working as I expected? How can I reverse the direction of scrolling when I move two fingers up or down on the touchpad? If you have upgraded to Windows 11 and not used to the default scrolling direction, you can reverse the touchpad scroll direction with ease. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to change touchpad scrolling direction in Windows 11, without using third-party software or registry hack.

How to Change Touchpad Scrolling Direction in Windows 11

  1. To get started, open the Settings app by pressing the Windows + I keyboard shortcut, or you can right-click the Start button in the taskbar and then choose “Settings“.

  2. Select Bluetooth & devices on the left side, and then click Touchpad on the right side.

  3. Click the Scroll & zoom to expand its related settings.

  4. You can then click the “Scrolling direction” drop-down menu to select your preferred option for two-finger scrolling: Down motion scrolls up or Down motion scrolls down.

    • Down motion scrolls up (default): When you swipe down with two fingers on the touchpad, the vertical scrollbar will move up.
    • Down motion scrolls down: When you swipe down with two fingers on the touchpad, the vertical scrollbar will move down. This is the “natural” scroll direction.
  5. Close the Settings app. Enjoy scrolling the way you’re happy with.

That’s it!

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Easy Ways to Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ on Windows 11

April 27th, 2025 by Admin

‘Do Not Disturb’ is an useful feature in Windows 11, which can silence notifications from apps, system updates or alerts, so you can stay focused during a meeting or game without distractions. In this tutorial we’ll show you the most common ways to turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ in Windows 11.

Method 1: Use System Tray to Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’

  1. Click on time and date in the system tray on the far right corner. When the notification center pops up, click the bell icon in the top-right corner.

  2. It will enable the ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode immediately and you’ll see the bell icon on the right side of the taskbar. If there is no bell icon, Do Not Disturb is currently turned off.

Method 2: Use Settings App to Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’

  1. Press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app. Choose System in the left sidebar and click Notifications on the right.

  2. You can either turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ by flipping the “Do not disturb” setting to the On position,

    or click the “Turn on do not disturb automatically” to expand its settings. From there you can schedule quiet hours, or tick the box “When playing a game” or others to configure when the ‘Do Not Disturb’ should be activated automatically.

Conclusion

The above methods allows you to turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ easily on your Windows 11 computer. In addition, you can also turn on “Do not disturb” by starting a Focus session.

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Fix: Unable to remove the Virtual Touchpad icon in Windows 11

April 19th, 2025 by Admin

How do I remove the virtual touchpad icon from the system tray? The “Virtual Touchpad” option is missing from the Settings app?

Usually we can turn virtual touchpad on or off via opening the Settings app and browsing to Personalization -> Taskbar. However, sometimes you might find the “Virtual Touchpad” option is not there, and so you’re unable to remove it from system tray.

In this tutorial we’ll show you an easy fix to restore the missing “Virtual Touchpad” option in Settings on Windows 11, so you can then remove Virtual Touchpad icon from the taskbar.

How to Fix: Unable to remove the Virtual Touchpad icon in Windows 11

  1. Open Registry Editor and navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Right-click the Explorer key on the left-side panel, and choose New -> Key.

  2. Name the new key VirtualTouchpad, and select it.

  3. Next, go to the right-hand panel. Right-click the blank area and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value.

  4. Name the DWORD entry Enabled, and leave the value data as 0.

  5. Close Registry Editor and reboot your PC. The next time you open the Settings app and go to: Personalization -> Taskbar, the “Virtual Touchpad” option will show up under the “System tray icons” section, and you can toggle it Off to remove the Virtual Touchpad icon from the taskbar.

That’s it!

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