Software
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Windows 10 quick tips: 7 ways to speed up your PC
Want Windows 10 to run faster? We’ve got help. Take a few minutes to try out these tips, and your machine will be zippier and less prone to performance and system issues. 1. Change your power settings If you’re using Windows 10’s Power saver plan, you’re slowing down your PC. That plan reduces your PC’s performance in order to save energy. (Even desktop PCs typically have a Power saver plan.) Changing your power plan from Power saver to High performance or Balanced will give you an instant performance boost. To do it, launch Control Panel, then select Hardware and Sound > Power Options. You’ll typically see two options: Balanced (recommended) and…
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How to remove malware from your Windows PC
Beware the signs of a potentially malware-infested PC: slower-than-usual performance, the recent occurrence of lots of pop-ups, and other weird issues. It’s possible your system has been infected by a virus, spyware, or other nefarious entity—even if you have an antivirus program installed. Yes, out-of-the-ordinary behavior is sometimes the result of hardware issues, but it’s best to first rule out malware if your PC is acting up. Here’s a step-by-step guide for taking action. Step 1: Enter Safe Mode Before you do anything, you need to disconnect your PC from the internet, and don’t use it until you’re ready to clean your PC. This can help prevent the malware from…
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Intel announces Optane 800P SSD for the rest of us
We’ve been waiting for this: Intel announced the first consumer Optane SSD on Tuesday at CES. Dubbed the 800P, Intel said two models of the 800P will ship in M.2 trim: a 58GB version and a 118GB version. Both will be bootable and will come with a two-lane (x2) PCIe configuration. The drives are rated to write more than 200GB per day. The 800P is the third of Intel’s much-hyped Optane drives. The first was Optane Memory; it used a 16GB or 32GB drive as a cache along with a mechanical drive and was intended for mainstream consumers. The second drive, the 280GB or 480GB 900P, is a high-performance PCIe…