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This trick can quickly fix many mysterious hardware failures
Every now and then something breaks on your computer. Maybe you get a bad system update from Microsoft or cosmic rays flip the wrong bit on your system. Whatever the cause, often your problem has nothing to do with hardware, but lies within the software powering it, instead.
This recently happened to me when a USB 3.0 port on my system suddenly stopped working. I wasn't sure how it happened, and when I looked into the problem Windows displayed its infamous "error code 43." Luckily, this problem can often be fixed in just a few clicks. Try this out before freaking out if one of your PC components suddenly stops working.
Device Manager
This USB component is working, but if you've got a device problem this tab will tell you.
On Windows 8.1, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager from the contextual menu. Windows 7 users can find out how to open Device Mangerhere.
Let's continue using the borked USB port example. Fixing code 43 isn't just for USB devices, though—it's a quick tip you can use to help troubleshoot any PC component that ceases to work due to a software issue.
Once the device manager is open look for the heading that says Universal Serial Bus controllers and click it to reveal a list of all the USB devices on your PC.
In the list, you may see an item that has a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark in it and says "Unknown Device." Click on that and another window will open. Under the General tab you'll see a window that saysDevice status. For this tip to work, that window should say "Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems. (Code 43)".
Now it's time to get to work.
Sometimes an uninstall can fix it all.
Open the Driver tab and then click theUninstall button. This will remove the USB controllers driver software (the low-level programming that makes the hardware work) from your system.
Next, you have to put it back. Close the smaller window for your USB device and in the main Device Manager window clickAction > Scan for hardware changes. Windows will notice that the USB device is lacking driver software and will reinstall it.
After that's done, you can click on the USB device again and under the Generaltab and under Device status it should now say the device is working properly.
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When your fast PC suddenly slows down
Rodolfo's laptop "started to slow down 2 days ago." A number of factors can cause that change.
Let's start with the easiest and most obvious fix: Have you rebooted lately? A lot of people leave their PCs on 24/7, or put them into sleep or hibernation mode rather than shutting them down completely. But a simple, full reboot can clean out a lot of Windows' temporary cobwebs.
Did that do the trick? If not, we'll have to do some detective work.
What's new?
Ask yourself what's changed recently. Did you install a new program? New hardware? Updated a driver? If so, try undoing what you did.
You can uninstall a program from Control Panel's Programs and Features tool.
Roll back a driver
Suspect a driver? Search for and openDevice Manager. Then find and double-click the new driver. In the resulting dialog box, click the Driver tab, then theRoll Back Driver button. If that button is grayed out, the problem isn't with that driver.
If you added new hardware, remove it, then go to Device Manager, find the device, right-click it, and select Uninstall.
Find the bad process
None of those panned out? Then look for an overly large process that's hogging the CPU or memory. Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager or Start Task Manager. Click the Processes tab, then the CPU column header.
Task Manager
If there's one big hog clogging the CPU, you'll see it. And you should be able to tell by the name or the description which program launched that process.
You can also click the Memory column and see if there's a hog there, as well.
Closing that program should fix the problem temporarily. If not, go back to Task Manager and see if the process is still running. If it is, select it and click End Process.
That's only a temporary fix. To kill the problem permanently, find a better program that does the same job, then uninstall the application that was causing the problem (and let the publisher know why you stopped using their program).
Scan for malware
Malware rarely causes a serious performance hit. The last thing cybercrooks want is for you to get suspicious. But it's worth looking into. Follow my previous advice for discovering and tracking down malicious code.
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Windows System Restore: You can adjust this utility to save your PC image more often
I noticed that Windows wasn’t creating restore points as often as I wanted them. I set out to discover how I—and you—can better control how often this vital task happens without manual intervention.
Just about any new problem that makes Windows behave badly can be fixed by opening Windows’ System Restore and returning to an earlier time. But this only works if you have a restore point that was created before the unfortunate changes.
Restore points are also vital to Windows’ File History feature. If you want to go back to last Thursday’s version of that spreadsheet, you'd better hope that a restore point was created last Thursday. (You can avoid this problem with a good backup program.)
So you need to take control of how often Windows creates these points.
Set up Windows to create new points on a regular basis. Typerestore pointin the Start menu’s Search field or Windows 8’s Search charm, and selectCreate a restore point. Once the dialog box is up, you could simply click theCreate button to create one point. But your goal is to automate the process, not do it manually.
In the list of available drives, select your C: drive. Then click the Configure button.
In the resulting dialog box, select Restore system settings and previous versions of files.Set the Max Usage slider as high as you can comfortably go. The more space you give it, the more restore points will be available the next time you need one.
There’s another dialog box that offers more control on when and how often restore points are created. Search for task and select Task Scheduler. Navigate the left pane as if it were Windows/File Explorer, and go to Task Scheduler Library>Microsoft>Windows>SystemRestore.
In the top section of the middle pane, double-click the only option, SR. In the resulting dialog box, you’ll find six tabs where you can change a great many settings.
For instance, you can change the time that the backup happens, postpone the creation until the PC is idle, or have it create a restore only once a month.
Note that although the default setting runs the task daily, the task itself will create a restore point only if it’s been seven days since the last one. That’s about right for protecting Windows, although it’s insufficient for data files.
It’s also worth nothing that certain actions trigger restore point creation. For instance, Windows Update creates one before updating Windows. And many installation routines start by creating one.
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How to use Miracast to mirror your device's screen wirelessly on your TV
Ever since the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the finalization of the Miracast wireless display standard at CES 2013, we've seen a plethora of Miracast-enabled devices and receivers, from Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 to Amazon’s Fire TV stick. Users can now wirelessly mirror the display of their Miracast-certified phone, tablet, or laptop to any Miracast-capable receiver like a TV, projector, or monitor. What you see on your device is exactly what will be displayed on your TV.
At the core of this technology is the Wi-Fi Direct standard, which allows for point-to-point connections between devices without the use of a router. From there, Miracast adds a vendor-neutral wrapper that supports the streaming of up to 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound. Miracast also secures that connection using WPA2 encryption, so protected content like Blu-ray and Netflix videos can flow freely across it.
Better yet, the peer-to-peer nature of a Miracast connection means mirroring can be done securely and without an Internet connection. The apps and content are streamed directly from your device, instead of through an Internet service, as with Google's Chromecast.
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For businesses, Miracast could make video conferencing, slide shows, and group product design that much easier. For home users, Miracast offers a great way to stream high definition videos, games, and photos to your television.
Here’s everything you need to know to use Miracast.
What you need to use Miracast
Of course, there’s a catch if you want to cut out streaming middlemen: Both the device you have and the device you want to display to need to support Miracast.
For new devices the process is simple: Just look for “Miracast-certified” in the product description. But things are more complicated for older devices that didn't launch with Miracast support.
At a technical level, support for Miracast requires three things: wireless chipset support, operating system support, and driver support. If your device doesn't meet all three of these requirements then you'll have to buy a Miracast adapter and upgrade your operating system (more on that later). Miracast source adapters are often bundled with Miracast receivers like Actiontec's ScreenBeam kit.
Miracast is built atop the Wi-Fi Direct standard, which lets devices directly communicate with each other, no outside network necessary.
Miracast support requires a newer operating system like Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8.1, Android 4.4 or greater, and BlackBerry 10.2.1 or greater. Operating systems like Windows 7, Windows 8, and newer Linux distros that support the Wi-Fi Direct standard can bemade to support Miracast through third-party apps, but we'd recommend skipping that minefield and using an operating system that supports Miracast natively.
OS X and iOS do not support Miracast, opting instead for Apple's own AirPlay technology for screen mirroring. AirPlay is compatible only with Apple's second- and third-generation Apple TVs.
On a hardware level, the majority of devices produced in the last year support Miracast. Laptops and tablets with Intel's fourth- and fifth-generation Core processors and Intel's own 7260 wireless chip support Miracast, thanks to Intel's WiDi. On the AMD side, some laptops with third- and fourth-generation APUs also offer support through AMD’s Screen Mirror technology. Hardware support from phone manufacturers is much more uniform, thanks to Android's support for Miracast and its value as a checkbox feature.
The quickest way to find out whether your device supports Miracast is to follow the steps in the "How to use Miracast" section below to see if the option exists in your device's settings menu.
Miracast receivers and adapters
The receiver side of the equation can also be complicated. Smart-TV manufacturers like Sony, LG, Samsung, Toshiba, Panasonic have added Miracast to their high-end television sets over the past year, as have certain projector manufacturers.
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Microsoft's Wireless Display Adapter.
But the TVs, monitors, and projectors you own now probably don't have Miracast support. This means turning to one of the many Miracast receiver dongles, like Microsoft's Wireless Display Adapter, Belkin's Miracast Video Adapter, Asus's Miracast Wireless Display Dongle, or Actiontec's ScreenBeam Mini2. These devices all retail for between $40 and $90. Choosing among them largely boils down to whose ecosystem you prefer.
We'd recommend picking a first-party adapter if available. For example, if you wanted to connect a Surface Pro 3, you'd be best off with Microsoft's adapter. If you have a Vivo Tab then you should go for Asus's dongle. That's not to say Belkin's or Actiontec's adapters are bad—far from it, especially given their prices—but troubleshooting is a lot easier when you're working with devices from the same company.
The one Miracast dongle worth actively avoiding is Amazon's Fire TV stick, which does not support Windows devices. The Fire TV stick only supports Android devices—and even then, there are mixed reports regarding compatibility with non-Amazon devices.
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Microsoft's Wireless Display Adapter, connected to a television.
Setup for any of these adapters is simple: Just plug the adapter into any open HDMI input port on your TV, projector, or monitor, then plug in the small USB cable coming from the side of the device. These USB cables don't actually transfer any data; they're there just to provide power to the adapter.
How to use Miracast
Now you've got a Miracast-capable tablet or laptop, and a receiver dongle plugged into your TV.
Power on your display and switch the input to the Miracast adapter. Some adapters, like Microsoft's, will require you to press a power button located on the physical dongle. It may take up to 90 seconds for the adapter to finish booting up, but most are faster. Your TV will then display a splash screen asking you to connect a device. Now it's time to head over to your source device and connect it to your adapter.
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Windows 8.1
On Windows 8.1 devices it's as easy as swiping open the Charms bar, tapping Devices, tapping Project, and then tapping on the Add a wireless display option at the bottom of this list. You'll be transported to the modern version of the control panel, and a popup box will appear that says “Searching for devices.”
After a few moments the name of your Miracast adapter should appear in the list. Once you tap it, you'll either be prompted to enter a PIN number to verify that the connection is secure, or it will simply connect. If a PIN number is required, it will be displayed on your TV or projector. Enter that short code, and then the fun begins!
After a moment your device's screen will appear mirrored on the display. The resolution and aspect ratio will default to that of the display. You can also use the multi-monitor tools built into Windows 8.1 to configure your Miracast display as an extended desktop rather than just a mirrored display, which could be especially handy for presentations or meetings.
Android
On Android devices, you'll need to go to the Settings menu, tap Display, and then tap Wireless display. At the top of this page, toggle “Wireless display” to ON and it will scan for nearby Miracast devices. After a minute, the name of your Miracast adapter should pop up. Tap it and either your device will connect, or you'll be prompted for the PIN code display on your TV or projector by the Miracast adapter. After you connect to the adapter your screen will be mirrored onto your display.
A final note: One issue you may encounter when mirroring to a TV is overscan. Many TVs are set to overscan their HDMI inputs, which will make the image appear zoomed-in. To fix this you'll need to go into your TV's options menu and set it to display on a dot-by-dot basis, rather than the stretch or zoom settings. Some Miracast adapters—again, like Microsoft's—come with an app that can use the adapter itself to change the overscan level.
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How to bypass Windows AutoPlay when you plug in an external drive, and go straight to Explorer
When you plug in a flash drive or external hard drive, Windows brings up the AutoPlay menu, which offers all sorts of options. Deborah Armstrong asked how to make Windows simply open the drive so she can get to the files.
When I plug in a flash drive, all I want is access to files inside. But instead of giving me access, Windows used to pop the AutoPlay menu, forcing me to scroll down and selectOpen folder to view files.
Then I learned the trick. Or perhaps I should say tricks. The directions differ slightly between Windows 7 and 8.
Windows 7
To set the changes, insert a flash drive or external hard drive. When the AutoPlay menu comes up (hopefully for the last time), click View more AutoPlay options in Control Panel at the bottom of the menu. (You can also click Start, type autoplay, and select the Control Panel program.)
This brings up Control Panel's AutoPlay dialog box. In the Software and games pull-down menu, select Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer. Then select that same option for Pictures, Video files, and Audio files.
After you click Save, pretty much every external drive will come up in Explorer.
Windows 8 and 8.1
Use the Search charm to find and select autoplay. (If you're still using Windows 8.0, after you've done the search, you'll have to click Settings to find AutoPlay.)
This brings up Control Panel's AutoPlay dialog box. In the Removable drive pull-down menu, select Open folders to view files (File Explorer).
By default, Windows 8 doesn't care what's on the external drive. But in the options below Removable drive, you can make exceptions for certain types of content.
Arnoldas Zdanevicius needed help finding a file. Luckily, Windows’ built-in search tool can be a powerful ally—if you know its tricks.
At first glance, Windows’ search tool seems simple but underpowered. You open up Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 8), type a word in the search field, and files containing that word appear. But there’s really much more to it than that.
[Have a tech question? Ask PCWorld Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector. Send your query to answer@pcworld.com.]
To begin a search, pick a location to search through. Open Windows/File Explorer and go to the location you want to search. If in doubt, try Documents, your user folder, or the whole drive. Windows will search through that location and its subfolders.
Indexing options
But remember that searching through unindexed folders slows things down considerably. So what’s indexed? By default, your libraries (Documents, Music, Pictures, and Video), email, and other common data folders. To see and possibly change what’s indexed, typeindexinto the Start menu’s Search field or Windows 8’s search charm, and selectIndexing Options.
Once you’ve got Explorer up in the right location, type the word you’re looking for in the Search field, which you’ll find in the upper-right corner of the Explorer window. You’ll soon get a list of every file containing that word in either the file name, the contents, or the metadata.
But searching for more than one word complicates things. For instance, if you typeddaisy miller (upper- and lowercase is irrelevant here), you would get every file containing the full name Daisy Miller. But you’d also get every file containing the wordsdaisy and miller, even if there are hundreds of words between them.
To find only files with the name, type "daisy miller" with quotation marks as shown, so it will be treated as a whole phrase and not two separate words.
There are other options: daisy NOT miller will bring up files that have the word daisybut not miller. Daisy OR miller would find every file that has either of these words.
By the way, NOT and OR have to be capitalized. daisy not miller will find every file with those three words.
You’ve probably noticed that filter options appear when you click the search field—although which filters pop up will vary as Windows tries to second-guess you. You might get Authors, Kind, Date modified, Type, and so on. What’s the difference between Kind and Type? Kind filters by broad definitions—documents, pictures, and so on. Type really means file extension—DOCX, XLS, JPG, and so on.
If the filter you want doesn’t show up, just type it. When you type or select a filter, you’ll get a pull-down list of options.
And that brings us to the metadata filters. You can type in the name of a metadata field—say, tag:—and a word, and Windows will find any file with that word in that metadata field.
