20 Windows tricks to save time (and sanity)

How to use Windows like a Pro!Most people are NOT power users.

We all still need to get stuff done…

After many years of watching eyeballs widen when I do something on a Windows PC, my wife suggested it was time to make this video!

Without further ado, these are 20 time-saving tips and tricks so that you can get the most out of your puter time – and maybe even save your sanity in the process!

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Printout color is off? Fix it fast!

Print color is off? No problem!When you need a color printout, it’s nice when the colors on paper look the same as those on your screen.

Most of the time, however, that’s not the case.

Fortunately, there’s a quick cheat you can use to get MUCH better print colors…

And it only takes a few seconds!

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JavaScript: How to detect when an image is loaded?

JavaScript Detect Image LoadedLet’s say you’re writing a web app, and of course you’re using JavaScript. So far, so good!

But then let’s say you need to load some images on the fly, and then do something useful AFTER each image is fully loaded.

IOW, maybe you want to adjust the layout of the image modal that pops up, or you want to do something crazy with a caption, or whatever…

Naturally, you’d use JavaScript to do this – including changing CSS on the fly.

So the question is: How do you use JavaScript to detect when an image is fully rendered on the page – not just loaded?

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Windows won’t boot after upgrade? Roll it back!

Windows 11 22H2 broke my computerThe Windows 11 22H2 feature release is out in the wild. Unfortunately, there are a few problems with it…

On my modern laptop, I upgraded to 22H2 and everything seemed to be going well…

Until I did a hard reboot a few hours after the upgrade was complete.

I got a Blue Screen before Windows even loaded with the message that my PC/Device needs to be repaired: The Boot Configuration Data file doesn’t contain valid information for an operating system.

Well, golly gee whiz Mr. Johnson, that’s just swell!! What to do now??

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Why your tech is giving you headaches

Your tech is giving you headaches - FIX IT GOOD!Who doesn’t love technology?

Unfortunately, working and playing with our toys often results in bad, chronic headaches that just won’t seem to go away.

The good news is that by correcting your posture and paying more attention to your body, you CAN end the headaches.

While the exact mechanism at work here it still a bit of a mystery to me, honestly: Who cares?!

My headaches are gone!

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Windows STILL won’t update? Try THIS!

Windows STILL won't update??These days, updating Windows is like playing Russian Roulette.

Microsoft keeps breaking things, and I have to continually figure out how to fix them.

I recently had ANOTHER problem with Windows Update.

After trying everything, this is the solution that finally worked for me!

Don’t worry: they’ll break it again soon enough!

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How to remove Intel VMD without reinstalling Windows

Turn off VMD and get faster boot times!If you have an 11th generation or newer Intel processor, your system might be using Intel VMD.

VMD, or Volume Management Device, is a server-ish bit of technology where your processor more or less “hijacks” the management of NVMe disk drives in your puter.

When VMD is enabled, you MUST use Intel’s RST drivers – even just to do a clean install of Windows 11.

Well, what happens if you got your puter and it’s using VMD, but you want to remove it?

Easy!

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Stop recent videos from showing on your lock screen

What's that video player doing on my lockscreen?So, this one is fun. All of a sudden, when you lock your puter, the “currently playing” video appears with playback controls on the lock screen.

Now, this might be a useful feature, except that in many cases it’s rather broken.

Both Chrome and Firefox on my puter will show the most recently played video on my lock screen – not one I’m currently watching.

This is pretty annoying because A) I don’t watch vids when my puter is locked and B) I don’t need the rest of the world to see what I’ve watched recently.

Fortunately, you can turn it off!

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