10 Tips for Fixing Computer Problems at Home

Many everyday computer problems, from a frozen app to a missing printer, can be fixed at home with tools that are already built into Windows. The tips below start with the quickest, safest fixes and end with the bigger steps. Microsoft recommends the same approach: start with the least disruptive option and only move on if the problem is still there.

Before You Start: Back Up Your Files

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Most of these tips don't touch your personal files, but the last ones change a lot. Back up first so nothing is at risk.

1. Search the Start menu for Windows Backup and open it (you need to be signed in with a Microsoft account).
2. Expand Folders and turn on the folders you want to keep safe, such as Desktop, Documents and Pictures. They sync to your OneDrive.
3. Select Back up.

A free Microsoft account includes 5 GB of OneDrive storage, and you can buy more if your files don't fit. You can also copy important files to an external drive yourself.

1. Restart Your Computer

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Many of us put our PCs to sleep instead of shutting them down, so they can go weeks without a fresh start. Microsoft's advice for a slow or misbehaving PC is simple: close the apps you aren't using, then restart.

Select Start > Power > Restart.

Expected result: Windows starts fresh, and many short-lived glitches are gone.

2. Install Windows Updates

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Updates include fixes for known problems, so check for them early.

1. Select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates, and install what's offered.
2. For driver updates, open Advanced options > Optional updates.
3. Restart if Windows asks you to.

Windows 10: select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Expected result: Windows Update shows that you're up to date.

3. Close Frozen Apps With Task Manager

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If an app stops responding or slows everything down, close it from Task Manager.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. On the Processes tab, find the app that's stuck.
3. Right-click it and close it.

Closing an app this way shuts it straight away, so anything you haven't saved in it may be lost. While Task Manager is open, the Performance tab shows whether your processor, memory or disk is working flat out.

Expected result: the frozen app closes and the rest of your PC responds again.

4. Scan for Malware With Windows Security

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If you suspect a virus or other malware, Windows Security is already on your PC.

1. Select Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security, or search for Windows Security.
2. Select Virus & threat protection > Quick scan.
3. Follow any steps Windows Security recommends.

Windows 10: go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Virus & threat protection, then select Quick scan. (Older guides call this Windows Defender Security Center.)

Expected result: the scan reports no current threats, or tells you what it found and removed.

5. Run a Built-In Troubleshooter

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Windows includes automated troubleshooters for common problems, such as trouble installing Windows updates. In Windows 11 they run through the Get Help app.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. Select Run next to the problem you have, and follow the steps.
3. Restart your PC when it finishes.

You can also search for Get Help in the Start menu and describe the problem.

Windows 10: go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters, select the problem and choose Run the troubleshooter.

Expected result: the troubleshooter finds and fixes the problem, or tells you what to try next.

6. Update or Reinstall a Driver

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Drivers are the software that lets Windows talk to your hardware, such as your printer, sound card or graphics card. If one device stops working, its driver is a good place to look. Microsoft says the best way to get driver updates is through Windows Update (tip 2). If that doesn't help:

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager.
2. Expand the category for your device, right-click the device and select Update driver.
3. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

To reinstall a driver instead, save your work, right-click the device, select Uninstall device > Uninstall, and restart your PC. Windows tries to reinstall the driver when it starts. If you need to download a driver yourself, Microsoft advises getting it only from the device maker's official website. Our guide to updating drivers in Windows has more detail.

Expected result: the device shows no warning icon in Device Manager and works again.

7. Free Up Disk Space and Remove Apps You Don't Use

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Microsoft's tips for a slow PC include freeing up disk space and removing apps you don't use.

• Delete temporary files: in Settings > System > Storage, use Temporary files or turn on Storage Sense. You can also search for Disk Cleanup.
• Uninstall apps you don't use: go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select More options (…) next to an app, then Uninstall.
• Turn off startup apps you don't need: in Task Manager, open Startup apps, right-click an app and choose Disable.

Expected result: more free space in Settings > System > Storage, and fewer apps loading when you sign in.

8. Optimize Your Drives

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Microsoft includes optimizing your drives in its tips for a slow PC. It takes a few clicks:

1. Select Start, type Defragment and Optimize Drives and open it.
2. Select the drive you want to optimize.
3. Select Optimize.

Expected result: Windows finishes optimizing the drive you selected.

9. Use System Restore

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System Restore takes Windows back to an earlier restore point, undoing recent changes to system files, installed apps, the registry and settings, without affecting your personal files. It only works if System Protection is turned on, and Microsoft notes that it isn't on by default.

Turn it on and create a restore point (do this while your PC is working well):

1. Search for Create a restore point and open it.
2. On the System Protection tab, select your system drive, select Configure > Turn on system protection, then Apply.
3. Select Create, type a description and select Create.

Go back to a restore point: use System Restore to return Windows to a restore point made before the problem started. Our guide to using a System Restore point in Windows 11 walks through it.

Expected result: Windows restarts with its system files and settings as they were when the restore point was made. If a recent change caused the problem, it should be gone.

10. Reinstall or Reset Windows as a Last Resort

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If nothing else works, Windows can repair itself by reinstalling. Start with the gentlest option:

• Reinstall Windows: reinstalls your current version of Windows while keeping your files, apps and settings. Microsoft calls this the least disruptive reinstall.
• Reset this PC: reinstalls Windows from scratch. You can choose to keep or remove your personal files, but apps and settings are removed either way. Microsoft calls this the most disruptive option and suggests trying the others first.

You'll find Windows 11's recovery options in Start > Settings > System > Recovery.

Expected result: a clean, working copy of Windows. Reinstall your apps afterwards and restore your files from your backup if needed.

Still Stuck? Where to Get Help

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• Search for the exact error message in quotes. Include your Windows version and the name of the app or device.
• Check the maker's support site for your PC, printer or other device. They often have model-specific fixes and drivers.
• Use the Get Help app to describe your problem to Microsoft.
• Repair system files: see how to repair system files with System File Checker.