Category: MICROSOFT

In this blog, we will learn how to factory reset Windows 11. Is Windows 11 not running correctly on your computer? Here are the steps on how to factory reset Windows 11 and bring the operating system back to a brand new state.

In the Windows operating system, there are two ways to factory reset your system. The first is via the Windows Settings app and the 2nd one is using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Factory Reset Windows 11 using Settings

To factory reset Windows 11 PC, select the Windows start button and select settings. Or hold the Windows + I key on your keyboard to launch the Settings app.

Select the System tab

Watch Video: How to Factory Reset Windows 11

Scroll down and then select the Recovery option.

Under Recovery Setting, click on the Reset PC button.

After selecting the Reset PC, a window will pop up.

Two options would be available:

Keep my files: if you need to keep your personal files intact while all the system apps get uninstalled and system settings are rolled back to a fresh state.
Remove everything: This option will remove (photos, programs, and apps) will roll back the OS to a completely fresh state as brand new.

For example, I am going with the Remove everything option.

Cloud download will require a fast internet connection which will need at least 4GB of data.
Local reinstall these options will require you to plug in any external installation media (CD/DVD or USB Drive).

Resetting the PC, if you want to change any setting then select the change settings option.

Selects the additional settings as per your preference and then select the Confirm button. Here we have enabled the ‘Clean data?’ option.

Click on the Next button.

It will take a while for Windows to load the next screen.

Next, Windows will list down all the impacts of resetting to your PC, read them and click on the ‘Reset’ button to start the resetting process on your machine.

After selecting the Reset your computer it might reboot several times which is completely normal behavior while resetting.

Windows resetting is in progress.

Select country or region and then select next.

Click accept.

Please follow the steps to complete the Windows 11 settings.

Factory Reset Windows 11 via Recovery Mode

There might be issues so much critical that you are unable to open the Windows Settings app as well. If that is the case with your OS then there is a fail-safe to reset Windows 11 using the Windows Recovery Environment.

To boot the System into recovery mode in Windows 11

First, select the Start menu and then select the Power button on the bottom-right corner.
Then, hold the Shift key on the keyboard and select the Restart option in the Power menu.

Your Windows 11 computer will restart and then it will boot into the WinRE (Windows Recovery Environment).
From the Choose an option window in recovery mode, select the Troubleshoot option.

Select the Reset this PC.

Here you have to choose to keep your files as-is and refresh the system apps and settings.
Or choose to remove everything option your apps, personal files, and roll back the system settings to default.
Select your preferred method from the Reset this PC window. For example, I am selecting the Remove everything option here.

I am selecting the Local reinstall option here.

Here, you need to choose if you would like to remove just your files only from the Windows installer drive or you need to fully clean the drive.
Select just remove my files.

It will take a few moments to get everything ready, wait till the next screen appears.

In this reset these PC settings, Windows will list the impacts of resetting PC according to your preferred settings, read carefully and then select the Reset button to start the process.

That’s all, friends, this is how we can reset our Windows 11 computer.

Here is the guide for you on how to change username in Windows 11. Though it’s very simple to change the username in Windows 11. I am here to help you to solve the problem that you are facing with changing the username in Windows 11. Below are some easy methods to change the Windows 11 account name without any trouble. These same steps can be followed to do the same in Windows 8, 10.

Why Do We Need to Change Username in Windows 11

It is not compulsory to change the user account (login username) on your system. It’s just up to the user. If a computer is used by more than one user and giving a unique username can help differentiate the account.
Windows User account names show up at the login screen, settings, and at different places on the Windows 11 computer. There are lots of reasons why you might need to change the user account name. For example, you recently changed your PC username and you need to consider this change in Windows 11 as well or you might need to display your nickname rather than the actual name or you entered your full name during the Windows 11installation or for security reasons.
There are 2 types of accounts in Windows 11 (Microsoft user account or any variant for a specific country) and synced with other systems and Microsoft apps. The second one is an offline local account that works only on the computer.

Change Window 11 Username that Linked Microsoft Account Online

If you are using a Microsoft account to sign in, then you can change your username on Microsoft’s website. For this procedure to work, you should have signed into your system with your Microsoft account.
Open Settings by pressing the Windows+I key, or select the start bar and then select settings.

Under the settings on the left side, select accounts, and then from your right side select Your info.

Select manage my accounts, it will open up the Microsoft account on the default browser.

Select Your info tab.

Choose the arrow button next to your account name.

The Edit name window will pop up. Here, you can change the new account name as per your requirements and then fill in the captcha box for verification. Click the Save button.

The username has been changed to the “Your info page” and a system reboot is required for the change to take effect on the PC.

How to Change Username in Windows 11

Select the search button on the taskbar.
Enter the control panel in the search bar and then click on the Control Panel to launch.

Select User Accounts as shown in the control panel items.

Note: You can’t change your local Administrator account.
Select manage another account.

Click on the user account you want to change.

Click on Change the account name.

Enter a new account name that you need to replace with the old one and then click on the Change Name button.

Change Account Name using Netplwiz Command

Press the Windows+R key to open the Run-dialog box, type netplwiz in the open box, and then click OK.

User Accounts window will open, select Users tab, here you can see the list of the user accounts. Select the account you want to rename and then select Properties.

Under the General tab, change the user name. You can also type the (Full name, Description which is optional). Select OK.

Now the username has been changed, click OK.

Change Local Username via Command Prompt in Windows 11

Windows 11 user names for a local account can also be changed using the command prompt. In the Windows 11 Search bar type cmd and then select Run as administrator.

Note, the command prompt must be open as an administrator or it won’t work.
Click Yes.

In the command prompt, enter the below command to view all the local user account.
wmic useraccount get fullname, name

Type the below command to change the user account name. Replace “Current User Name” with the name of the account you need to change and “New User Name” with the new username you want to give. Please put Usernames within double quotes (” “).
wmic useraccount where name=”Current User Name” rename “New User Name”

Example command:

wmic useraccount where name=”user21″ rename “newuser”

Restart required to implement the changes.

Change Local Account Username via PowerShell in Windows 11

Windows PowerShell app is most powerful and advanced than the traditional Command Prompt. For those who wish to change username using PowerShell command, this is how we can:
Right-click on the Windows 11 start button and then select Windows PowerShell (admin).

Enter the below command to list all user account names on the PC and then note the username you want to change:
Get-LocalUser

Now, type the below command to change the account name and change “Current Username” and then “New Username” accordingly,
Rename-LocalUser -Name “Current Username” -NewName “New Username”

Example Command:

Rename-LocalUser -Name “newuser” -NewName “user21”

Now, type Get-LocalUser commands again, you will see the username is changed.

You need to restart your computer to apply the changes.

Change the Built-in Administrator account name using Local Security Policy

When Windows has been installed, there are some built-in hidden users accounts (example Administrator, Guest) are created by the Windows for backup & security purposes.
Change the name of the administrator account using the Local Security Policy.
Type local security policy in the search bar then opens it. Or type secpol.msc in the Run command to open it.

In the Local Security Policy, expand the Local Policies and then select Security Options.
On your right-side panel, double click on ‘Accounts: Rename administrator account’ to open its properties.

Here you can change the (default Administrator account) name to any other name you wish to use and then select OK.

Watch Video: How to Change Username in Windows 11

In this article, we will learn how to update drivers in Windows 11. Everything you want to know about keeping your system drivers updated in Windows 11. A driver permits the Pc to effectively interact with hardware or a peripheral. If you open the Device Manager application, you would find drivers for the network, graphic card, Bluetooth, external headset, and some other devices.

To Update Drivers in Windows 11

First, if the current drives are working just fine, then we don’t need to update them. The installed drivers on your system are all tried, tested and would be most suitable for the PC. Therefore, it’s recommended you do no need to update them unless you found any issues with the current version.

Are not Drivers Updated Automatically

Whenever we connect a device to the computer, the Windows will automatically download the valid driver for devices, though in some cases, you will need to manually install it. Devices drivers are normally automatically updated when we Windows update, however, the process is not that simple.

To update drivers with Windows Update, hold the Windows+I key to launch Windows Settings.

In the Windows settings, scroll down select Windows Update, and then select Advanced options.

Select the Optional updates under the Additional options.

The driver updates will be listed here, Select the checkbox for the driver you want to install and then select the Download and install button.

It will download, and install select update driver on the Windows Update page in Settings. You might get a pop-up after the updates are installed, restart the system for the update to fully come into effect.

How to Update Drivers via Device Manager in Windows 11

We can update the drivers using the Device Manager. In the Device Manager, we can update the driver, uninstall the device, view the driver properties, or rollback driver update. Here, we can see how to update the driver in the Device Manager.

Click on the search button, type Device Manager in the search box, and then select the relevant search result to launch it.

Device Manager Window, find the required device, right-click on it, and then click on Update Driver.

Click On Search automatically for the driver’s option, Windows will search for the best available driver and then install it on your system.

After selecting this option, Windows will find up a better driver and then install it on your system. Follow the instructions to complete the process. In this case, Windows doesn’t find any update.

Select Browse my computer for drivers, it will permit you to browse the system, select the available driver and manually install it.

Select the Browse button, find the driver on the computer drive, and install it. You can also select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on the system.

All the compatible drivers will be listed here. Select the driver that you want to install and then select the Next bottom.

it can fix issues with the currently installed driver.

Manually Download and Update the Driver using Device Manager

If your system Windows is unable to find the updated version of the driver, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t one available. Several manufacturers release drivers on their official website and these drivers might not be available through Windows Update.

How to Find the Current Driver Version

Open the Device Manager, track the required device, right-click on it and then select Properties.

Select the Driver tab and then you can find the driver version.

Now you can search on the web with your Computer Model, operating system, and driver name from the manufacturer’s official website.

Note: The below picture is of the HP official website. If you use a system from a different manufacturer, then visit the website according to your computer.

After downloading the driver, go to your Downloads folder and then double-click on the downloaded driver file to launch the installer.

Read more: How to Take a Screenshot in Windows 11.

Watch Video: How To Update Drivers in Windows 11

It is very pretty simple to change computer name in Windows 11 (default computer name). You can change the PC name throughout the Windows 11 Settings tab. You can also use Command Prompt (CMD) or PowerShell or to change the name of your Windows 11 system. Here are the steps to change your computer name on Windows 11.

Change Computer Name via Windows Settings

To change the computer name, right-click on This PC and then select properties.

Select rename this PC.

Or you can open the Windows settings app and then select projecting this PC.

Select rename your PC.

Enter a new computer name under the current PC name and then click Next.

Select the Restart now button.

Change Computer Name using System Properties

We can also have the option to change our computer name from the properties.

To change the computer name, hold the WINDOWS+R key to launch the run command, type sysdm.cpl, and then click ok.

The System Properties will open by default, Select the Change button.

Under computer name/domain changes, type a new computer name and then select ok.

Click on ok.

Click close.

Make sure that you have saved files before restart.
Select Restart Now.

Change Computer Name using Command Prompt

To rename your computer, run the command prompt as an administrator.

wmic computersystem where name=”Present Name” call rename name=”New Name”

In the command prompt window, switch the present Name with the current name and then New Name with the new name you wish, and then press enter.

Now close the Terminal and then restart the computer for the changes to reflect.

Change Computer Name via PowerShell Command

You can also change the system name with the Powershell command. Right-click on Windows 11 start button and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Enter the below PC rename command in the PowerShell window.

Rename-Computer -NewName “New Name”

Change ‘New Name’ with the new name for your PC, and then hit enter.

Warning: Restart the computer for the changes to come into effect. Close the PowerShell window and restart the system.

Are you still running old Windows 10? It’s time to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Here are the guidelines that you will need to keep Windows files and apps without any issues.

Before you start the process, first, make sure that your Windows 10 installation has been activated. The best thing is to backup your files and folders. The Windows PC health check tool permits you to check your Windows 10 OS is capable to upgrade to Windows 11.
First, you need to check your Windows version. Open settings and check your Windows is up to date.

Windows 11 System Requirement

My device specification, the one I am going to upgrade to Windows 11.

You can download Windows 11 ISO file.

Once the download is completed, burn this Windows 11 ISO file to a USB pin drive or DVD.
Create Windows 11 bootable USB drive.

Upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11

After the mounted drive, click on a DVD drive

Double click to run the Windows 11 setup.

Select download updates, drivers ……

Click next

Accept the license agreement.

It will tell you if you need to keep all the apps and files after the upgrade. By default, it will remain everything however, if you are looking to start fresh with no files or apps, then select the “Change what to keep” option. Select what you want to do and then click next.

Installing Windows 11 is in progress, and might It will take time.

Windows 11 working on updates.

This might take a few minutes.

Windows 11 privacy settings for your device, click accept.

Successfully upgraded to Windows 11.

In the local C drive, you can see (windows and windows.old).

Select Windows 11 search button and then type activation settings to open it.

Windows 11 is activated.

Type winver in the search bar to check your Windows 11 Version Dev Build 21996.1.

Related: This PC Must Support Secure Boot Related: Upgrade Windows 11 in Windows Insider Program

This article shows, how to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 desktop to run guest machines or virtual machines inside Windows 11.

Hyper-V is a built-in Windows feature that permits anyone to create a virtualized environment on the host machine (physical machine) to run virtual machines in Windows 11. Windows Hyper-V feature allows you to create virtual machines on your computer without any software or additional hardware support. You can create several virtual machines, each one with its own Operating System, in case you work on several operating systems. You can have virtual switches, hard drives, and other stuff on an individual virtual machine.

Enabling Hyper-V on Windows 11, follow the below steps

Here are several ways to enable the Hyper-V feature in Windows 11 to run virtual Operating Systems on your system.

Table of Content

• Why do I Need Hyper-V?
• Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS
• Turn on Hyper-V in Windows 11
• Enable Hyper-V using PowerShell in Windows 11
• Enable Hyper-V using Command Prompt
• Create Virtual Machines in Windows 11 Hyper-V

Why do I Need Hyper-V?

There are multiple positions where Hyper-V could be your go-to option. Here are some of them.
If your work demands you to operate several Operating Systems, Hyper-V would help you to create virtual machines and install different OS on each.
If you have designed software and you want to test them all on the same system by installing a different OS.

You can run often the software which doesn’t run on the current Operating System, by installing the capable one.
Now we recognize the concept of Hyper-V and its lots of benefits, let’s have a look at how to enable it in Windows 11.

First, you need to check if Hardware Virtualization is enabled in BIOS. In case if it’s disabled, the option to enable Hyper-V or its components will be hidden.

Hyper-V Platform greyed out.

Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS

Note: These steps are for an HP Elite 8300 desktop and the interface, terms, and keyboards inputs may different for other manufacturers, though the idea remains the same. We recommend you either read your system manual or visit the web to find out the process for your computer.

First, Shut down your computer and then power on. Now, press the F10 key to enter the BIOS Setup.
In the BIOS Setup, navigate to the Security tab at the top and then select system security.

Find the Visualization Technology (VTx) option, and press the right arrow key to enable Hardware Visualization.

Now the Virtualization technology VTx is enabled, Press F10 to save the changes.

Under File, tab select save changes and exit.

Select Yes to confirm the changes.

After saving the changes, exit the BIOS settings.
It will take a few minutes to complete, wait for the changes to come into effect. Once it’s done, Windows will boot automatically.
You can enable Hyper-V either from the Control Panel, Windows PowerShell, and Command Prompt. In this blog, we have discussed each under a separate section for your understanding.

How to turn on Hyper-V in Windows 11

To Turn Windows features on or off, open the run box type appwiz.cpl and then click ok to open Windows Control panel features pane.

Select Turn Windows features on or off.

Or you can type optionalfeatures in the run box to launch turn Windows features on or off a window.

In the Windows Features screen, scroll down and then choose the checkbox next to Hyper-V (Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform).
Click OK.

Windows features, searching for required files.

Select restart now.

After rebooting the computer, the Hyper-V feature should start enabling, and once done you can start creating virtual machines to run other operating systems on.

How to Enable Hyper-V using PowerShell in Windows 11

Here is another way to enable Hyper-V on Windows 11. If the above methods are not working for you, launch Windows PowerShell and then install it from there.
Click the search button, type PowerShell as shown below in the image.
Note: You need to run Windows PowerShell as administrator.

After launching Windows PowerShell, enter the command below to enable Hyper-V.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

This command will download packages and enable Hyper-V.
Type y and then hit enter to restart the computer.

Once completed, Hyper-V must be enabled and ready to use.

How to Enable Hyper-V using Command Prompt

Here are another ways to install Hyper-V is using Windows Command Prompt. If the above steps aren’t right for you, simply use the command prompt way below to install and enable Hyper-V.
Run the Windows Command Prompt as administrator. Click on the search button and then type Command Prompt, open it as administrator.

Once Command Prompt opens, copy and paste the below command and then hit Enter.

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V

Restart your system and Windows Hyper-V should be installed and enabled.

How to Create Virtual Machines in Windows 11 Hyper-V

Now that Hyper-V is enabled and installed, type Hyper-V Manager in the search bar after clicking on the search button as shown in the image below. Open it

Under the Action menu, select New and then Virtual Machine.

New virtual machine wizard, click next.

Specify name, location and then click Next.

Select Generation 2 and then click Next.

Assign virtual machine memory and click next.

Configure networking, select default switch, and click next.

Select create new virtual machine option, saved location, disk size, and click next.

Installation options, select an operating system from, and click on the browse button to select operating system ISO.

Select Windows 11 ISO and click ok.

Click next.

Review the new virtual machine summary and then click next.

Now a virtual machine was successfully created.

Conclusion:

This guide showed you how to enable and use Hyper-V in Windows 11. If you find any fault above, please write a comment to report.

How to Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS