Latest news with #ControlPanel
Tom's Guide
19 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
5 essential settings to change on your gaming PC to prevent overheating
Summer is upon us, and for gamers living anywhere hot it means one thing: keeping your PC cool so it doesn't impact performance, or worse, completely melt. PCs are getting stronger across the board, with RTX 50-series gaming PCs and some of the best laptops equipped with the latest Intel and Snapdragon chips working hard to things cool under the hood thanks to more efficient power management. That doesn't stop a PC from catching on fire, though (true story!) For those that live in a sweltering environment and have limited ways to keep their computer from overheating, especially during heavy workloads or those graphically intense PC games, there are ways to keep temperatures low by changing some settings. Keep these essential tips in mind to stop your PC from overheating. But first, how do PCs overheat in the first place? Whether it be your desktop, laptop or gaming handheld, here are some factors that can take part in the rise in temperature. We've outlined plenty of ways to give your old PC a refresh and tips to stop your gaming PC from catching fire, but you can also keep temperatures cool by changing a few essential settings in Windows. Many gaming PCs come with their own software that can easily change the power mode from a setting like "high performance" to "balanced" or "power saver," like in Asus' ROG Armoury Crate or Acer's NitroSense. While it can impact the performance of the games you play, titles (or productivity apps) that don't require many resources won't need a PC to be in its prime. Better yet, you can simply change power plans by heading into Windows settings. Open the Control Panel (search for it in the Taskbar), navigate to Hardware and Sound and click on Power Options. From here, you can switch power plans. "Balanced" will further reduce power consumption, and therefore heat, but for the best cooling, you'll want to click "Power saver." There are some apps that slyly run in the background without you ever noticing, and this can put a lot of pressure on your PC if you add more active apps to the equation. That's why you'll want to get rid of the ones you definitely don't need running. Open the Settings app ("Windows key + i" or from the start menu), click Apps in the left-hand sidebar and open Installed apps. You'll now see all the apps on your PC. Select an app you want to stop running in the background, and click the the "three dots" icon and click "Advanced options." Under "Background app permissions," click on the dropdown menu and select "Never." Did you know that many Windows apps use visual effects? They can be subtle, but unnecessary if you don't even notice them, and they can take a toll on your PC's graphics card. Don't need them? Turn them off. Search for "Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows" in the taskbar. Click on the option and a Control panel window will appear. In the "Visual Effects" tab, click the "Adjust for best performance" option. This will turn off all effects, but you can pick and choose which options you want to keep on if you still like a little style when navigating around your Windows 11 PC. After this, click "Apply." If your GPU outperforms your CPU and can manage handling its own tasks, you'll want to turn on "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling." This will effectively let your graphics card manage its own VRAM (video memory), taking a load off the PC's CPU — making your computers internals run a tad cooler. To do this, open Settings and then select System > Display > Graphics. Once there, click on "Advanced graphics settings." Then, switch the toggle next to "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling" to on, then restart your PC. I know, everyone wants their gaming PC to pump out the highest frame rates possible, but this can also take a lot out of a GPU, and for some titles, you'll get a buttery smooth as it can get without any visible change at lower frame rates. You can configure the max frame rate in many optimized PC games, but you can also do it in Nvidia and AMD's settings. For an Nvidia-equipped desktop or laptop, open the Nvidia Control Panel. Go to Manage "3D settings" in the left-hand sidebar, and under Global Settings, select "Max Frame Rate." Now, you can set the maximum frame rate of all the games you play. The same applies for an AMD-powered PC. Open the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition app, click on the Gaming tab, then "Global Graphics." Enable "Radeon Chill," the select your prefered minimum and maximum FPS range. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Digital Trends
29-05-2025
- General
- Digital Trends
I hate that ‘there's an app for that', I'm done with installing stuff
I'm seriously getting tired of having to download software for just about everything these days, and I need to rant. Do you remember the days when you didn't have a separate app for every single thing on your computer? Because I do. And while I see the merit, the prevalence of 'there's an app for that' in both PCs and mobile devices is starting to get tiring. Recommended Videos Some of it, I get Lest I sound completely unreasonable, let me start by saying that I get why some things come with apps — and many of those things are an improvement over previous iterations. Take the Nvidia app, for example. I find it to be an upgrade over the previous mix of the Nvidia Control Panel (which is still a thing, but at least it's accessible through the Nvidia App) and the GeForce Experience. It lets you download drivers, tweak your graphics settings on a per-game basis as well as for your whole PC, and keep track of things like your GPU clock and temperature. Couldn't have asked for much more, really, apart from maybe a full merge of the Control Panel, which is increasingly unintuitive given today's standards for user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) in apps. In the future, Nvidia keeps planning to add more Nvidia Control Panel functionalities to the Nvidia App, so who knows — we might get rid of it entirely at some point, and if you ask me, that'll be a happy time. In any case, apps such as the Nvidia app definitely have their merits. I remember a decade or so ago when downloading graphics drivers was often a pain, especially for those less tech-y users who wanted an experience where you just click 'download' and your PC determines what it is that your GPU needs. The Nvidia app gets you that, which is sweet. If I had to complain (and of course I do), I'd say that it'd be nice to have a reliable, unified experience for all drivers. Third-party driver downloaders exist, but they often get things wrong, so a lot of them are hard to trust. Windows Update is responsible for a lot of driver updates, but some drivers still need to be fetched manually, which results in many people simply having outdated drivers for the longest time. But, this is a whole separate rant that I'm about to get into here, so I'll stop myself. Long story short, I get why we need software like the Nvidia app. What I don't get is why does just about everything else need to have its own mandatory app too? It's getting excessive Desktop apps are everywhere these days, and peripherals are some of the most common culprits that come with mandatory (or highly encouraged) software. Between my mouse, my keyboard, my headset, and my monitors, I have a total of five programs that I had to install. I hardly ever use any of them. My SteelSeries headset means that I had to install SteelSeries GG. My Razer mouse comes with Razer Chroma and Razer Synapse. I now have a Razer keyboard, too, so at least both of those use the same software, but when I had a Logitech model, I needed proprietary software for that, too. Then, my LG monitors are responsible for the installation of LG OnScreen Control. The one time I really needed software was when I was setting up my Razer Naga V2 Pro mouse, a process that took me a very long time and was quite meticulous; I also calibrated my monitors. Outside of that, it's all just there. Even Photoshop is no longer a standalone program and now comes with the Adobe Creative Cloud software. I remember when you'd buy a keyboard or a mouse, plug it in, and have it just work. Peripherals these days are a lot more advanced, and they come with a lot more RGB bling, which explains the need for a standalone app, but it does feel like there's just too much of it now. And don't even get me started on game clients. I know that competing apps and game studios will never want a unified, one-size-fits-all app, but it's tiring. Steam, Epic Games, EA, and Xbox are all required to launch games that I have paid for and should, in theory, be able to just launch and play. Each of these platforms has its own login and password, and despite begging them to please remember my login credentials as I tick the 'remember me' box for the 30th time, it just never happens. (You probably know which app I'm talking about here.) At the risk of sounding old, mobile apps are perhaps even more guilty of being excessive. These days, almost every single retailer comes with its own app. Instead of offering a seamless, more unified experience, you now have dozens of the same type of app because every brand needs to launch its own. Hey, I did say I was going to rant. Will we ever have to deal with fewer apps? If you're as weighed down by the excess software as I am, you might be wondering: Is this just the way it's going to be from now on? Well, probably. Realistically, I can't see different brands suddenly deciding to team up and offer a truly seamless, unified experience. After all, the idea is to offer personalized settings for every separate component or peripheral, and that's definitely going to stick. Microsoft has plans to, at least, make Windows Update responsible for updating all third-party apps on your PC, as reported by The Verge. This would make it easier to keep this massive number of apps up-to-date, but wouldn't really reduce the annoying bit — which is needing to have it in the first place. If I were to guess, I'd say that apps are here to stay. I remember the 2009 iPhone commercial: 'There's an app for that.' There's an app for just about anything these days, and if anything, there'll be more of them rather than fewer going forward. With WWDC 2025 right around the corner, we'll soon see new versions of Apple's various operating systems: iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS. There'll be even more apps to check out on our phones and our computers, and some of them might be amazing. And yet, a part of me still wants to say: 'No, thanks, I don't need an app for that,' but I doubt that anyone truly cares to listen.
Time Business News
23-04-2025
- Time Business News
Microsoft Word Freezes and doesn't save
Microsoft Word Freezes and Won't Save? Try These Fixes Now Microsoft Word is an essential tool for students, professionals, and writers alike. However, it can be frustrating when Microsoft Word freezes and refuses to save your work. If you've encountered the dreaded ' Microsoft Word not responding not saved ' error, don't panic! There are several solutions you can try to recover your work and prevent this issue from happening again. In this article, we'll walk you through the best fixes and introduce a powerful recovery tool called WinfrGUI that can help restore lost files. Common Reasons Why Microsoft Word Freezes and Won't Save Before diving into solutions, it's important to understand why Microsoft Word freezes. Some common reasons include: Large or complex documents with too many images, tables, or formatting elements. Insufficient system resources, such as low RAM or CPU usage spikes. Conflicts with add-ins or third-party software that interfere with Word's functionality. Corrupt Word files due to unexpected shutdowns or malware infections. Problems with the AutoSave feature not functioning properly. Issues with Microsoft Office installation, including outdated or corrupted program files. Now, let's move on to the solutions. Restart Microsoft Word and Your Computer Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve the issue. If Microsoft Word freezes: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager. Find Microsoft Word under the 'Processes' tab. Click End Task and restart the program. If the problem persists, restart your computer and check if Word functions properly. Use AutoRecover to Restore Unsaved Work If Word crashes before you save your work, you can try retrieving your document using the AutoRecover feature: Open Microsoft Word. Click File > Open > Recover Unsaved Documents. Look for your file and click Open. Save the file immediately to avoid further data loss. If you still can't find your file, you may need to use a file recovery tool like WinfrGUI. Faulty add-ins can cause Microsoft Word to become unresponsive. To check and disable add-ins: 1. Open Word in Safe Mode by holding Ctrl while clicking the Word icon. File > Options > Add-ins. 3. Under Manage, select COM Add-ins and click Go. 4. Uncheck all add-ins and click OK. 5. Restart Word and check if the issue persists. Using an outdated version of Word can lead to compatibility issues and crashes. To update Word: Open Microsoft Word. Click File > Account > Update Options > Update Now. Allow the update to complete and restart Word. Repair Microsoft Office If Word continues to freeze, repairing your Office installation may help: Open Control Panel and go to Programs & Features. Find Microsoft Office, right-click it, and select Change. Choose Quick Repair or Online Repair. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. Clear the Word Cache Temporary files can cause Word to slow down or freeze. To clear the cache: Press Win + R, type %temp%, and press Enter. Delete unnecessary files in the Temp folder. Restart Word and check if the problem is resolved. Save Documents in a Different Format If your document is causing Word to freeze, try saving it in a different format: Click File > Save As. Choose RTF (Rich Text Format) or DOC instead of DOCX. Reopen the file and check if the issue persists. Increase Virtual Memory Low system memory can cause Microsoft Word to become unresponsive. To increase virtual memory: Right-click This PC and select Properties. Click Advanced system settings. Under the Advanced tab, click Settings in the Performance section. Go to the Advanced tab and click Change under Virtual Memory. Increase the Initial size and Maximum size values. Click OK, restart your computer, and check Word. Recover Lost Files Using WinfrGUI If none of the above solutions work and you've lost important documents, WinfrGUI can help. WinfrGUI is a user-friendly version of Windows File Recovery that helps retrieve lost Word documents quickly. How to Recover Word Files Using WinfrGUI: Download and install WinfrGUI from the official website. Launch WinfrGUI and select the drive where your Word file was saved. Choose the Scanning Mode (Quick Scan or Deep Scan). Click Start Recovery and let the tool scan for lost files. Select your recovered Word document and save it to a safe location. Using WinfrGUI ensures that even if your document was not saved, you have a chance to recover it. Prevent Future Freezes in Microsoft Word To avoid dealing with Word freezing and not saving your files in the future, follow these best practices: Enable AutoSave: Go to File > Options > Save and enable AutoSave. Save your work frequently: Use the shortcut Ctrl + S to save your progress. Avoid using heavy formatting: Large images and tables can slow Word down. Keep Office updated: Regular updates fix bugs and improve stability. Use cloud storage: Saving files on OneDrive or Google Drive adds an extra layer of protection. Final Thoughts Microsoft Word freezing and refusing to save can be frustrating, but with the right troubleshooting steps, you can quickly get back to work. Whether it's disabling add-ins, repairing Office, or using a powerful recovery tool like WinfrGUI, there are plenty of solutions available. If you've experienced the Microsoft Word not responding or saving error, try these fixes today and ensure your documents remain safe and accessible! TIME BUSINESS NEWS
