By Dan Ackerman

Having tested and/or reviewed every new handheld PC gaming device from the original Steam Deck to the new Lenovo Legion Go, I know these devices are constantly evolving via software updates. 

For example, the Steam Deck experience has improved immeasurably over the past nearly two years thanks to a steady stream OS updates that have improved both UI and performance. Likewise, the new Lenovo Legion Go has had a few rounds of software updates for its Legion Space gaming app, but installing the correct GPU drivers can make a huge difference in overall performance.

Read more: Boost Lenovo Legion Go Performance with These 3 Tips

While these are not brand-new drivers for the custom AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme APU inside, there's a good chance your Legion Go (like mine) shipped with outdated drivers. To update your drivers, open the Go's web browser and go to the link below.

Get the latest Lenovo Legion Go drivers here. 

Then simply download and install the package. The process should only take a few minutes, and may reboot the system along the way. 

I noticed an immediate improvement in games. I was finally able to play Starfield, downloaded via the Xbox Game Pass PC app. Previously, the game gave me an out-of-date driver message, crashed on launch, or stuttered along at a few frames per second before crashing. 

Now, with the system's resolution screen dropped to 1,900x,1,200 and most graphics options set to low, I was getting stable frame rates around 30 fps. Since playing Starfield on a Steam Deck requires you to stream it from the cloud, easily downloading and playing the latest Bethesda RPG was one of the main reasons I was looking forward to the Lenovo Legion Go. 

Your Legion Go may already have these latest drivers, and new software updates are expected in December, but it never hurts to check. 

See the Lenovo Legion Go at Micro Center

Intro by @JeremyS

Microsoft has brought a new, updated experience to how we all compute: Windows 11. Windows 11 ushered in a range of improvements and features to enhance performance, security, user experience, and productivity. It offers faster boot times, quicker app launches, and optimized resource management for smoother operation. With power management enhancements and gaming-specific improvements like Auto HDR and DirectStorage, Windows 11 maximizes the potential of modern hardware. It also prioritizes security with features such as Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and Microsoft Defender Antivirus; these measurements aim to protect against unauthorized access, malware, and other threats with light and seamless integration to the user. The operating system introduces a notably redesigned Start Menu and Centered Taskbar, improved window management, and customizable widgets for a modern and streamlined user experience, to bring users closer to what they love. Additionally, Windows 11 integrates a new era of computing, Bing AI, designed for intelligent search, personalized recommendations, and voice assistance. Windows 11 provides a faster, more secure, and personalized computing environment.

Content Creation by @Julia_V

As a content creator and writer, my favorite feature on Windows 11 is the ease of switching between different virtual desktops. Not only does this feature make it easier for me to be productive, it also allows me to stay safe and private with my information in case I want to broadcast and share my screen. 

With a simple gesture swipe on my Windows 11 laptop trackpad, I can view all the applications and browser windows I have currently running on the desktop. Before, on my Windows 10 computer, I used Alt+Tab to switch between different windows that are open. I like to multitask, and I want to have something running in the background in case I want to get back to it later. However, between my web browser, OBS, DaVinci Resolve, Blender, and Discord, I frequently found myself getting lost in everything that I had open. Then, my only solution was to pick what I wanted to focus on at that moment, essentially closing everything else and limiting myself from being able to multitask. This is exactly why I love the fact that I can simply use multiple virtual desktops on Windows 11–I can easily separate work, play, and things I want to keep private. 

With many people working from home and sometimes attending online classes, the virtual desktops in Windows 11 also provide a security benefit to its users. For the virtual desktop, users can customize them by changing the background wallpaper. This can come in handy as the wallpaper can serve as a reminder of which desktop the user is currently on; whether it’s the personal one that contains private and potentially sensitive info or the work or active instance that can be safely shared with others over a call. There was definitely a time when I accidentally shared my private Discord messages while streaming over OBS because everything was jumbled up on a single desktop. Windows 11 makes it much easier to avoid situations like this since the operating system is designed with both productivity and security as a priority.

Multitasking and App Management by @Vaganza

I have had a long history with computers, going back to the days prior to DOS. I was one of the students that got to set up the new High School computer lab with 386 computers and Windows 3.1 came on approximately 25 floppy disks to install. And as a designer who uses his computer mostly to draw on, a productive user interface is massively important to me, I have watched it grow over the years and will say Windows 11 won me over very quickly when I was using the system. There are great features that help with ease of organization and quickly moving from one task to another, keeping a clean workspace that adapts to your use in that application. 

The start menu and file explorer windows are very customizable now, and you can place apps you use frequently use there for quick and easy access – no more losing icons on a cluttered desktop. You can still pin your most-used applications pinned to the taskbar, as I do, and just open the search bar when looking for something that may not be used as often. The search bar is very powerful and nearly always finds what I am looking for on the first attempt. And the interface is all very robust and smooth, working intuitively whether you’re using a mouse or a touchpad.

One of my favorite features, especially after moving to an ultra-wide display, is the Snap Groups and Snap Layouts. Windows features several intuitive places you can snap apps to by dragging a window to the top, sides, or even corners. Once snapped, if you find you need a bit more or less room, you can fine-tune the size of that window, and the system will remember where you placed it for next time. You can also optimize how you work by snapping groups of different applications together. Quickly change to another Snap Group for a quick gaming session then come back to your original Group and pick up right where you left off. 

One of the trickiest things to deal with as more and more distractions find their way to crop up is finding the focus to complete even simple tasks. Windows 11 even has a solution for this, with Focus. Focus is located right in the taskbar and easy to activate when needed, silencing your alerts and activating auto-reply. If you need certain notifications to get through, its fully customizable so you don’t miss that important meeting invite. When using Outlook and Teams, Focus integrates seamlessly so others on your team know you are getting their messages, but will get back to them in due time. 

All of these features are some of my favorites, but there are some more I am excited to integrate in the near future, the text to speech support is extremely improved and Microsoft’s growing development in AI has me using Bing more and more to find even some of the most obscure searches online. 

At this time, I rarely carry a laptop anymore, I just keep computers in places where I use them most, Windows 11 has made this easy in that I am able to carry the user settings with me from place to place, I log in and my custom experience is there along with all the cloud access I have. Paired with some VPN access in places where needed, I have drives automatically mapped and I can simply pick up where I left off at the office when I get home. Not only in Office, but also in AutoDesk, Adobe, and my developer tools.

Windows 11 - Easier to Play by @Shoan041

I think that every PC gamer knows that Windows is the best and most versatile way to game on a computer. For the longest time, Microsoft’s Windows was the only way to game. And while other gaming is seeing more support from other systems, Windows remains the best choice and it is only getting better!

Computer gaming on Windows comes with the benefit of access to just about every PC game released and compatibility with the latest and greatest AAA titles. It’s where you go for the best graphics, with PC having the potential to far outshine consoles. The latest version of Windows has always gone hand in hand with the latest gaming technologies, like DirectX, always pushing the envelope for better gaming experiences. 

With the addition of Game Pass, Windows gaming jumped to the next level. There are hundreds of high-quality PC games ready for download whenever you want them. Many titles are playable on launch day with PC Game pass as well, so you won’t miss the new hotness because the budget didn’t have room for a new game. Riot Games and Microsoft even have a partnership that unlocks cool perks in some of their biggest games, like League of Legends and Valorant when played through Game Pass! The best part about all of this is that it’s currently only $9.99 a month. It is a much better deal than buying all the newest games that you may only play a few times and then never touch again. If you do find a game that you really like and think you’ll want to play for a long time to come, you can get a discount on the game with PC Game Pass!

If you need to take a break from gaming, you can always cancel your monthly subscription. It will not delete the game, so you don’t have to worry about downloading the whole thing all over again. You can pick up right where you left off whenever you’re ready! Their system gives you the freedom to choose which games you want to play, when you want to play them. If there are games you’d like to try, but don’t want to spend the money to buy, you can give it a try with PC Game Pass and decide if you’d like to purchase it later.

If, like me, you’re a gamer who changes games every week or so, Game Pass is a must-have. It lets me jump from game to game, without worrying about buying lots of expensive titles. If you’re a gamer and haven’t tried it yet, now is the perfect time!

Ease of Use and Accessibility by @Rye_Bread

Your PC is easier to use than ever with Windows 11. The latest version of Windows has many features that help you get things done in a fast, fun, and easy way. If you’re new to Windows, there’s no better time than now to jump in.

I’ve found that Windows 11 is much friendlier to new users this time around. The Quick Settings panel allows folks to access their WiFi and Bluetooth settings with one click, and even gives users access to options that were previously tucked away behind several menus such as screencasting, projecting, and even color profiles. With the Quick Settings panel, Accessibility settings are a breeze to get to, making Windows even more friendly to a wider audience (we’ll touch on that a little later). The Start Menu got a refresh as well, with an interface that is uncluttered and can serve as a spot to stash your favorite applications. To throw in a bit of subjective opinion, I think the new Start Menu and all of its customization options are just plain pretty. The taskbar, you’ll find, has been scooched over to the middle of the screen to help clean things up a bit. If you prefer it to return to its original home in the left corner, you can right-click it and move it back.

Taking a slightly deeper dive, the revamped Settings application keeps just about every setting you’d want organized in an easy-to-understand interface. For the more advanced users, the Control Panel is still available. I want to point some attention to the Accessibility menu, which allows folks to customize their PC in a way that makes their experience that much easier:

• Voice Access allows for easy navigation using voice recognition. I spent a solid 20 minutes navigating on my Surface Pro 7 using Voice Access, and after a brief and helpful tutorial, I was zipping through webpages by simply using my voice.
• The next Accessibility feature I tried was Live Captions, which does exactly what it says on the label: It adds a caption bar to the top or bottom of your screen, which reads off speech from any audio source, even if the PC’s volume is turned down. This worked great with videos and podcasts.
• On the visual side of things, you can add color filters and contrast effects to help with light sensitivity and color vision deficiencies. You also have the ability to change the size and color of your mouse cursor. An underrated feature that I’ve only just recently seen used in the real world is the ability to customize the text cursor. A customer of mine showed me his laptop a few days ago. He had a purple text cursor indicator, which made it very easy for him to find his way around Word documents.

A feature that I love showing customers is the ability to press Win + Z, which opens up the Snap Layouts panel. You can also hover over the Minimize/Maximize button with your cursor to bring up the same panel. Snap is a feature that has been a part of Windows since 7 and makes multitasking a breeze. 11 improves upon this feature by allowing users to use the Snap Layouts panel to organize their windows quickly and seamlessly in several different configurations, which change dynamically based on the resolution and aspect ratio of the connected displays. Rather than clicking and dragging windows to the sides or corners of the screen, users can hit Win + Z and simply click the layout of their choice. If you’re like me and still used to the old ways of doing things, you can still do the ol’ “click and drag” to use Snap. Still, for many folks, the new menu makes things quicker and easier.

With 2-in-1 laptops beginning to become more mainstream, there’s one extra feature that Windows 11 has that makes life on my Surface Pro so much easier: tablet mode! When you detach or flip a keyboard back on 2-in-1 the taskbar icons get a little bit larger and more spread out, compatible apps will adjust their toolbars so they’re easier to use with a touchscreen, and an on-screen keyboard will pop up as needed. In tablet mode, you can even use touch gestures like swiping from the left to bring up widgets, swiping from the bottom to bring up the start menu, swiping from the right for the calendar, and a three-finger swipe from the bottom to bring up Task View (just like pressing Win + Tab). They’re small changes, but they really help in navigating the UI without a keyboard and mouse. I’ve noticed that I’m more efficient in tablet mode in Windows 11 than I was in previous versions.

I mentioned it before in regards to the Control Panel, but even with all of Windows 11’s improvements, you can still use legacy menus and features if they’re more your cup of tea. I find myself still using the “Change System Sounds” menu to manage multiple audio inputs and outputs but use the updated Settings app for quick changes. I think Windows 11 does a great job at making the operating system easier to navigate for many users, while retaining “older” settings in their original spots for those who know how to use them. Windows 11 is easy to pick up, while the new design gives using a PC a breath of fresh air.

XeSS is the new kid on the block with a lot to prove, but it’s already making waves for how effective it is as an upscaling solution, and for its wide-ranging support. With Intel’s current focus on more affordable graphics cards and its enormous install base of onboard GPUs, this kind of technology is keenly important. Fortunately, it’s already doing well, and is getting better all the time.

Here’s everything you need to know about Intel XeSS.

What is Intel XeSS?

XeSS is a technology that is able to raise the perceived resolution of a game to make it look more detailed, without the usually associated cost of doing so. Where 4K resolution is a lot more demanding on a graphics card than 1440p, XeSS can make it possible to run the game at something approximating native 4K without the added overhead.

XeSS achieves this by actually rendering the game at a lower resolution and using its artificial intelligence-assisted algorithm to upscale each frame to make up the shortfall in detail. This can be used to improve the FPS of a game or play it at a resolution your graphics card otherwise wouldn’t be capable of. You can also use it to give you more FPS headroom for enabling other graphical settings, like ray tracing, which would otherwise tank the frame rate.

There are actually two versions of XeSS. There’s the one that runs on Intel’s own graphics cards, with added acceleration from the dedicated XMX (Xe Matrix Extension) cores found only on Intel’s GPUs, and a version that runs on graphics cards from other manufacturers and on older Intel GPUs without XMX cores. The Intel version is more efficient thanks to hardware acceleration, but also leverages a more advanced upscaling algorithm, delivering better visuals.

Both versions of XeSS offer the same range of quality modes to pick from, though. They range from close-to-native resolution with mild upscaling, to heavier upscaling on much lower resolution source frames. The former has a much lighter effect on performance, but doesn’t exhibit upscaling artifacts in the same way, while the latter provides a much greater uplift in performance, at a greater effect on visual acuity.

Like NVIDIA and DLSS, Intel has also performed some algorithmic training of its XeSS technology, letting it take rendered frames, upscale them, and then compare the output against a higher-resolution rendered image to see how effective it was. It could then try again, by smoothing out the errors, artifacts, and problems, and then again, and again, until it learns how to better upscale the various frame and data inputs it receives.

This is what makes XeSS capable of working across a wide range of games and not just on ones where the algorithm was specifically trained on that game – as was the case with the earliest versions of competing upscalers.

How does XeSS work?

On the surface, XeSS works in a similar manner to AMD’s FSR and NVIDIA’s DLSS. It takes a range of inputs from the game, including a frame rendered at a lower resolution – say 1080p – and uses a combination of machine learning and those various inputs to output a frame that looks like it was rendered at a higher resolution – like 1440p or 4K.

Under the hood, XeSS is a little more complicated. It draws on several key pieces of information to generate the higher-fidelity frames. It starts with a lower-rendered-resolution frame from the game, combines it with motion vectors – effectively, the player’s different perspectives between frames – and frame history elements, like color grading, lighting, and depth data, to inform what the eventual frame should look like.

All of that data is maintained as an ongoing “history” of the game, and they better inform the next frame that XeSS upscales, and the next one, and the next one. That lets the algorithm perform better after successive frames have been upscaled.

As one final pass before pushing the frame to your screen, XeSS performs temporal anti-aliasing (TAA) on the frame. That smooths out any jagged edges that the algorithm spat out and replaces the in-game anti-aliasing technology, letting it handle all of the rendering in one pipeline.

All XeSS modes, whether they’re running on Intel graphics cards, or somebody else’s, and whether on the highest performance mode, or the most ultra of quality settings, work like this. However, where non-Intel GPUs generate those higher-resolution frames using generic DP4a instructions (which are useful for AI calculations and can run on any hardware) Intel’s XeSS completes it using a more advanced algorithm that leverages its XMX cores.

Intel hasn’t revealed the precise mechanism for how this alternative algorithm works, but it leverages machine learning and the AI acceleration of its XMX cores to deliver what it claims is a higher quality image, whilst retaining the same performance advantages of the standard XeSS algorithm.

Intel updated XeSS to version 1.1 in March 2023, introducing a number of important changes to the way it works. It accelerated Intel’s XMX kernels, allowing for greater performance from XeSS on Intel GPUs – some showed a 25% performance improvement using XeSS 1.1 over XeSS 1.0. It also improved the algorithm speed on non-Intel GPUs by developing faster DP4a kernels. That’s particularly important, since it not only means NVIDIA and AMD GPUs get greater benefit from XeSS, but that gamers using Intel’s integrated GPUs on its processors can see improved performance, too.

XeSS 1.1 also introduced a new upscaling model that was better equipped to weed out errors in temporal stability, such as flickering and ghosting.

XeSS modes: From Ultra Quality to Performance

Like other upscaling algorithms, XeSS has several performance modes you can pick from that range from close to native quality with a comparatively minimal improvement to performance, to a much lower rendered resolution with a big improvement in performance, but with more obvious visual artifacts.

There are five XeSS quality preset modes you can select from. They are as follows:

• Ultra quality: This has a render scale of 77% and a scale factor of 1.3x.
• Quality: This has a render scale of 66% and a scale factor of 1.5x.
• Balanced: This has a render scale of 58.8% and a scale factor of 1.7x.
• Performance: This has a render scale of 50% and a scale factor of 2.0x.
• Ultra performance: This has a render scale of 33.3% and a scale factor of 3.0x.

Note: While these are the standard presets for the various XeSS quality modes, custom parameters can be set by a game developer. That means that in some games, the precise input resolution for the different quality modes may vary from these figures, and the modes available to you may be fewer.

As an example of how you might use one of these quality modes, if you were targeting 4K resolution in a game and utilizing ultra-quality mode, the input resolution from the game would be 2,957 x 1,663 (77% of the output resolution). It would then be upsampled by XeSS at 1.3x its input resolution, to deliver a full 4K resolution of 3,840 x 2.160.

Extrapolate that out to the other quality modes and you’ll see that the difference between input and output resolutions increases dramatically as you stray into the performance modes. Ultra Performance is beyond anything offered by NVIDIA or AMD’s upscaling algorithms and is unlikely to see much use since it will have the greatest impact on the game’s visuals, but it does offer those running onboard graphics the option of playing more demanding games by significantly cutting down on the input resolution.

In reality, most gamers utilize the Ultra Quality and Quality modes, since you can’t tell much of a difference between them and native resolution, and yet they still deliver an impressive uplift in performance.

What graphics cards do you need for XeSS?

One of the greatest strengths of XeSS is that it works on just about any GPU, whether that’s a high-end graphics card from one of the latest generations, an entry-level card from a few years ago, or even onboard graphics on your CPU. If you have a GPU, XeSS should be able to give it at least a minor uplift in performance. That’s particularly useful for anyone trying to game on integrated graphics.

XeSS works on AMD graphics cards, NVIDIA graphics cards, and Intel graphics cards, as well as onboard GPUs from both Intel and AMD. However, that’s only with the standard XeSS algorithm using DP4a instructions. To make use of the more advanced, accelerated XeSS algorithm, you need to run it on an Intel Arc graphics card with XMX AI accelerators.

At the time of writing, the only desktop graphics cards that offer that support are:

• Intel Arc A770
• Intel Arc A750
• Intel Arc A380

Intel XeSS is also available on certain mobile graphics chips, including:

• Intel Arc A770M
• Intel Arc A730M
• Intel Arc A550M
• Intel Arc A370M
• Intel Arc A350M

How do you enable XeSS?

Make sure you have a compatible graphics card or chip as listed above, and the latest Intel GPU drivers – download them here – and are playing a game with XeSS support.

Open the game’s Settings menu and navigate to the graphics settings. You may have to look through the menu to find it and it may be hidden in Advanced settings or something similar. Find the XeSS toggle and switch it to “On”. You may also be given a choice of quality modes. Most gamers prefer to use Ultra Quality or Quality modes but try playing around with it to see which you like the most. You’ll get greater performance from those with greater render scales but be aware that that does introduce greater chance of visual artifacts.

Some games will let you adjust the sharpening XeSS implements, too. This can be useful if the game implements a heavy-handed anti-aliasing solution that loses some detail around the edge of objects. Drag the slider around until you find a point you’re happy with.

The future of XeSS

Intel hasn’t provided much in the way of hard detail about its future plans for XeSS, other than they exist. Considering how much emphasis both AMD and NVIDIA are putting on the development of their own upscaling algorithms – and the positive effect it has had on in-game performance – it seems almost certain that Intel will continue to invest heavily in XeSS. It will go hand in hand with the development and launch of its future generations of graphics cards.

Intel is also in a unique position with its dominance of the mobile market meaning there are many millions of Intel GPU-equipped CPUs out there. XeSS has the potential to help many more of those laptops play games than ever before if it continues to improve onboard GPU performance.

One area where Intel may continue to develop XeSS is with frame generation. This is a technology that has been introduced by NVIDIA in the latest version of DLSS 3, and AMD is planning to introduce with FSR 3 later in 2023. At the time of writing, XeSS doesn’t offer any kind of frame generation, but considering it already leverages AI hardware for the existing XeSS, it’s no stretch to imagine Intel developing its own frame generation technique in the future.

Which games support XeSS?

At the time of writing XeSS is supported in over 50 current-generation games. They include standout titles like:

• Dying Light 2: Stay Human
• Hogwarts: Legacy
• Grid Legends
• Gotham Knights
• The Rift Breaker
• Returnal
• Starship Troopers Extermination
• Forza Horizon 5
• Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
• Farming Simulator 2022
• Enlisted
• Death Stranding
• Hitman III
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Intel has promised many more supporting games in the future, too.

More from the Micro Center Community:

Looking for more information about Intel GPUs? We’ve revisited the Arc series recently, as well as benchmarks for the Arc A770 and launch breakdowns! And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to post a new discussion and the Community will be happy to help!

Deep Learning Super Sampling, or DLSS, is NVIDIA’s flagship upscaling algorithm that can dramatically improve in-game performance. It’s the culmination of years of development in game optimization, dynamic settings adjustments, and artificial intelligence. When used effectively, it can more than double your frame rate without you having to lower a single setting. In short, DLSS can be amazing.

It’s not perfect, though. There are some image degradation issues, particularly on thin, perforated textures and objects, and the latest frame generation feature of DLSS 3 also has its own unique artifacts to contend with. You also need to have one of the latest generations of RTX graphics to make the most of it, although older generations of DLSS are supported by a wider range of GPUs.

But as more generations of RTX cards are released, and the onboard hardware that powers DLSS gets better, it’s becoming a much more widely adopted feature, and one that stands to benefit anyone gaming on an NVIDIA GPU. Today, hundreds of games support DLSS, making it possible for gamers with high-end GPUs to enjoy the smoothest of possible games, and those with older and more entry-level cards the option of playing newer games that their hardware just wouldn’t be capable of otherwise.

What is DLSS?

DLSS is an image enhancement and upscaling technology that uses machine learning and the Tensor cores on NVIDIA’s RTX graphics cards to dynamically raise the perceived resolution on your games, whilst actually rendering at a lower resolution. That allows the game to run at a higher frame rate without as great an impact on perceived image quality, as it would do if you actually lowered the resolution. Alternatively, gamers can enable other detail settings, such as ray tracing, without having such as a dramatic effect on their frame rate.

The DLSS technology is something that has to be implemented by game developers, so not all games support DLSS. It must also then be enabled in-game by gamers, who typically have the option of four different levels of DLSS. Quality mode looks the best, but has the least impact on frame rate by employing a scale factor of 1.5 times the actual rendered resolution. Balanced, Performance, and Ultra Performance modes render the game at lower and lower resolutions, closing the perceived visual gap with more aggressive upscaling. That leads to better performance the further down the scale you go, at the cost of image quality.

DLSS was first introduced with the RTX 2000 graphics cards in 2019 with a limited selection of games. Although early adoption among gamers and developers was slow, it quickly gathered apace, and with the launch of competing standards from AMD and Intel, and ongoing developments of DLSS, it can now be found in hundreds of games. These include early standouts like Metro Exodus and Control, as well as much-newer games, like Cyberpunk 2077, Plague Tale: Requiem, and Hogwarts Legacy.

The latest generation of deep learning super sampling is DLSS 3, and it provides a unique frame generation feature which further enhances game performance beyond that of DLSS 2 and other upscaling techniques. Where other generations of DLSS merely adjusted the resolution and applied effects to retain detail whilst reducing demand on the GPU, DLSS 3 uses AI to artificially create entire frames. That has its own drawbacks, since the AI is creating effectively new information, but it’s using a lot of in-game data to create that new frame and since it’s slotted between two real frames, it’s harder to notice. The overall effect is a big jump in performance, massively improving the fluidity and perceived frame rate of the gameplay experience.

How does DLSS work?

There are several components to the way DLSS fits into the render pipeline for a graphics card, and that’s changed significantly over the years as NVIDIA has released new, more advanced versions of its DLSS technology and the Tensor cores that accelerate it.

The first iteration of DLSS, known as DLSS 1.0, used the game’s last frame and motion vectors (the difference in viewpoint between the current and previous frame) to perform edge enhancement and spatial anti-aliasing. This takes the game at a lower rendered resolution, sharpens its edges, and then smooths out any harsh corners. This was then combined with data from a single frame rendered at a much higher resolution to create a final frame.

The results were impressive, but the loss in image quality could be significant, with fine details often lost or corrupted in the process.

DLSS 2.0 works a little differently, using temporal anti-aliasing upsampling and much more data from previous frames to help resolve finer details, so they aren’t lost in the upscaling process. It also leverages a new neural network to identify and fix temporal artifacts caused by the upscaling, allowing DLSS 2 to occasionally produce an image that is sharper and clearer than even rendering it at native resolution.

DLSS 2 also uses the Tensor cores more efficiently, leading to much reduced overhead and better overall performance, with a reduced impact on frame times. It also doesn’t have to be implemented on a game by game basis in conjunction with NVIDIA, so developers have a much easier time adding DLSS 2 support to their game than they did with the first generation. This led to an explosion on the use of DLSS among developers and eventually, gamers, with many more games adding support for it throughout and beyond this generation of DLSS.

DLSS 3 is the latest generation of DLSS and debuted alongside NVIDIA’s RTX 4000-series graphics cards. It is the most advanced version yet and makes use of the new optical flow accelerator in NVIDIA’s 4000-series GPUs to further improve performance in supporting games.

The big new feature with DLSS 3, though, is optical-flow frame generation. It takes two rendered frames from the rendering pipeline, and uses the power of artificial intelligence to generate a frame that sits between those two, making the transition between frames smoother, and enhancing the frame rate of the game.

This can have a dramatic impact on performance, leading to a more than doubling of frame rates over native rendering in some cases. That can be especially important in games with advanced ray tracing, like Cyberpunk 2077’s Overdrive Mode. In NVIDIA’s launch of its RTX 4000 graphics cards, it showed Cyberpunk running at just 22 frames per second on an RTX 4090 when running natively at 4K with ray tracing enabled, but DLSS turned off. Enabling DLSS 2 saw the game’s frame rate boost to over 60 FPS, but switching to DLSS 3 with frame generation saw the FPS skyrocket to over 90.

As the newest of the DLSS versions and its restrictions to RTX 40-series hardware, DLSS 3 use among developers and gamers is in the nascent stages of adoption. However, there are 10s of titles planning to add DLSS 3 support in the near future, so its usage is likely to increase dramatically throughout 2023 and beyond.

What graphics card do you need to use DLSS?

DLSS is a feature that requires the use of NVIDIA’s Tensor cores. Those are a specific hardware chip found only on NVIDIA’s RTX graphics cards, so you cannot use DLSS on NVIDIA GPUs that were released before the RTX 2000 series, or any others branded as “GTX” rather than “RTX.” That includes GTX 900 and GTX 1000-series GPUs, as well as the more recently released GTX 16-series.

That also means that DLSS does not work on AMD or Intel graphics cards, nor either companies onboard GPUs.

The list of NVIDIA graphics card generations that support DLSS is as follows:

• RTX 2000 – E.g. RTX 2060, RTX 2070 Super, RTX 2080 Ti.
• RTX 3000 – E.g. RTX 3050, RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3080.
• RTX 4000 – E.g. RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 4080, RTX 4090.

What graphics card do you need for DLSS 3?

If you’re excited to play one of the latest games using DLSS 3, then you’ll need one of the latest graphics cards. DLSS 3 is the first generation of DLSS since its debut to require a whole new generation of graphics card. While RTX 2000 and RTX 3000 graphics cards can use DLSS 2.0 and all of its iterations just fine, only RTX 4000 graphics cards can support DLSS 3 and its new frame generation feature.

The reason for this is because RTX 4000 cards are built with a new optical flow accelerator, which wasn’t incorporated in earlier RTX generations.

The list of graphics cards and mobile GPUs that support DLSS 3 at the time of writing, are:

• NVIDIA RTX 4090
• NVIDIA RTX 4080
• NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti
• NVIDIA RTX 4070
• NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti
• NVIDIA RTX 4050 (laptop only)

Any future RTX 40-series graphics cards and GPUs in desktops and laptops are also likely to support frame generation.

What games support DLSS 3?

The list of games that supports DLSS 3 is currently limited to a small selection of games, but it is growing all the time. At least as many games again have been announced with upcoming DLSS 3 support, so the list should be much more expansive by the end of the year.

Here are the games that support DLSS 3 at the time of writing:

• A Plague Tale: Requiem
• Atomic Heart
• Bright Memory: Infinite
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Conqueror's Blade
• Dakar Desert Rally
• Deliver Us Mars
• Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed
• Dying Light 2
• F1 22
• FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch
• Forza Horizon 5
• Hitman: World of Assassination
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Jurassic World Evolution 2
• Justice
• Loopmancer
• Marvel's Midnight Suns
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
• Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered
• Microsoft Flight Simulator
• Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
• Need For Speed Unbound
• Perish
• Portal with RTX
• Redfall
• Returnal
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Game of the Year Edition
• Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
• WRC Generations

More from the Micro Center Community:

Looking for more information about NVIDIA tech? We’ve got a 40 Series Breakdown article, as well as benchmarks for the GeForce RTX 4090, 4080, 4070 Ti, 4070, and 4060. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to post a new discussion and the Community will be happy to help!

The first big news is that Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for Windows 10 users, provided they meet the criteria:

·        64-bit CU

·        4GB of RAM

·        64GB of storage

If you meet all those specifications, Windows 11 will be a free upgrade, performed through a Windows update, a la the free upgrade from Windows 7/8 to Windows 10. If you’re not sure if you meet the criteria, Windows has launched a validator that will quickly check you machine and let you know if you’re eligible here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11

With that, let’s dive into the biggest changes Windows 11 brings!

More Robust Gaming Integration

Windows 11 is taking a lot from the new Xbox Series X when it comes to gaming. Adding in automatic HDR to create more vibrant color in your games and boosting load times with DirectStorage to get you in the game even quicker.

Updated and New Windows Apps

Expanding on Windows 10’s Start menu sidebar, Windows 11 introduces fully customizable Widgets, personalized with news, weather, and updates specifically for you. Available on the side of your desktop, Widgets can be expanded to cover your entire desktop – without disrupting any of the apps underneath.

The Microsoft Store has been revamped, emphasizing speed and ease of use, and brings with it a slew of new and returning first and third-party apps, all designed for the Windows experience.

Windows will soon be bringing Android apps to the desktop as well, utilizing Amazon’s Appstore to bring Android to the Windows store

Finally, Windows will be integrating Microsoft Teams into the desktop experience, designed to make connecting with people as simple as a few clicks. This also brings with it a unified microphone mute button, disabling your attached microphone for all applications with a single click.

A familiar, but not too familiar, desktop

The core desktop, on the surface (pun not intended), looks mostly familiar. The task bar and Start Menu still exist, but they’ve been moved to the middle for easier access and a more streamlined experience.

But under it all, there have been some major additions. Enhanced snap features make customizing your desktop even easier. And if you’re working on multiple projects: multiple desktops that save what you were doing. This means you can instantly switch from work mode to game mode with the press of a button, then get right back to work without missing a beat.

Added support for 2-In-1s

With the continuous rise in 2-in-1 PCs, or laptops that either split apart or fold over to become touch-enabled tablets, Windows 11 has put a bigger emphasis on usability. Once transformed (or disconnected from the keyboard dock), Windows will automatically adjust for touch usage. This means further spreading out icon in your task bar for easier tapping and increasing touch points on windows, making resizing and adjustments easier for fingers.

 Following the event, Microsoft launched a shorter summary of everything coming to Windows 11 with a stylish preview video:

So, what do you think? Will you be making use of that free Windows 11 upgrade?

What is a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)?

BSOD, or simply blue screen, refers to the generic sets of error messages that Windows computers display whenever the system encounters a critical problem that causes the entire operating system to fail. A blue screen means that the system can no longer continue, and is forced to restart itself completely. In addition to displaying a blue screen, the screens will also give a “stop code,” which describes the type of problem that caused the BSOD to occur.

What are the Biggest Causes of BSOD?

While there are many different factors that could potentially cause them, the most common causes of blue screens generally have to do with a computer’s hardware, or with the hardware driver software. Generally, regular applications, such as Microsoft Word or Google Chrome, usually aren’t the cause of BSODs; if an app crashes, it should do so without causing the entire operating system down with it.

 BSODs are caused whenever Windows encounters a “Stop Error,” which is a critical failure in the Windows OS that makes it crash and cease to function. Whenever this occurs, Windows has no other option other than simply restarting the entire system. This often can result in data loss, as programs won’t have the chance to save any open data. Fortunately, whenever BSODs occur, Windows automatically creates a “minidump” file that contains any information about the crash and saves it to your hard drive. You can view the minidumps in order to help identify the cause of your BSOD.

Common BSOD Errors

There are many different BSOD error messages that could appear on your computer, but here are the ten most common ones:

●    DATA_BUS_ERROR - This error message is caused by memory failure. The solution to fixing this message is fixing your RAM memory; that means you’ll need to check your RAM stick function with the application MemTest and replace the hardware if needed.

●    INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE - This error code is caused when the system is missing the necessary drive. In order to fix this error message, you’ll need to update the driver or install it if it isn’t installed on the system.

●    UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP - This error message can either be caused by a hardware error or from the system’s temperatures getting too high. If the problem is the former, you’ll need to uninstall and then reinstall the device driver. If the issue is the former, you should check your system’s fan performance, clean your computer, or see if there are any environmental factors negatively affecting your PC’s cooling efficiency.

●    NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM - This error message is caused by high CPU memory usage. To fix this problem, you should check to see which programs are using the most CPU memory in Task Manager. If necessary, try uninstalling/reinstalling the programs in question and see if it improves CPU usage. Another option is to check your hard drive that Windows is installed on and see if there are any errors in Windows processes.

●    IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - Caused by incompatible or outdated device drivers. To fix this error, deactivate drivers of recently installed devices through the device manager, and then install the newest version of the driver from the device’s manufacturer and install it.

●    BAD_POOL_CALLER - Caused by unwanted memory access. Deactivate drivers for recently installed devices and obtain the newest version of the driver from the device’s manufacturer and install it on your system.

●    FAT_FILE_SYSTEM - This error is caused by a corrupt file system. To fix it, check your hard drive function; from the Start menu, search “chkdsk” and run it.

●    OUT_OF_MEMORY - Caused by memory failure. Check your RAM stick function with MemTest, and replace your RAM if needed.

●    PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA - Like the previous error message, this is caused by memory failure. Likewise, you’ll need to check your RAM with MemTest. If needed, you’ll need to replace your RAM hardware.

●    UNABLE_TO_LOAD_DEVICE_DRIVER - This error is caused by defective software. To fix this problem, you’ll need to uninstall and then reinstall the newest or most compatible version of the software.

Ways to Prevent Future BSODs:

There are many different steps that you can take in order to help diagnose and prevent future BSODs. Here are some of the most effective ways for you to help solve system errors, and prevent future ones from occurring.

 Uninstall Incompatible Software

This is one of the most common causes of BSODs, and also the simplest to solve. While the BSOD doesn’t always explicitly state the cause of its occurrence, be sure to pay attention to see if it happens when using a particular program. If you do get a BSOD whilst using a particular program, then that program could very well be the culprit. If there’s an update available for said program, be sure to upgrade to it. If not, try uninstalling that app and see if the problem stops. Alternatively, take a look at what other programs you were actively using when the BSOD occurred. Try uninstalling any software that was running every time a BSOD occurred, and see if it fixes the problem.

Run a Memory Checker

Defective RAM (Random Access Memory) is another somewhat common cause of a BSOD, and it’s also a fairly easy problem to identify with the memory-checking tool built into Windows. To access it, go to the Start search box and type “Memory” and then click “Windows Memory Diagnostic.” Click the option “Check for problems the next time I start my computer” and then restart your PC. Upon booting, your computer will run the test.

 After restarting, you’ll need to find the test result. To do so, go to the Start search box again and type “Event Viewer” and click on the application of the same name when it pops up. In the left pane, click “Windows Logs” and then click “System.” In the right pane, click “Find” and search for “Memory Diagnostic.” You should then see the test results -- if there are any sort of problems to report, then your system’s BSOD may have been caused by defective memory. In this case, you should replace your RAM sticks.

Check for Hard Drive Issues

Additionally, hard drive-related issues are another common cause of BSODs. To check for errors, go to the Start search box and type “this PC” and click it when it appears in search results. Right-click on your “C” drive and select “Properties.” Next, click on the “Tools” tab in the hard drive’s Properties window. Under the “Error checking” section, you’ll want to click “Check” and then follow the instructions given in order to manually check the hard drive.

Make Sure Your PC Isn’t Overheating

It’s also very possible that your computer could be overheating; this problem can occur whenever your PC is working too hard, whilst receiving ineffective cooling from the CPU cooler or fans. Every PC needs to have an effective way of cooling itself, by having enough fans that properly ventilate the unit and should be in an environment that allows it to breathe. More often than many assume, BCODs occur because of overheating. Make sure your PC isn’t overheating by inspecting it.

Perform a Clean Install

If none of the prior tips have successfully corrected your BSOD issue, then you are essentially left with two basic possibilities: either you have a software issue that you have yet to properly isolate, or you have a critical hardware problem with your computer that cannot be easily replaced or repaired.

 In order to figure out whether your problem is the former, you should try performing a clean install of Windows. You should only attempt this after trying all other aforementioned steps, as performing a clean install will erase all of the content from your hard drive. In addition to losing all of your personal data, you will also lose all of your installed programs on the computer.

 To do this, you’ll first want to click the Start search box and type “reset.” Click “Reset this PC” and then follow the directions to reinstall Windows, and keep your files if you so wish. Once completed, you’ll have a fresh version of Windows without any of the software or drivers that may have been causing the BSOD. Moving forward, try to only install and use the most essential software and drivers until you can determine whether your problem has been solved.

Bring your PC to Micro Center!

The alternative to all this is to simply bring your PC to Micro Center. We’ve got skilled technicians who are happy to take a look at your PC and help diagnose any problems or questions you may have so you can get back to gaming, working, or streaming without breaking a sweat! Find out more here.

 We hope that this guide has been of some use to you, and hopefully your BSOD problem is properly solved by following these tips!

 More from the Micro Center Community:

Looking for more troubleshooting help? We’ve got Community Subsections, as well as articles on Updating your Video Card Drivers, and Blue Screen Frequently Asked Questions. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to post a new discussion and the Community will be happy to help!

McAfee KB - How to remove McAfee products from a PC that runs Windows (TS101331)

Here is an easy way to quickly check if your computer has TPM 2.0 enabled:

1.) Press the Windows Key and the R Key at the same time.  A box called “Run” should show up, type in TPM.msc into that box and press ok

2.) You will see one of two screens, a screen showing you have a TPM and the version installed

Or you will see a screen showing “Compatible TPM cannot be found.” Don't worry if you see this screen! It is possible that your TPM is disabled, and you will need to enable it in the BIOS of your computer.

Using the Activation Helper

1.   When you boot your PowerSpec computer for the first time, the ESET Activation Helper window will appear automatically. Select I want to activate and install.

2.   This will open a new window with the ESET activation form. Fill out all the required fields including the serial number of your PowerSpec computer.

3.   Once the activation form is submitted, scroll to the top to view the ESET license key. Copy or save the license key as it will be needed during installation. License information will also be emailed to you.

4.   Follow the instructions in the following article to install the current version of ESET NOD32 Antivirus. https://support.eset.com/en/kb3418-download-and-install-eset-nod32-antivirus

What if I can't get to the Activation Helper?

If you selected the option to not install ESET or otherwise can't get the Activation Helper back:

1.   Go to https://www.eset.com/us/activate/microcenter

2.   Select "I'm activating a new license"

3.  Fill out all the required fields including the serial number of your PowerSpec computer.

What if there's an error or I can't register my license?

Sometimes the activation doesn't work. If you run into trouble, feel free to comment below for assistance. We can help by submitting a request to add the Serial Number to the ESET database and get the trial version downloaded for you in the meantime.

Microsoft has tools to work around this. Their media creation tool will format your flash drive FAT32 and split the wim file for you. DISM.exe also has ability to split and combine wim files. Unfortunately, neither of these tools are available to us on OSX without setting up a virtual machine.

You can download the latest version of Windows 10 here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 

Option 1:

If you’ve got a new ASUS board with an Intel chipset, you’re more than likely not going to have a problem with exFAT. I’ve also tested some Asrock boards with Intel chipsets that worked just fine as well. This makes the process quick and easy. You’ll need to format your flash drive as exFAT. You can do this in Disk Utility or via Terminal. I will detail the command via terminal below. You can open Terminal from the Utilities.

Type “diskutil list” to list your drives. In the image below we see our drive is disk2.  Verify this by the volume name and capacity. Be careful, you do not want to wipe the wrong drive. Once you’re sure, type “diskutil erasedisk exfat “ESD-USB” MBR disk4” with disk4 being your flash drive. If this is not the case, correct the number on the end.

Now we need to copy our installation files. Double click the ISO we downloaded earlier to mount it. It will mount as CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9. Our flash drive is labeled ESD-USB. Type “cp -rp /Volumes/CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9/* /Volumes/ESD-USB/”. We’re using the copy command (cp) with the switches recursive (to copy all sub directory files) and p (Preserves file attributes). Let the files copy, this will take up to 20 minutes.

It’s important to note there is not status indicator here, you’ll get a flashing cursor. At this point, wait until it finishes.  Your prompt will return once it does. Finally eject the flash drive, connect it to your computer and power it on. If this is a new build with an empty drive, it should boot automatically. From here, you’re just doing a normal clean install of Windows 10. If not, you’ll need to use the boot menu key and select the flash drive from there. We’re booting UEFI in this guide.

From here, you’re just doing a normal clean install of Windows 10. Please see our guide on this: 

https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2288/how-to-perform-a-clean-install-of-windows-10#latest

Option 2:

Part 1: OSX

If you followed the guide above and your flash drive wasn’t detected, apparently your motherboard cannot boot from an ExFAT partition. We’ll need to use FAT32. In this guide we’re going to focus on doing this in a way that does not use third party tools to split the wim file.

First we’ll need to create a folder  to store our installation files. I created a folder on the desktop called “Windows10”. From here, we’ll copy the files from the mounted ISO file. You can do this in finder, or via terminal. Type: “cp -r /Volumes/CCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9/* ~/Desktop/Windows10/”.

Now, we need to navigate to this new folder where the files were copied via terminal. Open terminal and type: “cd Desktop\Windows10\Sources”. The prompt should confirm you’re in the sources folder.

Next we’ll need to split the wim file. Remember, we need to get the file size under 4GB for FAT32. We’ll type, “sudo split -b 3000m install.wim”. It’s important to follow the syntax exactly, the m for “Megabyte” must be lower case. This will split our wim file into two files labeled “xaa” and “xab”. This is much like copying files, it will take some time to process. Wait for the prompt to return. Then delete install.wim from the Windows10\Sources folder.

Now we need to format our flash drive to FAT32. You can do this from Disk Utility or via Terminal by typing ”diskutil erasedisk fat32 “ESD-USB” MBR disk4”.

Next, we’ll copy our files to our newly formatted flash drive. We’ll type “cp -r ~/Desktop/Windows10/* /Volumes/ESD-USB/”. We’ll wait for it to copy, this will take some time. Once done, we’re finished with the OSX side. Eject the flash drive and connect it to your PC.

Part 2: WinPE

We’ll boot to the flash drive, either through our boot menu, or automatically if there are no other devices to boot to. Now we need to format our internal hard drive to be imaged from this media, before we copy over the files and image it. Make sure your data is backed up and any drives with important data are disconnected. We will need to wipe your main hard drive that you’ll be installing Windows to in advance. To open command prompt press”Shift + F10” from the “Install Now” page.

Well type the following commands:

Once you’re done. Type: “list part” and verify the partition scheme matches the image below. Also type “list vol” so we can verify our assigned drive letters. Once confirmed, type "exit" to exit diskpart.

Next we’re going to copy out files on to our newly formatted and labeled W volume. We’ll type “xcopy  /h /c /y C:\Sources\xa* W:\”. In this case our flash drive was labeled as C. This will be corrected automatically when we reboot. Your main drive will be C as normal, not W. This command will copy both the xaa and xab files we created when we split the install.wim file. Asterisk is a wildcard, that searches for and copies any file in the directory that starts with xa. Once again, wait a few minutes for the files to copy.

Now we’re going to merge the two halves of the wim file we split earlier. We’ll need to navigate to the W root folder. Type “W:”, verify the prompt indicates your in this directory.

Now type “type xaa xab > Install.wim”. Wait a few moments while the two large files halves are merged together.

Now we’ll need to image our drive from the wim file. Type”dism /Apply-Image /ImageFile:W:\install.wim /index:1 /ApplyDir:W:\”. This will take a few moments to complete.

Last step is to make our new windows installation bootable. We used a GPT partition and we’re booting via UEFI so we’ll type “W:\Windows\System32\bcdboot W:\Windows”.

Finally, remove the flash drive and reboot. If you want to do this via command prompt type “W:\Windows\System32\shutdown -r -t 0”, or just restart the system with the power button. Once it reboots, it should load of windows and right into the out of box experience for you to create your user account.

FAQ

Related Articles: 

NOTICE:  Please make sure you have your ESET License Key ready!  You will need it to reinstall!  If you need assistance with getting your License Key, please come to our Technical Support Chat (Press Chat Online) to start your chat.  

How to reset your password if linked to a Microsoft Account

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Microsoft covers these steps as well as some more in-depth options on their website here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/10164/fix-windows-update-errors

• Using ShowKeyPlus
• Using the Command Prompt
  
• Using Powershell
  

Related Articles:

The first thing to check with any internet outage is to reboot your router/modem to make sure they aren't the issue. A simple reboot could fix the problem within a minute. If you are using Ethernet make sure your wire is securely in the back of your computer and router/modem. You can also try another port on the back of your router. 

If you are getting an invalid password message when trying to connect wirelessly, remember that wireless passwords are case sensitive. You can typically find default passwords and SSIDs (network names) on the router as well. If the password is still incorrect and you are not sure what it is, you would want to contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance.

If those quick tips don't help, there are a variety of methods to try to get the PC back online;

- How to Uninstall Network Drivers

- How to Perform a Winsock Reset

- How to Reset your TCP/IP Stack

- How to Flush your DNS and Refresh your Computer's IP Address

Windows 10

1. On the start menu, type Sign-in Options into the Windows Search Box and then select Sign-in Options.
   
   
2. If you are NOT using a PIN to sign in, you can skip to the next step.
   
   If you are signing in with a PIN, you will need to remove it before turning off your password:
   -  Select the PIN option and then choose Remove.
   
   
   - A box will come up confirming that you are removing the PIN - select remove.
   
   
   -  A box asking for your password will appear. Enter the password that you use to sign in and then choose OK and the PIN will now be removed.
   
   
3. Select the Password option and then Change.
   
   
4. Enter the current password that you use for signing in and then choose Next.
   
   
   
5. Now it will ask you for a New password.  Enter your Temporary Password into the New Password and Confirm Password box.  You can enter a hint if you would like, then click Next.
   
   
6. Select Finish to complete the removal of the password.
   
   

MacOS

1. Click on the Apple Icon in the top left and click System Preferences 
2. Click Change Password in the next 
   
   
3. Enter your Current Password into Old Password and type in your Temporary Password into New Password and Verify.  Then click Change Password.  
   
   

1. You will need to go to www.google.com and type in Display Driver Uninstaller (or DDU)
   
   
2. Select the www.guru3d.com link that should state "Display Driver Uninstaller Download" 
   
   
3. Now scroll down the page and select one of the two US Mirror links to start the download.
   
   
4. Once downloaded to your PC, you will need to open the zip file.
   
   
   
5. This will show another zipped file which will say DDUvXXXX. You will need to open this file by double clicking on it.
   
   
   
6. Select Extract all.
   
   
   
   
7. This will then pop up a window showing where it will extract to. Select Extract.
   
   
   
   
8. Now it will take you back to the file explorer where the files were extracted to. Open the DDUvXXXXXX folder.
   
   
   
   
9. Select the Display Driver Uninstaller application.
   
   
   
10. Now this will open the DDU software. Click on OK on the initial pop-up window.
    
    
11. Do not change any settings on this page. Click on Close.
    
    
    
    
12. The next message is advising to perform in Safe Mode for better results. Click OK.
    
    
    
13. Now you will need to select your driver from the drop-down menu on the right (1). and then select Clean and restart (2).
    
    
    
    
14. This will start the cleaning process of the driver, and will create a restore point in case it fails. This will automatically restart the computer once the driver software has been removed.
    
    
    
    
15. Now that the computer has restarted you will need to install the latest driver. If you have an NVIDIA card, go to https://www.geforce.com/drivers. 
     *Note, you can also use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience App*
16. Select your graphics card from the menu on either website, download the latest driver and run the .exe file it downloads. This may bring up a prompt asking you to allow the app to make changes to your device, like the example below. If so select Yes.
17. 
18. If prompted for an installation type, select Express, then let the driver install. Your computer monitor will flash on and off during this process. Once it's finished installing, you can close the window. 
    
    

What are Video Card Drivers?

In a very broad explanation, a driver is what allows your operating system to communicate and interact with hardware.  A video card driver is the driver that will let your card communicate with the operating system of your computer.  Updating your driver is a very important step and is one of the first things recommended to do when you get a new computer.

When should I update my Video Card Drivers?

There are a few situations when you should update your drivers for your video card.  

These include;

• When you get a new computer or a new video card
• When a popular game comes out or you purchase a new popular game
• When you are experiencing software issues or low frame rates related to gaming or display

Driver updates after getting a new video card or computer can be very important as some of the driver updates could be important improvements that were released while the video card or computer were sitting on the shelf.  

Updating your drivers can make playing games more smooth and increase frame rates as well.  It’s common to have a new driver update when a very big/important game is released like Call of Duty to help the GPU be optimized when playing the game.  

Issues like crashing in games, black screening, flickering or even your computer failing to wake up could be attributed to issues with your video card drivers.  It’s possible that Windows Updates can cause issues in regards to your driver.  Updating the drivers is the recommended first step in troubleshooting issues like these.  

Quick Links

Other keywords: double clicking, install the drivers, game ready driver, drivers for your graphics card, radeon settings, automatically check for updates, nvidia control panel, how to update graphic card drivers, how to update nvidia drivers, how to update amd drivers

First you can find the Windows File Recovery Tool on the Microsoft store here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-file-recovery/9n26s50ln705?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

This is a command line tool. You can open the downloaded app and it will display the help file for you. You can also open Windows Powershell or Command Prompt then type: winfr /?

This will show you the same help file. One important note is the tool does require version 2004 or later to install. Make sure you’re updated before you attempt to install it, otherwise you won’t be able to. We’re going to attempt to recovery some intentionally deleted pictures from a 16GB flash drive D.

1. Once you open the tool, you should be greeted by the following screen. It’ll explain the basic syntax, detail what the switches do and gives you several examples. There is also a link at the bottom that provides more detailed information. We’ll link this in our resources section at  the bottom of this article.

1. It’s important to note the modes for this tool and their file system limitations. We’re recovering from a flash drive that’s formatted FAT32. We can only use Signature mode. We’ll type the following command:

   winfr D: C:\DataRecoveryTest\Recovered /x /y:JPEG

Lets break this down. Winfr is our executable. D is our target to recovery data from. The next segment is the path on our C drive, where we want the tool to recover data to. /x tells the tool to use signature mode. This is required because the flash drive is formatted as FAT32. If the flashdrive is NTFS, you won’t need to include this.  Lastly /y specifies the types of files to search for. You can have more than one file type, separate your file types by commas. For instance if I wanted to search JPG and PNG, I would type /y JPEG,PNG. Typing winfr /# will show you all compatible file types in a list.

1. We’re going to press enter. It’ll indicate what we’ve told it to do. That we’re searching the D drive, that our target is on our C drive in a folder called DataRecoveryTest. That our mode is Signature and our extension filter is JPG for our pictures. Press ‘y’ and enter to continue.

2. Now we’re going to wait for it to scan. If you need to cancel the scan you can press Control + C. This may take quite a while on even on a relatively small storage device. Default mode is considerably faster, relying on the MFT table to recover data. It is possible with default mode to recover a specific file that was deleted in say your documents folder by name. We’ll explain more on this later and link to the support article that has several examples.

3. Looks like we’ve got some files. We’ll press ‘y’ and it’ll open our File explorer, and show us individual folders for all the file types we specified. The tool successfully recovered all 15 pictures that I intentionally deleted for this test and completed in about 15 minutes.

The tool worked fairly well. This was a a simple example, but it’s free and it’s certainly worth giving it a shot if you accidentally delete your files. I’m going to include some other examples that might be useful to you belo. We’ll also link the support page from Microsoft at the bottom.

Example 1: Recover a specific file that you know the file name of. Include the file extension in the name of the file.For instance if you lost an Excel file called fiscal years 2012 and your username is bob, you would type the following.

 Type:

winfr C:D: /n \Users\Bob\Documents\fiscalyear2012.xlsx

You must recover to another volume. In this example the command would locate that file and restore it to your D drive.

Example 2: We’ll use Segment mode for this one.Lets say we need to search the drive for a file we can’t recall the name of, so we’re not sure what we’re looking for. We just remember “Fiscal” was in the filename.

Type:

winfr D: C:\DataRecoveryTest\Recovered /r /n *fiscal*

/r specifies segment mode, /n applies a filter, in this case to search for a string. Our string is ‘fiscal’.

Those are just a few examples of how this tool can be of use to you.

FAQ

What file systems are supported?

FAT, exFAT, NTFS and ReFS.

What are the modes and what are the file system restrictions on them?

Default, Segment and Signature. NTFS supports all modes. FAT, exFAT and ReFS can only use Signature mode.

What are the differences between the modes?

To keep it simple here, Default and Segment seem more geared towards finding specific, recently deleted files, when you know what you're looking for. Signature is the only type that supports FAT32 and exFAT. It's a deeper dive into finding and rebuilding lost files and it generally you're last stop and the most time consuming.

What are the chances this tool will recover my important files?

On a recently deleted file very good. When a file is deleted it isn’t erased, it’s forgotten about. Generally it’s easy to recover in the immediate future. The issue is the space where that data is written is no longer protected. You’re fine until something overwrites it, then data recovery becomes much more difficult. The file could be damaged, and your less likely to be able to recover information about a file, like the name, as an example.

What operating systems are supported?

You must be on Windows 10 version 2204 or later.

Will it work on SD cards?

Yes, it’ll work on any accessible storage device with a compatible file system.

Is this an alternative to file history or windows backup?

No, data recovery is the last resort. We would encourage you to use tools like file history and the automatic backup system on Windows 10. They’re easy to setup and they are the best way to protect your data.

Resources:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4538642/windows-10-restore-lost-files

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/whats-new-windows-10-version-2004 

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Q: What causes my computer to crash?
A: There are many things that can cause crashes. Usually it is something software or Windows related. Crashes can be caused by hardware issues as well, but that is uncommon.

Q: Did I do anything to make my computer start crashing?
A: Not necessarily. Crashes, popularly called the Blue Screen of Death, can happen for a multitude of reasons, many of which are not user error and can occur on their own. Try to avoid downloading unfamiliar programs and avoid making changes to your hardware if you are unfamiliar with that kind of work.

Q: My computer crashes and turns off but it does not give me a blue screen error - is something else wrong?
A: That could still be caused by a software issue but it is more difficult to say. You can still apply many of the troubleshooting steps discussed in this FAQ and see if they help, but there is a higher chance of a hardware related issue with your computer or monitor in those cases.

Q: What do I do when my computer is crashing?
A: Try to narrow down when and where the crash occurs to isolate the cause and go from there. There are several troubleshooting steps you can go through to try and fix the issue which this FAQ will deal with. If the computer displays a Blue Screen with an error code, try to record that error code and look up the meaning.

Q: My computer only crashes when I play video games, what should I do?
A: Reinstall your video card drivers. Follow this guide to do a clean uninstall and reinstall of your video drivers: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2858/tech-article-how-to-roll-back-or-clean-install-video-card-drivers-in-windows-10/

Q: My computer started crashing after I got a Windows update, what do I do?
A: Do a system restore. Instructions for that can be found at: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2995/how-to-use-system-restore-in-windows-10

Q: My computer only crashes when I use a specific piece of software, what do I do?
A: Reinstall that program. If your computer still crashes, verify the software is compatible with your version of Windows.

Q: What do I do if my computer is crashing at random times?
A: Start your computer in safe mode first. Instructions for that can be found on our website at: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2836/how-to-boot-into-safe-mode-in-windows-10. If the crashes do not occur in safe mode, then it is likely a software or driver issue in Windows. Reinstall the drivers for your computer, downloaded from the manufacturer’s support page for your system. Do a clean boot as well - instructions for that can be found at: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2308/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-on-windows-10

Q: My computer is crashing even in safe mode, what do I do now?
A: First, run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool to scan for hardware issues with your RAM. You can find instructions for how to run the Diagnostics here: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2832/tech-article-how-to-run-the-windows-memory-diagnostic-tool-in-windows-10. If the test passes, at that point the next best step is refreshing or resetting your Windows installation. Instructions for that can be found at: https://community.microcenter.com/discussion/2272/how-to-reset-refresh-windows-10. If the crashes occur even after resetting, there is most likely a hardware problem.

Q: My computer is crashing as soon as I turn it on and I cannot get into Windows, is there anything I can do?
A: You may be able to get into the recovery screen and go from there. If it automatically prompts you to go into recovery options or do some troubleshooting, select that option. If not, shut down your computer and turn it back on. As soon as it starts to boot back up, immediately turn it back off. Repeat that process three times and look for a screen that says it is preparing automatic repair or something similar. If you can get to the recovery screen, you should be able to navigate through and find several recovery options such as resetting your computer, doing a system restore, and booting in safe mode, as well as a few others.

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Do you have any additional questions? Feel free to reply with them below! 

1.    The first thing  to do is to open the Task Manager on the computer, which we can go about a few different ways. One way will be to use the keyboard shortcut by holding down the CTRL key, Shift key and then pressing the ESC key to open it up right away. It can also be opened by right clicking on the task bar and selecting Task Manager, or by searching it in the start menu:

2.    Now that we have the Task Manager open, we need to firstly make sure it shows more details. This allows us to see the different tabs, including Startup. Go ahead and click on the Startup tab.

3.    We will now see all the programs that can startup as soon as you sign in. Our goal here is to disable each of these so that none of them will do that. So, we will select each program that is Enabled and then select the disable button on the bottom right to disable its startup. Once all the programs listed are Disabled, go ahead and close the Task manager.

4.    The next thing we will need to do is to go into the System Configuration. Down at the search bar, we’ll bring it up and search for msconfig or System Configuration and select the System Configuration option that comes up.

5.    With the System Configuration window opened, we’ll need to head on over to the Services tab just by clicking on it.

6.    On this page, we are going to first go to the bottom right of the page where there is a box that hides Microsoft services and make sure it is checked. Next, we’ll select the Disable All button so that all the boxes in the list of services are unchecked. Once that is all done, go ahead and select the OK to apply the changes and close out.

7.    We’ll lastly see a window that will tell us that we need to reboot the computer to apply the changes we just made. If you are ready to, you can go ahead and choose to Restart Now, otherwise we can choose to restart later and reboot the computer when you are ready!

8.    Once rebooted, the system will only be running core Microsoft services. If the computer is now running faster, then your issue was caused by one or more of the disabled programs.

9.     If you wish, you may re-enable startup programs and services one or a few at a time. Some services are needed by other software you may use, so leaving everything disabled may not be the best long term solution.

1. Open the Task Manager, Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
   
2. Select your internet browser (Edge, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox) and select End Task
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Now the popup scam should be gone from the screen. There are a couple more steps to make sure that this pop up does not reappear the next time you open your browser.
   
   
4. Press the Windows (or Start) key on your keyboard, and the letter R at the same time to open a Run utility.
   
   
   
   
5. In the Run utility, type the command that corresponds to the browser you were using, then click OK:

   chrome www.microcenter.com

   firefox www.microcenter.com

   iexplore www.microcenter.com

   microsoft-edge:www.microcenter.com
   *Note: the command for Edge is slightly different than the others
   
   

6. A new browser window will now open to microcenter.com, depending on your settings though, the scam pop up may also reload in the background
   
   
7. Close the browser normally, by clicking the X in the top right corner.
   
   
   
   
8. You can now open your browser normally, the pop up will not reappear.
   

Resetting your computer will reinstall your operating system and take the computer back to factory settings. All user data and information will be removed and all programs will be removed unless they were pre-loaded by the manufacturer. 

• If you have forgotten your password or pin for the computer, Windows 10 provides a way to access the recovery environment from the login screen which will give you the option to reset your computer. Scroll down to the "From the login screen" section to read about that. 

Refreshing your computer will reinstall your operating system and remove programs but preserve your user data, account and settings on the system. Like with resetting, apps that were pre-loaded by the manufacturer will stay, but all programs you installed will be removed.

Disclaimer: If you have data you need to keep, we always recommend backing up your system. Even if you just want to refresh, not matter how slim the chances there is always potential for something to go wrong and leave your system in state where it's inaccessible.

With that said, let's get to how to reset/refresh your system:

From within Windows:

1. Click the Start Button and navigate to Settings
   

2. Click Update and Security
   

3. Click Recovery on the left, then click Get Started under Reset this PC
   
4. If you just want to refresh the computer and keep your personal data, choose Keep my files.
   
5. You'll be given a list of applications that will be removed as part of the refresh process. Take note of those and click Next
   
6. Click Reset when you're ready to start
   
7. If you want to reset your computer and start with a clean slate, select Remove everything
   
8. You'll be asked if you want to Just remove my files or Remove my files and clean the drive. If you intend to keep your system choose just remove my files, if you're getting rid of it you can clean the drive to make data more difficult to recover, just note that cleaning the drive takes much longer than just removing your files.
   
9. After choosing the option you prefer, click Reset when you're ready to start.
   
10. The progress for the reset/refresh will be displayed on screen. If you're refreshing, once it finishes the computer should restart and take you to the sign-in screen. If you're resetting, it will take you to first-time Windows setup. 

2. Run the MediaCreationTool exe file and follow the prompts. If it asks you to make changes to your computer click yes.

3. Select Create installation media for another PC and click Next

4. Choose your language, edition and architecture for Windows to match the version for the computer you’re reinstalling on. Use the recommended options for this PC will auto-detect the settings for the current computer. Uncheck it if you're making installation media for a different system with a different version of Windows 10. Then click Next.

5. Select USB Flash drive if using a USB. If you want to create a DVD, choose ISO file, which you can burn to a blank DVD later.

6. Select the drive you want to use and click Next

7. Let the tool load Windows onto the drive, it will probably take a few minutes. Once it’s done, close out of the tool and you now have a bootable Windows 10 USB.

8. Now you need to boot from it. Shut down the system and turn it back on, during initial startup you’ll need to press a key on your keyboard to go into BIOS or the boot menu. Every manufacturer uses different keys, some common options are DEL, F2, F8 and F10. You can look up exactly which ones for your computer online. Once in the BIOS/Boot menu, set your USB drive as the main boot device and it will launch into the Windows installation screen.

9. Select your language and click Next, then click Install now

10. You’ll be prompted to activate Windows. Since this is a reinstall, your product key is already stored digitally by the motherboard. Select I don’t have a product key and proceed with installation. Windows should automatically re-activate after you’re finished, but it’s still advisable to have your product key on hand if there are activation issues for some reason.

11. Select the version of Windows you need to install then click Next

12. Accept the license terms and click Next

13. Click the Custom Install option

14. You’ll be presented a list of drives and partitions. If you have multiple drives (Drive 0, Drive 1, etc...) identify which drive is the one you need to install Windows on and delete all the partitions for that drive. This will completely erase the drive and leave it with unallocated space leftover. Select it and click Next.

Disclaimer: be very careful with this step if multiple drives are attached. If you erase the wrong drive with information on it you can’t lose, there’s no guarantee you can recover the lost data. If want to minimize the risk as much as possible, disconnect any extra drives from the system. 

15. Windows will now begin installation! It will take a little bit to finish, once it’s done you’ll have a completely clean copy of Windows on your system.

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Here is how to do this:

1. Type Control Panel in the search box, then click it.

6. Click Drivers at the top of the pop-up window, then click on Change Driver Settings.

7. Select the driver of the printer to remove, then Click Remove

OK

11. Click OK once removal is successful, and then it is completely removed from the PC. If prompted, restart your PC to complete.

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Here is how to uninstall the other anti-virus software:

1. Click on your Windows start button, click the gear icon to go to Settings.
   
   
   
   

2. Select Apps to open the Apps and Features menu.
   
   
   
   

3. Scroll through the list of programs until you find the other antivirus program. Click it and select Uninstall. The program’s uninstaller will launch, follow the prompts to remove the program.
   
   
   
   

4. After the uninstall finishes you will be prompted to restart your system. Restart your computer.
   
   

5. You can now install ESET on your computer after the restart completes.