Getting Comfortable With The Basics

Windows

I finally automated my messy downloads folder

I finally automated my messy downloads folder with these 3 “hidden” Windows features – howtogeek.com
For years, my Downloads folder was basically a dumping ground. Screenshots, random PDFs, driver installers, ZIP files I opened once and forgot about. They all landed there and never left. It wasn’t that I didn’t know how to clean it. I just didn’t have a process. Every browser defaults to Downloads. Every quick save ends up there. Over time, it turns into a permanent archive of temporary files.

Excel security is a myth:

Excel security is a myth: Passwords and hidden rows won’t save your data, but this will – Lucas Gouveia/How-To Geek
Excel is designed for transparency and calculation, which is exactly why it’s so bad at keeping secrets. It offers plenty of ways to keep your data out of sight, but don’t mistake those for actual security. Here’s why your “protected” data is more exposed than you think.

4 repair commands to run before you reinstall Windows

4 repair commands to run before you reinstall Windows – howtogeek.com
Reinstalling Windows is sometimes unavoidable. I’ve done it plenty of times when a system was truly beyond saving. But it is also one of the most disruptive fixes you can choose. You lose time reinstalling apps, reconfiguring settings, and chasing down little tweaks you forgot you ever made. In many cases, Windows is not actually broken beyond repair. It is just confused, partially corrupted, or stuck after a failed update.

Patch Tuesday, January 2026 Edition

Patch Tuesday, January 2026 Edition – krebsonsecurity.com
Microsoft today issued patches to plug at least 113 security holes in its various Windows operating systems and supported software. Eight of the vulnerabilities earned Microsoft’s most-dire “critical” rating, and the company warns that attackers are already exploiting one of the bugs fixed today.

This one app adds all the features Windows forgot

This one app adds all the features Windows forgot – howtogeek.com
Every recent Windows update feels like a lateral move in terms of new features added (unless you count Copilot, which I won’t). However, behind the scenes, Microsoft developers have built some super useful new features for Windows 10 and 11, but you have to install them manually. It’s a set of utilities called PowerToys, and the best part is they’re free and open source.

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