Tech Fixes & Troubleshooting

The ‘DNS server isn’t responding’ error in Windows 11 means your computer can’t translate website names into IP addresses. To fix it, flush your DNS cache, switch to Google’s public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4), or restart your router and computer. Check your adapter and firewall, too. Understanding the “DNS Server Isn’t Responding” Error The Domain Name System (DNS) is the internet’s phone book. When you type a website address, your computer asks a DNS server for the IP address. If the DNS server is unavailable, your computer can’t resolve the address, and you’ll see the error. Causes range from network glitches to configuration problems. ...

Installing IIS on Windows 11: A Comprehensive Guide To run Windows 11 applications using IIS (Internet Information Services), you don’t directly ‘install’ Windows 11 onto IIS. Instead, you install IIS on a Windows 11 machine and then configure IIS to host your web applications. This involves enabling the IIS role, configuring application pools, and deploying your application files. For years, I’ve built and deployed web applications, and many times the target server was a Windows machine running IIS. Setting it up correctly can be a bit of a puzzle, especially when dealing with modern frameworks. This guide shares what I’ve learned in deploying dozens of applications and troubleshooting a host of deployment errors. ...

Stop Windows 11 Update in Windows 10: A Detailed Guide To stop Windows 11 update on Windows 10, use Registry Editor (regedit). Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate. Create a new String Value named TargetReleaseVersion and set its value data to 21H2. Then, create another String Value named TargetReleaseVersionInfo and set it to 21H2. This effectively tells Windows Update to only look for Windows 10, version 21H2 updates. I remember the first time Windows 11 started pushing aggressively onto my Windows 10 test machine. I was in the middle of configuring a complex network setup and suddenly, the system started downloading gigabytes of update files for an upgrade I wasn’t ready for! I knew then I needed to find a permanent, reliable solution. ...

Why You Might Need To Shut Down During Windows 11 Setup There are several legitimate reasons for wanting to interrupt the Windows 11 first run setup. If you need to change BIOS settings, correct installation media, solve driver or internet issues, or simply started the process by accident, understanding safe shutdown procedures is key. Here’s a breakdown of the recommended methods, ranked from safest to potentially risky: 1. Keyboard Shortcut (Alt + F4) This method is generally the safest and should be your first attempt. ...

Understanding Default Sound Devices in Windows 11 To change the default sound device in Windows 11, right-click the sound icon in the system tray and select ‘Sound settings’. In the ‘Output’ section, choose your device from the dropdown menu next to ‘Choose where to play sound’. Repeat in the ‘Input’ section for your microphone. Restart apps if needed. Windows 11 uses default devices for audio output (speakers, headphones) and input (microphones). The ‘default playback device’ plays sound unless specified otherwise. The ‘default communication device’ is for apps like Zoom or Skype. Setting these correctly ensures proper audio flow. ...

Understanding Virtual Memory in Windows 11 Virtual memory, or the page file, is a system resource extending your RAM. When your computer exhausts physical RAM, it uses hard drive space as temporary storage. While slower, it prevents crashes and enables running more applications. Windows 11 usually manages this automatically, but manual adjustments are sometimes needed for optimal performance. Why Adjust Virtual Memory? There are several reasons to adjust virtual memory settings: ...

Increasing virtual memory in Windows 11 involves changing the page file size. Search ‘View advanced system settings,’ go to ‘Advanced,’ click ‘Settings’ under ‘Performance,’ then ‘Advanced’ again. Click ‘Change’ under ‘Virtual memory,’ uncheck ‘Automatically manage,’ select your drive, choose ‘Custom size,’ enter values, click ‘Set,’ ‘OK,’ and restart. Understanding Virtual Memory in Windows 11 Virtual memory is a Windows 11 feature that supplements your physical RAM (Random Access Memory) by utilizing a portion of your hard drive (or SSD) as if it were RAM. When your system depletes its physical RAM, it transfers less frequently accessed data to virtual memory (the page file) to free up RAM for active processes. While slower than RAM, virtual memory prevents application crashes caused by memory overload. ...

To enable Loudness Equalization in Windows 11, right-click the speaker icon, select ‘Open Volume Mixer,’ click your output device, go to ‘Enhancements,’ check ‘Loudness Equalization,’ and click ‘Apply.’ This normalizes audio levels for a better listening experience. Understanding Loudness Equalization Loudness Equalization, also known as ‘audio normalization’ or ‘volume leveling,’ is an audio processing technique to reduce dynamic range (the difference between quietest and loudest sounds). It makes quiet sounds audible and loud sounds less jarring, creating a consistent listening experience, which is useful in noisy environments or with inconsistent audio. ...

The simplest way to revert to Windows 11 from Bazzite involves booting from Windows 11 installation media. During setup, choose a clean install to format the Bazzite partition and install Windows. Alternatively, restore a Windows 11 system image using a bootable recovery environment if available. Returning to Windows 11 from Bazzite: A Comprehensive Guide This guide provides detailed instructions on how to revert your system from Bazzite Linux back to Windows 11. It assumes you either want to perform a clean install of Windows 11 or restore a previously created Windows 11 system image. If you had a dual-boot setup initially, the restore process is typically easier and preserves your data on the Windows partition. ...

How to Check Power Supply Wattage in Windows 11: A Step-by-Step Guide Discovering your power supply unit’s (PSU) wattage is crucial for system stability. The most reliable method involves physically inspecting the PSU itself, where the wattage is typically printed on a label. Software methods within Windows 11 do not directly report PSU wattage, but other options exist to uncover this important information. Methods to Determine Your Power Supply Wattage While Windows 11 lacks a direct wattage readout, several options exist to uncover your power supply’s capacity. Here are proven methods to determine your PSU wattage: ...