While Windows has changed a lot over the years, some of its classic tools have stood the test of time. From performance monitoring to quick system tweaks, these built-in utilities are as useful as ever.
9. Disk Cleanup
Windows 11 lets you delete temporary files from the Settings app. You can even turn on Storage Sense to automate cleanup tasks and never run out of storage space. Still, Disk Cleanup is a useful tool for those who prefer a simple, clean interface.
8. File History
There are plenty of ways to back up data on your Windows PC, but if you don't need full system images or cloud storage, File History offers a simpler solution. It automatically saves copies of files from important locations—like your libraries, desktop, contacts, and favorites—to an external hard drive or network location.
If you accidentally delete a file or overwrite an important file, you can easily restore a previous version with File History.
7. Quick Assist
Quick Assist is a tool you may not need every day, but when you do, you'll be glad it's built in. Easy to use: When a friend, family member, or co-worker needs help with their computer, you can use Quick Assist to easily connect to their Windows device and provide direct support.
6. Character Map
Your keyboard probably has all the basic letters, numbers, and some symbols. But what about those special characters you occasionally need, like ©, ™, or œ? If you’re lucky, the app or website you’re using may include a tool that lets you insert them. But if not, you can use the Character Map to find exactly what you need.
If you don't want to open the Character Map every time, you can use the Windows Alt key to insert special characters even faster.
5. Resource Monitor
If your computer starts slowing down for no apparent reason, Resource Monitor is the tool to turn to. While Task Manager gives you a quick overview, Resource Monitor goes much deeper and lets you monitor system usage in real time.
4. Windows Reliability Monitor
Reliability Monitor may not be as well known as Task Manager or Performance Monitor, but it's incredibly useful. If you want a quick report on the health of your computer, this is the tool to use.
Additionally, each day is marked on the graph with a stability index from 1 to 10, giving you a quick idea of how smoothly your computer is running.
3. Photos Legacy
The new Photos app in Windows 11 comes with some impressive features, like OCR text recognition, iCloud syncing, and even AI-powered tools like data erasure. However, Microsoft has kept the old Photos app intact, and there are a few good reasons to use it.
Note : Unlike the other tools on this list, Photos Legacy doesn't come pre-installed on Windows 11. To use it, you'll need to download it from the settings menu in the new Photos app (under Photos Legacy) or directly from the Microsoft Store .
2. Windows Media Player Legacy
Before Spotify playlists and YouTube streams took over, Windows Media Player was the way to enjoy music and videos on your PC. And while Microsoft introduced a sleeker, more modern Media Player in Windows 11, the classic Windows Media Player Legacy is still around.
1. Control Panel
If there's one old tool that Windows users still love, it's the Control Panel . Sure, the Settings app now includes most of the essential features, but it's still not a complete replacement.
One reason people continue to use the Control Panel is its simplicity. While the Settings app has a modern interface, you often find yourself digging through menus just to adjust something simple, like changing your network adapter settings or adjusting your audio device.
Error code 0xc0000098 in Windows causes a blue screen error on startup. The ACPI.sys driver is often to blame, especially on unsupported versions of Windows 11 like 23H2 or 22H2 or Windows 10.
In some cases, sometimes you start your computer in Safe Mode and the computer freezes. So how to fix the error in this case, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Snipping Tool is a powerful photo and video capture tool on Windows. However, this tool sometimes has some errors, such as constantly displaying on the screen.
Every network has a router to access the Internet, but not everyone knows how to make the router work better. In this article, we will introduce some router tips to help speed up the wireless connection in the network.
If the results seem slower than expected, don't be too quick to blame your ISP - mistakes when performing the test can skew your numbers.
In the article below, we will introduce and guide you to learn about the concept of QoS - Quality of Service on router devices.
Windows has a built-in Credential Manager, but it's not what you think it is—and certainly not a replacement for a password manager.
Microsoft charges for its official codecs and doesn't include them in Windows 10. However, you can get them for free without pulling out your credit card and spending $0.99.
While having trouble accessing files and folders can be frustrating, don't panic—with a few simple tweaks, you can regain access to your system.
After creating a USB boot to install Windows, users should check the USB boot's performance to see if it was created successfully or not.
Although Windows Storage Sense efficiently deletes temporary files, some types of data are permanent and continue to accumulate.
You can turn off Windows 11 background apps to optimize performance, save battery and reduce RAM consumption.
When a computer, mobile device, or printer tries to connect to a Microsoft Windows computer over a network, for example, the error message network path was not found — Error 0x80070035 may appear.
We can block Internet access for any application or software on the computer, while other programs can still access the network. The following article will guide readers on how to disable Internet access for software and applications on Windows.
Instead of paying $30 for a year of security updates, keep Windows 10 safe until 2030 with this simple solution.
Error code 0xc0000098 in Windows causes a blue screen error on startup. The ACPI.sys driver is often to blame, especially on unsupported versions of Windows 11 like 23H2 or 22H2 or Windows 10.
In some cases, sometimes you start your computer in Safe Mode and the computer freezes. So how to fix the error in this case, please refer to the article below of WebTech360.
Snipping Tool is a powerful photo and video capture tool on Windows. However, this tool sometimes has some errors, such as constantly displaying on the screen.
Every network has a router to access the Internet, but not everyone knows how to make the router work better. In this article, we will introduce some router tips to help speed up the wireless connection in the network.
If the results seem slower than expected, don't be too quick to blame your ISP - mistakes when performing the test can skew your numbers.
In the article below, we will introduce and guide you to learn about the concept of QoS - Quality of Service on router devices.
Windows has a built-in Credential Manager, but it's not what you think it is—and certainly not a replacement for a password manager.
Microsoft charges for its official codecs and doesn't include them in Windows 10. However, you can get them for free without pulling out your credit card and spending $0.99.
While having trouble accessing files and folders can be frustrating, don't panic—with a few simple tweaks, you can regain access to your system.
After creating a USB boot to install Windows, users should check the USB boot's performance to see if it was created successfully or not.
Although Windows Storage Sense efficiently deletes temporary files, some types of data are permanent and continue to accumulate.
You can turn off Windows 11 background apps to optimize performance, save battery and reduce RAM consumption.
When a computer, mobile device, or printer tries to connect to a Microsoft Windows computer over a network, for example, the error message network path was not found — Error 0x80070035 may appear.
We can block Internet access for any application or software on the computer, while other programs can still access the network. The following article will guide readers on how to disable Internet access for software and applications on Windows.
Instead of paying $30 for a year of security updates, keep Windows 10 safe until 2030 with this simple solution.
