Windows tips Archives - Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: How do I find the Control Panel in Windows 11?

Posted on October 21, 2025

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Question from Kerry: I have a Windows 11 question for you if you don’t mind.

I used to be a Windows guy, but several years ago when Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 I decided to switch to a Mac.

Well, my Mac recently bit the dust and I decided to switch back to Windows. Long story short, I ended up buying a new Windows desktop computer with Windows 11 on it.

Back when I was using Windows 7 I could open the Control Panel from the Start menu, but that’s apparently not the case with Windows 11. I’ve looked high and low and I can’t find it anywhere.

I’m pretty sure Windows 11 still has a Control Panel because I think I remember seeing it mentioned on your site a while back. Can you tell me how to find it? [Read more…]

How to place a shortcut to System Services on your Windows PC’s Desktop

Posted on May 23, 2025

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Do you frequently find yourself needing to access your PC’s Windows Services screen to stop, start or otherwise interact with one of the services listed there?

For example, I often find myself needing to clear the print spooler, which requires me to stop and restart that service.

Most people open the System Services screen by clicking the Start button and then typing services.msc, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with opening it that way. But if you find yourself opening it on a regular basis there’s a faster and easier way… [Read more…]

Stop your PC from logging your computing activity and sending it to Microsoft

Posted on May 22, 2025

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Did you know your Windows 11 PC is logging every action you take, storing it in a database and sending it back to Microsoft?

Yep, every website you visit, every app you use, every game you play, every file you open…all of that data is collected, stored and sent to Microsoft for them to use for various purposes.

If this collection, transmission and usage of your detailed computing activities makes you a bit squeamish, you’re certainly not alone. I’m right there with you. [Read more…]

How to force a Windows program to always ‘Run as Administrator’

Posted on April 20, 2025

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One of the most irritating things about Windows is how you are frequently prompted to run some programs as “Administrator” even when YOU are the administrator.

This makes sense if you have multiple users on the same PC, but not if you are the only person who ever uses it.

If this irritates you as well, it’s easy to coax Windows into running any program as Administrator by default. Just follow these simple steps: [Read more…]

This Windows service is spying on you (but you can stop it)

Posted on April 12, 2025

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By default, a sneaky Windows service that’s constantly running on your PC watches your every move and sends the data it collects about your computer usage back to Microsoft.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of serious issues with this… [Read more…]