Tech

When I first saw the Kernel Security Check Failure blue screen (BSOD) on my Windows 11 laptop, I thought my hardware had failed.

When I first tried installing Windows 11 on my older laptop, I hit the usual wall: no TPM 2.

It's a scenario I've seen countless times after a "Patch Tuesday" update: you turn on your laptop, and suddenly your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or even your keyboard stops working.

I get this question a lot from users who rely on the convenience of Windows Hello: you log into your PC with your face or a PIN, you have full administrator rights, but when you go to the Credential Manager to look up your Microsoft account password, there's no "Show" button.

I've helped many users solve this frustrating and confusing issue: you try to watch a live stream on your PC, but all you get is a spinning loading circle.

I've run into this classic Windows networking issue countless times: you can successfully ping another computer on your local network, but when you try to access its shared files in File Explorer, you're hit with an "Enter network credentials" prompt that rejects every password you try, even when you've set up passwordless sharing.

I've seen this maddening issue pop up for many Windows 11 users: you go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options to set up a Windows Hello PIN, you enter your account password, and then...

As someone who frequently tests new software builds, I know how frustrating it can be when a system update goes wrong and prevents Windows from starting correctly.