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How-To

Essential tips for buying, using, and fixing technology products

Make Artistic Mosaics With Your Photos

Create eye-catching mosaics by tiling dozens or even hundreds of your photos automatically.
Read More

Create Idiot-Proof Backups With Windows' Built-In Tools

Windows comes with with same great backup features as Apple's Time Machine. We show you how to unlock them.
Read More

Notes From the Road: Wi-Fi Tips, Garmin GPS Test Run

Six Ways to Make Vista and XP Work Your Way

How to Build a Superfast, Superquiet PC, Part 1

Make the World's Cheapest Tripod

How to Change the Background in Any Photo

How to Buy a Desktop PC

Summer Travel Tips

Windows XP SP3's Aches, Pains, and User Complaints

How to Spruce Up Your Home Videos

More Videos

How to Solve Sluggish Internet Surfing

How to Find Other PCs On Your Network

Editor's Choice: PC World's Best Tips

Answer Line: Tweak System Restore to Perfect Your PC Protection

Overcome your system's reluctance to create new restore points in XP or Vista; maximize the life of your LCD monitor.

Reduce Your PC's Power and Operating Costs

A few simple tweaks to the BIOS and to Windows' power settings can cut your PC power bill by more than half.

Windows Tips: Vanquish Still More Windows Annoyances

These eight tricks should improve your Windows experience.

Quick PC Fixes

Swift and easy cures for unwieldy Start menus, virus-infected USB drives, and five other PC problems.

15 Undocumented Firefox Tips

The increasingly popular Firefox browser offers much more customizability than Internet Explorer does. Here are some tweaks you might not know about.

Latest How-to Stories

Packing Tips for Painless Trips

New airline baggage fees require new packing strategies for gear-toting travelers. Here are three ways to travel light. 11-Jun-2008

How to Prevent a Data Disaster

If a natural disaster wipes out your hard drive, it will probably destroy your local backups, too. Here's a backup plan that will get you through even the worst-case scenario. 10-Jun-2008

Smart Sites and Terrific Downloads

Share huge files, explore the universe, eject USB devices fast, and watch a hilarious video parody of video games and prostitution. 10-Jun-2008

How to Buy a Flat-Screen HDTV

09-Jun-2008

Make Artistic Mosaics With Your Photos

Create eye-catching mosaics by tiling dozens or even hundreds of your photos automatically. 09-Jun-2008

Create Idiot-Proof Backups With Windows' Built-In Tools

Your Windows PC comes with with same great features as Apple's heralded Time Machine. We show you how to unlock the powerful backup features that are built into Vista and XP. 04-Jun-2008

Notes From the Road: Wi-Fi Tips, Garmin GPS Test Run

A nifty free Wi-Fi hotspot tool, a real-life GPS gadget review, and a scary-looking "motorcycle." 03-Jun-2008

Six Ways to Make Vista and XP Work Your Way

Print directory folders, dump dopey Balloon Tips, save ornery files. Plus: I debunk a bogus performance trick. 02-Jun-2008

How to Build a Superfast, Superquiet PC, Part 1

The older I get, the less tolerance I have for noisy PCs. So my new desktop computer had to be quiet, not just fast. Oh, and I needed it to be affordable, too. 02-Jun-2008

Graphics Board Repair Request Unheeded

An Asus customer tries to have his malfunctioning graphics board fixed, but gets no reply. Plus: An online seller goes MIA. 02-Jun-2008

Make the World's Cheapest Tripod

Here's how to make a string tripod, a simple do-it-yourself stabilizer that wins you sharper photos. 02-Jun-2008

How to Change the Background in Any Photo

With the lasso tool in your photo editor, you can change the backdrop in any family snapshot and make it look like you've traveled the world. 29-May-2008

Frequently Asked Photo Questions for May

Troubleshooting Canon lens problems, recovering photos from corrupted memory cards, megabytes versus megapixels, and printing this newsletter. 26-May-2008

What to Look For in a New Desktop

When buying your next PC, you should select--and avoid--certain key features. 25-May-2008