Windows Files — system processes and Windows 11 guides

Resetting network apdaters in Windows

Resetting network apdaters in Windows 11 removes your network adapters and installs them again, with networking components returned to their defaults. It is a good last step when the internet keeps dropping or an adapter misbehaves and simpler fixes have not helped. The reset starts from one page in Settings.

In Settings, select Network & internet, then Advanced network settings, then Network reset, and confirm.
After the reset, your PC restarts and you must reconnect to your networks, so keep your Wi-Fi password at hand.
If only one adapter is the problem, you can turn it off and on again from Manage Network Adapter settings instead of resetting everything.

Finding your app-wise data usage in Windows

Finding your app-wise data usage in Windows 11 takes only a few clicks in Settings. The data usage overview shows how much data your apps have used, so you can spot which ones consume the most. This helps if you are on a limited data plan or a metered connection.

Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Data usage overview to see data usage by app.
You can also open ms-settings:network-advancedsettings directly to reach the same page.
The same Data usage overview entry is where you work with a data plan or limit.

Fixing Ethernet connection issues

Fixing Ethernet connection issues in Windows 11 usually starts with the hardware: the cable, the router port, and a restart of your modem and router. If the wired connection still fails, you can check its status in Settings, run a few network commands, and reinstall the network adapter driver.

Reseat the cable and restart the modem and router, then open Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet > Ethernet settings to check the connection.
If the connection still fails, run the network commands in an administrator command window, in the order given below.
Reinstall the Ethernet adapter driver next, and use a network reset only as the last resort.

Tags Ethernet

Fixing lock screen timeout

If you are fixing lock screen timeout on Windows 11, the settings that control how long the lock screen stays active while your PC is locked are on the Lock screen page in Settings. When the lock screen slideshow stops too soon, or never starts, the cause is usually one of three slideshow options. This article shows where to find them and how to adjust each one.

Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Advanced slideshow settings and raise the slideshow play time.
The slideshow settings only apply when the lock screen background is set to a slideshow.
To check the result, lock your PC with Windows + L and watch how long the lock screen stays active.

Tags Lock screen

Change mouse scrolling settings in Windows

To change mouse scrolling settings in Windows 11, open Mouse in Settings and use the options in the Scrolling group. There you decide how far the page moves with each wheel notch, which way it moves, and whether windows you only point at can scroll. The changes take a minute and need no extra software.

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse, then change the options under Scrolling.
To check a change, scroll a long web page or document; to undo it, return to the same page and set the option back.
You can set scroll distance, lines per notch, scroll direction, and scrolling of inactive windows.

Tags Mouse

Adjust the mouse pointer speed on Windows

If you want to adjust the mouse pointer speed on Windows, you only need one slider. Moving it changes how far the pointer travels on screen for a given hand movement, so you can make a sluggish cursor faster or tame one that overshoots its target. The change applies right away and takes a few seconds.

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse and drag the Change the speed the cursor moves when you use the mouse slider.
Turn Enhance pointer precision on or off to change how accurately the pointer follows slow hand movements.
To undo a change, drag the same slider back to where it was.

Tags Mouse

What’s my IP address

What’s my IP address? On Windows 11, you can read it in Settings, in the details of the network you’re connected to, where it is listed as the IPv4 address. The steps below cover a wired connection, and a separate section covers wireless networks.

Open Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet, select your connected network, and read the IPv4 address.
The address you see is the one your PC uses on your local network, and a router usually assigns it automatically.
On a wireless connection, the same details appear on the page for your wireless network in the same section.

Tags Ethernet, Wi-Fi

Split screen Windows 11

To split screen in Windows 11, use Snap, the built-in feature that places two or more windows side by side. You can drag a window to the edge of the screen, press the Windows key with an arrow key, or pick a ready-made layout.

Open Settings, select System, then Multitasking, turn on Automatically snap windows to the sides or corners of the screen, and drag a window to a screen edge.
Without a mouse, press Windows + Left Arrow or Right Arrow to snap the active window to one half of the screen.
For more than two windows, hover over the maximize button or press Windows + Z and choose a layout.

Tags Multitasking

Network adapter driver Windows 11

A network adapter driver in Windows 11 is the software that lets your PC talk to its network hardware, such as the wired Ethernet port. Windows installs recommended drivers on its own, while optional driver updates have to be chosen by hand. This article shows how to get a missing or outdated network adapter driver and how to check the result.

Install the driver from the optional updates in the update settings of Settings, then restart your PC.
To check the result, open Settings > Network & internet > Ethernet and look at Ethernet settings.
Optional drivers are never installed automatically, so you must select them yourself.

Tags Ethernet, Windows Update

Mouse not working Windows 11

If your mouse is not working in Windows 11, the cause is usually a loose connection, flat batteries or a changed mouse setting rather than a broken device. Work through the checks below in order, starting with the hardware and then moving to the mouse options in Settings. You can reach every mouse setting with the keyboard alone.

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse and check Change the speed the cursor moves when you use the mouse and Change the primary button on your mouse.
Before that, reconnect the mouse, replace or charge its batteries, and restart the PC to rule out a simple fault.
If the pointer does not move at all, press Windows + I and use Tab, the arrow keys and Enter to reach the mouse page.

Tags Mouse