Windows files — system processes and Windows 11 guides

Find out how many cores your processor has

You can find out how many cores your processor has in Windows 11 by checking your hardware specifications in Settings or reviewing real-time metrics in the system performance monitor. Looking at system properties reveals your processor model, family, and architecture. If you need an exact count distinguishing physical processing cores from virtual logical processors, the built-in performance utility provides detailed hardware readouts.

Open Settings, go to System, select About, and view View processor info.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open system performance details, select the processor, and view physical cores and logical processors.

Tags About

How to create users in Windows 11

To create users in Windows 11, add a new account for each person from Settings, using either a Microsoft account or a local account. Each person then gets their own settings, documents, and apps, which keeps files separate on a shared PC.

In Settings → Accounts → Other users, add an account in the Other users group and follow the prompts.
You can enter the person’s Microsoft account email, or create a local account that doesn’t need a Microsoft account.
To undo it, select the account on the same page and remove it, which clears its sign-in info and data from the PC.

Tags Other users

Customizing pointer appearance

Customizing pointer appearance in Windows 11 means changing how the mouse pointer looks so it is easier to spot and follow on your screen. You can adjust its color and size, add trails that show where it moves, and show a visual indicator when you touch the screen. All of these options are in the accessibility part of Settings.

Press Windows + I to open Settings, select Accessibility, open the page for the mouse pointer and touch, and pick a pointer color and size.
If the screen as a whole needs more contrast, go to Settings → Accessibility → Contrast themes and choose a theme.
On the same pointer page you can also turn on pointer trails and the touch indicator.

Tags Contrast themes

Changing lock screen wallpaper

Changing lock screen wallpaper in Windows 11 is done on the lock screen page of Settings. It controls what you see when your PC starts or wakes from sleep. You can show rotating images from Microsoft, a single picture of your own, or a slideshow made from folders on your device.

Open Settings → Personalization → Lock screen, then use Change your lock screen background to pick the background type.
To use your own image, choose the picture type and select Browse for a lock screen picture.
Press Windows + L to lock your PC and check the new background.

Tags Lock screen

Free up storage space effectively Windows

To free up storage space effectively in Windows 11, start with the apps you no longer use. Each installed app takes room on your drive, and removing the ones you have forgotten about is one of the quickest ways to get that room back. Review your apps in Settings and uninstall the ones you don’t need.

Open Settings, select Apps, then Installed apps, and uninstall apps you no longer use.
To check that it worked, return to the list and confirm the removed app no longer appears.
On a work or school device, an organization may restrict this page, so some apps can’t be removed.

Tags installed apps

Record game clips Windows 11

You can record game clips in Windows 11 with a keyboard shortcut: switch to your game, press Windows + Alt + R to start, and press the same keys to stop. Windows saves the clip as an MP4 video. Before you record, you can adjust video quality, audio and clip length in Settings.

Open Settings → Gaming → Captures to set quality, then press Windows + Alt + R in your game.
Press Windows + Alt + R again to stop; the clip is saved as an MP4 file in the Videos folder, inside a folder named Captures.
Press Windows + Alt + M during a recording to turn your microphone on or off.

Tags Xbox Game Bar

How do I pin display magnifier to the Start menu of Windows 11

To pin display magnifier to the Start menu of Windows 11, search for the app, open its right-click menu and choose the option that pins it to Start. Once pinned, the tile stays in your pinned apps, so you can start the magnifier with one click instead of digging through Settings.

Open the Start menu, type the app name Magnifier, right-click the result and choose the option that pins it to Start.
To change zoom and view afterwards, go to Settings → Accessibility → Magnifier.
To undo it, right-click the pinned tile and choose the option that unpins it from Start.

Tags Magnifier, Start

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts

Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts let you open apps, manage windows, and edit text without reaching for the mouse. Most of them combine the Windows key, Ctrl, Alt, or Shift with a letter, number, or arrow key. This article covers the most useful Windows 11 shortcut keys and the keyboard options that make them easier to use.

Open Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and turn on Underline access keys to see which letters trigger menu commands.
If pressing several keys at once is hard, turn on Sticky keys on the same page to enter shortcuts one key at a time.
If an accessibility prompt keeps appearing, turn off its keyboard shortcut on that page.

Tags Keyboard

Fix problems with Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11

To fix problems with Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11, first check that Game Bar is turned on in Settings, then test the Windows + G shortcut while a game or app is in focus. If it still does not respond, review the controller settings, restart your PC, and install pending updates.

Open Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar, make sure Game Bar is turned on, then press Windows + G.
If a controller button does not open Game Bar, check Game bar controller settings on the same page.
If nothing changes, restart your PC and install pending Windows updates.

Tags Xbox Game Bar

Record a game clip on your PC with Xbox Game Bar Windows 11

You can record a game clip on your PC with Xbox Game Bar Windows 11 using one keyboard shortcut, once the feature is switched on. Recording works for a game or any other app you are using, so it also suits showing a bug to a developer. This guide covers turning it on, choosing what audio to capture, recording, and finding the finished clip.

Go to Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar, switch on the main toggle, then press Windows + Alt + R.
Press Windows + Alt + R again to stop; the MP4 clip is saved in the Captures folder inside Videos.
To record system sounds, open the overlay with Windows + G and choose the capture option that includes all audio.

Tags Xbox Game Bar