You can rename your PC in Windows 11 if you are not happy with its current name. It could be set during a clean install, or at some point later. Once you decide to change its name, you can using any method reviewed in this post.
It is a good idea to assign a meaningful name assigns to all your computers. A random name for your device is not suitable for a number of reasons. A long or random name is far from convenient, especially if you have several devices. Besides, those cryptic names make it harder to find a needed computer when you share files between PCs using Wi-Fi and Nearby Share or connect new devices. Renaming Windows 11 PC to something more convenient is a preferable option for many. For example, Win-PC, win-Laptop, smmith-IP, etc. This post will show you how to rename your PC in Windows 11.
Rename PC in Windows 11
You can use any name you want as long as it includes Latin letters, numbers, and hyphens. Spaces and symbols (except hyphen) are not allowed. win-PC-1 will work, but win PC 1 won't.
There are several ways to rename your Windows 11 PC. You can use the Settings, Control Panel, PowerShell, or even the classic Command Prompt. Let's review these methods.
Press Win + I to open Windows Settings. You can also use the Start menu or Windows Search. Learn more about how to open Windows Settings in Windows 11.
Click Rename this PC
Enter a new name, then click Next
Click Restart Now or Restart Later. There is no need to restart your computer right away, but a restart is required to apply the new name. Also, note that you cannot change the name again until you restart the computer.
Rename your Windows 11 computer in Control PanelOpen the classic Control Panel using any preferred method, for example, Win + R > control. Learn more about how to open Control Panel in Windows 11.
Go to the System and Security. Note: You need to switch to the Categories view; otherwise, Windows 11 will open the Windows Settings app instead of the required applet.
Click Allow Remote Access to open the classic System Properties
Switch to the Computer Name tab, then click Change.
Enter a new name into the Computer name field, then click OK.
Restart your PC to apply changes.
Tip: You can get to the System Properties window without opening the classic Control Panel. Open Windows Settings, then go to System > About. Click the Domain and Workgroup link. Alternatively, use the systempropertiesadvanced direct Control Panel command in the Run dialog.
Change the computer name from Command Prompt
You can also try a nerdy way to rename a Windows 11 computer. Apart from regular Windows Settings and Control Panel apps, there are special commands to rename a computer using Command Prompt or PowerShell.Launch Command Prompt with elevated privileges (run it as an Administrator). You can use Windows Terminal with the Command Prompt profile.
Enter the following command: wmic computersystem where caption='XXX' rename 'YYY'. Replace XXX with your current PC name and YYY with a new name. Here is an example of a working command on a PC named DESKTOP- N69ICEE: wmic computersystem where caption='DESKTOP-N69ICEE’ rename 'Winaero-PC'.
Restart your computer to apply changes.
Finally, here is the same procedure executed in PowerShell instead of Command Prompt.
Launch elevated PowerShell.
Enter the following command: Rename-Computer -NewName "YYY". Replace YYY with a new name. Here is an example: Rename-Computer -NewName "Winaero-PC"
Restart your PC.
That is how you rename a computer in Windows 11.
Sunday, April 23, 2023
How to Rename PC in Windows 11
Thursday, April 20, 2023
How to install Windows 11 Insider Preview builds
key point:
To enroll and install Windows 11 preview builds, open Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program, click “Get started,” link your account, select the “Canary,” “Dev,” “Beta,” or “Release Preview” channel, restart, and check for updates to download the latest Insider Preview build.
To install a Windows 11 Insider Preview on Windows 10, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program, click “Get started,” link your account, select the “Dev” or “Canary” channel, restart, and check for updates to download the latest build.
Alternatively, you can install or upgrade a device to the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview build by downloading the ISO file.
If you want to install Insider Preview builds of Windows 11, you have at least two options, and in this guide, we’ll show you how for devices already running Windows 11 or even Windows 10. As part of the Windows 11 development, you can enroll a device in any of the three available channels of the Windows Insider Program, including Canary, Dev, Beta, and Release Preview. Although installing these pre-releases of the operating system is safe, you will find some hiccups depending on the channel you choose.
The “Canary Channel” offers previews for the latest platform changes early in the development cycle. These builds can be very unstable, you may need to reinstall the operating system to resolve issues, and the previews in this channel are released with limited to no documentation and are only recommended for highly technical users. These previews will usually include changes that Microsoft may be working on for future versions of the operating system (such as Windows 12).
The “Dev Channel” is also for technical users since previews are rough and contain a lot of bugs, but this channel is more stable than the Canary. Usually, you will encounter errors and problems, and you may have to use workarounds to resolve issues.
The “Beta Channel” is for anyone who wants to test upcoming features or validate apps. The builds in this channel are somewhat stable, but you may still run into issues. Also, features in this channel are typically those expected to ship in the final release of Windows 11.
Lastly, the “Release Preview Channel” offers the final build of the next version of Windows 11 before it is available to everyone, with advanced quality updates and certain key features.
This guide will teach you the steps to enroll a device and install the latest preview build of Windows 11
Install Windows 11 Insider Preview build from Windows Update
Install Insider Preview build of Windows 11 from ISO
Important: It’s never a good idea to install preview builds on your primary machine. The best approach is to use a spare computer or virtual machine.
Install Windows 11 Insider Preview build from Windows Update
In the Windows Insider Program, you can enroll any computer that uses Windows 11. However, if you have a computer running Windows 10, the device must meet the minimum hardware requirements.
Windows 11
To enroll and install preview builds of Windows 11, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the Windows Insider Program tab.
Click the Get started button.
Click the “Link an account” button.
Sign in with your Microsoft account.
Select the program channel, including “Canary,” “Dev,” “Beta,” or “Release Preview.”
Click the Continue button.
Click the Continue button again.
Click the Restart button.
Open Settings after the restart.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the “Check for updates” button.
Click the “Download & install” button (if applicable).
Click the Restart button.
Once you complete the steps, the pre-release of Windows 11 will install on the computer, giving you access to experimental and upcoming features.
If a new build becomes available, it’ll download and install automatically. However, you can always force the update from Settings > Windows Update and click the “Check for Update” button.
Windows 10
To enroll and install preview builds of Windows 11 on a Windows 10 installation, use these steps:
Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Insider Program.
Click the Get started button.
Click the “Link an account” option.
Sign in with your Microsoft account.
Under the “Pick your Insider settings” section, select the “Dev Channel” or “Canary Channel” option.
Quick note: The latest Windows 11 preview build will only download if your computer meets the system requirements.
Click the Confirm button
Click the Restart button.
Open Settings after the restart.
Click on Update & Security.
Click on Windows Update.
Click the “Check for updates” button
Click the “Download & install” button (if applicable).
Click the Restart button.
After you complete the steps, the computer will be upgraded to the latest preview of Windows 11 from the specified channel.
Install Insider Preview build of Windows 11 from ISO
You can also perform a clean install or upgrade a new Windows 11 insider build using an ISO file. This process will enroll the computer in the Windows Insider Program automatically.
To install a Windows 11 Insider Preview build from ISO, use these steps:
Download the latest Windows 11 insider build ISO.
Quick tip: You can also download the ISO from the UUP Dump website.
Right-click the ISO file, and select the Mount option.
Select the virtual drive from the left navigation pane.
Double-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 21H2 installation.
(Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.
Select the “Not right now” option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Accept button to agree to the terms.
Click the “Install” button to upgrade or the “Change what to keep” option and select the Nothing option to perform a clean installation
Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).
Click the Yes button.
Select your keyboard layout setting.
Click the Yes button.
Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.
The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).(Optional) Confirm a name for the computer.
Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)
Select the “Set up for personal use” option if you are configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Sign in button.
Confirm your Microsoft account email, phone number, or Skype identification to create an account.
Click the Next button.
Confirm your Microsoft account password.
Click the Next button.
Click on “View more options.”
Choose the “Set up a new device” option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Create PIN button.
Create a new four-digit PIN.
Click the OK button.
Confirm the privacy settings by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.
Click the Next button.
Click the Next button again.
Click the Accept button.
(Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.
Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.
Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.
Click the “Next” button to automatically upload your Desktop, Pictures, and Documents folders to OneDrive. Or Select the “Only save files to this PC” option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Decline button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.
Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.
Once you complete the steps, the installation of the preview of Windows 11 will install on your computer.
Although the installation process will be virtually the same on every release, the out-of-box experience (OOBE) may be slightly different depending on changes the Windows teams may implement.
While the setup using a preview build of Windows 11 should enroll the device automatically, it’s also a good idea to check that the device is actually enrolled in Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program.
If you prefer to perform a clean installation, the process is the same as installing the official stable version of the operating system from USB.
FAQ
Is it safe to install Windows 11 Insider Previews?
Yes, it’s safe to install Windows 11 preview builds, but you should know a few things. These preview builds are not complete, and they’re still under development, so bugs and errors are expected. You should never install an Insider Preview as your primary operating system. Also, creating a backup is recommended in case you need to roll back to the previous version.
Can I switch from insider builds to the stable channel of Windows 11?
Yes, when you upgrade to any available preview builds of Windows 11, you can roll back to the previous version during the first ten days of the original installation. If it’s been more than ten days or multiple build updates, you will have to roll back using a clean installation of the stable version of Windows 11 or 10.
How do I stop getting Windows 11 Insider Previews?
To stop receiving Windows 11 insider builds, open Settings > Windows update > Windows Insider Program, click the “Stop getting preview builds” and turn off the “Unerolled this device when the next version of Windows releases” toggle switch. You will continue to receive builds, but once the new version of Windows 11 becomes available, the computer will gracefully opt out of the program.
Do I need to activate Windows 11 to use Insider Previews?
Yes, you need to activate any installation of Windows 11, including those from the Windows Insider Program. If you enroll a device running Windows 11 or 10, the system will use the existing license to activate the installation. Otherwise, you will need to purchase a product key to activate the setup. If you don’t activate the installation, you may still be able to use the operating system, but with limited functionalities.
How do I install new Windows 11 Insider Previews?
Once you enroll the device to the Windows Insider Program, new builds will download and install automatically through the “Windows Update” settings. You can always force the upgrade from Settings > Windows Update, and then click the “Check for updates” button and click the “Download & install” button (if applicable).
21thsoft
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
How to enable God Mode in Windows 11
God powers! If you are a power user, you may already be familiar with the God Mode setting in Windows. If you are not, then today is the day you learn about this hidden secret.
God Mode is a special folder in Windows that shows all available settings in one easy window.
Essentially, it saves you time search and run commands without the need to find it through the Start Menu or the Control Panel. As noted above, God Mode is hidden by default in Windows, so you need to enable it first before using it.
Let’s do just that:
Enable God Mode in Windows 11
The first thing you need to make sure is that you are using an account with administrator privileges. This could either be an Administrator account itself, or one where you have these powers to make systemwide changes on your computer.
Check how to know that by following these steps below:
Open the Control Panel.
Click on User Accounts twice.
- You will see the name of the account and its type on the right side. If your account has administrative rights, then the word Administrator will appear under the account name.
Now, we are all ready to set up God Mode.
To do that, you will need to create a shortcut for this special panel. You can create a shortcut for this anywhere you want. But for the sake of convenience, we will create it right on the desktop. You can then move it to wherever you want.
These are the steps involved in the process:
Right-click anywhere on the desktop to create a new folder.
- Rename it as GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
- The folder icon will immediately change and look similar to the one for the Control Panel, which makes sense as this is just a window that houses all the Control Panel applets.
That’ll be all.
Move this folder anywhere you want.
Merits a mention that God Mode is just a popular name given to this feature, as it simply provides a way to access all the operating system settings under one roof. This goes all the way back, when neither the modern versions of Windows were a thing, nor the Settings app housed most of the options.
By the same token, you an also rename this feature to whatever you want. As an example, if you want to name it AllSettings, you simply paste AllSettings. {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, and the name will be changed when you open it.
Conclusion
As Microsoft continues to migrate all these options to the Settings application in Windows 11, the usability of God Mode has been reduced. But it is still a good avenue for power users to quickly access their most used settings, and have fun doing so.
Find out how you can invoke the special God Mode in Windows 11 to gain access to a folder full of all the main settings in the operating system.
How to restore old File Explorer in Windows 11
Windows 11 brings along a whole bunch of changes to the various areas of the operating system. But not all these revisions and additions are a hit with users. Particularly, those who have adjusted their workflows to the current options.
The freshly redesigned File Explorer in Windows 11 is one such feature.
There’s much to like in this new implementation, but the overly simplified interface means that many options are missing. The Ribbon is history, the traditional context menus are gone. Plus, only some icons are now available, the very basic ones like Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, and Share.
In this tutorial, we will learn how you can restore the old Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11.
Restore old File Explorer in Windows 11
The good news is that if you don’t like the new File Explorer in Windows 11, you can restore the old familiar one. There are two simple ways to go about this, after which the modern implementation of the File Explorer will be replaced with the current one.
Let’s check out both ways:
Restore old File Explorer via Folder Options
This is the simplest way to get back the Windows 10 File Explorer in Windows 11 — no registry trickery required. You just check a box, and your trusty old File Explorer is back in action after a quick and automatic relaunch.
- Open File Explorer.
- Click the three-dot menu, and choose Options.
Once the Folder Options panel opens up, go to the View tab.
- In the Advanced settings section, scroll down to find the Launch folder windows in a separate process option, and then check its box.
- Click Apply, then hit OK to save your change.
File Explorer will automatically relaunch, with the classic Windows 10 implementation of the app.
Switch to old File Explorer via Registry
Time for a little magic! A change or two in the Windows Registry will also bring back the classic File Explorer from Windows 10 in Windows 11. This is an easy enough process, though it always a good idea to back up your registry first.
Press Winkey + R to get the Run window.
- Here, type regedit, and click OK.
- Navigate to the following section: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- Right-click the Advanced key, then go to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name it SeparateProcess.
- Double-click this new key and set its value data to 1.
- Click OK, and restart your computer.
After the restart, you will find that Windows 11 has enabled the old Windows 10 File Explorer. The classic interface is switched back, with its full set of bells and whistles.
These hacks and tricks only work in the first preview build of the operating system that Microsoft released for Windows Insiders. As of Windows 11 build 22000.71, there is no way to get the old File Explorer back in the operating system.
No guarantees that the final version of Windows 11 will allow these tricks, either.
Conclusion
Not every change in Windows 11 is for the good, not when there is considerable code debt that Microsoft is yet to attend to. The old File Explorer in Windows 10 is rich in features, and not all of these options have made the jump to the new OS. Luckily, changing things back is an easy enough process.
Sunday, April 9, 2023
40 important windows command you should know
ipconfig
Displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values and refreshes Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS) settings. Used without parameters, ipconfig displays Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and IPv6 addresses, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters.
ipconfig /all
Displays the full TCP/IP configuration for all adapters. Adapters can represent physical interfaces, such as installed network adapters, or logical interfaces, such as dial-up connections.
findstr
Searches for patterns of text in files.
ipconfig /release
Sends a DHCPRELEASE message to the DHCP server to release the current DHCP configuration and discard the IP address configuration for either all adapters (if an adapter is not specified) or for a specific adapter if the adapter parameter is included. This parameter disables TCP/IP for adapters configured to obtain an IP address automatically. To specify an adapter name, type the adapter name that appears when you use ipconfig without parameters.
ipconfig /renew
Renews DHCP configuration for all adapters (if an adapter is not specified) or for a specific adapter if the adapter parameter is included. This parameter is available only on computers with adapters that are configured to obtain an IP address automatically. To specify an adapter name, type the adapter name that appears when you use ipconfig without parameters.
ipconfig /displaydns
Displays the contents of the DNS client resolver cache, which includes both entries preloaded from the local Hosts file and any recently obtained resource records for name queries resolved by the computer. The DNS Client service uses this information to resolve frequently queried names quickly, before querying its configured DNS servers.
ipconfig /renew
Renews DHCP configuration for all adapters (if an adapter is not specified) or for a specific adapter if the adapter parameter is included. This parameter is available only on computers with adapters that are configured to obtain an IP address automatically. To specify an adapter name, type the adapter name that appears when you use ipconfig without parameters
clip
Redirects the command output from the command line to the Windows clipboard. You can use this command to copy data directly into any application that can receive text from the Clipboard. You can also paste this text output into other programs.
ipconfig /flushdns
Flushes and resets the contents of the DNS client resolver cache. During DNS troubleshooting, you can use this procedure to discard negative cache entries from the cache, as well as any other entries that have been added dynamically.
nslookup
Displays information that you can use to diagnose Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure. Before using this tool, you should be familiar with how DNS works. The nslookup command-line tool is available only if you have installed the TCP/IP protocol.
cls
Clears the Command Prompt window.
getmac /v
Specifies that the output display verbose information.
powercfg /energy
Analyzes the system for common energy-efficiency and battery life problems.
powercfg /batteryreport
Generates a report of battery usage.
assoc
Displays or modifies file name extension associations. If used without parameters, assoc displays a list of all the current file name extension associations.
chkdsk /f
Fixes errors on the disk. The disk must be locked. If chkdsk cannot lock the drive, a message appears that asks you if you want to check the drive the next time you restart the computer.
chkdsk /r
Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. The disk must be locked. /r includes the functionality of /f, with the additional analysis of physical disk errors.
sfc /scannnow
Scans the integrity of all protected system files and repairs files with problems when possible.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
let DISM tool check the system for corruption and fix any problems it finds automatically and quickly
DISM /Online /Cleanup /ScanHealth
check image problems
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
let DISM tool check the system for corruption and fix any problems it finds automatically
tasklist
Displays a list of currently running processes on the local computer or on a remote computer. Tasklist replaces the tlist tool.
taskkill
Ends one or more tasks or processes. Processes can be ended by process ID or image name. You can use the tasklist command command to determine the process ID (PID) for the process to be ended.
netsh wlan show wlanreport
This will generate a wireless network report that's saved as an HTML file, which you can open in your favorite web browser. The report shows all the Wi-Fi events from the last three days and groups them by Wi-Fi connection sessions.
netsh interface show interface
will list network interface
netsh interface ip show address | findstr “IP Address”
this command let you find ip address
netsh interface ip show dnsservers
show dnsserver settings
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off
Type the following command to disable the firewall for all network profiles (domain, private, and public) on Windows 10 and press Enter
netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on
Type the following command to enable the firewall for all network profiles (domain, private, and public) and press Enter
ping
Verifies IP-level connectivity to another TCP/IP computer by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo Request messages. The receipt of corresponding echo Reply messages are displayed, along with round-trip times. ping is the primary TCP/IP command used to troubleshoot connectivity, reachability, and name resolution. Used without parameters, this command displays Help content.
ping -t
Specifies ping continue sending echo Request messages to the destination until interrupted. To interrupt and display statistics, press CTRL+ENTER. To interrupt and quit this command, press CTRL+C.
tracert
This diagnostic tool determines the path taken to a destination by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo Request or ICMPv6 messages to the destination with incrementally increasing time to live (TTL) field values. Each router along the path is required to decrement the TTL in an IP packet by at least 1 before forwarding it. Effectively, the TTL is a maximum link counter. When the TTL on a packet reaches 0, the router is expected to return an ICMP time Exceeded message to the source computer.
This command determines the path by sending the first echo Request message with a TTL of 1 and incrementing the TTL by 1 on each subsequent transmission until the target responds or the maximum number of hops is reached. The maximum number of hops is 30 by default and can be specified using the /h parameter.
The path is determined by examining the ICMP time Exceeded messages returned by intermediate routers and the echo Reply message returned by the destination. However, some routers do not return time Exceeded messages for packets with expired TTL values and are invisible to the tracert command. In this case, a row of asterisks (*) is displayed for that hop. The path displayed is the list of near/side router interfaces of the routers in the path between a source host and a destination. The near/side interface is the interface of the router that is closest to the sending host in the path.
tracert -d
Stops attempts to resolve the IP addresses of intermediate routers to their names. This can speed up the return of results.
netstat
Displays active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics, the IP routing table, IPv4 statistics (for the IP, ICMP, TCP, and UDP protocols), and IPv6 statistics (for the IPv6, ICMPv6, TCP over IPv6, and UDP over IPv6 protocols). Used without parameters, this command displays active TCP connections.
netstat -af
Displays all active connections and the TCP and UDP ports on which the computer is listening.
with fully qualified domain names <FQDN> for foreign addresses (only available on Windows Vista and newer operating systems).
netstat -o
Displays active TCP connections and includes the process id (PID) for each connection. You can find the application based on the PID in the Processes tab in Windows Task Manager. This parameter can be combined with -a, -n, and -p. This parameter is available on Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 if a hotfix is applied.[6]
netstat -e -t 5
this command gives you sent and received statistics every five seconds
route print
print the route table
route add
Add a route
route delete
Delete a route
shutdown /r /fw /f /t 0
This command allows easy instant reboot to UEFI