At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros App offers copious customization options Very effective at cleaning–while tethered, that is Reasonably lightweight and easy to tote Cons Weak battery means pool didn’t get close to clean while untethered Gets stuck easily, especially on stairs App has some bugs and responsiveness issues Filter basket is difficult to close properly Our Verdict This robotic pool cleaner can run on battery power or with a connected cable, but it’s only effective at cleaning the pool when plugged into an AC outlet. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: BuHybrid L6 Retailer Price $999 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Here’s a curious concept from the new-to-us robotic pool cleaner manufacturer Bublue: The BuHybrid L6 is a robotic pool cleaner that can run via a plug-in electrical connection or via an internal battery, a hybrid design that makes more sense than it might seem at first, at least on paper. On the surface, the design has a lot in common with the Polaris VRX iQ+ and other power-corded robots. A small power box connects to standard wall power via a short cord. A separate, waterproof 49-foot-long cable then connects from the box to the 22-pound robot, attaching to its top via a large four-prong adapter with a screw-on sealing system that waterproofs the connection. Specifications The robot itself has a somewhat traditional design, though its black and gray color scheme and monster-sized wheels are a bit unusual. Once connected to Wi-Fi, you have access to a total of seven operating modes. Configured with the cable connected, the unit is ready for wired operation. Operation can be initiated by pressing the buttons on the robot itself, which, in addition to a power button, include four modes: floor, walls, waterline, and auto mode (which cleans all those surfaces). Yes, the Bublue BuHybrid can run on battery power, but we got much better results when the robotic pool cleaner was tethered to an outdoor AC outlet.Christopher Null/Foundry The buttons are dimly backlit and hard to make out under any amount of ambient light; but ultimately, you power up the robot, select your mode, and drop it into the pool to get the unit running. A wide light band across the front of the robot changes color to indicate various information about its operating status. You’ll get a lot more configurability by connecting the unit to the Bublue mobile app, which is configured by first onboarding the robot to Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only). This involves pressing a Wi-Fi button on the power box while the robot is plugged in, after which the robot is automatically connected and bridged to your home network. The tether for BuHybrid L6 plugs into this socket on top of the robot.Christopher Null/Foundry Once connected to Wi-Fi, you have access to a total of seven operating modes (including a wall+floor mode and unexplained “eco” and “power” modes. Operating duration can be set for 2, 3, or 4 hours, and “path width” can be adjusted between “normal” and “fine.” (I presume this has to do with how close together the robot’s successive trips across the pool floor are, but this isn’t explained anywhere.) Using the BuBlue mobile app once BuHybrid 6 is connected to your home Wi-Fi network provides access to seven operating modes–but only when it’s plugged in.Christopher Null/Foundry If you want to end a cleaning session early, there’s also a function to send the robot back to the waterline for easy retrieval. (Otherwise, you’ll need to use the included hook.) A scheduling system is also available if you want to leave the robot in the pool and have it run periodically. In addition to the Wi-Fi button, the only other button on the power box (aside from the power button) is a Bluetooth button. You’ll need to use this for one thing only: to activate the robot’s remote-control feature, because for some reason this feature doesn’t work over Wi-Fi. The BuHybride comes with a large filter basket that’s easy to clean, but I found it difficult to keep its hinged lid closed. Christopher Null/Foundry The remote features a simple control wheel, and while the unit isn’t super responsive to commands, with enough patience I was able to guide it around the pool floor and pick up any stray bits of debris, although going up walls was very difficult to do with accuracy. Again, each of these features is available only when the unit is plugged in to the power box. Alternately, you can pull the plug and go cordless. A 5200 mAh battery lets the BuHybrid operate for two hours while disconnected from its tether, providing a maximum specified coverage of 1,615 square feet. Since the app does not work while the unit is disconnected, note that you’ll need to use the hardware controls to choose your operating mode and you won’t be able to make changes on the fly. Performance I tested the unit various times both corded and uncorded, on natural debris and synthetic leaves. On battery power, the BuHybrid didn’t impress, as it repeatedly left behind a large amount of test leaves, capturing only about 70 percent of the total debris. It also had a tendency to get stuck on the stairs, and despite Bublue’s claims of “multi-surface mastery” I needed to manually push it back into the water on several occasions. The BuHybrid L6 exhibited a tendency to strand itself on my pool’s steps.Christopher Null/Foundry On multiple occasions during these runs, the hatch covering the filter basket popped open, requiring me to retrieve it with a pole and close it before restarting the run. I’ve also caught the robot spinning around in circles on the surface of the pool for no clear reason, perhaps temporarily unable to re-descend. I had considerably better luck when running the robot with its cable connected, in large part because using the maximum 4-hour running time setting allows it to cover twice as much ground per run. In this mode, the robot was able to collect 99 percent of debris—including debris on the stairs—although it did get stuck there again once. Apart from that, it left behind just one leaf in a corner of the pool. Retrieval is also much simpler when corded, requiring just a single tap in the app to bring it back to the surface. Note also that the battery will charge whenever the cable is connected, including while the unit is actively running. Bublue doesnt provide any when it comes to management of the BuHybrid L6’s 49-foot cord.Christopher Null/Foundry The BuHybrid’s cable doesn’t solve every problem, though. When tethered, I found the unit had a propensity for popping wheelies, as it looked like the unit struggled with the weight of the cable. If enough cable wasn’t placed in the pool to start with, the BuHybrid would often get stuck near the wall, unable to generate enough power to pull the cable into the water. Out of the water, the cable presents another challenge. While robots like the VRX iQ+ come with a rolling dock that includes the power box and a place to neatly store the cable when not in use, the BuHybrid doesn’t. The power box just lays on the ground, and it’s up to you to figure out how to manage the cable. Throughout my testing, the pool deck looked about like this: [see photo messy pool deck]. It’s an eyesore at best, a hazard at worst. The BuHybrid L6’s backlit buttons are very difficult to see in any sort of light.Christopher Null/Foundry Cleanup is reasonably easy. The filter basket features a large and simple hinged lid that hoses clean without too much trouble. I did, however, regularly struggle to get the lid back closed properly, as the latch didn’t catch as well as it should. The robot’s wireless implementation and the Bublue app also need some continued development. For example, Bluetooth must be reinitiated each time you want to use the remote-control feature by first physically pressing the appropriate button on the power box, mitigating its utility. Why Bluetooth can’t just stay active is a mystery. And while it’s handy to have a running log of cleaning operations, every entry in the app’s history displayed a recorded cleaning time of 0 minutes. The powerbox for the Bublue BuHybrid L6 robotic pool cleaner.Christopher Null/Foundry I encountered other error messages and bugs while using the app including maddening times when the robot would not respond at all to any commands while running a cleaning cycle (such as aborting the session). Disconnects from the app were common, too, though those could often be resolved by power cycling the power box and force-quitting the app. Should you buy the Bublue BuHybrid L6? The BuHybrid L6 has a list price of $1,599, although it was available on Amazon for $999 at the time of this writing. That’s still very pricey given some of the performance issues present; namely, the robot’s poor showing in battery mode and its tendency to get stuck and ignore commands. Pool owners who are considering the L6 will probably need to plan for it to remain cabled at all times, but that will mean devising a DIY cable management solution as well. For me, even though it has exceptional cleaning power while in corded mode, it still has too many negatives to merit its price tag. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robotic pool cleaners. Read...

Windows 11 version 23H2, released back in October 2023, will soon reach its end of support for Home and Pro editions, according to a recent Microsoft Lifecycle Policy announcement.Starting November 11th, 2025, regular security updates will no longer be available for Windows 11 23H2, leaving unupgraded systems vulnerable to cyber attacks. Millions of users worldwide are likely to be affected, although Microsoft does not provide exact figures. On the other hand, commercial editions—including Enterprise and Education—will continue to receive mainstream support until November 10th, 2026, as they have a longer support cycle of 36 months (as opposed to 24 months for consumer editions). In addition, Windows 11 22H2 is also reaching end of support, but on an earlier date: October 14th, 2025. Windows 11 SE, intended for schools, will not be updated to 25H2 and will expire completely in 2026. What end of support means for you Once the end-of-support date rolls around, PCs running Windows 11 23H2 will no longer receive security updates—and that means any newly discovered security vulnerabilities will remain unpatched. This increases the risk of suffering malware, data loss, and hack attempts for anyone who remains on Windows 11 23H2. Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 11 24H2, which has been available since October 2024. The new version brings improved AI integration, enhanced Copilot features for more productive work, and stronger security features (e.g., protections against phishing and ransomware). Microsoft will refuse technical support without an update. However, not all devices can upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 without problems. So-called “safeguard holds” may block the update on PCs that have hardware or software with known conflicts, such as certain audio drivers, webcam software, or older apps. Users should check their update status in the Windows settings or use the Media Creation Tool. What you should do now Microsoft is urging users to upgrade as soon as possible to avoid security vulnerabilities. Anyone who can switch to Windows 11 24H2 should do so quickly—the installation is usually straightforward and brings new features and improvements. For devices with safeguard holds, it’s advisable to regularly check for update releases or fix existing problems. Alternatively, users with incompatible hardware can consider switching to Linux platforms such as Plasma Desktop, which often run well on older devices and offer long-term updates. Read...

The threat from AI-powered online scams is on the rise. You can be fooled by realistic-looking fake emails and messages pretending to be from your bank or other companies, that convince you to unwittingly install malware on your device. How can everyday people have a chance against these hugely sophisticated schemes? Avast has the answer – fight fire with fire. It has launched a new AI assistant that can answer security-related questions about communications you may suspect are fraudulent, as well as check URLs to see if websites really are what they report to be. So, if you want to stay safer online, it’s time to level-up your defences with an AI powered scam detector. Getty Ask the Avast Assistant if you’re worried about something being fake One of the main ways that AI-powered scams work is in trying to trick the recipient into believing that they have received a message or email from either a business, friend or family member. There’s often also some kind of time-pressure involved, which is there to force you into making a snap decision – ‘Do this now or your account will be closed!’ In those moments, it would be good to have an advisor on-hand who can tell you whether the crisis is authentic or fake. With Avast Assistant, you can simply paste in the link that’s included in the message, the email address, and you can even copy and paste the text from the message itself. Then the AI software will analyse it for you and tell you whether it’s likely to be trustworthy or not and how you should proceed. It’s a simple, fast and reliable way to avoid being scammed, plus the whole experience is conducted as a conversation, so you don’t need any security experience to be able to use Avast Assistant. It also offers you tips on how to improve your privacy and security online, so you’ll have a constant advisor there to help keep you safe. New – Scam Guardian will fight scammers for you Avast Avast Assistant is part of Scam Guardian a new suite of tools that are included in Avast Free Antivirus, and purpose-built to seek out and help protect against online scams aiming to steal your data, identity or money. Alongside Avast Assistant there is also Web Guard that analyses the content and code in the websites you visit for hidden scams before it has a chance to get past your defences. If you move up to the Avast Premium Security plan, then you’ll also have access to Email Guard, which scans messages before you open them to ascertain whether they include malicious links or scams that attempt to deceive you and do you harm. All of the tools use the latest AI training helping ensure they stay up-to-date with emerging new threats that appear. Getty Use Avast AI technology to keep your security strong Online threats are moving too fast and becoming so sophisticated that everyday people simply can’t be expected to fight off the constant attacks. That’s why it’s important to take security seriously and bolster your defences with powerful tools of your own. You can download Avast Free Antivirus today, at no cost, and instantly have Avast Assistant and Web Guard by your side in the fight against online scams. Sign up to Avast Premium Security Sign up to Avast Premium Security (£39.99 for the first year) and you’ll also get Email Guard as well as several other features that help protect your device and data. AI is powering up the scams that are out there, so now is the time to match it with your own security-focused armour. Read...

I review a lot of laptops here at PCWorld, and I’m always surprised when I unbox one without biometric hardware. Fingerprint readers and infrared (IR) cameras for facial recognition are both great—and some laptops even have both! But then you have those that skip the biometric hardware entirely, which is a huge loss these days. I would never give it up if I had the choice. It’s so important that I won’t buy a laptop if it doesn’t have it, and I go out of my way to add it to my desktop PCs. Why? Because Windows 11 has a security feature called Windows Hello that lets me log in with my face or a fingerprint scan. It’s more secure and more convenient. In 2025, you shouldn’t accept any laptop that lacks Windows Hello support. You should avoid typing PINs in public Most laptops—unfortunately, not all laptops—now have built-in biometric hardware. You have two options here: a fingerprint reader (usually somewhere on the keyboard) or an IR camera that’s integrated alongside the normal webcam. Some laptops have both. Chris Hoffman / Foundry With biometrics, you don’t need to type your PIN or password whenever you sit down in front of your laptop. That’s good news because typing your PIN or password in public is a security risk. If someone is “shoulder surfing” and watching what you type, they could pick up on it—and PINs are particularly easy to steal. I can’t stress the security angle enough. Your PIN is the key to device encryption on your PC. With that PIN, a thief or attacker could bypass your PC’s encryption and gain access to all your data. It’s better to skip PIN entry altogether and use biometrics instead. Biometric hardware isn’t just for signing in Windows Hello is best known for its secure sign-ins, but Windows—and the applications you use—can do a lot more than that with it. For example, if you use a password manager, you can unlock your password vault with Windows Hello. I use 1Password myself, and I have a seamless experience unlocking my own password vault on modern PCs with Windows Hello. On PCs without Windows Hello, I’m stuck typing my master password every time. Chris Hoffman / Foundry Windows can also store passkeys for quickly signing into websites, but you have to authenticate before using them. Without biometrics, you have to type your PIN every time you want to use passkeys; with biometrics, you authenticate with a fingerprint or your face. Learn more about ways to use passkeys instead of passwords. Why laptop makers skip biometrics Whenever I review a laptop that lacks Windows Hello hardware, I always list it as a strike against that laptop. Manufacturers may omit the hardware to save money and hit lower price points, which makes sense on budget gaming laptops where non-essentials can be cut for performance. But I sometimes see it missing on surprisingly expensive laptops, too, and there’s really no excuse for that—especially when many of the best budget laptops still offer Windows Hello hardware. Clearly it’s possible, so it’s becoming harder to justify when it isn’t there. Before you buy any laptop, there’s a lot you need to consider. It’s one thing to make sure you don’t go below bare minimum specs, but it’s also vital to check for key features like fingerprint readers and IR cameras for Windows Hello. When we review laptops here at PCWorld, we always cover “Biometrics” in each laptop’s specifications list. I prefer facial recognition, but fingerprint readers are just as good I prefer facial recognition, which requires an IR camera. If you’ve used Face ID on Apple, you know how convenient it can be. All you have to do is open up your laptop and it automatically wakes up, detects your face, and signs in for you. No waiting around. With a Windows Hello webcam on my PC, I can do the same thing. Convenience-wise, facial recognition beats fingerprint scanners. With the latter, you have to physically swipe your finger to log in or run that Windows Hello authentication check. It’s one extra step that slows things down. But security-wise, it’s just as good and works just as well. Note: A recent Windows update disabled facial recognition in dark environments. If you frequently use your laptop or PC in a dark room, you may want to use a fingerprint reader for that reason alone. How I add biometrics to my desktop PCs Windows Hello is so convenient that I added it to my desktop PC, too. Since I prefer facial recognition, I went with a Dell UltraSharp webcam (model WB7022). It’s a high-end 4K webcam that’s great for filming podcasts and video meetings, and it has a built-in IR camera. Dell UltraSharp 4K Webcam (WB7022) Best Prices Today: $159.09 at Amazon | $175.99 at Dell Home There are more budget-friendly Windows Hello webcams out there if you don’t need to show up to your Zoom meetings in 4K. Check out our roundup of the best Windows Hello webcam for other great options. You can also get USB fingerprint readers that work with Windows Hello. I explored these many years ago before Windows Hello-compatible webcams were widespread. I’ve had a solid experience with Kensington USB fingerprint readers like the Kensington VeriMark Gen 2. Kensington VeriMark Gen2 Best Prices Today: $57.38 at Amazon However, like I mentioned above, unless you have a good reason to use a fingerprint reader, I recommend taking the Windows Hello webcam route. It’s just more streamlined and convenient overall. And, since you’re already spending the money, you might as well make yourself look better on video calls at the same time. Before buying a laptop, always check for biometric hardware Hopefully I’ve convinced you why it’s so essential to get a laptop with Windows Hello biometrics built into it. You can’t easily add it in after the fact, unless you want an external biometric device hooked up to your laptop’s USB port all the time. (Not ideal!) While many stores have great laptop return policies, you should always check a laptop’s specs carefully before buying it. This is the kind of feature that’s easy to miss on a spec sheet but really matters when you’re using the machine day in and day out. At the end of the day, I won’t buy another laptop without biometric hardware. I don’t think you should, either. Further reading: Is Windows 11’s built-in antivirus enough for laptops? Read...

OpenAI’s GPT-5, a multimodal AI platform with text, image, audio and video input, aims to boost accessibility and transform customer engagement across industries. Read...

Spanning 3700 square metres, the complex in Lower Hutt features a prayer hall, dining hall, auditorium, learning centre and commercial kitchen. Read...

There are a lot of basic functions in complex apps that don’t require you to open them fully. In the last decade or so, dynamic notifications have been a solution to this, both on desktops and smartphones. But what about stuff in the middle ground, stuff that’s a little too complex for a notification, but still not crying out for a full app launch? Microsoft thinks it has the answer with some new Office tools. “Microsoft 365 companions” is the official name for these tools, continuing the company’s long-running tradition of horrible branding. But these mini-apps that live in the taskbar might be a lot more appealing than their nomenclature, at least to the right kind of user. During the beta, these mini-apps are only available for Microsoft 365 People, File Search, and Calendar, and unsurprisingly reserved for Windows 11 users. Furthermore, you can only use them if your organization’s administrator has opted into beta features. But I think they’re legitimately cool, especially if your full screen space is reserved for other tools. The People companion can show you your favorite contacts and search through your full list. The File Search companion can search across cloud files and preview them or share them without fully opening them. The Calendar companion can let you join a Teams call without needing to get into the full app. They’re sort of like widgets, except widgets are in something of a limbo for Windows 11. Mobile versions may be coming, but the official Microsoft support page (spotted by The Verge) hasn’t committed to it. Read...

If you’re one of the many users who want to upgrade to Windows 11 but aren’t eligible due to outdated hardware, then you might be familiar with a free tool called Flyby11. That nifty little app lets you bypass the hardware check and install Windows 11 on older Windows 10 PCs that are incompatible and unsupported. As of this past weekend, Flyby11 now goes by a new name: Flyoobe (pronounced “fly-oh-bee”). Flyoobe contains everything that made Flyby11 great in the first place, but also introduces new features that expand its capabilities and allows you to customize the Windows “Out-of-Box Experience” (OOBE, hence the name). Flyoobe is the smarter Windows OOBE On August 9th, the developer announced on GitHub the official version 1.0 release of Flyoobe, which includes all the great features of Flyby11 but also adds more. If you only want to do what Flyby11 used to do, you can still do that and ignore all the extra stuff on the side. According to the developer, Flyoobe lets you tweak numerous Windows 11 settings, pick and choose which bloatware to keep and exclude, optimize the user interface to your liking, run your own PowerShell scripts that automate some of the setup, and more. The OOBE views in Flyoobe also run on a faster code base for a more responsive experience, and Microsoft Copilot integration has been improved for better overall reliability. Getting started with Flyoobe To use Flyoobe, go to the GitHub releases page and download the latest version. As of this writing, that page has two download options: Flyoobe 1.0 (if you want all the OOBE tweaks) and Flyby11 3.0 (if you only want a clean upgrade from Windows 10 without all the OOBE tweaks). In the future, Flyby11 will be discontinued and Flyoobe will be the only available download. Get it now if you prefer this version. Further reading: Windows 10’s end of life looms. Here are your options Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Free and integrated into Windows Uses common VHDX containers Backs up your system, user libraries, and internal drives Cons Windows disaster recovery features are limited and unreliable Our Verdict While Backup and Restore (Windows 7) creates viable and fantastically compatible hard drive images, various flaws and limitations with the Windows Rescue/Recovery disks render it basically unusable for disaster recovery. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Believe it or not, there’s an effective drive imaging program integrated into Windows. It’s well hidden in the legacy Control Panel but it’s there, and it’s called “Backup and Restore (Windows 7).” No, really, that’s the name. Alas, primarily because of Windows’ unreliable System Repair and Recovery Drive boot discs, but also because it won’t create a system image to removable media, Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is not a good solution for disaster recovery or OS migration. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for comparison. What are Backup and Restore (Windows 7)’s features? The first “feature” of Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is its low profile. Most users don’t even know it exists. Perhaps Microsoft would rather you logged on and used Windows Backup to back up to OneDrive? To access Backup and Restore (Windows 7), open the legacy Control Panel app (not Settings), click on System and Security, and scroll down. If you decide to use the program after reading this review, I highly recommend that you create a desktop shortcut as this procedure gets old in a hurry. In at least one way, Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is more convenient than much of the for-pay competition. It uses Microsoft’s VHDX (Virtual Hard Drive) files for images. These may be mounted and browsed using nothing more than Windows Explorer. Cool. Additionally, configuring a backup is extremely intuitive. By default the program will back up all your user folders, drives that aren’t serving as the destination for the backup, and create a full system image of any internal hard drives. But you can opt out of any of those. It uses Microsoft’s VHDX (Virtual Hard Drive) files as containers. These may be mounted and accessed via Windows Explorer without use of any other software. Cool. Backup and Restore (Windows 7) can back up to an internal hard drive (which won’t be backed up) or a network location. The latter is the best reason I can think of for buying a NAS device, because… … For some reason Microsoft won’t let you create a full system image backup to direct attached external media, e.g, a USB hard drive or SSD. You can back up drives and user libraries to external drives, and you can save system images to the network and local drive, so I’m at a loss to explain why. Other than Microsoft being Microsoft, that is. You may, of course, copy a system image backup to external media once it’s finished, but geez, Louise — this is right up there with removing the easy and intuitive “Add folder” function from File History. By the way, if you want to back up non-user folders, simply morph the non-user folder into a user library. Right-click on the folder you want included in the backup, select “Show more options,” click on “Include in user library,” but select the “Create new library” function. Including a folder in a library won’t cause it to be backed up. At least it wouldn’t for me. You may also create a new library in the Libraries section. To un-morph a user-defined user library, go to the libraries section in Explorer, right-click, and select “Delete.” This logical but fear-invoking action does not remove the actual folder, it only kills its status as a user library. “Undefine,” anyone? If you’re going to back up the entire C: drive, you don’t need to bother with the user library trick at all. How well does Backup and Restore (Windows 7) perform? I had zero issues creating VHDX images of my software test bed’s internal drives, though the process was slower than with a lot of pay software. I also had zero issues mounting the drives and pulling files off them. A wholesale restore is theoretically possible, but to recover from a disaster using a system image you need to create a system repair disc. But disc in this case means just that, a disc — as in optical. As in CD/DVD. There’s not even an option to create a ISO. How 2005. So for you, dear reader, I burned a CD (yes, as a storage guy I still have several Blu-ray burners). I then extracted the contents to an ISO and wrote it to a thumb drive using Rufus 4.8. Neither the CD or USB drive would boot. Grrrrrreat! As an alternative, I created a Windows Recovery Drive (that includes system files with the intent to reinstall everything else from the virtual hard drives created by Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Theoretically, a Recovery Drive reinstalls Windows and drivers, then you run Backup and Restore to get everything else back. In practice, Recovery Drive has proven unreliable for me and many other users. In this case, it erased my system then told me there was a problem restoring it. See below. Rescue came in the form of a Macrium Reflect 8 Free system backup that I created before trusting Microsoft with any of this. Just the message I was waiting to see from the recovery disk. Notable backup features that are missing from Backup and Restore (Windows 7) are incremental and differential backup. Also, there’s only one job. If you change the settings, that’s what you have to live with. That’s good enough for most users, but not ideal. Also, you can’t back up external drives. Why? Don’t know and Microsoft was not up for discussion. If unreliable boot disks weren’t enough, there are other caveats. A long-standing issue with Backup and Restore (Windows 7) is that it won’t let you restore to a smaller capacity drive than the one that was imaged — even if the data fits easily. I.e., it won’t shrink (or expand) partitions. An issue with Recovery Drive, which would be used with Backup and Restore (Windows 7), is that it’s basically married to the PC you create it from. Don’t count on it if you’re looking to migrate to a new computer. As a matter of fact, if my experiences count for anything, don’t rely on in at all. If all that sounds a bit daunting, I agree. Should you use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) and/or Recovery Drive? No. At least not for disaster or system recovery. It’s not worth the effort, and the boot disks, quite frankly, stink. Look to the free EaseUS Todo Backup 2025, Macrium Reflect 8 Free, or any number of pay solutions to fill that role. However, if all you want to do is create VHDX images of drives for later browsing and manual recovery, Backup and Restore (Windows 7) works very well. It’s integrated and free, and the images can be mounted by Windows itself, all VM software, and just about any other OS. Read...

College can be extremely expensive — not just with tuition and dorm costs, but with materials, books, software, and more. You might think you have to spend lots of cash on apps to get you through your degree. But, really, you don’t have to spend any money at all! (Except in rare situations where you need a very specific software for class, in which case your college should ideally provide you with a license for it.) Here’s a truly useful collection of free apps that are must-haves for students like you, allowing you to outfit your college laptop with the essential tools to get your work done and do more. Bitwarden for safer passwords Chris Hoffman / IDG A password manager is one of several essential cybersecurity tools for college students. You’ll probably accumulate lots of different logins for various school accounts and resources, right? Well, a password manager not only keeps all of those logins in one place, but also conveniently fills out login forms on your behalf. You’ll never have to remember your passwords again, which means you can freely use long, strong passwords that are unique to each account for maximum online security with close to zero effort. Bitwarden is our favorite free password manager. It’s open-source and can sync between your devices, so you can access all your passwords with convenient auto-fill whether you’re on your laptop, your phone, or any other device. All of its important features are truly free. Further reading: The best free password managers ProtonVPN for network privacy Chris Hoffman / IDG A VPN can be really useful when you’re on a college network. Whether your access to a certain site is blocked or your internet speeds are throttled for certain activities, a VPN can help you get around many restrictions and limitations imposed upon you. Furthermore, VPNs are important for data privacy and security, especially if you’re frequently on the go and constantly using public Wi-Fi networks with your laptop or phone (e.g., at coffee shops). While most trustworthy VPNs cost money, there are some excellent free options if you don’t need all the bells and whistles. ProtonVPN is our favorite free VPN because it’s from the same privacy-focused company that created the famous ProtonMail email service. Further reading: The best free VPNs that don’t suck Microsoft OneNote for taking notes Chris Hoffman / IDG Did you know one of the best note-taking apps is already installed on your PC? It’s called Microsoft OneNote and it’s excellent for students. Whether you want to type notes, insert images, write with a stylus, or even record audio during a lecture, OneNote can do it all. OneNote is extremely flexible, so it’s as powerful as you want it to be. It’s also cross-platform, so you’re leaving yourself open to options by choosing it. If you later switch to a MacBook or Chromebook, you’ll still have full access and functionality. It also works well on iPads and other tablets, in case you like to review notes on such devices. Further reading: The best note-taking apps for college students Microsoft Office for assignments Chris Hoffman / IDG Microsoft’s full-blown Microsoft Office suite with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint normally costs money, but many colleges provide it to students free or charge as part of an agreement with Microsoft. Check with your college acquiring a free educational license for Office. You can also head to Microsoft’s Office 365 Education website and plug in your school email address to see if you get it for free that way. Even if you can’t get Office for free, you can still use Word and other Office apps for free in a web browser or subscribe for $3 per month with a student discount. Microsoft To Do for task management Microsoft A task management app is essential for keeping track of due dates and staying on top of deadlines. If you’re deep into Google apps, you may want to use Google Tasks which is built into Gmail and Google Calendar. Otherwise, I recommend Microsoft To Do. This 100% free to-do app comes included with Windows, and it’s also available on Android and iPhone devices. It’s a powerful, easy-to-use tool that’s packed with features, including collaboration. (You can create a shared task list with a roommate or project partner!) Grammarly or Microsoft Editor for writing assistance and suggestions Chris Hoffman / IDG Many students use writing assistants to polish up their essays, and Grammarly is the premier writing assistant. It’s available both as a browser extension and a Windows app, with the Windows app conveniently integrating with other apps like Microsoft Word. Anyone can use Grammarly Free to get instant access to basic grammar checking and suggestions, but Grammarly Premium with AI writing suggestions costs extra. Some schools offer Grammarly Premium for free to students, but not all of them do. You can also use the Microsoft Editor browser extension, which is completely free and provides similar writing suggestions in your browser. iCloud for Windows to sync your iPhone and Apple services to PC Apple If you’re an iPhone user, I highly recommend installing Apple’s iCloud for Windows app. It provides several integrations with the Apple services you’re probably using on your phone. With it, you can see your iCloud Photos in the Windows Photos app, browse your iCloud Drive files in File Explorer, access your bookmarks in your web browser, and get access to your iCloud Keychain passwords. Quick Share and Phone Link to sync your Android phone to PC Chris Hoffman / IDG If you’re an Android phone user, check out the Google Quick Share app. It integrates your Windows PC with the Quick Share functionality on Android phones so you can wirelessly send files back and forth between PC and phone. It works with Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, and more. Microsoft’s Phone Link feature, which is included with Windows, is also very useful if you have an Android phone. You can send text messages, take calls, manage notifications, and view/download photos from your phone’s camera roll, all from your PC. (It kind of works with iPhones too, but it works best with Android phones.) DaVinci Resolve for video editing Blackmagic Design When it comes to video editing, your mind likely goes right to professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. Those may cost a pretty penny, but there’s an excellent alternative that’s just as good (mostly) and completely free: DaVinci Resolve. DaVinci Resolve is an extremely capable, industry-standard video editing and post-processing tool that’s actually used by professionals. It might actually be overboard if you’re just looking to edit a few clips, although I know some hobbyists who prefer it anyway. If you’re interested in video editing or post-production work and you’re on a tight budget, you owe it to yourself to try DaVinci Resolve. Adobe Photoshop Express for simple photo editing Chris Hoffman / IDG The Photos app built into Windows is a surprisingly capable tool for performing basic photo edits. But Adobe’s free Photoshop Express app is another great tool for quick photo touchups. With Photoshop Express, you can crop images, apply effects and filters, fix red-eye issues, and touch-up blemishes. This free photo-editing tool is meant to be simple and quick, so keep your expectations in check. For more powerful photo editing, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Adobe Photoshop isn’t free for students, but Adobe does offer a student discount on its Creative Cloud plans. Spotify for music streaming Spotify While Spotify has competition, it’s still the music streaming service. It has a high-quality Windows app (not just a web player) that integrates nicely with your PC. Unlike some of its competitors, Spotify offers free music streaming to everyone — you just need to listen to some ads. If those ads are a problem, you can get a student discount with the Spotify Premium for Students plan, which is $5.99 per month and comes with Hulu. (The bundled Hulu account does have ads, but the Spotify Premium account you get doesn’t have ads.) VLC for all-in-one video playback VLC Windows has a capable built-in video player these days, and there’s a good chance you don’t even need it because you’re probably doing most of your watching on YouTube, Netflix, and the like. But if you do find yourself viewing a lot of video files — especially videos in many different formats — then I have to recommend VLC. It’s been the go-to video player for decades. It’s the Swiss Army knife of media players that can play anything you throw at it. WizTree for freeing up drive space WizTree While Windows provides some built-in tools for clearing up space on your computer’s storage, one of the best ways to find out what’s using up all your space is to use WizTree, a free disk space analyzing tool that shows you — visually — how your space is used up. WizTree is the fastest way to analyze your disk space usage on Windows. With a quick scan, you can see exactly which files and folders are clogging up your drives, so you know exactly what you need to free up for the most impact right away. Perhaps you need to uninstall a particularly massive video game? Or maybe you have big media files lying around from a project? WizTree makes it easy to spot it all at a glance. VMware Workstation for virtual machines Christoph Hoffmann You may or may not need virtual machine software depending on your college major, but if you’re studying Computer Science or another along those lines, you might benefit from using virtual machines. Virtual machine software lets you install an operating system within your current operating system, essentially running an isolated instance of that OS within its own sandbox environment. This is a great way to install a full Linux system without giving up Windows, for example. (Or use the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature to run Linux apps on Windows.) VMware Workstation was, until very recently, a paid app. Broadcom now offers it free for personal use. It will likely be your best bet if you’re looking for a virtual machine application. Further reading: How to set up virtual machines with VMware Microsoft PowerToys for various useful tools and features Chris Hoffman / IDG Microsoft PowerToys is a collection of useful power-user tools that you probably didn’t know you needed. It’s packed with nifty utilities that can make your life easier, and they all come bundled together in one convenient (and free) package that’s easy to install. With PowerToys, you can do things like remapping keys on your keyboard (so they function as other keys), bulk rename lots of files at once, get a color-picking tool that gives you the color code for anything on your screen, and so many other useful things. And there you have it! A full assortment of free apps that’ll make your life as a college student that much more productive and enjoyable. For more software recommendations, check out our roundup of useful free apps that are already installed on your Windows PC. Read...