Fix your audio drivers. Hardware problems can be caused by outdated or malfunctioning drivers. Make sure your audio driver is up to date and update it if needed. If that doesn't work, try uninstalling the audio driver (it will reinstall automatically).

Learn how to redeem a gift card, code, or Office product key and spend your balance at Microsoft Store online, on Windows, or Xbox.

To get started, open the Copilot app from the Start menu or use the Copilot icon if present on your Windows taskbar. If your device keyboard includes a dedicated Copilot key, you can also use it to launch Copilot.

If you pre-ordered a game and want to cancel, you can do so up to 10 days before the game launches at: Order history. After this time, you may be billed, and you’ll need to request a refund to cancel your order. For more info about digital game pre-orders, see: Pre-order Xbox digital games in the Microsoft Store.

For Windows 8.1, see Create a USB recovery drive. To download Windows 11 installation media, see Recovery options in Windows. Create a recovery drive so you can reinstall Windows 10 or Windows 11 in case you experience a major issue such as hardware failure.

Virtualization lets your PC emulate a different operating system, like Android™ or Linux. Enabling virtualization gives you access to a larger library of apps to use and install on your PC. If you upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on your PC, these steps will help you enable virtualization.

Hotmail is now Outlook.com. Learn how to sign in to access your Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live, or MSN email account.

Use Game Bar to play and chat with friends. Performance (9) – Track your game’s frames-per-second (FPS) and other real-time stats. For more info, go to: Track your PC’s performance with Game Bar. Resources (10) – See what apps and processes are using system resources to help you optimize gaming performance.

Learn how to activate Windows using a product key or digital license, check your activation status, and link your Microsoft account.

You get one of the following error messages when trying to redeem a digital code you purchased on your Xbox One or Xbox.com: Redeem a different code. The code you are attempting to redeem is for a currency that does not match your account location.