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 Hardware problems can be caused by outdated or malfunctioning drivers.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).

Download drivers and firmware for Surface. Windows 11 Windows 10 Surface. Updates keep your Surface performing its best. Along with software updates for Windows 10 or Windows 11, it's important to make hardware updates, also known as updates for drivers and firmware.

You can use installation media (a USB flash drive or DVD) to install a new copy of Windows, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows. To create installation media, go to the software download website, where you'll find step-by-step instructions.

In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, then select Device Manager from the menu.

Record game clips and take screenshots. While you’re playing a game, press the Windows logo key + G to open Game Bar. Choose Widget Menu > Capture. Choose Start recording, Take screenshot, or Record last…. Record last… turns the most recent moments of play into a game clip when background recording is turned on.

Create a recovery drive with a downloaded factory image. If you're able to use your Surface or you have another Windows PC, visit our Download a recovery image for your Surface page. From there, select your Surface and download a recovery image .zip file for the device you selected.

Open and run DxDiag.exe. This tool is used to collect info about devices to help troubleshoot problems with DirectX sound and video. A support person might ask for this info, or you might post it in a forum when you ask for help.

Windows will let you know if you need to restart your device to complete an update, and you can choose a time that works best for you to complete that update. The latest Windows update is Windows 11, version 23H2, also known as the Windows 11 2023 Update.

Add an app to run automatically at startup in Windows 10. Select the Start button and scroll to find the app you want to run at startup. Right-click the app, select More, and then select Open file location. This opens the location where the shortcut to the app is saved.

To troubleshoot the following problems, select any heading to see more info. Next, follow the steps to try to get things working again. Need more help? Learn more about how to fix problems with the Windows Start menu, and what to do if the Start menu won't open.