Microsoft generally releases the MSRT on a monthly cadence as part of Windows Update or as a standalone tool. (For exceptions, see Skipped releases.)Use this tool to find and remove specific prevalent threats and reverse the changes that they made (see Covered malware families).For comprehensive malware detection and removal, consider using Windows Defender Offline or Microsoft Safety Scanner.

If your account has been hacked, use our sign-in helper tool below to help guide you to the right solutions. The tool will ask for your email address or phone number, and either show appropriate self-help, or offer the chance to talk to an agent.

To activate Windows 11 using an internet connection: As Windows 11 will automatically activate if you are connected to the internet, you can confirm your activation status by selecting Start > Settings > System > Activation and looking under Windows.. If online activation fails, first try the activation troubleshooting in Activate Windows.. To activate Windows 11 by phone:

To change appearance, select Appearance and make the changes you want to your default theme, zoom, toolbar, and fonts.

Learn how to tell if your Office software is genuine. To help determine if your Microsoft software is genuine, go to our How to Tell site for more information. Here you'll learn about authentic packaging, including what to look for with product key labels, and Certificate of Authenticity (COA), how to report counterfeit software, and find out what your shopping and licensing options are.

If you don’t want to use the proxy server when you visit certain websites, enter the ending of the website address in the exception list (for example, *.contoso.com). For multiple websites, type each website address and separate the addresses with a semicolon (for example: *.contoso.com; *.adatum.com).The * is a wildcard so any website addresses that end with the website address listed will ...

The Snap feature is a great way to improve your productivity by sharing many app windows in a single screen. Different layouts are available with many sizes to choose from, so you can get the most from your favorite apps when you are working on specific tasks.

Voice typing. In Windows 11, dictation has been updated and renamed as voice typing. Like dictation, voice typing uses online speech recognition technologies to power its speech-to-text transcription service. You no longer need to turn on the Online Speech recognition setting to use voice typing.

Make text bigger on your screen. If the text size feels too small when navigating through Windows, you can make the text bigger. This affects, for example, title bars, menus, and icon texts.

A family group is a set of individuals connected through the Microsoft Family Safety app on their Windows, Xbox, or mobile devices. Establishing a family group is an easy, effective way to encourage healthy online habits and manage busy schedules.