If some Windows functions aren't working or Windows crashes, use the System File Checker to scan Windows and restore your files. Though the steps below might look complicated at first glance, just follow them in order, step-by-step, and we’ll try to get you back on track.

Open File Explorer and find the compressed folder. To unzip the entire folder, right-click to select Extract All, and then follow the instructions. You can also select Extract All from the command ribbon. To decompress a single file or folder, double-click the compressed folder to open it.

The Microsoft Defender Offline scan will automatically detect and remove or quarantine malware. Learn how to remove malware from your PC. Use Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows 10 or Windows 11 to scan your PC for malware, viruses, or other threats.

Find operating system info in Windows 11. To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK. Here’s how to learn more: Select Start > Settings > System > About . Open About settings.

Zip and unzip files. Windows 10 Windows 8.1. Zipped (compressed) files take up less storage space and can be transferred to other computers more quickly than uncompressed files. In Windows, you work with zipped files and folders in the same way that you work with uncompressed files and folders.

Free up drive space in Windows. If your PC is running low on free space, you might not be able to install important Windows updates, and your PC’s performance may be affected. Here are some ways to free up space so you can keep your PC up to date and running smoothly.

Defragment your Windows 10 PC. Windows 10. Optimizing your drives can help your PC run smoother and boot up faster. To optimize them: Select the search bar on the taskbar and enter defrag. Select Defragment and Optimize Drives. Select the disk drive you want to optimize. Select the Optimize button.

Disk cleanup in Windows. Windows 11 Windows 10. To delete temporary files: In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup from the list of results. Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK. Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of.

Windows 7. Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020. We recommend you move to a Windows 11 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft. Learn more. The recommended (and easiest) way to get SP1 is to turn on automatic updating in Windows Update in Control Panel and wait for Windows 7 to notify you that SP1 is ready to install.

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.