When critical Windows system files are missing or corrupted, your operating system may begin to malfunction. Common symptoms include Windows features not working properly, system errors, or Windows becoming unresponsive or freezing.

To run a Control Panel tool in Windows, type the appropriate command in the Open box or at a command prompt. NOTE: If you want to run a command from a command prompt, you must do so from the Windows folder.

Windows Firewall helps protect your device by filtering network traffic and blocking unauthorized access. It lowers the risk of network security threats by allowing or restricting connections based on specific criteria such as IP addresses, network ports, and application program paths.

There are different ways to remove apps and programs, so if you can't find the one you're looking for, you can try another location. Note that some apps and programs are built into Windows and can't be uninstalled. You can try to repair a program first, if it's just not running correctly.

This article explains how to repair apps and programs in Windows 11 and use Settings to fix common app issues without reinstalling. You can repair some apps and programs if they're not running correctly. Note that you won't see repair, change, or modify options for all apps and programs. Repair options from the Settings page.

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.

After October 14, 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10. Your PC will still work, but we recommend moving to Windows 11. Learn more. Note: Use these steps for Windows programs.

Windows provides a variety of configuration tools tailored to meet the needs of different users. These built-in tools facilitate your device's customization and monitoring, allowing you to change Windows' configuration to suit your preferences and requirements with precision.

Windows 11 might shut down or restart unexpectedly when a serious problem occurs, causing you to briefly see an error message, such as “Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart.” Windows 11 will then restart automatically.

Click the Start button, then type Windows Firewall in the Search box. Click Windows Firewall, and then click Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall. Click the Change settings button. If a User Account Control window appears, click Yes, or enter your user name and password, then click OK.