If your system is asking you for your BitLocker recovery key, the following information may help you locate your recovery key and understand why you're being asked to provide it. Important: Microsoft support is unable to provide, or recreate, a lost BitLocker recovery key.

If you run into problems trying to connect to a Bluetooth device, here are some troubleshooting steps to try. Note: For general info about how to connect a Bluetooth device to your PC, see Pair a Bluetooth device in Windows.

Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows. Windows 11 Windows 10 Windows 8.1. If you’re trying to use your printer and run into problems, here are some steps for common printer problems to try to get things working again.

First, identify the menu or other components you want to capture. In Snipping Tool, select to start the 5-second countdown. Within 5 seconds, open a menu or otherwise compose your image. At 5 seconds, when you see the screen turn gray, use the mouse to draw around the area you want.

Earn points toward rewards by doing the stuff you do every day. It’s easy and it’s free. All you need to do is sign up, and Microsoft Rewards will be included in your Microsoft account: Microsoft Rewards. Once you’ve signed up, sign in to your Microsoft account to see your current points.

Choose the apps that will run when you start your device. Go to Start > Settings > Apps > Startup. Open Startup settings. For any app in the list, select the toggle to set it to On. If you want to change the advanced settings for that app, select the arrow and make changes as desired.

The easiest way to find which Surface model you have is to use the Surface app. It shows the model name of your Surface device and each Surface accessory. Note: When signed in to the Surface app, you can see information for other Surface devices that you've also signed in to. Open the Surface app.

If you're having problems with your Surface Pro model, Surface 3, Surface Studio, or Surface Book, try fresh start, restoring, refreshing, or resetting it to its factory settings.

Windows Media player should now be reinstalled. Note: To troubleshoot issues like playback and codec problems, see the "Get help" section in Windows Media Player. Learn how to get Windows Media Player 12 for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7.

Protect your Android, iPhone, Mac, and Windows devices from threats by installing Microsoft Defender. Download Microsoft Defender on your devices either by: Scanning the following QR code. Searching for Microsoft Defender in your app store. Sharing with your devices, the following link: Copy link.