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 Hardware problems can be caused by outdated or malfunctioning drivers.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

Each release of the tool helps detect and remove current, prevalent malicious software. This malicious software includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Microsoft uses several metrics to determine the prevalence of a malicious software family and the damage that can be associated with it.

Wired connections: Activate and use any wired connections, including Ethernet, USB, and Serial communications between your device, the internet, and other devices. Learn how to locate and manage your app permissions on Windows devices. Some apps or games need specific permissions to work properly.

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.

Use Game Bar to play and chat with friends. Performance (9) – Track your game’s frames-per-second (FPS) and other real-time stats. For more info, go to: Track your PC’s performance with Game Bar. Resources (10) – See what apps and processes are using system resources to help you optimize gaming performance.

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.

Virtualization lets your PC emulate a different operating system, like Android™ or Linux. Enabling virtualization gives you access to a larger library of apps to use and install on your PC. If you upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on your PC, these steps will help you enable virtualization.

If you want to track your Microsoft Rewards order after you redeem an award, sign in to the Rewards page with your Microsoft account, select Redeem and then select Order history. On the Order history page, find your order and then look under Status. Open Rewards dashboard.

Manage your Xbox subscription. Game Pass Ultimate or a supported free to play game is required for cloud gaming. See what else you can do to get the most out of your subscription.