win 11 tested
Ctrl - Shift - ESC = task manager
WKEY+ "system properties" -> View advance settings -> |Computer Name | Hardware | System Protection | Remote

These are the essential keyboard shortcuts that every Windows 10 user has to know.
2. Use the Keyboard Shortcut
For the fastest way to minimize everything, simply press “Windows Logo + D” keyboard shortcut. This shortcut toggles all your open windows – the first press minimizes them and the second restores them. This is perfect for quick access without reaching for your mouse.

2.1. Use “Windows + M” Keys (Minimize Only)
There’s also another keyboard shortcut “Windows Logo + M” to minimize all open windows. However, there’s a subtle difference between “Windows + D” and “Windows + M”. While pressing “Windows + M” keys will minimize all open app windows, pressing second time will not restore all minimized windows again.

So, if you want a one-way minimize (without the toggle), this shortcut works great. Ideal if you don’t plan on reopening the windows immediately.

Windows key + CMD command prompt
Windows key + Tab switch desktops
To swap between desktops using a keyboard shortcut, press either Win + Ctrl + Left Arrow or Win + Ctrl + Right Arrow. By default, your desktops are arranged with the oldest at the far left and the newest at the far right.

Keyboard shortcut Action
Ctrl + A Select all content.
Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) Copy selected items to clipboard.
Ctrl + X Cut selected items to clipboard.
Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) Paste content from clipboard.
Ctrl + Z Undo an action, including undelete files (limited).
Ctrl + Y Redo an action.
Ctrl + Shift + N Create new folder on desktop or File Explorer.
Alt + F4 Close active window. (If no active window is present, a shutdown box appears.)
Ctrl + D (Del) Delete selected item to the Recycle Bin.
Shift + Delete Delete the selected item permanently, skipping Recycle Bin.
F2 Rename selected item.
Esc Close current task.
Alt + Tab Switch between open apps.
PrtScn Take a screenshot and stores it in the clipboard.
Windows key + I Open Settings app.
Windows key + E Open File Explorer.
Windows key + A Open Action center.
Windows key + D Display and hide the desktop.
Windows key + L Lock device.
Windows key + V Open Clipboard bin.
Windows key + Period (.) or Semicolon (;) Open emoji panel.
Windows key + PrtScn Capture a full screenshot in the "Screenshots" folder.
Windows key + Shift + S Capture part of the screen with Snip & Sketch.
Windows key + Left arrow key Snap app or window left.
Windows key + Right arrow key Snap app or window right.
Image
1. ExpressVPN: The best VPN available right now

This is our top pick for anyone looking to get started with a VPN. It offers a great mix of speed, reliability, outstanding customer service, and affordability. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so give it a shot today.

VIEW DEAL
Desktop shortcuts
On Windows 10, you can use these keyboard shortcuts to open, close, navigate, and perform tasks more quickly throughout the desktop experience, including the Start menu, Taskbar, Settings, and more.

Keyboard shortcut Action
Windows key (or Ctrl + Esc) Open Start menu.
Ctrl + Arrow keys Change Start menu size.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc Open Task Manager.
======================

Ctrl + Shift Switch keyboard layout.

========================
Alt + F4 Close active window. (If no active window is present, a shutdown box appears.)
Ctrl + F5 (or Ctrl + R) Refresh current window.
Ctrl + Alt + Tab View open apps.
Ctrl + Arrow keys (to select) + Spacebar Select multiple items on desktop or File Explorer.
Alt + Underlined letter Runs command for the underlined letter in apps.
Alt + Tab Switch between open apps while pressing Tab multiple times.
Alt + Left arrow key Go back.
Alt + Right arrow key Go forward.
Alt + Page Up Move up one screen.
Alt + Page Down Move down one screen.
Alt + Esc Cycle through open windows.
Alt + Spacebar Open context menu for the active window.
Alt + F8 Reveals typed password in Sign-in screen.
Shift + Click app button Open another instance of an app from the Taskbar.
Ctrl + Shift + Click app button Run app as administrator from the Taskbar.
Shift + Right-click app button Show window menu for the app from the Taskbar.
Ctrl + Click a grouped app button Cycle through windows in the group from the Taskbar.
Shift + Right-click grouped app button Show window menu for the group from the Taskbar.
Ctrl + Left arrow key Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word.
Ctrl + Right arrow key Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
Ctrl + Up arrow key Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Ctrl + Down arrow key Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph.
Ctrl + Shift + Arrow key Select block of text.
Ctrl + Spacebar Enable or disable Chinese IME.
Shift + F10 Open context menu for selected item.
F10 Enable app menu bar.
Shift + Arrow keys Select multiple items.
Windows key + X Open Quick Link menu.
Windows key + Number (0-9) Open the app in number position from the Taskbar.
Windows key + T Cycle through apps in the Taskbar.
Windows key + Alt + Number (0-9) Open Jump List of the app in number position from the Taskbar.
Windows key + D Display and hide the desktop.
Windows key + M Minimize all windows.
Windows key + Shift + M Restore minimized windows on the desktop.
Windows key + Home Minimize or maximize all but the active desktop window.
Windows key + Shift + Up arrow key Stretch desktop window to the top and bottom of the screen.
Windows key + Shift + Down arrow key Maximize or minimize active desktop windows vertically while maintaining width.
Windows key + Shift + Left arrow key Move active window to monitor on the left.
Windows key + Shift + Right arrow key Move active window to monitor on the right.
Windows key + Left arrow key Snap app or window left.
Windows key + Right arrow key Snap app or window right.
Windows key + S (or Q) Open Search.
Windows key + Alt + D Open date and time in the Taskbar.
Windows key + Tab Open Task View.
Windows key + Ctrl + D Create new virtual desktop.
Windows key + Ctrl + F4 Close active virtual desktop.
Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow Switch to the virtual desktop on the right.
Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow Switch to the virtual desktop on the left.
Windows key + P Open Project settings.
Windows key + A Open Action center.
Windows key + I Open Settings app.
Backspace Return to the Settings app home page.
File Explorer shortcuts
File Explorer includes keyboard shortcuts to help you get things done a little quicker.

These are the most useful shortcuts for the default file manager on Windows 10.

Keyboard shortcut Action
Windows key + E Open File Explorer.
Alt + D Select address bar.
Ctrl + E (or F) Select search box.
Ctrl + N Open new window.
Ctrl + W Close active window.
Ctrl + F (or F3) Start search.
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel Change view file and folder.
Ctrl + Shift + E Expands all folders from the tree in the navigation pane.
Ctrl + Shift + N Creates a new folder on desktop or File Explorer.
Ctrl + L Focus on the address bar.
Ctrl + Shift + Number (1-8) Changes folder view.
Alt + P Display preview panel.
Alt + Enter Open Properties settings for the selected item.
Alt + Right arrow key View next folder.
Alt + Left arrow key (or Backspace) View previous folder.
Alt + Up arrow Move up a level in the folder path.
F11 Switch active window full-screen mode.
F2 Rename selected item.
F4 Switch focus to address bar.
F5 Refresh File Explorer's current view.
F6 Cycle through elements on the screen.
Home Scroll to the top of the window.
End Scroll to the bottom of the window.
Settings page shortcuts
This list includes the keyboard shortcuts for the dialog box legacy settings pages (for example, Folder Options).

Keyboard shortcut Action
Ctrl + Tab Cycles forward through the tabs.
Ctrl + Shift + Tab Cycles back through the tabs.
Ctrl + number of tab Jumps to tab position.
Tab Moves forward through the settings.
Shift + Tab Moves back through the settings.
Alt + underline letter Actions the setting identified by the letter.
Spacebar Checks or clears the option in focus.
Backspace Opens the folder one-level app in the Open or Save As dialog.
Arrow keys Select a button of the active setting.
Command Prompt shortcuts
If you use Command Prompt, these keyboard shortcuts will help to work a little more efficiently.

Keyboard shortcut Action
Ctrl + A Select all content of the current line.
Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert) Copy selected items to clipboard.
Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert) Paste content from clipboard.
Ctrl + M Starts mark mode.
Ctrl + Up arrow key Move the screen up one line.
Ctrl + Down arrow key Move screen down one line.
Ctrl + F Open search for Command Prompt.
Left or right arrow keys Move the cursor left or right in the current line.
Up or down arrow keys Cycle through the command history of the current session.
Page Up Move cursor one page up.
Page Down Move cursor one page down.
Ctrl + Home Scroll to the top of the console.
Ctrl + End Scroll to the bottom of the console.

How to Disable Services:

Open the Services Manager: Type "services.msc" in the Run dialog (Windows Key + R).

Locate the Service: Find the service you want to disable in the list.
Stop the Service (if running): Right-click the service and select "Stop".
Disable the Service: Right-click the service, select "Properties," and change the "Startup type" to "Disabled".
Apply Changes: Click "Apply" and then "OK".
Restart (if needed): Some services may require a restart to fully apply the changes.

Several Windows services can be safely disabled to potentially improve performance or reduce attack surface, especially if they are not used. Some of these services include Windows Update Delivery Optimization, Windows Search, Remote Desktop Services, and SysMain. Other services that are commonly disabled include Windows Insider Service, Parental Controls, Windows Image Acquisition, and the Print Spooler if you don't use a physical printer, according to XDA Developers and IT Pro.

---

---

Press Windows key + I to open Settings.

Click on the Apps option on the sidebar.
Older version require going to programs

Click on the Installed Apps option on the right panel.

Ezoic

Find the app and click the Menu (…) icon on the right side of the app name.

Choose “Advanced options.”

Choose “Never” from the “Let this app run in background” dropdown.

Do the same for other background apps and you are done. Remember that if you don’t see the Advanced Options option for an app, it doesn’t support disabling background permission.

disable background apps from settings
Disable Background Apps From Power & Battery Settings
On laptops, Windows 11 keeps track of apps running in the background and drains the battery on the Power & Battery settings page. You can stop these background apps directly from here. Here’s how:

Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I shortcut.

Navigate to the System > Power & Battery page in the Settings.

Click the expand the Battery usage section to see all the background apps.

Click the Menu (…) icon next to the app name and select the Manage background activity option.

Select Never from the Let this app run in background dropdown menu.

Do the same for other apps in the Battery Usage list to disable all the background apps.

Note: If you don’t see the Manage background activity option in the app menu, that specific app doesn’t support managing background activity via the Settings app.

disable background apps from battery settings
Disable Background Apps for All Users Using Group Policy
For those managing multiple users, Windows 11 Pro users can use the Group Policy Editor to disable the background app. Here’s how:

Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Enter gpedit.msc in the Run dialog box and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.

Go to the Computer configuration > Administrative templates > Windows components > App privacy folder.

Double-click the Let Windows apps run in the background policy to open its properties.

Select Enabled and click the Apply & OK buttons.

Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

Once the computer has been restarted, background apps for all users have been disabled.

disable background apps from group policy
Disable Background Apps for the Current User Using Registry
If you are looking for a simpler way to disable all background apps for your user account at once, you can use the Registry Editor. Before proceeding with the below steps, back up the registry.

Open the Start menu, search for Registry Editor, and click on the top result to open the Registry Editor.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following folder.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows

Right-click on the Windows folder and select New -> Key.

Set the new folder name as AppPrivacy.

Right-click on the AppPrivacy folder and select New -> DWORD Value.

Set the new value name as LetAppsRunInBackground.

Double-click on the value you just created.

Enter 2 in the Value Data field and click OK.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

With that, the background apps are disabled in Windows 11.


Home » How To » How to Stop Apps Running in Background in Windows 11
How to Disable Background Apps on Windows 11
By Bashkarla / How To

Several apps run in the background on your computer at any given time. These apps, even when not in use, can drain your battery quickly and significantly reduce your system’s performance. Thankfully, you can stop these background apps quite easily. In this article, we’ll show you four methods to disable background apps on Windows 11. Let’s get started.

Disable Background Apps from Installed Apps in Settings
You can disable background apps directly from the Windows 11 settings app. All you have to do is find the app and change its background permissions. Here’s how to do it:


Ezoic
Press Windows key + I to open Settings.

Click on the Apps option on the sidebar.

Click on the Installed Apps option on the right panel.

Ezoic

Find the app and click the Menu (…) icon on the right side of the app name.

Choose “Advanced options.”

Choose “Never” from the “Let this app run in background” dropdown.

Do the same for other background apps and you are done. Remember that if you don’t see the Advanced Options option for an app, it doesn’t support disabling background permission.

disable background apps from settings
Disable Background Apps From Power & Battery Settings
On laptops, Windows 11 keeps track of apps running in the background and drains the battery on the Power & Battery settings page. You can stop these background apps directly from here. Here’s how:

Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key + I shortcut.

Navigate to the System > Power & Battery page in the Settings.

Click the expand the Battery usage section to see all the background apps.

Click the Menu (…) icon next to the app name and select the Manage background activity option.

Select Never from the Let this app run in background dropdown menu.

Do the same for other apps in the Battery Usage list to disable all the background apps.

Note: If you don’t see the Manage background activity option in the app menu, that specific app doesn’t support managing background activity via the Settings app.

disable background apps from battery settings
Disable Background Apps for All Users Using Group Policy
For those managing multiple users, Windows 11 Pro users can use the Group Policy Editor to disable the background app. Here’s how:

Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.

Enter gpedit.msc in the Run dialog box and click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.

Go to the Computer configuration > Administrative templates > Windows components > App privacy folder.

Double-click the Let Windows apps run in the background policy to open its properties.

Select Enabled and click the Apply & OK buttons.

Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer.

Once the computer has been restarted, background apps for all users have been disabled.

disable background apps from group policy
Disable Background Apps for the Current User Using Registry
If you are looking for a simpler way to disable all background apps for your user account at once, you can use the Registry Editor. Before proceeding with the below steps, back up the registry.

Open the Start menu, search for Registry Editor, and click on the top result to open the Registry Editor.

In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following folder.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows

Right-click on the Windows folder and select New -> Key.

Set the new folder name as AppPrivacy.

Right-click on the AppPrivacy folder and select New -> DWORD Value.

Set the new value name as LetAppsRunInBackground.

Double-click on the value you just created.

Enter 2 in the Value Data field and click OK.

Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

With that, the background apps are disabled in Windows 11.

After rebooting, all the background apps are disabled for your user account.

And there you have it! It’s that simple. You can follow any of the four methods to completely stop the apps from running in the background. I also recommend you disable startup apps or delay their startup for improved startup time.

---

The purpose of this article is to describe how to access Windows Services, which can be used to troubleshoot issues.
Answer:
For Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 R2

1. Right click on the Start button and select Computer Management
2. Expand Services and Applications
3. Select Services

OR

1. Press and hold the Windows button on the keyboard, then press the R key to open the Run dialog
2. Type "Services.msc" and then press Enter

For Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012

1. Hover mouse over bottom left corner of desktop to make the Start button appear, click Start.
2. Right click on the Start button and select Computer Management
3. Expand Services and Applications
4. Select Services

OR

1. Press and hold the Windows button on the keyboard, then press the R key to open the Run dialog
2. Type "Services.msc" and then press Enter

Skip to main content
The future is yours
Microsoft Build · May 19?–?22, 2025

Join developers and AI innovators to refactor your skills at Microsoft Build.

Learn
Sign in
Q&A
Windows 11 pro cannot connect to shared folders

Anonymous
Jun 22, 2024, 10:43 PM
I recently pulled an old Win 8.1 computer out of retirement to use as a 'sever.'

I set it up and got it up to date with Windows Updates and other updates.

Then I tried to share folders from this PC to a Windows 11 PC. I also am running a Windows 7 PC for remote desktop and testing..

When I clicked on the PC icon in Network, the shares would not be exposed from win 11 to win 8.1 as the server.

I had some success, but intermittent problems seeing Win 7 shares from Win 11.

I ensured Network Discovery was turned on and I tried toggling password protection for shares on and off.

I searched the Net for days and tonight, I found an article that describes a known and acknowledged problem withe Windows 11, Microsoft Accounts (vs local accounts) and shared folders.

It appears that when I log into a Microsoft Account on my Win 11 machine, I am not able to reliably see shares on other computers. Some shares work fine and others do not work at all. The most common problem was that I would click on a computer to expose its shares and I would be prompted to log into the share--at the computer level.

In my experimentation, I discovered that if I logged into an Admin account, shares worked. I thought it was some sort of security issue, and I wasted much time trying to discover the correct security settings.

The Admin account is and has always been a Local account, and the account I use daily is a Microsoft account. The problems I was having were NOT security issues as much as they were an acknowledged bug related to MS account logins and network shares.

I converted my regular user MS account to a Local account and I was able to see shares across the variety of Win 7, Win 8.1 and Win 11 computers.

I do not use MS services that require a MS account--like Office, On Drive, or the many other services that are available, so converting to a local account is expected to be painless and shares between computers if very important to me.

How to convert MS account computer login to a Local account login:

If you are using MS services, they will require some tweaking to make them work after the conversion!!

(1)Open Settings

(2)Open Accounts --on the left

(3)Under the title "Account Settings," open Your Info

(4)Under Account Settings, open Microsoft Account-->Change to Local Account

(5)Follow instructions to set the Local password.


Copy
When done setting password, you will be forced to sign out and then sign in again.
(6)Try to use you network shares !!

I hope this explanation helps others avoid problems I have experienced.

Microsoft, The article I found describing this fix was dated Sep 2023 and the root cause of the problem is still a problem for people using folder shares from older Windows versions to Windows 11 (10?) when logged into a Microsoft Account.

Make it work !!

Jim

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Settings***

Windows Windows Client for IT Pros Networking Network connectivity and file sharing

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question. To protect privacy, user profiles for migrated questions are anonymized.

I have the same question
10
{count} votes
Accepted answer

Anonymous
Jun 24, 2024, 11:20 PM
Hi Jim,

Thank you for sharing your detailed experience and solution regarding the issue with shared folders between Windows 11 and older Windows versions.

Summary of the Issue and Solution

You described that when using a Microsoft Account on your Windows 11 PC, you experienced intermittent problems accessing shared folders on other computers, specifically those running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. The shares were more reliable when using a local admin account rather than a Microsoft Account.

You found that converting your Microsoft Account to a Local Account resolved the issue, allowing you to access shared folders consistently across your network. Below are the steps you followed to make this conversion:

Steps to Convert a Microsoft Account to a Local Account

Open Settings
Navigate to Accounts:
On the left panel, click on *Accounts*.
Open Your Info:
Under the title "Account Settings," select *Your Info*.
Change to Local Account:
Under "Account Settings," click on *Microsoft Account* and then select *Change to Local Account*.
Set the Local Password:
Follow the instructions to set a local password.
After setting the password, you will be prompted to sign out and then sign in again.
Test Network Shares:
After signing back in with the Local Account, try to access your network shares again.
Additional Recommendations

Network Discovery and File Sharing:
Ensure that Network Discovery and File Sharing are enabled on all your devices.
Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Change advanced sharing settings to verify these settings.


Password Protected Sharing:
Depending on your security requirements, you might need to enable or disable password protected sharing.
This setting can be found under the same advanced sharing settings menu mentioned above.
Verify SMB Protocols:
Ensure that the SMB protocol versions required by your devices are enabled.
On the Windows 11 PC, go to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off and verify that the necessary SMB versions (SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support and SMB Direct) are enabled if needed.


Further Assistance

If you continue to experience issues or have any other questions, please feel free to reach out. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to work towards improving the user experience.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Best regards,

Rosy

Forum Support Team

Please sign in to rate this answer.
1 person found this answer helpful.
2 additional answers

Anonymous
Aug 11, 2024, 7:34 AM
I also have this issue, but having followed all of the steps above it is still not solved.

I have a Windows Vista PC and a Windows 8.1 laptop.

I am able to access shared folders between these two using the HomeGroup facility in Windows 8.1

I recently added a Windows 11 pro machine. Following the advice above it has a Local account with password.

In the network section of Explorer I cannot see the Windows 8.1 machine,

I can (apparently) open it as a media library source in wmp, but there is no content found in Music, Videos or Pictures.

The Win11 PC can see the Vista PC, but when I try to open it in explorer it fails.

The Windows Network Diagnostics reports:

Your computer appears to be correctly configured, but the device or resource (XXXX-XX) is not responding

'Detected', yellow warniing triangle

The Vista PC can see the Windows 11 machine, but opening fails. The diagnostic reports:

Network diagnostics pinged the remote host but did not reeceive a response

On the Windows 8.1 laptop I can see both the Vista machine (which I can also access) and the Windows 11 machine, but opening the latter fails. The diagnostic reports:

Windows can't communicate with the device or resource (XXXX-XXXXXXXX)

'Detected', yellow warniing triangle

There is also a mouse-over hint with the message:

It is available but is not responding to the connection attempts. A firewall or network security policy on the remote computer might be blocking the connection on port 'file and print sharing resource'.

In Windows Defender

Domain network = Firewall is On

Private network (active) = Firewall is On

Public network = Firewall is On

In Windows Defender, Domain network

Active domain networks = Not connected

Microsoft Defender Firewall = On

Incoming connections = Unchecked

In Windows Defender, Private network

Active private networks = [wifi connection]

Microsoft Defender Firewall = On

Incoming connections = Unchecked

In Windows Defender, Private network

Active public networks = Not connected

Microsoft Defender Firewall = On

Incoming connections = Unchecked

In Windows Defender, Allowed Applications

There is a long list of entries, those which I thought most relevant are:

On - Core Networking

Off - Core Networking Diagnostics

On - File and Printer Sharing

On - File and Printer Sharing over SMBirect

On - Network Discovery

Off - Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol

Off - SNMP Trap

On - Wi-Fi Direct Netword Discovery

On - Windows Media Player

Off - Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

On - WLAN Service - WFD Application Services ...

On - WLAN Service - WFD Services ...

On - Workplace or School Account

On - Your Account

Under Firewall & network protection, Advance settings

There are three sections in Overview:

Domain Profile
Private Profile is Active
Public Profile
All three have the following entries:

Windows Defender Firewall is on
Inbound connections that do not match a rule are blocked
Outbound connections that do not match a rule are allowed
Changing the 'Inbound .... blocked' entries to Unblocked appears to disable the Firewall

Under Inbound Rules and Outbound Rules there are many, many entries

There are no entries under Connection Security Rules

Temporarily disabling the Microsoft Defender Firewall does not make any difference.

There is an Apple computer on the network. The Win11 PC can log into this Apple PC using a guest username and password

There is a smart TV on the network with an external HD connected. The Win11 PC can open and edit a text file that I put on this drive.

I would be happy to provide any more data.

Regards

Please sign in to rate this answer.

Anonymous
Aug 15, 2024, 4:49 AM
ps

I also posted my reply on this forum: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_11-wintop_connect/win11-unable-to-seeconnect-to-shared-folders-on/fe2a32e8-459a-40ca-bfe2-ac979ae62599?messageId=9a6bbedc-9b37-45d1-a072-571604ad821f

And a response there led me to a solution - I installed the Client for NFS on the Win11 machine and it was then able to see and access the Win8.1 PC (everything under C;Users)

The Win81 machine was also able to acccess the Shared folders on the Win11 PC.

No change with the Vista machine but I can live with that.

(Note: the SMB protocols referred to in the answer above are being retired due to a security problem)

Please sign in to rate this answer.
2 people found this answer helpful.
Previous Versions
Blog
Contribute
Privacy
Terms of Use
Code of Conduct
Trademarks
© Microsoft 2025

Using Disk Management:

Open Disk Management: Search for "Computer Management" in the Start menu and open it as an administrator.

Locate the drive: Find the external hard drive in the list of volumes.
Change or remove drive letter: Right-click on the volume and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
Remove the letter: Choose the "Remove" option to unassign the drive letter. If you want to assign a different letter, select "Change" and choose from the available letters.

This video demonstrates how to use Disk Management to change or remove a drive letter:
59s
Cube Computer Channel
YouTube · Jun 2, 2025
Using Diskpart:

1. Open Diskpart:
.

Search for "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click on "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator". Then, type diskpart and press Enter.
2. List volumes:
.
Type list volume and press Enter to see all volumes and their corresponding numbers.
3. Select the volume:
.
Type select volume X (replace X with the volume number of your drive) and press Enter.
4. Remove or assign the letter:
.
To remove the letter, type remove letter=X (replace X with the drive letter) and press Enter. To assign a new letter, type assign letter=Y (replace Y with the desired letter) and press Enter.
5. Exit Diskpart:
.
Type exit and press Enter.

press windows key then type "computer management"
Look for "storage" then "Disk Management"
right click on which disk you want to look at. My case I wanted to "change drive letters and path" to assign a letter to one of my external drives.

To change indexing options in Windows 8.1,
search for "Indexing Options" in the Start screen or Control Panel, click the "Modify" button to add or remove indexed folders, and click "Advanced" to access options for rebuilding the index or changing file types and indexing settings. You can also select specific file types, choose to index file contents or only properties, and manage the index location.
Accessing Indexing Options

Using the Start Screen: Type index into the search box on the Start screen and click on Indexing Options.
Using the Control Panel: Open the Control Panel, set the "View by" option to "Large icons" if necessary, and then click Indexing Options.

This video shows how to open Indexing Options from the Start screen:
YouTube • Joli Ballew



Modifying Indexed Locations

In the Indexing Options window, click the Modify button.
A new window will appear showing the folders currently being indexed.
Check or uncheck the boxes next to the folders or drives you want to include or exclude from the index.
Click OK, then Close, to apply the changes and allow the system to update the index.

Changing Advanced Indexing Settings

From the Indexing Options window, click the Advanced button.
A new "Advanced Options" window will open.
File Types: Select the File Types tab to choose whether to index just the file properties or both properties and content for specific file types.
Index Settings: On the Index Settings tab, you can:
Rebuild: Click the Rebuild button to delete the current index and create a new one from scratch, which can be helpful if search isn't working correctly.
Index Location: Click Select new to change the location where the index file is stored.
Diacritics: Choose whether to treat words with diacritics (like accents) as different or identical for better language support.
Click OK to confirm and apply your changes.

This video demonstrates how to access advanced options and rebuild the index
:
YouTube • Windows Ninja

---

What is the windows_edb_devicenotify process?

Hi,

Recently I've had to log out and restart my machine every day or so because it becomes so sluggish. Every time I do, I find this process takes a long time to stop:

windows_edb_devicenotify

I suspect it could be related to my slowdown problem but I have no idea what it is or what it does.

Does anyone know?

Thanks,

L
This thread is locked. You can vote as helpful, but you cannot reply or subscribe to this thread.
Answer Answer
DaveM121
DaveM121

Independent Advisor

Hi L,

I am Dave, I will help you with this.

windows_edb_devicenotify is related to the Windows 10 Indexing utility.

That may be in a loop, it can be a bit buggy sometimes, the best option is to delete the index and then let Windows recreate it.

Click your Stat Button, then just type index and from the resulting list, open Indexing Options

On the resulting utility, click the Advanced Button, and on the next dialog, click the 'Rebuild' button and click the 'Okay' button.

Also, back on the first Index dialog, click Modify, there you can choose what folders are indexed on your PC, to keep the index small and efficient, only have folders of your personal files in the Index, remove other folders like system folders that do not need to be indexed.
___________________________________________________________________

What is CHKDSK

Check Disk (CHKDSK) is a Windows built-in tool that scans your hard drive for corrupted files, repairs bugs and errors, and cleans up disk space to maintain your PC’s health. Use this tool when your PC is slow due to an almost full or failing hard drive.

CHKDSK commands:

chkdsk - Scans the hard drive for bugs or errors with no attempts of repair.
chkdsk [drive letter] - Replace “[drive letter]” to specify the internal or external drive to scan. For example, chkdsk C:
chkdsk /f - Attempts to fix bugs or errors while scanning the hard drive.
chkdsk /r - Attempts to fix sectors on the hard drive to make them readable in the file system.
chkdsk /x - Disconnects a drive to scan and fix it.
chkdsk /f /r /x - Scans the file system and its sectors, and fixes any errors found. If needed, this also disconnects the drive.

Run CHKDSK from File Explorer
If there only a few bad sectors on your drive, you can run CHKDSK command and format the drive to repair those bad sectors:
1. Press the Windows key and type cmd.
2. Right-click "Command Prompt" and choose "Run as administrator".
3. Type chkdsk E: /f /r /x and hit