open-source software

  1. Maximize Storage on Windows with CompactGUI: Easy NTFS Compression for Games & Apps

    Modern Windows PCs face an ever-growing challenge as massive gaming titles and professional applications demand larger chunks of already limited storage space. While in the past, the main culprits of storage consumption were high-resolution textures and polygon-rich 3D models, the introduction...
  2. Crapfixer Review: The Ultimate Tool to Customize and Optimize Windows 11

    Windows 11, in its evolution, has garnered both praise and criticism from users across the spectrum. For some, its polished aesthetics and array of productivity-focussed features represent a modern OS finally coming into its own. For others, the experience is marred by persistent annoyances...
  3. Transform Windows 11: How Windhawk Brings Powerful Start Menu Customization to ARM64 Devices

    For many Windows 11 users, the Start menu remains a contentious design element—some appreciate its minimalist, touch-friendly layout, while others yearn for the rich customizability and classic feel of earlier Windows iterations. Since its debut, the Windows 11 Start menu has notably divided...
  4. Microsoft Enforces Licensing Restrictions on VS Code C/C++ Extension, Impacting Open-Source Alternatives

    Microsoft's recent enforcement of licensing restrictions on its C/C++ extension for Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has stirred significant controversy among developers relying on open-source VS Code forks like VS Codium and commercial derivatives such as Cursor. This move, which first became...
  5. Streamline Windows Reinstallation and LTSC Setup with Ninite Automation

    When faced with the need to reinstall Windows—whether switching to the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) edition or simply starting fresh—Ninite emerges as an indispensable tool that can streamline the lengthy and often tedious process of app provisioning. Though simple in concept, Ninite...
  6. Streamline Windows Installations with Ninite: The Ultimate Automation Tool

    For anyone facing the daunting task of setting up a new Windows installation, the path from a blank slate to a fully functional machine is often both time-consuming and tedious. Whether you’re upgrading, downgrading, switching Windows flavors like LTSC, or recovering from a system failure...
  7. PowerToys 0.89.0 Update: Local Media Conversion Made Easy

    PowerToys on Windows 11 just got even more indispensable. The latest 0.89.0 update introduces a powerful twist to its Advanced Paste tool: fast and local video and audio conversion. For long-time Windows enthusiasts and productivity power-users alike, this marks a significant boost in...
  8. Bazzite: The Future of Privacy-Focused, Linux-Based PC Gaming

    Few moments in PC gaming’s history have disrupted the ecosystem quite as forcefully as Steam Deck’s arrival and the subsequent emergence of projects like Bazzite. For decades, Windows was the unchallenged king for desktop gamers, not just because it came pre-installed on every major PC, but...
  9. AMD's ROCm Support Expansion to Windows: The Future of AI and GPU Acceleration

    Change is brewing in the world of AI development as AMD hints at expanding ROCm support from Linux to Windows—an update that has the potential to reshape the landscape for developers, enterprises, and even everyday Windows enthusiasts. For years, this capability has lingered near the top of user...
  10. Rediscovering Classic Windows Software: Nostalgia and Lessons for Modern Computing

    Software has shaped how we interact with computers for decades, and Microsoft’s legacy looms large over the Windows desktop experience. Whether you remember the cheerful interruptions of Clippy, the digital social revolutions sparked by MSN Messenger, or the intuitively simple design of Windows...
  11. Top Power User Tools Outside the Microsoft Store for Windows Enthusiasts

    The Microsoft Store has grown into a respectable hub for discovering new applications aimed at productivity and creativity, but its curated gates leave out countless powerful programs that have become critical tools for enthusiasts and power users. For those who build their workflow around...
  12. Top Off-Store Windows Apps for Power Users to Boost Productivity and Security

    Even in an era where the Microsoft Store is packed with polished, easy-to-install options, a handful of stellar Windows applications remain off-limits to the official storefront, often due to their open-source nature, licensing, or the complexity that defies store sandboxing. For users willing...
  13. Windows 10 Support Ends 2025: Upgrade or Risk Cybersecurity and Hardware Recycling

    Tick, tock, tick, tock—the countdown to October 14, 2025 blares like the world’s most irritating reminder alarm for Windows 10 users everywhere, warning of impending software doom. The End-of-Support Specter: What’s Really at Stake? On this fateful October day, Microsoft shall officially retire...
  14. Revive and Repurpose Old Windows 10 PCs: Creative Ways to Extend Their Life

    Before you run for the recycling bin with that creaky Windows 10 PC tucked under your arm, consider this: old hardware is like a good pair of jeans—just because it’s out of style doesn’t mean it can’t be reworked into something brilliant, comfortable, and surprisingly productive. The...
  15. 10 Free Open Source Alternatives to Enhance Your Windows Experience

    Windows has long been the go-to operating system for millions of users, and while it does come with a suite of built-in apps, not every native tool hits the mark when it comes to speed, simplicity, or customization. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking that the default Windows Calculator or...
  16. Windhawk vs Start11: The Ultimate Free Windows Customization Tool

    Let’s face it: Windows 11 is a stunning operating system, but for many of us, it still comes with quirks and rigidity that demand customization. That’s where tools like Windhawk and Start11 come in, offering us incredible ways to tweak our desktops into something uniquely our own. If you’ve been...