90 common Windows 10 problems and how to solve them

Introduction

Note: Our common Windows 10 problems feature has been fully updated. This article was first published in July 2015.

Windows 10 is now running on over 350 million PCs, tablets and smartphones, making it one of the most popular operating systems in the world. The successor to Windows 8.1 has been available for a little over a year now, which has given users plenty of time to get to know the OS.

Many of the initial quirks, bugs, and other annoyances that Windows 10 launched with have been fixed while others persist. Issues with printer connectivity, for example, have plagued users – and of course the recent Anniversary Update brought problems of its own.

At any rate, if you're suffering with the operating system, we've compiled a guide to 90 of the most common Windows 10 problems, as well as instructions on how to fix them. Read on for some troubleshooting goodness…

• Also check out our collection of how to use Windows 10 guide

• 1. Having enough space to install Windows 10

  If you're planning to move to Windows 10, actually installing the OS is the first area you could potentially run into problems with. Installing a new operating system requires a certain amount of free space on your drive so that it can be downloaded and certain elements can be run successfully.

  For Windows 10, the space requirement is 16GB, which should be kept free on the main system drive the computer uses. This is actually the same as previous versions of Windows, so if you've upgraded before you can most likely do it again.

  To check how much space you have left, go to My Computer (or This PC depending on the version of Windows you're running) where any drives you have will be listed. You can see the remaining space indicated underneath each drive, or you can right click and select Properties for a clearer overview (the system drive is usually C:).

• 2. Checking you have a powerful enough PC

  Just as with space requirements, your PC will also have to be capable of running Windows 10. This means that it must reach certain minimum system requirements.

  The requirements for running Windows 10 are relatively low: A processor of 1GHz or faster; 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) of RAM; 16GB of free drive space; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphic device; and a Microsoft account combined with internet access.

  To find out your PC's spec, go to Control Panel and select System and Security, then System.

• 3. Activating Windows 10

  Some users have reported issues with activating their copies of Windows 10, which could have been down to a number of different reasons. In some cases, the easiest way to get around the problem is to purchase a legitimate copy of Windows 10.

  Unlike previous versions of Windows, the latest one is almost exclusively available online, which means that official Microsoft websites are the best bet for your purchase. The company was giving the OS away for free, but that promotion has now ended.

  Microsoft has a helpful website that provides a downloadable copy in either 32-bit or 64-bit versions.

  If you do find that you're unable to activate Windows 10 successfully, handily Microsoft introduced a new activation troubleshooter feature with the recent Anniversary Update. You'll find this in Settings, then click Update & Security, go to Activation and select Troubleshoot (you won't see this option if the OS has been activated).

• 4. Avoiding inconvenient software update reboots

  Windows 10 is, in many ways, a truly internet-based operating system. Mostly, this is a bonus but there are times when it isn't – and Microsoft's attitude towards operating system updates is one such time.

  The most annoying part of automatic updates is the restarting, which can seemingly come at random (and inconvenient times). The simplest way to counteract this is head to Windows Update (in Settings > Update & Security), click on Advanced Options and then Notify to Schedule Restart, which means the OS will request a reboot rather than trampling all over the work you're not quite done with yet.

• 5. Updating old software to work with Windows 10

  Each version of a new operating system comes with its own set of backwards compatibility issues and Windows 10 is no exception.

  The transition from Windows 8.1 to 10 is far less jarring than the move from Windows 7 to 8 was, but there are still certain applications that can become broken and, in some cases, cease to work at all.

  One such application is Chrome, which some users have even had to fully delete and reinstall. If a program isn't working with Windows 10, try looking in the Windows Store for an update and, if that doesn't work, delete and reinstall it.

  Over time, more and more developers will get round to updating their programs for Windows 10 so, if you're reading this a few years from now, this likely won't be much of a problem anymore.

• 6. Changing privacy and Wi-Fi Sense settings

  Data security is incredibly important, especially as hackers become increasingly sophisticated and the number of cyber-attacks is on the up.

  Windows 10 comes with a decent set of built-in protection measures, but you can never be too careful. One such feature that should be disabled by privacy-minded individuals is Wi-Fi Sense, which automatically shares the Wi-Fi password across Windows 10 devices on the same account.

  Microsoft updated Wi-Fi Sense to share less data, but switching it off is the ideal way of preventing anything you don't want happening. To turn it off, go to the Start Menu, select Settings and click on Network & Internet, then Wi-Fi, and head to Manage Wi-Fi Settings – turn off all the options in here.

  Also in Settings, it's possible to get an overview of everything else happening on Windows 10 in terms of privacy – unsurprisingly, under the Privacy section. In here, you'll be presented with a bunch of toggles that adjust some privacy options to help keep everything under control.

• 7. Printer compatibility

  Printer compatibility can be an issue for older devices. If you're jumping from Windows 7 (or earlier) to Windows 10 then it's definitely worth updating all available printer drivers, which should help prevent them not working post-upgrade.

  Doing this is simple. Just search Google (or Bing, depending on your preference) for the name of your printer and download the latest Windows 10 compatible drivers. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to install them and you're good to go.

• 8. Changing the browser to Chrome or Firefox

  Microsoft ships Windows 10 with Edge, the successor to its Internet Explorer browser (although IE is still present in the OS). For many people, however, using Chrome or Firefox is the norm, no matter what Microsoft wants.

  To install Chrome or Firefox – and get back to normality – open Edge, search for either, and find a Windows 10 version. Download it, install it, and make sure it's set as the default browser option so that Edge doesn't keep reappearing. To do this, head to Settings, System, and click on Default Apps – click under Web Browser and you can then select your preferred default browser.

• 9. Learning to use Edge

  If, however, you do want to use Edge then you'll find it's actually a decent browser, despite a few notable flaws.

  One thing to note in particular is that running Edge on a touchscreen PC or tablet yields the best results as Microsoft has optimised it to support touch or pen input. Websites can be doodled on, shared, and generally messed around with in a way that other browsers don't really facilitate.

  Microsoft has also focused on making Edge fast and, above all, battery efficient. Anyone who has ever used Chrome on a laptop knows that it just sucks up battery life, so this may be a refreshing change for some.

  Favourites, browsing history, passwords, and so on can be shared between Windows 10 devices, too, which means that using Edge on one machine will be the same experience as using Edge on another. It's worth taking some time to give Edge at least a tryout before you decide it's a problem and make any vows involving bargepoles and so on.

• 10. Edge won't stream music when minimised

  The browser does come with some annoying features, however. Because it's a Universal Windows App, Edge runs on smartphones, tablets, PCs, and almost any other device. This means that it sometimes has a problem with being too much like a phone app rather than a PC program.

  One of the ways this manifests itself is by sometimes refusing to play media when minimised, just as a phone app wouldn't. There's currently no fix for this, unfortunately, although you could obviously use a different browser until the problem is addressed by Microsoft. Or just use an entirely different app to stream your music.

• 11. Blocking pop-ups in Edge

  Want to block pop-up ads in Edge? Fortunately, putting a stop to these bothersome things isn't difficult. Within the Edge browser, you need to click on Settings (found in the top-right 'ellipsis' menu, the three dots), then click on View Advanced Settings – in here you need to turn on Block Pop-ups.

• 12. Choosing Google over Bing

  Many people just don't like Bing, most likely because they have always used Google. That's fine, and we're sure Microsoft understands.

  Changing Edge over to Google is relatively simple. Navigate in Edge to Google.com (or Yahoo, or whatever your preference) and click the ellipsis button in the top-right corner. A drop-down menu will appear: select Settings, and then navigate down to click View Advanced Settings. From here, scroll down to 'Search in the address bar with…' and select Add New.

  Some users have reported that Add New often has no results in it, suggesting that no new search engine can be added. This isn't true. To get past this, close and then reopen Edge and (hopefully) some results will have appeared.

• 13. Grappling with the touchscreen

  If you've bought a Windows 10 machine that has a touchscreen then you are, by and large, getting the best experience with the OS.

  Ever since Windows 8, Microsoft has been optimising its operating system for the finger – and sometimes pen – with large tiles, easy-to-scroll menus, and so on.

  However, it can still be a little disjointed, but the easiest way to remedy this is simple: head to Start > Settings > System > Tablet Mode. Then turn Tablet Mode on – this optimises Windows 10 for fingers rather than pointers, making it far easier to use.

• 14. Grappling with the touchpad

  Having a touchpad-enabled laptop is also good for Windows 10, but some users have reported that the upgrade from Windows 7 (and sometimes Windows 8) breaks it.

  One of the ways to solve this is by first checking to see if your keyboard has a key that turns the touchpad off. If it doesn't – or the right setting is toggled – then head to Devices > Mouse & Touchpad> Additional mouse options.

  A new window will appear. From here, select the tab that says Device Settings, then Devices, and then make sure the touchpad is enabled.

  If none of these options work, press Windows Key + X, select Device Manager, then the option for Mice and other pointing devices, and update the driver. This should fix things.