Bad Windows default settings you should change today

Whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop, your devices come loaded with settings, apps and bloatware. They exist for many reasons: To give you a free tease of a paid program, to collect data or simply part of a deal with other companies.

Your iPhone is a wonderful piece of tech right out of the box, but you can take steps to make it even better. Tap or click here for 10 default iPhone settings you can change right now.

Windows also comes with many preloaded settings that you don’t need. Many involve programs or features you’ll never use and can slow down your system. Let’s review the default settings you can change on your Windows PC.

1. Disable keylogger

With the Windows 10 keylogger, Microsoft observes what you’re typing and saying and uses it to improve its service (Windows 11 doesn’t have this built-in feature). Do you need this Big Tech company recording everything you do on your PC? No! Here’s how to put a stop to it:

  • Go to the Start menu and open Settings.
  • Select Privacy, then Diagnostics & feedback from the left pane.
  • Turn off Improve inking and typing and Tailored experiences.
  • Now tap Delete under Delete diagnostic data.

2. Distance yourself from Cortana

Windows 10 lets its productivity assistant Cortana get to know you through your voice and writing so you can get better suggestions. If this makes you uncomfortable, you can turn off the feature. Here’s how:

  • Go to the Start menu and open Settings.
  • Click Privacy, then choose Inking & typing personalization from the left pane.
  • Click the slider to Off under Getting to know you.

RELATED: How to see everything Microsoft knows about you and shut down the tracking

3. When was the last time you printed something from your PC?

Windows runs a print spooler service to keep your printing jobs running smoothly. It’s running in the background even when you’re not using it.

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PC speed boost: You can disable these services without breaking anything

Is your computer stuck in sloth mode? It could run slowly due to programs you don’t even need.

Windows 10 comes pre-loaded with many unnecessary functions that can be safely disabled to boost your PC’s speed. Like your cell phone, unused programs constantly run in the background and drag down your processor.

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Send a fax for free: FaxZero.com is free if you send no more than five faxes per day and only three pages at a time. GotFreeFax.com is free for three pages per fax and two free faxes per day — with no ads on the cover page. Just upload your document and enter the fax number, and the service handles the rest.

Steps to send a fax without a fax machine

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Yes, sometimes you still need to make a fax. Here’s how you can online, in 60 seconds. 

Ultimate power move? Using a dumbphone like the Punkt MP02. Some bosses are switching to old-school tech to cut out distractions and constant notifications. Snap’s Chairman swears by fax machines, saying they’re more secure than email and grab others’ attention because they’re so rare (paywall link).

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Tech trick: Send and receive faxes for free online

You probably don’t have to fax often, but it’s worth having a reliable way to do it — without leaving home — up your sleeve. There are still plenty of businesses that use faxes, after all. People in the legal, finance and medical industries still rely on fax machines for essential documents.

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