Privacy and security
Good security on a home PC is mostly defaults done right: an account you can recover, encryption with a saved key, and Defender left on. These guides cover the settings that matter.
- Check the TPM and Prepare a PC for Sale
- Block an App From the Internet With an Outbound Firewall Rule
- Sign In to Windows 11 With a Local Account Only
- Block an App's Internet Access With Windows Firewall
- Add a Defender Exclusion and Prove It Applies
- Export and Restore Your Windows Firewall Rules
- Run an Offline Defender Scan on a Machine That Will Not Stay Clean
- Fix Folder Permissions with Icacls
- Open a Port for a LAN Game Server in Windows Firewall
- Give Visitors a Guest Account Without Exposing Your Files
- Share a Folder on Your LAN With SMB and Correct Permissions
- Set Up a VPN Kill Switch So Traffic Never Leaks
- Create a Backup Admin Account Before You Lock Yourself Out
- Set Up Bitwarden and Lock Down Your Password Vault
- Turn On DNS over HTTPS in Windows 11
- Control AutoPlay and USB Device Behaviour
- Block Ads System-Wide With the Hosts File
- Restrict Which Apps Can Use the Microphone and Camera
- Lock Your PC Automatically When You Walk Away
- Fix Windows Hello PIN and Fingerprint Sign-In Failures
- Spot a Browser Extension That Reads Every Page
- Turn On Controlled Folder Access Against Ransomware
- Defer Driver Updates While Keeping Security Patches
- Sign In Automatically With netplwiz Without a Blank Password
- Find Out What Blocks a Windows 11 Upgrade
- Encrypt a Folder with EFS and Back Up the Key
- Enable Memory Integrity and Find Blocked Drivers
- Turn Off SMB1 and Require Signing on Your LAN
- Set Up a PowerShell Profile and a Safe Execution Policy
- Upgrade Windows Home to Pro with a Product Key
- Apply Local Policy on a Standalone PC
- Check Secure Boot and Enroll the Keys When It Fails
- Audit Who Opens a Shared Folder
- Turn On Memory Integrity and Clear the Driver Blocking It
- Test Installers in Windows Sandbox Before You Trust Them
- Connect to a VPN With the Built-In Windows Client
- Turn Off Tips, Ads and Suggested Content
- Lock the PC Automatically With Dynamic Lock
- Set Up Assigned Access Kiosk Mode for a Shared PC
- Audit What Starts With Windows Using Autoruns
- Harden Your Home Router Before Someone Else Does
- Set Up Windows Sandbox for Testing Apps on Windows 11
- Fix Camera Access Blocked for Apps on Windows 11
- Enable Encrypted DNS Over HTTPS on Windows 11
Error codes
- TPM 2.0 missing This PC can't run Windows 11
- Secure Boot is off Windows 11 and some games require it
- BitLocker recovery The PC asks for a recovery key at boot
- BitLocker can't be enabled This device can't use BitLocker
- 0x800106ba Windows Defender service failed to start
- Windows protected your PC SmartScreen blocked an app
- 0x800704EC This app has been blocked by your system administrator
- 0x800B0109 A certificate chain ends in an untrusted root
- 0x800B0101 A required certificate is not valid at this time
- Memory integrity is off Core isolation cannot be enabled
- Windows Hello PIN The PIN is not accepted
- 0x8007232B DNS name does not exist (KMS)