Categories
How To Guides

How to Improve Slow Boot Times in Windows 11

How to Improve Slow Boot Times in Windows 11

When a computer running Windows 11 is fresh new, it should start up really rapidly. However, as time goes on, many users have seen a progressive decrease in the speed of the starting process. The presence of too many applications running in the background, drivers that are out of date, or settings that are incorrectly configured are all potential causes of slow startup times. Fortunately, there are practical ways that may restore your PC’s performance without needing a complete rebuild of Windows.

1. Examine the Applications That Launch at Startup

There are a number of apps that are set to begin automatically when the computer starts up, even if you do not need them at that moment. Each of these contributes additional seconds to the amount of time it takes for your boot process to complete.

Repair:

  • To launch Task Manager, simultaneously press the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys.
  • Navigate to the tab that is labeled “Startup apps.”
  • Deactivate any applications that have a “High impact” rating yet are not necessary.

2. Activate Quick Startup

The Windows operating system has a function called Fast Startup, which combines the processes of hibernation and shutdown in order to speed up system loading.

Repair:

  • Go to Power Options, which is in the Control Panel.
  • Click on the option that says, “Choose what the power buttons do.”
  • Under the shutdown options, make sure that rapid startup is turned on.

3. Make sure that Windows and Drivers are up to date

Delays that occur during the boot process may be attributed to out-of-date drivers and system files.

Repair:

  • Make sure that you have installed the most recent updates by navigating to Settings → Windows Update.
  • Be sure to visit the website of your hardware manufacturer to get the most recent drivers, particularly for graphics cards and storage devices.

4. Perform a scan for malicious software

By executing processes that are not visible, malicious software has the ability to slow down the time it takes to start up.

Repair:

  • With Windows Security or another antivirus program that you trust, do a complete system scan.
  • Eliminate any risks that have been identified and then restart your system.

5. Make Disk Space Available

Windows may have difficulty starting up in an effective manner if the amount of free space on your hard disk is close to nothing.

Repair:

  • Get rid of temporary files by going to Settings, then System, then Storage.
  • You may use Storage Sense to automate the cleaning process.
  • Think about transferring huge files to external storage devices or to the cloud.

6. Turn off any services that are not required

There are some Windows services that are configured to start automatically regardless of whether or not you ever make use of them.

Repair:

  • First, launch the System Configuration window by pressing the Windows key and the R key at the same time, typing “msconfig,” and then pressing Enter.
  • In order to prevent the deactivation of services that are essential to the system, you should go to the Services tab and choose the “Hide Microsoft services” option.
  • Disable all third-party services that are not required.

7. Make Use of Task Scheduler to Optimize Startup

There are certain tasks that are set to begin as soon as the computer starts up, which causes the process to take longer.

Repair:

  • From the Start menu, open Task Scheduler.
  • Seek out any tasks that are activated “At startup” and deactivate any of those that are not absolutely necessary.

8. Either defragment or optimize your drive.

If you are using a conventional hard disk (HDD), the process of starting up your computer may take longer due to fragmentation. Solid-state drives (SSDs) do not need defragmentation, yet they might still benefit from optimization.

Repair:

  • From the Start menu, choose the option to open Defragment and Optimize Drives.
  • Choose the drive you want to use and then click on the Optimize button.

9. Make the transition to a solid-state drive (SSD)

If your computer is still using an HDD, switching to an SSD is the single most effective way to improve startup times. It is possible to reduce the amount of time it takes to start up a computer from minutes to seconds by using a solid-state drive (SSD).

10. Make Changes to the Virtual Memory Settings

Performance might be adversely affected by incorrect configuration of virtual memory settings.

Repair:

  • To access the Advanced tab, go to Open System Properties → Advanced → Performance Settings.
  • When you are in the Virtual Memory section, you should either choose the “Automatically manage paging file size” option or manually choose a size that is suggested for you.

11. As a last resort, reinstall or reset Windows.

Your Windows installation can be damaged if none of the solutions are effective.

Repair:

  • Navigate to Settings, then System, then finally Recovery.
  • In order to reinstall Windows without losing any of your personal data, click “Keep my files” after choosing “Reset this PC.”

In conclusion, the most important aspect of the process of making a decision is the ability to gather and evaluate information.

Although slow start times in Windows 11 are irritating, they can often be resolved by using simple solutions. Often, performance that is quick may be restored by deactivating starting applications that are not required, ensuring that your system is up to date, and doing a cleanup on your disk. For those who have outdated hardware, the biggest significant gain in performance may be achieved by upgrading to an SSD. You may experience a faster and more seamless Windows 11 starting process by putting these procedures into action.

Categories
Photoshop

A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Mastery with Layer Masks

A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Mastery with Layer Masks

Of all the non-destructive tools available in the toolkit of any pixel editor, layer masks are the most significant. They allow you to conceal, reveal, blend, and refine portions of layers without permanently removing pixels, which means you can experiment freely, correct errors quickly, and create complex composites that remain completely editable. In this article, you will learn the fundamental principles of layer masking, as well as the methods that expert retouchers use. In addition, you will find practical exercises that will allow you to internalize the process.

Why it is important to stack masks

Grayscale values are used by a layer mask to manage the transparency of its layer, with white being used to disclose, black being used to hide, and gray shades being used to provide partial transparency. Since the mask is stored on the mask itself rather than on the pixels that it affects, you have the ability to switch it on and off, alter it, or delete it at any moment. This method makes iterative work far safer and quicker than deleting or permanently cutting pixels since it retains the original picture data.

Non-destructive editing explained: layer masks vs deleting

While masks simply conceal pixels, erasing them removes them entirely. When you delete anything, you limit your future possibilities. For instance, if you remove a small detail from your hair, there is no way for you to restore it two hours later. Masks make it possible to paint back details, feather edges, or reverse the selection in an instant. Regard masks as reversible “soft erasers” that you have the ability to shape via the use of gradients, selects, and brushes.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make and comprehend simple masks

Choose the layer that you want to conceal with a mask.

If you want to make a white mask that shows everything, you should click the “Add layer mask” option, which is often represented by a rectangle with a circle within it. Alternatively, you may choose “Hide All,” which will produce a black mask that hides everything.

By using Alt/Option and clicking on the mask thumbnail, you may examine the mask itself. If you want to return to the regular view, you can press Alt/Option and click on the thumbnail again.

You may load the mask as a selection by clicking the mask thumbnail while holding down the Ctrl or Cmd key. This is helpful when you are trying to refine the mask.

Make the mask active before pressing Ctrl/Cmd-I in order to invert it (white → black, black → white).
You may use these fundamentals to begin concealing and exposing sections of a layer while maintaining the integrity of the original.

Painting masks: brushes, opacity, and flow

The most straightforward and adaptable method of improving what is seen is to paint on a mask using black, white, and gray. This involves setting the foreground color to black in order to conceal, white in order to disclose, and mid-gray in order to achieve partial opacity. When you want a smooth transition, use the Brush tool (B) with soft edges; when you want sharp edges, use a hard brush. You can change the size of the brush with the [ and ] keys, and you can change the hardness of the brush with the Shift+[ or Shift+] keys. Opacity determines the overall strength of the paint, and flow governs how the paint builds up when you hold the brush over an area. Use a lower flow for masking that is slow and buildable. Don’t forget that you may return the colors to black and white by pressing the D key, and you can also switch them by using the X key.

masks that are based on selection and refining

Selections provide you with a quick and accurate beginning: make use of the marquee, lasso, or selection tools to create the first region. After that, you can transform that selection into a mask by clicking the Add Layer Mask button. In order to smooth, feather, shift the edge, and get rid of color fringing, utilize the “Select and Mask” (or Refine Edge) workspace for hair, foliage, or other soft edges. Output the result straight to a Layer Mask so that you may continue to modify it in the future. In order to isolate highlights, midtones, or shadows, and then generate a mask from that selection, you may try going to Select > Color Range. This is a good option for complicated tonal choices.

Characteristics of feathering, density, and masks

Masks contain characteristics that are unique to them. For example, feathering softens the border of the mask, resulting in a more gradual transition. Density decreases the overall opacity of the mask, which allows you to fade its impact without having to repaint it. Additionally, feathering and contrast may be used to sharpen a soft mask in a controlled manner. If you want to make rapid adjustments to the edge character of a mask, you may do so by changing these parameters in the Properties panel. When composites are being used, a little bit of feather frequently results in a more natural-looking composite than a flawlessly hard cut.

Utilizing masks that include adjustment layers and clipping masks

Because adjustment layers are usually accompanied with a mask by default, they are an excellent choice for local repairs. In order to conceal the adjustment from regions that need to stay unaltered, paint the adjustment mask black. Clipping masks are helpful for directing color grading or sharpening to a single topic without impacting the backdrop since they confine a layer or adjustment to the non-transparent pixels of the layer underneath. In order to make a clipping mask, you should position the adjustment layer above the target layer and then choose “Create Clipping Mask.” You also have the option of grouping layers together and then adding a group mask to effect everything within the group all at once.

Shape-based masking and vector masks

Vector masks are best suited for situations in which you want mathematically correct masks, logos, or clean forms, since they use paths rather than pixels to produce borders that are sharp and resolution-independent. If you want an edge that is precisely scalable, create a path with either the Pen tool or the Shape tool, and then transform that path into a vector mask. When you want both smooth, photographic transitions and exact edges, you may mix vector masks with pixel masks.

Luminosity masks and channel trickery are two examples of advanced approaches.

Using tonal values as selects, luminosity masks allow you to precisely target highlights, midtones, or shadows. To do so, open the Channels panel, Ctrl/Cmd-click the RGB thumbnail to load luminosity as a selection, and then apply a mask to the current layer. You may improve those choices by preserving channels, deleting or crossing them, and developing complex masks that react to tonal connections. This is a crucial skill for advanced dodging, burning, and selective contrast work.

Realistic composites need masking, which involves color matching, edges, and shadows.

A believable composite needs a decent cutout, but it also takes more than that: Apply adjustment layers that are clipped to subject layers in order to match the contrast and color temperature. Make use of mild feathering and decontamination treatments on the borders in order to eliminate halos. Reconstruct shadows that are missing by painting a soft, low-opacity black onto a new layer below the subject and then blurring it to your liking. In order to ensure that the texture and noise are consistent across the layers, the foreground element should be given a little amount of grain or noise, and a tiny blur should be applied to the edges wherever there are variances in depth of field.

Advice on how to improve workflow, shortcuts, and troubleshooting

Maintain the masks’ ability to be edited by waiting to use Apply Layer Mask until you are quite certain, since this action is irreversible.

By holding down Alt or Option while clicking and dragging the mask thumbnail to a different layer, you may create copies of the mask.

If you want to move the layer apart from the mask, you may do so by unlinking the mask from its layer. This can be accomplished by clicking on the chain symbol that is situated between the thumbnails.

By shift-clicking on the thumbnail of a mask, you may temporarily disable it. To re-enable the mask, do the same action again.

If a mask seems to be inverted, you may rectify it by using Ctrl/Cmd-I.

In order to neutralize edges, paint with sampled backdrop colors at a low opacity or make use of Select and Mask → Decontaminate Colors if you see any fringes or color contamination.

If the paint shows on the picture instead of the mask, you will need to ensure that the mask thumbnail is now active. You will know it is active when it has a frame around it.
These little habits help to expedite your productivity while also preventing typical mistakes from occurring.

Exercises for practice to develop mastery

Sky Replacement: Utilize the Select and Mask tool to choose the sky, then create a mask. After that, put a new sky layer underneath the existing layer, and then combine the two with a feathered gradient mask that spans the horizon. Complete the process by harmonizing the color and light with clipped Curves and a little vignette.

Portrait hair refinement: Begin by making a preliminary selection of the subject, then use Select and Mask to refine the hair and make a mask. After that, build a new layer beneath the subject and paint a soft shadow on it, and then match the backdrop texture with noise.

Local dodge and burn: produce a fifty percent gray layer that is set to Overlay, then create a layer mask and use a soft black brush at a low opacity to paint on the mask; this will show luminous dodging and burning that has been painted directly on the gray layer.
Every single workout is geared toward a practical end and assists you in combining choices, painting, and alterations into a genuine product.

In conclusion, the most important aspect of the process of making a decision is the ability to gather and evaluate information.

The cornerstone of professional and versatile picture editing is the use of layer masks. Layer masks enable you to make decisions that can be reversed, combine selections and painting, and generate composite images that can be tweaked for an infinite amount of time. Deliberate practice is the key to achieving proficiency. Begin with the fundamentals, which include creating, painting, and inverting, and then go on to investigating selection refinement tools. Once you are comfortable with them, you may begin to use luminosity masks, group masks, and combined vector/pixel processes. If you embrace the non-destructive approach and master the few shortcuts that can speed up your work, you will discover that layer masking will rapidly become second nature to you. Layer masking is the one skill that most substantially enhances the quality and dependability of your changes.

Categories
Microsoft Office

Writing is made simpler with the use of shortcuts in Microsoft Word.

Writing is made simpler with the use of shortcuts in Microsoft Word.

One of the writing tools that is used the most often all around the globe is Microsoft Word. In the process of writing an essay, putting together a report, or putting together corporate papers, efficiency is an important consideration. A great number of users have an excessive reliance on the mouse and menus, which causes their writing flow to be slowed down. Getting familiar with a few of the most potent keyboard shortcuts may make working in Word much more efficient, less distracting, and more straightforward. You are able to keep your hands on the keyboard and concentrate on writing rather than interrupting your ideas in order to discover instructions.

Important Shortcuts for Editing Files

Word’s fundamental editing instructions are at the core of the program, and shortcuts make carrying out these actions almost trivial. Copying and pasting are easy to do with the shortcuts Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, but combining these shortcuts with Ctrl + X to trim text makes the process of reordering material far more efficient. You may also use the shortcut Ctrl + Z to undo your most recent action, which will help you avoid making any errors. If you change your mind, you can use the shortcut Ctrl + Y to redo it. These four instructions are the cornerstone of expedited writing, and once they are committed to memory, they remove the need for continuous interruptions.

Text Selection Without the Use of a Mouse

Text that is highlighted using the mouse might feel awkward, particularly when working with lengthy papers. You have choices on the keyboard to pick text with more precision in Word. To pick text character by character or line by line, for example, you may do it by holding down the Shift key and the Arrow key simultaneously. To select an entire word, use the Control key, the Shift key, and the Right Arrow key. To select an entire paragraph, press the Ctrl key, the Shift key, and the Down Arrow key. If you are able to learn these shortcuts, altering huge blocks of text will be much smoother than dragging your mouse around the page.

Methods of Formatting Made Easy

When formatting, a writer’s rhythm is often disrupted. Quick access is provided via shortcuts, which eliminate the need to navigate menus. Using the shortcuts Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I, and Ctrl + U, you may quickly create bold, italic, and underline text. Ctrl + L is used for left alignment, Ctrl + E is used for center alignment, and Ctrl + R is used for right alignment. In addition, you may completely erase formatting by pressing the Ctrl key and the space bar simultaneously. This will return the text to its original plain appearance. Your formatting selections will be made more quickly and with less disruption as a result of these combinations.

Finding Your Way Through Protracted Documents

When you are working on long reports or manuscripts, using the mouse to scroll is an inefficient method of movement. You are able to breeze through text in an instant when you use shortcuts. The combination of Ctrl and Home will take you to the very beginning of a document, while the combination of Ctrl and End will take you to the very end. The combination of the Ctrl and Arrow keys allows you to move between words, while the combination of the Up and Down Arrow keys allows you to go between paragraphs more quickly. When it comes to major projects, these shortcuts save a significant amount of time.

Methods for Effectively Working with Documents

There are various shortcuts available in Word for performing typical file actions. It is possible to save your work immediately by pressing Ctrl + S, and pressing F12 will launch the Save As dialog box for a fresh copy. With the shortcut Ctrl + N, you may rapidly launch a new document that is blank, while the shortcut Ctrl + O allows you to open files that are already open. Ctrl + W is all that is required to close a document in Word without having to shut off the program. Although they may seem to be simple, using them on a regular basis guarantees that you will never lose sight of your data.

The Tools for Reviewing and Proofreading

In the world of writing, proofreading is on par with drafting in terms of importance. In Word, the built-in review features may be activated in a short amount of time. F7 performs a check for spelling and grammar without requiring the user to navigate menus, and Shift + F7 opens the thesaurus, which allows the user to locate better word choices. Shortcuts like as Ctrl + Shift + E allow you to turn the Track Changes function on and off while you are editing. This feature is especially helpful for situations when many people are working together.

Unique Methods for Increasing Productivity

Hidden treasures that can make writing more productive can be found in Word, which goes beyond the fundamentals. The current date may be inserted by pressing Alt + Shift + D, and the current time can be inserted by pressing Alt + Shift + T. Both of these shortcuts are helpful for keeping records or notes. Holding down the Control key and pressing the F key simultaneously opens the navigation pane, allowing you to search for certain words or phrases within your work. You can locate and change text immediately when you combine the Ctrl and H keys, which is a major time saving for making repairs that are repeated several times.

When it comes to productivity, Microsoft Word is more than just a word processor; when you know how to use it effectively, it can be the complete productivity package. By using keyboard shortcuts, you are able to compose, edit, and format without having to interrupt your concentration or waste time on menus. You should begin by learning the fundamental commands, such as copy, paste, undo, and save, and then gradually include shortcuts for navigation and formatting into your routine. As time passes, these activities will become second nature to you, allowing you to write more quickly and with fewer interruptions. Because of this, writing sessions are more efficient, papers are more tidy, and overall productivity is much higher.