Open-source might not be the first thing you think of with Windows, but these free tools can seriously boost your productivity.

Some programs and apps automatically running in the background of Windows 10 and 11 machines don't actually need to be on if you don't actively use them.

There’s no need to stick with Windows’ preloaded applications. These time-tested apps are all free — and open source, too.

It’s likely that Microsoft decided to force automatic app updates to help keep its users secure. Hackers often exploit weaknesses in apps to gain backdoor access to computers. Although developers ...