If you get a new PC or tablet, it will have Microsoft's new OS pre-installed. Here's how to get the OS on an older or custom-build machine. I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 ...

Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show ...

Microsoft’s Windows 8.1 may sound like a new operating system, but it’s really more like a Service Pack. The update includes new features, modifies old ones, and fixes flaws, but it doesn’t amount to ...

Microsoft’s decision to not tamper with the foundation of Windows 8 by leaving it largely unchanged helped the company bring forth dozens of crucial improvements alongside better app ecosystem in the ...

To say Windows 8 is a knockout crowd-pleaser would be a downright — and dastardly — lie. As sleek, swift and imaginative as the touchscreen operating system may be have seemed upon its initial release ...

Microsoft has outlined the streamlined, from-60-down-to-11-clicks upgrade process for Windows 8 -- as in, the installer that appears when mom or pop insert a Windows 8 disc into their Windows 7 or ...

It’s scorching out. Any housework that needs doing is already done. And with the long weekend ahead, it’s time for a simple computing project. Here’s one: Install the Windows 8.1 preview. Last week, ...

Windows 8 is here, but plenty of Windows users are still on the fence about whether to take it for a spin. In the wake of Windows Vista, you can’t blame Windows users for being cautious; upgrading ...

Crapware is a fact of life for Windows PC buyers. Most of the time, it’s relatively harmless: limited anti-virus subscriptions you don’t want, WildTangent games and demoware you don’t need, and ...

You can have your new Microsoft operating system and keep your old one, too—here's how. I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years ...