Have you got your heart set on a new computing life with Linux when Windows 10 bites the dust in October? It’s a noble idea, but Linux has its downsides too. For some users those downsides may be par for course. But for others, they’ll be total dealbreakers. Here’s a list of the most common to help you make up your own mind… 1. Software and driver compatibility is lacking There’s no denying that there are compatibility limitations with Linux that you won’t see with Windows. These issues affect software but also drivers. Take software as an example. Linux forums users are often miffed that common Windows software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite aren’t fully compatible with Linux. There are workarounds to using these programs, of course, but they require a little tinkering. Driver incompatibility issues are another common complaint, especially the lack of support by manufacturers for GPU drivers. It seems illogical but GPU drivers aren’t always installed on some Linux distros (the different distributions of the Linux OS) when you first install your system, since standard GPU drivers are closed-source. Lack of driver support can be a big letdown for gamers especially, some of whom complain about acceleration issues with Nvidia graphics cards on Linux systems. (AMD’s Radeon group is better with this.) The driver issue is also a bummer if you want to deck out your Linux PC with cool peripherals. That’s because manufacturers of peripheral devices like printers and headsets don’t always provide driver support for Linux. Linux users often have to rely on open-source drivers to get them to work, for better or for worse. MSI 2. Rolling updates to distros can cause instability issues If you’re looking for a seamless OS user experience, Linux currently isn’t it. Updates to Linux distros often cause instability and breakages in tools and extensions that Linux users rely on. That’s because of the way Linux distros are updated. Instead of having comprehensive new version releases every year or so a la Windows, which tend to be a little more thoroughly tested (but not perfect), Linux distros tend to have a lot of rolling updates that aren’t anywhere near as fine-tuned. Understandably, these bugs can cause big disruptions. One recent update for the Linux distro Ubuntu broke Gnome’s Shell extensions. Gnome is an open-source desktop environment for Linux whose updates are usually bundled as part of Ubuntu updates. In 2024 an update to Gnome 46 led to widespread breakages in third-party shell extensions including important productivity tools, which left many users without the applications they count on every day. Dominic Bayley / Foundry 3. Some triple-A games aren’t supported Some big-name developers don’t provide support for their games to run natively on Linux, which means there’s currently fewer triple-A games available to play right now than there are on Windows. ProtonDB’s website (the community website for Valve’s Proton technology, which allows Windows games to run on Linux and the Steam Deck) reports that about 70 percent of triple-A games available on Windows are currently playable on Linux. Some of those unsupported games are big names, too. The multiplayer game Fortnite, for instance, isn’t playable on Linux unless it’s being played through a cloud gaming service like GeForce Now. Admittedly, that figure is a lot better than it used to be just a few years ago, when there were only a handful of triple-A games playable on Linux. Thanks, Steam Deck! One roadblock to getting even more games on Linux is the problem Linux has with anti-cheat software. On Windows, anti-cheat software — like Epic’s Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC) — prevents players cheating in multiplayer games by blocking them at the grassroots file level. Yet these anti-cheat programs don’t work on Linux, which means the games either aren’t unplayable, or aren’t playable without special workarounds — and those workarounds can sometimes get you banned. There has been speculation that Microsoft is working on a fix that will mean Windows games won’t need a special workaround for kernel-level anti-cheat software on Linux, but we have yet to see it happen. Dominic Bayley / Foundry 4. Game performance isn’t guaranteed If you’re super proud of your PC’s performance in a certain triple-A game — say, Cyberpunk 2077 — that cozy experience may be upended on Linux. Why? Because it’s common for game performance to be different on Linux than it is on Windows. That’s certainly the case for Cyberpunk 2077 which some Linux gamers have said is “unplayable,” others that they get “lower FPS on Linux than they get on Windows.” Still, that’s just one game. That’s not to say every triple-A game performs poorly on Linux. In fact, it’s sometimes the case that games perform better on Linux than they do on Windows. The point is, you can’t expect like-for-like performance, so keep that in mind before switching to Linux just to play a specific game. IDG 5. Linux has a steeper learning curve Linux often requires more tinkering than Windows or MacOS for a smooth user experience. It’s subjective, and people will have their own views and experiences, but it’s true in the sense that sometimes installing software or configuring settings on Linux requires the use of a command-line interface instead of the less intimidating graphical user interface (GUI). On Windows, you have the option of typing commands at the command prompt, but it’s not mandatory — you can still do most tasks via Windows’ GUI. Some users will get a kick out of learning the old-school commands for Linux. Others, not so much, so it’s worth considering that point before making the switch. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros I’ve never seen a lamp that can provide more types of lighting on a single device Easy setup and installation Massive number of preloaded scenes Cons Ripple effect can be polarizing Overall hardware design feels a bit dated Not cheap Our Verdict The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp is nothing if not an acquired taste. The rippling uplight effect won’t be for everyone, but it can be dazzling in the right environment. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices Do-it-all smart home outfit Govee seemingly will not rest until every square inch of your home has light cast upon it. Its latest floor lamp/torchiere joins at least four previous freestanding lamp designs, along with two new floor lamps being launched alongside this one, the Uplighter. The name tells the story in part: In addition to providing task-based downlight illumination, the Uplighter is particularly designed with upward-firing accent illumination in mind, along with a third, side-lighting mode. Featuring lights designed with “enhanced RGBWWIC” LEDs (the acronym indicates there are discrete elements for producing red, green, blue, white, and warm white light), which Govee says “seamlessly blends dynamic color effects with practical white lighting,” the three lighting zones work like this: Downlighting: 1,000 lumens from warm-white LEDs to provide tunable, white-light-only illumination for use as traditional, downward-firing task lighting. Uplighting: This is really the main event. About 300 lumens of RGBWW lights fire upwards, painting the ceiling with a ripple effect (which I’ll elaborate upon in a moment). Sidelighting: Finally, a ring of RGBIC LEDs add a purely decorative accent element that can be used to complement either the down- or uplighting feature. There’s no luminosity spec provided, but this section isn’t bright. The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp can deliver up to 1,000 lumens of downlighting with its dimmable warm-white LEDs.Christopher Null/Foundry All of these lighting components are contained in a single head unit, which is attached to the top of a metal pole that’s a little more than five feet long. The pole comes pre-wired, in pieces which are simply screwed together, sans tools. With the base and head unit, the system comprises a total of six pieces that must be connected, not including the standard A/C adapter. Things get wild with the Govee Uplighter’s upward-firing light; its task lighting function is largely traditional. Note that the head of the lamp can be tilted up to 30 degrees in any direction, which is useful for directing task lighting or, perhaps, for aiming the uplighting element, if you have a sloped ceiling. (Note, however, that it is difficult to make sure the head unit is level, as the ball-and-socket joint has no system for determining when it’s level with the floor.) Using the Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp A pair of buttons on the uppermost segment of the pole can be used to manually power the lamp on and off and cycle through lighting modes on both the up- and downlighting sections. A long-press on the scene button also switches uplighting on and downlighting off, and vice versa on the following press. The various presets for the scene button can be customized by the user. The Govee Uplighter sits atop a nearly 5-foot pole, which is prewired but you’ll need to make the final assembly.Christopher Null/Foundry As with all things Govee, the lamp is designed to work with the Govee app and sets up over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. The app auto-discovered the lamp once I powered it on, and a single press of a button on the hardware was all it took to complete the connection to my network. As a task light, the lamp is solid, offering illumination that was more than bright enough for me to work under at full strength. (Even at about 20 percent brightness, I was still easily able to read by its light.) Color temperatures supported a range from 2700K to 6500K, providing more than enough variety for whatever mood you’re trying to set. While the task lighting function is largely traditional, the upward-firing light is where things get wild. First, it’s important to note the upper light is exclusively designed to showcase a “ripple effect” that looks exactly how it sounds. Wavy bands of color shimmer and dance on the ceiling, waving back and forth either in monochrome or with multiple colors, keeping with one color scheme or cycling through multiples. The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp can project beautiful patterns onto your ceiling, but the effect becomes less pronounced the higher your ceiling.Christopher Null/Foundry It’s a bit like the effect of a swimming pool reflecting onto the ceiling at night; but not quite, especially since the ripple effect eventually stops and reverses, which is a little jarring if you happen to catch it happening live. It turns out the effect is largely mechanical, and you can see the bulb under the rippled glass physically rotating if you watch closely. A music mode that changes the lighting in time with ambient sound is also included and can use either the lamp’s microphone or your phone’s for its source, but the ripple effect remains. Lighting effects As is always the case with Govee, the user is given a seemingly infinite number of preloaded scenes to play with, whether you want your ceiling to look like it’s bathed in white moonlight, red flames, or chaotic graffiti (found under the “Funny” scene selections). Everything is displayed with that shimmering ripple effect. Of course, you can always DIY a scene of your own if nothing on the menu works for you, use Govee’s AI mode to ask for a bespoke scene, or check out the “Share Space” feature, where other Govee users can upload their own illuminated art. The sidelighting system includes another 8 segments of LEDs that you can play with to complement either the uplighting or downlighting modes—either as accent or contrast—and many of the built-in modes have preloaded settings to control the sidelighting as well. You can also control this lighting directly, even going to far as to address each of the 8 LED segments individually with their own color. You’ll find a dizzying array of lighting effects in patterns in Govee’s app. Christopher Null/Foundry What can’t you do with the Uplighter? The big limitation is that you can’t run both uplighting and downlighting simultaneously. While the sidelighting system can operate with either, Govee’s position is that task lighting and mood lighting are mutually exclusive. And to reiterate, there’s no color downlighting on the device, because Govee also seems to say that when you’re supposed to be working, you can’t be having fun. The height of your ceiling matters when it comes to the ripple effect. Beneath a low, 7-foot ceiling, the ripple is bright, commanding a tight area about 4 feet across. But cast on a 12-foot ceiling, the ripple spreads across about 12 feet of space, with its brightness significantly diminished. You won’t readily be able to alter this, of course, beyond adjusting the placement and brightness of the lamp. Power consumption The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp offers a decidedly modern aesthetic.Christopher Null/Foundry Govee breaks down the power draw of the lamp by section: The downlight draws up to 9 watts, the sidelight 3.8 watts, and the uplight 17.8 watts, all of which seem reasonable. Support for Matter, Alexa, and Google Assistant are all also included – though as is common with complex lighting products like this, third-party ecosystems will greatly limit how much you can do with the device. That said, I had no trouble getting the Uplighter set up in each of them. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart lighting. Should you buy the Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp? For $180, the Govee Uplighter might well be the most expensive torchiere in your home; it will likely also be your biggest conversation piece. The purchase decision, however, will almost exclusively come down to your thoughts about the ripple effect on your ceiling. I think it’s kind of cool, but my wife took one look at it and made a face. You know the one. Read...

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for just $39.97 (reg. $219.99) and install it on one Windows PC. It seems that monthly software fees are getting out of hand. If you’re tired of watching those auto-renewals chip away at your bank account, this one’s for you. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is now available for just $39.97. That’s a one-time payment, with no subscription fees or surprise charges a year from now. This lifetime license includes all the heavy hitters: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and even Teams (free version). Whether you’re crunching numbers in Excel, writing proposals in Word, or designing attention-grabbing presentations in PowerPoint, you’re covered from every angle. You get the full professional suite, just like you’d expect in an office environment—whether you’re running your own business, freelancing from your laptop, or managing a busy household. It works for any kind of workflow, from basic budgets to complex database management. No cloud dependency. No recurring charges. Just one solid download that gives your Windows PC the professional tools it deserves. So if you’re ready to ditch the subscription model and finally own your Office apps again, this is your moment. Get a lifetime license to Office Professional 2021 for Windows for just $39.97 (reg. $219.99) through July 15. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change. Read...

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Beginning on June 30 of this year, residents in Wyoming are going to lose access to the adult site Pornhub. Earlier this year the Wyoming state legislature passed HB0043, an over-18 age-verification law designed to prevent minors from viewing adult content. Unfortunately, it also stands to compromise the privacy of all legal visitors to the site, as well. The law is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and Pornhub’s parent company Aylo will begin restricting access to its adult sites for residents in Wyoming in protest on June 30, 2025. Aylo and other privacy advocates claim that these laws violate free speech, and infringe on personal privacy protections. By forcing individuals to hand over personally identifiable information to third parties, it creates the environment for potential government overreach and data misuse. This ban is just the latest following a trend that has seen more than 19 states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. Similar bans occurred in March of last year when access was blocked to residents in Texas, in June when Indiana, Idaho, and Kansas also lost the ability to visit the site, in July for Nebraska, in October for Alabama, and in January of this year when Florida was hit with the ban hammer as well.  For legal-age Wyomingites looking to access the site, this is disruptive to say the least. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround: using a VPN. Simply download and install your preferred VPN, connect to a server in a state that isn’t blocked, and enjoy the content. Below you’ll find my top picks for VPNs to access Pornhub (or other Aylo owned adult content) if you’re in Wyoming where access will be blocked. And for even more great options, check out my list of the best VPNs overall. NordVPN – Best overall NordVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $3.39 at NordVPN (Monthly) NordVPN is my overall top pick for VPNs. It comes with a ton of great features including wide device support, ad- and tracker-blocking, and plenty of domestic and international servers—with coverage in most U.S. states. It also boasts the fastest connection speeds, meaning you won’t need to lower your video quality to a resolution that makes it look like the important bits are blurred on purpose. NordVPN has one of the widest platform support networks as well, so you’ll be able to view whatever content you wish no matter the device. ExpressVPN – Runner-up ExpressVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $4.99 at ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is a close second to NordVPN, falling a hair behind by being not quite as fast and having a fewer extra features. Those are just minor issues, though, and shouldn’t take away from ExpressVPN still being one of the best VPN services on the market. It also consistently has great speeds, so you can stream in HD to your heart’s content. Plus, it works with nearly every device and has one of the best user-privacy records around. Mullvad – Best for privacy Mullvad Read our review Depending on what you’re looking for from a VPN, Mullvad might actually be your best option. Not only is it in my top five services for overall speed, it most importantly earns top marks for privacy. Mullvad takes every effort it can to know as little about its users as possible. The service won’t ask for an email address or name and it even accepts payments via mailed cash if you want. Plus, it costs a mere $5 per month regardless of the plan you choose. Proton VPN – Best free VPN ProtonVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Proton VPN While I don’t usually recommend that anyone use a free VPN due to their proven security and privacy risks, Proton VPN is one of the exceptions. This service from the well-known Swiss-based Proton brand has to-date a spotless track record for user privacy. It’s also completely free of ads. Just like all free VPNs, there are limitations, but thankfully Proton VPN keeps them relatively manageable. For no cost whatsoever you’ll get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located in different countries around the world (including the U.S.). It doesn’t impose any speed or data limitations on these free servers either—something that’s unheard of with other free VPNs. Read...

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Beginning on June 30 of this year, residents in South Dakota are going to lose access to the adult site Pornhub. Earlier this year the South Dakota state legislature passed House Bill 1053, an over-18 age-verification law designed to prevent minors from viewing adult content. Unfortunately, it also stands to compromise the privacy of all legal visitors to the site, as well. The law is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and Pornhub’s parent company Aylo will begin restricting access to its adult sites for residents in South Dakota in protest on June 30, 2025. Aylo and other privacy advocates claim that these laws not only violate free speech, but will infringe on personal privacy protections. By forcing individuals to hand over personally identifiable information to third parties, it creates the environment for potential government overreach and data misuse. This ban is just the latest following a trend that has seen more than 19 states lose access to the incredibly popular NSFW site. Similar bans occurred throughout last year for residents in Texas and Florida, among others. Both Wyoming and Georgia are also set to lose access beginning this July, with North Dakota following shortly thereafter. For legal-age South Dakotans looking to access the site, this is disruptive to say the least. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: using a VPN. Simply download and install your preferred VPN, connect to a server in a state that isn’t blocked, and enjoy the content. Below you’ll find my top picks for VPNs to access Pornhub (or other Aylo owned adult content) if you’re in South Dakota where access will be blocked. And for even more great options, check out my list of the best VPNs overall. NordVPN – Best overall NordVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $3.39 at NordVPN (Monthly) NordVPN is my overall top pick for VPNs. It comes with a ton of great features including wide device support, ad- and tracker-blocking, and plenty of domestic and international servers—with coverage in most U.S. states. It also boasts the fastest connection speeds, meaning you won’t need to lower your video quality to a resolution that makes it look like the important bits are blurred on purpose. NordVPN has one of the widest platform support networks as well, so you’ll be able to view content no matter the device. ExpressVPN – Runner-up ExpressVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $4.99 at ExpressVPN ExpressVPN is a close second to NordVPN, only losing out due to the fact that it isn’t quite as fast and comes with a few less extra features. Those are just minor issues, though, and shouldn’t take away from ExpressVPN still being one of the best VPN services on the market. It also consistently has great speeds, so you can stream in HD to your heart’s content. When you also consider that it works with nearly every device and has an excellent record for user-privacy, you can see why we like ExpressVPN. Mullvad – Best for privacy Mullvad Read our review Depending on what you’re looking for from a VPN, Mullvad could actually be your best option. It’s in my top five services for overall speed, but more importantly, it earns top marks for privacy. Mullvad takes every effort it can to know as little about its users as possible. The service won’t ask for an email address or name and it even accepts payments via mailed cash if you want. Plus, it costs a mere $5 per month regardless of the plan you choose. Proton VPN – Best free VPN ProtonVPN Read our review Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Proton VPN Free VPNs can carry security and privacy risks, but Proton VPN is one of the exceptions. This service from the well-known Swiss-based Proton brand has to-date a spotless track record for user privacy. It’s also refreshingly free of ads. Sure, it has limitations, just like any free VPN, but thankfully Proton VPN keeps them relatively manageable. For no cost whatsoever you’ll get a one-device connection limit and access to five servers located in different countries around the world (including the U.S.). It doesn’t impose any speed or data limitations on these free servers either—something that’s unheard of with other free VPNs. Read...

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Vibe coding is programming by gut feel. You have an idea for a tool, a website, or a repetitive task you want to automate… but instead of enrolling in a coding boot camp or slogging through YouTube tutorials, you fire up an AI chatbot and have it write the code for you. This AI-driven approach to creative coding has exploded in popularity over the past year or two—chiefly because it works. People are building genuinely useful stuff without even knowing what a variable is. I’ve been vibe coding my own apps with AI and I’m absolutely loving it, despite being a relative newbie to coding. But most advice about AI-assisted programming still assumes you want to become a “real” programmer eventually. Because of that, the advice tends to steer you towards professional tools that are overkill for simple projects. You need a different—easier—approach. PROMOTIONLaunch in minutes by vibe coding Turn your ideas into reality with Hostinger Horizons. Build web apps, websites, and custom tools by chatting with the AI – no coding required. Get everything you need to launch and grow including web hosting, domain management and email. Start now Here’s what you really need to start vibe coding your own stuff right now, without any of the BS that only complicates matters. Use an AI chatbot, not an AI-assisted IDE Your first instinct might be to use an AI-assisted integrated development environment (IDE), one that you’ve heard is good for vibe coding, like Windsurf, Cursor, or even Claude Code (which technically isn’t an IDE, but that’s besides the point). All of these tools are built for AI coding, so they’re the best place to start, right? Well… no. These tools are designed to make highly productive programmers even more productive, and that means they assume a level of knowledge that amateur coders—like you and me—lack. Diving into these programs straight away is likely to leave you confused and discouraged. An AI-driven code editor can be powerful, but it’s overkill for an amateur vibe coder. This one starts at $15 per month after a two-week trial.Windsurf Not to mention that AI-powered IDEs are pretty darn expensive, too. While most offer a bit of free use, it’s easy for even uber-casual vibe coders to find themselves in need of a paid plan. Many such IDEs charge based on usage instead of a flat monthly rate, too. As an amateur vibe coder, you’re better off using an AI chatbot. The downside here is that you’ll need to copy-paste code back and forth between the chatbot and your code editor. It’s a bit of a nuisance, but it’s not too bad if your project is small. Choose your AI chatbot carefully When it comes to AI chatbots with programming proficiency, there are several you can choose from. All of the popular ones are good enough to get started, but even so, I have a couple recommendations. Don’t want to spend a dime? Try Google’s AI Studio. This chronically under-appreciated AI tool provides free and effectively unlimited access to Google’s latest Gemini Pro models, which many consider the best in the business without paying a cent. Google AI Studio does have a few downsides. Google will train on your data (most paid services promise they don’t), the interface isn’t the best, and there’s no desktop or mobile version. None of these are serious obstacles for amateur vibe coding, though. A screenshot of a quick data visualization tool I created using Claude.Matt Smith / Foundry But if you’re willing to pay a bit and want an attractive interface with desktop and mobile apps, I recommend Anthropic’s Claude Opus. I like Claude’s Artifacts feature, which breaks code out in a separate interface pane. It can even execute some code (like HTML or JavaScript) to provide a preview in Claude itself, and you can download code to your PC from this pane. Competitors have emulated it with similar features, but I think Anthropic’s implementation remains the best. Stick to popular programming languages Choosing a programming language is a major obstacle for both amateur and experienced programmers. There are hundreds to choose from, dozens of them are mature, and promoters of each tend to have strong opinions, so it’s easy to fall into analysis paralysis. When it comes to vibe coding, though, I recommend that you stick with languages that are both popular and forgiving. That means the usual suspects of JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, HTML, and perhaps C# if you’re feeling saucy. AI does best with these languages because AI models are trained on data from across the web. The more popular the language, the more examples there are to train on—and the more source data to work with, the better the generative results. As for how forgiving a particular language is, it’s an important aspect to consider because you’ll be quicker to get a program up and running even when it has bugs. Some languages, like Rust and C++, have strict syntax and architectural demands that can be a nightmare to debug. Veteran coders are likely to recoil at the idea of willingly accepting bugs in a program, but for beginners, it’s better to have a buggy-yet-functional program than a program that was abandoned because it never worked. Alternatively, you could let the AI choose your language for you. Describe the program you want to create and ask the chatbot to make it in whatever language seems most appropriate. Choose a simple code editor Once you have a chatbot and coding language picked, you’ll need to choose the software you use to edit code. You may feel pushed towards a full-blown programming IDE like Visual Studio, which is admittedly powerful but, again, designed for people who have some knowledge of programming. For casual vibe coding, I recommend a simpler code editor like Notepad++, Sublime Text, or UltraEdit. (My bias is towards Notepad++.) A screenshot of my vibe coded personal website in Notepad++.Matt Smith / Foundry Code editors lack the comprehensive terminal, debugging, and remote development features found in many IDEs. However, code editors still provide a fast, functional, and approachable interface that looks more like the barebones text editors you’ve likely used (e.g., Notepad), and they still provide handy features like code auto-completion. Think small (and reinvent the wheel) Scope creep is a common problem that all programmers face, and it can stop you cold. Big projects are more difficult than small projects, and vibe coding grows more difficult as the size of a project increases. So while it might be tempting to try vibe coding your way to a full-blown 3D game or world-class accounting software, you might want to hold your horses and start small. Very small.  A screenshot of me asking Claude about some enhancements to my tabletop game web app, which is relatively simple and small in scope.Matt Smith / Foundry Here are some great entry-level project examples for vibe coding: Python scripts that automate specific tasks, like scraping web pages for data or filtering documents by various criteria. A single-page personal website or app in HTML and JavaScript. A single-feature app programmed in Python or C#. My first vibe-coded project was a dice-rolling tool with text-to-speech capability for the tabletop strategy game Battletech. It can roll dice and announce the results of a roll, speeding up play. I also vibe-coded my own personal website, a single page of HTML with some JavaScript. Use AI to troubleshoot issues, answer questions, and generate documentation You might be surprised by how quickly AI can help you vibe code basic tools and programs. It’s so easy to pop out a quick Python script, you may find yourself doing it several times a day at one point. However, heavy reliance on vibe-coded projects can lead to another problem: losing track of how each script and program works, and becoming confused by dependencies. For example, Python programs typically don’t work right out of the box. You’ll need to install Python as well as the various libraries that are used to accomplish different things in a script. Not only do you have to figure that out, but if you ever move to another computer, you’ll also have to set up Python and those dependencies on that computer as well. Fortunately, AI is great at solving this problem. Just ask and it’ll provide you with instructions on how to install a new programming language and any related libraries on your computer. This will typically involve a handful of command-line prompts. I also recommend ending every vibe coding session by asking the AI to create documentation that teaches new users how to use the generated program. And when you use AI to modify existing scripts or programs, it’s a good idea to ask for a changelog of everything it does. Documentation will help you remember how your program works and help you get it working when you switch computers. Pick up Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi Python scripts and web pages can be useful, but they lack pizzazz… and that can be discouraging for any new vibe coder. If you want to try programming something that feels more tangible and exciting, then I recommend picking up an Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi. Going this route is likely to increase your starting costs and will make your vibe coding journey more complicated. You’ll need to buy some hardware and most likely a soldering iron. You’re also going to need to pick up some skills that AI can’t help with, like soldering. A Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W hooked up and ready to tinker with.Raspberry Pi While you can use AI to suggest Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi projects, I recommend picking a tutorial that already exists, like this Raspberry Pi Pico W weather station by ExplainingComputers. The tutorial explains the basics, of course, but the AI chatbot can further explain concepts that you don’t quite understand and handle edge cases. For example, I had a different temperature sensor than the one in the tutorial, so I had to wire it differently than how it was shown and make changes to the code to identify my sensor. With the help of AI, I was able to make the required changes in just 15 minutes. Further reading: Practical Raspberry Pi projects anyone can do PROMOTIONLaunch in minutes by vibe coding Turn your ideas into reality with Hostinger Horizons. Build web apps, websites, and custom tools by chatting with the AI – no coding required. 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On the first day after your vacation, you sit down at your PC, type in the password — and fail. Windows says: “The password is incorrect. Please repeat the process” and expects you to click “OK.” After you click, the operating system displays a “Password hint” as a small reminder. get windows 11 pro for cheap Windows 11 Pro Because you have learned from us that secure passwords are not in the dictionary and should consist of upper and lower case letters, special characters, and numbers, a hint such as “10 characters” is of little help. Clicking on “Reset password” also leads nowhere — after all, you haven’t created a rescue drive. You may even be using a password manager — but this will, of course, remain inaccessible until you log in. Don’t worry: A forgotten Windows password is not the end of the world. We will show you various ways to regain access to your system. Further reading: Best password managers Easy access to your data even without a password Important first: Logging into Windows with a user name and password is not primarily used to protect your data, but to assign individual user profiles. The operating system recognizes who is currently sitting at the computer and automatically provides this user’s personal working environment — including desktop settings, files, and programs. To protect data from unauthorized access, Windows comes with encryption technologies such as EFS (Encrypted File System) and Bitlocker. And another basic tip: In extreme cases, a forgotten password can also lead to the loss of all data because you will not be able to avoid reinstalling Windows 10. You should therefore regularly create a backup of the most important data and also maintain this backup. However, as long as you have not encrypted your files, they are largely freely accessible, even without you or another user logging into Windows. Further reading: Newbie’s guide to Windows BitLocker: Why you need it & how to set it up For example, if you have installed Windows 10 alongside an older version of Windows, simply log in to this older version and access the files on the other system from there using Explorer. You can also install the hard drive with Windows 10 in another computer (but not as a boot drive!), boot into the Windows of the other computer and access the data on the second hard drive. You may have created a Windows 10 recovery system on a DVD or USB stick. In this case, you can boot your computer from it and access the drive data. However, this is not suitable as a permanent solution. Back up your data and reinstall Windows — or try to get a new password. Note: Before you try any of the solutions described below, you should make sure that the Caps Lock key was not activated or Num Lock was deactivated when you entered your password. Mistakes like this can happen to anyone (we’ve made them) and cause unnecessary work if you don’t notice the faux pas straight away. Further reading: So long, passwords: 5 easy ways to use passkeys The Windows password and encryption The methods described in the article for overwriting the Windows password have a big catch: If you have protected files or folders on your hard drive with the built-in Windows encryption, they will no longer be accessible afterwards. This is because the Encrypted File System (EFS) responsible for encryption is tied to the user password. If it is changed, whether by the administrator or by overwriting the old password, you will no longer be able to access your data. This affects all files and directories that you have encrypted after right-clicking on them and using the command “Properties > Advanced > Encrypt content to protect data.” Windows will only adjust the encryption accordingly if you change your password yourself. However, there is a way out: You can export the certificate for the encryption and save it on another drive, such as a USB stick. To do this, you need the Windows Certificate Manager, which you can open by entering the file name certmgr.msc in the search field of the taskbar. Go to “My certificates > Certificates,” click on your user name in the right-hand side of the window using the right mouse button, and select “All tasks > Export.” Use the following wizard to save the private key and define a password. Then select the desired storage location and make sure that the PFX file with the certificate and the key does not end up on the local hard drive. If you can no longer access your data after changing the Windows password, copy the PFX file back to the computer and double-click on it. This will call up a wizard with which you can import the certificate again. 1. Trick 17 with purchase program: Skip password entry The paid Kon-Boot can bypass Windows or MacOS passwords.Foundry Windows saves all passwords in the “SAM” file (without extension) in the “C:Windows System32config” folder. This is a database in which the user data is encrypted as hash values. Cracking this encryption is very time-consuming, depending on the complexity of the password. However, there are various workarounds. The first option is to use the paid tool Kon-Boot. You burn it onto a CD or copy it onto a bootable USB stick, start your computer with it and then immediately carry out a second boot process from the hard drive. Kon-Boot then patches the Windows code in memory that is responsible for the login process and, after selecting an account with administrator rights, allows you to boot to the desktop without entering a password. In the next step, the password can be changed in the Windows settings via “Accounts > Logon options.” Now remove the CD from the drive or remove the USB stick and restart Windows from the hard drive. You can then log in with the new password. Kon-Boot used to be a free open source tool and is now available for a fee. You can still find the old versions in some places on the internet, but they are not compatible with Windows 10 or 11. 2. Resetting the Microsoft account password If you log in to Windows with a Microsoft account, you can reset your password in just a few minutes using a web service.Foundry With newer versions of Windows, it is still possible to save account information locally, but the standard method is to log in with a Microsoft account, whereby the password entered is verified online via the Microsoft server. The methods for resetting the password explained in the following points do not apply here. They only apply to local account logins. If you can no longer use Windows because you have forgotten the password for your Microsoft account, you can repair this online via any other computer. The web address is https://account.live.com/resetpassword.aspx. What you need to know in any case is the email address or mobile phone number that was stored when the Microsoft account was set up. You will then receive a security code at this email address (or on your mobile phone), and after entering it you can assign a new password. You can also change an existing password via your Microsoft account dashboard under “Security.” Here you will also find an overview of all devices that are linked to your Microsoft account and lots of other information and setting options. 3. Resetting the Windows password of a local account For this first option, you will need any Windows setup DVD. Whether it’s an original disc or an ISO image you have burned yourself is just as irrelevant as the Windows version. This does not have to be the same as the Windows to be cracked. But it must be a fully fledged installation medium — never a recovery CD/DVD. Boot the computer using this DVD. After selecting the language, the “Install now” or “Install Windows” button appears. At this point there is also a “Computer repair options” button, which you select here. Depending on the set-up medium, you will then either be taken immediately to the “Command prompt” or via the click sequence “Troubleshooting > Advanced options > Command prompt.” Here you must now find out the drive identifier of the installed Windows. Start with the following two commands:c:dir and continue with “d:”, “e:” until the “dir” command displays the typical root directory of a Windows system with “Windows” and “Program Files.” (Usually “c:” is used as the system drive.) There you go with cd windows\system32 to name the folder with the system programs, with ren utilman.exe utilman.ex_ and copy the command prompt to this name: copy cmd.exe utilman.exe You can then shut down the system, remove the DVD and restart the computer with Windows installed. Utilman.exe is a small auxiliary program for the visually impaired (“Easier operation”) which, unlike all other programs, is ready to start at the Windows login screen. This will now solve your login problem. Click on the “Ease of use” icon on the login screen or use the Win+U key combination. The command prompt “CMD.EXE”, renamed to “utilman.exe”, will open. A single command is now sufficient to replace the forgotten password with a new one: net user [account] [password] If you have also “forgotten” your account (which looks more like a break-in), use the account that is currently displayed on the login screen. The password assignment is valid immediately — you can therefore log in to the Windows system immediately with this password. 4. Remove Windows password with Linux system Without a Windows setup DVD, you can take the almost simpler route via a Linux system. The PC-WELT emergency system is particularly suitable as an alternative operating system. After starting the system, you can in principle also follow the path described in point 2, because after the “writable” mounting of the Windows partition via “Drives” (in the bar at the top) you have full access to the “/Windows/System32” directory. But there is an even simpler way: Without worrying about mounted drives, select the option “New password (new version)” under “Rescue tools.” The Linux system then automatically searches for the Windows partition and the registry file “SAM.” If it finds them, it displays the user accounts entered there and you select the account whose password you want to delete. That’s it! You then start Windows and are logged in without a password. If the “New password (new version)” tool does not automatically find what you are looking for, there is an older version “New password” in the “Rescue tools” that requires some supporting interaction. 5. Change password with Offline NT Password & Registry Editor The free Offline NT Password & Registry Editor resets the password of your Windows account with just a few clicks. The open source tool can delete or replace the password, but cannot display it in plain text. It is also possible to make a Windows user with limited rights an administrator. A simple editor for editing the Windows registry keys is included. The Offline NT Password & Registry Editor is embedded in a live system based on Linus. Download the ISO file, which is only a few megabytes in size. Then write the CD image to a blank disc using a free tool such as Imgburn. Alternatively, you can use a USB stick and create a multi-boot stick with the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor using the freeware Sardu, for example. When you boot the system, the tool displays all recognized hard disk partitions with their names. Select your Windows system partition by entering the number and confirming with the Enter key. In the next step, press Enter to accept the default directory for the registry. Press 1 to call up password mode. Press 1 again to display a list of all users. Now type in the user name for the account whose password you want to reset. Please note here: As is usual with English keyboards, the Y and Z keys are reversed. Press the Enter key. Selecting 1 deletes the password, pressing 2 allows you to edit the password. Press 3 to change the user’s rights. Press ! and Q to exit the editor. Press Z to save your changes. 6. Simply change a forgotten Windows password You can also simply replace the Windows password with a new one — even using the standard Windows tools. However, there is one restriction: The file and folder encryption of the operating system is linked to the password. So if you have encrypted data with the Windows tools, you will no longer be able to access it after changing the password. If, on the other hand, everything is stored unencrypted on your hard drive or you use an external program such as Veracrypt, you can safely follow the following tip. All you need is the Windows DVD; a bootable USB stick is also suitable. Boot your computer from the DVD and make sure the correct language is set as the installation language in the first “Install Windows” window. Click on “Next” and “Install now.” While Windows is still considering, press the key combination Shift+F10. The command prompt appears, in which you type “regedit” to load the registry editor. Select the key “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” and open the menu command “File > Load structure.” In the following window, locate the system partition C: and the Windows System32config folder there. In this folder you will see a file called SOFTWARE. But be careful: The registry editor does not display any file extensions. The file you need is simply called SOFTWARE. However, there is also a software.txt in Windows. You can recognize the correct file by switching on the “Details” view at the top and paying attention to the “File” type. Select SOFTWARE and click on “Open.” The editor will now ask you for a key name. Enter a name of your choice, such as “Password,” and confirm with “OK.” Now click through to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEPasswordMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution Options Right-click on the folder and go to “New > Key.” Give the new key the name “utilman.exe”. Click on it with the right mouse button, select “New” and “String.” Enter “debugger” as the name, double-click the character string, enter “cmd.exe” as the value, and close the window with “OK.” Finally, go back to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEPassword, select this key and click on “File > Remove structure.” Confirm the removal with “Yes,” close the editor and the command prompt, and reboot Windows. If the prompt “Press any key to boot from CD or DVD” appears, do nothing and let Windows boot from the hard drive. As soon as the password prompt appears, press the key combination Windows+U This will open the command prompt, where you enter the command “net user [username] [password],” replacing “[username]” with your login name and “[password]” with the new password you want. Leave out the inverted commas and square brackets. After you have pressed the Enter key, “The command was executed successfully” appears as confirmation. Close the command prompt and enter the new password in the login window. Finally, open the registry editor again and delete the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionImage File Execution OptionsUtilman.exe. The trick exploits the fact that Windows loads the utilman.exe file during login, behind which the Ease of Use Center is hidden. The change made to the registry calls up cmd.exe instead, i.e. the command prompt. The password can then be changed using its command set. 7. Crack Windows password with the help of Ophcrack By now you have read how to skip, reset, or overwrite the Windows password. However, there are also tools that attempt to guess the original password using a brute force attack. They try out character combinations in quick succession until they find what they are looking for. With shorter, uncomplicated passwords, this can be done quite quickly; with longer character strings, the process can take days or weeks. The advantage: If you have encrypted files on your hard drive, you can access the data again in this way. Caution: Cracking other people’s passwords is illegal! Only use such tools to recover your own password. In addition, many antivirus programs regard these tools as Trojan viruses. You should therefore temporarily deactivate your antivirus program (if you use one) before using them. One of these tools is Ophcrack. Burn the Ophcrack ISO file onto a CD or DVD. Alternatively, pack the contents onto a USB stick using Rufus. Please be careful: This will delete all existing files. You can find information on Rufus at https://rufus.akeo.ie/. Ophcrack works with rainbow tables. When cracking a password, it is not necessary to try out all possible character combinations — which would be time-consuming and costly. Instead, the tool can use ready-made character tables and thus work much faster. Rainbow Tables for Windows XP, which uses LM hashes, is also supplied. On the website of the manufacturer, the Swiss company Objectif Sécurité, further tables are available for newer Windows versions with NT hashes, including some paid versions for professionals. 8. Reset password for Windows 11 (24H2) Foundry Note: This method only works with a local account and if a recovery partition has been set up for the system. As a number of changes have been made to the operating system since the last major Windows 11 update (24H2), some of the recovery methods presented may no longer work properly. With the current Windows 11, however, you can also proceed as follows to regain access to your OS if you no longer know the password. To do this, we first boot to the login screen where we previously failed to enter the password. There we click with the mouse on the power symbol in the bottom right-hand corner. A small window opens. While holding down the Shift key, click on “Restart.” This will take you to the menu that you can see in the screenshot above. Click on the entries “Troubleshooting > Advanced options > Command prompt.” Now we proceed similarly to method no. 3: First, we need to find out the drive identifier of the installed Windows. Start with the following two commands c:dir and continue with “d:”, “e:” until the “dir” command displays the typical root directory of a Windows system with “Windows” and “Program Files.” Note: As a rule, “c:” is the system drive. There you go with cd windows\system32 to name the folder with the system programs, with ren utilman.exe utilman.ex_ to an executable file and copy the command prompt to this name: copy cmd.exe utilman.exe Now you can type “exit” and exit the command prompt. In the menu (screenshot above), simply tap on “Continue” to return to the Windows login. There we are no longer interested in the power button, but in the accessibility button (right next to it). As soon as you tap it, a window for the command prompt opens again. Here we use the commandnet user command to find out what Windows calls our account (if you don’t already know). You will find three entries in the first line (Administrator), the third of which (after “DefaultAccount”) is the name of the account you are looking for. Now we are almost finished and enter the commandnet user [KONTONAME] * Please enter the account name without brackets and confirm the command with Enter. Windows will now prompt you to enter a new password. Attention: There is no feedback when you enter the password! To be on the safe side, you must enter the assigned password again afterwards. You can now exit the prompt and log in with the new password in future. Finally, we should undo the changes we have made. To do this, you can now hold down the Shift key and click on the Power button in Windows 11 and switch to the Command Prompt (exactly as described above) via the troubleshooting function. There we navigate again to the “System32” directory (use the instructions above if necessary) and enter the following commands:del utilman.exeren utilman.ex_ utilman.exe Windows 11 will now run as before and you will have a new password. Further reading: Already using random passwords? Great. It’s still not enough Read...