Windows comes with a number of useful programs already installed on your computer. They might not always be the best or the most feature rich but if you are not comfortable installing new programs onto your PC or your IT admin does not facilitate that, you may find this page useful. Even if you are already familiar with the programs, this page will highlight some useful features that you may not have been aware of.
You're probably already aware that Windows comes with a calculator program, but it can do more than just basic maths. Clicking the hamburger icon 
in the top left corner of the window, will allow you to switch to a variety of different modes such as a more details scientific calculator, a date calculator that you can use to work out the difference between two days, and unit converters such as for currency, length and weight.
You can copy and paste text on Windows using Ctrl+C and then Ctrl+V. Ctrl+V will always paste the most recent text or image that you copied, but by pressing the ⊞ Win+V , you can bring up the Clipboard History. This will need to be activated first and then it will start remembering all of the text that you copied and pasted. It will remember up to 25 of the previously copied items. This is a useful feature if you are frequently pasting two or more pieces of text or if you accidentally clicked Ctrl+C again when you didn't mean to and lost what you copied. You can clear this history by selecting "Clear all" in the upper right hand side of the clipboard history window.
This feature also allows you to find emojis, gifs and symbols that you may want to add to whatever you are writing.
ClipChamp is a video editing software that comes with Windows 11. It's designed to be easy to use. In addition to video editing, you can also use it to record your screen, audio or make a recording using a webcam or some combination of those three. This can be a useful feature if you're recording a lesson or tutorial. You can find it by searching the taskbar at the bottom of your screen.
You should then see Clipchamp pop up in the list of programs.
If you opened an image file on Windows you likely already used this program, but it has a number of useful features that goes beyond just viewing images. After you open an image you can see a number of icons at the top of the window.
The edit button 
, will allow you to rotate, crop, and add filters to your images.
The rotate button 
also lets you rotate an image but only by 90 degrees.
By clicking the kebab button 
, you can find a number of features, one of the more useful being to resize your image. Letting your shrink it down to a smaller size if needs be.
The resize feature also lets you convert the image to different image file types.
Every keyboard is different but you should have a Print Screen PrtScn button somewhere on your laptop or desktop computer. It might be near the top or the bottom depending on the layout. If you click this button, it will bring up a program that will allow you to take screenshots as well as record your screen. If you don't have this button or can't find it, you can also just click the ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift +V to do the same thing.
Some useful features beyond just screenshots is that it lets you capture part of your screen, a particular window, your full screen, or draw a freeform shape to record or capture.
The Snipping Tool is in some ways a more detailed version of the Print Screen option discussed above. You can find the Snipping Tool by searching the taskbar. The first three buttons are the same as Print Screen but it has some additional features like adding a few second delay to taking a screenshot.
Other options only appear after you have taken your screenshot.
Lets you draw on your screenshot in a variety of colours
Lets you highlight sections
Lets you erase part of your screenshot
Lets you add shapes. This is very useful if you are making a tutorial and want to highlight a section in a red box for example
Lets you crop your screenshot
Lets you convert text in the screenshot into text that can easily be copied and pasted.
Lets you copy the image if you quickly want to paste it into a chat or a document. Sound Recorder is a basic program that lets you record audio using your PC's microphone.
Sticky Notes is a basic program that lets you write notes or even add images to serve as reminders. Using the kebab icon 
in the top right corner of the note, you can change the note's colour or open a menu that shows you a list of all the notes you have written.
To Do is a program that lets you make check lists to help organise what you have to do. You can add due dates to certain tasks, or set them as repeating. The program can also be connected to Outlook for additional functionality.
Don't be put off by the name. Even if you are not a gamer, this app has a variety of features that you may find useful. Using the Xbox Game Bar, you can record your screen, audio, and take screenshots. This can be very useful if you want to record tutorials or presentations. This can be opened with ⊞ Win+B. It can closed by hitting these two keys again.
By clicking the camera icon, you can take screenshots as well as record your screen and audio.
The computer monitor icon can detail your computer's performance. This can be useful if you are having issues and want to identify the problem.
The audio button has a useful feature where you can easily control the volume of different programs currently open.
Better Windows gaming sessions with Game Bar
How to record your screen on Windows 11
