Darren Allan

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Articles by: Darren Allan

Happy man with laptop on his lap
Microsoft just gave PowerToys a nifty new feature — and I think it's high time some of these goodies came to Windows 11

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft is busy improving Windows 11, and there's an obvious easy win it's missing: porting over smart PowerToys features.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed
'The version Microsoft will build should be known as Copilot OS': Windows built around AI may not be happening, but leaked concept remains a grim portent for desktops

By Darren Allan Published

Remember Microsoft's vision of Windows built around AI? That recent leak has been raked over — and fresh details of 'Copilot OS' make me more nervous about the future.

Confused PC gamer looking at screen
Amazon security engineer hacks PC accessories with Claude Opus to make them work better — Asus, Insta360 and Elgato products reverse engineered in hours for 'better control', but engineer admits this also 'scares me'

By Darren Allan Published

Some nifty tricks are pulled off by the security engineer — but the dark side of all this is worrying to say the least.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed
Microsoft's latest move to pay people to use Edge looks desperate — and an odd new Bing app is worrying too

By Darren Allan Published

An app has been spotted that makes Bing your default search, and some users see it as another reason to leave Windows 11.

A header image depicting the best Mac antivirus brands of 2025
Best Mac Antivirus of 2026: Expert Reviews and Top Recommendations

By Benedict Collins last updated

macOS We've tested and reviewed all the best Mac antivirus, so you can protect your Apple device from harmful malware and viruses.

HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch on table with pink wall and plant in background
Should you buy a Chromebook now or wait for the Googlebook?

By Darren Allan Published

Don't understand what a Googlebook is, or how it's different from a Chromebook? We cut through the confusion for those hunting out a new laptop.

2 Comments
Cyberpunk 2077 on ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop
'Took me months to work this out': Redditor explains how Windows 11 can end up stripping out the GPU driver on your gaming laptop

By Darren Allan Published

Windows 11 removed the driver for an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti laptop graphics card, and you can blame Eco mode.

4 Comments
Upset young man plays computer games at home.
Are your PC games crashing after the latest Windows 11 update? Microsoft is investigating whether a nasty new bug is the cause — but there are workarounds

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft is investigating reports of a nasty bug that breaks some PC games following the latest Windows 11 update.

Close-up of webcam on MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, with pink wall in background
Windows 11 is getting a much-needed change to privacy settings — but it's something Microsoft should have sorted a long time ago

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft is finally changing app permissions to make sense for all software.

A person using a Windows 11 laptop
Microsoft is massively improving Windows 11's right-click menu — but it should have been like this from the start

By Darren Allan Published

'Probably has a lot to do with figuring out how to get Windows 11 working on 8GB': Microsoft debloats right-click menu in a big way, but the cynics still aren't happy.

Render of Zotac GeForce RTX GPUs
PC gamers are asking 'what's next?' as RAM crisis sparks further rumors of GPU price hikes, and gaming monitors could get more expensive

By Darren Allan Published

Graphics card maker warns that GPUs are due 'substantial' price hikes, and I'd buy now rather than wait — the same might be true of gaming monitors.

RAM sticks stacked on top of each other
SSD price pain predicted to last until 2030 — as worrying report shows DDR5 RAM is now five times more expensive than a year ago

By Darren Allan Published

Expect the worst for RAM and SSD costs — latest DDR5 pricing and a storage exec's fresh prediction are bleak.

Happy PC gamer
Epic Games Store is going to support Linux 'soon' — and that's great news for Steam Deck owners

By Darren Allan Published

2026 just gets better for Linux gamers, as Epic is making a native version of its launcher, plus the GeForce Now app has officially arrived.

Angry man ripping out his hair in front of his laptop
1 in 3 Windows users have 'fallen into a reset trap' and can't escape Edge — I think it's high time Microsoft stopped messing around with default browser choices

By Darren Allan Published

Users report encountering 'challenges' when trying to change their default browser, and being stuck with Edge when they don't want it.

Lenovo
Leaked IdeaPad looks like a proper MacBook Neo rival — but I don't think Lenovo can beat Apple on price

By Darren Allan Published

'Pretty sure it won't share the same build quality': Lenovo's new laptop with MacBook Neo vibes is leaked, but skeptics are worried it won't match Apple's quality.

Android Phone in Desktop PC, angle view showing display at front of case
Redditor turns Android phone into a desktop PC in a stroke of genius, sandwiching it between two huge CPU coolers so it runs Witcher 3 at 1080p ultra

By Darren Allan Published

Nubia Z70 Ultra smartphone is transformed into a desktop PC in a remarkable fashion, drawing plenty of admiring oohs and ahhs.

Happy woman sitting on a bed with a coffee and a laptop
Windows 11's August update has arrived — here are 3 reasons to download it, including turbocharged app launching

By Darren Allan Published

A speed-boosting feature that was previously for Windows 11 menus only now works with apps too.

COnfused businessman working with his laptop, at the office
'Not all heroes wear capes': Someone ported Word from 1990 to run in Windows 11, and it's perhaps the ultimate protest against Microsoft's bloat

By Darren Allan Published

Think Windows 11's Notepad is too bloated these days? Someone got an ancient version of Word running natively in Windows 11.

5 Comments
SteamBoy close-up on controller and buttons
Redditor somehow turns a Steam Deck into a Game Boy — and I'm loving the 'SteamBoy'

By Darren Allan Published

'I would totally back something like this on Kickstarter': Redditor turns Steam Deck into a Game Boy, and the 'SteamBoy' has gone down a storm.

Frustrated unhappy laptop user girl touching head at work table with computer
Microsoft reportedly pours fuel on PC pricing flames as it implements a 'significant increase' for Windows 11 licenses

By Darren Allan Published

What RAM crisis? Microsoft reportedly hikes cost of Windows 11 for computer makers, rubbing software salt into PC pricing wounds.

3 Comments
Shocked woman worker looking at laptop screen
Windows 11's RAM-hogging, advert-laden Weather app is the poster child for everything that's wrong with the operating system

By Darren Allan Published

Worried about the RAM crisis? Microsoft isn't, if Windows 11's Weather app is anything to go by.

Computer memory RAM on motherboard background
The RAM crisis just hit a new low — here's my advice on what to do based on 30 years of writing about GPUs, memory and PC components

By Darren Allan Published

There are certain components and devices that you should be considering buying sooner rather than later, at least in my view.

ASUS ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX 5090 OC Edition liquid cooled graphics card against a blue background
Redditor gets sick of waiting for Nvidia and makes a tool to protect RTX 5090 GPUs from melting their power cables

By Darren Allan Published

Are Nvidia RTX 5090 and 5080 GPU owners still paranoid about cable melts? Vibe coded tools popping up to defend against disaster suggest they are.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed
This is getting embarrassing now — Microsoft sabotages its good work in fixing Windows 11 with this baffling OneDrive Photos app misfire

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft needs to sort out Windows Update — we don't want random OneDrive apps shoved onto our PCs without asking.

4 Comments
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 sitting on its retail packaging
More hefty GPU price hikes are rumored — and your only chance of a high-end Nvidia graphics card at MSRP is at QuakeCon

By Darren Allan Published

Want an RTX 5070, 5080 or 5090 at MSRP? Well, there's a chance you might get one — although it's vanishingly slim and highly location-dependent.

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