Credit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf Published May 8, 2026, 9:30 AM EDT Tashreef's fascination with consumer technology began in the school library when he stumbled upon a tech magazine, CHIP, which ultimately inspired him to pursue a degree in Computer Science. Since 2012, Tashreef has professionally authored over a thousand how-to articles, contributing to  Windows Report  and  How-To Geek.  He currently focuses on Microsoft Windows content at MakeUseOf, which he has been using since 2007. With hands-on experience building websites and technology blogs, he brings practical developer insights to his technical writing. You can view his complete work portfolio at itashreef.com. You might also stumble upon his short how-to video explainers, simplifying complex topics. Beyond writing, Tashreef enjoys creating short explainer videos, gaming, and exploring animated shows. Sign in to your MakeUseOf account At the start of this year, I stopped paying for Microsoft 365 .…