Why trust us?
Because we trust you! Your opinion is the engine that’s driving our pursuit of exceptional content!
Windows Report is born out of passion & commitment, and that’s why we promise you the same thing: to test and review only the products and services we’re passionate about and to deliver the end results as they are. No workarounds, no half-baked results, no hidden facts.
While the website was founded in 2012, most of our writers, editors, and especially the management team were involved in tech-related projects way earlier than that. Again, all of them were and still are driven by a passion for cutting-edge technology and the next big thing.
That’s the real-world expertise that recommends us! It’s the main reason why we’re best suited to give honest, detailed, and useful feedback to the average user who’s looking to learn more about that specific thing that sparked their interest.
Our goal
We have a simple goal: to offer independent results. Providing unbiased opinions and answers is one of our main pillars, and we’re really proud of that. We achieve this through our complete editorial independence, backed by extensive testing, attention to detail, and fantastic research skills.
Our global team of technology journalists is expanding daily, adding to the general know-how and granting us the ability to cover many products and services. And our promise to you is to ensure that for every question you have, we’ll also have an answer.
Our commitment
Ethics are significant in our review process; our beliefs are ours only. We hope they’re aligned with yours, but if that doesn’t happen when it comes to a reviewed product, we’re here to listen to your opinion and your personal experience dramatically matters to us.
We also promise editorial independence, as we will never accept payment for product or service reviews. Our review process involves many hands-on steps that are important for delivering the quality you expect while being transparent, and that’s why paid reviews aren’t on our plate.
Products are chosen for review based on what we think users want and need. And the end result will always be the truth, regardless of what marketers, advertisers, or product manufacturers say. If a product is good, we’ll let you know; if not, we’ll also clarify that.
Lastly, we guarantee that products are thoroughly tested in real life and in testing environments to ensure that every possibility is covered. Depending on each product area, we have a standard number of testing days and a scoring procedure to ensure we don’t leave anything on the table.
Our scoring system
To ensure we maintain a baseline standard at all times, all our reviewed products and services go through specific tests and then are marked in a scoring system. While multiple scoring points are depending on each product, our baseline always consists of the following:
- Design – we take into consideration the style, attributes, visual specifics, and other visual elements to check if they match the price point and the general product area
- Performance – we determine the best and the worst result, a solid middle point, we test different use scenarios, we run multiple benchmarks and real-world test
- Usability – we go through all the features, settings, and options and determine if a product is user-friendly, easy to operate, beginner-friendly, or aimed more at professionals
- Value – we take into consideration the price of the product and weigh the good, the bad, and the competition to see if it’s a good value/deal or not
- Comparison – we compare the design, performance, usability, and value with similar products from the same bracket to determine the best choice for an end-user
Our reviewers
The Windows Report editorial team is global and constantly expanding. It consists of writers, editors, product specialists, and experts who share their opinions and collaborate to make sure the end result is always what the end user expects. We work with professionals specialized in:
- Windows troubleshooting
- Networking
- Privacy & Security
- Hardware
- Software
- Gaming
- Product development
And these are only a few of the areas our experts cover. If you want to learn more about our team, please check the About us page.
How we test
We are real users, just like you. Like you, we want the same things: good products that meet expectations and offer fair value and usability. That’s why technical data, benchmarks, and other professional testing solutions are part of our review process.
We build our reviews on real-world data because that’s the most important for you, the end user: how a product performs in your own hands.
Our mission will always be to use the products and services we recommend. And because our team is global, we usually test products in different environments, multiple countries, different conditions, and with more variables than a simple benchmark.
So whether you’re looking at a software product we reviewed, a hardware product, or maybe a service, rest assured that we’ve properly tested it, and most of all, we’ve properly used it (and probably still are, because we also love good products!)
Our methodology: Overview
Everyone at Windows Report follows strict rules to ensure only one thing: you’ll get the best possible outcome! In that regard, we use our accumulated expertise to create & deploy real-world scenarios, tests, and challenges for each product listed on our website, whether hardware or software. We apply the same to our most knowledgeable area, troubleshooting!
Each step follows user logic, starting from everyday use cases to more complex developments, including specialized tools directed to power users and IT pros.
Troubleshooting: How you can fix almost everything!
One of our oldest mottos is “Error-free Tech Life”, and we stand by it to this day!
We’ve gone through multiple Windows iterations, hundreds of cumulative updates, thousands of KBs, and tens of thousands of glitches, errors, and bugs to learn everything there is to know about Windows and Microsoft products. We’re determined to share every new finding with you, our readers; we hope you won’t need it, but just in case you will, our experts are here to take on the latest errors so you won’t have to.
Error assignment & expertise: Windows Report works with troubleshooting experts worldwide, each specialized in a specific category. Depending on the specific error, it is assigned to a knowledgeable tech officer with the necessary experience to tackle it.
Researching the error: The first step is to research the topic in-depth. This means finding all the iterations of an issue, possible causes for its happening, user feedback, expert feedback, official mentions & documents regarding it, and lastly, own experience & expertise.
Replicating the error: After knowing everything there is to know about a specific problem, our tech expert replicates the error in a controlled environment. This process might occur more than once to better pinpoint the triggers and account for any possible variations.
Fixing the error: Based on research and our own expertise & experience, the expert compiles a set of specific steps for fixing the issue. The steps are real-world tested and up to date for each and every one of our articles and always start with the most straightforward fixes you, the end user, can safely apply.
Sharing our findings: When the final draft is done, our editorial staff will share (in-house) the troubleshooting guide to ensure its functionality and usability.
Publishing the troubleshooting guide: After all the information from the guide is confirmed and double-checked, our expert publishes the fix guide following our set of guidelines and making sure it includes all the resources you need (numbered steps, images, notes).
Post-publishing follow-up: After the troubleshooting guide is live, our editorial team monitors the comments section and other user-generated content to ensure our experience is on par with the users’. If significant discrepancies exist between the two, the guide’s methods are re-tested, and the content is updated.
- How we fix Windows errors
- How we fix Windows updates
- How we fix BSoDs
- How we fix Driver errors
- How we fix DLL errors
- How we fix Printer errors
- How we fix Peripherals erros
- How we fix Xbox errors
- How we fix Microsoft Office errors
Hardware: We buy & test thousands of products, so you don’t have to
Our hardware reviews are independent and 100% based on our experience with the product!
Our verdict can’t be altered in any way, shape, or form because we build our content around you, the consumer. If we ever write about a product sent for the purpose of reviewing, we’ll let you know that on the review page.
Also, if we can’t get our hands on a product (for whatever reason), we’ll base our article on your direct feedback and industry expert opinions to paint a better picture of what your final experience should be like.
Researching the product: Before any product reaches our testing grounds, we thoroughly research it, the manufacturer, your general interest, and our expertise in that specific field.
Buying the product: In most cases, we directly buy products under anonymity or aliases to ensure that our experience is as close to yours.
Unboxing the product: Every review starts with the unboxing experience (and an unboxing video). This counts towards the product’s overall score, sometimes even impacting functionality.
Product allocation & expertise: After the unboxing, the product is allocated to a seasoned reviewer specializing in the product’s specific area. Experience matters and that’s why each and every one of our writers/editors covers a specific area.
Reviewing the product: The first draft comes to life! Based on design, usability, performance & features, value, and comparison, our expert writes an in-depth experience article after a set period of time with the product.
Collaboration: Upon the first conclusions, our technical, research, and editorial staff come together to establish the purpose and direction of the review, alongside the product highlights and other possible in-depth research on a specific feature.
Publishing the review: After all the testing (plus any additional testing or research), our editorial staff takes over the final draft, considering the conclusions from the other departments. Finally, before posting it live, each department receives a copy for final review.
Post-publishing follow-up: After the review is live, our editorial team monitors the comments section and other user-generated content to ensure that our experience is on par with the users’. If there are significant discrepancies between the two, the product is re-tested, and the content is updated.
Take a look at our specific methodology & in-depth steps for some of our most popular product categories:
- How we test Laptops
- How we test Desktop PCs
- How we test Monitors
- How we test Headphones
- How we test Microphones
- How we test Handhelds
- How we test Wi-Fi routers
Software: We lab-test every program & app to ensure quality and usability
Same as hardware products, our software reviews are independent and 100% based on our experience with the software!
We independently buy every app or program featured in our articles, paying extra attention to the entire experience, including downloading and installing the software. We also focus on two critical factors from the start: security and privacy!
Researching the software: Before anything else, we do in-depth research about a specific software product: how it is positioned in the market, what the general interest in it, how the end-user perceives it, what other popular expert opinions about the software exists, what’s the software’s purpose and how it manages to achieve it (or not).
Buying the software: After that, we establish the software version/variant that needs to be tested and reviewed. Usually, we test both the trial and paid versions of a software product. If the product is freeware, we go straight to testing it.
Software allocation & expertise: Each specific software product is assigned to a dedicated expert with know-how and experience in that area.
Reviewing the software: Our expert starts with the download & install experience and then goes through design, usability, performance & features, value, and comparison to determine the software product highlights. Each category is specifically scored based on our system and then in-depth tested for a set period of time. Finally, each software product goes through benchmarks and simulated troubleshooting (forced errors, glitches, UI/UX inconsistencies).
Publishing the review: After the testing period is closed, the reviewer’s draft goes to our editorial staff to consolidate the purpose and direction of the review. Before posting it live, the reviewer receives a copy for final review.
Post-publishing follow-up: After the review is live, our editorial team monitors the comments section and other user-generated content to ensure that our experience is on par with the users’. If there are big discrepancies between the two, the software product is re-tested, and the content is updated.
- How we test Windows updates
- How we test Photo/Video editors
- How we test Browsers
- How we test VPNs
- How we test Antivirus software
- How we test Windows optimization software
- How we test Registry cleaners
Remember that if you have a different opinion than ours, you want to highlight a mistake or maybe a certain inconsistency in our reviews, or if you want to share your personal experience with a product, you can write us anytime on our contact page or directly contact our editorial team.