Get Windows 11 Help From the App, Microsoft or a Friend

Last updated on November 4th, 2026 at 10:06 am

For most Windows 11 problems, the right first stop is the built-in Get Help app: search the Start menu for get help, describe what’s wrong, and it suggests fixes or runs the matching troubleshooter. Need a person instead? Use Contact Support for Microsoft, Quick Assist for a friend who can see your screen, or recovery tools if Windows won’t start.

Applies to: Windows 11 Home and Pro, current 24H2 and 25H2 builds. Some recovery tools need 22H2 or 24H2, as noted below.

Which kind of help fits your problem

Match your situation to a row, then jump to that section. Picking the right route first saves you from repeating the same description to three different places.

Your situation	Best route	What you need
A setting or feature isn’t working (sound, Wi-Fi, printer)	Get Help search or a troubleshooter	Nothing extra
You’ve tried the suggested fixes and it still fails	Contact Support inside Get Help	A Microsoft account or work/school account
A friend could fix it if they could see your screen	Quick Assist	The helper also needs Windows 10 or 11 and the app
Something broke right after an update or a new app	Recovery tools in Settings	Admin rights; a backup is wise
Windows won’t start normally	Windows Recovery Environment	Your BitLocker recovery key, if the drive is encrypted
A pop-up or caller says your PC is infected	Close it; don’t call anyone	Task Manager if the page won’t close
Hardware is damaged (screen, keyboard, battery)	Your PC maker’s support	Model and serial number
It’s a work or school PC	Your organization’s IT help desk	Your work account

Get an answer from the Get Help app

Get Help is Microsoft’s central hub for Windows support. It searches help articles, offers guided fixes and can start a troubleshooter for you. It’s free and installed by default.

1. Select Start, type get help, and select Get Help. You can also open it from the Get Help link on the Home page of Settings, or from Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
2. If it asks, sign in with your Microsoft account or your work or school account. Searching works without much fuss, but you’ll need to be signed in to contact support later.
3. Type a description of the problem in the search box and press Enter.
4. Work through the suggested steps in order. If Get Help offers to run a check, let it; it can change settings for you and tells you what it fixed.
5. If you’re still stuck, look for the option to contact support at the bottom of the results.

Write the question so Get Help understands it

Get Help works like a search engine, so the words you type decide what you get back. A vague query such as “computer broken” returns generic advice. A specific one lands on the right fix.

Worked example: Alex’s printer stopped printing after a Windows update. Compare what Alex could type:

• printer returns setup articles Alex doesn’t need.
• printer not working is better, and usually offers the printer troubleshooter.
• printer says offline after update names the symptom and the trigger, which points to the most likely fix.

Include the exact wording of any error message, which part of Windows is involved, and what changed just before the problem started. If an error flashes up and disappears, press Windows + Shift + S to capture it; there are other ways to take a screenshot in Windows 11 if a snip isn’t convenient.

Run a troubleshooter directly

If you already know which area is failing, skip the search:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Select System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
3. Select Run next to the area that isn’t working, such as Audio, Network and Internet or Printer.

On current Windows 11 builds, many troubleshooters open in Get Help and walk you through their checks there. The full walkthrough on running a Windows 11 troubleshooter shows which one fits each problem.

Talk to a person at Microsoft

When self-help runs out, Get Help can connect you with Microsoft Support. Before you start, collect the details any support agent will ask for:

• Windows version and build: press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter. Pressing Windows + Pause opens Settings > System > About, which also shows your PC’s name and specs.
• When it started: after an update, a new app, a new device or a move to a new network.
• What you’ve tried: restarts, troubleshooters and any steps from Get Help.
• The exact error text, or a screenshot of it.

Then contact support:

1. Open Get Help and make sure you’re signed in.
2. Search for your problem, scroll to the bottom of the results, and select the option to contact support.
3. Choose the product (for example, Windows) and the category that’s closest to your problem, then confirm.
4. Pick from the contact options offered. What you see depends on your product, region and account, so a chat or a callback may appear for one person and not another.

Who should you contact instead of Microsoft? For physical faults, such as a cracked screen, a dead battery or keys that don’t respond, your PC maker handles repairs and warranty claims, and many laptops ship with the maker’s own support app. On a work or school PC, your organization’s IT team usually manages Windows and may block personal support routes, so start with them.

Microsoft also lists two other self-service routes: the search box on the taskbar, which matches settings and help articles as you type, and its support website, where you can browse Windows help by category. The Microsoft Community forums are useful for unusual problems; search for your error first, and if you post, include your Windows version and PC model. Never post product keys, passwords or recovery keys there.

Let a friend see your screen with Quick Assist

Quick Assist lets someone you trust view or control your PC over the internet. Both people need Windows 10 or 11 and the Quick Assist app.

Before you start: on some builds Quick Assist has to be installed from the Microsoft Store, it needs Microsoft Edge WebView2 (installed automatically the first time it opens), and a work or school PC may block it by policy.

What the helper does:

1. Opens Quick Assist (search Start, or press Ctrl + Windows logo key + Q).
2. Selects Help someone and signs in with a Microsoft account, which the helper needs.
3. Reads out or sends the six-digit security code to the person being helped.

What you do on the PC that needs help:

1. Open Quick Assist the same way.
2. Type the code into the Code from assistant box and select Submit.
3. Read the prompt, which shows who wants to connect, then select Allow to share your screen.
4. If the helper selects Request control, you’ll be asked again. Allow it only if you want them to use your mouse and keyboard.

You stay in charge throughout. Cancel control takes control back without ending the session, and Leave ends it completely. Nothing keeps running after you leave.

Warning: Microsoft’s own advice is to only allow a helper to connect if you started the conversation by contacting Microsoft Support directly. For family and friends, the same rule applies: you call them, not the other way round.

Fix a problem caused by a recent change

If Windows still starts but something broke after an update, a driver or a new app, work up this ladder from the least disruptive option. Back up your important files first, and if you want your apps and settings restored automatically afterward, turn on Settings > Accounts > Windows Backup.

1. Restart properly. Use Start > Power > Restart rather than Shut down, so Windows fully reloads.
2. Check for updates. Open Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates; Microsoft often ships fixes for known issues.
3. Uninstall the latest update. In Settings > Windows Update > Update history, look for Uninstall updates. Some updates can’t be removed.
4. Point-in-time restore (Windows 11 version 24H2 or later). Check that it’s on under Settings > System > Recovery > Point-in-time restore, then restart into the recovery environment (Advanced startup, below) and choose Troubleshoot > Point-in-time restore. Windows keeps these for up to three days, and anything you changed after that point is lost, although OneDrive and other cloud files aren’t affected.
5. Reinstall Windows using Windows Update (version 22H2 or later). This reinstalls your current version of Windows without touching your files, apps or settings. In Settings > System > Recovery, look for Fix problems using Windows Update and select Reinstall now.
6. Reset this PC. Choose Keep my files or Remove everything. Either way, your apps and settings are removed, so treat this as a last resort before calling for help.

If you’re comfortable with a few more tools, checking system files can also help; running an SFC scan in Windows 11 covers that.

When Windows won’t start normally

If the PC can’t reach the desktop, Get Help isn’t available, so the help has to come from Windows itself.

• Quick machine recovery (24H2 or later) watches for repeated startup failures caused by a known issue and applies a fix from Windows Update automatically. Microsoft says it’s on by default on Home; on Pro and Enterprise, an administrator may need to turn it on. It doesn’t reset the PC or touch your files.
• Automatic recovery. After a couple of failed starts, Windows usually opens the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) by itself. Select Troubleshoot to see the options.
• From Settings, if you can still sign in: go to Settings > System > Recovery, find Advanced startup and select Restart now.

Inside WinRE, Troubleshoot > Advanced options offers Uninstall updates and startup settings, including Safe Mode in Windows 11, which loads only the essentials so you can remove a bad driver or app. Cloud rebuild reinstalls Windows from a fresh download but removes your files, apps and settings.

Warning: if your drive uses BitLocker or device encryption, most WinRE options ask for the recovery key. Find it and write it down while the PC still works, usually from your Microsoft account’s device page.

Be wary of help that finds you

Real help starts with you. A pop-up that says your PC is infected and shows a phone number is a scam, and so is a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft. Microsoft’s guidance is to let a helper connect only if you contacted Microsoft Support yourself.

If a scam page takes over the browser and won’t close, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager in Windows 11, select the browser and choose End task. Don’t call the number, don’t install anything the page asks for, and never pay with gift cards. If you already gave someone access, disconnect from the internet, change your passwords from another device and run a full scan in Windows Security.

Smaller places to look

These won’t fix a serious problem, but they answer a lot of quick “how do I” questions.

• Settings search. Typing a setting’s name in the Settings search box often gets you there faster than browsing. There are several ways to open Settings in Windows 11, including Windows + I.
• Tips. If your PC still has the Tips app (Microsoft is phasing it out), search Start for Tips for short feature walkthroughs.
• Copilot. On PCs where it’s available, Windows key + C opens Microsoft Copilot. Answers can be wrong, so check the steps against what you actually see on screen.
• F1. Inside most apps, F1 opens that app’s own help. What it does on the bare desktop varies, so don’t rely on it.
• Repair Get Help. If Get Help itself won’t open, go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, select the three dots next to Get Help > Advanced options, then try Repair before Reset.
• Feedback Hub. Press Windows key + F to report a bug or suggest a change. It’s for telling Microsoft about problems, not for getting a reply about yours.

Common questions about Windows 11 help

Is Microsoft Support free?

Get Help, troubleshooters, Microsoft’s help articles and the community forums cost nothing. Whether a person-to-person contact option is offered, and on what terms, depends on your product, region and account, so check what Get Help shows you.

Does Get Help work on a work or school PC?

It may. Get Help supports work and school accounts, but your organization can limit apps and support routes. If a contact option is missing or Quick Assist is blocked, your IT help desk is the intended route.

Can I get help without a Microsoft account?

You can search Get Help, run troubleshooters, read Microsoft’s support site and browse the community forums without signing in. Submitting a support request needs a Microsoft account or a work or school account.

I can’t sign in to my Microsoft account. Where do I start?

Try the password reset on the sign-in screen first. If that fails, Microsoft’s account recovery form asks questions to prove the account is yours; Microsoft suggests filling it in on a device you’ve signed in with before, from a place you usually use it.

Does Quick Assist leave anything running after the session?

No ongoing access is left once either person selects Leave. A new session needs a fresh code, which only works if you type it in.

Where do I find help for Windows 10?

The menus differ in places, so use the steps for getting help in Windows 10 instead.

Microsoft’s own summary of these routes is on its How to get help in Windows page, and the full recovery ladder is in Recovery options in Windows. For the app itself, read About Get Help, and before a Quick Assist session, Microsoft’s remote connection help is worth a look.