The symptoms (high CPU due to paging, slow performance with multiple applications) strongly indicate insufficient RAM. The system is using the page file on the SSD heavily, which is slow compared to RAM. Adding more RAM will reduce reliance on virtual memory, alleviate the CPU load from memory management, and provide the most direct performance boost for this multitasking scenario. While an NVMe drive is faster, the bottleneck described is memory, not storage speed. CPU replacement is often not feasible in laptops, and a dedicated GPU wouldn’t address the core memory constraint.

A mesh Wi-Fi system is designed for seamless coverage in spaces with obstacles like walls, making it ideal for the described office layout. The two nodes will ensure a strong signal throughout. Mesh systems typically include easy-to-configure guest network functionality, isolating guest traffic from the main business network for security. While a single powerful router (option 2) might work, a mesh system is more reliably optimal for coverage. Using two standalone APs (option 3) requires more complex configuration for seamless roaming. Option 1 provides poor coverage, security (hidden SSIDs are ineffective), and no guest network.

The most common and first step in troubleshooting a newly installed internal component that is not detected is to verify physical connections. Loose or unseated SATA data or power cables are a frequent cause of this issue. Checking connections is quick, non-invasive, and resolves the problem a significant portion of the time. The other options are valid troubleshooting steps, but they should only be performed after confirming the physical installation is correct. You cannot initialize a disk in an OS if the BIOS doesn’t see it.

The user’s workload (photo editing, large spreadsheets, heavy multitasking) is heavily dependent on RAM capacity. Insufficient RAM leads to constant paging/swapping, which makes a system feel slow and unresponsive regardless of other components. While a good CPU and dedicated GPU are important for photo editing, running out of RAM is the single biggest bottleneck for the described multitasking scenario. Maximizing RAM first ensures the system can handle the concurrent workload smoothly, making it the most critical investment for longevity and perceived speed.

After verifying physical connections, the next logical step is to ensure the software/OS is configured to output to the external display. The Windows + P shortcut is the direct control for display projection modes. It’s very common for this setting to be changed (especially after connecting to a projector) or to default to ‘PC screen only’ after a disconnect. This step is faster than restarting or updating drivers and resolves the issue in most cases. Cable replacement would be a subsequent step if this fails.

Proactive maintenance is key to preventing future problems. Excessive dust acts as an insulator, reducing the cooling efficiency of heatsinks and fans, which can lead to thermal throttling (reduced performance) or eventual component failure due to overheating. Using compressed air to remove the dust is a standard, safe preventative maintenance task that mitigates this risk. It should be done with the system powered off and unplugged. Waiting for a failure (option 1) is poor practice. Replacing a working fan (option 3) is unnecessary. Stress-testing a dusty system (option 4) could intentionally cause an overheat.

The two most critical immediate settings for public Wi-Fi security are: 1) Enabling the Windows Firewall, which filters incoming network traffic, and 2) Setting the network profile to ‘Public’. The ‘Public’ profile automatically configures the firewall to be more restrictive and disables network discovery, making the laptop less visible to other devices on the untrusted network. While the other options are good security practices (disabling Bluetooth, strong BIOS passwords, device tracking), they are not the primary defenses specifically for risky network traffic.

When a printer reports a jam but no paper is present, the most common hardware cause is a faulty or stuck paper jam sensor. These small mechanical or optical sensors tell the printer when paper is passing through. If one is stuck in the ‘triggered’ position or is failing intermittently, it will generate false jam errors. Worn rollers (option 1) would cause feed errors, not necessarily false jam reports. Driver settings (option 3) or dirty print heads (option 4) would not cause a persistent jam error message.

A direct Gigabit Ethernet connection via a crossover cable (or a modern auto-MDI-X cable) creates a dedicated, high-speed link between the two machines. This avoids the congestion, latency, and intermediate hops of an office network or the internet. The theoretical speed of Gigabit Ethernet (~125 MB/s) is sufficient and often faster than using a single USB flash drive for such a large volume. Cloud transfer (option 3) is slow and dependent on internet upload/download speeds. Using the office network (option 4) is slower due to switch traffic and other network activity.

The symptoms (high CPU due to paging, slow performance with multiple applications) strongly indicate insufficient RAM. The system is using the page file on the SSD heavily, which is slow compared to RAM. Adding more RAM will reduce reliance on virtual memory, alleviate the CPU load from memory management, and provide the most direct performance boost for this multitasking scenario. While an NVMe drive is faster, the bottleneck described is memory, not storage speed. CPU replacement is often not feasible in laptops, and a dedicated GPU wouldn’t address the core memory constraint.0