Some of the best and most interesting topics we cover here at Lifehacker are our how-to guides: Those posts that take you through a project step by step and leave you at the end having completed something you've always wanted to do. Here's a look back at our most popular how-to features of 2012.


Your Wi-Fi network is your conveniently wireless gateway to the internet, and since you're not keen on sharing your connection with any old hooligan who happens to be walking past your home, you secure your network with a password, right? More »


You may know what a VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is; you probably don't use one. You really should be using a VPN, and even if you don't think so now, at some point in the future you may consider it as important as your internet connection. More »



It's no secret that there's big money to be made in violating your privacy. Companies will pay big bucks to learn more about you, and service providers on the web are eager to get their hands on as much information about you as possible. More »



Between the Blu-Ray player, cable box, laptop, and everything else hooked up to your TV, your home theater situation is a mess. Here's how I rolled all those devices into one awesome media center-the media center of my dreams-for under $500. More »



If James Bond logs on to a computer, he doesn't want to leave a bunch of files, cookies, or his IP address out there for someone to find. It might seem extreme, but sometimes it's a good idea to take the same precautions yourself. More »



You've heard the word "server" thrown around a lot, but usually in the context of web sites or big companies that have a lot of data to store. In reality, a server can be just as useful in your home. More »



Mountain Lion, Apple's next version of OS X (10.8), is out. This means now's the perfect time to prepare your Mac for the smoothest upgrade transition. More »



You can easily download OS X Mountain Lion from the App Store any time after purchasing it, but if you want your own physical copy of the installation, here's how to make your own Mountain Lion install DVD or USB drive. More »



The internet really does have everything, and it's all available for download without lifting a finger. A series of helpful scripts, all installable in a few minutes, can transform your computer into an automatic media downloading machine. More »



No matter how fast and shiny your laptop was when you got it, time takes its toll, and your laptop's now dirtier, hotter, slower, and less effective than is was on day one. Here's how to give your laptop an extreme makeover and bring it back to-or at least closer to-its former glory. More »



The moment you get effortlessly lost in work goes by any number of names: focus, concentration, escapism, flow, and countless others. It's the point where you're able to blur the world around you and calibrate your brain to pay attention to one single task. More »



Election Day is over, and we all know what that means: tomorrow you'll wake up to an onslaught of annoying, ignorant Facebook posts from your friends (God love 'em) complaining about whichever candidate won. More »



The Nook Simple Touch is great for reading ebooks. It's got plenty of storage, it's small enough to carry anywhere, can be used with one hand, can hold tons of books, its e-ink display is crisp and easy to read, and most importantly, it runs a skinned and customized version of Android behind Barnes and Noble's interface. More »



Even if you're a Windows fan, you've probably thought about trying OS X. Maybe you'd like to test drive OS X before switching to a Mac or building a Hackintosh, or maybe you just want to run that one killer OS X app on your Windows machine. More »



Wouldn't it be awesome if you could just drop a PDF in a folder and it would automatically show up on your Kindle? Or if imported photos automatically scaled themselves down to a smaller size? More »



Your home computer is the perfect machine. It's customized to your exact needs, runs all your must-have apps, and holds every important file you'd ever need to access. More »



If getting active and staying healthy were easy, everyone would do it...but we don't. We come home after a long day of sitting in a chair to de-stress by sitting in another chair, unable to summon the energy to take a walk or hit the gym. More »



Raise your hand if you've shared a username and password with someone over IM? Ever share a document with your SSN or other extremely sensitive information without protecting it? More »



The annual Consumer Electronics Show is in session, which means thousands of people have descended on Las Vegas to stare at next year's dust-gathering trash. More »



It seems like every day there's news that a new site or service has been hacked. The intruders make off with usernames and passwords, and even if they're encrypted the service forces users to change them. More »



Every day, we're confronted with claims that others present as fact. Some are easily debunked, some are clearly true, and some are particularly difficult to get to the bottom of. More »



With the release of any new operating system comes a list of annoyances for veteran users. OS X Mountain Lion is no different, and while a number of its new features are great, a few annoyances have popped up that are pretty easy to fix. More »



When you sign a two year contract with your wireless carrier, you probably know there's a termination fee if you want to get out early. You may think that fee could be waived if you could demonstrate a real need to end your contract, but this sad story suggests otherwise. More »



Amazon is often our go-to place for buying things online, but the best deals aren't always obvious. There are several ways you can save quite a bit of money when shopping on Amazon, but only if you utilize the right programs and strategies. More »


How to Prepare Your Computer for Windows 8 Windows 8 will be here in just one day. If you're thinking of getting in on all the new features of Read more


If you're thinking of getting in on all the new features of the new "re-imagined," touch-friendly operating system, here's what you should do now to get ready. More »



Your home media center may be awesome, but it doesn't do you much good when you're at a friend's place and desperate to watch the Game of Thrones finale, get in a few laps on Mario Kart, or listen to a great new band you discovered. More »



Movie tickets are becoming more and more expensive, and with quick home releases there are fewer reasons to make a trip to the theater. You may get an enormous screen and high quality sound, but you can also have that in your home for a lot less than you'd think. More »



If you've ever thought "I wish my Android phone would do [X] whenever [Y] happened"-for example, text your significant other whenever you leave work; More »



You know how every new gadget that comes out makes your old one look slow and dingy...even if it's only slightly better? You don't need to be independently wealthy to always have the latest iMac, or upgrade to the newest Nexus every time it's announced. More »



Opportunity doesn't favor the wealthy, it favors the resourceful. You can get free travel, entertainment, gadgets, and even internet access by knowing about a few simple tricks and services. More »


So there you have it. It has been a great year of how-tos and walkthroughs. Whether your favorite of the year made the list or not, we'd love to hear which guide helped you the most. And if you're still hungry for how-to, take a gander at the most popular how-to guides of 2011, 2010, 2009, and 2008.

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