One Cool Tip Newsletter

February 25, 2026

Your daily dose of tech-savvy brilliance!

😀Greetings!, Happy Windows Wednesday, Cool Tipper!

Get ready to streamline your digital life with simple, actionable tips delivered straight to your inbox.

Today's Cool Tip Theme: Extract Text from Images in Windows 11

IN THIS ISSUE

• 🛠️ Windows 11 February 2026 Update.
• 🤖 AI Text Prompt.
• 📸 Text Extraction in Photos.
• 🪄 Generative Erase.
• 🖼️ Background Removal in Paint.
• 📑 Layers in Microsoft Paint.

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• 😂 Laugh with Us! Enjoy our Tech Joke of the Day, Haiku and Cool Tip Comics.



• 🌐 Stay Informed! Check out ICYMI, and our One Cool Tip Video.

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Today's Tech Trivia

Answer at the end of this newsletter.

🚨Windows 11 February 2026 Update🚨

• Release Date: February 10, 2026
• Update Version: KB5077181 (Builds 26100.7840 and 26200.7840)
• Applies to: Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2

Microsoft’s February 2026 update delivers practical improvements and critical security fixes, no gimmicks, just useful upgrades.

What’s New

• Built-in Network Speed Test: Right-click your taskbar’s network icon to test your internet speed instantly. No third-party site needed.
• Sleep/Wake Reliability Fixes: Faster, more consistent wake-from-sleep performance across devices.
• Gaming Stability: Resolves full-screen gaming eligibility bugs and black screen issues on Nvidia systems.
• Secure Boot Certificate Prep: Ensures your device is ready for the June 2026 certificate transition.
• WPA3 Wi-Fi Fixes: Restores connectivity for affected networks.
• AI Component Updates: Background upgrades to image search, semantic analysis, and content extraction modules.

🛡️ Security Highlights

• Fixes 6 actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, including SmartScreen bypass and MSHTML flaws.
• Addresses 58 total security issues, spanning memory corruption, authentication bypass, and information leaks.

🧭 How to Get It

• Available now via Settings > Windows Update as a cumulative security update.
• Optional preview KB5077241 includes the same features and can be installed manually.
• Automatic rollout begins March 10, 2026 for users who defer updates.

This update is stable in early testing and resolves several long-standing issues.

It’s a solid step forward for performance, security, and everyday usability.

Try this Cool AI prompt. Copy and paste to ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot.

Copying text from an image? Try this prompt for a text clean-up:

"I am going to paste text that I extracted from an image. Please clean up any typos caused by the scanning process and format this information into a clean Markdown table. Here is the text: [PASTE YOUR TEXT HERE]"

Extract Text from Any Image with the Windows Photos App

Windows 11 hides a powerful OCR tool inside the Photos app that instantly pulls text from images. If you take screenshots, snap whiteboards, or store receipts as photos, this feature can save you hours of retyping.

Have you ever stared at a screenshot and thought, “I just need that one paragraph”? 

Maybe it was a Wi-Fi password, a quote from a PDF, or handwritten notes from a meeting. 

Traditionally, that meant retyping everything or installing a third-party OCR tool.

Here's a Cool Tip:  Use Windows Photos App to Extract Text.

Windows 11 now includes built-in text recognition inside the Photos app. 

It works quietly in the background and makes text selectable and copyable directly from your images. 

No subscription. 

No browser extension. 

No scanning app required.

For business users, and home users alike, this is one of those practical upgrades that removes friction from daily work.

Feature Explanation

What it is:

• The Windows Photos app in Windows 11 includes optical character recognition, or OCR, that detects text inside images and allows you to copy it.

How it works:

• When you open an image in Photos, the app analyzes the image for recognizable characters. If text is detected, a “Copy text” or “Scan text” option appears. You can select specific lines or copy all detected text.

Why it matters:

• Screenshots, scanned contracts, printed forms, whiteboards, and even photographed documents become searchable and editable. This eliminates retyping and reduces errors.

What You’ll Gain

Faster data entry from screenshots and photos

Fewer transcription errors

No need for third-party OCR tools

Instant copy and paste into Word, Excel, or email

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here's how to do it.

Windows 11 (Desktop)

1. Double-click any image file to open it in the Photos app.
2. If text is detected, you will see a “Scan text” or “Copy text” icon in the toolbar.
3. Click “Scan text”.
4. Drag your cursor over the portion you want.
5. Click “Copy”.
6. Paste into Word, Excel, Notepad, Teams, or anywhere else.

fig. 1 - Copy Text from Any Image in Windows 11

Tip: Use this on screenshots of web pages, error messages, or printed invoices.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Built into Windows 11.
• No subscription required.
• Fast and accurate for clear text.
• Works offline for many scenarios.

Cons

• Handwriting accuracy varies.
• Complex layouts may require cleanup.
• Feature visibility depends on Photos app version.

For business users, this replaces basic scanning software for everyday needs. 

For home users, it simplifies digitizing printed information.

Feature Access

• Platform: Windows 11.
• App: Microsoft Photos.
• Cost: Included with Windows 11.
• Availability: Included in current Windows 11 Photos app versions.

If the icon does not appear, confirm your Photos app is updated via the Microsoft Store.

Score

Criterion | Score (0–10) | Justification

Value 9

Eliminates manual retyping and works instantly inside a default Windows app.

Usability 9

Extremely simple interface; click, select, copy.

Wow Factor 7

Not flashy, but deeply practical for daily productivity.

Total: 25/30 🌟 Excellent

A quiet productivity powerhouse that competes with standalone OCR tools for everyday tasks.

Key Takeaways

Windows 11 hides powerful OCR directly inside the Photos app. 

If you regularly take screenshots or photograph documents, this tool can save measurable time every week. 

It is one of the most underrated productivity features in Windows.

Cool Tip Snapshot

• Feature Name: Text Extraction in Windows Photos
• Platform(s): Windows 11
• Quick Benefit: Copy text directly from any image
• Access Type: Free, built into Windows 11

Try It Yourself

Open any screenshot right now and look for the Scan Text icon in Photos. 

Test it, paste the result into Word, and see how much time you save. 

If you found this useful, share this article with your team, family, and friends and subscribe to the One Cool Tip newsletter for daily practical tech wins.

READ MORE

• How to Set Up iCloud on Windows
• How AI Actions in File Explorer Speed Up Your Windows 11 Day
• Skip the USB: How Windows Nearby Sharing Streamlines File Transfers

Read the Full Cool Tip.

🆒Tell Me More

• OCR accuracy improves dramatically with high contrast images.

• Photos app text extraction works without a subscription.

• You can extract only part of an image, not just the whole thing.

• It works especially well for screenshots of web pages and PDFs.

⏩Quick Tips

• 🪟 Update Photos: Open Microsoft Store and update Microsoft Photos to ensure the feature appears.

• ✂️ Crop First: Use the Crop tool before extracting text to remove clutter and improve detection accuracy.

• 🔍 Zoom In: Zoom into small fonts before selecting text to make selection easier.

• 📋 Clipboard History: Press Windows + V to access previously copied OCR text entries.

• 🧾 Proof Financial Data: Always double-check numbers like totals or invoice amounts after extraction.

✅ More Must-Read Tech Tips

👀 How Do I Use Generative Erase in Windows Photos?

Have you ever wished you could simply erase photobombers, power lines, or any other distractions from your pictures with a magic wand? 

Here's how to do it.

1. Open Windows Photos and select the image you wish to edit.
2. Click on the ‘Edit image’ button on the top menu. 
3. Click the "Edit" icon. 
4. Use the brush tool to highlight the element you want to remove.
5. Adjust the brush size and intensity as needed.
6. Save the edited image or continue enhancing it with other Windows Photos tools.

Whether you’re a professional photographer or a casual user, it offers a quick solution to enhance your images.

Discover more HERE. 

🤔 Have You Ever Wondered How to Remove an Image Background?

Have you ever struggled with removing the background from an image, only to end up with jagged edges and unsatisfactory results? 

Microsoft Paint introduces the Copilot Remove Background feature, promising to make this task a breeze. 

Here's how to do it.

1. Ensure you have the latest version of Paint installed from the Microsoft Store.
2. Open the image you want to edit.
3. Select the Copilot button on the menu bar.
4. Select "Remove background" from the drop-down menu.
5. Paint removes the background. You can make any necessary adjustments to refine the result.

The AI-powered tool saves time and effort by automating the background removal process.

Microsoft Paint's Copilot Remove Background feature is a game-changer for image editing, offering a user-friendly and efficient solution for isolating subjects from their backgrounds. 

Find out more HERE.

🙋‍♂️ Here's How to Use Layers in Microsoft Paint.

Have you ever wished for a simple tool that could help you create complex designs? 

Microsoft introduced a layers feature in its Paint application for Windows 11.

This feature, typically found in more complex software like Photoshop and Gimp, allows users to stack multiple images, text, and graphics on top of each other, which can then be manipulated individually.

Here's how to do it.

1. Open Paint on Windows 11.
2. Click the Layers button in the command bar.
3. Click the Plus (+) button (Ctrl + Shift + N) to create a new layer.
4. Insert an image or create a shape with the tools available in Paint.
5. Drag the layers to change their order and bring a layer forward or backward.
6. Right-click the layer and choose the “Delete layer” option to remove it from the file.
7. Right-click the layer from the right pane and choose the “Duplicate layer” to create another instance of the same element.
8. Right-click the layer and select the “Hide layer” to work on another layer.
9. Right-click the layer and choose the “Merge down” option to combine the layer with the layer immediately below it.
10. Each layer can have its own paint object(s).
11. For example, in this example, each layer has its own object: background, Person and Text.
12. Click the Save button.

Learn more HERE. 

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😎 Cool Facts

• 99% Accuracy: Modern AI-powered OCR systems now achieve over 99% accuracy for printed text, though accuracy for complex handwriting typically ranges between 85% and 95%. Source

• 2.1 Trillion: Humanity was expected to take approximately 2.1 trillion photos in 2025, roughly 61,400 per second, creating a massive need for tools that can index and extract the text hidden within those images. Source

• $80 Paper Cost: The average U.S. office worker still uses roughly 10,000 sheets of paper per year, costing businesses about $80 per employee just in paper supply costs, not including the much higher costs of printing and storage. Source

⌨️Today's Cool Keyboard Shortcuts

• Windows + Shift + S: Capture a screenshot for extraction.

• Windows + V: Open clipboard history.

• Ctrl + A: Select all extracted text.

• Ctrl + C: Copy highlighted text instantly.

😜 Tech Joke of the Day 😅

Why did the screenshot feel important?

Because it finally got recognized.

🔎 Do you have a Cool Tip or tech question? Email us at onecooltip.com@gmail.com.

Cool Tip Haiku

Faded printed lines,

Click, copy, paste into life,

Paper turns to code.

Lock Down Your Chats with WhatsApp’s Strict Account Settings

Edit Slides in NotebookLM: No More Starting Over

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How to Use Google Gemini to Crush the SAT 

How to Use the New Windows 11 File Explorer Gallery

Ever wondered how to make the most out of your Windows 11 experience? 

Do you want to view and manage your stored photos?

Watch

When your storage solution weighs 300 pounds and still has no cloud backup.

Trivia Answer: B) The visually impaired for reading

While we use OCR today for productivity, the earliest versions were developed as "reading machines" for the blind.

In 1914, Emanuel Goldberg developed a machine that could read characters and convert them into telegraph code.

Later, in the 1970s, Ray Kurzweil developed the first omni-font OCR, which could read any font and provide "text-to-speech" for the visually impaired.

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Tomorrow's Cool Tip is waiting to amaze you.

Until then, go forth and conquer the tech world with your newfound knowledge!

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Enjoy!



Rodger

Chief Cool Tipper

onecooltip.com@gmail.com

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