5 Home windows 11 settings I instantly change on any new PC

At any time when I carry out a clear set up of

Windows 11
on my desktop or arrange a brand new laptop computer, the very first thing I sort out is adjusting the Home windows settings that hinder my productiveness, privateness, and general enjoyment of the OS.

Do not get me unsuitable, Home windows 11 has some

excellent features
proper out of the field. Nevertheless, sure default settings and options may be exceptionally annoying and detract from the consumer expertise,

with Copilot
and the usual notification settings being key examples. All these settings may be simply adjusted — you need not obtain a third-party app or modify any registry settings — and are accessible to any Home windows consumer.

5

Change your default browser

You may change different app defaults as effectively

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

By default, once you boot up Home windows 11 for the primary time, Microsoft units Edge as your default browser. Whereas I respect Microsoft’s modifications over time to Edge, it is nonetheless not so good as Chrome or different in style browsers like Firefox. One of many first issues I do on any new PC after setting it up is immediately obtain Chrome to switch Edge.

To vary your default browser, head to Apps > Default Apps > Google Chrome (or no matter your browser of alternative is) and click on Set default. With this enabled, you may be redirected to your new default browser as an alternative of Edge everytime you click on on a hyperlink. In the identical default apps menu, you may also change different default apps for Home windows 11, similar to your media participant for video information, which I at all times change to VLC media player as an alternative of the default Home windows Media Participant.

Associated

Hooking a new PC up to my monitor’s HDMI 2.1 port was a nightmare

Getting my monitor to output at 4K/144Hz was far tougher than it ought to have been. This is how one can keep away from the problems I encountered.

4

Scale back the quantity of notifications you obtain

I do not want notifications for ideas Microsoft

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Home windows 11 can ship a number of notifications that shortly develop into overwhelming or distracting once you first begin utilizing it. If you end up receiving too many notifications, whether or not from apps or what Microsoft refers to as “Ideas,” you possibly can scale back them to remain extra targeted and declutter your notification heart.

To do that, go to Settings > Notifications. You may then alter which apps ship you notifications. You may type them by just lately used, supplying you with an concept of which apps you utilize probably the most and would possibly need to maintain notifications enabled for. The primary apps I maintain enabled are Outlook, Slack, and Discord, primarily something communications-related.

Close to the underside of the notifications web page, you may discover Further settings. Once you click on that, you may see three choices for Home windows that I like to recommend turning off, certainly one of which offers “ideas and solutions when utilizing Home windows” that I discover irritating. My philosophy for Home windows is, if I would like to seek out one thing out, I am going to look it up, in any other case I do not want Home windows continually recommending me issues to do.

Associated

I powered-up my Windows 11 experience with Windows 25, and I don’t think I can go back

Should you’re bored with Microsoft’s default Home windows 11 interface, then Home windows 25 has you coated — here is what this community-created mod can ship.

3

Say goodbye to Copilot

Sorry Microsoft, I do not want it

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Microsoft is enjoying a giant half within the AI revolution with Copilot, its AI chatbot. With Home windows 11, Microsoft has positioned Copilot entrance and heart within the taskbar for customers to expertise. Should you’re not fascinated by AI or don’t need it getting in the best way, you possibly can do away with it.

If you wish to take away your Copilot out of your taskbar, merely right-click the icon and unpin it. If you wish to go a step additional and say goodbye to Copilot completely, you possibly can uninstall the app by going to Settings > Apps > Copilot. Then click on the three dots subsequent to Copilot and choose Uninstall. There’s a separate Copilot for Microsoft 365 apps, so this may not have an effect on your capability to make use of it in applications like Phrase or Excel if you wish to use it there.

When you have a PC with a devoted Copilot key on the keyboard, you may also rebind it to one thing else. To take action, obtain the Microsoft PowerToys app from the Home windows Retailer. Once you open PowerToys, go to the Keyboard Supervisor submenu, then choose Remap a key to alter the Copilot key to one thing else.

Associated

5 Windows services I disabled to make my PC run smoother

Disabling these background companies may assist velocity up your Home windows 11 PC.

You may also reposition the Begin button again to the left

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Copilot is not the one factor glued to your taskbar once you first boot up Home windows; the Information Widget can be there. Once you hover over the widget or click on on it, it brings up a panel with information, climate, and commercials from MSN. I’ve by no means as soon as opened this widget on objective, nor do I ever plan to, and it feels extra like bloatware than something helpful. If I need to see the information or the climate, I am going to verify my cellphone or look it up.

Fortunately, in the event you’d choose to see the Information Widget gone too, it is easy to do away with. To take action, head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and switch off Widgets to disable it. It should then disappear out of your taskbar for good. Should you’d choose to maintain the Information Widget round simply to see the climate in your taskbar, however not have it open once you merely hover over it, you possibly can change that by opening the Information Widget and going to Settings > Open Widgets board on hover and toggling it off.

Moreover, in the event you’d choose to maneuver your begin button again to the left nook, prefer it was on Home windows 10 and plenty of previous variations of Home windows, you are able to do that underneath Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar alignment and select Left.

Associated

Windows 11 is evolving, and so is its iconic Start Menu

Alongside new Floor PC {hardware}, Microsoft has introduced a seize bag of latest AI options for Home windows 11 (along with a significant Begin Menu redesign).

1

Alter privateness settings

Management how Microsoft makes use of your knowledge

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

At any time when I arrange a brand new laptop computer or carry out a recent set up of Home windows 11, my first intuition is to regulate my privateness settings. This offers me management over how and when Microsoft accesses my private knowledge. I’m significantly against focused promoting, particularly in Home windows, which is why I concentrate on adjusting the settings to cease apps from utilizing my promoting ID. You are able to do this too by going to Settings > Privateness & Safety > Common and disabling the choice that enables apps to indicate customized adverts utilizing your promoting ID.

The following privateness setting I alter is diagnostic data. Whereas sending restricted diagnostic knowledge to Microsoft is required to maintain your gadget up to date and safe, you possibly can select to ship non-compulsory diagnostic knowledge, which incorporates “knowledge about web sites you browse, how you utilize apps and options, and enhanced error reporting,” as per Microsoft. I choose to not ship any non-compulsory diagnostic knowledge to Microsoft in any respect. To do that your self, head to Settings > Privateness & safety > Diagnostics and suggestions > Ship non-compulsory Diagnostic Information, and switch it off.

Moreover, underneath Diagnostics & suggestions, I disable Tailor experiences, which lets Microsoft use your diagnostic knowledge to “improve your product experiences with customized ideas, adverts, and proposals.” That is a giant no thanks for me, so I additionally turned that off. Should you’re seeking to enhance the efficiency of your PC, then there are additionally settings you can disable to just do that.

Associated

5 retro Windows games that will bring you right back to 2007

Microsoft has bundled in some downright iconic PC video games into Home windows all through the years – listed here are 5 of my all-time favorites.