So you’ve got simply gotten a brand new PC laptop computer or desktop, unpacked it from the field, plugged it in and powered up for the primary time. Home windows 11’s OOBE (out of the field expertise) in all probability requested you to your Microsoft login and community credentials the primary time you booted up, however you are not finished but. To get the most effective efficiency and person expertise, you might want to take a number of extra actions to arrange your PC.
There are a variety of default Home windows settings that sluggish you down and restrict your productiveness. And, if you happen to did not construct this PC your self, each the OEM and Microsoft have probably thrown on some crapware for good measure. You may additionally be capable of make some tweaks that make the pc quicker otherwise you quicker.
Observe the 17 steps under and arrange your new laptop computer or desktop like a professional.
Unhide File Extensions and Hidden Information
Clearly, Microsoft thinks that file extensions are too sophisticated for the unwashed plenty. So, by default, Home windows 11 hides the “.docx” or “.jpg” or “.exe” suffixes that seem on the finish of file names. This manner, while you get a spreadsheet from a good friend, File Explorer will present that it is a “Microsoft Excel Worksheet” whether or not it is an Excel 2003 .xls file or a modern-day .xlsx file. Good luck with that!
To make file extensions seen, enter “file explorer choices” within the Home windows search field, choose the View tab, after which uncheck “Disguise Extensions for Identified File Varieties.” When you’re at it, toggle “Present hidden information, folders and drives” to on and uncheck “cover protected working system information” so you may see all of your system information.
Drive Home windows to Replace
You may suppose {that a} contemporary set up of Home windows 11 would not want updating, however you would be incorrect. Microsoft is popping out with new patches, fixes and safety updates on a frequent foundation. Between the time your PC left the manufacturing facility and the day you booted it for the primary time, loads might have modified.
Ultimately, Home windows 11 will replace itself, however it won’t be on the most handy time for you. So, we advocate forcing a Home windows replace as one of many first steps in establishing your new laptop computer or desktop for the primary time.
To drive Home windows to examine for updates, enter “examine for updates” into the Home windows search bar and click on the highest end result. Then click on the “Verify for updates” button if Home windows is not already downloading one thing. The system will obtain plenty of updates and you are able to do among the different steps when you wait. Nonetheless, the OS might ask you for permission to reboot when the updates have been put in.
Silence the Startup Sound
By default, Home windows 11 makes a chime at any time when it begins up. That may result in an embarrassing scenario if you happen to boot up your pc in a spot the place you might want to be discrete like a library or a classroom and even your personal dwelling when your loved ones is asleep.
To silence Home windows startup sound, first seek for “system sounds,” and click on the highest end result. Then uncheck the field subsequent to “Play Home windows Startup sound” and click on Okay.
If you happen to’re establishing your new laptop computer up discretely whereas your loved ones thinks you are listening to their vacation chatter, it is best to flip off all sounds (or simply mute the speaker) till the coast is evident.
Uninstall the Crapware
It doesn’t matter what vendor you purchase your PC from, it’s nearly sure to return loaded with free-to-play video games, antivirus trialware and different software program you don’t want or need. Sadly, a number of that stuff is definitely shoveled on by Microsoft itself, fairly than the OEM. However, as a part of establishing your laptop computer or desktop, it is best to terminate this crapware with excessive prejudice.
Whereas most crapware is innocent and barely takes up any disk house, a few of it’s going to drain system assets and nag you to purchase one thing (like a full subscription to antivirus software program when you should utilize Home windows 11’s built-in, free antivirus).
To eliminate crapware, seek for “add or take away” in Home windows search, click-through to the menu and undergo the checklist of purposes. We advocate protecting something you’re unsure about and leaving OEM utilities in place, simply in case you want them.
Set up the Newest Graphics Driver
In case your new laptop computer or desktop has discrete graphics, one of many very first issues it is best to do is be sure you have the very newest driver from Nvidia or AMD. A more recent driver often means higher efficiency within the newest video games and fewer bugs, even if in case you have one of many best graphics cards already.
Whereas the built-in Home windows Replace can seek for the newest graphics card drivers, you are a lot better off utilizing Nvidia and AMD’s personal administration software program. If it would not come preloaded in your new PC, obtain and set up GeForce Experience (opens in new tab) for Nvidia playing cards or Radeon Software for AMD playing cards.
These purposes will mechanically examine for updates on a frequent foundation, however if you happen to’ve simply booted up a brand new pc for the primary time, you may need to open them up and click on the handbook “Verify for updates” button.
Deliver Again Full Context Menus in Home windows 11
Microsoft’s newest OS has a number of terrible default settings and we have outlined the 11 worst Windows 11 features and the way to repair them elsewhere. Probably the most annoying characteristic of all is the truncated context menu you get when proper clicking on something.
In Home windows 10 and prior, you would see your entire choices straight away, however in Home windows 11, it exhibits you just some decisions after which makes you click on the “Present extra choices” hyperlink to see all of them. That is an pointless additional click on that you could be find yourself making quite a bit.
Luckily, there is a registry hack that provides you again the total context menu. Open the registry editor and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERSOFTWARECLASSESCLSID then create a brand new registry key known as {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}. Then add a brand new registry key known as InprocServer32 below that. Lastly, open the (Default) key in InprocServer32 and set its worth to clean. As all the time, with registry key modifications, you may need to restart the pc to see the modifications.
One other means to do that is by issuing two instructions at an administrative command immediate. You simply seek for “cmd,” proper click on and “Run as administrator,” then enter the next two instructions.
Reg.exe add "HKCUSoftwareClassesCLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "" /f
Reg.exe add "HKCUSoftwareClassesCLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}InprocServer32" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "" /fAllow Darkish Mode
Many customers, together with yours actually, desire darkish textual content on a lightweight background. By default, all of Home windows 11 and 10’s menus are in mild mode with black textual content on white. Nonetheless, you may enter Darkish Mode by navigating to Settings->Personalization->Colours and deciding on Darkish below the “select your mode” header (or “select your colour” in Home windows).
We have additionally obtained a tutorial on how to Dark mode everything, not only for Home windows’s built-in menus however for every thing in your OS from Microsoft Workplace to Gmail.
Change the Title Bar Colours
When you’re enabling Darkish Mode (in case you are), right here’s one thing else to do. Home windows 11’s default title bar colour is a bland white, which isn’t solely boring, however type of arduous to take a look at. Luckily, it is easy to assign an accent colour to title bars, the Begin Menu and the taskbar.
Navigate to Settings->Personalization->Colours and decide a colour. In Home windows 11, set “present accent colour on title bars and home windows borders” to on. In Home windows 10, examine the field subsequent to “Title bars and window borders.”
Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Favourite Apps
Each time you roll your pointer throughout the display screen, launch the Begin menu and click on an icon to launch certainly one of your favourite apps, you are losing a bit of time. Create keyboard shortcuts to your favourite apps and you may launch them by hitting a single key combo resembling CTRL + ALT + W to launch Microsoft phrase or CTRL + ALT + C for Chrome.
To create keyboard shortcuts, first open the command immediate (you will get there by trying to find “command”) and enter “explorer shell:AppsFolder” (with out the quotes). A window with icons for your entire put in apps opens and it is best to then drag the app you need onto your desktop. Proper click on the desktop shortcut icon and choose properties. Then enter a key combo, often one that features ALT + CTRL + LETTER, into the “Shortcut key” field and click on Okay. Repeat for all of your favourite apps.
Get Rid of the Ineffective Lock Display screen
When your pc is locked (or first boots), by default, Home windows 11 and 10 present you a lock display screen with the time, a wallpaper and perhaps (if you happen to permit) some notifications. If you happen to use Home windows Hiya facial or fingerprint recognition, you may log in by staring on the display screen or placing certainly one of your digits on the scanner. However, if you happen to use a password, it’s important to click on to dismiss the lock display screen earlier than the OS will let you enter your credentials.
That is one additional, pointless click on each single time you need to unlock your PC. To eliminate the annoying lock display screen and save your drained fingers, open the registry editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MachineSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows and create a brand new key known as Personalization if it would not exist already. Throughout the Personalization key, create a DWORD (32-bit) worth known as NoLockScreen and set it to 1.
Drive Home windows to Shut Apps at Shutdown
It is so annoying. You go to shutdown or restart your PC and also you stroll away, anticipating your pc to be powered off (or rebooted) by the point you come again. You go to the fridge, seize a drink and return to discover a message in your display screen that claims you have got apps which are not closed.
Possibly you simply had a nearly-empty notepad doc or an image in Photoshop that you simply did not need to save since you already copied and pasted the info into one other app (or used the Save for Internet choice). Now, Home windows is nagging you to return and shut all of your apps manually. Sure, Home windows offers you a button that claims “Shut down anyway,” however it’s important to hit it and await the system to hopefully drive shut the apps.
The very best answer is to open the registry editor, navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop and create three strings (if they do not exist already). Create AutoEndTasks and set it to 1, create WaitToKillAppTimeOut and set it to 2000. Lastly, create HungAppTimeOut and set that to 2000 additionally. These mechanically force-close any open apps after a 2000-millisecond (2 second) delay (shorter delays may very well be problematic as a result of it would not give apps which might be closing time to shut themselves).
Change Default Browsers
There is a motive why Microsoft Edge has only 4 to 6 percent of the desktop browser market. It is not a foul browser, however most individuals desire the wealthy ecosystem of extensions and broad help that Chrome and Firefox take pleasure in. If Microsoft Edge opens the positioning each time you click on a hyperlink in your electronic mail software program or on the spot messaging app, you might want to change the default browser.
To vary your default browser, first be sure you have the brand new browser put in. Seek for “default apps” within the Home windows search field and click on the highest end result. In Home windows 11, scroll down and double click on on the icon to your most popular browser (ex: “Google Chrome”), then click on the “Set default” button.
In Home windows 10, Scroll right down to “internet browser,” click on the Edge icon and select the browser you need to use.
Allow System Safety / Restore Factors
If one thing, like a foul driver, prevents Home windows from booting or causes frequent blue screens of demise, one probably answer is to return Home windows 11 to its earlier state. One of the best ways to take a step again to a earlier configuration (with the previous driver or replace or settings) is to do a system restore.
Nonetheless, by default, System Safety, the characteristic which creates restore factors you may return to, could also be off. Activate System Safety by typing “restore level” into the search field, clicking the highest end result, deciding on your boot drive (often C drive) , hitting the Configure button after which toggling “Activate system safety” to on. We advocate setting most disk house utilization to no less than 5GB. Additionally you may need to click on the “Create” button to arrange your first restore level.
Allow Storage Sense to Save Area
Until you have got a 2TB SSD in your system, you may all the time use extra free house. Home windows 11 has an elective characteristic known as Storage Sense, which mechanically purges information you not want to be able to unencumber treasured gigabytes for you.
To allow Storage Sense, navigate to Settings->System->Storage. Then toggle Storage Sense to on if it is not on already. Then double click on Storage Sense and click on the “Run Storage Sense now” button.
Modify Your Show Scaling
Out of the field, Home windows decides how massive to make the textual content, icons and different widgets. A number of the time, notably on laptops, the working system decides to function at 150 % or bigger scaling, which makes it simpler learn however allows you to match much less on the display screen. Different occasions, the default scaling is simply too small as was the case with me and my 4K monitor, which felt most snug at 175 % scaling.
To regulate the scaling to satisfy your private preferences, navigate to Settings->System->Show and scroll right down to the “Scale and structure” header. Then strive completely different percentages till you discover the one which works finest for you. If you happen to can see one hundred pc scaling comfortably, that is supreme, as a result of it gives essentially the most display screen actual property.
Set Up Fingerprint or Facial Recognition
Why waste time typing in a password when you may create log into Home windows 11 with both a finger scan or facial recognition. In case your pc has both a fingerprint reader or an IR digicam, you should utilize the working system’s Home windows Hiya characteristic to unlock the pc, no typing required.
To arrange Home windows Hiya, navigate to Settings->Accounts->Signal-in Choices and open Facial recognition or Fingerprint recognition then click on Arrange. If you happen to do not have already got one, you may be requested to create a PIN, which it’s also possible to use to log in and is quicker to sort than a password.
Delete the OEM Restoration Partition to Save Area
This can be a considerably controversial suggestion so think about your choices. Most laptops and pre constructed desktops include a restoration partition that eats up no less than 20GB of disk house. The purpose of those restoration partitions is to allow you to get again to a manufacturing facility state in case your pc turns into unbootable, maybe even caught on a blue screen of death. This manufacturing facility state is not only a clear Home windows 11, however one with all of the drivers and preloaded software program the pc got here with. Often, you may invoke these from some type of emergency menu earlier than boot.
Nonetheless, there are various different methods to revive a crashed pc with out sacrificing this disk house. To begin with, you may all the time use an present restore level or full system backup to get again to the place you have been proper earlier than the crash. If you happen to don’t have a backup and want to start out from scratch, you may create a Home windows 11 set up USB by downloading and utilizing Microsoft’s personal installation media tool (opens in new tab). When you’ve got a laptop computer and even most OEM desktops, your unique Home windows key will already be recorded in your BIOS. And, if you happen to don’t have a key, you may all the time get Windows 10/11 for Free or Cheap.
Observe: There may be additionally a non-OEM restoration partition that’s often 1GB or much less that makes Home windows’ personal manufacturing facility reset characteristic operate higher and that’s in all probability price leaving in place.
So, if you happen to’re a fairly tech-savvy person, you may safely delete the OEM restoration partition and avoid wasting GB. Sadly, you may’t do it by simply utilizing the usual partition supervisor. To take away the OEM restore partition, first see if in case you have one by wanting on the partition supervisor (enter “partition” within the search field and click on the primary choice). The identify of the partition ought to have “OEM” or the identify of the OEM (ex: HP, Dell, Lenovo) in it and “Restoration.” If you happen to solely have a non-OEM restoration partition, cease right here.
To delete the partition, open a command immediate as admin by typing “cmd” into the search field and proper clicking the appropriate end result and deciding on “Run as administrator.” Then enter “diskpart” on the command immediate. Sort “choose disk 0” to decide on your boot drive after which “checklist partition” to indicate all of your partitions after which “choose partition [NUMBER]” the place the quantity is the restoration partition’s quantity. Lastly, sort “delete partition” and it needs to be gone. If you happen to get an error, strive coming into “gpt attributes=0x8000000000000000” after which do it once more.
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