5 Windows 11 settings worth changing right away

Windows 11 is the latest operating system Microsoft and comes with many new features and improvements. However, some of the default settings may not suit your preferences or needs. Here are five Windows 11 settings you should consider changing right away to get the most out of your PC.

1. Change the alignment of the taskbar. Windows 11 moves taskbar icons to the center of the screen, which may look stylish but also takes up more space and makes it harder to access pinned apps. To change this, right-click on the taskbar, select Taskbar Settings, and under Taskbar Behaviors, choose Left from the Alignment drop-down menu.

2. Disable widgets. Windows 11 introduces a new feature called widgets, which are small cards that display information like the weather, news, calendar, and more. However, if you don't use them or they are distracting, you can disable them completely. To do this, right-click on the taskbar, select Taskbar Settings, and under Taskbar Items, turn off the Widgets switch.

3. Customize the start menu. Windows 11 has a new Start menu that displays a grid of pinned apps and a list of recommended files and apps. If you want to change what appears in the Start menu, you can do so by going to Settings > Personalization > Start. Here you can turn on or off the switches for Show Pinned Apps, Show Recommended, and Show Recently Added Apps. You can also pin or unpin apps by right-clicking on them and choosing Pin to Start or Unpin from Start.

4. Adjust instant layouts. Windows 11 makes it easy to adapt windows to different layouts by showing you a pop-up menu when you hover over the maximize button on any window. However, if you don't like this feature or want to change the available layouts, you can do so by going to Settings > System > Multitasking. Here you can turn the switch on or off for Snap windows and, under Snap Layouts, choose which layouts you want to see in the pop-up menu.

5. Enable dark mode. Windows 11 has a new dark mode that changes the color scheme of the system and apps to a darker shade, which can reduce eye strain and save battery life. To enable dark mode, go to Settings > Personalization > Colors. Here you can choose Dark from the Choose your mode drop-down menu, or select Custom and choose Dark for both Windows mode and Application mode.

Windows 11 offers a pretty nice experience out of the box, save for the horrible new taskbar, but it could be much nicer to use with just a few tweaks to some settings to make it feel like the old Windows.

No, I'm not talking about completely overhauling Windows 11 to make it look like Windows 10 (if you're a Windows veteran, that's worth it too) or breaking into an updated Windows 11 PC. It is not about modifying the new Copilot. AI. I'm talking about quick and easy changes, like improving the look and feel of your operating system, turning off annoying ads, and reducing the amount of data you send to Microsoft. Even better, all of this can be done in less than 5 minutes. I did this a few weeks ago when I needed to buy a Windows 11 laptop for traveling.

Here are five Windows 11 settings worth changing right away, with an added bonus at the end.

 Move the home button to the left corner.

I am a traditionalist. I understand Microsoft's intention to bring the Windows 10 interface closer to the style of Macs and Chromebooks, but Windows 11's changing taskbar icons drive me crazy. I want hovering over the Start menu to be muscle memory, not just another task I have to look at and think about.