Home windows 11 has a ton to supply, and since its launch in October of 2021, the working system has been steadily including much more options geared toward making your pc slightly bit higher. Nevertheless, not all of Microsoft’s default Home windows 11 settings are winners. Some settings that come preset in your gadget are lackluster, and in sure instances they will even undermine your PC equipment. So the following time you begin up for work, or earlier than your subsequent gaming session, search for these settings and modify them as wanted.
Allow darkish mode
The choice to vary between gentle mode and darkish mode in Home windows 11 is not in the obvious place. As an alternative of being filed beneath show choices, it may be discovered beneath Settings > Personalization > Colours. There, you possibly can select gentle mode, darkish mode, or use completely different settings for Home windows vs. apps. You can too set transparency results and accent colours on this menu.
Default browser
Not a fan of Microsoft Edge? You’ll be able to change Home windows 11 to use no matter browser you like. Go to Settings > Apps and search for the browser you want to make use of. Then simply click on ‘Set default’ within the top-right nook, and Home windows will routinely use that browser when opening hyperlinks from different apps. You even have the power to customise by file kind if, say, you need PDF information to open in a unique browser.
Handle updates settings
Retaining your pc up to date is essential for safety, as Home windows updates typically embody patches to forestall safety exploits. Nonetheless, sudden updates could be annoying, particularly in case your pc forces a restart. To take extra management of your Home windows 11 updates, go to Settings > Home windows Replace > Superior choices. From this menu, you possibly can set your lively hours (so your gadget will not restart when you’re doing issues) or ask Home windows to present you a 15-minute heads-up earlier than routinely restarting to use updates.
Change startup apps
There isn’t any annoyance fairly like getting a brand new gadget however feeling prefer it’s sluggish as quickly as you flip it on. More often than not, the offender is just too many startup apps. The extra apps your gadget launches on startup, the extra assets it drains. To save lots of on assets and make issues a bit snappier, go to Settings > Apps > Startup and switch off the whole lot you do not want instantly after turning in your pc. (I like to recommend turning off OneDrive, as that constantly slowed down my PC.) You’ll be able to all the time open these apps whenever you’re prepared to make use of them, and if there’s one thing you sometimes do very first thing after booting up, you possibly can all the time allow it to save lots of you the step of opening it manually.
Refresh fee
Do not let your fancy new monitor go to waste since you’re utilizing the incorrect refresh fee. Home windows 11 defaults to a low refresh fee, more likely to save energy, however this default means you are not getting essentially the most worth out of your monitor. Go to Settings > System > Show > Superior show and search for your show. There can be a dropdown menu labeled Select a refresh fee and choose the very best possibility your monitor can assist. You’ll be able to select a decrease setting if, say, your gadget cannot fairly match your refresh fee whereas gaming, however if you happen to play any shooters, you are going to need that refresh fee to be as excessive as doable.
Sound high quality
As with refresh fee, your default sound settings could possibly be holding again your equipment. To verify, go to System > Sound > Properties and select the sound gadget you are utilizing. Then beneath Output settings, be certain that the Format possibility dropdown makes use of the very best out there setting. This can make sure you’re getting the utmost audio high quality. In case you’re utilizing a headset for three-dimensional audio, be certain that the spatial sound setting is turned on (Home windows Sonic for Headphones).
Privateness settings
Among the default privateness settings in Home windows 11 give Microsoft methods to sneak ads into your expertise. Happily, you possibly can disable these avenues in settings. Go to Settings > Privateness & safety > Common and toggle off any of the choices you do not like. (I notably advocate turning off Let apps present me customized adverts through the use of my promoting ID and Present me steered content material within the settings app.) The privateness & safety menu additionally enables you to change different choices, like turning location providers off or selecting which apps can entry your digicam.
For extra on Home windows 11, try the way to take screenshots and our favourite keyboard shortcuts.
