5 helpful Home windows 11 options I all the time allow first on a brand new PC

Not too way back, after upgrading my PC’s CPU and motherboard, I carried out a recent set up of

Windows 11
. I often undergo this course of yearly or two, or anytime I arrange a

new laptop
, and it obtained me fascinated with all of the options I must allow that Microsoft does not activate by default.

Home windows 11 provides a wide selection of person options and

customization options
. Understandably, many of those options are usually not enabled by default; nonetheless, they are often fairly useful for on a regular basis duties. Every time I arrange a brand new Home windows 11 desktop or laptop computer, these are the 5 options I allow first to boost my expertise.

5

Finish job for the Taskbar

No extra struggling to open Job Supervisor

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

It drives me completely bonkers once I’m enjoying a sport, and it freezes as a substitute of simply crashing to the desktop. Then, when I attempt to shut this system by clicking the X button to kill it, nothing occurs, and I am caught taking a look at a frozen sport or program that will not shut. Often, you would need to hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete, open the Job Supervisor, and shut it from there.

Fortunately, there is a a lot simpler manner to do that, with out struggling to open the Job Supervisor. You may allow a characteristic that permits you to finish duties proper from the Taskbar. It is game-changing, actually. All you must do is go to Settings > System > For Builders and allow the Finish Job choice. If a program freezes on you and does not crash, now you can finish it by merely right-clicking it within the Taskbar and choosing Finish job as a substitute of Shut window. This ought to be a characteristic that Home windows permits by default sooner or later.

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4

System Restore

Save your PC after a rogue replace

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

Whereas Microsoft now provides

Windows Backup
, which lets you retailer your PC settings within the cloud, having a manually saved restore level also can present peace of thoughts, particularly if a Home windows Replace negatively impacts your PC not directly (taking a look at you, 24H2).

System Restore first debuted with Home windows ME (Millennium Version) in 2000 and has been a part of each Home windows launch since then. This legacy system recovery tool allows you to create a restore level to which you’ll be able to revert again to in case you encounter any points with Home windows sooner or later. Bear in mind that it does take up space for storing, because it saves your system and registry settings together with some private recordsdata. It is effectively value using that space for storing, as it may well make fixing your PC within the occasion of a nasty replace a lot simpler.

To seek out System Restore, seek for it in Home windows search and choose “Create a restore level.” You will see all of the drives you may create restore factors from there. When you create a restore level however need to delete it to avoid wasting house, you are able to do so from the identical display by choosing configure.

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3

View file extensions in File Explorer

By no means be confused about file sorts

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

I cope with many various file sorts each day, whether or not they’re JPEGs, PNGs, PDFs, or Photoshop recordsdata. Nonetheless, typically within the File Explorer menu, it may be arduous to tell apart amongst them. That is the place this elective Home windows characteristic comes into play, permitting you to view file extensions in File Explorer.

To allow this, go to File Explorer > View > Present > File Extensions. When you flip it on, you’ll instantly discover that every one your recordsdata now have their file sort listed on the finish of their names. Microsoft most likely doesn’t allow this by default to keep away from complicated newer customers, however if you’re savvy with Home windows, that is extremely useful for shortly deciphering what file sort you’re coping with. As somebody who captures and edits lots of of photographs for work, it is a must-have Home windows characteristic.

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2

Clipboard Historical past

Discover any hyperlinks or textual content you have copied immediately

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

I ship quite a lot of hyperlinks to individuals all through the day, and one Home windows 11 characteristic that makes it simpler to view all of them is Clipboard Historical past. This characteristic will not be enabled by default, but it surely saves your clipboard historical past, permitting you to shortly retrieve any hyperlinks or textual content you have copied and pasted through the day.

To allow this useful characteristic, go to System > Clipboard > Clipboard Historical past. Alternatively, you may convey up the Clipboard Menu and activate Clipboard Historical past by urgent the Home windows Key + V.

After you have turned it on, any hyperlinks or textual content you could have copied might be listed in your Clipboard Menu, enabling you to repeat them once more or view them. I’ve used this many instances to discover a hyperlink I copied earlier within the day, and I discover it a lot faster than checking my Google Chrome historical past to retrieve a hyperlink I needed to revisit. It is simple to delete your historical past as effectively; merely click on the Clear all button within the Clipboard Menu.

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1

Mechanically disguise your Taskbar

Solely see your Taskbar once you want it

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

I am going to admit this characteristic is extremely area of interest, however as somebody who makes use of a QD-OLED monitor day-after-day, burning my Taskbar into the display is the very last thing I need to cope with. Home windows provides a characteristic that permits you to mechanically disguise your Taskbar when it is not in use. Not solely is that this aesthetically pleasing, but it surely additionally helps forestall display burn-in.

To allow this, head to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar behaviors > Mechanically disguise the taskbar. As soon as it is activated, your taskbar will disappear. However don’t fret; all you could do to make it reappear is both hit the Home windows key or hover your mouse close to the underside of the display.

Here is one other bonus characteristic to take a look at: in case you don’t love your Taskbar centered, you may change it again to the left, much like previous variations of Home windows. From that very same Taskbar behaviors settings display, search for Taskbar alignment and alter it to Left. I personally favor the centralized Taskbar, so I saved it enabled.

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