5 helpful Home windows 11 options I at all times 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 normally undergo this course of yearly or two, or anytime I arrange a

new laptop
, and it bought me occupied with all of the options I have to allow that Microsoft would not activate by default.

Home windows 11 affords 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. At any time when I arrange a brand new Home windows 11 desktop or laptop computer, these are the 5 options I allow first to reinforce my expertise.

5

Finish activity for the Taskbar

No extra struggling to open Activity Supervisor

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

It drives me completely bonkers once I’m taking part in a sport, and it freezes as an alternative 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 a frozen sport or program that will not shut. Normally, you would need to hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete, open the Activity Supervisor, and shut it from there.

Fortunately, there is a a lot simpler approach to do that, with out struggling to open the Activity Supervisor. You may allow a characteristic that allows you to finish duties proper from the Taskbar. It is game-changing, actually. All you need to do is go to Settings > System > For Builders and allow the Finish Activity possibility. If a program freezes on you and would not crash, now you can finish it by merely right-clicking it within the Taskbar and choosing Finish activity as an alternative of Shut window. This needs 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 affords

Windows Backup
, which lets you retailer your PC settings within the cloud, having a manually saved restore level can even present peace of thoughts, particularly if a Home windows Replace negatively impacts your PC ultimately ( 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 permits you to create a restore level to which you’ll revert again to for those who encounter any points with Home windows sooner or later. Remember that it does take up cupboard space, because it saves your system and registry settings together with some private information. It is properly price using that cupboard space, as it might make fixing your PC within the occasion of a foul replace a lot simpler.

To search out System Restore, seek for it in Home windows search and choose “Create a restore level.” You may see all of the drives you possibly can create restore factors from there. If you happen to create a restore level however wish to delete it to save lots of house, you are able to do so from the identical display screen 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 take care of many alternative file sorts every day, whether or not they’re JPEGs, PNGs, PDFs, or Photoshop information. Nonetheless, typically within the File Explorer menu, it may be laborious 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 information now have their file kind listed on the finish of their names. Microsoft in all probability doesn’t allow this by default to keep away from complicated newer customers, however in case you are savvy with Home windows, that is extremely useful for rapidly deciphering what file kind you might be coping with. As somebody who captures and edits a whole bunch of photographs for work, this can be a must-have Home windows characteristic.

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2

Clipboard Historical past

Discover any hyperlinks or textual content you’ve got copied immediately

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

I ship quite a lot of hyperlinks to folks 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 isn’t enabled by default, but it surely saves your clipboard historical past, permitting you to rapidly retrieve any hyperlinks or textual content you’ve got copied and pasted in the course of the day.

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

After getting turned it on, any hyperlinks or textual content you will have copied can be listed in your Clipboard Menu, enabling you to repeat them once more or view them. I’ve used this many occasions 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 properly; merely click on the Clear all button within the Clipboard Menu.

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1

Robotically disguise your Taskbar

Solely see your Taskbar whenever you want it

Pocket-lint / Microsoft

I will admit this characteristic is extremely area of interest, however as somebody who makes use of a QD-OLED monitor day by day, burning my Taskbar into the display screen is the very last thing I wish to take care of. Home windows affords a characteristic that lets you routinely disguise your Taskbar when it is not in use. Not solely is that this aesthetically pleasing, but it surely additionally helps forestall display screen burn-in.

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

Here is one other bonus characteristic to take a look at: for those who don’t love your Taskbar centered, you possibly can change it again to the left, just like previous variations of Home windows. From that very same Taskbar behaviors settings display screen, search for Taskbar alignment and alter it to Left. I personally desire the centralized Taskbar, so I stored it enabled.

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