When I do a fresh installation of Windows 11, I make changes immediately. These core changes to the operating system get me going and allow me to start making other customizations and using it quickly. In fact, I recently discovered Winhance, a cool utility that will enable me to make changes through the app. But even with the utility that allows me to disable needless features I don’t need, there are other changes I make right away. Notifications, Microsoft ads (yes, Windows has ads), and default apps are irritating. So, I made these crucial changes right away to improve my experience.

6 Notifications

I calm down the number of notifications I get

The number of notifications you start receiving on Windows is overwhelming. Without taming them, I am constantly distracted and unable to have an efficient workflow. While notifications aren’t horrible, you only want the ones that matter to you. Head to Settings -> System -> Notifications. Scroll down the menu and toggle off the apps (including system apps) from which you no longer want to receive desktop notifications. Note that you can sort them by name or by recently used. You can also schedule when notifications appear. You can also select the Focus section, where you set a schedule when notifications don’t appear, so you can get work done.

5 Disable Microsoft ads

They aren’t ads seen on websites, but are subtle ads nonetheless

Microsoft incorporates subtle tips and suggestions that are actually ads for the company’s other products. The ads lurk in the Start menu, Windows Spotlight, and your lock screen.

Since you are already in Notifications, scroll down and you will see additional boxes.

Uncheck all three boxes, including “Show the Windows welcome experience…,” “Suggest ways to get the most out of Windows…,” and “Get tips and suggestions when using Windows.” Also, go to Settings -> Personalization -> Start and toggle off “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.”

4 Move the Start button

Muscle memory wants us to go to the left corner of the screen

We’ve been moving our mouse to the lower right corner of the screen to access the Start menu for years. The centered Start menu is a glaring difference many new Windows 11 users may not like. Luckily, you can move it back to the left. But it’s a setting that’s buried. Head to Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar -> Taskbar behaviors and change the “Taskbar alignment” dropdown to the left option. That’s it. One more setting fixed. However, it is worth noting that if you have a large desktop display — 25” or larger, you might want to leave it where it is, since it takes a long time to move the mouse to the corner.

👁 Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop with the Clock app showing the Focus sessions page
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3 Adjust visual effects

Improve Windows 11’s responsiveness

Sure. Windows has flashy and shiny graphics, which include visual effects for eye candy. The company has included these effects for several versions of the OS. But I turn them off for a more responsive experience. Open sysdm.cpl from the Run dialog box and select Advanced -> Settings. There are a couple of effects I change right away, but you can change more or adjust for the best performance. I uncheck “Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing” and “Show window contents while dragging.”

Also, to turn off animation effects, sometimes I go to Settings -> Accessibility -> Visual effects and turn the feature off. While I’m at it, I also turn off transparency effects. It turns off more visual effects, but sometimes I like to customize what displays. Windows might not be as flashy after doing this, but I don’t need windows to look pretty while dragging them around.

2 Change the default browser

I don’t want to use Edge all the time

Many people open Edge just to download Chrome or another privacy-focused browser, like Brave or DuckDuckGo. Once your preferred browser is installed, you can make it the default. To change it, head to Settings -> Apps -> Default app. Search for your browser of choice, select it, and click the Set Default button. You will also want to go through and set it up for the other listed file types. For instance, it doesn't add the PDF extension to your selected browser, so you must do it manually.

👁 Windows 11 default browser settings with Vivaldi set as the default
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1 Disable News widget

One of the most irksome features on Windows

You might have noticed the news widget on the taskbar where the Start menu used to be. The content comes from MSN. However, it pops up by default if you hover over the icon. You can change its settings, but I prefer to disable it and all widgets entirely. Head to Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar and toggle off the Widgets switch to disable it. Some people enjoy other widgets on Windows 11, but I don’t. Because the news widget is so annoying, disabling it this way is always at the top of my list for a clean installation.

👁 Screenshot of the Windows 11 Widgets board in the My Widgets view
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Making Windows 11 less irritating

When I have a new PC or a fresh installation of Windows 11, or even if I don’t, I make these critical changes to it right away. The settings are simple to do. Going through them takes about 20 minutes at the most. So, once I make these immediate changes, I can start my workflow. Of course, other settings that need to be configured will come up along the way. However, by making these changes expeditiously, I am off to a great start.