Whenever I get a new laptop in for review or buy one for fun, I always tweak a few settings in Windows 11 to make it my own immediately. After all, as part of my review process, I have to add my laptop to my work-from-home setup and put it through my daily grind of web browsing and other tasks. Tweaking things like the display settings, fast startup settings, removing bloatware, and updating Windows helps make my laptop more personal and ready for review.

1 Uninstall bloatware

Sometimes, your new laptop might come with pre-installed apps. Not only might they be unnecessary, but some might even be free to use initially but will require a subscription to continue using. That's why one of the first things I do is remove pre-installed antivirus software like McAfee. This app often comes installed on Lenovo and HP PCs, and the first thing I always do is uninstall it because Windows has its own built-in antivirus protection, Windows Defender. Usually, I do this by heading into the Windows 11 Settings app, choosing the Apps option, going through the list, and removing anything that's not useful.

2 Change display scaling

A lot of modern laptops have high-resolution displays. You'll see tall 16:10 aspect ratios, 3:2 aspect ratios, 1920x1200 resolutions, or even 4K more often than you used to. To make the most of my laptop's display, though, I always end up changing the scaling. Available under Display and Scale in the Windows 11 settings app, you'll see that the OS will usually pick a suggested level for you, typically 150% or 125%. This is designed to make things look bigger on the screen, but I change it to be lower than that, usually 100%, so I can fit more items on my screen at once. It always helps in multitasking, especially when I have multiple windows or apps open.

3 Disable Fast Startup

Windows 8 introduced Fast Startup, which lets you boot up your laptop faster once you've shut it down and restarted it. Essentially, it's a hybrid of hibernation and shutdown. When your computer is physically off, the operating system state is always saved, so it's easier to restore when you power your laptop back on. This might not be a problem for most people, but I've found it causes issues with getting into BIOS or with dual-booting, so I always turn it off. Thankfully, it's easy to change the Fast Startup settings. I get to this from the Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options and uncheck the box.

4 Change my privacy settings

Many people "hate" Windows 11 because of the privacy aspect, but when I unbox my laptop, I tend to choose privacy settings that put me in control of my personal data. Even if I somehow miss that during setup, I revisit the privacy settings in the Windows 11 settings app to cut back on the data Windows collects and what's sent to Microsoft. I've talked previously about how to make Windows 11 more private, but it's pretty straightforward. I end up toning down the personalization options for ads, speech and tying, inking, diagnostics, and activity history, just to name a few.

5 Check for updates in Windows Update

Even after changing all these settings, it's always important to head to Windows Update in the Windows 11 Settings app and check for new updates. Press the Check for Updates button to see if there's a new security patch from Microsoft. Windows gets monthly patches that often fix bugs in the operating system. The company that made your PC will also issue driver updates and other critical updates through Windows Update to help improve the performance of your device. It's also always a good idea to visit this page every so often and see if any new updates are waiting for your new laptop.

6 Customize the Start Menu

The Start Menu is the main Windows hub, so I always customize it to fit my needs every time I buy or set up a new laptop. First, I unpin all the pre-pinned apps by right-clicking and choosing Unpin from Start. Then, I visit the All Apps list and pin my most used apps to the Start Menu, which includes Edge, Telegram, Slack, and the Office suite. Other than that, I revisit the Windows 11 Settings app and head to Personalization and Start I turn on the option to see more pins and turn off the option for recently opened items. This puts me in control and lets me see more apps on the screen at once.

7 Link my phone with Phone Link

Phone Link is one of the most useful features in Windows 11. It used to only work with Android phones, but Microsoft recently enabled iPhone support, too. It's why setting up Phone Link lands in this list. With the app, I can make phone calls and see my iPhone's messages and notifications on my PC. Android phones have extra capabilities, like allowing you to use streaming apps and even see photos. Usually, you'll be prompted to set this up during the box experience, but if you missed it, you can launch the Phone Link app, and you'll be prompted to scan a QR code to get started with either iPhone or Android.

8 Set up the Windows Subsystem for Android

Setting up Windows Subsystem for Android is more complex than other tasks on this list, but it allows me to run Android apps on Windows 11. It's quite nifty since you can run apps from the Amazon App Store. To get started with it, you need to head to the Microsoft Store app and search for Amazon App Store. Then, install the app. From there, you'll be able to install some Android games and productivity apps that are listed in the Amazon App Store. If you're super technical like me, you can side-load any Android app on Windows 11, too, and turn a great Windows tablet like a Surface Pro into an Android tablet of sorts.

9 Set up my PC for backups with OneDrive

I never want to worry about losing my favorite files if something were to go wrong, so I always set up my PC for backups with OneDrive. When paired with the 1TB of OneDrive space I get with Microsoft 365, I can back up critical folders like Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos and see it on the web and across devices. The option is available on the OneDrive App under the Sync and back up tab and Manage Back up. It's just one of the many ways you can back up your Windows 11 PC.

10 Install themes and tweak the look of Windows

We're ending the list with the simplest thing you can do on any laptop. While I already mentioned customizing the Start Menu, something I also do is install themes. These are a great way to spice up the way your Windows desktop looks. It changes the look of the Taskbar, the Start Menu, your accent colors, and more. Microsoft offers a lot of great themes. Just go to Personalization in the Windows 11 settings app, then choose Themes > Browse Themes. Admittedly, there are a lot of great options here, but since it's now fall time, I tend to choose seasonal themes like Autumn, Pumpkin, and Forest for the Trees.

There's so much more

Although these are what I do when I set up my Windows 11 laptop for the first time, there are still so many other things I can suggest doing. Pinning your apps to the Taskbar and adjusting settings for Windows Ink if you have a Windows tablet are just two examples. You might even want to consider joining the Windows Insider Program so you can get access to new Windows 11 features before they launch. Enjoy your new Windows PC!