10 Ways to Solve Windows 10 and 11 Frustrations: Expert Tips

10 Ways to Solve the Frustrations of Windows 10 and 11

Source: Computerworld

A technology journalist named Chris Hoffman shares tips, tricks, and insights about the Windows ecosystem based on his 30 years of experience using Windows.

Windows Frustration #1: Annoying Widgets

In Windows 11, you can hide widgets by right-clicking on the empty space in the taskbar, selecting “Taskbar settings,” and turning off “Widgets.” In Windows 10, right-click on the empty space in the taskbar, point to “News and interests,” and select “Turn off.”

Windows Frustration #2: Bing Search in the Start Menu

To stop Windows from searching Bing when using the Start menu search, adjust the “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” value in the registry. Alternatively, you can install a different Start menu on your Windows PC.

Windows Frustration #3: Unnecessary Startup Apps

PC manufacturers often pre-install unnecessary startup apps, and Microsoft includes its own startup applications. Open Task Manager and disable unnecessary items under the “Start” icon in Windows 11 or the “Start” tab in Windows 10 to clean up startup apps.

Windows Frustration #4: Cluttered Taskbar

Remove unnecessary application launchers from the taskbar by right-clicking on them and selecting “Unpin from taskbar.” In Windows 11, you can also remove special icons like the search bar by right-clicking on the empty space in the taskbar, selecting “Taskbar settings,” and customizing the icons. In Windows 10, control the displayed icons by right-clicking on the empty space in the taskbar and using the options in the context menu.

Windows Frustration #5: Junk in the Start Menu

Clean up the Start menu by right-clicking on fixed shortcuts or tiles that are not needed and selecting “Unpin.” Pin the applications you want to use in your personalized Start menu.

Windows Frustration #6: Cluttered Edge Start Page

To tidy up the start page of the Edge browser, open an Edge window, click on the gear icon in the top right corner, scroll down, click on the “Content” box, and select “Turn off content.”

Windows Frustration #7: Too Many Notifications

To disable notifications for specific apps, open the Settings app and navigate to “System” > “Notifications” in Windows 11 or “System” > “Notifications & actions” in Windows 10. Expand the “Additional settings” option and configure which types of notifications you want to use. Some apps may have their own notification settings.

Windows Frustration #8: Forced OneDrive Sync

Click on the OneDrive icon in the system tray, select “Settings,” choose “Sync and backup,” and click on the “Manage backup” button to control what folders are synchronized with OneDrive.

Windows Frustration #9: Sticky Keys

To disable the “Sticky Keys” feature, go to “Settings” > “Accessibility” > “Keyboard” in Windows 11 or “Settings” > “Accessibility” > “Keyboard” in Windows 10.

Windows Frustration #10: New Context Menu in Windows 11

In Windows 11’s File Explorer, access the classic context menu by holding the Shift key before right-clicking on a file or folder. You can hack the registry to always open the classic context menu, but the new context menu in Windows 11 is simplified and faster.

By following these tips, you can simplify the Windows environment and reduce frustrations. For more Windows-related advice, subscribe to the free Windows Intelligence newsletter.

If you’re curious about the source of the article, it is from Computerworld.