Windows 11: Best settings to change on your PC (2023)

Although Windows 11 has a set of default settings that will suit most users, it’s not a perfect configuration. However, it’s possible to change most settings to make the experience more functional with fewer distractions while taking advantage of old and new features that otherwise may go unnoticed.

For instance, you can change the icon alignment in the Taskbar to the original left side and remove the Widgets icon to remove distractions. Instead of using the default name, you can rename your computer to make it easier to organize your devices and find them in the network. And you can enable Night light to reduce eye strain while working at night. 

Also, while the default settings for Windows Update are optimal, you can tweak these settings to include updates for other products and configure active hours to prevent sudden reboots after an update. Hibernate is another feature that comes disabled by default, but you can enable it to save the current session while allowing the system to power off completely.

You can show file extensions in File Explorer to make it easier to rename files and understand their formats. It’s also possible to disable annoying ads and notifications to reduce distractions that can break your workflow, control apps at startup and free up space to improve performance, and more.

This guide will dive into the features and configurations every user should use on Windows 11 in 2023.

Windows 11 settings to change in 2023

Windows 11 settings everyone should change on their computers in 2023 to make the best out of the operating system (in no particular order):

1. Realign icons to the left side of the Taskbar

Windows 11 has a redesigned Taskbar that aligns the icons to the center of the screen. However, you can always change the alignment to the left to access the Start menu and apps like in previous versions.

To align apps icons to the left side of the Taskbar, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click on Taskbar.

   

4. Click the Taskbar behaviors option.

   

5. Use the “Taskbar alignment” setting and select the Left option to align icons to the left side.

Once you complete the steps, the Start button and other icons will align to the left side of the Taskbar, like on Windows 10. (See also this YouTube video tutorial to change the alignment of icons.)

2. Remove the Widgets icon from Taskbar

The Widgets icon in the Taskbar now shows dynamic content (weather, sports, finance, and breaking news) that adds unnecessary distractions. However, if you don’t find the feature helpful, Windows 11 includes an option to remove the Widgets icon through the “Taskbar” settings page.

To remove the Widgets weather icon from Taskbar on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Taskbar page on the right side.

4. Under the “Taskbar items” section, turn off the Widgets toggle switch to disable the feature.

   

Once you complete the steps, the Widgets icon with the weather, sports, finance, and news information on the left side will be removed from the Taskbar. However, you can still access the Widgets dashboard using the Windows key + W keyboard shortcut.

3. Add quick folder icons to Start menu

In addition to the quick access to your applications, the Start menu allows you to include shortcuts next to the Power button for quick access to the different known folders, including Documents, Downloads, Pictures, and apps like Settings and File Explorer. 

To add or remove folders next to the Power button in the Start menu, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Start page on the right side.

   

4. Click on Folders.

5. Turn on the toggle switch for the folders you want to appear next to the Power button on Windows 11, including:

   • Settings.
   • File Explorer.
   • Documents.
   • Downloads.
   • Music.
   • Pictures.
   • Videos.
   • Network.
   • Personal folder.

   

Once you complete the steps, open the Start menu, and the buttons to the locations you selected will appear next to the Power button.

4. Change computer name on Windows 11

The ability to choose a custom name for your computer comes in handy when you have multiple devices to keep them organized. Otherwise, finding them in the network (and in your Microsoft account) and configuring certain features will be more challenging.

To change the computer name on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

   Quick tip: Windows 11 also includes a quick Rename button on the “System” page’s top-left side.

3. Click on About on the right side.

   

4. Under the “Device specifications” section, click the “Rename this PC” button.

   

5. Enter a new name for the computer.

   

   Quick tip: Avoid any special characters, keep it short (less than 15 characters is always recommended), and don’t leave a space when using multiple words.

6. Click the Next button.

7. Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will restart to apply the new name on Windows 11.

5. Change audio devices name

If you have multiple output devices (such as speakers, headphones, headsets, etc.), you can change their names to make them easier to identify.

Rename speakers

To rename sound devices (such as speakers and headphones) on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Sound tab.

4. Under the “Output” section, select the speakers (or headphones) to rename.

   

5. Click the Rename button.

6. Confirm a short and descriptive name for the audio device.

   

7. Click the Rename button.

Once you complete the steps, the new name will apply, and it’ll be easier to identify when switching outputs from the Taskbar.

Rename microphone

To rename a microphone on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Sound tab.

4. Under the “Input” section, select the microphone to rename.

   

5. Click the Rename button.

6. Confirm a short and descriptive name for the microphone.

   

7. Click the Rename button.

After you complete the steps, the new name will be reflected on the microphone.

6. Enable Night light to reduce eye strain

On Windows 11, “Night light” is another feature that every user should use since it reduces the blue light emitted by the display and shows warmer colors to make it easier to fall asleep and minimizes the chances of eye strain when using the computer late at night.

To enable “Night light” on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Display page on the right side.

   

4. Under the “Brightness & color” section, turn on the Night light toggle switch to enable the feature on Windows 11.

   

Alternatively, click the Network and Volume button in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar to open the Quick Settings flyout (Windows key + A) and click the Night light button.

7. Change Windows Update advanced settings

Although the default settings for Windows Update are optimal for most people, you can turn on some additional features to customize the experience.

To change the Windows Update advanced settings, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Windows Update.

3. Click the Advanced options tab.

   

4. Turn on the “Receive updates for other Microsoft products” toggle switch to enable automatic updates of Office apps and other Microsoft products.

   

5. Turn on the “Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating” toggle switch to receive a notification when a restart is pending to complete the update.

After you complete the steps, the device will receive updates for Microsoft products you may have installed on the system, and Windows 11 will notify you every time a restart is needed to complete an update.

8. Configure Windows Update active hours

On Windows 11, “active hours” is a feature that allows you to control when the computer should restart to finish applying updates to prevent sudden reboots while actively using the device. The feature works automatically, but you can also adjust the settings manually.

To configure active hours on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Windows Update.

3. Click the Advanced options tab.

   

4. Click the “Active hours” setting.

5. Select the Manually option in the “Adjust active hours” setting.

   

6. Specify the time range when you’re expected to be working on the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the system won’t try to restart the device between the hours specified in the “Active hours” setting.

9. Enable Hibernate on Windows 11

On Windows 11, to enable the hibernation feature, you first need to enable the feature through Command Prompt. Then you add the Hibernate option to the Start menu or change the behavior of the power button or laptop’s lid in the Control Panel.

Turn on Hibernate

To enable Hibernate on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Command Prompt or PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

3. Type the following command to check the hibernation status and press Enter:

   powercfg /availablesleepstates

4. Type the following command to enable Hibernate on Windows 11 and press Enter:

   powercfg /hibernate on

   

5. (Optional) Type the following command to turn off hibernation and press Enter:

   powercfg /hibernate off

Once you complete the steps, the feature will enable, and you can now add the option to the “Power” menu with the instructions below.

Add Hibernate to Start menu

To add the Hibernate option to the Start’s Power menu, use these steps:

1. Open Control Panel.

2. Click on Hardware and Sound.

3. Click on Power Options.

4. Click the “Choose what the power button does” option.

   

5. Click the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.

6. Under the “Shutdown settings” section, check the Hibernate option.

   

7. Click the Save button.

After you complete the steps, the Hibernate option will be available in the Power menu in the Start menu.

10. Change power mode for performance or battery life

Windows 11 uses a default power mode that automatically balances performance with power consumption. However, depending on your computer hardware or situation, you can change the power mode to save battery life or increase performance at the cost of more energy consumption.

To select a different power mode on Windows 11 through the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Power (or Power & battery) tab.

   

4. In the “Power mode” setting, select the mode to use on Windows 11, including: 

   • Best power efficiency – saves energy by reducing the device performance when possible.
   • Balanced – automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware.
   • Best performance – offers the most performance, but it uses more energy.

   

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will control the power consumption based on the selected mode, offering more performance, better battery life, or a balance between performance and energy.

11. Show file extensions in File Explorer

File Explorer hides the extensions for known files by default. Although extensions are usually unnecessary, they are another visual queue to identify the file’s format quickly. Also, it makes it easier to change compatible extensions when creating scripts or batch files.

To show extensions in File Explorer on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click the View button in the command bar.

3. Select the Show submenu and choose the “File name extensions” option.

   

After you complete the steps, File Explorer will show extensions for known file formats on Windows 11.

12. Disable annoying ads on Windows 11

Windows 11 can display different types of advertisements in many areas disguised as native features. Some of them include the placement of default apps in the Start menu, occasional pop-up recommendations, and banners to use Microsoft products like OneDrive in File Explorer. You can disable most of these features if you don’t want to see them.

To disable advertisements on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Privacy & security.

3. Under the “Windows permissions” section, click the General setting.

   

4. Turn off the “Let apps how me personalized ads by using my advertising ID” toggle switch.

   

5. Turn off the “Show me suggested content in the Settings app” toggle switch.

6. Click on System.

7. Click the Notifications tab.

8. Clear the “Offer suggestions on how I can set up my device” option.

   

9. Clear the “Get tips and suggestions when I use Windows” option.

10. Click on Apps.

11. Click the Apps & features tab.

12. Under the “App list” section, select the advertisement app. You can uninstall any app you don’t use, but usually, these are the apps that Microsoft promotes on Windows 11: 

    • Instagram.
    • Photoshop Express.
    • WhatsApp.
    • PicsArt.
    • Hulu.
    • Twitter.
    • Clipchamp.

13. Click the three-dotted button from the left side and choose the Uninstall button.

14. Click the Uninstall button again.

    

15. Click on Personalization.

16. Click the Device usage tab.

17. Turn off all the options to prevent personalized tips, ads, and recommendations.

    

After you complete the steps, you should no longer see as many advertisements across the experience. 

Turn off File Explorer ads

To disable ads on File Explorer, use these steps:

1. Open File Explorer.

2. Click the See more (three-dotted) button and click on Options.

   

3. Click the View tab.

4. Clear the “Show sync provider notifications” option.

   

5. Click the Apply button.

6. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, File Explorer will no longer show promotional notifications for OneDrive or other products.

13. Disable annoying notifications

On Windows 11, the system and applications can show notifications about unseen messages and actions you may need to take to fix a problem. However, they can also add unwanted distractions to your workflow. If you prefer not to show toast notifications, you can disable the feature entirely or per application.

To disable all system and apps notifications on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Notifications tab.

4. Turn off the Notifications toggle switch.

   

Once you complete the steps, apps and the system will stop showing notifications on the desktop.

Although this option disables notifications for the entire system, some applications have their own notifications system. You will have to change the app’s settings if this is the case.

Disable notifications per app

To turn off notifications for a specific app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Notifications tab.

4. Under the “Notifications from apps and other senders” section, turn off the app notification toggle switch.

   

After you complete the steps, the app will stop showing notifications, but notifications will remain available for system alerts and other apps.

Alternatively, you can disable notifications for a specific app using the “Windows key + N” keyboard shortcut or clicking the time and date icon in the notification area. In Notification Center, click the menu (three-dotted) button on the top-right and select the “Turn off all notifications for” option.

If you see a toast pop-up, you can click the menu (three-dotted) button on the top-right and select the “Turn off all notifications for” option.

The easiest way to enable Do Not Disturb is to use the “Windows key + N” keyboard shortcut to open Notification Center and click the Bell icon in the top-right corner.

Enable Do Not Disturb

If you want to retain access to your alerts through Notification Center but are annoyed by toast alerts from the bottom-right corner, you can enable and configure the “Do Not Disturb” feature. This feature is available starting with version 22H2.

To enable Do Not Disturb through the Settings app on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Notifications tab.

4. Turn on the “Do not disturb” toggle switch to stop distractions on Windows 11.

   

Once you complete the steps, the system will silence all notification banners. However, all the alerts will continue to appear in Notification Center.

Schedule Do Not Disturb

To turn on or off Do Not Disturb automatically, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Notifications tab.

4. Turn on the “Do not disturb” toggle switch.

5. Click the “Turn on do not disturb automatically” setting.

6. Check the During these times option.

7. Set the on and off time to silence notifications.

   

8. Choose the repeat setting.

After you complete the steps, the Do Not Disturb feature will enable and disable automatically, depending on your configuration.

In addition to setting up a schedule, you can also decide whether to stop notifications banners at certain times, such as when duplicating the display, playing games or apps in full-screen mode, and for the first hours after a feature update installation.

14. Disable startup apps to improve boot time

If you have many apps configured to run at startup, you will notice that your computer will take longer to start, the desktop may feel sluggish, and battery life won’t last as long. Usually, you want to minimize the number of apps that run at startup to improve performance and energy consumption.

To disable apps from launching automatically at startup on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Apps.

3. Click the Startup tab.

   

4. Turn off the toggle switch to disable apps on the startup.

   

Once you complete the steps, the apps will no longer start automatically every time you turn on your computer.

Turn on restartable apps

Windows 11 also can restart certain apps when you sign back into the account after a restart. However, usually, this is not the preferred behavior. 

To disable restartable apps on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Accounts.

3. Click the Sign-in options page.

   

4. Under the “Additional settings” section, turn off the “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in” toggle switch.

   

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 won’t remember the running in the last session to restart them when you sign back into the account.

15. Configure Storage Sense to free up space

Another setting that every user must configure is Storage Sense. When a device runs low on space, it’s critical to free up space to make storage available for other files and improve system performance. Usually, you should never use more than 70 percent of the total capacity to prevent performance issues.

On Windows 11, you have multiple ways to free up hard drive space, but Storage Sence is perhaps the best feature since it helps to manage storage space automatically.

To free up space with Storage Sense on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Storage tab.

4. Click the Storage Sense setting.

   

5. Check the “Keep Windows running smoothly” option.

6. Turn on the “Automatic User content cleanup” toggle switch.

   

7. Under the “Configure cleanup schedules” section, use the Run Storage Sense setting and select the “During low free disk space” option.

8. Use the Delete files in my recycle bin setting to choose the files to delete from the Recycle Bin. (Then the 1-day option clears the most files.)

9. Use the Delete files in my Downloads folder to clean up the files from the Downloads folder. (You want to make a copy of any important file before selecting this option.)

10. Under the “Locally available cloud content” section, use the OneDrive setting and select when synced files should become online-only to free up space.

11. Click the “Run Storage Sense now” button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will free up space making more room to store other files. Also, since you are enabling the feature, Storage Sense will run automatically during low available drive space.

16. Change default web browser on Windows 11

If you prefer another web browser (such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) other than Microsoft Edge to browse the web, you can change the system settings to any browser with the new default so that links will open automatically with the application of your choice.

To change the default browser on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Apps.

3. Click the Default apps page from the left side.

4. Select the web browser (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) to make the new default on Windows 11.

   

5. Click the Set default button.

   

6. (Optional) Click the .pdf protocol and select the Switch anyway option to make your preferred browser the new default.

7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the application will become the new default browser. However, it won’t be the default for everything. Microsoft Edge and Bing will still be the default for web results when using Windows Search and clicking links from the Widgets dashboard.

17. Enable Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR)

Dynamic Refresh Rate is a feature that allows laptops and desktops computers to lower their refresh rate to save battery. You will be trading off some picture quality, but it helps to conserve energy.

This feature is available on displays that support variable refresh rate (VRR) and a refresh rate of at least 120 Hz. Also, the feature requires a graphics driver (WDDM 3.0) that supports it.

To enable Dynamic Refresh Rate on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Select the Display tab on the right side.

4. Under the “Related settings” section, select the Advanced display tab.

   

5. Use the “Choose a refresh rate” option and select the Dynamic option to enable the DRR feature on Windows 11.

6. 

Once you complete the steps, the device will apply the refresh rate. If the computer has the “Dynamic” option, then the system will automatically lower the refresh rate to save power, reducing the quality of your overall experience.

18. Enable auto brightness feature

Although you can adjust the screen brightness manually, Windows 11 can automatically control the brightness and contrast to improve content visibility in different environments while saving battery life.

To disable content adaptive brightness control, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on System.

3. Click the Display page on the right side.

4. Under the “Brightness & color” section, clear the “Automatically adjust contrast based on the display content to help improve battery” option to enable the “Content Adaptive Brightness Control” (CABC) feature.

5. Check the “Change brightness automatically when lighting changes” option. Quick note: This option is only available if the computer has an ambient sensor.

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 will use the ambient sensor to adjust the brightness according to the light in the room. If you enabled the “Content Adaptive Brightness Control” (CABC) feature, the system would change the brightness and contrast settings based on the content being displayed on the screen to improve battery performance. 

It’s important to note that the Content Adaptive Brightness Control feature can reduce image quality. If color accuracy is important, it’s best to disable it.

19. Change theme to personalize the desktop

A theme is the easiest way to refresh the appearance of the desktop. On Windows 11, themes are packages containing different wallpapers, accent colors, mouse cursor customizations, and sounds.  

Windows 11, by default, includes six themes, including Windows (light), Windows (dark), Glow, Sunrise, Capture mentions, and Flow. However, you can also download plenty more from the Microsoft Store. 

To change themes on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Personalization.

3. Click the Themes tab.

   

4. Choose one of the available default themes to apply it.

   

5. (Optional) Click the Browse themes button.

6. Select a theme from the Microsoft Store.

7. Click the Get button.

   

8. Click the Open button.

9. Under the “Current theme” section, choose the new theme to apply it.

Once you complete the steps, the theme will apply to set a background image on the desktop, custom accent color, and system color mode.

20. Change the mouse cursor and pointer colors

On Windows 11, you are not limited to the traditional white color cursor and pointer. You can also use different colors and sizes. However, you need to know where to find the settings since they are not in the “Personalization” section. Instead, the system house these settings in the “Accessibility” section.

To change the mouse pointer color on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Accessibility.

3. Click the “Mouse pointer and touch” tab.

4. Under the “Mouse pointer” section, select the Custom option.

   

   Quick note: You can also choose from three other styles, including White, Black, and Inverted.

5. Select one of the recommended colors.

6. (Optional) Click the “Choose another color” option to create a custom color for the mouse pointer.

Once you complete the steps, the new color will apply to the mouse pointer.

Change mouse size on Windows 11

To change the mouse pointer size on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.

2. Click on Accessibility.

3. Click the “Mouse pointer and touch” tab.

4. Under the “Mouse pointer” section, use the Size slider to change the mouse pointer size on Windows 11.

   

After you complete the steps, the new size will apply to the mouse pointer.

21. Enable System Restore to recover Windows 11

System Restore is yet another feature everyone should use on Windows 11. System Restore is a feature that creates a copy of the current system state (including a backup of the Registry) as a restore point when the system detects specific changes, such as installing an update or driver. In the event that something wrong happens, you can use a restore point to roll the device back to a good working condition without losing your files.

The only caveat with this feature is that, for some reason, it comes disabled by default, meaning you must enable it manually before using it. 

To enable and create a restore point on Windows 11, use these steps:

1. Open Start.

2. Search for Create a restore point and click the top result to open the app.

3. Under the “Protection Settings” section, select the system drive (C) and click the Configure button.

   

4. Select the Turn on system protection option.

   

5. Click the Apply button.

6. Click the OK button.

7. Click the Create button.

   

8. Confirm a name for the Windows 11 restore point.

9. Click the Create button.

10. Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the system will create a restore point that includes system files, installed applications, system settings, and a backup of the Registry, which you can use to roll the system back to a working state.

Although this feature can detect and create restore points when specific system changes occur, it’s also possible to create restore points daily if System Restore cannot detect a change that will cause problems on the computer.