My Win 11 Tweaks To Make It Usable

[CTech]

I was going to post this on WW 955 when I saw Jamze’s Post about 25H2 changing his default browser to Edge, but I decided to create this Post for everyone using Windows 11.

So I just wanted to share my experience with Windows 11 for Jamze & everyone else on Twit.

I do not know what level your all at as far as computers go.

I have heard Paul telling us about all the annoyances in Win 11.

Some time ago when I was setting up Win 11 Pro I was so annoyed at what they had done, so I immediately started looking for solutions to everything I did not like.

In Firefox there is a setting always check to see if Firefox is my default browser, so If it changed to Edge Firefox would tell me. I have never had my default changed to Edge.

We all know about all of Microsoft’s Security & Privacy Problems, so I got rid of all the apps I did not need & turned off or Disabled things using Group Policy Editor.

My Ultimate solution to make Win 11 my own was to use 2 very useful apps.

Winaero Tweaker- https://winaerotweaker.com/

OpenShell- Releases · Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu · GitHub

I use the Windows 7 Start Screen.

I was able to get the Win 10 right click menu back.

I have never seen any ads on my system.
I also use an excellent free Firewall that blocks everything by default & I get to choose what gets access to the internet.

Here is just a small part of WT.

[iFish]

I will probably edit this post when I get back to a physical computer, but I love the concept of this thread.

My install of Windows I’m pretty sure is still 22H2; maybe it’s 23H2 by now but I basically haven’t updated my computer in a long time it always fails; but I also heard ExplorerPatcher broke? Maybe it’s been fixed by now (I hear mixed things?)

I use ExplorerPatcher to enable the Windows 10 taskbar, which I then put on the top of the all my screens. I need the Win10 style taskbar because I use small icons, ungrouped, full length, and at the top of my screen. I use the Win11 start menu though

I also use T-Clock to replace the standard clock on the Windows taskbars GitHub - White-Tiger/T-Clock: Highly configurable Windows taskbar clock

I also disabled the drop shadow Windows creates for every window, and I disabled the feature which shows a window if you hover over it on the taskbar. I often idle my mouse near the top and the stuff annoyed me. I which I could turn off the little hover preview all together

To do the above, I mess around in Sysdm.cpl System Properties > Advanced > Performance Settings > Visual Effects

[knewman]

Steve Gibson mentioned Windhawk several episodes ago, it’s pretty nice. I’ve toggled many of the mods on and off but the main ones I always have enabled are “Better file sizes in Windows Explorer” and the “Windows 11 Taskbar Styler.”

[CTech]

I had a look at WindHawk when Steve G mentioned it.

At that time the only other thing I wanted was the Bigger Clock with Seconds on the Calendar. After I upgraded to 25H2 I finally had it.

Winaero Tweaker does not have to be installed, its portable. I also got rid of the word Shortcut when I right click & select Send To Desktop Create Shortcut.

Here is my Start Menu

Here is my Right Click Menu

Here is OpenShell

I also use this handy Tool

O&O ShutUp10++: Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11

I will take a look at WindHawk again & see if there is anything I may want.