# My Win 11 Tweaks To Make It Usable **URL:** \ **Category:** Windows\ **Created:** [October 25, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/my-win-11-tweaks-to-make-it-usable/19228 "2025-10-25T18:32:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CTech](https://www.twit.community/u/CTech)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/my-win-11-tweaks-to-make-it-usable/19228/1 "2025-10-25T18:32:53Z")
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/](https://winaerotweaker.com/) OpenShell- [Releases · Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu · GitHub](https://github.com/Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu/releases) 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. ![2025-10-25 13_56_01-Winaero Tweaker](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/b/9/b9e32067b414835c20f688be1bfe54872811776b.png) ---
**Author:** ![iFish](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/ifish/32/19986_2.png) [@iFish](https://www.twit.community/u/iFish)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 7:40pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/my-win-11-tweaks-to-make-it-usable/19228/2 "2025-10-25T19:40:35Z")
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](https://github.com/White-Tiger/T-Clock) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/b/b/bb4364345a3630a005ded9c3d5e6bcb25e861ed3.png) 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 ---
**Author:** ![knewman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/www.twit.community/knewman/32/1153_2.png) [@knewman](https://www.twit.community/u/knewman)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 6:49am UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/my-win-11-tweaks-to-make-it-usable/19228/3 "2025-10-26T06:49:06Z")
Steve Gibson mentioned [Windhawk](https://windhawk.net) 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.” ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/optimized/3X/d/d/dd2f891c94a18fca062bf9cbc8cc42a79f7a9e50_2_690x35.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![CTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@CTech](https://www.twit.community/u/CTech)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 3:56pm UTC](https://www.twit.community/t/my-win-11-tweaks-to-make-it-usable/19228/4 "2025-10-26T15:56:34Z")
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. ![2025-10-26 11_30_10 Clock-](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/f/8/f8acbeda752d3d6afedcf8f84c966e9afc86e2f5.png) 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 ![2025-10-26 12_09_54-Start Menu 1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/1/4/149bdf6b6a1c956e55729d12ceed9157bbb15617.png) Here is my Right Click Menu ![2025-10-26 11_52_56-Right Click Menu](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/0/8/086be533d57c2fd337701f1606b5842c1661d70b.png) Here is OpenShell ![2025-10-26 11_59_12-Settings for Open-Shell Menu 4.4.196](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/twit/original/3X/4/a/4a40aa8451bf3a9514ba7e0f26f332095a45bc70.png) I also use this handy Tool > **[O&O ShutUp10++: Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11](https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10)** > > With this tool you have full control over which comfort functions under Windows 10 and Windows 11 you wish to use, and you decide when the passing on of your data goes too far. I will take a look at WindHawk again & see if there is anything I may want.