9 Default Windows Settings That Make Your Life Harder
2 min read
Summary
Windows 11 comes with a host of default settings that can be changed to improve the user experience, increase performance and enhance security as some of them can compromise these aspects of the Operating System (OS).
For instance, file extensions should be visible as this makes it easier to identify malware and allows users to identify and change file types; three power modes are available - balanced, best power efficiency and best performance - the latter of which should be selected for a sluggish device to give it extra speed.
The refresh rate of a user’s display can also be changed to maximise the smoothness of visuals; ads can be stopped from appearing in the Start menu and search bars and users can also change the settings for OneDrive to allow for more control over synching backup and syncing folders.
The taskbar can be customised via a third-party tool and users can also enable and calibrate High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays.
Furthermore, the default search engine can be changed away from Bing to alternatives such as Google or DuckDuckGo and users can also install PowerToys, which offers a range of utilities and enhancements such as a powerful launcher, keeping the computer awake indefinitely and launching apps in specific positions.
