If Only I Were a Normal Windows User … (Premium)

I need to keep up on the Windows 11 defaults because of the Windows 11 Field Guide and this website. But what if that wasn’t the case? How would I really configure this system to be optimal for my needs?

This much is clear. Things would be a bit different.

Earlier today, I wrote about Wintoys, which is just one of dozens if not hundreds of Windows 11 “tweak” utilities that one can use to configure the system in ways that Microsoft either hides completely or makes difficult to find. But as noted, it’s one of the better utilities in this field, and as I stepped through each of its several top-level views, I found myself thinking for the umpteenth time about what it is that I’m looking for in any personal computing platform, be it a computer (Windows, Mac, Linux), a smartphone or tablet (Android, iPhone, iPad), or even a smartwatch (Apple Watch, Pixel Watch).

And that can be summed up quickly: I’m looking for efficiency.

Efficiency probably means different things to different people. But to me, this is about the user experience, and how I can configure it so that I can get to what it is I’m trying to accomplish as quickly as possible at all times. Tied to this, perhaps, is something I think of as minimalism, though that might be the wrong term in this context. This is about removing those things that are distracting or get in the way, visually or literally, again with the top-level goal of being more efficient. And leaving things alone that are not distracting or in the way.

Efficiency feels like it should be objective, something we might all agree on. But because we all work differently, it’s actually subjective. You can see that in things like the Start menu, which is on a spectrum of usage that varies by person. For me, the Start menu–despite its name–is secondary, because I use the Taskbar as the primary way to launch apps.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Before we can even think about Start, or the Taskbar, we have to go back to the beginning. What am I doing right now? What’s the first step?

? Why we’re here in the first place

Windows exists for the same reasons as any OS, regardless of the device. It’s a platform for running apps and services. It abstracts the underlying hardware, allowing those apps and services to run more efficiently. And it’s a user interface, hopefully one that is consistent across those experiences. The details have changed a bit over the last four decades, but that’s been true at a high level since Windows was still called Interface Manager and was being delayed again and again before it finally made its way to market in 1985.

Here, I’m mostly concerned about the interface and the apps and services, those things that Windows can do for me. Microsoft has its own ideas about all that, and we might think about its contrary aims as those things Windows can do to me. This is where enshittification creeps in, as it does these days in virtually all personal computing products and services. For Windows 11, specifically, enshittification is a multi-headed hydra that consists of both overt and hidden methods that Microsoft uses to bend us to its will. I wrote the article linked above almost exactly a year ago, and the methods I included then are still accurate:

• Forced telemetry
• Preinstalled crapware
• Constant, unpredictable features updates
• Microsoft Microsoft account (MSA) sign-in
• Forced Microsoft Edge usage
• Bad Microsoft Edge behaviors, whether you use it or not
• Arbitrary hardware requirements
• OneDrive Folder backup harassment and automatic feature enablement
• Microsoft Office harassment if you don’t use OneDrive

Most of these don’t impact me in the slightest. I don’t like that Microsoft requires individuals to send it telemetry data, but I don’t mind doing so myself. The preinstalled crapware is quickly and easily uninstalled, and it doesn’t come back. I want to sign in with an MSA and advise others to do so as well, though I agree that those smart (in some cases, dumb) enough to want to use an local account should be able to do so. I don’t use most of the Windows 11 features that launch Edge anyway. I will always be using modern PC hardware, so those requirements are not an issue. And I no longer use Microsoft Office–granted, in part because of this harassment–so that’s not a problem. For me.

The OneDrive Folder backup issue is real, and something I deal with every single time I configure a new PC. I hate that Microsoft does this, and this is why I use Google Drive now. But I don’t use Google Drive instead of OneDrive, I use both. There are lots of reasons for that, but some of the top reasons include Personal Vault and the fact that I can use and sync my Visual Studio projects via OneDrive but not Google Drive. If OneDrive wasn’t so terrible in forcing Folder backup on me, I would likely just keep using it. (Ironic.)

The Microsoft Edge behaviors are problematic to me, but less so. I’ve used Edge effectively for months at a time, and it’s fine, assuming you install the right extensions to prevent tracking. But I also use and prefer other browsers and can’t excuse that Microsoft forces Edge on users regardless of the choices we make. I don’t like the occasional pop-ups that appear to coerce me into configuring Edge a certain way, and it’s important to point out that these occur even when you use Edge. The whole thing is insidious, and it’s a shame. As with OneDrive, if it weren’t for these terrible behaviors, I’d happily use the thing. (Also ironic.)

With all that in mind, let’s go to the beginning. A new PC has arrived, perhaps for review. Or maybe I’m going to reset an existing PC, something I do more often than I’m comfortable discussing. Is there a better way? Are there changes I’d make to Windows Setup?

? Setting up Windows 11

In short, no.

Because of what I do for a living–through this site and via the Windows 11 Field Guide–I’ve spent (wasted?) more time than you can imagine installing Windows in every way imaginable and perhaps in some that would surprise you. I’ve done the Tiny11 installs, the unattended script-based installs, the Rufus-customized installs, the F10 + command line script installs, and everything in between. And in the end, after all that work, all that time and effort, none of it matters to me. It’s just not essential enough to even worry about this kind of thing. Plus, most people won’t go through this very often anyway.

Windows Setup consists of two parts, an old-school wizard-based application that I call the first-boot experience and the more common and graphically attractive Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) that everyone who’s used Windows sees. There are ways to customize both, some noted in that stream of consciousness above. But none matter to me, personally. A stock Windows 11 installation via the stock Windows Setup is still just fine. The entire process should take just 20 minutes or so. Optimizing for this is a waste of time.

In the more common OOBE, there are several steps to get through, most of which I just skip over or say no to. The only steps I pay attention to/enable something on are:

• Let’s name your device. I always do this, even though it requires a reboot.
• How would you like to set up this device? I always choose “Set up for personal use” and then sign in with an MSA.
• Want to use your face/finger to sign in faster and more securely? I used to skip over this, but now I always configure Windows Hello facial recognition if available and fingerprint recognition otherwise. (And then configure both inside Windows if both are available.) And then the PIN, which is required.
• Choose privacy settings for your device. I disable everything except for Location, Find my device, and, if present (ahem), Presence.
• Welcome, back! Windows 11 really wants you to restore from a backup. I always choose More options > Set up as a new PC. Always.

I do this so often I could probably do it in my sleep.

The only bit here I feel needs any explanation in the MSA. I know this is a big issue for some people, though I don’t understand it. My MSA is properly secured with 2FA via the Microsoft Authenticator mobile app, passkeys, and various account recovery means as I documented previously. This means I can recover the sign-in if needed, which is almost impossible with a local account, but it also means that the PC’s disk is automatically encrypted at first sign-in. It means my account is automatically connected with the Microsoft Store and Xbox, both of which I use every day. It means that when I am using Edge, I get pass-through security and settings automatically. The MSA is what enables me to use Windows Hello (and now Windows Hello ESS), as this requires an account with a password. And so on. This is all a no-brainer to me, even with the enshittification in OneDrive and Edge, either of which I could ignore completely if desired.

?️ Configuring Windows 11

When I first sign in to Windows 11, OneDrive begins its initial sync and I get Windows Update and the Microsoft Store app going so I can install system and app updates, respectively. While that’s happening, I configure Windows 11. This involves a few things, and the entire process takes about 20 minutes.

• Configure the Taskbar. I remove Search and Task view, but leave Widgets. (I configure Widgets so that it does not appear on mouse-over and does not display any notifications; it’s just a weather icon.)
• Configure the theme. I use a custom background, disable system sounds, use an inverted cursor, and save Light and Dark versions of this theme. (It’s curious to me that Windows doesn’t have an option to automatically switch between Light and Dark themes as you move between day and night.)
• Configure File Explorer. I remove the Documents, Music, and Videos links from Quick view and add the folder shortcuts I do use. I disable all the items under Folder Options > Privacy to speed up the display and because I never use those features.
• Configure Start. I uninstall or unpin many shortcuts in Start and leave only one screen’s worth of shortcuts under Pinned. More on this below. I delete anything on the desktop too.
• Configure the system tray. I disable Do not disturb and expand the calendar. I now enable the battery percentage display (which is a recent addition).
• Configure the display. I make sure the Scale is correct for my eyes, and make sure Dynamic refresh rate, Night light (on a schedule), and Adaptive color are all on if available.
• Configure account sign-in. If needed, I add (or improve, as I sometimes wear glasses) Windows Hello authentication.

And that’s probably everything. From here I move on to apps, but today’s Wintoys experiment triggered some thoughts I will discuss below. For now …

? Bulk install apps

I use a winget script to automatically install all the apps I use regularly. I’ve been doing this for years, and I’ve updated the list of apps I install regularly. It’s been updated several timers since the last time I wrote about it. Here’s the current version, which I run as an admin so I’m not prompted throughout.

# Apps installed from the winget repository

$wingetApps = ‘Google.GoogleDrive’,
‘Google.Chrome’,
‘appmakes.Typora’,
‘Git.Git’,
‘Notion.Notion’,
‘Discord.Discord’,
‘Microsoft.DotNet.Runtime.8’,
‘Microsoft.DotNet.SDK.9’

# Apps installed from the Microsoft Store

$msStoreApps = ‘9PFZ3G4D1C9R’, # LanguageTool for Desktop
‘XP8C9QZMS2PC1T’, # Brave
‘XP9KHM4BK9FZ7Q’, # Visual Studio Code
‘XP99J3KP4XZ4W’, # Zoom
‘9WZDNCRDK3WP’, # Slack
‘9N8Z6RQX8LV8’, # Greenshot
‘9N33VZK3C7TH’, # ImageGlass 9
‘9P8DVF1XW02V’, # Affinity Photo 2
‘XP89DCGQ3K6VLD’, # Microsoft PowerToys
‘XPDCFJDKLZJLP8’ # Visual Studio Community 2022

# Install winget repository apps

foreach ($app in $wingetApps) { winget install –id=$app -e –accept-package-agreements –accept-source-agreements –silent –no-upgrade }

# Install Windows Store apps

foreach ($app in $msStoreApps) { winget install $app -s msstore –accept-package-agreements –accept-source-agreements –silent –no-upgrade }

? Configure apps

Winget is great for bulking installing apps, but it can’t (yet?) help with keeping those apps up-to-date or, as important, configuring them. So I spend another 15 minutes or so doing the latter. This mostly involves signing in to each and then some light per-app configuration in some cases.

A few notes here.

Google Drive is first because I want to get that going first: After signing in, I pin the necessary folders (as noted above) to the File Explorer Quick access list and configure two of them, To-do and Book, to be always available (available when offline).

When OneDrive finishes syncing, I add my Code folder in there to the File Explorer Quick access list. This is where my Visual Studio 2022 projects are. (Those are also configured to be available offline.)

I keep my Typora configuration files and themes in the cloud and use a script to copy them to the right place once I’ve signed in to that app.

My browsers are all configured identically, so when I sign in to them, I get my extensions, my custom home/new tab page (Bonjourr), and so on. I use Proton Pass for password/passkeys management, so I sign in to that, and I keep Proton Pass, Dark Reader, and Instapaper (for read-later) pinned to the toolbar in each. I also manually set up my pinned and default tabs as needed; this is aided by Bonjourr, as those links are all in there for me.

I disable Snipping Tool’s lock on Print Screen since I use that for Greenshot, the screenshot app I prefer.

I use ImageGlass9 for viewing images.

I use my default browser for viewing PDF files.

? Using apps

By this point, an hour has gone by. Google Drive and OneDrive are done syncing. The Store apps are all up-to-date. I’ve probably rebooted at least once to install whatever Windows Updates.

I have signed in to the apps I use, and as I do that, I pin the apps I use most often to the Taskbar. So, in addition to the Start button, which can’t be removed, I have: File Explorer, Brave (or whatever web browser), Typora, Notepad, Notion, Affinity Photo 2, and Paint.

I also have some apps/services running in the background on start: PowerToys (with Awake), Slack, and Teams, plus Google Drive.

And I pin a few apps to Start, which I use as a sort of secondary launch point: Visual Studio 2022 and Visual Studio Code. For other (tertiary?) apps, I use Start Search.

But what about all those other pesky little Windows settings?

Yes. What about them?

? If I were someone else

When Google announced the Pixel 9a recently, I had this recurring thought about how different things might be if I didn’t write about personal technology and need to stay up on these things. More specifically, I feel like I would do with tech products what I do with clothes, furniture, and the other non-tech products in my life. I’d use them for a long, long time and only begrudgingly move on when forced to. I was reminded of this again this past weekend when a friend in my industry was in town and we got together to catch-up over drinks. He asked my wife about her phone, a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and remarked that he was still on an S21 series phone. My mind drifted. If only.

But bringing this back to Windows, where I’m even more stuck than I am with phones, I purposefully leave most things in some default configuration (minus as described above). And usually have a secondary user account on each PC that is completely stock, for both the book and the Hands-On Windows podcast recordings I do. This is a curious thing. I need to stay up-to-date on what Microsoft is doing in Windows 11. But I also want to know how to get around some of the things I don’t like. Or even better, fix them.

I spend a lot of time on this. In some cases–like customizing Windows 11 Setup, as noted above, this doesn’t feel worth it. But there are lots of little things I would change. In an ideal world. If I wasn’t … me.

In my post about Wintoys, I listed some settings one might configure using that app. And that’s a pretty good list of Windows 11 feature I would change for myself.

I recently mentioned the Files app, and that I’ve been looking at various File Explorer alternatives. This is a curious thing, too. I like the way File Explorer looks, but it’s fair to point out that its recent WinUI 3-based makeover has also delivered some serious UI performance and reliability issues. And so I’ve looked at Files, which is pretty but inexplicably slower than File Explorer, and possibly a dozen other alternatives. But here, my needs are simple. I want something like File Explorer, but like File Explorer was before this makeover. I want the Windows 10 version of File Explorer. A version of this app that starts instantly and just works.

You can achieve this in different ways. You can customize the Windows 11 File Explorer as I do (as noted above), and while that won’t fix the reliability issues, it does fix the app startup issue. You can use a Registry change to switch to an older File Explorer version, and I keep a Reg file in the cloud for this exact purpose. (I covered this in a previous tip.) Or you could use Wintoys (or some other utility) to make this change for you.

This version of File Explorer is better than any alternative I’ve tried. And having again just made that switch, I thought, nice. This is exactly what I need. And I think I’m going to keep it there. Take one tiny step toward that alternative timeline that I can’t have right now.

This also caused me to think a bit about Start.

I have never–literally, not once–accessed a recent document or other file that’s appeared in the Start menu. I open Start, almost universally, to access those secondary apps or to use Search. And I use Search from Start, literally universally, to find apps that are not pinned to my Taskbar. That’s it. Beyond that, Start is superfluous to me, and unnecessary. (As is search, though I hope that changes with the new semantic search stuff Microsoft is bringing to Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs.)

What this means is that configuring Start is almost beside the point. Today, I ignore it for the most part, so why bother? I write that having spent so many hours configuring Start in the past, especially during the live tiles era of Windows 10, despite never really needing to. OCD can be tough. But these days, I only configure it lightly, and doing so only takes a minute, and only happens once.

Still, most of the Start menu in Windows 11 feels pointless to me.

I could remove the documents that appear there–not to mention the recommendations and other nonsense–and just have an app-focused Start, I guess. I tried it. It’s fine. But I still won’t use it, so why bother? Ditto for Search: Yes, I could remove Search highlights from Search, and would if I ever used this thing. But I search mostly from File Explorer. And that sucks too. So what’s the point?

But there is one thing I would change that would make a huge difference, and give me some peace and quiet each day.

I would disable every single notification, suggestion, hint, or tip everywhere in Windows. And that is something Wintoys does offer. It seems to work well.

Anyway, there are changes I would make. And some I would not bother with. And I would just use Windows for what it is, a place to access the apps and services I rely on, mostly for productivity-related tasks. Work. Today, I do that, of course, but I also spend (waste?) a lot of time in the constant churn that Microsoft unnecessarily wrecks on this system. For example, this 6,000-word monster, which reads like me trying to understand what the F is going on in real-time. Which makes sense, because that’s what it is.

My, what I could do if I just got that time back.