Windows 11 Personalization First Steps (24H2)

After you upgrade to or install Windows 11, or have signed in to a new Windows 11 PC for the first time, you should ensure that everything is working properly and prepare your PC for the work ahead. This chapter can help: Here, we provide a list of several post-install tasks to perform as soon as you finish the Windows Setup Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE) and arrive at the Windows 11 Desktop for the first time.

The tasks in this chapter are grouped logically and can generally be completed in any order.
Configure the Desktop
When you first view your new Windows 11 Desktop, it's likely that you will see several things that were configured for you by Microsoft or your PC maker that you wish to change immediately. The tasks in this section can help you decide which changes to consider across the Desktop itself, plus the Taskbar, Start, File Explorer, OneDrive, and more.
Configure the date and time settings
In decades past, new Windows installations would often default to Pacific Time (where Microsoft's headquarters are) or to whatever time zone your PC maker may have configured. But Windows 11 tries to detect your location automatically and then set the time and date accordingly. This usually works, but it's smart to make sure.

First, check the time/date display in the far right of the Taskbar.

Even if both are correct, right-click the date/time display and select "Adjust date and time" in the context menu that appears to open the Settings app to its Time & date settings page.

Here, you should examine two options, "Set time zone automatically" and "Set time automatically" to make sure both are set to "On." If not, make that change.
Turn off Do not disturb
New to Windows 11, Microsoft enables a feature called Do not disturb the first time you boot into your new Desktop. It's not clear why it made this change, but you will not receive most notifications until you disable it.

To do so, select the date/time display in the far right of the Taskbar to display the Notifications and Calendar panes. Then, click the "Do not disturb" toggle button in the top right of the Notifications pane.

Of course, you may enjoy the peace and quiet, too. In that case, simply leave Do not disturb as-is.
You can learn more about Do not disturb--and a related feature called Focus--in the Do Not Disturb and Focus chapter.
Configure the Desktop theme
In addition to supporting Dark and light modes like Windows 10, Windows 11 also supports themes, which combine a background, an accent color, a sound scheme, and a mouse cursor into a single item you can enable or change.

The default Windows 11 theme displays in Light mode and uses a dynamic background called Windows spotlight, a specific accent color, the default sound scheme, and the default mouse cursor. But it could be different: PC makers often configure the default theme, and if you restored from a backup during Windows 11 Setup, your configured theme should be in-place.

You can change...