15 Windows 11 Settings to Change Immediately After Installation

A fresh Windows 11 installation comes with default settings optimized for Microsoft’s ecosystem — not for your productivity or privacy. These 15 changes take about 15 minutes and make Windows 11 faster, less cluttered, and more private. For a complete settings overview, see our Windows 11 settings guide.

Key Takeaways

• Disable the advertising ID and switch diagnostic data to “Required only” under Privacy & security to stop unnecessary tracking immediately.
• Move the taskbar alignment to left, remove Widgets and Copilot, and enable file extensions in File Explorer for a cleaner, more productive workspace.
• Switch power mode to “Best performance” and enable Storage Sense for automatic cleanup to keep your PC running fast from day one.

1. Disable Personalized Ads and Tracking

Settings > Privacy & security > General

Toggle off all four options: – Let apps show me personalized ads — stops ad targeting – Let websites show locally relevant content — stops language tracking – Let Windows improve Start by tracking app launches — stops usage monitoring – Show me suggested content in Settings — removes Microsoft promotions

This is the single most important privacy change. It takes 10 seconds and eliminates the most intrusive default tracking.

2. Reduce Diagnostic Data to Required Only

Settings > Privacy & security > Diagnostics & feedback

• Set diagnostic data to Send required diagnostic data
• Toggle off Improve inking and typing
• Toggle off Tailored experiences
• Click Delete diagnostic data to clear previously collected data

Required data covers only essential system information needed for Windows Update and security. For a deeper dive, see our Windows 11 privacy settings guide.

3. Move the Taskbar to the Left

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors

Change Taskbar alignment from Center to Left.

The centered taskbar is Windows 11’s most divisive design change. Left alignment places the Start button where decades of muscle memory expect it — in the bottom-left corner.

4. Clean Up the Taskbar

Settings > Personalization > Taskbar

Toggle off items you do not use: – Widgets — removes the news feed widget – Task view — removes the virtual desktop button (still accessible via Win+Tab) – Chat — removes the Microsoft Teams chat icon – Copilot — right-click the icon > Unpin from taskbar

Taskbar Item	Default	Recommendation
Search	Show	Change to “Search icon only”
Task view	Show	Hide (use Win+Tab)
Widgets	Show	Hide
Chat	Show	Hide
Copilot	Show	Hide (unless you use it daily)

5. Set Your Default Browser

Settings > Apps > Default apps > [Your browser]

Click your preferred browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave) and click Set default. Without this, Windows opens all links in Microsoft Edge regardless of which browser you installed.

6. Enable Dark Mode

Settings > Personalization > Colors

• Change Choose your mode to Dark
• Optionally set Choose your default Windows mode and Choose your default app mode separately for a hybrid look

Dark mode reduces eye strain, saves battery on OLED/AMOLED screens, and is preferred by most users in 2026.

7. Show File Extensions in File Explorer

Open File Explorer > View > Show > File name extensions

By default, Windows 11 hides file extensions (.docx, .pdf, .exe). This is a security risk — a malicious file named “invoice.pdf.exe” appears as “invoice.pdf” when extensions are hidden. Always show extensions.

Also enable: – Hidden items (View > Show > Hidden items) to see system and configuration files

8. Switch Power Mode to Best Performance

Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode

Change from Balanced to Best performance.

This prevents CPU throttling and keeps your system responsive. On laptops, switch back to Balanced when on battery. For advanced power optimization including the hidden Ultimate Performance plan, see our Windows 11 performance settings guide.

9. Enable Storage Sense

Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense

Toggle Storage Sense to On and configure: – Run Storage Sense: Every week – Delete files in Recycle Bin older than: 30 days – Delete files in Downloads older than: 30 days (or Never if you prefer manual control)

Storage Sense automatically frees up 10-20 GB on systems that have not been cleaned, keeping your SSD performing well over time.

10. Enable Night Light

Settings > System > Display > Night Light

Toggle Night Light to On and set a schedule (e.g., Sunset to sunrise). Night Light reduces blue light emission from your screen, reducing eye strain during evening hours.

Adjust the Strength slider — 30-50% provides a warm tone without making the screen too orange.

11. Configure Snap Layouts and Multitasking

Settings > System > Multitasking

• Snap windows — keep enabled (hover over maximize button for layout options)
• Show snap layouts when I hover over a window’s maximize button — keep enabled
• Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen — enable
• When I snap a window, show what I can snap next to it — enable

Snap Layouts let you organize windows into 2, 3, or 4-pane layouts by hovering over the maximize button — one of Windows 11’s best productivity features.

12. Enable Clipboard History

Press Win+V to activate clipboard history. Click Turn on when prompted.

Clipboard history stores the last 25 items you copied — text, images, and links. Press Win+V to paste from history instead of just the last copied item. You can also pin frequently used items so they persist after restart.

13. Disable Startup Apps You Do Not Need

Settings > Apps > Startup

Review the list and disable apps with High or Medium impact that you do not need at boot. Common apps safe to disable: Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Spotify, Discord, Adobe Creative Cloud, Skype.

This reduces boot time by 30-50% on systems with many startup apps. See our Windows 11 performance settings guide for a detailed list.

14. Set Up Windows Hello (Biometric Login)

Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options

Configure at least one biometric login method: – Facial recognition (if your device has an IR camera) – Fingerprint (if your device has a fingerprint reader) – PIN (faster than password, device-specific)

Windows Hello is faster and more secure than typing a password. The PIN is stored only on your device and never transmitted to Microsoft servers, unlike your Microsoft account password.

15. Check for and Install Updates

Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates

Install all pending updates, including: – Feature updates – Security updates – Driver updates (expand Optional updates for GPU and hardware drivers)

A fresh Windows installation often has months of pending updates. Installing them immediately ensures you have the latest security patches, bug fixes, and driver improvements.

Quick Reference: All 15 Settings

#	Setting	Location	Action
1	Advertising ID	Privacy > General	Toggle off all 4 options
2	Diagnostic data	Privacy > Diagnostics	Required only
3	Taskbar alignment	Personalization > Taskbar	Change to Left
4	Taskbar clutter	Personalization > Taskbar	Hide Widgets, Chat, Copilot
5	Default browser	Apps > Default apps	Set preferred browser
6	Dark mode	Personalization > Colors	Enable Dark
7	File extensions	File Explorer > View	Show extensions
8	Power mode	System > Power	Best performance
9	Storage Sense	System > Storage	Enable weekly cleanup
10	Night Light	System > Display	Enable with schedule
11	Snap Layouts	System > Multitasking	Enable all options
12	Clipboard history	Win+V	Turn on
13	Startup apps	Apps > Startup	Disable non-essential
14	Windows Hello	Accounts > Sign-in	Set up PIN or biometric
15	Windows Update	Windows Update	Install all updates

If you need a Windows 11 license, Windows 11 Pro ($99.99) includes all features above plus BitLocker encryption, Group Policy Editor, and Hyper-V virtualization.

Frequently Asked Questions

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