Windows 11 Tips

There are a number of tips that also work for Windows 10 and below, this is my main "Windows" page

Initial windows installation/setup:

First, only get windows Pro, that will easily let you install without a microsoft account to be used as your login (if you don't know why, do some research or email me) if you do not have pro, then make a microsoft account if you don't have one. There is still a way to make a local user, but not worth messing, buy a cheap upgrade to Pro)

When you are creating the user, do the "domain join" and you can make any local user you want without a Microsoft account

basically deny everything it wants in the initial setup, location, help, etc.

Activate the built in administrator account (manage...local users) For windows home, enable the hidden administrator user: net user administrator /active:yes (do from elevated command prompt), BE SURE to set a password, there is no password for the administrator account by default !!!

reboot, check both your new logins, and then delete the original user that is hooked to the microsoft account if you had to create one.

check to see that bitlocker is off on all hard disks. If you have a small C: and a large D: you will want to relocate the desktop, pictures, videos, and all the other specialized directories so you don't fill up the C: bood drive.

Add basic tools:

Install the browser you like, I install firefox (because it is not owned by Google or Microsoft)  make it default, and put in ghostery and ublock extensions (be sure to allow these to work in private windows), delete all the extra search engines, set home page, etc.

I disable the automatic updates in Microsoft Store (see below)

Now that you are no longer fighting Microsoft installing more crap, instal a "cleaner" app, I use ccleaner, and uninstall all the crap, turn off all crap in startup, and in services, in 2025, I hate the new version, even though it has more features, it has less control and is harder to user for registry and Crap CLEANing (yes CCleaner's original name was Crap Cleaner) I recommend ccleaner version 6.39.11548. See below for what I uninstall.

I hate the Windows 11 start menu, not enough Icons and not enough control over orgainization. I recommend Start 11, you can change the start menu to be like older versions of Windows and much more,.

now customize your desktop icons, set sleep and screen timers so the dang thing stays on for a while

install and run your manufacturer's update program, be sure to update bios if offered, you may have to reboot several times for the software to correctly identify updates

download and install a backup program that does an IMAGE of your hard drives. I like Aomei, reasonable cost and lots of options DO A BACKUP NOW!!!

Options:

Improve performance with up to date drivers: after updating, I load a driver update program. I like Driver Booster, and it is a reasonable price. There is an even more aggressive driver repertoire in the CCleaner v7, but you need to be careful !!! You need to be very careful to not load an update that might mess up your computer. The way to be careful is simple, compare the version of the installed driver to the one offered, if it is pretty similar, then go ahead, if not, well you need to be more experienced. You should create a system recovery point at least before doing these updates. If you do not follow what is being said then DON'T DO THIS AT ALL! 

now might be a good time to change your computer's boot options, a new dell kept looking at the network card to boot from...  a recent Dell XPS tried to boot from the network card under IPV4 and IPV6 as configured from the factory. Who does that?

better anti malware: careful users don't need anything more than the built in Windows Defender AV. If you surf and are not so careful, then perhaps an anti-malware product such as mlwarebytes, and a few other utilities.

If you have Intel wifi, Ethernet, or Bluetooth, download the "Intel Driver & Support Assistant". Free and solid source for Intel drivers. (also has CPU chipset drivers)

tuning/setup details:  

cannot permanently turn off windows store updates

in 2025, an update removed the "turn off automatic updates" in the windows store app, you can only pause (a$$holes!!)

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Store.
4. On the right panel, double-click Turn off Automatic Download and Install of updates.
5. Set the policy to Enabled and click Apply, then OK.
6. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsStore.
   • If the WindowsStore key does not exist, right-click Microsoft and select New > Key, then name it WindowsStore.
4. Right-click the WindowsStore key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name the new value AutoDownload.
6. Double-click AutoDownload and set the Value data to 2 to disable automatic updates. (To re-enable them, set the value to 4).
7. Restart your computer

Crap software to remove:

1. any "game" or Xbox software
2. clock
3. camera
4. copilot
5. bing
6. onedrive
7. teams
8. todo
9. mobile devices
10. news
11. outlook (the free standalone version)
12. phone link
13. quick assist
14. weather
15. widgets

Can't expand start menu

What the hell? It's bad enough that half of the space is devoted to recommended junk, but no room for all my shortcuts. If you can handle more menu items on a cell phone, why not on a real computer?

Just buy Start11, very flexible and very useful. You can get a windows 10 start menu, or windows 8 or windows 7. You can easily alternate between the menu of your choice and the stock windows 11 menu.

Restore the old Context Menu in Windows 11

from an elevated CMD or windows terminal prompt: copy the command from below, paste it and press Enter.

reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve

Restart File Explorer or your computer for the changes to take effect. You would see the Legacy Right Click Context menu by default.

The Registry change masks the new COM object that executes the compact menus with the "Show more options" entry. Once you get this performed, Explorer reverts to the Legacy context menu. 

Lock Screen timeout

This is really irritating, one computer when updated to 11 constantly times out quickly and lock screen.

First check the screensaver:

screensaver (none) and uncheck the box: "on resume, display login screen"

Edit power plan timeouts

Now go to power options edit power plan

set sleep timer to never (at least on plugged in)

Disable or delay lock screen password when the screen turns off

accounts: sign in options

under additional  options: if you've been away, when should windows require you to sign in?

on my computers, the setting was grayed out

in this case: Win + R’ and then type secpol.msc

navigate to local policies: security options, then search: ‘Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit’.

Computer -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Policies -> System

delete the inactivityTimeoutSecs key

--------------------

One new item is the unattended sleep time in advanced power settings in control panel under power options

If it does not show, use this:

First, change sleep settings as usual

Next set system unattended sleep time in advanced settings. To make it show:

powercfg -attributes SUB_SLEEP 7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0 -ATTRIB_HIDE

This is usually set to default 2 minutes

Next you want to change the "Console lock display off timeout"

This is set to 1 minute by default

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99\8ec4b3a5-6868-48c2-be75-4f3044be88a7

set the attribute from 1 to 2, and now it will show in the "DISPLAY" section of the advanced power settings.

Next change the ScreenSaveTimeOut, my Lenovo kept changing it to 600 (seconds) no matter what I did.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ScreenSaveTimeOut

reset recycle bin

keep emptying recyle bin, but stuff stays? from administrative command window rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.bin   will reset corrupted files in recycle bin...

Adobe Acrobat DC tips

Yeah, not windows 11 specific, but this stupid program puts up all kinds of menus and crap when 99% of the time all you want is a fast pdf reader without eating the entire screen.

• go to  ” C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat DC\Acrobat\RdrApp\ENU”
• Create a subfolder called “Disabled”
• Move “AppCenter_R.aapp”, “Home.aapp”, and “Viewer.aapp” to the “Disabled” folder

Getting the old Microsoft office picture manager

last version that had this is office 2010

You can download the 2010 Sharepoint designer for free.... https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=16573

Then do a custom install and block everything except the Microsoft Office Picture Manager.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99\8ec4b3a5-6868-48c2-be75-4f3044be88a7

put a 2 in for attributes, mine was 1

now in the power options, under advanced settings, the Display category will show "Console lock display off timeout", and yes it was set to 1 minute for plugged in and on battery..!!

problem with winre partition too small (major update to win11 on computers upgraded from win10)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/kb5028997-instructions-to-manually-resize-your-partition-to-install-the-winre-update-400faa27-9343-461c-ada9-24c8229763bf

Be sure to move the start button from the default center to left first.

C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\StartMenuExperienceHost.exe

https://www.mediafire.com/file/0u819qv1n76n6e9/Start_Menu.rar/file

updating issues

 overall error:

something went wrong... error code 0xc1900101

Matching Profile found: FindAbruptDownlevelFailure - 55882B1A-DA3E-408A-9076-23B22A0472BD
SetupDiag version: 1.6.2107.27002
System Information:
Machine Name = GREG-PC
Manufacturer = Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd.
Model = Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
HostOSArchitecture = 1033
FirmwareType = UEFI
BiosReleaseDate = 20211113000000.000000+000
BiosVendor =
BiosVersion = F15
HostOSVersion =
HostOSBuildString = 19041.1.amd64fre.vb_release.191206-1406
TargetOSBuildString = 10.0.22000.194 (co_release_svc_prod1.210911-1543)
HostOSLanguageId =
HostOSEdition = Professional
RegisteredAV = Avast Antivirus
FilterDrivers = FileInfo
UpgradeStartTime = 2/13/2022 10:18:35 AM
UpgradeEndTime = 2/13/2022 12:20:28 PM
UpgradeElapsedTime = 02:01:53
CV = JD0YWqBfd0Okriz4
ReportId =

Error: SetupDiag reports abrupt down-level failure.
Last Operation: Finalize
Error: 0xC1900101 - 0x50016
LogEntry: 2022-02-13 12:17:10, Error MOUPG CDlpActionFinalize::ExecuteSetupPlatformFinalize(1192): Result = 0xC1900101[gle=0x8007000d]

Refer to "https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/Debug/system-error-codes" for error information.

Last Setup Phase:
Phase Name: Finalize
Phase Started: 2/13/2022 12:16:08 PM
Phase Ended: 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM
Phase Time Delta: 00:00:00
Completed Successfully? False

Error: SetupDiag reports abrupt down-level failure.
Last Operation: Finalize
Error: 0xC1900101 - 0x50016