What to do first with Windows 11

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ISSUE 19.31 • 2022-08-01 WINDOWS 11 By Susan Bradley You just decided that the deal at the local computer store was too great to pass up, and you took
[See the full post at: What to do first with Windows 11]

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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pmbinc, Kathy Stevens, Stephen Carstensen, ibe98765, abbodi86, Jorge Troitiño, lmacri, geekdom

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I went from Win 7 to 11, so have no idea of what I missed. I’ve been using Win 11 for about a month and so far so good. But there are 3 things that I detest about Win 11 (or wherever they were introduced) so far.

1. The widgets pane sliding out from the left at almost random times

2. Windows maximizing when you drag them close to the top. Sometimes the window doesn’t move at all and I have to “grab” it again.

3. Last and by no means least: When copying/moving, Win 11 gives me a choice of Replace Destination file but NO details of the 2 involved files as Win 7 did. The details can be seen by clicking a separate item. Not only is that a waste of time (I always want details) but the ensuing dialog is not at all clear. I know one day that I will do the wrong thing. And that graph of the progress of the copy/move operation is a waste; what happened to the simple progress bar (that told me how much time was left, even when it increased)?

 

 

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Fred Burg wrote:

I went from Win 7 to 11, so have no idea of what I missed.
…
1. The widgets pane sliding out from the left at almost random times

On Windows 10, you can set it to appear only after a click rather than just a hover; but on Windows 11 that optional setting is omitted, because ……….. Microsoft.

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Charlie, Cybertooth

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Fred Burg wrote:

The widgets pane sliding out from the left at almost random times

b wrote:

On Windows 10, you can set it to appear only after a click rather than just a hover; but on Windows 11 that optional setting is omitted, because ……….. Microsoft.

The setting to switch off opening widgets by only hovering over the icon has been added to Windows 11 version 22H2 with Web Experience Pack version 421.20070.1040.0 via Microsoft Store:

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Windows maximizing when you drag them close to the top. Sometimes the window doesn’t move at all and I have to “grab” it again.

Yeah, we have that “feature” (=annoyance, to some) in Win 10, too. In Win 10 it can be disabled as seen here: https://www.howtogeek.com/720064/how-to-turn-off-snap-to-maximize-in-windows-10/

I can’t check to see whether that works in Win 11 as well, because I haven’t moved up to Win 11 yet. There’s likely a Registry hack if not a direct setting for it in Win 11.

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This simple registry tweak restores the Windows 10 style right click menu in File Explorer:

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/restore_the_windows_10_context_menu_in_windows_11.html

The zip has two .reg files.  One to restore the Windows 10 menu and one to restore the default Windows 11 menu.

 

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Can I have the taskbar on the right side of the screen?

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With third party software/or a registry hack.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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So no hurry to move to W11 then :).

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I’m avoiding 11 so far.  As for the task bar, I want mine on top!  After all, all the other task bar like things are on the top of windows, and the mouse is normally near the top of the screen, a short trip up and a long trip down.

As for pinned tab positions, they must stay constant so windows-key-number will open/close a tab.  I haven’t seen a discussion of what the 11 task bar does to position stability.

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technic

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Re: taskbar location

Right click > Taskbar Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors > Taskbar alignment > Left/Center

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I assume it is now OK to install Win 11, I just realized that I have not seen a + Newsletter even though I have auto renew on and it shows me good through April of 2023. I have been getting the non-paid (free) newsletter and have not had any problems so was not concerned and just let things slip. But I saw this article today about Win 11 and thought, wow I must have missed a lot of stuff. Now wondering why?

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Let me investigate. Lately I’ve seen where the mail systems flag the emails as spam and then unsubscribe you.  I’ll email you directly with what I find.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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P.S. read the newsletter.  If you have a fully functional well working 10 I see no reason to upgrade.  If you are buying a new computer, then get a 11.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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“What to do first with Windows 11”

Look up what’s coming in W12 and wait?

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Windows 12 operating system is at yet vaporware or at most rumor.

Windows 11 is under discussion here.

vaporware:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware

Windows 12:
https://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-12-in-2024-microsoft-reportedly-changes-os-release-schedule

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THe first thing I did with win10 and I’m expecting/hoping to be able to do the same with win11 is to use “openshell” to clean that mess up. Does openshell work with win11 as it does with win10?

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berniec wrote:

Does openshell work with win11 as it does with win10?

Open-Shell is specifically recommended for Windows 11 in the article to which you’re replying:

Here are a few other tools to make your Windows 11 more personal:
…
Open-Shell the classic menu still works on Windows 11;

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going to attempt to respectfully disagree with susan’s endorsement of telemetry – it’s been around seven years since they axed their qa testing department and replaced it with the insider program, and i have yet to see a single sign that they’ve actually listened to end user, non-corporate feedback in any meaningful way. windows has only continued to decline since win8 and microsoft hasn’t had any kind of customer accountability in decades. have you seen how useless the windows feedback hub actually is?

also, i acknowledge the fact that telemetry doesn’t necessarily have to be synonymous with spyware and data harvesting, but considering microsoft’s track record with privacy over the years and their involvement with the prism program, being highly skeptical of them is perfectly valid. i might actually be more concerned about the new security requirements they’re imposing with win11 than any of the ui regressions – at least parts of the latter are actually fixable

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Cybertooth

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Millwood wrote:

As for the task bar, I want mine on top!  After all, all the other task bar like things are on the top of windows, and the mouse is normally near the top of the screen, a short trip up and a long trip down.

Exactly! They made it fixed and chose possibly the worst position at bottom.

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This is my custom Windows 10 taskbar…

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Many thanks, Susan I was expecting a guidance like this because I received a very well suited new DELL with WIN 11 Home and was not feeling very comfortable setting up it.

I have some additional queries:

• I am aware of your opinion about Microsoft Telemetry.
  Wwhat about data consumption? Is it noticeable?
• What is your opinion about BitLocker?
  I made initial contact with it in a bad way.
  Something went wrong the PC crashed, and I started looking for the key.
• Regarding Windows Defender and third party AV:
  Is Malwarebytes Pro a suitable/necessary add-on for Defender? (I was using it for several years)

Again. thank you very much.

Best regards to you and all members.

Jorge

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Jorge Troitiño wrote:

Regarding Windows Defender and third party AV: Is Malwarebytes Pro a suitable/necessary add-on for Defender?

That’s the combination I’ve been using for a few years now, and it is quite satisfactory in my experience.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Jorge Troitiño

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Susan Bradley wrote:

Telemetry is hated by some, especially those suspicious of Microsoft’s motives for collecting the information. I’m not in that camp — I love telemetry. Why? Because I want Microsoft to know whether updates have been successful or not. I want the company to get more feedback, not less.

8 years, 9 months ago, I had this update issue.

7 years ago, I had this update issue.

5 years, 10 months ago, I had this update issue.   That was the last one, so far, and I’ve had no others.  I have my drive images to deal with issues of any kind.  Microsoft doesn’t need my telemetry, and I don’t want Microsoft to slurp up any little extras along the way, so I have pretty much eliminated telemetry using O&O ShutUp10, the registry, and Services.

With a few hundred million users out there, most of whom are using straight OOBE Windows installations complete with telemetry, I’m just a drop in the ocean.  They won’t miss my lack of contribution.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Cybertooth

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Here is my list.

First thing to do.
DO NOT BUY WINDOWS 11. PERIOD…..

Second, if you need a new computer, Buy Mac or Linux  or no OS, install any OS but Windows.

Third, if you must get Windows. Go buy Window 10 ASAP. They are selling like hot cakes since Windows 11 is that bad.

Fourth, if you need Windows but can use old OS like WIndows 98, XP, 7, 8, or 8.1 Use it. I still use Windows Xp, less telemery that all others. BEST OS that MS created.

Fifth, If you are still reading, than you are a MS fan and you are ignoring all suggestions..You will not listen to the wisdom of the old folks that left MS since they are tele- spyware-mere you to steal insider info to sell. Just buy windows 11 and enjoy losing your privacy

 

I’m not in that camp — I love telemetry. Why? Because I want Microsoft to know whether updates have been successful or not. I want the company to get more feedback, not less.

MS does nothing with it. They do not fix anything that needs to be fixed since they do not test anything now a days. Telemetry data is your info not computer issues.

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Actually they do fix issues.  Ergo why I always tell people to wait so that by the time we do install updates they have kicked in known issue rollback.

And windows 98?  DIP switches are evil.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Why, in my day we used jumpers!

DIP switches and jumpers were not evil. What was evil, back in that era, was those bits of hardware that attempted to do away with jumpers. Plug ‘n’ Play, at the time more commonly known as Plug ‘n’ Pray, was in its infancy, and it had been grafted onto a legacy bus (ISA) that had not been designed with dynamic configuration in mind.

Things like video cards and hard drive controllers/adapters used the faster PCI slots, and these were designed for dynamic configuration, but many other things, like modems, sound cards, serial/parallel IO cards, etc., were typically ISA-based.

When I built a PC in the 90s, I always chose the cards with jumpers, the non-PnP versions. It took a few minutes to set it up (mostly to make sure the modem and IO card were not trying to use the same COM ports), but then it worked, and that would be that.

With PnP hardware, it could range from no time at all setting up (in other words, it worked as intended) to hours of frustration, until the point where one would give up and head out to the store to buy another new card that hopefully will work better than the previous one. Given that the potential time savings was a couple of minutes and the potential time loss was far more, it wasn’t a difficult choice.

For modems, it was always a US Robotics non-PnP, non-Winmodem. The “full” modems (non-Winmodems) had their firmware in ROM on the card itself, and they “just worked,” even in MS-DOS. The Winmodems had their firmware (if you could even call it that anymore) loaded at runtime by the driver, which is fairly typical in the modern era. Back then, it didn’t always work right in Windows, and not at all in MS-DOS, which was still a consideration then.

 

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Windows Xp best OS ever wrote:

Fifth, If you are still reading, than you are a MS fan and you are ignoring all suggestions

I read your post all the way through, but I am pretty sure I am no MS fan, heh!

Windows Xp best OS ever wrote:

I’m not in that camp — I love telemetry. Why? Because I want Microsoft to know whether updates have been successful or not. I want the company to get more feedback, not less.

Under different circumstances, I might be inclined to agree. In Microsoft’s case, they fired the QA department to save money right as they made telemetry mandatory (requiring people to use aftermarket tools to disable it) and took away the full control over updates that Windows users used to have. They made the consumers into beta testers for the benefit of the enterprise customers.

While I like the idea of the maker of my OS having lots of data about the problems people are encountering within that OS, I don’t want to encourage MS to think of people like me as a free replacement for the former professional QA department. Now the beta testers pay Microsoft for the privilege of performing that service for MS!

As long as MS gets the data they need from consumers, there is no incentive for them to return to professional testers that benefit consumers as well as corporate customers. If Microsoft’s former paid testers are not willing to perform testing services for Microsoft for free, then neither am I.

 

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon 6.2
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/32GB & GTX1660ti, Kubuntu 24.04
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, Kubuntu 24.04 (and Win 11)

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Ascaris wrote:

While I like the idea of the maker of my OS having lots of data about the problems people are encountering within that OS, I don’t want to encourage MS to think of people like me as a free replacement for the former professional QA department.

But as MS is not the maker of your OS they couldn’t get any encouragement from people like you anyway, could they?

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b wrote:

But as MS is not the maker of your OS they couldn’t get any encouragement from people like you anyway, could they?

When I say “people like me,” I mean consumer-level users of PCs. If Microsoft finds it lacks encouragement from consumer-level users of PCs, it has only itself to blame.

I used Windows personally for 25 years, and for pretty much all of that time, I was happy with it. The various Windows versions I used weren’t “monetized” beyond the revenue from selling Windows itself. They were professionally QA tested, and the user had full control over updates and the miniscule amount of telemetry that was then present (controlled by a checkbox for the CEIP program).

That was the deal when I began using Windows, and as soon as that ceased to be the deal, I ceased to be a Windows user. It was Microsoft that changed the terms, not me. If they ever were to change them back, they would certainly get encouragement and accolades from me. I would still not be a Windows user, as that particular bell can’t be unrung, but MS would have my cheers for making the changes for the benefit of all those other people like me who still use Windows.

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon 6.2
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Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, Kubuntu 24.04 (and Win 11)

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I’ve recently upgraded my 2 main PC’s (see my signature) to Windows 11 Home, PC2 is unsupported, of course but it is running fine. Both of them are so far after doing a bit of the usual ‘tweaking’ (which mostly involves turning a lot of things off that are turned on by default) and using O&O’s ShutUp 10/11 and a couple of other ‘apps’ to control Windows Updates, etc.

Couple of minor ‘niggles’.

Does anyone know how to get rid of Get Started from the Start Menu? There is a long thread about this on the Windows 11 forums but so far no one has figured out how to do it.

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/getting-rid-of-get-started.1521/

I don’t care about removing the app or whatever it links to, I would just like to remove the Start Menu icon. I hate it when MS does things like this. I just ignore it for now.

I’ve also noticed the Windows 10 printer ‘bug’ of  printers that are not turned on for about a week ‘disappearing’ from the list of available printers has carried across to Windows 11. The drivers, etc. are still there and turning the printer on makes it ‘reappear’ again.

I suspect it is only USB connected printers that are affected by this but I’m not too sure? My other printer is connected by ethernet cable to the router and that hasn’t ‘disappeared’ yet (I only have a USB option for the other printer).

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Windows 11 (or the next one) would be exciting if they rewrote the kernel in Rust. That would be something exciting. I’m not going to replace my hardware and OS for nothing. It would also be exciting if the new Intel CPUs for Windows 11 were as energy-efficient than Apple’s M.2 (I’m not an Apple fanboy, but it’s time for a new Intel/AMD RISC architecture).

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