New Windows 11 PC Configuration

New Windows 11 PC Configuration (update to my 2019 article for Windows 10): a reader asks…

Taking your advice about getting a new Windows 11 PC to replace my Windows 10 PC. I want to make sure I do things right. I do have a Microsoft 365 Personal subscription, and I’ve already gone through the Windows 11 setup screens – the computer looks like it’s ready to use. Can you tell me what I should be doing to set it up right?

First off, congrats on your new PC! I’m assuming it’s a quality brand and has a modern processor (likely a 14th generation intel iCore or the newest Core Ultra gen 1 or 2 processor), at least 16gb of RAM, and a solid-state hard drive (SSD) with enough storage for all your personal files (I think 2 terabytes is the right size these days, but many folks get by with less). And most likely, you set it up with your Microsoft account as the primary user account on the new PC, and have activated your Microsoft 365 subscription on the computer.

When you went through the initial setup screens I hope you paid attention to what you were approving or denying. If you didn’t change things on those setup screens, the defaults mean you’re sharing a lot of your personal use of the computer with Microsoft. If you’re at all concerned about your privacy (and you should be), you should go to your Settings (right-click the Start button, left-click Settings, and then go to the “Privacy and security” section of the Settings window) and review every privacy setting to make sure you’re only sharing what you want to share. I generally turn off most privacy settings such as sharing my location and Find my Device (unless you are a frequent mobile user and are worried about losing your laptop) optional diagnostic info, “Tailored experiences”, and Advertising ID. I also skip the “customization’ screen and the Android configuration page when setting up a new PC.

When you completed the initial setup of your computer, I recommend you go through the list of installed applications and do some pruning. Most new computers come with a lot of what I call “junkware” – trial programs, and 3rd party (imo) crappy applications that don’t do a good job. Go to your computer Settings like above, and click the “Apps” item and then click “Installed apps”. Go down this list and uninstall any (using the 3-horizontal dots options menu) that you don’t need. I generally leave apps from the computer manufacturer, but delete 3rd party apps like McAfee (better options below) or other security apps.

A note about computer security: Most 3rd party apps replace your built-in Windows Security app rather than work alongside it. I prefer having robust computer security, so I uninstall any 3rd party apps (like McAfee) and install Malwarebytes ($44/yearly) – and also choose the option for Malwarebytes Browser Guard extension for whatever web browser you’re using. When Malwarebytes is installed, open the control panel for it, go to the Settings, and in the General section under Windows Security Center turn off the switch for “Always register Malwarebytes in the Windows Security Center”. That way both Malwarebytes and Windows Security will work to keep you protected. Think of it as having two burly bouncers guarding the door to your nightclub – two are better than one imo.

Next, one thing you may or may not have done is get your personal files from your old computer onto the new one. Since you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, that comes with a full terabyte of cloud storage (aka OneDrive), and I recommend folks put all their personal files inside OneDrive If you’ve done that on the old computer, then you’ll have them on the new computer without having to do anything else. If not, check out my article https://positek.net/ms-onedrive-tip/ – basically you’ll want to relocate all your personal folders (Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos) inside OneDrive so they’ll be automatically backed up.

After that you’ll want to adjust your power options so the PC works best for you, see Settings>System>Power and you can expand each of the control areas by clicking the down caret icon on the right. I set the power mode to Best Performance, turn my screen off after 15 minutes, and set the sleep setting to Never. I don’t use Energy Saver and set the Power button to shut down my computer and the Sleep button to do nothing. Once you’ve done that, you can close the window. But I’d also check your advanced power plan settings to make sure everything is set correctly, as this simplified menu isn’t as comprehensive.

Use the main search box (bottom-left of your screen), type “Edit power plan” and click the “Change advanced power settings” link to open a smaller dialog box “Power Options”. Expand each area you see by clicking the little box on the left with the plus sign.

If you have a laptop you’ll see options for each item depending on whether you’re plugged in or on battery. I keep the hard disk active (the turn off number should be set to “0”), and sleep options should all be “Never”. For laptops when on battery, set the computer to Hibernate when the lid is closed, and do nothing when plugged in. Finally, set the PCI Express link state setting to “Off”. This ensures your PC will be ready to do your bidding quickly without a long wake-up delay. The additional cost of not using all the power-saving options is only pennies, and the cost to your productivity should be more important to you.

In addition to the Malwarebytes recommendation above, I think you’ll want Adobe Acrobat Reader DC for opening PDF documents. You will need to be careful about installing that though. When you visit the Adobe download page, a center section will have items checked for optional, 3rd party programs (such as McAfee security apps). Adobe uses this method to help offset their costs in providing the free Adobe Reader software. You should uncheck the boxes before you click the Install Now button so you only get the Adobe Reader program.

After that, install any other 3rd party apps you want, although I’d keep this to only the apps you really need. If you have a printer, you’ll also want to install that, usually just by going to Settings>Bluetooth & devices>Printers & Scanners and clicking the Add device. If the printer is on your home or work network the wizard should find it and install it. If your printer is connected directly to your computer, plugging the USB cable in and powering on the printer should install it onto the computer.

Lastly, you’ll want to do some “furniture arranging” to personalize your computer the way you want it. Right-click on the desktop and choose “Personalize” from the menu to open the Personalization screen where you can change the background, add a theme, etc. Also,

1. Turn on “Show all notifications” in the taskbar notification area. Right-click the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings. Expand the Other system tray icons area, and slide all the sliders to on. If you add more programs and see an up-caret icon on the left of the taskbar notifications area, you’ll need to repeat this so you always see all icons. I consider this important as the notification area is a good early warning system for problems with your computer. You’ll get used to seeing the icons there, and if a new one appears or an existing one disappears, well there’s your warning (best to just restart the computer which usually resets things).
2. I like to hide the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop. Right-click the desktop and select “Personalize” from the list, then click the Themes menu item and then the Desktop icon settings icon which opens a small dialog box. Uncheck the Recycle Bin checkbox and click Ok.
3. While you’re on the Themes window, you can also download themes from Microsoft to dress up your desktop backgrounds – many themes have multiple backgrounds that rotate as often as you like.
4. Arrange your Start menu. Click Start, look for the word “Pinned” and then click the “All” link to the right of that. You can right-click any of the items on your all programs list to add them to either the Pinned area, the Taskbar, or both. Then go back to the main Start menu and drag icons in the Pinned area around to put them in the order you like, and right-click on any you don’t want and you can remove them from the Start menu (“Unpin from Start”).
5. If you don’t like your desktop screen cluttered with icons, you may want to get rid of shortcuts that are on the desktop – deleting the shortcut doesn’t delete the app or file it points to. For files on your desktop, you should put them in one of the five other personal folders you have (hopefully inside OneDrive), meaning Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures and Videos. Keeping your files organized in those areas will make your life simpler. I generally put a file on my Desktop or download it to my Downloads folder only temporarily, and at some point move it to one of the other folders (Documents, Music, Pictures or Videos) or just delete it if I no longer need it.

This should take you a few hours to do all the above, and once you’ve setup your new PC, it should be easy to operate. The only ongoing things to do are 1) update the computer and all installed software on a routine basis), and 2) restart the computer at least once a week, and anytime it’s not operating the way you expect. Enjoy your new computer!