DARIEN GRAHAM-SMITH REVEALS HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THEM.
One of the major complaints from seasoned users about Windows 11 is that it veers towards simplicity rather than customisability. That’s true, but there are several ways to bend it to your liking if you’re willing to dig beneath the surface.
Here, we take you on a journey. We start with the potentially painful install process, including how to bypass the TPM and processor restrictions, before providing some quick advice on customising the taskbar and Start menu.
Then it’s time to fight Microsoft’s preferences, whether it’s uninstalling Teams or regaining control over the browser. Not everyone wants to use Edge for everything, after all.
Before you dismiss Widgets as a gimmick, it’s well worth taking some time to customise the new feed to your interests. We explain how.
And then we delve into some of the new tricks that Microsoft offers, whether that’s the snap layouts for active windows or playing around with virtual desktops.
Finally, we end on a couple of tips that may appeal to laptop users. First, a guide to gestures (they can be very useful!) and then some advice on extending battery life.
1 Get it now – even on unsupported hardware
Windows 11 has been gradually rolling out through Windows Update since October, but older systems may not be offered the upgrade until mid-2022. If your computer doesn’t have a TPM 2 chip or a suitably recent CPU, you may never be offered it.
