Do these five important things after installing Windows 11

For those venturing into the realm of Windows 11, whether through an upgrade or a fresh installation, there are several essential steps to take after booting up for the first time. These actions can significantly enhance your experience and alleviate common frustrations.

Five Key Steps to Enhance Your Windows 11 Experience

Here is a curated list of five important tasks to consider after setting up Windows 11, focusing on practical improvements rather than personal preferences:

1. Back up your BitLocker Key
2. Improve the context menus
3. Enable “End Task”
4. Reduce annoyances and ads
5. Turn off OneDrive auto-backup

1. Find your BitLocker Key

One crucial yet often overlooked step is securing your BitLocker key. With Windows 11 version 24H2, drives are encrypted by default without user notification, which can lead to confusion if access is lost. To prevent this scenario, ensure you back up your BitLocker key:

1. Sign in to your Microsoft Account on your computer.
2. Visit account.microsoft.com and log in.
3. Navigate to the “Devices” tab and select your device.
4. Click on “Info and Support.”
5. Choose “Manage Recovery keys.”
6. Locate the “Key ID” and “Recovery Key” and store them securely, perhaps in a password manager.

Alternatively, you may opt to disable BitLocker encryption during the installation process.

2. Clean up the Context Menus

The context menus in Windows 11 can become cluttered with redundant options, such as “Open in Paint” or “Edit with Notepad,” which can detract from the user experience. Fortunately, simplifying these menus is straightforward:

You can either uninstall unnecessary applications or modify the system registry to remove unwanted entries. For instance, to eliminate specific options, create a .reg file with the following lines and execute it:

Remove “Edit with Clipchamp”:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEYLOCALMACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked]
“{8AB635F8-9A67-4698-AB99-784AD929F3B4}”=””

Remove “Ask Copilot”:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked]
“{CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C}”=””

Remove “Edit with Notepad”:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked]
“{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}”=””

Remove “Edit with Photos”:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked]
“{BFE0E2A4-C70C-4AD7-AC3D-10D1ECEBB5B4}”=””

3. Enable End Task

This feature can be a real time-saver when applications become unresponsive. Instead of navigating to Task Manager, simply right-click the app on the taskbar and select “End Task.” To enable this option:

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to the “System” tab.
2. Select “For developers.”
3. Toggle on the “End Task” feature.

4. Reduce Annoyances and Ads

Windows 11 can sometimes feel overwhelming with its notifications and ads. To streamline your experience, consider the following adjustments:

• Disable notifications in the Start menu: Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show account-related notifications.”
• Disable app ads: Navigate to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn off “Show recommendations for tips, shortcuts, new apps, and more.”
• Disable feedback request notifications: Access Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & Feedback and set “Feedback frequency” to Never.
• Disable suggested content in the Settings app: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > General and toggle off “Show me suggested content in the Settings app.”
• Turn off the “Finish setting up this device” screen: Head to Settings > System > Notifications > Additional settings and untick all three options.
• Disable widgets’ auto-open on hover: Press Win + W, click the Settings icon, and turn off “Open Widgets board on hover.”
• Turn off the news feed in Windows Widgets: Open Widgets, click the Settings icon, and select “Show or hide feed” to turn off the feed.

5. Turn Off OneDrive Auto-Backup

Windows 11 automatically enables OneDrive backup, which can lead to unwanted file synchronization. To disable this feature:

1. Click the OneDrive icon in the tray area and select Settings.
2. Go to the “Sync and backup” tab and click “Manage backup.”
3. Turn off all backup options.

Important: Be aware that files marked with green check marks will disappear from your desktop after disabling auto-backup, but they remain accessible in OneDrive.

For those looking to further enhance their Windows 11 experience, consider exploring third-party applications that may offer superior functionality compared to stock options. Additionally, various customization tools can provide deeper tweaks for a more tailored user experience.

If you have other valuable tips for Windows 11 users, feel free to share them in the comments.