Using Windows Spotlight
A new background every day
It may seem like a small thing, but having a different background on your PC can go a long way in making it feel fun, and Windows 11 addresses that thanks to a feature called Windows Spotlight. This pulls images from an online collection and gives you a new photo each day. Most of these are photos from around the world and they look beautiful, so it’s a great way to learn about the little wonders you can find on our planet. If you’re a traveler, you might even be inspired to visit certain places, which is really cool.
Using a transparent taskbar
I still don’t know why this isn’t an option
For all the things Windows 11 does right in terms of design, making the taskbar more opaque without any way to change the way it looks is a pretty lame change. Not that Windows 10 was much better to begin with.
Using PowerToys to organize my windows
Multitasking is a breeze now
If you work on your PC like I do, finding ways to be efficient is pretty important, and while Windows 11 itself already delivers some nice multitasking capabilities with Snap Layouts, PowerToys is really where it’s at, especially with a super ultrawide monitor. PowerToys lets me create any layout I want for my apps to be in, and it makes it super easy to drag apps into slots on that layout by simply holding the Shift key. It makes it incredibly easy to get my apps in the right positions and right to work, allowing me to be that much faster when multitasking, which I do a lot of. Out of all the apps on this list, I’d say PowerToys is the most essential because I always install it on every PC, even review units I only use for a few days.
Replace the Start menu
Start11 is amazing
If you follow my work, you might be tired of me singing the praises of Start11, but this is honestly Stardock’s best app, and for for a lifetime license, it’s so easy to recommend. Start11 v2 is the current version, and I love the way I can customize my Start menu with it. This version added a Start menu layout called Windows App Style, which mimics the normal Windows 11 Start menu with the app list always visible, which is an awesome setup. But it’s made even better by the incredibly deep customization Start11 offers. I can create groups of apps, and I can change the color of both the background of that group and the app icons themselves (a feature that Apple even added to its own operating systems at WWDC 2024). I can create tabs to organize apps even further, pin folders to the Start menu, create different pages to store everything I need, and so on. Start11 turns the Start menu into an absolute powerhouse while also making it look the way I want it to, and since I like to hide my desktop icons, this makes it easy to have everything I need available in a flash.
Windows is still fun if you’re willing to experiment
Windows 11 may be getting a little long in the tooth if you like to shake things up every now and then, but thanks to third-party developers and even some features in Windows itself, you can make your PC a little more fun, unique, and useful. Doing a little digging can go a long way in making your PC exciting again, and honestly, you’re not limited to the options I mentioned here. ObjectDock is another great app that injects new life into the taskbar with a new look and animations, and StartAllBack takes Windows customization further with some improvements for File Explorer in addition to the Start menu. You might even want to replace the File Explorer altogether with apps like Files or FreeCommander. There’s a ton you can play around with, so don’t go thinking your PC has to be boring.
