How to Get the Most Out of Windows 11

Microsoft’s new operating system features a contemporary design and enhancements designed to boost productivity, such as round corners and blur effects on headers, context menus, and in-box apps. Often the Amazing fact about Office 2021 pro.

Windows 11 also brought with it other proper functionalities, including remembering Snap layouts and Desktop groups if you switch displays; the Windows 2022 update adds even more.

Start menu

Windows 11’s Start Menu has moved away from its traditional position in the lower left corner and into more of a central location – now living in the taskbar running across the bottom of your screen, accessed via clicking a blue Windows icon. When you first access it, a grid of apps related to what has been installed on your PC appears; clicking All Apps displays an alphabetized list of programs installed.

A “recommended section,” though its exact algorithm has yet to be disclosed, will appear. It likely displays automatically generated recommendations based on what and when you use your PC. In the lower right, there’s likely to be a power icon that provides options to shut down, reboot, or put your computer into sleep mode; on top, there’s also expected to be a search box where text input allows quick search of apps, files, or settings on PCs.

Pinnable folders in the Start menu provide another helpful feature of Windows 8, making them easier to access than ever. This feature was absent in previous iterations of OS, yet it can prove very helpful when it comes to managing desktop environments.

As well as offering users the ability to pin folders, Windows 11’s Start menu also hosts a shortcut for Microsoft’s Bing Chatbot, making research and writing at work much simpler and more efficient. In addition, Windows 11 includes an improved File Explorer with a tabbed layout, enabling easy switching between folders.

This program also features customization features that allow you to change the layout and behavior of the Start menu, such as selecting which applications appear in the All Apps list or sorting them alphabetically or chronologically. Furthermore, you can change its color scheme as well as specify how many apps will be shown at a time.

The software can be easily downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store; however, in order to run it, you will require a compatible computer containing at least one GHz of processing power and two cores or more.

Widgets panel

Widgets are customizable windows that display dynamic information on a desktop. You can pin, arrange, resize, and customize widgets to reflect your interests and the way you work – keeping you focused on what matters without constantly switching between apps or devices.

The widgets panel in Windows 11 provides a handy way to keep up-to-date with the latest news, weather, and notifications – powered by artificial intelligence and Microsoft Edge – right on your desktop computer. Access it by either clicking its dedicated taskbar button or the shortcut Windows+W.

Microsoft released Windows 11’s 2022 update in September with many exciting new features, such as an updated Start menu and widgets panel, improvements to multitasking with Snap Layouts, support for touchscreen gestures, and improved Live Captions accessibility. In addition, performance monitoring for your PC was introduced so you can keep an eye on its CPU, RAM, and graphics card status.

Windows 11’s other significant innovation is the Widgets Board, a customizable experience accessible via clicking on its icon in the taskbar, using Windows + W as a keyboard shortcut, or swiping from the left edge of your screen. Here, you will find sports scores, breaking news stories, and traffic updates – plus, you can add and unpin widgets for further personalization of your experience!

To build a widget, you require either a Windows 32 application (W32) or Progressive Web App (PWA) with backend functionality to send its layout and data directly to a widget board. This requirement ensures a consistent experience across platforms for users navigating widget boards; additionally, widgets must follow an Adaptive Card design standard, enabling easy customization with one or multiple pinning and unpinning mechanisms on widget boards for quick and convenient use.

Multitasking

Microsoft has significantly upgraded Windows 11 multitasking features to enhance users’ experiences of running multiple apps simultaneously. New Snap Layouts, Snap Groups, and Virtual desktops help organize Windows better on-screen real estate for a cleaner visual layout and to keep work and personal workflows separate even with limited desktop space.

Windows 11 builds upon the multitasking features introduced with Windows 10, offering users easy and quick ways to resize applications to fit their screen and multitask effectively with multiple windows. Furthermore, users can pin any window they like directly onto their screen, allowing quick return of favorite applications with just one click.

Windows 11 also introduces improvements to its Task View feature, enabling users to organize better and manage open applications and desktops. They can quickly switch between them with just one click. In addition, Timeline has been replaced by an alternative experience in Task View, which now offers users a grid of customizable pinned items as well as an overview of all open apps.

Users can create and personalize multiple desktops on devices with limited screen space to better organize work and personal tasks, even on devices with restricted display areas. Each desktop can host different files and websites to help stay organized; users can manage these settings through the Settings app.

While Windows 10 boasts numerous improvements for multitasking, its system requirements make it inaccessible to older PCs. To run, an eighth-generation Intel Core processor or later; second-generation AMD Ryzen CPU or later; or Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 ARM system-on-chip with TPM 2.0 support must also be present; in addition, 32-bit x86 hardware support has been removed entirely.

Microsoft plans to use intelligence models to determine when devices meet these requirements and will notify users as soon as they can upgrade to Windows 11.

Security

When upgrading to Windows 11, security should be your number-one concern. Thankfully, the new operating system offers numerous key features to protect your data – from virus and threat detection to firewall and network protection, account security, and more. Furthermore, custom configurations may further strengthen protection. Finally, best practices and regular updates should also be adhered to to ensure the maximum safety of the system.

The Windows Security app combines antivirus and malware scanning, device security settings, firewall/network protection, and device protection into an easy-to-use interface. It’s an essential tool for monitoring and configuring PC security settings as it alerts you when there are problems or weaknesses – such as warning you if passwords are weak or scanning for potential infections that might exist on your PC.

Windows Sandbox is another essential feature, providing an isolated virtual machine environment where untrusted applications can run in an isolated fashion without risking your central installation and blocking malware attacks that attempt to take control of it. IT admins looking to provide secure environments for their employees will find this feature invaluable.

Windows 11 includes a phishing protection feature that encrypts your complex drive contents, meaning even if you forget your password, your data remains protected. However, to safeguard against potential ransomware attacks, hardware failure, or feature updates, it’s wise to back up regularly, as this will allow you to recover in case something unexpected arises, such as a ransomware attack, hardware failure, or feature update.

Additionally, setting up an administrator account with multiple security questions and answers in case you forget your password can reduce the risk of having to pay ransomware fees to gain access. Furthermore, enable Windows password protection with a passcode so no other users gain entry.

Microsoft has gone all-out when it comes to security with Windows 11. The operating system requires powerful hardware, including processors with 64-bit virtualization extensions and two cores, as well as HVCI-compliant drivers and a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 module – requiring significant upfront investments for businesses wanting to update to Windows 11. Unfortunately, this may deter them from upgrading.

Read also: Tips For Using ChatGPT No Restrictions