Windows is probably the most popular, and widely used desktop operating systems in the world – it’s only real competitor is Apple’s MacOS, and the advantage you get with Windows is that a wider variety of computer manufacturers make Windows PCs.
When we spoke with some IT companies about Windows, they confirmed that it is great no matter what you use it for – one company that provides IT support services London businesses rely on said that they recommend it for business especially. But even the average consumer will find Windows is ideal for them. Learning how to use your computer’s operating system expertly will greatly improve your user experience, so here are some top Windows tips to get you using your PC like a pro.
- Move the Start Button to the Left
If you buy a new Windows PC in 2022, the odds are that it will be running Windows 11 now. You might have even upgrade your current PC to Windows 11 already; and one of the biggest changes in the interface has been moving the Start button to the middle of the taskbar. For decades, every version of Windows has had the Start button anchored to the bottom-left corner of the screen, so if you want to get back to that (because many people are used to it and the change felt disruptive), you can easily change the alignment by right-clicking the taskbar, and going to Taskbar settings > Taskbar behaviour > Taskbar alignment.
- Learn the New Right-Click Menu
To make the user interface a bit more streamlined, Windows 11 has changed the classic right-click menu. The menu is much more condensed now, and smarter – depending on whether you’re in file explorer, on your desktop, or in your web browser, the right-click menu will have different options available.
However, the classic right-click menu is available still. All you need to do is right-click, go to the bottom of the new menu and click Show more options.
- Customize Your Quick Settings
The taskbar section where your volume and Wi-Fi settings has also been smartened up in Windows 11. You can click on that area and get a larger tray of icons for those options, known as the Quick Settings panel – making it easier to access the function you need. But as well as this, you can customize this panel with additional options. Do you often use the Night Light function? Do you use your PC as a mobile hotspot? Or perhaps you often need to project your screen. By clicking the pencil icon at the bottom-right corner of the Quick Settings panel, you can add (and also remove) settings from this section.
- Mastermind Your Desktop(s)
When we spoke to some of the IT support companies London businesses, they said that learning how to organise your desktop in the most efficient way possible is extremely useful. Windows 11 has a great function for this, known as the Task View. This function lives on your taskbar (you will have to enable it by going to Taskbar settings > Taskbar items) and allows you to view all the open apps and windows on your desktop, presented as thumbnails that you can scroll through.
As well as this, Task View allows you to create additional virtual desktops, and move apps and windows onto these additional desktops. This is a great way of organising things into categories (such as Work, Gaming, School, etc.)
- Multitask Better with Snap Layouts
Another pro move when it comes to organising your desktop, whether it’s for work or school, or just personal preference, is by using Windows Snap Layouts. This function has been around since Windows 7, but with every version of Windows it has become more sophisticated. With Windows 11, you can arrange windows into several different pre-built layouts, depending on which window you want to be bigger or smaller.
As well as this, Windows 11 will remember which windows are part of a snap layout even after you have minimized one or all of them, so when you hover even an icon in the taskbar, it will show you which windows are in a layout.
