Personalizing Windows 11

There are some noticeable differences between the taskbars in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. Below are some tips about how to customize the taskbar to your preferences.

The Personalization settings page has many great elements to customize. It is easiest to find by right-clicking on your desktop background and selecting Personalization. Some of the available items will vary based on the model of your computer, but here are some favorites:

Background: Adjust your desktop background to change the image or set it to a blank color
Colors: You can select Light or Dark mode here as well as the colors for operating system elements, such as taskbar, window borders, etc.
Themes: Choose some built in settings for the above two elements or save your preferences if you really like them
Lock screen: Set a picture or color to appear when the system locks
Start: Make adjustments to the Windows Start menu appearance and behavior
Taskbar: Make adjustments to the Taskbar along the bottom of the screen

Start Menu Location

This is one of the most noticeable changes, as Windows has placed the Start Menu in the lower left hand corner for decades. In Windows 11 this is now located somewhat in the center of the task bar. Here is where to adjust that setting.

Open the Start menu
Open the Settings app
On the left side of the Settings window, select Personalization
On the right side, select Taskbar from the list (it's toward the bottom, you may have to scroll down)
There are various menus for Taskbar personalization
Click on Taskbar behaviors to expand it
The first item is Taskbar alignment
Change it from Center to Left
It is also nice to explore other items on this page, such as those under Taskbar items
- You can adjust the appearance of the search box
- Remove the Copilot button
- Remove the Task view button
- Remove the Widgets icon

Adjust Automatic Screen Lock and Sleep

A frequently asked question is adjusting how long the screen stays up before it locks or goes to sleep.

Open the Start menu and select the Settings app
On the left side, click on System
Click on Power (desktop systems) or Power & battery (laptops) from the options on the right
Click on Screen and sleep to expand the option list
Choose your preferred settings
Note: For security reasons, our policies will not allow the system to remain active longer than 30 minutes, even if those options appear.

Backup your personalized choices

If you've spent a good amount of time finding the right settings, you'll appreciate the feature that backs up these settings for the next machine you receive.

Open the Start menu and select the Settings app
On the left side, click on Accounts
Click on Windows backup
Next to Remember my preferences, switch it On
You can choose not to back up some items in the expanded view