7 Helpful Tips and Tricks for Windows 11

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08
Nov 2022

Each new edition of Windows comes with a range of features to make life easier, and Windows 11 is no different. But do you know all its tips and tricks?

Windows 11 was released in October 2021 and instantly became the go-to operating system for PC owners. With enhanced accessibility, beautiful visual aesthetics, and optimizations in almost every area, it’s easy to see why Windows 11 has proved to be such a success. However, as with any new software, there’s a lot to be learned when it comes to getting the best out of Windows 11. Thankfully, we’ve done the hard work for you and tracked down 7 helpful tips and tricks for Windows 11 which will make life easier.

Enhance Your Windows 11 Experience

Make sure you start incorporating the following tips and tricks into your daily usage of Windows 11 to get the best out of it:

  1. Avoid distractions with Focus Assist: it’s easy to get distracted by notifications on a modern PC, with Teams notifications and Outlook popups being two of the major culprits. The built-in Focus Assist app, however, allows you to minimize and even eliminate all notifications when you need to concentrate.
  • Pin your most used apps: Windows 11 gives you the opportunity to pin your most regularly accessed apps to either your Start menu or taskbar. All you have to do is find the app within your Start menu, right-click it and then select either ‘Pin to Start’ or ‘Pin to taskbar’ for quick access.
  • View all your apps: previously, accessing the Start menu in Windows would have allowed you to view all of your apps at once. However, with Windows 11 the layout is slightly different. If you want to view all of the apps on your PC, you need to open your Start menu and then click the ‘All Apps’ button in the top right corner.
  • Snap Layouts: Microsoft have enhanced the ‘snap and resize’ ability of previous Windows versions by introducing Snap Layouts. This feature provides enhanced options such as hovering over apps and accessing layout options.
  • New keyboard shortcuts: the new features of Windows 11 mean that there are a new series of keyboard shortcuts associated with them:
  • Windows key + c: opens the Teams chat box
  • Windows key + n: opens your notifications center
  • Windows key + a: opens quick settings
  • Windows key + z: opens snap layouts

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Windows 11 Is Here and There Are Plenty of Changes

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01
Feb 2022

The latest version of Microsoft’s operating system Windows has now been rolled out; and Windows 11 comes with plenty of changes for PC users.

Windows 10 was released in 2015 and, since then, there have been many changes in IT. While Windows 10 is still more than capable of dealing with modern IT, there always comes a point where an overhaul is needed. And this is why Windows 11 has been released. It’s available as a free upgrade to anyone currently running Windows 10 and contains both updated applications and functionality.

Upgrading to a new operating system has always represented a major shift in the way that PCs operate, so it’s important to understand what happens when you hit that ‘install’ button.

Why Are Upgrades Necessary?

Taking advantage of operating system upgrades allows you to harness numerous benefits. Firstly, an older operating system is always up against a ticking clock of being discontinued. Once support has been discontinued, an older operating system is more at risk of security threats. Secondly, new operating systems are better positioned to cope with the demands of modern IT. Therefore, installing an upgraded version ensures you have a better user experience.

What’s Changed with Windows 11?

As with all previous upgrades on Windows, there are a significant number of changes. Many of these are unlikely to be noticed by your average PC user, but others will be more obvious. The most important changes are:

  • Microsoft Teams: during the Covid-19 pandemic, Microsoft Teams became a valuable tool for employees to communicate through. But it had never been an in-built part of the Windows operating system. Starting with Windows 11, however, it is now included by default.
  • Power Automate: Windows 11 has a new feature called Power Automate which allows PC users to program ‘flows’ which create automated tasks such as notifying team members when new files are added to a specific location.
  • Widgets: the interface of Windows 11 now allows you to harness the power of widgets, a type of software which has been common on mobile devices for some time. These new desktop widgets allow you to install widgets which provide information “at a glance” on a slide-out menu such as calendar updates.
  • Security: one of the major security features of Windows 11 is that it will only run on new machines. Therefore, if your hardware is starting to look even slightly old, it’s unlikely Windows 11 will run on it. This means that Microsoft is setting a strong baseline to ensure PCs running Windows 11 are as up to date as possible. Built on top of this security foundation are several background security processes including updated stack protection and enhanced bootup security.
  • Interface Design: the most notable changes in Windows 11 relate to the visual aesthetics of the interface. The start menu has been overhauled to provide quicker access to the apps you need, notifications are now grouped together to make accessing them quicker and File Explorer has been redesigned to look smarter and more intuitive.

Final Thoughts

Installing updated software is always recommended to ensure your PC is running with the best protection and functionality. And upgrading to Windows 11 is no different. It’s an essential upgrade and one which, although certain features will require some adjustment time, will provide you with enhanced productivity and a smoother user experience.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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