Windows 11 unsuckifying guide

[TheJaredWilcurt]

Here's an incomplete list of tips, tools, and settings to help make Windows 11 suck less.

Biggest pro-tip: If you are installing Windows 11 fresh, use English-Global instead of English US. This skips installing TikTok, Disney+, LinkedIn, Spotify, etc paid-promotional links everywhere. Also turns off MS Store by default until you set your region to EN-US (if you want to re-enable it).

It is technically possible to create a Win 11 user account without a Microsoft account, but you'll need to look it up as MS keeps trying to make this harder.

1. Go through every single setting on the OS and turn off all the bullshit, spyware, AI, etc.
2. Settings > Accessibility > Visual Effects
   • Always show Scrollbars (why the fuck is this disabled by default)
3. Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard
   • Sticky/Filter/Toggle Keys: OFF
   • Underline Access Keys: ON
   • Print Screen opens a stupid fucking program instead of doing print screen: OFF
4. Settings > System > Multitasking > Snap Windows:
   • Turn off "Show Snap layouts when I hover over a Window's Maximize button"
   • Turn off "Show snap layouts when I drag a window to the top of my screen"
5. Set your user account profile picture
6. Constantly leave feedback as you try to do common basic shit and Windows just sucks now and has no option to make it unsuck
   • Example: https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/s3f2y9/please_separate_calendar_and_notifications/
7. Run winget uninstall "Windows Web Experience pack" to remove the taskbar widget with online ads built in.
8. RegEdit: Make Scrollbars wider
   • HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
   • Double click ScrollHeight and ScrollWidth
   • Enter a value between -120 (thinner) to -1500 (thicker) and click OK. (-255 is probably fine)
   • Restart to apply.
9. RegEdit: Stop taskbar app label widths from fluctuating constantly
   • For some stupid reason, the width of apps in the taskbar expands and contracts as the title of the window changes, causing one app to shift the position of all other apps that come after it in the taskbar. Happens a lot when running commands that chain other commands (like npm t).
   • There are two solutions, neither seemed to work for me. Regedit and WindHawk
   • HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
   • Right-click blank space > New String
   • Name: MinWidth
   • Value: 38
   • WindHawk - Note: Because WindHawk does code injection, it can be seen as malicious by some protection software. It isn't, but my work computer really doesn't like it.
   • https://github.com/ramensoftware/windhawk/releases/latest
10. RegEdit: Stop sending start menu searches to Bing's servers
    • HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
    • Right-Click Windows > New > Key > Explorer
    • Right-Click Explorer > New > DWORD32 > DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
    • Double-Click DisableSearchBoxSuggestions > 1 (Hex) > OK
    • Restart Explorer or computer to apply
11. Replace the start menu which is filled with ads and widget bullshit
    • Replace Windows 11 logo with Windows 7 logo
    • Make sure not to install the annoying "Classic Explorer".
12. RegEdit: Bring back the original right click menu
    • Run reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
    • Restart Explorer or computer to apply
13. Turn off rounded corners on every window
    • IMPORTANT: Make sure only one dwm.exe is running before executing. Do not run this remotely, run it on the actual machine.
    • NOTE: Unfortunately, after every Windows update, this gets reset on reboot. So you have to re-run this, but because it creates a backup file, it won't re-run until you delete the backup located at: C:\Windows\System32\uDWM_win11drc.bak.
14. Make any window resizable. Hey my Outlook notifications are in a tiny window that I can't resize and the buttons to dismiss notifications are so far to the right, they aren't visible. Guess I'll have to download a random tool to make the window resizable to have access to these buttons. Thanks Microsoft Windows 11, thanks Microsoft Outlook. Real cool.
15. Install MSEdgeRedirect to have News, Search, Widgets, Weather and more use your default browser instead of MS Edge.
16. Chris Titus Win Util (Win 11 Debloating/Spam removal)
    • This utility does a TON of things, be very careful and read everything before applying changes as many settings it offers are bonkers and it even warns you not to do them. But it also does a ton of very useful things.
    • Intro Video for it
17. The notification sounds on W11 might as well not exist, they are so soft and quiet and barely noticeable even when you are right in front of the computer, let alone in the other room when you want to hear the sounds.
    • Download a sound pack: https://winsounds.com
    • Go to Settings > Sound > More sound Settings > Sounds
    • Select each sound in the list, click Test to hear it, then replace it with your downloaded sounds.
    • When done, save your scheme

Alternatively you could just do this:

1. Install Zorin OS instead of Windows.
2. Remove "Brave: The Spyware Browser" and install literally anything else.
3. That's it. It works fine, it's the closest thing you'll get to Windows 7 that isn't Windows 7. It even runs some Windows programs perfectly fine just by double-clicking them.
4. "Wait, did you just trick me into using... Linux, gross." Yes I did. I hate Linux too, but with how bad Windows 11 is, Zorin is legitimately better. No AI bullshit, no spyware, fully customizable, dedication to ease of use, etc.
5. I've not had to use the commandline at all on Linux. That bullshit is in the past, modern Linux is finally usable by actual humans. Or at least Zorin is.
6. Here is my personal Zorin settings, but you really don't need it, you can just play with the settings yourself.

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Originally published to Dev To on 2024-06-26