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The most useful Windows 11 changes depend on what is bothering you: tune notifications to reduce interruptions, review privacy and app permissions for more control, and trim startup apps you do not need. Settings can also help troubleshoot some causes of a slow PC, but they cannot overcome every hardware limitation. Paths below reflect Microsoft’s Windows 11 guidance; labels can vary across builds or managed devices, so search within Settings if a label is missing.
Where to find the Windows 11 settings that matter
Start in the built-in Settings app. It groups controls for system behavior, installed apps, accessibility, privacy and security, personalization, and updates. Open Settings and choose the category that matches the problem you want to solve rather than changing every available toggle.
Microsoft’s guide to exploring Windows Settings and its Windows Settings accessibility guide explain how the app is organized.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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How can I make Windows 11 less distracting?
Tune notifications instead of turning everything off
Go to Settings > System > Notifications. You can configure notifications for individual apps, including whether they show banners, appear in Notification Center, display on the lock screen, play a sound, or receive priority. Keep alerts you depend on, such as time-sensitive messages, and silence only the sources that interrupt you unnecessarily.
Do Not Disturb can silence notifications based on times or activities you select. It is useful for focused work or quiet hours, while app-by-app controls preserve alerts you still want. Microsoft’s notifications and Do Not Disturb guide describes these controls.
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Review recommendations and personalized offers
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Recommendations & offers. Review the controls for personalized offers, app-launch tracking used to personalize Start and search, and suggested content in Settings. Microsoft says personalized offers may draw on device and usage information, diagnostic data, account information, and data from other Microsoft products and services to provide tips, ads, and recommendations. Turning off a preference may reduce that personalization; decide based on whether you value tailored suggestions or prefer fewer of them.
See Microsoft’s privacy settings guide for Recommendations & offers for the explanations of these options.
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- All-day Comfort: The design of this standard keyboard creates a comfortable typing experience thanks to the deep-profile keys and full-size standard layout with F-keys and number pad
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How do I control app permissions in Windows 11?
Go to Settings > Privacy & security and select a capability such as location, camera, microphone, contacts, or calendar. Review which listed apps can access it and switch off access that an app does not need for its purpose. Restricting a capability can affect features that rely on it, so consider the app’s function before changing the setting.
There is an important limitation: Microsoft says these permission controls mostly apply to Store apps. Desktop apps may not appear in the lists and can access or handle some data differently. A missing app in a permission list therefore does not establish that it cannot use the related capability. Microsoft explains the controls and their scope in Change privacy settings in Windows and Windows privacy settings that apps use.
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- All-day Comfort: This USB keyboard creates a comfortable and familiar typing experience thanks to the deep-profile keys and standard full-size layout with all F-keys, number pad and arrow keys
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- Simply plug the USB receiver into a USB port on your desktop, laptop or netbook computer and start using the keyboard right away without any software installation
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How can I stop apps from opening at startup?
Disable automatic launch only for apps you do not need immediately after signing in. An app that starts automatically may be convenient, but it also adds activity at sign-in; the benefit of disabling one depends on what is running and on the PC.
- Open Settings > Apps > Startup, or open Task Manager > Startup apps.
- Review the apps listed and identify ones you do not need as soon as you sign in.
- Turn off or disable those apps. Leave essential or intentionally automatic apps enabled.
- In Task Manager, use the startup impact information to help decide what to inspect first; it is a diagnostic guide, not a promise of a particular speed improvement.
Microsoft’s startup applications guide describes the settings and Task Manager view.
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- Durable and Reliable: This USB keyboard features a curved space bar, spill-resistant design (2), durable keys that can withstand 10 million keystrokes, and sturdy, adjustable tilt legs
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- Full-size Sculpted Mouse: The high-definition optical USB mouse puts comfort and control in your hands with smooth, accurate tracking and an ambidextrous shape that feels good hour after hour
- Simple Set-Up: Simply plug the keyboard and mouse into the USB ports on your desktop, laptop, or netbook and you're ready to work; compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10 or later
- Clear and Convenient: The bold, bright white and long-lasting characters make the keys on this PC or laptop keyboard easy to read and extra durable
Can changing Windows settings make my PC faster?
Sometimes, if the cause is unnecessary startup activity, limited storage, background work, pending updates, or apps using system resources. These steps are troubleshooting options, not a guaranteed speed boost; older PCs with outdated hardware may see little improvement from software changes alone.
- Check resource use: Open Task Manager and look for apps consuming resources when you are not using them. Close unused apps where appropriate.
- Free storage: Uninstall apps you no longer use and remove files you do not need.
- Check updates: Install applicable Windows updates and review optional driver updates when troubleshooting a device or performance issue.
- Review background activity: Where an app offers a background-activity setting, limit it if you do not need it running when unused.
- Reassess after changes: If performance remains poor, software settings may not address the underlying hardware constraint.
Microsoft’s PC performance guidance covers these troubleshooting areas and notes the limits on older hardware.
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Which optional settings are worth considering?
Choose personalization based on your preferences
Under Settings > Personalization, Device usage lets you indicate how you use the PC. Microsoft says those selections can shape tips, recommendations, and ads. Treat it as an optional personalization choice, not a performance control; review it if you want Windows to tailor suggestions to your usage or would rather limit that tailoring.
Microsoft describes the feature in Personalize Your Windows Experience With Device Usage Settings.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
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Settings > Accessibility includes options for vision, hearing, and interaction. The right adjustments depend on the person using the PC; explore the relevant category and choose settings that make Windows easier to see, hear, or operate. Accessibility is a practical part of making Windows fit you, not a set of changes everyone should apply in the same way.
Decide how restrictive app installation should be
Windows app recommendation settings can warn before installing a non-Store app or restrict installations to Microsoft Store apps. A stricter setting can reduce installation options, so consider whether you use legitimate software distributed outside the Store before limiting where apps can come from. Microsoft explains the choices in Change your app recommendation settings in Windows.
Quick Recap
Choose changes by goal, not by checklist
- Fewer interruptions: tune notifications by app and use Do Not Disturb when its schedule or activity rules fit.
- Less personalization: review Recommendations & offers and Device usage choices.
- More control over app access: review capability permissions, keeping the desktop-app limitation in mind.
- A cleaner sign-in: disable only startup apps you do not need right away.
- Performance troubleshooting: investigate resource use, storage, updates, and background activity, while recognizing that hardware can limit results.
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