You’ve updated to Windows 11, changed all the settings to optimize the system, cleaned out the junk, and turned off Microsoft advertising. You’ve gotten used to the new Start menu and other quirks. In short, you’re warmed up to Windows 11. So now what? Time to roll up your sleeves and become a power user with these tricks!
PowerToys
Jon Martindale / IDG
Microsoft has developed a bunch of smart features that the company has deemed a little too advanced or unique to fit directly into Windows. Instead, they are included in something called PowerToys. It’s a program you install from Github, the Microsoft store, or via Winget in Terminal (see below), which then acts as a setup and installation program for the many features included.
You can choose which features you want to enable, and can use PowerToys even if you’re only looking for one or two features.
Here are three of my favorites:
PowerToys: Workspaces and Fancyzones – pin layouts on steroids
Jon Martindale / IDG
Do you like Windows pinned layouts, but wish they were a bit more flexible and above all more permanent? Then you should look at Workspaces and Fancyzones. Workspaces are a way of creating sets of applications whose windows are pinned to different parts of the screen, which you can reopen at any time, even after restarting.
Fancyzones are a more advanced version of the system’s built-in pinned layouts that allows you to create your own layouts. You can then position application windows quickly and easily in any of the preset areas of the screen.
This is most useful on large, high-resolution screens — especially ultrawide screens where using applications in full-screen mode is a waste of space.
PowerToys: Run
Microsoft
A launcher for more efficient keyboard control — press a keyboard shortcut, start typing the name of what you want to open and press return to open. Can also be used as a calculator and for a range of other functions. For example, you can start with a question mark to search for files, an equal sign for calculators, two exclamation marks to see previous commands, and so on.
Powertoys: Peek
Foundry
Preview images and other files from Explorer with a keyboard shortcut. Similar to the Overview feature on Mac. You can choose the keyboard shortcut yourself and the preview can fill most of the screen, unlike the usual small previews that Explorer can show on the right.
Further reading: Hate Windows 11? These 9 free apps make it feel like Windows 10 again
Windows Terminal
Windows 11 and later updates of Windows 10 have a new and more modern program for control via text commands. It’s basically a shell for the old Command Prompt and Powershell, and you can open tabs with both to access unique commands that only exist in one or the other.
In everyday computer use, there may not be much to do in Terminal, but it can be very handy to know how it works. For example, there are system settings that can only be made from here, and it is often easier to add or change in the Windows registry.
However, there is one feature that even a regular user can benefit from in everyday life: the ability to install, update, and uninstall programs. The system has a built-in tool called Winget that is used for everything in the Microsoft store. For other programs and terminal commands, there are several third-party options, such as Chocolatey.
For example, here’s how to install Microsoft Powertoys for your user account. Type the command and exit with return:
winget install Microsoft.PowerToys -s winget
If you type just winget and hit return, you will see a list of available features. If you add –help (should be double hyphen-minus), the help file for a particular feature will be displayed — for example, winget install –help for info on how to use the install feature. If you want to install a program for all users on your computer, you can add –scope machine after install.
Foundry
You can also update installed applications via Winget instead of having to launch the application and check for updates. Type the following command followed by return to update all installed applications for which Winget finds updates:
winget upgrade –all –silent
For applications that require admin privileges to install/update, you will need to approve each update, but you can bypass this by running Terminal as administrator.
Chocolatey is a package manager similar to ones you may have seen on Linux. It’s a bit more complicated to install, so if you’re curious, I recommend reading the developers’ instructions.
Let the keyboard work for you
The keyboard is often a faster way to work with your computer than clicking around with a mouse or trackpad. Both Windows itself and most programs are full of keyboard shortcuts that instantly perform a function, open a tool, or change a setting. Sometimes it saves just one click on a toolbar, but often it shortens the work by several steps — and you don’t have to take your hands off the keyboard.
You’re probably already familiar with common keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+C/V for copy and paste, Ctrl+P for print and Ctrl+T for new tab, but there are many, many more. Microsoft has a huge list of shortcuts in the system, but for third-party programs you either have to look in the menus yourself or search online. Below I have collected some really useful examples.
10 handy keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+W – close an open document or tab, normally without closing the program. In Word, for example, closing the last open document takes you to the File menu.
Ctrl+Shift+T – opens the last closed tab in a browser. Handy as the undo function rarely works to undo when you have closed a tab by mistake.
Ctrl+Alt+V – this one you have to activate first in Powertoys, but is incredibly handy. Pastes text from the clipboard without formatting.
Win+Point – displays the emoji and character selector.
Win+Shift+S – displays the screenshot tool for screenshots and screen recordings.
Ctrl+Shift+Esc – opens the Task Manager.
Win+[number key] – opens the nth program from the left in the Taskbar, for example Ctrl+1 for Explorer if it is on the far left of the shortcuts.
Win+D – display the desktop.
Win+Ctrl+Shift+B – restarts the graphics driver, can sometimes save you from a reboot if the screen has gone black or is behaving strangely.
Ctrl+arrow keys – navigate one word (left/right) or paragraph (up/down) at a time. Combine with Shift to highlight. While you’re at it, you can also learn that Ctrl+Backspace deletes backwards one word at a time and Ctrl+Delete forwards one word at a time.
Change the way your keyboard works with Autohotkey
Autohotkey is a versatile program that can extend the functionality of your keyboard in a variety of ways. In short, it involves writing macros — text files with a kind of code — that add or change the way your keyboard works. You can also download and use macros created by others, or copy the parts of a macro that you find useful.
As an example, I use a macro myself that makes the Windows keyboard work like the macOS, where it’s easy to type with diacritics that aren’t built into the keyboard layout. For example, it’s easy to type ü by pressing Alt+U followed by U, or ñ with Alt+N followed by N.
Check out the Autohotkey Reddit group for help and inspiration.
Use a local account
Using a Microsoft account to sign in to Windows has some advantages. For example, it’s easier to activate the system and you’ll be automatically logged into some Microsoft applications. But there are also advantages to using a local account, and some people prefer it for ideological reasons.
In fact, the easiest way to use your computer with a local account is to start with a Microsoft account and then create a separate local account that you use normally. If you need to do something with the Microsoft account, such as activate Windows, you can temporarily log in to it.
Open Settings > Accounts > Other users and click Add account. In the dialogue box that appears, click on I don’t have this person’s login information and then on Add a user without a Microsoft account. Now another dialog box will open where you fill in the username and password.
You can set a pin code or use your face to sign in with Windows Hello even with a local account.
Further reading: Speed up your Windows 11 PC: 12 must-do tweaks
Control the volume of individual programs
Volume mixer for individual programs.
Foundry
Windows has a built-in sound mixer that makes it easy to change the volume of individual programs. The only trick is that the application must be open to be visible in the settings, but the setting is not reset when you shut down the application.
You can access the volume controls in several ways, either in Settings > System > Sound > Volume mixer or by clicking the volume button on the far right of the Taskbar and then the button to the right of the volume slider (scroll down a bit to see each program’s slider).
Windows X menu
Foundry
Right-click on the Start menu to display the X menu, also called the power user menu. It brings together shortcuts to a wide range of advanced settings that you’d normally have to root around in the old Control Panel or find via the search function, like Device Manager and Disk Management. Also the fastest way to launch Terminal as an administrator.
Phone Link connects your mobile to your computer
Microsoft
Windows 11 can have a really close connection to your mobile, thanks to the Phone Link feature. Microsoft has also continued to develop it so that today it is more competent than a few years ago.
For iPhone users, you can now make and receive calls, manage notifications, read and send text messages, view contacts and share files. For Android users, everything that’s on the iPhone is included, but you also get access to the photo library.
Type Phone Link into Windows search bar to get started.
Back up smart
Hopefully you’re aware of the importance of backing up important files, so that you don’t lose priceless photos or other important items just because a hard drive fails, a computer is stolen, or if disaster strikes and a fire destroys all your electronics.
Windows 11 has a built-in backup feature that can keep certain folders and your computer settings backed up to OneDrive. Microsoft is keen for users to activate it and will nag you if you haven’t done so, but of course it’s not a requirement. There are many other backup solutions that are more competent, and where neither Microsoft nor anyone else can access your files.
A common recommendation among security experts that I follow myself is called the 3-2-1 principle. It means that you should always have at least three copies of your files, on at least two different media, with at least one backup physically located in a different place. Having 10 different backups on different hard drives in your home won’t help if your house burns down.
Windows’ backup feature can be an easy way to accomplish the latter without, for example, subscribing to a cloud backup service. But since having enough space on OneDrive requires a Microsoft 365 subscription, there’s a better, more privacy-protective way that also allows you to back up everything on your computer if you want to: Get a third-party online backup software that supports OneDrive as a target.
Skärmdump
I recommend Arq Backup or Duplicati. Both of these encrypt the backups so that no one but you can ever access the files. They use deduplication which means they can save many full backups without taking up huge amounts of space. This way, you can open a months-old backup and restore individual files, or restore the entire disc from the last backup.
Further reading: Your PC’s Windows install needs spring cleaning too. Here’s how to do it
