Windows 11 has its virtues, but it is not a personalization prodigy any more than Windows 10. Today we propose a free application, open source and simple interface, but with enormous power that facilitates the task for the user who wants to leave their liked the next operating system from Microsoft.
Windows 11 is built on Windows 10 in its internal functioning and on Windows 10X in the visual sections. It is not a revolution, although it does bring that touch of renewal that users have been asking for, although several of the features promised as news will not be available at launch and will arrive later in the following updates.
Microsoft has room for improvement, but after the tests that we have been carrying out with the previous versions, we can assure you that it will not stand out in what we call “customization”, no matter how much the general system configuration tool has been redesigned (appropriately in terms of visuals and organization for our taste) and has added functions, some moved / eliminated from the classic control panel. Substantially varying the appearance, the behavior of its components or obtaining access to advanced functions, is another matter and they are not tasks that are accessible directly in the user interface .
How to customize Windows 11
ThisIsWin11 is an unofficial customization tool that brings together a bunch of Windows 11 settings, all under one umbrella . Dubbed ” The Real PowerToys for Windows 11 “, it is free, open source and really powerful since it is not limited to customizing visual elements, but as good ‘all-in-one’ software, it offers settings for almost the entire system, information about The news and comparison with previous versions, automation of certain functions, improvement of privacy by managing telemetry and even takes care of recurring problems in Windows 10 such as Bloatware that we do not seem to be able to get rid of.
Its installation is as simple as any Windows executable. We access their GitHub page and download the latest version available, currently 0.75.0. Unzip the .zip file in any folder and execute the file “ThisIsWin11.exe”. Before making any changes, we recommend creating a system restore point in case something fails to recover. Remember that both Windows 11 and this tool are in beta .
What ThisIsWin11 offers
The application currently offers five different tools and it is not ruled out to add others in the future. We have tested it on the beta version of Windows 11 build 22000.194, although it should work on other versions of the system.
Home . This tool guides the user through each configuration of Windows 11, allowing you to make changes and customizations on the fly. Select the arrow in the lower right corner to move between the pages or jump to the item you want to configure using the drop-down menu. Additionally, each page includes a description of what you can do and what’s new in Windows 11.
System . Allows you to activate and deactivate numerous settings, listing all possible configuration changes. There are five categories to act on: Personalization, System, Games, Privacy, and App Permissions. Under each category, you’ll find a list of new Windows 11 features that you can disable. You can also press the Verify button to automate the process.
Applications . A handy installer and uninstaller for the default Windows 11 applications. As with Windows 10, the list is extensive. A few essentials, some interesting and others disposable that could be included in that disastrous Bloatware from which the latest Windows do not escape. The tool keeps discarded apps in a sort of recycle bin, so they can be recovered. You already know that some are connected to others and they may not work without them.
Packages . If you have used a Linux distro, this package tool will sound familiar to you, with which you can download and install the latest version of a long list of applications. Microsoft also offers “package manager” called Winget as a separate system tool. This one from ThisIsWin11 is more useful and intuitive.
Automation . A scripting and task creation tool for Windows 11. These scripts enable certain functions or allow you to schedule specific tasks to run. Very useful, for example, to eliminate telemetry from third-party applications.
As you may have read, ThisIsWin11 is very powerful. You have to know what you are doing, but it allows you to tune the system to the taste of any consumer. Free, open source, and highly recommended. Of course, caution with her that is in beta.
Other third party apps
We already said that Windows 10 does not stand out in its customization capacity either. A few months ago we published a guide where we proposed a dozen solutions to customize it. Some of them will work on Windows 11 and it is certain that their developers will publish specific versions for Windows 11. Most of them are free and some are open source. In case you are going to stay in Windows 10 and want to tune your system, we remind you of the most interesting:
– Winaero Tweaker (customization). One of the best known and most complete applications to customize Windows is Winaero. Its developer brought together most of the available options in an “all-in-one” tool and under a single interface. It has a huge amount of features to vary visual aspects; colors; size of the borders of the windows, the title bars and the menus, as well as the audio section and in general the behavior of the system.
– Open Shell (start menu). The Windows start menu is a component that has been with us since Microsoft implemented graphical interfaces in its operating systems. If the design implemented until Windows 7 satisfied all kinds of users, what came later was nonsense, even eliminating it from Windows 8. The latest versions of Windows 10 have improved the situation, but if you liked Windows 7 more, Open Shell is one of the best you can use.
– TweakNow PowerPack (Windows behavior). Aimed at customizing the way Windows 10 behaves rather than the way it looks, this app is one of the most comprehensive you can find. It offers access to more than 100 hidden Windows settings, a registry cleaner, RAM optimizer, profiles for virtual desktops, a revamped startup manager, or the ability to allocate CPU resources for intensive applications.
– Taskbar Tweaker (task bar). Surely the best customization tool for the taskbar. It includes some settings that Windows 10 already offers, but most of them are not accessible even by acting on the registry.
– Ultimate Windows Tweaker (customization). Another of the most complete tools to tune Windows 10. It offers more than 200 settings, privacy and security; performance; from context menus; search and much more. It also works as a taskbar customization software and allows you to change battery layouts, date and time, volume, show or hide frequent folders and recent files, and more.
– CustomizerGod (icons). There are few better free developments dedicated especially to the management of system icons, a component that Microsoft has renewed in the latest versions of Windows 10. You can change those of the Start menu, the taskbar, the battery, the start screen session, time and date, and many more.
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