Windows 11 – How to improve your taskbar space

Like everyone, you probably have a lot of apps and icons on your taskbar taking up valuable space. And sometimes, it can be hard to find what you need. So how can you improve your taskbar space on Windows 11?

First, you can resize your taskbar by right-clicking on it and choosing Taskbar settings. Then, under ‘Taskbar behaviours’, you can adjust the Taskbar size to small, medium, or large. You can also choose to align your taskbar icons to the left, centre, or right.

Second, while you are in the Taskbar settings see ‘Combine taskbar buttons’. Here you can choose to always combine, combine when the taskbar is full, or never combine. This can help you save space and reduce clutter.

Third, you can hide some of the system icons that you don’t often use by clicking on the arrow next to the notification area. Then, click on Customize and select which icons you want to show or hide. You can also drag and drop the icons to rearrange them.

Fourth you can use the Task View button to see all your open windows and virtual desktops. To access this use the keyboard shortcut Windows + Tab.

Fifth, you can pin your favorite apps to the taskbar for quick access. Just right-click on any app icon and choose Pin to the taskbar. You can also unpin apps that you don’t use frequently by right-clicking on them and choosing Unpin from the taskbar.

These are just some of the ways you can improve your taskbar space on Windows 11.

The Real Benefits of Windows 365 for Business

Windows 365 Business is a cloud-based service that allows you to access your desktop, apps, and files from any device, anywhere. With Windows 365 Business, you can enjoy the familiar and secure Windows experience, while benefiting from the flexibility and scalability of the cloud. Whether you need to work remotely, collaborate with your team, or access specialized software, Windows 365 Business can help you achieve your goals. Here are some of the features and benefits of Windows 365 Business:

1. You can choose from a range of plans and configurations to suit your needs and budget. You can also adjust the performance and storage of your cloud PC as needed.

2. You can access your cloud PC from any device that supports an HTML5 browser, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux devices. You can also use the Remote Desktop app for a richer experience.

3. You can use your existing Microsoft 365 account and credentials to sign in to your cloud PC. You can also sync your settings, preferences, and files across your devices with OneDrive.

4. You can install and run any Windows app on your cloud PC, including Microsoft 365 apps, line-of-business apps, and third-party apps. You can also use Microsoft Endpoint Manager to manage and secure your apps and data.

5. You can benefit from the security and compliance features of Microsoft Azure, such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, data residency, and backup. You can also use Windows Defender Antivirus and Firewall to protect your cloud PC from threats.

Windows 365 Business is a game-changer for businesses of all sizes and industries. It enables you to work smarter, faster, and more securely in the cloud. To learn more about Windows 365 Business and how to get started, visit – https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business/

Windows 11’s Auto HDR

Windows 11

Probably one of the most exciting features of Windows 11 is Auto HDR. This is a feature that automatically adds HDR (High Dynamic Range) to games that don’t natively support it. This feature makes games look better by improving colour accuracy and contrast. Dark colours are therefore darker and light colours are lighter, but you’ll need to enable Auto HDR functionality first to see these changes in action.

To enable Auto HDR in Windows 11, you can quickly enable it in the Settings app by pressing System > Display > HDR. Make sure your HDR-supported TV or monitor is selected from the drop-down menu, then press the ‘Display Capabilities’ section to view your options. Press the slider next to the ‘Use HDR’ section to enable HDR output on your PC. Next, scroll down and select the slider next to the ‘Auto HDR’ section to enable Auto HDR in games that Microsoft has added support for.

In conclusion, Auto HDR is a great feature for PC gamers who want to improve their gaming experience on Windows 11. It’s easy to enable and can make a significant difference in how your games look. If you’re a gamer, you should definitely give Auto HDR a try!

Of course, if your PC’s monitor is not supported you will not be able to use Auto HDR unless you upgrade your viewing device to something vastly superior such as this 32-inch Samsung Odyssey G7 Curved Gaming Monitor.

The Windows 11 Wi-Fi report

Windows 11

If you have trouble with your wireless network, use this Windows 11 report on the network adapters currently inside your PC.

The report provides information on error events and your internet connection’s current and past sessions to help you diagnose and fix most of the issues that might be causing you trouble.

To create this useful report open Start and search for Command Prompt. Right-click and select the Run as administrator option.

At the C: prompt type – netsh wlan show wlanreport – and then press Enter on your keyboard. Once you have completed these steps the report will create an HTML file that will include all the connection details you need to look at.

To fully understand the report open Start and search for the run command and click the top result to open the app. Now confirm the path of the wireless report and click the OK button. After you complete these steps the Wi-Fi report will open in your default browser. You can click on each
to see the session duration and some other useful information.

The Network Adapters section lists details of your network adapters. In this list, you can see the name and version of the driver and error codes if something is wrong. The X icon indicates an error. The D icon shows when your adapter lost connectivity and the N icon when your adapter does not have any connection at all.

A replacement audio mixer for Windows 11

Windows 11 has never had a fully-fledged volume mixer on the taskbar. But you can improve this situation by using a third party app called Ear Trumpet. This has recently been updated to work with Windows 11 and restores a full volume mixer and gives you better control over all the apps that play audio on your PC. Ear trumpet is a powerful replacement for the basic volume mixer on Windows 11.

To download this app go to the Microsoft Store and search for Ear Trumpet. Once found download it and install it. Then open the app. Once you do this the apps sound icon will appear in the system tray. You need to drag and drop the Ear Trumpet app outside the system tray. If you click on the sound icon you will be able to control the volume levels of all active apps. If you hover over the sound icon you will see the percentage of the volume similar to the native sound icon. You can also right click the app to access advanced features.

As you can see from the above screenshot Ear Trumpet is a simple way to change your audio and sound quality. It’s one of those useful features that should have been built in to Windows 11.

How to install Android apps on Windows 11

One of the flagship features Microsoft mentioned about Windows 11 was the ability to install Android apps on your PC, allowing you to use some of the same apps you use on your Android phone right on your Windows desktop.

Microsoft made good on its promise, releasing the update that brings Amazon’s Appstore to Windows 11.

But after ensuring your PC is running the latest version of Windows 11, you’re not going to find the Amazon Appstore in your Start menu. Instead, you’ll need to do a bit of extra work to get it up and running.

First you need to check system requirements. To do this click on the Microsoft store app on your PC. Once open search for Amazon Appstore. With the Appstore listing visible choose an app and and if your PC meets the requirements for downloading apps you should see a green check-mark. Otherwise, click on Show more to view the entire list of requirements to see where your system falls short.

How to enable clipboard history in Windows 11

Windows 11 clipboard history allows you to store up to twenty five entries that you can retrieve later. To turn this on press the Windows+V keys on your keyboard. You will see a popup on the right hand side of your screen that says ‘Let’s Get Started. Turn on clipboard history to copy and view multiple items’ So, just press the Turn On button.

Now that clipboard history is turned on try copying multiple items into your clipboard. You can do this by copying items and pressing Ctrl+C. Alternatively, just use the copy menu in the applications you use.

To see what’s in clipboard just click the Windows+V at any time.  In the history menu that appears you can paste any item in the list by simply clicking it and Windows will insert it into a document or text field.

If you decide to disable clipboard history open settings by pressing Windows+i on your keyboard.  In the settings app go to System and Clipboard. Under Clipboard History flip the switch to the ‘off position’. Once you have turned this feature off and then type Windows+V again you will see the Turn on clipboard history again, proving that it was in fact already turned off.

Windows 11’s Sound Menu and how it works

CreativeInspire T3300 SpeakerSystem

Windows 11 gets a fully featured Sound menu which gives you the ability to easily pair new input and output devices. To do this, right click the blue start menu and select Settings then System and then Sound. Now click Add device under the Output section to link external speakers or other devices. Or click Add device under Input to connect an external microphone. You will then be given the choice to connect via Bluetooth, wireless docks, and more. Scroll down to the Advanced section and click All sound devices to view a full list of all input and output devices that have been connected to your PC.

You get extra control over your audio output in Windows 11, including mono audio and enhanced audio modes. To go mono, open Settings then System and then Sound, then enable Mono audio to combine the left and right audio channels. For enhanced audio – which includes bass boost, virtual surround, room correction, and loudness equalization – click All sound devices under the Advanced section of the Sound menu, choose a device to access the Properties menu, and enable Enhance audio.

How to enable God Mode in Windows 11

Windows 11

The so called God mode gives you access to over 200 settings. It is simply a folder that contains shortcuts to most of the options in Control Panel. It is useful because it makes all of those shortcuts quickly available without having to navigate the potentially confusing control panel interface. All the items are sorted and grouped so they are very easy to find.

So how can set you set up God mode in Windows 11?

Create a new folder on your desktop. to do this right click an empty area of the desktop and from the resulting list choose new and then Folder.
Name the folder GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} – Rather than try to type this long string of words and characters just copy and paste and then name the new folder you created. Now click the ‘Enter’ button. Once the name is saved, the folder will transform into a new shortcut, and the name will disappear.

Clicking on the new folder will let you access hundreds of Windows Control Panel’s settings. The exact number of the available settings is 211 items, including settings related to ‘User Accounts,’ ‘Disk Optimization’ and more.

Windows God Mode is an excellent solution to access key Control Panel options, especially in the newest Windows 11, since Microsoft has started focusing on the main ‘Settings’ and hiding the old Control Panel settings.

if you find that having all these settings on your desktop aren’t that useful just delete the folder to remove it completely.

Windows 10 BitLocker

On most of the devices that are designed for Windows 10, device encryption is automatically enabled. Windows Setup automatically creates the necessary partitions and initializes encryption on the operating system drive with a clear key. To complete the encryption process, you must perform the following step.

Sign in using a Microsoft account that has administrator rights on the device. That action removes the clear key, uploads a recovery key to the user’s OneDrive account, and encrypts the data on the system drive. Note that this process happens automatically and works on any Windows 10 edition.

The most important hardware feature required to support BitLocker Device Encryption is a Trusted Platform Module chip, or TPM. The device also needs to support the Modern Standby feature. Virtually all devices that were originally manufactured for Windows 10 meet these requirements.

For the most part, BitLocker is a set-it-and-forget-it feature. After you enable encryption for a drive, it doesn’t require any maintenance. You can, however, use tools built into the operating system to perform a variety of management tasks.

The simplest tools are available in the Windows graphical interface, but only if you are running Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. Open File Explorer, right-click any drive icon, and click Manage BitLocker. That takes you to a page where you can turn BitLocker on or off; if BitLocker is already enabled for the system drive, you can suspend encryption temporarily or back up your recovery key from here. You can also manage encryption on removable drives and on secondary internal drives. The length of time it takes BitLocker to fully encrypt your files depends on the size of your drive, or how much data you’re encrypting.

Why would you want to use BitLocker? Well, if you have a laptop and use it in locations such as in coffee shops, the risk of theft or even damage to your device could occur. Even if your laptop was stolen your drives will have been locked by BitLocker and will therefore be of no use to anyone else. However, if you have a desktop computer chances are you will not need BitLocker protection, unless you live in an area where burglars are active and could steel your Windows PC.