Everyone likes to complain Windows 11and the ways in which people try to solve its many problems are not few. There are a wide variety of third-party programs that attempt this Discuss Windows, Replacements for File Explorer and Windows Search and more.
But for many problems in Microsoft’s operating system, possible fixes are actually built into the OS. The problem is that the company has hidden so many of these fixes that it’s almost impossible for anyone to know they even have the option to fix this thing. If you want to improve your practice, you have to go for the differences, and that’s not something most people are willing to do.
Some fixes are region locked
Wait, really?
Hate that Microsoft Edge is the default browser in Windows 11? Is the taskbar search bar still using Edge and Bing even though you set a different default? These are things that Microsoft has overcome in the US and many other markets, but the company actually had to create solutions to these concerns in order to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union.
If your computer is from one of these regions, you really can Uninstall Microsoft Edge like any other program, and you can also (in theory) add different search engines to the Windows Search bar so that your web searches go to your preferred browser and engine.
For those in the United States, it is indeed possible to configure Windows to change these behaviors, but it’s a complicated trick that requires going through an out-of-the-box experience (OOBE) again, even though you shouldn’t lose any data. It would certainly be nice to see it possible to uninstall Edge and set up different search engines without the need for third-party tools, but we’ll just have to keep hoping.
Windows Search can be made faster
Well, sort of
Speaking of the search bar, it’s also quite frustrating that it can get frustratingly easy to use, as it takes too long to update the results as you type, and some pointless suggestions may pop up instead of what you actually want. Relying on Edge for web searches is already annoying, but it’s even more so when you switch to your web browser when you want to open Photoshop.
But if you want the search bar to be a good way to launch your apps, you can improve it significantly by removing web searches and file searches from this interface and focusing it solely on apps. When you do this, Windows Search actually becomes more responsive, so launching apps is almost as instant as using any third-party launcher. You lose the ability to quickly find your files, but you can still use File Explorer to search, albeit a little slowly.
While these options aren’t as hidden as some, finding the search indexing options in Windows 11 is still something that not everyone can do. It takes a few steps to get there through the Settings app, and turning off file searches means removing every indexed location from the list, which most people don’t think about.
Automatic OneDrive backups
And on that note, online accounts
It’s a double whammy of annoying requests for your Microsoft account. First, there’s the fact that a Microsoft account is required to use a Windows computer in the first place. Don’t worry, “but you can sign out of your Microsoft account after this,” I can already hear you saying. But who will do it? Why would anyone consider doing this after being asked to use it during the initial process? And for someone who didn’t have a Microsoft account in the first place, does it eliminate the hassle of creating any accounts just to use their new computer? no.
Yes, I know there are also methods to bypass online access during installation, but they are still unclear. No normal user is going to try this, not to mention that Microsoft intends to hack all of these workarounds.
And on that note, Microsoft will automatically start backing up your Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folders to OneDrive after you sign in with a Microsoft account during setup. Microsoft used to ask if you wanted it, but now it’s just enabled, so you can fill up the small 5GB limit on OneDrive in a matter of weeks. In this case, even the option isn’t particularly difficult to achieve, but the fact that you’re never prompted means you won’t even realize your files are being uploaded to the internet until OneDrive starts warning you about running out of space. It’s just infuriating.
Lots of registry fixes
Fixing context menus and more
It’s not exactly breaking news at this point, but for many of the things we don’t like about Windows 11, there are probably registry keys you can use to fix them. For example, if you want to bring return to the old context menu It was more compact and had more options, you could go into the Registry Editor and create a few buttons that disable the new menu so you can make things easier for yourself.
Likewise, the Registry Editor can be used to remove many unwanted options that Microsoft has recently added to the context menu, such as Ask the copilot button that appears when you right-click certain files. You can remove many of these buttons (not to be confused with standard. Open button that can still use Notepad for supported files). You can even remove the Gallery page in File Explorer using the Registry.
And these are just a few of the more common complaints. We recently covered a potential slowdown in File Explorer caused by an older Windows XP-era feature, and you can disable this feature by making a registry change, which can improve performance. The fact is that no ordinary user wants to mess with the registry. Even if it’s not that complicated, it looks intimidating with the correct and confusing names of a large folder for a large number of items.
Let’s not forget Smart App Control
It’s a good excuse to keep you safe
It’s a little different because not everyone will experience it, but I saw some complaints about it on Reddit recently and thought it was interesting that it could be such a pain. Smart Application Control essentially checks the apps you’re using against a database of apps that are considered “trusted” and safer in Microsoft’s eyes. It actually tried to adapt to you, so after a few days of testing, if it detects that you frequently use apps outside of the trusted pool, Smart App Management is disabled, but once enabled, it can be very frustrating.
When enabled, Smart App Control will block untrusted apps from running, and the displayed message doesn’t tell you exactly why this is happening or what you can do to bypass the block. You can find more information about this on the Internet, but most people will see this and avoid running the program they just need.
It’s easy to miss that Smart Application Control can actually be turned off so you can run whatever you want on your PC, and the option is hidden deep within Windows Security. If your first thought is to go to the Settings app to disable it, that’s a few extra hoops to jump through.
Control must be clear
Those who use Windows 11 to their liking often scoff at those who complain and say that one or another option already exists. True, they exist, but true control must also mean knowledge that such control exists. It’s like being trapped in a cage that only opens when you knock on the door Mambo No. 5. Yes, you can get out, but most people will never think of it.
Windows 11 should be designed with user control in mind, and it simply isn’t. Hopefully this is one of the big things that changes as Microsoft tries to fix this.
