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GregR's customizing Windows 11 thread (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter GregR
- Start date
GregR
Footballguy
First things first. Each time I've started Windows 11, I have had OneDrive try to take control of my Documents, Pictures, etc. Which I hate because on a desktop I will move those to another drive so they are not on my OS drive taking up space. OneDrive will commandeer them even after I've moved them off of C:.
If you use OneDrive, great then skip this.
Edit: Actually can just go into OneDrive's Settings to the Accounts tab, and choose Unlink This PC, instead of doing the stuff below.
And... even doing that, it still stole my Documents folder and stuck it in One drive. And won't let it be moved. Argh. So to move Documents:
1) Search for "command" to find command tool, run as administrator
2) Go find HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folder
3) Change the Personal value to be the path you want for Documents.
4) Open Task Manager (right click on task bar) and find your Windows Explorer and right click to restart it.
Can also go into Settings -> Storage -> Advanced -> Where new content is saved ... and set a few locations there.
If you use OneDrive, great then skip this.
Edit: Actually can just go into OneDrive's Settings to the Accounts tab, and choose Unlink This PC, instead of doing the stuff below.
And... even doing that, it still stole my Documents folder and stuck it in One drive. And won't let it be moved. Argh. So to move Documents:
1) Search for "command" to find command tool, run as administrator
2) Go find HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folder
3) Change the Personal value to be the path you want for Documents.
4) Open Task Manager (right click on task bar) and find your Windows Explorer and right click to restart it.
Can also go into Settings -> Storage -> Advanced -> Where new content is saved ... and set a few locations there.
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GregR
Footballguy
Return to the Windows 10 right click menu.
So the old right click menu was much more useful, and now you have to either choose to show more options to get there, or shift + right click to get to it. Or, you can do these steps to just make the old one the default. Before doing this, take a look at how it is now, and how it used to look.
Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ndows-11/a62e797c-eaf3-411b-aeec-e460e6e5a82a
Before doing this, I'd make a system restore point or back up your registry. (Back up registry: type in "regedit" into search. Run it. Click on Computer. Click on Export and save it somewhere).
1) Run command prompt as administrator (type in cmd into search, right click on Command Prompt and Run as Administator).
2) Copy paste the following in and hit return:
reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
3) Restart Windows explorer (or you can reboot). Launch an explorer window just so one is open. Then right click on the Task Bar and choose "Task Manager". Click on "Processes" and if it isn't sorted by "Name" click there as well. You should see Windows Explorer in the list. Right click it and choose "Restart". Now if you open explorer again, the right click should be the old one.
So the old right click menu was much more useful, and now you have to either choose to show more options to get there, or shift + right click to get to it. Or, you can do these steps to just make the old one the default. Before doing this, take a look at how it is now, and how it used to look.
Source: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...ndows-11/a62e797c-eaf3-411b-aeec-e460e6e5a82a
Before doing this, I'd make a system restore point or back up your registry. (Back up registry: type in "regedit" into search. Run it. Click on Computer. Click on Export and save it somewhere).
1) Run command prompt as administrator (type in cmd into search, right click on Command Prompt and Run as Administator).
2) Copy paste the following in and hit return:
reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve
3) Restart Windows explorer (or you can reboot). Launch an explorer window just so one is open. Then right click on the Task Bar and choose "Task Manager". Click on "Processes" and if it isn't sorted by "Name" click there as well. You should see Windows Explorer in the list. Right click it and choose "Restart". Now if you open explorer again, the right click should be the old one.
GregR
Footballguy
Remove OneDrive from the Navigation Pane in Windows Explorer
NOTE: If you do the step in the post two above this and just Unlink This PC on the Accounts tab, then don't need to do the below.
Since I hate OneDrive I don't want it taking up space in my navigation pane. If you want to remove it from there, do the following.
Source: https://www.top-password.com/blog/remove-onedrive-from-file-explorer-in-windows-11/
I would back up the registry or create a system restore point first.
1) Open Registry Editor. (regedit in search window, click Registry Editor)
2) Copy and paste the following given path in the address bar and hit Enter:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}
3) Double-click the DWORD System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree on the right pane. Change the value from 1 to 0.
Now when you open Explorer it won't be there.
NOTE: If you do the step in the post two above this and just Unlink This PC on the Accounts tab, then don't need to do the below.
Since I hate OneDrive I don't want it taking up space in my navigation pane. If you want to remove it from there, do the following.
Source: https://www.top-password.com/blog/remove-onedrive-from-file-explorer-in-windows-11/
I would back up the registry or create a system restore point first.
1) Open Registry Editor. (regedit in search window, click Registry Editor)
2) Copy and paste the following given path in the address bar and hit Enter:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}
3) Double-click the DWORD System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree on the right pane. Change the value from 1 to 0.
Now when you open Explorer it won't be there.
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GregR
Footballguy
Add Other Disk Drives to Navigation Pane in Explorer
I have a number of extra disk drives. Removable drives show up automagically in the navigation pane at bottom. But internal drives do not. So here is how you can add those drives. I'm going to just point to the links rather than try to list the steps here.
C-drive:
www.elevenforum.com
D-drive:
www.elevenforum.com
E-drive:
www.elevenforum.com
I have a number of extra disk drives. Removable drives show up automagically in the navigation pane at bottom. But internal drives do not. So here is how you can add those drives. I'm going to just point to the links rather than try to list the steps here.
C-drive:
Add or Remove Windows C Drive in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial
All drives are shown under the This PC group in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default. Removable drives are shown as separate groups in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default in addition to being shown under the This PC group in the navigation pane. You could Pin to Quick...
www.elevenforum.com
D-drive:
Add or Remove D Drive in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Windows D: Drive in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 11. All drives are shown under the This PC group in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default. Removable drives are shown as separate groups in the...
www.elevenforum.com
E-drive:
Add or Remove E Drive in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Windows E: Drive in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 11. All drives are shown under the This PC group in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default. Removable drives are shown as separate groups in the...
www.elevenforum.com
GregR
Footballguy
Edit: This seems to have been related to moving AppData to another drive. Going to no longer do that as have a large enough C: drive on this build.
Had a weird thing when I first started on new Windows 11 machine. I couldn't open text files or JPGs or the like, until I manually launched Notepad and Photos for the first time. I wonder if maybe they weren't fully installed or something, and then went to the Windows Store to get them when I ran them the first time?
I'm not sure what it is, but if you see that you can't access certain file types, try launching the program you expect them to show up in manually the very first time, then see if it works after that.
Had a weird thing when I first started on new Windows 11 machine. I couldn't open text files or JPGs or the like, until I manually launched Notepad and Photos for the first time. I wonder if maybe they weren't fully installed or something, and then went to the Windows Store to get them when I ran them the first time?
I'm not sure what it is, but if you see that you can't access certain file types, try launching the program you expect them to show up in manually the very first time, then see if it works after that.
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GregR
Footballguy
A few things I would usually load:
7zip - a better zipping tool and format. It will add itself to the right context menu, but might have to go into Default Apps and set it in place of the Zip tool. https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
(Side note on 7zip... if you try to drag and drop to a folder to extract, but then leave the folder before it's done, it will fail. Not sure if that's a Windows 11 bug or all versions. In any event, if you have a really big extraction, use the Extract button rather than drag and drop to avoid it.)
VLC media player - video player I use instead of the default Windows ones. Will have to use Default Apps to associate file types with it. https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
Treesize - I use the free version. Great for listing the size of folders rapidly instead of having to do Properties on them one by one. https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free
Windows 7 games for Windows 11, 10 and 8 - The classic solitaire, minesweeper, etc games. https://win7games.com/
7zip - a better zipping tool and format. It will add itself to the right context menu, but might have to go into Default Apps and set it in place of the Zip tool. https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
(Side note on 7zip... if you try to drag and drop to a folder to extract, but then leave the folder before it's done, it will fail. Not sure if that's a Windows 11 bug or all versions. In any event, if you have a really big extraction, use the Extract button rather than drag and drop to avoid it.)
VLC media player - video player I use instead of the default Windows ones. Will have to use Default Apps to associate file types with it. https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
Treesize - I use the free version. Great for listing the size of folders rapidly instead of having to do Properties on them one by one. https://www.jam-software.com/treesize_free
Windows 7 games for Windows 11, 10 and 8 - The classic solitaire, minesweeper, etc games. https://win7games.com/
GregR
Footballguy
I'm still searching for a way to bring back the old Quick Launch style menu down on the Taskbar. There is a github project called Explorer Patcher that apparently had it working. But when I tried to install it I got nothing. It didn't seem to install even. Also I saw a number of bug reports that sounded like sometimes windows patches would come out and people with it would break in painful ways until the guy updated Explorer Patcher. So I think I'm not going to recommend it.
There is another method which creates an app and pins it and has that function as the Quick Launch. I haven't tried it yet. But might give it a try when I get some time. If anyone else tries it, let me know what you think: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-use-quick-launch-toolbar-in-windows-11
There is another method which creates an app and pins it and has that function as the Quick Launch. I haven't tried it yet. But might give it a try when I get some time. If anyone else tries it, let me know what you think: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-use-quick-launch-toolbar-in-windows-11
GregR
Footballguy
Back to Explorer and the navigation pane. Anything I don't really use like the Videos folder, right click on and "Unpin from Quick Access".
I usually leave Documents, Downloads and Pictures pinned. And I add my other computers on my network (type in the computer name into the path as \\Name ... and then once it is there, right click and Pin to Quick Access.
I usually leave Documents, Downloads and Pictures pinned. And I add my other computers on my network (type in the computer name into the path as \\Name ... and then once it is there, right click and Pin to Quick Access.
GregR
Footballguy
Getting an error from windows security about Local Security Authority not being turned on. So there's a windows 11 bug it will complain about it even if it's on.
First few places I found telling how to make sure it's on were wrong. And also instructions on how to turn it on tell you to go look for a Settings entry that has been removed. So first to confirm it is on:
First few places I found telling how to make sure it's on were wrong. And also instructions on how to turn it on tell you to go look for a Settings entry that has been removed. So first to confirm it is on:
- Type Event Viewer into search and open it.
- Go to Windows Logs > System
- Click on the "Source" column header to alphabetize them by source
- Scroll down to where it starts with "L" and look for "LSA (LsaSrv)". Note this log is going to be huge so you may have to scroll down a long way. It'll be the first thing after Kernel but there will be thousands of Kernel entries. https://www.elevenforum.com/attachments/1682057194587-png.58397/
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GregR
Footballguy
For folders with a lot of video files... in Windows Explorer the "Date" column for a video file is the data extracted from the file's metadata. Which means folders with a lot of videos can take forever to sort by date, or even just to display that information.
So right click on Date and deselect it, and instead choose Date Modified which is the last change date for the file from the filesystem. Allows instant sorting of big directories.
Also want to set the folder type (right click, Properties -> Customize) to General Items.
So right click on Date and deselect it, and instead choose Date Modified which is the last change date for the file from the filesystem. Allows instant sorting of big directories.
Also want to set the folder type (right click, Properties -> Customize) to General Items.
GregR
Footballguy
So... and here's one of the reasons I took the time to record all this. I mean one of them is so it is of use to anyone else. Another is, because my damn GPU crashed the cpu, I had to hold down the power to shut it down to reboot. And it corrupted system files and after repairing them, stuff still won't work. So tomorrow I'm reinstalling windows on my month old machine. :(
Nick Vermeil
Footballguy
GregR
Footballguy
Pinning a .bat file to the task bar (or start menu). From here.
Windows 11:
1. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop, go to New, and then click on Shortcut.
2. Enter the following text:
cmd /c "full path to your batch file"
For example:
cmd /c "D:\cygwin64\Cygwin.bat"
3. Click on the Next button in the bottom right corner of the window.
4. Enter a name for the shortcut.
5. Click on the Finish button in the bottom right corner of the window. (If you want to change the icon, do it now, right click-> Properties -> Change icon)
6. Right-click on the newly created shortcut and then click on Pin to Start or right-click on the newly created shortcut > Show more options > Pin to taskbar.
Windows 11:
1. Right-click on an empty space on your desktop, go to New, and then click on Shortcut.
2. Enter the following text:
cmd /c "full path to your batch file"
For example:
cmd /c "D:\cygwin64\Cygwin.bat"
3. Click on the Next button in the bottom right corner of the window.
4. Enter a name for the shortcut.
5. Click on the Finish button in the bottom right corner of the window. (If you want to change the icon, do it now, right click-> Properties -> Change icon)
6. Right-click on the newly created shortcut and then click on Pin to Start or right-click on the newly created shortcut > Show more options > Pin to taskbar.
GregR
Footballguy
Windows Terminal is now the default spot for holding command prompt, powershell, etc.
You can add other terminals like Git Bash or Cygwin terminal into it, even have them be the default:
www.commandlinewizardry.com
You can add other terminals like Git Bash or Cygwin terminal into it, even have them be the default:
How to Add Git Bash and Cygwin to Windows Terminal
When you install Git for Windows it comes prepacked with Git Bash, a Linux terminal emulator. Git Bash is particularly useful because it lets you run both Linux and Windows commands from the same terminal and access the underlying Windows file system. You can easily add this emulator to Windows...
www.commandlinewizardry.com
Nathan R. Jessep
Footballguy
Haven't installed yet but 
Keerock
Footballguy
Nice thread @GregR !
I will add that I am partial to having my task bar on the left side of my screen. Not possible in 11 like it was in 10. I've used this for months without issue: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
I will add that I am partial to having my task bar on the left side of my screen. Not possible in 11 like it was in 10. I've used this for months without issue: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher
Ron Popeil
Footballguy
Super valuable thread, thank you.
GregR
Footballguy
I think that's one I looked at in hoping to get back to having a quick launch menu. Which you could manually set up in Windows 10, but need something else for 11 to get it back. Though I'd seen in comments when I'd looked that sounded like as Windows upgrades came out, that had broken at various times. So I didn't give it a try yet. Good to hear if it's working for you without issues though, might have to try it later.
As for what I wanted it for, a quick launch menu, there's also some other option that is basically a program that appears on the right that then will launch things for you. Haven't tried it either though.
GregR
Footballguy
By the way if you let the computer sleep but you find it seems to randomly wake up on its own, there's a network setting that might help with it:
www.elevenforum.com
Enable or Disable Wake on LAN (WOL) in Windows 11 Tutorial
This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable Wake on LAN (WOL) for network adapters in Windows 11. The Wake on LAN (WOL) feature wakes the computer from a low power state when a network adapter detects a WOL event such as a magic packet sent over the network. References...
www.elevenforum.com
GregR
Footballguy
However I will not upgrade to windows 11 until windows 10 no longer receives security updates.
Sometimes you can skip operating system versions.
I'm afraid you're there now.
Getting my parents a new laptop because Windows 10 is stopping support in October.
