I like Windows 10, but Microsoft tends to get overly excited about all the features available to you. Most of them you’ll never use or are actively annoying. Here, I’ll describe the steps I take when I set up a Windows 10 computer for my clients.
Bloated Start
The first thing I do is clean up the start menu. This is actually very simple to do, though Microsoft could make it a little easier. The simplest way I’ve found is to open the start menu, then for each icon you want to remove, right-click on it, then hit the space bar. By default, this will “un-pin” the icon from the start menu. Keep doing this for all the items you want to remove. For me, that’s often nearly all of them. Sometimes I leave nothing but the weather app, which I then right-click > resize > large. I then add back in the applications I use most often by finding them in the alphabetical list of applications, right-clicking on them, and selecting “Pin to start.”
Taskbar
The taskbar is the bar at the bottom of your screen. By default, it has a lot of stuff on it that you either don’t need or takes up too much space. I like to minimize what shows up there to reduce clutter. I usually right-click on a blank area of the taskbar, and un-check every item that starts with “Show…” You can only do one at a time, so you’ll need to keep right-clicking. I can almost promise that you won’t miss them. I’ve never met anyone who uses them. Lastly, I right-click, go to “Cortana,” and either choose “Show Cortana icon” or “Hidden.” I’ve hidden it on my own system, because searching in Windows 10 is as simple as clicking on the start button or pressing it on your keyboard and starting to type.
Uninstall junk
Windows 10 comes with a larger than normal amount of junk software. It’s not the end of the world, but I prefer to remove it. Click on the start menu, then the little gear icon to get into settings, then click on Apps. Now, you have to be careful not to uninstall anything your computer might need. Sometimes this menu includes essential drivers that come from the manufacturer. But you’re safe to uninstall some of the junkware that’s easily identifiable. For example, any game that ends in “…Saga” can be safely removed. Simply click on the application and choose uninstall.
If this is a brand new computer, chances are that it came with a trial version of some sort of antivirus software - usually McAfee. I’m not a fan. Uninstall this here and use the built-in Windows Defender - which should kick in once the included AV software is removed - or purchase a better antivirus program from Eset or Bitdefender.
These steps cover the majority of what I do to clean up a fresh Windows 10 install. I typically do this for all my clients, and you can do this too or you can hold off until the next time you have me over to work on something else.