First Things to Do After Upgrading to Windows 11: A Complete Setup Guide

Upgrading to a new operating system is both exciting and daunting, especially when the changes are as pronounced as those from Windows 10 to Windows 11. For users who have waited, perhaps out of comfort, personal taste, or a wariness of early adoption woes, the end of official support for Windows 10 has become the final nudge. After a decade of continual improvements and a massive base of users, Windows 10’s sunset in October leaves many with few choices but to embrace its successor. As you boot into Windows 11 for the first time, you are greeted with a fresh interface, new paradigms in usability, and a renewed focus on productivity and security.
But what should you actually do first? Even if the upgrade process went smoothly—and recent reports confirm that the process is far more stable now than during the OS’s early days—there are key steps every user should take to ensure a smooth transition. These first moves will help you secure your system, optimize its performance, recover familiar workflow habits, and take advantage of the prominent features that set Windows 11 apart from its predecessor. Here’s an in-depth guide to the first five things every user should do after upgrading to Windows 11, with a focus on both verifiable facts and practical advice for maximizing your experience.

Get Up to Speed With the New Interface​

One of the most immediately obvious differences in Windows 11 is its visual overhaul. Microsoft has introduced a sleeker, more minimalistic approach to UI, with rounded corners, new iconography, and a centered taskbar that draws strong inspiration from macOS and Chrome OS. For longtime Windows users, these aren’t merely superficial changes; they represent a shift in the way you navigate your desktop.

The Centered Taskbar and Start Menu​

The taskbar is now centered by default, which may feel awkward if you’re conditioned to the left-aligned Start button. Fortunately, you can customize this:

• Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
• Under the “Taskbar behaviors” dropdown, locate the “Taskbar alignment” setting and set it to “Left” for a more traditional Windows feel.

Similarly, the Start menu has undergone dramatic changes. Live Tiles are gone, replaced with a grid of pinned apps and a “Recommended” section showing recent documents and applications. While this streamlines the look, some users find the new design less informative or customizable than before. For additional personalization, third-party tools like Start11 or Open-Shell can emulate older Start menu behaviors—not officially endorsed, but popular among power users.

Simplified Context Menus​

Windows 11 introduces simplified right-click menus, often hiding advanced options under a “Show more options” submenu. This design reduces clutter but can slow workflows that rely on shortcut actions. Microsoft says this change is meant to encourage the use of modern APIs and reduce legacy code, but it’s a double-edged sword. For now, users can adjust by learning Ctrl+Shift+Right-click shortcuts or, again, use utilities to bring back more robust context menus, though these workarounds can break after system updates.

Run Windows Update Immediately​

After a major OS upgrade, your system may still be missing crucial patches and driver updates, despite the core upgrade installer’s best efforts. Windows 11 continues Microsoft’s tradition of rolling out cumulative updates and security patches outside the upgrade image. This means there could be day-one updates specifically meant to address known issues, security vulnerabilities, or hardware compatibility fixes.

How to Get Fully Updated​

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
• Click Check for updates, even if you’ve just finished the upgrade process.
• Install all available updates, including optional driver and feature updates if your hardware is experiencing issues.

It's crucial to verify installed updates in “Update History” to ensure nothing failed. Additionally, many device manufacturers publish Windows 11-specific drivers. For laptops, you should visit your OEM’s support site for the latest chipset, sound, display, and networking drivers; generic updates do not always guarantee device-specific integration is seamless.

Recent Update Trends​

Multiple sources, including Microsoft’s own release health dashboard and independent IT pros, confirm that Windows 11 has seen a higher rate of post-upgrade driver and reliability updates compared to Windows 10. This is especially true on devices with newer chipsets, hybrid graphics systems, and advanced peripherals. For early adopters, this issue was pronounced, but as of 2025, most widely used hardware platforms have mature, stable Windows 11 drivers.

Secure Your Privacy and Security Settings​

With every release, Microsoft refines the balance between user privacy, usability, and their commercial interests—including telemetry and integration with Microsoft accounts. Windows 11 makes privacy settings more transparent, but the defaults often favor data sharing and integration with online services.

Tweak Privacy Controls​

• Open Settings > Privacy & security.
• Review each category: Location, Camera, Microphone, Account info, Diagnostics & Feedback, and Activity History.
• Limit app access to hardware or personal data unless absolutely necessary.
• Consider disabling “Send optional diagnostic data” to Microsoft for reduced telemetry.
• Turn off ad tracking under the “General” section.

Although Microsoft commits to data transparency, critics, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and privacy advocates, warn that Windows’ cumulative data reporting is still more aggressive than some competitors. Recent analyses of Windows 11 show improvement over Windows 10 in transparency, particularly with fine-grained toggles, but third-party privacy tools like O&O ShutUp10++ remain popular among those seeking stricter controls.

Secure Your Login Methods​

Windows 11 leans heavily into passwordless sign-in, encouraging use of Windows Hello PINs, biometrics, or hardware keys. For the best mix of security and convenience:

• Set up Windows Hello via Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
• Use a strong PIN, enable facial or fingerprint recognition if your device supports it.
• Consider linking your Microsoft account for cloud backups and sync, but be aware this ties your login to the Microsoft ecosystem.

Revisit and Customize Default Apps and File Associations​

Upon upgrade, Windows 11 may reset certain file associations and default apps to Microsoft’s preferred defaults, primarily Edge for web browsing and Microsoft’s own productivity suite for documents and media. This is a source of regular user complaints, as Microsoft has made it somewhat more cumbersome to change these defaults compared to Windows 10.

Changing Your Defaults​

• Navigate to Settings > Apps > Default apps.
• Search or scroll for the app you wish to set (e.g., Chrome, VLC, Adobe Reader).
• You must now manually set each file type (PDF, HTML, JPG) to your preferred application—Microsoft removed the “Set defaults by app” shortcut.

While this approach is nominally about “user control,” industry watchdogs and legal analysts argue it unnecessarily complicates life for users who uninstall Microsoft apps or wish to use alternatives. Despite European Union pressure, as of mid-2025, Windows 11 still requires extra steps for browser defaults—a practice under continuing scrutiny.

Remove or Hide Unwanted Pre-installed Apps​

Known as “bloatware,” apps like some games, news, and Microsoft 365 trials may be reinstalled during the upgrade. Users should review their “All apps” list and uninstall anything unnecessary, both for a cleaner Start menu and reduced background activity.
A quick guide:

• Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
• Uninstall non-essential apps with a few clicks.
• Optional: Disable startup for unwanted background apps in Task Manager > Startup.

Explore and Master New Features​

Despite complaints about learning curves, Windows 11 brings substantial new features in productivity, security, and multitasking. Taking time to understand and harness these can make the upgrade genuinely worthwhile.

Snap Layouts and Virtual Desktops​

Windows 11 expands window management with Snap Layouts—a quick way to organize windows into preset grids. Hover your mouse over the “Maximize” button to see layout options, or use Windows key + Z for fast snapping.
Virtual Desktops are also improved. Now you can customize each desktop with unique wallpapers and app arrangements, which is perfect for keeping work and personal spaces separate.
Recent productivity studies suggest that using Snap Layouts reduces time spent dragging and resizing windows by up to 30% for multitaskers, while power users report greater clarity when switching contexts with Virtual Desktops.

Widgets and Microsoft Teams Integration​

The new Widgets panel, accessible from the taskbar, consolidates live news, calendar events, and weather. Although at launch it was limited and somewhat buggy, updates throughout 2023 and 2024 have improved customization and reliability. Still, not everyone wants the distraction—widgets can be disabled in Taskbar settings if undesired.
Similarly, Microsoft integrates Teams Chat directly into the taskbar, aiming at casual and family chat users. For enterprise Teams, the existing desktop app is still preferred due to its full feature set, but this quick-access version is useful for light personal communication.

Android App Support and Gaming Enhancements​

Windows 11 Beta Channel now supports select Android apps via Microsoft Store and the Amazon Appstore partnership. While still limited in global rollout, this feature represents a significant expansion for app availability, especially for those who use social, productivity, or entertainment apps primarily on mobile. Reviews are mixed: app selection is limited compared to Google Play, but performance is solid on compatible hardware.
Gamers benefit from Auto HDR, DirectStorage for faster load times, and improved Game Bar features—however, benefits are most visible on newer hardware with NVMe drives and DirectX 12 GPUs. For the average user, these gaming improvements are mostly future-proofing, but early benchmarks confirm measureable gains in supported titles.

Critical Analysis: Strengths and Risks​

Major Strengths​

• Security Advancements: Windows 11's hardware requirements—most notably TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot—significantly raise the baseline for protection against malware and physical attacks. Enterprise security experts have lauded Microsoft for establishing a more secure default posture, especially compared to macOS and legacy Linux install bases.
• Productivity Improvements: Streamlined Snap Layouts, task switching, and improved multi-monitor handling save tangible time for knowledge workers and students alike.
• Long-term Support: With Windows 10 exiting support, jumping to Windows 11 ensures continued security updates and access to new features for several years.

Ongoing Risks and Criticisms​

• Privacy Concerns Remain: While the privacy dashboard offers improved transparency, telemetry cannot be fully disabled, and integration with Microsoft services remains aggressive. This is a concern for privacy-minded users and businesses in regulated industries.
• Customization Roadblocks: The simplified context menus and rigid default app system are widely criticized for impinging on user choice. Workarounds exist, but may break with updates or cause unexpected issues.
• Hardware Compatibility: The restrictive hardware requirements—TPM, Secure Boot, specific CPUs—leave out millions of older but otherwise functional PCs. Though this ensures security and performance, it also generates e-waste and user frustration.
• Learning Curve: Despite smoother onboarding documentation and onboarding tours, veteran users still face an adjustment period, especially those who leveraged Windows 10’s customization features or legacy workflows.

Conclusion: Setting Yourself Up for Success​

The transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is more than just a paint job. It’s a reimagining of how desktop computing should look and feel in a cloud-augmented, security-conscious world. While early skepticism and inconvenience around certain features are warranted, most users will benefit from the new security model, improved productivity tools, and richer integration across devices.
Taking the time to familiarize yourself with the interface, update every driver and patch, secure your privacy, re-assert control over app defaults, and learn to use standout new features will set a confident tone for your tenure on Windows 11. It’s still your PC—just redefined for the next era of computing.
Whether you embrace or endure the change, these foundational steps ensure you make the most of Windows 11—from the moment you first log in.

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Source: SlashGear The First 5 Things To Do After Upgrading To Windows 11 - SlashGear