Optimize Windows 10 Experience with these Settings

As someone who always carries around a bootable Windows 10 USB drive attached to his keychain, I often deal with setting up Windows after a fresh install.

Apart from the basic setup like updating Windows and installing drivers, Windows 10 has many settings that are worth tweaking for the optimum experience.

I like my PC running at maximum performance while ensuring no unwanted background processes are hindering the system. If you want a similar experience, keep reading, and I’ll share some important changes you can make to default Windows 10 settings to optimize your experience.

Disable Delivery Optimization

I dislike Windows 10 because of its constant use of the network to either exchange data with Microsoft servers or keep the PC updated. This directly affects your network performance, which is more visible if you play an online game or have limited internet data. Although you can’t stop most of the data exchange as they are somewhat necessary to keep the system up-to-date, you can stop your network from being used to update other unknown PCs.

Windows 10 uses Windows Update Delivery Optimization (WUDO) method to deliver updates to PCs. This is basically a peer-to-peer delivery system where the updates that are already downloaded to your PC may be uploaded to another PC to save bandwidth. This system is only there to help Microsoft save internet bandwidth. However, if you have limited data or don’t want any network issues while doing important work, then you may disable this feature.

Here’s how to do it:

• Go to Windows 10 Settings from the Start menu and click on Update & Security.

• Now click on the Delivery Optimization option in the left panel and turn off the toggle button to disable this feature.

Optimize Power options

Using the correct Windows power plan is necessary for your PC’s proper working, especially if you are using a laptop. However, I always recommend everyone to customize their preferred power plan personally to make sure it’s optimized to your needs. Windows might have well set up power profiles to get the performance or save power, but they are far from perfect.

You should optimize Windows power plans according to your need, and to help with understanding each power option, you can refer to this guide to all of Windows 10 power options. In this guide, I have provided a clear description of what each Windows power option does and how you can optimize them for the best results.

Manually set the Windows page file.

The page file is basically a space on your PC’s storage drive to store passive processes as a cache to free up RAM. This file is why your PC can handle processes that are even bigger than your installed RAM. Although Windows does a fine job of handling the page file, I have had trouble before with having a smaller page file compared to my needs.

Even when I had 8GB of RAM, I ended up being short on RAM as the page file on my SSD was too small. Therefore, I always manually set the page file size after reinstalling Windows.

If you also have smaller RAM (8GB or below), I recommend increasing the page file size to accommodate the RAM better and keep the PC running smooth.

• Press Windows+Pause keys on the keyboard to open System Settings.
• Afterward, click on Advanced system settings in the left panel.

• In the System Properties, click on Settings under the Performance section.

• Now move to the Advanced tab and click on Change under the Virtual memory section.

• Here select the Custom size option and provide the Initial size and Maximum size.

The initial size doesn’t matter much as the page file can quickly expand, putting a small value here like 300-400MB. In the maximum size, either enter twice as much value of your total RAM or equivalent to it. Therefore, if you have 8GB RAM, then either enter 8000 or 16000MB page file size. You can then click on Set and restart the PC to create the page file.

Note: The page file size will directly take space on your storage drive, making sure you have enough space there.

Disable startup apps and services

Many apps are configured to startup when Windows boots even if you don’t immediately need them on startup. They will slow down the boot speed and also keep eating resources in the background unnecessarily. This is especially a problem if the Windows that came with your PC is filled with manufacturer bloatware.

You should disable all unnecessary startup apps or services to make sure your PC resources are not wasted.

Disable startup apps

To disable startup apps, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open up Task Manager and move to the Startup tab.

You will see a list of all apps that are configured to start with Windows. Here you need to look for apps that you don’t use immediately at startup and disable them. To disable an app, select it and click on the Disable button at the bottom-right corner.

Make sure you don’t disable any app from Microsoft or your hardware manufacturer, like your graphics card manufacturer. Such apps are needed by the system to work properly.

Disable startup services

Some apps can also have background services that startup with Windows and eat unnecessary resources if you don’t need their service. You should disable them to ensure smooth working of your PC; here’s how:

Press Windows+R keys to bring up Run dialog and type msconfig in it to open the System Configuration window.

Now move to the Services tab and check the checkbox next to Hide all Microsoft services. This will hide all system services and show you third-party services. Just uncheck the box next to the service you want to disable and click on Apply to confirm the changes.

Manage Windows 10 Privacy Settings and Background Apps

One reason I still have a soft spot for Windows 7 is that it didn’t introduce so many privacy-invasive apps and features like Windows 10. Everything in Windows 10 nags you to use Microsoft apps. And don’t even get me started on the number of background apps that collect information and eat resources while you may not even use them.

Controlling all of Windows’ privacy-invasive features or deleting apps you don’t want to use isn’t an easy task. Most of these features aren’t even available upfront to disable; you have to tweak the registry just to disable them. No worries, though, I know just the software you need to manage all privacy settings and a lot more.

W10Privacy is a completely free app for Windows 10 to manage all the Windows apps and services in one place and make sure only the data you allow to share is shared. Not only that, but it also comes with a bunch of tweaks to make your Windows experience better. Install the app and make sure you launch it as an administrator by right-clicking its icon and selecting Run as administrator.

The app has multiple sections with related customizable settings listed below and color-coded. You can hover the mouse cursor over any settings to open up a complete description of what that setting does and how it affects your experience if you disable it.

You can read each setting’s description to learn what it does and disable/enable as you need. However, I will list down each section here and let you know what type of settings you can expect in them. Let’s see:

Privacy: This section contains general privacy control settings like preventing Microsoft from collecting application usage data and diagnostic data. Most of the settings universally affect the operating system.

Apps: Here, you can manage access to PC devices and access to Windows to apps data. For example, you can prevent apps from accessing your PC camera, microphone, or your calendar.

Telemetry: I will not recommend you disable any setting here unless you work in an enterprise and know what you are doing. These settings use firewall rules to prevent Microsoft from sending your usage data back to their telemetry servers for improving their service. These rules can also brick Microsoft services like Skype or OneDrive, so it’s good not to mess with them.

Search: Contains a few tweaks you can make to stop Microsoft from collecting information you put into the search bar.

Networks: Basically manages your WiFi details privacy, like not sharing this information with other apps.

Explorer: This section mostly contains tweaks to make Windows 10 function better, but it also has some privacy-related options like disabling ads in the explorer.

Services: Lets you disable some of the Windows services that otherwise can’t be uninstalled, such as Biometric service or Windows Search. Most of these services are important, so you should avoid disabling them.

Edge: Control some of the Microsoft Edge functions here and prevent it from sending browser data to Microsoft.

Internet Explorer: Like the Edge section, this contains some tweaks to control Internet Explorer’s behavior.

OneDrive: Use the settings here to stop OneDrive from storing data and automatically signing in.

Tasks: Windows 10 runs many scheduled tasks automatically, like scanning with Windows defender and error reporting, etc. You can use the settings here to disable these scheduled tasks.

Tweaks: This contains a bunch of productivity tweaks to make your Windows 10 experience better. For example, you can prevent Windows’s auto-restart after an update or automatically close apps that are not responding.

Firewall: You can disable outgoing traffic of many Windows 10 services here, such as Parental Controls, Biometric, and Xbox, etc.

Background apps: This section lets you stop apps from running in the background. This will only stop the apps from running in the background; you can still start and use it when needed.

User-Apps: You’ll find a list of installed apps here to uninstall and re-install easily from here. Most of these apps can be uninstalled from Windows Settings, but you can also reinstall apps from here easily.

Check the checkbox next to all the settings that you want to apply under these sections and then click on the Set changed settings button at the bottom-right corner to apply them. The W10Privacy app will restart to apply all these settings. You can always uncheck the checkbox next to an option to undo the effect.

I personally don’t use the W10Privacy app aggressively and keep most of the Microsoft services enabled. However, the app greatly helps me stop background processes, remove annoying functionalities, and disabling ads and related tracking in all areas of Windows 10.

Alternatively, if you don’t like to do things manually, you may try Avira System Speedup to optimize Windows for maximum performance.

Ending thoughts

Of course, many other tweaks make your Windows performance better, like managing start menu tiles or managing display settings. You should definitely go through Windows 10 settings to make changes as you desire. However, the above-mentioned tweaks will surely help you put your PC in the most optimum state for day-to-day use.

Next, explore premium antivirus to secure your computer.

7 Best Win­dows 10 Task View Set­tings and Tips in 2020

Namrata Gogoi

11 May 2020

Microsoft continues to pump Windows 10 with exciting new features and elements with each new update. From dark mode to the dynamic lock of Windows, the list is pretty long. However, one feature that stands out and yet remains underrated is Task View. This simple feature aids you in being more productive and helps you to work more efficiently and save time.

Bumping up your productivity should be one of your aims in 2020. If you are searching for the ultimate Windows 10 Task View settings and tips to help you with that, we’ve compiled some of the best ones.

Task View: What Is It and How It Works

Task View is a simple Windows 10 tool that allows you to access a bunch of virtual desktop spaces.

But why would anyone need a set of virtual desktops? Well, for starters, these desktops allow you to separate the different projects that you can work on simultaneously.

For instance, if you have to work solely on spreadsheets for one project without the distraction of Slack and Twitter, you can undertake the same with Task View. You have to create a virtual desktop and open the specific apps on it.

In short, it lets you separate spaces for work and play. Thereby, it aims at making you more efficient by letting you focus on your work or one particular aspect of your work at a time.

And when you want to take a look at your other projects or browse the internet a little, you have to switch between the desktops. Quite convenient.

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1. Using and Accessing Virtual Desktops and Timelines

Accessing Task View is a simple affair in Windows 10. Just press the Windows + Tab keys together, and Windows will show the desktops at the top. Or you can click on the Task View button (next to the Start button) on the taskbar.

Once you open it, you will be able to see all the apps and tools that are open on your system, with the focus being on the current app. All you need to do is click on the Plus button to add a new virtual desktop space. Yes, as simple as that.

Again, if you are on a multi-monitor setup, the running apps won’t be displayed on a single monitor. Instead, they will be displayed across the monitors, depending on which apps you have kept open on a specific display.

While it may somewhat defeat the purpose of the virtual desktop, the good thing is that it removes all the distractions and lets you access only the essential apps.

2. What Is Timeline

Task View bundles another cool feature aptly called Timeline that lets you resume tasks on old projects. For instance, if you had worked on designing a cool poster in Adobe Photoshop last week, you can retrieve it quickly and continue to work on it.

To access Timeline, open Task View and scroll down and you will be able to see all your activities grouped by date and the app. If you want to resume your work, click on an app tab and that’s about it.

However, if you do not want your Windows PC to track your activities, you can disable that as well.

To do that, head over to Settings > Privacy Settings > Activity History.

Here, uncheck the option for Show Activity.

3. Moving Items From One Desktop to the Other

When we say that Task View helps you create multiple virtual desktops to focus on your work, it doesn’t mean that it’s a tight sandbox. This module gives you the independence of moving your apps around the many desktops.

To move an app from one desktop to the other, right-click on the app and select Move to [Desktop name].

At the same time, you can have a common app open across all the desktops.

For that, follow the same routine of opening the Task View. Having done that, click on the app and select ‘Show this window on all desktops’ option. Cool, right?

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4. Using Snap

Another fascinating feature for someone who loves to multitask is Snap. With it, you can easily manage all the open apps at once. As its name implies, it snaps an open app window to the side of the display. That way, you can have two (or more) windows open side by side.

To snap a window, open Task View and right-click on a window. Next, select Snap Right and Snap Left, and see the magic unfold.

Alternatively, you can also use keyboard shortcuts. Open the app which you want to snap and then press Win + Right/Left to determine the direction. Next, select the app window which you want to open side-by-side, and you will be sorted.

The best part is that Windows Snap works on more than two windows at a time. Say hello to Quadrants.

This neat little feature lets you have app windows open on a four-rectangle grid such as the one displayed below.

So if you have the resources for it (such as an ultrawide monitor), hit Windows along with right/left keys to snap the first window.

Once you have opened both the app windows, select the next one, and press the Windows + left buttons, and hit the Up arrow immediately. That will activate Quadrants and will snap the window to the top quarter of the screen. Amazing, right?

5. Tweak the Snap Settings

Again, there are a handful of customizations that you can do for Snap. For now, Windows 10 gives you three options, as shown in the screenshot below. And based on your preference, you can choose to turn them off.

Head over to Settings > System > Multitasking, and disable the ones you do not like.

6. Keyboard Shortcuts

As you may have already guessed by now, there are dozens of keyboard shortcuts for Windows Task View and Timeline. They save your time and give you a quick view of open apps or desktops.

Here are some of the keyboard shortcuts for Windows Task View:

• Access Task View: Windows + Tab.
• Create a new desktop: Windows + Ctrl + D
• Move between virtual desktops: Windows + Ctrl + Left / Right Arrow

Cool Tip: To see all the windows open, right-click on the taskbar, and select Show All Windows side by side.

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# windows 10

7. Disabling Task View

If you have no use of the Task View and don’t want to crowd your taskbar, you can always disable it.

To do so, right-click on the taskbar, and uncheck the option for Show Task View button from the context menu.

Be the Multitasking Pro

So, these were some of the tips and tricks using which you can master Task View in Windows 10. Did we miss to include your favorite solution? Share it with us in the comments below.

Next up: Is the lan­guage bar miss­ing on your Win­dows 10 system? Refer to the next article for the solutions on how to bring back that language bar.

Last updated on 12 May, 2020
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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