- Rainmeter is a free, open-source app for highly customizable Windows desktop widgets.
- Skins (.rmskin/.ini) and community sites like DeviantArt let you mix, edit, and share themes.
- Edit skins via Rainmeter UI or .ini files to tweak position, fonts, icons, and interactions pixel-perfectly.
Turn Down or Disable Visual Effects
Next, you need to adjust the Windows visual effects to improve your system's overall performance. To do this, open the Start menu, type Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows, and press Enter. In the Performance Options window, select "Adjust for Best Performance," and then click "Apply" and "OK."
You’ll need to go to the Windows 11 Start menu, type Registry Editor, and then step through the folder file tree much like you’d do in the Windows 10 Settings menu. Here’s the directory you’re looking for: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Once you’ve entered the “Advanced” folder, right-click to create a “New” DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name it Start_ShowClassicMode. Then right-click that value, select Modify, and set the “Value Data” to 1. You’ll then need to restart your computer.
Microsoft has removed the classic calculator app starting in Windows 10 and replaced it with a new UWP app that receives updates from the Store. Many people aren't happy with this change. The classic app loaded faster, and was more useful for mouse and keyboard users. Here you can get the classic calculator back in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
A small and fast Windows screensaver featuring the green "Matrix" cipher-code seen in the popular films by the same name, directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, among others. Optionally, you can add messages to be decoded and displayed in real-time.
If you’re trying to debloat Windows 10 or 11, you’re probably wondering which tool to use. Try Win11Debloat, an open-source & easy-to-use one-line tool; download it now.
If you're forced to use Windows 11, here's how to steal some of your time back • The Register Forums
Win11Debloat
go to github and look up Win11Debloat.
open source, source code entirely transparent, over 20 thousand stars.
save yourself a boatload of time and effort.
thank me later.
Mongrel
Re: Win11Debloat
I've been using O & O Shutup since Win10 to cut out the intrusive crap from the OS, WinAero Tweaker allows more customisation as well.
Are you stumped for what to call your new laptop or desktop computer? Or do you own multiple computers and are lost on how to name each of them?
You’re in the right place!
The customization marketplace for Windows and programs. Customize your programs with available code snippets or create your own customizations.
Windows 11 replacement for 7 Taskbar Tweaker
A few weeks ago, Windhawk, the customization marketplace for Windows programs, was released. You can read the announcement blog post for more details and for the motivation behind creating it. One of the sections of the blog post was dedicated to 7+ Taskbar Tweaker.
Regarding the future of 7+ Taskbar Tweaker: It will keep existing as a separate program which supports Windows 7 to Windows 10. As mentioned in a recent blog post, most parts of the taskbar were reimplemented in Windows 11, and 7+ Taskbar Tweaker can’t be made to work with the new taskbar without a huge amount of work. My plan, at least in the short term, is to implement the most demanded customizations for Windows 11 as Windhawk mods.
Below is a table with features that are available in Windows 10 but are missing in Windows 11. Some of the features are part of Windows 10 (marked with the Windows icon icon) and some are part of 7+ Taskbar Tweaker (marked with the Tweaker icon icon).
You’re probably wondering what’s going to happen with 7+ Taskbar Tweaker as a result of these changes in Windows 11. I see three options going forward:
- Fix the incompatibility by reimplementing and/or adjusting the code to work with the new taskbar implementation of Windows 11.
- Create a new tool (11 Taskbar Tweaker?) or come up with a new solution to achieve the customization that 7+ Taskbar Tweaker provides for Windows 10 and below.
- Do nothing and give up on taskbar customization for Windows 11.
I’ll do my best to go with option 1 or 2, not 3. I need to get more familiar with the new technology and implementation, and I also want to wait and see whether new customization options are added to the new taskbar in newer builds. For now, I lean towards option 2, but I don’t promise feature parity, and currently I can’t tell when I’ll have something to show.
A simple, easy to use PowerShell script to remove pre-installed apps, disable telemetry, as well as perform various other changes to customize, declutter and improve your Windows experience. Win11Debloat works for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Tldr: Boot into safe mode, and restart. Voila.
I cloned my 970 Evo Plus to a 990 Pro Put the 990 in place of the 970 and moved the latter to another m.2 slot. Cloned with clonezilla. Booted into windows, but it seemingly booted onto the 970, as it said the 990 had a "collision" (of ids). So, after that I took out the 970.... Got this error. Fix was to boot into safe mode, and it magically worked.
To enroll your PC in the ESU program, you'll need to meet Microsoft's list of requirements and anti-requirements, which we'll summarize here for convenience:
- A PC running Windows 10 Home, Pro, Pro Education, or Workstation with all available update installed.
- An administrator account.
- A Microsoft account. Even if you usually sign in with a local account, you need a Microsoft account to acquire the ESU license.
- The PC can't be in kiosk mode, joined to an Active Directory domain, joined to Microsoft Entra, or enrolled in any kind of mobile device management (MDM), which will cover a lot of workplace PCs. Microsoft has separate ESU programs for businesses, schools, and other large organizations.
If your PC meets those conditions, you'll enroll in the ESU program by opening the Settings app and clicking Windows Update. You should see a status message telling you that Windows 10 updates end in October of 2025, with an "enroll now" link you can click to enroll in the Extended Security Updates program.
These ten features would make users more productive
Tells The Reg China's ability to p0wn Redmond's wares 'gives me a political aneurysm'
Roger Cressey served two US presidents as a senior cybersecurity and counter-terrorism advisor and currently worries he'll experience a "political aneurysm" due to Microsoft's many security messes.
In the last few weeks alone, Microsoft disclosed two major security vulnerabilities – along with news that attackers exploited one involving SharePoint as a zero-day. The second flaw, while not yet under exploitation, involves Exchange server – a favorite of both Russian and Chinese spies for years. //
"This is the latest episode of a decades-long process of Microsoft not taking security seriously. Full stop," Cressey said, acknowledging that the government continues spending billions on Microsoft products. "Anytime there's a major announcement of a Microsoft procurement by the government, the happiest people in the world first are in Redmond and second in Beijing."
Microsoft declined to comment for this story, but did point out that Google Cloud is a client of Cressey's in his consulting work.
It's going to be difficult to fix, they said, and would require a significant code rewrite or trying to use the TPM module to store the biometric data - which might not be possible. They recommended that, if you are using Hello for Business without ESS, then disable the biometrics and stick with logging in using a PIN. //
Using Sysinternal's CoreInfo tool and a webpage from 2011 (yes, apparently 14 years ago if the date is trustworthy), you can check if your computer meets the requirements.
Note: Do execute the correct bitness version of coreinfo.exe. Running the 32-bit version on a 64-bit OS fails to work.
Signing up for Microsoft's ESU program will get you one year of security updates. Look for the enrollment wizard in notifications and Settings to get started. //
Previously limited to Insiders, the program has now been opened to all individual users. "Starting today, individuals will begin to see an enrollment wizard through notifications and in Settings, making it simple to select the best option for you and enroll in ESU directly from your personal Windows 10 PC," Microsoft said in a blog post on Tuesday.
Fight back against Redmond's productivity sinks. //
To disable widgets, right-click on your taskbar, select Taskbar Settings, and then toggle Widgets to off. //
To make the lock screen ads go away, first navigate to Settings->Personalization->Lock screen. Then select Picture instead of Windows Spotlight under "Personalize your lock screen." Finally, select None under "Lock screen status.". //
To disable Search highlights, open the Search menu, select Search settings from the … menu and then toggle Show Search Highlights to off.
