Windows 11 Field Guide

About the Book

1. Please don’t steal our book
2. Trademarks and disclaimers
3. We want your feedback!
4. Thanks!

Meet the authors

Introduction

1. Introduction, original 22H2 edition

A note about screenshots

1. Get to Know Windows 11

What’s New and Familiar in Windows 11

1. New design
2. Lock screen and sign-in screen
3. Desktop
4. Taskbar
5. Start
6. Widgets
7. Search
8. Task view
9. Quick settings
10. Notifications and Calendar
11. Quick link menu
12. File Explorer
13. Multitasking
14. Windows Backup
15. Tablet optimized experience
16. Games
17. Microsoft Store
18. Microsoft Edge
19. New and improved apps
20. Settings
21. Accessibility
22. Security
23. Command-line improvements
24. Developer improvements
25. Servicing and updating

What’s Missing in Windows 11

1. Features that Microsoft removed in Windows 11
2. Windows 10 and 11 features that Microsoft previously deprecated in Windows 11
3. Windows 10 and 11 features that were previously removed from Windows 11
4. Upgrade to Windows 11

Windows 11 and Copilot+ PC Hardware Requirements and Recommendations

1. Understand the Windows 11 hardware requirements
2. Understand the Copilot+ PC hardware requirements
3. Find out if you can upgrade your Windows 10 PC to Windows 11
4. Features in Windows 11 that require additional hardware support

Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11

1. Deal with safeguard holds
2. Manually upgrade to Windows 11

Upgrade to Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware

1. Consider the potential downsides
2. Upgrade to Windows 11 on an unsupported PC
3. Install Windows 11

Create Windows 11 Installation Media

Step-by-Step: Windows 11 Setup First-Boot Experience

Step-By-Step: Windows 11 Setup Out-of-Box Experience

Overcome Windows 11 Setup Annoyances

1. Overcome Windows 11 Setup annoyances using a simple hack
2. Personalize Windows 11

Windows 11 Personalization First Steps

1. Configure the Desktop
2. Update and configure the system
3. Update and configure apps
4. More Windows 11 personalization and configuration tasks

Customize the Display

1. Configure the display resolution to be the native resolution
2. Configure the display scaling
3. Configure the size of on-screen text only
4. Customize the display brightness
5. Enable and configure Night light
6. Enable Adaptive color and configure a Color profile
7. Enable and configure HDR
8. Configure Auto super resolution (Auto SR)
9. But wait, there’s more

Customize the Lock and Sign-In Screens

1. Get to know the Lock and Sign-in screens
2. Customize the Lock screen
3. Customize the Sign-in screen

Customize Your Windows 11 Privacy Settings

1. Correctly configure key Windows 11 privacy settings
2. Additional privacy settings to consider changing
3. Desktop

Desktop

1. What’s changed with the Desktop context menus?
2. Display the Desktop when it’s covered with windows
3. Hide all windows except for the one you’re using
4. Customize the Desktop

Start

1. Get to know Start
2. Customize Start
3. Use the Quick link menu

Taskbar

1. Get to know the Taskbar
2. Understand Taskbar behaviors
3. Customize the Taskbar

Widgets

1. The problems with Widgets
2. Fix annoying Widgets behaviors
3. View the weather forecast, news bulletins, and notifications in the Widgets Taskbar button
4. Open the widget board
5. Display the widget board in Full View
6. Use and configure widgets
7. Use and configure the Microsoft Start feed

Search

1. Get to know Search
2. Search for files with File Explorer
3. Configure Search

Quick Settings

1. Quickly access commonly needed system settings
2. Rearrange the quick settings buttons
3. Open Settings
4. Directly access the Network, Volume, or Power settings
5. Multitasking

Alt-Tab and Task View

1. Alt-Tab
2. Task View

Snap

1. Snap windows manually
2. Use Snap layouts to arrange windows
3. Use Snap layouts by dragging a window
4. Use Snap groups to restore a previous layout
5. Configure Snap

Task Manager

1. Get to know Task Manager
2. Use Task Manager to manage apps and processes
3. Use Task Manager to determine which apps run at startup
4. Use Task Manager to run a new task

Desktops

1. Access Desktops
2. Create a new virtual desktop
3. Switch between virtual desktops
4. Customize a virtual desktop
5. Move an app or window to a different virtual desktop
6. Close a virtual desktop

Do Not Disturb and Focus

1. Do not disturb
2. Focus

Clipboard

1. Paste multiple items to the Clipboard with Clipboard history
2. Enable Clipboard history
3. Use Clipboard history
4. Sync the Clipboard across your PCs
5. Files

File Explorer

1. Access multiple file system views with tabs
2. Understand the File Explorer home page
3. Access commonly used locations with the navigation pane
4. Interact with the Address bar
5. Use Gallery to view your photo collection
6. Learn more about files with the Details pane
7. Work with archive files
8. Customize File Explorer

Nearby Sharing

1. A quick survey of legacy sharing features
2. Get to know Nearby sharing
3. Toggle Nearby sharing with Quick settings
4. Configure Nearby sharing

OneDrive

1. Get to know OneDrive in Windows 11
2. Configure OneDrive
3. Configure File Explorer integration with OneDrive
4. Access your OneDrive content at any time with Files on Demand
5. Share OneDrive files with others
6. Protect your most important files with Personal Vault
7. Remove OneDrive

Storage

1. Storage basics
2. Manage internal storage
3. Manage removable storage
4. Get it done more quickly with Disk Management

Device Encryption

1. Manage device encryption
2. Manage Device encryption
3. Use a Device encryption-protected removable disk
4. Manage an encrypted removable disk
5. Use the BitLocker recovery key

Windows Backup

1. Get to know Windows Backup
2. Create a backup
3. Manage your backups
4. Restore from a backup
5. Help and Recovery

Quick Assist

1. Take full control of a sharer’s PC
2. Remotely view the sharer’s screen

Troubleshooting

1. Configure troubleshooting
2. Find and run a troubleshooter

Recovery Drive

1. Create a recovery drive
2. Boot your PC with the recovery drive
3. Use Windows 11 installation media as a recovery drive

Reinstall Windows with Windows Update

1. Find Reinstall Windows using Windows Update
2. Reinstall Windows using Windows Update

Reset This PC

1. Find Reset this PC
2. Use Reset this PC to refresh or reset your PC
3. Hardware

Devices Basics

1. Connect a device and install drivers if needed

USB

1. Determine what happens when you connect a removable device
2. Unplug a USB device

Bluetooth

1. Manage Bluetooth with Windows 11
2. Pair a Bluetooth device to your PC
3. Configure and manage a Bluetooth device

Displays

1. Connect to a secondary display
2. Connect to a wireless display
3. Use another PC as a wireless display

Keyboards, Mice, and Touchpads

1. Keyboard
2. Mouse and touchpad

Printers and Scanners

1. Printers
2. Scanners

Touch, Pen, and Tablet

1. Multitouch
2. Smartpen
3. Tablet experience

Phone Link

1. Understand the complexity of Phone Link
2. Connect your phone to Phone Link
3. Configure Phone Link
4. Use Phone Link to access your phone’s features
5. Manage your phone with the Phone Link widget

Dynamic Lighting

1. Get to know Dynamic lighting
2. Use Dynamic lighting with third-party RGB software
3. Configure a Dynamic lighting theme or effect

Windows Studio Effects

1. Check to see whether your PC supports Windows Studio Effects
2. Configure Windows Studio Effects
3. Toggle Windows Studio Effects on or off
4. Accounts

Accounts Basics

1. Understand the different types of accounts
2. A few examples

Microsoft Accounts

1. Microsoft account basics
2. Microsoft account security basics
3. Manage your Microsoft account in Windows 11

Work or School Accounts

1. Connect a work or school account to your Microsoft account sign-in
2. Sign-in to Windows 11 with a work or school account

Local Accounts

1. What changes when you use a local account
2. Sign in to Windows 11 with a local account
3. Properly configure and secure your local account

Windows Hello, Presence Sensing, and Dynamic Lock

1. Windows Hello
2. Presence Sensing
3. Dynamic lock

Accounts Used by Other Apps

1. Add and configure an account that can be used by Microsoft Store apps

Multiple Accounts

1. Understand account types
2. Add and manage sign-in accounts
3. Switch between available sign-in accounts
4. Security

Secure Your Microsoft Account

1. Get started with Microsoft account configuration
2. Configure your profile information
3. Configure additional sign-in and verification methods
4. Enable two-step verification
5. Review your account safety options
6. Understand the other security features offered by the Microsoft account website
7. Optionally remove the password from your Microsoft account

Passkeys and Security Keys

1. Manage the passkeys on your PC
2. Use your Microsoft account passkey to sign in to a website
3. Create a passkey for a Microsoft account
4. Save and use a passkey for another online account
5. Use a security key to further protect your Microsoft account and other online accounts
6. Can you access your Microsoft account on mobile using a passkey or a security?

Windows Update

1. Use Windows Update to keep Windows up-to-date
2. Pause updates
3. View your update history
4. Configure other Windows Update settings

Windows Security

1. Get to know Windows Security
2. Properly configure Windows Security

Windows Defender

1. Scan a file or folder with Windows Defender
2. Scan your PC with Windows Defender

Find My Device

1. Internet and Networking

Networking Basics

1. Get to know Windows 11 networking

Wi-Fi

1. Find and connect to a Wi-Fi network
2. Configure a Wi-Fi network
3. Find the password for a previously connected Wi-Fi network
4. Disconnect from or forget a Wi-Fi network

Ethernet

1. Connect to an Ethernet network
2. Configure an Ethernet network

Cellular Data

1. Connect to a data plan
2. Enable and disable a cellular connection
3. Configure a cellular data connection

Airplane Mode

1. Toggle Airplane mode
2. Configure Airplane mode

Mobile Hotspot

1. Determine which connection to share
2. Share your Internet connection over Wi-Fi
3. Share your Internet connection over Bluetooth
4. Enable the Mobile hotspot quick setting button in Quick Settings
5. Apps

Apps Basics

1. Get the know the types of apps that can run on Windows 11
2. Configure where you can get apps
3. Uninstall an app
4. Configure default apps
5. Configure where apps are located
6. Determine which apps are allowed to start when you sign in

Microsoft Store

1. Get to know the Microsoft Store
2. Before you start
3. Find and install apps and games
4. Update apps

Notifications

1. Get to know notifications
2. Configure notifications
3. Configure notifications for an app or system service
4. Handle an app notification as it appears
5. Handle previous app notifications
6. Microsoft Edge

Set Up Microsoft Edge Correctly … Whether You Use It Or Not

1. The problem with Microsoft Edge
2. Get the initial Microsoft Edge configuration right
3. Further configure Microsoft Edge to make it more useful, private, and efficient
4. Configure a different default web browser and minimize the impact of Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge Basics

1. Toolbar and address bar
2. Tabs
3. Split Screen
4. Favorites
5. History
6. Notifications
7. Downloads
8. Page zoom
9. Find on page
10. Sidebar
11. Search engine
12. Themes
13. Media
14. Extensions
15. Sharing
16. Profiles and workspaces

Reading with Microsoft Edge

1. Read articles on the web
2. Read and annotate a PDF file
3. Fill in a PDF form

Microsoft Edge Collections

1. Create a new collection
2. Add an item to a collection
3. Manage a collection
4. Manage your collections
5. Follow creators

Microsoft Edge Shopping

1. Shopping
2. Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft Edge and Web Apps

1. Install a web app
2. Install a web page as if it were an app
3. Use installed web apps and pages alongside other apps
4. Manage installed web apps and pages

Microsoft Edge Security and Privacy

1. Examine the security and privacy features in Microsoft Edge
2. Limit online tracking
3. Enhance your security while browsing the web
4. Enable secure domain name resolution
5. Manage and monitor your passwords
6. Productivity Apps and Utilities

Copilot

1. A bit of history
2. Get to know Copilot
3. Ask Copilot a simple question
4. Rewrite a question
5. Ask Copilot a complex question
6. Create text-based content with Copilot
7. Summarize a web page with Copilot
8. Create an image with Copilot
9. Learn more about an image with Copilot
10. Access some Windows features and settings with Copilot

Mail

1. Get to know the Mail app
2. Manage your accounts
3. Read and send email messages
4. Use Mail more efficiently
5. Customize Mail

Calendar

1. Get to know the Calendar app
2. Manage accounts and calendars
3. Create and manage events
4. Create and manage meetings
5. Customize Calendar

Outlook (New)

Microsoft 365

1. Understand Microsoft 365
2. Access your Office apps
3. Create a new document with a template
4. Access your recent, pinned, and shared documents and other content

Snipping Tool, Screenshots, and Screen Recordings

1. Get to know the Snipping Tool
2. Configure Snipping Tool
3. Use Snipping Tool to capture a screenshot of the entire screen, a window, or an area
4. Use Snipping Tool to edit a screenshot
5. Use Snipping Tool to create a screen recording
6. Capture a screenshot or screen recording using other methods
7. Digital Media

Photos

1. Use Photos to view one or more images
2. Use Photos to manage your photos and other image files
3. Import photos and videos from your smartphone or another device

Media Player

1. Get to know Media Player
2. Configure Media Player
3. Manage your music library
4. Control music playback
5. Manage your videos
6. Create and manage playlists

Movies & TV

1. Configure Movies & TV
2. Play a video
3. Rent a movie from Microsoft
4. Purchase a movie or TV show from Microsoft
5. Watch movies you’ve purchased from other services

Camera

1. Get to know the Camera app
2. Configure the Camera app and your PC’s cameras
3. Take a photo with the Camera app
4. Take a video with the Camera app
5. Scan a document, whiteboard, or barcode with the Camera app

Sound Recorder

1. Get to know Sound Recorder
2. Configure Sound Recorder
3. Record your voice or other audio
4. Play a recording
5. Manage a recording
6. Import a recording into Sound Recorder
7. What’s missing

Clipchamp

1. Get to know Clipchamp
2. Create a simple video from start to finish
3. But wait, there’s more
4. Xbox and Games

Xbox and Games Basics

1. Configure your PC to play games
2. Find and buy games
3. Play a game

Game Bar

1. Get to know the Game Bar
2. Configure Game Bar widgets
3. Use the Game Bar’s other modes
4. Capture and view screenshots and game clips

Xbox App

1. Get to know the Xbox app
2. Find Xbox-compatible games for your PC
3. Manage your library of Xbox games for PC
4. PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
5. Stream games from the cloud with Xbox Cloud Gaming
6. Command Line

Terminal

1. Get to know Terminal
2. Launch Terminal
3. Configure Terminal
4. Control Terminal with the Command Palette
5. Use Terminal in Focus mode
6. Go to a specific folder more easily

Command Prompt

1. Access Command Prompt
2. Learn which commands are available
3. Learn how to use individual commands
4. Move more quickly around the file system
5. Learn some useful Command Prompt commands

Linux

1. Install Linux in Windows 11
2. Configure WSL
3. Use the Linux command-line interface
4. Install and use Linux graphical apps
5. File system interoperability

Windows Package Manager

1. Get to know the Windows Package Manager
2. Find an app to install with the Windows Package Manager
3. Keep your apps up-to-date with the Windows Package Manager
4. Bulk-install apps with the Windows Package Manager
5. Virtualization

Hyper-V

1. Install Hyper-V
2. Get to know Hyper-V Manager
3. Create and use virtual machines

Windows Sandbox

1. Install Windows Sandbox
2. Get to know Windows Sandbox
3. Test suspicious software in Windows Sandbox
4. Reference

Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Windows Setup
2. Desktop
3. File Explorer
4. Multitasking
5. Accounts
6. Microsoft Edge
7. Snipping Tool, Screenshots, and Screen Captures
8. Photos
9. Sound Recorder