# Notes on Windows 11

**Date:** 2024-02-19  
**Author:** Kees C. Bakker  
**Categories:** Installation Notes, PowerShell, Windows  
**Original:** https://keestalkstech.com/notes-on-windows-11/

![Notes on Windows 11](https://keestalkstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/michael-48yI_ZyzuLo-unsplash.jpg)

---

I've finally upgraded to Windows 11. This article is a write-up of the tuning I've applied to my installs (both private and for the company).

## Change culture to improve date and time formatting

The following can be used to change the default culture of your Windows (note: it does not change the language).

```ps
Set-Culture -CultureInfo nl-NL
Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
```

## Modify settings using the registry

Let's change multiple settings add once:

1. Hide the desktop icons. I just want to see a wallpaper and see what files are on my desktop.
2. Remove Bing from the start menu search -- I don't need web search.
3. Restore the context menu.
4. Show the file extensions in the Explorer.
5. Disable the Windows 11 taskbar widgets, as I don't need / use them.
6. Use a dark task bar.

Here is the code:

```ps
& {
  $basePath = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion'
  $steps = 6

  # 1) Desktop icons (set $value = 1 to hide)
  Write-Host "[1/$steps] Setting desktop icons visibility..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  $value = 0
  Set-ItemProperty -Path "$basePath\\Explorer\\Advanced" -Name HideIcons -Type DWord -Value $value

  # 2) Remove Bing from Start menu search (set $value = 1 to enable)
  Write-Host "[2/$steps] Disabling Bing in Start menu search..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  $value = 0
  Set-ItemProperty -Path "$basePath\\Search" -Name BingSearchEnabled -Type DWord -Value $value

  # 3) Classic context menu (Windows 10 style)
  Write-Host "[3/$steps] Restoring Windows 10-style context menu..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  $clsidPath = "$basePath\\..\\Classes\\CLSID\\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\\InprocServer32"
  if (-not (Test-Path $clsidPath)) {
    New-Item -Path $clsidPath -Force | Out-Null
  }
  Set-ItemProperty -Path $clsidPath -Name '(Default)' -Value ''

  # 4) File extensions in Explorer (set $value = 1 to hide)
  Write-Host "[4/$steps] Showing file extensions in Explorer..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  $value = 0
  Set-ItemProperty -Path "$basePath\\Explorer\\Advanced" -Name HideFileExt -Type DWord -Value $value

  # 5) Disable Windows 11 taskbar widgets
  Write-Host "[5/$steps] Removing Windows 11 taskbar widgets..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  Get-AppxPackage *WebExperience* | Remove-AppxPackage

  # 6) Darkness of our star bar (custom color & disable transparency)
  Write-Host "[6/$steps] Setting dark taskbar and disabling transparency..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
  $personalizePath = "$basePath\\Themes\\Personalize"
  Set-ItemProperty -Path $personalizePath -Name "AppsUseLightTheme" -Value 1 -Type DWord
  Set-ItemProperty -Path $personalizePath -Name "SystemUsesLightTheme" -Value 0 -Type DWord
  Set-ItemProperty -Path $personalizePath -Name "EnableTransparency" -Value 0 -Type DWord

  # Restart Explorer once to apply all changes
  Write-Host "Restarting Windows Explorer to apply changes..." -ForegroundColor Green
  Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
  Write-Host "All tweaks applied." -ForegroundColor Green
}
```

## Enable Hyper-V management & install WSL

I use Docker / WSL a lot, so I need some extra features to manage them:

```ps
& {
  $os = Get-ComputerInfo
  if ($os.OsName -notmatch 'Windows 11 (Pro|Enterprise|Education)') {
    Write-Host "Unsupported edition: $($os.OsName). This script requires Windows 11 Pro/Enterprise/Education."
    break
  }

  if (-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()
    ).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
    Write-Host "Please run PowerShell as Administrator."
    break
  }

  $needsRestart = $false
  $features = 'Microsoft-Hyper-V','Microsoft-Hyper-V-All','Microsoft-Hyper-V-Management-Clients','Microsoft-Hyper-V-Management-PowerShell','HypervisorPlatform','VirtualMachinePlatform'

  foreach ($f in $features) {
    $state = (Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $f -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).State
    if ($state -ne 'Enabled' -and $state) {
      $r = Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $f -All -NoRestart -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
      if ($r -and $r.RestartNeeded) { $needsRestart = $true }
    }
  }

  if ($needsRestart) {
    if ((Read-Host "A restart is required to complete installation. Restart now? (Y/N)") -match '^[Yy]$') { Restart-Computer }
    else { Write-Host "Please restart to finish the Hyper-V installation." }
  } elseif ($features | ForEach-Object { (Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $_ -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).State } | Where-Object { $_ -ne 'Enabled' }) {
    Write-Host "Some features could not be enabled. Please check manually."
  } else {
    Write-Host "✅ Hyper-V is already installed and configured."
  }
}
```

Now, let's install WSL 2:

```ps
wsl --install
```

## PowerShell Core

I'm using [Chocolatey as my installer of choice](https://keestalkstech.com/2023/08/notes-on-chocolatey/). If you don't have it installed, let's do so by:

```
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
```

Now let's use it to install PowerShell Core.

```
choco install powershell-core
```

Now that PowerShell is installed, you'll need to set it to default in your Windows Terminal settings:

![](https://keestalkstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image-1.png)
*Edit the settings.*

![](https://keestalkstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/settings.png)
*Pick the dark PowerShell logo at the bottom.*

## Hibernation

I want to have hibernation enabled. When I press the button of my laptop, I want it to hibernate and I want the hibernate button to show in my reboot (start) menu.

```ps
& {

  if (-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()
    ).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
    Write-Host "Please run PowerShell as Administrator."
    break
  }

  # Enable hibernation
  powercfg /hibernate on

  # Start menu button -> Hibernate
  powercfg /setacvalueindex scheme_current SUB_BUTTONS UIBUTTON_ACTION 1
  powercfg /setdcvalueindex scheme_current SUB_BUTTONS UIBUTTON_ACTION 1

  # Physical power button -> Hibernate
  powercfg /setacvalueindex scheme_current SUB_BUTTONS PBUTTONACTION 2
  powercfg /setdcvalueindex scheme_current SUB_BUTTONS PBUTTONACTION 2

  # Apply scheme
  powercfg /setactive scheme_current

  # Ensure Hibernate is visible in Start menu
  reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FlyoutMenuSettings" `
    /v ShowHibernateOption /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f | Out-Null

  # Restart Explorer to refresh UI
  Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
  Start-Process explorer.exe

  # Output resulting configuration
  powercfg /a
  powercfg /query scheme_current SUB_BUTTONS
}
```

## Better wallpaper

To have more control over the look and feel of Windows 11, install [Dynamic Theme by Christophe Lavalle](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nblggh1zbkw?hl=en-US&gl=US) from the Windows Store. It will give you the pictures from the Bing and Windows Spotlight sources.

## Further reading

While working on this blog, I found the following articles which might be of service:

- [Change DPI to 100%.](https://www.makeuseof.com/change-display-dpi-windows-11/#:~:text=How%20to%20Change%20Display%20DPI%20Scaling%20via,the%20one%20that%20best%20fits%20your%20needs.)
- [Choco install all the things.](https://keestalkstech.com/2023/08/notes-on-chocolatey/)
- [How to Enable or Disable Adaptive Brightness in Windows 10](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/70157-enable-disable-adaptive-brightness-windows-10-a.html)
- [Setup git](https://keestalkstech.com/notes-on-git-setup-with-ssh-for-windows-github/) and [GPG](https://keestalkstech.com/setup-gpg-signing-on-windows/) and [Visual Studio Code](https://keestalkstech.com/notes-on-installing-visual-studio-code/).

## Changelog

- 2026-03-01: Make sure we see the [hibernation button](#hibernation).
- 2025-08-20: Improve the removal of the widgets from the taskbar. I've consolidated the scripts for easier use. I've added setting a dark start menu.
- 2025-08-20: Improved how to install Hyper-V and WSL.
- 2024-11-15: Added the [change culture to improve date and time formatting section](#change-culture-to-improve-date-and-time-formatting).
- 2024-10-02: Added a link to disabling adaptive brightness.
- 2024-09-18: Added install command for PowerShell.
- 2024-03-20: Added the [better wallpaper section](#better-wallpaper).
- 2024-03-19: Added the [restore file extensions in Explorer section](#restore-file-extensions-in-explorer).
- 2024-03-18: Added the [further reading section](#further-reading).