To avoid having a Microsoft account to login to your own computer that you own, disconnect internet before installing. When it complains about this, tell it to shut up.

When it gets to "privacy settings", turn off EVERYTHING.

Microsoft has hit their head and forgotten that Fitt's Law shows that corners are demonstrably optimal for critical UI components. Let's un-center that taskbar among other things.

1. Right click taskbar, options.
2. Turn off "taskbar items" you don't want (hint: "Chat" is a program and shouldn't even be on that list)
3. Expand "Taskbar behaviors" and flip settings as desired.

You can go to "add and remove programs" and immediately rip out this trash if you want:

• Disney+
• Groove Music
• Microsoft News
• Microsoft OneDrive
• Microsoft To Do
• Movies & TV

Additionally, we now live in a world where your motherboard can contain crap that gets auto-installed after Windows comes up via UEFI. Some might be good (drivers), but there may be trash (shoddy RGB light controllers, various "gamer" services like "ROG" and "Armory", etc.) that you can kill.

Install O&O Shutup10 and enable the default options. Also, turn on "Allow deferred upgrades".

Install Classic Shell, likely through Ninite.

• Press Win + I to open System settings
• Personalization.
• "Show color on Start and taskbar" → on
  • If this is disabled, set Windows to dark mode and apps to light mode
• "Show color on title bars and windows borders" → on

• View → Show → File name extensions = ON
• Three dots → Options
  • General tab
    • Open File Explorer to: This PC
    • Show recently used files in Quick access = off
    • Show frequently used folders in Quick access = off
  • View tab
    • Navigation pane (these were formerly in the general tab)
      • Show all folders → on
      • Expand to current folder → on
    • Display the full path in the title bar → on

right click recycle bin | properties

• don't move files to the recycle bin → enable (maybe)
• Display delete confirmation dialog → YES (jesus christ how is that not default?)

In the native Windows 11 start menu, type "underline", and it should shortcut you to the appropriate control panel option.

Win10 calculator sucks. I made a whole website to expedite getting old calculator: https://calcexe.com

They got rid of the classic Windows custom mouse cursor support, but they added custom color cursors that achieve the same end.

Start → "Mouse" and pick "custom".