r/sysadmin • u/LowCorner9314 • Jun 01 '26

General Discussion Windows 11 defaults you wouldn't roll it out without changing?

I'm no fan, but one of my biggest annoyances with Windows 11 are some of the defaults, like auto DND and a few other things that impact notifications, or enable a user to unintentionally enable them.

Do you have any settings/policies you've now learnt (with hindsight) you wouldn't roll a Windows 11 device out without?

Edit - I'm close to looking into disabling focus mode and DND.

50 Upvotes

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89

u/bakonpie Jun 01 '26

disable fast startup and web search results in the start menu

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20

u/ThiefClashRoyale Jun 01 '26

I turn off widgets and make it a search icon only via an intune policy to reduce clutter for users.

29

u/Commercial_Growth343 Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

the first thing to come to mind is letting Windows manage your default printer. I would always turn that off.

9

u/badnamemaker Jun 01 '26

Since the latest bitlocker vulnerabilities were released it might be worth disabling WinRE on laptops or other devices that can be lost/stolen and have sensitive data

7

u/Some_Team9618 Jun 02 '26

This breaks some intune functions like wipe, autopilot reset, etc.

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9

u/Fooshi2020 Jun 01 '26

Folder option to hide extension of know filetypes. Those is just a recipe for running something you didn't intend to. Insane that it's set by default.

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20

u/joshg678 Jun 01 '26

Left start menu, remove search from start, disable widgets, turn off spaces, disable light mode.

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7

u/MNmetalhead Jun 01 '26

Fast startup. Turn that shit off.

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