Desktop tweaks in Windows can be fun, but watch out for risks
Like many things, computer desktops are unique. Though large businesses tend to deploy a single image for all their workstations to lock things down (and limit customization), many small firms and home users want to make their desktop, well, theirs. Case in point: one of the first things I do after installing Windows 11 is move the bottom menu over to the left. After so many years of turning off my computer with the Start button on the left, I found myself always clicking on widgets to turn off my computer. Not only did that small change look better, it served as a small productivity boost.
The desire for customization is not new. As far back as I can remember with Windows, users have been installing custom backgrounds, editing icons, trying out different colors, and so on. But all that customization can come with side effects. Too often with Windows 11, a third-party customization tool will behave badly after a Windows update, prompting the user to blame Microsoft. But it’s the tool that’s acting up because it relies on registry entries that have changed.