11 Windows 11 (22H2) Tips You Should Know

Hey folks, guess what? Windows 11 just got a shiny update! Microsoft heard our pleas and released Windows 11 22H2, packed with a load of awesome new stuff. I’m excited to share with you eleven fantastic tips to make the most of this fresh update.

I have discovered some fascinating features designed specifically for people like you and me who use Windows. While you can access a few of these features through Windows Settings, others may require additional apps or adjustments.

In this post, I want to share some hidden treasures – tips, tricks, and hacks – that will enhance your experience with Windows 11. So let’s dive right in.

Here’s what you’ll find in this post:

1. Installing Windows 11 without a Microsoft account.

2. Creating a local account.

3. Making use of the “Do Not Disturb” feature.

4. Configuring DND and Focus settings in Windows 11.

5. Customizing the Start menu in Windows 11.

6. Disabling the Widgets panel.

7. Enabling Voice Access.

8. Activating Live Captions.

Now, let’s explore each of these features in detail.

Optimizing Your Windows 11 Experience

When it comes to using Windows 11, there are a few key steps you can take to ensure a smoother and more efficient experience. Here are some tips:

1. Enabling Game Optimizations

If you’re a gamer, you’ll want to take advantage of Windows 11’s game optimizations. These enhancements can help improve performance and provide a better gaming experience overall.

To make the most of your computer’s resources, you can enable Efficiency Mode for your apps. This feature helps prioritize the applications you’re currently using, allowing them to run more smoothly and efficiently.

If your computer comes with pre-installed apps that you don’t need or want, you can easily remove them. By getting rid of this unnecessary software, you can free up valuable storage space and simplify your user experience.

1. Skip Using a Microsoft Account

Like Apple and Google, Microsoft now encourages users to create online accounts for their operating systems. This means that to use Windows 11, you’ll need to sign in with a Microsoft account. However, there is a simple workaround:

Instead of using your personal email address, you can register with a blacklisted email, such as [email protected]. By doing this, Windows Setup will encounter an error and skip the creation of an online account. It’s a clever hack that allows you to bypass this requirement.

If the previous trick doesn’t work for you or if you’re installing Windows 11 22H2, there’s another method you can try: Rufus. By using Rufus to create a bootable drive, you’ll be able to install Windows 11 22H2 without having to create a Microsoft account. It’s as simple as that!

2. Create a local account

If Microsoft blocks the previous methods in the future, don’t worry, there’s another bypass trick you can use. You can create a temporary online account using a temporary email service. Once you’ve logged in with your temporary online account in Windows 11, follow these steps to create a local administrator account:

1. Open Settings and go to Accounts > Other users.

To add a new user account in Windows 11 without a Microsoft account, follow these simple steps:

1. First, click on “Add account” and select “I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.” Here’s how it looks:


2. On the next screen, click on “Add a user without a Microsoft account” and follow the instructions provided.

3. After creating the new user, go to “Other users” and select the newly created account. Then, click on “Change account type.” Here’s an image to guide you:


4. In the account type settings, choose “Administrator” and click “OK.”

That’s it! You’ve successfully added a new user account without needing a Microsoft account.

Okay, so here’s what you need to do: First, log in to your brand new account. After that, you want to get rid of the old one, right? No worries, I’ll show you how. Just go to “Settings” and then click on “Accounts.” From there, you’ll see an option called “Other users.” Click on that, find the old user, and expand it. Finally, all you have to do is click on “Remove,” and boom! The old account will be gone. Easy peasy, right?

3. Make Use of the ‘Do Not Disturb’ Feature

Windows 11 has made significant improvements to the ‘Do Not Disturb’ and Focus (formerly known as “Focus Mode”) features. You now have the ability to automatically activate ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode by creating rules. For instance, you can set it up to activate during your work hours, helping you concentrate on your tasks without interruptions.

Furthermore, you can customize priority notifications to allow certain apps, calls, and reminders to bypass ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode and send you notifications, just like with Android and iOS. You can access both of these features by clicking on the clock icon in the Taskbar.

Step 4: Set Up Do Not Disturb and Focus

Let me guide you through the process of configuring Do Not Disturb, priority notifications, and Focus:

1. First, open the Settings app. You can find it by clicking on the Start button and selecting Settings from the menu. Once the Settings app is open, navigate to System and then Notifications.
2. Within the Notifications settings, you’ll see a list of options that you can customize. To configure specific options, such as the sounds and alerts you receive, simply click on the respective option. For example, if you want to adjust the sound for priority notifications, click on the “Priority notifications” option.
3. If you want to automatically enable Do Not Disturb at certain times, expand the “Turn on do not disturb automatically” option. From there, you can choose when DND should activate. This can be useful when you want uninterrupted focus during specific hours, like when you’re studying or sleeping.

Alright, let’s get into some helpful tips for customizing your Windows 11 experience. First up, we’ll talk about setting priority notifications. This is a great way to make sure you never miss an important message or update.

So, to get started, click on “Set priority notifications.” You’ll see a bunch of options you can configure to make sure you only get notifications for the things that matter most to you. It’s all about keeping things streamlined and focused on what’s important.

Next, let’s talk about the “Focus” feature. This is basically a fancy name for what some people like to call “Focus Mode.” It’s all about helping you stay in the zone and avoid distractions while you’re working or doing something important.

To configure the Focus options, simply click on “Focus” and you’ll see a bunch of settings you can play around with. You can choose which apps are allowed to send you notifications, set automatic replies for when you’re busy, and much more. It’s all about tailoring your device to your needs and preferences.

Now, let’s move on to the Start menu. Ah, the Start menu. It’s had its fair share of love and hate over the years, hasn’t it? But fear not, Windows 11 offers some cool customization options to make it work better for you.

To tweak the Start menu, follow these simple steps:

Click on the Start button. Yeah, that good ol’ Start button.

And there you have it! A few simple tips to help you personalize your Windows 11 experience. Have fun exploring and making your device truly your own.

1. Hey there! Let’s get started by opening Settings and heading over to Personalization >Start.
2. Next, we’re going to customize the layout of the Start menu and decide what apps and items we want to see. Check out the image below for reference!
3. Now, take a look at the bottom-right corner of the Start menu. See that Power button? We can customize the folders that show up right next to it. Look at the image below to see how!

For example, on my test system, I have the Default layout and default settings, along with a bunch of folders enabled. Check out how my Start menu looks below!

6. Turning Off the Widgets Panel

Windows 11 came with a new addition called the Widgets panel, which displays online widgets like weather updates, stock market information, and sports news. However, this feature only functions when you are signed in to a Microsoft account on your Windows 11 device. As mentioned earlier, Microsoft is actively encouraging users to use an online account, and the Widgets panel serves as evidence of that.

If you’re like me and prefer using a local account in Windows for any reason, you might not be too thrilled about the Widgets. Personally, I don’t really need or use any of the benefits of an online account on my system, but I still wanted to enjoy the Widgets. However, I was able to disable the Widgets panel and it actually helped reduce memory usage on my system.

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to disable the Widgets panel, you can follow these steps to do so.

To start, let’s open the Run dialog box. You can do this by pressing the Windows key and the letter “R” on your keyboard at the same time.

Once the Run dialog box appears, type “gpedit.msc” and hit Enter. This will open the Group Policy Editor on your computer.

Now, navigate to the Widgets policies. To do this, go to “Computer Configuration,” then click on “Administrative Templates,” followed by “Windows Components,” and finally “Widgets.”

Within the Widgets policies, locate the “Allow widgets” option. Double-click on it to open the settings.

In the settings window, choose the “Disable” option and then click on “OK” to save the changes.

That’s it! By following these steps, you have successfully disabled widgets using the Group Policy Editor on your computer.

Moving on, let’s enable Voice Access for a more convenient experience.

Did you know that there’s a super handy feature on Windows called Voice Access? It’s kind of like having your own personal assistant, similar to Microsoft Cortana. With Voice Access, you can control your computer just by using your voice. You can open apps, switch between them, dictate emails, browse the Internet, and much more. The best part is that Voice Access can accurately recognize speech without needing an internet connection, thanks to its use of modern on-device speech recognition.

So, how do you use Voice Access? It’s actually pretty simple:

1. First, open the Settings on your computer.
2. Then, go to the Accessibility section.
3. Look for the Speech option and click on it.

Okay, here’s what you need to do to enable Voice Access in Windows 11:

1. First, toggle on the option called Voice access. If you plan to use this feature a lot, you can also click Start voice access after signing in to your PC.
2. Next, follow the instructions on the Set up your mic for voice access screen.

Now let’s move on to another accessibility feature called Live Captions. It’s pretty cool and was inspired by a feature with the same name on Android OS for Google Pixels. The captions are automatically generated from any audio content, including the sound coming from your microphone. Pretty neat, huh?

Hey there! Did you know that there’s a cool feature called Live Captions in Windows 11? It can come in handy during in-person conversations or meetings. It basically adds captions in real-time to what’s being said.

However, there’s a slight catch. Right now, Live Captions only support English (U.S.) content. So, if you’re speaking in a different language, you’ll have to wait for future updates.

If you’re still interested and want to give it a try, here’s what you need to do:

1. Download the language files required for Live Captions when prompted by Windows 11. They’re essential for the feature to work properly.
2. Follow the steps to enable Live Captions.

That’s it! Now you’re ready to use Live Captions and make your conversations even more accessible. Have fun!

1. First, you’ll want to open up your Settings and head over to Accessibility. Once you’re there, click on Captions.
2. Next, toggle the switch to turn on Live captions. It’s as easy as that!
3. Now, whenever you want to use Live Captions, simply press the Win key, the Ctrl key, and the ‘L’ key all at the same time.

Next up, let’s talk about game optimizations.

Windows 11 22H2 has introduced some exciting improvements for games. These optimizations work behind the scenes to make your gaming experience even better. Plus, you’ll get access to cool features like Auto High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR). Here’s how you can enable game optimizations:

1. To start, open the Settings menu and navigate to Display, Graphics, and Default graphics settings.
2. Next, turn on the option labeled Optimizations for windowed games.

10. Boost app efficiency

The Task Manager in Windows 11 has been revamped and now offers a range of useful features. One such feature is Efficiency mode, previously known as “Eco mode,” which allows you to limit an app’s resource usage if it is using more than necessary.

Here’s how you can activate Efficiency mode for an app:

Here’s what you can do to improve your Windows performance:

1. First, press Win + X to open the context menu, and then select Task Manager.
2. In Task Manager, choose the Processes option from the left menu to see all the running processes.
3. If you want to make a particular process more efficient, simply right-click on it and select Efficiency mode.

11. Get rid of unnecessary apps

Lastly, it’s a good idea to remove any bloatware or unwanted apps from your system. With each new version of Windows, Microsoft keeps adding more default apps, also known as bloatware, which can slow down your computer. Luckily, you can use O&O AppBuster to remove them.

Follow these steps to remove apps like Windows Clock and Windows Maps:

1. Open a web browser and go to https://www.oo-software.com/en/ooappbuster.

Here’s how you can remove unwanted apps from your Windows computer:

1. First, click on the Download button located near the top-right corner of the page, and then open the downloaded file.



2. Next, select the apps you want to remove and click on the Remove button near the top-right corner. For example, in this screenshot, I’ve chosen to remove 3D Viewer and Groove Music.

Even though Windows 11 is a new operating system, Microsoft has already introduced some significant changes. One of these changes is the requirement to use online accounts. While this may make sense for mobile devices, many people still prefer using a local account on their personal computers at home.