Introduction

As of Fall 2024, all campus devices running Windows will be using Windows 11. This transition guide will explain the process, changes in the operating system, and offer some tips for getting accustomed to the new user interface.


The Upgrade Process

When your upgrade is ready, you will see a pop-up notification in the bottom right corner of your screen. You can choose to restart immediately, schedule a restart, or defer the update. IT strongly recommends restarting immediately or scheduling a restart within 12–24 hours to prevent issues with the update. 

 

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After the update, your computer will restart. Signing in will take longer than usual as your Windows 11 profile is built and updates are applied.

Personalization

  • The Start Menu in Windows 11 has been moved from the left to the center of the taskbar. To customize it, right click in the Start Menu and click on Start Settings.

 

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  1. You can select whether the Start Menu should show more pinned items, more recommended (recently used) items, or the default.
  2. You can also toggle recently added apps and items, recommendations, and enable shortcuts to various folders. These shortcuts appear to the left of the power button in the Start menu.

 

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  • To customize other aspects of Windows 11, right click on your desktop and click Personalize. 

 

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  1. To change the background in Windows 11, click on Background and select a picture or choose from one of the stock wallpapers.
  2. To customize colors (including using Light or Dark Mode), select Colors. Here you can set your mode and pick an accent color (or let Windows pick one based on your background)
  3. Lock screen allows you to show or hide widgets on the lock screen under Lock screen status.  

 

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  1. Taskbar customizations include showing or hiding the copilot button, start button, and task view, as well as the alignment of the taskbar’s items.
    • To restore the start menu position from Windows 10, click on Taskbar behaviors, then select Left for taskbar alignment.

 

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Tips and Tricks

  • The context (right-click) menu has been simplified in Windows 11. To access the old context menu or use advanced features, hold shift while right-clicking.

 

  • File Explorer now has a tabbed interface. Use tabs to keep all open files and folders in one window or drag the tab outside of the window to separate them.

 

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  • Many settings options have been combined into a new action center in Windows 11. Click on the region containing the Wi-Fi, volume, and battery indicators to access the action center. From here, users can:
    1. Control their network and Bluetooth settings.
    2. Change power profile (if using a laptop) to prioritize battery life or performance.
    3. Disable notifications with Focus assist.
    4. Activate accessibility features.
    5. Adjust brightness or volume using the sliders.
    6. Go to the main settings app (using the Gear icon.
    7. Note: The Action Center will look slightly different on all-in-one and desktop computers and users can customize the options displayed using the Pencil icon.

 

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  • The Start Menu no longer shows all of a user’s apps in a list or any live tiles. Instead, the top portion of the Menu shows pinned and recently used apps (click All Apps to see the list of installed apps) and the bottom portion shows recently accessed files. Both apps and files can be pinned to the start menu by right-clicking and selecting Pin to Start.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Will my apps work in Windows 11?
    1. Almost all apps that work on Windows 10 will work on Windows 11. If you find that one of your apps no longer works, reach out to the IT Help Center for assistance.
  • Will the upgrade delete my files?
    1. Upgrading to Windows 11 will not impact any of your locally saved files, though IT always recommends backing important documents up on OneDrive or SharePoint.
  • Can I keep my personalizations on Windows 11? What about my wallpapers/pinned apps/desktop shortcuts?
    1. If you were using a stock Windows 10 wallpaper, it might have been replaced with one of Windows 11’s stock wallpapers. If you use a custom wallpaper, it should be unchanged by the upgrade.
    2. Windows will retain pinned apps on the Taskbar and Desktop Shortcuts