Windows 11 setting appearance

Question

How do I restore original windows 11 settings appearance. Somehow all I am getting is a bunch of widgets or whatever?

Answer 1

If your system has updated, you will have received the new Settings app, when it opens, it defaults to the Home tab and on that tab are some widgets, but you should still have access to all the normal settings by clicking the various options on the left side of the Settings app, is that correct.

If so, there is currently no method, setting or registry hack available in Windows 11 to revert the new Settings app back to the old version.

Answer 2

In Windows 11, the “bunch of widgets” view is the Widgets board. To get back to the normal desktop and restore the usual taskbar/Start experience, do the following:

1. Close or leave the Widgets board
   • Click anywhere on the desktop, or
   • Press Esc, or
   • Click the Widgets icon on the taskbar again to hide it.
2. Turn Widgets off on the taskbar (so they don’t appear there at all)
   1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
   2. Under Taskbar items, find Widgets.
   3. Toggle Widgets to Off.
   This removes the Widgets button so the widgets board no longer pops up and the taskbar looks more like the default Windows 11 layout.
3. Use the normal Start menu and desktop again
   • Click Start (Windows icon) on the taskbar to open the standard Windows 11 Start menu.
   • Use desktop icons and taskbar apps as usual; widgets are only in the Widgets board and do not replace the desktop or Start menu.

If Widgets content looks personalized in a way that is confusing, you can also sign out of Widgets:

1. Open the Widgets board (click the Widgets button or press Windows key + W).
2. Select the user account button.
3. Choose Sign out.

This stops Widgets from using the signed-in Microsoft account’s personalization.

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References:

• Customize the Taskbar in Windows
• Stay Up to Date With Widgets in Windows
• Windows 11 overview