How to Set Up Your Windows 10 PC to Maximize Productivity

Save time and end distractions with this simple step-by-step configuration guide to Windows and Office 365

Image by 2023583 via Pixabay.

When you get a new computer of any type, the default configuration is optimized for the needs of the manufacturer—not for you. You need to take control, but it can take hours of research and fine-tuning if you don’t know where to start.

I’ve been tracking the changes I’ve made to improve productivity on my own Windows 10 machine. If you follow all the hints below, I figure (extremely conservatively) that you will save at least 15 seconds per working hour just on completing tasks. But that’s only the beginning: The real benefits come with a cleaner interface and fewer distractions.

Here’s how to customize Windows 10 for optimal productivity.

Basic Setup Options

Windows taskbar basics

Right click in the taskbar > Taskbar settings and turn the following settings on:

• Lock the taskbar
• Use small taskbar buttons

For taskbar location, select “Bottom.” (Never use lateral or top bar, please!) For combine taskbar buttons, select “When taskbar is full.”