How To Fix the 10 Biggest Windows Annoyances
Let’s face it: Windows can be seriously annoying sometimes, but thankfully there’s also usually a workaround or third-party utility that fixes the issue. We’ve rounded up the ten things that annoy us most, along with how to fix them.
Messy Windows Context Menus, and How to Clean Them Up
One of the most irritating things about Windows is the context menu clutter that you have to deal with once you install a bunch of applications. It seems like every application is fighting for a piece of your context menu, and it’s not like you even use half of them.
Thankfully cleaning them up is possible, though it will require you rolling up your sleeves a bit. We’ve got the entire process covered, from the registry hack method to using freeware tools to do the job.
How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu
Stop Windows Update from Automatically Restarting Your PC
If you like to keep your applications open and running on your screen, you’ve probably come back to your PC and noticed that Windows Update had rebooted you, losing everything that was open on your screen. Sure, you can temporarily disable the automatic reboot if you happen to be sitting in front of the PC, but what happens when you were away when it popped up?
That’s not the only annoyance, but you can stop Windows Update from hijacking the sleep button if you need to.
Prevent Windows Update from Forcibly Rebooting Your Computer
Disable Irritating Windows Sounds, Like that Explorer Click Sound
The default Windows settings enable this click click click click sound for anytime you are browsing around the filesystem, and the same thing in Internet Explorer when you click on a link. It’s extremely annoying, but the fix is a simple one.
Turn Off Windows Explorer Click Sounds in Windows 7 or Vista
Typing Your Password to Login Every Single Day
Nobody wants to admit it, but unless you encrypt your files, using a password on your PC won’t stop any tech-savvy person from getting into your data—all you have to do is use the System Rescue CD to change the password, or you can even use an Ubuntu Live CD to access files off a Windows PC.
So if you’re tired of logging into your Windows PC, just make it login automatically instead.
Make Windows 7 or Vista Log On Automatically
Disable the Caps Lock Key
The Caps Lock Key is something that most people will probably never need. Sure, you can always Map Any Key to Any Key and turn it into something more useful, like a Ctrl key for that Lenovo notebook with the awkwardly placed Fn key, or you can just disable it outright. Either way, up to you.
Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista
Map Any Key to Any Key on Windows 7 / XP / Vista
Finally Get Rid of Internet Explorer (Windows 7 Only)
About half of the people reading this article in Internet Explorer will be scratching their head right now and thinking… “what?” The other half using Firefox or Chrome will be thrilled that you can now delete Internet Explorer in Windows 7. It’s easy.
Uninstall, Disable, or Delete Internet Explorer 8 from Windows 7
Get Rid of Sticky and Filter Keys
It’s great that Microsoft builds in accessibility features to help those that need it. For the rest of us, they are really irritating and need to be disabled.
Disable the Irritating Sticky / Filter Keys Popup Dialogs
Disable Aero Snap, Aero Shake, or Aero Peek
All the new Aero features in Windows 7 are absolutely great, and I recommend that you learn how to use them.
But… if you are tired of windows snapping to the side of the screen or everything else minimizing when you move a window around, you can easily disable one or all of the features.
Disable Aero Snap (the Mouse Drag Window Arranging Feature in Windows 7)
Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7
Make Aero Peek Display Instantly (or Disable it) in Windows 7
Disable Program Compatibility Assistant
This dialog can be seriously annoying when you are trying to install software—it pops up asking if you really installed the application correctly, even though 99% of the time the application installed just fine. It’s extremely annoying, but we can disable it.
Disable Program Compatibility Assistant in Windows 7 and Vista
Make User Account Control (UAC) Less Annoying
What Windows annoyance list would be complete without a way to disable those irritating User Account Control popup dialogs? There’s really no need to describe it, you already know how annoying they are.
Disabling them is just as easy, but what you might not know is that you can actually create shortcuts that bypass the UAC prompts instead of just disabling it entirely, though either way is up to you.
Disable User Account Control (UAC) the Easy Way on Win 7 or Vista
good one….
That is not bad! The most of this i know before, but it´s helpful to see it at once.
Thanks from Germany
Thanks.
Now how do I get my ‘folder up’ button back in the file explorer? I’ve missed it dearly since XP…
How do I view all my computer settings? Are they consolidated to one or two folders?
Are the settings readable or are they just jumbled alpabet/digital characters ?
Lynn
Is there a way to stop me having to set the clock, each time I turn my laptop on, on my Acer Aspire7520? I use Firefox most of the time, Internet Explorer the rest of the time.
I would appreciate (simple? ) help/advice.
Thanks
great article on windows annoyances1
Here is another annoyance, and I don’t know how to fix it–
Drag and drop to copy or move a file–is much harder in Win 7, than in XP. Because, when you drag it into the new folder, it is impossible to find empty space to drag it to. The whole line of what it thinks is the target file (to open the file with) is now selected, and the OS seems to think one wants to open the dragged file with that target file, rather than just copy or move the file there.
I always try to look for a .txt, .pdf, .ini file, etc. in the target directory, to drag the file to, so Windows does not think the dragged file should be opened with the target file. Sometimes there is not such a file, in the target directory. It is clearly annoying.
Whereas in XP, if one wanted to drag a file to be opened by another file, it would have to be dragged right onto that file’s icon. Much easier to find empty space that way,. In 7 though, the whole line i the target directory gets selected.
Thanks, if you can help with this annoyance.
PS–I agree with the one about folder up. Pretty stupid that microsoft removed that icon.
Also, is there any way to go back to the kind of search function from XP, rather than the one in Win7?
i HAve annoying Windows pop up that asks Do you want to download only secure items? yes no
How do I delete this? thanks mo