What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Start with the part of Windows that feels crowded: hide desktop icons for a busy wallpaper, remove taskbar items you rarely use, manage tray icons, or auto-hide the taskbar to reclaim screen space. For many open windows, use multiple desktops to separate work. These are separate, reversible changes; choose only the ones that solve your particular clutter.
Hide desktop icons without deleting them
If files and shortcuts are covering the wallpaper, right-click an empty area of the desktop, select View, then clear Show desktop icons. Use the same menu and select that option again to show them.
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This changes visibility, not the files themselves. When the icons are hidden, open File Explorer and choose Desktop in the navigation pane to reach the desktop contents. To make icons smaller or larger instead, hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel over the desktop. See Microsoft’s desktop icon instructions.
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Remove taskbar items you do not use
Open Settings > Personalization > Taskbar. You can also right-click an empty part of the taskbar and choose Taskbar settings. Under Taskbar items, adjust the Search display or switch off Widgets and Task view if you do not want those controls on the bar. Microsoft describes Widgets separately in its Windows Widgets guidance.
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To remove an app shortcut, right-click its taskbar icon and choose Unpin from taskbar. You can drag pinned icons to change their order. Keep the apps you reach for often; removing a pin clears the taskbar but does not uninstall the app. Microsoft’s current taskbar instructions cover these controls.
Choose which tray icons stay visible
The notification area at the right end of the taskbar can show system controls and app icons. In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, review both System tray icons and Other system tray icons. Depending on your device, the first group can include controls such as Pen menu, Touch keyboard, and Virtual touchpad. The second covers additional app icons and the hidden icon menu. You can also drag icons between the visible area and the overflow area.
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Hide only icons you recognize and do not need to see at a glance. The tray can contain useful system functions and dynamic privacy indicators, so removing every indicator may make important status harder to notice. Microsoft’s taskbar guide explains the available groups.
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Auto-hide the taskbar to reclaim screen space
In Settings > Personalization > Taskbar, expand Taskbar behaviors and turn on Automatically hide the taskbar. When hidden, it reappears when you move the pointer to or touch the bottom edge of the screen.
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This gives the desktop and apps more visible room, but the taskbar is no longer continuously on screen. Microsoft’s focus and taskbar guidance also describes the setting.
Reduce taskbar visual noise and choose its alignment
Under Taskbar behaviors, Windows 11 lets you align taskbar icons to the Center or Left. Microsoft’s current guidance describes the bar at the bottom of the screen; the built-in alignment setting does not move it to the top or sides.
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If badges or flashing app buttons are what draw your eye, review the badge and flashing controls in Taskbar behaviors and turn off the cues you do not want. Available options can vary by Windows version and device. For touch-optimized taskbar controls, availability is limited to supported 2-in-1 devices, so do not expect every taskbar option on every PC. Consult Microsoft’s current taskbar instructions if a label differs from the one on your screen.
Make Start a more useful launch point
Windows provides Start menu customization and controls for the folders shown beside the Power button. Start’s horizontal position follows taskbar alignment, so choosing left alignment also places Start toward the left. Available Start controls and their labels may differ across Windows 11 updates; check Settings > Personalization > Start for the options on your PC. Microsoft’s Start menu guidance describes its customization features.
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Separate open work with multiple desktops
If the clutter is a tangle of open windows rather than desktop shortcuts, press Windows key + Tab to open Task View. From there, create and manage multiple desktops—for example, one for work and another for personal tasks. Multiple desktops separate open workspaces; they do not move or hide the files and icons on your main desktop.
In Taskbar settings, you can choose whether the taskbar shows windows from all desktops or only the current desktop. If you remove the Task View button from the taskbar, the Windows key + Tab shortcut still opens Task View. See Microsoft’s multiple desktop instructions.
Pick the setting that matches the clutter
| What feels crowded | Setting to try | What changes | Access trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Files and shortcuts on the wallpaper | Clear View > Show desktop icons | Hides desktop icons, not their contents | Reach the contents through File Explorer > Desktop |
| Taskbar controls or pinned apps | Switch off optional taskbar items or unpin apps | Removes selected buttons from view | Unpinned apps remain installed; open them another way |
| Icons near the clock | Adjust System tray icons and Other system tray icons | Moves selected icons out of the visible tray | Some icons may be in the overflow area |
| Screen space used by the taskbar | Enable Automatically hide the taskbar | Hides the bar until you approach the bottom edge | Use the bottom-edge gesture to reveal it |
| Many windows open at once | Use multiple desktops in Task View | Separates open windows into workspaces | Open Task View with Windows key + Tab |
Windows settings labels and availability can change with feature updates, device type, or management policy. If a control is missing or named differently, look in the current Taskbar or Personalization settings on your PC.
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