Like most people, I also have my own set of preferences when it comes to setting up a Windows PC. That usually means going through a long list of tweaks, from enabling clipboard history and turning off Delivery Optimization to managing privacy settings.
But if I had to pick three settings I’d never leave at their defaults and always change right away, they would be System Restore, Storage Sense, and Fast Startup. These are not the most obvious tweaks, but you certainly shouldn’t ignore them.
Turn on System Restore before anything else
Don’t skip this safety switch
Screenshot by Pankil Shah — No attribution required
System Restore is one of those features you probably won’t ever need. Still, you shouldn’t skip it. It can be a lifesaver if your PC ever starts acting weird or runs into strange errors.
System Restore automatically takes a snapshot of your Windows PC at regular intervals or right before major changes are made. These are called restore points. When something goes wrong, whether it’s a new app, driver update, or system tweak, you can use a restore point to undo recent changes.
This feature essentially helps revert your PC to a previous state when everything was working fine. Unlike a factory reset, though, it doesn’t affect your personal files. It only reverts the system files, registry settings, and installed programs to the same state they were when the restore point was created.
To set up System Restore, type create a restore point in the search menu and hit Enter. Then, under Protection Settings, choose your system drive, and click Configure. Finally, select the Turn on system protection option and hit Apply.
Once enabled, Windows will automatically create restore points right before major changes, like installing an app or applying an update. There’s also the option to create restore points manually if you want. Most importantly, using these restore points to recover your PC is as easy as it gets, and you can also apply them from the Windows Recovery Environment.
Let Storage Sense handle cleanup automatically
Never run out of storage
The thing about storage is that it’s never enough. Sooner or later, you’re bound to run out of storage space, and that can cause all sorts of problems, from failed updates to slowdowns. Storage Sense is a built-in feature that can help with this. It automatically clears out unnecessary files so you don’t have to worry about storage ever again.
This feature doesn’t affect your apps or personal files. Instead, it focuses on the kind of files that are no longer necessary. This includes temporary system files, cached data, and items that have been sitting in the Recycle Bin or Downloads for too long.
To set it up, head to Settings > System > Storage and turn on Storage Sense. Windows gives you complete control over how this feature operates. For instance, you can prevent Storage Sense from deleting your old downloads. You can even control when it runs, whether it’s every day, every week, every month, or only when the storage space is running low. You’re in charge.
It’s a set-it-and-forget-it feature that makes a lot of difference, especially for anyone using a 256GB or 512GB laptop.
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Disable Fast startup for fewer issues
It’s better that way
Fast Startup is one of those features Windows highly recommends, which is why it comes pre-enabled. As the name suggests, it helps your PC boot quicker than usual. While that’s true to some extent, it’s still not worth it.
Fast Startup works by saving a partial system state when you shut down your PC. Instead of performing a full shutdown, Windows stores certain system information so it can boot up faster the next time. It’s a clever idea, but it creates problems that are difficult to ignore.
Because your PC never fully shuts down with Fast Startup, it leads to odd bugs like updates not applying correctly or drivers refusing to show up after a reboot. At times, this feature can also prevent your system from detecting new hardware. What’s even more frustrating is that Fast Startup isn’t an obvious culprit, so you rarely think about it when these problems show up.
Most importantly, Fast Startup isn’t as effective on PCs running SSDs. These drives are already fast enough that enabling Fast Startup hardly makes any difference, which is why I refuse to enable it even though Microsoft recommends it.
To turn it off, head to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do > Change settings that are currently unavailable and uncheck Turn on fast startup. Then, hit Save changes. If you’re worried about slower boot times, there are other ways to fix it besides Fast Startup.
Setting up a Windows PC isn’t complicated, but if you skip certain tweaks, they can come back to bite you later. So make sure you don’t overlook these three Windows features. Of course, there are plenty of other settings that can improve your experience, but these are the ones I’d highly recommend.
