How to Adjust Appearance and Performance of Windows

Have you ever sat down at your computer and felt that something just wasn’t quite right? Perhaps your screen seemed too bright, the icons too small, or everything was running just a bit slower than it should.

You’re not alone. Many Windows users accept these minor frustrations as an unavoidable part of using a computer. However, the truth is that Windows offers remarkable flexibility when it comes to customizing both appearance and performance.

Whether you’re using Windows 10, Windows 11, or even an older version, this article will explore the most effective ways to adjust the appearance and performance of your Windows.

Why Customizing Windows Matters

Before diving into specific adjustments, let’s consider why customization matters in the first place:

Comfort and productivity: We spend hours looking at our screens. Small visual adjustments can reduce eye strain and make navigation more intuitive, ultimately saving time and increasing productivity.

Accessibility needs: Different users have different visual, auditory, and mobility requirements. Windows’ customization options make computing more accessible to everyone.

Performance optimization: Even powerful computers can benefit from performance tweaks that allocate system resources to your most important tasks.

Personal expression: Your computer is a personal tool. Making it look and feel the way you want creates a more enjoyable experience.

How to Adjust the Appearance of Windows?

1. Adjusting the Desktop Theme and Background

Your desktop is your digital workspace, and personalizing it can make your computer feel uniquely yours.

Changing your wallpaper:

1. Right-click on an empty area of your desktop
2. Select “Personalize”
3. Choose “Background” from the left menu
4. Select an image from the provided options or click “Browse” to use your own photo
5. Adjust how the image fits your screen using the “Choose a fit” dropdown menu

Applying a theme:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes
2. Browse the available themes or click “Get more themes in Microsoft Store.”
3. Select a theme to preview and apply it

Creating a custom theme:

1. Adjust your background, colors, sounds, and mouse cursor separately
2. Go to Themes and click “Save theme.”
3. Give your theme a name to save your customizations as a package

Pro tip: Windows 11 introduced Spotlight wallpapers that automatically change with beautiful images from around the world. Enable this by selecting “Windows Spotlight” as your background type.

2. Customizing Colors and Light/Dark Mode

Color schemes affect not just aesthetics but also readability and eye strain.

Changing your accent color:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors
2. Choose a color from the palette or select “Custom color” for more options
3. Toggle “Show accent color on the following surfaces” to apply your color to the Start menu, taskbar, and action center

Switching between light and dark mode:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Colors
2. Under “Choose your color,” select Light, Dark, or Custom
3. If you choose Custom, you can have different modes for Windows elements and applications

Many users find dark mode easier on the eyes, especially in low-light environments. I personally switch to dark mode in the evening and light mode during daylight hours to reduce eye strain.

3. Adjusting Display Settings for Comfort

Changing display resolution:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select “Display settings.”
2. Scroll to “Display resolution” and select your preferred option
3. Click “Keep changes” when prompted

While higher resolutions show more content, they make everything smaller. Finding the right balance is key.

Scaling text and apps:

1. In Display settings, adjust the “Scale and layout” slider
2. Common values are 100%, 125%, and 150%
3. You may need to sign out and back in for all changes to take effect

A friend who recently purchased a 4K monitor was struggling to read text until I showed her how to increase the scaling to 150%. This simple change made her new monitor usable without sacrificing the crisp image quality.

Adjusting text size specifically:

1. Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Display
2. Use the slider under “Make text bigger” to adjust text size

Changing cursor size and color:

1. Go to Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse pointer
2. Adjust the pointer size and choose a color scheme

These adjustments can be particularly helpful for users with visual impairments or when working in challenging lighting conditions.

4. Customizing the Taskbar and Start Menu

The taskbar and Start menu are your primary navigation tools in Windows, so customizing them can significantly improve your workflow.

Repositioning the taskbar:

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar
2. Uncheck “Lock the taskbar”
3. Click and drag the taskbar to any screen edge (top, bottom, left, or right)

Adjusting taskbar size:

1. With the taskbar unlocked, hover over its edge until your cursor changes
2. Click and drag to resize

Customizing taskbar icons:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar
2. Toggle system icons on or off
3. Under “Taskbar corner icons,” choose which icons appear in the notification area

Personalizing the Start menu (Windows 10):

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start
2. Toggle options like “Show more tiles” or “Show app list.”
3. Click “Choose which folders appear on Start” to customize quick-access folders

Customizing the Start menu (Windows 11):

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start
2. Choose options for recently added apps, most used apps, and other behaviors
3. Select “Folders” to customize which shortcuts appear next to the power button

I’ve found that pinning my most-used applications to the taskbar saves me countless clicks throughout the day. Take a moment to consider which programs you use daily and add them for quick access.

5. Fonts and Text Rendering

Text clarity can make a significant difference in your computing experience.

Adjusting ClearType for better text rendering:

1. Type “ClearType” in the search box and select “Adjust ClearType text.”
2. Follow the wizard to fine-tune how text appears on your screen

Installing new fonts:

1. Download font files (.ttf or .otf)
2. Right-click the font file and select “Install.”
3. Alternatively, drag the font file to C:\Windows\Fonts

Changing default system fonts (advanced): This requires registry edits, which should be approached with caution. For most users, adjusting text scaling and ClearType settings will provide sufficient customization without the risks of registry modification.

How to Optimizing Windows Performance?

Now that your Windows environment looks the way you want, let’s make sure it performs at its best.

1. Startup Optimization

One of the most common causes of slow performance is having too many programs launch at startup.

Managing startup programs (Windows 10 and 11):

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager
2. Click the “Startup” tab
3. Review the list of startup programs and their impact
4. Right-click on programs you don’t need at startup and select “Disable.”

When I helped my uncle with his sluggish laptop, we discovered 15 different programs launching at startup, including multiple update checkers, cloud storage synchronization tools, and media players.

Disabling unnecessary startup items cut his boot time from over two minutes to just 30 seconds.

Enabling fast startup:

1. Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings
2. Click “Choose what the power buttons do”
3. Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”
4. Ensure “Turn on fast startup” is checked under Shutdown settings

2. Power Plan Adjustments

Your power plan affects both performance and battery life.

Changing your power plan:

1. Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings
2. Select a plan that matches your needs:
   • Balanced (recommended for most users)
   • Power saver (maximizes battery life)
   • High performance (maximizes system performance)

Creating a custom power plan:

1. Click “Create a power plan” in the power options window
2. Start with an existing plan and customize settings like display brightness, sleep timers, and processor power management

For desktop computers, the High Performance plan offers the best experience, while laptop users may prefer Balanced for everyday use and High Performance when plugged in for demanding tasks.

3. Visual Effects Optimization

Windows includes many visual effects that look nice but can impact performance, especially on older systems.

Adjusting visual effects for performance:

1. Type “Performance” in the search box and select “Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.”
2. Choose “Adjust for best performance” to disable all visual effects
3. Alternatively, select “Custom” and choose which effects to keep

I typically recommend disabling animations and transparency while keeping essentials like font smoothing and thumbnail previews. This provides a good balance between aesthetics and performance.

4. Storage Management and Disk Cleanup

A cluttered hard drive can significantly slow down your system.

Using Storage Sense for automatic cleanup:

1. Go to Settings > System > Storage
2. Toggle on Storage Sense
3. Click “Configure Storage Sense or run it now to customize how Windows manages temporary files

Performing a disk cleanup:

1. Type “Disk Cleanup” in the search box
2. Select the drive to clean up
3. Check the file types you want to remove
4. Click “Clean up system files” for additional options, including Windows update files and old Windows installations

Defragmenting your hard drive (for traditional HDDs only):

1. Type “Defragment” in the search box
2. Select your drive and click “Optimize.”

Note: SSDs (solid-state drives) handle file access differently and don’t need traditional defragmentation. Windows automatically performs appropriate maintenance for SSDs.

5. Managing Background Processes and Services

Background processes consume system resources even when you’re not actively using them.

Reviewing running processes:

1. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
2. Go to the “Processes” tab to see what’s currently running
3. Sort by CPU, Memory, Disk, or Network usage to identify resource-intensive applications

Controlling background apps:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps
2. Toggle off apps you don’t need running in the background

Managing Windows services (advanced):

1. Type “Services” in the search box
2. Review running services and their startup types
3. Double-click a service to change its startup type or stop it

Be cautious when modifying services, as some are essential for Windows to function properly. When in doubt, research a service before changing its settings.

6. Hardware Acceleration and Graphics Settings

Modern Windows versions can leverage your graphics card for more than just gaming.

Adjusting graphics performance preferences:

1. Go to Settings > System > Display > Graphics settings
2. Add applications and choose whether they use “Power saving” or “High performance” graphics

Managing hardware acceleration in browsers:

1. Open your browser settings
2. Search for “hardware acceleration” and enable or disable as needed

If you experience graphics glitches or unexpected crashes in specific applications, try adjusting these settings as a troubleshooting step.

7. Virtual Memory Configuration

Virtual memory (pagefile) allows Windows to use part of your hard drive as an extension of RAM.

Optimizing virtual memory:

1. Type “Advanced system settings” in the search box
2. Under Performance, click “Settings.”
3. Go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Change” under Virtual memory
4. Uncheck “Automatically manage paging file size for all drive.s”
5. Select your system drive and choose “Custom size”
6. Enter a size equal to 1.5-3 times your physical RAM

While modern systems with ample RAM rely less on virtual memory, proper configuration can still improve performance in memory-intensive scenarios.

How to Balance Appearance and Performance?

The beauty of Windows customization is finding your personal sweet spot between visual appeal and system responsiveness. Here are some balanced approaches:

For older systems:

• Minimize visual effects
• Use a light theme (uses fewer resources than dark)
• Keep desktop backgrounds simple
• Consider reducing screen resolution if performance is critical

For modern systems:

• Enjoy most visual effects
• Focus performance optimizations on startup programs and background processes
• Use hardware acceleration to leverage your graphics card
• Consider seasonal or automatic theme changes to keep your experience fresh

Windows 11-Specific Adjustments

If you’re using Windows 11, here are some additional customization options:

Centered vs. left-aligned taskbar:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar
2. Under “Taskbar behaviors,” change “Taskbar alignment” to “Left” or “Center.”

Customizing widgets:

1. Click the widgets icon in the taskbar or press Win+W
2. Click your profile picture and select “Add widgets”
3. Arrange and resize widgets to your preference

Personalizing the new Start menu:

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start
2. Toggle options for recently added apps, most used apps, and other behaviors
3. Right-click tiles to resize or remove them

Accessibility Customizations

Windows includes numerous features to make computing more accessible for users with diverse needs.

High contrast themes:

1. Go to Settings > Ease of Access > High contrast
2. Toggle “Turn on high contrast” and select a theme

Narrator screen reader:

1. Press Win+ Ctrl+Enter to start Narrator
2. Customize voice, speed, and other options in Narrator settings

Magnifier tool:

1. Press Win+ to activate the Magnifier
2. Use Win++ and Win+- to zoom in and out

These accessibility features can benefit all users in certain situations, such as using a computer in bright sunlight or when experiencing eye fatigue.

Maintaining Your Optimized Windows System

Optimization isn’t a one-time task – maintaining peak performance requires ongoing attention:

Scheduling regular maintenance:

1. Type “Task Scheduler” in the search box
2. Create basic tasks for routine maintenance:
   • Weekly disk cleanup
   • Monthly disk defragmentation (HDDs only)
   • Quarterly driver updates

Automated maintenance ensures your system receives regular care without requiring you to remember each task.

Monitoring system health:

1. Use Resource Monitor (type “resmon” in search) for detailed performance tracking
2. Check Event Viewer periodically for warning or error messages
3. Run “chkdsk” occasionally to verify disk integrity

Proactive monitoring helps identify potential issues before they impact performance or stability.

Keeping drivers updated:

1. Use Windows Update for essential driver updates
2. Visit manufacturer websites for graphics, network, and other specialized hardware
3. Consider driver update utilities for comprehensive coverage, but research carefully to avoid bloatware

Updated drivers often include performance improvements and bug fixes that can enhance system stability.

Managing Windows Updates:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
2. Click “Advanced options.”
3. Configure active hours to prevent updates during your work time
4. Consider deferring feature updates briefly to allow early adopters to discover any problems

While security updates should never be delayed, feature updates can sometimes be deferred briefly to ensure stability.

Conclusion

Customizing Windows is not just about making it look nice—it’s about creating an environment that works specifically for you.

By adjusting appearance settings for comfort and visual appeal while optimizing performance for your particular needs, you can transform your Windows experience from generic to genuinely personalized.