This article will detail some of the differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 and provide links to official videos from Microsoft to help explore the updated operating system.
Table of Contents
What’s different?
The differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 are both cosmetic and functional, such as the general appearance of Windows 11, and with everyday tasks, such as the right-click menu and the location of the taskbar. These changes are detailed below:
The Taskbar
The first, most noticeable change in Windows 11 is the placement of the taskbar - your start menu and icons will be in the center of the taskbar by default:
This setting can be adjusted if you prefer the traditional left-side start menu by:
Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings:
Scroll down and click on Taskbar behaviors:
Click on the drop-down box near Taskbar alignment, and select Left:
Your taskbar will move to the bottom-left position, just how it was in Windows 10.
The Right-click Menu
Another change made in Windows 11 is the right-click menu. Mainly, many of the settings when you right-click something are now docked under a ‘Show more options’ button at the bottom:
If you are missing an option, try right-clicking an item and checking this show more options button. You can also use shift + right-click to jump straight to the Show more options menu for faster access.
Copying, Cutting, Etc.
You may have noticed in the previous section that the right-click options for copying and other functions appear different now. These right-click options still exist, but have updated buttons located at the top of the right-click menu:
From left to right:
Icon | Action | Keyboard Shortcut |
---|---|---|
Cut | Ctrl+X | |
Copy | Ctrl+C | |
Rename | F2 | |
Share | None/no shortcut | |
Delete | Delete |
Copilot
Included in Windows 11 is the Copilot app, an AI assistant built into Windows directly. Copilot is accessible by the standalone app or as a tab in Microsoft Edge:
If you are interested in using Copilot, please feel free to read up on it here, or go ahead and start interacting with it!
Microsoft Videos
Below are links to some relevant and helpful videos about Windows 11 to complement this article:
Feel free to browse more videos here.