Windows 11 introduced a redesigned interface and a number of new management capabilities that are not immediately obvious — even to experienced IT professionals. This guide covers the tips and tweaks that make the biggest difference when deploying, supporting, and managing Windows 11 in a business environment.
Snap Layouts and Snap Groups for Productivity
Snap Layouts are a native multitasking feature that lets users quickly arrange open windows into predefined layouts. Hover over the maximise button of any window to reveal the layout picker. Users can snap up to four windows simultaneously. Snap Groups remember the arrangement — switching to a Snap Group from the taskbar restores all windows in their snapped positions.
For IT: you can disable Snap Layouts via Group Policy if it conflicts with specific kiosk or locked-down deployments. The relevant setting is under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Multitasking.
Virtual Desktops
Windows 11 significantly improved virtual desktops. Press Win + Tab to open Task View, then click New Desktop. You can rename each desktop (e.g., "Work", "Personal", "Lab") and assign different wallpapers to each. Switch between them with Win + Ctrl + Left/Right or swipe with four fingers on a touchpad.
For IT: virtual desktops are per-user and session-based. They do not persist across logoffs by default, and they are not accessible through remote desktop sessions in the same way as local sessions.
PowerShell: Quick System Information
Instead of navigating through System Properties, pull key information quickly:
# Get OS version, build number, and machine name
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object CsName, OsName, OsVersion, OsBuildNumber, OsArchitecture
# Check Windows 11 edition
(Get-WmiObject Win32_OperatingSystem).Caption
# Find TPM version (required for Windows 11)
Get-WmiObject -Namespace "RootCIMv2SecurityMicrosoftTpm" -Class Win32_Tpm | Select-Object SpecVersionFocus Sessions and Do Not Disturb
Windows 11 includes Focus Sessions in the Clock app, integrated with Microsoft To Do. During a focus session, notifications are automatically silenced. For enterprise deployments, Do Not Disturb can be configured to allow priority notifications only (phone calls from starred contacts, alarms).
IT note: Notification policies can be managed via MDM (Microsoft Intune) using the Notifications policy CSP.
Windows Terminal as the Default Shell
Windows 11 ships with Windows Terminal as the default command-line host, replacing the legacy cmd.exe and PowerShell windows. Windows Terminal supports multiple tabs, panes, custom themes, and profiles for cmd, PowerShell 7, WSL distributions, and SSH connections.
# Open a new PowerShell tab in Windows Terminal from an existing session
wt -p "PowerShell"
# Open Windows Terminal with a specific profile and directory
wt -p "Ubuntu" -d C:ProjectsQuick Settings and the Action Centre
The Quick Settings panel (bottom-right taskbar, click the Wi-Fi/Volume/Battery cluster) is fully customisable. Click the pencil icon to add or remove tiles. In a business context, commonly pinned tiles include: VPN, Mobile Hotspot, Night Light, and Accessibility Shortcuts.
For IT: in kiosk or shared device deployments, you can restrict the Action Centre and Quick Settings using Intune or Group Policy to prevent users from changing network or VPN settings.
Clipboard History
Press Win + V to open Clipboard History. It stores the last 25 items copied to the clipboard. Users can pin frequently used items (e.g., a support email address or boilerplate text) to keep them permanently accessible. Cloud sync clipboard sharing between devices can be enabled or disabled in Settings > System > Clipboard.
For IT: Clipboard History stores data locally only by default. Cloud clipboard requires a Microsoft account and can be restricted via policy for sensitive environments.
Taskbar Configuration via Group Policy
Windows 11 reduced some Group Policy taskbar customisation compared to Windows 10, but the following still apply:
- Prevent users from unpinning apps from the taskbar
- Hide the Task View button
- Lock the taskbar location (bottom only in Windows 11)
- Remove the Search box or show it as an icon
Locate these settings under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. Note: the taskbar in Windows 11 cannot be moved to the top or sides via Group Policy — this limitation frustrates many users coming from Windows 10.
Device Manager: Viewing Hidden Devices
When troubleshooting driver issues, open Device Manager and enable View > Show Hidden Devices. This reveals non-Plug-and-Play drivers and previously connected hardware (ghost devices). Removing ghost devices can resolve driver conflicts, especially after peripheral changes.
# List all PnP devices including disconnected ones
Get-PnpDevice -PresentOnly $false | Where-Object Status -eq "Unknown" | Select-Object FriendlyName, StatusWindows 11 Hardware Requirements: What IT Needs to Know
Before deploying Windows 11 in your environment, verify that endpoints meet the minimum requirements:
- TPM 2.0 — Required. Check BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure TPM is enabled.
- Secure Boot — Required. Enable in UEFI firmware settings.
- CPU — 8th Gen Intel Core or AMD Zen 2 and above (broadly).
- RAM — 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended for business use.
- Storage — 64 GB minimum.
Use the PC Health Check app or the Microsoft Endpoint Analytics Upgrade Readiness report in Intune to assess fleet readiness before a large-scale Windows 11 deployment.