How you can make windows clean and functional!

Windows 11 has potential, but let’s be honest—it could look and function a lot better. If you’re tired of cluttered desktops and outdated features, this guide (along with our video) will walk you through transforming your PC into a sleek, modern, and highly efficient workspace.

1. Background Customization

The first step to achieving a clean and minimal desktop is selecting the right wallpaper and decluttering your screen.

Remove Desktop Icons

Nothing ruins a clean setup more than a cluttered desktop filled with random icons. To remove them:

• Right-click on the desktop → View → Uncheck “Show Desktop Icons”
• If you need quick access to files, pin them to Quick Access in File Explorer instead of leaving them on your desktop.

Minimalist Wallpaper

A great wallpaper sets the foundation for your aesthetic. For this setup, we recommend a minimalist mountain and river wallpaper that provides a clean look while keeping the focus on your widgets.

2. Professional Windows Menus

Now, let’s transform Windows into a sleek, translucent interface with custom widgets and a modern UI.

Windhawk – Transparent Taskbar & Start Menu

Windhawk is a powerful tool that lets you modify Windows UI elements, including making your taskbar and start menu translucent to match your overall design.

How to Install & Use Windhawk:

1. Download & install Windhawk: Get Windhawk
2. Open Windhawk and search for the following mods:
   • Taskbar Styler → Install and select the Squircle theme for a smooth and aesthetic taskbar.
   • Start Menu Styler → Install and set it to Translucent for a modern glass-like effect.
   • Notification Styler → Install and enable Translucent Mode to match the rest of the UI.
3. Apply the changes and restart your explorer (or reboot your PC) for the new look to take effect.

This small tweak immediately gives your desktop a modern and aesthetic feel, removing the blocky default taskbar look.

3. Desktop Widgets

Rainmeter

Rainmeter is a tool that adds functional widgets like clocks, music players, weather displays, and visualizers to your desktop. It allows full customization, giving you complete control over the look and feel of your setup.

Download Rainmeter

1. Installing JaxCore Widgets

1. Download & Install JaxCore: Get JaxCore
2. Open the JaxCore CoreShell and install the following modules:
   • Modular Player → A sleek, customizable music widget.
   • Modular Clock → A modern clock that blends seamlessly with the setup.
   • Modular Visualizer → A dynamic visualizer that reacts to music.

2. Setting Up the Overlayer Mod

The Overlayer mod allows us to create a depth effect by placing the visualizer behind elements of the wallpaper, such as mountains or buildings. To achieve this effect:

1. Setting Up the Overlayer Mod
   • Open your wallpaper in an image editor.
   • Remove the foreground elements (e.g., mountains) and save them as a separate transparent PNG file.
   • The Overlayer mod allows us to create a depth effect by placing the visualizer behind elements of the wallpaper, such as mountains or buildings. To achieve this effect:
   • Cut out wallpaper sections
     • Open your wallpaper in an image editor (like Photoshop or GIMP).
     • Remove the foreground elements (e.g., mountains) and save them as a separate transparent PNG file.
2. Apply Overlayer in JaxCore
   • Open JaxCore and install the Overlayer mod.
   • Add the previously saved PNG as an overlay layer.
   • Position it correctly to match the original wallpaper.
3. Set Up the Visualizersualizer
   • Open the Modular Visualizer settings.
   • Adjust the transparency, color, and animation speed to match your aesthetic.
   • Make sure the visualizer appears behind the overlay for the best effect.

3. Small Clean Weather Animated Widget – A subtle yet stylish weather widget.

• Download: Weather Widget

Common Issues & Fixes

🚨 Widgets Keep Coming to the Front?

• In the Rainmeter .ini file, set AlwaysOnTop=2 to lock widgets to the desktop layer.

🚨 JaxCore Blocked by Antivirus?

• Some antivirus programs mistakenly flag JaxCore as unsafe. Simply whitelist it to continue using it safely.

🚨 Weather Widget Not Updating?

• Use this alternative API key: e1f10a1e78da46f5b10a1e78da96f525 if the widget doesn’t load properly.

🚨 Wrong Colors in Widgets?

• If your widget colors look off, make sure to use . instead of , for RGB values in settings.

4. Boosting Windows Functionality

Customization isn’t just about looks—it’s also about making Windows more efficient and powerful with advanced features.

⚡ Tools: PowerToys & New File Explorer

PowerToys – Essential Windows Productivity Features

PowerToys is an official Microsoft tool that adds powerful features to Windows, improving workflow and efficiency.

Key Features You Should Enable:

• FancyZones – Create custom window layouts for better multitasking.
• Run Launcher – Instantly open apps, files, or settings with a quick keyboard shortcut.
• Color Picker – Grab colors from anywhere on your screen.
• Screen Ruler – Measure objects on your screen.
• Image Resizer – Resize images in bulk directly from File Explorer.
• Mouse Highlighter – Makes mouse movements easier to track. Great for screen recordings.
• Advanced Paste – Easily paste text without formatting.

How to Install PowerToys

1. Download & install PowerToys: Get PowerToys
2. Open PowerToys and enable the features that improve your workflow.

Files App – A Better File Explorer

The default Windows File Explorer is outdated and lacks modern features. The Files App is an improved alternative that provides a sleek design and extra functionality.

Why Use Files App?

✅ Dual-Tab Browsing – Open multiple folders in the same window.
✅ Quick File Selection – Easily select multiple files with a cleaner UI.
✅ Tagging System – Organize your files more efficiently.
✅ Custom Transparent Look – Matches your minimalist setup perfectly.

How to Install Files App

1. Download & install Files App: Get Files
2. Open the app and start using its modern, efficient interface.

🚨 Common Issue: Files App Slow to Load?

• On boot up it might take a while as it indexes your files.

4. The Finished Setup

Final Thoughts

This is how Windows 11 should have been from the start! With just a few simple installations, you can completely transform your desktop into a modern, efficient workspace.

📺 Want to see the full process in action? Watch the video!

Donwloads

• Background
• Windhawk
• Rainmeter
• Jaxcore
• PowerToys
• Files

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