Customizing Windows 11 is definitely a thing. Sometimes people want to change the look because the default feels kinda stock, or maybe the system isn’t behaving the way they want. Whether it’s making the desktop more personal, tweaking menus, or adjusting how things appear, the Settings app is usually the go-to. But, honestly, some settings are hidden or don’t work as expected after updates, so it can be a little frustrating. Luckily, there are some tricks and workarounds to get things just the way you want, especially if things seem locked or not responsive. This guide breaks down common tweaks with some practical tips, and a few…let’s say, lesser-known shortcuts to improve your customizing game.
How to Fix Common Customization Issues on Windows 11
Change wallpapers or themes that won’t update
This often happens when Windows gets stuck, or there’s a glitch messing with your personalization settings. If clicking around in Settings > Personalization > Background or Themes doesn’t do the trick, try this:
- Open File Explorer and navigate to
C:\Users\your username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Themes. - Here, you might find a stuck theme file, like CachedTheme. Deleting it can force Windows to reset the theme cache.
- Next, manually select your wallpaper or theme again from the Settings app. Sometimes Windows just needs a nudge to refresh its cache.
Applying a new theme or wallpaper after this tends to be more reliable. On some setups, this step needs repeating a few times, but eventually, it sticks. Not sure why it works, but Windows sometimes refuses to update the UI unless you clear out old cached configs.
Reset personalization options if they’re unresponsive
Sometimes, the personalization panel just refuses to apply changes — no matter what you click. To fix this, it’s often easier to reset some settings manually:
- Open PowerShell as administrator (Windows + X then select Windows PowerShell (Admin)).
- Run this command:
Get-AppXPackage *Microsoft. Windows. Personalization* | Reset-AppxPackage. This can reset the personalization app temporarily stuck or broken. - Then, reboot your PC and try again. If this doesn’t work, a full user profile reset might be necessary, but that’s another rabbit hole.
This trick helps when the Personalization settings crash or don’t save properly. On some machines, it’s a hit-or-miss, but more often than not, it clears out conflicting cache configs.
Fix taskbar icons that won’t resize or move
The taskbar in Windows 11 is kinda rigid — no resizing icons in the traditional way, but you can move it or change some behaviors. If icons are stuck or the taskbar isn’t responding:
- Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings.
- Try toggling the option Use small taskbar buttons. Sometimes flipping it off and back on refreshes icon sizes.
- If resizing isn’t working, it might be due to a glitch. Run
explorer.exeagain from Task Manager to restart Windows Explorer — this resets the taskbar without rebooting.
This isn’t always perfect, but on some setups it helps refresh the taskbar’s responsiveness. Also, newer updates might restrict some tweaks, so check for Windows updates that could fix or break these features.
What if customizing still feels broken?
If nothing of the above helps, sometimes the easiest way is to create a new user profile—just to see if the problem is profile-specific. Or, check for recent Windows updates that might have broken some personalization features, then roll them back temporarily if needed. And if you’re really stuck, using third-party tools like Microsoft PowerToys or Winhance can give extra customization options that Windows doesn’t natively provide. For example, customizing context menus, icons, or even changing the taskbar’s appearance more deeply.
Because, of course, Windows has to make it harder than necessary. But there’s usually a workaround, even if it feels kind of tedious or weird.