However, there are situations where you might want to customize how Windows Update works. This can be achieved through modifications in the Windows Registry, a hierarchical database that stores low-level settings for the operating system and for the applications that opt to use it.

Accessing the Registry

Before you proceed, it’s crucial to understand that the Registry is a powerful tool, and incorrectly modifying it can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your Windows 11 operating system. To avoid data loss or irreversible damage, make sure that you back up the Registry and your computer before making changes.

If you’re sure you want to edit the Registry, press Windows + R to open the Run app, type regedit in the text box, and then click Ok.

The Registry Editor will open.

Customizing Windows Update Registry Settings

There are several ways you can customize Windows Update through the Registry. Here are some of the more popular edits.

How to Disable Automatic Updates

Windows Updates are enabled by default to ensure your Windows 11 system stays secure and up-to-date. However, there may be times when you want to control when these updates occur, such as when you’re on a metered or slow internet connection.

Here’s how you can disable automatic updates using the Windows Registry.

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update
   
2. Right-click the Auto Update file, select New from the context menu, and then select DWORD (32-bit) Value.

3. Name the new key AUOptions and then double-click it to open its properties dialog.

4. Enter 2 in the Value data field and click OK.

By setting the value to 2, you’re telling Windows Update to check for updates but not download or install them without your permission.

How to Change the Windows Update Service Startup Type

The Windows Update Service Startup type determines when and how the Windows Update service is initiated. Here’s how to change the Windows Update service startup type using the Windows Registry.

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\wuauserv
2. Double-click Start in the right-hand pane to open its properties dialog.

3. Change the number in the Value data box to one of the following:
   
   2: Automatic
   3: Manual
   4: Disabled
   
   The value is 3 by default. If you set the value to 2, the Windows Update service will start automatically when your system boots. If you set it to 4, the service will be disabled and won’t start unless manually triggered.
   Click OK after you’ve set the value.

The changes should take effect immediately.

How to Restrict Windows Updates Over Metered Connections

A metered connection is a network connection where you have limited data usage per month. Windows lets you set your network connection as metered to help control data usage. When set to a metered connection, Windows Update will only download priority updates to save data and won’t download most updates automatically.

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\DefaultMediaCost
   
2. At this point, if you try to modify the DefaultMediaCost key, you’ll be given a permissions error. You’ll need to adjust a few settings to enable permissions. First, right-click the DefaultMediaCost key and select Permissions from the drop-down menu.

3. In the Permissions for DefaultMediaCost window, click Advanced.

4. Now we need to change the Owner. By default, this is TrustedInstaller. We need to change the owner to Users. Click Change.

5. Enter the user’s path in the text box. In our case, that would be DESKTOP-HPCI71M\Users. You can find this info next to Users in the previous step. After you enter the name, click OK.

6. Now that the Users is the owner, select Users from the Permission entries list and then click Edit.

7. Check the box next to Full Control and then click OK.

8. Finally, click Apply to apply the settings.

9. You can now edit the DefaultMediaCost key. Each value, such as Ethernet, WiFi, 4G, etc., represents a different connection. To set a connection as metered, double-click the value to open its DWORD window, and then set the Value data to 2.

The value is now set as metered. You can switch it back to metered by setting it to 1.

How to Control Reboots After Updates

Windows has an automatic restart feature that can restart your computer after an update is installed. This can be inconvenient if you’re in the middle of something important. Here’s how to control the automatic restarts.

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
   
2. Double-click the NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.

3. Change the Value data to 1 and then click OK.

Windows will now no longer restart after an update. Remember that even if you download and install an update, you’ll need to manually restart your system for some of those updates to take place.

How to Disable Automatic Driver Updates

Automatic driver updates can sometimes cause problems, particularly if you have specific drivers that you wish to use. Disabling automatic driver updates gives you more control over what is installed on your system.

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DriverSearching
   
2. Double-click the SearchOrderConfig value and edit its Value data to 0. Click OK.

Automatic driver updates are now disabled.

How to Set the Frequency of Automatic Updates Checks

Text

1. Navigate to this file path in the Registry Editor:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update
   
2. Right-click an empty space, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and then create a new value called ScheduledInstallDay. Repeat this process and create a new value called ScheduledInstallTime.

3. Double-click ScheduledInstallDay and set the Value data to 1 through 7. 1 represents Sunday, 2 represents Monday, 3 represents Tuesday, and so on. Click OK.

4. Double-click ScheduledInstallTime and set the Value data to 1 through 24. The value represents the hour of the day in 24-hour format. Click OK.

So, in our example, we set the day to 5 and the time to 18. That means the update check will be on Thursday and 6 PM.

Enhancing Control Over Windows Updates With the Registry

Customizing Windows Update Registry settings can give you a greater level of control over your computer’s updates, enabling you to manage your data usage, disable automatic updates, control restarts after updates, and much more.

However, it’s important to approach this process with caution and ensure your computer and the Registry are backed up before making any changes. The Registry is a powerful tool and mishandling it can lead to serious issues requiring a reinstallation of your operating system.

The ability to personalize your Windows Update experience is there, just make sure that you use this tool wisely to avoid potential complications.

For example, you might be annoyed that the Start Menu looks bigger but displays fewer items. Maybe you don’t like having to click “Show more options” to get the full context menu.

The good news is that you can change all this to what you remember from Windows 10. The bad news? Microsoft might disable a few registry hacks discussed in this guide with future Windows updates because it really wants you to use the newly designed interface.

Before You Start

Before you use any of the methods discussed in this guide, you should know the following:

1. Some methods involve tweaking the registry.

While it’s safe to change registry settings mentioned in this guide, deleting an important registry key or modifying it could lead to major problems. You should back up your registry before starting.

2. StartAllBack is a paid tool.

We’ve used StartAllBack as the third-party tool in methods that require one. The tool offers a 100-day trial but isn’t completely free. If you’re looking for a free tool, use Open-Shell from GitHub.

3. Create a restore point.

There’s room for error whenever you’re changing too many things in Windows. You always want the option to undo the changes should you mess something up, so create a restore point before you perform any of the tweaks in this guide.

How to Make Windows 11 Start Menu Look Like Windows 10

The Start Menu is perhaps the most dreaded change in Windows 11. For decades, we had been moving the cursor to the bottom left and left-clicking to open the Start Menu — I could do it in my sleep.

Suddenly, Windows wants us to position the cursor somewhere closer to the center, based on how many pinned taskbar icons you have. Worse yet, you see plenty of wasted space on the Windows 11 Start Menu.

There are a few easy ways to fix the problem, though.

Position Start Menu to the Left Using the Built-In Tweak

Windows offers just one built-in tweak to make the Windows 11 Start Menu look like Windows 10 (though it does offer other Start Menu customization options). So if your primary Windows 11 pain point is the Start Menu, you might want to use a third-party tool.

If you’re not comfortable installing a third-party app, you can still left-align Start Menu like in Windows 10:

1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Taskbar settings.
2. Expand the section called Taskbar behaviors.
3. Expand the drop-down menu next to Taskbar alignment and select Center.

This will put the Start Menu icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

Redesign Start Menu With a Third-Party Tool

If you want to redesign your Start Menu even more, use a third-party tool like StartAllBack. Downloading StartAllBack and launching the .exe will automatically apply a new theme to your computer. Once you see the changes applied:

1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties.

2. Select Kinda 10 from the Welcome tab as the theme.

You can also change other Start Menu settings by navigating to the Start Menu tab from the left. However, those settings are more about improving utility than making the Start Menu look like Windows 10’s Start Menu.

You still won’t see the tiles, and the design looks more like the Windows 7 Start Menu than Windows 10, except for the Windows 10 logo as the Start button.

However, changing the Start Menu might still make sense, given it doesn’t waste a ton of screen estate like the new Start Menu in Windows 11. So when you apply the settings, this is what your Start Menu will look like:

How to Make Windows 11 Taskbar Look Like Windows 10

Windows 11 has a few built-in taskbar tweaks, but you can’t make the taskbar look like Windows 10 using just those tweaks. You’ll need to use StartAllBack and make registry tweaks to restyle the new taskbar to look like Windows 10 taskbar.

Redesign Taskbar With a Third-Party Tool

If you like your taskbar at the top of your screen, Windows 11 won’t allow that. Unlike Windows 10, you can’t position your taskbar anywhere but at the bottom. StartAllBack’s taskbar settings can help you reposition and restyle the taskbar (or you can use TaskbarX for more taskbar modification options):

1. Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties.
2. Select Taskbar from the left.
3. Select Taskbar location on screen as Top (or any other option you prefer).

Now, you’ll see the taskbar automatically move to the top of the screen:

Another thing you might consider changing is taskbar button grouping. Windows 10 lets you choose not to group taskbar buttons, but Windows 11 offers no such option. StartAllBack can help you fix this:

1. Switch to the Taskbar tab on StartAllBack.
2. Expand the drop-down menu next to Combine taskbar buttons and select Never.

Bring Back the Classic Taskbar With a Registry Tweak

You can switch to the Windows Classic taskbar using a registry tweak. While it makes the taskbar look a lot more like Windows 10 (partly because it also adds the search box), many of the elements in the taskbar don’t function.

For example, clicking on the search box won’t do anything, and clicking on the Task View might crash your PC. More importantly, the Start Menu won’t open unless you use a third-party tool like StartAllBack.

If you still want to Classic taskbar for its look and feel:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Copy and paste the following in the Registry Editor’s navigation bar and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell\Update\Packages

3. Right-click on the blank space in the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

4. Double-click on the value, rename it to UndockingDisabled, and set the value as 1.

5. Restart Windows.
6. When you restart, you won’t see the volume control and network icons at the right end of the taskbar. Launch the Control Panel and search for Notification Area Icons to bring them back.

7. Select Turn system icons on or off.

8. Turn on the system icons per your preference, select OK, and exit the Control Panel.

You’ll see the classic taskbar and Start Menu. But you might want to disable the Task View button. Right-click on the taskbar and select the Show task view button. Doing this should disable the Task View.

How to Make Windows 11 Context Menu Look Like Windows 10

Context menus are shorter on Windows 11. Many users don’t appreciate the idea of an extra click to view all options in the context menu. It’s a good thing you can bring back the longer context menu you used on Windows 10 easily using a third-party tool like StartAllBack or tweaking the registry.

Bring Back Older Context Menus With a Third-Party Tool

Select the Explorer tab from the left on StartAllBack. Then, check the box next to Classic context menus in the right pane. That’s all you need to do to get back to Windows 10 style, longer context menus.

Once you’ve selected the checkbox, you’ll see the extended context menus.

Bring Back Older Context Menus With a Registry Tweak

To get longer context menus, tweak the registry:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Copy and paste the following into the Registry Editor’s navigation bar and press Enter:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID

3. Right-click on CLSID, select New > Key, and name it:

{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}

4. Right-click on the new key you just created, select New > Key, and name it:

InprocServer32

5. Double-click the key named (Default) under InprocServer32, remove the value from the Value data field (it won’t have any value by default), and select OK.

6. Reboot.

How to Make Windows 11 File Explorer Look Like Windows 10

Windows 10 File Explorer had a ribbon at the top, which housed a range of functions like copying, creating, and renaming files and folders. Sure, you can always use the keyboard shortcuts, but some options like System properties don’t have a keyboard shortcut.

Unfortunately, Windows 11 File Explorer lacks that ribbon. However, if you’re habituated to using those functions from the top of the File Explorer, you can get it back using StartAllBack or a registry tweak.

Bring Back the Old File Explorer With a Third-Party Tool

Here is how you can bring back the Windows 10 File Explorer on Windows 11 using StartAllBack:

1. Select the Explorer tab from the left.
2. Select Win 10 Ribbon UI from the section called Choose Explorer style.

When done, you’ll see the ribbon at the top of the File Explorer:

Switch to the Classic File Explorer With a Registry Tweak

In case you don’t want to install a third-party tool, you can also just tweak the registry:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Copy and paste the following into the Registry Editor’s navigation bar:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions

3. Right-click on the Shell Extensions key, select New > Key, and name it Blocked.
4. Select the Blocked key, switch to the right pane, right-click on the white space, and select New > String value.

5. Name the value:

{e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}

6. Reboot.

You’ll have enabled the Windows 10 Classic File Explorer when you restart.

How to Make Windows 11 Corner Icon Flyouts Look Like Windows 10

Windows 11 redesigned almost every flyout for the corner icons, including the calendar, volume, and language. You can, however, use Windows 10 flyouts for some of these icons, provided you’re using StartAllBack as your third-party customization tool:

1. Select Taskbar from the left sidebar.
2. In the right pane, expand the drop-down menu next to Corner icons open.
3. Select Windows 10 flyouts if possible.

Flyouts for icons like volume and calendar will now be similar to Windows 10.

However, the flyout for the network icon remains unchanged.

A Final Touch: Windows 10 Wallpaper

Once you’ve made all these changes, your computer should look and feel like Windows 10 to a good extent. However, changing the wallpaper to the Windows 10 default can be an excellent final touch to bring your visual experience closer to Windows 10.

1. Go to an image of the Windows 10 default wallpaper.
2. Right-click on the image and select Save image as. Save the file in your preferred location.

3. Go to the location where you saved the file.
4. Right-click on the image and select Set as desktop background.

Alternatively, you can also change the wallpaper from the Settings app.

Windows 11, Redesigned

Windows 11 comes with some major design changes. While many like the new, curvy interface, other Windows users continue to like the Windows 10 experience. Windows 10 indeed had one of the best interfaces of any version of Windows.

With the methods discussed in this guide, you should be able to use your new Windows 11 PC with all its new features, like Android apps and widgets, but with the Windows 10 Start Menu, taskbar, and File Explorer. Hopefully, you like your Windows 11’s new look.

In most cases, the error is easy to fix and doesn’t require any major troubleshooting. A reboot can resolve the issue, but if it doesn’t, there are other fixes you can try. Below, we discuss the most common ways to address this error.

Use DISM

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) is a built-in command-line utility on Windows used to service system images. It’s a powerful tool for solving a broad range of issues.

In the context of SFC, there are two DISM commands you may want to try. First, you want to use the /restorehealth parameter. If that doesn’t work, you might try using the /revertpendingactions parameter.

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to launch Command Prompt.
2. Execute the following command:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /Restorehealth

Once DISM completes the process, try running a SFC scan and see if it works. If it doesn’t, try executing the following command:

DISM.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

(replace C with the drive letter where Windows is installed)

Reboot Windows and rerun SFC.

If you can’t boot into windows, you’ll need to launch a Command Prompt window from the Safe Mode or Recovery Environment. If you use the recovery environment, just navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt.

Delete a Few Files

Start by deleting files that track the system restore process. If the file has become corrupt, it might be causing the “there is a system repair pending” error, and deleting it might just resolve the issue.

You need to delete the file named pending.xml. The file is stored in the following path on your computer:

C:\Windows\WinSxS\Pending.xml

(replace C with the drive letter where Windows is installed)

You can delete this file using the Command Prompt like so:

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to launch Command Prompt.
2. Execute the following command:

del c:\windows\winsxs\pending.xml

Once the XML file is deleted, run the following command:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows

You might even consider deleting the whole WinSxS folder while you’re at it for some regular PC maintenance. Hopefully, the SFC scan will work fine now.

Update Drivers

A corrupt driver might be the culprit if the SFC problem is accompanied by other signs like a piece of hardware not functioning properly or frequent Blue Screens of Death. The easiest fix is to update the drivers.

Windows Update typically ensures your drivers are up to date. If you’ve disabled automatic updates, here is how you can update Windows 10 or 11:

1. Press Win + I to launch the Settings app.
2. Select Windows Update from the left sidebar if you’re running Windows 11.

If you’re on Windows 10, you’ll need to navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update. However, Microsoft no longer supports Windows 7 and 8, so skip to the following method if you’re using one of these.

3. Select Check for updates.

If Windows finds updates, install them.

You might specifically want to pay attention to your graphics driver. If an update isn’t available, go ahead and reinstall it:

1. Press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter to launch the Device Manager.
2. Expand the list of Display adapters, right-click on the graphics driver, and select Uninstall.

3. Select Action from the top ribbon and select Scan for hardware changes.

Doing this will automatically reinstall the latest driver for your graphics device.

Try running the SFC scan once you’ve completed updating or reinstalling problematic drivers.

Tweak Registry Settings

Windows uses a “RebootPending” registry key to keep tabs on programs that request a reboot. It’s essentially a queue of programs that require a reboot, and when something changes that queue, it can lead to problems like the “there is a system repair pending” error while running SFC.

The easy way to fix the problem is to delete the “RebootPending” key like so:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Copy and paste the following into the Registry Editor’s navigation bar:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

3. Right-click on CurrentVersion and select Permissions.

4. Select your username from the list, check the box next to Full control, and select OK to save and exit the window.

5. Look for a key named RebootPending in the right pane and delete the key. When prompted for confirmation, provide it.

Reboot your PC and retry running the SFC command.

Change SATA Setting in BIOS

Some users report configuring SATA as IDE instead of AHCI resolves the problem. The cause seems to be the changes Microsoft made to hard drive bus driver classes. Note that it’s best to try using the other fixes before tinkering with the BIOS settings. If you haven’t had luck with previous methods, give this method a go:

1. Start by shutting down the PC.
2. Press the power button again. You’ll need to press the BIOS key quickly. The tricky part is that the BIOS key differs among manufacturers, but it’s typically the Del, Esc, F1, F10, or F12. You might want to check our complete guide on how to enter BIOS if none of the keys worked for you.
3. Next, you’ll need to find the SATA option in the BIOS firmware. Again, the option may be in a different section based on your BIOS firmware. The best way to find the option is just to explore the firmware and look for words like SATA, IDE, and AHCI. Once you find the option, change the SATA setting to IDE.

4. Save changes and exit the BIOS, and boot into your PC.

Hopefully, that will fix the “SFC /scannow there is a system repair pending” issue.

Check and Fix System Files with SFC

It’s typically easy to fix Windows file system errors with SFC. But it can be frustrating when SFC itself results in an error instead of fixing the one you already have. The good thing is, fixing the SFC error is pretty straightforward. Hopefully, you were able to fix the “There is a system repair pending” error.

In this article, we help you understand SysMain and why you might face a high disk usage problem with this service.

What Is SysMain (Superfetch)?

Superfetch, called SysMain after the Windows 10 1809 update, was introduced with Windows Vista and is a successor to Prefetch (a similar feature in Windows XP). The OS uses this feature to improve system performance over time.

Why over time? First, it studies your RAM usage patterns. Then the feature identifies programs you run most often on your PC. Once Superfetch has this information, it preloads these programs into your RAM. When you launch these programs, you’ll see them load much faster.

So, Superfetch needs resources. You might find Superfetch working in the background when you look at the list of system processes in the Task Manager as “Service Host: SysMain”:

Critically, Superfetch doesn’t deprive other programs of RAM. It only uses unused RAM. Any newly launched program will still have priority over Superfetch regarding RAM space. If required, Superfetch will free up RAM for another app.

If you believe Superfetch is causing performance issues on your computer, you can safely disable it. Below, we discuss a few ways to disable Superfetch and fix Service Host: SysMain high CPU usage problem.

Disable SysMain from Services

Since SysMain is a Windows service, the simplest way to disable SysMain is from the Services console:

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter to launch the Services console.
2. Scroll through the list in the Services console for a service named SysMain.

3. Double-click on the SysMain service to open service properties. Alternatively, you can right-click on the service and select Properties.
4. Select the Stop button to stop the service. Then, expand the Startup Type drop-down menu and select Disabled.
5. Select OK to save and exit.

Disable SysMain Using Command Prompt

Using the Command Prompt to disable SysMain is quicker. If you’re comfortable using commands, here is how you can disable SysMain:

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch an elevated Command Prompt.
2. Copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter:

sc stop “SysMain” & sc config “SysMain” start=disabled

Disable SysMain from the Registry

If the previous methods don’t work for some reason, you can modify the registry settings to disable SysMain:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following path using the left sidebar or copy and paste the following text into the navigation bar at the top and press Enter:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SysMain

3. Search for a value named Start in the right pane and double-click on it.
4. Change Value Data to 4 and select OK to save and exit.

Run SFC Scan

If you want to try resolving the SysMain high disk usage issue without disabling SysMain, you can try using the System File Checker (SFC).

SFC is a built-in utility on Windows that checks system file integrity. It automatically replaces the corrupt system files it finds during the scan, so if system file corruption is at the root of the issue, SFC might fix it.

1. Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt and hit Enter:

sfc /scannow

The scan will scan your hard disk for corrupt system files and replace ones that have become corrupt. Once the scan completes, restart your PC and check if the Service Host SysMain high disk usage issue persists.

Update Windows

It’s always essential to check Windows Update and see if an update is available for download. Microsoft is constantly looking for issues with Windows and releases updates to fix them.

If the previous fixes weren’t helpful, an update might be worth a shot:

1. Press Win + I to launch the Settings app and select Windows Update from the left sidebar.
2. Select the Check for updates button.
3. If updates are available, select the Download & install button to install them.

Restart your PC and see if that fixes the problem.

Replace Hard Drive with SSD

If you’ve been using your old mechanical HDD for a while, replacing it with a Solid State Drive (SSD) can optimize your computer’s performance and solve the high disk usage issue.

This might be especially warranted if you’ve tried troubleshooting and exhausted all methods to fix the issue.

Most modern computers have a slot to accommodate SSDs. However, if you’ve never purchased SSDs, use our SSD buying guide to make an informed decision.

SysMain Disk Usage, Normalized

Hopefully, you were able to fix SysMain disk usage with one of these fixes. SysMain isn’t necessarily a resource-hog. Windows introduced this intelligent feature to optimize RAM usage and deliver faster performance when using the most frequently used apps.

You can permanently disable it without severe consequences if it’s using a lot of memory. Alternatively, fixing system file corruption or a Windows update might help resolve the issue without disabling the SysMain service.

A missed task is often expensive, costing you time and money. They’re essential for everyday personal tasks too. For example, if you need reminders about renewing your license or completing an assignment, task management apps can help notify you when the task becomes due.

The problem, though, is there are way too many to-do list apps on the market. In this article, we help you differentiate between two of the most popular ones: Todoist vs Microsoft To Do.

Features and Functionality

Each app has its own set of capabilities.

Microsoft To Do focuses on simplicity. After acquiring Wunderlist in 2015, Microsoft replaced it with Microsoft To Do. The plan was to build a more robust app with more features, but instead, Microsoft created a simple app with only basic capabilities.

On the other hand, Todoist offers a broader range of features which is ideal for business use.

Microsoft To Do and Todoist have similar interfaces with a left sidebar for switching between the app’s sections and a right pane with a list of tasks.

Task Lists

Microsoft To Do offers four types of filters for lists where you can filter your tasks by:

• My Day: This is a smart list where you can manually add tasks you want to do today. If you don’t finish a task in this list the same day, the task will be saved to your general task list at night when the list automatically resets. The uncompleted tasks appear as a suggestion in the My Day tasks section the following day.
• Important: Important tasks (click on the star next to the title of a task) appear here.
• Planned: Any task with a due date or reminder shows up in this section.
• Assigned to me: When collaborating with teammates on a project with multiple tasks, you’ll see all tasks assigned to you in this section.
• Tasks: This is where all your tasks appear.

You can also add new task lists to the left sidebar or create a group of task lists by clicking on the icon at the bottom-right of the sidebar. It’s a fairly straightforward user interface when you look at it:

Now, let’s compare this to how things work on Todoist.

With Todoist, you can do a lot more.

Todoist’s sidebar is not divided into task filters like Microsoft To Do. Here’s what you’ll see on Todoist’s sidebar:

• Inbox: All tasks created by you (not for a specific project) and assigned to you appear here.
• Today: Tasks that are due today and overdue tasks appear here.
• Upcoming: You see a date-wise list of tasks here, and overdue tasks appear at the top in this section too.
• Filters and Labels: You can filter tasks based on parameters like priority or by labels. Unlike Microsoft To Do, Todoist has an entire section dedicated to filtering, which translates to ease of use because it condenses several features right into the sidebar.

• Projects: Tasks appear under their respective projects. You can also access archived projects. Microsoft doesn’t allow archiving projects (or task lists as it calls them), though. All task lists are deleted permanently from To Do when you delete them.

Todoist offers a more comprehensive feature set for task lists, but if you need something simpler, To Do makes more sense.

Task Creation

Both apps have a few standard task creation features. For example, both allow creating subtasks and offer options to add a reminder, due date, and assignees.

However, there are many differences as well:

• Subtasks: You can add subtasks on both apps. To Do refers to subtasks as “steps.” The difference is that Todoist allows adding subtasks within subtasks, while To Do doesn’t.
• Sections: Todoist allows creating sections within the same project, which means you can group tasks based on specific criteria even within the same project. On Microsoft To do, you can only add individual tasks within a project.

• Reminder: Reminders are available on both apps when creating a task. However, only users with a Pro or Business plan subscription can access the Reminders feature on Todoist. There’s no way to set reminders if you’re on the free version.

• Recurring Due Dates: To Do keeps things simple by allowing you to set “Repeat” tasks. However, Todoist goes one step further and uses Natural Language Parsing to set recurring due dates. For instance, when you create a task, try typing “Remind me about checking in on Nate every Monday” in the name field, and Todoist will automatically set the recurring due dates.

In addition to these differences, Todoist also offers some additional features that you won’t find on the To Do app:

• Prioritization: The Todoist app allows setting priorities for every task, while there’s no such option on To Do.
• Comments and reactions: Todoist offers various collaborative features like comments and reactions. You can tag teammates in the comments section for exchanging information or sharing updates.
• Task activity: You can view an activity log for all tasks, which allows you to monitor and audit the workflow efficiently.

Task Views

Task views are one of the essential features, especially for users who want to manage a complex workflow.

While to-do apps generally don’t provide as many task views as project management apps, users expect at least a kanban board from to-do apps.

Unfortunately, Microsoft To Do offers no other views except the plain-vanilla list. On the other hand, Todoist offers both a list view and a board view.

You can use Todoist’s kanban board view the same way as a kanban board-based project management app like Trello where you create columns for each stage of your workflow, and cards are moved along as they complete each stage.

Miscellaneous Features

We’ve covered almost everything Microsoft To Do has to offer. Unfortunately, To Do has no noteworthy extra features (except for integrations). You do get some extra goodies with Todoist, though.

• Karma points: The app gamifies productivity for its users with Karma. When you go to the Productivity section on Todoist, you’ll see the option to create goals. You can set goals for creating a specific number of daily or weekly tasks.

You earn Karma points whenever you complete a task and achieve your goal. See how Karma points work on Todoist’s website.

• Integrations: Integrations are one of the most powerful features of Todoist. You can integrate Todoist with almost any app, including Gmail, Chrome, Google Calendar, Outlook, and Zapier. You can also integrate with apps that aren’t on the list with integrations like Apiway.

Even Microsoft To Do offers integrations for apps like Google Calendar and the Office 365 Suite. However, the options are considerably fewer than Todoist. It’s also worth noting that you can use a tool like Zapier to integrate To Do or Todoist with many more apps.

• Alert style: You can customize how you want to be notified about Todoist alerts for each activity. For instance, if you’re the manager, you might not want to receive email notifications every time a collaborator joins or leaves a project, but you might prefer to be notified when a task is complete.

• Templates: You can quickly create projects by importing a ready-to-use template from Todoist’s template library. From personal projects to employee onboarding, you’ll find a template for almost any project you can think of in the library.
• Automatic Backups: Automatic backups aren’t available on the free plan. You can backup all your data to the cloud if you’re on a paid plan.

None of the features listed in this section are available on Microsoft To Do, which makes Todoist more suitable for heavy-duty users like businesses.

Device Compatibility

Microsoft To Do and Todoist are cross-platform apps, but Todoist runs on more devices than To Do.

You can use To Do on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and the web. Todoist is available on all platforms, including Linux, Wear OS, and Apple Watch.

In addition to the mobile app, you can add the Todoist widget on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Todoist also allows directly creating tasks from emails via its Gmail add-on, Gmail extension, and Outlook plugin. You can also use Todoist from your browser—it has Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari extensions.

Pricing

Microsoft To Do is entirely free. Todoist has a free plan but locks some of its features behind its Pro and Business plans. The free plan only allows up to 5 active projects, 5 collaborators per project, file uploads of up to 5MB, 3 filters, and 1-week activity history.

The free version works fine for personal use, but business users will almost certainly want to get one of the paid plans.

Todoist’s Pro plan costs $4 per month while the Business plan costs $6 per month, provided you pay for the whole year.

Which One is Right for You: Todoist Vs Microsoft To Do

Both apps have their use cases.

Microsoft To Do is ideal if you simply want to use the GTD (Getting Things Done) approach for personal tasks. You don’t need Todoist’s long lineup of features to make your grocery shopping list more complex than it should be.

If you’re looking for something more than the ability to create and complete tasks, such as collaborating on tasks by tagging your teammates or integrating with other business apps, you might consider Todoist.

It’s a perfect choice when you don’t want a full-fledged project management app like Asana. Just something powerful enough to handle business tasks and collaboration.