Alex Ruben
How To Change the First Day of the Week in Windows 10 Calendar (2 Simple Methods)
Customizing your calendar to start on a different day isn’t too crazy, but it can be kinda frustrating if you don’t know where to look. Seems like Windows keeps a lot of these preferences tucked away in different places, so here’s a breakdown of steps that actually worked for me on multiple setups. Just keep in mind, sometimes these changes don’t stick immediately — you might need to restart or even tweak a couple of hidden settings.
Method 1: Change the First Day of the Week in Settings
This is the easiest way, honestly. It tweaks the regional format, so it’s pretty reliable if you want a quick fix.
- Hit the Start menu and open Settings.
- Go to Time & Language.
- Click on Region in the sidebar.
- Scroll down to the Regional format section.
- Hit Change data formats. On some Windows versions, this might be under a link or a button, so look out for it.
- Scroll to the First day of week drop-down menu. Here is where it gets better or worse depending on your settings. Pick your preferred day, like Monday or Sunday.
- After that, just close out — the change is usually applied instantly, but sometimes, a reboot is needed.
Open your Calendar, and voilà — it should now start on the day you picked. Might need to restart the app or a reboot, but that’s normal.
Method 2: Change via Control Panel
This method feels a little more old-school but sometimes does the trick if the first one doesn’t work properly. Plus, it’s useful if the regional settings in the first method don’t stick.
- Open the Control Panel. Just search for it in the Start menu — no rocket science here.
- Make sure View by is set to Large icons or Small icons to see everything.
- Click on Region.
- Switch to the Formats tab at the top of the new window.
- Find the First day of week drop-down and choose your day (again, Monday, Sunday, whatever).
- Hit Apply and then OK. Sometimes, you gotta restart the Calendar app or even your PC if it’s stubborn.
This method tends to be a bit more reliable about taking effect, especially after reboots. Who knows why Windows does these settings kind of half-applies sometimes — bug, maybe?
Extra Tips & Common Issues
Some quick heads-up: Windows updates can sometimes mess with your regional settings, so make sure you’re running the latest build. Also, if the calendar refuses to update, a quick restart usually kicks it into gear. And for multiple users on one machine, double-check that these changes are made on the right account, or else it’s all for nothing.
Conclusion
All in all, changing the week start day isn’t a huge deal once you find the right spot in the settings. It’s one of those little tweaks that makes scheduling just that bit easier, especially if your cultural or work habits lean one way or another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the first day of the week in Windows 11?
Yep, the steps are almost identical — Settings and Control Panel (or the new Settings app) work pretty much the same way.
What if my calendar still shows the wrong start day after changing settings?
If that happens, restart your PC or try opening Outlook or your Calendar app after a couple of minutes. Sometimes Windows needs a little nudge to refresh.
Can I set different first days for different regional formats?
Yes, you can tweak regional format settings under Region -> Change data formats, which might give you more granular control depending on the format you need.
Summary
- Changing regional formats usually adjusts the calendar start day.
- If the simpler way doesn’t stick, the control panel route might be better.
- Always restart after making these changes if they don’t apply right away.
Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone. Not sure why Windows has to make stuff so complicated, but hey, at least there are options.