Hidden Features and Shortcuts
God Mode:
- Create a new folder on your desktop.
- Rename the folder to
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
. - Open the folder to access a range of administrative tools and settings.
Slide to Shutdown:
- Right-click on your desktop, select New > Shortcut.
- In the location field, enter
SlideToShutDown.exe
. - Click Next and name the shortcut as desired.
- Double-click the shortcut to activate a slide-down shutdown screen.
Windows Master Control Panel:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
and press Enter. - This opens a special Control Panel with extensive settings.
- Press
Hidden Start Menu:
- Right-click on the Start button or press
Win + X
to access a quick-access menu with various administrative tools.
- Right-click on the Start button or press
Secret Taskbar Features:
- Press
Shift
while right-clicking on a taskbar icon to access additional options, including the classic context menu.
- Press
Hidden International Keyboard:
- Press
Win + Space
to quickly switch between installed keyboard languages and layouts.
- Press
Command Line Tools
System File Checker:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type
sfc /scannow
to scan and repair corrupted system files.
Check Disk Utility:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type
chkdsk /f
to check for and fix file system errors.
Group Policy Editor:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
gpedit.msc
to open the Group Policy Editor, where you can configure various settings.
- Press
Device Manager:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
devmgmt.msc
to open the Device Manager, where you can manage hardware devices.
- Press
DirectX Diagnostic Tool:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
dxdiag
to open the DirectX Diagnostic Tool, which provides information about your DirectX installation and hardware.
- Press
Resource Monitor:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
resmon
to open the Resource Monitor, where you can monitor CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
- Press
Power User Shortcuts
Quick Lock:
- Press
Win + L
to lock your computer quickly.
- Press
Quick Screenshot:
- Press
Win + Print Screen
to take a screenshot and save it automatically in the Pictures > Screenshots folder.
- Press
Virtual Desktops:
- Press
Win + Ctrl + D
to create a new virtual desktop. - Press
Win + Ctrl + F4
to close the current virtual desktop. - Press
Win + Ctrl + Left/Right Arrow
to switch between virtual desktops.
- Press
Clipboard History:
- Press
Win + V
to open the clipboard history, allowing you to access multiple copied items.
- Press
Task Manager Options
Open Task Manager Quickly:
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
to open the Task Manager directly.
- Press
Startup Programs:
- In Task Manager, go to the Startup tab to manage programs that start with Windows.
Advanced Features and Tricks
Enable Dark Mode:
- Go to
Settings > Personalization > Colors
. - Under "Choose your color," select
Dark
to enable dark mode across the system.
- Go to
Storage Sense:
- Go to
Settings > System > Storage
. - Turn on
Storage Sense
to automatically free up space by deleting temporary files and managing local cloud content.
- Go to
Dynamic Lock:
- Go to
Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options
. - Under
Dynamic lock
, checkAllow Windows to automatically lock your device when you're away
and pair your PC with your smartphone via Bluetooth.
- Go to
Night Light:
- Go to
Settings > System > Display
. - Turn on
Night light
to reduce blue light and ease eye strain at night. You can schedule it or adjust the color temperature.
- Go to
Hidden Emoji Picker:
- Press
Win + .
(Windows key and period) orWin + ;
(Windows key and semicolon) to open the emoji picker.
- Press
Clipboard Sync Across Devices:
- Go to
Settings > System > Clipboard
. - Turn on
Clipboard history
andSync across devices
to copy and paste items across your devices.
- Go to
Advanced Command Line Tools
Windows Package Manager (Winget):
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.
- Use
winget
commands to install, update, and manage software packages. For example,winget install <package_name>
to install software.
Power Configuration:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type
powercfg /batteryreport
to generate a detailed battery report in HTML format. - Type
powercfg /energy
to generate a power efficiency diagnostics report.
Tasklist and Taskkill:
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type
tasklist
to see a list of all running processes. - Type
taskkill /F /PID <process_id>
to forcefully terminate a specific process by its ID.
Windows Memory Diagnostic:
- Press
Win + R
to open the Run dialog. - Type
mdsched.exe
and press Enter to launch the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which checks for memory problems.
- Press
Customization and Accessibility
Customizing File Explorer:
- Open File Explorer, go to the
View
tab, and selectOptions
. - In the Folder Options window, you can customize how folders and files are displayed.
- Open File Explorer, go to the
Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity and Pointer Size:
- Go to
Settings > Devices > Mouse
to adjust mouse sensitivity and settings. - Go to
Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse pointer
to change the pointer size and color.
- Go to
Enabling High Contrast Mode:
- Go to
Settings > Ease of Access > High contrast
. - Turn on the high contrast mode to improve readability with a high contrast color scheme.
- Go to
Networking and Connectivity
Creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot:
- Go to
Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile hotspot
. - Turn on
Mobile hotspot
and share your internet connection with other devices.
- Go to
Network Troubleshooter:
- Go to
Settings > Network & Internet > Status
. - Select
Network troubleshooter
to diagnose and fix network issues.
- Go to
Viewing Network Usage:
- Go to
Settings > Network & Internet > Data usage
to see a breakdown of data usage by app.
- Go to
System Maintenance and Optimization
Disk Cleanup:
- Press
Win + R
, typecleanmgr
, and press Enter. - Select the drive you want to clean up and choose which files to delete to free up space.
- Press
Defragment and Optimize Drives:
- Press
Win + R
, typedfrgui
, and press Enter. - Use the tool to defragment and optimize your hard drives for better performance.
- Press
Managing System Restore Points:
- Go to
Control Panel > System and Security > System
. - Click
System Protection
on the left pane to create, configure, or restore system restore points.
- Go to
Virtual Desktop Enhancements
Naming Virtual Desktops:
- Open the Task View interface by pressing
Win + Tab
. - Right-click on a virtual desktop and select
Rename
to give it a custom name.
- Open the Task View interface by pressing
Per-Desktop Backgrounds:
- In Task View, right-click on a virtual desktop and choose
Choose background
to set different backgrounds for each desktop.
- In Task View, right-click on a virtual desktop and choose
Edge Browser Tricks
Vertical Tabs:
- Open Microsoft Edge, click on the
vertical tabs
icon in the top left corner to switch to vertical tabs for better tab management.
- Open Microsoft Edge, click on the
Collections:
- In Microsoft Edge, click on the
Collections
icon to save and organize web content, links, and notes.
- In Microsoft Edge, click on the
Immersive Reader:
- Open a webpage in Microsoft Edge and click on the
Immersive Reader
icon in the address bar to enable distraction-free reading mode.
- Open a webpage in Microsoft Edge and click on the
These additional tips and secrets can help you further optimize and personalize your Windows 10 experience. Enjoy exploring and making the most of your system!