WINDOWS SETTINGS YOU MUST CHANGE
We love Windows, but it’s by no means perfect. Whether it’s minor irritations, fiddly controls or the tools that Microsoft has either removed or needlessly updated, everyone has their pet gripes. One way to get Windows working the way you want is to dive into the Windows registry. However, unless you know exactly what you’re doing, the registry can be a confusing place and you may end up making changes that make things worse.
Thankfully, help is at hand in the shape of a brilliant free program called Winaero Tweaker (www.snipca.com/37666). This tool provides easy access to hundreds of Windows tweaks, letting you customise and enhance Windows quickly and safely – and without having to get your hands dirty in the registry.
Thanks to a major update in March, it’s now our preferred system-tweaking tool, edging out our previous favourite Ultimate Windows Tweaker (UWT – www.snipca.com/37625). Alongside a range of new features, the latest version (0.19) of Winaero Tweaker introduces an easy way to review all changes you’ve made using the tool, then reverse any you no longer want (see Workshop opposite).
On first opening the tool, we wouldn’t blame you for finding the sheer range of settings a tad overwhelming. That’s why we’ve tested every option in Winaero Tweaker and selected only the very best ones for improving how Windows looks and works. We’ve also printed the name of each setting in bold, so you know exactly what you’re looking for.
When installing Winaero Tweaker, you may find Microsoft’s SmartScreen tool flags it as a risk and states that the tool was created by an ‘unknown developer’. This is a false positive – VirusTotal confirms the tool is completely clean (www.snipca.com/37629), so you can ignore the warning and click ‘More info’, then ‘Run anyway’. Also, note that Winaero Tweaker doesn’t provide an option to create system restore points. As mentioned, all tweaks are easily reversible, but you can create your own restore point before making any changes – click Start, type restore, press Enter then select ‘Create a restore point’.
MAKE WINDOWS LESS ANNOYING
Disable the features you don’t need
Some Windows features are so pointless, you don’t even notice them until they start annoying you. One we particularly dislike is Aero Shake, which is supposed to
