10 Hacks Every Windows Power User Should Know

For many students and workers, Windows is just the default way to use a computer. It’s where all your apps work as expected, where all your Microsoft Office documents sync easily, and where you play all your games. But if you peel back its layers, Windows can be much more than that. Power users can take advantage of hidden features and utilities from Microsoft and third parties to not only speed up their workflow, but also improve their productivity and resolve some of the most annoying quality of life issues that plague Windows PCs.

Control everything using the command palette

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

For decades, Mac users have boasted about Spotlight Search, while Windows has never really offered a real alternative. Windows Search is fast, but it has never really managed to replicate everything Spotlight can do, especially now with the latest update of macOS Tahoe. Finally, after years of waiting, Microsoft introduced its own keyboard launcher, called Command Palette.

However, it is not available by default. To find it, you’ll need to install PowerToys, which is Microsoft’s handy set of utilities. Once PowerToys is running, find the Command Palette app in the sidebar and activate it. Then you can access it using the default keyboard shortcut, which is Windows + Alt + Space (you can customize this however you want).

Once configured, you can use the command palette to launch applications, search for files, open folders, switch between applications, open favorite websites or folders, and search the web. In fact, you can even run Terminal commands from here and use extensions to add functionality. Here is a detailed guide on the Command palette to help you get started.

Replace File Explorer with something much better

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Windows 11’s File Explorer is a certified mess. It is slower than the Windows 10 version and is more difficult to navigate. If this frustrates you as much as it does me, try installing the Files app instead. It’s an $8 app on the Microsoft Store, but can be downloaded for free on the developer’s website.

The Files app is beautifully designed and supports theme colors. The app has a simple interface with an easy-to-access sidebar, tabs, dual-pane mode, and dark mode that looks really great. There’s also a column view from macOS and the ability to preview files without opening them.

Replace Windows 11 Taskbar and Start Menu

Credit: Start11

The Windows 11 update radically redesigned the taskbar and Start menu. If you don’t like the new updates, there is a way to go back. You can install the free ExplorerPatcher app to return to Windows 10 taskbarwith the full names of the applications, as well as the old Start menu. If you only want to modify the existing Start menu (I don’t blame you), try the Start 11 appwhich costs $9.99 for a single license and one year of upgrades. Start11 is an incredibly customizable Start menu replacement where you can customize everything from layout, spacing, icon color, size, and more. You can even go back to the Windows 10 style layout, but with the look of Windows 11 icons.

Transform the look of Windows 11 with Seelen UI

Credit: Seelen

If you’ve switched from Mac to Windows and miss the Mac’s Dock and menu bar, you can get them on Windows using the free and open source software Seelen UI App. It is an application that uses web technologies to add a menu bar and a floating Dock to your screen. It also hides the Windows taskbar by default.

Seelen is fully customizable with community themes and plugins. You can choose where to keep the taskbar and make it transparent if you want (which Windows 11 doesn’t allow). You can add community themes to completely transform how it looks and works. You can also add more features using plugins.

Make Dark Mode Work Again

Credit: Microsoft

Windows dark mode is sorely lacking, especially compared to macOS. As a power user, you may prefer to spend most of your time in dark mode, or you may want to automatically switch to dark mode first thing in the evening. By default, Windows does not offer such features. You need to dig deeper into the settings to enable or disable the dark theme, and that’s it.

Microsoft has a PowerToys utility called Light Switch that can solve some of these problems. With the Light Switch utility enabled, you can automatically trigger the dark theme at sunset or on a schedule you like. Plus, it gives you a global shortcut to trigger the dark theme on the fly.

Embrace the new Snap layouts

Credit: Microsoft

Snap Layouts is a powerful hidden Windows 11 feature that few people use. You may be used to dragging the left edge of a window to dock it on the left half of the screen. Well, that’s just part of the Snap Layouts feature. The next time you want to arrange windows on your screen, drag the window to the top edge and you’ll see a new preview of all the possible layout options. You can easily split your large screen into three or four windows, without doing any major work. You can also access this feature by hovering over the Maximize button, or you can use the Windows + Z keyboard shortcut to display the Snap Layout menu.

Install and manage apps without a thousand clicks

Credit: Justin Pot

Installing applications on Windows can sometimes be a nightmare. You have to deal with installation wizards with dozens of steps, some of which haven’t been updated since the days of Windows XP. Like Linux and macOS, Windows also has a hidden package manager called Wingeta repository of apps that can be downloaded with a single command. Yes, you have to open Terminal to do this, but it’s really not that difficult. Suppose you want to install Chrome: you will enter it in the terminal and in a few seconds the Chrome browser will be installed and ready to work, without a single additional click.

Winget installs Google.Chrome

Don’t like using the command line? Well, there is a GUI application for you. With the UniGetUI appyou can search any apps or packages in Windows Package Manager list and download them with just one click. There is also a one-click option to update all WinGet apps at once.

View your clipboard history

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Windows has a built-in clipboard manager that you really should use. Press Windows + V to view the Clipboard history (the first time you do this you will need to enable this feature). Now, every time you copy something in Windows, it will be stored in this list. You can return to the Clipboard Manager at any time to copy one or more items from this list. You can even pin something to the top of the list or quickly clear all history. If you’re looking for a little more, try the Ditto app. It lets you customize the number of snippets you store on your clipboard at any given time and has a built-in quick search function.

Use focus sessions to better focus on your tasks

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

There is a Focus Session feature in the Clock app which is essentially a built-in Pomodoro timerwith distraction-free features. You can start a focus timer for, say, 30 minutes, and during this time Windows will stop all unnecessary notifications and app alerts so you can focus on your task. After a longer session, you will also be asked to take a break.

Create your own custom shortcuts, for everything

Credit: Microsoft

Power users rely on keyboard shortcuts not only to speed things up, but also to reduce mental overload. Once you have the muscle memory, using a keyboard shortcut to perform frequent tasks reduces a lot of friction (especially compared to finding buttons using a mouse). When you first start using an app, spend some time trying to learn the keyboard shortcuts for the most frequently used actions. For example, archiving mail, exporting documents, etc.

But it gets more interesting once you start remapping your keys and keyboard shortcuts using PowerToys’ Keyboard Manager utility. Here, click on the Remap a key button to start. Now you can map any unused key, like your Caps Lock key or Copilot key, to anything else (like a shortcut to show the command palette, for example). Or you can remap the shortcut to Copy From Control + Chas Windows + C. It’s time to get creative!