10 Hacks Every Windows Power User Should Know

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For many students and workers, Windows is simply the default way to use a computer. Here, all your apps work as expected, all your Microsoft Office documents sync easily, and you play all your games. But if you peel back all the layers, Windows can appear much larger. 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 productivity and fix some of the most annoying quality of life issues that plague Windows PCs.

Control everything with the Command Palette

For decades, Mac users have bragged about Spotlight Search, while Windows has never offered a real alternative. Windows Search is fast, but it's never come close to replicating the full capabilities of Spotlight, especially now that Latest macOS Tahoe update. Finally, after years of waiting, Microsoft has introduced its own keyboard launcher called Command Palette.

However, it is not available by default. To find it you will have to install PowerToyswhich is Microsoft's own set of handy utilities. Once PowerToys is launched, find the Command Palette app in the sidebar and enable it. You can then access it using the default keyboard shortcut which is Windows + Alternative option + Space (you can customize this as you wish).

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

Replace File Explorer with something much better.

File Explorer in Windows 11 is a certified mess. It's slower than the Windows 10 version and more difficult to get to grips with. If this frustrates you as much as it does me, try installing the Files app instead. This app costs $8 in the Microsoft Store, but can be downloaded for free from the developer's website.

The Files app has a beautiful design and supports theme colors. The app has a simple interface with a user-friendly sidebar, tabs, dual panel mode, and a dark mode that really looks good. macOS also includes a column view and the ability to preview files without opening them.

Replace Windows 11 Taskbar and Start Menu

The Windows 11 update radically changed the design of the taskbar and Start menu. If you don't like the new updates, there is a way to go back. You can install free ExplorerPatcher app to get back to Windows 10 taskbarwith full application names and the old Start menu. If you only want to change the existing Start menu (I don't blame you), try Launch application 11The cost for one license and annual update is $9.99. 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 and feel of Windows 11 icons.

Change the look of Windows 11 with Seelen UI

If you've switched from Mac to Windows and are missing the Mac's Dock and Menu Bar, you can get them on Windows using a free, open-source app. Selenium app with user interface. This is an application that uses web technologies to add a menu bar and 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 store the taskbar, and you can make it transparent if you want (which Windows 11 doesn't allow). You can add community themes to completely change how it looks and works. You can also add additional functionality using plugins.

Make dark mode functional again

Dark mode in Windows is sorely lacking, especially compared to macOS. As a power user, you may prefer to spend most of your time in dark mode, or want to automatically switch to dark mode as evening falls. By default, Windows does not offer such features. You'll have to go deep 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. By enabling the Light Switch utility, you can automatically activate the dark theme at sunset time or on a schedule you like. Plus, it gives you a global shortcut to quickly launch the dark theme.

Use Snap's new layouts

Snap Layouts is a powerful hidden feature of Windows 11 that not many people use. You may be used to dragging the left edge of a window to snap it to the left half of the screen. Well, this is 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 a large monitor screen into three or four windows without doing any heavy lifting. You can also access this feature by hovering your mouse over the Expand button, or you can use the Windows + Z keyboard shortcut to open the Snap Layout menu.

Install and manage applications without a thousand clicks

Installing applications on Windows can sometimes be a nightmare. You'll have to deal with dozens of step-by-step installation wizards, some of which haven't been updated since Windows XP. Like Linux and macOS, Windows also has hidden package manager called Wingeta repository of applications that can be downloaded using a single command. Yes, you need to open Terminal to do this, but it's really not that difficult. Let's say you want to install Chrome: you type this in the terminal, and in a couple of seconds the Chrome browser will be installed and ready to go without a single extra click.

winget install Google.Chrome

Don't like using the command line? Well, there is a GUI application for you. Using the UniGetUI applicationyou can find all the applications or packages in the Windows Package Manager list and download them with one click. It is also possible to update all WinGet applications at once with one click.

View your clipboard history

Windows has a built-in clipboard manager that you should really use. Press Windows + V to open the clipboard history (you will have to enable this feature the first time). Now every time you copy something in Windows, it will be saved 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 your entire history. If you need more, try the Ditto app. It allows you to customize the number of snippets you save to the clipboard at a given time and has a built-in quick search feature.

Use focus sessions to better focus on your tasks

The Clock app has a Focus Session feature, which is essentially a built-in Pomodoro timerwith distraction-free features. You can start a focus timer for, say, 30 minutes, and during that time, Windows will turn off 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 shortcuts for anything

Power users rely on keyboard shortcuts to not only speed up their work, but also reduce mental overload. Once you have muscle memory, using keyboard shortcuts to perform common tasks will reduce friction (especially compared to searching for buttons with a mouse). When you start using the app, take some time to learn the keyboard shortcuts for the actions you use most often. For example, archiving mail, exporting documents, and so on.

But it gets even more interesting when you start remapping keys and shortcuts using the Keyboard Manager utility inside PowerToys. Here click the button Reassign key button to get started. You can now map any unused key, such as the Caps Lock key or the co-pilot key, to something else (such as a shortcut to the Command Palette). Or you can reassign the shortcut to copy from Control + CTo Windows + C. Time to get creative!