The Windows registry database can be used to adjust all kinds of settings that the average user would never need. In addition, the so-called “history” can be used for options that are no longer officially supported. If you are going to test the logs, it is recommended to make a backup beforehand.
By searching for regedit in the Start menu, you can right-click on the appropriate application and open it as administrator. On the left, you can find the different folders to go to the correct registry. All changes can be undone by deleting the generated keys.
Restore and expand the old context menu
The right-click menu has been simplified so you have to click more options to see all the options. Fortunately, you can go back to the old menu and see all the options at once. Follow the path Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID and right click on the CLSID folder.
Click New and create a new key or key. Name this “{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}” (without the quotes). In it, create a new key called “InprocServer32”. Double-click Default in the right window and immediately close the displayed window. This sets a null value. After restarting your system, the old layout of the menu appears again.
Via the path HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell, you can view more applications in the context menu. Create a new key within the shell and use the related application as the name. The example uses Paint.net. Create a key again and name it “command”. Find the path of the application you want to view, in this case C:\Program Files\paint.net\paintdotnet.exe. Double-click Default in the left pane and enter this path as the value. You can repeat these steps with other applications.
Make the taskbar bigger or smaller
If you are not satisfied with the height of the taskbar, you can adjust it via HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Create a new 32-bit DWORD value. The value can be entered as 0, 1 or 2, respectively, lowercase, normal and uppercase.
Get rid of Bing from the start menu
Microsoft tries to promote its Bing search engine a lot in the Start Menu, but not all users like this. Fortunately, something can be done about that, too. Through Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, a key can be found or created by yourself called “Explorer”. In it, create a new 32-bit DWORD value and name it “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions”. Set the value as 1 and restart your system to continue without Bing.
Remove Action Center
Also, the list of notifications displayed on the right side of the screen cannot rely on unanimous applause. This can be removed, but note that the calendar and clock window will no longer be displayed. Go to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, if this last key does not exist yet, you can create it yourself. Set a 32-bit DWORD value called “DisableNotificationCenter” and the value 1. After rebooting, the information center disappears.
source:
WinFuture
4 products discussed
Compare all products
« Previous Post Last Next »