Windows packs a ton of features, but only a few are directly visible and available to you. The intent behind this approach is that most users don’t wander beyond the surface-level system settings or tweaks. So hiding granular, more advanced-level settings and tools makes it difficult to break the OS.
However, this design approach doesn’t sit well with power users because they yearn for more control over each operating system element. I use many tools, such as the Task Schedulerwhich are pre-included with the Windows OS, along with a few third-party tools to add some missing features. Let’s discuss them in detail.
God mode or super god mode
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Access a treasure trove of settings
Control Panel is a thing of the past now, but it used to be the main highlight a few years back. You can still access the Control Panel in Windows 11, but most clicks redirect to the Settings app, and finding some specific settings can take a lot of time.
Enabling God mode solves the problem of accessing deeply nested settings to a large extent. You can access 200+ neatly organized settings, neatly categorized as per their usage, in a single folder. These are nothing but shortcuts that open the corresponding applets on your Windows PC.
There’s also a “Super” version of God mode that unlocks 1200+ settings into respective folders. ThioJoe is the brains behind this extensive suite, but the basic God mode is good enough for me. Windows search doesn’t behave the way I want, and God mode offers a respite from the slow search feature in the OS.
Note that this tool doesn’t create anything new and just lists all the setting shortcuts into an easily navigable list inside a folder. So, it doesn’t consume storage space at all and is the least of your problems when you run a deep system clean.
Group Policy Editor makes Windows manageable
Exercise more control over OS elements
One thing that most Windows users can relate to is Microsoft’s stubbornness to include unnecessary clutter with each new build. You get a slew of promotional stuff and unnecessary settings that are hard to ignore and need permanent treatment.
The Group Policy Editor is a utility that can set rules for each OS elementbe it an ad appearing on your PC, a button appearing on your Taskbar, Windows updates or security policies, or anything else.
All I need to do is launch it, find the concerned policy, and then deactivate or activate it as per my liking. My current favorites include disabling Copilot-related settings and restricting access to some other Windows features.
The tool changes the system registry configuration and requires a restart to apply the changes. Sadly, it’s exclusive to Windows 11 Pro users, but you can bypass that rule by modifying the keys related to the system policy.
Task scheduler is my personal automator
Mundane tasks aren’t a problem anymore
Task Scheduler is my go-to utility to automate tasks that would otherwise need a tool or manual effort. Each event triggers whenever I need it and gives me time to do actual, productive stuff. I’ve automated Robocopy tasks that create and update a copy of my personal files folder to an external drive every morning.
It’s a simple approach to automate the backup task that would either need me to run Robocopy commands each day or use a third-party tool to do so. I used the commands present in my Robocopy job file and then wrote a simple batch script to automate the transfer. The Task Scheduler diligently runs the batch file at the same time every day, and I can check the logs whenever I want.
I also run cleaning and maintenance utilities rather than firing up their GUI counterparts each day. Automating scripts is a breeze with Task Scheduler, and despite its bleak UI, it is a powerful tool that you mustn’t ignore.
PowerToys enables niche features
Mouse tools, fancy zones, and previews
A power user cannot survive without PowerToys because it adds features that Microsoft doesn’t want to include in the consumer edition OS builds. I was a fan of PowerToys when it had just a bunch of tools, and integrating Peek, File Locksmith, and a few other tools really makes it possible to perform OS tasks.
Some tools, like the mouse pointer crosshair and advanced OCR in Snipping Tool, have migrated from PowerToys to Windows 11. Similarly, its mouse-sharing utilities and RGB color picker are two other tools that I frequently use.
PowerToys can even soften the blow of the lackluster File Explorer features with its renaming, previewing, and a few other tools. Microsoft keeps pushing the development of PowerToys, and it benefits power users like me who just can’t stand the bare-bones Windows features.
Become a power user
Microsoft doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for power users, but I manage with the help of God mode, Task Scheduler, and other tools I mentioned above. God mode is the simplest yet most useful tool on my PC, as it removes the headache of opening either Settings app or Control Panel. I can find the settings I need in a single folder and don’t need to jump into nested menus anymore.
PowerToys is another sharp weapon in my arsenal with its micro-tool set that runs automatically at boot. I use Task Scheduler for running a few scripts, but you can automate even more things if you want to. Apart from that, I fire up Resource Monitor occasionally to do a detailed check on active resource consumption.