************ This version is now expired. Updated version here: https://www.tweakhound.com/2021/05/19/tweaking-windows-10-version-21h1/
TweakHound’s
Tweaking Windows 10
Windows 10 April 2018 Update
A guide to tweak and optimize Windows 10.
Updated for Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Lasted edited 05 June, 2018
***Note, 15 November 2018. Guide will not be updated for the October Update.
Release 1809 does not have enough significant changes to warrant a rewrite.
tweak – to change slightly, esp. in order to make something more effective or correct.
optimize – get the most out of, make optimal – modify to achieve maximum efficiency in storage capacity or time or cost
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Mobile-First, Cloud-First, Touch-First
Bad Tweaks
Notes & Ramblings
My Desktop Pet Peeve
First Things First
Get Your Control Panel Icons Back
UAC
God Mode
Tips For This Guide
Settings For User Accounts
Account Types
Local An Microsoft Accounts Defined
Switch To A Local Account
Using The Windows Store With A Local Account
How To Login Automatically
Libraries
Moving Your User Folders
Adding A Folder To A Library
Show Libraries In Windows Explorer
Customize The Desktop
Start Menu Settings
Start Menu Groups
The Win + X Menu
3rd Party Start Menus
Display Settings
Personalize
The Taskbar
The Search Box
The Task View And Touch Keyboard Buttons
Toolbars
The Clock
Disable System Sounds
Customize Folder Options
Folder View Options
Optimize Folders
The Page File, SuperFetch, and ReadyBoost
The Page File
SuperFetch
ReadyBoost
Miscellaneous Tweaks
Turn Off App Recommendations
Turn Off Autoplay
Remove Ads From Windows Explorer
Windows Defender
Shortcut Keys For Windows 10
Windows 10 Power Options
Power Plans For Laptops
Windows 10 Fast Startup
Disable Fast Startup
Windows Mobility Center
Add a Windows Mobility Center shortcut to your desktop
Windows 10 Networking
Sharing
Home Networking Tips
Windows 10 Network Tweaks
Windows Backup And Recovery Options
Reset this PC
System Restore
Accessing Windows Recovery Settings Offilne
Windows 7 Backup
File History
Recovery Media
Uninstalling Unneeded Stuff
Optional Windows Components
Windows Apps
Maintaining Your Computer
Receiving Updates When Available
Checking for problems and fixing them
Windows 10 Troubleshooter
Administrative Tools
Reliability Monitor
Event Viewer
Generate A System Health Report
Task Manager
Clean, Defrag, & Optimize
Disk Cleanup
Advanced Disk Cleanup
Disk Cleanup Freeware
Manage Startup Items with Autoruns
Defrag & Optimize
Windows 10 Privacy Settings (part of the guide but in different location)
I think Classic Shell is far superior to anything out there and free.
Hi Eric,
Excellent job. I will have to re-read the whole thing again… My favorite is moving all the DOCS, Pix and Misc. to a separate drive. In this way, I can do more frequent OS backups that will not fill the backup drive too fast.
Issues on my end:
1. When I try to change Geolocation Service to AUTOMATIC, I get “the system cannot find the file specified”. Any suggestions?
2. On your tweaks p. 13, you have more options. On Shutdown settings, I only have SLEEP and LOCK. You additionally have: Turn on fast startup and Hibernate. Are you running Win 10 Enterprise?
Suggestion: It would be great to compile everything into a PDF file that can serve as desktop reference.
Geolocation: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dn764773.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396
Shutdown settings may vary depending on setup.
PDF: https://www.tweakhound.com/buy-tweaking-windows-10/
This is funny and just for a point of reference I have worked in IT primarily in Computer and Network installation, support, maintenance for 21 years now and have read Eric’s guides since Windows XP as it is one of the easiest ways to get great info on the manipulation of Operating systems and he is about as complete as it gets.
Anyway the way I organize my files is on seperate hard drives internally and with USB media containers most often now (I have 2 64 Gb’s I use and on 256 GB one as well given to me by Corsair. My computer is set up with 3 hard drives (which I would like to grow to 5 with two or 7 in raid sets in 0,1 and 10 (0,1 being options with 5 and 10 being with 7). The first of course is the OS drive otherwise generally known as C:\ and the other two are P:\ programs, and M:\Media which I organize relatively often and I have backups and everything of course external from the OS drive which is also a Corsair Pro SSD and the things on it are often used, and active programs such as Office etcetera but not generally big saves (I like to keep SSD’s relatively light in volume)!
Two things…
1) Excellent job Eric! One thing I miss is the Logoff, Shutdown, and Restart tiles to which I pin to my taskbar…But hey that’s just me..
2) Might as well make it a sixer…LOL
Excellent work! This really takes all the “mystery” out of running and securing this OS…at least for me. A quick “typo” to correct. On page 3, when copying the GOD MODE title, the space between the period after the word MODE, and the first parentheses has to be removed for it to work.
Thank you again for all your hard work!
Fixed. Thanks!
Defragment and optimize your drives bug
There is a bug in Win 10, V 1511 build 10586.17 setting for “defragment and optimize your drives”. If I turn my HDD defrag schedule to ON, my SSD gets switched on too. If I turn OFF SSD defrag, HDD defrag is also turned off. I have defrag for all drives turned off turned OFF and will do it manually.
I have 8Gs of RAM on a 32bit Windows with SSD on a laptop and it boots twice as fast (average 30 sec.) as Windows 10 32 or 64bit (1 min. +) – and Windows 32 bit can only use 4Gs of RAM max.!
Same programs and all drivers all up to date on both so go figure!
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa366778%28v=vs.85%29.aspx