Windows users who want a convenient and efficient system will not do without manually adjusting the default configuration. Some fixes require intervention in the registry. In addition, you can equip the system with the functions you need by installing external tools.

Windows 10 Registry Hacks
Every time you tweak a key or value in the registry, you could probably call it a registry hack ... but in that context, we mean those hack downloads with the .reg extension that do magic things on your computer.

Put simply, a registry hack file is a backup of all changes made to the registry, saved in the file, so you can apply the same changes to your computer in the event of reinstallation, or on a different computer after receiving a new one.



The Windows 10 registry is full of useful hidden settings that cannot be found anywhere else in Windows. From the classic registry hacks that worked on Windows 7 to all-new Windows 10 hacks.

Back up Your System
Speaking of backup, there is a piece of reliable and professional backup software – MiniTool ShadowMaker. It is pretty safe and easy to back up your system.

Besides, this tool allows you to back up files and folders, disks and partitions.

In addition, it supports restoring your system image to the original device and other computers. What’s more, MiniTool ShadowMaker enables you to sync files and folders to other locations.

Step 1: Decide a Backup Mode

Launch MiniTool ShadowMaker and click Keep Trial.
Then click Connect in This Computer to enter the main interface.
>Step 2: Choose Backup Source

Go to the Backup page.
This software selects the system partition and system reserved partition by default.
Step 3: Choose a Destination Path to Store Your System

Then choose a destination path to store your system and click OK.

Step 4: Start to Back up

Go back to the following interface.
You have two options: click Back up Now to start the backup process immediately or click Back up Later to delay the backup process.
Here are all the steps of using MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your system.

After you have backed up the system, you can proceed to follow the top 10 Windows 10 registry tweaks to improve the performance of your system. First, you should open the Registry Editor application.

Here are two methods for you.

Type Regeditin the Search box and press the Enter key to open it.
Press the Windows+ R keys together to open the Run dialogue box. Then type regedit and click OK to open it.
1. Remove the OneDrive Button from the File Explorer
OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud service that can be used to sync/upload/store files. If you are not a regular user of the OneDrive service in Windows, there is no need to remain it and you can delete it.

To delete it from the File Explorer application using Registry Editor, follow the instructions given below:

Step 1: Navigate to the following path:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

Step 2: Double-click the System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree option, enter 0 in Value data and click the OK button.



Then the OneDrive option will be deleted from the File Explorer application. If you want it back, you should follow the steps above again and change Value data to 1.

2. Change Windows Apps and Settings to Dark Mode
Changing Windows apps and settings to dark mode is one of the Windows 10 registry tweaks. It’s better for your eyes to read white writing on a dark background rather than a light background.

The steps are as follows:

>Step 1: Navigate to the following path and press the Enter key to open it.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize

Step 2: Right-click an empty space in the right-side panel. Then select New > DWORD (32-bit) value.

Step 3: Type AppsUseLightTheme in it and click OK.

Restart your computer. Open the Settings application and you will see that the background is changed to the dark mode.

3. Automatically Delete Pagefile.sys at Shutdown
Pagefile.sys acts as virtual RAM, and Windows uses it as RAM to store unused programs to reduce the pressure on actual RAM. You should not disable it, but you can delete it to save space and avoid any vulnerabilities.

The size of the Pagefile.sys is almost close to the actual RAM, so depending on your RAM, it can take up a lot of space. You can delete Pagefile.sys at shutdown setting, which saves space but the shutdown time will become longer.

Here is how to do that:

Step 1: Navigate to the following path in Registry Editor:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management



Step 2: Click Memory Management and then double-click ClearPageFileAtShutDown in the right panel.



Step 3: Set its Value data to 1 and click OK. Then restart your PC.

Every time you shut down your PC, the pagefile will be deleted. You don’t need to worry about it because the pagefile will be created again when needed.

4. Open Last Active Window in Taskbar
In addition to the Windows 10 registry hacks above, there is another hack - open the last active window from on your taskbar. If you accidentally close the tabs/windows of an application, it can help you make them back.

You just need to do a simple click. To do this:

Step 1: Copy and paste this path in Registry Editor and press the Enter key.

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Step 2: Right-click the empty space and select New > DWORD(32-bit).

>Step 3: Name it as LastActiveClick. Then input 1 in the Value data field and click OK.

5. Disable Shake to Minimize
The Aero Shake feature allows you to minimize the other window by shaking nearby it. You may not have realized you even had this feature, but now that you know, you might not want it.

To remove it, you should follow the steps below:

Step 1: Navigate to the following path:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Step 2: Right-click an empty space in the right-side pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit), then name it DisallowShaking.

Step 3: Double-click the newly created entry, then change the Value data to 1 and click OK.

6. Remove the Windows 10 Action Center Sidebar
Windows 10 Action Center sidebar provides handy quick-access buttons and notifications. However, if you don’t need it and are not comfortable with the sidebar, you can simply disable it.

Thus, one of the Windows 10 registry hacks is to remove the Windows 10 Action Center sidebar:



Step 1: Copy and paste this path in Windows 10 registry editor. Then press the Enter key.



Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell

Step 2: Right-click an empty space in the right-side pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit), then name it UseActionCenterExperience. Then change its Value data to 0 and click OK.

After, restart the PC, and you will see that the Action Center sidebar will be gone, and the notification panel will be much cleaner and smaller in size.

7. Add Apps to Context Menu
You have full control of the context menu and you can customize it. The seventh Windows 10 hack is adding apps to the context menu.

Here is how to do that:

Step 1: Copy and paste this path:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

Step 2: Right-click the Shell folder and click New > Key. Name it Notepad.

Step 3: Then right-click the Notepad folder and click New > Key. Name it Command this time.

Step 4: Then right-click the Default file to choose the Modify option. Type Notepad.exe in the Value field and click OK.

Now, right-click on the desktop and you can see the Notepad option right there.

Also see: How to Add 'Move to' and 'Copy to' to the Context Menu in Windows 10

8. Change the Registered Owner
You can use the Winver command to check the registered owner of the Windows. This post - Solved – How to Change Registered Owner and Organization Information provides the details for you.

9. Confirm File Delete Dialog
If you always want Windows to ask you to confirm deleting the file, here is a dialogue hack for you. This confirmation dialog actually helps securely delete the file.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Navigate or copy-paste this path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

Step 2: Expand the Policies folder and click the Explorer folder.

>Step 3: Right-click the Explorer folder to choose New > DWORD (32-bit) and name it ConfirmFileDelete.

Step 4: Change its Value data to 1 and click OK.

Then it will prompt up this dialog box for confirmation whenever you try to delete any file from the Windows.

10. Border Width
You have got 9 Windows 10 registry hacks. Here is the last one for you - you can also increase the Windows tabs’ current border width.

Windows provide a default amount of tiny border around the tabs or Explorer windows. Here is how to change it.

Step 1: Go to the following path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

Step 2: Find the key file named BorderWidth.

Step 3: Double-click it to change its Value data between 0 to 50. Then you need to click OK to finish.

Here is all the information about the top 10 Windows 10 registry hacks.

Final Words
To sum up, you can use the Windows 10 registry tweaks to improve the performance of your system. Before you do, you should use MiniTool ShadowMaker to back up your system to avoid something wrong with it.

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