16 Useful Windows Registry Hacks to Optimize Your PC Performance

Optimizing Your Windows Experience with Registry Hacks

The Windows Registry is a powerful tool that allows users to customize and optimize their Windows experience in ways that are not possible through the standard settings interface. By making targeted changes to the registry, users can enhance performance, remove annoyances, and unlock hidden features.

1. Disable the Windows Lock Screen

To disable the Windows lock screen, which can be an unnecessary step for many users, follow these steps:

Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and clicking "OK".
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows.
Right-click on Windows and select New > Key, naming the new key Personalization.
Inside the Personalization key, right-click on an empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, naming it NoLockScreen.
Double-click NoLockScreen and change the value data to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

If you prefer the older Start menu design, you can revert to it:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named Start_ShowClassicMode and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to see the changes.

3. Increase Network Speeds

To potentially increase network speeds by adjusting the TCP/IP settings:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named TcpAckFrequency and set its value to 1.
Create another DWORD (32-bit) value named TcpNoDelay and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

4. Use Windows Photo Viewer Instead of Photos App

To use the older Windows Photo Viewer instead of the Photos app:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Photo\shell\open\command.
Modify the default value to point to the Windows Photo Viewer executable (%SystemRoot%\System32\rundll32.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Photo Viewer\PhotoViewer.dll", ImageView_Fullscreen %1).
Restart your PC to see the changes.

5. Show Detailed Information on Startup

To enable verbose mode during startup and shutdown, which can be helpful for troubleshooting:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named VerboseStatus and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to see the detailed information during startup and shutdown.

6. Open Last Active Window in Taskbar

To open the last active window in the taskbar without needing to click on the thumbnail:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named LastActiveClick and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

7. Disable Shake to Minimize

To disable the "shake to minimize" feature:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named DisallowShaking and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

To add custom apps or options to the context menu:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell.
Create a new key for your app and add the necessary values and subkeys to define the command and icon.
Restart your PC to see the changes.

9. Change Windows Apps and Settings to "Dark Mode"

To enable dark mode for Windows apps and settings:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named AppsUseLightTheme and set its value to 0.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

To remove the Action Center sidebar:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named DisableNotificationCenter and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

11. Remove the OneDrive Button from File Explorer

To remove the OneDrive button from File Explorer:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}\ShellFolder.
Modify the Attributes value to include the 0x40008000 flag.
Restart your PC to see the changes.

12. Automatically Delete Pagefile.sys at Shutdown

To automatically delete the pagefile.sys file at shutdown:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named ClearPageFileAtShutdown and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

To adjust or disable menu animations:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
Modify the MenuShowDelay value to adjust the delay time for menu animations.
To disable animations entirely, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named UserPreferencesMask and set its value to 0x10000.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

14. Disable Windows Startup Delay

To disable the startup delay for programs:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Serialize.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named StartupDelayInMSec and set its value to 0.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

To remove Bing from the Start menu search results:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named BingSearchEnabled and set its value to 0.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

16. Open File Explorer in This PC

To open File Explorer in the "This PC" view by default:

Open the Registry Editor.
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named LaunchTo and set its value to 1.
Restart your PC to apply the changes.

Important Safety Considerations

Before making any changes to the registry, it is crucial to create a backup of your registry to avoid potential system corruption. Here’s how you can do it:

Open the Registry Editor.
Go to File > Export and save the registry file to a safe location.
Alternatively, create a system restore point before making any changes.

By carefully applying these registry hacks, you can significantly enhance your Windows experience, but always remember to proceed with caution and follow the instructions precisely.