Basically, every software has a list of at least 1 hidden/special code for advance performances. Apparently, windows os is not lacking in this department. If you’re a Windows 10 die-hard fan, you’ll be amazed by how many power tools it offers. Even though it was launched nearly four years ago, Windows 10 has some hidden tricks and tools that can enhance the performance of every help PC users. Today, the topic of discussion is on 10 useful windows 10 secret tools that you may not be aware of already. Using some of these tools, can save time and make your work easier.
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10 Useful Windows 10 secret Tools you Don’t Know About
This is the section where I will be enumerating and explaining the uses of the 10 useful windows 10 secret tools that you probably are not aware of just yet. We call them special/hidden or power tools. Happy reading.
1. Windows 10 Storage Manager
To have access to this, you have to go to the Windows 10 Start menu and search for the “Settings”. On the next window, just click on the storage tab. It will show you some basic information about your drives. However, if you click on one of the drives, it will show even more interesting data such as which type of files are taking up which amount of space and you will get a better idea of where you need to free space.
You can also see the system files like virtual memory, hibernation file, system restore points or even temporary files as well. You’ll probably be surprised that such things take so much space. Please don’t delete any Windows system files except you know what you are doing. Having knowledge of windows storage manager will help you to know how to safely free some space on your hard drive.
2. Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
No pc user wishes to use this tool. However, it becomes imperative not to use it at times. i remember when I was having a beeping sound anytime I power on my pc, this tool was my lifesaver. It made me know that my keyboard was the culprit. The image above is the one captured from the windows diagnostic tool of my dell Inspiron 7000 series
Luckily, this is a convenient tool that runs outside of Windows when your computer boots. All you need to do is to boot into this mode by pressing a combination of buttons on your keyboard e.g f2, f12 or equivalent. It will check your computer’s memory (RAM) or any issues it may be having.
3. The Secret Start Menu on Windows 10
Ever since Windows 8, the Start Menu hasn’t been that interesting and it is generally hard to navigate. However, on Windows 10, if you right-click on the Start Menu, it brings up a different context menu with lots of quick access shortcuts. see the image below:
You can go directly to the task manager, Command Prompt or Command Prompt Admin, device manager, network connections and even the control panel. This simplified menu is exactly like the classic menu we’ve always had since Windows XP.
4. Voice/Sound Recorder
From the start menu, search for “Voice Recorder” As shown in the image above. with just a click it will display the simplest program one can imagine. Just click on the button and it starts recording through the microphone. During the recording, there’s a wide selection of options such as pausing, unpausing or stopping the recording. Once you stop recording, it saves the file. You can also trim the audio if you wish. No need to download third-party apps.
5. God Mode Menu
This has also been referred to as the Windows Master Control Panel or the old task folder. It has been around since Vista but many people don’t really know it. It is basically a list of shortcuts of every settings menu on Windows.
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To get to it you can just create a new folder, preferably on the desktop and rename it as {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. Sometimes you can see instructions to rename it to “Godmode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}” but you can really put any name before as long as the rest is the same.
Interestingly, the icon will change to the same one as the control panel and inside you’ll get a huge list of organized shortcuts. please see the picture above for reference. If you see a setting that you use often, you can right-click it and create a shortcut to put a link right from the desktop so that you don’t have to search for that setting any more.
6. Malicious Software Removal Tool- Windows 10
To have access to this special too, simply search it on the start menu or even type “MRT” and hit enter. For a clearer view of how this tool looks, please view the image above. However, it is not a fully-fledged antivirus program. Its purpose is to search your computer for widespread viruses for Windows and it automatically updates itself periodically through Windows update.
You can call this an on-demand tool has it doesn’t do automatically scheduled scans. It only runs when you run it. It is better to run it alongside your current antivirus.
7. Snipping Tool
Snipping tool is a built-in Windows program that simply lets you highlight and screenshot things on your screen. It’s pretty simple but very useful. You can get to it by just going to the start menu and search for “Snipping Tool”. Also, you can pin it to your taskbar as a shortcut.
To use it, just hit the new tab on “Snipping Tool” and highlight what you want by cropping it and save your screenshot right away. It also doesn’t have to be cropped in a rectangle. If you click down form the new tab and choose to snip a specific window, the entire screen or even free-handed. It will save you more time
8. Problem Steps Recorder Tool
Simply search for it from the start menu and it will bring up a small and simple window bar. The point of a Problem Steps Recorder is to record a video showing the problem you are facing on your computer. After you start and finish the recording, it generates a page with screenshots and a description of what you did.
It is also convenient if you want to show someone how to fix the problem because sometimes it can be difficult to walk someone through what they need to do.
9. Sticky Notes
This is another built-in app that can also be found on the start menu. It’s just a simplified way of writing notes and sticking them on your desktop to remember stuff. It’s extremely basic and the only way to go is to change the size and colour of the notes.
10. Windows 10 Remote Desktop Assistance
Another name for this is “remote desktop connection”. The idea for this is to get assistance or give assistance to anyone having trouble with their Windows computer at a far distance. To get started, simply search for remote assistance or remote desktop from the start menu and you will see something similar to what is in the picture below.
Select “Invite someone to connect to your PC and help you, or offer to help someone else”. You can connect by emailing someone your connect file or manually typing your IP address, or using the Easy Connect.
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