Ditch the Useless Apps: How to Customize the Power User Menu in Windows - PCMag

Right-click connected the Start fastener successful Windows 8.1, 10, oregon 11, and a paper pops up with commands for Power Options, Device Manager, Task Manager, File Explorer, and more. It's known arsenic the Power User Menu due to the fact that it offers one-click entree to immoderate of the much almighty features successful Windows.

But what if commands you ne'er usage are taking up abstraction here? Or what if your favourite commands aren't there? For example, possibly you don’t usage Event Viewer, oregon possibly you inactive usage Control Panel and would similar to person it accessible. You tin tweak the Power User Menu successful File Explorer, but there's a bounds to however overmuch you tin control, and Microsoft doesn't marque it easy. Instead, you're amended disconnected turning to a third-party inferior called Win+X Menu Editor.

First, right-click connected the Start fastener oregon property Windows key+X to spot the Power User Menu. Depending connected which mentation of Windows you're running, the commands you spot volition disagree slightly.

Windows 8.1 offers the pursuing commands:

• Programs and Features

• Mobility Center

• Power Options

• Event Viewer

• System

• Device Manager

• Network Connections

• Disk Management

• Computer Management

• Command Prompt

• Command Prompt (Admin)

• Task Manager

• Control Panel

• File Explorer

• Search

• Run

• Shut down oregon motion out

• Desktop

Windows 10 offers the pursuing commands:

• Apps and Features

• Power Options

• Event Viewer

• System

• Device Manager

• Network Connections

• Disk Management

• Computer Management

• Windows PowerShell

• Windows PowerShell (Admin)

• Task Manager

• Settings

• File Explorer

• Search

• Run

• Shut down oregon motion out

• Desktop

Windows 11 offers the pursuing commands:

• Apps and Features

• Power Options

• Event Viewer

• System

• Device Manager

• Network Connections

• Disk Management

• Computer Management

• Windows Terminal

• Windows Terminal (Admin)

• Task Manager

• Settings

• File Explorer

• Search

• Run

• Shut down oregon motion out

• Desktop

First, let’s look astatine however to modify the Power User Menu successful File Explorer. In Windows 8.1, 10, oregon 11, unfastened File Explorer and navigate to the pursuing folder. (If you don’t spot the AppData folder, crook connected the enactment for Hidden items from the View menu).

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX

You’ll spot 3 groups listed, each radical representing 1 of the 3 sections successful the Power User Menu. Group 1 contains the commands for the bottommost section, specified arsenic Desktop. Group 2 contains the commands for the mediate section, specified arsenic Task Manager, Search, and File Explorer. And Group 3 contains the commands for the apical section, specified arsenic Computer Management, Disk Management, and System.

Power User Menu successful File Explorer

Using File Explorer, there’s not overmuch you tin bash to genuinely modify the Power User Menu, but you are capable to execute a fewer tweaks. As 1 example, you tin determination a shortcut from 1 conception to another. To effort this, prime a shortcut successful Group 2 and past chopped and paste oregon resistance and driblet it into Group 1. Move immoderate different shortcuts from 1 radical to another.

Move a shortcut from 1 conception to another.

To spot the changes, motion retired of Windows and past motion backmost in. Right-click the Start button.

You can’t adhd caller shortcuts to immoderate of the groups, but you tin make a caller radical to location circumstantial shortcuts. Return to the WinX folder. Create a caller folder and telephone it Group4. Then determination immoderate shortcuts from 1 of the different radical to the caller Group4 folder.

Again, motion retired and motion backmost in. Right-click connected the Start fastener to spot the changes you made.

Far much businesslike and effectual is to usage a third-party inferior to modify the Power User Menu, and Win+X Menu Editor is surely up to the task. The programme afloat supports Windows 8.1 and 10 but does not enactment reliably successful Windows 11, apt owed to changes that Microsoft made to the Power User Menu successful the latest mentation of Windows.

Grab the Win+X Menu Editor from its page astatine the Winaero website(Opens successful a caller window). Scroll to the bottommost of the leafage and click the nexus to download the program. Download and past extract the WinXMenuEditorRelease.zip file. From the extracted folder, double-click connected the WinXEditor.exe record to motorboat the program.

If you haven’t already made immoderate changes to the Power User Menu, you'll spot the 3 groups of shortcuts listed—Group1, Group2, and Group3.

Delete a Command

Let's effort deleting a bid first. Maybe you don't usage Event Viewer and privation to delete that command. In the Group3 folder, right-click the Event Viewer shortcut and select Remove from the pop-up menu.

Change the Order

Now, possibly you privation to alteration the bid of immoderate of the commands. Right-click connected a circumstantial bid that you privation to move. From the pop-up menu, click Move to Top to determination it to the apical of the menu, Move to Bottom to determination it to the bottommost of the menu, Move Up to determination it up 1 spot, oregon Move Down to determination it down 1 spot.

Move to Another Group

You tin besides determination a bid to a antithetic group. Perhaps you privation to determination a bid from Group 2 to Group 1 to spot it further down successful the wide menu. Right-click connected a bid from Group 2, hover your rodent implicit Move to group, and past prime Group 1.

Add a Command

Now let's accidental you privation to adhd a command. Perhaps you miss the shortcut for Control Panel. Right-click connected Group2 and hover your rodent implicit Add, and prime Add a Control Panel Item.

Add All Control Panel Items

At the model to Add a Control Panel Item, click All Control Panel Items and past Select.

Customize to Your Liking

You tin proceed modifying the paper by deleting, moving, and adding items arsenic good arsenic creating caller groups. When you're done and you privation to spot your caller creation, either motion retired and past motion backmost into Windows oregon simply click the Restart Explorer fastener successful the Win+X Menu Editor.

Right-click connected the Start button, and you'll spot the caller and hopefully improved Power User Menu.

If you don't similar the changes you made, you tin revert the paper backmost to its default information by clicking Restore defaults successful the Win+X Menu Editor.