As already done in the past for previous versions, here we see some new tricks to customize Windows 10 going beyond the default settings. Those listed in this article are 5 modifications that cannot be made by changing some clear and self-explanatory menu or option but require the modification of some registry keys.
When you go to touch the registry keys it is important to be careful not to make mistakes and not to delete anything, otherwise you can risk compromising the functioning of the computer.
Changing the registry keys is entirely legitimate, but we must consider that we are going to touch system settings that Microsoft would not like to have changed.
Sometimes because they can activate functions still in the experimental phase, other times instead because they are optimizations that can only bring benefits under particular conditions, with the risk, however, that in other cases they may have the opposite effect.
Below, here are 8 tricks from registry keys to make advanced changes to Windows 10 that you might like, depending on your tastes and needs.
READ ALSO: Best registry tricks and values to change for Windows keys
First of all, to open the registry key editor, press the Windows-R keys together and run the regedit command.
I want to point out that the following tricks concern only Windows 10 (my tests have been done on Windows Professional version 1511) and not other systems.
On the left is the tree of folders containing the various keys while on the right there are the various values included in the selected folder.
In case you feel bad, you can use some programs to modify registry keys on Windows in an easier way.
Each change is automatically saved without asking for confirmation and takes effect only after a computer restart.
When creating a new key, always use the 32-bit DWord key.
1) Make desktop menus open faster
Go to the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ Desktop, select Desktop
On the right side, find the key called MenuShowDelay, double click on it and change the value from 400 to 200.
This will reduce the delay of animations for Windows 10 menus which will therefore be faster.
2) Remove the Microsoft Onedrive icon from the Windows Explorer folders
If you are not using Microsoft Onedrive, we have already seen how to disable it in the guide on how to disable Onedrive in Windows 10 also using registry keys.
Without disabling it, however, you can choose not to make it appear in the folder tree of the column on the left of Windows Explorer anymore.
The key to find is:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ CLSID \ {} 018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6
Double-click on the System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree value and change from 1 to 0.
3) More transparent taskbar
For this change, you can avoid getting hold of the registry and using the Classi Shell program, which has the option to make the taskbar completely transparent.
Alternatively, go to the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced
On the right side, right click on the blank space, create a new DWord value called UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency and give it a value of 1.
4) Use the dark theme for Windows 10 settings
Microsoft has hidden a dark theme for Windows 10 settings and menus, which may be included in the customization options in the next update.
If you want to try it now, you need to change the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Themes \ Personalize
On the right side, click on the empty space with the right mouse button, create a new DWord value called AppsUseLightTheme and leave the value 0.
Then go to the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Themes
Right click on Themes and create a new key giving it the name Personalize .
Select this new key and, on the right side, create a new DWord value named AppsUseLightTheme with value 0.
5) Go back with the old computer volume control
If you don't like the new graphics of the Windows 10 volume control bar, you can restore that of Windows 7 by changing a registry key.
Then go to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \
This time, right click on CurrentVersion and create a new key giving it the name MTCUVC .
Select this new key and, on the right side, click on the empty space with the right mouse button, create a new DWord with the name EnableMtcUvc and leave the value 0.
6) Deactivate the notification center
If you never use the notification center, you can completely remove it from view by changing a registry key.
On this, you can follow the guide to the Windows 10 notification center where it is also explained how to disable it and make it disappear.
7) Adding a message to the lock screen is possible by adding a new registry key as already explained in another article and is useful on laptops, in case you often work outside the home.
8) Keep the Start menu and taskbar black anyway
In the settings to customize Windows 10 you can activate the option to change the colors of the title bar of windows in Windows 10 by taking one of the colors of the background used.
In case, however, you want to keep the taskbar and the start menu always in black, there is a trick to do on the registry editor by going to the key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ DWM
Double click on the ColorPrevalence value and change from 0 to 1.
