Tech
3 subtle Windows customization tools to try this weekend
No version of Windows is perfect for everyone, and Windows 11 has attracted more controversy than most. Windows isn’t quite as flexible as Linux if you want to customize your experience, but you can get close if you’re willing to dive in a bit.
Here are 3 great apps that let you tweak how Windows looks and operates.
Windhawk
Windhawk is a one-stop-shop for both cosmetic and functional modifications to Windows. You can replace the Start Menu, completely redesign the taskbar, and change how File Explorer looks.
Some of the changes are subtle tweaks designed to smooth over minor friction points someone might have with the UI, while others are total overhauls.
Above and beyond the ability to change how Windows looks, Windhawk can also change how most elements in the user interface function too. Take for example the Taskbar Volume Control mod. When installed, hovering over the taskbar and scrolling your mouse wheel will change your system volume. It is the sort of convienience option that really should be part of the base operating system.
Another mod I get extensive use out of is “middle click to close on the taskbar.” There is something very satisfying about aggressively closing out a series of windows with a single click that you don’t quite get if you have to open it, click the X, go to the next window, click that X, and so on.
Rainmeter
Windows has a long, troubled history when it comes to desktop customization, especially when you’re talking about widgets. Gadgets (one of Microsoft’s attempts at desktop widgets from Windows Vista and 7) presented a rather large security vulnerability and were discontinued by Microsoft. Live tiles, which are widget-like, lasted two versions of Windows before being discontinued in Windows 11.
Windows 11’s own stab at widgets hasn’t presented a security vulnerability, but the reception to it has been middling, since so much of it feels more like an ad rather than something that actually increases your productivity. Additionally, Windows 11’s widgets can’t be pinned to the desktop like Gadgets could, which makes it useless if you want to set up something that displays a lot of information at a glance.
Decades of failure have ensured that Rainmeter, a GUI customization tool, has remained relevant and popular. Rainmeter lets you customize your desktop as much as you’d like using Skins. Some people take this to an extreme and totally redesign their desktops so that it isn’t even recognizable as a Windows PC at first glance.
I tend to use Rainmeter for Widgets instead, since there is no equivalent in Windows 11 at all. Rainmeter’s default widgets are pretty basic, they just display some facts about your PC in a small window.
However, you’re not limited to that minimalist take. There are hundreds of Rainmeter skins available on the internet, and most of them can be customized by modifying a configuration file to better meet your needs. You could also create your own Rainmeter skin if you can’t find something that does what you need.
PowerToys
Rainmeter and WindHawk are great if you want to tweak how Windows desktop looks and acts, but if you want to add functionality, PowerToys should be your first stop.
Windows 11 Locks Away These 4 Features, but They Should Be Standard
These should really be included in the base operating system.
PowerToys is a collection of open-source tools released by Microsoft. Oftentimes, the tools themselves were originally developed by members of the community and then rolled into PowerToys.
The current release of PowerToys features more than two dozen utilities that offer everything from a right-click image resizer to a color picker to FancyZones, which dramatically expands the built-in snapping zones included with Windows.
One of my personal favorites is the Command Palette. The Command Palette is a search and run box rolled into one convenient interface, a bit like macOS’s Spotlight Search. You can use it to find and open files or folders, do math, change settings on your PC, and more—the program has a number of optional features you can toggle on. Command Palette has almost completely replaced the Start Menu for me, since I tend to search to open apps rather than click icons.
Because PowerToys is official, whatever utilities you use tend to blend in seamlessly with Windows. If you want to subtly add functionality to your PC without loading up on third-party utilities, PowerToys is the first thing you should try.
Whether you’re looking to tweak how something looks or if you want to add a function to Windows, these three apps should let you do it. The best part is that you don’t even need to worry about meddling with the registry.
