Unknown Windows features: 40 tips – often overlooked features


If you are looking for a misplaced item, you may walk past it and not notice it. The situation is similar with Windows: Although useful buttons appear in windows, very few people think of using them. After all, these functionalities are not part of the task at hand – and usually only remotely related to it. Not being curious takes revenge: Because some parts of the operating system could remain unused. So you do not exhaust its functionality. We’re talking about “could” because there isn’t just one way to call system functions. So that such hidden treasures don’t go under, we’ll show you here where it’s worth clicking.

An explanation why the article speaks of “new territory”: This is based on former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who described the Internet as such in 2013 (“The Internet is new territory for all of us.”). She made the statement at a joint press conference with ex-US President Barack Obama. There were and are some parodies and criticism on the web – but the Windows secrets revealed below could also be unfamiliar territory for some users.

uncharted territory? Overlooked Windows features

Windows Experiments: Be Uninhibited

Some graphical controls in Windows are not only supposed to look good, they actually have a function. While overly curious clicks in the browser should be taboo – malware could otherwise spill over – feel free to experiment in Windows. Example column headings: These can be found in the deinstallation manager (appwiz.cpl) of the control panel. The headings “Name”, “Size”, “Installed on” and so on are not just headings. They also contain a functionality: by clicking on them, you sort the entries of your programs. For example, when arranging by setup date, you’ll see recently installed applications listed one below the other. If there have been PC problems recently, this will give you clues as to possible culprits. Double-click on the entries of your applications to uninstall them. This is how complications often disappear. As an alternative to an uninstall, a software update often fixes problems, provided the provider provides such a patch version.

The search field in Windows Explorer (top right) can do more than just accept file and folder names: It offers powerful search filters. You configure this using sometimes complex keystrokes. A good alternative is to click on buttons to specify your search request.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium based): New web browser

Free: basic software for Windows 10

As an example, we should only warn you against a certain click here: Do not set any arbitrary partitions active via the context menu in the disk management. Otherwise, Windows will no longer start on PCs with an MBR hard disk/SSD. For UEFI GPT disks, the corresponding command cannot be selected to your advantage. But you don’t need to delve that deep into the innards of the system. First and foremost, the above tips are about dialogues that you see on the screen more often in everyday life.

Be more efficient with Windows quickies

As a Windows user, you often have the choice between a short and a longer click path. Memorize the quick variants, save a lot of time. Some suggestions for such rapid operating maneuvers can be found in the overview above. Some of the advice there only scratches the surface – the familiar operating system elements – and some goes a little deeper into the matter. If you get a tip (it’s better not to disable the search service), you don’t have to do anything; just take note of the warning.

create a folder

Work Fast: Instant Tips for Windows

Some Windows tools have an enormous range of functions. Those who familiarize themselves with it use it efficiently. Like you, for example, from the task scheduling (automates program calls), the Event Viewer (tracks down PC problems and other occurrences), the Services Management (speeds up Windows) and the Device Manager (manages hardware and updates its drivers) and optimally configure the paging file, we explain that in the articles linked below.



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