Power settings Archives

Winsage

March 25, 2026

Windows 11 Has a Settings Problem — God Mode Is Still the Best Fix in 2026

Windows 11 God Mode is a folder that provides a searchable interface for every Control Panel setting, making it a useful tool for users. Despite the introduction of the new Settings app in Windows 11, many settings still redirect users back to the Control Panel, indicating that the transition to a unified interface is incomplete as of March 2026. Users often find themselves navigating through multiple pages in Settings to access certain features that remain in the legacy Control Panel. God Mode simplifies this process by allowing users to quickly find settings without navigating through various menus. To set up God Mode, users can create a new folder on their desktop and rename it to a specific string, which transforms it into a Control Panel icon. This setup works for both Windows 11 Home and Pro without requiring administrative rights.

Winsage

March 14, 2026

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build for Canary Channel 29550.1000

Windows Insider Preview Build 29550.1000 has been released to the Windows 11 Insider Canary Channel. New features include: - Emoji 16.0 release with a curated set of new emojis. - Camera settings now allow control of pan and tilt for supported cameras. - Global power settings changes apply to all power plans. - Voice typing can be used when renaming files in File Explorer. - Improved performance and reliability in the Settings app and nearby sharing for larger files. Users are reminded that these builds can be unstable and may have limited documentation. Features may change or be removed and may not be released beyond Windows Insiders. A clean install is required to leave the Canary Channel.

Winsage

February 17, 2026

I’m stuck with Windows for gaming in 2026, but here’s how I’m optimizing it

In early 2026, Windows 11 posed challenges for users, leading to multiple reinstallations. To optimize gaming performance, users can create a restore point, activate Game Mode, adjust power settings to High Performance or Ultimate Performance, enable "Optimizations for windowed games," and activate Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling. Managing startup apps through Windows Settings or Task Manager, disabling the Virtual Machine Platform and Hyper-V, and using the Win11Debloat PowerShell script can improve system performance. Adjustments in the NVIDIA Control Panel, such as setting the Shader Cache Size to 10 GB and Power management mode to "Prefer maximum performance," enhance gaming experience. Registry edits like changing Scheduling Category to High and modifying NetworkThrottlingIndex can further optimize performance.

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

How to Properly Benchmark your PC Games Using CapFrameX

Average Frames Per Second (FPS) is a common metric in PC gaming performance, but consistency in gameplay experience is equally important, highlighted by metrics such as 1% low and 0.1% low average FPS. CapFrameX is a tool used for capturing and analyzing detailed performance data, including frametimes, which provide a more accurate assessment of gaming performance than basic FPS counters. Key metrics generated by CapFrameX include: - Average FPS: Overall framerate averaged across the capture session. - 1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 1% of framerates, indicating sustained performance. - 0.1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 0.1% of framerates, highlighting rare but significant performance dips. To ensure accurate benchmarking results with CapFrameX, users should update their UEFI BIOS, operating system, and drivers, clear unnecessary applications, configure power settings for maximum performance, monitor temperatures, and conduct multiple benchmark runs under consistent conditions. The setup process for CapFrameX includes downloading the software, configuring capture options, and verifying the setup through test captures. After capturing benchmark runs, users can analyze the data using the Analysis and Comparison tabs in CapFrameX to evaluate performance metrics and identify potential issues. Common pitfalls in benchmarking include inconsistent scenes, overlooking frametime variance, and not preparing the system properly.

Winsage

November 25, 2025

I forced myself to run Windows 11, and to be honest, I don’t miss much about Windows 10

Windows 10 reached the end of its support, prompting an upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 11 is faster, with performance improvements claimed to be up to 2.3 times quicker than Windows 10, particularly on modern hardware. Boot times improved from 40 seconds to under 20 seconds. Battery life enhancements are reported, especially for modern devices. The Microsoft Store has been redesigned for a better user experience, allowing app uninstallation directly from the Store. The Start menu and Taskbar have been redesigned, with a more organized layout that enhances usability. The new context menu includes dedicated icons for frequently used functions. The classic Control Panel is missed, as its functionality has largely moved to the Settings app, which some find less simple. Overall, the upgrade to Windows 11 is considered worthwhile despite some areas needing refinement.

Winsage

October 30, 2025

Windows 11 KB5067036 issue: Task Manager won’t close and duplicates, may hurt performance

Windows 11 KB5067036 has a bug causing the Task Manager to duplicate itself every time it is closed, affecting about 30% of 100 tested virtual machines. The update, released on October 28, includes features like a refreshed Start menu and new battery icons, but also has issues with the Task Manager's close button, leading to multiple instances running in the background. Users can check for this bug by reopening Task Manager after closing it and observing the number of entries in the Processes tab. If affected, users are advised to use the End task option or the command taskkill /im taskmgr.exe /f to close all instances. Additionally, October 2025 has been problematic for Windows 11, with issues related to LocalHost connections and the Windows Recovery Environment, raising concerns about the stability of updates.

Winsage

August 31, 2025

How To Enable Windows’ Hidden Ultimate Performance Power Plan

Windows 10 and 11 include a performance power plan that enhances system performance by allowing hardware to draw power without restrictions. This feature, introduced in 2018, can be accessed in Windows 10 through Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings, where users can select the Ultimate Performance option. Alternatively, users can enable it via the Command Prompt by entering the command powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61. In Windows 11, users can also create a custom performance power plan through Control Panel > Power Options. While the ultimate performance power plan can improve performance for resource-intensive tasks, it may lead to rapid battery depletion, increased energy consumption, and higher temperatures, which could risk overheating. The performance boost may not be significant for all users, particularly gamers, and should be used with caution.

Winsage

August 18, 2025

This Windows 11 Settings quirk makes me love the Control Panel even more

Microsoft introduced Windows 11, featuring a redesigned Settings app with a nested menu system aimed at providing a cleaner, touch-friendly experience for novice users. The classic Control Panel is still accessible but is less prominent, leading some users to prefer it for its direct access to powerful options. Managing audio devices has become more complicated, requiring multiple steps in the new Settings app compared to the two-click access in the Control Panel. Similarly, managing core Windows components, changing user account types, and fine-tuning power plans have all become more convoluted in Windows 11's Settings app. The Control Panel remains essential for power users who need quick access to these features.

Winsage

July 20, 2025

10 useful Windows built-in tools you’ve never used

- Windows Memory Diagnostic tests RAM for errors that may cause system crashes or freezes. It can be launched by typing "Windows Memory Diagnostic" in the Start Menu or using the Run Command with mdsched.exe. - Resource Monitor provides detailed insights into CPU, RAM, disk activity, and network bandwidth, helping identify resource-consuming applications. It can be accessed through Task Manager or the Windows search box. - Reliability Monitor displays a timeline of system stability, including software installations, updates, crashes, and hardware errors, aiding in troubleshooting. It can be found by searching in the Start bar or through Control Panel > Security and Maintenance. - DirectX Diagnostic Tool offers information about GPU, audio drivers, and DirectX version, useful for diagnosing gaming-related issues. It can be launched by pressing Win + R and typing dxdiag. - Credential Manager securely manages Windows login credentials and network login information. It can be accessed by searching for "Credential Manager" in the Start bar or through Control Panel. - God Mode consolidates over 200 system settings into a single folder, accessible by creating a new folder and renaming it to GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. - Local Group Policy Editor allows advanced customization of Windows settings for Pro or Enterprise users. It can be launched by pressing Win + R and typing gpedit.msc. - Computer Management Console provides access to various system tools like Device Manager and Disk Management. It can be opened by right-clicking the Start button or using Win + R with compmgmt.msc. - Powercfg Tool diagnoses battery issues and provides reports on battery usage and health. It can generate a report by running powercfg /batteryreport in Command Prompt. - System Configuration (msconfig) allows users to control Windows boot options and troubleshoot startup issues. It can be launched by pressing Win + R and typing msconfig.

Winsage

July 15, 2025

How to maximize your Windows 11 PC’s battery life in 9 easy steps

Windows PCs come with tools to manage power consumption, notably the Power Settings Command-Line Tool (Powercfg.exe), which can generate a battery report. This report, saved as an HTML document, details battery usage, capacity, and historical data. Users can create a battery report by opening Command Prompt and entering specific commands. The report shows the design capacity and current full-charge capacity of the battery, helping track degradation over time. The battery report also includes usage data over the past three days, allowing users to analyze which activities impact battery performance. The Battery Life Estimates section provides insights into potential battery longevity based on usage patterns. Windows 11 allows users to check app-specific power consumption through Settings > System > Power & Battery. The Energy Recommendations checklist in Windows 11 offers energy-saving options and direct links to relevant settings. Users can adjust sleep and display settings according to their preferences. The Shutdown command can be executed from Command Prompt or the Run dialog box for transitioning between power states. The Battery Saver feature, now called Energy Saver in version 24H2, conserves battery life by disabling non-essential activities and can be manually activated.