tweaks Archives

Winsage

May 16, 2025

I made the Windows 11 taskbar truly my own with these customizations

Windows 11 offers taskbar customization options that enhance user experience. TranslucentTB is a free tool that allows users to change the taskbar's color and transparency, adapting its appearance based on different scenarios. ExplorerPatcher enables users to restore the Windows 10 taskbar design, providing individual buttons for features and customizable flyouts. Windhawk is a modding tool that offers unique themes for the taskbar, transforming its appearance into styles reminiscent of other operating systems. Start11 allows users to pin folders to the taskbar for easier access. Windhawk also provides mods to enhance taskbar labels and customize the clock. ObjectDock offers a macOS-style dock as an alternative to the traditional taskbar, featuring animations and visual customization options.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Minecraft snapshot 25w20a explained: New features and updates – The Times of India

Minecraft snapshot 25w20a introduces the ability to craft saddles using three pieces of leather and one iron ingot. It also features a new music disc titled “Tears,” composed by Amos Roddy, along with five ambient tracks for various biomes. Players can now use shears to remove saddles, horse armor, harnesses, and carpets from animals, but not if the mob has a rider or if the player is crouching. Saddles will no longer be found as loot in structures, replaced by leather. Visual updates include fog effects on 3D HUD elements and reduced fog density during thunderstorms and rain. Additionally, players using Minecraft Realms will see new region indicators on the loading screen.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Modders use reverse engineering to bring Mario Party 4 to PC, more GameCube games to follow

The gaming community has seen a rise in reverse-engineering source code from retro console games, particularly from the Nintendo 64 era and earlier, leading to native PC ports. The decompilation of Mario Party 4 is nearly complete, making it the first fully decompiled GameCube title, which will facilitate unofficial PC ports. A port of Mario Party 4 with online multiplayer is in development. Other GameCube titles like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Metroid Prime are also being targeted for decompilation. An unofficial PC port of the Xbox 360 game Sonic Unleashed has been completed. Previous titles such as Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time have received PC ports with enhanced features. Modders are experimenting with advanced technologies like ray tracing for classic games. A modding tool has improved the recompilation process, but technical challenges remain. Nintendo has not taken legal action against these decompilation efforts, and modders use clean room tactics to avoid legal issues, requiring ownership of the original game for PC ports.

AppWizard

May 13, 2025

5 hidden features on Steam I wish I knew about sooner

Steam offers several features to enhance the gaming experience for users: 1. Users can hide games from their library by right-clicking on the title, selecting Manage, and choosing Hide this game, allowing for a clutter-free collection. 2. Steam's launch options enable performance tweaks by allowing users to input custom commands in the Launch Options field, such as -windowed, -novid, and -high. 3. Middle-clicking game links in the Steam Store opens them in a new window, facilitating easier comparison during sales. 4. Steam's input customization allows users to tailor controller settings, including button mapping and sensitivity adjustments, through the Controller settings. 5. Users can upload custom artwork and banners for games to personalize their library and improve organization by right-clicking on a game's tile and selecting Set Custom Artwork.

Winsage

May 12, 2025

Microsoft is testing a new ‘Advanced Settings’ page in Windows

Microsoft is testing a revamped "Advanced Settings" page for its Windows Server operating system, which will replace the previous "For Developers" page. This new page aims to improve user accessibility by including features beneficial to a wider audience, such as the "End Task" option. It introduces a "long path" setting that removes the 260-character limitation on file paths, helping users avoid the "Path too long" error. The changes are currently exclusive to Windows Server but may extend to Windows 11 within the calendar year.

Winsage

May 12, 2025

Do these five important things after installing Windows 11

- After setting up Windows 11, it is recommended to back up your BitLocker key to prevent access issues, as drives are encrypted by default without user notification. - To back up the BitLocker key, sign in to your Microsoft Account, navigate to the "Devices" tab, and manage recovery keys. - Context menus in Windows 11 can be cleaned up by uninstalling unnecessary applications or modifying the system registry to remove unwanted entries. - The "End Task" feature can be enabled by navigating to Settings > System > For developers and toggling on the feature. - To reduce notifications and ads, users can disable various settings in the Personalization and Privacy & Security sections of the Settings app. - OneDrive auto-backup is enabled by default, and users can disable it by accessing OneDrive settings and turning off backup options.

Winsage

May 8, 2025

6 changes I make immediately to make the Windows 11 experience less irritating

Upon initiating a fresh installation of Windows 11, essential adjustments can enhance the user experience and productivity. Winhance is a utility that helps implement these changes. Key modifications include: - Notifications: Users can reduce the number of notifications by navigating to Settings -> System -> Notifications and toggling off notifications from specific apps. Scheduling notifications and using the Focus feature can also help minimize distractions. - Disable Microsoft ads: To eliminate subtle promotional content, users should uncheck options in Notifications settings and disable recommendations in Settings -> Personalization -> Start. - Move the Start button: Users can reposition the Start menu to the left corner by adjusting the “Taskbar alignment” in Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar -> Taskbar behaviors. - Adjust visual effects: To improve system responsiveness, users can disable animations and transparency effects by accessing sysdm.cpl and Settings -> Accessibility -> Visual effects. - Change the default browser: After installing a preferred browser, users can set it as the default in Settings -> Apps -> Default app, ensuring it is set for various file types. - Disable News widget: Users can turn off the news widget by going to Settings -> Personalization -> Taskbar and toggling off the Widgets option. These adjustments can be completed in about 20 minutes and help create a more productive environment in Windows 11.

Winsage

May 7, 2025

I ditched Windows Explorer for a terminal-first file manager, and I’m never looking back

Windows users often experience limitations with File Explorer, which can be slow and cumbersome. Yazi is an alternative file management tool built using Rust, designed for speed and reliability. It operates asynchronously, preventing freezes and inefficiencies, and features a minimalist terminal interface for efficient file management. Yazi is accessible for both power users and beginners, allowing navigation with arrow keys and mouse interactions. It includes advanced features such as batch renaming, multi-tab support, and scrollable previews for various file types. The command-line tool “ya” enhances plugin management and customization options, allowing users to adjust appearance and functionality. Yazi is available for download on GitHub.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

I used Sophia Script to take back control of Windows 11, and I wish I did it sooner

Sophia Script is a PowerShell module available on GitHub that simplifies the process of adjusting Windows settings through the command line interface (CLI), offering over 150 regularly updated functions. It provides GUI-based options for managing tasks like telemetry settings, scheduling tasks, and uninstalling OneDrive, allowing users to select multiple tasks at once. The setup process involves opening the main PS1 file in Notepad++, changing the directory, and executing a command from GitHub, with comprehensive instructions available. Users can customize settings by adding or replacing code with a hashtag next to the script they wish to run, and it allows changes to be applied across all user accounts. Sophia Script is particularly useful for configuring new PCs or fresh installations, as it helps remove unnecessary bloatware and streamline system performance. It can uninstall Microsoft apps, including the Windows Copilot app, and has created five scheduled tasks after running, saving time compared to traditional methods. The creator, Farag2, is also developing a GUI version, SophiApp 2.0.

Winsage

May 3, 2025

Best Windows apps this week

This week, the optional update for Windows 11 introduces the Recall AI feature for Copilot+ PCs, set to roll out to all Copilot+ devices next month alongside a cumulative security update. New apps include: - Crapfixer: An open-source Windows tweaker that simplifies system settings analysis and application of recommended tweaks. - PhotoDemon: A free, open-source photo editor with over 200 tools, supporting various image formats and offering features like macro recording and batch processing. - Winhance 4: A system optimization software for Windows 10 and 11 that enhances performance by removing unwanted apps and providing customization options, with the ability to save configurations for multiple PCs.