Folder and change its (Default) value to {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-
A18C-00C04FD75D13}—note the subtle difference between the
two values. The change is immediate, and you’ll find both options
on the classic context menu (the one that appears when you
select ‘Show more options’ if you haven’t performed the tweak
from step 4).8
MAKE CHANGES WITH BATCH SCRIPTS
Why get your hands messy with Registry Editor when you
can make changes to the Registry directly from Notepad?
By creating special script files using any text editor, then saving
them with a .reg file extension you then simply double-click the
.reg file to merge your changes into the Registry.
>> To do this, open a blank document in Notepad. Now type the
following line at the top:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
>> This identifies the script as a Registry file. Add a blank line
beneath this, then type below that:
[Regpath]
>> Keep the square brackets but replace Regpath with the
Registry key you wish to edit (any sub-keys that don’t already
exist will be automatically created, so you don’t need manually
create them in regedit first). Beneath this, type each of the
values you wish to create or modify on separate lines using the
following syntax:
“ValueName”=Valuetype:Value
>> Valuetype should be ignored if the value is a string;
otherwise, enter ‘binary’ for hexadecimal values, ‘dword’ for
dword values. The example [Image E] creates a system profile
you can apply when gaming to squeeze more performance out
of your PC.
>> You can edit multiple Registry keys within a single document.
Leave a blank line between each [Regpath] entry. Once done,
choose File > Save, change ‘Save as type:’ to ‘All Files’ and
remember to save your file with a .reg extension. Then back up
and double-click the file to merge it into the Registry, or right-
click and choose Edit to make further changes in the text editor.9
WHO NEEDS GPEDIT.MSC?
When surfing the net for useful tweaks—particularly
when it comes to securing your PC—you’ll often find a
reference to gpedit.msc, or Group Policy Editor. This tool makes
it easy to set various security and privacy policies in Windows,
and while it’s aimed at enterprise and business users, it’s often
handy for us mere mortals too.
>> The only problem with gpedit.msc is that it’s not available
in Home editions of Windows. But don’t worry, because Group
Policy Editor is basically a neat front end for various Registry
settings—it doesn’t apply them directly, but they’re eventually
translated via special “local policy” files that are applied after
a reboot. All you need to know is which tweak applies to whichERegistry setting, and thanks to a handy Excel file from
Microsoft, you can do just that—download the Windows 11
21H2 ADMX spreadsheet.xlsx file from http://www.microsoft.
com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=103506 for the
translation you need.10
GET MORE TWEAKS
The internet is awash with Registry tweaks for
you to try out, just make sure that you trust
the website in question and have taken a recent backup
before you begin.
>> Start your search with SpeedGuide’s Gaming Tweaks
(www.speedguide.net/articles/gaming-tweaks-5812).
Tweaks from older versions of Windows should work in
many cases, particularly those for Windows 10, but it’s
worth Googling the tweak in question with “Windows 11”
to see if there are known compatibility issues.
>> As we stated, most tweak tools for your PC
basically provide you with a user-friendly front end to
tweak various Registry settings. One such tool, Winaero
Tweaker (https://winaero.com/winaero-apps/), goes
further than most in allowing you to understand what
exactly it is the tweak in question does.
>> When selected, click ‘See in detail how this tweak
works’ [Image F] and you’ll be whisked to a page detailing
what the tweak does and, if applicable, what Registry
settings are changed.FREGEDIT ALTERNATIVES
If you plan to spend time tweaking Registry keys, you may
become frustrated at some of Registry Editor’s drawbacks.
Spying an opportunity to fill those missing gaps, several
third-party Registry editing tools have emerged.
One of the highest-rated is O&O RegEditor (www.
oo-software.com/en/ooregeditor), a freeware portable
editor. Download the 1MB zip file and extract its contents,
then double-click OORegEdt.exe to launch it. You’ll be
prompted to make the app the default for opening .REG
files—click ‘No’ for now until you’re sure it’s right for you.
You will see a summary of extra features O&O RegEditor
offers: the Address bar keeps a history of previously visited
subkeys for easy access, while the Favorites menu also
makes a note of frequently used keys alongside any you
create yourself (you can also import and export Favorites,
unlike with Registry Editor).
In addition, the Search tool narrows your search to the
currently selected key or subkey and lays out the results in
a more logical way. O&O RegEditor also enables you to copy
and move entire keys (sometimes, you’ll need to duplicate
keys between two locations, typically HKLM and HKCU).JUN 2022 MAXIMU MPC 61