7 Registry hacks for windows 11 – Unlock Hidden Features 2024

Windows registry editor tweaks can be used to customize various aspects of the system's behavior, appearance, and performance.

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Tweaking the Windows registry editor not only fixes different problems on Windows 11 but also can unlock certain features or settings that are not available through the normal user Interfaces. In addition registry editor is a powerful tool that you can use to improve your computer’s performance. Here in this article, we discuss some of the best Windows 11 registry tweaks to improve performance and optimize for gaming, restoring the original right-click context menu to disabling the lock screen completely and more.

Windows 11 System Registry is a database that contains important system and software configuration settings for the operating system and allow you change everything from appearance to behaviors when opening specific applications.

Important to note – Modifying the registry can be risky, and incorrect changes can cause serious problems with your system. And it’s recommended that create a restore point or back up your registry before making any changes.

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To create a Registry Backup

  • Open the registry editor, click on File then select Export,
  • Choose a location to save the backup file name it and click save, Make sure to select All for the Export range option.

windows registry backup

Create system restore

In addition, create a system restore point, this will allow you to revert your changes if something goes wrong.

  • Press Windows key + R, type sysdm.cpl and click ok
  • Move to the System Protection tab Select your System Drive (usually it’s C:) and click on Configure.
  • Here enable the Turn on system protection option and click apply then ok
  • Now click on Create button, and name the restore point so that you can remember why you created it. then click on Create.

Create system restore point

How to Open Registry Editor on Windows 11?

There are different ways to open the Windows registry editor on your computer. You can Press the Windows key + S search for regedit and select the Registry Editor option. In addition, you can Press the Windows key + R, type regedit and click ok to open the Windows registry editor on your computer.

Open registry Editor

Add Apps to the Desktop Context Menu

Using the Windows registry editor you can tweak the Windows desktop context menu and any app to it. For example, you can add Chrome to the context menu.

Add app to Context menu

  • First, open the Windows Registry editor on your Windows 11 computer,
  • Navigate to Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell
  • Right-click on shell choose New->Key and Name it the name of the program you wish to add to your context menu. for example Steam
  • Now right-click on Steam, create another Key, and name it the command
  • Right-click on the default string of the command and modify it.
  • Set Value data a the path of your program’s executable file and click on the Ok button

Add Apps to the Desktop Context Menu

  • If you don’t know the exact path, right-click on your program’s desktop shortcut and select Properties. Now copy the path displayed on the Target field.

App target path

  • Close the Registry and check your desktop context menu for Chrome

Turn Off the Lock Screen

Here is a registry tweak to turn off the lock screen on your Windows 11 PC

  • Open the registry editor and navigate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\
  • Right-click on Windows select New->Key, and name it Personalization,
  • Now right-click on Personalization, create a new DWORD (32-bit) name the value NoLockScreen And modify its Value data from 0 to 1.

Turn Off the Lock Screen

  • Restart the system, and you will notice that the lock screen is gone.

Disable Windows Startup Delay

By tweaking the registry editor you can turn off the startup delay that makes Windows 11 start faster.

  • Open the registry editor and navigate Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
  • Right-click on Explorer select New->Key and name it Serialize.
  • Next, right-click on Serialize key, create a new DWORD-32 and name it StartupDelayInMSec.
  • Change the Value data of StartupDelayInMSec to 0.

Disable Windows Startup Delay

Show Seconds in the Taskbar Clock

By default, the taskbar clock only shows you the time and date, however, you can tweak the Windows registry to display seconds on there.

Show Seconds in the Taskbar Clock

  • Open the registry editor and navigate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
  • Right-click on Advanced, Create a new DWORD (32-bit) and name it ShowSecondsInSystemClock change the value data 1
  • You need to reboot your PC and log in again to affect the changes.

Display Seconds in the Taskbar Clock

Bring back the old context menu

Windows 11 introduced the new context menu that small in size and has most of the options hidden behind show more options. and most of the time you need to click on show more option. By tweaking the Windows registry editor you can bring back the old context menu.

Get the Old Context Menu on Windows 11

  • Open the registry editor and navigate HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
  • Right-click on CLSID select New > Key and Put this value as its name: {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}
  • Again Right-click on {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2} selects new -> Key and name it InprocServer32.
  • Finally, Inside the InprocServer32 entry, double-click on the (Default) entry, and without putting any value data click on OK.

Bring back old context menu windows 11

Speed up shutdown time

Here is how you can Tweak Windows registry entry to speed up the shutdown of your computer.

Windows 11 shutdown

  • Open the Windows registry editor and navigate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
  • Select the control and look for the WaitToKillServiceTimeout entry in the right panel.
  • Double-click on WaitToKillServiceTimeout and change its value from 5000 to 1000 or lower.

Speed up shutdown time

Note – The value is in milliseconds, so you basically turn it down from 5 seconds to 1 second, saving 4 seconds on shutdown time.

Bypass TPM and CPU Checks to Install Windows 11 Update

If you are unable to install Windows 11 upgrade as your system requirements not meet, you can tweak the Windows registry to Bypass TPM and CPU Checks to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free.

  • Open the registry editor and navigate Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
  • Right-click on MoSetup,  choose New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU
  • Double-click to open it and change the Value data from 0 to 1
  • Close the registry editor and reboot your PC, then try to check for and install Windows 11.

Bypass TPM and CPU Checks

Stop Automatic Updates on Windows 11

If you are looking to disable automatic updates on Windows 11 below registry tweak is helpful for you.

windows 11 update

  • Open the registry editor and navigate Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU
  • Right-click on AU to create a new DWORD (32-bit) name it NoAutoUpdate
  • Now, open “NoAutoUpdate” and change the value to 1.

No auto update windows 11

This is one of the best Windows 11 Registry hacks that let you disable automatic updates on Windows 11

Now onwards, your Windows 11 computer will not automatically download updates. It only downloads and installs Windows 11 updates when you check it manually.

Disable Bing Search From Windows 11 Start Menu

Windows 11 Start menu pulls results from the Bing search engine if you won’t like it then You can remove Bing search results from the Start menu following the registry tweak.

  • Open the registry editor and navigate Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows
  • Right-click on Windows -> key and name it Explorer
  • Now right-click on Explorer to create a new “DWORD (32-bit) value”  and rename it to DisableSearchBoxSuggestions
  • Double-click to open “DisableSearchBoxSuggestions” and change the “Value data” to 1

Disable Bing Search From Windows 11 Start Menu

  • Restart your Windows 11 PC, and this Registry hack will altogether remove Bing Search from the Windows 11 Start menu.

Note: Registry tweaks shared in this article informational purposes only, and you should always exercise caution when modifying the Windows Registry. If you’re not comfortable making changes to the registry, it’s best to avoid doing so.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are Registry hacks for Windows 11?

  • Registry hacks involve making changes to the Windows Registry to unlock or modify hidden features and settings in the operating system.

Is it safe to tweak Windows Registry to unlock hidden features in Windows 11?

  • Modifying the Windows Registry can potentially cause system instability or lead to other issues if done incorrectly. It’s recommended to proceed with caution and create a backup before making any changes.

How do I access the Windows Registry in Windows 11?

  • Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.

Can I undo Registry changes if something goes wrong?

  • Yes, you can undo Registry changes by restoring the Registry from a backup or by manually reverting the specific changes you made.

Are there any risks associated with using Registry hacks?

  • Yes, incorrect changes to the Registry can lead to system instability, crashes, or even make the system unbootable. Always proceed with caution and make backups.

Also read:

Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer
With over 7 years of experience in the IT industry, I have experience in IT support, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. Certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.

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