Customizing Windows and adapting it to the needs of each user is possible… and very necessary. Microsoft operating systems are not especially good at customization and it is quite difficult to leave them to individual taste.

Windows 10 represented an important change in user interface and feature management. The general system configuration tool has been reworked (correctly visually and organizationally, not potentially) and added more features, some moved/removed from the classic control panel.

Based on Windows 10 and the concepts of Windows 10X, the now defenestrated, Windows 11 It was a breath of fresh air. Its interface is undoubtedly more attractive, but there are parts to be completed, and the customization part is still complicated to manage for more advanced tasks, when we want to significantly change its appearance, the behavior of its components, or access advanced features that are not directly accessible in the user interface.

How to customize Windows

This is where third-party apps come in to make life easier for us “restless” users who would like Microsoft to offer them by default. Everything is there. Kits that allow you to customize absolutely the entire system or those that affect specific aspects such as the main interface, Start menu, taskbar, icons or system behavior. We leave you with some of the best for the latest versions of Windows.

– ThisIsWin11 (all in one). Nicknamed as “Real PowerToys for Windows 11”, is free, open source and really powerful because it is not limited to customization of visual elements, but offers almost the entire system settings, information about news and comparisons with previous versions, automation of some functions, better privacy thanks to telemetry management and applications to reduce Bloatware. It also includes a package manager, more useful and intuitive than Microsoft’s own WinGet.

– Winaero Tweaker (all in one). One of the most well-known and comprehensive Windows customization applications is Winaero. Its developer has combined most of the available options in an all-in-one tool and a single interface. It has a huge number of functions for different visual aspects; colors; the size of window borders, subtitles and menus, as well as audio sections and general system behavior.

– Ultimate Windows Tweaker (all in one). Another of the most comprehensive Windows 10 tweaking tools. Offers more than 200 privacy and security settings; performance; contextual offers; search and much more. It also works as a taskbar customization software, allowing you to change battery layout, date and time, volume, show or hide frequent folders and recent files, and more.

– OpenShell (Start menu). The Windows Start Menu is a component that has been with us since Microsoft implemented graphical interfaces in its operating systems. If the design implemented until Windows 7 satisfied all types of users, what came later was nonsense, eliminating it from Windows 8 as well. The latest versions of Windows 10 improved the situation, but if you liked Windows 7 more, Open Shell is one of the best , which you can use.

– PowerPack TweakNow (Windows behavior). Focused on customizing how Windows 10 behaves rather than how it looks, this app is one of the most complete you can find. It offers access to more than 100 hidden Windows settings, a registry cleaner, a RAM optimizer, profiles for virtual desktops, a redesigned startup manager or the ability to allocate CPU resources for demanding applications.

– Start11 (Start menu). It’s from Stardock and it’s a commercial software priced at $5.99, but it’s one of the best to get an à la carte menu with four different styles. Windows 7 and Modern offer a traditional two-column display with all applications or favorites on the left and shortcuts to various functions and locations on the right. The latter in Windows 10 uses the familiar menu and a combination of tiles. There’s even a Windows 11 style, but it offers more features and flexibility than the built-in menu.

– Taskbar Tweaker (main panel). Definitely the best dashboard customizer. It includes some settings that Windows 10 already offers, but most are not accessible even when working in the registry.

– CustomizerGod (icons). There are few better free tweaks dedicated especially to managing system icons, a feature that Microsoft has revived in the latest versions of Windows 10. You can change those related to the Start menu, taskbar, battery, start screen session, time and date, and many more .