Want to know how to quickly access certain applications in Windows? There is a way to quickly access some important system programs of Windows - Power User Menu. This article is built around Power User Menu. If you are interested, keep reading.
The Power User Menu provides quick access to Windows essential features. Power User Menu Windows 7? It was first introduced as part of Windows 8 and now is only available in Windows 10 and Windows 8.
The Power User Menu can also be called as Windows Tools Menu, Power User Task Menu, Power User Hotkey, WIN+X Menu.
Power User Menu Options
For you who do not know how to access the Power User Menu, there are two very simple ways: Way 1 – Right click on the Start menu which is located on the lower left corner, then you will see that the interface of Power User Menu pops out; Way 2 – Hold down the Windows key and press the X key simultaneously on your keyboard to open it.
The Windows 10 Power User Menu contains handy system functions. There are many useful default entries (shortcuts) in this pop-up menu.
Each shortcut in Power User Menu has its own quick access key (or you can say hotkey). With the Power User Menu turned on, these hotkeys can bring up these features immediately when you press any of them on your keyboard. For example, after you access the Power User Menu interface, and then press P on your keyboard, then the Control Panel interface will jump out immediately.
Let’s see these features and its corresponding hotkeys with a simple introduction of these options.
| Options | Hotkeys | Simple Introductions |
| Programs and Features | F | Programs and Features is where you can uninstall programs, change how they are installed, or repair a damaged program installation. |
| Mobility Center | B | Mobility Center is introduced in Windows Vista. It centralizes information and settings most relevant to mobile computing. |
| Power Options | O | Power Options allows you to fine-tune your computer’s power consumption when plugging in an AC adapter or using battery power. |
| Event Viewer | V | Event Viewer is a management tool that allows you to view and search chronological logs of Windows system events. Logged events include status messages, warnings, and errors encountered by applications, services, and the operating system. |
| System | Y | System allows you to view system properties such as computer hardware specifications, Windows version information, network identity and more. From this page, you can also access Device Manager, System Protection options, and other Advanced System Settings. |
| Device Manager | M | Device Manager allows you to view the properties and operational status of all internal and external hardware devices connected to your computer. If the device is not working properly, this is a good place to start diagnosing the problem. You can update device drivers, enable and disable individual devices, and change how devices are configured here. |
| Network Connections | W | Network Connections is where you can view and modify each network device on your PC. Network devices include your Ethernet adapter, Wi-Fi adapter, and any virtual network devices you are using. |
| Disk Management | K | Disk Management allows you to do some basic management of disks, such as creating volumes, deleting volumes, formatting volumes… |
| Computer Management | G | Computer Management gives access to individual tools including Local Users and Groups, Event Viewer, Performance Monitors, Device Manager and more. |
| Command Prompt | C | Command Prompt is a command shell which allows you to perform some operations by typing certain commands line. |
| Command Prompt (Admin) | A | Windows Command Prompt with Administrator permissions. |
| Task Manager | T | Task Manager allows you to view a list of currently running applications and processes on your system. In Task Manager, if the program does not respond, you can right click on it to force the process to terminate. |
| Control Panel | P | Control Panel is a place where you can view and modify most of the system’s configuration. |
| File Explorer | E | File Explorer is a file management application which allows you to view and perform operations on all files in your computer. |
| Search | S | A Search bar allows you to search for any applications you have on the computer, for a quick access. |
| Run | R | A Run box allows you to run specific applications. When you launch a Run box, type the command related to the particular program to open it quickly. |
| Shut down, or Sign out | U/I S U R | Shut down or sign out of your computer (U). After you hit U, there are four options: Sign out (I) & Sleep (S) & Shut down (U) & Restart (R). |
| Desktop | D | Desktop feature minimizes all the windows you are running and then restores to the desktop. Win+D can also achieve this effect. |
For different versions of Windows, these options may be slightly different.
About Customize the WIN+X Menu
The Power User Menu can be customized by rearranging or removing shortcuts in the various group folders that are included in C:\Users\ [USERNAME]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX directory.
However, the easy way to remove, reorder, rename, or add items to Power User Menu is to use third-party editors like Win+X Menu Editor.
Some features accessible from the Power User Menu can cause system instability or data loss if not used properly. Back up all important data before changing your system configuration! Here, we recommend a professional backup tool – MiniTool ShadowMaker.
For the question of how to use this software for backup, this article can be used as a reference: Back up Windows 10 to USB Drive: Two Simple Ways Are Here!
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Linda has been working as an editor at MiniTool for 5 years. She is always curious about computer knowledge and learns it crazily. Her articles are simple and easy to understand. Even people who do not understand computer can gain something. By the way, her special focuses are disk management, data recovery and PDF editing.