Collection of Windows 10 Hidden Secret Registry

Tweaks

UPDATE: This tutorial was written for Windows 10 preview builds but tweaks
1-9 still work in final RTM version of Windows 10.

We know that Microsoft is working on Windows 10 operating system and

a free Insider Previewbuild can be downloaded to test its new features and
provide feedback and suggestions to Microsoft.
Microsoft puts various experimental features in Windows 10 preview builds to
test their functionality but the company doesn't activate those features
because these features might not be complete and can cause problems to
users. On the other hand, some new features are enabled to replace old
features but Microsoft also keeps the old features in the OS hidden from
users.

Most of the times these new and old features can be enabled or disabled
using various Registry tweaks which are applied using our favorite Registry
Editor tool.

We have received many emails and comments from our readers who shared
various Registry tweaks to enable new hidden secret experimental features
in Windows 10 as well as to disable new features and to bring back old
features in Windows 10.

Instead of creating separate articles for all of them, we decided to put them
together in this exclusive topic for your reading convenience. Special thanks
to our readers Ashfaq, Matthew, Johan and Keshav for sharing these
tweaks.
So today in this tutorial, we are going to share a few Registry tweaks for
Windows 10 which will allow you to activate some new hidden secret
experimental features in Windows 10 and torestore previous classic
features if required.
Related: Hidden Secret Features and Useful Hotkeys in Windows 10
So without wasting time lets start the tutorial:

STEP 1:
Press WIN+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box or you can open it
using WIN+X menu.
STEP 2:
Now type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. It'll open Registry
Editor.
STEP 3:
Now go to following keys and change mentioned DWORD values to
enable/disable Windows 10 features:

NOTE: Ready-made registry scripts are given at the end to do the task
automatically.

1. Increase Taskbar Transparency Level

By default, Windows 10 Taskbar comes with Aero glass transparency effect

but the transparency level is not very high. With the help of following
Registry tweak, you can increase transparency level of Windows 10 Taskbar
and can add extra clear transparency effect to the Taskbar:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explore
r\Advanced

2. In right-side pane, create new

DWORD UseOLEDTaskbarTransparency and set its value to 1
3. Restart, log off or restart Explorer as given here to take effect and it'll
make Windows 10 Taskbar more transparent.
If you want to restore Taskbar default transparency level in future, delete the
DWORDUseOLEDTaskbarTransparency.
Also Check: How to Enable Aero Glass Transparency with Blur in Windows
10?
2. Disable Login Screen Background Image

Microsoft has put the new "Hero" wallpaper as the background image of
Login Screen in Windows 10. Interested people can disable or remove it using
following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System

2. In right-side pane, create new

DWORD DisableLogonBackgroundImage and set its value to 1
3. Restart your computer and it'll remove the background image from login
screen.
If you want to restore Login Screen background image in future, delete the
DWORDDisableLogonBackgroundImage.
3. Enable Hidden Secret Dark Theme Mode

Windows 10 comes with a hidden secret Dark theme mode which can be
unlocked and tested in Modern (metro) apps:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes
\Personalize

2. In right-side pane, create a new DWORD AppsUseLightTheme and leave

its value to 0
3. That's it. Now you can enjoy dark UI in all modern apps including Settings
app.
To restore default UI, delete the new DWORD AppsUseLightTheme.
PS: In previous testing builds of Windows 10, the DWORD was
actually SystemUsesLightThemewhich was replaced
with AppsUseLightTheme in final version of Windows 10.
4. Disable New Volume Control UI and Restore Previous UI

Microsoft has added a new horizontal UI for volume control slider in Windows
10 which is shown when you click on the Sound icon in Taskbar notification
area. If you don't like the new UI, you can restore previous vertical volume
control slider using following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\

2. Create a new key MTCUVC under CurrentVersion key.

3. Now in right-side pane, create new DWORD EnableMtcUvc and set its
value to 0
If you want to restore new volume control UI, delete the
DWORD EnableMtcUvc.
5. Disable New Network Flyout UI and Restore Previous UI

Microsoft has added a new fly-out for Network icon in Taskbar notification
area. If you don't like the new UI, you can restore previous Windows 8/8.1
style Network sidebar using following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control
Panel\Settings\Network

2. Now take ownership of Network key with the help of this guide.
3. Now in right-side pane, change the value of DWORD ReplaceVan to as
following:
0 - Default flyout
1 - To open Network Settings window
2 - To show Windows 8/8.1 style Network sidebar
6. Disable New Tray Clock and Calendar UI and Restore Previous UI

You can use following method to disable the new Modern (Metro) style Clock
and Calendar UI and restore good ol' classic Date/Time UI in Windows 10
Taskbar Notification Area (aka System Tray):

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Immersiv
eShell

2. In right-side pane, create a new

DWORD UseWin32TrayClockExperience and set its value to 1
That's it. It'll immediately disable the new Clock and Calendar UI and restore
classic UI in system tray.

If you want to restore new Clock UI, delete the new

DWORD UseWin32TrayClockExperience.
7. Disable New Battery Fly-out and Restore Previous UI

You can use following method to disable the new Modern (Metro) style
Battery fly-out and restore good ol' classic Battery info UI in Windows 10
Taskbar Notification Area (aka System Tray):

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Immersiv
eShell

2. In right-side pane, create a new DWORD UseWin32BatteryFlyout and

set its value to 1
That's it. It'll immediately disable the new Battery fly-out and restore classic
UI in system tray.

If you want to restore new Battery fly-out, delete the new

DWORD UseWin32BatteryFlyout.
8. Disable New Action Center Sidebar and Restore Previous UI

Microsoft has updated Action Center (or Notification Center) UI in Windows

10. Now it opens as a sidebar and contains new quick action switches.

Following method will allow you to disable this new UI and restore previous
fly-out UI of Action Center:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Immersiv
eShell

2. In right-side pane, change value

of UseActionCenterExperience DWORD to 0
3. Restart, log off or restart Explorer as given here to take effect and it'll
disable the new Action Center UI.
If you want to restore new UI, change value
of UseActionCenterExperience DWORD to 1 again.
Also Check:
o [Windows 10 Tip] Restore Classic Context Menu in Explorer and
Desktop
o [Tip] Get Rid of Dark Context Menu in Windows 10 Taskbar
9. Completely Disable Action Center in Windows 10
 If you don't like the new Action Center in Windows 10, you can disable it
using following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

2. In right-side pane, create new DWORD DisableNotificationCenter and

set its value to 1
3. Restart, log off or restart Explorer as given here to take effect and it'll
completely disable Notifications and Action Center in Windows 10.
If you want to re-enable it, delete the new
DWORD DisableNotificationCenter.
Also Check:
o [Tip] Disable Notifications and Action Center in Windows 10
o [Windows 10 Tip] Disable "Quick Actions" Buttons in Action Center
10. Activate New Experimental Login Screen

Microsoft has put a new experimental Login Screen in Windows 10 builds

which is not enabled by default. It features new rounded user pictures
(avatars) along with a few other UI changes.

You can activate it using following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authen
tication\LogonUI\TestHooks

2. In right-side pane, change value of Threshold to 1

That's it. It'll immediately enable the new login screen.

If you want to restore default Login Screen, change value

of Threshold to 0 again.
PS: This new login screen is under development and contains many bugs,
that's why its not enabled at the moment. Some people have faced problems
after enabling this new login screen such as not able to log into Windows
after restart or a clean boot.
Also Check: Download Windows 10 Hidden Secret Login Screen for Windows
7
11. Disable New Xaml Start Menu and Enable Previous Start Menu

Microsoft has replaced previous Windows 10 Start Menu with a new one in
the latest Windows 10 build 9926 which is a little bit buggy and can't be
resized. Luckily, the old Start Menu still exists in the OS. Interested people
can enable the old resizable Start Menu in Windows 10 using following
method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\A
dvanced

2. In right-side pane create a new DWORD EnableXamlStartMenu and

leave its value to 0
3. Restart, log off or restart Explorer as given here to take effect and enjoy
the old Start Menu in Windows 10.
This tweak will also enable previous Start Screen and you'll also be able to
switch between Start Menu and Start Screen again using Taskbar Properties
as mentioned here.
To restore the new Start Menu, delete the new
DWORD EnableXamlStartMenu.
12. Enable Jump List Feature in Windows 10 Start Menu

You can use following trick to enable jump list feature in Windows 10 Start
Menu:
1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\A
dvanced

2. In right-side pane create a new DWORD EnableXamlJumpView and set

its value to 1
3. Restart your computer to take effect and enjoy jump lists in Start Menu of
Windows 10.
To remove jump list feature from Start Menu, delete the new
DWORD EnableXamlJumpView.
13. Disable New Windows Update UI and Enable Previous UI

Microsoft has also updated Windows Update UI in the latest Windows 10 build
9926 and some people are facing problems with this new UI.

Interested people can disable this new Windows Update UI and bring back
the old UI using following method:

1. In Registry Editor, go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsUpdate\UX

2. In right-side pane, change value

of IsConvergedUpdateStackEnabled DWORD to 0
That's it. It'll immediately disable the new Windows Update UI.

If you want to restore new Windows Update UI, change value

ofIsConvergedUpdateStackEnabled DWORD to 1 again.