Ditch Useless Apps: How to Customize the Power User Menu in Windows

Windows 8.1, 10, or 11[スタート]Right-clicking the button pops up a menu with commands for Power Options, Device Manager, Task Manager, File Explorer, and more. This is known as the Power User Menu because it provides one-click access to some of Windows’ more powerful features.

But what if a command you never use is taking up space here? Or what if your favorite command isn’t there? , and you want to be able to access it. You can tweak the power user menu in File Explorer, but your control is limited and Microsoft doesn’t make it easy. Instead, we recommend using a third-party utility called Win+X Menu Editor.

First, right-click the start button or Windows key + X Display the power user menu. Depending on which version of Windows you are running, the commands you see will be slightly different.

Windows 8.1 provides the following commands:

• Programs and features

• mobility center

• power options

• event viewer

• system

• device manager

• network connection

• Disk management

• computer management

• command prompt

• Command Prompt (Admin)

• task manager

• Control panel

• file explorer

• search

• Run

• shutdown or sign out

• desktop

Windows 10 provides the following commands:

Windows 11 provides the following commands:

• Apps and features

• power options

• event viewer

• system

• device manager

• network connection

• Disk management

• computer management

• windows terminal

• Windows Terminal (Admin)

• task manager

• setting

• file explorer

• search

• Run

• shutdown or sign out

• desktop

First, let’s see how to change the power user menu in File Explorer. On Windows 8.1, 10 or 11, open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder: (If you don’t see the AppData folder,[表示]from the menu[隠しアイテム]option).

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX

Three groups are listed. Each group represents one of the three sections of the power user menu. Group 1 contains the lower section commands, such as Desktop. Group 2 contains commands from the middle section, such as Task Manager, Search, and File Explorer. Group 3 contains commands from the top section, such as Computer Management, Disk Management, and System.

File Explorer power user menu

There’s not much you can do with File Explorer to actually change the power user menu, but there are a few tweaks you can make. As an example, you can move shortcuts from one section to another. To try this out, select the shortcuts in Group 2 and cut and paste or drag and drop them into Group 1. Move other shortcuts from one group to another.

Move shortcuts from one section to another.

To see the change, sign out of Windows and sign back in.[スタート]Right click the button.

New shortcuts cannot be added to any group, but new groups can be created to contain specific shortcuts. Go back to your WinX folder. Create a new folder and name it Group4. Then move some shortcuts from one of the other groups into the new Group4 folder.

Again, sign out and sign in again.[スタート]Right-click the button to confirm the changes you made.

It is much more efficient and effective to use third party utilities to modify the power user menu. Win+X Menu Editor certainly does the job. The program fully supports Windows 8.1 and 10, but does not work reliably on Windows 11. This may be due to changes Microsoft made to the power user menu in recent versions of Windows.

Get the Win+X menu editor from the Winaero website page.(opens in new window)Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link to download the program. Download and unzip the WinXMenuEditorRelease.zip file. From the unzipped folder, double-click the WinXEditor.exe file to launch the program.

If you haven’t changed the power user menu yet, you’ll see three shortcut groups: Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3.

remove command

Let’s remove the command first. You may not be using Event Viewer and want to remove that command. In the Group3 folder, right-click the Event Viewer shortcut and select delete from a pop-up menu.

change order

Now you may want to change the order of some commands. Right-click the specific command you want to move. From the pop-up menu, move to top To move to the top of the menu, move down To go to the bottom of the menu, move up Move up one position, or move down Move down one.

Move to another group

You can also move commands to different groups. You may want to move the command from Group 2 to Group 1, placing it further down the overall menu. Right-click a command in Group 2 and hover your mouse over it. move to groupClick[グループ 1]Choose.

add command

Now suppose you add a command. Perhaps you’re missing a control panel shortcut? Right-click Group2 and move the mouse to[追加]place it on top of[追加]Choose. Add a control panel item.

Add all control panel items

In the Add Control Panel Items window, All control panel items afterwards select.

Customize to your liking

You can continue modifying the menu by deleting, moving, adding items, creating new groups, etc.When you’re done and want to see your new creation, sign out and sign back into Windows, or simply restart explorer button in the Win+X menu editor.

[スタート]Right-clicking the button brings up a new and improved power user menu.

If you don’t like the changes you’ve made, you can restore the menu to its default state by clicking . restore default In Win+X Menu Editor.