Menu Close

Tweak Everything with Windows 7 God Mode

god mode excerpt We tech geeks love to discover hidden features in our tech toys.  And we love it even more those hidden features are actually useful.  An Easter egg that has been making the rounds among Windows 7 users is Windows 7 "God Mode."  At its simplest level, what Windows 7 God Mode does is simple – it puts a myriad of configuration options at your fingertips, in one list.  Beyond that, users have discovered additional "god modes" that open up more Windows 7 configuration options.  Read on for more on God Mode.

god mode full

 

To access God Mode in Windows 7, follow these steps:

1.  Create a new folder (Right-click on your desktop, and select New > Folder).

2.  Give the folder the following name:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

(You actually can replace the word "GodMode" with a word of your choosing, so long as it is followed by the "." as in the above example).

 

Like magic, the folder icon will change to a new icon:

God Mode icon

 

There seems to be some dispute in tech circles about whether God Mode actually offers access to any new settings, or whether it just consolidates already-available settings in one place.  Either way, it is convenient to not have to dig through nested menus in the control panel, and to see various settings on one list (the Start Menu search box can help you avoid this, too, if you know what terms to use in the search).

In addition to the "main" God Mode settings, users have also discovered additional God Mode folders for Windows 7, and some for Windows Vista and later.  These include folders for Biometrics, for Backup and Restore, for Font Settings, and more.

Try God Mode at your own risk, especially if you’re using Windows Vista.  I haven’t run into any trouble on any of my Windows 7 machines, but I have seen reports of this completely borking Vista 64 bit machines.

Have you tried out God Mode, or any of the additional tricks?  Do you find them useful, or do you prefer to use the Start Menu search box?