Rearrange or delete Win + X menu commands in Windows 10

Did you know that you can customize the Win + X menu in Windows 10? In this article you will see how to change position or delete any command in this menu.

Windows 10

In Windows 8, Microsoft introduced a menu that could be accessed by right-clicking in the lower-left corner of the screen or by pressing Win + X at the same time. In Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, you can simply right-click the Start button to display it.

This menu has shortcuts for useful management of your system. Although it is not customizable, you can still rearrange its elements and delete the ones you never use. Unfortunately, the user cannot add the desired applications or commands they want to the Win + X menu.

Approach the Win + X menu
1. Right-click the Start button, or alternatively,
2. Press the Win + X shortcut keys on the keyboard at the same time.

Windows 10

Win + X menu contents
Win + X menu entries are just shortcut files (.LNK). They are stored in the% LocalAppdata% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WinX folder, organized into three subfolders, Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3. Each of the subfolders represents a section of the Win + X menu, which starts at the top.

Group 1 - bottom,
Group 2 - medium,
Group 3 - top.

Windows 10

Customizing the Win + X menu is not an easy task because Microsoft has deliberately made it difficult customization, to prevent misuse and placement of third-party applications there. The shortcuts are all special, they are passed through a Windows hashing API function and the hash is then stored in these shortcuts. The presence of the hash tells the Win + X menu that the shortcut is “approved” and only then will it appear in the menu, otherwise it will be ignored.

However, you can move or rearrange Win + X menu entries without using third-party tools. See how you can do it. In our example we will "touch" the command "Settings".

How to rearrange Win + X menu commands in Windows 10
1. Open File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the folder % LocalAppdata% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WinX . Paste this path into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter.

Windows 10

You will see three folders. Group1, Group2 and Group3. Each one also corresponds to a piece of the Win + X menu. Remember that the Group numbers correspond to the bottom-up pieces.

Windows 10

3. Open the Group2 folder, which corresponds to the middle track, and right-click Cut (Ctrl + X) the item "Control Panel".

Warning! Do not * delete * any of the shortcuts using the "Delete" command. Otherwise, you will not be able to restore them if you change your mind later.

4. Paste it in the Group 1 folder.

You will need to log out and log back in as a user in Windows 10 to see the changes. Alternatively restart Explorer.

The “Settings” item is now at the bottom, along with the surface entry !

Note: Keep in mind that Microsoft with its upgrades can apply a different tactic to Windows 10, so this trick may stop working at any time. If that doesn't work for you, leave a comment and let us know what version of Windows 10 you have.

How to delete a command in the Windows 10 Win + X menu
1. Open File Explorer.

2. Navigate to the folder % LocalAppdata% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WinX. Paste this path into the File Explorer address bar and press Enter.

3. Open the Group1 (bottom), Group2 (center) or Group3 (top) folder to find the required shortcut. In our example we will again use the Settings command that we have transferred to Group1, from the example above.

4.To the item you want to delete, right-click on it and press the command "Cut”. For example, cut to the "Control Panel" item.

Warning! Do not * delete * any of the shortcuts using the "Delete" command. Otherwise, you will not be able to restore them if you change your mind later.

5. Make it Paste the item in the root folder,% LocalAppdata% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WinX.

Upon pasting the item will no longer appear in the menu, but you will have it at any time to reposition it where you want. You will need to restart Windows 10 Explorer for the changes to take effect.

Before:

Post:

Warning! Do not * delete * any of the shortcuts using the "Delete" command. Otherwise, you will not be able to restore them if you change your mind later.

Restore deleted items
To restore any deleted item, simply move it from the% LocalAppdata% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ WinX folder to its original location or to any other Group you want.

Further adjustment
You can also rename the Win + X Menu shortcuts in Windows 10 without using third-party tools.

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Written by Dimitris

Dimitris hates on Mondays .....

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