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akamienski edited this page May 14, 2026 · 151 revisions

PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of utilities designed to enhance productivity and customization on Windows systems. It provides users with additional functionalities to streamline their workflow and personalize their Windows experience. By default, WinMac activates these PowerToys utilities:

  • PowerToys Run - Spotlight-like utility, activated with Ctrl+Space
  • Always On Top - activated with Win+A
  • FancyZones - activated by holding Shift while dragging a window
  • Find My Mouse - find cursor by shaking your mouse
  • Peek - QuickLook-like extension, activated with Spacebar
  • Image Resizer - right click from File Explorer and instantly resize one or many images
  • Color Picker - activated with Win+C
  • Advanced Paste - activated with Ctrl+Shift+V
  • Workspaces - desktop manager utility for launching a set of applications to custom positions and configurations, activated with Win+Ctrl+`
  • Everything - quick search plugin for PowerToys Run, activated with ?

PowerToys include many other utilities, which are all detailed in MS Documentation.

StartAllBack

StartAllBack is a versatile software that provides users with numerous configuration options to customize their experience. Configuration is accessible in taskbar context menu and start menu under Properties. Here's a breakdown of each configuration option:

  • Taskbar - brings back Windows legacy taskbar, with options to change position, choose taskbar style and Start Orb icon, tweak tasks icons alignment and transparency,
  • Tray Icons - choose between 11, 10 (default) and 7 flyout style, turn system icons on or off and hide/show system tray icons,
  • Explorer - choose between 11, 10 and 7 (default) Explorer styles, turn mica effect on top and bring back classic context menu (default).

You can switch between four File Explorer Styles:

  • WinMac Modern: enable Win 11 Command Bar and enable Windows 11 File Explorer Styler and Classic Explorer navigation bar in Windhawk
  • Windows 11: enable Win 11 Command Bar and disable Windows 11 File Explorer Styler and Classic Explorer navigation bar in Windhawk
  • Windows 10: enable Win 10 Ribbon UI and disable Windows 11 File Explorer Styler and Classic Explorer navigation bar in Windhawk
  • Classic (Windows 7): enable Win 7 Command Bar and disable Windows 11 File Explorer Styler and Classic Explorer navigation bar in Windhawk

Keep in mind that StartAllBack is not a free software and requires license to run permanently. Free version will stop working after 100 days.

WinMac Menu

Start Menu have been replaced with context-menu-like application called WinMac Menu - it was created exclusively for WinMac with mind to fully resemble the Apple menu in terms of possible menu options to choose from (with addition of File Explorer option). Additionally, it provides a lot of customization capabilties, so you can configure your menu however you want. More info on WinMac Menu GitHub page.

WinMac menu component includes additional application:

  • NewModernWinver - modernised version of Winver window, named About Windows within menu

Menu can be triggered with windows key, ctrl+esc, left, middle and right mouse buttons. Each of the options in WinMac Menu can be run with windows key combination, by pushing the other letter key after windows key is released. You can also navigate through the menu with arrow keys.

Nexus

Nexus Dock is a customizable dock for Windows that allows users to add shortcuts and widgets for quick access. You can access it by going to Nexus Preferences in tray or Dock context menu. Here are some of the customization options available:

  • Content - minimize windows to the dock, combine dock icons, show/hide running applications or system tray icons
  • Modules - integrate widgets like clock, weather forecast, CPU meter, etc.
  • Position - place the dock on any edge of the screen and adjust its alignment
  • Behaviour - set the dock to auto-hide, stay on top, prevent dock overlapping or behave like a normal window
  • Appearance - adjust dock transparency, dock color and blur effect, icons size, icon shadows, label settings, choose indicators for specific theme and dock position,
  • Effects - add special effects like magnification or bounce on mouse-over
  • Themes - choose from a variety of themes to change the look of your dock,
  • Sounds - assign sounds to different actions like launching item, hiding dock or recycling bin
  • Tasks - adjust appearance of running tasks or permanently hide taskbar
  • Shortcuts - add shortcuts to your favorite applications, files, directories and show their content as list
  • About - change Nexus preference window and dock context menus theme

There are two styling choices you can make:

When Thumbnails for running app is enabled, it can cause some graphical issues (explorer top bar randomly flashes) for apps with mica effect enabled. To fix that, either disable Thumbnails in Nexus preferences in Advanced tab -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Disable window thumbnails, or disable mica effect (Taskbar Properties -> Explorer -> disable Mica effect on top.

Recent Items content can be cleared using:

  • context menu of Recent Items icon in Dock,
  • StartAllBack Properties: Taskbar Properties -> Advanced -> Clear list for either items or programs.

Icons are stored in %PROGRAMDATA%\Winstep\Icons

For more details on Nexus, please visit Winstep Documentation.

Hot Corners

WinXCornersPlus allows to configure each of the screen corner to trigger specific actions. Advanced settings allow to configure trigger delays, showing countdown and disabling hot corners on full screen app.

HotCorners component installs two additonal apps: Simple Sticky Notes and WinLaunch.

Please refer WinXCornersPlus GitHub page for more info.

You can easily change Simple Sticky Notes trigger behavior, by changing keyboard shortcut for Custom Command. List of available SSN hotkeys.

Windhawk

Windhawk includes these mods:

  • Auto Dark Titlebar
  • Better file sizes in Explorer details
  • Block Windows Start Menu and Hosts
  • Center New Windows
  • Classic Explorer navigation bar
  • CTRL+SHIFT+C quotes remover
  • Custom Shutdown dialog
  • Customize Windows notifications placement
  • Disable Feedback Hub Hotkey
  • Dot Hide
  • Explorer: Hide Quick Access pins
  • Modernize Folder Picker Dialogs
  • Name Explorer windows
  • No Focus Rectangle
  • Open With - Remove Microsoft Store Menu Item
  • Paste Clipboard Content To Explorer
  • Remove Command Bar
  • Remove File Explorer Suffixes
  • Resource Redirect
  • Shrink Address Bar Height
  • Themed Regedit ListView
  • Toggle Hidden Files
  • Turn off change file extension warning
  • UXtheme Hook
  • Windows 11 File Explorer Styler
  • Windows 11 Notification Center Styler
  • Windows 11 Settings Styler
  • Windows 11 Start Menu Styler

Audio Flyuot app icon and name can be enabled, by going to Windows 11 Notification Center Styler mod Settings, Advanced tab and:

  • icon - replace "controlStyles[4].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed" with "controlStyles[4].styles[0]": "Margin=109,-20,0,-90"
  • name - replace "controlStyles[5].styles[0]": "Visibility=Collapsed" with "controlStyles[5].styles[0]": "Margin=7,-20,0,-90"

Control center can be customized in many ways, like.:

  • expand it to show more buttons by adding or substracting the property controlStyles[7].styles[0] value, for example:
    • 1 row - Height=90
    • 2 rows - Height=190 (WinMac default)
    • 3 rows - Height=290 (Windows 11 default)
    • 4 rows - Height=390
  • restore footer grid with battery and settings buttons: "controlStyles[10].styles[0]": "Visibility=0"

For more suggestions for custom Windhawk styles, please check Windows XAML Styles GitHub repository.

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