Windows 10 tip: More secret shortcuts to your favorite settings
Use this shortcut to open Settings and begin checking for new updates immediately.
As I explained in last week's tip, Microsoft has moved huge chunks of the old Control Panel to the new, modern Settings app in Windows 10. And if you know how to use a group of commands that begin with ms-settings, you can create shortcuts that take you straight to that page without requiring you to click through categories and subcategories.
At the end of this post, I've included a list of some of my favorite ms-settings commands. One that I use all the time from that list is ms-settings:windowsupdate-action, which takes you to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and immediately begins checking for new updates.
If you want to create your own shortcuts, use any of these commands, which I've arranged by category; in most cases, the name is self-explanatory.
About
- ms-settings:about
Date and Time
- ms-settings:dateandtime
Apps & Features
- ms-settings:appsfeatures
Default Apps
- ms-settings:defaultapps
Windows Update
- ms-settings:windowsupdate
- ms-settings:windowsupdate-history
- ms-settings:windowsupdate-options
- ms-settings:windowsupdate-action
- ms-settings:windowsinsider
Windows Defender
- ms-settings:windowsdefender
Touchpad
- ms-settings:devices-touchpad (available only if touchpad hardware is present)
Printers & scanners
- ms-settings:printers
Bluetooth / Connected devices
- ms-settings:Bluetooth
- ms-settings:connecteddevices
Network
- ms-settings:network-status
- ms-settings:network-ethernet
- ms-settings:network-wifi (available only if the device has a Wi-Fi adapter)
- ms-settings:network-vpn
Manage known networks
- ms-settings:network-wifisettings
Personalization
- ms-settings:personalization
- ms-settings:personalization-start
- ms-settings:personalization-background
- ms-settings:personalization-colors
- ms-settings:lockscreen
- ms-settings:taskbar
Display
- ms-settings:display
Notifications
- ms-settings:notifications
Power and Battery
- ms-settings:powersleep
- ms-settings:batterysaver
- ms-settings:batterysaver-usagedetails
Recovery
- ms-settings:recovery
Next week, I'll demonstrate how to add a group of these shortcuts to the Windows 10 Start menu.
Previous tip: Secret shortcuts to your favorite settings
Next week: Another Windows 10 tip from Ed Bott