Nobody ever accused Windows 8 of being user intuitive. Windows 8.1 improved things a little bit, but changing settings around is still too much of a hassle.
That’s why I liked finding this “secret” Windows 8.1 visual settings menu. This settings menu contains dozens of helpful settings which can dramatically change the look of Windows 8.1
These settings aren’t secret or hidden: they’re just conveniently organized in one place. So rest assured that you’re not editing core system functions while using this menu. Instead, you’re just changing the visual settings that Microsoft wants you to change.
You’re not doing irreversible damage to your computer. If you want to change any of these settings, you can easily do so.
Think you can handle the secret Windows 8.1 visual effects menu? Here’s how to find it:
Step 1) Open the Windows Control Panel
Step 2) Click on System (If you don’t see this setting, choose the Large Icons or Small Icons “View By” option, which is a separate option from System and Security in the Control Panel).
Step 3) Then, click Advanced System Settings, which you’ll find on the left-hand navigation panel
Step 4) This will open a smaller window called System Properties. Click the Advanced tab on this window.
Step 5) Under Performance, click on the Settings button.
Finally, at long last, you’ve found the super secret hidden menu. This is called the Performance Options window, and it blows my mind that Microsoft didn’t make this menu easier to access.
Anyways, from this menu, you can access a wide range of important Microsoft options. You can check the radial button beside “Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer” and switch it to “Custom” to change around all the fun settings.
Some fun settings to change around including turning off the “show desktop” feature, which is triggered whenever you click or hover your mouse over the small empty space on the far right corner of the taskbar. You can disable this setting by unchecking the box beside Enable Peek-ON. I kind of like that feature, although I know other people aren’t big fans.
Anyways, you can check and uncheck each of these boxes and then click ‘Apply’ to see what effect the changes have on your system. Clicking Apply will apply the changes without forcing you to exit out of the Performance Options menu.
If you’re unsatisfied with the default UI in Windows 8.1, changing these settings around can have a powerful effect on your system’s performance and visual appeal.