Windows 10 has brought along a number of new features since its release in 2015, like the Action Center, the new Start menu, and the Windows Store. In this new tutorial, you will learn how to open Windows tools in Windows 11.
I’ve been running Windows 10 for a while now and I’ve had no problems with it. Sure, I had to install a few drivers and give it a whack in the face. However, I’ve never been in a situation where I had to troubleshoot a problem. However, one of my clients was having problems. I went and looked into the issue, and I discovered that the problem was with her Windows Tools, specifically the Windows Management Interface (WMI).
If you’ve been using Windows since it was called DOS, then you’ve seen the Windows Start Menu. It’s been the same across the entire Windows line, with one exception: Windows 10. As we all know, Windows 10 is a bit different. It’s no longer just a singular operating system. Instead, it’s a series of layers: desktop, mobile, phone, tablet, and the Edge browser.
This article will show you how to open Windows Tools in Windows 11, a new folder that mixes administrative tools with the OS’s customary little utilities and programs.
For many years, Microsoft divided its default apps and utilities into multiple Start menu folders: Windows Accessories, Windows PowerShell, Windows Administrative Tools, Windows System, and so on. With Windows 11, Microsoft ditched the hierarchy and consolidated all system utilities into a single folder named Windows Tools. Here’s how to get your hands on it.
In Windows 11, go to the Tools menu and select Windows Tools.
The Windows Tools folder replaces the Windows Accessories, Windows Administrative Tools, Windows PowerShell, and Windows System folders on the Start menu as a standard app.
From the Start menu, select Windows Tools.
- On the taskbar, click the leftmost Start menu icon, then All Apps.
- Locate the Windows Tools folder by scrolling down.
- Alternatively, you can use the Start search box to look for Windows Tools.
- Finally, the “W” letter in the alphabet view can be used to access it.
Using the Windows Search
- To open the Search pane, press the Win + S shortcut keys. Alternatively, you can use the taskbar’s Search icon.
- Start entering the words “windows tools.” Indeed, typing tools will bring up the folder in the search results.
- Select Windows Tools from the drop-down menu.
- The folder will be opened as a result of this.
File Explorer may be found in Windows 11’s Windows Tools.
While Windows Tools is a virtual shell location, its content is stored in a physical location. It can be found by following the path below. MicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsWindows Tools, %ProgramData, %ProgramData, %ProgramData, %ProgramData, %
Paste the above line into the address bar of the File Explorer software (Win + E), then hit Enter.
Alternatively, use the Win + R shortcut to open the Run dialog and copy-paste the same command.
From the Command Center
The Windows Tools folder also appears in the classic Control Panel in Windows 11. Switch to the Icons view in the classic Control Panel software. The Windows Tools shortcut will be visible.
But wait, there’s more! It also features a number of Control Panel actions that, like standard applets, allow you to open the folder directly. In the Run dialog (Win + R), type any of the following:
- admintools command
- Microsoft.AdministrativeTools control /name
Any of the options above will open the folder.
Construct a shortcut
- Open the Start menu and look for Windows Tools in the All Apps list.
- Drag Windows Tools to the Desktop by clicking and holding the left mouse button.
- You can also drag the Windows Tools shortcut from the Explorer address bar to the desktop, but you won’t be able to pin it to the taskbar. This is something we’ll talk about in the upcoming chapter.
Manually create the shortcut
- On the Desktop, right-click and select New Item > Shortcut.
- Paste the following address into the path field of a new window: explorer.exe shell::D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-0C5020524153.
- Make a name for your shortcut, such as Windows Tools.
- Using the properties window, change the icon.
Finally, Winaero Tweaker can be used to generate the Windows Tools shortcut.
Winaero Tweaker is a program that allows you to fine-tune your Winaero
- Winaero Tweaker can be downloaded and installed.
- In the left panel of the app, look for the Shortcuts area.
- The Shell Folder (CLSID) Shortcut can be found here.
- Select Shell Folders from the drop-down menu.
- In the Filter Items box, type Windows Tools.
- Check the box next to Windows Tools, then click Add.
You may now use the shortcut you made to open Windows Tools on Windows 11.
Pin it to your taskbar.
The Windows Tools folder can be pinned to the taskbar, but it’s a bit of a process. You can’t just open Windows Folder and then right-click the shortcut on the taskbar and choose Pin to Taskbar from the context menu. The issue is that Windows 11 would pin a shortcut to the conventional Control Panel rather than the Windows Tools folder in this situation. The same can be said for the shortcut you can make by dragging and dropping from the File Explorer title bar.
Follow these steps to pin Windows Tools to the taskbar.
- Using the procedure above, create a standard shortcut to the Windows Tools folder on the Desktop.
- Then pick Show More Options from the shortcut’s right-click menu.
- Select Pin to Taskbar from the drop-down menu. The Windows Tools folder is now pinned to the taskbar.
Incorporate into the context menu
Finally, you may add the Windows Tools shortcut to the context menus so that it is accessible from everywhere on the system. That will function in the same way that the context menus in Windows 11 may be used to access Windows Terminal.
- This link will download a ZIP archive containing registry files.
- The archive can be unpacked into any folder. If necessary, unblock the files.
- Open the Add Windows Tools Context Menu.reg file and double-check your registry modifications. To conduct that function, you must have the Administrator access level.
- Open the Remove Windows Tools Context Menu.reg file to remove the Windows Tools shortcut from the context menus.
Winaero Tweaker can be used to create a menu.
Finally, users of Winaero Tweaker may easily add and uninstall Windows Tools from the context menu.
- Winaero Tweaker can be downloaded and installed.
- Ctrl + F or a click in the search box will bring up the search field.
- Type “windows tools” in the box.
- Check the checkbox on the right for the Context menu Windows Tools option.
- The folder is now visible in the desktop context menu.
Important: Microsoft, in usual and perplexing fashion, tends to overcomplicate things with Windows 11. Context menus have been updated in Microsoft’s latest operating system, and the “Show More” option has been included. Context menus in the manner of Windows 10 are launched when you select this option. Because you can’t add new entries to the new context menus right now, you’ll have to use Show More Options or Shift + F10 to go to the context menus with custom shortcuts.
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