Some people are content to use their computers as they were originally intended. Others take matters into their own hands, get a little adventurous, and tweak every corner of their operating system until it fits into their workflow perfectly. This is for those in that second group.
You've probably already searched through a lot of menus and hidden settings, and maybe even downloaded some awesome apps to help you along. But when it comes to really digging in your heels, you need to look into the darker corners of your OS?the parts that people give you caution before entering. Here are some of our favorite skills and tweaks for Windows, Mac, and Linux in that realm?and remember, back up before you start tweaking!
Windows
If you're looking to start tweaking your Windows system, we recommend you start out with a tool like Ultimate Windows Tweaker. It's incredibly easy to use (it's basically just a window full of checkboxes), and you can tweak everything from Windows Explorer to the start menu, taskbar, welcome screen, and lots more. The 7+ Taskbar Tweaker is also a great tool for more taskbar-centric changes.
When you're ready to go deeper, it's time to open up the Windows Registry. If you still aren't sure what the registry does, check out our explainer on the subject. Basically, it's a database that stores settings and preferences for nearly everything on your system. By going in and changing things directly, you can unlock a lot of hidden features and settings in Windows. Some of our favorites include:
For more, check out our registry tag and our list of the top 10 registry tweaks that power up Windows.
OS X
In OS X, you'll probably perform most of your deep tweaks from the command line. Before you start digging into a terminal, though, warm up a little bit with a system tweaker like OnyX. Not only can it unlock hidden features in the Finder, Dock, QuickTime, Mail, iTunes, Spotlight, and other apps, but it also has a lot of maintenance features built-in to keep your system running in tip top shape. Secrets is a pretty great app for tweakers too.
Once you want to go a little further, it's time to open up that terminal window and get to work. OS X's built-in terminal is great, but our favorite terminal emulator is iTerm2, which contains a bunch of extra features to make command line work easier. Some of our favorite command line tweaks include:
Want to try more? Check out this huge list of useful preferences, or check out our guide to finding your Mac's hidden features. Be sure to check out our terminal tag for Mac to see more handy tweaks, too.
Linux
If you're using Linux, you're probably no stranger to system tweaks. In fact, you're probably already an expert on the subject. So, instead of telling you what you should do, we'll share a few of our favorite tips and resources with you out of the gate:
All that should get you started, but these are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Windows, Mac, and Linux tips. So jump on into the discussions below and share all your favorite tweaks with us.
Have a great weekend!
Photo by anaken2012 (Shutterstock).
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