Technology Tips – Published November 2020 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
Want to see Windows 10 enable or disable your microphone with two clicks? Turn off your webcam? Manage your Wi-Fi settings? Remove unneeded Windows system files using Storage Sense? It’s easy.
Here’s how to make it work:
- Right-click any blank place on the Windows 10 Desktop.
- Choose New > Shortcut.
- Pick one of the ms-settings apps listed below and type it into the input box. (Hint: Copy & Paste it). For example, to open the Storage Sense app, type ms-settings:storagesense in the box marked “Type the location of the item”.
- Click Next, give the shortcut a name, like Storage Sense and click Finish.
- A new shortcut (Storage Sense) appears on your desktop. Double-click it, and the StorageSense app appears.
Storage Sense is a replacement for the old Windows Disk Cleanup. Use it to clean up unneeded Windows system files. Click to open it, wait until the wheels stop spinning, then click “Temporary files”. Wait until the scan completes then click “Remove files”. Wait until the removal process completes. NOTE: Windows Upgrade/Update files may take quite a while to be removed.
Since Storage Sense only removes unneeded Windows files. You need to complete the cleanup process by installing then running Wise Disk Cleaner and Wise Registry Cleaner. These were written up in the March 2020 issue of the Guide & Digest. Copy & Paste the link below into your browser to read about the Wise apps.
You can ignore the reference to the cleanmgr + program. To finish off the maintenance procedure run “Defragment and Optimize Drives”, which is also mentioned in the above article, to align the disk drive and make your computer run faster. To run it, type defrag in the “Type here to search” field, which is in the lower left corner of the Desktop screen. In the results window click “Open” to start the app.
Here’s the list of Settings Shortcuts:
| Settings page | App used for the shortcut |
| Accessibility | |
| Closed captioning | ms-settings:easeofaccess-closedcaptioning |
| High contrast | ms-settings:easeofaccess-highcontrast |
| Keyboard | ms-settings:easeofaccess-keyboard |
| Magnifier | ms-settings:easeofaccess-magnifier |
| Mouse | ms-settings:easeofaccess-mouse |
| Narrator | ms-settings:easeofaccess-narrator |
| Other options | ms-settings:easeofaccess-otheroptions |
| Battery and power | |
| Battery Saver | ms-settings:batterysaver |
| Battery Saver settings | ms-settings:batterysaver-settings |
| Battery use | ms-settings:batterysaver-usagedetails |
| Power and sleep | ms-settings:powersleep |
| Display and user interface | |
| Backgrounds | ms-settings:personalization-background |
| Colors (display) | ms-settings:colors |
| Colors (personaliation) | ms-settings:personalization-colors |
| Date and time | ms-settings:dateandtime |
| Display | ms-settings:display |
| Mouse and touchpad | ms-settings:mousetouchpad |
| Personalization | ms-settings:personalization |
| Region and language | ms-settings:regionlanguage |
| Screen rotation | ms-settings:screenrotation |
| Speech | ms-settings:speech |
| Start | ms-settings:personalization-start |
| Themes | ms-settings:themes |
| Typing | ms-settings:typing |
| Network and radios | |
| Airplane mode | ms-settings:network-airplanemode |
| Bluetooth | ms-settings:bluetooth |
| Cellular | ms-settings:network-cellular |
| Data usage | ms-settings:datausage |
| Dialup | ms-settings:network-dialup |
| DirectAccess | ms-settings:network-directaccess |
| Ethernet | ms-settings:network-ethernet |
| Manage Wi-Fi | ms-settings:network-wifisettings |
| Mobile hotspot | ms-settings:network-mobilehotspot |
| Proxy | ms-settings:network-proxy |
| Wi-Fi | ms-settings:network-wifi |
| VPN | ms-settings:network-vpn |
| Other | |
| For developers | ms-settings:developers |
| Offline maps | ms-settings:maps |
| Optional features | ms-settings:optionalfeatures |
| Privacy | |
| Account info | ms-settings:privacy-accountinfo |
| Calendar | ms-settings:privacy-calendar |
| Camera | ms-settings:privacy-webcam |
| Contacts | ms-settings:privacy-contacts |
| Feedback | ms-settings:privacy-feedback |
| Location | ms-settings:privacy-location |
| Messaging | ms-settings:privacy-messaging |
| Microphone | ms-settings:privacy-microphone |
| Motion | ms-settings:privacy-motion |
| Other devices (privacy) | ms-settings:privacy-customdevices |
| Privacy | ms-settings:privacy |
| Radios | ms-settings:privacy-radios |
| Speech, inking, and typing | ms-settings:privacy-speechtyping |
| System and user | |
| Connected devices | ms-settings:connecteddevices |
| Family and other users | ms-settings:otherusers |
| Lockscreen | ms-settings:lockscreen |
| Notifications and actions | ms-settings:notifications |
| Proximity | ms-settings:proximity |
| Signin options | ms-settings:signinoptions |
| Storage Sense | ms-settings:storagesense |
| Tablet mode | ms-settings://tabletmode/ |
| Windows Update | ms-settings:windowsupdate |
| Work access | ms-settings:workplace |