Tweak UI
{{Short description|A free utility program from Microsoft for customizing Windows}}
{{Primary sources|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Tweak UI
| logo =
| screenshot = TweakUI.png
| screenshot size =
| caption = Tweak UI running on Windows XP
| author = Raymond Chen
| developer = Microsoft
| released = {{Start date and age|1996}}
| latest release version = 2.10
| latest release date =
| operating system = Microsoft Windows
| genre =
| license =
}}
Tweak UI is a free application, released in 1996 by Microsoft for customizing the Microsoft Windows operating system's user interface. Tweak UI modifies the Windows Registry in the same way as a user could edit it manually with a program such as RegEdit, but provides a simple graphical user interface that does not need knowledge of the registry structure, is quicker and easier to use, and not susceptible to registry damage due to user error.
Tweak UI was formerly downloadable free of charge from Microsoft's website. It is one of Microsoft's many non-supported PowerToys.
History
Tweak UI started as a control panel applet available for download on Microsoft's website, released shortly after the release of Windows 95. It was originally written by Raymond Chen and later included in Microsoft's PowerToys collection, a set of tools developed by Microsoft's Shell Development Team.{{cite web
|url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20050202-00/?p=36543
|title=The history of the Windows PowerToys
|work=The Old New Thing
|access-date=14 August 2020
|last=Chen
|first=Raymond
|date=2 Feb 2005
}}
An updated version of Tweak UI was included on the installation disc for Windows 98. According to Chen, this was deemed a "disaster" because it resulted in additional work for Microsoft's product-support teams when diagnosing problems.{{cite book |title=The Old New Thing |edition=1st |chapter=Chapter Two: Selected Reminiscences on Windows 95 |pages=32–33 |last=Chen |first=Raymond |date=2006 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=0-321-44030-7 }}
With the release of Windows XP, the Tweak UI applet was retooled and re-released on Microsoft's website as a separate executable, TweakUI.exe. It was again updated to version 2.10 for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2003. Chen also wrote an updated Windows Vista version of the utility, but it was not released as it violated the policy of not making available unsupported software.{{cite web |url=https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20100304-00/?p=14733 |title=What happens if I drag the mouse by exactly the amount specified by SM_CXDRAG? |first=Raymond |last=Chen |date=March 6, 2010 |work=The Old New Thing |access-date=2016-08-10 }}
An unofficial 64-bit version of Tweak UI was created by NeoSmart Technologies for Windows XP Professional x64 Edition.{{cite web |url=http://neosmart.net/TweakUI/ |website=neosmart.net |title=TweakUI 64-Bit Edition |publisher=NeoSmart Technologies|access-date=22 December 2012}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite web|url=http://winsupersite.com/article/product-review/powertoys-for-windows-xp-review|title=PowerToys for Windows XP Review|author=Paul Thurrott|date=October 8, 2004|access-date=2014-08-06}}