Windows Master Control Panel shortcut
{{short description|Windows shortcut}}
The Windows Master Control Panel shortcut, labeled All Tasks in the Windows Registry and by at least one Microsoft developer,{{cite web|url=http://brandonlive.com:80/2010/01/04/the-so-called-god-mode|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018070151/http://brandonlive.com:80/2010/01/04/the-so-called-god-mode|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-10-18|title=The So Called "God Mode"}} and also often informally called Windows God Mode by bloggers, is a shortcut to access various control settings in Windows Vista and later operating systems, including Windows 10 and Windows 11. By creating a folder with a certain name, users have access to all the operating system's control panels from within a single folder. The existence was widely published outside of Microsoft documentation in 2007 and gained popularity when the name "God Mode" was used by bloggers. Variations of the same method can access different options, and have also been described as "God Mode" folders.{{Cite web |title=Activate Windows 10 God Mode - step by step |url=https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/know-how/windows-10-god-mode/ |access-date=2022-08-18 |website=IONOS Digital Guide |language=en}}
Implementation
The functionality, All Tasks, that was discovered and nicknamed Master Control Panel or God Mode was designed as the base folder for searching control panel options using the new start menu's search function. This allows users to type what they want to do (e.g. "Change screen resolution") and they will get the right control panel options as search result. The shortcut is implemented by creating a folder with the extension .{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. "GodMode" was simply the folder name used when the feature was popularized, but any name may be used. The same functionality can be achieved by creating a standard Windows shortcut with the path explorer.exe shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} or by creating a Desktop.ini file in a folder that includes the extension's CLSID (Class ID). On Windows 10 or Windows 11 after creating the shortcut, its name will disappear.{{Cite web|last=Piltch|first=Avram|date=2021-08-31|title=How to Enable God Mode in Windows 11 or 10|url=https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/enable-god-mode-windows-11|access-date=2021-12-31|website=Tom's Hardware|language=en}}
Discovery
The general method of creating the shortcuts is documented by Microsoft, though Microsoft had not publicized the specific GUID ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C for the Master Control Panel. Third parties have published the method since at least 2007 under titles such as "[Registry Hack] VISTA - All Control Panel & Setting tasks at one place".{{cite web|url=http://www.merawindows.com/Forums/tabid/324/forumid/82/threadid/18940/scope/posts/Default.aspx|title=[Registry Hack] VISTA - All Control Panel & Setting tasks at one place|date=3 October 2022 }} Numerous blogs and tweets on the subject appeared in December 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.dotblogs.com.tw/chou/archive/2009/12/07/12332.aspx|title=[Windows 7]使用 GodMode 控制台總覽模式|access-date=2010-01-07|archive-date=2019-10-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011222444/https://dotblogs.com.tw/chou/archive/2009/12/07/12332.aspx|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://stadt-bremerhaven.de/windows-7-godmode/ |title=Windows 7 GodMode |publisher=Stadt-bremerhaven.de |date= 12 December 2009|accessdate=2011-06-08}}{{cite web|url=http://www.k840.com/windows-7-godmode/ |title=Windows 7 GodMode | Ken's Technology Blog |publisher=K840.com |date=2009-12-13 |accessdate=2011-06-08}} as well as January 2010,{{cite web |url=http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2010/01/04/windows-7-god-mode.aspx |title=SuperSite Blog |publisher=Community.winsupersite.com |date= |accessdate=2011-06-08 |archive-date=2011-07-01 |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110701120728/http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2010/01/04/windows-7-god-mode.aspx |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://old.windowsvalley.com/windows-7-god-mode-behind-the-scenes/ |title=Windows 7 God Mode – Behind the Scenes |publisher=Windows Valley |date= |accessdate=2021-11-07}}{{cite web|last=Fried |first=Ina |url=https://www.cnet.com/how-to/understanding-windows-7s-godmode/ |title=Understanding Windows 7's 'GodMode' |publisher= CNET News |date=2010-01-04 |accessdate=2021-11-07}} referring to it as "Windows 7 Godmode", with many sites repeating the same information available elsewhere.
Related shortcuts
The general folder shortcut format is {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} is of particular interest because the associated widget allows access to many Windows settings. Microsoft documents the GUIDs for the regular Control Panel applets on MSDN.{{cite web|url= https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/controlpanel-canonical-names |title=Canonical Names of Control Panel Items (Windows) |publisher=Microsoft |accessdate=2021-11-08}} A CNET article attributed many of the GUID shortcuts to the head of Microsoft's Windows division, Steven Sinofsky.{{cite web|last=Fried |first=Ina |url= https://www.cnet.com/how-to/windows-7-has-lots-of-godmodes-exclusive/ |title=Windows 7 has lots of 'GodModes' (exclusive) |publisher= CNET News |date=2010-01-06 |accessdate=2021-11-07}}
Known issues
= Java =
Pre-Java 8 applications using Swing's Windows look-and-feel, including those compiled by Excelsior JET, are known to crash on Windows 10 Creators Update when a God Folder exists.{{cite web|last1=Ugliansky|first1=Ivan|title=The Folder of God|url=https://www.excelsiorjet.com/blog/support-stories/the-folder-of-god/|website=Excelsior JET Team Blog|publisher=Excelsior JET|accessdate=12 October 2017|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618033203/https://www.excelsiorjet.com/blog/support-stories/the-folder-of-god/|url-status=dead}}
A workaround may consists of putting the "God" folder inside another Folder. Putting "God" in a "virtual" folder directly, such as desktop or documents causes the problem for older .jar programs
= Windows 10 =
In Windows 10 1703 (April 2017), Microsoft broke the display of a "God Mode" folder in File Explorer.{{cite web|title=Godmode problem: the folder is set up correctly, but folder name is blank. (Version 10.0.16179)|url=https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/godmode-problem-the-folder-is-set-up-correctly-but/e51a93aa-5431-41da-9218-e1d2c6d3ab87}} The problem remains in the subsequent versions. A workaround{{cite web|title=Godmode problem: the folder is set up correctly, but folder name is blank - Workaround|url=https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/godmode-problem-the-folder-is-set-up-correctly-but/79f9b6ea-5301-4092-97ee-5ee01039be6b}} was proposed, but it does not always work.