On Windows 11, the way to change most of your system settings is to use the Settings app. This is the method Microsoft wants you to use, with the most modern design and newest features being there. However, it's not perfect, and it's actually missing a few options from the old Control Panel. If you want quick access to these options, then you might want to enable God Mode on Windows 11.

God Mode is a (clearly exaggerated) term for a folder that contains links to all kinds of system settings directly on your desktop (or wherever you choose to create it). Despite its intimidating name, God Mode is very easy to set up, and there's almost no risk to it, aside from making important settings easily accessible.

How to create a God Mode folder in Windows 11

  1. Create a new folder on your desktop. To do this, right-click an empty area of the desktop, hover over New, and then choose Folder.
    Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop when creating a new folder
  2. Name the folder GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. If you've already created the folder with a different name, right-click the folder and choose Rename to change it.
    Screenshot of a folder created on a Windows 11 desktop. The folder is using a specific name to enable God Mode
  3. Once you hit Enter after changing the name, that name will disappear, and the icon should change into a Control Panel icon.
  4. You can now open the folder to access all the settings inside. You'll find settings for everything from AutoPlay, user accounts, disk optimization, and so on. There are a total of 207 items, but that could vary depending on what version of Windows you're running.
    God Mod folder on Windows 11 next to the God Mode icon on the desktop

    In some cases, the setting you want to use may have been completely replaced by the Settings app, and the shortcut will open that app instead of the classic Control Panel.

  5. Because it's a standard folder, you can also easily copy settings shortcuts directly onto your desktop for even quicker access. Simply drag and drop the setting you want, and it'll be accessible directly on the desktop.
    Screenshot of a GOd Mode folder open with multiple icons copied from it directly to the desktop

Why use God Mode?

If you want to access some of the old-school settings in Windows 11, God Mode is definitely the easiest way to do it, especially with Microsoft pushing the classic Control Panel further and further into the depths of the OS. Many settings are now hidden behind complex navigation and different pages, so having a folder with everything laid out right there and then can be very helpful.

If you find that having all of those options on the desktop isn't useful for you, you can simply delete the God Mode folder to get rid of it. All the options will continue to be available through the usual means; you're only deleting shortcuts.

If you're interested in learning more about lesser-known Windows 11 features, you may want to check out how to create a battery report in Windows 11. It's pretty useful if you want to know exactly how much you're getting out of your laptop's battery, or you want to see how much it has degraded over time.