Why Enable God Mode on Windows 11
Windows 11 keeps its settings in two different places, and that is where the frustration starts. Some options live in the Settings app, others still live in the older Control Panel, and a few are buried inside administrative tools you may only open once a year.
God Mode collects all of those scattered settings into one place. It is a special folder on your desktop that opens into a single long list of Control Panel tasks, grouped by category and searchable from the search box at the top of the window.
Despite the dramatic name, God Mode is not a hidden mode and it does not unlock secret features. It does not give your account extra administrator powers, it does not bypass User Account Control, and it does not change any setting on its own. Every item inside it already exists on your PC; God Mode simply gathers them together.
The name comes from the folder trick used to create it: you make a new folder, rename it with a special code, and Windows turns it into a window that lists everything in one place. It takes less than a minute, needs no extra software, and you can delete the folder afterwards just like any other folder, with nothing on your PC changed.
This guide shows you how to enable God Mode on Windows 11: creating the folder, what you will find inside it, how to search it, and how to fix the most common problems.
Before You Start
God Mode works on Windows 11 Home and Pro, and the same trick has worked since Windows 7. You do not need to be an administrator just to create the folder, although individual tools inside it may still ask for administrator permission when you open them.
Step 1: Check that you are running Windows 11. Press Windows key + I to open Settings, then go to System, then About. The folder trick itself is identical on Windows 10.
Step 2: Pick a safe place for the folder. The desktop is the easiest place, because the folder is always in view. You can also create it inside Documents or any other folder you own. Do not rename a folder that already contains files with the God Mode code: Windows will stop showing it as a normal folder and you will not see its contents until you undo the rename.
Step 3: Copy the code rather than typing it by hand. A single wrong character will stop the trick from working, so copy the full name from this guide and paste it when you rename the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}.
Step 4: Decide what to call it. The word before the dot is only a label, and you can choose anything you like. GodMode is the traditional name, but All Settings or Windows Tools would open exactly the same list. Only the part after the dot, inside the curly braces, has to be exact.
How to Enable God Mode on Windows 11
Enabling God Mode means creating a new folder and giving it a special name. Windows recognises the code at the end of the name and turns the folder into a view of all Control Panel tasks, which Microsoft calls the All Tasks view.
Step 1: Go to your desktop. Press Windows key + D to show the desktop, then right-click on an empty area, away from any icons.
Step 2: Create a new folder. In the menu that appears, hover over New, then click Folder. A new folder appears with its name highlighted and ready to edit.
Step 3: Copy the God Mode name. Select and copy this exact text: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}. Copy the whole thing, including the dot, the curly braces, and every hyphen. The letters and numbers inside the braces are a Windows class identifier, and they must match exactly.
Step 4: Rename the new folder. If the folder name is still highlighted from Step 2, paste the copied text straight away. If not, right-click the folder, choose Rename, select the existing text, and paste the God Mode name in its place.
Step 5: Press Enter to confirm the new name. The folder icon should change to a Control Panel-style icon, and the visible name should shorten to just GodMode. The long code disappearing is how you know Windows has accepted the folder.
Step 6: Double-click the GodMode folder to open it. A File Explorer window opens showing a long list of settings and tools, grouped under headings such as Administrative Tools, Devices and Printers, and Power Options.
Step 7: Scroll through the list to see what is there. The window works like any File Explorer window: scroll down, sort by name, or switch views from the View menu. Nothing changes on your PC just by opening the folder and looking around.
Step 8: Close the window when you are done. The GodMode folder stays on your desktop, ready to open again whenever you need it.
What if the icon does not change straight away
On most PCs the icon changes the moment you press Enter. On some systems it takes a few seconds or needs a refresh. Press F5 while the desktop is active, or right-click the desktop and choose Refresh. If the icon still looks like an ordinary folder, check the name for a typo, as covered in the troubleshooting section below.
What You Will Find Inside God Mode
Opening God Mode for the first time can feel overwhelming, because the list is long. The items are grouped by category, in alphabetical order within each group, so scan the headings first. Clicking an item opens the same page or tool you would reach through the normal menus.
Step 1: Look for the Administrative Tools section. This is usually the first group in the list. It gathers tools such as Computer Management, Disk Management, Event Viewer, Services, Task Scheduler, and System Configuration — the tools for diagnosing problems and managing drives, services, and startup programs.
Step 2: Find Devices and Printers. This group collects the settings for the hardware connected to your PC: adding a device, viewing printers, managing Bluetooth devices, and opening Device Manager.
Step 3: Check Power Options. The Power Options group holds the settings for sleep, hibernation, power plans, and what happens when you press the power button or close the laptop lid.
Step 4: Browse Network and Sharing Center. This group brings together the network settings spread across Settings and Control Panel. You can view your active networks, set up a new connection, change adapter settings, and open the troubleshooter.
Step 5: Look at User Accounts. The User Accounts group manages the people who use your PC: changing an account type, changing or removing a password, and managing credentials. Some options ask for administrator permission before they open.
Step 6: Scan the remaining categories. The rest of the list covers Backup and Restore, Date and Time, Display, File Explorer Options, Mouse, Keyboard, Sound, Programs and Features, Recovery, Security and Maintenance, Storage Spaces, System, Troubleshooting, Windows Defender Firewall, and more. The exact list depends on your edition of Windows 11 and the software installed on your PC.
Why some items open the Settings app instead
On Windows 11, Microsoft has been moving settings from Control Panel into the Settings app. Some God Mode items still open the classic Control Panel page, while others now open the matching page in Settings. Both routes change the same setting.
How to Search Inside God Mode
Scrolling through more than 200 items every time would defeat the purpose of having them all in one place. The search box at the top-right of the God Mode window is the fastest way to find a single setting.
Step 1: Open the GodMode folder. Double-click the folder on your desktop and wait a moment for the full list to load, because searching too early can give incomplete results.
Step 2: Click the search box in the top-right corner. It is labelled Search All Tasks, or simply Search. Click inside it and type a word or two describing what you need, such as power, printer, firewall, or backup.
Step 3: Wait for the results to narrow down. As you type, File Explorer filters the list to show only the items that match your words. You do not need to press Enter. The matching items stay grouped under their category headings.
Step 4: Double-click the item you want. If several results look similar, read the category heading above each one to pick the right match, for example the power plan entry under Power Options.
Step 5: Clear the search to see the full list again. Click the X at the right-hand end of the search box, or delete the text you typed. The complete list returns, grouped by category as before.
Search tips that save time
Use short, plain words rather than full sentences. Typing firewall finds the firewall entries faster than typing a full question. If your first word brings up too many results, add a second word, such as power plan instead of just power. If a search finds nothing, try a synonym, because the list uses Microsoft’s own wording: Disk Management rather than hard drive manager.
How to Create a Desktop Shortcut and Pin God Mode
The God Mode folder already sits on your desktop, so you may not need anything more. But if you created it inside another folder, a shortcut gives you the same one-click access. You can also pin God Mode to Quick access or to Start.
Step 1: Create a shortcut to the All Tasks view. Right-click an empty area of the desktop, choose New, then Shortcut. In the location box, type or paste this target: C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, then click Next.
Step 2: Name the shortcut. Type a name such as God Mode or All Settings, then click Finish. Double-clicking the new shortcut opens the same All Tasks list as the God Mode folder.
Step 3: Pin the folder to Quick access. Open the GodMode folder, then right-click Quick access in the left-hand pane of File Explorer and choose Pin current folder to Quick access. It now appears under Quick access in every File Explorer window.
Step 4: Pin the folder to Start if you prefer. Right-click the GodMode folder on the desktop and choose Pin to Start. A tile appears in the Start menu, which you can move to a spot that suits you.
Step 5: Open God Mode from the Run box as well. Press Windows key + R, type shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, and press Enter. The All Tasks window opens directly, with no folder or shortcut needed.
Folder, shortcut, or Run command: which should you use
Use the folder if you want something visible and permanent on the desktop. Use the shortcut if you want the same access with a name and icon you control. Use the Run command if you only need God Mode occasionally and would rather not leave anything behind. All three open the same list, so pick the one that fits how you work.
How to Rename, Move, or Delete the God Mode Folder
God Mode is an ordinary folder with a special name, and you can manage it like any other folder. Renaming, moving, or deleting it does not change Windows itself, because the folder only contains links to settings.
Step 1: Rename the visible label. Right-click the GodMode folder and choose Rename. You can change the label to anything you like, for example All Settings, as long as you leave the .{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} part untouched. Delete the code part and the folder turns back into a normal empty folder.
Step 2: Move the folder to another location. Drag it into Documents or any other folder, or cut and paste it with Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V. The special behaviour travels with it, so it still opens the All Tasks list from its new home.
Step 3: Delete the folder when you no longer need it. Right-click the folder and choose Delete, or select it and press the Delete key. The folder goes to the Recycle Bin like any other folder. Empty the Recycle Bin to remove it completely.
Step 4: Check that nothing else changed. After deleting the folder, your settings are exactly as they were before you created it. God Mode never changed a setting by itself, so there is nothing to undo.
A warning about renaming folders that contain files
Never apply the God Mode name to a folder that already holds files. Windows will treat it as the All Tasks view instead of a normal folder, and your files will seem to disappear. They are not deleted, but you cannot see them through that folder any more. If this happens, rename the folder back to an ordinary name without the code, and your files will reappear.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
The folder looks like a normal folder and the icon does not change. This is almost always a typo in the code. Compare the name character by character with GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, checking the curly braces, hyphens, and the dot after GodMode. The safest fix is to delete the folder, create a new one, and paste the name instead of typing it. Also press F5 to refresh the desktop.
The folder name ends with .txt and the trick does not work. This happens when the rename picks up a .txt ending, giving a name like GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}.txt. In File Explorer, go to View, then Show, and turn on File name extensions so you can see the extra ending, then rename the folder and remove the .txt part.
The name is typed correctly but nothing happens. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the name, and that the curly braces are the plain { and } characters, not curved quotes copied from a web page. If the folder still does not change, restart File Explorer from Task Manager: right-click the taskbar, choose Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, right-click it, and choose Restart.
God Mode opens but some items open the Settings app instead of Control Panel. This is expected on Windows 11. Microsoft has moved many settings into the Settings app, so some God Mode entries now open the matching Settings page. The setting itself is the same, so use the page that opens.
Some items ask for administrator permission. This is normal. God Mode grants no extra privileges, so tools that change system-wide settings still ask for administrator approval through User Account Control. If you use a standard account, you will need an administrator’s password to continue.
The folder works but shows fewer items than expected. The number of items depends on your Windows 11 edition, hardware, and installed software. A laptop with no printer attached shows fewer printer-related entries than a desktop with several devices connected. Missing items usually mean the feature is not installed on your PC, not that God Mode is broken.
Nothing happens on a work or school PC. Group Policy on a managed machine can restrict special folders or block access to certain Control Panel items. If the folder stays an ordinary folder on a work PC, ask your IT administrator whether shell namespace folders are restricted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is God Mode safe to use? Yes. Creating the folder does not install software, modify system files, or change any permissions. It only gathers links to settings that already exist on your PC. Just do not change a setting you do not understand, especially on a shared PC.
Does God Mode unlock hidden features? No. Every item in the list is a Control Panel task that already exists on your machine. Think of it as a central index of existing settings, not a secret administrator mode.
Does God Mode give me administrator rights? No. Creating the folder needs no administrator rights, and opening it does not make you an administrator. Individual tools inside it still ask for permission when they need it, exactly as they would from the normal menus.
Can I rename God Mode to something else? Yes. The word before the dot is only a label, so All Settings or Windows Tools would open the same list. Only the .{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} part has to stay exactly as it is.
Does God Mode work on Windows 10 as well? Yes. The same folder name and code work on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. The list of items differs slightly between versions, but the method is identical.
Will God Mode slow down my PC? No. The folder is tiny and does nothing until you open it. It runs no background process and uses no noticeable resources.
Can I delete God Mode? Yes. Delete the folder like any other folder and it goes to the Recycle Bin. Deleting it removes only the shortcut to the settings list, not any setting, tool, or program, and you can recreate it at any time.
Final Thoughts
God Mode is one of the quickest useful tricks in Windows 11. Create a new folder on the desktop, rename it GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}, and you have every Control Panel setting in a single searchable list.
It will not unlock hidden features or make you an administrator, but that was never the point. The point is saving time: one folder instead of two settings apps and a lot of guessing about where Microsoft put the option you need.
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