Navigation pane missing from File Explorer in Windows 10? By default, Windows Explorer will display the navigation pane in the left-hand column, which gives you quick access to the most frequently used items like This PC, Network, Quick access and so on. If you don’t like the navigation pane, it’s very easy to get rid of it. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 ways to hide / show navigation pane in Windows Explorer (or File Explorer).

Method 1: Hide / Show Navigation Pane in Windows Explorer Using Ribbon

1. Press the Windows key + E hotkey to open Windows Explorer.
2. Click the View tab, and then click the Navigation pane button in the ribbon. In the drop-down menu, you can click to check or uncheck the “Navigation pane” option. When it’s unchecked, the navigation pane will disappear from Windows Explorer.

Method 2: Hide / Show Navigation Pane in Windows Explorer with Registry Tweak

1. Download one of the following registry files and save it on your desktop.

   hide-navigation-pane-in-explorer.reg

   show-navigation-pane-in-explorer.reg

2. Next, right-click on the .reg file and select Merge. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.
3. Click on Yes to confirm that you want to add the registry keys.

4. Close all Explorer windows that are currently open, and re-launch Windows Explorer. You’ll see that the navigation pane is shown or hidden in File Explorer as you expected.

Forgot the password to your Windows admin account? There are a lot of different reasons why one would want to hack a Windows password. This tutorial will show you how to use John the Ripper to crack Windows 10, 8 and 7 password on your own PC.

Step 1: Extract Hashes from Windows

Security Account Manager (SAM) is a database file in Windows 10/8/7/XP that stores user passwords in encrypted form, which could be located in the following directory:
C:\Windows\system32\config

The first thing we need to do is grab the password hashes from the SAM file. Just download the freeware PwDump7 and unzip it on your local PC.

Open a Command Prompt. Navigate to the folder where you extract the PwDump7 app, and then type the following command:
PwDump7.exe > d:\hash.txt

Once you press Enter, PwDump7 will grab the password hashes from your current system and save it into the file d:\hash.txt.

Step 2: Cracking Passwords with John the Ripper

As you can see the password hashes are still unreadable, and we need to crack them using John the Ripper. John the Ripper is one of the most popular password cracking tools available that can run on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X.

Just download the Windows binaries of John the Ripper, and unzip it.

Open a Command Prompt and change into the directory where John the Ripper is located, then type:
john --format=LM d:\hash.txt

It will start cracking your Windows password. In my example, you can clearly see that John the Ripper has cracked the password within matter of seconds.

Final Words

John the Ripper is probably the world’s best known password cracking tool. But its lack of a GUI interface makes a bit more challenging to use. Don’t use it for illegal purposes.

My password has expired and now I am completely locked out of my computer? When you log into Windows, you might receive a message that says “Your password has expired and must be changed“. What to do if you forgot your old password or you get the access denied error when you try to change the password? In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to set password to never expired for Windows local account.

Method 1: Set Windows Password to Never Expire Using Computer Management

Right-click the My Computer (This PC) icon on your desktop and then select Management from the pop-up menu.

When the Computer Management console launches, go to System Tools -> Local Users and Groups -> Users. Right-click on the user with an expired password in the middle pane and select Properties.

Check the “Password never expires” box and click OK.

When done, close the Computer Management and you can determine when the password of your Windows account will expire. Open a Command Prompt and type:

net user account_name

The output of this command will give you a lot of information about account. Just look for the line beginning with “Password expires” and you can see the password expiration date. In our example, it showed that the password of my account “pcunlocker” will never expire.

Method 2: Set Windows Password to Never Expire from Command Line

Open the Command Prompt as Administrator. Type the following command and press Enter. Replace “pcunlocker” with the name of your local account:

wmic useraccount where "Name='pcunlocker'" set PasswordExpires=false

Method 3: Set Windows Password to Never Expire Using PowerShell

Open the PowerShell as Administrator. You can use the Set-LocalUser cmdlet to modify a local user account and set its password to never expire:

Set-LocalUser -Name "pcunlocker" -PasswordNeverExpires 1

Method 4: Set Password to Never Expire for All Accounts Using Group Policy

Press the WIN + R keys to open the Run command box. Type secpol.msc and press Enter to open the Local Security Policy Editor. Go to Account Policies -> Password Policy, ensure the Maximum password age is set to 0, meaning that passwords never expire.

You can also apply the password expiration policy using command line. Follow these steps:
Open the Command Prompt as Administrator. Type the following command and hit Enter.

net accounts /maxpwage:unlimited

This will set password to never expire for all your Windows local accounts.

Method 5: Set Windows Password to Never Expire Using a Boot CD

If your Windows password is expired and unable to change password on the login screen, you’re completely locked out of your computer and all of the methods above won’t work for your case. Then you have to use a password utility called PCUnlocker, which can reset your forgotten Windows password, as well as setting your password to never expire.

To start, you need to make a PCUnlocker Live CD (or USB drive) from an accessible PC. Next boot your locked computer from the CD. Select the account with an expired password and click on “Reset Password” button. The program will remove your Windows password and disable password expiration for your account.

Reboot and eject the CD, you can then log into your Windows account with no warning of user password’s about to expire. That’s it!

How can I restrict access to Local Users and Groups MMC snap-in? In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 ways to disable Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) in Windows 10, 8 and 7. After disabling, you’ll find the Local Users and Groups is missing in Computer Management.

Method 1: Disable Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) Using Group Policy

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run box. Type gpedit.msc and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to the following path on the left side pane of Local Group Policy Editor:

   User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Microsoft Management Console -> Restricted/Permitted snap-ins

3. Now, on the right side window, double-click on the “Local Users and Groups” setting to modify.

4. Select the Disabled option. Click Apply and then OK.

5. The policy setting will take effect immediately. You’ll find Local Users and Groups not showing in computer management. If you try to open Local Users and Groups by using the lusrmgr.msc command, you’ll get this error message: “The snap-in below, referenced in this document, has been restricted by policy. Contact your administrator for details“.

Method 2: Disable Local Users and Groups (lusrmgr.msc) Using Registry Editor

1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to launch Run prompt. Enter regedit and hit Enter to open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MMC\{5D6179C8-17EC-11D1-9AA9-00C04FD8FE93}

   If the last two keys (MMC, {5D6179C8-17EC-11D1-9AA9-00C04FD8FE93}) don’t exist, you’ll need to create them manually.

3. On the right side pane, right-click in the blank area and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it Restrict_Run, and give it a value of 1.

4. Close Registry Editor and reboot your computer for the policy to take effect. If you want to enable Local Users and Groups snap-in again, just change the registry value of Restrict_Run to 0 and you’re done!

How do I find the IP address of a printer on a network? Sometimes you may need to install the printer on a different computer, so you need to obtain your printer’s IP address. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to find out your printer’s IP address in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Method 1: Find Printer’s IP Address via Configuration Sheet

If you have physical access to the printer, you can usually print the configuration page by pressing and holding a button (Power or Go) on the printer for about 5 to 10 seconds. You must find out the button/or combination of button by reading printer manual.

Some printers have the option to view the IP address directly from the system menu. For example, if you’re using HP Office Jet Pro 8600 printer, just go to the Home Screen -> Setup, then touch Reports and then select Network Configuration to see all of the printer’s network details.

Method 2: Find Printer’s IP Address in Windows

If you can find a computer with the printer installed, here is how you can find the IP address of a network printer in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

1. Open the Control Panel and set the View by option to Large icons. Click Devices and Printers.

2. Right-click on the printer installed on your PC, and then select Printer Properties from the menu that appears.

3. In the Properties window, go to Ports tab. Select the port that has the check mark and click Configure Port.

4. In the next screen, you should see the IP address in the “Printer Name or IP Address” text box. That’s it!

When you try to log into a standard user account, it may come up with a message saying: “Windows couldn’t connect to the Group Policy Client service. Please consult your administrator.”

If you’re facing this problem, you have come to the right place! In this tutorial we’ll show you effective ways to fix the error “Windows couldn’t connect to the Group Policy Client service” in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Method 1: Perform a System Repair

1. Open the Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run the following commands one by one to scan for corrupt system files on your computer and repair them.

   Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

3. Execute this command to reset winsock catalog back to default setting or clean state.

   netsh winsock reset

4. You will then be asked to restart your computer, after which the issue is hopefully resolved.

Method 2: Fix the Registry Settings

1. Press the Win + R keys to open the Run box. Type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2. In the left pane of Registry Editor, navigate to following registry key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\gpsvc

   You should see a DWORD value named Start in the right pane. Make sure its value is set to 2. If you need to modify its value, you have to take ownership of the registry key gpsvc firstly.

3. Next, look for the ImagePath string which contains a service name we’ll use later. In my example, the service name is “netsvcs”. You may have a different name like “GPSvcGroup”.
4. Now, navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SvcHost

   In the right pane, you should see a Multi-String named “netsvcs” (or “GPSvcGroup”). Double-click on it and make sure that ‘GPSvc’ is added into the list.

5. Expand the SvcHost key in the left pane, and then click the “netsvcs” (or “GPSvcGroup”) subkey. Right-click an empty area in the right pane to create a DWORD (32-bit) value named AuthenticationCapabilities, give it a value of 12320 in decimal. Next, create another DWORD value called CoInitializeSecurityParam and set its value to 1.

6. Once you complete all steps above, reboot the computer and the “Windows Couldn’t connect to the Group Policy Client Service” problem should be fixed.

Notepad is a built-in basic text editor that’s been part of Windows for a very long time. You’ve probably customize the default font, font size, window size or word wrap in Notepad, but now you want to reset Notepad to its default settings. Luckily, there is simple registry hack that can reset Notepad completely back to all default settings in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Reset Notepad to Default Settings in Windows 10 / 8 / 7?

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type regedit and press Enter.

2. When Registry Editor is launched, navigate to the following key:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad

3. Right-click on the Notepad key in the left pane, and then select Delete from the pop-up menu.

4. Click Yes to confirm your operation. All your saved settings in Notepad will be deleted. Your Notepad will be back to the default settings on the next run.

File and Printer Sharing is a network feature that allows Windows users to share local files and printer with other computers on a network. This is really useful on home network but it can be a security concern on public network. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 easy ways to turn on or off file and printer sharing in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Turn On / Off File and Printer Sharing through Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel. Click the View by option at the top right, and set it to Large icons. Next, click Network and Sharing Center.

2. Click on the Change advanced sharing settings link on the left side.

3. Expand the network profile you’re using, select either Turn on file and printer sharing or Turn off file and printer sharing. Click on Save changes when done.

You can configure Windows to turn on file and printer sharing on private network, while choosing to turn off file and printer sharing when your network is set to Guest or Public.

Method 2: Turn On / Off File and Printer Sharing Using Command Prompt

Open the Command Prompt as administrator. Copy and paste the following command and hit Enter. This will turn on file and printer sharing for all network profiles.

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=Yes

If you want to turn off file and printer sharing for all network profiles, type this command instead:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=No

Method 3: Turn On / Off File and Printer Sharing Using PowerShell

Open Windows PowerShell as administrator. Copy and paste the command below to enable file and printer sharing for all network profiles:

Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File And Printer Sharing" -Enabled True

Or disable file and printer sharing:
Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "File And Printer Sharing" -Enabled False

How can I stop F1 key from opening Windows Help when gaming? In Windows 8 and 7, pressing F1 key opens Windows Help and Support by default. If you’re using Windows 10, pressing F1 will open a browser window and search for “how to get help in windows 10” on Bing. It can be really annoying when you keep hitting the F1 key accidentally. Here is the best way to disable F1 key from opening help in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Disable F1 Key from Opening Help in Windows 10 / 8 / 7?

1. Download the registry fix from this link. It is a zip archive which contains two .reg files.
2. Next, double-click the disable-f1-key-for-help.reg file to import/merge its contents to the registry.
3. This registry changes take effect without restart. Now press F1 key will no longer open the Help window in Windows.

Note: this wouldn’t prevent F1 key from working in a game or third-party programs.

Device drivers are critical system files that include a digital signature. When a signed driver has been tampered with or corrupted, the signature becomes invalid and the driver is then unsigned. Unsigned drivers can cause system instability. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to quickly find unsigned drivers in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Find Unsigned Drivers in Windows 10 / 8 / 7?

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box. Type sigverif and click OK.

2. When the File Signature Verification utility opens, click Start.

3. It will scan your entire system for unsigned drivers.

4. After the scan completes, it will display a list of any unsigned drivers you have installed on your computer.

While unsigned drivers don’t necessarily have to be problematic or malicious, it makes sense to check the system for those so you can uninstall them or find a updated signed driver.

How can I open Folder Options through the Command Prompt? If you want to show hidden files or customize how your files are displayed in Windows Explorer, you have to access Folder Options. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 quickest ways to open Folder Options in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Method 1: Open Folder Options from Windows Explorer

Press WIN + E keyboard combination to open Windows Explorer (also known as “File Explorer). Click the View tab, and then click Options in the ribbon. This will open Folder Options dialog.

Method 2: Open Folder Options from Control Panel

Open the Control Panel. Change the View by option to Large icons or Small icons.

Click File Explorer Options to open Folder Options.

Method 3: Open Folder Options from Run or Command Prompt

Press the WIN + R keys together to open the Run command box, and then type control.exe folders and press Enter to access Folder Options.

If you’re at Command Prompt, type control.exe folders and you can also access Folder Options quickly.

That’s it!

Folder Options is missing from Windows Explorer? How can I remove Folder Options from Control Panel? In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 easy ways to enable or disable Folder Options in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

Method 1: Enable / Disable Folder Options Using Group Policy

1. Press WIN + R keys to bring up the Run dialog box. Type gpedit.msc and hit Enter.

2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, navigate to:
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer

   If you’re running Windows 7/Vista/XP, browse to:
   User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer

3. Double-click on the policy”Do not allow Folder Options to be opened from the Options button on the View tab of the ribbon” on the right pane. For Windows 7/Vista/XP, this policy is called “Removes the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu“.

4. Set it to Enabled or Disabled, depend on if you want to disable or enable Folder Options in Windows Explorer.

5. Click Apply and then OK. This policy setting will take effect without rebooting.

Method 2: Enable / Disable Folder Options Using Registry Editor

1. Press WIN + R keys to bring up the Run dialog box. Type regedit and hit Enter.

2. When Registry Editor is launched, navigate to the key:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
3. If you want to disable Folder Options in Windows, right-click an empty area on the right pane and create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value, named it as NoFolderOptions and set its value to 1.

   If you want to enable Folder Options, just delete the NoFolderOptions value.

4. Exit the Registry Editor. Restart needed for your registry change to take effect.

When you encrypts a folder or file with EFS, Windows will create a EFS certificate and store it locally, so you can transparently access encrypted files without being prompted for certificate / password. In the event of a system failure or your EFS certificate is corrupted or lost, you’ll be unable to access EFS encrypted files any more. So it is very important to backup or export EFS certificate in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Backup or Export EFS Certificate Using Certificates Manager

1. Press the Windows key + R together to open the Run box. Type certmgr.msc and click OK to open Certificates Manager.

2. In the left pane of the Certificates console, expand the Personal node and then click on Certificates.

3. In the right pane, right-click the certificate that lists Encrypting File System under Intended Purposes, and then select All Tasks -> Export.

4. When the Certificate Export Wizard opens, click Next.

5. Choose “Yes, export the private key” and click Next.

6. Click the checkbox next to “Include all certificates in the certification path if possible” and click Next.

7. Enter a password that will be used to protect your exported EFS certificate. Confirm it and click Next.

8. Click the Browse button to find a location to save your exported EFS certificate (.pfx). Type in a name such as “my-EFS-certificate.pfx” and then click Next.

9. Click Finish.

   You can then backup the exported EFS certificate in a safe place!

Method 2: Backup or Export EFS Certificate Using Command Prompt

1. Open the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. In order to export EFS certificate stored in Certificates Manager, type the following command:

   cipher /x d:\my-EFS-certificate

3. Once you press Enter, you’ll be prompted to confirm backing up EFS certificate. Click OK to continue.

4. Type a password used for protecting your EFS certificate, then confirm the password.

5. The .pfx file containing the EFS private key certificate is now saved to the location d:\my-EFS-certificate.

   That’s it!

If you lost access to your EFS encrypted files, you’ll not be able to open them unless you have a backup of the EFS certificate to decrypt the data. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to import EFS certificate into Windows 10, 8 and 7, so you can regain access to your EFS encrypted files.

Method 1: Import EFS Certificate into Windows Using Certificate Import Wizard

1. Right-click on your EFS certificate (.pfx) in Windows Explorer, and then select Install PFX from the context menu.

2. When the Certificate Import Wizard opens, click Next.

3. Confirm the EFS certificate file with the .PFX extension is entered in the File name field. Click Next.

4. Enter the password to access the private key associated with the EFS certificate. Select the box “Mark this key as exportable. This will allow you to back up or transport your keys at a later time“. Click Next.

5. Click “Automatically select the certificate store based on the type of certificate” and click Next.

6. Click Finish.

   You should see a message reporting that the import was successful.

Method 2: Import EFS Certificate into Windows Using Command Prompt

1. Open the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. If you want to import EFS certificate you’ve backed up, type the following command and press Enter.

   certutil.exe -p [certificate_password] -user -importpfx [certificate_full_path]

3. You will get a security warning indicating that the self-signed EFS certificate is not signed from a trusted authority. Click Yes to continue.

4. Now you’ve successfully imported the EFS certificate (.pfx) into the Personal store of Certificates Manager.

How to prevent others from accessing the Control Panel? Control Panel exposes lots of system settings to users that you may not want to mess up. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to disable or enable Control Panel in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Tips: The Settings app is supposed to replace the classic Control Panel in Windows 10. If you want to disable Settings, you can try this method: Hide Certain or All Settings Pages in Windows 10.

Method 1: Disable / Enable Control Panel Using Group Policy

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to access Local Group Policy Editor.
2. Navigate to the User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel option from the left sidebar. Next, double-click the “Prohibit access to Control Panel and PC settings” or “Prohibit access to the Control Panel” policy on the right side.

3. Select the Enabled option, click Apply and then OK. If you want to enable the Control Panel later, just set the value to Not Configured or Disabled.

4. This policy should take effect immediately. No restart is required. When you try to open the Control Panel, you’ll get this error message: “This operation has been canceled due to restrictions in effect on this computer. Please contact your system administrator.”

Method 2: Disable / Enable Control Panel Using Registry Editor

1. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command. Type regedit and click OK to access Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer from the left sidebar, right-click empty space in the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.

3. Name your new value NoControlPanel and change the value from 0 to 1.

4. Restart needed for the registry changes to take effect. After rebooting you’ll be unable to open Control Panel. If you want to restore access to Control Panel, just change the NoControlPanel value from 1 back to 0. That’s it!

Safe Mode Command Prompt is a special boot mode that lets you start Windows with the minimum of drivers and services possible. This is really useful for troubleshooting when you can’t load Windows (for example, user profile is corrupted or broken). In this tutorial we’ll show you how to access Safe Mode Command Prompt in Windows 10 / 8.

Tips: If you’re running Windows 7/Vista/XP, just hold down the F8 key as your computer starts and you can access “Safe Mode with Command Prompt” under Advanced Startup Options.

How to Start Windows 10 / 8 in Safe Mode with Command Prompt?

1. When you get to the Windows 10/8 login screen, hold down the SHIFT key while you click the Power icon and then select the Restart option.

2. The system will restart into Advanced Startup Options. Click on Troubleshoot.

3. Click Advanced options on the next screen.

4. Click on the Startup Settings option.

5. Click Restart.

6. After restarting, you’ll be presented with a list of features and boot options. Here you should press the number 6 key or F6 on your keyboard to enter Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

7. You will be prompted to choose the account to sign in. After you sign in, you will be brought directly to a administrative Command Prompt rather than the normal Windows desktop.

By default, Windows uses TCP/IP port 3389 for remote desktop connection. Since this port is well known and it could pose a security risk, you’d better change remote desktop RDP port for your Windows computer as an added security measure. The following method works with Windows 10, 8, 7 and Windows Server.

How to Change RDP Port for Windows Remote Desktop Connection?

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run command box. Type regedit and press Enter.

2. On the left-side of Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber

   Scroll down on the right until you see the PortNumber value, and then double-click it to modify.

3. Click Decimal, and type in the new port number that you want to use for remote desktop and click OK.

4. Close the Registry Editor and reboot the computer. Note that the next time you connect to your PC with RDP you will need to add a colon followed by the port number to the IP address.

That’s it!

How can I list out all the running processes on a Windows machine? You can use Task Manager to view a list of processes running on your computer, but it doesn’t provide you an option to print or save the processes list. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to print a list of currently running processes in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Print the List of Running Processes Using Command Prompt

1. Open the Command Prompt.
2. Run the following command and it will save the list of running processes in a file named processes.txt.

   tasklist > C:\processes.txt

3. Open the output text file in NotePad which allows you to print the processes list.

Method 2: Print the List of Running Processes Using PowerShell

1. Open the Windows PowerShell.
2. In order to save the list of running processes in a file named processes.txt, on your C:\ drive, type the following command and press Enter.

   Get-Process | Out-File C:\processes.txt

3. The output text file is formatted as shown below.

Conclusion

Of course, you can also find other ways to print out the list of the processes that are running in Windows 10 / 8 / 7. For example, you can run the following command at Command Prompt:

wmic /output:C:\process.txt process

Or use the third-party freeware PsList that is developed by Sysinternals.

How can I find Devices and Printers in Windows 10? Devices and Printers lets you easily view and manage peripheral devices in one place, such as printers, webcams, external storage devices and monitors. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to add Devices and Printers to My Computer (or “This PC”) in Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

How to Add Devices and Printers To My Computer?

1. Open the Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Copy-paste the following command and press Enter.

   reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\{A8A91A66-3A7D-4424-8D24-04E180695C7A}

3. Once pressing Enter, open the Windows Explorer again and you can see the “Devices and Printers” shortcut appear in My Computer (or “This PC”).

If you want to remove Devices and Printers from My Computer (or “This PC”) again, just copy-paste the following command instead:

reg delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\{A8A91A66-3A7D-4424-8D24-04E180695C7A} /f

It’s that simple!

MAC address is used to identify a computer on a network, and every network card has a unique MAC address assigned during manufacturing. However, most network cards also allow you to set a custom MAC address from their device properties on Windows. This is useful when you want to test or bypass the MAC filtering settings on firewall or router. Here are 2 simple ways to change MAC address on Windows 10 / 8 / 7.

Method 1: Change MAC Address on Windows 10 / 8 / 7 from Device Manager

1. To get started, you need to open Device Manager. Just press Windows key + R on your keyboard and then type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box. Hit Enter.

2. Expand Network adapters, right-click your Ethernet or Wireless adapter and then select Properties.

3. Click the Advanced tab. Within the Property list, scroll down until you find the “Network Address” or “Locally Administered Address” property. Select the Value radio box and enter your new MAC address.

4. Click OK to apply. To confirm your change, open the Command Prompt and type ipconfig /all and hit Enter. You should see the new MAC address show up in the line starting with “Physical Address“.

Method 2: Change MAC Address on Windows 10 / 8 / 7 from Registry Editor

1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E972-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
2. You should see several subkeys with names such as 0000, 0001, etc. You have to click each subkey to check the DriverDesc value that matches with your network card. In my example, I got the key in 002.
3. Look for the registry entry NetworkAddress in the right pane, and change the value as your new MAC Address. If that entry doesn’t exist, right-click blank area to create a String value with the name NetworkAddress.

4. Close Registry Editor. Disable your network adapter and enable it again. The new Mac address will apply immediately.

That’s it!