Windows Master Control Panel shortcut

The functionality that was discovered and named 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 the original folder name used when the feature was publicised, but any name can 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).[3]

The general method of creating the shortcuts is documented by Microsoft,[3] 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”.[2] Numerous blogs and tweets on the subject appeared in December 2009[4][5][6] and January 2010[7][8][9] as “Windows 7 Godmode”, with many sites repeating the same information available elsewhere.

The general folder shortcut format is <FolderDisplayName>.{<GUID>} where <GUID> is a valid Class ID (CLSID) with a System.ApplicationName entry in the Windows Registry. The technique is documented by Microsoft as “Using File System Folders as Junction Points”.[3] The CLSID {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.[10] A CNET article attributed many of the GUID shortcuts to the head of Microsoft's Windows division, Steven Sinofsky.[11]

• Microsoft Windows