Windows: How to Enable Hidden Features

As the years have gone by, Windows has become a feature-packed operating system. Some of them have been around for a good number of years, while others are implemented based on new updates .

The truth is that some of these characteristics of the operating system that we are talking about are better known than others. Everything will depend on its use, utility, or if they are simply more or less in sight, as we are going to check. We tell you all this because the operating system itself has a series of somewhat hidden features that can be very useful to us, but at the same time we can activate or deactivate it.

What are and where to see the optional functions of Windows

By this we actually mean a set of optional functions and features that can be activated or not depending on the needs of each one. Some of these are specially designed for more advanced and professional companies and users, hence they are not too well known by most. They are also not too visible, so we must first know where to locate them.

But of course, at the same time we must bear in mind that if we are not going to make use of some of them, they are only there to consume valuable disk space. That is why in these same lines we will talk about these Windows features. At the same time we are going to show you how you can activate and deactivate them in Windows. This, as you can imagine, will serve to leave only those that we are really going to need operational. First of all what has to be clear is that some of them are found in the System Control Panel, while others are seen in the Settings application.

Manage Windows features

Therefore, as we tell you, a good part of these Windows characteristics we will find in the popular Control Panel of the operating system. Thus, in order to see what we have at our disposal, we only have to access it. Once here, we go to Programs / Activate or deactivate the Windows features .

Below is where we will find a list that contains the functions that we have talked about. In addition, next to each of the inputs, we will see a switch that gives us the possibility to activate or deactivate each of them. For all these reasons, if necessary, you may consider the elimination or deactivation of some of these proposals. So we will talk to you in detail about the real usefulness of each of them so that you can make the most appropriate decision in each case. Of course, if you want to bring them back to the system in the future, we will only have to activate them again.

Usefulness of Control Panel Features

.NET Framework 3.5: required to run applications compiled with this version of .Net.
.NET Framework 4.8: same as the previous case for version 4.8.
Multimedia features: activates multimedia functions of the operating system itself.
Work Folders Client: used to synchronize folders in a work environment.
Telnet client: add a Telnet client to connect remotely to other computers.
TFTP client: allows you to send files through the Trivial File Transfer Protocol or FTP.
SMB 1.0 File Sharing Protocol Support – Enable this file sharing protocol over the network.
Remote Differential Compression API Support – Activates the algorithm to compare files.
Legacy components: enables the use of DirectPlay over DirectX .
XPS Document Writer: Allows the system to work with this document format.
Print to Microsoft PDF: activates the function of some programs to send content to a PDF .
Internet Explorer 11: Allows the use of Microsoft’s web browser.
Internet Information Services: enable Microsoft’s web page server and FTP .
Microsoft Message Queuing: Enables the MSMO server, already deprecated.
Hostable web core: allows certain programs to host their websites using the IIS kernel.
Virtual machine platform: allows us to virtualize the operating system.
Windows Hypervisor Platform – Activate the kernel or engine for virtualization.
WAS service: service directly related to IIS.
Print and Document Services – Activates the services necessary to work with scan and fax printing devices.
Simple TCPIP services: Activate network services such as echo or daytime.
Windows Subsystem for Linux: allows the use of Linux distributions directly in Windows.
Windows Identity Foundation: Enables the use of the old .NET identifier.
Windows PowerShell 2.0: Activate the new PowerShell.
Windows Projected File System: Allows the Projected application to manage the file system, making them appear as files and directories .
Windows TIFF IFilter: enables the indexing service included in the system.

Using Optional Configuration Features

But as we mentioned before, those are not the only optional features that we have in Windows 10 . We have another list that we can manage in the Windows Settings application. We can access it through the Win + I key combination. Next we are in the Applications section.

Here, as in the previous case, we also find a series of applications that we can eliminate if we so wish. That, yes in this case the entries are more understandable than in the previous case, as you will see. In fact, next to each one we find the size it occupies on disk in case we want to eliminate them. To do this, simply click on it, and click on the Uninstall button. These are the options that we will find here:

Microsoft Quick Support – turn on support for Windows .
OpenSSH client: service that allows us to connect to remote desktops .
Notepad: Windows text program.
Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment – Enables scripting in PowerShell .
Windows Fax and Scan: Allows the integrated use of these devices in the system.
Recording user actions: records the steps carried out on the PC.
Internet Explorer 11: allows us to delete the browser.
Microsoft Paint: to delete the photographic program from the system.
Mathematical recognizer: allows the use of mathematical formulas in Windows.
Windows Media Player: we can eliminate the multimedia player.
Windows Hello Face: Activate biometric use of Windows Hello to access your computer.
WordPad: allows us to eliminate the word processor .