💎 Windows Hidden Gems, Part 1: System & Troubleshooting Tools You Should Know

[KAMAL KISHOR]

Most of us use Windows daily — launching apps, browsing the web, and doing office tasks — but only a tiny fraction of its real power is ever used. Beneath the familiar Start menu and Taskbar lies a treasure chest of hidden system tools designed for developers, IT pros, and power users.

In this Part 1 of the Windows Hidden Gems series, we’ll explore 10 essential system and troubleshooting tools you probably didn’t know existed. These aren’t gimmicks — they’re real productivity boosters and lifesavers when your system misbehaves.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to:

• Install apps with a single command (like Linux users do).
• Monitor every process and crash in your system.
• Record a reproducible bug report for IT support.
• Safely test suspicious apps without risking your PC.
• Repair a broken Windows installation without reinstalling.

Let’s begin.

1. Winget – The Windows Package Manager​

If you’ve ever used Linux (apt, yum) or macOS (brew), you know how convenient it is to install apps with a single command. Winget brings the same magic to Windows.

What is Winget?​

Winget is Microsoft’s official package manager that lets you:

• Install apps directly from the terminal.
• Update all apps in one go.
• Search for software without browsing websites.

Why use it?​

• No more sketchy installer downloads.
• Script your environment setup on new PCs.
• Always get the latest versions.

Example Commands:​

# Search for an app
winget search vscode

# Install Visual Studio Code
winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

# Upgrade all apps
winget upgrade --all

Real-World Use Case​

Imagine you just bought a new laptop. Instead of manually downloading Chrome, VS Code, Git, Node.js, and Zoom one by one, you can create a batch script:

winget install Google.Chrome
winget install Git.Git
winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode
winget install NodeJS.NodeJS
winget install Zoom.Zoom

Run it once — your environment is ready.

2. PowerToys – The Super Utility Pack​

Originally a Windows 95 add-on, PowerToys is now reborn for Windows 10/11. It’s a set of mini tools designed to boost productivity.

Features You’ll Love​

• FancyZones → Custom tiling window manager.
• PowerRename → Rename hundreds of files at once with search/replace.
• Color Picker → Copy HEX/RGB color from anywhere on screen.
• Keyboard Manager → Remap keys and shortcuts.
• Awake → Keep PC awake without changing settings.

Install It:​

winget install Microsoft.PowerToys

Real-World Example​

• Developer: Use FancyZones to keep VS Code, terminal, and browser perfectly arranged.
• Designer: Use Color Picker (Win + Shift + C) to grab exact brand colors from any screen.
• Writer: Batch rename 200 screenshots with PowerRename in seconds.

PowerToys alone can save you hours weekly.

3. Sysinternals Suite – The Secret Toolkit for Pros​

Developed by Mark Russinovich (now CTO of Microsoft Azure), the Sysinternals Suite is legendary among IT admins.

Key Tools Inside​

• Process Explorer → Like Task Manager on steroids. See which DLLs each app uses.
• Autoruns → Control everything that runs at startup.
• TCPView → Monitor live network connections.
• PsExec → Run commands remotely on another PC.

Install:​

winget install SysinternalsSuite

Real-World Example​

• Your PC feels slow. Task Manager shows nothing unusual. Open Process Explorer, sort by CPU, and boom — you find a background updater hogging resources.
• Malware keeps reinstalling? Open Autoruns, disable the shady startup entry.

This toolkit is a must-have for every advanced user.

4. Windows Sandbox – A Safe Playground​

Ever downloaded a suspicious .exe file but were too scared to run it? Enter Windows Sandbox.

What is it?​

A lightweight virtual environment built into Windows 10/11 (Pro & Enterprise). Anything you do inside the Sandbox disappears when you close it.

How to Enable​

1. Search for “Turn Windows features on or off”.
2. Enable Windows Sandbox.
3. Restart PC → search Windows Sandbox in Start.

Real-World Example​

• Want to test free software that looks sketchy? Run it in Sandbox.
• Need to open a random PDF someone emailed you? Sandbox it first.

It’s like having a disposable PC inside your PC.

5. God Mode – One Folder to Rule Them All​

This one feels like a Windows Easter egg.

What is it?​

“God Mode” is a hidden folder that exposes 300+ advanced settings in one place.

How to Enable​

1. Create a new folder.
2. Rename it exactly to:

   GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Real-World Example​

Instead of hunting through Control Panel and Settings app, you’ll have one master panel with options for:

• Device Manager
• Event Viewer
• Disk Management
• Administrative Tools

Perfect for sysadmins.

6. Reliability Monitor – Windows’ Hidden Black Box​

Few people know this exists, yet it’s incredibly powerful.

What is it?​

A timeline of your system’s reliability, showing:

• Crashes
• Failed updates
• App hangs

How to Open​

• Search “Reliability Monitor” in Start, or
• Run: perfmon /rel

Real-World Example​

• Your PC keeps rebooting. Instead of guessing, open Reliability Monitor → see “Critical Event: Hardware Failure” at 3:42 PM.
• Spot trends: if Chrome crashes every Tuesday, you’ll know it’s update-related.

Think of it as Windows’ airplane black box.

7. Resource Monitor – The Truth Behind Your Task Manager​

Task Manager is basic. Resource Monitor goes deeper.

What it Shows​

• CPU: Which processes are eating threads.
• Memory: Which apps lock RAM.
• Disk: Which files are being read/written.
• Network: Which app is hogging bandwidth.

How to Open​

Run:

resmon.exe

Real-World Example​

• Your disk is at 100% usage. Resource Monitor shows Windows Search indexing is the culprit.
• You see a random process using 20% network → find hidden background downloaders.

8. Performance Monitor (perfmon)​

Want long-term charts of your system’s behavior? Performance Monitor is the tool.

How to Use​

• Run perfmon.exe.
• Add counters (CPU, Disk, Network, Memory).
• Record logs over time.

Real-World Example​

You suspect memory leaks in an app. Run PerfMon overnight → see if RAM usage keeps rising.

9. Steps Recorder (psr.exe)​

Ever tried to explain a bug and failed? Steps Recorder does it for you.

What is it?​

A hidden tool that:

• Records your clicks, keystrokes, and screenshots.
• Saves them in a single .mht report.

How to Use​

• Run: psr.exe.
• Click Start Record, reproduce the issue, save file.

Real-World Example​

• QA testers can record a bug once and send to developers.
• Tech support sees exactly what you did wrong.

10. DISM & SFC – Repair Windows Without Reinstalling​

When Windows feels corrupted, these are your lifesavers.

SFC (System File Checker)​

sfc /scannow

Scans for corrupted system files and replaces them.

DISM (Deployment Image Servicing & Management)​

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Repairs the Windows image itself.

Real-World Example​

• Your Start menu or Windows Update isn’t working → run SFC + DISM.
• Saves hours compared to reinstalling Windows.

Wrapping Up​

These 10 hidden gems unlock serious troubleshooting power:

• Winget, PowerToys, Sysinternals → Productivity boosters.
• Windows Sandbox, God Mode → Control and safety.
• Reliability Monitor, Resource Monitor, PerfMon → Diagnostic superpowers.
• Steps Recorder, SFC, DISM → Fix and explain problems.

Master these, and you’ll already be ahead of 90% of Windows users.

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll dive into Productivity Hacks & UI Tricks — from Clipboard History to Virtual Desktops to Dictation.

Stay tuned.

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