Use Mach2 software to activate hidden Windows features
2 min. read
Updated on
Share this article
Improve this guide
Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial team Read more
Windows includes numerous hidden features that are not enabled by default. They are not enabled as they are not are entirely ready for utilization in Windows. However, Mr. Rivera has recently released the open-source program Mach2 that enables Windows users to discover pre-release features that are not enabled.
Mach2 is not an official Microsoft program. Nevertheless, you can still download it from this Github page. You will also need to compile the software with Visual Studio 2017 Express to install its executable. This Github page provides full installation guidelines for Mach2.
Another thing to note is that Mach2 scans PDB files, for which you will need Windows 10 SDK to download. You can download Windows 10 SDK from this page. Windows SKD installs SymChk.exe, which downloads symbol files for executables under C:Windows.
Enable Windows Feature Control
Mach2 taps into Windows Feature Control to activate new features. Feature Control gates off experimental or incomplete features in production code. As Mach2 manages the Feature Core component of Feature Control, it can display which features are deactivated or activated.
Note that Mach2 is a command-line utility. As such, it does not have a UI window from which you can select options. The utility scans for PDB files when you enter ‘mach 2 scan in the Command Prompt. The program then generates a list of feature IDs within a text file. Mach2 users can enter ‘mach2 enable ‘ in the Prompt’s window to activate a feature.
A word of warning, however, comes from the Mach2 developer. Mr. Rivera states:
Turning on unfinished features can completely trash your Windows installation… You do not want to use this on machines you don’t feel comfortable wiping at a moment’s notice.
Mach2 does not come with any warranty. So Mach2 is probably a program that most users should leave untouched. The freeware Winaero is much better software for tweaking and customizing Windows. However, Mach2 might still be worth noting for users registered on the Windows Insider Program.
RELATED STORIES TO CHECK OUT:
