The Settings app menu of Microsoft Windows 10 contains dozens of configuration screens that allow users to make changes to how the operating system works. Under normal circumstances, navigating through the labyrinth of menus is efficient enough for the occasional configuration change, but there is another way.

By combining the run dialog box and a specific set of commands known as Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI), users can skip a multitude of menu selections and corresponding mouse clicks to reach their configuration setting destination practically instantantly. The key is knowing the right Settings URI.

This how-to tutorial shows you how to combine the run dialog box and a list of available URIs to jump to specific configuration screens in Windows 10.

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Use URI commands to quickly locate settings pages in Windows 10

The Settings app in Windows 10 is laid out as a series of categories and sections. Using the menu interface, users drill down until they find the page that contains the settings they are looking to change. Using the right URI, a user can skip the menu system completely and jump directly to the setting for which they are looking.

Note, for this example we are using the run dialog box, but the URI commands can also be entered into a command prompt or even the address bar, if it is active on your Windows 10 desktop.

SEE: Windows 10 Start menu: From angst to answers (TechRepublic Premium)

To open the Settings main page, for example, press the keyboard combination Windows key + R to open the run dialog box and enter this URI: “ms-settings:” Ignore the quotes, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Pressing the Enter or clicking OK, will open the main Settings screen shown in Figure B.

Figure B

The URI “ms-settings:” is the root for all the other setting URIs. Delving deeper into Settings will require the entry of a category and a section. For example, “ms-settings:printers will open the Printer configuration screen, as shown in Figure C.

Figure C

Table A provides a complete list of Windows 10 Settings URIs you can use as a reference. If you find yourself tweaking a specific setting over and over, it might save you some precious time to remember how to get to that particular configuration screen quickly, without wading through menus.

Table A

Settings page

Commands

Settings main page

ms-settings:

System

Display

ms-settings:display

Display -> Night light settings

ms-settings:nightlight

Sound

ms-settings:sound

Notifications & actions

ms-settings:notifications

Focus assist

ms-settings:quiethours

Power & sleep

ms-settings:powersleep

Battery

ms-settings:batterysaver

Battery -> Battery usage by app

ms-settings:batterysaver-usagedetails

Battery -> Battery saver settings

ms-settings:batterysaver-settings

Storage

ms-settings:storagesense

Storage -> Change where new content is saved

ms-settings:savelocations

Storage -> Change how we free up space

ms-settings:storagepolicies

Tablet mode

ms-settings:tabletmode

Multitasking

ms-settings:multitasking

Projecting to this PC

ms-settings:project

Shared experiences

ms-settings:crossdevice

Clipboard

ms-settings:clipboard

Remote Desktop

ms-settings:remotedesktop

About

ms-settings:about

Devices

Bluetooth & other devices

ms-settings:bluetooth

Printers & scanners

ms-settings:printers

Mouse

ms-settings:mousetouchpad

Touchpad

ms-settings:devices-touchpad

Typing

ms-settings:typing

Pen & Windows Ink

ms-settings:pen

AutoPlay

ms-settings:autoplay

USB

ms-settings:usb

Phone

Phone

ms-settings:mobile-devices

Network & internet

Status

ms-settings:network-status

Cellular & SIM

ms-settings:network-cellular

Wi-Fi

ms-settings:network-wifi

Wi-Fi -> Manage known networks

ms-settings:network-wifisettings

Wi-Fi calling

ms-settings:network-wificalling

Ethernet

ms-settings:network-ethernet

Dial-up

ms-settings:network-dialup

VPN

ms-settings:network-vpn

Airplane mode

ms-settings:network-airplanemode

Mobile hotspot

ms-settings:network-mobilehotspot

Data usage

ms-settings:datausage

Proxy

ms-settings:network-proxy

Personalization

Background

ms-settings:personalization-background

Colors

ms-settings:colors

Lock screen

ms-settings:lockscreen

Themes

ms-settings:themes

Fonts

ms-settings:fonts

Start

ms-settings:personalization-start

Taskbar

ms-settings:taskbar

Apps

Apps & features

ms-settings:appsfeatures

Apps & features -> Manage optional features

ms-settings:optionalfeatures

Default apps

ms-settings:defaultapps

Offline maps

ms-settings:maps

Apps for websites

ms-settings:appsforwebsites

Video playback

ms-settings:videoplayback

Startup

ms-settings:startupapps

Accounts

Your info

ms-settings:yourinfo

Email & app accounts

ms-settings:emailandaccounts

Sign-in options

ms-settings:signinoptions

Access work or school

ms-settings:workplace

Family & other people

ms-settings:otherusers

Sync your settings

ms-settings:sync

Time & language

Date & time

ms-settings:dateandtime

Region & language

ms-settings:regionlanguage

Speech

ms-settings:speech

Gaming

Game bar

ms-settings:gaming-gamebar

Game DVR

ms-settings:gaming-gamedvr

Broadcasting

ms-settings:gaming-broadcasting

Game Mode

ms-settings:gaming-gamemode

TruePlay

ms-settings:gaming-trueplay

Xbox networking

ms-settings:gaming-xboxnetworking

Ease of Access

Display

ms-settings:easeofaccess-display

Magnifier

ms-settings:easeofaccess-magnifier

Color filters

ms-settings:easeofaccess-colorfilter

High contrast

ms-settings:easeofaccess-highcontrast

Narrator

ms-settings:easeofaccess-narrator

Audio

ms-settings:easeofaccess-audio

Closed captions

ms-settings:easeofaccess-closedcaptioning

Speech

ms-settings:easeofaccess-speechrecognition

Keyboard

ms-settings:easeofaccess-keyboard

Mouse

ms-settings:easeofaccess-mouse

Eye control

ms-settings:easeofaccess-eyegaze

Other options

ms-settings:easeofaccess-otheroptions

Cortana

Talk to Cortana

ms-settings:cortana

Permissions & history

ms-settings:cortana-permissions

Notifications

ms-settings:cortana-notifications

More details

ms-settings:cortana-moredetails

Privacy

General

ms-settings:privacy-general

Speech, inking, & typing

ms-settings:privacy-speechtyping

Diagnostics & feedback

ms-settings:privacy-feedback

Activity History

ms-settings:privacy-activityhistory

Location

ms-settings:privacy-location

Camera

ms-settings:privacy-webcam

Microphone

ms-settings:privacy-microphone

Notifications

ms-settings:privacy-notifications

Account info

ms-settings:privacy-accountinfo

Contacts

ms-settings:privacy-contacts

Calendar

ms-settings:privacy-calendar

Call history

ms-settings:privacy-callhistory

Email

ms-settings:privacy-email

Tasks

ms-settings:privacy-tasks

Messaging

ms-settings:privacy-messaging

Radios

ms-settings:privacy-radios

Other devices

ms-settings:privacy-customdevices

Background apps

ms-settings:privacy-backgroundapps

App diagnostics

ms-settings:privacy-appdiagnostics

Automatic file downloads

ms-settings:privacy-automaticfiledownloads

Documents

ms-settings:privacy-documents

Pictures

ms-settings:privacy-pictures

Videos

ms-settings:privacy-videos

File system

ms-settings:privacy-broadfilesystemaccess

Update & security

Windows Update

ms-settings:windowsupdate

Windows Update -> Check for updates

ms-settings:windowsupdate-action

Windows Update -> Update history

ms-settings:windowsupdate-history

Windows Update -> Restart options

ms-settings:windowsupdate-restartoptions

Windows Update -> Advanced options

ms-settings:windowsupdate-options

Windows Security / Defender

ms-settings:windowsdefender

Backup

ms-settings:backup

Troubleshoot

ms-settings:troubleshoot

Recovery

ms-settings:recovery

Activation

ms-settings:activation

Find My Device

ms-settings:findmydevice

For developers

ms-settings:developers

Windows Insider Program

ms-settings:windowsinsider

Mixed reality

Audio and speech

ms-settings:holographic-audio