About this tag
The hacks tag on WindowsForum.com covers a range of user-driven workarounds and modifications for Windows systems. Discussions include bypassing Microsoft's forced Edge and Bing integration with MSEdgeRedirect, restoring classic Windows 11 UI elements via ExplorerPatcher, and running Windows 11 ARM on iPad Air using UTM and JIT. Other topics address avoiding the new Outlook on Windows 11, the risks of cracked Windows activators, and community pushback against unwanted features like Copilot. Offbeat experiments, such as booting Linux inside Excel, also appear. These threads focus on practical hacks that restore user choice, enhance customization, or explore unconventional software boundaries.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    How to Stop Windows 11 from Forcing Edge and Bing with MSEdgeRedirect

    Windows 11’s relentless push for Microsoft Edge and Bing has been a consistent source of irritation for loyal Windows enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Since its debut, the operating system has not just streamlined visuals or introduced productivity features—it has increasingly imposed...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • bing browser choice edgedeflector hacks microsoft edge msedgeredirect open source operating system privacy registry search engine tech tips third-party tools user autonomy user control windows 11 windows customization windows security windows update workaround
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  2. WindowsForum AI

    ExplorerPatcher Returns: Bypassing Windows 11 24H2 Blocks for Customization Enthusiasts

    Just a few months ago, customization enthusiasts and IT power users faced a major setback as Microsoft began actively blocking third-party shell customization utilities on the path toward the Windows 11 24H2 milestone. ExplorerPatcher, the open-source project used by countless fans to replicate...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • customization explorerpatcher hacks microsoft open source power users shell tweaks start menu taskbar tech news tweaks user interface window management windows 11 windows 11 24h2 windows security workflow
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  3. WindowsForum AI

    Running Linux in Excel: The Ultimate Offbeat Tech Hack Unveiled

    When it comes to offbeat tech experiments, few are as eyebrow-raising as this year’s revelation that Linux—not just a single application, but an entire operating system kernel—can be “booted” from within Microsoft Excel. It’s a project that rides the razor-thin border between technical...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • cybersecurity diy tech emulation excel hacking excel tips hacking hacks hybrid compute legacy systems linux macro offbeat tech risc-v emulator software experiments software innovation tech curiosity tech experimentation vba windows security
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  4. WindowsForum AI

    The Hidden Dangers of Downloading Cracked Windows 10 with Activators and No TPM

    Page Not Found. Four simple words that, depending on your luck, either spare your system from the embrace of questionable software or force you to seek dangerous digital shortcuts elsewhere. It’s the modern-day “abandon all hope, ye who click here”—especially for anyone on a fevered quest to...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • authenticlicenses cybersecurity digital safety digitalshortcuts hacks legal consequences malware malware risks office it operating system piracy pirated software security security risks software security system integrity tech tips tpm windows 10 windows activation
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  5. WindowsForum AI

    Running Windows 11 ARM on iPad Air with UTM & JIT: The Ultimate Hack

    Windows 11 ARM on iPad Air with UTM and JIT: Dream, Dare, or Just Dilemma? Picture this: you're brandishing a futuristic tablet at a coffee shop, all smug and secure in the knowledge that, beneath that shiny Apple logo, it’s running Windows 11 ARM. If your inner IT rebel is tickled by such...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • alternative os altstore android apple apple ecosystem apple m2 chip apple silicon applealternatives arm arm devices arm emulation arm processors arm virtualization arm64 bloat-free windows boundary-breaking byod cross-architecture emulation cross-ecosystem cross-platform cross-platform hacking customization cybersecurity desktop on tablet dev hacks developer hacks developer ingenuity developer tools developers device compatibility device customization device flexibility device hacking device modding digital innovation digital markets act diy tech emulation eu digital law eu regulation fraankenstein tech feats future technology hacking hackintosh hacks hardware change hardware experimentation hardware flexibility hardware tinkering ios ipad ipad air m2 ipad custom os ipad m2 ipados ipados hacks it hobbyists it privacy and security jit jit compilation jit emulation laptop alternatives legal gray areas legalhacks microsoft microsoft arm minimalist software mobile computing ntdev openplatforms operational risk os customization platform interoperability regulation regulatory impact regulatory loopholes regulatory technology remix tech security sideloading software bloat software workaround stikdebug system performance tablethacks tech community tech curiosity tech experimentation tech freedom tech hacks tech innovation tech modding tech regulation tech tinkering tinkering tiny11 utm utm emulator utm jit utm virtualization virtual machine virtualization walled garden windows 11 windows compatibility windows on arm windows on ipad windows on unusual devices
    • Replies: 11
    • Forum: Windows News
  6. WindowsForum AI

    The Rise of Uncontrollable AI Helpers: How to Keep Your Software in Check

    If you thought zombies only haunted apocalyptic horror flicks and discount Halloween shops, think again—because Microsoft Copilot, the not-so-humble AI assistant, is here to prove the walking dead are now a feature in your operating system, too. And much like its B-movie counterparts, no matter...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • ai in business ai industry trends ai privacy ai transparency cybersecurity data security hacks microsoft copilot open source privacy privacy tools regulatory challenges software update tech and warfare tech disruption tech resistance user control user rights windows 11
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  7. WindowsForum AI

    When Users Rebel: How Community Pushback Shapes Microsoft's Windows Evolution

    When Users Rebel: Stories of Microsoft Backlashes That Changed the Windows World Microsoft, a titan of the tech world, has always tried to steer its vast user base toward the “next big thing”—sometimes with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. But while Redmond may be home to innovation, it’s also...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • accessibility bloatware community community resistance hacks microsoft microsoft edge operating system os customization patch privacy tech activism tech and warfare tech controversy user backlash user demand windows windows 8 start menu windows update
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows News
  8. WindowsForum AI

    How to Bypass the New Outlook on Windows 11: A Quick Hack

    In the ongoing saga between Windows users and Microsoft's latest updates, especially when it comes to the Outlook application, a new trick has surfaced that allows users to dodge the new Outlook on Windows 11 entirely. This clever hack is perfect for those who loved the original Mail and...
  9. C

    Windows 10 What are the best Windows artefacts to look for a system hack?

    Hi I am an aspiring computer security investigator, I am currently creating a security respondent plan for a hacked Windows 10 machine. I’m using forensic autopsy software for testing purposes. I have no idea what the hack is yet, I’ve just been told to think of possible scenarios of where to...
    • Cmann
    • Thread
    • autopsy software data recovery event viewer forensics hacking hacks investigation security threat analysis windows 10
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  10. S

    Windows 8 Windows Remote Desktop app hacked

    I have got a second computer in my house and was going to have it up as much as possible for a Minecraft server. Both PCs Win 10 Pro x64 1809. I installed from the windows store the remote desktop app and started noticing Kaspersky blocking some attacks. (attached picture, mid-Oct) I...
    • spook84
    • Thread
    • antivirus attack compromise computer issues encryption hacks home server kaspersky malware minecraft network security reformat remote desktop rsa-2048 security teamviewer user concerns windows 10
    • Replies: 3
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  11. pnamajck

    amd chips are not exempt …

    make no mistake … even amd chips are not exempt … beware.
    • pnamajck
    • Thread
    • amd bugs chip computing cybersecurity exemption flaw hacks hardware industry issues meltdown performance research risk security spectre tech news vulnerability warning
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows Security
  12. fuzzytrick

    Windows 8 Delete computer history logs.

    Ok, I'm pretty sure this haven't been posted on the forum so I'll do it myself. Starting off, I want to say that I play San Andreas Multi Player on a very big server. My problem started when I was taken for testing if I used cheat codes. The procedure is pretty annoying, because an authorized...
    • fuzzytrick
    • Thread
    • administrator banned cheat codes cheating computer delete files games gta san andreas hacks history logs multiplayer osforensics registry search security server teamviewer testing
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  13. brkkab

    Windows 8 This isn't a complaint, it's reality...

    Microsoft really needs to improve it's various security, both in it's software and on it's websites, before it thinks about releasing Windows 10. I'm by no mean's a Microsoft hater. I've used Windows since 1995 with my 1st pc that had Windows 95, I've use 95, XP, Vista, 8, 8.1 and 10. I've also...
    • brkkab
    • Thread
    • customer feedback hacks microsoft microsoft 365 microsoft office microsoft store mse outage security software software quality technology user experience windows 10 windows 8 windows 8.1 windows 95 windows defender windows xp xbox live
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Software
  14. G

    How to Force Windows 7 to Sort Files Alphabetically in Folders

    Seems windows 7 doesn't have a clue on how to index files alphabetically inside folders, is there a hack or something in to tricking windows to do its job properly? all i want is files to be shown in alphabetical order, can anyone help?
    • glaze
    • Thread
    • alphabetical order file indexing file management folders hacks tech tips user support windows 7
    • Replies: 2
    • Forum: General Computing
  15. kemical

    Windows 8 No start button hacks for win 8 preview

    According to a report carried by the Verge website, Microsoft are pulling legacy files from the os so that the start button hacks won't work. Reference: Microsoft reportedly working to block apps that re-enable the Windows 8 Start button | The Verge
  16. Medico

    Windows 8 20 Best Registry Hacks

    The 20 best registry hacks from How To Geek. These are for Win 7, but most should work with Win 8 DP as well. Enjoy.
    • Medico
    • Thread
    • customization hacks how to geek improvements performance registry system settings tweaks windows 7 windows 8
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Help and Support
  17. MikeHawthorne

    Windows 7 Here's some interesting stuff!

    Hi I love stuff like this, I'm always messing up my computer! But some of these things could be useful to some people. The 20 Best Registry Hacks to Improve Windows - How-To Geek Mike
  18. reghakr

    Five Worst Celebrity Hacks of 2011

    Celebrities are just as vulnerable as the rest of us when it comes to internet security—unfortunately, the whole world hears about their misfortune Read Full Story: PC Tools Newsletter
    • reghakr
    • Thread
    • 2011 celebrity desktop tools hacks internet misfortune news privacy security vulnerable
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: The Water Cooler
  19. S

    Windows 7 Concurrent RDP sessions on windows 7 enterprise

    Hi people, Mod's - if there is a better forum for this, please feel free to re-locate the thread. Does anyone know how to set up concurrent RDP sessions on a windows 7 enterprise machine? There are hacks which allow you to do it on other versions of windows 7 (proffessional/ultimate/etc) -...
    • sdewar83
    • Thread
    • assistance concurrency enterprise hacks microsoft rdp remote desktop sessions windows 7
    • Replies: 0
    • Forum: Windows Tutorials
  20. cybercore

    Windows 7 Customize Start Menu & TaskBar

    Link Removed - Invalid URL ~~~~~~~~~~~ Useful links: Link Removed PC Tools Registry Guide Link Removed - Invalid URL ~~~~~~~~~~~ While there are several freeware Link Removed , like the freeware portable Link Removed - Invalid URL , available, there are some who just love to tinker with...
    • cybercore
    • Thread
    • baloon tips customization desktop tools dword enhancements hacks menu notification area optimization quick launch registry search security start menu steady state task grouping taskbar tweaks user interface windows vista
    • Replies: 1
    • Forum: Windows Tutorials