You’ve probably tried to customize Windows 10 or Windows 11, but no matter how hard you try from the settings, you haven’t been able to get the result you originally had in mind.
This is where third-party applications like ExplorerPatcher, which allows you to tweak the interface settings, or Windhawk, which lets you add all kinds of modifications, come in. Both are well-known for their ease of use and for providing significant changes to the operating system from the company led by Satya Nadella.
Indeed, some of the features they offer can improve your computer’s performance and make it look different, adapting to your tastes or comforts. But, let’s say you only have one to choose from. Which one would you choose?
Of course, it’s a difficult decision, as although they have similarities, they share common characteristics in various aspects. With this in mind, the following information provides the details that make each one unique so you can choose the one that’s best for you.
- • Windhawk is a modding platform and allows for large-scale customization.
- • ExplorerPatcher is used to return to the classic style and functions of Windows.
- • So, what is the best option?
Windhawk is a modding platform and allows for large-scale customization
The first thing to understand is that Windhawk is a different program than the other options because it focuses on customization through mods. That is, you open the application, search for the type of feature or tweak you’d like to add, install it, and it integrates with the operating system.
It doesn’t have direct features to configure parameters in Windows, as they are like mini apps that integrate into the OS to give you a different experience in specific sections.
There are all kinds of mods, but there are also some that allow you to change things like the taskbar, notification styles, specific features, and even the overall layout. It’s like a mod store, so you should also consider the rating to determine if it’s stable.
ExplorerPatcher is used to return to the classic style and functions of Windows.
This is a simpler app than the previous one, and it does focus on customizing the operating system, but directly, not through mods. One of the reasons it’s most commonly used is that ExplorerPatcher allows you to recover things from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
In this case, you’ll find a simpler interface where you can manipulate sections such as the Start menu, taskbar, File Explorer, and other features that can be returned to their classic design by checking or unchecking boxes.
In itself, it’s a more basic program compared to the other, incorporating several tweaks for various customizations or functions. It also offers good ways to redesign the OS, especially if you’re looking to return to a look similar to previous versions.
So, what is the best option?
It’s difficult to say exactly which is better, since they are very different despite being related in some ways, and the decision of which one to use depends on what you need.
On the one hand, there’s ExplorerPatcher, which allows direct use in changing the design of the most relevant areas of the interface, while the other offers a wide variety of mods that adapt to whatever you have in mind, making it a very versatile and flexible option.
However, ExplorerPatcher, in addition to being a tool with very basic options, also tends to present errors that significantly impact your experience. Applying a simple change in any area of your system is highly likely to cause your operating system to start behaving strangely.
That won’t happen to you with Windhawk, as long as you choose the modifications you plan to integrate into your Windows carefully. For this reason, for many users, it’s the best, as it’s the most stable and the one that could truly create a completely different style and even improve certain specific aspects.
Either way, they’re not very heavy programs, so it’s recommended that you try both and determine which one best suits your tastes: one that’s easy to use or one with more complex and comprehensive features.