Windows shell and features: BoosterX settings on Windows 11 25H2

Short answer

Shell settings mostly change the Windows interface and optional features. Disabling an unnecessary feature can reduce its background activity. An FPS gain does not automatically follow from this.

What was checked

We checked which shell settings are active on Windows 11 25H2, which are version-dependent or deprecated, and whether they change background load.

Scope of research

Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.9168; taskbar, Start menu and optional Windows features. No separate performance measurements were performed.

Methodology

A summary of BoosterX settings with verification of version gates, feature state and comparison against public Microsoft materials.

Settings from the research

Group	BoosterX settings	Result on Windows 11 25H2
Taskbar and Start	“End task” in the taskbar menu, Show Task View, Always show all icons on the taskbar, Recommended apps in the Start menu, Context menu appearance delay	Active or version-dependent interface settings; the effect is limited to the shell
History and recommendations	Activity Feed, Show recent and frequently used items, Track recently opened documents, Customer Experience, Spotlight, Results from the internet in Search	Change individual recommendations, activity data or web surfaces
Optional features	Windows Copilot, Widgets, News and Interests, Show Chat on the taskbar, Cortana	Some features depend on the build; Chat and Cortana are deprecated on 25H2
Legacy surfaces	Context menu as in Windows 10, Legacy photo viewer, Legacy power selection menu, Lock screen, Windows Mobility Center	Restore previous interface elements; some paths belong to older versions or separate editions
Legacy network features	Wi-Fi Sense	Deprecated feature; not to be considered a working Windows 11 optimization
Diagnostic surfaces	Activity recording, Feedback on input	Limit individual user features and data collection; the performance effect was not measured

Visible effect of key settings

• “End task” in the taskbar menu — a standard Windows 11 feature since the 23H2 update: the command appears in the icon menu and terminates the process immediately, without offering to save documents. In Windows 10 there is no such command in the taskbar menu; the setting does not apply there.
• Context menu appearance delay — applies only to classic menus (right-click with Shift or “Show more options”); the new Windows 11 File Explorer context menu ignores it. BoosterX values: 400 ms (default), 20 ms and 0 ms.
• Show Task View — hiding is purely visual: Win+Tab and virtual desktops remain fully functional.
• Always show all icons — all background program icons are visible in the notification area, and the overflow arrow disappears. Showing an icon does not start the program, and hiding it does not stop its background activity.
• Legacy photo viewer — restores the classic viewer for popular image formats: it opens faster and plays GIFs. The editing tools of “Photos” are not available in it, and the “Photos” app itself is not removed.

Applicability boundaries by Windows version are given on the setting pages; this summary does not replace them.

Deprecated and inapplicable states

“Show Chat on the taskbar”, Cortana and Wi-Fi Sense are deprecated. “News and Interests”, “Legacy power selection menu” and some settings for Windows 10 are hidden by the app on Windows 11 after an applicability check. In the first case the feature no longer works; in the second, the setting does not suit the current system and is therefore not offered.

What is confirmed

• Some settings are active and change the corresponding interface elements.
• Some features are deprecated or hidden on Windows 11 after an applicability check.
• The scope is limited to the shell and optional features, not system scheduling.

What is not confirmed

• An FPS gain or a reduction in CPU load from disabling shell features.
• Behavior on other editions and builds of Windows.

Limitations

The research applies to Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.9168. Shell behavior may change after updates and depends on the edition, installed components and regional restrictions.

For how to reproduce the dynamic part of the observations, see How to check it yourself.

This check was performed by the BoosterX developer himself on his own product settings; no independent audit was conducted. Disclaimer: the developer has a direct interest in the results, so the methodology and boundaries are described explicitly, and the conclusions can be verified against open data: public Microsoft materials and the actual state of the features on your own system.

Practical conclusion

Choose settings based on which features you need. “End task” in the taskbar menu, Start menu items and Widgets change interface convenience. To talk about CPU optimization, separate measurements are needed. Deprecated settings should be hidden or explicitly marked as deprecated: they must not be recommended for optimization.

Verification and rollback

After changing a setting, check the affected part of Windows: the taskbar, Start menu, notifications or the app. Restore the state via BoosterX and make sure the required feature has reappeared. If a setting does not suit the Windows version, its card should not be displayed.

Sources and boundaries

• Customize the Windows taskbar, Microsoft Support, checked 2026-09-02.
• Windows 11 features and requirements, Microsoft Learn, checked 2026-09-02.

Public sources checked: 2026-09-02.

Change history

• 2026-09-20: added a strengthened conflict-of-interest disclaimer — the check was performed by the developer himself, no independent audit was conducted — and a link to self-verification in the methodology.
• 2026-09-20: the order of sections was brought to the required structure: “What is confirmed” and “What is not confirmed” were moved before “Practical conclusion”, and the “Limitations” section was separated out of “Sources and boundaries”; links to the Customer Experience and “Legacy power selection menu” pages were added to the table.
• 2026-09-19: the settings in the table were consolidated with links to catalog pages, and the “Visible effect of key settings” section was added with applicability boundaries by Windows version.
• 2026-09-02: first publication; active, version-dependent and deprecated settings were separated, and effect boundaries were added.