One way to do that is by joining the Windows Insider Program.
This is where ViVeTool steps in.
ViVeTool is a third-party tool that allows you to enable experimental Windows features on your gear.
Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek
But how does this tool work, and is it safe to use?
Let’s find out.
What Is ViVeTool, and How Does It Work?
Before knowing about ViVeTool, it’s essential to understand the Windows Feature Store.
It is a system component that manages Windows features.
These features can be anything from updating the navigation pane toadding a new Task Managertointroducing tabs in File Explorer.
While these features serve diverse purposes, their main goal is to reduce the size of Windows updates.
Moreover, if a feature harbors a major bug or security flaw, Microsoft can easily disable it.
Windows Insider buildsoften contain numerous features that are disabled by default.
ViVeTool interacts with the Windows Feature Store by using feature IDs.
By default, feature IDs are set to state 0, indicating the feature’s normal behavior.
To disable a feature, you’ll need to change its state to 1.
Conversely, to forcibly enable a feature, you’ll need to set its state to 2.
Is ViVeTool Safe to Use?
ViVeTool toggles on or off features that are already present in the Windows Feature Store.
It doesn’t install any additional features on your gear.
However, the features you enable using ViVeTool are often experimental and may contain bugs or security flaws.
This means that enabling an experimental feature could potentially damage your rig.
Therefore, it is important to proceed with caution when using ViVeTool.
You should only enable an experimental feature if you’re prepared to deal with its potential consequences.
Ideally, you should wait for Microsoft to release the stable version of a feature before enabling it.
Additionally, wise to use avirtual machinerather than your main system to test experimental features.
Should You Use the GUI or Command-Line Version of ViVeTool?
ViVeTool offers two versions: a GUI (graphical user interface) and a command-line version.
Both versions function equally well, but the primary distinction lies in their user-friendliness.
The GUI version of ViVeTool is easy to use and requires no prior command-line expertise.
Conversely, the command-line version is slightly more complex to operate, as it involves executing and memorizing commands.
Begin by visiting theViVeTool GUI GitHub page, and download the latest version of the setup.exe file.
You might have to expand the “Assets” dropdown to find the ViVeTool.GUI.Setup.exe file.
kick off the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
ViVeTool will now populate the data grid view, which may take some time, so be patient.
You’ll see the “Success” prompt, indicating the feature has been successfully enabled.
To begin with, go to theViVeTool page on GitHuband download its latest version.
tap on “Assets” and then tap on the zip file.
Right-clickon the downloaded zip file and choose “Extract All” from the menu that appears.
Choose a location where you want toextract the fileand then nudge the “Extract” button.
Alternatively, you might also check out theMach2 repofor the feature IDs.
Remember that experimental features may contain bugs that could potentially harm your box.
Therefore, it’s crucial to back up your system before enabling any experimental features.
