Windows Master Control Panel shortcut

The Windows Master Control Panel shortcut, labeled All Tasks and also called Windows God Mode by bloggers and All Tasks folder by at least one Microsoft developer, is a short-cut to access various control settings in Windows Vista and later operating systems. By creating a folder with a certain name, users have access to all of the operating system's control panels from within a single folder. The hack was published outside of Microsoft documentation in 2007 and gained popularity when the name GodMode was used by bloggers. Variations of the same method can access different settings, and have also been called 'God Mode' folders.^{[citation needed]}

Implementation

The functionality that was discovered and named 'Master Control Panel' or 'God Mode' was designed to allow Microsoft developers to test various aspects of Windows from a single location. The folders were not intended for use by general users.^{[citation needed]} The shortcut is implemented by creating a folder with the extension, ".{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" (without quotes). GodMode was the original folder name used when the feature was publicised, but any name can be used. The same functionality can be achieved by creating a standard Windows shortcut with the path "explorer.exe shell:::{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" or by creating a Desktop.ini file in a folder that includes the extension's CLSID.

Discovery

The general method of creating the shortcuts is documented by Microsoft, though Microsoft had not publicised the specific GUID ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C for the Master Control Panel. Third parties have published the method since at least 2007 under the more modest title "[Registry Hack] VISTA - All Control Panel & Setting tasks at one place". Numerous blogs and tweets on the subject appeared in December 2009 and January 2010 as 'Windows 7 Godmode', with many sites repeating the same information available elsewhere. Malicious software has exploited GUID-based shortcuts since the release of Windows Vista.^{[citation needed]}

Related shortcuts

The general folder shortcut format is <FolderDisplayName>.{<GUID>} where <GUID> is a valid Class ID (CLSID) with a System.ApplicationName entry in the Windows Registry. The technique is documented by Microsoft as 'Using File System Folders as Junction Points'. The CLSID {ed7ba470-8e54-465e-825c-99712043e01c} is of particular interest because the associated widget allows access to many Windows settings. Microsoft documents the GUIDs for the regular Control Panel applets on MSDN. A CNET article attributed many of the GUID shortcuts to the head of Microsoft's Windows division, Steven Sinofsky.

Stability

There have been some reports that using <prefix>.{<GUID>} folders may cause unexpected results or repeated crashes, particularly with 64-bit Windows Vista versions.^{[citation needed]} In 64-bit Vista, creating a GodMode folder will cause Explorer to repeatedly crash and restart, requiring that the user boot into Safe Mode to delete the folder.^{[citation needed]}

Malware

GUID-based folder names can be exploited by computer worms—malicious software that can "reproduce"—hidden in a folder posing as a system folder such as the Recycle Bin, by employing its system application GUID shortcut. For example, a malicious file located at E:\Recycler\bin.{645ff040-5081-101b-9f08-00aa002f954e}\VIRUS.exe cannot be viewed in Explorer (opening the folder in order to view/delete would redirect to the Recycle Bin) and the folder cannot be deleted while the worm is running. Such a shortcut can be bypassed with the use of an active antivirus, or by booting from another operating system.

See also

• Cheating in video games#Unusual effects
• God mode