A good way to set up shortcuts for those options is to add a Choose Power Plan submenu to the context menu in Windows 11/10. Then you’ll be able to access those plan settings with just one or two clicks from the desktop. Here are two ways you can add a submenu that includes power plan options to the context menu in Windows 11/10.
How to Add Power Plan Options to the Context Menu With a Registry Script
To customize the context menu in Windows 11 and 10, we must tweak the registry one way or another. You can add a Choose Power Plan submenu entry to your context menu by creating and running a registry script for that purpose. This is how you can set up such a registry script with Notepad in Windows 11/10:
Open the Windows Notepad app. Our guide includes various methods for opening Notepad in Windows. Select this script text and press Ctrl + C. Windows Registry Editor Version 5. 00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan] “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” “MUIVerb”=“Choose Power Plan” “Position”=“Middle” “SubCommands”="" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\01menu] “MUIVerb”=“Power Saver” “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\01menu\command] @=“powercfg. exe /setactive a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\02menu] “MUIVerb”=“Balanced” “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\02menu\command] @=“powercfg. exe /setactive 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\03menu] “MUIVerb”=“High Performance” “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\03menu\command] @=“powercfg. exe /setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\04menu] “MUIVerb”=“Ultimate Performance” “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\04menu\command] @=“powercfg. exe /setactive e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61” [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\05menu] “MUIVerb”=“Power Options” “Icon”=“powercpl. dll” “CommandFlags”=dword:00000020 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\PowerPlan\Shell\05menu\command] @=“control. exe powercfg. cpl” Paste that script inside Notepad by pressing the Ctrl + V key combo. Select File on Notepad’s menu bar. Click the File menu’s Save as option. Next, click along the Save as type drop-down menu and select All Files from there. Type Power Plan Script in the File name box. Click Desktop on the left of the Save as window to select that location for the file, then press Save to add the script to the Windows desktop area. Close Notepad after saving the file. Double-click the Power Plan Script file on the desktop. Select Yes on the Registry Editor dialog box that pops up. Click OK on the next dialog box that appears.
Now you can see the new Choose Power Plan submenu on the context menu. You’ll need to right-click the desktop and select Show more options to find that submenu on the classic context menu in Windows 11. Move the cursor over Choose Power Plan to select a Power Plan, Balanced, High Performance, or Ultimate Performance option.
You can get rid of that submenu by deleting its registry key. Bring up the Registry Editor app with a method in our how-to-open Regedit guide. Then clear the address bar there to input this path:
Right-click the Power Plan key and select the Delete option. A dialog box will open that asks for confirmation. Select the Yes option there.
How to Add Power Plan Options to the Context Menu With Winaero Tweaker
The freeware Winaero Tweaker provides another way to add power plan options to the context menu in Windows 11/10. That software includes an Add Power Options checkbox you can select to add a Switch power plan submenu to the context menu. These are the steps for adding power plan options to the desktop’s right-click menu with Winaero Tweaker:
Head over to the Winaero Tweaker download page. Select Download Winaero Tweaker on the software’s website. Install the downloaded software as outlined in our guide for customizing Windows 11 with Winaero Tweaker. Launch the Winaero Tweaker software. Double-click Winaero’s Context Menu category to select it. Click Switch Power Plan to view the setting shown directly below. Then select the Add Switch Power context menu to the Desktop checkbox.
You will now see a Switch power plan submenu on the desktop’s context menu in Windows 11/10. That submenu is slightly different from the one added by the script because it doesn’t include an Ultimate Performance option. However, you can still select Power Saver, Balanced, and High Performance options.
Winaero Tweaker also has an alternative customization option that adds a Power Options submenu to the context menu. That submenu provides shortcuts for opening the Control Panel’s power settings. You can add it to the context menu by selecting Power Options > Add Power Options to Desktop context menu in Winaero Tweaker.
Make Power Plan Settings More Accessible in Windows
Now you won’t need to rummage through the Control Panel to change power plan settings any longer. Adding a power plan submenu to the context menu will make those options more directly accessible from the desktop area in Windows 11/10. It will provide handy shortcuts for users who regularly change their PCs’ power plan settings.
