What's ViveTool, and how to enable hidden features on Windows 11

To force-enable hidden features on Windows 11, open Command Prompt (admin), run the “vivetool /enable /id:ENABLE-FEATURE-ID” command, and restart the computer.
You can also use the ViveTool GUI, which offers a graphical interface to enable and disable features, but the command-line tool is better suited for the job.

On preview builds of Windows 11 available through the Beta, Dev, and Canary Channels of the Windows Insider Program, you can use the ViveTool to enable hidden experimental features, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to use the tool.

As part of the development process, Microsoft regularly rolls out builds of Windows 11 with early previews of new features and changes that may ship in a future moment update, feature update, or in the next version of the operating system. However, preview builds may also contain other features the company is working on, but they are disabled by default as they may not yet be ready for testing, and this is when the ViveTool comes in handy.

ViveTool is a third-party tool created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas and available through GitHub that allows you to enable hidden features on Windows 11 Insider preview builds. The tool was designed primarily for Command Prompt, but there is a version with a user interface.

This guide will teach you the steps to get started with the ViveTool to enable or disable experimental features from Windows 11.

Command version of ViveTool for Windows 11
Graphical version of ViveTool for Windows 11

Command version of ViveTool for Windows 11

The command-line version of the ViveTool is the most commonly used by users, and here’s how to install and get started using it to enable unreleased features of Windows 11.

Install ViveTool

To install the ViveTool on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open GitHub website.
Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file on your computer.
Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
Click the Extract all button.
Click the Extract button.
Copy the path to the folder.

Once you complete the steps, you can use the tool to enable or disable hidden features on Windows 11.

Enable hidden features on Windows 11

To enable hidden (experimental) features on Windows 11 (previews), use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
```
cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x
```
In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
Type the following command to enable a hidden feature on Windows 11 and press Enter:
```
vivetool /enable /id:ENABLE-FEATURE-ID
```
In the command, replace “ENABLE-FEATURE-ID” with the ID of the feature to enable. This is an example of how the command should read:
```
vivetool /enable /id:41863571
```
Type the following command to enable multiple hidden features and press Enter:
```
vivetool /enable /id:ENABLE-FEATURE-ID-1,ENABLE-FEATURE-ID-2
```
In the command, specify the ID for each feature to enable and separate them with a comma (,). This is an example of how the command should read:
```
vivetool /enable /id:41863571,42589465
```
Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to test the new feature on Windows 11. However, since these features are still in development, they may or may not work correctly. Sometimes, you would turn on a feature, and it could take some time before you can access it on your installation.

Disable hidden features on Windows 11

To disable an experimental feature on Windows 11 with the ViveTool, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
```
cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x
```
In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
Type the following command to disable a hidden feature and press Enter:
```
vivetool /disable /id:DISABLE-FEATURE-ID
```
In the command, replace “ENABLE-FEATURE-ID” with the ID of the feature to disable. This is an example of how the command should read:
```
vivetool /disable /id:41863571
```
Type the following command to disable multiple hidden features and press Enter:
```
vivetool /disable /id:DISABLE-FEATURE-ID-1,DISABLE-FEATURE-ID-2
```
In the command, specify the ID for each feature to disable and separate them with a comma (,). This is an example of how the command should read:
```
vivetool /disable /id:41863571,42589465
```
Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the experimental feature will be disabled on Windows 11. You can only use the ViveTool to disable features you enabled using the tool. You cannot disable existing features in the operating system.

Reset hidden features on Windows 11

To reset all the custom configurations you enabled using the tool, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
```
cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.x.x
```
In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
Type the following command to remove all the custom configurations and press Enter:
```
vivetool /fullreset
```
Type “Y” and press Enter to confirm.
Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, all the experimental features you enabled manually will be disabled on Windows 11.

The ViveTool also offers additional options to perform different tasks. You can check all the available options using the vivetool /? command.

Graphical version of ViveTool for Windows 11

If you’re uncomfortable using commands, use the ViveTool GUI. This app is based on the command-line version, but since it provides a graphical user interface, it makes it easier to use.

It’s important to note that the developer hasn’t updated this app in many months. The app still works, but the list of builds to enable features is outdated. However, you can still use the advanced option to turn on hidden features automatically. (I recommend using the command-line version.)

Install ViveTool GUI

To install the GUI version of ViveTool, use these steps:

Open GitHub website.
Download the ViveToolGUI-x.zip file on your computer.
Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
Click the Extract all button.
Click the Extract button.
Double-click the ViveTool_GUI.exe file to launch the app.

Once you complete the steps, you can use the graphical version of the tool to enable or disable hidden features on Windows 11.

Enable or disable hidden features on Windows 11

To enable hidden features on Windows 11, use these steps:

Open the ViveTool GUI folder.
Double-click the ViveTool_GUI.exe file to launch the app.
Click the Advanced Options button.
Type the feature ID in the first box.
Click the Perform Action button.
Choose the Activate Feature to enable the feature.
(Optional) Choose the Deactivate Feature to disable a specific feature.

After you complete the steps, you may need to restart the computer to apply the changes.

On the top-left corner, the app offers a menu with a list of the available databases from preview builds of Windows 11. The idea of the ViveTool GUI is to select the build from the list and then simply choose the hidden features you want to enable. However, since this app is not getting regular updates, you won’t find the latest preview builds of Windows 11.

The “About & Settings” page has a “Scan this Build for Feature IDs” option, which, as the name implies, allows you to scan and find hidden features on the current preview. However, this option also requires the installation of the Windows 11 SDK and configuring the ViveTool GUI to use the “symchk.exe” (from the C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\x64) to scan the preview build. (Also, the scan takes a very long time.)

Update February 23, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.