> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/thedogecraft/sparkle/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Apply your first Windows tweaks safely with Sparkle. This guide walks you through creating a restore point, browsing tweaks, running the Cleaner, and exploring the rest of the app.

This guide walks you through Sparkle's core features on your first run. The whole process takes about five minutes.

<Warning>
  Sparkle is currently in beta. Follow this guide in order — create a restore point before you apply any tweaks so you can roll back if something doesn't behave as expected.
</Warning>

## First-use walkthrough

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a restore point">
    Open Sparkle and navigate to the **Backup** page from the sidebar.

    Click **Create Restore Point** and give it a descriptive name such as `Before Sparkle tweaks`. Windows will snapshot your current system state. This gives you a reliable fallback if you want to undo everything later.

    <Tip>
      Get into the habit of creating a new restore point before each Sparkle session, especially before trying tweaks you haven't used before.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to the Tweaks page">
    Click **Tweaks** in the sidebar. The page lists all available tweaks organised into categories such as **Performance**, **Privacy**, **Gaming**, and **Appearance**.

    Each tweak shows a short description and a risk level. Tweaks marked **Safe** make reversible changes that are unlikely to affect stability.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Browse the categories">
    Scroll through the categories to get a feel for what's available. You'll find tweaks for things like:

    * Disabling Windows telemetry and data collection
    * Enabling Game Mode and Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS)
    * Removing Microsoft Bing search integration
    * Clearing the Start menu and taskbar of unnecessary clutter
    * Setting services to manual to reduce background resource usage
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply your first tweak">
    As a safe starting point, try **Disable Telemetry**. This tweak disables Windows data collection and reporting via registry changes and service adjustments. It is marked **Safe** and can be unapplied at any time from the same page.

    Toggle the tweak on and wait for Sparkle to confirm it applied successfully.

    <Tip>
      Other good first tweaks to try:

      * **Enable Game Mode** — enables Windows Game Mode to prioritise resources for games
      * **Disable Mouse Acceleration** — removes pointer acceleration for more consistent mouse movement
      * **Hide Taskview and Widgets** — cleans up the taskbar by removing buttons you may never use
      * **Enable Dark Mode** — switches Windows to the system dark theme

      All of these are marked **Safe** and fully reversible.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the Cleaner">
    Click **Cleaner** in the sidebar. The Cleaner scans for and removes:

    * System and user temporary files
    * Windows Prefetch files
    * Recycle Bin contents
    * Windows Update download cache
    * Thumbnail cache
    * Error reports and crash dumps

    Select the items you want to clear and click **Clean**. Sparkle reports how much disk space was freed after each operation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore the rest of the app">
    Now that you've applied your first tweaks and run a clean, take a few minutes to explore the other pages.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Utilities" icon="wrench" href="/features/utilities">
        Run SFC, DISM, disk checks, and manage power plans from one place.
      </Card>

      <Card title="DNS manager" icon="globe" href="/features/dns-manager">
        Switch to a faster or more private DNS server such as Cloudflare or Google.
      </Card>

      <Card title="App installer" icon="box-open" href="/features/apps">
        Install popular apps via Winget and Chocolatey with a single click.
      </Card>

      <Card title="Backup & restore" icon="clock-rotate-left" href="/features/backup">
        Create and restore Windows restore points without leaving Sparkle.
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

Once you're comfortable with the basics, dig deeper into what's available:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Tweaks reference" icon="sliders" href="/tweaks/overview">
    Browse every available tweak with full descriptions, risk levels, and what each one changes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Features overview" icon="layout-grid" href="/features/tweaks">
    Learn how each Sparkle feature works in detail.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>