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Debloat Windows 10

ATTENTION! Apparently there is an issue where running the scripts results in a broken user account / system. So far, there is only little information what actually causes this. See the corresponding issue.

Note about Windows 11: This project does not directly support Windows 11. Things might work, or might not work - find out if you are brave. Do not expect this project to transition to Windows 11 as the maintainer lacks the time to do so.


This project collects PowerShell scripts which help to debloat Windows 10, tweak common settings and install basic software components.

I test these scripts on a Windows 10 Professional 64-Bit (English) virtual machine. Please let me know if you encounter any issues. Home Edition and different languages are not supported. These scripts are intended for tech-savvy administrators, who know what they are doing and just want to automate this phase of their setup. If this profile does not fit you, I recommend using a different (more interactive) tool -- and there are a lot of them out there.

Also, note that gaming-related apps and services will be removed/disabled. If you intend to use your system for gaming, adjust the scripts accordingly.

There is no undo, I recommend only using these scripts on a fresh installation (including Windows Updates). Test everything after running them before doing anything else. Also, there is no guarantee that everything will work after future updates since I cannot predict what Microsoft will do next.

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Interactivity

The scripts are designed to run without any user interaction. Modify them beforehand. If you want a more interactive approach check out DisableWinTracking from 10se1ucgo.

Download Latest Version

Code located in the master branch is always considered under development, but you'll probably want the most recent version anyway.

Execution

Enable execution of PowerShell scripts:

PS> Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope CurrentUser

Unblock PowerShell scripts and modules within this directory:

PS> ls -Recurse *.ps*1 | Unblock-File

Usage

Scripts can be run individually, pick what you need.

  1. Install all available updates for your system.
  2. Edit the scripts to fit your need.
  3. Run the scripts you want to apply from a PowerShell with administrator privileges (Explorer Files > Open Windows PowerShell > Open Windows PowerShell as administrator)
  4. PS > Restart-Computer
  5. Run disable-windows-defender.ps1 one more time if you ran it in step 3
  6. PS > Restart-Computer

Start menu

In the past I included small fixes to make the start menu more usable, like removing default tiles, disabling web search and so on. This is no longer the case since I am fed up with it. This fucking menu breaks for apparently no reason, is slow, is a pain to configure / script and even shows ads out of the box!

Please replace it with something better, either use Open Shell or Start is Back, but stop using that shit.

Known Issues

Start menu Search

After running the scripts, the start menu search-box may no longer work on newly created accounts. It seems like there is an issue with account initialization that is triggered when disabling the GeoLocation service. Following workaround has been discovered by BK from Atlanta:

  1. Delete registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\lfsvc\TriggerInfo\3
  2. Re-enable GeoLocation service (set startup type to Automatic)
  3. Reboot
  4. Login with the account having the stated issue
  5. Start Cortana and set your preferences accordingly (web search and whatnot)

You may now disable the GeoLocation service again, the search box should remain functional.

Sysprep will hang

If you are deploying images with MDT and running these scripts, the sysprep step will hang unless dmwappushservice is active.

Xbox Wireless Adapter

Apparently running the stock remove-default-apps script will cause Xbox Wireless Adapters to stop functioning. I suspect one should not remove the Xbox App when wanting to use one. But I haven't confirmed this yet, and there is a workaround to re-enable it afterwards. See #78.

Issues with Skype

Some of the domains blocked by adding them to the hosts-file are required for Skype. I highly discourage using Skype, however some people may not have the option to use an alternative. See the #79.

Fingerprint Reader / Facial Detection not Working

Ensure Windows Biometric Service is running. See #189.

Liability

All scripts are provided as-is and you use them at your own risk.

Contribute

I would be happy to extend the collection of scripts. Just open an issue or send me a pull request.

Thanks To

License

"THE BEER-WARE LICENSE" (Revision 42):

As long as you retain this notice you can do whatever you want with this
stuff. If we meet someday, and you think this stuff is worth it, you can
buy us a beer in return.

This project is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

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