WindowsMize - PowerShell script to automate and customize the configuration of Windows

Hi everyone.
I want to share with you all the PowerShell script I made to automate the configuration of Windows.
Not only debloating Windows and minimizing telemetry, but automating every settings (in a reasonable way).

None of the scripts available online met my expectations, so I made my own.

Purpose​

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Automate and customize everything we can.

1. install Windows (semi-unattended) + updates
2. run the script
3. finish some customization

Description​

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Main features
- customize Windows settings (start > all apps > settings)
- tweaks (file explorer, network, system properties, telemetry, ...)
- remove unwanted apps (bloatware)
- install applications + settings
- configure a RamDisk (Brave Browser / VSCode)
- disable services & scheduled tasks

Characteristics​

- fully non-interactive script: make sure to review everything before running it.
- active tweaks/settings are selectable at the bottom of the script.
- easily customizable, maintainable and scalable.
- most tweaks/settings works on Windows 10.
- designed for Windows 11.

Link​

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Your single script is 23,150 lines. For your own code manageability, and to allow more guests to review your code, break it into shorter functional modules.
A number of folks won't run an open-source project if they can't check over what it does.

From what I read, you have good coding style but it's too long to scroll through.

garlin said:

Your single script is 23,150 lines. For your own code manageability, and to allow more guests to review your code, break it into shorter functional modules.
A number of folks won't run an open-source project if they can't check over what it does.

From what I read, you have good coding style but it's too long to scroll through.

Click to expand...

What he said.

What I say is:

• I may not want to do all your tweaks or do all your installs
• I would like to see a comparison of this script with Winaero and Explorer Patcher.
• Does this script (which I haven't read, to be clear) rely on winget?
• I may want to add my own tweaks or do or own installs, perhaps with winget
• I will follow this thread in the hope that people who are smarter/more skilled than I am provide additional good comments,

^ The read me is pretty self explanatory.

The script on the other hand, I’d need to take some sedatives to read. I’d need to be someone smarter to understand much of it.

agadiffe, welcome and thanks for sharing.

So, @agadiffe thanks a boatload for doing this script. It must have taken a ginormous amount of time to write AND test. As well as a high level of technical skills.

So I hope I'm not being presumptuous in what I'm going to say now. What if some of us act as a sounding board and review board as you try to follow some of the suggestions here. Maybe a private email list? Or maybe some other way that another forum member comes up with.

What I so liked about TenForums when I was a member there and now ElevynForum is the extremely high signal-to-noise ratio and the willingness of forum members to help each other out. We are all interested in maintaining and optimizing our systems and learning new technical skills from other people.

x509 said:

ElevynForum

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Somehow I read that as Elwynn Forest.

hdmi said:

Somehow I read that as Elwynn Forest.

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I don't know, since I'm not a gamer.

x509 said:

I don't know, since I'm not a gamer.

Click to expand...

I used to be. I quit almost 15 years ago, and, Elwynn Forest is only one of the many different zones in this game (World of Warcraft) that I used to play almost 20 years ago. Each zone was so huge, your typo plus the fact that this PowerShell script contains so many lines had triggered my memory of this zone. I mean, walking around in the script would be some ways similar to walking around in Elwynn Forest. Time consuming.

garlin said:

For your own code manageability, and to allow more guests to review your code, break it into shorter functional modules.

Click to expand...

The script is already divided into several sections.
To navigate through them, you need to use a code editor that can handle 'region folders' like Notepad++ or VSCode.

I see your point, it's not the same as multiple files.

garlin said:

it's too long to scroll through.

Click to expand...

If you use the GitHub interface to review the code, it can indeed be a bit long.
I might extract all the functions into 1 or more PowerShell modules. I also might create a file for each section.
I don't know yet if I will do either of them.

I like the fact to have just one file to move around or to copy to an USB drive.
For a script like this one (versus a real application that needs more organization), I think that's acceptable.

garlin said:

Your single script is 23,150 lines.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is.
To give more context:

All the functions represent about 5,200 lines (22.5%).
The remaining lines are either comments or JSON configuration (mostly for registry entries).

If I remove the comments from the functions. i.e. the <# .SYNTAX .EXAMPLE .NOTE #>
The number of lines for all the functions is about 4,200.

If I remove all the functions related to the RamDisk.
Because I guess not so many users will use it.
The number of lines for all the functions is about 3,200.

If I go further and remove all the 'param()' block.
Because PowerShell is a bit verbose when you define the parameters.
The number of lines for all the functions is about 2,400.

So, the number of lines that really need to be reviewed is about 2,400 (without the RamDisk).
If it wasn't my project and I wanted to review this script in the GitHub interface, I would use 'CTRL+F' to find the functions.
I would probably download it and review it in VSCode.

x509 said:

I may not want to do all your tweaks or do all your installs

Click to expand...

- active tweaks/settings are selectable at the bottom of the script.
Just comment the tweaks/settings you don't want to execute.

x509 said:

I would like to see a comparison of this script with Winaero and Explorer Patcher.

Click to expand...

'Explorer Patcher' is a completely different tool that can't be compared with my script or 'Winaero Tweaker'.

For a comparison with 'Winaero Tweaker', I suggest to open both and see by yourself. :)
Use Notepad++ or VSCode to have the region folders and easily compare both tools.
See the screenshot on GitHub if you don't know what it is (on the left, the 'outline' thing).

It would take too much time to list all the differences.
For example, I do not change the context menu at all, nor do I restore old tools.

x509 said:

Does this script (which I haven't read, to be clear) rely on winget?

Click to expand...

To install applications, yes. Except for Brave, which uses the link from their website.

x509 said:

I may want to add my own tweaks or do or own installs, perhaps with winget

Click to expand...

To add your own tweak, if it's a registry entry, it's as simple as creating a new variable in a JSON style.

Choose the section where you want to add your tweak (e.g. Tweaks > My Tweaks).
Add the registry entry you want to modify. Then add your variable at the bottom of the script.
As an example, you can see this commit:
Add 'let search apps show results' setting · agadiffe/WindowsMize@7607895

To add your own application to install, just add it in $ApplicationsToInstall.
In the current version it's on line 21,889.

antspants said:

@agadiffe, welcome

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Thank you.

antspants said:

The script on the other hand, I’d need to take some sedatives to read. I’d need to be someone smarter to understand much of it.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's related to smartness. You just need some programming background and/or time to learn the basics of PowerShell.
You can also use a generative AI and copy/paste any functon you don't understand into it.

x509 said:

It must have taken a ginormous amount of time to write AND test. As well as a high level of technical skills.

Click to expand...

It took some time, indeed. It required some technical skills, but not a high level of them.
But thanks, I take the compliment. :)

x509 said:

What if some of us act as a sounding board and review board as you try to follow some of the suggestions here. Maybe a private email list? Or maybe some other way that another forum member comes up with.

Click to expand...

There are the GitHub issues for that.
If you (or anyone else) doesn't have a GitHub account, you can post a message in this thread.

hdmi said:

I mean, walking around in the script would be some ways similar to walking around in Elwynn Forest. Time consuming.

Click to expand...

Yes, it can take a moment to configure everything, but it's a one time job. :)

agadiffe said:

The script is already divided into several sections.
To navigate through them, you need to use a code editor that can handle 'region folders' like Notepad++ or VSCode.

Click to expand...

You're using a developer's mindset. I know what an IDE is, but you can't expect everyone who's interested in using your project to be a dev too.
As a former technical lead in IT, we wouldn't use anything that someone couldn't perform a code review.

Bragging you need to know 'region folders' doesn't help your case.

Many serious users might walk away at first glance, because you're not thinking about it from their concerns. Casual users might be confused at the lack of documentation. A README doesn't cut it for a script with thousands of functions.

agadiffe said:

If you use the GitHub interface to review the code, it can indeed be a bit long.
I might extract all the functions into 1 or more PowerShell modules. I also might create a file for each section.
I don't know yet if I will do either of them.

I like the fact to have just one file to move around or to copy to an USB drive.
For a script like this one (versus a real application that needs more organization), I think that's acceptable.

Click to expand...

If you understood repo's and GitHub, many projects break out their source for readability but provide a final "built" product.
Why do you think this script should be an exception to the norm?

agadiffe said:

All the functions represent about 5,200 lines (22.5%).
The remaining lines are either comments or JSON configuration (mostly for registry entries).

Click to expand...

Your JSON is scattered across the functions. So it's ridiculously hard to make edits. Why aren't your reg keys organized into separately, grouped JSON files?

If we compare against another project you reference in GitHub, Chris Titus' wintutil -- their project has a ton of files, but once I find the branches that have the bulk of actual script blocks, it's easy to review their code.
While I don't necessarily agree with everything winutil does, I can get to the heart of it and understand if the script's worth testing.

In reality, most debloating & tweaking projects are similar. They all share the same set of basic reg edits or PS commands.

What separates them are:
- project scope (range & depth of functions)
- extensibility
- readability
- completeness of user docs, or having a better UI or command line
- user configurability

You're already in a crowded space. If you don't seem receptive about feedback, then someone might just try one of the other projects you listed.

garlin said:

You're already in a crowded space. If you don't seem receptive about feedback, then someone might just try one of the other projects you listed.

Click to expand...

I know enough coding to be dangerous....

Seriously, from an end user aspect I have actually looked at the code used at CTT's WinUtil (it's at their github) and I can figure out what basically each section covers and can mostly figure out what it actually does. From my very casual and non-dev review, I can trust what Chris is trying to do and I have no issues running his script.

However, when I look at yours I don't see the same organization. I have to go from one end to the other before I can try to figure out what that first section did, then it seems to jump to another section before finishing up the first section..........ugh.

Sorry, I will probably pass on trying out your code. It's hard to see where things end and begin.

My advise would be to break things down into better labeled sections (if necessary hive off to other files what you can for organization and clear understanding - making sure things are well commented and labeled) and make sure that each section is complete before going to the next.

Yes this absolutely bloats the code, but it makes it easier for those who wish to contribute or just learn from your code how you did what you did and why. I have more respect for coders who take the time to organize and clearly label their code than those who just throw it all there and let the computer sort it out.

Wrong forum. This is a forum for users.

Anibor_11 said:

Wrong forum. This is a forum for users.

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This forum shouldn’t be regarded as restrictive. It’s more than relevent to Windows 11, this is a Windows 11 forum.

Anibor_11 said:

Wrong forum. This is a forum for users.

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OP is presenting a tool for Windows mods. But it's not written for the wide audience that TenForums/ElevenForum represents.

A successful project has perform some level of end-user education. I don't have to teach you coding, but I should inform why you need to perform this change to Windows. And why sometimes you don't need to. A common design error is "trust my judgment in the defaults I make for you", instead of having custom profiles. The user should be able to quickly choose if they want to try just a few mods, or as many as they want.

garlin said:

OP is presenting a tool for Windows mods. But it's not written for the wide audience that TenForums/ElevenForum represents.

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fair, but this forum has all kinds of things on it, from the easy to the advanced.

I think it has a place here and is appreciated.

I always like to see peoples projects, even if I wouldn't personally use them.

@agadiffe,

I commend you for your effort and your willingness to share. Never lose that.

However, your script is not adapted to the target audience; the end user.
You are expecting an average computer user to know what you know and this is where the flaw lies.
Scripting, coding, programming, whatever you might call it, is no different than using a foreign language.
You would not expect a young child, given a Shakespeare classic, to be able to comprehend its gist, let alone dissert on it.
You must understand this, as it is critical for anything you code for others.

Keep in mind that this is not criticism.

garlin said:

If you don't seem receptive about feedback, then someone might just try one of the other projects you listed.

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I am, and I do care about feedback. That's why I posted my project on this forum in the first place.
I agree with everything you said.

Taliseian said:

if necessary hive off to other files what you can for organization and clear understanding

Click to expand...

I will.

OAT said:

You are expecting an average computer user to know what you know and this is where the flaw lies.

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Fair enought.

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Thank you all for your feedback.

agadiffe said:

I am, and I do care about feedback. That's why I posted my project on this forum in the first place.
I agree with everything you said.


I will.


Fair enought.

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Thank you all for your feedback.

Click to expand...

it's a cool project. keep at it!