{"id":129828,"date":"2026-06-05T15:21:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/05\/4-ways-i-customize-every-windows-installation-to-avoid-microsofts-most-annoying-changes\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T15:22:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:22:29","slug":"4-ways-i-customize-every-windows-installation-to-avoid-microsofts-most-annoying-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/06\/05\/4-ways-i-customize-every-windows-installation-to-avoid-microsofts-most-annoying-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways I customize every Windows installation to avoid Microsoft’s most annoying changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

There was a time when you may get by with a number of minor tweaks to the default settings, and even some light-weight de-bloating script when organising a recent Home windows system. That point was earlier than Home windows 11. The vanilla model of Home windows 11 is virtually unusable for me, and it takes a complete rigmarole to make it usable. That is how I customise my Home windows set up.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n Use a neighborhood account
\n <\/h2>\n

\n Microsoft actually, actually desires you to make use of a web based account
\n <\/h3>\n

Trendy variations of Home windows now force users to sign in with an online Microsoft account<\/a> with a purpose to set up and use the OS. It began with a easy immediate request which you may skip. Then Microsoft took away the button, so that you wanted to disconnect from the web to create a neighborhood account. Then Microsoft took away the choice completely, and the installer wouldn’t allow you to proceed until you have been linked to the web and signed in with a Microsoft account.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \"Windows\n <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Individuals nonetheless discover workarounds to put in native accounts, however Microsoft has patched fairly a number of of them already. On the time of this writing, you may nonetheless bypass this restriction by opening a command immediate window (CMD) and working this command.<\/p>\n

reg add HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionOOBE \/v BypassNRO \/t REG_DWORD \/d 1 \/f<\/pre>\n
Whenever you reboot into the installer, it would restore the “I haven’t got web” button, which Microsoft eliminated. Be sure to’ve disconnected from the web earlier than rebooting although.<\/p>\n
\n
\n                                                                                            \"CAPTCHA\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Microsoft will most likely patch this workaround sooner or later, which is why it is higher to change the installer picture (the .iso file) immediately.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
                        <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n                                                                                                                                                            \"Microsoft\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
                    <\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat’s included?<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSystem encryption, discover my system, firewall and community safety, web safety, and extra<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tModel<\/strong> \t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMicrosoft<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n<\/p>\n<\/dl><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
                    \n                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
            <\/p>\n
            
\n             <\/p>\n
            <\/p>\n
            <\/p>\n
            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
    <\/p>\n
\n                        Customise the installer
\n               <\/h2>\n
\n            Lower the bloat on the supply
\n    <\/h3>\n
As a substitute of making an attempt to wrestle with the OS after the actual fact, you will get forward of it by modifying the OS installer itself. Rufus is a neat little open supply software for creating bootable drives. Nonetheless, Rufus can also customize the installer<\/a> itself. You possibly can test a number of containers to get an installer that provides you a neighborhood account, bypasses any {hardware} checks, and even decrease some telemetry.<\/p>\n
\n
\n                                                                                            \"Creating\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Then there are heavy-duty instruments that may modify the .iso file used to make a bootable Home windows disk. Instruments like Tiny11 or NTLite can strip away the bloatware, cease telemetry, and provide you with native consumer accounts by default.<\/p>\n
If you wish to go a step additional, you may attempt one thing even leaner, like AtlasOS. It makes use of these “playbooks” which you are presupposed to run on a fresh installation of Windows and it completely de-bloats it<\/a>. It begins up sooner and runs buttery easy, even on lower-end {hardware}. It might probably even surgically take away particular Home windows options like virtualization or Home windows Defender.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n                        Run a debloating script and cease function updates
\n               <\/h2>\n
\n            A leaner Home windows machine with out reinstalling the OS
\n    <\/h3>\n
For those who’re making an attempt to wrangle an present set up of Home windows, your best bet is to use a debloating script<\/a>. This script from Chris Titus Tech is my go-to, and it has been for the previous few years. It has been bullet-proof in my expertise, and I’ve by no means had any points with it.<\/p>\n
The supply code is accessible on the official GitHub repo<\/a> for this utility, so you may see for your self precisely what adjustments it is making. To make use of it, open Powershell and run this command.<\/p>\n
irm https:\/\/christitus.com\/win | iex<\/pre>\n
\n
\n
\n
You may have to open PowerShell with admin privileges to make this work. Open the Begin menu and seek for “powershell” after which open it as an administrator.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n
This command will load a window for Chris Titus’ Home windows Utility. Swap to the “Tweaks” tab and apply the default important tweaks. This could eliminate a lot of the preinstalled junk. It additionally removes advertisements from the Begin menu and search. Additionally, the utility minimizes Microsoft’s telemetry and monitoring throughout the OS.<\/p>\n
\n
\n                                                                                            \"The\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n            Cease function updates
\n    <\/h3>\n
I would additionally suggest disabling function updates for Home windows right here. Function updates have been constantly breaking Home windows for nearly a yr now, which is why I solely permit important safety updates. Beneath the “Updates” tab, choose the “Safety (Beneficial)” choice. This selection provides you the periodic safety updates to maintain your laptop protected, however it halts any function updates for a yr.<\/p>\n
\n
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  
\n  <\/p>\n
\n    \"How-To
\n    Quiz<\/span>\n  <\/div>\n
\n
\n
8 Questions \u00b7 Check Your Data<\/span><\/p>\n
Home windows PowerShell
Trivia problem<\/h2>\n
Cmdlets, pipelines, and scripting energy \u2014 see how nicely you actually know Home windows PowerShell.<\/p>\n
Fundamentals<\/span>Scripting<\/span>Instructions<\/span>Safety<\/span>Superior<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
What does the ‘Get-Assist’ cmdlet do in PowerShell?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Appropriate! Get-Assistance is one in all PowerShell’s most important cmdlets. It shows detailed documentation, syntax, examples, and parameter descriptions for any cmdlet, making it a built-in handbook you may entry with out leaving the terminal.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. Get-Assist shows documentation and utilization info for cmdlets and features. You need to use it like ‘Get-Assist Get-Course of -Examples’ to see real-world utilization examples proper in your console.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Which of the next finest describes a PowerShell ‘cmdlet’?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Precisely proper! Cmdlets are specialised .NET courses that observe a strict Verb-Noun naming sample, similar to Get-Course of or Set-Merchandise. They aren’t standalone executables however relatively light-weight instructions compiled into PowerShell itself.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. A cmdlet is a light-weight .NET command constructed into PowerShell that follows a Verb-Noun naming conference, like Cease-Service or New-Merchandise. They differ from conventional executables and script information in how they’re constructed and invoked.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
What file extension is used for PowerShell script information?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Appropriate! PowerShell scripts use the .ps1 extension. This extension indicators to the system that the file accommodates PowerShell code, and execution insurance policies could prohibit whether or not these scripts can run relying in your atmosphere settings.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. PowerShell script information use the .ps1 extension. The .bat extension is for Home windows batch information, .sh is for Unix\/Linux shell scripts, and .psm1 is definitely used for PowerShell module information, not commonplace scripts.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Which PowerShell execution coverage permits solely scripts which can be digitally signed by a trusted writer to run?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Spot on! The AllSigned coverage requires that each script \u2014 together with these written domestically \u2014 should be digitally signed by a trusted writer earlier than PowerShell will execute it. This is likely one of the strictest insurance policies obtainable and helps forestall unauthorized code from working.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. AllSigned is the coverage that requires all scripts to be digitally signed by a trusted writer. RemoteSigned solely requires signing for scripts downloaded from the web, whereas Restricted blocks all scripts, and Unrestricted permits every thing.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
What does the pipeline operator ‘|’ do in PowerShell?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Appropriate! The pipeline operator passes objects \u2014 not simply plain textual content \u2014 from one cmdlet to the following. This object-oriented pipeline is one in all PowerShell’s strongest options, permitting you to chain instructions like ‘Get-Course of | Kind-Object CPU | Choose-Object -First 5’.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. The pipe operator ‘|’ passes the output objects of 1 cmdlet as enter to the following cmdlet within the chain. Not like conventional shells that go plain textual content, PowerShell passes full .NET objects, preserving all their properties and strategies.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Which cmdlet would you utilize to find all obtainable cmdlets, features, and aliases within the present PowerShell session?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Effectively accomplished! Get-Command lists all instructions obtainable within the present session, together with cmdlets, features, aliases, and exterior executables. You possibly can filter it with parameters like ‘Get-Command -Verb Get’ or ‘Get-Command -Module ActiveDirectory’ for focused outcomes.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. Get-Command is the cmdlet used to checklist all obtainable instructions in your session. Get-Module reveals loaded or obtainable modules, and neither Present-Instructions nor Discover-Cmdlet are commonplace PowerShell instructions in most environments.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
In PowerShell, how do you declare a variable?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Appropriate! In PowerShell, all variables are prefixed with a greenback signal ($). For instance, ‘$identify = “Alice”‘ creates a string variable. PowerShell variables are loosely typed by default, however you may strongly sort them utilizing syntax like ‘[int]$age = 25’.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. PowerShell variables are declared utilizing a greenback signal prefix, similar to ‘$myVariable = 10’. Key phrases like ‘var’ and ‘let’ belong to languages like JavaScript, and sq. brackets in PowerShell are used for sort casting, not variable declaration.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
What’s the goal of the ‘ForEach-Object’ cmdlet in PowerShell?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Precisely proper! ForEach-Object iterates over every object in a pipeline assortment and performs a script block on it. For instance, ‘Get-Course of | ForEach-Object { $_.CPU }’ retrieves the CPU worth from each course of object \u2014 making it splendid for bulk operations.<\/p>\n
Not fairly. ForEach-Object performs an operation on every merchandise handed to it by way of the pipeline. Contained in the script block, ‘$_’ represents the present object being processed. It is one of the ceaselessly used cmdlets for automating repetitive duties throughout collections of objects.<\/p>\n
\n
Problem Full<\/span><\/p>\n
Your Rating<\/h2>\n
\/ 8<\/span><\/p>\n
Thanks for enjoying!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n            It retains messing with my muscle reminiscence
\n    <\/h3>\n
We have all used the Home windows right-click context menu a lot that it has turn into muscle reminiscence for us. We did not need to search for the correct choice and even give it some thought. With Home windows 11, Microsoft has rearranged the context menu for seemingly no cause. That is extra of a pet peeve.<\/p>\n
\n
\n                                                                                            \"Fixing\n        <\/picture>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
There is a tweak in Chris Titus’ Home windows Utility for restoring the traditional context menu. However if you’d like one thing less complicated, you may modify the registry with this command to get the old menu back<\/a>.<\/p>\n
reg add \"HKCUSoftwareClassesCLSID{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}InprocServer32\" \/f \/ve<\/pre>\n
You may have to restart Home windows Explorer to see the adjustments.<\/p>\n\n
\n            You may make Home windows 11 usable with a bit of bit of labor
\n    <\/h3>\n
For those who’re not locked into Home windows because of PC video games or some Home windows-only software program, I extremely suggest switching to macOS or Linux. However when you should use it, you may make it fairly nice with these tweaks.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n