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Windows 10, remove bloatware and fix privacy issues. My personal notes for fresh installing Windows 10.
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Windows 10 Tips.md

Windows 10 Tips

Release Notes

Microsoft's release information

Check current build number by runing winver

Most of these actions in this document assume the most recent release and hotfixes are installed. Please make system up to date first.

First start up (minimise spying)

Version 1703

Do not set up Micosoft account. Use and set up a "local account"

The sections are:

  • Location
  • Diagnostics
  • Relevant Ads
  • Speech recognition
  • Tailored experiences with diagnostic data

Set all to OFF

Privacy settings

  • Under Settings, Privacy. Turn all sections to OFF.

The exception maybe allow some Background Apps run in the background if one really needs it.

Remove modern apps

Run Powershell as Administrator, and we can remove all modern apps all user accounts

Get-AppxPackage -allusers | Remove-AppxPackage

To remove all modern apps from just the current user account

Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage

When removing these apps, many error message may be displayed. This is just from attempts to remove non-removable apps. There are a few apps which are like this. But most of the otherwise useless apps can be removed. e.g Skype, XBox etc.

If we create new users, those apps previously removed will be installed for the new user. We can disable this behaviour by:

Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online

Disable Cortana

Windows Professional and Enterprise

Run gpedit.msc (Local Group Policy Editor).

  • Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search
  • Allow Corana > Set to Disabled
  • Restart system.

Hide search bar

Right click on Search Bar > Cortana > Hidden

Windows Home

Peform registry modification and restart system.

Remove all Live Tiles

Currently there is no known automatic way to completely do this. Right click on each tile and select "Unpin from Start"

This might work:

Windows 10 Professional and Enterprise

  1. Open gpedit.msc 2.Local Computer Policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Notifications
  2. Set Turn off tile notifications to Enabled

Windows 10 Home

  1. Edit registry, create a new key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications
  2. Set NoTileApplicationNotification to Dword 1

See scripts at end of this document.

Other tweaks

For Windows 10 Enterprise and Education only. Open gpedit.msc

  • Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content > Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences.

Remove useless items from start menu

Manual method

Right click on each item and select "Unpin from Start".

Currently I'm not aware of any automated way to remove these leftover items.

Powershell method

Method below attemped, but didn't work. Import-StartLayout had no effect. I think this only works for merging and adding new items, not for removing items. (reference)

mkdir c:\tmp
Export-StartLayout –path c:\tmp\Start.xml

Edit Start.xml and remote items not needed, then import.

Import-StartLayout –LayoutPath c:\tmp\Start.xml –MountPath C:\

Disable or uninstall OneDrive

Windows 10 Professional

Disable OneDrive using Group Policy Editor gpedit.msc, this is not available in Home editions of Windows 10.

  • Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive

Windows 10 Home

Before anniversary update

It is recommended to update Windows 10 1607 or later, it is easier to remove OneDrive after this update.

If using Windows 10 Home, we can uninstall it via command prompt:

taskkill /f /im OneDrive.exe

For 32-bit systems:

%SystemRoot%\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

For 64-bit Systems:

%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

After anniversary update

OneDrive can be removed from appwiz.cpl

Disable File History

Click search bar, Settings, and turn "My device history" improvement to Off.

Configure Recycle Bin

Enable remove all deleted items immediately.

Hide search bar

Right click empty area of task bar, select Cortana. click on Hidden. (This doesn't work for build 15603, and possibly earlier)

Stop hiding files

Folder options: General > Privacy

  • Show recently used files in Quick access: OFF
  • Show frequently used folders in Quick access: OFF

Folder options > View

  • Hidden files and folders: SHOW
  • Hide empty drives: OFF
  • Hide extensions for known file types: OFF
  • Hide folder merge conflicts: OFF
  • Hide protected operating system files: OFF

Maximise performance

  • System Properties > Advanced > Performance > Settings - Adjust for best performance

Enable native bash for Windows (64-bit OS only)

  1. Settings, Update & Security, For Developers
    • Enable Developer Mode
  2. Control Panel, Programs, Turn Windows Features On or Off
    • Activate Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta)
  3. Start > Run: bash - This will then install Ubuntu on Windows (automatic download from Windows Store)

Security updates

Bring the system up to date using WSUS Offline or via the inbuilt automatic updater.

To prevent the automatic updater from running and consuming network bandwidth, you can set selected Wi Fi networks as "metered". Windows will not use that connection to perform updates. You can not set a ethernet connection as metered.

Automatically log in

  1. Run netplwiz to bring up the User Accounts dialog box.
  2. Under "Users for thsi computer", select the user name to be automatically logged in. Uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" checkbox.
  3. A new window "Automatically sign in" will appear. Type the password of this user.

The system will automatically log in with this user during start up.

Install useful software

My favourite software:

  • Firefox
  • CCleaner
  • VLC Media Player

Some other important software worth considering:

  • Java JRE
  • Adobe Flash Player

Registry and Script Hacks

Some of these duplicate actions in earlier parts of this document.

Microsoft reference

Script contents

Entire list of scripts

RemovePackages.ps1

Get-AppxPackage -allusers | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppXProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online

CortanaFix.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"AllowCortana"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"AllowSearchToUseLocation "=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"DisableWebSearch"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"ConnectedSearchUseWeb"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"ConnectedSearchPrivacy"=dword:00000003

FileHistoryFix.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\FileHistory]
"Disabled"=dword:00000001

InternetExplorerFix.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Turn on Suggested Sites
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Suggested Sites]
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

; Allow Microsoft services to provide enhanced suggestions as the user types in the Address Bar
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer]
AllowServicePoweredQSA=dword:00000000

; Turn off the auto-complete feature for web addresses
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Explorer\AutoComplete]
"AutoSuggest"=hexadecimal(2):No

; Disable Periodic Check for Internet Explorer software updates
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Infodelivery\Restrictions]
"NoUpdateCheck"=dword:1

; Turn off browser geolocation
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Geolocation]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001

; Prevent managing SmartScreen filter
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\ Internet Explorer\PhishingFilter]
"Enabled"=dword:00000000

; Choose whether employees can configure Compatibility View.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\BrowserEmulation!MSCompatibilityMode
REG_DWORD: 0

; Turn off the flip ahead with page prediction feature
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\FlipAhead!Enabled 

; Turn off background synchronization for feeds and Web Slices
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Feeds!BackgroundSyncStatus
DWORD:0

LiveTilesFix.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Turn off Live Tiles
[KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications]
NoCloudApplicationNotification=dword:00000001

MicrosoftEdgeFix.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Configure Autofill
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main]
"UseFormSuggest"=

; Configure Do Not Track
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main]
"DoNotTrack"=dword:00000001

; Configure Password Manager
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main]
"FormSuggest Passwords"=hexadecimal(2):No

; Configure search suggestions in Address bar
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\SearchScopes]
"ShowSearchSuggestionsGlobal"=dword:00000000

; Configure Windows Defender SmartScreen Filter (Windows 10, version 1703)
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\PhishingFilter]
"EnabledV9"=dword:00000000

; Allow web content on New Tab page
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\SearchScopes]
"AllowWebContentOnNewTabPage"=dword:00000000

; Configure corporate Home pages
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\ServiceUI]
"ProvisionedHomePages"=dword:00000000

References

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