Mastodawn

Those who still use MS windows at work or home for any reason, please see this debloat script to recliaim your sanity and privacy. Win11Debloat is a simple, lightweight PowerShell script designed to customize and declutter your Windows experience. It removes pre installed apps, disables telemetry, and applies various other changes to improve performance on both Windows 10/11 https://github.com/Raphire/Win11Debloat Do what you wish to do with this information.

GitHub - Raphire/Win11Debloat: A simple, lightweight PowerShell script that allows you to remove pre-installed apps, disable telemetry, as well as perform various other changes to declutter and customize your Windows experience. Win11Debloat works for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.

A simple, lightweight PowerShell script that allows you to remove pre-installed apps, disable telemetry, as well as perform various other changes to declutter and customize your Windows experience....

GitHub

I forget @da_667 is this the script that you use?

@nixCraft omg… so much crap o_O

Anyone used it? how safe it is?

Snuffleupadon Nov 3

@wojtek @nixCraft I run it after every update. I haven't encountered any issues. I also think since it's publicly hosted on Github you would expect people to flag issues.

@Unsightly3055 @nixCraft just because something is on #github doesn't mean it's good… or safe for that matter… see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XZ_Utils_backdoor

:/

XZ Utils backdoor - Wikipedia

Snuffleupadon Nov 3

@wojtek @nixCraft well nothing is guaranteed 100% safe. I think the more eyeballs are on it the less likely there are safety issues. I've been following some security people on Mastodon, present company included, and yes there are always things that come up. I guess it comes down to your personal risk tolerance. FWIW, I haven't heard of any issues related to this script.

Snuffleupadon Nov 3

@wojtek @nixCraft, !@briankrebs , !@GossiTheDog , and !@8bitsecurity are a few people/accounts I follow in the space here on Mastodon. I think Brian and Kevin are better positioned to speak to the efficacy of this and other scripts.

(Sorry Brian, Kevin, and 8bit, if I mentioned you and you were notified, I couldn't remember/find the documentation on how to mute mentions; I thought it was prepending an exclamation 🤷‍♂️).

8Bit Security Nov 10

@Unsightly3055 @wojtek
At first glance, it seems absolutely legit, though I would go through a full code review before running it on my own PC. Also, I think it’s a really nice idea for privacy that I’d support. At the same time, maybe it’s easier to switch to a Linux environment for your daily use, with a dual boot on Windows for the software you need.

Final note: I would never ever recommend installing it on your work device, since you could very likely break some internal rule (telemetry!).

@wojtek @nixCraft I tried it on my laptop. I used the custom mode and it prompts you with a lot of questions. I was unsure what a few of the options were.

It did restore a lot of annoying stuff back to how I like them though. Decluttered explorer and now it opens to "devices and drives" by default. Got rid of a ton of bloat I didn't even know I had. No web search in taskbar search.

@ad_infinitum @wojtek @nixCraft I already used it on three machines with Windows 11 that have to run it due to work requirements. It works quite well and I got rid of a lot of bloat with it. Windows runs far more efficient now.

All changes can be reversed if necessary. The instructions to do so are on the developers' GitHub page.

If you use the script, read all the prompts carefully. Skip a step when you are unsure of the result it has, or check the GitHub page for more information.

@nixCraft Used a similar script on my last windows 10 install, and it was quite a thing to see how much it streamlined background processes. Much, much fewer usage peaks. I've since switched to my first install of linux, but running something like this is going to be the first thing I do if I ever get a Win11 pc.

Transbian_Arsonists (Seraphine)Nov 3

@nixCraft conmenting so i can find this later

SanskritFritz Nov 3

@nixCraft
And there is something similar for Android as well, which I am using with every new phone if I'm unable to root it.
https://github.com/Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation

GitHub - Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-android-debloater-next-generation: Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted Android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device.

Cross-platform GUI written in Rust using ADB to debloat non-rooted Android devices. Improve your privacy, the security and battery life of your device. - Universal-Debloater-Alliance/universal-andr...

GitHub

@nixCraft alternatively, reboot, go to BIOS/UEFI, turn bullshit UEFI off, select PXE and install Linux from a trustworthy online repository.

@faraiwe nixCraft considered people who have to use Windows. I can't use Linux unless I switch jobs since there aren't any good structural analysis software for Linux and DRM makes it impossible to run using Wine/Proton (unless I crack the DRM from them, which seems hard to do). Well, cracking would be great since I have to carry those Sentinel USB keys around and I hate that. I already tried dual booting, but that didn't work for me, and even if it did work, that's why nixCraft recommended that script.

To be fair, this kind of comment makes those discussions boring. Who's the one that will start coding an alternative to Tekla, Autodesk's Robot or SAP2000 for Linux? I can help, but I can't work on it full time.

@qgustavor I, for one ,snored reading this.

Al & Val's Modern Homesteading Nov 3

@nixCraft I used to use this on all of my personal and client installs. Then I found an install script for Linux, and it made all of my problems go away. (I'd been using RHEL, CentOS, Debian and other flavors for years to run all of my servers from a command line, but when Linux started developing some desktops, I switched immediately and never looked back.

Oliver Pfleiderer 🇬🇱Nov 3

@nixCraft On Github 🫣. The question is for how long once they get aware of it.

@nixCraft Wish I had the privileges to run something like this at work but alas…

@sraars @nixCraft lol was about to say you assume we have the privs to run a script like this on a work pc/laptop.

Nate Allen Nov 3

@nixCraft this script has been around a while and I use it on my machines, I even adapted it as a platform script at work. I was a big hero. It can get rid of Copilot too.

Guillotine Jones, Flâneur Nov 3

@nixCraft
Tagging for:
@Rejected_cryptid
@rejected_cryptid

Asta McCarthy Nov 3

@nixCraft I'd prefer a full boycot: https://aka-unless.codeberg.page/nobody/@pages/

#BigTech #Microsoft #genocide #Nimbus #NoTech4Apartheid

End BigTech Complicity to Genocide!

@nixCraft have you heard about https://privacy.sexy yet?

privacy.sexy - Maximize Your Privacy and Security

Discover privacy.sexy, the privacy tool to maximize your privacy and security on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Easily use best practices to prevent tracking and make your life secure and private — because privacy is sexy.

nixCraft 🐧Nov 3

@Viss no, will look into it. thanks!

Count Holdem Nov 3

@nixCraft I've used Chris Titus's debloat tool, as well as memtechtips. I'm also looking into the development of Winboat running inside one of my Linux machines.

Jason Parker (he/they)Nov 3

@nixCraft oh, neat, this uses the Windows version of

wget https://.../ | sh

Ingonymous Nov 3

@nixCraft
Always funny to see that people are still using .bat files 😁

Satan - Paul Nov 3

@nixCraft I've also heard good things about Chris Titus' winutil, it also comes with a feature to install a debloated windows 11.

laurenternes Nov 3

@nixCraft Good, I'm just not sure that it won't trigger retaliations like this vacuum cleaner case https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/manufacturer-issues-remote-kill-command-to-nuke-smart-vacuum-after-engineer-blocks-it-from-collecting-data-user-revives-it-with-custom-hardware-and-python-scripts-to-run-offline

Manufacturer issues remote kill command to disable smart vacuum after engineer blocks it from collecting data — user revives it with custom hardware and Python scripts to run offline

The smart vacuum cleaner was remotely bricked for not collecting data.

Tom's Hardware

Good thread. Muted only three accounts for tiresome Linux preening. Mastodon is getting better.

@nixCraft @briankrebs I doubt that I’ll be able to run this on my company laptop, but I’ll try when I get the chance.

Moistmucelage Nov 4

@nixCraft why wouldn’t you use windows?

Entité terrestre auto-critique Nov 4

@nixCraft @sebsauvage

sebsauvage Nov 4

@s4mdf0o1 @nixCraft

How does it compare to https://www.oo-software.com/fr/shutup10 ?

O&O ShutUp10++: Antispy outil gratuit pour Windows 10 et 11

Vous pouvez donc décider quand la transmission de vos données va trop loin. Grâce à une interface très simple, vous contrôlez dans quelle manière Windows 10/11 respecte votre vie privée en décidant quelles fonctions non désirées devraient être désactivés.

O&O Software GmbH

@nixCraft thanks a lot dude