6 ms·

Win11Debloat – declutter and improve your Windows experience

72 points by NKosmatos 11mo ago

npteljes 11mo ago
I rather suggest Win 11 LTSC. The Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 2024 LTSC supposedly: - doesn't have the tpm requirement - no copilot, recall, edge browser, ms store - allows local setup - no feature updates, only security - built-in options to disable telemetry Keys go for $300 in some stores, or, one can use an activation emulator, or massgrave. Scripts can be good for one-time use, but it's swimming against the current. As soon as you stop swimming, the current wins. With the LTSC, you don't swim against the current, but rather choose a different current. In its case, it's MS themselves who provide the debloating.
- sitzkrieg 11mo ago
  why not windows 10 LTSC? higher performance
  - npteljes 11mo ago
    Win 10 is already becoming past tense, despite it being updated for security until 2032. In the present, I don't think Windows 10 is a good recommendation anymore. When installing a new system, I'd just go with the 11. https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-windows-10-150000041.html https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-wi...
    - sitzkrieg 11mo ago
      enjoy the shitty experience for no gain i guess
      - npteljes 11mo ago
        Don’t talk to me like that. If you’ve got a real critique, say it, if you’re just insulting, stop.
  - brovonov 11mo ago
    Gonna hard to justify win10 if certain apps/games whatever is only supported in win10. the obvious answer is Linux, but we already know the story there.
- Krssst 11mo ago
  Where can one buy a key? I got denied when I tried buying one because I was not a company.
  - NDizzle 11mo ago
    Anyone can be a company if you try hard enough!
  - jwitthuhn 11mo ago
    I see them going for $150-300 on ebay, just don't ask where they came from.
    - ItsBob 11mo ago
      No need if you use the IoT version and the massgrave activation script. It uses the built-in activation mechanisms in Windows to activate until 2038 or something. I'm using the Windows 11 Enterprise IoT LTSC with activation until 2038 right now.
      - NKosmatos 11mo ago
        The https://massgrave.dev https://massgrave.dev activation scripts have support for various versions and also for enabling Extended Updates (ESU), but this is a bit off-topic and HN mods might come after us ;-)
        ItsBob 11mo ago
        I'm not sure it is off-topic. The parent to this one was talking about, presumably, dodgy Windows keys (that shouldn't be allowed) but from my understanding, the massgrave scripts just use internal Windows mechanisms to activate. It's not actively usurping Windows security. In fact, I've read more than once that Microsoft tech support have been known to use massgrave scripts to help with activation-related issues with clients: Although I should caveat that with saying that it may have been Reddit I found that info so pinch of salt and all that... So, my take on this is if the massgrave scripts allow activation without breaking any laws then sobeit. I'm talking about doing stuff that, while it appears dodgy, actually just manipulates the ultra-complicated processes under the hood that Microsoft has already built into the OS. It's like publicising the workarounds for the now-mandatory Microsoft account when installing Windows 11. These involve things like reg hacks and commands: they're already in Windows so publicise them all you want imo.
- mock-possum 11mo ago
  You can get a legit windows 11 key from a reseller for an order of magnitude less - isn’t it worth a couple hours of your time to save ~$250?
  - deleted 11mo ago
    [deleted]
  - npteljes 11mo ago
    I think the regular Windows versions are not worth it. Sure you can debloat the current configuration of the system, but it's a continually updated product, so it won't stay the same. Configurations will be overwritten, components reinstalled, etc. This depends a lot on the person, and their lifestyle, I personally had enough of it. I like to set it, and (mostly) forget it.
- xeonmc 11mo ago
  Just use Rufus+MAS for Win10 IoT LTSC, no need to stoop down to win11
  - npteljes 11mo ago
    Win 10 is getting deprecated. I use my install still, but I personally don't recommend it as a new install. https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-windows-10-150000041.html https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-wi...
    - _imnothere 11mo ago
      Not with MAS. It's supported until 2032.
      - npteljes 11mo ago
        Take a look at the article I attached. Windows 10 itself is getting updates, that's not a problem, waning support from software vendors is.
- psyclobe 11mo ago
  That does sounds like a dream but alas it is not all that “good”. I for one would be first in line though if Microsoft ever made a true bare bones dev focused shell or something or other; maybe a complete rethink on compute.
  - npteljes 11mo ago
    Of course, it's still a piece of shit Windows. But I have basically copied the list from multiple third party sources, so, what got listed are actual features of the LTSC. And I think it's better that what's achievable with debloating scripts, especially if one isn't running them over and over again.
    - psyclobe 11mo ago
      Fair point! I continually have to re-run those de-bloat scripts.
fastily 11mo ago
Personally I gave up a long time ago and just installed Debian Linux. But it’s wild to me that the average non-technical/casual windows user has to put up with so much bs… it’s an atrocious ux
neighbour 11mo ago
I tried all of these debloating scripts a couple of years back but nowadays I just stick with LTSC
drnick1 11mo ago
The best way to debloat Windows is to switch to Linux. I think that GNOME3 is now more polished than either Windows or Mac, and 95% of Windows games just run out of the box through Proton.
- watermelon0 11mo ago
  While the 95% figure is possibly correct when considering all games since the beginning of Windows, the remaining 5% includes most modern multiplayer games.
  - drnick1 11mo ago
    This isn't remotely true, it only really includes AAA "competitive" games. My solution here is to do without them; I would have probably bought BF6 had it supported Linux, but now that there are thousands of other games that work perfectly on Linux, it's a very minor loss. With Linux quickly becoming too big to ignore, sooner or later game studios will simply no longer be able to ignore that market. For now, it's only a few %, but it's growing, and still represents millions of sales. When lost revenue will exceed the cost of developing a compatible anti-cheat, Linux will be suddenly supported.
- pragmatick 11mo ago
  I would've expected this kind of inane take on Reddit or X, not here. Or on SO where somebody asks "How do I do X?" and is told "X sucks, you want to use Y".
  - diffeomorphism 11mo ago
    Not inane at all, just your phrasing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_problem This is not about "X sucks", but the very first questions from an engineering perspective should be whY? What do you want to accomplish? Is X actually a good approach towards Y? If it turns out that trying to shoehorn X into kinda accomplishing Y is very hard work, then suggesting to use X2 instead is a perfectly sensible suggestion. If you have a hard constraint that you must use X, even if it does not fit well to Y, fair enough. Then you add that as a reply or state it in the beginning.
vivzkestrel 11mo ago
- I am thinking of writing a very detailed post right here on HN on testing all the windows 11 debloat tools within a VM. My only question is how do I determine or say benchmark or measure which of these debloat tools works the best at the end?
- mock-possum 11mo ago
  Keep a spreadsheet of all the optional features / bloat you’re looking to remove, rate each solution as a percentage of how many of those columns it ticks, and maybe also do a review on boot time and idle RAM usage?
  - vivzkestrel 11mo ago
    is there a tool that i can use to say stress test the OS as a whole that ll give me a score like how we do apache bench http tests because what is bloat might be very subjective on my part. is there a more objective measure?
- npteljes 11mo ago
  I'd love to see data regarding maintenance. It's nice to debloat once, but does the debloat stick? How does it interplay with updates? Can I count on the script being updated for 1, 2, 5 years?
robowo 11mo ago
I have had god experiences with tiny11: https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder
deleted 11mo ago
[deleted]
golden-face 11mo ago
I am convinced MS has code in Windows which looks for de-bloating and then purposely slows things down. Or the code base has gotten to the point where things are so entangled that de-bloating leads to the slow down as every app tries to connect to telemetry or hook into Copilot and stumbles when the bloat is not there.
polyterative 11mo ago
this script messes up pen tablet settings and destroyed usability with my wacom pen. Good script just don't use default settings if you use wacom stuff

72 points by NKosmatos 11mo ago

I rather suggest Win 11 LTSC. The Windows 11 IoT Enterprise 2024 LTSC supposedly: - doesn't have the tpm requirement - no copilot, recall, edge browser, ms store - allows local setup - no feature updates, only security - built-in options to disable telemetry Keys go for $300 in some stores, or, one can use an activation emulator, or massgrave. Scripts can be good for one-time use, but it's swimming against the current. As soon as you stop swimming, the current wins. With the LTSC, you don't swim against the current, but rather choose a different current. In its case, it's MS themselves who provide the debloating.

sitzkrieg 11mo ago
why not windows 10 LTSC? higher performance
- npteljes 11mo ago
  Win 10 is already becoming past tense, despite it being updated for security until 2032. In the present, I don't think Windows 10 is a good recommendation anymore. When installing a new system, I'd just go with the 11. https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-windows-10-150000041.html https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-wi...
  - sitzkrieg 11mo ago
    enjoy the shitty experience for no gain i guess
    - npteljes 11mo ago
      Don’t talk to me like that. If you’ve got a real critique, say it, if you’re just insulting, stop.
- brovonov 11mo ago
  Gonna hard to justify win10 if certain apps/games whatever is only supported in win10. the obvious answer is Linux, but we already know the story there.
Krssst 11mo ago
Where can one buy a key? I got denied when I tried buying one because I was not a company.
- NDizzle 11mo ago
  Anyone can be a company if you try hard enough!
- jwitthuhn 11mo ago
  I see them going for $150-300 on ebay, just don't ask where they came from.
  - ItsBob 11mo ago
    No need if you use the IoT version and the massgrave activation script. It uses the built-in activation mechanisms in Windows to activate until 2038 or something. I'm using the Windows 11 Enterprise IoT LTSC with activation until 2038 right now.
    - NKosmatos 11mo ago
      The https://massgrave.dev https://massgrave.dev activation scripts have support for various versions and also for enabling Extended Updates (ESU), but this is a bit off-topic and HN mods might come after us ;-)
      - ItsBob 11mo ago
        I'm not sure it is off-topic. The parent to this one was talking about, presumably, dodgy Windows keys (that shouldn't be allowed) but from my understanding, the massgrave scripts just use internal Windows mechanisms to activate. It's not actively usurping Windows security. In fact, I've read more than once that Microsoft tech support have been known to use massgrave scripts to help with activation-related issues with clients: Although I should caveat that with saying that it may have been Reddit I found that info so pinch of salt and all that... So, my take on this is if the massgrave scripts allow activation without breaking any laws then sobeit. I'm talking about doing stuff that, while it appears dodgy, actually just manipulates the ultra-complicated processes under the hood that Microsoft has already built into the OS. It's like publicising the workarounds for the now-mandatory Microsoft account when installing Windows 11. These involve things like reg hacks and commands: they're already in Windows so publicise them all you want imo.
mock-possum 11mo ago
You can get a legit windows 11 key from a reseller for an order of magnitude less - isn’t it worth a couple hours of your time to save ~$250?
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- npteljes 11mo ago
  I think the regular Windows versions are not worth it. Sure you can debloat the current configuration of the system, but it's a continually updated product, so it won't stay the same. Configurations will be overwritten, components reinstalled, etc. This depends a lot on the person, and their lifestyle, I personally had enough of it. I like to set it, and (mostly) forget it.
xeonmc 11mo ago
Just use Rufus+MAS for Win10 IoT LTSC, no need to stoop down to win11
- npteljes 11mo ago
  Win 10 is getting deprecated. I use my install still, but I personally don't recommend it as a new install. https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-windows-10-150000041.html https://tech.yahoo.com/gaming/articles/youre-still-gaming-wi...
  - _imnothere 11mo ago
    Not with MAS. It's supported until 2032.
    - npteljes 11mo ago
      Take a look at the article I attached. Windows 10 itself is getting updates, that's not a problem, waning support from software vendors is.
psyclobe 11mo ago
That does sounds like a dream but alas it is not all that “good”. I for one would be first in line though if Microsoft ever made a true bare bones dev focused shell or something or other; maybe a complete rethink on compute.
- npteljes 11mo ago
  Of course, it's still a piece of shit Windows. But I have basically copied the list from multiple third party sources, so, what got listed are actual features of the LTSC. And I think it's better that what's achievable with debloating scripts, especially if one isn't running them over and over again.
  - psyclobe 11mo ago
    Fair point! I continually have to re-run those de-bloat scripts.

fastily 11mo ago

Personally I gave up a long time ago and just installed Debian Linux. But it’s wild to me that the average non-technical/casual windows user has to put up with so much bs… it’s an atrocious ux

neighbour 11mo ago

I tried all of these debloating scripts a couple of years back but nowadays I just stick with LTSC

drnick1 11mo ago

The best way to debloat Windows is to switch to Linux. I think that GNOME3 is now more polished than either Windows or Mac, and 95% of Windows games just run out of the box through Proton.

watermelon0 11mo ago
While the 95% figure is possibly correct when considering all games since the beginning of Windows, the remaining 5% includes most modern multiplayer games.
- drnick1 11mo ago
  This isn't remotely true, it only really includes AAA "competitive" games. My solution here is to do without them; I would have probably bought BF6 had it supported Linux, but now that there are thousands of other games that work perfectly on Linux, it's a very minor loss. With Linux quickly becoming too big to ignore, sooner or later game studios will simply no longer be able to ignore that market. For now, it's only a few %, but it's growing, and still represents millions of sales. When lost revenue will exceed the cost of developing a compatible anti-cheat, Linux will be suddenly supported.
pragmatick 11mo ago
I would've expected this kind of inane take on Reddit or X, not here. Or on SO where somebody asks "How do I do X?" and is told "X sucks, you want to use Y".
- diffeomorphism 11mo ago
  Not inane at all, just your phrasing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_problem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XY_problem This is not about "X sucks", but the very first questions from an engineering perspective should be whY? What do you want to accomplish? Is X actually a good approach towards Y? If it turns out that trying to shoehorn X into kinda accomplishing Y is very hard work, then suggesting to use X2 instead is a perfectly sensible suggestion. If you have a hard constraint that you must use X, even if it does not fit well to Y, fair enough. Then you add that as a reply or state it in the beginning.

vivzkestrel 11mo ago

- I am thinking of writing a very detailed post right here on HN on testing all the windows 11 debloat tools within a VM. My only question is how do I determine or say benchmark or measure which of these debloat tools works the best at the end?

mock-possum 11mo ago
Keep a spreadsheet of all the optional features / bloat you’re looking to remove, rate each solution as a percentage of how many of those columns it ticks, and maybe also do a review on boot time and idle RAM usage?
- vivzkestrel 11mo ago
  is there a tool that i can use to say stress test the OS as a whole that ll give me a score like how we do apache bench http tests because what is bloat might be very subjective on my part. is there a more objective measure?
npteljes 11mo ago
I'd love to see data regarding maintenance. It's nice to debloat once, but does the debloat stick? How does it interplay with updates? Can I count on the script being updated for 1, 2, 5 years?

robowo 11mo ago

I have had god experiences with tiny11: https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder https://github.com/ntdevlabs/tiny11builder

deleted 11mo ago

[deleted]

golden-face 11mo ago

I am convinced MS has code in Windows which looks for de-bloating and then purposely slows things down. Or the code base has gotten to the point where things are so entangled that de-bloating leads to the slow down as every app tries to connect to telemetry or hook into Copilot and stumbles when the bloat is not there.

polyterative 11mo ago

this script messes up pen tablet settings and destroyed usability with my wacom pen. Good script just don't use default settings if you use wacom stuff