Windows Initial Setup
I still remember installing heavily modified WinXP ISOs on my PC back in the day. It probably had thousands of viruses and worms, but there was an ability to customize the heck out of the OS; it was like how Linux distros are now. Themes, soundpacks, custom fonts, pre-bundled 3rd party apps, you name it, it had it. Now, gone are the days of custom Windows ISOs, welcome the era of telemetry and games and software we didn’t ask for. It used to be that, when you install Windows XP, apart from certain services, you could take anything away from it. It was as lean as it got. But Win10 is full of crap, and every time I setup a machine, I have to remove a whole bunch of stuff to make it at least as privacy-friendly as possible. Anyways, here is a list of software and scripts I use to remove unwanted software, tweak settings and customize a fresh installation of Windows.
This is for my personal needs. The software could be outdated, infected or self-conscious, so please use at your own risk.
- Win10 Initial Script - This is a PowerShell script that can remove and tweak your system according to a preset set of instructions. You can find more information here.
- Ninite.com - Bulk software installer, etc
- CrystalDiskMark - Disk benchmarking
- CPU-Z - CPU benchmarking
- BarrierSetup-2.3.3-release.exe* - FOSS software KVM
- BatteryBarSetup-3.6.6.exe* - Battery monitor for laptops
- Composer-Setup.exe* - PHP package manager
- Notable-1.8.4-win.zip - FOSS simple notes app
- PowerToysSetup-0.33.1-x64.exe* - Useful utilities from MS
- RealTemp_370.zip - Monitor CPU prices
- Win10BGChanger1.2.1.zip - Login background changer
- instspeedfan452.exe* - Fan speed control
