Windows 10 new versions and disabled services 3

goombawaho · Feb 11, 2017

Anybody know if it's possible to preserve the service settings (like Windows Search disabled) when Windows 10 does one of it's major updates. It essentially installs a new O.S. and will revert all the tweaks I have done for customers to speed up the computer back to default. Other settings would be the disabling of Cortana and the "tattling to Microsoft" settings.

Are we just out of luck when it upgrades?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

hairlessupportmonkey · Feb 11, 2017

tried making some local group polices to disable these ?

ACSS - SME
General Geek

goombawaho · Feb 12, 2017

Home computers!!!! No domain. Windows 10 Home edition.
S.O.L.?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

strongm · Feb 12, 2017

Windows Home does still obey group policy, it is just missing the editor - which you can download. a Google search should help

goombawaho · Feb 13, 2017

Now I'm wondering if updates will actually cause changes. Just got the KB3213986 (OS Build 14393.693) update yesterday on a newly loaded Win 10 computer and it did NOT change my services settings or Cortana disablement.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

strongm · Feb 13, 2017

> it did NOT change my services settings or Cortana disablement

No, it shouldn't. But I didn't like to mention that ...

Rick998 · Feb 13, 2017

I find AutoHotkey quite versatile when it comes to scripting automatic changes to newly-installed/refreshed Windows' environments.

A Windows 10 example to give some idea:

Code:

; version date: August 22, 2016
; Tested on Windows 10 1511 (November Update), Windows 10 1607 (Anniversary Update)
; Tested on Windows 10 Home, Windows 10 Pro
; Tested on Windows 10 x64, Windows 10 x32

; Prompt to 'Run as Admin', i.e. show UAC dialog
If Not A_IsAdmin
{
   Run *RunAs "%A_ScriptFullPath%"  ; Requires v1.0.92.01+
   ExitApp
}

; Allow registry commands in a 32-bit script to access redirected keys in the 64-bit registry view and vice versa.
; Thanks to qwerty12 (see [URL unfurl="true"]https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21292&p=102632#p102632)[/URL]
SetRegView 64

; *********************************
; Section 1 - System
; *********************************

; Section 1a - Display
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1b - Notifications & actions

; Select which icons appear on the taskbar
; This is a placeholder for Network, Volume, Windows Explorer, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.

; Always show all icons in the Notification Area - Turn ON
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer, EnableAutoTray, 0

; Turn system icons on or off
; This is a placeholder for Clock, Volume, Network, Power, Input indicator, Location and Action Center

; Notifications - Show me tips about Windows - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, SoftLandingEnabled, 0

; Section 1c - Apps & features

; Disable built-in apps
; Use a hash mark (#) to comment out lines within the following PowerShell code block

psScript =
(
    # Remove 3D Builder:
    Get-AppxPackage *3dbuilder* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove Alarms and Clock:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowsalarms* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove Calculator:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowscalculator* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Calendar and Mail:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowscommunicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Camera:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowscamera* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove Food and Drink:
    Get-AppxPackage *BingFoodAndDrink* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Get Office:
    Get-AppxPackage *officehub* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Get Skype:
    Get-AppxPackage *skypeapp* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Get Started:
    Get-AppxPackage *getstarted* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Groove Music:
    Get-AppxPackage *zunemusic* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove Health And Fitness:
    Get-AppxPackage *binghealthandfitness* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove Maps:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowsmaps* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Microsoft Solitaire Collection:
    Get-AppxPackage *solitairecollection* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Microsoft Sway:
    Get-AppxPackage *office.sway* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Minecraft:
    Get-AppxPackage *minecraftuwp* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Money:
    Get-AppxPackage *bingfinance* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Movies & TV:
    Get-AppxPackage *music.preview* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Music Preview:
    Get-AppxPackage *zunevideo* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove News:
    Get-AppxPackage *bingnews* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove OneNote:
    Get-AppxPackage *onenote* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove People:
    Get-AppxPackage *people* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Phone Companion:
    Get-AppxPackage *windowsphone* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Photos:
    Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Store:
    # Included for completeness... but can cause problems if removed, hence why it's commented out
    # Get-AppxPackage *windowsstore* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Sports:
    Get-AppxPackage *bingsports* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Travel:
    Get-AppxPackage *bingtravel* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Voice Recorder:
    Get-AppxPackage *soundrecorder* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Weather:
    Get-AppxPackage *bingweather* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Xbox:
    # If un-installed, you may as well delete the 3 Xbox services
    Get-AppxPackage *xboxapp* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # ********** Non-Microsoft apps *****************
    
    # Remove Candy Crush Soda Saga:
    Get-AppxPackage *candycrushsodasaga* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Candy Crush Soda:
    Get-AppxPackage *candycrushsoda* | Remove-AppxPackage
    
    # Remove DuoLingo:
    Get-AppxPackage *Duolingo-LearnLanguagesforFree* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Flipboard:
    Get-AppxPackage *flipboard* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove ClearChannelRadioDigital.iHeartRadio:
    Get-AppxPackage *iHeartRadio* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Shazam:
    Get-AppxPackage *shazamentertainmentltd* | Remove-AppxPackage

    # Remove Twitter:
    Get-AppxPackage *twitter* | Remove-AppxPackage
)

; Use this call if you don't want to see PowerShell output
;RunWait PowerShell.exe -Command &{%psScript%} ,, hide

; Test mode - Use this call if you want to see PowerShell output
RunWait powershell.exe -NoExit -Command &{%psScript%}

; Disable OneDrive integration
; Thanks to Shawn Brink ([URL unfurl="true"]http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/16278-onedrive-integration-enable-disable-windows-10-a.html)[/URL]
; NOTE: Cannot re-enable unless you sign in to OneDrive (so I don't use this method)
; RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\OneDrive, DisableFileSyncNGSC, 1

; Remove OneDrive from File Explorer and stop it running from startup (alternative method)
If (A_Is64bitOS)
   {
   ; OS_is := "64-bit"
   RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCR\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}, System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree, 0
   RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCR\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}, System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree, 0
   RegDelete, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, OneDrive
   }
Else
   {
   ; OS_is := "32-bit"
   RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCR\CLSID\{018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}, System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree, 0
   RegDelete, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, OneDrive
   }
   
   ; Clean up OneDrive logs
   ; Delete the contents of C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\logs\Personal

; Section 1d - Multi-tasking
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1e - Tablet mode
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1f - Battery saver
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1g - Power & sleep
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1h - Storage
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1i - Offline maps
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1j - Default apps
; This is a placeholder

; Section 1l - About
; No configurable settings

; *********************************
; Section 2 - Devices
; *********************************

; Section 2a - Printers & scanners
; Let Windows manage my default printer (1=Turn OFF / 0=Turn ON)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows, LegacyDefaultPrinterMode, 1

; Section 2b - Connected devices

; Section 2c - Bluetooth
; This is a placeholder

; Section 2d - Mouse & touchpad
; This is a placeholder

; Section 2e - Typing
; This is a placeholder

; Section 2f - Autoplay
; This is a placeholder

; Section 2g - USB
; This is a placeholder

; *********************************
; Section 3 - Network & Internet
; *********************************

; Section 3a - WiFi
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3b - Flight mode
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3c - Data usage
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3d - VPN
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3e - Dial-up
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3f - Ethernet
; This is a placeholder

; Section 3g - Proxy
; This is a placeholder

; *********************************
; Section 4 - Personalisation
; *********************************

; Section 4a - Background
; This is a placeholder

; Section 4b - Colours
; This is a placeholder

; Section 4c - Lock screen

; Stop adverts on the Lock screen
; See [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.howtogeek.com/243263/how-to-disable-ads-on-your-windows-10-lock-screen/[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, RotatingLockScreenEnabled, 0
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, RotatingLockScreenOverlayEnabled, 0
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, LockImageFlags, 0
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, CreativeId, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, PortraitAssetPath, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, LandscapeAssetPath, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, PlacementId, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, ImpressionToken, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, HotspotImageFolderPath, 
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lock Screen\Creative, CreativeJson, 

; Section 4d - Themes
; This is a placeholder

; Section 4e - Start

; Occasionally show suggestions in Start - Turn OFF
; (See [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/how-to-disable-start-menu-ads-or-suggestions-in-windows-10/)[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager, SystemPaneSuggestionsEnabled, 0

; Section 4f = Other 'look and feel' settings

; Live Tiles
; Disable Live Tile Push Notifications (0=Turn ON / 1=Turn OFF)
; [URL unfurl="true"]http://winaero.com/blog/disable-live-tiles-all-at-once-in-windows-10-start-menu/[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PushNotifications, NoTileApplicationNotification, 1
; Clear Live Tile Notifications
; [URL unfurl="true"]http://winaero.com/blog/how-to-clear-live-tile-notifications-during-log-on-in-windows-10/[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, ClearTilesOnExit, 1
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, ClearTilesOnExit, 1

; File Explorer - Change folder and search options
; Always show menus (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, AlwaysShowMenus, 1
; Show hidden files, folders and drives (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, Hidden, 1
; Hide empty drives (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, HideDrivesWithNoMedia, 0
; Hide extensions for known file types (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, HideFileExt, 0
; Restore previous folder windows at log on (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, PersistBrowsers, 1
; Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, ShowEncryptCompressedColor, 1
; Display the full path in the title bar (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState, FullPath, 1

RegWrite, REG_BINARY, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CabinetState, Settings, 0c0002000b01000060000000

; Disable notifications in File Explorer (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
; Thanks to How-To Geek ([URL unfurl="true"]http://www.howtogeek.com/267369/how-to-disable-notifications-in-windows-file-explorer/)[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, ShowSyncProviderNotifications, 0

; Open File Explorer to This PC or Quick access (1=This PC / 2=Quick access)
; Thanks to Shawn Brink (see [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3734-file-explorer-open-pc-quick-access.html)[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, LaunchTo, 1

; Adjust for 'Best Performance'
; Thanks to arcticir (see [URL unfurl="true"]https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=20522&p=100808#p100808)[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VisualEffects, VisualFXSetting, 2

; Taskbar
; Taskbar (0=Always show all icons and notifications on the taskbar / 1=Hide Inactive Icons)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer, EnableAutoTray, 0

; Cortana - Taskbar search (0=Hide Taskbar search / 1=Show search icon / 2=Show search box)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, SearchboxTaskbarMode, 1

; Cortana (Build 1511) - Disable Cortana but keep search (0=Disable / 1=Enable)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search, AllowCortana, 0

; Cortana (Build 1607) - Disable Cortana but keep search (0=Disable / 1=Enable)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search, AllowCortana, 0

; Cortana (Build 1607) - Search online and include web results (0=Turn OFF / 1=Turn ON)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, BingSearchEnabled, 0

; Cortana (Build 1607) - Lock screen - Use Cortana even when my device is locked (0=Turn OFF / 1=Turn ON)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Preferences, VoiceActivationEnableAboveLockscreen, 0

; Windows Defender notification icon - stop running from startup
RegDelete, HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, WindowsDefender

; Show drive letters before drive label. This setting works for all users. PC has to be rebooted for it to take effect
; Thanks to qwerty12 (see [URL unfurl="true"]https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21292&p=102632#p102632)[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer, ShowDriveLettersFirst, 4

; Create a GodMode folder on Current User's desktop
FileCreateDir, %A_Desktop%\GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
; OR
; Create a GodMode folder on All Users' desktop
;FileCreateDir, %A_DesktopCommon%\GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

; *********************************
; Section 5 - Accounts
; *********************************
; No configurable settings ('cos I don't use a Microsoft account)

; *********************************
; Section 6 - Time & language
; *********************************
; This is a placeholder

; *********************************
; Section 7 - Ease of access
; *********************************
; This is a placeholder

; *********************************
; Section 8 - Privacy (inc. telemetry)
; *********************************

; Section 8a - General
; Let apps use my advertising ID for experiences across apps (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AdvertisingInfo, Enabled, 0
; Turn on SmartScreen Filter to check web content (URLs) that Windows Store apps use (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppHost, EnableWebContentEvaluation, 0
; Send Microsoft info about how I write to help us improve typing and writing in the future (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Input\TIPC, Enabled, 0
; Let websites provide locally relevant content by accessing my language list (1=Turn OFF / 0=Turn ON)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\Control Panel\International\User Profile, HttpAcceptLanguageOptOut, 1

; Section 8b - Location
; Location services for this account - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{BFA794E4-F964-4FDB-90F6-51056BFE4B44}, Value, Deny ; (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Sensor\Permissions\{BFA794E4-F964-4FDB-90F6-51056BFE4B44}, SensorPermissionState, 0 ;  (1=Turn ON / 0=Turn OFF)

; Section 8c - Camera
; Let apps use my camera (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Alternatively, disable apps individually...
; App connector (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-3232211935-909325347-210818523-1333736584-3758124246-283266685-1557978965\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Maps (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-1239072475-3687740317-1842961305-3395936705-4023953123-1525404051-2779347315\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Messaging + Skype (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-421345033-1710570203-969709436-2809900243-2023987463-1056701467-1672618525\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Microsoft Edge (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-3624051433-2125758914-1423191267-1740899205-1073925389-3782572162-737981194\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; OneNote (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-3445883232-1224167743-206467785-1580939083-2750001491-3097792036-3019341970\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Sway (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-584073948-3292409011-2882754242-2237763630-1999038865-1049037702-4080706152\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny
; Twitter (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
;RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-1063257880-1914585122-1954150059-946145533-116938067-416079064-1690466945\{E5323777-F976-4f5b-9B55-B94699C46E44}, Value, Deny

; Section 8d - Microphone
; Let apps use my microphone (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{2EEF81BE-33FA-4800-9670-1CD474972C3F}, Value, Deny

; Section 8e - Speech, inking & typing
; Getting to know you - Turn OFF (i.e. turn off dictation and Cortana)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\InputPersonalization, RestrictImplicitInkCollection, 1
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\InputPersonalization, RestrictImplicitTextCollection, 1
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\InputPersonalization\TrainedDataStore, HarvestContacts, 0
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Personalization\Settings, AcceptedPrivacyPolicy, 0
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, CortanaMUID, MUID=f535481b5ce7446bb42d74220b682de1

; Section 8f - Account info
; Let apps access my name, picture and other account info (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{C1D23ACC-752B-43E5-8448-8D0E519CD6D6}, Value, Deny

; Section 8g - Contacts
; Choose apps that can access contacts (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-1063257880-1914585122-1954150059-946145533-116938067-416079064-1690466945\{7D7E8402-7C54-4821-A34E-AEEFD62DED93}, Value, Deny
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-2551677095-2355568638-4209445997-2436930744-3692183382-387691378-1866284433\{7D7E8402-7C54-4821-A34E-AEEFD62DED93}, Value, Deny
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-3232211935-909325347-210818523-1333736584-3758124246-283266685-1557978965\{7D7E8402-7C54-4821-A34E-AEEFD62DED93}, Value, Deny
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-4153522205-3718366397-1353898457-1332184198-1210887116-3116787857-2103916698\{7D7E8402-7C54-4821-A34E-AEEFD62DED93}, Value, Deny
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\S-1-15-2-421345033-1710570203-969709436-2809900243-2023987463-1056701467-1672618525\{7D7E8402-7C54-4821-A34E-AEEFD62DED93}, Value, Deny

; Section 8h - Calendar
; Let apps access my calendar (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{D89823BA-7180-4B81-B50C-7E471E6121A3}, Value, Deny

; Section 8i - Call history
; Let apps access my call history (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{8BC668CF-7728-45BD-93F8-CF2B3B41D7AB}, Value, Deny

; Section 8j - Email
; Let apps access and send email (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{9231CB4C-BF57-4AF3-8C55-FDA7BFCC04C5}, Value, Deny

; Section 8k - Messaging
; Let apps read or send messages (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{21157C1F-2651-4CC1-90CA-1F28B02263F6}, Value, Deny
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{992AFA70-6F47-4148-B3E9-3003349C1548}, Value, Deny

; Section 8l - Radios
; Let apps control radios (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\{A8804298-2D5F-42E3-9531-9C8C39EB29CE}, Value, Deny

; Section 8m - Other devices
; Sync with devices (Allow=Turn ON / Deny=Turn OFF)
RegWrite, REG_SZ, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeviceAccess\Global\LooselyCoupled, Value, Deny

; Section 8n - Feedback & diagnostics (aka telemetry)
; Feedback frequency - Windows should ask for my feedback - NEVER (SIUF = System Initiated User Feedback)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Siuf\Rules, NumberOfSIUFInPeriod, 0
; Diagnostic and usage data - Send your device data to Microsoft - BASIC
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\DataCollection, AllowTelemetry, 1
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection, AllowTelemetry, 0

; Section 8o - Background apps
; Alarms & clocks - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications\Microsoft.WindowsAlarms_10.1603.12020.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe, Disabled, 1
; Skype video - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications\Microsoft.Messaging_2.15.20002.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe, Disabled, 1
; Store - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\BackgroundAccessApplications\Microsoft.WindowsStore_11602.1.26.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe, Disabled, 1


; *********************************
; Section 9 - Update & security
; *********************************

; Section 9a - Windows Update

; Uploading of Windows Updates (both LAN and Internet) using built-in P2P service - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DeliveryOptimization\Config, DODownloadMode, 0

; Include driver updates in Windows Update - Turn OFF
; See [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/48277-driver-updates-windows-update-enable-disable-windows-10-a.html[/URL]
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate, 1

; Section 9b - Windows Defender
; See [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.askvg.com/windows-10-tip-disable-data-collection-and-telemetry-in-windows-defender/[/URL]
; Note: The following 2 entries will trigger a Windows 10 bug that shows "Some settings are managed by your organisation." on the Settings > Windows Defender dialog
; Windows Defender - Cloud-based Protection (Send Microsoft info about potential security problems) - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Spynet, SpyNetReporting, 0
; Windows Defender - Automatic sample submission  - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Spynet, SubmitSamplesConsent, 2

; Section 9c - Backup
; This is a placeholder

; Section 9d - Recovery
; This is a placeholder

; Section 9e - Activation
; This is a placeholder as there are no configurable settings to date

; Section 9f - Find my device
; No configurable settings ('cos I don't use a Microsoft account)

; Section 9g - For developers
; This is a placeholder


; *********************************
; Section 10 - Configure Services
; *********************************
; Stop and disable AllJoynRouter


; Stop and disable DiagTrack
; This used to appear in Services as 'Diagnostics Tracking Service' but MS sneakily renamed it to 'Connected User Experiences and Telemetry'
RunWait,sc stop "DiagTrack",,hide
RunWait,sc config "DiagTrack" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "DiagTrack",,hide

; Stop and delete Retail Demo
RunWait,sc stop "RetailDemo",,hide
RunWait,sc config "RetailDemo" start= disabled,,hide
RunWait,sc delete "RetailDemo",,hide

; Stop and disable WAP Push Message Routing Service
RunWait,sc stop "dmwappushservice",,hide
RunWait,sc config "dmwappushservice" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "dmwappushservice",,hide

; Stop and disable Windows Wallet
RunWait,sc stop "WalletService",,hide
RunWait,sc config "WalletService" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "WalletService",,hide

; Stop and disable Windows Connect Now - Config Registrar
RunWait,sc stop "wcncsvc",,hide
RunWait,sc config "wcncsvc" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "wcncsvc",,hide

; Stop and disable Windows Media Player Network Sharing
RunWait,sc stop "WMPNetworkSvc",,hide
RunWait,sc config "WMPNetworkSvc" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "WMPNetworkSvc",,hide

; Stop and disable 3 Xbox services
RunWait,sc stop "XblAuthManager",,hide
RunWait,sc config "XblAuthManager" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "XblAuthManager",,hide

RunWait,sc stop "XblGameSave",,hide
RunWait,sc config "XblGameSave" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "XblGameSave",,hide

RunWait,sc stop "XboxNetApiSvc",,hide
RunWait,sc config "XboxNetApiSvc" start= disabled,,hide
;RunWait,sc delete "XboxNetApiSvc",,hide

; *********************************
; Section 11 - Configure Scheduled Tasks
; *********************************

RunWait,schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator" /Disable,,hide
RunWait,schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\KernelCeipTask" /Disable,,hide
RunWait,schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\UsbCeip" /Disable,,hide
RunWait,schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\Feedback\Siuf\DmClient" /Disable,,hide
RunWait,schtasks /Change /TN "Microsoft\Windows\RetailDemo\CleanupOfflineContent" /Disable,,hide

; *********************************
; Configure other hardware settings

; Automatically download manufacturers' apps and custom icons - Turn OFF
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata, PreventDeviceMetadataFromNetwork, 1

; Restrict Wi-Fi Sense
; See [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-wi-fi-sense-windows-10-enterprise[/URL]
;RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WcmSvc\wifinetworkmanager\config, AutoConnectAllowedOEM, 0


; Restore normal behaviour for 'Reg' commands
; Thanks to qwerty12 (see [URL unfurl="true"]https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21292&p=102632#p102632)[/URL]
SetRegView default

Hope this helps...

goombawaho · Feb 14, 2017

No, it shouldn't. But I didn't like to mention that ...

strongm - You should have mentioned it, put the hammer to that idea if it was wrong. I've been fretting wondering about this issue. I THOUGHT that I had come back to a customer computer post-major update and found that the services status had changed. Do you agree that it doesn't.

Regarding that script - that's one heck of a document. I suppose I would want to analayze the whole thing before turning that loose on any computer. Just like if someone handed me an unmarked pill and said "take this".

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

Rick998 · Feb 14, 2017

goombawaho said:
Regarding that script - that's one heck of a document. I suppose I would want to analayze the whole thing before turning that loose on any computer. Just like if someone handed me an unmarked pill and said "take this".

That's why I spent as much time documenting it as testing it... so I would remember the purpose and effect of each section/tweak. I haven't done anything with it recently as I now use a different approach... I have Windows Update disabled and a different script that re-enables and runs it when I want to enjoy more pain and tedious tinkering of the UI. It used to be relatively easy to use tools like InCtrl5 and Active Registry Monitor to track changes and figure out tweaks to allow me to use Windows the way I want, not Microsoft, but it appears these days that Microsoft are intent on deliberate obfuscation within the registry and filesystem in order to put a stop to that. [bigsmile]

kjv1611 · Mar 3, 2017

Yeah, I like the AutoHotkey idea at least as a possibility to configure things automatically. I've used it before on a couple of computers for random odd issues, but MUCH MUCH simpler than the above script.

I wonder if AutoHotkey can do things like loop through all items pinned to Start in Windows 10 and "unpin" them. That alone would make it worthwhile to me, at least for first login. I'd like to generally unpin all items and then pin a specific few.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Rick998 · Mar 3, 2017

kjv1611 said:
I wonder if AutoHotkey can do things like loop through all items pinned to Start in Windows 10 and "unpin" them.

That may be difficult, if not impossible using AHK, as there are no files or registry entries to loop through.

MS populates the pinned items in 2 different ways... a) as links to provisioned apps (e.g. built-in apps like 3D Builder) and; b) as links to store-based apps that aren't yet installed, only advertised (as part of 'Microsoft consumer experiences').

Without looking at it more, this behaviour could possibly be modified by adding an AHK command to create a registry entry to disable 'Microsoft consumer experiences'. This should prevent the store-based apps from being pinned as advertisements.

Code:

RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent, DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures, 1

This adds the required entry but I haven't been able to test the effect (yet) with a newly-provisioned Win 10 VM.

Note that a) the script would have to run with elevated privileges (like my script earlier in this thread) as it works on the machine hive (HKLM) rather than the user profile hive (HKCU) and; b) before the device is attached to the internet for the first time, i.e. before Start was populated with pinned items that are only advertised rather than installed. You can read background info here: Seeing extra apps? Turn them off.

As for the pinned items related to provisioned apps, whilst there doesn't appear to be a way to loop through them, there does appear to be a way to unpin them using PowerShell... have a look at Powershell script to unpin start items in Win10. I'll have a play in the next couple of days to see whether this can be wrapped in AHK.

Also, for an interesting read about how Win 10 1607 can be managed (and by what method), see Manage connections from Windows operating system components to Microsoft services. I know it's about Win 10 Enterprise but the information about what can be managed via the registry or command line is useful, as both can be manipulated via AHK. Who knows how the forthcoming 'Creators Update' edition will affect this.

PS - My earlier script was just an example of the ways in which AHK could be used to change the default look/feel/operation of Win 10 in a home environment, i.e. no Group Policy. In practice the script would be broken down into modules (i.e. code blocks that carry out a particular task) and 'included' in a master script that provided the basic initialisation, e.g. elevating privilege. In this way you could have 'includes' like:

#Include remove-builtin-apps.ahk
#Include configure-user-privacy.ahk
#Include configure-machine-privacy.ahk

This modular approach using directives to include additional AHK scripts as if part of the main script makes it far simpler to group and test blocks of code before signing them off for addition as an 'include'.

Hope this helps...

kjv1611 · Mar 3, 2017

Sounds worth looking into. Thanks!

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

Rick998 · Mar 4, 2017

You can get a better idea of naming and methodology of the Start and taskbar from here: Manage Windows 10 Start and taskbar layout. Again, it's written for Win 10 Enterprise (and Education) but the principles and naming are the same.

Even more interesting is this article: Win10: Start Menu Cleanup using DefaultLayouts.xml. I'll be having a look at whether I can wrap/write XML in AHK to make the changes to Start that I want (and you and the OP) rather than relying solely on changes to the registry.

An addition to my script today is to change the Cortana search box to just an icon in order to increase screen estate on the taskbar.

Code:

; Cortana - Taskbar search (0=Hide Taskbar search / 1=Show search icon / 2=Show search box)
RegWrite, REG_DWORD, HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search, SearchboxTaskbarMode, 1

Works with both version 1511 and 1607... just restart Explorer (which is scriptable) for the change to take effect.

jrbarnett · Mar 26, 2017

I'm currently trying out Spybot anti beacon as a means of preserving settings between updates. That it disables some of the "phone home" items is a bonus.

John

Rick998 · Mar 26, 2017

I like Spybot Anti-Beacon (SA-B), mostly because the Show options button shows exactly what settings are going to be changed (which, IMO, is much better than O&O ShutUp10 which only describes the issue, not the settings). I also like that SA-B is aware that MS ignores certain entries in the HOSTS file (e.g. for Windows Update) so doesn't add these particular entries when it 'protects' the HOSTS file.

My only concern is that SA-B is not updated very frequently. The latest version is v1.6.0.42, released last November... 13 months after v1.5.0.35. Unfortunately MS have a history of regularly adding additional fun and games in the constantly evolving Win 10 so there's no way SA-B is going to keep up unless it improves its update frequency dramatically.

For those of you that like portable apps, be aware that the portable app edition of SA-B is bloated. All you really need are the following 3 files (which you'll find buried in the .\Spybot AntiBeacon 1.6\App\SpybotAntiBeacon folder of the portable edition once it's unpacked):

libeay32.dll
SDAntiBeacon.exe
ssleay32.dll

Hope this helps...

goombawaho · May 13, 2017

I just updated two Windows 10 laptops to the Creator's Update and it DID re-enabled Windows Search when it had been disabled by me before. So this officially stinks. That means customer computers, when updated, will start to slow down and custom configurations I have done will be snuffed out.

Interestingly, Cortana remained disabled through the update - done via registry.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

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