Windows 10 Tweaks To Make It Bearable

Step 1: Remove All Bundled Apps (except the Store)

In an admin powershell enter:

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | where-object {$_.name –notlike "*store*"} | Remove-AppxPackage

Step 2: Disable Telemetry

Method #1 - regedit

Create a new DWORD (32 bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection named AllowTelemetry with a value of 0.

Method #2 - services.msc

Set Connected User Experiences and Telemetry’s startup type to Disabled.

Step 3: If I Have Access To The Group Policy Editor

Cortana and Windows Search

In (Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Search):

• Disable “Allow Cortana”.
• Disable “Prevent automatically adding shared folders to the Windows Search index”.
• Enable “Don’t search the web or display web results in search”.

Data Collection and Preview Builds

In (Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Data Collection and Preview Builds):

• Enable “Allow Telemetry” and set it to “0 - Off [Enterprise Only]”.
• Enable “Do not show feedback notifications”.

WiFi Sense

In (Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\WLAN Service\WLAN Settings\):

• Disable “Allow Windows to automatically connect to suggested open hotspots, to networks shared by contacts, and to hotspots offering paid services”.

Microsoft Data Collection

In (Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Application Compatibility):

• Enable “Turn off Application Telemetry”.
• Enable “Turn off Inventory Collector”.

Microsoft Customer Experience

• Enable “Turn off Microsoft consumer experiences”.

Step 4: Registry Hacks

• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current\Version\Explorer\Advanced named LastActiveClick with a value of 1.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization named NoLockScreen with a value of 1.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation named RealTimeIsUniversal with a value of 1.
  • This makes Windows use UTC which is useful when dual-booting MacOS or Linux.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System named DisableLogonBackgroundImage with a value of 1.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting named Disabled with a value of 1.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced named LaunchTo with a value of 1.
  • Opens File Explorer on This PC by default.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop named JPEGImportQuality with a value of 100.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search] named AllowCortana with a value of 0.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search] named DisableWebSearch with a value of 1.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions with a value of 1.

Wrapping up

You can check this and that out as well.

Last updated on 2022-03-18.