memstechtips/unattendedwinstall

UnattendedWinstall is a configuration file you place on a Windows installation USB drive so that Windows sets itself up automatically with a cleaner, more private configuration than the default. It uses a feature built into Windows called an Answer File, which Microsoft designed for businesses that need to deploy Windows across many computers without manual setup at each one. This project adapts that same feature for personal use. During installation, the file removes all the preinstalled apps that come bundled with Windows, keeping only Notepad, Calculator, Paint, and the Snipping Tool. This includes removing Copilot, OneDrive, Edge, and everything else Microsoft includes by default. It also bypasses the Windows 11 system requirements check, skips the forced Microsoft account sign-in step during setup, and disables automatic Windows updates in favor of notifying you only when security updates are available. On the privacy and performance side, the file turns off telemetry and advertising features, adjusts power settings for better performance, and disables background services and scheduled tasks that most personal computers do not need. It also applies visual and interface changes: Dark Mode is set by default, the taskbar is trimmed down, the Start Menu is unpinned, and File Explorer opens to This PC rather than the default home view. To use it, you download the autounattend.xml file and copy it to the root of a bootable Windows installation USB. When you boot from that USB and install Windows, the file runs automatically. No manual configuration steps are required during setup. The project also recommends a companion app called Winhance for applying similar changes to an existing Windows installation without reinstalling. All the changes the file makes are documented in comments inside the file itself and are visible on GitHub, so you can inspect exactly what will happen before running it.