Historical reference

Legacy archive

The original WFiles and Windows Workarounds material is preserved for traceability. High-impact historical tweaks are documented, not promoted as current defaults. Every archived file is also mirrored on the Files page.

Do not bulk-run the legacy archive. It contains files that can disable security protections, Windows Update, services, recovery data, firewall profiles, mitigations, or other major system functionality.

Windows Workarounds

This document carries over every topic from the source page and distinguishes the original intent from verified behavior. Commands under legacy/ are preserved for inspection, not routine execution.

1. Install Chocolatey

Source procedure

The page installs Chocolatey by downloading and immediately executing install.ps1 with PowerShell execution policy bypassed for the current process. It offers equivalent PowerShell and Command Prompt forms, followed by one large unattended package installation.

The original bootstrap forms are preserved under legacy/chocolatey/. They execute code fetched from the internet and should be compared with Chocolatey's current official instructions before use.

Repository implementation

Install Chocolatey using the current official Chocolatey instructions, inspect packages/chocolatey-packages.txt, then run:

.\scripts\Install-ChocolateyPackages.ps1 -WhatIf
.\scripts\Install-ChocolateyPackages.ps1

The repository does not pipe an unaudited network response directly into iex. The maintained installer verifies that choco.exe exists, ignores blank lines and comments, shows the package set, supports -WhatIf, and checks the exit code.

The source package list contains browsers, media tools, runtimes, development tools, security utilities, hardware tools, launchers, remote-access software, VPN clients, NVIDIA software, communication clients, and productivity applications. Package availability and names can change; a manifest is not a guarantee that every item still exists or is suitable.

2. MTU change

Source procedure

The page displays IPv4 subinterfaces and persistently assigns MTU 1492 to an interface literally named Ethernet:

netsh interface ipv4 show subinterface
netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Ethernet" mtu=1492 store=persistent

Actual behavior

MTU is the maximum IP packet size for that interface before fragmentation or path handling. 1492 commonly accommodates PPPoE overhead, but ordinary Ethernet normally uses 1500. A value that is too high can create path-MTU black holes; one that is unnecessarily low adds overhead.

Repository implementation

scripts/Set-NetworkMtu.ps1 requires an existing IPv4 interface alias, validates a range of 576 through 9,000 bytes, records the previous MTU, uses Set-NetIPInterface, and reports the final value.

3. Memory cleaner

Source procedure

The page provides an infinite batch loop. Every ten minutes it reads \Memory\Cache Bytes; if the value exceeds 8 GiB, it calls:

wmic.exe /Namespace:\\root\cimv2 Path Win32_PerfFormattedData_PerfOS_Memory Call EmptyWorkingSet

It suggests running the task hidden as SYSTEM with highest privileges.

Actual behavior and status

Cache Bytes is not free memory. Windows uses standby and file cache memory to improve performance and reclaims it under pressure. The specified WMI performance-data class exposes counters, not a documented EmptyWorkingSet method. WMIC is deprecated/removed on newer systems. The example is therefore preserved as legacy/memory/MemoryCleaner.bat and not presented as a functional maintained tool.

The page separately mentions EmptyStandbyList/ISLC-style tools. Those third-party executables are not included.

4. Automated restore points

Source procedure

The original batch file deletes all shadow copies with vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet, then invokes the WMI SystemRestore method. The page recommends scheduling it daily as SYSTEM.

Actual behavior and replacement

Deleting all snapshots destroys existing restore points and potentially other VSS-dependent recovery data before replacement succeeds. scripts/New-SystemRestorePoint.ps1 calls the supported Checkpoint-Computer cmdlet without deleting anything. Starting with Windows 8, PowerShell normally refuses to create more than one restore point inside 24 hours.

The source version remains at legacy/restore/AutomatedRestorePoints.bat.

5. OpenShell settings

configs/OpenShell-StartMenu.xml preserves the complete StartMenu configuration for OpenShell 4.4.142 shown on the page. Major effects:

The custom labels SERV, DM, REG, TS, CMD, and PS and absolute Windows paths are intentional carryovers.

6. Disable automatic microphone volume gain

Source procedure

The page links to an archive containing hide_cmd_window2.vbs, lock_mic_vol.bat, start_lock_mic_vol.bat, and nircmdc.exe. It says to place files in C:\Windows, set an audio endpoint scalar where 65536 represents 100 percent and 32768 represents 50 percent, then optionally start the lock script from the all-users Startup folder.

Source links:

Status

The archive is third-party binary content and is not mirrored here. Copying utilities into C:\Windows and continuously overriding endpoint volume is intrusive. The source URL included a session-like sid parameter; this repository deliberately omits that parameter. Prefer disabling automatic gain control in the responsible application or using a reviewed per-device solution.

7. NVIDIA driver-version-check bypass

Source procedure

The page moves %windir%\System32\nvapi64.dll to the desktop to prevent an application from detecting the installed NVIDIA driver version, then provides a reverse move. It explicitly notes that OBS will stop working without the DLL.

Actual behavior and status

nvapi64.dll is NVIDIA's 64-bit NVAPI library. Removing it from System32 can break every application relying on NVAPI, not only the version check. Windows or driver servicing may restore or replace it. The two examples are preserved under legacy/nvidia/ with safer collision checks and -WhatIf, but remain unsupported workarounds.

8. Remove drivers installed by Windows Update

The source section contains only an image showing how to identify drivers in the Windows Update history; it provides no removal command or selection criteria. The repository does not invent a removal procedure. Use Settings, Device Manager's driver rollback where available, pnputil /enum-drivers, or vendor-supported cleanup only after identifying the exact package.

The embedded image remains visible on the source page.

9. Debugging made easy

The page provides two independent examples:

  1. Get-EventLog -LogName Application -EntryType Error, Warning, formatted into Downloads\eventlog_errors.txt.
  2. Get-WinEvent -FilterHashTable @{LogName='System'; Level=1}, formatted into Downloads\eventlog_critical_errors.txt.

The first uses the older Get-EventLog cmdlet and queries all matching Application entries without a time limit. The second catches every error, then reports "no critical errors," which can hide access, API, or I/O failures.

scripts/Export-WindowsEvents.ps1 uses Get-WinEvent for both logs, defaults to the previous 24 hours, distinguishes an empty result from a query failure, validates the output directory, and writes UTF-8.

10. Block Windows updates KB5063878 and KB5062660

The page's script:

  1. Stops wuauserv and BITS.
  2. recursively deletes C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download contents.
  3. Restarts the services.
  4. Changes PSGallery to Trusted and installs the third-party PSWindowsUpdate module if needed.
  5. Hides KB5063878 and KB5062660 and enumerates hidden updates.

The page describes the block as permanent and reliable. That is too strong: update metadata, supersedence, servicing-stack behavior, module compatibility, and organizational policy can change. The script also does not restore PSGallery's previous trust state. It is preserved under legacy/updates/Block-SpecificUpdates.ps1 and is not part of the maintained toolset.

11. Windows 11 Enterprise energy-profile workaround

The page reports that, after startup, the UI can show High Performance while another energy mode remains internally selected. Its proposed sequence is:

powercfg /setactive SCHEME_MIN

plus two registry values under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\EnergyMode, both set to zero.

The repository carries this under experimental/power/ because no affected build, reproduction procedure, measurements, or Microsoft reference is supplied. Apply-EnergyModeWorkaround.reg reproduces the values, Restore-EnergyModeDefaults.reg deletes them, and Set-HighPerformance.cmd activates the built-in High Performance alias.

12. Windows 11 TPM and BitLocker startup PIN

The page explains how to:

  1. Confirm a 48-digit Numerical Password recovery protector.
  2. Confirm full encryption and protection status.
  3. Enable "Require additional authentication at startup" in Group Policy.
  4. Require a startup PIN with TPM and apply policy.
  5. Add a TPM-and-PIN protector.
  6. Verify and remove a separate TPM-only protector if present.
  7. Fully shut down and test preboot PIN entry.
  8. Verify UEFI and Secure Boot in msinfo32.
  9. Change the PIN later.
  10. Understand the protection and remaining physical-access limits.

The site's command manage-bde -protectors -add C: -TPM and PIN is malformed. The documented switch is -TPMAndPIN. The corrected full procedure is in docs/BITLOCKER_TPM_PIN.md.

13. Enable BitLocker with TPM and a startup PIN

This is the heading used inside the preceding BitLocker section rather than a separate implementation. The goal is to prevent offline modification of the encrypted Windows partition, including replacement of accessibility executables to obtain a pre-login command prompt.

TPM plus PIN does not prevent disk destruction, hardware replacement, an already-unlocked session from being used, physical keylogging, or someone observing the PIN. The recovery password must remain available outside the encrypted machine.

14. "Disable Windows 11 Edition Upgrade"

Source procedure

The script creates HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate, sets TargetReleaseVersion=1, copies the current DisplayVersion into TargetReleaseVersionInfo, and restarts wuauserv.

Actual behavior and replacement

This targets a feature release, not a Windows edition. It can keep the device on a release until that release reaches end of service or policy changes. Current Microsoft policy documentation also requires the product version to be specified. scripts/Set-WindowsFeatureTarget.ps1 therefore sets:

-Mode Remove deletes all three local values. Domain or MDM policy may still apply. Pinning an unsupported release is not a substitute for security updates.

Source-page metadata

The Windows Workarounds page displays a content update date of 4 September 2026 and the donation addresses reproduced in the repository README.

Script reference

This reference describes behavior observed in the supplied source. "Risk" rates the likely effect of executing a file on a current Windows installation, not whether the file contains malware.

Risk scale

Level Meaning
Read-only Queries state and writes no system setting
Low Narrow, reversible feature change
Medium Administrative or compatibility-sensitive change
High Can remove protection, updates, recovery data, permissions, or major functionality
Critical Combines many high-impact changes or broadly rewrites services

Maintained scripts

scripts/Get-WindowsTweakState.ps1

Read-only. Reports OS identity, elevation, firewall profiles, hibernation availability, the driver-update exclusion policy, selected BCD values, restore points, and selected service states. Individual unsupported queries are captured as warnings instead of terminating the report.

scripts/New-SystemRestorePoint.ps1

Low risk. Requires elevation, confirms System Restore support, and calls Checkpoint-Computer with a caller-supplied description. It does not delete existing restore points.

scripts/Set-Hibernation.ps1

Medium risk. Requires elevation and runs powercfg.exe /hibernate on or off. Supports -WhatIf and confirmation. Disabling hibernation also disables Fast Startup.

scripts/Set-FirewallProfileState.ps1

Low risk when enabling; high risk when disabling. Requires elevation and uses Set-NetFirewallProfile for Domain, Private, Public, or all profiles. Disabling requires -Force. Supports -WhatIf and confirmation.

scripts/Set-DriverUpdatePolicy.ps1

Medium risk. Requires elevation and creates, sets, or removes the ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate policy value. "Excluded" prevents drivers from being included with Windows quality updates; "Included" removes the local override. Supports -WhatIf and confirmation.

Original root files

These files are preserved under archive/wfiles-original/.

File What it actually does Scope and side effects Risk
BCD Edit.cmd Deletes the explicit platform-clock selection; disables dynamic tick; forces platform tick; sets boot timeout to two seconds; sets DEP to opt-out; changes boot UI/menu flags; disables Hyper-V launch; disables TPM boot entropy; enables quiet boot; disables hibernation. Boot configuration, virtualization, exploit mitigation, TPM-related boot behavior, and power state. Timer flags are documented for debugging, not as generic tuning. BitLocker may request recovery after BCD changes. High
Disable Extras.bat Renames eight protected binaries to .old and attempts to kill them: SmartScreen, RuntimeBroker, SearchUI/Cortana, StartMenuExperienceHost, ShellExperienceHost, CompPkgSrv, GameBarPresenceWriter, and upfc.exe. Can break the shell, Start menu, search, app broker, reputation checks, gaming integration, component servicing, and system-file repair. It has no elevation/error handling or rollback. Critical
Disbale Updates.bat Stops BITS, Cryptographic Services, MSI Installer, Update Orchestrator, and Windows Update; disables two update services; writes numerous Windows Update, Delivery Optimization, speech, metadata, Store, driver, and upgrade policies. Prevents or disrupts updates, app installation, certificate/catalog processing, Store updates, and drivers. Several policy locations are obsolete or duplicated. Filename contains the original typo. High
Get full Admin.bat Adds three Explorer context-menu actions for files, executables, and directories. They run takeown and grant the local Administrators group Full Control; directory changes are recursive. Replaces ownership and ACLs. Can damage inherited permissions or servicing expectations. No uninstall counterpart. High
RAM SplitThreshold.bat Prompts for 4, 8, 16, or 32 GB and writes SvcHostSplitThresholdInKB under ControlSet001. Alters when services split into separate svchost.exe processes. The 4 and 8 GB values correspond approximately to 64 and 128 GB, so those branches are numerically wrong. High
Take Ownership.reg Adds "Take Ownership" context-menu commands for files and directories. Runs elevated takeown, then recursively grants Full Control to SID S-1-3-4 for directories. S-1-3-4 is Owner Rights, not the Administrators group. Recursive ACL changes can be difficult to restore. High
Windows 10 1909.ps1 Sets 22 named services to Automatic, nine to Manual, then disables every other service returned by Get-Service. Machine-wide service startup rewrite with no snapshot, compatibility checks, ShouldProcess, or rollback. Third-party services are affected. Critical
Windows 10 2004.ps1 Sets nine services to Automatic and three to Manual; then sets all other services to Automatic; then immediately disables all those same other services. The first bulk loop is contradicted by the second. Final behavior broadly disables services outside a very small list. Critical
Windows 10 All-in-One.bat Combines ownership context menus, deletion/duplication of power plans, fixed TCP globals, update-service shutdown and policies, BCD timer/security changes, hibernation shutdown, SmartScreen/Defender/Security Center disabling, service/key deletions, and a call to external install_wim_tweak. Broad, partly irreversible system mutation. External command is not included. Disables several security and servicing layers simultaneously. Critical
Windows 1709 - BTM.reg Applies driver, UAC, sign-in, consumer-feature, maintenance, power, mitigation, scheduler, GameDVR, telemetry, search, OneDrive, lock-screen, SysMain, security, firewall, update, legacy UI, and Photo Viewer changes. It enables WSUS policy with invalid placeholder endpoints. Despite the old README calling it safer, it disables UAC, firewall profiles, Security Center, updates, prefetch, CPU mitigations, and more. Critical
Windows 1709 - RIPPER.reg Writes startup values for a large Windows 10 1709-era service list, disabling most and retaining a small set. Removes networking, firewall, event logging, installation, diagnostics, device, encryption, Store, Bluetooth, and other functionality depending on the machine. Critical
Windows Restore Point.bat Deletes every VSS shadow copy, waits 300 seconds, then invokes the legacy WMIC SystemRestore method to create one restore point. Destroys existing recovery snapshots before knowing whether replacement succeeds. WMIC is obsolete on current Windows installations. Critical
block_KB5063878.ps1 Targets KB5063878 and KB5062660; stops update services; recursively clears the download cache; restarts services; trusts PSGallery; installs/imports PSWindowsUpdate; hides matching KBs; lists hidden updates. Deletes cached update payloads, adds a third-party module, changes repository trust persistently, and blocks time-specific updates. High
firewall_toggle_registry.bat Menu that writes EnableFirewall directly for Domain, Standard/Private, and Public profiles. Can disable the firewall globally. Empty or special input can break its unquoted if expressions. Uses registry implementation details rather than supported cmdlets. High
README.md Describes selected scripts and claims possible performance or latency benefits. Omits many files, rollback instructions, compatibility boundaries, and evidence. Some descriptions understate security and breakage risks. Documentation only

Original Files [OLD] files

File What it actually does Risk
1709 default servies.reg Snapshot of Start values for 162 Windows 10 1709-era services. Importing it overwrites local service startup configuration with another machine/version's defaults. Critical
Backup Services.vbs Queries Win32_Service, writes each service startup mode to a dated .reg file on the desktop, then opens it in Notepad. It records only the Start value, not delayed-auto state, triggers, dependencies, failure actions, or per-user service details. Medium
Crosshair Cursor.reg Replaces the current user's cursor scheme values and creates a scheme named best, using expanded paths to Windows cursor files. Low
Disable Automatic Driver Updates.reg Prevents device metadata retrieval and excludes drivers from quality updates. Medium
Disable Driver via Windows Update.reg Excludes drivers through three policy/state locations and disables online driver searching. Medium
Disable Enable Prefetcher.reg Sets EnablePrefetcher to zero in both ControlSet001 and CurrentControlSet. Medium
Disable GameDVR.reg Changes one per-user fullscreen/GameDVR value and disables GameDVR through two machine policy locations. Low
Disable Hibernate Enabled.reg Sets HibernateEnabled to zero in ControlSet001 and CurrentControlSet. It does not use powercfg to manage hiberfil.sys. Medium
Disable Intel Transactional Synchronization Extensions TSX Default.reg Sets kernel DisableTsx=1, disabling Intel TSX where the OS/CPU recognizes the policy. Medium
Disable Power Throttling.reg Sets machine-wide PowerThrottlingOff=1. Medium
Disable Spectre Meltdown.reg Sets FeatureSettingsOverride=3 and mask 3, disabling Spectre variant 2 and Meltdown mitigations where applicable. Critical
Disable Spyware.reg Disables or limits Cortana/web search/location, sets telemetry to Security/zero, hides OneDrive from Explorer, and removes the lock screen. The filename is materially broader than the actual mixed settings. Medium
Disable Superfetch.reg Disables three Superfetch event channels and sets EnableSuperfetch=0. Medium
Disable Windows Security Center + Defender.reg Applies obsolete Defender policy, security-provider overrides, and disables SecurityHealthService and wscsvc. Critical
Disable Windows Update.reg Disables automatic updates, excludes drivers and MRT, enables WSUS use, and points update URLs at disableupdateserver.com. Critical
Disable Windows Version Upgrade.reg Sets four legacy OS-upgrade values to zero. Medium
GPD Edit Enable.bat Finds Group Policy Client package manifests in the component store, writes names to List.txt, and uses DISM to install each package. Commonly intended to expose Group Policy tools on editions where they are not supplied. High
Games.reg Writes Multimedia System Profile game-task priority, scheduling category, GPU priority, and SFIO priority values. Medium
Network Gaming.reg Disables multimedia network throttling and sets system responsiveness to zero. Medium
Network.cmd Applies fixed global TCP settings: RSS on, autotuning off, CTCP, ECN off, Initial RTO 2000, RSC off, non-SACK resilience off, two SYN retries, Fast Open/fallback on, HyStart on, and pacing off. ECN is set twice. High
OLD Windows Photo Viewer.reg Re-registers the legacy Windows Photo Viewer handlers, icons, drop targets, preview verb, capabilities, and associations for common image formats. Medium
Old Network Symbol.reg Sets the legacy network flyout switch ReplaceVan=2. Low
Old Volume Symbol.reg Sets EnableMtcUvc=0 to request the legacy volume flyout. Low
One Drive Remove Quick Access.reg Sets the OneDrive CLSID's System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree to zero, hiding it from Explorer's navigation pane. Low
Pause Windows Updates.reg Disables Windows Update UI/access and automatic updates, defers feature updates 365 days and quality updates four days, disables restart notices, dual scan, previews, recommended updates, and driver searching. High
Power Plan Context Menu.reg Adds a desktop context submenu for Power Saver, Balanced, High Performance, Ultimate Performance, and Power Options using fixed built-in GUIDs. Medium
Processor Scheduling.reg Writes Win32PrioritySeparation=0x16 under ControlSet001. Medium
Registry Tweaks (General).reg Mixed preset covering driver search, UAC, sign-in, consumer apps, Photo Viewer, scheduler/network values, maintenance, hibernation, power throttling, CPU mitigations, visual effects, GameDVR, OneDrive, lock screen, prefetch/SysMain, and manual instructions for breaking Windows Update. Critical
Remove Quick Access.reg Sets Explorer HubMode=1, historically used to hide Quick Access/Home. Low
Remove Windows Defender.bat Disables SmartScreen and Defender reporting, deletes Defender/Security Center service and startup keys, creates an IFEO debugger interception for SecHealthUI.exe, and invokes non-included install_wim_tweak. Critical
ReviOS U2.1 (final) Service backup.reg Snapshot of startup values for 160 services from a ReviOS-tuned machine. It is not a Windows default profile. Critical
Services Disable.reg Overwrites startup values for 244 service and driver keys, heavily disabling them. Critical
Services Restore.reg Overwrites startup values for the same 244 service and driver keys with a captured profile. "Restore" means restoring that snapshot, not detecting correct defaults for the current Windows build. Critical
Set CTCP.reg Writes opaque binary values 0200 and 1700 under an NSI registry key to influence TCP behavior. It is not self-documenting or portable. High
Set PowerMizer to Max Performance.reg Sets four NVIDIA PowerMizer values under one captured display-adapter GUID. The path is machine-specific. High
Windows 7 - Allrounder.bat Large preset that changes DEP/BCD, power plans, TCP/IP and AFD internals, memory, Explorer, NTFS, audio, UAC, dozens of services/drivers, IPv6 transition technologies, and other OS behavior. Some commands conflict, including nx AlwaysOff followed later by nx optout. Critical
Windows 7.reg Large mixed registry preset for driver updates, UAC, mitigations, maintenance, power, scheduler, UI, attachments, updates, telemetry, mouse/cursors, time sync, firewall rules, network visibility, sharing, and Windows 10 upgrade blocking. It deletes all configured firewall rules before recreating an empty rules key. Critical
Windows Cursor.reg Replaces the current user's cursor values with system cursor paths and selects a scheme named best. Low

Notes on service snapshots

Registry Start values conventionally mean: 0 boot driver, 1 system driver, 2 automatic, 3 manual, and 4 disabled. A service's correct value depends on Windows build, installed roles, hardware, security configuration, and trigger-start behavior. Importing a captured list is not a valid way to restore another machine.

Notes on registry files

A .reg import writes exactly the values present but usually does not capture previous values. Deleting the imported keys later is not necessarily a correct rollback because the prior value may have been different rather than absent. A system restore point is useful but is not a substitute for a tested full backup.