Win10-Initial-Setup-Script

This is an archived PowerShell script that automates the configuration steps many people do after a fresh Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016/2019 installation. Rather than clicking through settings menus one by one, you run the script and it applies a collection of tweaks in bulk. The author has stopped maintaining it after switching to Linux.

The script covers things like adjusting privacy settings, disabling telemetry and data collection, turning off certain background services, changing UI defaults, and other adjustments aimed at making the system feel less intrusive. It is not described as a comprehensive Windows hardening or anti-tracking tool, but rather a personal set of preferences automated into code.

To use it, you download the release archive, double-click a preset file, and confirm the administrator prompt. The script runs with elevated privileges. For each tweak it applies, there is also a corresponding function to reverse the change and restore the Windows default, so adjustments can be undone individually rather than requiring a full reinstall.

The script can be run more than once, which is useful because some Windows updates silently reset settings back to Microsoft defaults. It also accepts command-line parameters and supports custom presets, so you can enable or disable individual tweaks rather than running everything.

The README is explicit that some tweaks lower security or remove built-in features, and it warns users not to run the script if they do not understand what each function does. The code is MIT-licensed, so others can fork, modify, and distribute it freely. The author requests no contact about the project.