My Windows 10 Pro Post-Installation Notes

Intro

Here are the notes that I use to configure Windows 10 Pro after a fresh installation. Let's see how to disable Cortana, reduce telemetry, remove Built-In Apps, remove Tiles etc...

Configuration

OS : Windows 10 Pro

Local Group Policy

There are a lot of things to do with Group Policy Objects

Open Local Group Policy Editor

Disable Cortana

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search and disable "Allow Cortana" policy

Disable Microsoft Accounts

Disable Microsoft Accounts if you only want Local Accounts

Go to Computer Configuration > Local Policies > Windows Settings > Security Options

Applications Privacy

Prevent Windows 10 Apps to access personnal informations

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > App Privacy and set policies

To Deny access you have to enable policies and Force Deny as described here :

Disable Telemetry

Disable Telemetry to reduce the amount of data sent to Microsoft

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Data Collection and Preview Builds and set policies

Disable Cloud Content

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Cloud Content and set policies

Disable Location

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Location and Sensors and set policies

Disable OneDrive

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > OneDrive and set policies

We can also run this command line to remove OneDrive from our system

C:\Users\User> %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe /uninstall

Disable Windows Error Reporting

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Error Reporting and set policies

Disable Web Search and Cortana

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search and set policies

Disable Windows Store

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Store and set policies

Internet Communication Settings

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Internet Communication Management > Internet Communication Settings and set policies

Turn Off the Advertising ID

Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > User Profiles and set policies

Users Internet Communication Settings

Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Internet Communication Management > Internet Communication Settings and set policies

Remove Tiles / Classic Start Menu

We will see how to get a classic start menu by removing Tiles

Windows 10 Classic Start Menu without Tiles

Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Task Bar > Start Layout and set policies

Create c:\start_menu.xml file

<LayoutModificationTemplate xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout" xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout" Version="1" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification">
  <LayoutOptions StartTileGroupCellWidth="6" />
  <DefaultLayoutOverride>
    <StartLayoutCollection>
      <defaultlayout:StartLayout GroupCellWidth="6" />
    </StartLayoutCollection>
  </DefaultLayoutOverride>
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

Remove Windows Built-In Apps

Create c:\remove_app.ps1 file

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "3dbuilder" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowsalarms" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowscommunicationsapps" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowscamera" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
#Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowsCalculator" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "officehub" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "skypeapp" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "getstarted" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "zunemusic" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowsmaps" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "solitairecollection" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "bingfinance" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "zunevideo" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "bingnews" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "people" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.People" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowsphone" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
#Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "photos" } | Add-AppxPackage -AllUsers
#Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "windowsstore" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "bingsports" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "soundrecorder" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "bingweather" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "xboxapp" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "MixedReality" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "hub" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "YourPhone" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.OneConnect" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "twitter" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "candycrush" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "gethelp" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "messaging" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "3Dviewer" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "LinkedInforWindows" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.RemoteDesktop" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
#XBOX
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.Xbox.TCUI" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "xbox" } | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers

Run it from command line and as Administrator

C:\Windows\system32> powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File c:\remove_app.ps1

Remove every Xbox Built-In Apps

There are a lot of Xbox Built-In Apps so let's see how to remove them

Run it from PowerShell command line and as Administrator

PS C:\Windows\system32> foreach ($app in $(Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | ? { $_.Name -match "xbox" })) { $app | Remove-AppxPackage -AllUsers }

Computing

Music

Misc