Windows X-Lite Builds?

[TheeRadioDJ]

What do you guys think of the https://windowsxlite.com/ customized and heavily tweaked builds of Windows 10 and 11? The guy that makes them seems like he's just doing it because he enjoys it. It doesn't look like he's trying to sell you anything. I've tried several variations of his Windows 10 and 11 builds, and have been pretty impressed.

[Grogan]

I don't have specific experience with that, but it'll be a gutted Windows build. He'll set policies to disable things, he'll yoink out apps and annoyances. There really isn't a lot beyond that he can do, as he doesn't have source code or anything to change Windows itself. We've seen "Windows Lite" type hacks like this in the past.

All I can say is that if it's not causing you any difficulties, it can only be a good thing.

Windows 11 isn't horrid once you defang everything, but Microsoft's behaviour really bites the weenie.

[TheeRadioDJ]

I'm running his latest optimized Windows 11 Pro 24H2 build. It works for me. He yoinks out Microsoft Edge and the Microsoft Store (but provides installers to put them back if you want), and gets rid of alot of other fluff. There's options to bypass Microshaft account creation and hardware checking BS during installation. Windows update is paused until 7/11/3000 by default.

[Grogan]

Windows update is paused until 7/11/3000 by default.

Now that's a feature! (Microsoft could charge extra for that lol)

That actually sounds like a registry change. The value, probably in hex or in a binary value data stream with other parameters, knowing those pukenuts, takes more than the GUI presents (7 days). Must find...