Improve Windows 10 with one-click batch files

Martin Brinkmann
Nov 8, 2016
Updated • Jul 5, 2017
Windows, Windows 10
|
61

Pleasant Windows 10 is a collection of one-click batch files by Ghacks reader Joern that improve the operating system in various ways.

While there are plenty of tweaking and privacy tools out there for Windows 10, all have in common that you cannot verify any of the operations before they are executed.

This may not be an issue for some users, but if you want full control of what is happening in this regard, you may prefer a solution that is more open.

Batch files are ideal for that, as they open in any plain text editor. You may then go through them line by line to verify what they do before executing them.

Another benefit of this approach is that you may adjust the batch file as you see fit. This is especially useful if multiple changes are made by it to the system.

Pleasant Windows 10

pleasant windows 10

Note: It is recommended that you create a system restore point, or a backup before you run any of the tweaks. While you can verify what they do by opening them in a plain text editor, it is always better to be on the safe side and create a backup so that you can restore the system to a previous state should things go wrong.

Note 2: We recommend that you check the batch files before you run them, as you may adjust them as you see fit. You may not want some settings or features changed for instance.

The following batch files are included in the archive

  1. Advanced Explorer Settings -- This changes more than a dozen File Explorer related settings on Windows 10 that turn of animations, enable menus, or turn off things like Toasts.
  2. Disable Automatic App Updates -- Turns off automatic updates for Windows Store applications.
  3. Disable Automatic Windows Updates -- Turns off automatic updates for the Windows 10 operating system itself.
  4. Disable Cortana Completely -- Rename the cortana process searchUI.exe to searchUI.bak. This will kill the process permanetly and save your ressources.
  5. Disable Forced Reboot after Update -- Blocks Windows from enforcing a reboot after updates that require one.
  6. Disable Lockscreen -- Turns off the Windows 10 lockscreen.
  7. Disable Telemetry -- Turns off Windows 10 Telemetry.
  8. Disable Unnecessary Services -- This disables the MapsBroker, DoSvc and Wsearch services
  9. Enable Defender Malware Protection --   Enables Windows malware Protection.
  10. Enable Secure Microsoft Edge Settings -- Tweaks Microsoft Edge for security. Changes include turning of Flash and Cortana, enabling continuous browsing, and more.
  11. Get Back Old Vertical Desktop Icon Distance --  Changes the vertical icon spacing on the desktop.
  12. Hide Cortana -- Disables Cortana, and with it web searches and other search related parameters. The Microsoft way of disabling Cortana.
  13. Hide OneDrive -- Hides OneDrive and disables several related settings.
  14. Re-enable Cortana Completely -- This preferences turns Cortana on again.
  15. Uninstall Unnecessary Apps -- Removes ten apps that Windows 10 ships with including 3D Builder, Skype App, Getting Started, or Voice Recorder.
  16. Enable Administrator Account -- This preference enables the hidden administrator account in Windows.
  17. Enable Standby instead of Hibernate -- Switch powerstate from hibernation (slow) to standby .
  18. Get apps access for Administrator Account -- Enable access to applications for the administrator account.

Verdict

The batch files offer two advantages over software programs. First, they are verifiable which means that you can check them out to make sure they do what they are supposed to do and nothing else.

This means as well that you can modify them to your liking, and even restore settings to their original values, for instance by creating a copy of a batch file and modifying values and commands accordingly.

Second, you can run them with a single-click, and they do all the work in the background without launching a program interface first. (Thanks Joern!)

Download

You can download the collection of batch files with a click on the following link:  Pleasant Windows 10

The password is joern.

Summary
Improve Windows 10 with one-click batch files
Article Name
Improve Windows 10 with one-click batch files
Description
Pleasant Windows 10 is a collection of one-click batch files by Ghacks reader Joern that improve the operating system in various ways.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Dan Donx said on January 15, 2023 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?

    Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.

    If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.

  2. Dexter said on January 15, 2023 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    5. Rufus
    6. Ventoy

    PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.

    1. cdr said on January 15, 2023 at 3:32 pm
      Reply

      I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.

  3. sv said on January 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm
    Reply

    bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.

    ps…. time travelling?
    written. Jan 15, 2023
    Updated • Jan 13, 2023

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2023 at 5:49 am
      Reply

      This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.

  4. Anonymous said on January 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.

  5. basingstoke said on January 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:

    1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)

    2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)

    3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””

    4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows

    5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss

    Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:

    6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now

    Have I missed any group off this list?

    1. Heinz Strunk said on September 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm
      Reply

      You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.

      Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.

  6. ilev said on August 24, 2023 at 7:34 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update

    1. EP said on August 24, 2023 at 9:21 pm
      Reply

      only from windows update though
      KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site

  7. Anonymous said on August 24, 2023 at 11:05 pm
    Reply

    1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.

    2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.

    3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.

    This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
    Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.

    Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.

  8. john said on August 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.

    1. John G. said on August 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.

  9. EP said on August 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215

  10. EP said on August 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    check out the following recent articles:

    Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
    https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/

    BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/

  11. Leonard Britvolli said on August 30, 2023 at 10:33 pm
    Reply

    While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.

  12. sembrador said on September 5, 2023 at 9:32 pm
    Reply

    My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.

  13. EP said on September 6, 2023 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):

    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277

  14. Raphael Benzo said on September 24, 2023 at 9:52 pm
    Reply

    I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Tank you for your help

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