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Windows

Is an Operating System from Microsoft.

Tips & Tricks

Windows 11

Bypass TPM check

During setup

Source 1. Shift + F10 2. regedit 3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup. 4. Create key LabConfig 5. Create DWORD 32 BypassTPMCheck and BypassSecureBoot and set both to 1

Bypass OOBE network requirement

Run OOBE\BYPASSNRO in command line (Shift + F10)

Explorer

  • Extract MSI archive: msiexec /a PathToMSIFile /qb TARGETDIR=DirectoryToExtractTo
  • Remove "Folders" from This PC, remove sub-folders of:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace\
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MyComputer\NameSpace
    • Source
  • Configure folder views/column: WinSetView

Useful Firewall rules to block annoying things

  • Hide Tenor GIF from Emoji Picker: Block C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\TextInputHost.exe
  • Prevent Windows Search to go on the web: C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\SearchHost.exe

CPU & Processes

  • Start a software on login with admin: create a scheduled task
  • Find which software blocks a file: open Sysinternals Process Explorer → Find → Find Handle or DLL

Power & Battery

Data & Files

  • EasyBCD to manage Windows bootloader
  • Symbolic link / junction - official documentation
    • Create a symbolic link between 2 directories: mklink /d \linkdir \referedDirectory ^83db26
    • \linkdir is the directory/file where the link will be created
    • \referedDirectory is the referred directory/file (already existing)
      • Doesn't work in UNC

Clean WinSxS folder

  • Use the Disk Clean-Up feature
  • Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase according to this

Media

  • Reset video driver: Win + Ctrl + Shift + B
  • Set an application as High DPI aware programmatically with a reg edit

USB Issues

  • Start checking whatever softwares that patch USB like Parsec's virtual gamepad

Webcam

  • Edit webcam properties: use OBS Studio → Add a source → Video Capture Device → Properties
  • Disable Frame server mode: (source)
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform create DWORD EnableFrameServerMode with 0
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows Media Foundation\Platform create DWORD EnableFrameServerMode with 0

Audio

  • MME is an old technology, WASAPI is recent
  • Virtual Inputs & Output: use VB-Cable
  • Peace Equalizer APO can provide EQ services

Network & Connections

  • Change machine hostname with no caps lock: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName
  • Change network name: secpol.msc > Network List Manager Policies > Connection Name
  • A great firewall is TinyWall
  • View active network connections: TCPView by Sysinternals to know the executable, PID and service
  • Connect to a SMB share without being tied to your domain: localhost\username
  • Avoid automatic setup of network devices: Settings → Advanced network settings → Advanced sharing settings → Private network → Untick "Set up network connected devices automatically"

Wi-Fi Hotspot

  • Beware that old netsh wlan start hosted network doesn't work anymore with newer Windows 10 version! The Mobile Hotspot feature is different under the hood - Source
  • TwiDam77's WiFi HotSpot (Soft AP) is great to start/stop hotspot even without Internet
    • Afterward, need to start sharing the Internet connection in Network Connections → Properties
  • If you have a firewall, you need to clear out svchost.exe for ports 53, 68 out and 53, 67 in.
Use a separate Wi-Fi adapter as AP

We want here to achieve the following

[Internet] <--- Guest WLAN via integrated Wi-Fi ---> Computer 
                                                        ^
            [Device]  <--- Private WLAN via USB Wi-Fi --┘

Process: 1. Turn off integrated Wi-Fi 2. Disconnect the USB Wi-Fi from existing network 3. Use netsh to set and start the hostednetwork on the USB adapter 4. Turn on integrated Wi-Fi and disconnect the USB Wi-Fi from any network 5. Turn on the "Share internet" feature from the integrated Wi-Fi to the USB Hosted Network

Bluetooth

  • Connect to an A2DP client:
    1. Pair device to PC
    2. Install Bluetooth Audio Receiver from the Windows Store

Control Panel / Settings

  • Open performances options panel (System > Advanced system settings, inaccessible if admin) C:\Windows\System32\SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe.
  • Reinstall Setting app - Setting app doesn't open: PowerShell Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} - Source
  • Disable Aero Shake / Shake to Minimize: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced DWORD

Change names in Device Manager

According to this tutorial: - From the Device Manager, go to the Properties of the device and copy the Driver Key in Details - Open regedit and browse to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum - Change the key Permissions - Click "Add ...", add yourself and press OK - Click "Advanced", change the Owner to yourself, tick the "Replace owner ..." and press OK - Back on the User page, select yourself and give you Full control - Search for the Driver Key - Add or Edit the FriendlyName String key to the desired value - In Device Manager, go to Action → "Scan for hardware changes"

Manage permission in an AzureAD-enrolled environment

AzureAD-enrolled systems have weird User account (azuread\firstmiddlelastname) that doesn't exist in "standard" Windows things, like Sharing Permissions. A workaround is to create a group, then assign the user to it: - net localgroup AADLocalAdminGroup /add - net localgroup AADLocalAdminGroup azuread\firstmiddlelastname /add

Users & Groups

  • Auto-login into the PC: use Autologon
  • Elevate an user to Administrator privilege on Azure AD: net localgroup administrators /add "AzureAD\UserUpn" (source)

Services

  • Manage a service: net <start/stop> servicename
  • Scheduled task: run a task on-demand - schtasks /Run /TN "task name"
  • If a service is run as SYSTEM, the %USERPROFILE%\ will be located at %WINDIR%\System32\config\systemprofile\

Remote Desktop Connection

  • Reduce latency
    • Edit the required parameters in Group Policy → Computer → Administrative → Windows Components → Remote Desktop Services → Remote Desktop Session Host → Remote Session Environment
    • Edit the registry with those recommended settings (also here UpinelBetterRDP - Edit.reg)

Start a software

  • Start a UWP app: start shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App and replace name with UWP name in .\AppData\Local\Packages\ - Source
  • Do not close automatically: Cmd /k

Configure a portable environment

@echo off

:: Creating Folders
if not exist "%~dp0User\ProgramData" mkdir "%~dp0User\ProgramData"
if not exist "%~dp0User\Public" mkdir "%~dp0User\Public"
if not exist "%~dp0User\AppData\Roaming" mkdir "%~dp0User\AppData\Roaming"
if not exist "%~dp0User\Documents" mkdir "%~dp0User\Documents"
if not exist "%~dp0User\AppData\Local\Temp" mkdir "%~dp0User\AppData\Local\Temp"

:: Setting Env Variables
set ALLUSERSPROFILE=%~dp0User\ProgramData\Roaming
set APPDATA=%~dp0User\AppData
set LOCALAPPDATA=%~dp0User\AppData\Local
set HOMEPATH=%~dp0User
set ProgramData=%~dp0User\ProgramData
set Public=%~dp0User\Public
set TEMP=%~dp0User\AppData\Local\Temp
set TMP=%~dp0User\AppData\Local\Temp
set USERPROFILE=%~dp0User

:: Start
start XYZXYZXYZYXYXYX.exe