Best order for running tweak-packages and debloaters on fresh or existing install

There are so many tweak-packages that it's hard to know which to use and in what order. Like Winaero and Explorer.Patcher plus the various programs, free and paid, that tweak the START button. Same comment for debloaters. And yet, I can't imagine using Win 11 out of the box. My non-tech friends really dislike Win 11,and I've gotten several requests to help. Hard to turn them down, because they all think of me as their Wiindows and PC Guru. Which I'm not.

What do you guys recommend?

As a related question, is there any "easy" way to track which tweak-package has modified a given registry key and values? Am I being unrealistic here?

You can download WinScript from its GitHub repository. It is available as an installer and as a portable version.

I don't use any 3rd party tool as a rule since most things can be changed natively and instructions are right here in the forum tutorial section.
The tutorial section is searchable, or can be accessed by either category or an alphabetical index. I figured from the get-go with 11 that I wouldn't learn how things are done if I totally relied on an app to do it for me.

x509 said:

s a related question, is there any "easy" way to track which tweak-package has modified a given registry key and values

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No, not as far as I know. I have kept a list of the tweaks I've made for myself and used the same ones when friends ask for my help or if I set up a new computer.

glasskuter said:

I don't use any 3rd party tool as a rule since most things can be changed natively and instructions are right here in the forum tutorial section.

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Agreed, but it is also an issue of time as well as the expertise embodied in programs.

I simply don't have all the time that I could use to learn about every possible tweak and hidden feature. Especially since I have multiple Win 11 systems to maintain. And it's now tax return season.

glasskuter said:

The tutorial section is searchable, or can be accessed by either category or an alphabetical index. I figured from the get-go with 11 that I wouldn't learn how things are done if I totally relied on an app to do it for me.

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True, but see above.

glasskuter said:

No, not as far as I know. I have kept a list of the tweaks I've made for myself and used the same ones when friends ask for my help or if I set up a new computer.

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Would it be OK if you posted the list, maybe as a sticky.

Since I did my last post here, I have fallen into the morass that is Windows Tweaker

glasskuter said:

No, not as far as I know. I have kept a list of the tweaks I've made for myself and used the same ones when friends ask for my help or if I set up a new computer.

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@glasskuter Since my last post, I have been trying to sort through all the various tweaker and debloat programs and scripts out there. And there are a lot, and they seem to overlap a lot. Windows Tweaking & Debloating Apps as just one example. And of course our forum here has a crapton of tweaks in the Tutorials.

So I assume that most guys will run more than one such program or script. My question is what is the best way to document each tweak? Best way to organize this information?

x509 said:

My question is what is the best way to document each tweak?

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I can't speak for how everyone else does it. Just the way I do it.

About 99% of the tweaks I make come fron our tutorials as I trust them explicitely. For all the tweaks in the forum's tutorials section that have regedit files to apply
I keep the original downloaded reg files until I get a number of them. I then merge all the individual files into one "master regedit file" using Winaero Tweaker so to apply them all I just apply the "master" regedit file. Once I accumulate some more, I'll then merge those with my master file.
OR
you can keep a folder of all the downloaded regedit files and apply them one at a time which takes about 5 seconds each..

For anything that's not changed by a regedit file, I just keep a running list. (like stuff I might use a 3rd party app to change.)


I have not tried it, but Winaero Tweaker does allow you to export and import the tweaks it makes.