guide

Note: This thread was deleted and re-posted with the help of a moderator, to clear the derailment that was taking place. Keep all replies related to the contents of this guide, and do not post about the Nvidia driver bug in this thread. Disagreeing with parts of the guide or someone's reply is...

On the internet there are about a dozen Windows operating systems that have been customized and released as an ISO download. These packages are allegedly optimized for gaming, privacy, or install size. We are often asked about these creations on this forum, and the following information is a...

This guide lists the most popular custom operating systems on the forum. People new to customizing Windows are usually confused about where to start, and it can be difficult to help them, since there are many aspects to consider, with the main issue being that each user's needs are different...

This guide explains how to use an advanced troubleshooting technique to get into safe mode when everything else fails. Step 01: Plug in a USB drive that has a Windows install image on it Step 02: Configure the BIOS to allow booting to USB Step 03: Boot into the USB, and when Windows Setup...

This guide is designed to eliminate the background activity of Cortana and tame it, without breaking anything in the operating system, while still leaving the app available for people that want to use it. This is an alternative method to removing the component, since uninstalling Cortana can...

This guide is a work in progress that I have not been able to fully figure out yet. I have researched and tested everything I could think of regarding these cache files, and wanted to share what I came up with, to see if anyone else can find information on the parts I am missing. This main post...

This guide contains information about how to efficiently pursue Windows and NTLite tweaking, resulting in a much higher quality image, free of bugs and quirks, saving you a ton of time and headache in the long run. These tips apply to all Windows operating systems. TESTING IN LAYERS...

Update (December 1st, 2023): This thread has been completely revamped, as well as the contents of all the links here. The one exception, is that the guides have not yet been updated for the newest Windows builds, now that 23H2 released recently, but that will be the primary focus going forward...

This guide walks users through the creation of an optimized Windows 10 image designed for maximum performance, with the most common Windows annoyances addressed. These tweaks have been thoroughly researched and tested to provide a safe and official approach, suitable for gamers, power users, and...

This guide walks users through the process of how to install Windows, as well as drivers, firmware, and other important aspects. It was created using Windows 10, but applies to others too. There are going to be a few places where the reader will need to do a little bit of their own research due...

The following is a beginner's guide on using NTLite. It is designed to take inexperienced users through the entire process, step-by-step, so there is nothing for them to interpret. If you follow these directions you will end up with a simple base image that you can use to install a clean version...

This guide explains how to pause Windows Update for any amount of time, and prevent the operating system from performing other related automatic updating without consent. The benefit of this guide's approach, is that it does not break anything and is a safe and official method, how Microsoft...

The following is a guide on how to remove the default links, shortcuts, pins, tiles, and apps from the start menu and taskbar in Windows 10, giving you a blank slate, for all users on the computer. The benefit of this solution is that it will not break anything in the operating system, and is a...

This guide discusses the default resource usage of a clean install of Windows 10 Home 21H2. This information is needed by people tweaking the operating system so they can compare their installation to the defaults and see if they are making progress on reducing overhead. There are many different...