Office and OneNote "ghost apps" & questions about my preset

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AverageWindowsUser

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Hi all, I've been messing around with NTLite's update integration and component removal features (pretty much haven't done any Post-Setup scripts or anything like that yet). I've been focusing on making a fairly low-size .iso that leaves out all the garbage like Edge, the MS Store, OneNote, OneDrive, etc., while maintaining enough functionality for very diverse use (e.g. 3D scene rendering, video recording/streaming, programming, photo editting, virtual machines, REAPER, gaming, etc.). (Yes I'm aware of the big posts about REAPER and "GamerOS" - I'm just doing my own thing).

I've opted to cripple the Windows Update Service such that it can still be used for activating Windows, but can't receive and automatically apply updates itself. It's my understanding that I can use NTLite to update deployed images anyways (correct me if I'm wrong please). (Preset should be attached.)

After installing this editted version of Windows to one of my machines, although I haven't had time to do thorough testing to see if the functionalities I'd like to keep have been broken, I noticed right away that Office and OneNote still appeared on the right side of the Start Menu under "Productivity," despite being marked for removal in my preset. Attempting to use them would do nothing, and right clicking on them gave the option to uninstall, which did seemingly nothing (since they are already "uninstalled", I guess?) aside from remove their icon from the right side of the Start Menu.

This piqued my curiosity (and fury), so I did the only things I could think to do: search for all files including "office" and all files including "onenote" using File Explorer, and use Get-AppxPackage in PowerShell to figure out if they were still there somehow. They weren't listed by Get-AppxPackage, but there was a lot of leftover files and folders in C:\Windows\SxS\ and some in C:\Windows\SystemResources\, which seemed to all be protected from removal.

So question 1 would be: Can these extra OneNote and Office files and their "ghost" appearance in the Start Menu be removed with NTLite, or would I have to do it manually every install?

My second question is about this god-forsaken "feature":
why.png
I'm sure it can be "disabled," but I'd like to remove it entirely, if possible. It's still present after installing Windows from the .iso generated using my preset...
As a side question, can other things that are disableable, such as Search Highlights (see below), be removed using NTLite? Or are they too "baked in" to other components?
1721939806651.png

My third question: Why is the Video Compression Manager (VCM) component locked as "recommended" despite being described as obsolete and containing vulenrabilities? According to this thread, it seems to relate to DRM (at least, Netflix's DRM), and nuhi even added it to the Netflix compatibility option. Is there some reason it is still in the "recomended" compatibility option? I installed Windows 10 just fine without it, although like I said I need time to figure out if anything's broken.

My last question: The Delivery Optimization part of the WUS let's the machine communicate with other Windows devices to download updates from them; seems like an obvious security/privacy issue to me so I disabled that, but does its removal also prevent other Windows devices from getting updates from my machine? Would be nice if I could cut down on all the unecessary connections my machine makes...

Thanks to nuhi and all contributors for this awesome piece of software :)
 

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AverageWindowsUser said:
After installing this editted version of Windows to one of my machines, although I haven't had time to do thorough testing to see if the functionalities I'd like to keep have been broken, I noticed right away that Office and OneNote still appeared on the right side of the Start Menu under "Productivity," despite being marked for removal in my preset. Attempting to use them would do nothing, and right clicking on them gave the option to uninstall, which did seemingly nothing (since they are already "uninstalled", I guess?) aside from remove their icon from the right side of the Start Menu.
Click to expand...
After removing the Office & OneNote Appx packages, NTLite doesn't update the image's static DefaultLayouts.xml file. The default layout file is what pins all those icons to your Start Menu tiles.

It's kinda of pain to edit it, since it's not always the same file across the different editions.

AverageWindowsUser said:
My second question is about this god-forsaken "feature":
View attachment 12449
I'm sure it can be "disabled," but I'd like to remove it entirely, if possible. It's still present after installing Windows from the .iso generated using my preset...
Click to expand...
What exactly do you want to remove? The volume widget, media player?

AverageWindowsUser said:
As a side question, can other things that are disableable, such as Search Highlights (see below), be removed using NTLite? Or are they too "baked in" to other components?
View attachment 12450
Click to expand...

Create a new .reg file and import from the Registry page.
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"EnableDynamicContentInWSB"=dword:00000000

AverageWindowsUser said:
My third question: Why is the Video Compression Manager (VCM) component locked as "recommended" despite being described as obsolete and containing vulenrabilities? According to this thread, it seems to relate to DRM (at least, Netflix's DRM), and nuhi even added it to the Netflix compatibility option. Is there some reason it is still in the "recomended" compatibility option? I installed Windows 10 just fine without it, although like I said I need time to figure out if anything's broken.
Click to expand...
A Feature will get tagged as "Recommended" if someone reports a compatibility problem. This may not apply to how you use Windows, or for your apps, so it's up to you to disable the Compatibility Mode checkbox for "Recommended".

AverageWindowsUser said:
My last question: The Delivery Optimization part of the WUS let's the machine communicate with other Windows devices to download updates from them; seems like an obvious security/privacy issue to me so I disabled that, but does its removal also prevent other Windows devices from getting updates from my machine? Would be nice if I could cut down on all the unecessary connections my machine makes...
Click to expand...
Windows depends on DO as the primary means of downloading content from the Windows Update servers.

The peering action only applies to other PC's on your local network. This is designed so multiple PC's don't each have to download the same content in parallel and consume extra bandwidth for users on a data-capped network plan.

Disable Delivery Optimization and Turn Off "Allow downloads from other PCs".
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeliveryOptimization]
"DODownloadMode"=dword:00000000
 
garlin said:
After removing the Office & OneNote Appx packages, NTLite doesn't update the image's static DefaultLayouts.xml file. The default layout file is what pins all those icons to your Start Menu tiles.

It's kinda of pain to edit it, since it's not always the same file across the different editions.
Click to expand...
Strange that everything else that is there by default gets their tiles removed, though... Really annoying that those leftover tiles are there in the first place, but I can tolerate having to "uninstall" them for now. Wish I could prevent all those leftover OneNote and Office files from being kept though...

garlin said:
What exactly do you want to remove? The volume widget, media player?
Click to expand...
Both; anything that covers some portion of the screen and prevents you from interacting with the content you were focused on underneath it, really. Like how sometimes, for example, you might get a notification that a Java update is available, or how Google Chrome might notify you of some promotional content you've subscribed to, in the bottom right of the screen, which temporarily blocks access to icons in the system tray. Thought I removed those push notifications that appear in the bottom-right, actually, but apparently not, guess I'd have to remove Windows Push Notification Service (User) entirely, which I won't do.

To be clear, by media player you mean the pop-up beside the volume indicator in that picture, which is distinct from Windows Media Player, right? I'd like to keep WMP but remove (not just disable) the component that enables those two media popups.

garlin said:
Windows depends on DO as the primary means of downloading content from the Windows Update servers.

The peering action only applies to other PC's on your local network. This is designed so multiple PC's don't each have to download the same content in parallel and consume extra bandwidth for users on a data-capped network plan.

Disable Delivery Optimization and Turn Off "Allow downloads from other PCs".
Click to expand...
Sorry if I misunderstand, but are you trying to say that I should not remove the DO component, but instead disable it and turn off "Allow downloads from other PCs" after installation? What's the point? To be clear, I'd like to:
1. Remove (not just disable) DO so that my PC can't obtain updates from other Windows devices.
2. Prevent other Windows devices from receiving their updates via my own PC.
3. Cripple WUS just enough to prevent it from automatically updating Windows while still allowing manual updates via NTLite...
4. ... and maintaining WUS's functionality of activating Windows.

My understanding is that, by removing DO, I accomplish 1. My question was whether it also accomplishes 2 (and if not, if it is possible for me to do that with NTLite). My hope is that by removing only DO and Windows Update (under Remoting and Privacy > Windows Update Service), 3 and 4 are accomplished.

garlin said:
Create a new .reg file and import from the Registry page.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search]
"EnableDynamicContentInWSB"=dword:00000000
Click to expand...
So I can't remove this entirely, I just have to accept that it's a part of the search bar that can only be disabled? :(
 
AverageWindowsUser said:
Strange that everything else that is there by default gets their tiles removed, though... Really annoying that those leftover tiles are there in the first place, but I can tolerate having to "uninstall" them for now. Wish I could prevent all those leftover OneNote and Office files from being kept though...
Click to expand...
The usually workaround is to create a custom W10 Start Menu layout. Which isn't that difficult if you borrow an existing layout XML and remove all the apps you don't care about.

I believe Hellbovine covers this subject in his Optimized Image guide.

AverageWindowsUser said:
To be clear, by media player you mean the pop-up beside the volume indicator in that picture, which is distinct from Windows Media Player, right? I'd like to keep WMP but remove (not just disable) the component that enables those two media popups.
Click to expand...
Those are called "flyouts", widgets that pop-up onscreen. I don't believe they're individualized components for removal, but you'll need a 3rd-party app like Explorer Patcher to manage those types of dialogs.

AverageWindowsUser said:
Sorry if I misunderstand, but are you trying to say that I should not remove the DO component, but instead disable it and turn off "Allow downloads from other PCs" after installation? What's the point? To be clear, I'd like to:
1. Remove (not just disable) DO so that my PC can't obtain updates from other Windows devices.
2. Prevent other Windows devices from receiving their updates via my own PC.
3. Cripple WUS just enough to prevent it from automatically updating Windows while still allowing manual updates via NTLite...
4. ... and maintaining WUS's functionality of activating Windows.
Click to expand...
Obviously if you remove all DO, those settings are moot. You won't be able to use Windows Store to download new apps, you would have to sideload them. Which isn't too difficult for free apps.
 
For Office try disable it in Settings/ Explorer/ Show files from Office.com in NTL too - i do and never seen it in startMenu.
For OneNote you have to remove Wordpad, which is'nt in attached preset.
 
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