Windows 10 not suck mode

This guide is currently updated for Windows 10 2021 LTSC (21H2)

Installation

Create a bootable USB thumb drive (Windows 10 X64 Enterprise LTSC 2021 ESD MULTi-6 JAN 2022 {Gen2} on pirate bay)
Boot computer onto drive
Press Install Now
Choose "Custom: Install Windows only"
Format SSD/HDD
Install Windows

Setup

If ethernet is plugged in, unplug it & don’t connect to wifi
Select “I don’t have internet”
Select “Continue with limited setup”
Toggle everything optional off

Update everything

Reconnect to internet
In windows search type “Check for updates” and update everything mandatory, you can skip optional updates
As random notifications start popping up, right click and turn them off for apps you dont want notifications from
Reboot your computer

Settings

Some of these are optional, might add a severity level at some point. Separated and ordered by the way they are laid out in the settings app

System
- Display
  - [Recommended] Change "Display resolution" to highest it supports
  - Advanced display settings
    - [Recommended] Update your monitors refresh rate to the highest it supports
  - Graphics settings
    - [Recommended] Turn on "Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling"
    - [Recommended] Turn on "Variable refresh rate"
- Sound
  - Manage sound devices
    - [Personal] Disable any sound devices you will not use
- Notifications & Actions
  - [Personal] Uncheck “Show notifications on the lock screen”
  - [Personal] Uncheck “Show reminders and incoming VOIP calls on the lock screen”
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Suggest ways I can finish setting up…”
  - [Personal] Uncheck any apps you don’t want notifications from (revisit this after you have installed your stuff)
- Power & Sleep
  - [Recommended] Slide "Power mode" to "Best performance"
  - Additional power settings
    - [Recommended] Click "Show additional plans" and select "Ultimate Performance"
- Multitasking
  - [Personal] Change "Pressing Alt + Tab shows" to "Open windows only"
- About
  - [Recommended] Click “Rename this PC” and rename to something more useful
Devices
- Typing
  - [Recommended] Click “Typing insights” under “How AI as helped you”, toggle it off
- Autoplay
  - [Recommended] Toggle off autoplay for all media and devices
Personalization
- Background
  - [Personal] Change to solid color, black
- Colors
  - [Personal] Choose dark theme
  - [Personal] Turn transparency effects off
  - [Personal] Choose accent
- Start
  - [Personal] Uncheck “Show recently added apps”
  - [Personal] Uncheck "Show recently opened items in Jump Lists..."
  - [Personal] Click “Choose which folders appear on start” and do what you want
  - [Personal] Open up start and unpin Edge from Start
- Taskbar
  - [Personal] Check “Use small taskbar buttons”
  - [Personal] Click “Select which icons appear on the taskbar” and uncheck any unwanted (Revisit this after you have installed your stuff)
  - [Personal] Click “Turn system icons on or off” and uncheck any unwanted
  - Right click the task bar
    - [Personal] Uncheck “Show Task View button”
Apps
- Apps & features
  - Optional features
    - [Personal] Uninstall Internet Explorer 11
    - [Personal] Uninstall Microsoft Quick Assist
    - [Personal] Uninstall Internet Explorer 11
- Startup
  - [Recommended] Disable everything you don’t want opening (revisit this after you have installed your stuff)
Accounts
- Sign-in options
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up….”
Time & Language
- Date & time
  - [Recommended] Adjust your time zone manually (You'll need to do this because location was disabled)
Gaming
- Xbox Game bar
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Enable Xbox Game Bar for things like…”
Search
- Permissions & History
  - [Recommended] Turn SafeSearch off
  - [Recommended] Turn cloud content Microsoft & Work or School account off
  - [Recommended] Turn my device history off
Privacy
- General
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Let windows track app launches to improve…”
- Inking & Typing personaliztion
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Getting to know you”
- Diagnostics & Feedback
  - [Recommended] Change "Feedback frequency to "Never"
- Activity History
  - [Recommended] Uncheck “Store my activity history on this device”
- Voice activation
  - [Recommended] Uncheck "Allow apps to use voice activation"
- Background apps
  - [Recommended] Turn off all apps you don’t want running in the background (pretty much all of them) (revisit this after you have installed your stuff)
- App diagnostics
  - [Recommended] Click the change button under “App diagnostic info for this device is on” and turn it off

Installing apps

Download Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx
Download .msixbundle and License1.xml from the latest winget github release
Install with the following in an elevated powershell prompt (replace Username with your user folder):

Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Users\Username\Downloads\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx" -SkipLicense
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath "C:\Users\Username\Downloads\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle" -LicensePath "C:\Users\Username\Downloads\9c0fe2ce7f8e410eb4a8f417de74517e_License1.xml"

Open command prompt and install packages from here

winget install Mozilla.Firefox
winget install Spotify.Spotify
winget install 7zip.7zip
winget install Discord.Discord
winget install Valve.Steam
winget install Blizzard.BattleNet
winget install Nvidia.GeForceExperience

Nvidia Setup

Geforce Experience
- Install it if you didn't in the previous step
- Open it, login (:eyeroll:), skip tour
- On the "Drivers" tab, press check for updates, and download and install the latest
- On the Settings panel disable "IN-GAME OVERLAY"
Nvidia Control Panel
- Manage 3D Settings
  - Change "Power management mode" to "Prefer maximum performance"
  - Change "Texture filtering - Quality" to "High performance"
  - Apply changes

garrettjoecox/instructions.md