Setup for a new Windows system

setupWindows.md

Getting Windows set up for development and daily driver use

Similar guides for inspiration

• https://github.com/felixrieseberg/windows-development-environment
• https://char.gd/blog/2017/how-to-set-up-the-perfect-modern-dev-environment-on-windows for front-end specific tips

Setting up a user profile

• Install Windows with offline profile (no MSFT account) so that user folder is set correctly (rather than to a truncated email address)
• Make sure BitLocker is enabled
• Change name of computer (to something memorable, instead of DESKTOP-FDSFFE or some other random name)
• Sign in to MSFT account to get OneDrive syncing

Boxstarter

Install and run Boxstarter with personalized script Boxstarter script

Windows Tweaks

Included in Boxstarter script.

Restoring data

• Let OneDrive sync itself
• Restore other use folders from File History backups

Development tools

• Enable Development mode in Windows settings and enable script execution
• Install Windows Terminal
• Install chocolatey (in Powershell): iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
• Boxstarter and PatchMyPC will handle installation of most programs (development and otherwise)
• Enable WSL and Hyper-V
  • Control Panel > Add/ Remove Windows Features > Windows Subsystem for Linux & Hyper-V
  • Reboot
  • Install Ubuntu from Windows Store
• Symlink files from OneDrive/Development/dotfiles (working directory: ~)
  • Elevated PS prompt: New-Item -Type SymbolicLink -Name <linkName> -Target ./OneDrive/Development/dotfiles/<target>
• Install desired global npm modules (npm install -g)
  • Make sure Node has its environment set up properly: https://github.com/Microsoft/nodejs-guidelines/blob/master/windows-environment.md#compiling-native-addon-modules
    • Boxstarter script may handle this automatically or it may be necessary to instal windows-build-tools. Haven't tried it out yet.
    • From elevated PS: npm install --global --production windows-build-tools
  • Look at npm-global.txt in OneDrive/Development

Dev Environment

• Sync VS Code settings from gist using nonoroazoro.syncing extension
• Install development fonts (choose 1+)
  • Fira Code, for fancy ligatures
  • Cascadia Code and Cascadia Code PL
• WSL changes
  • Install ZSH: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install zsh
  • Install important development packages: sudo apt-get install git build-essential
  • Install Prezto and Pure theme for Prezto
    • Use own fork of Prezto as master and pull changes from upstream

Other

• Non-development apps
  • Anki
  • OEM apps (Dell Update, Intel Driver Update, etc.)
• Backblaze
  • Inherit backup state from old installation
• MS Store apps
  • Microsoft Todo
  • Microsoft Office
  • Spotify
  • Paint.NET
  • Facebook, Twitter, FB Messenger, WhatsApp Desktop
• Misc
• Setup accounts
  • Sign in to email accounts in Mail;
  • 1Password
  • Spotify
• Edge extensions
  • uBlock Origin
  • 1Password
  • Pocket

BCD Configuration (if a disabled Hyper-V is necessary)

• To get VirtualBox and Hyper-V to cooperate, need to create separate BCD entries for Hyper-V on and off.
• In elevated PS: bcdedit /copy '{current}' /d "No Hyper-V", bcdedit /set '{<new entry UUID>}' hypervisorlaunchtype off