WinNTSetup v5.4.1

[Antonino]

BTW, another caveat, before I forget to tell you: cleaning ur windows side-by-side configuration folder (winsxs) might leave u unable to run certain software that usually worked before. no worries. make a backup of the folder and place it anyplace else but where it's at, and then run the cleaner. Once u spot the software that halts as a result, copy the backup back to its original; rerun the software  - now it will work. Once u make sure of this, leave the software running and try to delete the whole content of the winsxs: u will not succeed in it because, while the software is on, it involves a few winsxs subfolders that have open files. Now copy this select list of subfolders and elsewhere and keep them in a folder named, say, "softwarename"sxsstuff. u can now have the whole winsxs back again where it should be at, rerun the cleaner and add the content of softwarenamesxsstuff back to where it was before the cleaning, and u r good to go. I am sure you will find it much simpler to do than I have explained.     

Edited April 13 by Antonino

[Atari800XL]

Does WinNTSetup use this setting in the "Disable Defender" section?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy]
"VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState"=dword:00000000

I have found that I have to add this in my own apply script to prevent some installers from becoming very slow and unresponsive after a clean install, I have only noticed this since a few months. I haven't tested with WinNTSetup, so I wondered if you used this setting all along?

Not sure if something has changed with recent Windows 11 24h2 versions and/or updates, but I just wanted to drop the info here and ask if anyone else knew more about it.

EDIT: Searching for this settings on the net I found some discussion about this would make the system unstable, so I'm wondering if any of you know something about that as well?

 

Edited April 27 by Atari800XL

[Antonino]

and, yet another caveat. do not take out c:\windows\globalization\ICU if u want ur most recent winhance to work.

[JFX]

On 4/27/2025 at 4:16 PM, Atari800XL said:

Does WinNTSetup use this setting in the "Disable Defender" section?

Nope, disable defender tweak completely kills defender, so new tweaks aren't really necessary.

[Atari800XL]

Thanks for your reply. Like I said, I noticed some unresponsiveness is a few installers after a clean install.

I'm not sure, but to me it looked like this new "slowness" only appeared over the last few months (26100 only, with install.wim updated with W10UI by Abbodi1406).

Changing that setting I mentioned solved that slowness, so I thought that was worth mentioning.

[wuliyen]

On 4/27/2025 at 10:16 PM, Atari800XL said:

Does WinNTSetup use this setting in the "Disable Defender" section?

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Policy]
"VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState"=dword:00000000

I have found that I have to add this in my own apply script to prevent some installers from becoming very slow and unresponsive after a clean install, I have only noticed this since a few months. I haven't tested with WinNTSetup, so I wondered if you used this setting all along?

Not sure if something has changed with recent Windows 11 24h2 versions and/or updates, but I just wanted to drop the info here and ask if anyone else knew more about it.

EDIT: Searching for this settings on the net I found some discussion about this would make the system unstable, so I'm wondering if any of you know something about that as well?

 

Yes, without this setting, some installation programs may take a very long time to complete.

[Antonino]

hell no, I had not known anything about it until u mentioned it above, Then I checked mine to see if it was off (00000), which it was. a big thanks for telling. 

Edited May 7 by Antonino

[Atari800XL]

Thanks for your replies. I only noticed the slowness after clean installing (on a test laptop) the last few updated 26100 install.wim files.

So first in march, then again in april. But I must admit I'm not 100% sure, it might have happened in months before that, I just might not have noticed.

But maybe some update (integrated in the wim) was setting this "VerifiedAndReputablePolicyState"?

(I normally don't use automatic updates, just reinstalls every few months with automatic postinstall of all my programs and data, works just fine and is 100% safe for me).

Edited May 7 by Atari800XL

[click-click]

On 5/6/2025 at 5:56 PM, Atari800XL said:

Thanks for your reply. Like I said, I noticed some unresponsiveness is a few installers after a clean install.

I'm not sure, but to me it looked like this new "slowness" only appeared over the last few months (26100 only, with install.wim updated with W10UI by Abbodi1406).

Changing that setting I mentioned solved that slowness, so I thought that was worth mentioning.

It's called Smart App Control and can be turned off in Defender or registry (0=Off 1=On 2=evaluation).  Another half-baked attempt by Ms to tighten security that only gets in the way. 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/smart-app-control-frequently-asked-questions-285ea03d-fa88-4d56-882e-6698afdb7003

 

[Atari800XL]

Thanks, but do you also know if something changed with this settings over the last couple of months, meaning the last few update cycles?

Like I said, for me this has only been a problem for a couple of months now, I didn't notice it before that.

[click-click]

On 5/10/2025 at 11:29 AM, Atari800XL said:

Thanks, but do you also know if something changed with this settings over the last couple of months, meaning the last few update cycles?

Like I said, for me this has only been a problem for a couple of months now, I didn't notice it before that.

No idea. I encountered the problem clean installing 26100.1 It's been turned off here ever since.

[wuliyen]

On 5/10/2025 at 5:29 PM, Atari800XL said:

Thanks, but do you also know if something changed with this settings over the last couple of months, meaning the last few update cycles?

Like I said, for me this has only been a problem for a couple of months now, I didn't notice it before that.

WinNTSetup，You check the box disable defender，it was off

[Antonino]

well, what else on the files&folders dept? do not get rid of 

\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdgeBCHost.exe
\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe
\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdgeDevTools.exe
\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdgeSH.exe

\Windows\winsxs\catalogs

if u still wanna keep good command of windows features on and off, even after severely pruning or minwinning ur vhd.

Edited Thursday at 11:00 PM by Antonino