Win11Debloat/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md

How to Contribute?

We welcome contributions from the community. You can contribute to Win11Debloat by:

• Reporting issues and bugs here
• Submitting feature requests here
• Testing Win11Debloat
• Creating a pull request
• Improving the documentation

Testing Win11Debloat

You can help us test the latest changes and additions to the script. If you encounter any issues, please report them here.

Warning

The prerelease version of Win11Debloat is meant for developers to test the script. Don't use this in production environments!

You can launch the prerelease version of Win11Debloat by running this command:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm "https://debloat.raphi.re/dev")))

Contributing Code

Getting Started

Fork and Clone the Repository

1. Fork the project on GitHub by clicking the "Fork" button at the top right of the repository page.

2. Clone the repository to your local machine:

   git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/Win11Debloat.git
   cd Win11Debloat
   

3. Create a new branch for your contribution:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
   

Running the Script Locally

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator
2. Enable script execution if necessary:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process -Force
   

3. Navigate to your Win11Debloat directory
4. Run the script:

   .\Win11Debloat.ps1
   

Implementation Guidelines

Project Structure

Understanding the project structure is essential for contributing effectively:

Win11Debloat/
├── Win11Debloat.ps1             # Main PowerShell script
├── Scripts/                     # Additional PowerShell scripts and functions
│    └── Get.ps1                 # Script used for the quick launch method to automatically download and run Win11debloat
├── Config/
│   ├── Apps.json                # List of supported apps for removal
│   ├── DefaultSettings.json     # Default configuration preset
│   ├── Features.json            # All features with metadata
│   └── LastUsedSettings.json    # Last used configuration (generated during use)
├── Regfiles/                    # Registry files for each feature
└── Schemas/                     # XAML Schemas for GUI elements

Best Practices

1. Test Thoroughly: Always test your changes on a Windows test environment before submitting. This includes undoing tweaks and running script as another user and in Sysprep mode.
2. Document Changes: Update the README.md and other relevant documentation. Wiki documentation will be generated/updated based on the Features.json and Apps.json files.
3. Follow Existing Patterns: Look at existing implementations for guidance.
4. Use Clear Naming: Choose descriptive names for features, IDs, and registry files.
5. Minimal Changes: Registry files should only modify what's necessary. Avoid using policies where possible.
6. Comment Your Code: Add comments explaining your reasoning for complex logic in PowerShell scripts.
7. Version Constraints: Use MinVersion and MaxVersion if a feature only applies to specific Windows versions.
8. Limit pull requests to 1 feature: Keep pull requests limited to just one feature, this makes it easier to review your changes.

Code Style

• Use 4 spaces for indentation in PowerShell scripts
• Use 2 spaces for indentation in JSON files
• Follow existing naming conventions
• Keep lines reasonable in length
• Use descriptive variable names
• Try to limit your indentation to a max of 4-5 levels, if possible.
• Use Segoe Fluent Icon Assets for icons.

Common Pitfalls

Avoid these common mistakes when contributing:

1. Forgetting Get.ps1: When adding a new command-line parameter, contributors often remember to add it to Win11Debloat.ps1 but forget to add the same parameter to Scripts/Get.ps1. Both files must have matching parameters.

2. Missing Registry Files: Always create an Undo registry file for reversibility, aswell as a Sysprep registry file for Sysprep mode.

3. Incorrect Registry Hives for Sysprep: Sysprep registry files apply changes to Windows' default user, registry keys in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive must use hkey_users\default instead. Ensure you update all registry keys in the file.

4. Wrong Registry File Location:

   • Main action files go in Regfiles/
   • Undo files go in Regfiles/Undo/
   • Sysprep files go in Regfiles/Sysprep/

   Placing files in the wrong directory will cause the script to fail when trying to apply or undo changes.

5. Not Testing Undo Functionality: Always test that your undo registry file properly reverts all changes. A feature that can't be undone will frustrate users.

6. Not Testing User/Sysprep Functionality: Always test that your feature works when applied to another user or to the Windows default user with Sysprep. Sysprep changes can be tested by creating new users after running the script.

7. Missing Category: Features without a Category field (set to null) won't appear in the GUI. This is intentional for command-line-only features, make sure this is what you want before submitting.

8. Hardcoded Paths: When writing PowerShell logic, use $PSScriptRoot and script variables instead of hardcoded paths. This ensures the script works regardless of where it's installed.

Implementing New Features

Adding Support for a New App

Note

The script automatically generates the app options for the GUI from the app information in the Apps.json file.

To add a new app that can be removed via Win11Debloat:

1. Find the AppId: To find the correct AppId for an app:

   Get-AppxPackage | Select-Object Name, PackageFullName
   

2. Edit Config/Apps.json: Add a new entry to the "Apps" array:

   {
     "FriendlyName": "Display Name",
     "AppId": "AppPackageIdentifier",
     "Description": "Brief description of the app",
     "SelectedByDefault": true|false
   }
   

3. Follow the Guidelines:

• Use clear, user-friendly names for FriendlyName
• Set SelectedByDefault to true only for apps that are largely considered bloatware, otherwise set to false
• Provide a concise description explaining what the app does

Adding a New Feature

Features are defined in Config/Features.json and can modify Windows settings via registry files or PowerShell commands.

Note

For simple features that just include a registry change, no actual coding is required in the main script except for adding the corresponding command-line parameters. The GUI is automatically built using the information in the Features.json file.

1a. Create the Registry File(s)

Create new registry files in the Regfiles/ directory:

• Disable file: Disable_YourFeature.reg
• Enable file: Undo/Enable_YourFeature.reg (for reverting)
• Sysprep file: Sysprep/Disable_YourFeature.reg (for Sysprep mode)

Example registry file structure:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\YourPath]
"SettingName"=dword:00000000

A Sysprep registry file should apply the same changes as the normal action. Replace the hive of registry keys that start with HKEY_CURRENT_USER with hkey_users\default. For example:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[hkey_users\default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\YourPath]
"SettingName"=dword:00000000

1b. Implement the Feature Logic

If your feature requires more than just applying a registry file, add custom logic to the main script in the appropriate section. In most cases this will involve creating a new entry in the ExecuteParameter function for your new feature.

2. Add Feature to Features.json

Add your feature to the "Features" array in Config/Features.json:

{
  "FeatureId": "YourFeatureId",
  "Label": "Short label describing the feature",
  "ToolTip": "Detailed explanation of what this feature does and its impact.",
  "Category": "Privacy & Suggested Content",
  "Priority": 1,
  "Action": "Disable",
  "RegistryKey": "Disable_YourFeature.reg",
  "ApplyText": "Disabling your feature...",
  "UndoAction": "Enable",
  "RegistryUndoKey": "Enable_YourFeature.reg",
  "RequiresReboot": false,
  "MinVersion": null,
  "MaxVersion": null
}

Field Descriptions:

• FeatureId: Unique identifier (must match parameter name in Win11Debloat.ps1 and Get.ps1)
• Label: Short description shown in the UI, written in a way to fit with the Action or UndoAction prefixed
• ToolTip: Detailed explanation of what the feature does, used for tooltips in the GUI
• Category: One of the predefined categories (see Categories array in Features.json), features without a category won't be loaded into the GUI.
• Priority: Optional. The priority value (int) is used to sort features within a category. If this field is omitted the feature will be sorted based on the order in the Features.json file.
• Action: Action word for the feature (e.g., "Disable", "Enable", "Hide", "Show")
• RegistryKey: Filename of the registry file to apply (in Regfiles/ directory) or null if feature does not require registry changes
• ApplyText: Message shown when applying the feature
• UndoAction: Action word for reverting (e.g., "Enable", "Show")
• RegistryUndoKey: Filename of the registry file to revert changes or null if feature does not require registry changes
• RequiresReboot: Optional boolean. Set to true if the feature requires a system reboot to take effect
• MinVersion: Minimum Windows build version (e.g., "22000") or null
• MaxVersion: Maximum Windows version or null

3. Add Command-Line Parameter

Add a corresponding parameter to both Win11Debloat.ps1 AND Scripts/Get.ps1, the parameter name should match the FeatureId you have defined in Features.json. In most cases this will be a switch parameter, example:

[switch]$YourFeatureId,

Adding a Feature to the Default Preset

Important

The default preset is intentionally conservative. Features added to it should be thoroughly tested and widely beneficial. When in doubt, leave the feature out of the default preset.

The default preset (Config/DefaultSettings.json) defines which features are automatically applied when users run Win11Debloat in "Default Mode" or with the -RunDefaults parameter. This preset should include features that are widely considered to improve the Windows experience without breaking functionality.

When to add a feature to the default preset:

• The feature removes obvious bloatware or distractions
• The feature enhances privacy without breaking core functionality
• The feature is generally non-controversial and beneficial to most users
• The change can be easily reverted if needed

When NOT to add a feature to the default preset:

• The feature significantly changes core Windows behavior
• The feature might break applications or workflows for some users
• The feature is highly opinionated or preference-based
• The feature is experimental or not thoroughly tested

To add your feature to the default preset, edit Config/DefaultSettings.json and add a new entry to the "Settings" array:

{
  "Name": "YourFeatureId",
  "Value": true
}

Field Descriptions:

• Name: Must exactly match the FeatureId from Features.json
• Value: Set to true to enable the feature in default mode

Example:

{
  "Version": "1.0",
  "Settings": [
    {
      "Name": "CreateRestorePoint",
      "Value": true
    },
    {
      "Name": "DisableTelemetry",
      "Value": true
    },
    {
      "Name": "YourFeatureId",
      "Value": true
    }
  ]
}

Adding a Category

To add a new category for organizing features:

• Add a new category entry to the "Categories" array in Config/Features.json:

  {
    "Name": "Your Category Name",
    "Icon": "&#xE#### ;"
  }
  

Tip

Use Segoe Fluent Icon Assets for icon codes.

Adding UI Groups

UI Groups allow features to be grouped together in the GUI with a combobox (dropdown) selection:

{
  "GroupId": "UniqueGroupId",
  "Label": "Display label for the group",
  "ToolTip": "Explanation of what this group controls",
  "Category": "Category Name",
  "Priority": 1,
  "Values": [
    {
      "Label": "Option 1",
      "FeatureIds": ["FeatureId1"]
    },
    {
      "Label": "Option 2",
      "FeatureIds": ["FeatureId2"]
    }
  ]
}

Submitting a Pull Request

1. Commit your changes with clear, descriptive commit messages:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Add feature: Description of your changes"
   

2. Push to your fork:

   git push origin feature/your-feature-name
   

3. Create a Pull Request on GitHub:

   • Go to the original Win11Debloat repository
   • Click "New Pull Request"
   • Select your fork and branch
   • Provide a clear description of your changes, include references to the registry keys used
   • Reference any related issues

4. Respond to feedback: Be prepared to make adjustments based on code review feedback.

Questions?

If you have questions about contributing, feel free to:

• Open a discussion
• Comment on an existing issue
• Ask in your pull request