A new utility is on the block that helps eliminate stringent system requirements of Windows 11. The utility, in the form of a PowerShell script, is called UnattendedWinstall and it is called so since it is based on Windows Answer files (also called Unattend or AutoUnattend files).
For those who may not be familiar, Answer files are XML files that essentially allow users to pre-configure, modify, and automate Windows settings in images during the Windows Setup. Other third-party apps like NTLite also come with this functionality.
The author of the app has laid out the features of the utility:
Windows 10/11 Pro is installed by default
Bypasses Windows 11 system requirements
Disables Windows Defender services by default
prompted to enable after Windows installation
Disables User Account Control by default
prompted to enable after Windows installation
Allows execution of PowerShell scripts by default
Skips forced Microsoft account creation during Windows setup
Removes preinstalled bloatware apps except Microsoft Edge, Notepad and Calculator
Copilot and Recall is Disabled.
Sets privacy-related registry keys to disable telemetry
Limits Windows Update to install only security updates for one year
Optimizes registry with various optimization and customization-related keys
See the "Set-RecommendedHKLMRegistry" and "Set-RecommendedHKCURegistry" functions for more information
Disables unnecessary scheduled tasks
Configures Windows services for optimal performance
Enables the Ultimate Performance power plan
Alongside the features, instructions on how to use it have also been provided:
Use the
UWScript.ps1file once Windows is installed to reapply or revert settings in case Windows Update resets some of the settings or if you encounter any issues.
It can also be used to achieve a similar experience to UnattendedWinstall on an existing Windows installation without reinstalling Windows.
Before Running the Script
Ensure you open PowerShell as an administrator. Additionally, set the execution policy to allow script execution by running the following command:
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSignedRunning PowerShell with elevated permissions and enabling script execution will ensure that
UWScript.ps1can apply the necessary system changes.
You can find it here on its official GitHub repository. Though as always for third-party apps, the best place to try it is often in a VM.
The developer has confirmed that it works with the latest version of Windows 11 as well, version 24H2. Windows answer files can not be used for in-place upgrades though. Hence, if you are looking for that, you can use Rufus which fixed an in-place upgrade-related bypass bug recently.