Most of you already know first-hand that Windows is an operating system with a multitude of built-in customization tools. These relate to both the functional aspect of the software and its user interface.
But many users also want to go a step further in these customization tasks, for which they use external solutions. Below we are going to talk about one of the most complete and useful programs that you will find in this regard. We are talking about an open source project called Windows Utility, although it is usually known as WinUtil.
We are actually dealing with a popular open source tool focused on customizing Microsoft Windows. It is worth knowing that it is a completely free solution and can be run from a PowerShell window.
How to start WinUtil
Before we start with the actual system customization process, let’s see how to install it. It’s simple, but it differs greatly from the methods of running programs we’re used to. So, the first thing we do is open a PowerShell window with administrator permissions, for example the search box on the taskbar.
Next we just have to write the following command in the window that appears from this integrated Windows tool:
irm "https://christitus.com/win" | iex
Once we press the enter key, we will see how the application starts up and launches the interface of the program we are dealing with in these lines, WinUtil. After a few seconds it will appear on the screen. It is important that we start PowerShell as administrators, otherwise the program will not work.
We can also access the source code of the application from its GitHub page through this link
WinUtil sections to customize Windows
The first thing we will find on the screen is a long list with all the software that we have installed on our Windows-based computer. It is worth noting that from here we will have the possibility to delete, update certain applications or update them all. We just have to mark those entries that we want to work with to carry out the desired function.
It is worth noting that the program uses tabs to divide all its functionality. We have already seen the usefulness of the first one, Install. But we also recommend taking a look at the rest, of course: Tweaks, Config, Updates and MicroWin. Let’s see what each of them does.
Tweaks. From here we have the possibility to customize the way Windows works to the maximum. We can activate or deactivate hidden tools and functions so that their behavior adapts to our needs. We just have to mark entries such as telemetry, tracking, activity history and much more.
Config. There are certain functions integrated into the operating system that are often difficult to find. There are also some that must be modified through the registry, but this is not always advisable. Through this section we can activate or deactivate tools such as virtualization, .Net Framework, NFS or establish an automatic backup of the registry.
Updates. As its name suggests, this is a section focused on Microsoft operating system updates. Perhaps one of its most interesting features is that from here we have the possibility of deactivating them so that Windows does not update automatically. This is something we can achieve with just the push of a button.
In this way, we will have a huge number of functions and options to customize the operating system and its behavior, with this simple, free open source program.
