This article is WORK IN PROGRESS

Intro

I use Windows as my main computer, installed on a Lenovo T450s, now supersded by the T480s, which combines quite good power while still being lightweight, and gives 3 years on-site warranty. Because I find Windows 10 too unstable nowadays (too many updates, breaking features too often), I opted for the Enterprise LTSB version, which misses WLS (the linux subsystem), but is super sleek and fast.

The check-list

0. Verify you have an untampered copy

• Calculate the digest of the ISO you obtained with:

  certutil -hashfile en_windows_10_enterprise_2016_ltsb_x64_dvd_9059483.iso
  

  The SHA1 of the ISO I downoaded from my personal MSDN is:

  031ed6acdc47b8f582c781b039f501d83997a1cf
  

• Write the ISO to USB with Rufus, using GPT and FAT32

1. Windows setup

• Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016
  • Language: US
  • Keyboard layout: US (non-international)
• Mouse
  • Speed: Maximum
  • Pointer: Inverted extra large
• Windows Developer options: enable all
• Chrome
  • Download using PoweShell:

    (new-object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadFile('http://dl.google.com/chrome/install/375.126/chrome_installer.exe', 'chrome_setup.exe')`
    

  • Login
• Lenovo System Update
• Touchpad speed maximum
• Install UK language pack (?)
• Screen 100% magnification
• Dropbox
  • Sync
    • Apps
      • KeePass + KeePass2Android
      • Sublime
      • Sysinternals
      • 7+ Taskbar tweaker
      • LapLock + LidLock
      • NegativeScreen
      • PerfMonZip
      • SClock
      • WinAero tweaker
      • Windows tweaker
    • Pictures\Wallpapers
    • Scripts
    • Setup
    • Shortcuts
    • WLS
  • Create a link in dropbox to the desktop:

    mklink /d c:\users\USER\dropbox\PCNAME\desktop c:\users\USER\desktop
    

• Windows Update
  • Enable updates for other products
  • Setup active hours (8 - 20)
  • Update
• Rename computer and HD label

Let it crunch

2. Environment setup

• Run KeePass
  • Set to auto start with user login
  • Insert Chrome passphrase
  • Setup Chrome remote desktop
  • Activate Windows using:

    slmgr.vbs /ipk ACTIVATION_KEY
    

• Registry settings
  • make_capslock_into_control.reg
  • enable_logon_numlock.reg
  • explorer_contextmenu_showhandles.reg
  • sublime_*.reg
• Full disk encryption
  • Run as administrator in the scripts folder bde_encrypt_c.cmd
  • Backup Bitlocker secrets
  • Backup user certificate
  • Backup TPM owner password
• Install BatteryBar
  • Activate Pro
  • General: disable tooltips
  • Display: disable percentage remaining
  • Notifications: disable all pop-ups
  • Warning levels: time remaining
  • Power saving: change to Power saver and High performance respectively
  • Hide Windows battery icon in the traybar
• Sound scheme
  • No sounds
• Keyboard
  • Repeat delay: 3 out of 4
  • Repeat rate: maximum
  • Blink rate: maximum minus 4 ticks
• Desktop
  • Hide recycle bin icons
• Taskbar
  • Don’t group applications
• Security
  • Enroll fingerprints
  • Enable PIN login
• Create link in startup folder
  • NegativeScreen
• f.lux

Restart

…

3. Software

• LiquidSky
• PuTTY
• WinSCP
• Tidal
• Office 365

This page was published on February 21, 2018