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@Pnwcomputers Pnwcomputers released this 16 Sep 04:22
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DeployWorkstation v3.0 Alpha ~ All Users

⚠️ ALPHA RELEASE - This is a pre-release version for testing purposes. Use with caution in production environments.

🚀 What's New in Version 3.0

DeployWorkstation is a PowerShell-based, zero-touch provisioning toolkit for Windows 10 & 11 workstations.
Whether you're imaging bare metal or cleaning up an existing PC, DeployWorkstation handles the heavy lifting of bloatware removal and comprehensive application/runtime installations.
DeployWorkstation turns what used to be a 30-60 minute manual process into a single "plug-and-play" operation, saving you valuable time on every workstation you configure. Feel free to fork, tweak the app list/script, and contribute back!

🛠️ Deployment Features Summary

A structured overview of key capabilities for system setup and optimization.

📦 Bloatware Removal

Removes unwanted apps for all users, including UWP apps like:

  • New Outlook
  • Clipchamp
  • Family Safety
  • OneDrive
  • LinkedIn
  • Copilot
  • Teams
  • Skype
  • Xbox

🚀 Standard App Installation

Installs essential third-party tools in parallel using WinGet:

  • Malwarebytes
  • Chrome
  • BleachBit
  • Adobe Reader
  • Zoom
  • 7-Zip
  • VLC
    Includes silent-install flags and built-in error logging.

🔒 Privacy Settings

Applies system-wide privacy and telemetry configurations.

🧪 Dry-Run Mode

Supports safe simulation of deployment steps before execution.

📋 Logging and Reports

Structured logging with severity levels:

  • INFO
  • WARN
  • ERROR
  • DEBUG
    Includes summary reports for troubleshooting.

🧾 Registry Backup

Backs up registry before making any changes.

📤 Winget Export/Import

Supports export and import of application lists via Winget.

⚠️ Enhanced Error Handling

Robust error handling with:

  • Retry logic
  • Try-catch blocks
  • Return value validation

🔐 Self-Elevation

Automatically relaunches under PowerShell 5.1 with:

  • -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
  • UAC elevation
    No need to tweak system settings manually.

🧹 Win32/MSI Removal

Removes legacy features and enterprise software using:

  • WinGet
  • DISM
  • Registry parsing of UninstallStrings
    Targets items like Quick Assist, Remote Desktop, Mixed Reality, Game Bar, McAfee, etc.

📦 Runtime Library Installation

Installs complete runtime coverage:

  • .NET Framework/Desktop Runtimes
  • Visual C++ Redistributables (2005–2015+)
  • Java JRE/JDK

⚙️ Flexible Deployment

Offers granular control with parameters for:

  • App export/import
  • Selective Java installation
  • Phase-based deployment

📁 Centralized Logging

Writes to DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.log and tolerates up to 80% success rate for realistic deployment scenarios.

Usage

  1. Copy the DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 and its .cmd launcher onto your USB or network share.
  2. Double-click the .cmd (or run powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1) to start.
  3. Let it run unattended!
  4. When it finishes, it will pause for review and display completion status.

Command Line Parameters

# Basic usage
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1

# With parameters
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -SkipAppInstall -LogPath "C:\Logs\deploy.log"

# Skip certain sections
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -SkipBloatwareRemoval -SkipDefaultUserConfig

# Skip Java runtime installations (reduces install time)
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -SkipJavaRuntimes

# Export current winget apps to apps.json
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -ExportWingetApps

# Import apps from apps.json
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -ImportWingetApps

Available Parameters

  • -LogPath - Custom log file location
  • -SkipAppInstall - Skip all application installations
  • -SkipBloatwareRemoval - Skip bloatware removal process
  • -SkipDefaultUserConfig - Skip default user profile configuration
  • -SkipJavaRuntimes - Skip Java JRE/JDK installations
  • -ExportWingetApps - Export installed apps to apps.json
  • -ImportWingetApps - Import apps from apps.json

Apps Removed by DeployWorkstation.ps1

This lists all of the applications, packages, and services that are automatically removed or disabled by the script to create a cleaner, more secure Windows environment.

Winget Applications Removed

The script searches for and removes applications matching these patterns:

Application Pattern Description
CoPilot Microsoft Copilot AI assistant
Outlook Microsoft Outlook (new version)
Quick Assist Windows remote assistance tool
Remote Desktop Microsoft Remote Desktop client
Mixed Reality Portal Windows Mixed Reality applications
Clipchamp Microsoft video editing software
Xbox Xbox gaming applications and services
Family Microsoft Family Safety apps
Skype Skype communication software
LinkedIn LinkedIn social networking app
OneDrive Microsoft cloud storage client
Teams Microsoft Teams collaboration software
Disney Disney+ streaming app
Netflix Netflix streaming app
Spotify Spotify music streaming app
TikTok TikTok social media app
Instagram Instagram social media app
Facebook Facebook social media app
Candy Candy Crush and similar games
Twitter Twitter/X social media app
Minecraft Minecraft gaming apps

UWP/AppX Packages Removed

These Windows Store apps are removed for all users (current and future):

Microsoft Applications

  • Microsoft.OutlookForWindows - New Outlook client
  • Clipchamp - Video editing software
  • MicrosoftFamily - Family Safety features
  • OneDrive - Cloud storage integration
  • LinkedIn - Professional networking
  • Skype - Communication platform
  • MixedReality - Mixed Reality Portal
  • RemoteDesktop - Remote Desktop client
  • QuickAssist - Remote assistance tool
  • MicrosoftTeams - Collaboration platform

Gaming Applications

  • Xbox* - All Xbox-related apps and services
  • Minecraft* - Minecraft gaming apps

Entertainment & Social Media

  • Disney* - Disney+ streaming service
  • Netflix* - Netflix streaming service
  • Spotify* - Music streaming service
  • TikTok* - Short-form video platform
  • Instagram* - Photo sharing platform
  • Facebook* - Social networking platform
  • Twitter* - Microblogging platform
  • Candy* - Casual gaming apps (Candy Crush, etc.)

Windows Capabilities Removed

These optional Windows features are uninstalled:

Capability Description
App.Support.QuickAssist~~~~0.0.1.0 Quick Assist remote help
App.Xbox.TCUI~~~~0.0.1.0 Xbox Game Bar UI
App.XboxGameOverlay~~~~0.0.1.0 Xbox Game Overlay
App.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay~~~~0.0.1.0 Xbox Speech-to-Text
OpenSSH.Client~~~~0.0.1.0 OpenSSH Client
Microsoft.Windows.PowerShell.ISE~~~~0.0.1.0 PowerShell ISE

Security Software Removed

The script specifically targets and removes McAfee products:

  • All McAfee products found in the system's uninstall registry
  • Includes McAfee antivirus, security suites, and related components
  • Uses silent uninstall parameters for automated removal

Services Disabled

These Windows services are stopped and disabled:

Service Name Display Name Purpose
DiagTrack Connected User Experiences and Telemetry Data collection
dmwappushservice WAP Push Message Routing Service Mobile messaging
lfsvc Geolocation Service Location tracking
MapsBroker Downloaded Maps Manager Offline maps
XblAuthManager Xbox Live Auth Manager Xbox authentication
XblGameSave Xbox Live Game Save Service Xbox cloud saves
XboxNetApiSvc Xbox Live Networking Service Xbox networking

Registry Settings Disabled

System-Wide Policies (All Users)

  • Windows Consumer Features
  • Windows Spotlight Features
  • Tailored Experiences with Diagnostic Data
  • Windows Telemetry (set to basic level for security updates)
  • Windows Error Reporting
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program
  • Advertising ID
  • OneDrive File Sync

User-Specific Settings (Per Profile)

  • OneDrive startup entries
  • Windows tips and suggestions
  • Content delivery manager features
  • Privacy settings

Default User Profile (Future Users)

  • Consumer features and suggestions
  • Privacy settings
  • Content delivery settings
  • All promotional content

Apps Installed by DeployWorkstation.ps1

This lists all of the applications and runtime libraries that are automatically installed by the script to provide comprehensive functionality for a Windows workstation.

Standard Applications Installed

Security & Maintenance

Application Winget ID Description Purpose
Malwarebytes Malwarebytes.Malwarebytes Anti-malware protection Real-time malware detection and removal
BleachBit BleachBit.BleachBit System cleaner Disk cleanup and privacy protection

Web Browsers

Application Winget ID Description Purpose
Google Chrome Google.Chrome Web browser Primary internet browsing

Document & Media Tools

Application Winget ID Description Purpose
Adobe Acrobat Reader Adobe.Acrobat.Reader.64-bit PDF viewer Reading and viewing PDF documents
VLC Media Player VideoLAN.VLC Media player Playing various audio/video formats

Business & Productivity

Application Winget ID Description Purpose
Zoom Zoom.Zoom Video conferencing Online meetings and webinars

Utilities

Application Winget ID Description Purpose
7-Zip 7zip.7zip File archiver Compression and extraction of archives

Comprehensive Runtime Libraries

.NET Framework & Desktop Runtimes

Runtime Winget ID Description Compatibility
.NET Framework 4.8.1 Microsoft.DotNet.Framework.4.8.1 Latest .NET Framework Legacy Windows applications
.NET Desktop Runtime 8 Microsoft.DotNet.DesktopRuntime.8 .NET 8 Desktop apps Modern Windows applications
.NET Desktop Runtime 9 Microsoft.DotNet.DesktopRuntime.9 .NET 9 Desktop apps Latest Windows applications

Visual C++ Redistributables (Complete Coverage)

Version Architecture Winget ID Description
2015+ x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x64 Latest VC++ libraries (recommended)
2015+ x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x86 Latest VC++ libraries (32-bit)
2013 x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2013.x64 Visual Studio 2013 libraries
2013 x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2013.x86 Visual Studio 2013 libraries (32-bit)
2012 x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2012.x64 Visual Studio 2012 libraries
2012 x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2012.x86 Visual Studio 2012 libraries (32-bit)
2010 x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2010.x64 Visual Studio 2010 libraries
2010 x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2010.x86 Visual Studio 2010 libraries (32-bit)
2008 x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2008.x64 Visual Studio 2008 libraries
2008 x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2008.x86 Visual Studio 2008 libraries (32-bit)
2005 x64 Microsoft.VCRedist.2005.x64 Visual Studio 2005 libraries
2005 x86 Microsoft.VCRedist.2005.x86 Visual Studio 2005 libraries (32-bit)

Java Runtime & Development Kits (Optional)

Type Version Winget ID Description
JRE 8 Eclipse.Temurin.8.JRE Java Runtime Environment 8
JRE 11 Eclipse.Temurin.11.JRE Java Runtime Environment 11 LTS
JRE 17 Eclipse.Temurin.17.JRE Java Runtime Environment 17 LTS
JRE 21 Eclipse.Temurin.21.JRE Java Runtime Environment 21 LTS
JDK 8 Eclipse.Temurin.8.JDK Java Development Kit 8
JDK 11 Eclipse.Temurin.11.JDK Java Development Kit 11 LTS
JDK 17 Eclipse.Temurin.17.JDK Java Development Kit 17 LTS
JDK 21 Eclipse.Temurin.21.JDK Java Development Kit 21 LTS

Note: Java installations can be skipped using the -SkipJavaRuntimes parameter

Installation Statistics

Package Count by Category

  • Core Applications: 7 packages
  • .NET Frameworks/Runtimes: 3 packages
  • Visual C++ Redistributables: 12 packages
  • Java JRE Packages: 4 packages (optional)
  • Java JDK Packages: 4 packages (optional)
  • Total Packages: Up to 30 packages

Installation Features

  • Silent Installation: All apps install without user prompts
  • Source Verification: Uses official Winget repository
  • Agreement Acceptance: Automatically accepts package and source agreements
  • Error Handling: Continues installation even if individual apps fail
  • Success Threshold: 80% success rate considered acceptable
  • Detailed Logging: Individual package success/failure tracking
  • Installation Throttling: 500ms delays between installations to prevent system overload

Rationale for Runtime Library Coverage

Complete Compatibility

The comprehensive runtime library installation ensures compatibility with:

  • Legacy Applications: Older software requiring 2005-2013 VC++ libraries
  • Modern Applications: New software using .NET 8/9 and latest VC++ 2015+
  • Enterprise Software: Business applications often requiring specific runtime versions
  • Development Tools: Java-based IDEs and development environments
  • Gaming: Many games require specific VC++ redistributable versions

Version Coverage Strategy

  • Visual C++ 2015+: Covers most modern applications (backwards compatible)
  • Individual Legacy Versions: Required for specific older software that doesn't use newer libraries
  • Both Architectures: x64 and x86 coverage for mixed environments
  • .NET Coverage: Framework 4.8.1 for legacy, Desktop Runtime 8/9 for modern apps
  • Java LTS Versions: Long-term support versions (8, 11, 17, 21) for maximum compatibility

Customization Options

Adding Applications

To add more applications to the installation list, modify the $coreApps array in the script:

$coreApps = @(
    # Existing apps...
    @{ Id = 'Publisher.AppName'; Name = 'Display Name' }
)

Skipping Components

Use parameters to skip specific installation categories:

# Skip all application installations
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -SkipAppInstall

# Skip only Java runtime installations  
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -SkipJavaRuntimes

App Export/Import

Backup and restore application lists:

# Export current installations
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -ExportWingetApps

# Import from backup
.\DeployWorkstation-AllUsers.ps1 -ImportWingetApps

Installation Verification

After script completion, verify installations:

Via PowerShell

# Check installed programs
winget list

# Verify specific runtime
winget list --id Microsoft.VCRedist.2015+.x64

Via GUI

  • Check Windows "Add or Remove Programs"
  • Look for applications in Start Menu
  • Verify runtime libraries in installed programs list

Troubleshooting Installation Failures

Common Issues

  • Network Issues: Slow or unstable internet connection
  • Antivirus Blocking: Security software preventing downloads
  • Insufficient Space: Not enough disk space available
  • Permission Issues: Lack of administrator privileges
  • Package Conflicts: Existing installations interfering
  • Corporate Policies: Group policies blocking installations

Success Optimization

For best installation success rates:

  1. Run as Administrator: Always use elevated privileges
  2. Disable Antivirus: Temporarily disable real-time protection during installation
  3. Stable Connection: Ensure reliable internet connectivity
  4. Clean System: Run on freshly installed Windows when possible
  5. Check Logs: Review detailed installation logs for troubleshooting
  6. Use Parameters: Skip problematic categories with command-line parameters

Important Notes

  1. Comprehensive Coverage: The extensive runtime library installation ensures maximum application compatibility
  2. Selective Installation: Use -SkipJavaRuntimes to reduce installation time if Java isn't needed
  3. Future-Proof: Includes both legacy and modern runtime support
  4. Enterprise Ready: Suitable for business environments requiring broad software compatibility
  5. Logging: Detailed success/failure tracking for each package category
  6. Graceful Degradation: 80% success rate acceptance allows for realistic deployment scenarios

Restoration

To restore removed functionality:

  • UWP Apps: Reinstall from Microsoft Store
  • Windows Features: Re-enable via "Turn Windows features on or off"
  • Services: Re-enable via services.msc
  • Registry Settings: Manual registry editing required
  • McAfee: Download and reinstall from McAfee website

Last Updated: September 2025
Script Version: 3.0

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