Winwise 1.6.2

The backup page is now wider and easier to read on a PC, with less scrolling. Winwise 1.6.2 shows each section as its own card and, on wide screens, puts each option's summary beside its steps.

Open it at https://heliakon.github.io/winwise/ or download winwise.html below. It works offline.

What's new in 1.6.2

Separate cards

Every section of How to back up your OS is now its own card, with the page background showing between them. The Back up my files and Recover Windows labels sit between the cards, so it's easier to see where one topic ends and the next begins.

A wider page with two columns

The page is now up to 1,320 pixels wide, wider than the cards on Useful tools. On screens wider than 1,100 pixels, each section uses two columns:

• Left: the introduction, the summary of what the option protects, where it's stored, what happens to your files and when it's useful, plus the Microsoft sources.
• Right: the steps.

This keeps lines at a comfortable length while cutting scrolling. In a 1,440-pixel window, the page is about a fifth shorter than in 1.6.1. Tablets and phones keep a single column.

The overview in one row

Back up my files, Recover Windows and A practical combination now sit side by side at the top of the page.

Clean install

The clean install no longer asks you to link your digital license to a Microsoft account, or to have a product key, before you start. The page still notes that a PC that was activated before normally reactivates after you reinstall the same edition.

Upgrading from 1.6.1

• Your scripts and backups keep working. The script template only changes its version label to v1.6.2; the preview, apply and restore code is identical. Restore with -RestoreFrom using the script that created the backup, as before.
• Script choices are unchanged: 28 choices in 12 groups, and the conservative preset still contains Remote Registry, Fax and Retail Demo.
• Links to #backup and its sections keep working.

Download and verify

1. Download winwise.html below and open it in your browser. No install, server or internet connection needed.
2. To check the download, run this in PowerShell in the folder where you saved it. It prints True when the file matches this release:

(Get-FileHash .\winwise.html -Algorithm SHA256).Hash -eq '8787f33b28d0f3634f69d98fb5bd4dff84db037aff411d3a5f71383b2ad8e13d'

The same checksum is attached as winwise.html.sha256.

Under the hood

• Content: apart from the removed clean-install sentence, the backup guide's text is unchanged. It was last checked against Microsoft's documentation on October 29, 2026.
• Directory: still 157 entries. Service entries were not changed in this release.
• Checks: tools/test-data.mjs passed for all 157 entries, the 28 script choices and the 129 services excluded from scripts. tools/test-script-dependencies.ps1 passed all 12 scenarios under both PowerShell 7.6.9 and Windows PowerShell 5.1 in GitHub Actions.
• Browser: checks passed in dark and light mode at 1,440, 1,024 and 375 pixels wide, with no horizontal scrolling, all 10 in-page links working, and no page errors.
• Windows: the steps follow Microsoft's documentation. They were not tested on a Windows PC for this release.
• Site: the footer shows v1.6.2, and the guide's update date is October 30, 2026.

Full changelog: v1.6.1...v1.6.2