Windows 11 comes loaded with a bunch of different apps and features that I neither want nor use. Normally, after a fresh install I spend quite a bit of time just getting rid of things. This application let me create my own Windows 11 ISO that cuts the bloat before I even install it.
What is Winhance?
Winhance is an application normally used to add or remove Windows 11 components. If you've ever debloated Windows 11 post-install, it probably used a method similar to what Winhance does under the hood.
Winhance just provides a convenient user interface that is easier to digest than a long PowerShell script.
It is also capable of changing dozens of settings related to your privacy and security, power, advertising, gaming performance, alerts and notifications, and more via the Optimization tab.
Like with Winhance's ability to add or remove programs, you can't do anything in the Settings section that you can't do somewhere else in Windows. It just provides an extremely convenient place to get access to it all at once, instead of having to hunt through a mix of settings buried in the Control Panel or in the "new" Settings app.
In many ways, Winhance's Optimization tab strikes me as what a modern version of Control Panel would look like–information dense with everything in one place.
Above and beyond modifying your existing Windows 11 installation, Winhance can also be used to modify a Windows ISO in advance, which can save you time later.
Creating a bloat-free Windows 11 ISO
To reduce the need to manually configure Windows every single time I perform a complete reinstall or set up a VM, I created a bloat-free Windows 11 ISO that I can use instead of the default one. The process relies on autounattended.xml, which is Microsoft's own configuration file that tells Windows what to install and what to skip.
Winhance provides an easy-to-use interface to create an autounattended XML file instead of creating one manually.
Download a Windows 11 ISO
First, download the Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft.
Don't use the Installation Assistant—it won't help in this case.
Configure your Windows 11 installation
Once you have your Windows 11 ISO downloaded, you need to determine what you'd like to be installed with Windows. Winhance leaves all of them blank by default, though I'd recommend against that kind of ultra-minimalist install.
For example, Microsoft Edge is used by a lot of other things behind the scenes, and not installing Edge can and will cause intermittent problems for you .
Additionally, some of the things you can include by default are just handy to have around. I configured my ISO to include:
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Alarms and Clock
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Notepad
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Photos
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Sound Recorder
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Sticky Notes
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Calculator
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Terminal
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Snipping Tool
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Microsoft Edge
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Windows Media Player
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OpenSSH Client
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WSL
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Windows Sandbox
You can pick and choose whichever you'd like, but I'd always recommend both Terminal and Microsoft Edge at a minimum.
Create your custom ISO
Once you've selected the applications, capabilities, and optional features that you want, click "Advanced Tools," then select "WIMUtil."
Select the default Windows 11 ISO you downloaded and hit "Start Extraction". Once that is finished, click the "Generate" button next to Generate an Add Winhance XML under Add XML File.
If you want to add drivers, you can do that in the Extract and Add Drivers section. Otherwise, open "Create a new ISO," then select "Download," select your location, and hit "Create ISO."
Once you have that ISO, all you need to do is plug in a flash drive or external SSD, then use a program like Rufus to burn the ISO.
I carry my ISO on an external SSD that I've configured with Ventoy, which allows me to store multiple operating system ISOs and tools on a single drive. It isn't something I use every day, but when I do need to perform a full reinstall of Windows, it is nice to be able to do so without fighting with the bloat.
