On Sat, 23 Jun 2018 07:38:02 -0500, Char Jackson wrote:

What's the difference between these two?

440_remove_uac_for_one_program.txt
510_turn_off_user_account_control_uac_for_1_exec utable.txt

Hi Char Jackson,

I very much appreciate that you looked at the list with a critical eye!
(I hope my answers & questions back of you help all of us together.)

Thanks for catching the dups in that list of the first 50 tasks anyone
would need to do in order to manually set up a new Windows 10 system.

The dups existed simply becuase I took my 2016 and 2017 archives, and
copied over to the 2018 archives the first 50 tasks that anyone would do in
order to set up a new Windows 10 computer manually.

I've since corrected them (see list below), where I appreciate that you
caught the duplication. What you noticed is that I've had a perennial
problems setting up VPN such that I can select any score of six thousand
OpenVPN configuration text files to start VPN.

This worked fine in Windows XP, but the UAC of Windows 10 makes that task
miserably inefficient - where I'm still working on a global solution to the
UAC problem, which entails hitting a switch to disable UAC for just certain
files (which is still a work in progress as exemplified by this thread):
Have you ever successfully turned off User Account Control (UAC) for just a given executable?
http://www.pcbanter.net/showthread.php?t=1104349

Thanks for catching the duplicate. I've since merged then and re-ordered
the list (see below for the update).

(What key steps am I missing that you do on each new setup?)
Disable UAC.

This is part of the above-mentioned note, where globally disabling UAC is
problematic, but which is described how to do it inside the note as
follows:
================================================== ==========================
Turn off User Account Control (UAC) globally in Windows 10
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_uac1.jpg

1. Directly open the control panel (remember, don't ever rely on Cortana):
RMB-Start Run C:\Windows\System32\control.exe ENTER

2. Navigate to Control Panel User Accounts
Change User Account Control settings
Move the slider from the penultimate setting of:
- Always notify me when
Apps try to install software or make changes to my computer
I make changes to Windows settings
- Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (default)
Don't notify me when I make changes to Windows settings
- Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer
Do not dim my desktop
Don't notify me when I make changes to Windows settings
Never notify me when:
Apps try to install software or make changes to my computer
I make changes to Windows settings
Then press OK.

Or...
1. Create (or navigate to) the registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Pol icies\System
2. Create (or modify) the value of the EnableLUA DWORD from 1 to 0
UAC enabled = EnableLUA = 1 (this is the default)
UAC disabled = EnableLUA = 0

Note that WinAero Tweaker also has this setting but it's best to modify
Windows using Windows' native capabilties.
================================================== ==========================

Disable System Restore.

Hmmmmmm... Thanks... that's interesting. Very interesting.
Why would we want to disable System Restore?

In the first fifty steps, you'll note this note
460_create_system_restore_point

Which covers how to create a system restore point from the command line and
from the tool named "System Restore Point Creator".

Is there a good reason NOT to allow system restore point creation?
(Or did I misunderstand your suggestion?)

Disable automatic restart on crash.

Hmmmmmm... also very interesting. I thought that was already there.
003_automatic_restart_after_update_disable

But I just looked - and it's in my 2017 archives as shown below.
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_restore1.jpg

Last updated this past February (when I had to rebuild a system).
So THANK YOU for catching that omission!

I have one question about whether the disabling of autostart on Windows
updates is the same action as disabling autostart on crashes?

Are they the same setup? Or different?
For example, here is what that file contains for disabling automatic
restart on updates (which is what had bricked my system in January):

To disable automatic start after Windows mandatory updates
Open the control panel using the power windows shell (so you can be admin)
Control Panel
System and Security
Administrative Tools
Task Scheduler
Task Scheduler Library
Microsoft
Windows
UpdateOrchestrator.
Right click on Reboot task,
and Disable it.

Bearing in mind that they may be different actions, is that the same thing
you're suggesting?

Enable display of file extensions.

Yes. Thank you for pointing that out.
http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=18_setup005.jpg

That, and displaying hidden files is covered in this note.
290_set_up_windows_file_explorer_options

Here is a sample of what's in that note by way of explanation, where I
appreciate that you noticed that it's a typical top-50 Windows setup need.
================================================== ==========================
In the file explorer, check "Options" (at the right) and uncheck:
File Explorer View Options Change folder and search options
General Privacy
[_]Show recently used files in Quick access
[X]Show frequently used folders in Quick access
Clear File Explorer history [Clear]
================================================== ==========================
File Explorer View Options Change folder and search options
View
[_]Hide extensions for known file types
[_]Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
[Apply to Folders]
================================================== ==========================

That's just a few off the top of my head. I don't keep a list.

I have long kept lists of lists, but I never whittled down the myriad
things you have to do to the top-50 bare essentials, simply because I
performed them ad hoc, as I thought about them or as I ran into problems.

Here's the updated top-50 list, thanks to your helpful suggestions!
* 010_save_important_old_license_keys.txt
* 020_download_burn_and_install_windows.txt
* 030_install_windows_dual_boot_with_linux.txt
* 040_disable_automatic_restart_after_update.txt
* 050_update_windows_to_latest.txt
* 060_check_windows_activation_status.txt
* 070_change_windows_power_plan.txt
* 080_snapshot_initial_setup_files_and_services.txt
* 090_disable_onedrive_update.txt
* 100_monitor_and_log_installation_changes.txt
* 110_disable_keyboard_capslock.txt
* 120_create_folder_and_shortcut_hierarchy.txt
* 130_remove_shortcut_extraneous_text.txt
* 140_move_screenshot_and_download_location.txt
* 150_modify_all_windows_settings_in_series.txt
* 160_clean_up_ms_installation_crap.txt
* 170_remove_rightclick_menu_new_stuff_clutter.txt
* 180_add_open_command_window_here.txt
* 190_disable_auto_resizing_of_window_privacy_hole.t xt
* 200_clean_desktop_and_make_efficient_background.tx t
* 210_enable_editing_of_extensionless_files.txt
* 220_change_cortana_default_from_bing_to_opera.txt
* 230_add_edge_browser_save_as_dialog.txt
* 240_add_colorized_open_as_admin_command.txt
* 250_install_legacy_printers_as_needed.txt
* 260_add_pdf_printer_sans_privacy_metadata.txt
* 270_run_and_save_system_benchmark_results.txt
* 280_set_up_dvd_sized_storage_folders.txt
* 290_set_up_windows_file_explorer_options.txt
* 300_add_mvp_hosts_and_start_run_hosts_commands.txt
* 310_create_start_run_and_cortana_commands.txt
* 320_turn_on_start-run_memory_switch.txt
* 330_create_app_hierarchy.txt
* 340_create_quick_access_folders.txt
* 350_remove_3dobjects_folders_in_file_explorer.txt
* 360_create_cascade_menu.txt
* 370_create_rmb_send_to_menu_customization.txt
* 380_add_open_with_any_desired_app_to_context_menu. txt
* 390_organize_quicklaunch.txt
* 390_organize_taskbar.txt
* 400_organize_orthodox_and_heterodox_startmenu.txt
* 410_organize_desktop.txt
* 420_install_basic_software.txt
* 430_create_start_run_commands.txt
* 440_remove_uac_for_one_program.txt
* 450_create_batch_shortcut_in_quicklaunch.txt
* 460_create_system_restore_point.txt
* 480_paste_control_v_in_vim_editor.txt
* 490_test_browsers_for_privacy.txt
* 500_enable_pinterest_browse_sans_login.txt