Windows users have plenty of tools at their disposal that let them customize Windows installation or bypass the system requirements of the Windows 11 operating system.
Rufus and Flyby11 are two excellent tools for the latter (and more). If you want a tool that is more powerful but more challenging to set up, you can check out the open source script UnattendedWinstall,
The tool uses an officially supported option to make changes to the installation of Windows directly on the installation media. It uses unattended-files, also known as reply files. These can be run on official Windows ISO images provided by Microsoft.
The developer says they have tested the functionality on Windows 10 version 22H2 and Windows 11 version 24H2. It may also be compatible with other versions, but this has not been tested.
Key Features of UnattendedWInstall
- Bypass Windows 11 system requirements.
- Forcibly skip Microsoft account creation during setup.
- Disable Windows Defender and User Account Control by default.
- AI device disables copilot and recall.
- Removes inflammation from the system. As far as apps are concerned, only Microsoft Edge, Notepad and Calculator remain installed.
- Install security updates only from Windows Update.
- Performs various registry optimizations, including disabling telemetry.
- Disables “Unnecessary Scheduled Tasks”.
- Configures Windows services for optimal performance.
The good news is that you can modify it in detail. The difficult thing is that you have to edit the given autouattend.xml file. Obviously, it's not for everyone
This is the file you need to place in the root of the Windows installation media. Windows recognizes the setup file and executes its instructions during setup.
You can also run the script on an existing Windows installation to make adjustments or correct things that Windows has changed. This may happen during the installation of updates.
tip: It is a good idea to test it extensively in virtual machines before starting to use it on physical devices.
So, who is it for? If you just want to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware or make changes, you can reach that goal faster by using one of the other tools mentioned above and a tweaker like WinAero. If you like making changes and testing, and you regularly install Windows 10 or 11 on multiple systems, you may find this way of doing it more efficient.
concluding words
UnattendedWInstall is a powerful tool for modifying your Windows installation. This may require modification depending on your needs. You may want to get UAC or Defender working, or remove some changes made by default.
This is a one-time process, but it may require a lot of time and understanding of how inaccessible files are structured.
What is your opinion on this tool? Is this something you would use or already have? Do you apply changes to Windows during or after installation? Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading..
