WindowsPowerWash

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PowerWash: Interactive Usage Guide

This short guide walks you through how to use PowerWash in the “interactive usage” mode, which prompts you whether to enable each feature.

Setup

• You only need to download PowerWash.ps1 to use PowerWash interactively.
  • If you want to remove bloatware programs or install custom programs with PowerWash, you also need to download PowerWashSettings.yml
  • Alternatively, you can clone the whole repo by installing Git and running git clone https://github.com/PublicSatanicVoid/WindowsPowerWash
• Make sure your ExecutionPolicy allows scripts to run

Usage: Standard

• Open a PowerShell prompt as an Administrator
• cd to the directory containing PowerWash.ps1, e.g.: cd C:\Users\User\Downloads
• Run PowerWash: .\PowerWash.ps1
• You will be prompted step by step which PowerWash features you want to use. Make sure to read the descriptions carefully!

Usage: Benchmarking (recommended, but slower)

• Open a PowerShell prompt as an Administrator
• cd to the directory containing PowerWash.ps1, e.g.: cd C:\Users\User\Downloads
• Ensure your system is in a state you can roughly replicate, eg same programs open, same devices connected
• Run .\PowerWash.ps1 /stats to get a baseline reading of performance stats. (These are still in the works, but can already provide useful information!)
• Run .\PowerWash.ps1 and interactively select the changes you want to make. (To be completely thorough you would change only one, and repeat this workflow for each change)
• Restart your computer and put it back into as close a state as it was before
• Run .\PowerWash.ps1 /stats to get a new reading of performance stats. A comparison table between baseline and current will be shown, with absolute and percent change.
• Retain settings that improve performance, whether by the displayed metrics or others such as LatencyMon (see FEATURES.md) or your impression of system responsiveness.

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