Windows 10 Ameliorated - The most "barebones" version of Windows 10

[trs96]

Do you hate Cortana, forced Windows Updates, telemetry, Edge Browser, Tiles, the Windows Store, Mail and most everything else MS bundles with Windows 10 ?

Best Use Case for Windows 10 AME: If you really liked Windows 7 but can't use it anymore due to it's lack of security updates/patches this is a way to "get 7 back again" and not have to worry about all the unpatched vulnerabilities in 7. This Windows 10 will run faster, even on much older hardware. Older PC desktops and especially laptops often get completely bogged down by the latest, heavily bloated version of Windows. I see so many older PCs that have been upgraded to 10 and in the process become mostly unusable for anyone without all day to get some work done.

"The goal of the AME project is to provide a stable and non-intrusive build of Windows 10, without sacrificing usability and Win32 compatibility for the majority of mainstream applications. This includes the avoidance and riddance of privacy infringing automated data collection services, central to Microsoft’s strategy for the Windows 10 operating system."

"Spyware systems, which are abundant in Windows 10 by default, have not been disabled using group policy, registry entries or various other workarounds – they have been entirely removed and deleted from the system, on an executable-level. This includes Windows Update, and any related services intended to re-patch the system via what is essentially a universal backdoor. Core applications, such as the included Edge web-browser, Windows Media Player, Cortana, as well as any appx applications, have also been successfully eliminated. The total size of removed files is about 2 GB."

Have to wonder what MS thinks about this project. It basically strips everything out of Windows that MS uses to gather information and collect your personal data. In other words, it takes away their ability to mine your data for profit. Wow.

Windows 10 Minus The Spyware + Added Stability and Security

A stable, non-intrusive yet fully functional build of Windows 10 to anyone, who requires the Windows operating system natively

ameliorated.info

There are many downsides to using this and you wouldn't want non-technical people trying to use this as their primary version of Windows. It would be much more difficult to install any security updates for example. In that scenario it's better to use the Windows Debloater tool and leave Windows update untouched.

AME does not allow for the installation of critical security patches, by means of regular Windows Updates, as this subsystem has been stripped from the OS entirely.

How To Install Updates

system_updates [AME Wiki]

wiki.ameliorated.info

Legal Considerations

By downloading any of these images, you agree to Microsoft’s Terms of Service with respect to (5.) Authorized Software and Activation. All Images have been rudimentarily activated using a Generic Key for Windows 10 Pro N RTM. By using any of these images you agree that you have obtained a genuine product key or are able to activate by an other authorized method.

AME is developed for educational purposes only, which emphasizes an effort to reverse engineer, disable or replace components of the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system. The goal is an endeavor to better understand and mitigate the collection of Personally identifiable information (PII), as has been clearly outlined by numerous outlets covering the topic, including comments by famed whistle-blower Edward Snowden. Another goal is to replace included proprietary Windows software, such as the Edge web-browser, with ethically verifiable alternatives using open-source licenses.

 

[trs96]

Here's a YT video related to this topic. Guide for Windows Power Users that want their privacy back. Wolfgang states that it takes around 2 hours to complete this project. The video instructional guide goes very fast so you may want to slow the playback speed down to 75% once he gets to that part (at about 6 minutes in). You could also pause it multiple times to catch the info as it flies by.

From the larger perspective all this work is to give you something a lot more like Linux. Why not just use Linux instead ? I guess the ability to run some Windows only apps would be the primary reason. One more interesting note. You can see by his laptop screensaver that he uses a hackintoshed Lenovo laptop.

 

[trs96]

Here's where you can get the latest Windows 2004 iso if you don't want use a PC and the Windows Media creation tool to download the iso. https://tb.rg-adguard.net/public.php They are using TechBench by WZT

Make sure to test the Windows 10 hash to verify it hasn't been tampered with. https://www.howtogeek.com/67241/htg-explains-what-are-md5-sha-1-hashes-and-how-do-i-check-them/

Here's the windows 10 2004 (64 Bit English) checksum SHA-256.

A9EFD2329ED805A6A58E0E0101F9B22AD4031E80E2C663C571CD004DB26D2F31

I downloaded from this rg.adguard.net site and the Windows 2004 iso was genuine and untampered with. That doesn't mean you don't have to check yours though.

https://pureinfotech.com/verify-windows-10-2004-iso-hash-powershell/

 

[trs96]

Here's an idea for using the ISO of Windows 10 AME. With the WintoUSB app it's simple to make a bootable Windows 10 USB that you can use for occasional need to run Windows without having to install it in dual boot with macOS. https://www.easyuefi.com/wintousb/ Note that you need to use the Win10 Home version and not the Pro or Server versions when making a bootable USB, Windows to Go drive.

 

[Feartech]

Linus did a video the other day about it, looked ok, I wouldn't use it....

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Good write-up @trs96

Didn't know about this project. Couple of queries:

1) do you still have to activate Windows? If so how does that work for a 'portable USB" version?

2) hope it is WDM compatible for things like AMD and NVidia video drivers.

I recently tried some Linux distributions and used Balena Etcher to create USB boot sticks. In all of them power-management is lacking. Especially the AMD "3D Fan control". The fans were just "On" from boot and didn't fully stop as they should.

This is one reason I regularly check-out Linux but never use it day to day. Windows, even the AME version, would I hope still have the default power-management and driver support needed to treat hardware correctly. Linux is sold way beyond its capabilities in my opinion. There may be kernel tweaks and the like to address this, but they should be defaults not secrets only a techie knows.

 

[trs96]

1) do you still have to activate Windows?

No, nowadays you can use the full fledged MS version of Windows without activation and everything works normally. You just get a non-removable watermark reminding you to activate. The one other thing is they prevent customization options such as the color choices and desktop wallpaper.

hope it is WDM compatible for things like AMD and NVidia video drivers.

It should be. I haven't tried it yet though. You would download them from the respective websites instead of going through Windows Update to get drivers. They state that DX12 games won't work. Not a big deal if you aren't a Windows gamer.

 

[Going Bald]

You do not need to activate Win10 to be able to use it. You can get rid of the Activate Windows now nag with a regedit:
Navigate to Computer\HKey_Local_ Machine\System|CurrentControlSet\Services\svsvc and, on the right-hand side, double click on “Start” DWORD value to modify it.

Set the ‘Value Data‘ to “4” and then click on “OK” to save the changes on your computer.

Credit to the Geek Page site for the photo.

Whether you use the Win10 or the Win10 AME version depends on what you plan to use Win10 for and if you want/need to personalize it. Personally, I run the Debloater script from Chris Titus site and just set the Feature updates to the longest delay and leave the security updates on a 90 day delay to get the bugs out first.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

You do not need to activate Win10 to be able to use it. You can get rid of the Activate Windows now nag with a regedit:
Navigate to Computer\HKey_Local_ Machine\System|CurrentControlSet\Services\svsvc and, on the right-hand side, double click on “Start” DWORD value to modify it.

Set the ‘Value Data‘ to “4” and then click on “OK” to save the changes on your computer.

Credit to the Geek Page site for the photo.

That's a useful trick. Thanks

 

[trs96]

I wouldn't use it....

If you verify your Windows ISO download is legit and build it yourself there's really nothing to worry about. The upside is that you don't have your Big Brother Microsoft collecting your data (every click and keystroke) in relation to everything you do online. Then they send you targeted ads and all that nonsense.