Multi-OEM/Retail Project {MRP} - Mk3

They sure do!

You 'think' you got something sorted and they move the goal posts again.

Have had a few crashes in this lot of mrp 132 test stages, only thing is i not know how to remove those orphaned tiles of the uninstalled apps via scripting, at least the selected apps are gone. Easy enough to unpin them manually.

Have put the beta branding tool on hold so can get this release sorted. It is fully operative as it is.

Also managed to do a bit on the qt, updated the gui display program and hopefully the graphics info vbscript so it show the , or . denominator correctly on non latin based languages.

Typing this on my phone while on a break at work, awkward to type long replies.

Taken me 10+ mins to type this and 6 of those was spent fixing spelling lol

 

MRP 132 is at TC5 stage...

Log Snippet:

Code:

[RSSAS] Remove all the possible 'Safe' Apps from the OS, but *NOT* the Store, Calculator, Snip, Camera, Sticky Notes, Phone or XBox. This will also set the 'Prevent Store Apps from auto-updating' MRP Option.
[NSAAU] {**} Prevent any UWP/Store Apps from automatically updating. This Option was enabled by: [NOADV], [RSSAS]  

If the 'Remove All 'Safe' Apps' option is used you will see that new [RSSAS] info line, when it is not in use and the user selects anything from the list of removable Apps then they will be shown as before in the log.

TC4 i made the mistake of altering a switch logic variable and no apps was removed even though it was selected!

I'm sure i mentioned that the main script is very sensitive.

 

Here is the W10 Apps now removed by the options in MRP v132 when released in early December 2020, there are quite a few as i mentioned before...

Spoiler: MRP v132 - App Removal Lists

List of the Apps removable by options:
3D Builder, 3D Viewer, FaceBook, FeedBack Hub (not removed on Insider builds), Messaging/Commnunications, NetFlix, Office Hub and OneNote - [ This does not remove the Online Office Tiles on the Start Menu - use the 'Clean/Slim Start Menu' option(s) to clear those ], Skype, Sound Recorder, Twitter, MicroSoft Wallet, Zune (Music and Video), Candy Crush games, Farmville, MineCraft, Royal Revolt, Solitaire Collection, MicroSoft Maps, People, Getting Started, All Bing related Apps, Spotify, Paint3D and Photos.

The other Apps also removed when the "Remove all 'safe' Apps" option is used:

All the above listed and then these:
Advertising, Get Help, Network Speed Test, News, Sway, Lens, OneConnect, Remote Desktop App, Alarms, Eclipse, ActiPro, Adobe PhotoShop Express App, AutoDesk, DuoLingo App, Pandora, Asphalt, Disney, March Of Empires, Wunderlist, Flipboard, CBSPreview?, DrawBoardPDF, MicroSoft ToDo's, Whiteboard, PPIProjection and Mixed Reality.

The above additional listing is using general names and by using wildcards anything *like* that name will also be gone!

Note: The Store, Snip, Phone, Camera, Calculator and XBox Apps are NOT removed. Also remember that any new CU/Build update may add new Apps not on the above lists.

Also added a new option to hide the Skype's 'Meet Now' icon from the System Tray (Experimental) - you cannot uninstall it and only hide it at present. This seems only on 20H2+ but the option should also hide it on lower builds should it be present.

When the remove Skype , (or the remove all safe apps), option(s) are used then the hide 'Meet Now' will be performed too.

I cannot guarantee that any removed Apps will get reinstalled on a CU/Build update but in tests they was not reinstalled on a later CU... If they do then m$ has gone against their own Deprovised AppX package system, but there again when do they follow the rules?

I very much doubt i will be adding any other Apps to the above list(s) this time round as I think that has covered quite a lot, at least now the routine is in place to remove any new ones added in future builds etc.

Remember when using any remove App or more so with the "Remove all 'Safe' Apps" option(s) that it *will* add some extra time to the oobe stage before the username etc is created. The amount of time depends on how fast the computer is and the amount of Apps being removed.

 

Getting closer for v132 release

Last few bits to tidy up or tweak if needed.

 

Odd on my tests i only saw store, edge and a few empty down arrow tiles

Although my tests was done with no network connected.

I guess it depends on any cu added etc too.

I do know technically some apps can be awkward to remove, like the contentdelivery one which mrp does not touch as i tried a force removal and the os locked up solid!

I see the apps removed, just some tiles might not be gone.

On tests, a wu update the removed apps didnt come back, will have to see how things go, on some languages some apps may be different so not all those will be removed.

At least the majority will be gone , any left over tiles can be manually unpinned.

Also any new user added later the apps should not re-appear , but ms may sneak some back.

 

Hmm i will check the 2nd part of the routine.

Seems very sensitive.

 

Tc7a uses my old method for the 2nd part which it does not use the new wildcard part which may not act same for appx.

I wish ms's documentation explained things clearer

 

It may have to wait until monday for me to have time to sort it, as busy until then.

 

Well found a bit of time this morning and updated to TC8... Tweaked the AppX removal - it should be more efficent and slightly faster as i now check if a flag was set to indicate the app was removed already.

My Start menu looks like:
- Click for larger picture.

The only difference i think is that the pc was not connected to the net during installation and then when connected online after desktop appeared i tried to click those down arrow ones and nothing happens, no app appears or attempts to download etc...

The picture above is when the test pc was online later, (activated too - i checked ), i had clicked those tiles with the arrow things on and nothing at all happened, tried several times and after many minutes still nothing changed.

So for the best effect is to not be connected to the internet during installation, as i think that what is happening is that some apps/tiles probably get auto installed with later versions, so somewhere in the OS is a list of pre-installed apps that will get auto updated, or reinstalled if missing, when the pc is online during oobe.

I can't find any way to prevent that via the appx method used, as said before i will not use the DISM way during oobe stages as it is very risky and may cause lockups or crashes.

Simply use other tools to remove any app from the WIM image, if you wish, but note any removed by dism may return later, the mrp routine will skip past any app selected if not found on the system.