CLI-Powered Win 11 Setup: Fast, Private, and Bloat-Free

Just unboxed the new machine and the first thing I want to do is strip away all the nonsense and turn it into a productivity powerhouse, quickly. The default Windows 11 setup is slow, packed with bloat, and frankly, a bit invasive.

My goal for this setup:

1. Speed: Get all my essential software installed in minutes using the CLI.
2. Automation: Set up continuous auto-updating for all those apps.
3. Privacy: Disable as many of the nagging, data-hungry features as possible.

Here’s the reference guide for my personal Windows 11 “clean install” process.

Phase 1: Bypassing the OOBE & Account Wall Link to heading

The slowest part of any new Windows setup is the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), especially when it forces a Microsoft Account login. We’re skipping that to get straight to a local, private account.

1. When you reach the “Let’s connect you to a network” screen during setup, stop.
2. Hit Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
3. Type the following command and press Enter: OOBE\BYPASSNRO

The system will reboot. When it comes back up, you will now see the option to set up the device without an internet connection and create a local user account.

Phase 2: The Command-Line Software Stack (Winget) Link to heading

This is where the true speed comes in. Using Winget (the Windows Package Manager), I install everything in one go and ensure future maintenance is trivial.

Open Windows Terminal as Administrator (Right-click the Start button, select Windows Terminal (Admin)).

My Essentials Stack (Installed in One Line) Link to heading

This command uses the --silent flag for a non-interactive installation.

winget install WinMerge.WinMerge Axosoft.GitKraken Valve.Steam Postman.Postman ArminOsaj.AutoDarkMode Docker.DockerDesktop flux.flux Git.Git M2Team.NanaZip SumatraPDF.SumatraPDF EpicGames.EpicGamesLauncher Microsoft.Powertoys VideoLAN.VLC Notepad++.Notepad++ Microsoft.VisualStudioCode Mozilla.Firefox Google.Chrome CoreyButler.NVMforWindows JanDeDobbeleer.OhMyPosh --silent

Package List and Official Links Link to heading

Setting Up True Auto-Updates (Optional) Link to heading

The greatest benefit of using Winget is the upgrade --all command. To make it truly “set and forget,” we need to schedule it.

1. Open the Task Scheduler app.
2. In the Actions pane, select Create Basic Task…
3. Name: Winget Auto Update
4. Trigger: Weekly (or Daily).
5. Action: Start a program
6. Program/script: powershell.exe
7. Add arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "winget upgrade --all --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements"

Phase 4: The Annoyance & Privacy Lockdown Link to heading

This phase disables the features that compromise privacy or simply clutter the interface.

1. CLI Privacy (Killing Telemetry) Link to heading

To stop Windows from sending optional usage and diagnostic data, we disable the core service via the command line.

Open Windows Terminal as Administrator and run these two commands:

# Disable the service from starting at boot
sc config diagtrack start= disabled
# Stop the service immediately
sc stop diagtrack
# Registry edit to set Telemetry to 0 (lowest possible)
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection" /v "AllowTelemetry" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f

2. GUI De-bloat and Clutter Reduction Link to heading

Use the Settings app (press Win + I) to eliminate visual noise and “suggestions” (aka ads).

Anything else I forgot? Leave a comment below.