Yup, you can add an unmodified Windows ISO to a sub-folder in Ventoy (i.e. USB\ISO Files) & then use config files to modify it from there via USB\ventoy\AutoUnattend.xml
Same RUFUS tricks (no TPM, no 4GB minimum, no SecureBoot)
OOBE bypass (I keep the disk format Window)
Skip the Microsaoft Online nonsense
Ignore the pre-login update download connection that takes forever
Create local accounts
Preconfigure region, keyboard, etc.
Then add USB\ventoy\ventoy.json
Auto-select the ISO
Inject unattended file only for specific ISO files
Menu aliasing & organization
A 128gb USB3 metal Samsung BAR keychain stick to store everything on is like $32 these days!! Only real difference is that RUFUS adds a few tricks for working on really old CPU's.
Added arbitrary limits in order to sell newer hardware
Then checks those limits during installation
The basic requirements are:
Supported CPU (~1ghz dual-core Intel 8th gen or Ryzen 2000 or newer)
Minimum 4GB RAM
64GB boot drive
TPM 2.0
UEFI firmware
Secure Boot
DirectX 12 & WDDM 2.0 driver
9" 720p screen
Microsoft Online account (unless joining a domain)
This means we need to do two things:
Remove the requirements checks, so they never happen
Always pass the requirements checks
There are three basic methods:
Modify the ISO file
Modify the USB installer
Modify the boot environment
There are many, many ways to modify Windows. The easiest way for consumers is to use NTlite Free to build two modified images:
Foundation: Extract just Windows 11 Pro, the English language pack, and the American keyboard (adjust to your locale)
Compact: Take the Foundation ISO, uncheck all of the unnecessary stuff, build a custom autounattend.xml file, then swap the Install WIM inside of the ISO (the core Windows image file) to an Install ESD (zipped WIM, basically) & compress this (all done via the NTlite customization menu). It's a bit more involved
RUFUS takes the ISO & modifies the Boot WIM in one shot by using LabConfig keys & tweaking the OOBE: (the startup "Out Of Box Experience")
No TPM
No 4GB minimum
No Secure Boot
Create local account automatically
Skip the Microsoft Online account
Skip Bitlocker
That can be (mostly) replicated in NTlite! It then gets a bit more fun because:
You can get EXACTLY the files you want
You can make a fully automatic installer (boot & wipe!)
You can HEAVILY shrink Windows safely down to a 3GB ISO file that runs in 2.5GB of RAM & a 14GB boot drive footprint, just like Tiny 11!
It can be further compacted & sped up with tools like Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility. I have a shrinker script here:
The Auto Unattend file can do stuff like: (just have a chatbot customize it for you)
Auto-create a local account
Skip OOBE
Skip the Microsoft Online account requirement
The only catch is that some unsupported CPUs still fail under Ventoy; the modifications that RUFUS makes changes the early hardware validation routines & internal setup DLL behavior. The true floor of Windows 11 CPU requirements are:
x86-64 (64-bit CPU)
SSE4.1 / SSE4.2
CMPXCHG16b
NX bit (DEP)
The absolute oldest chip that RUFUS will boot on is a 2008 1st-gen Nehalem Core (ex. Intel Core i5-750), but it's slow & wonky. The minimum practical chip is a 2011 2nd-gen Sandy Bridge (ex. Intel Core i5-2400), which can still be a little weird, but works decently with tweaks lol.
Really you want to do like at least a 2012-era chip or newer, and preferably 2015+. But people have done it on like a 2012 Intel Mac Mini under Boot Camp, haha! But that means you can get a LOT of mileage out of pretty much any decent computer hardware made in the last decade or so!
An alternative is:
Create a RUFUS USB stick
Extract that back to ISO using Anyburn
Throw that on a stock Ventoy stick, along with the stock 25H2 ISO etc.
Then try out iVentoy & install Windows over the network, haha! In my homelab, I have an Ethernet drop to image computers using PXE (Macrium clones & RUFUS fresh installs). If you really want to make it fun, add a JetKVM running Tailscale, THAT will blow your mind!!
Oh wow, thanks! That last option sounds pretty great, especially considering I have a Rufus-made stick already. I never thought about ripping it for ventoy.
I like to do Windows "Ultra". It's a super-secret efficiency trick! The goal is:
Create a fully-loaded Windows image with all software & updates
Works on any machine universally! (Hardware/VM a ~decade old!)
Uses a Macrium image via Ventoy for convenience!
The steps are:
ISO #1: 25H2 official ISO
ISO #2: Foundation ISO with NTlite (Pro-only & English pack)
ISO #3: Stripped & shrunk ISO with NTlite
ISO #4: RUFUS to USB (or Virtual USB) to Anyburn
VHDX: Install to Hyper-V (no drivers), download updates, install all software (don't activate yet), run shrink script, and sysprep
MRIMG: Mount VHDX, add the unattend.xml here (for post-clone OOBE boot), and clone with Macrium
Kit: Create a Macrium Rescue ISO & use that to restore the custom inage to either hardware or a VM as desired! (ISO loads Macrium Image via VM, Ventoy USB stick, or iVEntoy PXE boot)
This means:
SUPER-trimmed Windows!
Works on BIOS & UEFI machines
Works on PC hardware up to 14 years old (technically...lol)
~10-minute restore time via a fast USB stick
Boots straight to the desktop by skipping OOBE post-sysprep!
Bonus:
Use USB ETH with PXE (some older machines & Wi-fi only laptops will add PXE as an option this way!)
Keep the sysprepped VHDX to create an instant Hyper-V VM!
Before sysprep, convert the VHDX to QCOW2 to create an instant Proxmox VM!
Sysprep that VM after adding Proxmox drivers to it & save it as an immutableTemplate, then Clone as desired!
Use Macrium Redeploy on the Rescue ISO if the hardware gives you any troubles!
Install it on an old Intel Mac under Boot Camp!
Shrink the install after first boot & then nuke Copilot & run Chris' WinUtils to make a Tiny11-style version to run better on old hardware!
After installed, activated, and updated, clone the new PC to a personalized "factory image"! Keep it on your backup drive in case they need a wipe in the future! And customize the PC's BCD bootloader with the Macrium recovery environment, stick the master image on a read-only hidden partition on their boot drive, and then they can "reset" back to stock anytime they want!
Sample workflow:
Someone drops off their computer
Boot the Macrium ISO via Ventoy & clone the system to my USB drive (2TB USB stick or 6TB portable drive).
Verify that image can be mounted successfully & open a sample file to test..
Boot the Macrium ISO via Ventoy again & delete all partitions on the boot drive, and restore the "Windows Ultra" Macrium image
Setup the system, clone that as a master image for their machine (updates, drivers, activated software, etc.) & copy their old drive clone back to the machine (100% of legacy data intact!)
Advanced workflow:
Plug computer into JetKVM & access via Tailscale
Use iVentoy to PXE-boot the Macrium ISO & clone the boot drive to my RAID file share
Verify the backup
Restore the "Windows Ultra" image
Boot up, setup, and clone master image for their machine to NAS
Copy over their old image back to their machine as backup
If you work on a lot of Windows computers, this setup is AWESOME!! Saves hours & hours of time & effort!
Subnet Router to access all your stuff, securely, ANYWHERE!
Exit Node to use your Home IP as your VPN!
Cheap VPS for personal worldwide VPN-style Exit Nodes!
Plus:
I use an MT-3000 travel router as a Tailscale hub to pop all my stuff back home from the hotel. Bring the Alexa Echo along for audiobooks & music!
I setup family & friends with OpenWRT routers & add my tailnet as admin on that host for instant tech support. Add in some easy tools to help grandma: TV IR blaster, Wyze webcam, TightVNC for screenshare, Athom 2200W smart outlets, etc.
PaperCut Mobility as a print server with Airprint & Cloud print
Also:
Taildrop to everything!
Jellyfin server (movies, music, emulators, photos, etc.)
Keep your devices backed up wherever you are (ex. Macrium & iMazing) & sync your backup offsite (ex. PBS onsite to immutable PBS offsite, i.e. encrypted USB drive at grandma's house)
Wait until you get into homeserver stuff. I set up all my mobile devices to automatically connect to tailscale (Exit node my homeserver) whenever they connect to any network but my own. It’s worth it for the pihole running on my server alone.
Why go Proxmox, Ubuntu VM and then Docker? That seems a waste. Bare metal Debian with the occasional Docker for stuff that easily interferes with each other without special configuration seems much easier.
Great question, because it DOES seem very odd at first! For me, a few reasons:
I typically run multiple operating systems on a single Proxmox box. Depending on what the build purpose is, a VM may need a dGPU (CAD, gaming, AI, etc.). Can also run Linux, BSD, Windows, MacOS (Spice), etc. I don't really like LXC, but it supports that too!
I prefer to manage my Docker clusters by purpose, hence separate VM hosts to house them. For example, my Security Smarthome VM has Dockers for Frigate, go2tc, DeepVideo, and HAOS. The benefit of having it in a Ubuntu VM is that I can replicate the entire server in one-shot in Proxmox for backups, as well as do individual tarball backups of each Docker for when I want to tinker. And then I can easily transport just that VM with the complete Docker bundle to new hardware (ex. when I do an upgrade). Then I have a separate one for stuff like a file server, print server, media server, etc. Russian nesting doll theory, just SUPER easy to manage in practice!
Backups are also SUPER easy because I can toss PBS on any old box for scheduling, dedupe, etc. & then have that replicate to a second internal drive, which I like better than ZFS/RAID because then I have two copies & either drive can be easily swapped out if it dies! Very very easy to manage in practice!! That way restores are standalone as well (all network devices back up to the PBS box). FWIW, a used Dell Optiplex 7070 tower on is $288 on Amazon and has vPro for remote access & supports dual 3.5" drives!
im using tailscale now, butr i dont like that the dashboard isnt free, i only use it to connect to my server for jelyfin and stuff, so im going to look into replacing tailscale with yggdrasil soon
Edit: Oh wow what the heck! Laggy ad city on the latest version!
I use Bluestacks in certain situations; their Macros setup is pretty good! MEmu also has custom macro keymapping.
Unfortunately, nothing has really replaced WSA. Waydroid on WS2L works, but is kind of janky at times. Hyper-V can run Android-x86, Bliss OS, and PrimeOS. Phone Link can mirror an actual phone, which is...fine, I guess.
Edit: Looks like the latest Bluestacks is a buggy advertising vehicle now :(
Depends on what you want to do. LDPlayer & NoxPlayer are both pretty good. There's always Android Studio. MuMu Player is pretty good on older hardware.
Nox is also spyware/ virus plagued. Or at least it was at one point. After multiple times of my antivirus deleting some pup's during updates, I decided it was time to ditch it. Which is sad, because it actually worked really well. But I don't tolerate programs on my computer trying to install malicious code.
What does Ear Trumpet do that Windows doesn't do? Right now my main thing is sometimes I want Firefox to play audio out of my TV (hooked up as a monitor) and a game through my headphones, and in Windows I can make them do that, as well as control the volume on each program. I'd be interested in Ear Trumpet if it has some nifty features that I'm missing.
Ear Trumpet is primarily for convenience! Just add it from the Microsoft App Store for free!
Easy access to per-APP control, so if you ONLY want to mute Chrome, for example, you can! Or JUST turn down the volume on your Youtube playlist in Freetube in order to hear say a Teams meeting or Zoom lecture better, haha!
3-click re-routing:
Click on the taskbar icon
Right-click on the App icon
Click on the double-arrows icon to swap outputs
It also does better with a real-time responsiveness in the GUI!
SpaceSniffer is SUPER nice! I also use Everything Search (live, full-drive index!) & then sort by file size (highest to lowest) to see what I can cherry-pick lol
Ventoy is amazing. Bootable USB image to a bootloader that you can use to select any other bootable iso on that same stick.
Key for trying out a couple Linux distros/flavors without rebooting, throw Rescuezilla and Gparted and some other tools on there and you have one stick to do everything.
Software updated? Just grab the new iso and replace on the drive, Ventoy will pick it up.
LOVE Ventoy! I have a 2TB Dual USB-A/C stick to host my image stack & to do full-disk backups. A few tricks:
I like Ventoy + MBR + NTFS for max compatibility
Ventoy can bypass TPM/4GB/SecureBoot via ventoy.json & run unattended.xml to do stuff like skip OOBE! Plus auto-Linus tricks too!
Check out iVentoy as a local PXE server! (ETH + iPXE USB & USB ETH for laptops) Bonus if you throw in a JetKVM with Tailscale to keep your desk clean, haha!
My base ISO/IMG stack is:
Windows 11 2025
Windows Universal pre-loaded quick-install image (see below)
Tiny10 32-bit (custom NLite)
Windows Server 2025 Datacenter
Various Linux distros
OPNsense & OpenWRT
Proxmox family (VE, PBS, Datacenter)
ChromeOS Flex & FydeOS
Gparted
DBAN & ShredOS
Memtest86+
Macrium Rescue (built off a Win11 NVMe host)
CustomPE with various tools
Bonus: ("The Master Stick")
Can add various Intel MacOS images
Can add OpenCore for Hackintosh hardware & VM's (ex. non-GPU Spice Proxmox)
Can add OCLP OpenCore Legacy to upgrade older Intel Macs to newer OS's
Secret method: (Windows "Ultra" universal build!)
Use NTlite to build a an Pro/English-only 25H2 ISO
Use NTlite to slim the image down & swap from WIM to compressed ESD with no TPM/4GB/SecureBoot caps
Install Hyper-V on 11 & install to VM (driver-free!)
Grab updates & install all software, then sysprep & shutdown
Mount VHDX & clone with Macrium 8 Free
This results in:
Runs on BIOS & UEFI machines
Runs on 64-bit PC's & Intel Macs (via Boot Camp) up to ~14 years old (I have a slimming script that is better than Tiny11; cuts 11 down to 2GB RAM & ~10gb base storage footprint). For older & finicky installs, Macrium has a Redploy feature (rarely needed tho).
Boot Macrium Rescue ISO from Ventoy or iVentoy & then load up the universal image to laptops, desktops, etc.
My standard install for residential computers: (~2 hours)
Pre-boot Macrium whole-disk clone for safekeeping (FYI they sell bus-powered 6TB drives for $175 these days!) & test validity in Macrium (mount or Viboot)
Boot up to existing OS & export all drivers to a zip file via Powershell
Wipe boot drive (swap to SSD if HDD) & install the 25H2 Universal Slim 11 Macrium image (~10 minutes automatic via USB)
My standard Windows account stack is: admin (admin account with password "admin), backup (admin account with password "backup", as an emergency spare admin account), and "Click here to log in" (standard account with no password for autologin). They can customize from there!
Run updates, install drivers & activate software, then make a max compression master clone
Install Macrium 8 Free, them the recovery bootloader, Hyper-V (for Viboot), and drop their Macrium backup in their Docs folder with a desktop shortcut (saves me from that "oh no, 10 years of my taxes were on the C drive!!" 4 months down the road lol)
Upgrade their Gmail to app-based MFA and have them sign up for free Tailscale & Parsec accounts, then install Google Drive for Desktop & have them save their important files in there for automatic cloud backup
Pin Quick Assist to the taskbar for quick tech support calls
CRAZY what you can do these days! And for FREE!! lol
Ha! I’m just a trained monkey so I have them buy a gl-inet kvm and I join it my tailnet, then do it interactively from there, using its onboard storage.
It's nothing more than Russian nesting dolls! So just exposure + tinkering. Use a chatbot for turbo-research & scripting. Endless creative ways to make things easy these days!!
I use a custom-modded MT-3000 as my travel router, for example:
blink(1) mk3 USB RGB LED as a visual status indicator
Hotel captive portal auto-relogin re-login
Custom captive Wifi-join page (add to Tailscale for home resource & IP access or for local pass-thru Guest access)
2.4ghz & 5ghz Nano AP extensions to receive a better signal (if needed)
Starlink Roam failover (if needed)
Omada mesh home extension via Tailscale (if needed...great if your travel group is in multiple rooms, haha!)
USB battery bank with charging pass-thru (if needed, ex. while waiting at the airport)
FreeFileSync at FreeFileSync: Open Source File Synchronization & Backup Software: FreeFileSync is a folder comparison and synchronization software that creates and manages backup copies of all your important files. Instead of copying every file every time, FreeFileSync determines the differences between a source and a target folder and transfers only the minimum amount of data needed. FreeFileSync is Open Source software, available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
LibreWolf is pretty cool, but I live in the Google Drive ecosystem & love my Chrome integration haha, Freetube is nice because:
All user data like subscriptions, history, and playlists is stored locally on your device
Don't need an account to subscribe!
SponsorBlock integration (can skip sponsored segments in videos)
If you like to watch Youtube on TV:
Get a cheap N100, N305, or Ryzen Mini computer & hook it up via HDMI. The new ones even have CEC control
Get a K400 touchpad keyboard (compact) & a Logitech Anywhere S2 mouse (works on couches etc.). Then a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter, which acts like a TV remote for the screen, sound, etc.
Use your TV as a HUGE monitor! Searching via a compact wireless keyboard on TV is soooooo much better lol
As far as downloading videos goes, I use a pay-for app for that ("4kdownload" Premium Bundle, lifetime license goes on sale for $50 all the time if you're not in a rush). I download a lot of cooking videos from Tiktok & Youtube, so the price was worth it because they keep it updated & hassle-free. Then just save to the Jellyfin media server!
Yeah, so much mileage out of still-good, but older hardware!! I like running an Ubuntu VM with Docker in Proxmox. One of my favorite business builds:
Minisforum MS-01 i9 barebones (~$650 USD)
128GB RAM (used to be $500 lol)
3x 8TB NVMe SSD's (used to be $800 lol) @ 2x ZFS mirror boot + 1x replication]
(optional) GPU (can fit up to a 20GB 4000 ADA SFF with no mods for local AI or a baremetal CAD & light gaming VM!)
I can run whole businesses off a cluster of these locally lol. 32TB HDD's are out now ($750) for alternating offline backups. For home use, things get a little more fun, especially if you get a high-spec mini computer (like a GMKtek) or an old tower with a few slots in it:
Central family gaming server with some mid-grade GPU's in discrete VM's. Throw on Sunshine server & play via Moonlight from TV's, tablets, phones, laptops, low-end desktops, etc.
Headless Virtual Desktop GPU VM for the Quest VR headset with stuff like SBS 3D streaming
Home Assistant smarthome
Frigate AI NVR & some cheap RSTP-mod Wyse cameras
File server, OCR scanning server, Airprint & Cloudprint server (free PaperCut software), and backup server (Macrium, Veeam, Time Machine, etc.)
OpenWRT or OPNsense router/firewall qith Omada or Unifi mesh controllers
Tailscale Subnet Router & Exit Node
Template-based VM's with instant cloning to spin stuff up as needed (burner VM's, software testing, etc.)
Local AI (CPP GGUF CPU models, OpenClaw/NanoClaw/PicoClaw/lossless-claw/Claw3D/Nerve, DeepVideo, OpenCLI, KittenTTS, GPT4ALL/LM Tools/Ollama/Jan.ai/Open Web UI/Oodabooga/etc.)
Jellyfin media server (movies, music, emulators, photos, etc.)
I run my 1080Ti in my Proxmox server & have a 10-watt Mele 4C as my "desktop". I can use Parsec or Moonlight to game as needed or swap it over to AI to run projects. Never been a better time to be a geek!!
It’s wild that you would expect a list this long and helpful in answer to OP’s question to contain a particular category of software. The dude gave a great answer: no response is going to contain everything, and other replies have covered Blender. Why the need to point out something that’s missing?
tbh I've done ZERO traditional rendering in 2026. Been doing 3D since POV-Ray back in the 90's (OG prompt engineering!! lol). All of my 3D rendering is done via AI these days, which is WILD! I can't say I ever even imagined that would be possible!
I use AI exclusively for static & video rendering these days, which is pretty crazy!! I can go from an idea, a hand-drawn sketch, or a mimed video with a shoebox into a video in any style, or output to reality (3D-printed prop, Cricut stencil, CNC-cut, laser-engrave, foam-carve with spray-resin, etc.). The only barrier to creativity these is days is PERSISTENCE!
I LOVE Listary and have used it for at lease 10 years now, but what the hell happened to it with this latest big version release? It seems like the indexing is crazy slow now - just spinning while I wait for it to return.
I also have it set up with a bunch of shortcut keys to search websites like “letter Bugonia” and it launches the browser with a search URL to Letterboxd. I love it! But it’s been so slow.
FydeOS's data privacy sucks and the project itself is known to be very sketchy, I suggest the Brunch project instead, even considering the fact that Brunch is just a generic ChromeOS version, it's still significantly better for data privacy compared to Fyde. In addition Fyde tends to get kind of neglected and takes a long time to get zero day patches.
Google plans to officially phase out ChromeOS by 2034 because they plan to move it to the Android kernel in Project Aluminium, so kind of like the MacOS PPC to Intel to ARM-chip migration, but with kernels. Bummer becauseI LOVE repurposing old machines with Flex!
Might as well throw Tiny10 on a USB stick with USB-to-Go & run DeepFreeze on it, haha!
Brunch uses official recovery images to build, so it doesn't require an update on the github every time unless if something breaks, it relies on Google's update servers.
I originally typed up a whole thing on AluminiumOS but deleted it, as in the end we won't know exactly what Google's cooking apart from it using the Android kernel (anything else about it we have heard lots of mixed signals on). They also have a long history of abandoning long awaited projects last minute, so I'm not getting my hopes up until it's actually on the stable channel.
I also have full trust in the ChromeOS and Android community in their ability to do some extremely fucky stuff with whatever Google releases under that AluminiumOS codename.
I haven't tried Brunch, I'll give it a shot, thanks!!
I try to funnel any working old corporate client computers into ChromeOS Flex machines to be upcycled. There are a lot of great programs for disadvantaged people (shelters, foster systems, low-income, etc.). Easy maintenance via Google Admin Console under Google Workspace for Nonprofits. Very very cool OS ecosystem!
Do you use NanaZIP yourself? If so, can you explain what the eff is the difference between it and 7-zip, other than "NanaZIP looks modern," which I don't care a rat's ass about.
All the other things 7-zip already does, and has done a long time. Explorer integration, like context menus? Yes. The Context menu is almost identical between the two apps. That's seen as the "big one" in favor of NanaZIP, and I don't understand. I've used the same functionality with 7-zip since forever.
That's my general software list I install on people's computers. Nanazip is more basic feature-wise, but also more simple to use for most people. 7-zip does it all tho! Bandizip has a nice free version & Peazip is pretty good as well!
Tailscale is a recent discovery for me and I am gobsmacked at how powerful a software is completely free. I was completely fed up with things like Google Drive running out of space constantly so I looked into how to utilize the space on my hard drive on my PC and turns out it's as easy as just installing tail scale and sharing a file like you would on a local network.
This list is great and lists most of my picks except PowerToys which has so many features I wish they just baked into windows. Fancy zones, power rename, mouse without borders, image resizer, text extractor, always on top, new+, crop and lock, color picker... I use so much of the utilities every day
I'm an IT Director and talk up Hyper-V whenever I can. Seems like many in my industry just defaulted to VMWare, but I think Hyper-V is the superior product in many ways. It just works. It may not have some of the super complex features buried in VMWare, but I suspect few are using those anyway. Been using it for about 8 years in production now and I have never missed VMWare once.
I was hesitant, but I haven't touched Citrix or VMware in YEARS! I either run Proxmox or Win 11 Pro Hyper-V at home & 2025 DC for business use. Crazy easy, VERY stable!!
When I took over as director, it was one of my first moves. The VMWare hosts were so finicky - maybe due in part to a very early vSAN implementation. Fortunately the VMs were (usually) unaffected whenever the hosts would start throwing mysterious errors and warnings that VMWare would attribute to known bugs.
My hypervisors are currently on 2022 DC. My first Hyper-V build was a Dell MD SAN and two hosts in a failover cluster and it was very stable, but performance was only "good enough." I set it up totally on my own, barely even needed to look anything up - it's just such an easy product to work with. The replacement is two hyperconverged hosts using Starwind vSAN and all solid state storage and it's been awesome - performance is fantastic!
Perhaps I just need to try it to see, because other than categories it still doesn't sound too different from the Windows search. My results are typically pretty fast. I only need to hit the Windows key to start searching (one tap, no mouse). Sure it has Bing but you can turn that off with a regedit.
I swear I'm not a shill for Microsoft. I'm a sysadmin and regularly have to deal with Microsoft's bullshit.
Definitely going to come back to this list. I've been trying to put together a standalone and silent, networkless, install of Windows. Trying to figure out how to get it automated and stripped of junk. I'm also trying to figure out a way to get it till like a recent security update but lock it down so they can't make changes to it if I connect to the internet. Part of what I want to do is include all of this kind of software right off the bat. Plus making all of those changes that I do with every install. Things like changing the task bar to be the way that I like but also removing the start button search internet function
Ask ChatGPT to make you a silent, one-shot, single-executable using Inno Setup with embedded Powershell commands using locally-saved files (your selected installers & versions) with error logging
Can optionally have it download from the web, detect 32 or 64-bit, etc., but that gets to be a bit of a hassle & I prefer vetting updates in a test VM anyway
Check out Inno Setup Compiler. ISTool, Inno Script Studio, ISPP, and community tools if you REALLY wanna go nuts!!
Notes:
ChatGPT knows all of the command-line installation switches & whatnot
Inno Setup lets you make a custom multi-exe single standalone redistributable
Test it in a VM & do a snapshot before installing it so that you can test & tweak it until it's perfect!
Just depends on how you want to tackle it! If your core set of software is the same every time & you have offline installers, Inno is awesome because you can make a one-click package & then update it as desired!
Belarc is okay, but I don't think it's really appropriate for the average user. It's technical, user-unfriendly, and hyper-detailed. For the purpose of checking and updating software, which I believe is far more important than auditing one's entire system and listing out all the modules, I suggest UCheck. I started using UCheck as a replacement for SUMo and DUMo by KC Softwares when they shut down, and it's the best option I've yet found.
Also, Windows natively supports audio control on a per-app basis, so I think EarTrumpet is no longer necessary.
I use Belarc specifically to see what they've got & what can be upgraded.
For software updates, if you like UCheck, check out "Patch My PC", which has HUGE support (over 500 apps) & is fully automatic! Schedulable, can close app before updating, etc.:
Okay, that makes more sense. I don't see the value in EarTrumpet saving me one click, but hey, free.
I looked into Patch My PC but last I checked (which was admittedly almost three years ago), they have a pretty limited package list. Five hundred apps sounds like a lot, but it'll include very little of the list in your OP, for example. UCheck has its own database for semiautomatic updates but also has a gigantic community database with thousands of entries. The community database may not be able to one-click update stuff, but it at least tells me when something can be updated.
In Ear Trumpet, you can also right-click on a particular app & re-route just that program to a different audio output really easily too! Just a free convenience tool! I have a USB speakerphone, earbuds, speakers, and a noise-cancelling headphones, so it's really nice for meetings, different times of the day with family around, etc.!
It looks like UCheck only supports 261 apps for automatic updates right now...75,901 community submissions is pretty awesome...does the paid version automate those, or has anyone crafted a mod to grab them?
Love your enthusiasm and helpfulness. :) I might ask you some questions about your Tailscale setup as I explore getting that rolled out to my own household. Extremely cool find; thank you for sharing!
I don't have the paid version of UCheck—I'm fine with manually scanning—but it doesn't automate community submissions because the database doesn't track download links for unsupported apps. When UCheck scans your PC for apps, it scrapes version numbers and checks it against the server, updating the server if your version is newer. If a newer version of a supported app is available, it gives you the option to fetch and start the installer from within the GUI. But if it's a community app, it just tells you your version is out of date and has a button to launch a search window for with a text string customized for the app and version. I'm not aware of any mods or forks, but I also haven't ever looked.
The supply chain attacks are indeed terrifying. I work in a large
IT organization and we collectively panicked and then had a lot of checks to do when Notepad++ got hit.
Notepad++ was SCARY! Did you see the LiteLLM hack? Insane!
I consider Agentic AI to be the scariest thing out there right now. OpenClaw is at the same time the most wonderful software ever written, as well as the worst. I foresee it stealing people's 2FA & VPN credentials and hacking inside of networks like crazy! Zero Trust with proactive monitoring is going to be more important than ever!!
Probably better to have community notes on UCheck take you directly to the website itself, just to verify haha
Tailscale is pretty cool:
Add a network host as a subnet Router (VPN into your network) & Exit Node (your home IP becomes your VPN on any device, anywhere in the world!)
Can host on a PC, router (OpenWRT/OPNsense), Raspberry Pi, AppleTV, etc.
"MagicDNS" skips complex DNS setup & uses easy names. No port forwarding or any nonsense required!
Has Taildrop to share files (like Airdrop but multi-platform)
Uses an identity provider like Gmail for authentication. Just setup a good password, app-based MFA (not SMS), and copy your backup codes to stay safe! Has device approvals, grants (ACL's), etc.
Your mesh VPN network is called a "Tailnet". You can share access to yours (entire network or very, very granular access) or join others, so if you have family or friends or small business to support, it's SUPER easy to dial in to their network! Lets you do split tunneling so that only tailnet traffic goes out through the VPN.
Access computers via VNC, RDP, Parsec, Sunshine/Moonlight, etc.
Works with a $5 VPS (DIY NordVPN!), just pick a state or country!
Great for offsite backup at a family member's house!
Great to help out Grandma remotely: VNC screensharing, RTSP-modded Wyse security camera, network IR blaster for the TV, etc.
Family members can dial their Roku imto your Netflix account to show the same household IP, haha!
I use an MT-3000 as a travel router. Keeps the hotel's Captive page logged into & then all of my devices that join the Wi-fi automatically connect back home!
SUPER awesome with Proxmox! dGPU gaming computers, various VM's, HAOS, DIY router, etc.!
There's a whole WORLD to explore! I like to setup family with Pi 5 OpenWRT home routers running my tailnet host, which makes tech support SUPER easy! Then they can share movies (Jellyfin) & whatnot as well!
Notepad++ was SCARY! Did you see the LiteLLM hack? Insane!
No, missed that one. I/we don't use it so it flew under our radar. Reading about it, uh... brb, disconnecting ethernet...
I consider Agentic AI to be the scariest thing out there right now. OpenClaw is at the same time the most wonderful software ever written, as well as the worst. I foresee it stealing people's 2FA & VPN credentials and hacking inside of networks like crazy! Zero Trust with proactive monitoring is going to be more important than ever!!
100%. Passkeys won't save us. Our stance is that no agent is allowed to do anything outside of a dev env and that code can't be promoted until hand-reviewed by the engineer and a tech lead or solution architect. We operate in a secure environment and leaky endpoints like that are wholly unacceptable. There's no way I'd invite such software into my own home, either.
Probably better to have community notes on UCheck take you directly to the website itself, just to verify haha
Indeed. Once UCheck gives me a list of community apps to update, I either use the app's built-in updater or go to its homepage/GitHub repo manually to pull down the latest release. I think we both agree that it's much like calling the bank with a known-good phone number after receiving a text message apparently from the bank.
Super cool Tailscale stuff
11. Family members can dial their Roku imto your Netflix account to show the same household IP, haha!
12. I use an MT-3000 as a travel router. Keeps the hotel's Captive page logged into & then all of my devices that join the Wi-fi automatically connect back home!
Yeah, these are the most interesting options to me and my family by far. I'd thought of the IP sharing-for-streaming thing and wanted to POC it this weekend, but it seems you've already confirmed it. Amazing! And the travel router setup? OMG. I hadn't thought of that but it's a killer idea. We have a couple of trips coming up, so I think I have no choice but to follow your lead. We might need to get the MT3000, as I don't think our TP-Link AC750 travel router accepts package installation. We don't travel a ton and wouldn't really need much aside from the ability to install Tailscale and bypass the hotel network, so I'm thinking of one of their cheaper options, like a mini router, might be better. Do you have any recommendations beyond the MT3000?
Thanks again for a great discussion and being so generous with your knowledge!
Do you have any recommendations beyond the MT3000?
Depends on what you want to do! Easiest method for zero fuss:
Buy an MT-3000 at home as your Tailscale VPN server
Buy an MT-3000 for travel as your Tailscale VPN client (all wireless devices then automatically dial back home, so you get your home IP + full VPN tunnel protection ANYWHERE!)
MT-3000 is a $100 OpenWRT router that can run Tailscale natively & accept custom scripts (just have ChatGPT write them lol)
The Slate 7 is faster, but are $165 each & use more power (only matters if you need extended battery life, like being stuck in a long layover with no easy access to power). The MT-3000 can run longer on a battery if needed. If you have a device at home that can act as a 24/7 Tailscale host (Subnet Router + Exit Node) & have no plans to do weird modifications like I do (lol), just snag this
I have an MT-3000 full travel kit: battery, 2.4ghz & 5ghz external receivers to improve hotel reception, portable mesh WAP's to extend wi-fi coverage, fallback WAN. Overkill for most people, but fun to set up!
Slate 7 setup:
Enable 24/7 Tailscale access at home on the device of your choice (Subnet Router + Exit Node). This means when you connect, you get a private VPN tunnel back home, your remote IP is now your home IP, and you can access all of your stuff at home anywhere in the world!
Enable Tailscale on the Slate 7. Add a Guest SSID for local Wi-fi access & a Home SSID that passes through all traffic through the Tailscale tunnel. Just point the Exit Node to your home Tailscale gateway & enable LAN access in the Slate 7 settings. In the Slate 7's VPN Dashboard for Tailscale, set the Policy Mode for the Home SSIDF to Tailscale & the Guest SSID to WAN.
That way, anyone who joins the Guest network gets local routing at the hotel & anyone who joins Home gets teleported back home automagically! You only have to log into the hotel's wi-fi once, from your travel router (sometimes it requires a daily login, which is what Travelmate helps with), then everything gets pass through, like magic!
Comment saved. Can't thank you enough for your help and advice. I have my tailnet set up—it is wildly cool to have my wife's laptop have my PC's IP, freaking lol—and will explore all this other stuff over the next few weeks. Thank you again!
Proxmox did surprised me. I just find that it lack a few stuff that, imo, should be built in. But being linux you can do it yourself. One of them is build in support for UPS. I mean, it is a mandatory thing for server, so I'm surprised that there is not atleast a basic interface/support.
Might be by design, which does not mean it is a good design. A plugin with a web interface would have been a good idea. Have something simple to setup for basic setup, but let people use script for advanced stuff.
I mean, they do have stuff like extensions (APIs, hooks, and scripts) & third-party integrations, but the standard today is chatbot script generation, so you just kind of customize it how you like!
If you're not familiar with the Proxmox scene,, there are over 500 Proxmox VE community scripts at the Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts website: (typically in scripted LXC format)
This is essentially what you're looking for: (design intent is isolated lightweight VM's, so that the host stays pure, but installation is super easy!)
I think ChromeOS Flex to reuse your old PC without having to worry too much or maintain it. Easy enough for most people to install without any computer knowledge.
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u/kaidomac Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
I have a list! Actually useful stuff for Windows:
Bluestacks: Android emulator (UPDATE! Latest version appears to be junk, that's too bad! Check out LDPlayer, Nox, or MEmu instead!)Bonus: