A PowerShell-based, automated provisioning solution that transforms Windows 10 & 11 workstation deployment from a 30-step manual process into a single "plug-and-play" operation. Whether you're imaging bare metal, cleaning up an existing PC, or running routine maintenance on already-deployed machines, DeployWorkstation handles bloatware removal, essential application installation, and in-place app upgrades.
| # | File | Issue | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QuickStart.cmd |
All 4 menu options passed -ConfigFile - a parameter that doesn't exist in the PS1. Every choice errored immediately. |
Rewrote to use the actual -SkipBloatwareRemoval, -SkipAppInstall, -SkipSystemConfig, and -UpdateApps params. |
| 2 | QuickStart.cmd |
goto start on invalid input → no :start label existed → cmd.exe crashed the script. |
Added :start label at the top of the menu block. |
| 3 | tests/DeployWorkstation.Tests.ps1:42 |
Test asserted DeployWorkstation.cmd exists - it never did - permanent CI failure. |
Changed to check QuickStart.cmd which actually exists. |
| 4 | .github/workflows/test-powershell.yml:37 |
upload-artifact@v3 was deprecated and removed by GitHub. |
Upgraded to @v4. |
| 5 | DeployWorkstation.ps1:587 |
winget--version can output multiple lines; -replace on an array returns an array; [Version] cast on an array throws and silently skips the minimum version check. |
Added Where-Object + Select-Object-Last 1 before the replace. |
| # | File | Issue | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | DeployWorkstation.ps1:529 |
Set-ExecutionPolicy was placed mid-file after all function definitions - if it threw, the machine would be left partially configured. |
Moved to line 26, right after $ProgressPreference. |
| 7 | DeployWorkstation.ps1:535 |
$script:IsWin11 computed but never referenced anywhere. |
Removed. |
| 8 | Export-HtmlReport |
Called Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem a second time at report generation, even though it was already cached as $script:OsInfo. |
Replaced with $script:OsInfo. |
- 🔐 Self-Elevating & Policy-Bypassing - Automatically relaunches under Windows PowerShell 5.1 with
-ExecutionPolicy Bypassand UAC elevation - 🗑️ UWP "Bloatware" Purge - Comprehensive removal of built-in apps including Copilot, Teams, New Outlook, Clipchamp, OneDrive, Xbox, and more
- ⚙️ Win32/MSI Removal & DISM Cleanup - Enterprise software removal via WinGet, DISM, and registry manipulation
- 📦 Standard App Installation & Upgrade - Automated install and in-place upgrade of essential third-party tools via WinGet
- 📋 Centralized Logging - Detailed operation logs plus a dark-themed HTML report with system info summary and full event log
- 🔄 App Update Support - Detects and upgrades already-installed applications in-place; safe to re-run on existing machines
- 🛡️ Winget Auto-Bootstrap - Automatically downloads and installs winget on OEM machines where it's missing or outdated
- 🔁 Network Retry Logic - Automatic retries with delay on transient network errors during installation
- 🖥️ Windows Edition Awareness - Detects Home vs. Pro/Enterprise and warns when policy keys will have no effect
- 🗑️ OEM OneDrive Removal - Three-path removal covering both Appx and embedded OEM binaries
- 🌐 Multi-Language Support - Auto-detects locale via
Get-Culture; ships withen-USandes-ES - ✅ Real-time Progress -
Write-Progressconsole bars throughout all major operations
- 📧 New Outlook (Microsoft.OutlookForWindows)
- 🤖 Copilot Assistant
- 👥 Microsoft Teams (Consumer)
- 🎬 Clipchamp Video Editor
- 👨👩👧👦 Family Safety & Parental Controls
- ☁️ OneDrive Sync Client (Appx + OEM binary)
- 💼 LinkedIn Integration
- 📞 Skype for Windows
- 🎮 Xbox Gaming Suite
- 🥽 Mixed Reality Portal
- 🖥️ Remote Desktop App
- 🆘 Quick Assist
- 🆘 Quick Assist capability
- 🎮 Xbox TCUI, Game Overlay & Speech-to-Text overlays
- 🔑 OpenSSH Client
- 🛡️ McAfee Security Suite (registry-based uninstall)
- Disables Windows telemetry collection
- Disables Windows Error Reporting
- Disables CEIP (Customer Experience Improvement Program)
- Disables Advertising ID
- 🦠 Malwarebytes - Malware protection
- 🧹 BleachBit - System cleanup and privacy tool
- 🌐 Google Chrome - Web browser
- 🗜️ 7-Zip - Universal archive manager
- 📄 Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (64-bit) - PDF viewer
- 📹 VLC Media Player - Universal media player
- ⚙️ .NET Framework 4.8 - Legacy app compatibility
- ⚙️ .NET 8 Desktop Runtime - LTS, supported through November 2026
- ⚙️ .NET 10 Desktop Runtime - LTS, supported through November 2030
- 🔧 Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributables (x64 & x86)
- 💻 Windows 10/11 (Most Editions)
- 🌐 Internet Connection (for WinGet packages - Winget auto-installs if missing)
- 👤 Administrator Access
- 💾 USB Drive or Network Share (Optional)
-
📥 Download the Repository
git clone https://github.com/Pnwcomputers/DeployWorkstation.git cd DeployWorkstation -
💾 Prepare Deployment Media
copy DeployWorkstation.ps1 E:\ copy DeployWorkstation.bat E:\
-
▶️ Execute Deployment:: Method 1: Double-click the .bat launcher (recommended) DeployWorkstation.bat :: Method 2: Direct PowerShell execution powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\DeployWorkstation.ps1
-
⏳ Select Deployment Mode
The launcher presents six options:
Option Description 1 - Full Deployment Bloatware removal + app install + system config 2 - Bloatware Removal Only Skips app installation and system config 3 - App Installation Only Skips bloatware removal and system config 4 - System Config Only Registry/policy hardening only 5 - Update Installed Apps Upgrades managed apps in-place 6 - Exit -
✅ Review & Reboot
- Script pauses for final review on completion
- HTML report generated:
DeployWorkstation.html - Detailed log available:
DeployWorkstation.log - System reboot recommended for a clean finish
v5.2 is safe to run on already-deployed workstations. The upgrade logic updates any managed apps with newer versions available via winget.
# Update managed apps only
.\DeployWorkstation.ps1 -SkipBloatwareRemoval -SkipSystemConfig -UpdateApps
# Re-run app install on a previously cleaned machine
.\DeployWorkstation.ps1 -SkipBloatwareRemoval| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
-SkipAppInstall |
Skip all application installation |
-SkipBloatwareRemoval |
Skip bloatware and UWP removal |
-SkipSystemConfig |
Skip registry/policy hardening |
-UpdateApps |
Upgrade already-installed managed apps in-place |
-LogPath <path> |
Custom path for the log file |
-ReportPath <path> |
Custom path for the HTML report |
To add or change which apps are installed, edit the $script:ManagedApps array near the top of DeployWorkstation.ps1. Each entry needs a winget ID and a display name:
$script:ManagedApps = @(
@{ Id = 'Google.Chrome'; Name = 'Google Chrome' },
@{ Id = 'Notepad++.Notepad++'; Name = 'Notepad++' },
# add more entries here
)Find winget IDs with: winget search <AppName>
| Profile | Use Case | Applications | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate | Business workstations | Office tools, security software | Details |
| Developer | Programming workstations | IDEs, development tools | Details |
| Home User | Personal computers | Media, communication apps | Details |
| Feature | Manual Deployment | Other Tools | DeployWorkstation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation Level | ❌ Manual (8+ hours) | ✅ Full Automation (30 minutes) | |
| Bloatware Removal | ❌ Manual deletion | ✅ Comprehensive purge | |
| Enterprise Software | ❌ Manual uninstall | ❌ Often skipped | ✅ Registry-based removal |
| App Updates | ❌ Manual per-app | ✅ In-place upgrade on re-run | |
| Error Handling | ❌ Manual intervention | ✅ Retry logic + HTML report | |
| Multi-Language | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ en-US & es-ES auto-detected |
| Metric | Traditional Method | DeployWorkstation |
|---|---|---|
| Total Time | 4-8 hours | 30-45 minutes |
| Manual Steps | 30+ operations | 1 double-click |
| Error Rate | ~15% (human error) | <2% (automated) |
| Consistency | Variable | 100% standardized |
- New employee workstation setup
- Hardware refresh projects
- Standardized corporate imaging
- Remote office provisioning
- Client workstation deployment and routine maintenance
- Malware cleanup and rebuild
- Hardware upgrade services
- Maintenance contract fulfillment - re-run to keep apps current
- Lab computer preparation
- Student workstation imaging
- Faculty equipment setup
- Semester refresh operations
- Personal computer setup
- Family PC maintenance
- Small office standardization
Script won't execute
- Ensure PowerShell execution policy allows scripts
- Verify UAC elevation is working
- Check Windows PowerShell 5.1 is available
WinGet installation failures
- The script will attempt to auto-install/repair winget on OEM machines
- Verify internet connectivity if bootstrap also fails
- Update Windows to latest version
Bloatware returns after reboot
- Run script as Administrator
- Ensure all user profiles are processed
- Check Group Policy restrictions
App install fails with "package not found"
- Run
winget source updateto refresh the package index - Verify the winget ID is still current:
winget search <AppName>
# Check for errors and warnings in the deployment log
Get-Content .\DeployWorkstation.log | Select-String "ERROR|WARN"
# Verify WinGet package status
winget list --source wingetThe HTML report (DeployWorkstation.html) provides the same information in a readable format - open it in any browser after the run completes.
DeployWorkstation/
├── DeployWorkstation.ps1 # Main PowerShell script
├── DeployWorkstation.bat # Self-elevating launcher with full menu
├── QuickStart.cmd # Simplified quick-launch menu
├── Installers/ # Place offline installers here (optional)
├── Logs/ # Auto-created; holds log and HTML report
│ ├── DeployWorkstation.log
│ └── DeployWorkstation.html # Post-run HTML report
├── Config/
│ └── Examples/
│ ├── Corporate.json # Example corporate profile
│ ├── Developer.json # Example developer profile
│ └── HomeUser.json # Example home user profile
├── docs/
│ ├── CONFIGURATION.md
│ ├── INSTALLATION.md
│ ├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md
│ ├── FAQ.md
│ └── COMPATABILITY.md
└── tests/
└── DeployWorkstation.Tests.ps1
- 🖥️ GUI Configuration Interface (pre-run checkbox dialog)
- 🌐 Web-based Management Console
- 🚀 Domain Integration
- 🚀 Cloud Configuration Sync
- 🚀 Windows Server Hardening Mode (no app install)
- 📊 Analytics & Telemetry (CSV/JSON export for fleet tracking)
We welcome contributions! Here's how to get started:
- 📖 Documentation - Improve README clarity, add configuration examples, create troubleshooting guides
- 🐛 Bug Reports - Open issues with detailed descriptions, system info, and log excerpts
- 💡 Feature Requests - Open issues with
[FEATURE]tag, describe use case and benefits - 🔒 Security Issues - Email support@pnwcomputers.com with proof of concept; allow reasonable disclosure time
This project is licensed under the MIT License - See the LICENSE file for details.
- 📖 Documentation: Check this README and the project wiki
- 🐛 Bug Reports: Open an issue on GitHub
- 💡 Feature Requests: Open an issue with
[FEATURE]tag - 💬 General Support: support@pnwcomputers.com
🎯 Transform your Windows deployment process from hours to minutes, and keep it current with every re-run.
Built with ❤️ for efficiency, reliability, and zero-touch automation.
⭐ Star this repo if it saved you time and effort!
Updated June 2026 Tested on Windows 10 (1909+) and Windows 11 - Pro & Home Editions