lokiju665

Winzard-PIW Alpha 1.6 continues to grow beyond a simple post-installation tool. What started as a local, transparent, script-based solution for installing EXE / MSI applications and deploying portable apps is now also evolving into a practical Windows customization hub. This new phase is not meant to magically replace every theming or customization tool. The goal is instead to provide a clearer and more maintainable workflow for preparing, organizing, launching, and re-applying a personalized Windows environment. What is improving in Alpha 1.6 Recent work has focused heavily on the customization side of the project, especially with: wallpaper support lock / login screen support cursor deployment manual tool integration better Builder / Deploy separation better synchronization between Builder and Deploy a cleaner and more centralized Builder hub The customization workflow now supports a mix of: automatic resources manual tools manual packages guided external workflows The tools and workflows currently tested include: 7TSP Rainmeter StartAllBack UltraUXThemePatcher SecureUxTheme OldNewExplorer The project is still in alpha, so not everything is fully automated, and some steps remain intentionally manual. Why this matters Windows customization is almost never perfect, especially depending on the version and build being used. The real goal of Winzard-PIW is not to promise perfect automation, but to make the whole process: more organized easier to repeat easier to repair easier to maintain over time In that sense, PIW-Deploy becomes more than just a deployment folder. It also becomes a practical maintenance and re-apply kit. Current direction of the project Alpha 1.6 marks an important step because it makes the project more coherent: PIW-Builder prepares and generates PIW-Deploy executes and applies customization is becoming a real supported workflow the overall structure of the project is becoming cleaner and more mature Demonstrations of a customized installation I will leave you with a few images of a Windows setup customized with PIW and the associated tools, running on Windows 11 LTSC in a VM. I went for a small retro vibe where Mac OS 9 meets Windows 9x. I hope you will enjoy it 😊

Winzard-PIWInspired by the philosophy of WPI, Winzard-PIW is a modular post-install tool for Windows 10/11 designed to automate software deployment after a clean installation. The goal is not to replace WPI, but to explore a modern structured workflow adapted to current Windows environments ConceptPIW focuses on: Local (offline) execution Modular catalogue-based configuration Clear separation between configuration and deployment Transparent script-driven behavior No installer redistribution. No hidden background activity. All actions are user-triggered and executed locally. ArchitectureThe project is divided into two components: PIW-BuilderGenerates structured JSON catalogues Handles silent switch detection (local analysis inspired by USSF logic, with optional metadata fallback when available) Prepares reproducible configuration profiles PIW-DeployInstalls EXE / MSI applications Deploys portable applications Executes based on selected JSON profiles This separation keeps the architecture clean and easier to maintain. Current StatusVersion: v1.5.1 Alpha Recent improvements: Complete Builder / Deploy separation Improved silent detection pipeline Removal of legacy wrappers Cleaned folder structure Fully English interface A local stress test (29 applications) was completed successfully, validating the full workflow from detection to deployment. Development LogThis topic will also serve as a development log for future updates. Upcoming areas of exploration include: Optional .reg support (user-controlled execution) Installation priority management Refinement of catalogue and profile handling Long-term, a lightweight GUI layer may be developed (likely in Pascal/Delphi), acting above the existing .bat, .ps1 and .json structure without replacing the script-based core. The main objective remains architectural clarity, modularity and user control. DownloadLatest Alpha available on SourceForge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/postinstallwizzard-piw/ Feedback from WPI users is welcome.

Thanks NIM, I really appreciate the welcome 🙂

Hi mooms, Thank you for the warm welcome, I really appreciate it. Before posting anything in the WPI section, I wanted to ask for your approval. I’ve been working on a small modular post-install project inspired by WPI, adapted for modern Windows 10/11 workflows. My intention is not to replace WPI or promote aggressively, but simply to share it respectfully and possibly maintain a small development log for members who might be interested in a modern approach. For reference, the project is currently hosted on SourceForge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/postinstallwizzard-piw/ Would it be acceptable to create a topic in the WPI section for that purpose? If not, I completely understand and will follow the forum guidelines. Thanks again for the welcome.

Hello everyone, I just joined the forum and wanted to introduce myself. I’m from Canada and I’ve been experimenting with Windows customization and post-install automation for a while now. I’ve always been interested in tools like WPI and the whole workflow around building and deploying customized Windows systems. I’m not a professional developer, just someone who enjoys learning and building small tools to improve my own workflow. I’m currently exploring modular post-install approaches for Windows 10 and 11, and I’m here mainly to learn from more experienced members and understand best practices. Looking forward to reading and contributing when I can. Thanks for having me.