Winzard-PIW

Inspired 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

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Concept

PIW 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.

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Architecture

The project is divided into two components:

PIW-Builder

• Generates structured JSON catalogues

• Handles silent switch detection (local analysis inspired by USSF logic, with optional metadata fallback when available)

• Prepares reproducible configuration profiles

PIW-Deploy

• Installs EXE / MSI applications

• Deploys portable applications

• Executes based on selected JSON profiles

This separation keeps the architecture clean and easier to maintain.

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Current Status

Version: 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.

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Development Log

This 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.

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Download

Latest Alpha available on SourceForge: https://sourceforge.net/projects/postinstallwizzard-piw/

Feedback from WPI users is welcome.

Edited March 3Mar 3 by lokiju665
Project renamed for clarity.

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 😊

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by lokiju665