dotfiles/windows

Windows dotfiles

This directory contains the Windows-specific configuration for this dotfiles repository.

The design has four layers:

1. Native package declarations
   • Scoop uses Scoopfile.json.
   • WinGet / Microsoft Store packages use DSC Microsoft.WinGet/Package.
2. Windows desired state
   • Windows settings use DSC resources grouped by settings domain.
3. Application-owned configuration
   • Each application that needs files or CLI-based configuration has its own directory and its own small apply.ps1.
4. One root entry point
   • update.ps1 only invokes the native package/configuration systems and the application-specific apply scripts.

The root script intentionally contains no application-specific paths, registry logic, wallpaper loop, or VS Code extension list.

Layout

windows/
├── README.md
├── update.ps1
├── Scoopfile.json
├── configuration.dsc.yaml
│
├── packages/
│   └── winget.dsc.yaml
│
├── system/
│   ├── taskbar.dsc.yaml
│   ├── personalization.dsc.yaml
│   ├── start.dsc.yaml
│   ├── device-usage.dsc.yaml
│   ├── explorer.dsc.yaml
│   ├── ime.dsc.yaml
│   ├── privacy/
│   │   ├── configuration.dsc.yaml
│   │   ├── machine.dsc.yaml
│   │   ├── enhanced-search.json
│   │   └── apply.ps1
│   ├── advanced-settings/
│   │   ├── configuration.dsc.yaml
│   │   └── apply.ps1
│   ├── lock-screen/
│   │   └── apply.ps1
│   ├── power/
│   │   └── apply.ps1
│   └── wallpaper/
│       ├── apply.ps1
│       └── wallpaper.theme
│
└── applications/
    ├── chatgpt/
    │   └── apply.ps1
    ├── git/
    │   ├── apply.ps1
    │   └── gitconfig
    │
    ├── parsec/
    │   ├── apply.ps1
    │   └── installer.json
    │
    └── vscode/
        ├── apply.ps1
        ├── settings.json
        ├── argv.json
        └── extensions.txt

Fresh Windows installation

Open a normal, non-elevated PowerShell window.

1. Allow local scripts

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

2. Install Scoop and bootstrap Git

Invoke-RestMethod https://get.scoop.sh | Invoke-Expression
scoop install git

3. Clone dotfiles

git clone https://github.com/moons-14/dotfiles.git "$HOME\dotfiles"
Set-Location "$HOME\dotfiles\windows"

4. Install Microsoft DSC v3

winget install --id 9NVTPZWRC6KQ --source msstore

If dsc is not available in the current shell immediately after installation, open a new PowerShell window and return to:

Set-Location "$HOME\dotfiles\windows"

5. Apply everything

.\update.ps1

Normal workflow

Set-Location "$HOME\dotfiles\windows"

git pull
.\update.ps1

update.ps1 stays intentionally small:

scoop update
scoop import .\Scoopfile.json
scoop update *

dsc config set --file .\configuration.dsc.yaml

& .\applications\chatgpt\apply.ps1
& .\applications\git\apply.ps1
& .\applications\parsec\apply.ps1
& .\applications\vscode\apply.ps1
& .\system\advanced-settings\apply.ps1
& .\system\lock-screen\apply.ps1
& .\system\power\apply.ps1
& .\system\privacy\apply.ps1
& .\system\wallpaper\apply.ps1

The specialized scripts own the details of their own configuration. The advanced-settings and privacy scripts request elevation for protected policies and machine-wide settings. The Parsec installer also requests elevation for its machine-wide installation; Scoop, other DSC user settings, and application configuration stay in the normal user process.

Packages

Scoop

Scoopfile.json currently declares:

• Git

The update entry point:

1. updates Scoop and bucket metadata
2. imports Scoopfile.json so newly declared packages are installed
3. updates all applications installed through Scoop

WinGet / Microsoft Store

packages/winget.dsc.yaml manages:

• Google Chrome
• 1Password
• Visual Studio Code
• Vesktop (Vencord.Vesktop)
• 7-Zip

ChatGPT is intentionally not part of this DSC file because its Microsoft Store installation requires explicit package/source agreement acceptance.

ChatGPT

applications/chatgpt/apply.ps1 uses OpenAI's documented WinGet installation:

winget install `
    --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS `
    --source msstore `
    --accept-package-agreements `
    --accept-source-agreements `
    --silent `
    --disable-interactivity

The Store product ID 9PLM9XGG6VKS is the ChatGPT Windows app managed here. ChatGPT Classic (9NT1R1C2HH7J) is intentionally not installed. WinGet's APPINSTALLER_CLI_ERROR_UPDATE_NOT_APPLICABLE result is treated as success because it means the installed ChatGPT version is already current.

Parsec

Parsec is installed by applications/parsec/apply.ps1 instead of the WinGet DSC document. Parsec publishes mutable installer content at a stable URL, which can temporarily leave the WinGet manifest with a stale SHA256 and make the entire DSC run fail. The application-local declaration pins the verified file version, SHA256, and Authenticode signer thumbprint. The script downloads only when Parsec is absent, verifies all three values, then requests elevation and runs the official installer for all users. It never bypasses WinGet hash verification.

7-Zip is intentionally installed with its normal Windows installer through WinGet rather than as a portable Scoop package, because the normal installer provides Explorer shell integration.

Windows settings

Personalization

system/personalization.dsc.yaml configures:

• automatic accent color
• dark Windows and app modes
• picture mode for the lock screen
• lock-screen facts and tips: off
• automatic lock-screen status selection: off

system/lock-screen/apply.ps1 uses the Windows LockScreen API to select the built-in %SystemRoot%\Web\Screen\img100.jpg image. The script first checks the current image and only calls the API when the image differs.

Start

system/start.dsc.yaml configures:

• recently added apps: on
• recommended and recent files: off
• recommendations for tips, shortcuts, and new apps: off
• app-launch tracking and most-used app personalization: off

Device usage

system/device-usage.dsc.yaml explicitly clears both Intent and Priority for Development, Gaming, Family, Creativity, School, Entertainment, and Business.

Privacy, diagnostics, feedback, and search

system/privacy/configuration.dsc.yaml configures user-scoped preferences:

• advertising ID: off
• website access to the language list: off
• personalized offers and tailored experiences: off
• Windows Spotlight, third-party content, Settings suggestions, tips, welcome experiences, device-setup suggestions, and suggested app installation: off
• File Explorer sync-provider promotions: off
• inking and typing diagnostics: off
• feedback frequency and prompts: never
• device search history and search highlights: off

system/privacy/apply.ps1 requests elevation and applies both the user-scoped configuration above and system/privacy/machine.dsc.yaml, which configures:

• advertising ID and Windows consumer experiences: off by policy
• diagnostic data: the lowest level supported by the installed Windows edition
• feedback notifications and Diagnostic Data Viewer: off
• diagnostic log and dump collection: limited
• publishing and uploading activity history: off

The protected Windows Search key doesn't grant write access to administrators, so apply.ps1 applies the desired value from the declarative enhanced-search.json as SYSTEM to set Find my files to Enhanced. It uses a uniquely named one-shot Scheduled Task and always unregisters it immediately afterward. It doesn't change the key's owner or access-control list and doesn't leave a persistent task behind.

Windows Pro still sends required diagnostic data even when AllowTelemetry is set to the Security value (0); only editions that support the Security level honor diagnostic data completely off. The configuration nevertheless disables optional diagnostic data and every related user-facing toggle. Enhanced search indexes the full user profile, so its initial indexing can temporarily use more CPU, battery, and storage.

Taskbar

system/taskbar.dsc.yaml configures:

• Widgets: off
• Resume: off
• Search: icon only
• Alignment: left

Explorer

system/explorer.dsc.yaml configures:

• show known file extensions
• show hidden files and protected operating-system files
• show the full path in the title bar
• show empty drives

7-Zip context-menu integration is left to the official 7-Zip installer. No unsupported Explorer context-menu patches are applied.

Microsoft IME

system/ime.dsc.yaml configures:

• Muhenkan: IME Off
• Henkan: IME On

Advanced settings and clipboard

system/advanced-settings/configuration.dsc.yaml configures:

• End task from the taskbar: on
• clipboard history: on

system/advanced-settings/apply.ps1 additionally configures:

• "Run as different user" in Start: on
• Win32 long paths: on

The long-path setting is machine-wide. The script enables "Run as different user" through the protected per-user policy key, passes the original user's SID through UAC, writes both settings to the intended hives, and verifies their values. A restart is recommended after changing long-path support because a process can cache the setting after its first affected file call.

Power

system/power/apply.ps1 uses the Windows 11 power-mode API to select Best performance independently for both AC and battery power. It verifies both configured modes, then sets the automatic Energy Saver threshold to zero on every installed power scheme.

Git

Git's user configuration lives in:

applications/git/gitconfig

It currently contains:

[user]
    name = moons-14
    email = [email protected]
[core]
    sshCommand = C:/Windows/System32/OpenSSH/ssh.exe

applications/git/apply.ps1 copies this file to:

%USERPROFILE%\.gitconfig

This means the repository is the source of truth for the managed global Git configuration. Add future Git settings to applications/git/gitconfig, not to update.ps1.

Visual Studio Code

VS Code configuration lives entirely under:

applications/vscode/

settings.json

Minimal editor defaults:

• no startup welcome editor
• format on save
• final newline

argv.json

Sets the VS Code UI locale to Japanese:

{
  "locale": "ja"
}

extensions.txt

One Marketplace extension ID per line.

Currently:

MS-CEINTL.vscode-language-pack-ja

applications/vscode/apply.ps1 copies the config files and uses the official VS Code CLI. It first checks code --list-extensions, installs only missing declared extensions, then runs code --update-extensions.

To add another extension, only edit extensions.txt.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper management lives under:

system/wallpaper/

apply.ps1 synchronizes:

https://github.com/moons-14/wallpapers

to:

%USERPROFILE%\.wallpaper

The slideshow itself is not implemented in PowerShell.

wallpaper.theme uses the native Windows slideshow mechanism:

[Slideshow]
Interval=60000
Shuffle=1
ImagesRootPath=%USERPROFILE%\.wallpaper

Windows therefore performs the one-minute randomized rotation. The script only keeps the Git repository and theme declaration synchronized.

The theme also contains the required Windows theme validity marker:

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

Without this section, Windows rejects the .theme file instead of applying it.

Adding an application

Package only

If it belongs in Scoop main, add it to:

Scoopfile.json

Otherwise add a Microsoft.WinGet/Package resource to:

packages/winget.dsc.yaml

No PowerShell file is necessary when installation is the only requirement.

Package with configuration

If an application needs managed files or its own CLI, create:

applications/<name>/
├── apply.ps1
└── <native configuration files>

Then add only one call to the root update.ps1:

& .\applications\<name>\apply.ps1

Keep all application-specific logic inside that directory.

Adding a Windows setting

Settings that can be represented as DSC belong under system/ and should be grouped by responsibility:

system/taskbar.dsc.yaml
system/personalization.dsc.yaml
system/start.dsc.yaml
system/device-usage.dsc.yaml
system/explorer.dsc.yaml
system/ime.dsc.yaml
system/privacy/configuration.dsc.yaml
system/privacy/machine.dsc.yaml
system/advanced-settings/configuration.dsc.yaml

Include ordinary user-scoped DSC documents from the root configuration.dsc.yaml. A protected or machine-wide document may instead be applied by its feature-local elevated script, as the privacy configuration is.

If a system feature cannot be expressed reliably with DSC and genuinely needs procedural setup, give that feature its own directory, following the wallpaper pattern:

system/<feature>/
├── apply.ps1
└── ...

Do not add feature-specific logic directly to update.ps1.

Design rules

• Prefer a tool's native declaration/configuration format.
• Prefer DSC for Windows desired state.
• Keep application-specific procedural work beside the application.
• Keep system-specific procedural work beside the system feature.
• Keep update.ps1 as an orchestration list, not a configuration engine.
• Do not duplicate package lists in PowerShell.
• Avoid background PowerShell loops, Scheduled Tasks, and registry hacks when a stable application or Windows mechanism already exists.