{"slug": "schneegans-unattend-generator", "name": "Schneegans unattend generator", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 5.615, "rising": 2.02, "first": "2026-04-27", "latest": "2026-10-20", "why": "you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 2, 1], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": "schneegans.de", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Schneegans unattend generator", "unattend-generator", "Schneegans Unattend Generator", "Unattend Generator"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 802609664, "item_id": 50163104, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50163104", "by": "tiernano", "date": "2026-10-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this", "excerpt": "i see a lot of complaining about the login part of Win11, and i dont like it either, but i have not seen anyone mention that you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this. I have a USB Key with the file and the latest copy of the 11 Pro download, and when setting up a new machine, i run a fresh install. Then once booted, i", "context": "", "use_case": "bypassing Win11 Microsoft login on install", "switched_from": "", "story": "Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have a Microsoft account"}, {"id": 793182289, "item_id": 49573893, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49573893", "by": "kasabali", "date": "2026-09-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless", "excerpt": "> https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business. Unattended is no \"magic\". Go ahead and inspect the xml file created by that utility, all the customization and debloating is practically same as running a script post install. If you really want to debloat before it's installed you want this: https:/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "O&O ShutUp10 \u2013 The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11"}, {"id": 793053104, "item_id": 49565819, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49565819", "by": "eahm", "date": "2026-09-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business.", "excerpt": "https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business. https://wpd.app works well too for extra telemetry and https://github.com/builtbybel/privatezilla still works with Windows 11 but again autounattend.xml works magic.", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows debloat via unattended install", "switched_from": "", "story": "O&O ShutUp10 \u2013 The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11"}, {"id": 775291633, "item_id": 48455727, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48455727", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can also use an autoattend.xml file on the install ISO", "excerpt": "Choose \"Other options\" then click \"Domain join instead\" you don't actually have to join a domain here, it just has to create a local account. That option won't be present on Home edition though just a heads up. You can also use an autoattend.xml file on the install ISO to set up a local account (https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) amongst other things like removing all the windows store apps, etc.", "context": "", "use_case": "Automated Windows install config", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple WWDC 2026 Livestream"}, {"id": 767932241, "item_id": 47995765, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995765", "by": "kotaKat", "date": "2026-05-03", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to get a good autounattend set up", "excerpt": "Install Windows 11 Education edition (which rips all of the AI shit out mostly with sane defaults for schools). If you need the ISO, Microsoft's default Win11 ISOs have it. Use https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to get a good autounattend set up to rip out the extra bloat and set up a clean install. Activate with Massgrave HWID. You're done.", "context": "", "use_case": "Unattended Windows setup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows quality update: Progress we've made since March"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["bypassing win11 microsoft login on install", "windows debloat via unattended install", "automated windows install config", "unattended windows setup"], "compared": [{"slug": "o-o-shutup10", "name": "O&O ShutUp10", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "windows-11", "name": "Windows 11", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49562895", "title": "O&O ShutUp10 \u2013 The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50158100", "title": "Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have a Microsoft account", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48448106", "title": "Apple WWDC 2026 Livestream", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47980279", "title": "Windows quality update: Progress we've made since March", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47920973", "title": "Windows 11's second-chance setup dialogs hurt IT, drain productivity", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-05": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 1}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 802609664, "item_id": 50163104, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50163104", "by": "tiernano", "date": "2026-10-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this", "excerpt": "i see a lot of complaining about the login part of Win11, and i dont like it either, but i have not seen anyone mention that you can build an autounattend.xml file (generator here: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) that allows you to bypass all this. I have a USB Key with the file and the latest copy of the 11 Pro download, and when setting up a new machine, i run a fresh install. Then once booted, i", "context": "", "use_case": "bypassing Win11 Microsoft login on install", "switched_from": "", "story": "Putting Linux on my RTX Spark laptop because I don't have a Microsoft account"}, {"id": 793182289, "item_id": 49573893, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49573893", "by": "kasabali", "date": "2026-09-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless", "excerpt": "> https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business. Unattended is no \"magic\". Go ahead and inspect the xml file created by that utility, all the customization and debloating is practically same as running a script post install. If you really want to debloat before it's installed you want this: https:/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "O&O ShutUp10 \u2013 The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11"}, {"id": 793053104, "item_id": 49565819, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49565819", "by": "eahm", "date": "2026-09-04", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business.", "excerpt": "https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator made all those tools obsolete and useless for the most part, \"debloating\" after it's installed is always bad business. https://wpd.app works well too for extra telemetry and https://github.com/builtbybel/privatezilla still works with Windows 11 but again autounattend.xml works magic.", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows debloat via unattended install", "switched_from": "", "story": "O&O ShutUp10 \u2013 The antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11"}, {"id": 775291633, "item_id": 48455727, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48455727", "by": "thewebguyd", "date": "2026-06-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can also use an autoattend.xml file on the install ISO", "excerpt": "Choose \"Other options\" then click \"Domain join instead\" you don't actually have to join a domain here, it just has to create a local account. That option won't be present on Home edition though just a heads up. You can also use an autoattend.xml file on the install ISO to set up a local account (https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/) amongst other things like removing all the windows store apps, etc.", "context": "", "use_case": "Automated Windows install config", "switched_from": "", "story": "Apple WWDC 2026 Livestream"}, {"id": 767932241, "item_id": 47995765, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47995765", "by": "kotaKat", "date": "2026-05-03", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Use https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to get a good autounattend set up", "excerpt": "Install Windows 11 Education edition (which rips all of the AI shit out mostly with sane defaults for schools). If you need the ISO, Microsoft's default Win11 ISOs have it. Use https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to get a good autounattend set up to rip out the extra bloat and set up a clean install. Activate with Massgrave HWID. You're done.", "context": "", "use_case": "Unattended Windows setup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows quality update: Progress we've made since March"}, {"id": 766790305, "item_id": 47924394, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47924394", "by": "0xa2", "date": "2026-04-27", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I am assuming the base schneegans [1] will take care of it", "excerpt": "Definitely a dark pattern. However, setup dialogs can be managed using an autounattend.xml answer file, and IT should be able to handle those kind of things. I am assuming the base schneegans [1] will take care of it. If not, it might take a minute to find the actual registry responsible for it and manually add that to the setup scripts. https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Windows 11's second-chance setup dialogs hurt IT, drain productivity"}]}