Executables - AtlasOS

Overview

The Executables/ directory contains all scripts, tools, and resources that AtlasOS deploys to the system during installation. These files are copied to C:\Windows\ and provide both user-facing utilities and internal automation.

Directory Structure

Executables/
├── AtlasDesktop/              # User-facing Atlas folder (C:\Windows\AtlasDesktop)
│   ├── 1. Software/
│   ├── 2. Drivers/
│   ├── 3. General Configuration/
│   ├── 4. Interface Tweaks/
│   ├── 5. Windows Settings/
│   ├── 6. Advanced Configuration/
│   ├── 7. Security/
│   ├── 8. Additional Tools/
│   ├── 9. Troubleshooting/
│   ├── *.url                  # Documentation and support links
│   └── Install AtlasOS Toolbox.cmd
├── AtlasModules/              # Internal modules (C:\Windows\AtlasModules)
│   ├── Acknowledgements/
│   ├── Other/
│   ├── Packages/
│   ├── Scripts/
│   ├── Toolbox/
│   ├── Tools/
│   ├── Wallpapers/
│   ├── initPowerShell.ps1
│   └── README.md
├── *.ps1                      # Setup PowerShell scripts
├── *.cmd                      # Setup batch scripts
├── *.reg                      # Registry configuration files
├── Themes/                    # Windows theme files
├── Layout.xml                 # Start menu layout
└── ViVeTool*.zip             # Windows feature manipulation tool

AtlasDesktop Folder

The user-facing Atlas folder is copied to C:\Windows\AtlasDesktop and provides easy access to system configuration utilities.

1. Software

Package installation and management utilities.

Software utilities

Browser installers (Brave, Firefox, LibreWolf, Chrome)
Package manager setup (winget, Chocolatey)
Common application installers
Software removal tools

2. Drivers

Driver installation and management tools.

Driver tools

GPU driver installers (NVIDIA, AMD, Intel)
Driver update utilities
Legacy driver support
Driver backup tools

3. General Configuration

Core system configuration options.

Location

Enable/Disable Location services
Privacy-preserving location settings

Search Indexing

Minimal Search Indexing (default)
Full Search Indexing
Disable Search Indexing
Custom indexing configuration

Automatic Updates

Enable/Disable automatic Windows updates
Security-only updates
Manual update configuration

Power Options

Hibernation settings
Fast Startup configuration
Power plan management

4. Interface Tweaks

Visual customization and UI modifications.

Interface options

Taskbar customization
Start menu configuration
File Explorer settings
Context menu tweaks
Wallpaper management
Theme application

5. Windows Settings

Quick access to important Windows settings.

Settings shortcuts

Privacy settings
Display configuration
Sound settings
Network configuration
Storage management

6. Advanced Configuration

Power user tools and advanced system settings.

Performance

CPU affinity settings
Timer resolution configuration
Background process management
Resource allocation tweaks

System Tools

Process Explorer installation
Registry editor shortcuts
Event viewer presets
System information tools

Troubleshooting

DISM repair tools
SFC scan utilities
Component cleanup
System diagnostics

7. Security

Security configuration and antivirus management.

Windows Defender

Enable/Disable Windows Defender
Real-time protection toggle
Exclusion management
Scan scheduling

Security Mitigations

Enable/Disable CPU mitigations (Spectre, Meltdown)
Core Isolation configuration
Memory integrity settings
Exploit protection

Firewall

Firewall rules management
Network profile configuration
Port management

8. Additional Tools

Extra utilities and helpful scripts.

Available tools

System cleanup utilities
File association management
Startup program control
Disk space analyzers
Network diagnostics

9. Troubleshooting

Problem-solving tools and recovery utilities.

Troubleshooting tools

Windows Update repair
Network reset tools
Graphics driver reset
Registry cleanup
System restore utilities

Documentation Links

Direct access to AtlasOS resources:

Atlas Documentation.url - Official documentation
Atlas GitHub.url - Source code repository
Atlas Discord.url - Community support
Atlas Discussions.url - GitHub discussions
Atlas Website.url - Main website

AtlasModules Folder

Internal modules and tools used by Atlas scripts and the user-facing folder.

Scripts Directory

PowerShell modules and utility scripts.

initPowerShell.ps1

Initializes the PowerShell environment for Atlas scripts.

# Loaded by all Atlas PowerShell scripts
# Sets up execution environment and imports required modules

Modules Subdirectory

PowerShell modules organized by category:

AllRegistryUsers

Apply registry changes to all user profiles

Debloat

App removal and bloatware cleanup functions

Miscellaneous

General utility functions

Performance

Performance optimization functions

Privacy

Privacy enhancement functions

Qol

Quality of life improvement functions

Scripts

Complex automation scripts

Shortcuts

Shortcut creation and management

Themes

Theme application and customization

ScriptWrappers

Wrapper scripts that provide command-line interfaces to module functions.

Tools Directory

Binary utilities and third-party tools.

multichoice.exe

Interactive choice utility for batch scriptsSource: Atlas-UtilitiesLicense: GPLv3Purpose: Provides user-friendly menu selection in scripts

SetTimerResolution.exe

Windows timer resolution configuration toolPurpose: Adjust system timer resolution for reduced latencyUse Case: Performance optimization for games and real-time applications

MeasureSleep.exe

Measures actual sleep precisionPurpose: Verify timer resolution changesUse Case: Testing and validation

All binary tools are documented in AtlasModules/README.md with SHA256 hashes and source links for verification.

Other Directory

Backup files and system state preservation.

Backup files

winServices.reg - Original Windows service configurations
System restore points
Default configurations

Packages Directory

Package manifests and installation definitions.

Toolbox Directory

AtlasOS Toolbox resources and installation files.

Wallpapers Directory

Atlas-branded wallpapers and backgrounds.

Acknowledgements Directory

Third-party software credits and licenses.

Setup Scripts

Scripts executed during playbook installation.

APPLYDUHIVE.ps1

Applies registry changes to the default user hive.

.\APPLYDUHIVE.ps1

Ensures new users get Atlas configurations automatically.

CLEANUP.ps1

Runs Windows Disk Cleanup with Atlas-optimized settings.

function Invoke-AtlasDiskCleanup {
    # Kill running cleanmgr instances
    Get-Process -Name cleanmgr -EA 0 | Stop-Process -Force -EA 0
    
    # Configure cleanup presets
    $baseKey = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\VolumeCaches'
    $regValues = @{
        "Active Setup Temp Folders"             = 2  # Enabled
        "BranchCache"                           = 2  # Enabled
        "D3D Shader Cache"                      = 0  # Disabled
        "Delivery Optimization Files"           = 2  # Enabled
        "Diagnostic Data Viewer database files" = 2  # Enabled
        # ... more settings
    }
    # ...
}

SOFTWARE.ps1

Installs user-selected software (browsers, toolbox).

param (
    [switch]$Chrome,
    [switch]$Brave,
    [switch]$Firefox,
    [switch]$Toolbox
)

.\AtlasModules\initPowerShell.ps1

$timeouts = @("--connect-timeout", "10", "--retry", "5")
$msiArgs = "/qn /quiet /norestart ALLUSERS=1 REBOOT=ReallySuppress"

# Create temporary directory
$tempDir = Join-Path -Path $env:TEMP -ChildPath ([guid]::NewGuid().ToString())
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $tempDir -Force | Out-Null

# Download and install selected software
if ($Toolbox) {
    & curl.exe -LSs "https://github.com/Atlas-OS/atlas-toolbox/releases/latest/download/AtlasToolbox-Setup.exe" -o "$tempDir\toolbox.exe" $timeouts
    # ...
}

SHORTCUTS.ps1

Creates desktop and Start menu shortcuts.

TASKBARPINS.ps1

Configures default taskbar pins.

STARTMENU.ps1

Applies custom Start menu layout from Layout.xml.

FILEASSOC.cmd

Configures file associations and default programs.

BACKUP.ps1

Backs up system configurations before modifications.

.\BACKUP.ps1 -FilePath "C:\Windows\AtlasModules\Other\winServices.reg"

SETPATHS.ps1

Corrects registry paths that may have been broken during installation.

STOPFOLDERPROC.ps1

Stops processes that may lock the AtlasDesktop/AtlasModules folders during upgrades.

DEFAULT.ps1 & DEFAULT.reg

Apply default Atlas settings and registry configurations.

DISABLENOTIFS.cmd & ENABLENOTIFS.cmd

Toggle Windows notifications (disabled during installation, re-enabled after).

Configuration Files

Layout.xml

Defines the default Start menu layout.

<LayoutModificationTemplate 
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/LayoutModification"
    xmlns:defaultlayout="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/FullDefaultLayout"
    xmlns:start="http://schemas.microsoft.com/Start/2014/StartLayout"
    Version="1">
  <!-- Start menu pin configuration -->
</LayoutModificationTemplate>

DEFAULT.reg

Registry file with default Atlas system settings.

Applied to ensure consistent configuration across installations.

Third-Party Tools

ViVeTool

Enables or disables Windows feature flags. Included versions:

ViVeTool-v0.3.3.zip - x64 version
ViVeTool-v0.3.3-ARM64CLR.zip - ARM64 version

ViVeTool.exe /enable /id:12345678
ViVeTool.exe /disable /id:87654321

Use Cases:

Enable hidden Windows features
Disable experimental features
Test Windows insider features

Themes Directory

Windows theme files (.theme, .deskthemepack) that are copied to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes.

Best Practices

Script Initialization

Always source initPowerShell.ps1 at the start of custom scripts:

.\AtlasModules\initPowerShell.ps1

Error Handling

Use proper error handling in scripts:

if (!$?) { exit 1 }

Silent Execution

Support /silent flag for automated execution:

script.cmd /silent

Elevated Privileges

Check for admin rights when required:

if (-not ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]"Administrator")) {
    Write-Error "Requires admin"
    exit 1
}

Modifying Executables

Test Changes

Test script modifications in a virtual machine before deployment

Update Documentation

Document any changes to script functionality or parameters

Verify Hashes

When updating binary tools, document SHA256 hashes in AtlasModules/README.md

Rebuild Playbook

Run build-playbook.cmd or build-playbook.sh to package changes

Security Considerations

All scripts run with elevated privileges during installation
Binary tools should be verified against official sources
Downloaded content uses HTTPS with retry and timeout protection
Registry modifications are backed up before changes

Playbook Structure

Understand how executables integrate with the playbook

Configuration Files

Learn how YAML files invoke these scripts

​Overview

​Directory Structure

​AtlasDesktop Folder

​1. Software

​2. Drivers

​3. General Configuration

​4. Interface Tweaks

​5. Windows Settings

​6. Advanced Configuration

​7. Security

​8. Additional Tools

​9. Troubleshooting

​Documentation Links

​AtlasModules Folder

​Scripts Directory

​initPowerShell.ps1

​Modules Subdirectory

​ScriptWrappers

​Tools Directory

​Other Directory

​Packages Directory

​Toolbox Directory

​Wallpapers Directory

​Acknowledgements Directory

​Setup Scripts

​APPLYDUHIVE.ps1

​CLEANUP.ps1

​SOFTWARE.ps1

​SHORTCUTS.ps1

​TASKBARPINS.ps1

​STARTMENU.ps1

​FILEASSOC.cmd

​BACKUP.ps1

​SETPATHS.ps1

​STOPFOLDERPROC.ps1

​DEFAULT.ps1 & DEFAULT.reg

​DISABLENOTIFS.cmd & ENABLENOTIFS.cmd

​Configuration Files

​Layout.xml

​DEFAULT.reg

​Third-Party Tools

​ViVeTool

​Themes Directory

​Best Practices

Script Initialization

Error Handling

Silent Execution

Elevated Privileges

​Modifying Executables

​Security Considerations

​Related Resources

Playbook Structure

Configuration Files

Overview

Directory Structure

AtlasDesktop Folder

1. Software

2. Drivers

3. General Configuration

4. Interface Tweaks

5. Windows Settings

6. Advanced Configuration

7. Security

8. Additional Tools

9. Troubleshooting

Documentation Links

AtlasModules Folder

Scripts Directory

initPowerShell.ps1

Modules Subdirectory

ScriptWrappers

Tools Directory

Other Directory

Packages Directory

Toolbox Directory

Wallpapers Directory

Acknowledgements Directory

Setup Scripts

APPLYDUHIVE.ps1

CLEANUP.ps1

SOFTWARE.ps1

SHORTCUTS.ps1

TASKBARPINS.ps1

STARTMENU.ps1

FILEASSOC.cmd

BACKUP.ps1

SETPATHS.ps1

STOPFOLDERPROC.ps1

DEFAULT.ps1 & DEFAULT.reg

DISABLENOTIFS.cmd & ENABLENOTIFS.cmd

Configuration Files

Layout.xml

DEFAULT.reg

Third-Party Tools

ViVeTool

Themes Directory

Best Practices

Modifying Executables

Security Considerations

Related Resources