The Unattended Setup tab in Winscript lets you generate a completeDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/flick9000/winscript/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
autounattend.xml answer file that drives a fully automated Windows installation. Before generating the file, make sure you have already selected the Winscript tweaks you want applied — those selections are what get embedded in the XML and executed automatically at first logon.
Hardware Requirement Bypass
Windows 11 enforces minimum hardware requirements — TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, 4 GB RAM, a supported CPU, and 64 GB storage — at install time. Winscript bypasses all of these by injecting registry values underHKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig during the windowsPE phase, before any check can block the installation.
The following five RunSynchronousCommand entries are written into the windowsPE settings pass:
REG_DWORD set to 1. Setting all five means Windows Setup will not reject the installation regardless of the hardware it finds. This is useful for installing Windows 11 on older machines that lack TPM or Secure Boot support.
OOBE Configuration
TheoobeSystem pass includes a <OOBE> block that suppresses the most common interactive screens that would otherwise pause an automated installation:
| Setting | Value | Effect |
|---|---|---|
HideEULAPage | true | Skips the Windows license agreement screen — EULA is considered accepted |
HideWirelessSetupInOOBE | true | Skips the Wi-Fi network selection screen during OOBE |
HideOnlineAccountScreens | true | Suppresses the Microsoft account sign-in prompt, allowing a local account to be used |
ProtectYourPC | 3 | Selects the minimal diagnostics option — sends the least data to Microsoft during setup |
HideOnlineAccountScreens to true alone is not sufficient to guarantee a local account on Windows 11 — this is why Winscript also sets the BypassNRO registry value (via Specialize.ps1) which prevents Windows from forcing an online account even when no network is available.
Embedded Scripts
Rather than referencing external script files, Winscript embeds everything the installation needs directly inside the XML in a customExtensions block. This means the autounattend.xml file is entirely self-contained — no additional files need to be placed on the USB drive alongside it.
The Extensions element uses the urn:winscript:unattend XML namespace and contains three <File> elements, each with a path attribute pointing to where the script will be written on the target system:
| File | Destination | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
winscript.ps1 | C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts\winscript.ps1 | Your selected Winscript tweaks — generated from the main app |
Specialize.ps1 | C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts\Specialize.ps1 | Pre-OOBE configuration: disables Cloud Content, sets BypassNRO, disables Windows Update |
FirstLogon.ps1 | C:\Windows\Setup\Scripts\FirstLogon.ps1 | Post-OOBE: re-enables network adapters, restores Windows Update, runs winscript.ps1 |
ExtractScript PowerShell scriptblock — also stored in the Extensions block — is called during the specialize phase. It reads each <File> element, resolves the destination path, and writes the file to disk using the appropriate encoding before the subsequent scripts are executed.
Generating and Using the File
Select your Winscript tweaks
In the main Winscript interface, check all the debloat, privacy, performance, and miscellaneous options you want applied to the new Windows installation. You can also apply a preset — Basic, Strict, or Extreme — as a starting point.
Switch to the Unattended Setup tab
Click the Unattended Setup tab (labeled Create Autounattend in the script panel). Your current selections are what will be embedded in the generated file.
Click Create to generate the file
Click the Create button. Winscript opens a save dialog defaulting to
autounattend.xml. Choose a location and save the file.Place the file on a Windows installation USB
Copy
autounattend.xml to the root directory of the Windows installation USB drive — the same level as setup.exe. The Windows Setup engine automatically discovers answer files placed here.Boot from the USB drive
Insert the USB drive into the target machine and boot from it. Windows Setup will detect the answer file immediately and begin a fully automated installation.