Microsoft is taking matters into its own hands with Windows Developer Config, a project available on GitHub that allows advanced users to quickly turn Windows 11 into a cleaner and more efficient development environment.
With a single PowerShell command, users can automatically disable system recommendations and advertising-related clutter, turn off Widgets, remove or disable some unwanted Windows components, install essential development tools, and configure the Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Unlike many unofficial Windows “debloat” scripts that aggressively remove system components and can potentially cause problems, Windows Developer Config relies on Microsoft’s own configuration mechanisms and primarily focuses on changing system settings.
The configuration is also designed to be idempotent, meaning it checks the current state of the system whenever it runs and skips changes that have already been applied correctly. This makes it safer to run again without repeatedly modifying the same settings.
Among other changes, Windows Developer Config can disable Start menu recommendations, remove web results and search highlights from Windows Search, turn off Widgets, adjust File Explorer settings, configure Microsoft Edge policies, enable Developer Mode, and activate long-path support.
Windows Developer Config installs essential development tools and automatically sets up WSL
Windows Developer Config also takes care of one of the more tedious parts of setting up a fresh Windows development machine: installing the necessary software.
The configuration can automatically install tools such as Windows Terminal, PowerShell 7, Git, GitHub CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI, Visual Studio Code, .NET SDK 10, Python 3.14 with the uv package manager, Node.js LTS, nvm for Windows, Coreutils for Windows, Windows App CLI, Oh My Posh, and PowerToys.
It also automatically enables Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and installs Ubuntu.
According to Microsoft’s documentation, enabling WSL requires a restart, after which the setup automatically resumes and completes the remaining configuration.
Microsoft currently offers both a Standard Experience and a more extensive Full Experience configuration. The latter applies additional Windows settings, including Developer Mode, Sudo, disabled Widgets, additional Start and Search adjustments, Edge policies, and Remote Desktop configuration.
For developers who regularly configure new Windows machines — or simply users who want a cleaner Windows 11 experience without relying on third-party debloating tools — Windows Developer Config could become a particularly useful option.
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