5.4.2

🆕 What's New & Fixed

• Fixed file association issue for .vbs files during activation for Windows 10 users.
• Added an automatic Windows Defender exclusion check on startup. GTweak adds itself to the exclusion list if it is not already present.
• Added MoNotificationUx.exe to the list of blocked Windows Update-related executables to suppress update notifications, alongside other existing update components.
• Improved the disabling of Copilot and Recall throughout the Windows system, including in applications such as Explorer, Notepad, Edge, and in the system tray.
• Updated Appx package handling:
  • Replaced multiple PowerShell calls per package with a single call using regex matching, improving performance and reliability.
  • Reworked internal package storage: migrated from a tuple-based dictionary to the PackageInfo class, allowing IsUnavailable to be mutable while keeping scripts and aliases immutable..
  • Fixed Microsoft Edge shortcut cleanup across all system locations.
  • Improved OneDrive detection by checking LocalAppData, Program Files, and Program Files (x86).
• Updated Windows Update policy tweak to fully disable automatic updates using Group Policy registry keys.
• Updated WMI loops to use a safe foreach pattern, improving resource management and stability. This improvement ensures proper disposal of WMI objects, preventing potential memory leaks and enhancing overall performance.
• Updated registry check methods to handle negation more clearly and improved value comparison logic.
• Updated Hungarian language localization (#92) contributed by @JohnFowler58.
• Added disabling of scheduled tasks when the corresponding features are turned off:
  • Printer services: \Microsoft\Windows\Printing\EduPrintProv, \Microsoft\Windows\Printing\PrinterCleanupTask, \Microsoft\Windows\Printing\PrintJobCleanupTask;
  • Collecting data about installed applications: \Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser Exp, \Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\SdbinstMergeDbTask, \Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\MareBackup;
  • Collecting application usage statistics: \Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\AitAgent;
  • Collecting hardware configuration data: \Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\BthSQM, \Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\KernelCeipTask, \Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator, \Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\UsbCeip;
  • Checking Feedback requests: \Microsoft\Windows\Feedback\Siuf\DmClient, \Microsoft\Windows\Feedback\Siuf\DmClientOnScenarioDownload;
  • Hidden background updates of speech synthesis: \Microsoft\Windows\Speech\SpeechModelDownloadTask, \Microsoft\Windows\Speech\SpeechModelUpdateTask.
• Added new tweak on "Confidentiality" page to disable data collection, background updates, and related tasks for Offline maps.

• Added new tweak on "Services" page for disabling the Store Demo (RetailDemo) service, which is only used in retail/demo environments.

Note

Check the "Confidentiality" and "Services" pages, as checks for enabled tasks have been added and items you previously disabled may now be active.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

9074aa6c0acc353da7f37fc84b428170d06f4cf9343effdb59dd3f02c60090c8

5.4.1

🆕 Maintenance Update

• Fixed a startup crash that could occur under certain circumstances during parallel execution when gathering hardware information and querying system settings. Thanks to Joshi for reporting the issue and helping test the fix.
• Fixed an issue where disabling disk defragmentation might not be applied correctly.
• Improved scheduled task state detection: task checks are now performed in parallel, making the process faster and reducing system load.
• Added smooth automatic scrolling for long text inside the DescriptionBlock component. If the text does not fit entirely, scrolling starts automatically after 2 seconds.
• Updated audio device identification and naming for USB devices:
  • Expanded USB device search to include both playback (Render) and recording (Capture) sections;
  • Implemented intelligent device name formatting for clearer display of USB microphones and audio devices.
• Updated Ukrainian language localization contributed by @Kopejkin.
• Updated Polish language localization (#85) contributed by @seba99317.
• Updated Hungarian language localization (#86, #87, #91) contributed by @JohnFowler58.
• Updated Korean language localization (#88, #89, #90) and corrected README-ko contributed by @VenusGirl.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

2e0dc6f2debe9d35eca2cd389ff432717ef2d3d21e014b8e7c2edc5eb4bcce3d

5.4.0

🆕 New Addons Page & Simplified/Traditional Chinese Localization

• Fixed scheduled task state changes by resolving full task paths instead of task file names and fixed silent failures when disabling tasks located in subfolders.
• Fixed activation status check by adding a fallback to slmgr.vbs in case of a COMException during the WMI query. This ensures reliable activation status detection even when WMI fails.
• Fixed handling of missing or invalid data in SystemDiagnostics to prevent crashes (#82).
• Updated IsTaskEnabled to return early when an enabled task is found, improving readability and performance.
• Updated exception logging to capture method parameters and improve stack trace reporting.
• General improvements and bug fixes applied.
• Added the UnlockHandleHelper utility class which resolves file lock issues by terminating processes that hold handles, enabling reliable deletion of temporary files, update caches, and Microsoft Edge data.
• Added a fallback to check for a cached desktop wallpaper in case the registry path is invalid or the file doesn't exist. While this doesn't guarantee the image's existence, it's still better than nothing.
• Added Simplified (#84) and Traditional Chinese localization (#83), with initial translation support provided by @tenshikohaku0227.
• Updated the banner design to enhance visibility and readability, ensuring a clearer and more streamlined experience.

• Added "Addons" page:
  • Option to choose a folder containing custom scripts (ps1, cmd, bat, reg) and run them directly from the application.
  • Scripts are initially run with administrator rights. If needed, they can be run with TrustedInstaller rights, providing broader capabilities, but not full control over all system resources, as TrustedInstaller rights have their limitations.
  • To prevent errors and improve intuitive understanding of the process, scripts are run with an active window, allowing users to track execution and identify potential issues.
  • Support for automatic updates, with the option to manually refresh the page.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

8e4202406d9f02606ecc76a9aa8c8cc72ab268ef09ff67d66bf6fe625d72ddfc

5.3.9

🆕 Safe Windows Defender Management

Due to updates in Windows Defender on Windows 11 builds (25H2) and later, GTweak might not have disabled Defender on the first attempt or could require multiple tries. This update fixes the issue.

• Added functionality to manage the MipDlp.exe process state.
• Fixed restoration of Windows Defender parameters by switching to RegistryHive instead of static RegistryKey, ensuring correct export and import of byte[] values in Base64, and improving ACL handling for better reliability.
• Fixed clicking on a notification with no action assigned causing immediate logoff.
• Fixed Windows Defender toggle tweak not being applied during import now executed last due to restart requirement.

When Windows Defender is disabled, the system now automatically restarts into Safe Mode. All actions are fully automatic, and no additional steps are required from the user.
To make this clear and keep the user informed, the description and notification have been updated:

• Description of Windows Defender disabling has been updated to reflect the new workflow.
• Notification that appears when Defender is disabled has been updated to inform about the automatic restart into Safe Mode.

Caution

Before attempting to disable or temporarily turn off Windows Defender, make sure to add GTweak to Defender’s exclusions.
If this is not done, a situation may occur where the Windows Security Center interface disappears, the Defender service continues to run, and GTweak will be removed.
If this happens, the only way to restore full Defender functionality is manually via the Registry.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

517f89043bbad2ea430d8016abf864d597187eb47f8e95e3c9ffcc14604dfb0e

5.3.8

🆕 New Language Support & General Improvements

• Fixed page hang issue on the "System" page by executing task checks asynchronously in the background thread.
• Fixed incorrect text wrapping in the title (Windows data) on small screens.
• Fixed Edge folder deletion issues when blocked by system processes:
  • Added smartscreen and widgets to process termination list and optimized process kill with single taskkill command;
  • Simplified RemoveDirectory with chained commands and implemented retry loop for stubborn directories.
• Fixed issue where Windows Defender processes were not disabled and antivirus continued running; also fixed restore settings access for the user. Additionally, the disabling mechanism was changed, making the process faster and more reliable (#75, #79).
  RESTART IS REQUIRED TO LAUNCH THE FINAL PROCESS THAT COMPLETELY DISABLES DEFENDER.
• Fixed crash by handling null InstalledPackagesCache after removing all apps (#75).
• Fixed exe path validation and safer Process.Start (#75, #79):
  • Extended FindExecutablePath to support multiple names with PATHEXT resolution;
  • Added caching, absolute path checks, and robust error handling for safer process launching.
• Add standard window behavior:
  • Dragging from TitleBar with proper restore from maximized state;
  • Double-click on TitleBar toggles window state.
• Added new preinstalled apps to removal list including Whiteboard, Wallet, Spotify and WhatsApp.
• Added Polish localization (#80, #81) with initial translation support provided by @seba99317
• Updated Hungarian translation (#77) by @JohnFowler58.
• Optimized internal images for reduced size and improved asset performance.
• Improved navigation panel shadow stability by applying the shadow effect to the container Border instead of StackPanel, reducing layout recalculations and GPU load.
• Redesigned ComboBox with custom animation scrollbar support and clearer selection indicator:

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

aaddbd7cab82707f3908c110e153be9b4c89c23b6c48c83fc884d62a61d790e7

5.3.7

🆕 Maintenance Update

• Fixed issue where certain toggle buttons would execute functionality without updating visual state when mouse was dragged away.
• Fixed image loading errors related to Windows registry problems. GTweak no longer shows error messages when Windows registry contains invalid paths to profile pictures or wallpapers. Instead, it now silently switches to using default built-in images when the referenced files are missing or inaccessible.
• Improved language selection by removing old switch handling automatically supporting region and removing all old dictionaries to prevent conflicts.
• Improved file/directory resolution by unifying logic and removing duplicate entries.
• Changed Analyze execution to run synchronously and removed Parallel.Invoke to fix potential race conditions.
• Added class DiskTypeIdentifier as a fallback and refinement for storage type detection, used when WMI cannot determine the type, and to provide low-level detection for NVMe, SD-Card, USB, VHD/VHDX, or to clarify SSD/HDD classification.
  Previously, USB drives were simply shown as Media-Type, which could be confusing for non-technical users; now they are shown as USB-Media to make it clearer.
• Added three new IP geolocation services (https://free.freeipapi.com/api/json/, https://reallyfreegeoip.org/json/, and https://get.geojs.io/v1/ip/geo.json), improving reliability in regions where Cloudflare or the site itself may be blocked. As a result, the application now uses six services: freeipapi, db‑ip, ipapi, reallyfreegeoip, get.geojs, and ip‑api.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

499f4baa64d7ca7f74e002b955cf63a136e1afc0dbe7b932a83be6b64b1e4bdb

5.3.6

🆕 Maintenance Update

• Fixed backward compatibility where registry entries for themes no longer available caused a crash. Such values now reset to the default #73.
• Fixed card title wrapping issue caused by unbounded width.
• Fixed settings panel animation to start from the current position and move smoothly without jumps, even on rapid toggles.
• Fixed notification window showing flicker and delayed content rendering.
• Improved versioning system: removed hardcoded prefix, versions are now generated dynamically.
• Completed full localization updates for the current version thanks to community contributors:
  • Korean translation updated by @VenusGirl.
  • Hungarian translation updated by @JohnFowler58.
• Added a tweak to fix the spontaneous brightness adjustment issue, located on the Interfaces page.

On some devices, the screen brightness may change on its own depending on the displayed content. Disabling HDR, dynamic brightness, and power management settings usually doesn’t help. This issue is most often observed on HP laptops such as Victus, Pavilion, and Omen, especially when running on battery power.
Apply this tweak only if your device actually experiences this problem - it forcibly disables automatic brightness adjustments at the system level. Manual brightness control remains available.

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

c7910fd72e1e85b838978a23e6d2bf4cec6d78fd5e3c4dfb656c309e2a521144

5.3.5

🆕 Updated design

• Added completely updated and redesigned UI in a Fluent/Material style - modern, adaptive, and user-friendly.
• Added export of all registry keys modified by the utility - allows saving only the settings that the tool changes or will change when tweaks are applied. #59
• Changed theme system - now only two themes remain (Light and Dark), switchable via a button in the title bar.
• Changed navigation layout - moved to the left sidebar for better structure and scalability.
• Updated all windows, pages, and notification visuals - refreshed design, new icons, and improved progress indicators.
• Changed update notification mechanism: previously a dismissible window, now a mandatory update banner that cannot be closed (can only be hidden by disabling update checks).
• Fixed INI file handling - now correctly works with files stored anywhere.
• Fixed memory leak in TimerControlManager by replacing the anonymous Tick handler with named TimerTick and unsubscribing from Tick in Stop().
• Updated animation subsystem for higher performance and better memory efficiency:
  • TypewriterAnimation: fixed excessive allocations and retained storyboard references by converting the implementation to a static factory method, reusing a single StringBuilder, applying accurate per-character KeyTime, and properly clearing and unsubscribing the storyboard on completion to allow garbage collection.
  • BrushAnimation: replaced the heavy VisualBrush/Border composition with direct SolidColorBrush interpolation using eased progress, resulting in smoother transitions and significantly lower memory allocations.
  • Frame-rate policy improved - text animations capped at 60 FPS, other UI animations capped at 120 FPS.
• Changed service tweak (issue #69) - split into separate components with clear explanations of possible consequences.
• Improved “Disable taskbar icon” tweak - no longer affects window layout menu; window layouts now controlled by a dedicated tweak.
• Moved defragmentation tweak to the System page and improved it to preserve TRIM functionality.
• Changed tweak visibility behavior - tweaks that target a specific Windows version, build, device, or driver (e.g., NVIDIA, Realtek) are now hidden if not compatible with the system (e.g., Windows 11 tweaks no longer appear on Windows 10).

🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

46df17d3a3f5b721bd36b444255073939499df2f86cc5b3362fec02293828365

5.3.4

🆕 Minor update before the new interface redesign

• Added Hungarian localization with initial translation support provided by @JohnFowler58. #65
• Korean localization was updated with corrections by @VenusGirl. #66

Right now I’m building a new Fluent‑style interface that adapts seamlessly to all screen sizes. Until it’s ready, updates will mostly include hotfixes and localization tweaks. My goal is to complete the redesign in about a month, but it may take up to two months since I’m also reworking the code and page layouts. I’m developing it in my spare time, so thanks for your patience.

P.S. I don’t know if the new design will appeal to everyone, but the old one has clearly run its course and wasn’t very practical. I’ve decided to stick with the Mica window style only, as Acrylic doesn’t add value when system transparency is turned off in Windows.

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🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

53a0e5ab5a7dd4303cd882a235271356fd0799106bc46db5965486d5a09cf142

5.3.3

🆕 What's New & Fixed

• Fixed handling of non-ASCII characters and long paths when saving the INI-format applied settings file.
• Fixed the behavior where the window did not remain on top after restarting when the "Pin on top of all windows" option was enabled.
• Improved error logging method now includes inner exceptions, stack traces and contextual data in logs for deeper diagnostics.
• Added adaptive font-scaling support for designated TextBlocks.
• Added the WindowStyleHelper class to restore default window behavior and animations when WindowStyle is set to None, replacing custom fade effects with the standard Windows animations.
  Enabled simply by adding the attribute to the root <Window> tag in XAML:

 xmlns:in="clr-namespace:GTweak.Utilities.Interop"
 in:WindowStyleHelper.EnableSystemAnimations="True"

• Added support for a ToggleButton dependency property, moving interaction logic for ToggleButton, ComboBox, and Slider from code-behind into the ViewModel, allowing toggle states to update in real time.
• Added the Play font with support for tabular numbers.
• Added animated digit counter for updates to current processes and running services, replacing the instant value change.

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🛡 Verified SHA-256 Hash for executable

92eba515b57e3d318eca77ecbd603c899504bf5aaec6da59540f25c43a7710c4