Skip to main content

​
Overview

AtlasOS uses YAML configuration files to define system modifications in a declarative format. These files are located in the Configuration/ directory and are organized by purpose and category.

​
Directory Structure

Configuration/
├── atlas/              # Core Atlas configuration
│   ├── start.yml      # Initial setup tasks
│   ├── services.yml   # Service configurations
│   ├── components.yml # Windows component modifications
│   ├── appx.yml       # App package management
│   ├── default.yml    # Default settings
│   └── revert.yml     # Revert scripts setup
├── tweaks/            # Categorized system tweaks
│   ├── debloat/      # Remove unnecessary features
│   ├── performance/  # Performance optimizations
│   ├── privacy/      # Privacy enhancements
│   ├── qol/          # Quality of life improvements
│   ├── security/     # Security configurations
│   ├── networking/   # Network optimizations
│   ├── misc/         # Miscellaneous tweaks
│   └── scripts/      # Script-based tweaks
├── custom.yml         # Root orchestration file
└── tweaks.yml         # Tweaks orchestration file

​
YAML File Structure

All configuration files follow a standardized YAML structure: 
---
title: Descriptive Title
description: What this configuration does and why
actions:
  - !actionType:
    parameter: value
  - !actionType:
    parameter: value

​
Required Fields

​
title
string
required
Human-readable name for the configuration
​
description
string
required
Explanation of what the configuration does
​
actions
array
required
List of actions to execute

​
Optional Fields

​
onUpgrade
boolean
default:"true"
Whether to run during playbook upgrades

​
Core Configuration Files

​
services.yml

Configures Windows services and drivers to reduce background resource usage. 
---
title: Services and Drivers
description: Configures services and drivers to reduce background system resource utilization
onUpgrade: false
actions:
  # Back up default Windows services & drivers
  - !powerShell:
    command: |
      .\BACKUP.ps1 -FilePath """$([Environment]::GetFolderPath('Windows'))\AtlasModules\Other\winServices.reg"""
    wait: true
    exeDir: true

  - !writeStatus: {status: 'Disabling File Sharing'}
  - !powerShell:
    command: '.\AtlasModules\Scripts\ScriptWrappers\DisableFileSharing.ps1 -Silent'
    exeDir: true
    wait: true
    runas: currentUserElevated

  - !writeStatus: {status: 'Disabling Location'}

​
custom.yml

The root orchestration file that coordinates all configuration tasks. 
---
title: Root Playbook File
description: Runs all of the Playbook files
actions:
  # Load default user registry hive
  - !powerShell:
    command: 'reg load HKU\AME_UserHive_Default C:\Users\Default\NTUSER.DAT'
    oobe: false
    wait: true
  
  - !writeStatus: { status: "Deleting old AtlasOS folders" }
  - !powerShell:
    command: '.\STOPFOLDERPROC.ps1'
    exeDir: true
    onUpgrade: true
    wait: true
    runas: currentUserElevated
  
  - !writeStatus: { status: "Copying files" }
  - !powerShell:
    command: |
      $windir = [Environment]::GetFolderPath('Windows')
      @(
          'AtlasModules',
          'AtlasDesktop'
      ) | ForEach-Object {

​
Tweak Categories

​
Debloat

Removes unnecessary Windows features, scheduled tasks, and bloatware. Example: Disable Scheduled Tasks 
---
title: Disable Scheduled Tasks
description: Disables scheduled tasks to prevent automatic tasks from running at startup, consuming resources and collecting user data
actions:
    # Updates compatibility database
  - !scheduledTask: {path: '\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\PcaPatchDbTask', operation: disable, ignoreErrors: true}

    # UCPD - might not exist on all installs, so ignore errors
  - !scheduledTask: {path: '\Microsoft\Windows\AppxDeploymentClient\UCPD velocity', operation: disable, ignoreErrors: true}

    # Data collection
  - !scheduledTask: {path: '\Microsoft\Windows\DiskDiagnostic\Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector', operation: disable, ignoreErrors: true}

    # CEIP - safety measure
  - !scheduledTask: {path: '\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\Consolidator', operation: disable, ignoreErrors: true}
  - !scheduledTask: {path: '\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\UsbCeip', operation: disable, ignoreErrors: true}
  • config-content-delivery.yml - Disable content delivery features
  • config-storage-sense.yml - Configure Storage Sense
  • disable-reserved-storage.yml - Disable reserved storage
  • disable-scheduled-tasks.yml - Disable telemetry scheduled tasks
  • hide-unused-security-pages.yml - Hide unused security settings

​
Performance

Optimizations to improve system responsiveness and reduce resource usage. Example: Configure MMCSS 
---
title: Configure the Multimedia Class Scheduler Service
description: Configures MMCSS for the best performance
actions:
    # Set system responsiveness to 10%
    # Allocates less CPU resources to tasks that request it such as browsers
  - !registryValue:
    path: 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile'
    value: 'SystemResponsiveness'
    data: '10'
    type: REG_DWORD
  • config-automatic-maintenance.yml - Configure Windows maintenance
  • config-mmcss.yml - Multimedia Class Scheduler Service settings
  • disable-auto-folder-discovery.yml - Disable automatic folder type detection
  • disable-background-apps.yml - Prevent apps from running in background
  • disable-fth.yml - Disable Fault Tolerant Heap
  • disable-game-bar.yml - Disable Xbox Game Bar
  • disable-sleep-study.yml - Disable Modern Standby sleep study
  • respect-power-modes-search.yml - Make search respect power modes

​
Privacy

Enhances user privacy by disabling telemetry and data collection.
Telemetry (privacy/telemetry/)
  • disable-activation-telemetry.yml - Disable activation telemetry
  • disable-ceip.yml - Disable Customer Experience Improvement Program
  • disable-diagnostic-tracing.yml - Disable diagnostic tracing
  • disable-dotnet-cli-telemetry.yml - Disable .NET CLI telemetry
  • disable-input-telemetry.yml - Disable input data collection
  • disallow-data-collection.yml - Disallow general data collection
Other Privacy
  • Advertising controls
  • Cloud sync settings
  • Cortana configuration
  • Feedback controls
  • OneDrive integration

​
Quality of Life (QOL)

Usability improvements and annoyance removals.
  • add-sharing-settings-shortcut.yml - Add sharing settings to context menu
  • bcdedit-tweaks.yml - Boot configuration tweaks
  • best-wallpaper-quality.yml - Set maximum wallpaper quality
  • config-powershell.yml - Configure PowerShell environment
  • config-start-menu.yml - Start menu customization
  • disable-auto-app-archival.yml - Prevent automatic app archival
  • disable-dynamic-lighting.yml - Disable RGB lighting control
  • disable-mouse-accel.yml - Disable mouse acceleration
  • config-windows-ink-workspace.yml - Configure Windows Ink

​
Security

Security-related configurations.
  • Defender settings
  • Firewall rules
  • Security mitigations
  • User Account Control settings

​
Networking

Network stack optimizations and configurations.
  • TCP/IP stack optimizations
  • DNS configuration
  • Network adapter settings
  • QoS settings

​
Miscellaneous

Other system tweaks that don’t fit specific categories.
  • add-music-videos-to-home.yml - Add media folders to home
  • add-newUser-script.yml - Add new user setup script
  • config-oem-information.yml - Set OEM information
  • config-time.yml - Time and timezone configuration
  • create-shortcuts.yml - Create system shortcuts
  • delete-windows-specific-files.yml - Remove Windows-specific files
  • enable-notifications.yml - Enable notification system
  • enable-winre.yml - Enable Windows Recovery Environment

​
Scripts

Script-based tweaks that require more complex logic.

​
Action Types

​
Registry Actions

- !registryValue:
  path: 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Multimedia\SystemProfile'
  value: 'SystemResponsiveness'
  data: '10'
  type: REG_DWORD
  operation: add  # or delete
​
path
string
required
Registry key path
​
value
string
required
Registry value name
​
data
string
Value data (for add operation)
​
type
string
Registry value type: REG_SZ, REG_DWORD, REG_QWORD, REG_BINARY, REG_MULTI_SZ
​
operation
string
default:"add"
Operation: add or delete

​
Scheduled Task Actions

- !scheduledTask:
  path: '\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\PcaPatchDbTask'
  operation: disable
  ignoreErrors: true
​
path
string
required
Task path in Task Scheduler
​
operation
string
required
Operation: disable, enable, or delete
​
ignoreErrors
boolean
default:"false"
Continue if task doesn’t exist

​
PowerShell Actions

- !powerShell:
  command: '.\BACKUP.ps1 -FilePath "path\to\file.reg"'
  wait: true
  exeDir: true
  runas: currentUserElevated
  oobe: false
  onUpgrade: true
​
command
string
required
PowerShell command or script to execute
​
wait
boolean
default:"false"
Wait for command to complete before continuing
​
exeDir
boolean
default:"false"
Execute from playbook’s Executables directory
​
runas
string
Execution context: currentUser, currentUserElevated, system
​
oobe
boolean
default:"true"
Run during Out-Of-Box Experience (OOBE)
​
onUpgrade
boolean
default:"true"
Run during playbook upgrades

​
Command Actions

- !cmd:
  command: '"AtlasDesktop\3. General Configuration\Location\Disable Location (default).cmd" /silent'
  exeDir: true
  wait: true
  runas: currentUserElevated
​
command
string
required
Command or batch file to execute
​
exeDir
boolean
default:"false"
Execute from playbook’s Executables directory
​
wait
boolean
default:"false"
Wait for command to complete
​
runas
string
Execution context: currentUser, currentUserElevated, system

​
Task Actions

- !task:
  path: 'atlas/services.yml'
​
path
string
required
Relative path to another YAML configuration file

​
Service Actions

- !service:
  name: 'DiagTrack'
  operation: delete
​
name
string
required
Service name
​
operation
string
required
Operation: disable, enable, delete, start, stop

​
Status Update Actions

- !writeStatus:
  status: 'Optimizing PowerShell'
​
status
string
required
Status message to display to user

​
Best Practices

Use Descriptive Names

File names should clearly indicate what the configuration doesGood: disable-scheduled-tasks.ymlBad: tasks.yml

Add Comments

Include comments explaining why changes are made
# Updates compatibility database
- !scheduledTask: {...}

Handle Errors

Use ignoreErrors: true for optional or system-specific tasks
ignoreErrors: true

Test Upgrades

Set onUpgrade: false for one-time setup tasks
onUpgrade: false

​
Execution Order

Configuration files are executed in this order:
  1. atlas/start.yml - Initial setup
  2. atlas/services.yml - Service configuration
  3. atlas/components.yml - Component modifications
  4. atlas/appx.yml - App package management
  5. atlas/default.yml - Default settings
  6. atlas/revert.yml - Revert script setup
  7. tweaks.yml - All tweaks orchestration
The custom.yml file orchestrates this execution order and includes additional setup and cleanup tasks.

Playbook Structure

Understand the overall playbook format

Executables

Learn about scripts and tools

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us