How to use Chris Titus WinUtil: running it, the tabs and safe settings
WinUtil is an open-source (MIT licensed) Windows tool made by the Chris Titus Tech YouTube channel. It brings program installs, privacy and system tweaks, fixes for common problems and Windows Update settings into one window. It is free; it is not installed but runs as a PowerShell script.
Important: According to WinUtil's official documentation, Windows 10 is no longer supported; the tool is for Windows 11 only. On Windows 10, O&O ShutUp10++ can be used for privacy settings.
Before you start
- Create a restore point. Type Create a restore point in the Start menu and select Create on the System Protection tab. According to Microsoft this feature may be turned off by default; if it is, turn it on with Configure. (WinUtil also has this option, see below.)
- Back up your important files.
- WinUtil needs administrator rights because it changes the registry, services and programs.
1. Open PowerShell as administrator
Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin). Or press the Windows key, type PowerShell and open
it as administrator with Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
2. Run the command
According to the official documentation, the stable (recommended) version is launched with:
irm https://christitus.com/win | iex
irm downloads the script and iex runs it. So copy the command only from the official GitHub page or
winutil.christitus.com. Addresses from similarly named sites, video descriptions or forums could run code that can do
anything on your PC.
The official documentation also mentions a windev address: that is the development version, meant for testing
only; don't use it on the PC you use every day.
After a few seconds the WinUtil window opens. The latest version is downloaded on every run, and there is nothing to uninstall. When you close the window the tool is removed from memory; your changes stay.
3. What do the tabs do?
| Tab | What it does |
|---|---|
| Install | Installs, updates and removes programs in bulk through winget or Chocolatey |
| Tweaks | Privacy, performance and appearance settings; presets; undo |
| Config | Windows features and repair tools (network reset, Windows Update repair, system file scan) |
| Updates | Choose how Windows Update behaves |
| Win11 Creator | Builds a customized installer from Microsoft's official Windows 11 image |
Install: installing programs in bulk
Tick the programs you want and select Install/Upgrade Selected; they install one after another. Upgrade All updates every supported program. Close open programs before installing.
You can do the same from your browser: on our bulk install page you can pick programs and get a single winget command.
Tweaks: settings
First, under Essential Tweaks, tick Create Restore Point and select Run Tweaks. The official documentation also recommends this as the first step.
The preset buttons at the top:
- Minimal: The fewest changes; most Windows features stay as they are.
- Standard: The balanced choice recommended for most users.
- Advanced: Selects some of the advanced tweaks. According to the official documentation this preset skips creating a restore point; if you use it, create one yourself first.
After choosing a preset, read the ticked settings one by one, untick anything you don't want, then select Run Tweaks. Some settings only take effect after signing out and back in, or after a restart.
The items under Advanced Tweaks (CAUTION) are deeper changes (removing Edge or OneDrive, turning off IPv6, turning off notifications, and so on). According to the official documentation they can break some features; if you don't know what one does, leave it alone.
About services: WinUtil's "Services - Set to Manual" tweak is not like the "disable these 30 services" lists online. According to the list in the official documentation (04.11.2026), it changes the startup type of only a few services; for example the telemetry service (DiagTrack) is disabled and some are set to "manual". We explain why disabling services in bulk isn't recommended in does disabling Windows services help?
The Tweaks tab also has a button that opens O&O ShutUp10++, a DNS provider choice and power plan settings. According to the official documentation, the "Ultimate Performance" power plan may not apply on some laptops.
Undoing a tweak
Open WinUtil again, tick the same tweak on the Tweaks tab and select Undo Selected Tweaks. A warning from the official documentation: undo usually restores the Windows default, not your own earlier custom setting; even if a removed app is reinstalled, its deleted data doesn't come back. That is why the restore point you created at the start is the safest way back.
Updates: update settings
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Windows Default | Returns Windows Update to normal |
| Recommended | Delays feature updates by 365 days and security/quality updates by 4 days; doesn't take drivers from Windows Update. According to the official documentation, deferral only works on Windows Pro, Enterprise and Education. |
| Disable Updates | Turns updates off completely. We don't recommend it: WinUtil's own documentation says the PC will not receive security patches and the risk rises significantly. |
Config: repair tools
The Fixes section offers resetting the network connection (Reset Network), repairing Windows Update (Reset Windows Update), scanning system files (System Corruption Scan) and reinstalling winget (WinGet Reinstall).
Common errors
- "Execution Policy" error: According to the official FAQ, run this command first; it only affects the PowerShell window that is open:
Set-ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Scope Process -Force
Then run the WinUtil command again. - The script won't download: The official FAQ suggests this command, which downloads the same script directly from GitHub:
irm https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil/releases/latest/download/Winutil.ps1 | iex
- "PowerShell execution is restricted by security policies": PowerShell is running in constrained language mode (usually set by an administrator on work or school PCs). WinUtil won't run in that case.
- A tweak broke something: Follow the undo steps above or go back to your restore point with System Restore.
In short
- Windows 11 only; restore point first.
- Copy the command only from the official source.
- Start with Standard or Minimal and read the ticked settings.
- Don't turn updates off.
To speed up Windows without changing tweaks: speed up Windows 11 · for games: increase FPS in games
