Set DevOptimized
To be clear: No, you are not installing Linux yet.
Think of what we just did as building the garage, but the car (Linux) hasn't been delivered.
What will happen when you reboot:
When you restart, Windows will likely show a screen that says "Working on updates... %". This is because we changed boot-level settings. During this time, Windows is:
- Loading the Hypervisor: It’s activating a thin layer of software that allows Windows and another OS (Linux) to share your CPU hardware simultaneously.
- Initializing the WSL Kernel: It prepares the "translator" that lets Linux commands talk to Windows hardware.
What changes after the reboot:
- Your Start Menu won't look different. You won't see an "Ubuntu" or "Linux" icon yet.
- System Resources: You might see a very tiny increase in background RAM usage (usually negligible) because the virtualization services are now "on standby."
- The Capability is Live: You will finally be able to run the command
wsl --install -d Ubuntu. That is the step that actually downloads and installs the Linux operating system.
Summary of the "Garage" vs "Car" analogy:
- Before today: You had no garage. If you tried to buy a "Linux car," it would have stayed in the street and wouldn't start.
- What we did today: We built the garage (Virtual Machine Platform) and paved the driveway (WSL Engine).
- Next step (Optional): We "order the car" (Install a Linux Distribution like Ubuntu).
If you decide you don't want the "garage" taking up space, that's what the Undo script is for. It "demolishes" the garage and puts your "yard" (Windows) back to exactly how it was.
Set-DevOptimized Code
<a href='/?search=%23Requires' class='obsidian-tag'>#Requires</a> -RunAsAdministrator
Write-Host "--- Initializing Developer Environment Optimization ---" -ForegroundColor Cyan
# 1. Enable Windows Features (WSL & Virtual Machine Platform)
Write-Host "`n[1/3] Enabling Windows Features..." -ForegroundColor Green
$Features = @("Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux", "VirtualMachinePlatform")
foreach ($Feature in $Features) {
Write-Host " Checking $Feature..." -NoNewline
$Check = Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $Feature
if ($Check.State -eq "Disabled") {
Write-Host " Enabling..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $Feature -NoRestart | Out-Null
} else {
Write-Host " Already Enabled." -ForegroundColor Green
}
}
# 2. Enable Developer Mode
Write-Host "`n[2/3] Enabling Developer Mode..." -ForegroundColor Green
$DevModePath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock"
if (-not (Test-Path $DevModePath)) { New-Item -Path $DevModePath -Force | Out-Null }
$CurrentDev = Get-ItemProperty -Path $DevModePath -Name "AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
if ($CurrentDev.AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense -ne 1) {
Set-ItemProperty -Path $DevModePath -Name "AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" -Value 1
Write-Host " ✓ Developer Mode has been unlocked." -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
Write-Host " ✓ Developer Mode is already active." -ForegroundColor Gray
}
# 3. Force Enable Long Paths (Registry)
Write-Host "`n[3/3] Optimizing File System for Long Paths..." -ForegroundColor Green
$PathRegistry = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem"
Set-ItemProperty -Path $PathRegistry -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1
Write-Host " ✓ Long Path support (260+ characters) confirmed." -ForegroundColor Green
# 4. Final Summary
Write-Host "`n-------------------------------------------------------" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "OPTIMIZATION COMPLETE" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "-------------------------------------------------------"
Write-Host "NOTE: A system restart is REQUIRED to finalize the" -ForegroundColor Yellow
Write-Host "Virtual Machine Platform and WSL installation." -ForegroundColor Yellow
Write-Host "-------------------------------------------------------"
$Restart = Read-Host "Would you like to restart now? (Y/N)"
if ($Restart -eq "Y") { Restart-Computer }