Resources

Backup

Backup 📂

When it comes to backing up your current Windows partition, there are many solutions.
You might choose a tool like Clonezilla for a comprehensive backup, which can help ensure nothing important is overlooked.

Some people prefer using Windows “Keep my files” feature during installation, which creates a windows.old folder containing many of your personal files from the previous installation…

Essential Items to Back Up

In my experience, reviewing and backing up the following items covers everything important for a fresh installation:

• Important files and personal documents

  • Backup the contents of C:\Users\YourUserName, including personal files and documents.
  • Backup any password database files (like KeePass DB)

• Software settings and cache

  • Copy the AppData folder to retain settings for apps you may reinstall later.

• List of installed software

  • Save a list of all installed software by running the command:

    winget list > winget.txt

• Browser bookmarks, tabs, and settings

  • Export bookmarks and settings using the built-in browser tools or with an extension like SessionBuddy to save open tabs.

• Game saves (for games without cloud saves)

  • If you have games that don’t sync to the cloud, especially cracked games, be sure to manually back up save files.

• Program license keys

  • Save any software license keys you may need for reinstallation.

• Complex keyboard/mouse macros

  • Backup any custom macros for your keyboard or mouse to avoid having to recreate them.

• WSL folders and virtual machines

  • Back up important files from your Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) environment or virtual machines, as these may not transfer automatically.

Tip

Disconnect any other drives than one for the installation after backing up to prevent accidental data loss during formatting. Alternatively, you can rename the partition to format to avoid errors.

Home, Pro, and Education

Comparison 📊

The edition you select should match your needs.
Personally, I find the Home edition less bloated with features that many users may not need, whereas Pro includes more advanced tools like BitLocker, Hyper-V, and Group Policies.
If you think you’ll need these features, consider the Pro version over Home.

In-depth comparison

Feature	Windows 11 Home	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro for Workstations	Windows 11 Enterprise*	Windows 11 Education*
MS Account required for initial setup	✓
Windows 11 in S Mode option	✓
Cloud managed only
Only IT admins can install apps
OneDrive cloud storage required
Microsoft Office pre-installed
Only available pre-installed (no image available)
Runs all Windows apps (UWP, PWA, and Win32)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Microsoft Store	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Optimized for low-memory & small-screen devices
Remote Desktop		✓	✓	✓	✓
Hyper-V virtualization		✓	✓	✓	✓
Windows Sandbox		✓	✓	✓	✓
Resilient File System (ReFS)			✓	✓	✓
Bitlocker Device Encryption		✓	✓	✓	✓
Device Encryption	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Find My Device	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Firewall and Network Protection	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Internet Protection	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Parental Controls and Protection	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Secure Boot	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Windows Hello	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Windows Information Protection (WIP)		✓	✓	✓	✓
Windows Security	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Assigned Access		✓	✓	✓	✓
Dynamic Provisioning		✓	✓	✓	✓
Enterprise State Roaming with Azure		✓	✓	✓	✓
Group Policy		✓	✓	✓	✓
Kiosk Mode Setup		✓	✓	✓	✓
Microsoft Store for Business		✓	✓	✓	✓
Mobile Device Management		✓	✓	✓	✓
Support for Active Directory		✓	✓	✓	✓
Support for Azure Active Directory		✓	✓	✓	✓
Windows Update for Business		✓	✓	✓	✓
AppLocker				✓	✓
Persistent Memory			✓	✓	✓
SMB Direct			✓	✓	✓
Servicing Timeline	24 months from release date	24 months from release date	24 months from release date	36 months from release date	36 months from release date

Helpful Links: For a deeper comparison of editions, check out:

• Microsoft’s Comparison
• Liliputing
• TechVertu: Home vs. Pro

StartAllBack Activation

StartAllBack Activation 🖥️

1. Open File in Hex Editor

   • Go to Hexed.it and open the file located at:
     C:\Program Files\StartAllBack\StartAllBackX64.dll

2. Search for the Hex Pattern

   • In Hexed.it, locate the “Search for” input on the right side.
   • Paste the following hex pattern into the search box and press Enter:
     48 89 5C 24 18 57 48 83 EC 30 48 8D 4C 24 48

   Note

   Note: If the search fails, this guide may be outdated. Please refer to the alternative method below and consider leaving a comment for an update.

3. Modify the Hex Pattern and Save

   • If the search is successful, the pattern 48 89 5C ... will be highlighted.
   • Replace it by typing: 31 C0 C3
   • Press Ctrl + S to save the file. Save it to your Downloads folder or another location; avoid replacing the original file at this stage.

4. Rename the Original File

   • Navigate to C:\Program Files\StartAllBack and rename StartAllBackX64.dll to StartAllBackX64-original.dll (you can choose any name for backup purposes).

5. Replace the Original File with the Modified Version

   • Move the modified file from your Downloads folder to C:\Program Files\StartAllBack\StartAllBackX64.dll

6. Restart Explorer

   • Open Task Manager.
   • Find Explorer, right-click on it, and select Restart to apply the changes.

Show Old Guide Setup

1. Old Guide Setup

   • This guide is more technical. Here are reference images for the instructions below:
     View images on Imgur

2. Download Required Tools

   • Download System Informer and HxD hex editor.

3. Locate StartAllBack Module in System Informer

   • In System Informer, find the StartAllBack process and double-click it.
   • Click the Modules tab in the new window, locate StartAllBackX64.dll, and double-click it.

4. Find “Ordinal101” in Exports

   • Go to the Exports tab, locate Ordinal101, and note its RVA.
   • Then, go to the Sections tab, locate the .text section, and note its RVA (start) and RAW (start).

5. Calculate the Magic Number

   • To get the magic number, calculate it as follows:
     RVA (exports) - RVA (start) + RAW (start) = magic number
   • You can use Google’s calculator feature for this calculation.
   • The latest version gives a magic number of 0x1704.

6. Open StartAllBackX64.dll in HxD and Modify

   • Copy StartAllBackX64.dll to another location and open it in HxD.
   • Press Ctrl + G, type in 1704, then press Enter.
   • At the caret, you should see something like 48 89 5C; replace it with 31 C0 C3.

7. Save and Replace the Original File

   • Save the modified file and replace the original by renaming StartAllBackX64.dll (e.g., to StartAllBackX64-original.dll) and moving the modified file to C:\Program Files\StartAllBack\StartAllBackX64.dll.

8. Effect of the Modification

   • This modification makes the IsTrialExpired function always return 0, bypassing the trial expiration check. The program will display negative trial days left as a humorous effect.

Credits

This guide was adapted from instructions by OverLiterature3964 on /r/CrackSupport

Right-click Context Menu

Right-click Context Menu 🖱️

Restore the Old Context Menu in Windows 11

1. Open Windows Terminal.
2. Copy the following command, paste it into CMD window, then press Enter:

   reg.exe add "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}\InprocServer32" /f /ve

3. Restart File Explorer or your computer for the changes to take effect.

Restore the Modern Context Menu in Windows 11

1. To undo this change, open a Terminal window and execute this command:

   reg.exe delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2}" /f`