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win: fix, constrain and document WNS #227 #314
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This change addresses issues #227 and #314 by preventing unintended side
effects on newer Windows versions while still offering WNS control on
supported systems.

Changes:

- Constrain `WpnUserService` disabling to Windows 10 v1909 and earlier.
- Update documentation for WNS and related services.
- Remove redundant warnings (in generated code and script title).
- Improve DisablePerUserService function:
  - Add documentation and generated comments
  - Implement Windows version constraint capability
  • Loading branch information
@undergroundwires
undergroundwires committed Aug 13, 2024
1 parent 29e1069 commit 50ba00b
Showing 1 changed file with 117 additions and 28 deletions.
145 changes: 117 additions & 28 deletions src/application/collections/windows.yaml
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -28474,46 +28474,108 @@ actions:
serviceName: MessagingService
defaultStartupMode: Manual # Allowed values: Boot | System | Automatic | Manual
-
name: Disable Windows Push Notifications (breaks network settings view on Windows 10)
recommend: strict
name: Disable Windows Push Notifications
recommend: strict # Enhances privacy but reduces convenience.
docs: |-
This script disables the **Windows Push Notification Service (WNS)** (`WpnService` and `WpnUserService`).

WNS allows third-party developers to send a range of notifications, such as toast, tile, badge, and raw updates,
This script disables the Windows Push Notification Service (WNS), including the
`WpnService` and `WpnUserService`.

WNS enables third-party developers to send notifications (toast, tile, badge, and raw updates)
from their cloud services [1].
However, this service raises privacy concerns:

However, there are privacy concerns with this service:
- It relies on connections to Microsoft cloud servers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5], potentially exposing
user data.
This delivers both local and push notifications to your device [1].
- It may bypass VPN protections and expose your device's real IP address, according to
Wikipedia (uncited) [2].

- It relies on connections to Microsoft cloud servers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] to deliver both local and push
notifications to your device [1].
- It can bypass VPN protections, exposing the device's real IP address, as noted in Wikipedia (uncited) [2].
Running this script will:

This script disables `WpnService` (Windows Push Notifications System Service) [3] and
`WpnUserService` (Windows Push Notifications User Service) [4].

> **Caution**: Disabling the `WpnUserService` system-wide impacts access to network settings on Windows 10,
> possibly causing issues with managing network connections [5] [6]. This issue does not occur on Windows 11 [5].
- Enhance your privacy by reducing data sent to Microsoft servers
- Improve security by limiting potential attack vectors
- Boost system performance by reducing background processes

> **Caution**:
> After running this script, you will no longer receive instant notifications from most apps.
> This may include important updates or messages.

### Technical Details

This script disables two services:

1. `WpnService` (Windows Push Notifications System Service) [3]
2. `WpnUserService` (Windows Push Notifications User Service) [4]

Disabling `WpnUserService` may cause these issues:

- **Network & Internet** in Settings:
- Windows 10: May cause issues accessing network settings [5] [6] [7].
- Windows 11: No reported issues [5].
- To reproduce (Windows 10):
1. Open **Settings**
2. Select **Network & Internet**
- **Notification Center** in taskbar:
- All Windows 11 versions:
- Prevents opening **Notification Center** [8] (known as *Action Center* on
Windows 10 [9]) .
- The **Notification Center** (known as **notification area** on Windows 10 [10])
is at the right end of the taskbar [11].
- It includes system status icons (e.g., date/time, battery, Wi-Fi) and
notifications [8] [11].
- To reproduce (Windows 11): Click the **Notification Center** icon on the taskbar.
- **Notifications & Actions** in Settings:
- Some Windows 11 versions: Unable to access **Notifications & Actions** [12] on
Settings app.
- To reproduce (Windows 11):
1. Open **Settings**
2. Select **System**
3. Select **Notifications**

Confirmed side effects per Windows version after disabling `WpnUserService` and rebooting:

| Windows Version | Taskbar Notifications Center | Notifications & Actions Settings | Network Settings |
| --------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------- |------------------|
| Windows 11 23H2 | 🔴 Affected | 🔴 Affected | 🟢 Unaffected |
| Windows 11 22H2 | 🔴 Affected | 🔴 Affected | 🟢 Unaffected |
| Windows 11 21H2 | 🔴 Affected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected |
| Windows 10 22H2 | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🔴 Breaks |
| Windows 10 21H2 | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🔴 Breaks |
| Windows 10 20H2 | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🔴 Breaks |
| Windows 10 19H2 | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected |
| Windows 10 19H1 | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected | 🟢 Unaffected |

Due to these issues, this script disables `WpnUserService` only on Windows 10 version 19H2 and earlier versions.

### Overview of default service statuses

`WpnService`:

| OS Version | Status | Start type |
| ---------- | -------| ---------- |
| Windows 10 (≥ 22H2) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |
| Windows 11 (≥ 23H2) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |
| Windows 10 (≥ 19H1) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |
| Windows 11 (all versions) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |

`WpnUserService_<Suffix>`:

| OS Version | Status | Start type |
| ---------- | -------| ---------- |
| Windows 10 (≥ 19H1) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |
| Windows 11 (all versions) | 🟢 Running | Automatic |

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218223751/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/design/shell/tiles-and-notifications/windows-push-notification-services--wns--overview "Windows Push Notification Services (WNS) overview - Windows apps | Microsoft Learn | learn.microsoft.com"
[2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218223848/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Windows_Push_Notification_Service&oldid=1012335551#Privacy_Issue "Windows Push Notification Service - Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org"
[3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218223841/https://batcmd.com/windows/10/services/wpnservice/ "Windows Push Notifications System Service - Windows 10 Service - batcmd.com | batcmd.com"
[4]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218223900/https://batcmd.com/windows/10/services/wpnuserservice/ "Windows Push Notifications User Service - Windows 10 Service - batcmd.com | batcmd.com"
[5]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218223920/https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/110 '[BUG]: "SystemSettings.exe - Stack-based buffer" when accessing network settings · Issue #110 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy | github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy'
[6]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240218225733/https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/166 "[BUG]: Network & Internet Problem after using the script · Issue #166 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy | GitHub | github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy"
[7]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240812132702/https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/225 "[Improvements] possible workaround for issue #110 · Issue #225 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy · GitHub | github.com"
[8]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240812131424/https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/314 "[BUG]: Script that breaks calendar in taskbar · Issue #314 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy · GitHub | github.com"
[9]: https://archive.ph/2024.08.12-133902/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-open-notification-center-and-quick-settings-f8dc196e-82db-5d67-f55e-ba5586fbb038%23WindowsVersion=Windows_10 "Windows 10 | How to open Notification Center and Quick Settings - Microsoft Support | support.microsoft.com"
[10]: https://archive.ph/2024.08.12-133132/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/customize-the-taskbar-notification-area-e159e8d2-9ac5-b2bd-61c5-bb63c1d437c3%23WindowsVersion=Windows_10 "Windows 10 | Customize the taskbar notification area - Microsoft Support | support.microsoft.com"
[11]: https://archive.ph/2024.08.12-133105/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/customize-the-taskbar-notification-area-e159e8d2-9ac5-b2bd-61c5-bb63c1d437c3%23WindowsVersion=Windows_11 "Windows 11 | Customize the taskbar notification area - Microsoft Support | support.microsoft.com"
[12]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240812131129/https://github.com/undergroundwires/privacy.sexy/issues/227 "[BUG]: Disabling \"Windows Push Notification Service\" also breaks action center · Issue #227 · undergroundwires/privacy.sexy · GitHub | github.com"
call:
-
function: ShowMessage
parameters:
message: Disabling Network settings on Windows 10 is known to break Network settings.
maximumWindowsVersion: Windows10-MostRecent
warn: 'true'
-
function: DisableService
parameters:
Expand All @@ -28526,6 +28588,7 @@ actions:
# Check (per-user): (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WpnUserService_*").Start
serviceName: WpnUserService
defaultStartupMode: Automatic # Allowed values: Boot | System | Automatic | Manual
maximumWindowsVersion: Windows10-1909
-
category: Disable Xbox services
docs: |-
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -29611,20 +29674,43 @@ functions:
-
name: DisablePerUserService
parameters:
- name: serviceName
- name: defaultStartupMode # Allowed values: Boot | System | Automatic | Manual
# More about per-user services: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/application-management/per-user-services-in-windows
- name: serviceName # The name of the service to disable
- name: defaultStartupMode # Allowed values: Boot | System | Automatic | Manual
- name: maximumWindowsVersion # See `RunPowerShellWithWindowsVersionConstraints`
optional: true
docs: |-
This function disables both system-wide and per-user services for a specified service.

Windows creates per-user services when a user signs in and deletes them upon sign-out [1].
Per-user services use the naming format <service name>_LUID, where LUID is a locally unique identifier for the user context [1].
Per-user services have system-wide counterparts with the same default startup mode [1].
These services can only be disabled using registry modifications [1].
They are hidden from the **Services** management console and not displayed in the group policy services policy editor [1].

[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20240119153912/https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/application-management/per-user-services-in-windows "Per-user services - Windows Application Management | Microsoft Learn | learn.microsoft.com"
call:
- # System-wide variant: every per-user service has also system-wide counterpart with same default startup mode
-
function: Comment
parameters:
codeComment: 'Disable per-user "{{ $serviceName }}" service for all users'
revertCodeComment: 'Restore per-user "{{ $serviceName }}" service to its default configuration for all users'
-
function: DisableServiceInRegistry
parameters:
serviceName: '{{ $serviceName }}'
defaultStartupMode: '{{ $defaultStartupMode }}'
- # Per-user variant
maximumWindowsVersion: '{{ with $maximumWindowsVersion }}{{ . }}{{ end }}'
-
function: Comment
parameters:
codeComment: 'Disable per-user "{{ $serviceName }}" service for individual user accounts'
revertCodeComment: 'Restore per-user "{{ $serviceName }}" service to its default configuration for individual user accounts'
-
function: DisableServiceInRegistry
parameters:
serviceName: '{{ $serviceName }}_*'
defaultStartupMode: '{{ $defaultStartupMode }}'
maximumWindowsVersion: '{{ with $maximumWindowsVersion }}{{ . }}{{ end }}'
-
name: RunInlineCode
# Marked: refactor-with-partials
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -29789,11 +29875,14 @@ functions:
parameters: # Ensure that this function has the same parameters as `DisableService` and `DisableServiceInRegistryAsTrustedInstaller` to simplify testing and interchangeability.
- name: serviceName
- name: defaultStartupMode # Allowed values: Boot | System | Automatic | Manual
- name: maximumWindowsVersion # See `RunPowerShellWithWindowsVersionConstraints`
optional: true
call:
function: RunPowerShell
function: RunPowerShellWithWindowsVersionConstraints
# Marked: refactor-with-revert-call, refactor-with-variables
# Implementation of those should share similar code: `DisableService`, `StopService`, `StartService`, `DisableServiceInRegistry`
parameters:
maximumWindowsVersion: '{{ with $maximumWindowsVersion }}{{ . }}{{ end }}'
code: |- # We do the registry way because GUI, "sc config" or "Set-Service" will not work
$serviceQuery = '{{ $serviceName }}'
# -- 1. Skip if service does not exist
Expand Down

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