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Welcome to HandleOS

Introduction | Download + Installation Guide | Features | Discussions | Bug Fix & New Features Scheduling | Guide to Restoring BCD | Tweak Paradise



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We’ve launched a Discord channel where we can exchange ideas, provide support, and help each other out. Join us at:

Discord

HandleOS is a fan-made project dedicated to those seeking a lightweight, secure, privacy-focused, and stable operating system, ideal for future Handled PCs. Based on the original Windows 11 Home from Microsoft site (a valid license must be from your Microsoft device), HandleOS has been optimized by removing telemetry, default software, and unnecessary services while retaining almost all Windows Defender security features. This reduces RAM consumption to around 1 GB in "IDLE Benchmark" on a virtual machine, which is particularly advantageous for allocating more RAM to the APU GPU and increasing responsiveness.

After months of rigorous testing, I have significantly improved HandleOS performance, increasing FPS, enhancing stability, and reducing power consumption. If you're concerned about safety, rest assured: there is no unusual software or content present, only my completely open-source tools (with an external Open-Source UI called Playnite) and optimizations aimed at optimizing resources for Handled gaming . This is the result of my passion!

HandleOS aspires to become a benchmark in the world of gaming performance. I actively invite the community to participate by sharing ideas and improvements by clicking on the Discussions & Tips tab above. One of the unique features of HandleOS is the ability to easily switch between Handheld/Console Mode and Desktop Mode.

No matter your expertise - whether you're a developer, an icon designer, a PC enthusiast, or just someone with a knack for tweaking registry keys or features - your contributions are valuable. Please help us improve this project and make it a true community effort.

My goal is to create a community of enthusiasts eager to get the most out of these products, considering that both Linux and Windows have their Pros and Cons. If you appreciate my work and have the means, I would be grateful if you could contribute to this project or make a small donation to support me in continuing to develop.

You can find instructions and the ISO here, or by selecting the tab above:

Download + Installation Guide




⚠️Only for Steam Deck Users follow this: please, take a look at this Steam Deck Guide created (and thanks) by @AllevatoreAnonimo. Valve hasn't optimized the Steam Deck drivers for Windows (seems to be on purpose!), which cause some challenges for users trying to make the switch From SteamOS to Windows. This guide, can help you navigate the process / troubleshooting and avoid some of the frustration that comes with using Windows on Steam Deck.

Donation

If you enjoy using HandleOS and find it valuable, a small donation would be greatly appreciated! Your support will help me maintain the project and acquire additional handheld devices for further testing and improvement. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a big difference in continuing to develop and enhance HandleOS.

PayPal:

Donate with PayPal

Ko-fi:

Donate with Ko-fi

Minimum System Requirements (base on my testing)

Specs
CPU Intel Atom N550 / 1.5 GHz ( Dual-Core )
RAM 1.5 GB DDR3 SDRAM
GPU Any
(with drivers compatible or modded for modern OS)
HDD/SSD 15 GB
(Tested by VM)
Console Mode / Desktop Mode
TPM

NOTE: The benchmark and RAM consumption of approximately 1 GB, is based on a system with limited hardware characteristics. This value is intended to reflect the OS's lightness. HandleOS, by nature of being based on Windows, may use slightly more RAM if you have a large amount available on your PC, especially if there are default drivers that Windows has founded in its local database. Conversely, if the system has very limited specifications, HandleOS will adjust and use less RAM accordingly.

Feature HandleOS 11
Console2Desk
HandleOS Personalized Wallpapers
Default UI Playnite, used for Console Mode (can be changed and use others UI by Console2Desk)
Microsoft Edge + Copilot ✅ (Installable)
Microsoft Store ✅ (Installable)
OS Debloated
Device Encryption
Full Upgradable (by default it's suspended to reduce services in background)
Windows Defender (just Cloud-submissions are completely disabled)
Lightweight OS = FPS Boost

Benchmark (based on RAM 2GB / CPU 2 Core 4 Threads)

HandleOS Benchmark

From Version of 2.7.0, C2D has a new companion for our handhelds: the new HandleOS Benchmark. This tool, revived from the past and completely redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up, offers more consistent scores based on averages directly from Windows 7.

Info for Developers

Currently, 2 languages and 3 frameworks are used: C# / WinForms , Xamarin, and AutoHotkey.

  • If any of you have experience with getting the Console Mode (without explorer.exe) to work smoothly with the Windows Store, I would really appreciate your help. I'm currently working on refining this feature, and your expertise could make a big difference!

YouTubers Video YouTube

  1. Italian Language

    YouTube Video

    YouTube Video

Credits

  • Special thanks to the Italian YouTuber Prob , for trusting and having been a dedicated beta tester on pre-release of HandleOS.
  • Special thanks to developer @AderitoSilva for his XInputium drivers and support—without him, it wouldn’t have been possible!

Contributors

Others

  • A special thanks to my trusty test subject, the Rog Ally and one of my very old pc Samsung NF210, and all the SSDs that bravely endured my endless experiments.

Sources of Study

A special acknowledgment to the resources that have been instrumental in the development of this project:

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