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# DISCUSS HERE https://github.com/builtbybel/Winslop/discussions/36
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🎉 So after some experiments, frustrations, and a few choice words directed at Microslop's UI stack, Winslop ultimately stays true to its roots.
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**I need to vent about WinUI.**
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[I moved Winslop from .NET Framework 4.8.1 to .NET 10 first](https://github.com/builtbybel/Winslop/releases/tag/26.03.30) and honestly, that still felt like half a solution.
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**So I went straight for the next "logical" step: a WinUI conversion**
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Here's the thing: I'm a minimalist. I like lean code, direct control, and software that doesn't require a small religion to maintain. That's why, in the Microsoft .NET ecosystem, I still stick with WinForms. Without WinForms, I probably wouldn't even keep a second OS partition just to run Windows 11. WinForms is one of the few things in the whole stack that still feels... sane.
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**So, WinUI. "Modern Windows 11 UI experience", right? (Screenshot below)**
After about five hours, I had a working `MainWindow.xaml` and a connected feature page that sort of worked. But the scope and ceremony were insane. To me it felt like migrating a classic VB6 application to VB.NET back in the day. You know, back before Microsoft also decided to slowly suffocate VB.NET for sport.
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**And I'm sorry, but why is everything so Microslop?**
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There was a time when you could build a full Windows app with a few forms and some logic. Now it feels like you need three frameworks, four patterns, and a ceremonial XAML ritual just to show a button. We managed to land humans on the moon in 1969 with computers weaker than a modern toaster — but in 2026 a simple Windows UI apparently requires half the Microsoft ecosystem and a small architectural thesis.
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**F*ckkkk... Like… no, seriously. I'm not doing this. WinUI is a monster. It's not "modern", it's unbounded complexity disguised as progress.**
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It's a stack that constantly demands more structure, more glue, more patterns, more XAML rituals until your simple little utility starts looking like a corporate enterprise app with a thousand moving parts.
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Sure, I could have made it easy and let a coding agent brute-force the conversion. But what's the point?
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Programming is something I genuinely enjoy. It relaxes me. But not like this. I'm not 19 anymore, chasing the Silicon Valley fantasy of a multimillion-dollar startup fueled by vibe-coding and buzzwords. I want to build software, not manage a labyrinth.
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And honestly, I should have known better.
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If you want to understand what WinUI is, just look at the "fancy" Windows 11 Explorer:
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pretty? maybe. but sluggish, inconsistent, and occasionally bizarre. It's the perfect demo of the WinUI promise and the WinUI reality.
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**The slow parts are WinUI 3, and the buggy parts are Win32**
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Microslop in a nutshell.
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No wonder 80% of Microslop apps are web apps now — even those often feel faster than WinUI.
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So yeah. Sorry, folks. Winslop stays a classic WinForms app.
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I'm not spending my limited time on this kind of bullshit.
Opens the main menu (selection actions, import/export, plugins, etc. depending on your build).
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Opens the main menu (selection actions, plugin/extension management, logs — varies by build).
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-**Search**
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Filters the current view (e.g., feature tree).
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Filters the current view (e.g., windows/feature;apps tree).
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Tip: clear the search to show all items again.
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-**Refresh**
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Updates the view and clears the log in the log window.
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### Profile selector
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-**Select profile… (dropdown)**
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Loads a preset selection of tweaks/actions (a “profile”).
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Use this to quickly apply a known configuration without manually checking every item.
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**Typical usage:**
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1. Choose a profile from the dropdown
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2. Click **Inspect system** (optional but recommended)
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3. Click **Apply selected changes**
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**Notes:**
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- Switching profiles usually updates which items are checked in the tree.
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- Available profiles depend on your build / included profiles.
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- You can export your current checked items to a simple `.sel` text file.
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- You can import a `.sel` file to restore a selection quickly.
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Some builds also support auto-loading `selection.sel` from the same folder as the executable (opt-in prompt).
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### Tabs
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-**Windows**
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Shows the feature/plugin tree. Items are grouped (e.g., *Issues*, *System*, *MS Edge*, *Privacy*…).
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-**Applications**
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-**Apps**
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Scans installed apps and allows uninstalling selected ones (if present).
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-**Install** (winget)
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Installs applications using winget.
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**Typical flow:**
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1. Search/browse available winget apps (depends on your UI)
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2. Select what you want to install
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3. Apply selected changes (install)
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_Note: Application list parsed and adapted from the [WinUtil project by Chris Titus Tech](https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil)_
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-**Tools**
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Hosts extension views/modules.
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Extra modules and extension views live here.
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What you see depends on which extensions are included/installed.
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### Feature tree (Windows tab)
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- Checkboxes represent individual tweaks.
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Applies all currently checked items in the active tab (e.g., apply tweaks / uninstall selected apps).
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---
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## Selection import/export (optional)
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If your build includes selection transfer:
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- You can export your current checked items to a simple `.sel` text file.
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- You can import a `.sel` file to restore a selection quickly.
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Some builds also support auto-loading `selection.sel` from the same folder as the executable (opt-in prompt).
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---
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## Notes / Safety
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This tool changes Windows settings. Use **Inspect** first, review what is checked, then **Apply**.
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## FAQ
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<details>
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<summary><strong>What’s the easiest way to share or restore my selections?</strong></summary>
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<summary><strong>What’s the easiest way to share or restore my selections?</strong></summary>
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Use the new **Export/Import** feature for TreeList selections.
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Use the new <strong>Export/Import</strong> feature for TreeList selections.
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If you place **`winslop-selection.sel`** in the same folder as **`Winslop.exe`**, Winslop will detect it automatically and offer an import.
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<p><em>Note:</em> Placing <code>winslop-selection.sel</code> next to <code>Winslop.exe</code> was how this worked in older builds. Newer versions use the Export/Import flow (and will guide you through importing the file).</p>
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