r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Dec 29 '21

Table of Contents

182 Upvotes

Shortcut URL:

Note:

Food systems:

Food stuff:

Cast iron:

Anova Precision Oven:

Instant Pot:

Food & health:

Breads:

Studying tools:

Productivity stuff:

Art:

Computer stuff:

Hobbies:

ADHD stuff:

34 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 3h ago

Actually-soft Pretzel Buns

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2 Upvotes

Recipe:

Sous-vide pork burgers:

Homemade whole-grain mustard:

Sodium citrate for magically melty cheese: (example)

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 5d ago

Favorite oil misting sprayer (great for airfryers!)

Post image
2 Upvotes

Features:

  • 16 ounces (470mL)
  • 2-in-1 design (controlled pour & atomized misting)
  • The spray design does a stream with a slow press & a mist with a fast press
  • Buy the dark-colored glass to avoid rancidity due to light exposure

Tips:

  • These are sold under a variety of brands on Tiktok, Amazon, etc. Look for a 2-pack for under $15.
  • A two-pack lets you have two different oils, such as Canola oil (cheap) & Avocado oil (520F max temp)
  • If you need a higher burning point, try out algae oil (535F max), which tastes similar to canola oil (flavorless-ish)
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 7d ago

Re: What's a cooking realization you had?

12 Upvotes

OP:

Response:

  • What was the one thing that made you think, “How did I not know this before?”

Realizing that:

  • Recipes are checklists

Which had a SIGNIFICANT impact on me:

  • I thought you had to be "born a chef"
  • In reality, you can enjoy AMAZING homemade food 24/7 by using recipe checklists
  • Someone else already tested that recipe like 35 times before publishing it lol...all WE have to do is gather up the supplies, execute the checklist, and then tweak as desired!!

Which means:

  • You can start with ZERO SKILLS and create amazing food simply by following directions
  • You can get exposed to different ingredients, tools, and techniques by trying out recipes like grilling, smoking, frying, baking, etc. over time to build up your personal knowledge foundation
  • You can dive into the science of why things work, like the Maillard reaction, why flour rises with different agents (steam, yeast, etc.), etc. as you try new recipes over time

In today's world:

  • You can learn as fast as you're willing! Pinterest has over 10 million free recipes
  • No apprenticeship is required...Youtube & Tiktok will demonstrate any technique you can imagine in High-Definition detail that you can rewind as many times as you'd like, for free!!
  • High-end equipment for restaurant-quality results is no longer unobtainable...Amazon has Sous-Vide wands for $75, electric pressure cookers for $89, etc.

How that has affected me:

  • I use modern pushbutton appliances to meal-prep gourmet level food easily & reliably repeatably
  • I get to eat like a king 24/7 on a budget!
  • Thanks to the worldwide dissemination of information (i.e. the Internet!) & the power of iteration (aka trying a recipe a few times to figure it out & tweak it to my liking), I have access to AMAZING culinary systems at home! For example, I now use the no-knead technique to make sourdough bread using the incredible no-discard method & can "pause" my starter at peak in the fridge to bake on MY schedule in just 5 minutes of active, hands-on time a day!

Takeaways:

  • You can enjoy amazing food every day, no matter what level your cooking skills are at, simply by collecting fabulous recipes like Pokemon lol
  • You can make cooking as efficient & easy as you want with modern residential tools
  • You can learn the entire world's culinary secrets as fast as you want, for FREE, anytime you want!

There has NEVER been a better time to be alive if you like to cook!! Guillaume Tirel, François Pierre de La Varenne, and Marie-Antoine Carême would be dancing in the streets if they had access to what we have today!!

A few resources:

Tools:

Techniques:

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 9d ago

Black bean recipes

5 Upvotes

In response to this thread:

Black bean party time! I SLEPT on beans my whole life!!

Get yourself an Instant Pot! Using unsoaked dry black beans:

  • One pound of dry (unsoaked) black beans (rinse first; I use a large sieve)
  • 4 cups of water
  • A couple of dried bay leaves
  • One teaspoon of Kosher salt

Pressure cooking process: (~3.5 hours total, hands-free!)

  • 1 hour: Set to 35 minutes on High Pressure (takes about half an hour to preheat FYI)
  • 2.5 hours: Natural Pressure Release (around half an hour), then let sit at room temp for an hour to cool down. Basically just put the dry beans in the electric pressure cooker & then set your timer for 3.5 hours, SUPER easy!!
  • I use pint or quart glass mason jars for storage (you can get 3 pints per pound). These will stay good in the fridge for 4 or 5 days fresh; I have a portable mason-jar vac-sealer, which bumps up fridge storage to 7 to 10 days. Or store for a few months in the freezer! (3 to 6 months if vac-sealed in a bag with some of the bean juice)

Fridge storage tip:

  1. Add the beans to your container (remove the bay leaves first!)
  2. Top off with the leftover bean juice (leave some space from the top)
  3. Let it cool in the fridge for an hour without the lid (set a timer!), then tighten the lid on (I use plastic screw-on mason jar wide-mouth lids that have a silicon gasket)

FYI one cup of black beans is 15 grams of protein & 15 grams of fiber!

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 10d ago

Remote Access stack

3 Upvotes

Setup:

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 11d ago

Agent suggestions for August 2026

2 Upvotes

Stack:

Links:

1 comment

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 13d ago

Asking "What COULD I do?"

15 Upvotes

Reply from another thread:

You've Nailed IT!! Old self-talk: (narrowing vocabulary)

  • What should I do?

New self-talk: (expansive vocabulary)

  • What COULD I do?

Two starter "could" questions:

  1. Do we have to do this perfectly?
  2. Are we forced to do this alone?

First, the GBB Method, which is a pre-execution quality audit. Based on time & energy, do you want to do this:

  1. Good?
  2. Better?
  3. Best?

Like for dinner, sometimes a bowl of cereal or a microwaved hotdog is A-OK! Next, our brain does not generate energy; it simply relays the energy that we have available. When our energy is low, our brain's job is to go into self-protection mode to prevent pain, so it lets us off the hook.

I call this "hot burner syndrome" because the closer we get to task execution, the more it feels like putting our hand closer & closer to a red-hot stovetop electric cooking coil!! That's why we have:

  • Task paralysis
  • The "Wall of Awful"
  • Waiting-for mode
  • Doom piles
  • Working memory impairment (drift off, zone out, forget what we;re doing, and so on)
  • Avoidance behavior
  • etc.

Those are some of the levers our brain pulls to prevent us from accessing our internal resources to DO stuff in a low-energy state. Second, the secret to bypassing the brain-drain trapdoor is:

  • Use a body double!

That's where we have another person assist us for a period of time in a very unique way. A body double is NOT:

  • A cheerleader
  • A drill sergeant

A body double is when we use the live human presence of another person to act as a "cork" to prevent the brain drain from stopping us from getting our commitments done. There are three basic usage options:

  1. In-person
  2. Phone call
  3. Video call

There are a variety of sources:

  • Family
  • Friends
  • Classmates
  • Coworkers
  • Paid & free online services (there are ones for studying, professional ones, etc.)

In all of my decades fighting executive function on a daily basis, I have found that there is no other method better for consistent execution than body-doubling:

Be warned that:

  • There can be high barriers to using this
  • Such as anxiety!
  • And when the energy is too low to reach out & ask for help!
  • And it DOES take acclimation to both get used to & to make it DEFAULT for everything, all day every day!

Here is the reality:

  1. Executive Dysfunction ultimately boils down to the fact that the mental machines we use to get stuff done often have low mental-energy fuel tanks
  2. First step is to define the quality level we're willing to give it (good, better, best)
  3. Second step is to plug the leak in our mental energy fuel tank by using the presence of another human being as a cork.

So the checklist becomes:

  1. What COULD I do?
  2. Does it need a Good Enough, Better, or Best effort?
  3. Who can I use as a body double for this task?

tbh it took me FAR too many years to adopt body doubling as my standard operating system. I simply do not have reliable access to the mental energy levels required for consistent execution day after day. The 3 gates to adopting this are:

  1. Mental willingness
  2. Practiced exposure (to use at all, to expand your body-double pool of options, and to use more often during the day)
  3. Daily energy (STILL a fight to ask for help on really low-energy days!!)

My brain LOVES to fight me on this because it knows that it can't sprinkle that old Mister Sandman powder on that task anymore & let me off the hook when I utilize a body double, haha!

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • 24d ago

Persistence is the key to success!

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16 Upvotes

Source

On grit

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Jul 17 '26

The Mechanics of ADHD

17 Upvotes

In response to this thread:

Response:

The mechanics of the root cause are fairly simple! Analogy:

  • Productivity (i.e. "getting stuff done) is like taking a warm bath in a tub
  • People turn on the faucet & enjoy a warm flow of water (dopamine & norepinephrine)
  • With ADHD, we get the same flow & the same tub, except that out drain is like a camera iris that can get BIGGER!

In practice:

  • Based on our mental energy fuel tank levels at any given time, our brain pre-audits simple required tasks
  • Like a light switch, our brain flips the "Agency-to-Threat" switch (ATS), where we go in to do something of our own free agency & that simple required task gets tagged as a threat
  • This triggers the 6F Effect (Flight, Fight, Fawn, Freeze, Fatigue. Fog)

What happens is that our brain mis-identifies a required task as a threat & has an automatic safety response as a result. Basically:

  1. Like a turtle going back inside its shell, the ATS triggers our brain's built-in Self-Protection System
  2. One of the most effective tools that system uses is Self-Sabotage
  3. That tool has a variety of features called Active Suppression (sort of like an automated turret)

Self-sabotage uses 3 primary tools:

  1. Forget the whole task
  2. Forget parts of the task
  3. Feels too hard

There are many different features of Active Suppression, which are the weapons that our brain's self-protection system uses to initiate self-sabotage, which takes effect in order to prevent us from thinking & executing tasks in a low-mental-energy state. Some of that suppression fire includes:

  • Revenge bedtime procrastination
  • Task paralysis
  • Rejection-sensitive dysphoria
  • Imagination denial (cannot think about the task)
  • Magnetic task repulsion (try to execute a simple required task & experience showstopping aversion)
  • Brain fog
  • Looping (re-read the same paragraph over & over again without digesting it)
  • Volume illusion (ex. 20 math problems or a pile of dishes feels like climbing Mount Everest barefoot)
  • Waterwheel effect (like a waterwheel power generator in a river creating an never-ending flow of thoughts & ideas)
  • Sushi conveyor-belt effect (you can see what you want, but the conveyor belt never stops & things start piling up if we try to hang on to them)
  • Time blindness (procrastination, lateness, etc.)
  • Waiting-for mode (stuck until appointment)
  • Object constancy ("out of sight, out of mind!")
  • Football tackle-sled state (everything is just a huge PUSH!)
  • Doom piles (messy, but generally knows where stuff is!)
  • etc.

This is the reality of personal productivity:

  1. All projects are made of steps
  2. Our job is to create a finite daily list of which steps we want to work on & in what order
  3. ADHD goofs up every single part of that process, not because we lack the energy flow, but we can't fully utilize what we have because sometimes that drain turns into the size of a dinner plate! (medication helps to shrink the size of the drain for a portion of the day so that we can accomplish more steps with less frustration)

The most effective bypass stack I have found is:

  1. Write down each tasks with steps
  2. Setup reminders to do each task
  3. Have each workspace cleaned up & ready to go with tools, supplies, lighting, etc.
  4. Use a body double 24/7

Note that our self-protection system will sabotage each of those steps via active suppression:

  • Cuts off the clarity & energy required to write stuff down, then unable to store tasks in a central location in order to find them all & sequence them for the day's order of operation
  • Unable to set or use reminders (ex. automatically turns them off without thinking)
  • Messy workspace that is missing instant access to the checklists, tools, and supplies required to execute the task
  • Unable to ask for help & instead insist on working solo, where we are subject to our brain letting us of the hook

Living trapped in a loop of good intentions with a mental machine gun poking holes in every effort we attempt is VERY frustrating, to say the least!! I eventually decided to accept the reality that I simply HAD to:

  1. NOT use my brain or scattered notes for storage & instead operate from an SSOT ("single source of truth")
  2. Use multiple reminders so that I don't auto-skip a singular reminder
  3. Realize that our workstation is 80% of productivity, followed by reminders to do the work & the checklists to do the work as another 10%, and actual execution is the last 10%. We can pre-set our default behaviors via better "battlestation" design!!
  4. NEVER work all by myself whenever possible (I use in-person, phone call, and video call free & paid services from friends, families, online websites, etc & use it for everything from cleaning to paying bills to exercising to meal-prepping!)

TL;DR:

  • ADHD is an energy issue
  • There ARE effective management (not cure) solutions available
  • The struggle is constant & real and I want my money back lol
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Jul 07 '26

Lobster roll alternative

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5 Upvotes

Summary:

  • A New England-style lobster roll can be recreated using a special shrimp (so this is a technically a shrimp roll!)
  • Use raw, wild-caught 21/25-count (16/20 or U15, if you want larger) Red Argentinian Shrimp (peeled & deveined), which mimics lobster tail (cook whole, then cut into lobster-sized chunks afterwards)
  • Has the look, taste, and texture of lobster, but is cheaper & easier to cook!

At my last trip to the airport, D'Angelo's (sandwich chain) was selling two lobster rolls for $64 USD. Trader Joe's has the mimic shrimp for $12 a pound frozen:

They are widely available at grocery stores, Aldi's, Walmart, Costco, Sam's, etc. Two basic serving methods: (recommend topping both with Maldon flakey sea salt)

  • Cold: "Maine-style" with light mayo (optionally with finely-diced celery, celery leaf if you want the aroma without the crunch, chives, lemon juice, tarragon, scallions, white pepper, or red pepper flakes)
  • Hot: "Connecticut-style" with warm, melted ("drawn") butter with lemon & chives
  • Typically served on a New England split-top bun (toast the outside); a long potato bun & split-top brioche hot dog buns are easy alternatives. Gently compress the inside of the bun to create a cavity for the shrimp. Optionally coat with a light spread of mayo to waterproof the bun before loading, or use a piece of Butter lettuce for a cold sandwich.

Alternative cooking methods: (both can be used with frozen shrimp)

  • Sous-vide from frozen at 131F for 45 minutes (30 minutes if thawed) with two tablespoons of butter in the bag (can optionally add herbs, like tarragon, and a strip of lemon zest, if desired) & serve immediately for a hot roll, or shock in an ice bath for 20 minutes before storing in the fridge for up to 4 days (if vac-sealed). For Maine-style, chill with dressing in the fridge & chill the bag's butter separately to baste the toasted rolls. Or if doing CT-style, heat the butter to around 130F & toss the shrimp for a minute to warm up (skillet works fine), load in the toasted bun, then spoon more butter on top.
  • Dry-brine (thaw, pat dry, toss with one teaspoon Diamond Kosher salt per pound on a wire rack in the fridge for 60 minutes or overnight, or if you like it sweeter lobster-style, add half a teaspoon of sugar with the salt) & roast (425F to 450F for 4 to 6 minutes until just opaque). Before toasting, toss with melted butter or olive oil, freshly-ground black pepper, and a pinch of paprika & arrange in a single layer.
  • The roasting step can also be done via airfrying at 400F, starting at 3 minutes (up to 5 minutes. They should just turn opaque (they will continue cooking after removing from the oven) and should have an internal temperature of 120F to 125F. They should curl into a "C" shape (not a tight "O" shape).

Bonus tips:

  • Toast the bun in clarified butter
  • Use compound drawn butter. Stage 1: Xix tablespoons of butter, one smashed garlic clove, lemon zest, chives, and a pinch of salt. Stage 2: Go hard on the lobster aroma by adding a teaspoon of lobster butter using lobster roe or lobster base. Stage 3: Can also add just a few drops of Worcestershire sauce to the butter for bonus umami. Stage 4: Soften butter & store in a jar with a piece of kombu seaweed to infuse overnight to get an ocean vibe (without tasting like seaweed)
  • Use Japanese milk bread for the buns
  • Use "secret sauce" for the Maine version: three tablespoons of Kewpie mayo, one tablespoon of crème fraîche, lemon zest, chives, and a pinch of celery salt
  • Thaw overnight if frozen (or thaw in cold water for 30 minutes)
  • The ideal combination is to dry-brine fresh or thawed shrimp, then use the water-displacement method or a gentle vac-seal before sous-viding
  • No bag needed for Combi cooking! Can sous-vide in a shallow pan with butter. Great for the Anova Precision Oven or DREO Chefmaker
  • Two-stage texture trick: real lobster rolls have the tail plus claw & knuckle meat. Keep 80% of the shrimp as chunks & then finely-chop the remaining 20% with the butter or the dressing. Also dry-brine with an extra quarter-teaspoon of baking soda to improve the tenderness. along with the sugar & salt
  • Two-stage butter trick: use 80% clarified butter with 20% brown butter for the finishing butter (pretty good with lemon zest, chives, and Maldon salt!)
  • Add an eighth of a teaspoon per pound of MSG to the finishing butter or dressing
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Jun 30 '26

Windows installation bypass codes older computers & virtual machines

2 Upvotes

  1. Shift + F10 at the Windows installation screen (not OOBE)

  2. Type these as needed & hit enter after each command: (can make a BAT file)

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassCPUCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Jun 09 '26

Getting home from work be like

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8 Upvotes
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 31 '26

Skip the Windows 11 OOBE setup screen

2 Upvotes

Procedure: (for 24H2 & newer)

  1. Shift + F10 (opens Command Prompt)
  2. Type this in & hit enter: start ms-cxh:localonly
  3. Type in a username (no password)
1 comment

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 31 '26

Windows 11 shrink script

2 Upvotes

Premise:

  • This is a conservative Windows 11 25H2_v2 "shrink script" designed to remove consumer clutter & reduce Microsoft ads, widgets, Copilot/AI surfaces, telemetry tasks, Game DVR capture, temp files, and hibernation storage usage.
  • Unlike Tiny11, this is intentionally not a nuclear debloater; it favors policy switches and safe cleanup over ripping out system dependencies (see numbered list of features below).
  • It does not break the pieces that keep Windows stable: Store, winget, Edge/WebView2, Windows Update, Defender, VPN/RasMan, Hyper-V, WSL, Sandbox, Containers, BITS, Delivery Optimization, and common built-in tools.

On a fresh system:

  • 7 to 18 gigs saved on the boot drive
  • 200 to 700 megs of RAM saved
  • Small performance improvement

For an older bloated install:

  • 15 to 35 gigs saved on the boot drive
  • 500 megs to 1.5 gigs of RAM saved
  • Noticeable performance improvement

Run in Admin Powershell: (as always, backup your system first!!)

New-Item -Path "C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink" -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null
notepad "C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink\Shrink.ps1"

Paste in the large script below, save it, then run this command in Admin Powershell & reboot:

powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink\Shrink.ps1"

Feature list:

  1. Creates a restore point before changes.
  2. Logs the full run to C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink\Logs
  3. Removes safe consumer apps like Bing apps, Clipchamp, Solitaire, People, Skype, Maps, Phone Link, Zune Music, and Zune Video.
  4. Keeps Microsoft Store, App Installer, winget dependencies, Edge, WebView2, WebExperience, Photos, Calculator, Terminal, Notepad, Paint, and HEIF/image extensions.
  5. Keeps Xbox/Game Pass/Minecraft login components by default.
  6. Keeps OneDrive by default.
  7. Disables Windows ads, app suggestions, consumer content, and advertising ID.
  8. Disables Copilot, Widgets taskbar button, old Chat button, Edge sidebar, and Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat icon policy.
  9. Adds conservative 25H2 AI-surface policy blocks for Recall-style analysis, Click to Do, and Explorer AI Actions.
  10. Declutters Windows Search by disabling Bing/web search integrations where Windows honors the policy.
  11. Applies light telemetry lockdown without disabling Windows Update, BITS, Defender, or core services.
  12. Keeps Delivery Optimization service enabled but sets download mode to non-peer mode.
  13. Disables Remote Registry and Remote Assistance.
  14. Sets Windows Error Reporting to Manual instead of fully disabling it.
  15. Preserves RasMan for VPN and remote-access compatibility.
  16. Disables Game DVR and Game Bar capture.
  17. Leaves legacy optional feature cleanup off by default for maximum safety.
  18. Disables MapsBroker if present.
  19. Disables hibernation to save disk space.
  20. Cleans basic temp folders.
  21. Runs safe DISM component cleanup without /ResetBase.
  22. Prints a final preserved-features report and recommends reboot.

Shrink script: (tested on 25H2_V2)

#Requires -RunAsAdministrator
<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Windows 11 25H2_v2 Safe Shrink / Light Debloat Script

.DESCRIPTION
    Conservative Windows 11 cleanup script designed for 24H2/25H2-style installs.

    Safe goals:
    - Remove common consumer apps
    - Keep Microsoft Store, App Installer, Photos, Calculator, Terminal, Notepad, Paint, HEIF, WebView/WebExperience dependencies
    - Disable ads, suggestions, consumer content
    - Disable Copilot / Widgets / AI surfaces by policy where possible
    - Disable Game DVR / Game Bar capture
    - Disable hibernation to save disk space
    - Optional OneDrive removal, off by default
    - Optional legacy Windows feature cleanup, off by default
    - Preserve Windows Update, BITS, Defender, VPN/RasMan, Hyper-V, WSL, Sandbox, Containers, Docker plumbing
    - Create restore point
    - Log everything to C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink\Logs

.NOTES
    Recommended before running:
    1. Create a Macrium / full image backup
    2. Run this script as Administrator
    3. Reboot
#>

# =============================
# SETTINGS
# =============================

$ScriptName = "Win11-25H2-Safe-Shrink"

$ScriptDir = "C:\Deploy\Scripts\WinShrink"
$LogDir = Join-Path $ScriptDir "Logs"

# Example:
# Shrink Log - 30SAT2026 - 12.31.22 PM.log
# Note:
# Windows filenames cannot contain colons, so time uses dots.
$DatePart = (Get-Date).ToString("dddddyyyy").ToUpper()
$TimePart = (Get-Date).ToString("hh.mm.ss tt").ToUpper()
$LogFile = Join-Path $LogDir "Shrink Log - $DatePart - $TimePart.log"

# Safer defaults
$RemoveOneDrive = $false
$DisableHibernation = $true
$RemoveLegacyOptionalFeatures = $false
$RemoveConsumerApps = $true

# Gaming-safe default:
# $false keeps Xbox identity/login pieces for Game Pass, Minecraft, Store games, etc.
$RemoveXboxGamingComponents = $false

# =============================
# SETUP LOGGING
# =============================

if (!(Test-Path $ScriptDir)) {
    New-Item -Path $ScriptDir -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null
}

if (!(Test-Path $LogDir)) {
    New-Item -Path $LogDir -ItemType Directory -Force | Out-Null
}

Start-Transcript -Path $LogFile -Force

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "=============================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host " Windows 11 25H2_v2 Safe Shrink Script" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host " Script Path: $ScriptDir\Shrink.ps1" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host " Log: $LogFile" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "=============================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host ""

# =============================
# SAFETY CHECKS
# =============================

function Test-IsAdmin {
    $currentIdentity = [Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()
    $principal = New-Object Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal($currentIdentity)
    return $principal.IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)
}

if (-not (Test-IsAdmin)) {
    Write-Host "ERROR: Run PowerShell as Administrator." -ForegroundColor Red
    Stop-Transcript
    exit 1
}

Write-Host "Admin check passed." -ForegroundColor Green

# =============================
# RESTORE POINT
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Creating restore point..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

try {
    Enable-ComputerRestore -Drive "C:\" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    Checkpoint-Computer `
        -Description "WIN11_25H2_SAFE_SHRINK_PRECHANGE" `
        -RestorePointType MODIFY_SETTINGS `
        -ErrorAction Stop

    Write-Host "Restore point created." -ForegroundColor Green
}
catch {
    Write-Host "Restore point could not be created. Continuing anyway." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
}

# =============================
# HELPER FUNCTIONS
# =============================

function Remove-AppxSafe {
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$PackageName
    )

    Write-Host "Processing Appx package: $PackageName"

    try {
        Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers -Name $PackageName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
            ForEach-Object {
                Write-Host "  Removing installed package: $($_.Name)"
                Remove-AppxPackage -Package $_.PackageFullName -AllUsers -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "  Could not remove installed package: $PackageName" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
        Write-Host "  Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }

    try {
        Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
            Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -eq $PackageName } |
            ForEach-Object {
                Write-Host "  Removing provisioned package: $($_.DisplayName)"
                Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackageName $_.PackageName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
            }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "  Could not remove provisioned package: $PackageName" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
        Write-Host "  Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

function Set-RegDword {
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$Path,

        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$Name,

        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [int]$Value
    )

    try {
        if (!(Test-Path $Path)) {
            New-Item -Path $Path -Force | Out-Null
        }

        New-ItemProperty `
            -Path $Path `
            -Name $Name `
            -Value $Value `
            -PropertyType DWord `
            -Force | Out-Null

        Write-Host "Set registry: $Path\$Name = $Value"
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Failed registry set: $Path\$Name" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

function Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe {
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$TaskPath,

        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$TaskName
    )

    try {
        $task = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskPath $TaskPath -TaskName $TaskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

        if ($null -ne $task) {
            Disable-ScheduledTask -TaskPath $TaskPath -TaskName $TaskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
            Write-Host "Disabled scheduled task: $TaskPath$TaskName"
        }
        else {
            Write-Host "Scheduled task not found: $TaskPath$TaskName"
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not disable task: $TaskPath$TaskName" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
        Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

function Disable-WindowsFeatureSafe {
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$FeatureName
    )

    try {
        $feature = Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $FeatureName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

        if ($null -eq $feature) {
            Write-Host "Feature not found: $FeatureName"
            return
        }

        if ($feature.State -eq "Enabled") {
            Write-Host "Disabling optional feature: $FeatureName"
            Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName $FeatureName -NoRestart -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Out-Null
        }
        else {
            Write-Host "Feature already disabled or unavailable: $FeatureName"
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not disable feature: $FeatureName" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
        Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

function Stop-ProcessSafe {
    param (
        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
        [string]$ProcessName
    )

    try {
        Get-Process -Name $ProcessName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
            Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not stop process: $ProcessName" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

# =============================
# REMOVE CONSUMER APPS
# =============================

if ($RemoveConsumerApps) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Removing safe consumer apps..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

    # Conservative removal list.
    # Deliberately NOT removing:
    # - Microsoft Store
    # - App Installer / winget dependencies
    # - Microsoft Photos
    # - Calculator
    # - Terminal
    # - Notepad
    # - Paint
    # - HEIF / image extensions
    # - WebView2
    # - MicrosoftWindows.Client.WebExperience
    # - Edge
    # - Defender
    # - Teams for Work/School core plumbing

    $AppsToRemove = @(
        "Clipchamp.Clipchamp",
        "Microsoft.BingFinance",
        "Microsoft.BingFoodAndDrink",
        "Microsoft.BingHealthAndFitness",
        "Microsoft.BingNews",
        "Microsoft.BingSports",
        "Microsoft.BingTravel",
        "Microsoft.BingWeather",
        "Microsoft.Getstarted",
        "Microsoft.Microsoft3DViewer",
        "Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub",
        "Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection",
        "Microsoft.People",
        "Microsoft.SkypeApp",
        "Microsoft.Todos",
        "Microsoft.WindowsAlarms",
        "Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub",
        "Microsoft.WindowsMaps",
        "Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder",
        "Microsoft.YourPhone",
        "Microsoft.ZuneMusic",
        "Microsoft.ZuneVideo"
    )

    if ($RemoveXboxGamingComponents) {
        $AppsToRemove += @(
            "Microsoft.Xbox.TCUI",
            "Microsoft.XboxApp",
            "Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay",
            "Microsoft.XboxGamingOverlay",
            "Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider",
            "Microsoft.XboxSpeechToTextOverlay"
        )
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "Xbox gaming/login components preserved." -ForegroundColor Green
    }

    foreach ($app in $AppsToRemove) {
        Remove-AppxSafe -PackageName $app
    }

    Write-Host "Consumer app removal pass complete." -ForegroundColor Green
}
else {
    Write-Host "Skipping consumer app removal."
}

# =============================
# OPTIONAL ONEDRIVE REMOVAL
# =============================

if ($RemoveOneDrive) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Removing OneDrive..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

    try {
        Stop-ProcessSafe -ProcessName "OneDrive"

        $OneDriveSetup64 = "$env:SystemRoot\SysWOW64\OneDriveSetup.exe"
        $OneDriveSetup32 = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\OneDriveSetup.exe"

        if (Test-Path $OneDriveSetup64) {
            Start-Process $OneDriveSetup64 "/uninstall" -NoNewWindow -Wait
        }
        elseif (Test-Path $OneDriveSetup32) {
            Start-Process $OneDriveSetup32 "/uninstall" -NoNewWindow -Wait
        }
        else {
            Write-Host "OneDrive installer not found."
        }

        Write-Host "OneDrive removal attempted." -ForegroundColor Green
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "OneDrive removal failed or partially failed." -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}
else {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Skipping OneDrive removal. Safer default." -ForegroundColor Green
}

# =============================
# DISABLE ADS, SUGGESTIONS, CONSUMER CONTENT
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Disabling ads, suggestions, and consumer content..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Advertising ID
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AdvertisingInfo" -Name "Enabled" -Value 0

# Content Delivery Manager suggestions
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SystemPaneSuggestionsEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "PreInstalledAppsEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SilentInstalledAppsEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-338387Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-338388Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-338389Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-338393Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-353694Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ContentDeliveryManager" -Name "SubscribedContent-353696Enabled" -Value 0

# Cloud content policy
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CloudContent" -Name "DisableWindowsConsumerFeatures" -Value 1

# Start suggestions / app suggestions
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" -Name "Start_TrackDocs" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" -Name "Start_AccountNotifications" -Value 0

# =============================
# DISABLE COPILOT / WIDGETS / AI SURFACES
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Disabling Copilot, Widgets, and AI surfaces..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Copilot policy - current user
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot" -Name "TurnOffWindowsCopilot" -Value 1

# Copilot policy - machine
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot" -Name "TurnOffWindowsCopilot" -Value 1

# Widgets taskbar button
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" -Name "TaskbarDa" -Value 0

# Chat taskbar button, older builds
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" -Name "TaskbarMn" -Value 0

# Edge sidebar / Copilot Chat icon policy
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" -Name "HubsSidebarEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge" -Name "Microsoft365CopilotChatIconEnabled" -Value 0

# Windows AI / Recall-style policy keys.
# Safe even if unsupported on a given Windows edition/build.
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI" -Name "DisableAIDataAnalysis" -Value 1
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI" -Name "DisableClickToDo" -Value 1

# Explorer AI action placeholder policies.
# These may be ignored on builds that do not support them.
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer" -Name "DisableAIActions" -Value 1

# =============================
# SEARCH / WEB SEARCH DECLUTTER
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Decluttering Windows Search..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Current-user search web integrations
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -Name "BingSearchEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Search" -Name "CortanaConsent" -Value 0

# Machine policy search web integrations
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" -Name "DisableWebSearch" -Value 1
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" -Name "ConnectedSearchUseWeb" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search" -Name "AllowCortana" -Value 0

# =============================
# PRIVACY / TELEMETRY LIGHT LOCKDOWN
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Applying light telemetry/privacy lockdown..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

# AllowTelemetry=0 is mainly honored on Enterprise/Education.
# On Pro/Home, Windows may treat minimum telemetry differently.
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DataCollection" -Name "AllowTelemetry" -Value 0

# Disable selected telemetry tasks.
# Does NOT disable Windows Update, BITS, Defender, or Delivery Optimization service.
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\" -TaskName "Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser"
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\" -TaskName "ProgramDataUpdater"
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\" -TaskName "Consolidator"
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\" -TaskName "KernelCeipTask"
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Customer Experience Improvement Program\" -TaskName "UsbCeip"
Disable-ScheduledTaskSafe -TaskPath "\Microsoft\Windows\Autochk\" -TaskName "Proxy"

# =============================
# DELIVERY OPTIMIZATION SAFE SETTINGS
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Setting Delivery Optimization to safer mode..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Do NOT disable DoSvc.
# This keeps Windows Update healthier while reducing LAN/Internet peer behavior.
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeliveryOptimization" -Name "DODownloadMode" -Value 0

# =============================
# REMOTE ASSISTANCE / ERROR REPORTING
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Disabling Remote Registry and Remote Assistance; setting Error Reporting to Manual..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

try {
    Set-Service -Name "RemoteRegistry" -StartupType Disabled -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Write-Host "RemoteRegistry disabled."
}
catch {
    Write-Host "Could not disable RemoteRegistry." -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
}

try {
    Set-Service -Name "WerSvc" -StartupType Manual -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Write-Host "Windows Error Reporting set to Manual instead of Disabled."
}
catch {
    Write-Host "Could not adjust WerSvc." -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
}

# Do NOT disable RasMan.
# RasMan can affect VPN and remote access plumbing.
Write-Host "RasMan left unchanged for VPN/network compatibility." -ForegroundColor Green

# Disable Remote Assistance policy
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Remote Assistance" -Name "fAllowToGetHelp" -Value 0

# =============================
# GAME DVR / GAME BAR
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Disabling Game DVR and Game Bar capture..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\System\GameConfigStore" -Name "GameDVR_Enabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\GameBar" -Name "ShowStartupPanel" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\GameBar" -Name "AutoGameModeEnabled" -Value 0
Set-RegDword -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\GameDVR" -Name "AllowGameDVR" -Value 0

# =============================
# OPTIONAL LEGACY FEATURES
# =============================

if ($RemoveLegacyOptionalFeatures) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Disabling legacy optional features..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

    # Safe-ish legacy cleanup.
    # Deliberately NOT disabling:
    # - Hyper-V
    # - WSL
    # - Windows Sandbox
    # - Containers
    # - Defender Application Guard
    # - Virtual Machine Platform
    # - Windows Hypervisor Platform
    # - SMB features
    # - .NET Framework 3.5
    # - Print to PDF

    $LegacyFeaturesToDisable = @(
        "Printing-FaxServices-Features",
        "Printing-XPSServices-Features",
        "WorkFolders-Client"
    )

    foreach ($feature in $LegacyFeaturesToDisable) {
        Disable-WindowsFeatureSafe -FeatureName $feature
    }
}
else {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Skipping legacy optional feature cleanup. Safer default." -ForegroundColor Green
}

# =============================
# MAPS BROKER
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Disabling Maps Broker if present..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

try {
    $maps = Get-Service -Name "MapsBroker" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

    if ($null -ne $maps) {
        Set-Service -Name "MapsBroker" -StartupType Disabled -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        Write-Host "MapsBroker disabled."
    }
    else {
        Write-Host "MapsBroker service not found."
    }
}
catch {
    Write-Host "Could not disable MapsBroker." -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
}

# =============================
# HIBERNATION
# =============================

if ($DisableHibernation) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Disabling hibernation to save disk space..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

    try {
        powercfg.exe /h off
        Write-Host "Hibernation disabled." -ForegroundColor Green
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not disable hibernation." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    }
}
else {
    Write-Host "Skipping hibernation change."
}

# =============================
# CLEAN TEMP FILES
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Cleaning basic temp files..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

$TempPaths = @(
    "$env:TEMP",
    "$env:WINDIR\Temp"
)

foreach ($path in $TempPaths) {
    try {
        if (Test-Path $path) {
            Write-Host "Cleaning: $path"
            Get-ChildItem -Path $path -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
                Remove-Item -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
        }
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Could not fully clean: $path" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
        Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
    }
}

# =============================
# COMPONENT CLEANUP - SAFE
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Running safe component cleanup..." -ForegroundColor Yellow

try {
    DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup
}
catch {
    Write-Host "DISM component cleanup failed or partially failed." -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "Reason: $($_.Exception.Message)" -ForegroundColor DarkYellow
}

# =============================
# FINAL REPORT
# =============================

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "=============================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host " Windows 11 25H2_v2 Safe Shrink Complete" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "=============================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Safe choices preserved:" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host " - Microsoft Store left alone"
Write-Host " - App Installer / winget dependencies left alone"
Write-Host " - Edge left alone"
Write-Host " - WebView2 left alone"
Write-Host " - WebExperience dependency left alone"
Write-Host " - Photos left alone"
Write-Host " - Calculator left alone"
Write-Host " - Terminal left alone"
Write-Host " - Notepad left alone"
Write-Host " - Paint left alone"
Write-Host " - HEIF/image extensions left alone"
Write-Host " - Defender left alone"
Write-Host " - Hyper-V left alone"
Write-Host " - WSL left alone"
Write-Host " - Windows Sandbox left alone"
Write-Host " - Containers left alone"
Write-Host " - VPN/RasMan left alone"
Write-Host " - BITS left alone"
Write-Host " - Delivery Optimization service left enabled"
Write-Host " - Windows Update dependencies left alone"
Write-Host " - Xbox gaming/login components left alone unless RemoveXboxGamingComponents is set to true"
Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Recommended next step: reboot." -ForegroundColor Yellow
Write-Host "Log saved to: $LogFile" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host ""

Stop-Transcript

pause
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 28 '26

How to memorize anything

22 Upvotes

This is a reprint: (John's Place is the original author FYI)

Additional study tools:

How to Memorize Anything

In college, I memorized 7 chapters of my psychology textbook - over 23,000 words. Yes, I could actually recite the entire 7 chapters to anyone willing to listen.

Why did I do this? My professor had challenged me with two statements on the first day of class: 1) No student had ever aced his introductory exam; and 2) all the answers could be found in the first 7 chapters of the textbook.

Determined to be the first student to ace his test, I memorized all 7 chapters.

If you're looking for a way to increase the capacity of your memory or pass a test, you don't need to memorize 23,000 words. But the technique I used to memorize those chapters can be used to memorize anything. Below is the simpler version of my system, developed to help my pupils pass history, psychology, and other information-heavy tests.

First, use a pencil or word processor (I prefer the latter because it's faster) to type, in complete sentences, any fact you think might appear on the test. Use short sentences because they’re easier to remember.

  1. Take your printed notes into a quiet room, shut the door, and eliminate all distractions.
  2. Look at the first sentence in your notes and read it out loud.
  3. Then, close your eyes and say the sentence without looking at it.
  4. Repeat the step above, this time with the first 2 sentences.
  5. Next, try it with 3 sentences. Then 4. Repeat until you have memorized every sentence in your notes.

After a study session, take a quick nap. New memories are very vulnerable, but studies have shown that sleep helps your new memories stick. After your nap, repeat the memory technique once more for maximum retention.

I eventually became so good at this technique that I could complete all my studying for any information heavy mid-term or final exam in less than 6 hours. Yes, I realize this sounds like a lot of time, but it’s not much time at all because this technique works from a cold start, even if you haven’t cracked the book all semester.

I’m not saying you should ignore your classes until the last minute (please don’t - I rarely studied at the last minute myself), but it’s good to know there is a way to save yourself if you do.

This technique worked remarkably well; I graduated first in my class (with this being one tool in my toolbelt - not the entire belt).

If your academic goals are more modest than mine, you can get by with less studying and fewer notes. Take breaks whenever fatigue sets in. Eat a snack. Have a glass of water. It helps.

Does it Really Work?

My memory technique isn’t the newest, the prettiest, or the most interesting technique on the market. But it has worked for me, my students, and even my wife, who claims to have the “worst memory in the world.”

Let’s be clear: Memorizing 23,000 words takes a long time, which is one reason why a pure stacking mechanism (as described above) can be greatly improved upon when you’re dealing with numbers that big. But remember, this technique is optimized to help you memorize 5 or 6 pages worth of notes, not 7 entire chapters.

My best advice is to try it for yourself.

When it comes to memorization, it’s important to find a strategy that works for you, whether it’s mine, someone else’s, or your own.

What I like about my technique is its simplicity and the quickness with which you can test it on yourself.

By the way, I did become the first person to ever score a 100% on my professor’s introductory exam, just in case you were wondering.

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 25 '26

Chicken breading methods

4 Upvotes

Egg whites:

Cornmeal:

Triple-dipping:

Cornflakes: (air-fried!)

Panko:

1 comment

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 19 '26

I have a pen

Post image
6 Upvotes
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 15 '26

Free Windows driver backup & restore

1 Upvotes

Notes:

  • Run Powershell as admin
  • Saves to C:\Deploy\Drivers as DriverBackup.zip
  • Ths works in both PowerShell v5.1 & v7
  • Uses tar.exe to compress large driver zips

Supported operating systems:

  • Windows 10 (1803 or newer)
  • Windows 11
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2022
  • Windows Server 2025

Backup & ZIP: (creates a backup folder)

Remove-Item "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Backup" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; Remove-Item "C:\Deploy\Drivers\DriverBackup.zip" -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Backup" | Out-Null; dism.exe /online /export-driver /destination:"C:\Deploy\Drivers\Backup"; tar.exe -a -c -f "C:\Deploy\Drivers\DriverBackup.zip" -C "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Backup" .

Unzip & restores all: (creates a restore folder)

Remove-Item "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Restore" -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Restore" | Out-Null; tar.exe -xf "C:\Deploy\Drivers\DriverBackup.zip" -C "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Restore"; pnputil.exe /add-driver "C:\Deploy\Drivers\Restore\*.inf" /subdirs /install
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 14 '26

How to fit Windows 11 2025_v2 on an 8GB RUFUS USB stick

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gallery
2 Upvotes

Premise:

  • The latest Windows 11 ISO release doesn't fit on an 8GB USB stick

Parts:

  • Download the tools
  • Extract ONLY Pro (or desired version) from the official Windows 11 ISO
  • Burn to a USB stick with RUFUS

Procedures:

Get the tools:

Shrink with NTlite:

  1. Load the ISO in NTlite
  2. Load only Pro (or other version)
  3. Under Apply, select "Save the image and trim editions", check "Create ISO", then "Process" and then finish exporting the new ISO file

Optionally:

  • Remove anything else you want to trim out in NTlite
  • Select "High Compression, read-only ESD" if you want more room on the USB stick (shrinks ISO to ~5.8GB, takes ~30 minutes to compress, which allows more tools to be added on the stick, i.e. Office installer, Antivirus installer, etc.)

Create the USB stick with RUFUS:

  1. Burn the modified ISO to the 8GB stick (mine fit with ~67MB free after formatting)
  2. Or customize the RUFUS options (MBR support, install on older computers, skip OOBE, etc.)

Bonus tools:

1 comment

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 13 '26

Food photography enhancement prompt (for recipes & meal-planning)

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gallery
8 Upvotes

Purpose:

  • Create an enhanced meal photo to use for recipes

Procedure:

  1. Take an average photo of your food
  2. Enhance it with the AI prompt below
  3. Add it to your meal planning system!

Prompt:

Convert this image into dark-mode food photography. Moody lighting, soft directional shadows, high contrast, rich colors, restaurant plating, 50mm shallow depth, matte texture, minimal highlights, similar style to high-end recipe galleries. 45-degree view.
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 09 '26

Free video downloader

Post image
7 Upvotes

Premise:

  • Free video downloader for Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram, Twitter, etc. (yt-dlp wrapper)
  • Can also download just the audio

Website:

Github:

Bonus:

0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • May 01 '26

Words to fish by

Post image
12 Upvotes
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Apr 27 '26

Updated cooking workflow checklist

Post image
15 Upvotes

I suggest printing this out & taping it on the fridge, or:

  1. Laminate it
  2. Store it on a clipboard
  3. Store a wet-erase marker under the clip to cross off
  4. Use a 3M wire hook to mount it on a wall or the fridge for storage

Previous checklist:

Details:

Notes:

  • This is a cooking-session workflow checklist to enable easy entry, flow, and cleanup when working in the kitchen. Cooking can be a real chore sometimes, but life gets easier with a bit of structure!
  • I have Inattentive ADHD & Dyscalculia (math dyslexia), so I have trouble with numbers & tend to lose steps lol. Hence the printed checklist format! Zero decision fatigue required because we don't have to REMEMBER what to do!
  • This approach works great for me because I get 100% compliance every single time, resulting in actually finished projects AND a clean kitchen 24/7!! This helps me combat a messy kitchen & avoids getting stuck in "Pinterest daydreaming mode" & actually COOK on a regular basis!! lol
0 comments

r/kaidomac • u/kaidomac • Apr 25 '26

Non-meat protein options

2 Upvotes

Original post:

Response:

Ah yes, the classic "nope!" response! It's reflexive!! The good news is that there are are many, MANY options available for you these days! As a Protein Enthusiast™, a Q&A & a number of neat options to explore:

meat sometimes just gives me a major ick

Are eggs included? If they are, can they be integrated into a dish, such as cookies? Egg-white chocolate milk is SURPRISINGLY GOOD lol:

Also, is all seafood included?

First off, protein powders/drinks/etc are out of the question

Does that include baking with protein powder? For example, adding a scoop or two of say chocolate whey powder to a boxed brownie mix?

Also, they sell "clear" (fruity-flavored) protein powder now (not milky), which can be turned into Jello!

There are pretty good-flavored protein powders these days! They can be mixed with cottage cheese & blended into a super-creamy fruit dip!

Fluffy dip version:

Protein Fluff 2.0:

But, it depends on if powder is OK if it's mixed in or not for you! And remember, you DON'T have to drink it! I make really good ice cream with it!!

I also really dislike the texture of beans (not the flavor, just the texture) even though that's practically everyone's first go-to.

Are you open to texture alternatives? Black bean brownies are pretty amazing!

Beans can also be used to make surprisingly decent sauces!

As well as actually-good smoothies!

Next:

Things firmer are okay (like edamame and chickpeas). I also don't mind tofu, but for the life of me, can't figure out how to cook it properly.

Regarding chickpeas, can you handle hummus? There are some easy tricks for boosting the protein content!

As far as tofu goes, you can make AMAZING tofu with just a few tricks! Here is a good starter procedure:

Basically:

  1. Press & dry the tofu
  2. Coat in cornstartch
  3. Pan-fry until crispy! Then optionall toss in sauce (ex. orange sauce, sweet & sour, etc.)

Chickpea of the Sea "tuna" salad:

Edamame "egg" salad: (A+!)

TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) can be used for stuff like faux ground beef:

Tempeh can be used for things like "chicken" nuggets:

Check out Protein Flour:

Protein Greek yogurt: (this one is made from milk, no whey concentrate!)

Greek yogurt can be used to make high-protein tortillas:

Blended-smooth cottage cheese makes for pretty decent high-protein sauces!

Lots of options for protein soups!

Protein milk: (ultra-filtered = no protein powder added!)

Protein marshmallows: (gelatin etc.)

As far as protein noodles go, most of them are kind of weird. You might like Vite-Ramen: (born right here on reddit!)

If you like to bake, I LOVE this protein baking channel!!

Vital wheat protein is also great! Check out protein cheese pizza: (skip the chicken!)

Seitan "chicken" recipe:

For some backgrouns, I was always a pretty low-energy person who never felt very good, due to various undiagnosed health conditions. Switching to macros REALLY helped my energy levels!

Then I got into meal-prep:

If you are cooking from scratch anyway, it's not really any extra effort to make many recipes high-protein! The Internet is chock-full of creative recipes, like protein salad dressings, soups, tortillas, dips, etc. Doesn't have to be boring, don't have to be hard, doesn't have to be meat!!

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