ClearGlass Complete User Guide & Walkthrough

Introduction

ClearGlass is a modern Windows optimization application designed to enhance system performance, privacy, and visual customization. Built with a sleek glass-effect UI, it provides powerful tools for Windows system optimization, bloatware removal, and theme customization.

Windows Optimization

Comprehensive system optimization and privacy enhancement with automatic restore points.

Bloatware Removal

Safe removal of unnecessary Windows apps with protected apps support and smart filtering.

Theme Customization

Modern glass-effect theme with dark mode, taskbar customization, and visual enhancements.

Application Management

Advanced uninstaller with thorough cleanup capabilities and multi-source detection.

Privacy Controls

Extensive privacy settings, telemetry disabling, and personalized ad blocking.

AI Component Removal

Complete removal of Windows AI features including Copilot, Recall, and related components.

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Windows 10/11
Administrator privileges (required for system modifications)
.NET 6.0 or later
Internet connection (for addon installations and updates)

Installation

Pre-built Installer: Download ClearGlassSetup.exe from releases and run with admin privileges

From Source: Clone repository, open in Visual Studio 2022+, build in Release configuration

First Launch

Run the application as Administrator (required for system modifications)

The application will check for updates automatically

Your current system settings will be loaded into the toggle states

Important: Always run ClearGlass as Administrator. System modifications require elevated privileges to function properly.

Main Interface Overview

The ClearGlass interface features a modern glass-effect design with several key sections:

Top Section - Theme Controls

Five toggle switches for real-time system customization:

Taskbar Alignment:

Left ↔ Center

Task View:

Hide ↔ Show

Search:

Hide ↔ Icon

Desktop Icons:

Hide ↔ Show

Theme:

Light ↔ Dark

Middle Section - Main Action Buttons

Four primary action buttons for major operations:

Recommended Addons

Install privacy-focused applications

Clear Glass Theme

Apply visual theme only

Windows Optimization

Access optimization options

Run Clear Glass

Complete optimization experience

Bottom Section - Utility Buttons

Five small utility buttons for specific functions:

Auto Login

Configure automatic login

Keep Apps

Manage protected apps list

Tweaks

Access system tweaks and tools

Uninstaller

Advanced application removal

Support Us

Open Ko-fi support page

Theme & Visual Settings

Real-time toggle controls that provide immediate visual feedback:

Taskbar Alignment (Left ↔ Center)

Left: Traditional Windows taskbar alignment
Center: Modern centered taskbar (like Windows 11)
Effect: Immediate visual change to taskbar positioning

Task View (Hide ↔ Show)

Hide: Removes Task View button from taskbar
Show: Displays Task View button for virtual desktop management
Effect: Controls visibility of the Task View button

Search (Hide ↔ Icon)

Hide: Removes search box/icon from taskbar
Icon: Shows search icon in taskbar
Effect: Controls search functionality visibility

Desktop Icons (Hide ↔ Show)

Hide: Removes all desktop icons
Show: Displays desktop icons normally
Effect: Controls visibility of desktop shortcuts and files

Theme (Light ↔ Dark)

Light: Traditional light Windows theme
Dark: Modern dark theme with glass effects
Effect: Changes entire system color scheme

Main Action Buttons

1. Recommended Addons

Purpose: Install privacy-focused and performance-enhancing applications

What it does:

Opens overlay with curated selection of recommended apps
Provides detailed descriptions of each application
Offers individual or bundle installation options

Available Applications:

LibreWolf

Privacy-focused Firefox-based browser with enhanced security and privacy features

Brave Browser

Privacy-focused Chromium-based browser with built-in ad blocking and crypto wallet

Revo Uninstaller Pro

Advanced application removal tool with deep scanning and registry cleanup

How to use:

Click "Recommended Addons"

Review app descriptions

Click "Download" for individual apps or "Download Bundle" for all

Apps install silently via winget package manager

2. Clear Glass Theme

Purpose: Apply visual theme customization only

What it does:

Applies the ClearGlass visual theme
Sets dark mode with glass effects
Configures taskbar, desktop, and visual settings
Downloads and applies custom wallpaper
No system optimization or bloatware removal

Best for: Users who want visual improvements without system changes

3. Windows Optimization

Purpose: Access comprehensive optimization options

What it does:

Opens overlay with four optimization categories
Provides detailed descriptions of each option
Allows selective optimization based on user needs

Available Options:

Windows Settings Optimization

Optimizes Windows settings for performance and privacy
Disables telemetry and data collection
Adjusts visual effects and power settings
Configures privacy settings

Remove Windows Bloatware

Removes unnecessary Windows apps
Keeps essential system components
Uses protected apps list for safety
Creates system restore point

Remove Windows AI Components

Removes Copilot, Recall, and AI features
Kills AI processes and disables services
Cleans up AI-related files and registry entries
Requires bloatware removal first

Full System Optimization

Combines settings optimization and bloatware removal
Complete system cleanup in one operation
Creates system restore point before changes

4. Run Clear Glass

Purpose: Complete optimization experience with user choices

What it does:

Provides the full ClearGlass experience
Offers optional system tweaks
Includes optional start menu clearing
Applies Windows optimization
Removes bloatware with protected apps
Applies ClearGlass theme

User Choices:

System Tweaks: OneDrive removal, privacy settings, context menu, etc.
Start Menu Clearing: Remove pinned apps and disable recommendations
Microsoft Edge Removal: Optional removal with detailed warnings

Utility Buttons

1. Auto Login

Purpose: Configure automatic Windows login

What it does:

Downloads and configures Microsoft's Autologon tool
Sets up automatic login for current user
Stores credentials securely in Windows tools directory
Provides easy login management

2. Keep Apps

Purpose: Manage which apps to protect during bloatware removal

What it does:

Shows list of installed Windows Store apps
Allows selection of apps to keep during cleanup
Uses smart filtering to show only user-facing, removable apps
Provides search functionality
Temporarily stores selections for current session

Features:

Smart Filtering

Only shows user-facing, removable apps

Search

Quickly find specific applications

Clean Interface

Removes system services and internal components

Session Storage

Selections reset when application restarts

3. Tweaks

Purpose: Access system tweaks and Windows tools

What it does:

Opens overlay with various system tweaks and tools
Provides quick access to Windows utilities
Offers privacy and performance enhancements

Available Tweaks:

Remove OneDrive

Completely removes Microsoft OneDrive using multiple removal methods for thorough cleanup. Requires OneDrive sync to be stopped first.

Sign Out of Microsoft Account

Opens User Accounts in Control Panel and provides guidance for account management.

Windows Settings

Opens modern Windows Settings app for quick access to system configuration.

Control Panel

Opens classic Windows Control Panel for access to advanced system options.

Disable Search Suggestions

Disables web search and Bing integration, improving privacy and reducing network traffic.

Windows Image Backup

Opens Backup and Restore utility to create complete system image backups.

Registry Editor

Opens Windows Registry Editor for advanced system configuration access.

Disable Privacy Permissions

Disables personalized ads and tracking to enhance privacy settings.

Enable End Task in Taskbar

Adds "End Task" to taskbar context menu for quick termination of unresponsive apps.

Set This PC as Default

Sets "This PC" as default File Explorer view, removing Home and Gallery views.

Restore Classic Context Menu

Restores full right-click context menu, removing "Show more options" step.

4. Uninstaller

Purpose: Advanced application removal with thorough cleanup

What it does:

Lists all installed applications from multiple sources
Provides detailed app information (name, version, package ID)
Offers advanced uninstallation with cleanup
Creates system restore points before removal

Features:

Multi-Source Detection

Winget, Program Files, Registry

Advanced Cleanup

Removes leftover files and registry entries

System Snapshots

Tracks file changes during uninstallation

Steam Integration

Special handling for Steam games

Search Functionality

Find specific applications quickly

How to use:

Click "Uninstaller"

Search or browse for applications

Select apps to remove (checkboxes)

Click "Uninstall Selected"

Confirm removal and wait for completion

5. Support Us

Purpose: Support application development

What it does:

Opens Ko-fi support page in default browser
Provides way to support continued development
Links to donation platform

Detailed Feature Walkthroughs

Complete ClearGlass Experience

Step-by-Step Process:

Launch Application
Run as Administrator and review current system settings in toggles

Optional: Configure Protected Apps
Click "Keep Apps" button, select apps you want to keep during cleanup, click "Apply Changes"

Run Clear Glass
Click "Run Clear Glass" button, choose optional system tweaks, start menu clearing, and Microsoft Edge removal

Progress Tracking
Watch real-time progress with detailed status, professional Windows Update-style interface, click-through overlay allows interaction with pop-ups

Completion
Review success message, restart recommended for complete changes, enjoy optimized system with ClearGlass theme

Windows AI Component Removal

Prerequisites:

Must run "Remove Windows Bloatware" first
Restart PC after bloatware removal
Then run AI component removal

Process:

Click "Windows Optimization"

Click "Remove AI Components"

Professional progress screen shows:

Killing AI processes
Disabling registry keys
Removing AppX packages
Cleaning up files and scheduled tasks

Completion with restart recommendation

Application Uninstallation

Advanced Features:

System Restore Point

Created before each uninstallation

File Tracking

Monitors new/modified files during removal

Deep Scanning

Searches common directories for leftovers

Registry Cleanup

Removes related registry entries

Smart Matching

Identifies related files by name patterns

Steam Games: Special handling via steam://uninstall/<AppID>

Safety Features

Automatic Protection

System Restore Points

Created before all major operations

Protected Apps List

Prevents removal of essential applications

Confirmation Dialogs

Prevents accidental operations

Error Handling

Comprehensive error recovery and logging

User Control

Optional Operations

All major changes are user-controlled

Clear Warnings

Detailed information about potential impacts

Progress Feedback

Real-time status updates for all operations

Rollback Capability

System restore points for failed operations

Logging

Comprehensive Logging

All operations logged for troubleshooting

File-Based Logs

Stored for later review

Structured Format

Easy to read and analyze

Error Tracking

Detailed error information for support

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Application Won't Start

Ensure running as Administrator
Check .NET 6.0+ is installed
Verify Windows 10/11 compatibility

Operations Fail

Check administrator privileges
Review error messages in dialogs
Check application logs for details
Ensure antivirus isn't blocking operations

Apps Not Showing in Lists

Refresh lists by closing and reopening overlays
Check if apps are actually installed
Verify app detection methods are working

Theme Not Applying

Ensure Windows theme service is running
Check for conflicting theme applications
Restart Explorer or system if needed

Getting Help

Check application logs for detailed error information
Review README.md for feature documentation
Report issues on GitHub repository
Consider supporting development on Ko-fi