WinUtil CN MCP
MCP server for Windows: the agent searches apps, tweaks and DNS in the WinUtil CN catalog; installs and edits need a flag and a confirmation
- 1,060 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- In write mode it installs apps and changes the registry, service start types and DNS on chosen adapters
- It switches pip, npm, yarn and go package sources, which changes where code is installed from
- Installs and tool calls go online, and backups are written to the Windows shared data folder
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/winutil-cn-mcpDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- In write mode it installs apps and changes the registry, service start types and DNS on chosen adapters
- It switches pip, npm, yarn and go package sources, which changes where code is installed from
- Installs and tool calls go online, and backups are written to the Windows shared data folder
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
WinUtil CN MCP is the Node.js package `winutil-cn-mcp` that opens the catalog of the Chinese-language WinUtil CN Windows setup utility to an agent. The catalog has 213 apps, 10 bundles, 66 system tweaks and 12 DNS providers. By default the server only reads: `get_status` shows the version, mode and data origin, `search_apps` finds an app by name, purpose or winget ID, `list_bundles` lists bundles, `list_tweaks` shows tweaks and explains which ones the server cannot run, and `list_dns` lists DNS addresses. To let the agent change the system, add `--allow-write` to the arguments. That adds `list_network_adapters`, `install_apps`, `switch_mirror`, `apply_tweaks` and `set_dns`. Every change takes two steps: a call without confirmation returns a plan and a `planId`, then the same call with `confirm` and that ID runs it. A plan lives five minutes, works once and only in the current connection, and only one change runs at a time. Installs go by a list of IDs. `switch_mirror` switches the pip, npm, yarn or go package source between the Chinese mirror and the official one. `apply_tweaks` changes only pre-described registry values and service start types, and `set_dns` configures the selected network adapters. Before touching the registry, services or DNS the server saves a backup and returns its number.
Who it is for. For people who set up Windows 10 and 11 and want an agent to pick apps, package mirrors and DNS with a mandatory preview of every step.
Good fit when
- You need apps for a new computer and want a list with purposes and winget IDs without installing anything
- You need to switch the pip, npm, yarn or go source to the Chinese mirror and back while keeping the previous value
- You need to change DNS on a chosen network adapter and keep a copy of the old setting
- You want to browse the system tweaks catalog and see at once which ones the server runs itself and which need the desktop version
- You want an MCP server that changes nothing by default and asks you to confirm every action
Not a fit when
- You need general control of the desktop, clicks and windows: Windows-MCP in the catalog does that, and this server does not even drive an open WinUtil window
- You need to run complex optimization scripts: the server lists such tweaks but refuses to run them and points to the desktop version
- You work on macOS or Linux: the catalog can be read there, but installs, tweaks and DNS work only on Windows
- The machine has no Node.js 22 or 24: the package needs one of those LTS versions
- You need an English interface: the project description and guide are written in Chinese
Example request
Search the WinUtil CN catalog for office apps and show what each does; look only, install nothingMCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Limitations
- The project is based on Chris Titus's Windows Utility, reworked in Chinese; it is a separate version, not an official release.
- Changes work on Windows only, under the current user's rights and the current PowerShell policy: the server does not elevate and does not bypass policy. The author advises against running the whole client as administrator.
- Backups cover registry values, service start types and DNS. Installed programs, deleted files and the effects of third-party installers are not restored; programs are removed through the Windows installed-apps list.
- Cancelling a request does not undo what was already done: after a drop call `get_status` and read `execution.lastResult`. That result lives only until the server exits.
- The package updates separately from the desktop version, and the README pins 0.4.3. The author tested real changes only on disposable Windows machines on GitHub and asks that this test set not be run on a daily computer.
How to disable. Remove the `winutil-cn` server from the client config and restart the client; in Claude Code that is `claude mcp remove winutil-cn`. To return to read-only mode, drop the `--allow-write` argument. Backups sit in `%ProgramData%\WinUtil-CN-MCP`; delete the folder by hand if needed.
FAQ
How do I connect an MCP server for Windows setup in Claude Code?
Run `claude mcp add winutil-cn -- npx -y winutil-cn-mcp@0.4.3`. For other clients add a block with the `npx` command and arguments `-y winutil-cn-mcp@0.4.3`. After a restart call `get_status`: it shows the version, mode, data source and source commit.
What can the server do without the write flag?
Read only: search apps by name, purpose, key or winget ID, show bundles, list system tweaks and DNS. Queries take `query`, `limit` from 1 to 100 (20 by default) and `offset`, and the answer carries `total` and `hasMore`. The install and change tools are simply not registered in this mode.
How does confirming a change work?
The first call, for example `{"ids":["Git.Git"]}`, returns a plan and a `planId`. You run it with the same tool and parameters, `confirm` set to true and that `planId`. A plan lives five minutes and fires once. If you change the app, tweak or adapter, the preview has to be repeated.
How do I roll back a registry or DNS change?
The change result contains a `backupId`. In a local terminal with the needed rights run the script from the package: `powershell.exe -NoProfile -File <path to worker.ps1> -RestoreBackupId <ID>`. It accepts only a backup number, not a file path, and restores just the supported values, services and DNS.
Why are some tweaks marked unsupported?
Of the 66 tweaks the server runs 16 declarative ones: registry and service start types. It lists tweaks with scripts, ViVeTool or component removal but refuses to run them. The author removed arbitrary script execution from version 0.3.0.
Does the catalog work offline?
Catalog queries use a data snapshot inside the package, so after installation they need no network. The first launch through `npx` downloads the package and its dependencies. App installs and the tools themselves may still go online.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
Related
MCP serversMCPM
mcpm
A package manager and registry for MCP on all platforms and clients: finds, adds and configures MCP servers, remembers the source and updates
A Node.js manager for MCP servers: it starts local servers, connects remote ones and gives a client one address, with a REST API for control
fauxnix translates an agent's bash commands into PowerShell and runs them on Windows with no WSL or VM, returning GNU-style output and error messages
MCP SSH Manager
mcp-ssh-manager
Managing several SSH connections from Claude Code and Codex: commands, file transfer, databases and backups
A WSL distro manager with a GUI and an MCP server so an agent can manage distros and run commands inside them
keenetic-mcp: Keenetic router control
keenetic-mcp
MCP server for Keenetic routers: the agent lists devices and Wi-Fi, changes rules through the RCI API and installs nothing on the router
README in short
The root description in Chinese introduces the desktop utility: app installs, bundles, tweaks, Windows 10 and 11 x64 image building and a link to the MCP. The guide in the `mcp` folder explains connecting, write mode, plan confirmation, backups and tests. The repository holds the server source, protocol tests, integration tests for disposable Windows machines, catalog configs in `config`, a changelog and documents on security and maintenance.