New visuals and fluent design ✨ The Harden Windows Security module/ap…

…p switches to .NET 9 (#570)

The Harden Windows Security now uses .NET 9 (PowerShell 7.5), that means:

New appearance that is modern, based on Windows 11 fluent design
Mica backdrop
Better and more modern code
Removal of all custom UI elements that belonged to the old WPF designs
Faster startup time
Support for light/dark theme in the OS
Support for accent colors in the OS
More accessible user experience
Plus so much more benefits

Removed features:

Custom background image.
The ability to set custom background image.
Since Mica design is used for the background, there is no longer the need to set a custom color or custom background image.


PowerShell 7.5 was released 3 days ago, but since the module will require it, I'm waiting for PowerShell 7.5's MSIX package to be made available as well, and a day after that, will be releasing the new Harden Windows Security module version 0.7.4. This gives users enough time to install the new PowerShell version and also allows the bootstrapper script to automatically install the PowerShell 7.5 using MSIX package for users who don't have it.

This process ensures no downtime is experienced by users, especially those who use the Harden Windows Security module in automated workflows.

Harden-Windows-Security Module/.editorconfig

@@ -1042,3 +1042,9 @@ dotnet_diagnostic.SYSLIB1054.severity = silent
 
 # CA1060: Move P/Invokes to NativeMethods class
 dotnet_diagnostic.CA1060.severity = error
+
+# WPF0001: Type is for evaluation purposes only and is subject to change or removal in future updates. Suppress this diagnostic to proceed.
+dotnet_diagnostic.WPF0001.severity = silent
+
+# IDE0330: Prefer 'System.Threading.Lock'
+dotnet_diagnostic.IDE0330.severity = error

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Harden Windows Security.csproj

@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
     <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Toolkit.Uwp.Notifications" Version="7.1.3" />
     <PackageReference Include="System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement" Version="9.0.1" />
     <PackageReference Include="System.Management" Version="9.0.1" />
-    <PackageReference Include="System.Management.Automation" Version="7.4.6" />
+    <PackageReference Include="System.Management.Automation" Version="7.5.0" />
   </ItemGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup>

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/.NETAssembliesToLoad.txt

@@ -1,16 +1,11 @@
 System
 System.IO
 System.Xml
-System.Data
-WindowsBase
 System.Xaml
 System.Linq
 System.Memory
 System.Console
-System.Windows
-System.Runtime
 System.Net.Http
-System.Xml.Linq
 System.Security
 PresentationCore
 System.Text.Json
@@ -19,8 +14,6 @@ System.Threading
 System.Management
 System.ObjectModel
 System.Collections
-System.Net.Primitives
-System.ComponentModel
 PresentationFramework
 System.IO.Compression
 System.Security.Claims
@@ -30,7 +23,6 @@ System.Threading.Thread
 System.Xml.ReaderWriter
 System.DirectoryServices
 Microsoft.Win32.Registry
-System.Security.Principal
 System.Diagnostics.Process
 Microsoft.Win32.Primitives
 System.Diagnostics.EventLog
@@ -40,13 +32,10 @@ System.IO.Compression.zipfile
 System.Security.AccessControl
 System.Collections.NonGeneric
 System.Collections.Concurrent
-System.Runtime.InteropServices
-System.Windows.Controls.Ribbon
 System.Text.RegularExpressions
 System.Text.Encoding.Extensions
 System.ComponentModel.Primitives
 System.Security.Principal.Windows
 System.Diagnostics.FileVersionInfo
-System.ComponentModel.TypeConverter
 Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure
 System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/C#/Confirm Methods/InvokeConfirmation.cs

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ public static class InvokeConfirmation
 	/// This method will perform the system compliance checking and verification
 	/// </summary>
 	/// <param name="Categories"></param>
-	public static void Invoke(string[] Categories)
+	public static void Invoke(string[]? Categories)
 	{
 		ControlledFolderAccessHandler.Start(true, false);
 

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/C#/GUI/ASRRules/View.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Windows;
 using System.Windows.Controls;
 using System.Windows.Markup;
@@ -28,28 +29,25 @@ private void ASRRulesView(object obj)
 
 			// if Admin privileges are not available, return and do not proceed any further
 			// Will prevent the page from being loaded since the CurrentView won't be set/changed
-			if (!UserPrivCheck.IsAdmin())
+			if (!Environment.IsPrivilegedProcess)
 			{
 				Logger.LogMessage("ASR Rules page can only be used when running the Harden Windows Security Application with Administrator privileges", LogTypeIntel.ErrorInteractionRequired);
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// Construct the file path for the ASRRules view XAML
-			string xamlPath = Path.Combine(GlobalVars.path, "Resources", "XAML", "ASRRules.xaml");
-
 			// Read the XAML content from the file
-			string xamlContent = File.ReadAllText(xamlPath);
+			string xamlContent = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(GlobalVars.path, "Resources", "XAML", "ASRRules.xaml"));
 
 			// Parse the XAML content to create a UserControl
-			GUIASRRules.View = (UserControl)XamlReader.Parse(xamlContent);
+			UserControl View = (UserControl)XamlReader.Parse(xamlContent);
 
 			// Find the Parent Grid
-			GUIASRRules.ParentGrid = (Grid)GUIASRRules.View.FindName("ParentGrid");
+			Grid? ParentGrid = (Grid)View.FindName("ParentGrid");
 
 			#region finding elements
 
-			Button RetrieveASRStatusButton = GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("RetrieveASRStatus") as Button ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("RetrieveASRStatus could not be found in the ASRRules view");
-			Button ApplyASRRulesButton = GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("ApplyASRRulesButton") as Button ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("ApplyASRRulesButton could not be found in the ASRRules view");
+			Button RetrieveASRStatusButton = (Button)ParentGrid.FindName("RetrieveASRStatus");
+			Button ApplyASRRulesButton = (Button)ParentGrid.FindName("ApplyASRRulesButton");
 
 			#endregion
 
@@ -68,9 +66,6 @@ void ProcessListViewItems(ListView listView)
 					// Find the StackPanel inside the ListViewItem
 					if (item.Content is StackPanel stackPanel)
 					{
-						// Find the Label inside the StackPanel
-						// Label label = stackPanel.Children.OfType<Label>().FirstOrDefault();
-
 						// Find the ComboBox inside the StackPanel
 						ComboBox? comboBox = stackPanel.Children.OfType<ComboBox>().FirstOrDefault();
 
@@ -148,7 +143,7 @@ string GetASRRuleConfig(string ASRRuleName, byte ComboBoxIndex)
 					Application.Current.Dispatcher.Invoke(() =>
 					{
 						// Get the ListViews
-						if (GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet1") is not ListView ASRRuleSet1 || GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet2") is not ListView ASRRuleSet2)
+						if (ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet1") is not ListView ASRRuleSet1 || ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet2") is not ListView ASRRuleSet2)
 						{
 							throw new InvalidOperationException("One of the ListViews in the ASRRules view XAML is empty.");
 						}
@@ -162,7 +157,7 @@ string GetASRRuleConfig(string ASRRuleName, byte ComboBoxIndex)
 					});
 
 					// Run the loop asynchronously in a different thread
-					await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
+					await Task.Run(() =>
 					{
 
 						// if LGPO doesn't already exist in the working directory, then download it
@@ -245,8 +240,8 @@ await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
 					Application.Current.Dispatcher.Invoke(() =>
 					{
 						// Get the ListViews
-						if (GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet1") is not ListView ASRRuleSet1 ||
-							GUIASRRules.ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet2") is not ListView ASRRuleSet2)
+						if (ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet1") is not ListView ASRRuleSet1 ||
+							ParentGrid.FindName("ASRRuleSet2") is not ListView ASRRuleSet2)
 						{
 							throw new InvalidOperationException("One of the ListViews in the ASRRules view XAML is empty.");
 						}
@@ -273,7 +268,7 @@ await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
 					});
 
 					// Run the loop asynchronously in a different thread
-					await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
+					await Task.Run(() =>
 					{
 
 						// Get the MSFT_MpPreference WMI results and save them to the global variable GlobalVars.MDAVPreferencesCurrent
@@ -346,16 +341,14 @@ await System.Threading.Tasks.Task.Run(() =>
 
 					// mark as activity completed
 					ActivityTracker.IsActive = false;
-
 				}
 			};
 
-
 			// Cache the view before setting it as the CurrentView
-			_viewCache["ASRRulesView"] = GUIASRRules.View;
+			_viewCache["ASRRulesView"] = View;
 
 			// Set the CurrentView to the ASRRules view
-			CurrentView = GUIASRRules.View;
+			CurrentView = View;
 		}
 	}
 }

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/C#/GUI/AppControlManager/Variables.cs

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 namespace HardenWindowsSecurity;
 
-public static class GUIAppControlManager
+internal static class GUIAppControlManager
 {
 	internal static UserControl? View;
 
@@ -14,9 +14,7 @@ public static class GUIAppControlManager
 	internal static PackageManager packageMgr = new();
 
 	// Pattern for AppControl Manager version and architecture extraction from file path and download link URL
-	internal static readonly Regex regex = new(@"_(?<Version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)_(?<Architecture>x64|arm64)\.msix$",
-		RegexOptions.IgnoreCase | RegexOptions.Compiled
-	);
+	internal static readonly Regex regex = new(@"_(?<Version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+\.\d+)_(?<Architecture>x64|arm64)\.msix$", RegexOptions.IgnoreCase);
 
 	internal static readonly Uri AppUpdateDownloadLinkURL = new("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HotCakeX/Harden-Windows-Security/refs/heads/main/AppControl%20Manager/DownloadURL.txt");
 }

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/C#/GUI/AppControlManager/View.cs

@@ -42,17 +42,14 @@ private void AppControlManagerView(object obj)
 
 			// if Admin privileges are not available, return and do not proceed any further
 			// Will prevent the page from being loaded since the CurrentView won't be set/changed
-			if (!UserPrivCheck.IsAdmin())
+			if (!Environment.IsPrivilegedProcess)
 			{
 				Logger.LogMessage("AppControl Manager section can only be used when running the Harden Windows Security Application with Administrator privileges", LogTypeIntel.ErrorInteractionRequired);
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// Construct the file path for the AppControlManager view XAML
-			string xamlPath = Path.Combine(GlobalVars.path, "Resources", "XAML", "AppControlManager.xaml");
-
 			// Read the XAML content from the file
-			string xamlContent = File.ReadAllText(xamlPath);
+			string xamlContent = File.ReadAllText(Path.Combine(GlobalVars.path, "Resources", "XAML", "AppControlManager.xaml"));
 
 			// Parse the XAML content to create a UserControl
 			GUIAppControlManager.View = (UserControl)XamlReader.Parse(xamlContent);
@@ -61,13 +58,13 @@ private void AppControlManagerView(object obj)
 			GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid = (Grid)GUIAppControlManager.View.FindName("ParentGrid");
 
 			// Finding other elements
-			Button InstallAppControlManagerButton = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("InstallAppControlManagerButton") as Button ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("InstallAppControlManagerButton could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			Button ViewDemoOnYouTubeButton = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButton") as Button ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButton could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			Button AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton") as Button ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			Image ViewDemoOnYouTubeButtonIcon = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButtonIcon") as Image ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButtonIcon could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			Image AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButtonIcon = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButtonIcon") as Image ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButtonIcon could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			Image InstallAppControlManagerButtonIcon = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("InstallAppControlManagerButtonIcon") as Image ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("InstallAppControlManagerButtonIcon could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
-			ProgressBar MainProgressBar = GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("MainProgressBar") as ProgressBar ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("MainProgressBar could not be found in the AppControlManager view");
+			Button InstallAppControlManagerButton = (Button)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("InstallAppControlManagerButton");
+			Button ViewDemoOnYouTubeButton = (Button)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButton");
+			Button AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton = (Button)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton");
+			Image ViewDemoOnYouTubeButtonIcon = (Image)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("ViewDemoOnYouTubeButtonIcon");
+			Image AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButtonIcon = (Image)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButtonIcon");
+			Image InstallAppControlManagerButtonIcon = (Image)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("InstallAppControlManagerButtonIcon");
+			ProgressBar MainProgressBar = (ProgressBar)GUIAppControlManager.ParentGrid.FindName("MainProgressBar");
 
 			#region Assigning icon images for the buttons
 
@@ -404,7 +401,6 @@ await Task.Run(() =>
 				});
 			};
 
-
 			AccessTheGuideOnGitHubButton.Click += (sender, e) =>
 			{
 				_ = Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo
@@ -414,7 +410,6 @@ await Task.Run(() =>
 				});
 			};
 
-
 			// Cache the view before setting it as the CurrentView
 			_viewCache["AppControlManagerView"] = GUIAppControlManager.View;
 

Harden-Windows-Security Module/Main files/C#/GUI/BitLocker/Variables.cs

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 namespace HardenWindowsSecurity;
 
-public static class GUIBitLocker
+internal static class GUIBitLocker
 {
 	internal static UserControl? View;