Tutorial at a glance

The Basics Tutorial takes you through one small chapter at a time. Each chapter states what to expect, gives the instructions, explains what happened, and names the exact end state. Follow them in order the first time through. If you pause or want to repeat an exercise, use that chapter's Start from this step panel to reconstruct its starting state.

1. Get the Basics project ready — Install the Basics project, start Pinman, connect to this machine, and open the Dashboard.
2. Capture workstation state in a Checkpoint — Create a Journal note with a settings-level Checkpoint that records a known-good baseline.
3. Explore captured state — Drill from directories and files into individual settings, spotlight tagged items, and reveal nearby untracked files.
4. Detect file-level changes — Refresh Head to identify files added, removed, or modified outside Pinman.
5. Detect settings-level changes — Inspect and refine settings-level changes across multiple applications, then capture the finished configuration in a Checkpoint.
6. Switch configurations with Profiles — Check Profile status, preview changes, and apply complete configurations across multiple applications.
7. Track Windows Registry and runtime settings — Track and apply Windows Registry values and runtime settings such as system volume and mute.
8. Model your machine's hardware — Bind detected hardware to logical roles, verify its connections, and inspect registered software.

Ready to begin? Start with Chapter 1: Get the Basics project ready. You’ll install the safe sample project, open it in Pinman, and make sure everything is ready for the exercises that follow.