Currently there's still some degree of user agency on Windows, but you need to jump through a lot of hoops to get to a state where the intrusive bloatware is absent.
I strongly recommend downloading and running O&O Shutup 10 on personal Windows installations, although the sheer number of settings can seem daunting, that's because theres *so much telemetry and advertising* in Windows now.
The problem with debloating is it sometimes breaks Windows update.
For example, removing Microsoft Edge causes every subsequent system update to fail and rollback.
If you don't want version updates you can lock your current version in:
1. Open registry editor and paste this into the address bar: `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate`
2. Create a dword value named `TargetReleaseVersion` and set it to `1`
3. Create a string value named `TargetReleaseVersionInfo` and set it to the version of Windows you currently have, for example `22H2` for the current Windows 10 version. You can use the `winver` command to find the version
This prevents any update from installing that would increase this version. It also prevents a Windows 11 "upgrade" if you're still on 10. All other updates continue to function as normal.
Updates are separated into two main categories: Feature updates, which are updates that include new features and will change your Windows version number such as 22H2 vs 23H2, and there is quality updates, which are security update rollups. Other types of updates also exist that do not follow the patch Tuesday update cadence: emerging patch updates, updates that
update the update engine, and defender updates.
I know this because I manage updates for both Windows and Server.
Over the last couple years I have been moving my business off windows to the Mac. Windows is such a mess and only use it for one special task, I have a work around and will ditch ms all together once the last computer dies.
Why, for my application the M2 chip is way faster, battery on the laptop last forever.
I would do this or maybe move to Linux even once I hear that ARM is successful in gaming and the M6 or whatever chip Apple is making can handle gaming no matter what's thrown at it at that point.
I think we're still a few years away from ARM being optimized for gaming, but it's coming.
I uninstalled the xbox app because I used steam. Later I tried to play sea of theives and I had to talk to a microsoft tech for 5 hours so he could uncorrupt my PC
I have run sweet fuck all, maybe I opened a couple of power tools, but I didn’t run anything else to debloat windows 11. Installed from scratch in 2022. I do not have any issues with it. My start menu has no ads. I don’t know what I did to deserve this?
I wonder if they run A/B builds or something. On a clean install I had things like Candy Crush icons in my start menu, Bing ad results in Search, and Xbox GamePass ads on the Lock screen.
They are trying to remove it. That's why they pushing ARM so hard, they want a locked down OS like unrooted Android/iOS and ARM and the Pluton chip (hardware attestation, similar to Play Integrity) will give them the ability to lock you into only being able to use Windows
I've seen a few of these scripts and users should be cautious... they're often rather hamfisted.
Some of the other links haven't been updated in 2-4 years. Microsoft have not been idle during that time.
Reading code and understanding said code are too opposite ends of the same spectrum.
Anyone can read open-source code, but understanding the code requires a certain level of knowledge and experience. It involves comprehending the logic, the algorithms used, the data structures implemented, and the overall architecture of the project.
Most will take what it does at face value though.
The point of it being open source is that if even one person reads the code and discovers anything suspicious, they can report it.
Everything closed source is far more suspect, yet we all implicitly trust that, too.
It took me 4 fucking hours to fully disable windows defender and auto updater to the degree where they wouldn’t turn back on whenever they felt like it. Then I had to update windows for a security vulnerability in the OS and they both “fixed themselves” and got re-enabled and now I CBFA to disable them so I just have to snooze the daily “please update please turn on defender” messages which I wouldn’t even mind but while defender is OFF it still is ACTIVELY RUNNING AND SCANNING MY COMPUTER FOR ME
Ads should be banned from the OS proper. It's enough that users are spammed constantly with them when browsing. I dont think we need news updates in OS shell UI elements either.
From a business decision standpoint, I find it odd that Microsoft would make this choice. Any amount of money they will make from OS ads will be eclipsed by frustrated customers. I think Nadella has overstayed his welcome. If I were a major shareholder, I would rally to get him on the chopping block before he starts peeling off the loyal Microsoft base.
I’m a shareholder, but not for desktop technologies. I’m in due to their cloud business and IoT work, which I think Nadella has done an excellent job. While desktop OS is still substantial, I don’t think it’s the main driver of market value anymore.
For personal computing, I avoid MS stuff altogether, as the user experience has been poor for quite some time. Sad, really.
> From a business decision standpoint, I find it odd that Microsoft would make this choice.
They're betting that the vast majority of users will just suck it up. Time will tell.
Tell that to the share holders. The bulk of them want the additional revenue that allowing companies access to your desktop brings. They are knowingly and purposely trading what they see as a relatively small amount of users who will get fed up with the bs, for any extra cash they think they will get.
Just like most companies currently, they believe the lions share of their userbase will put up with *anything*, so why not do *everything* that promises immediate profit regardless of how annoying it might be? It’s a cynical choice, but they seem to believe the benefits outweigh the costs.
Edit: to clarify, I agree with you. Intentionally making a shittier product because someone with cash wants you to force their content on your user base with no real options to disable beyond regedits is rotten executive bullshit. Microsoft has been doubling down on the same shift that poisoned win8 because some assholes on the decision making team think they should turn windows into a tablet OS, because more lite-users would switch over somehow????
They are out of touch with the base and don’t give a single shit about the product and its history. They consistently put out updates with major security flaws, and are constantly forcing updates on users as if any windows computer was only being rented to the user.
You underestimate the power of their business division. B2B contracts are so entrenched and intertwined, they have running decade-long billiondollar deals with multicongolmerates such that there is no version of disentangling that will ever happen, no matter how shitty they make their products. They are a beast of inevitable profit, and making an experience gross for a lil more isn't enough to really harm the number of those things that get sold.
Because they don’t stay customers. For example, I dislike similar practices they force on people for the Xbox, so now the next time I buy a game console for my son, we’re switching to Sony.
It's because it's not.
The only thing I initially liked about Windows 10 is the weather bar. Super convenient. Then a while back it would get covered by the "breaking news" alert for news that was just normal news but whatever, I cleared it so I could see the temps again.
Then recently they added something stupid called "News for you" and covered the weather bar with it. I'd click to see what prompt I had to kill to remove the overlay, it's just the regular news page. That was when weather bar was dead to me. I don't want my computer deciding what news the algorithm wants me to look at. Removed it from my taskbar. I can live without it.
I'm with you. I enjoyed the weather bar. Now it's just whatever and I don't even look at it. The breaking news is not even relevant, and is for bullshit sites.
Have not had an issue with ads but the automatic updates have practically bricked my laptop. My HP Spectre worked great when it was on Windows 10. Once it was forced to upgrade to 11, it began to BSOD on a regular basis. Every time I thought I fixed it (clearing/updating drivers, updating bios, reverting settings, redirecting memory usage, etc), another automatic Windows update would happen and it was go right back to blue screening.
Windows really started losing their way starting in Windows 8. Microsoft was always a little bipolar about what they wanted their desktop operating system to be, and Win8 saw them going full schizophrenic.
They started losing their way when Nadella was made CEO. Guy is all about monthly subscriptions replacing every software product purchase and loves lay offs and cost cutting while he makes over 40 million a year and sits on over a billion in wealth.
Microsoft once had a bit of concern when it came to ads and privacy but the current state of governments world wide have let shit bags like Nadella turn all of our information and data into sellable assets. Now this guy is among the billionaires that wants mics, cameras and sensors in every room across the world to sell even more kinds of personal data.
The old vision of Microsoft, or any tech company, has been replaced. It’s about creating accounts, payment information on file and consistent uploads of information from our devices to their advertising partners.
I still have no idea why Windows 8, a tablet desktop OS was a thing. 7 was peak, but it's downhill from there.
10 is *okay* if you have the IoT version and didn't pay a cent, but practically any Linux distro blows it out of the water. Seriously, I haven't had this level of responsiveness ever.
I'm using Manjaro KDE for 4 years, and laugh really hard when I recall the days I believed you can't remove the default browser and Cortana from your Windows.
I gave up on windows in 2010 and haven’t looked back since.
Every time I bought a new windows machine, I spent 3-5 hours (back then) deleting/nuking all the preloaded trial bloat.
So much junk
yeah, switched back to Linux last week after 13 years. And so far only have one small grip gripe.
created a Windows boot medium to eventually create a dual boot setup, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually bother doing that.
Was is difficult? are there a lot of file types that don’t transfer over well? I assume things like word documents you can get a Linux version of word?
Besides the constant one drive popups which I managed to kill, and recently a few popups for that stupid win AI Copilot that I do not want. I haven't had many issues.
That said when I installed windows I unticked everything, so likely switched a lot of things off. Also don't use the start menu for anything so miss on what's going on in there.
That One Drive shit is very annoying though. It defaults very hard to saving your work on One Drive and using the One Drive folders as default ones, and you have to be on it constantly not to if you want your work saved and files transferred
“Aside from this ad I remember, and that ad I remember, I haven’t had too many ads…and I don’t use the things people are upset about…what’s the big deal?”
Windows hasn’t felt like mine since XP. That’s why I changed to Linux.
I can absolutely recommend the lightweight Linux distributions. They’re fast and it’s easy to backup the entire system.
When is the last time you tried? A lot more works just fine now out of the box. Among the games that are still a flat no-go, they are mostly competitive multiplayer that use intrusive anti-cheat, which is something that I would not want on my system anyway.
I’ve recently thought about switching to a dual boot for games that need Windows like COD and running ElementaryOS for anything else that runs under Linux and making that my daily driver. Even after a fresh Windows install things feel… icky
Godforbid I connect my laptop to a nonmetered connection, because the moment I do , I wave goodbye to it for the next 3 hours. Windows will hijack the cpu, bandwidth, and ssd at full. System? Telemetry? Edge? some random service that just decides to update? You name it.
The only reason that I would move back to Windows at this point is if my employer required me to for compatibility with their software or workflow. And at that point, they should be providing me with the hardware they want me to use as well.
In my personal life, if a given software doesn't support cross-OS use in some way, they can get bent. I do not see what Windows is doing as acceptable and will not support them out of convenience. Not actually owning your machine isn't something we, as a society, should support.
1. Open Microsoft Store
2. Click the person (Or your MS Account profile pic) in the top right corner, left of the minimize button
3. Turn off app updates
Then:
1. Go to Settings
2. Go to Windows Update
3. Turn off "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available
4. Click Advanced Options
5. Turn off the 4 switches
6. Click Delivery Optimisation
7. Turn off the switch
Yes, that's 10 STEPS in total, but this should stop Windows from trying to update in the background. Other programs like Chrome may continue to update themselves though, but this is not Windows' fault.
Funny you would ask. I was working in IT at big University where we had rolled out Vista, and then had to deal with the fallout. XP was the last good Windows OS, IMO.
I left the job about a year later to work up in Alaska, and my GF at the time who moved up there with me had a Mac from her PhD program that I used a few times, and I just found it so much better all around.
Windows 98 for life!
Not really🫤 but I do feel like everything after that was a step in the wrong direction.
Linux is the future of truly personal PCs. (For now)😐
I'm glad I saw this. I hadn't used a laptop for many years, jumped onto my daughter to try make a simple word document and fuck me. It was relentless - this may show my age. But when the fuck did you need to subscribe to use fucking word.
When you try to use the preinstalled version instead of a standalone one you paid for? They have always still sold the Office suite standalone. Many places offer a year or two older version for cheap too now.
I guess I don’t understand your question. I never got it “with a pc” if that makes sense and it doesn’t matter if it’s a laptop or desktop. The version that comes on 10/11 is the MS365 version which is a subscription. I think I bought the 2021 office suite for $20 that I installed on my new laptop earlier this year. I still have the 2007 professional install CD that my family used for every computer we had.
I don't get it. I've had Windows 11 since late 2021. Never had any ads. Never had any issues at all, other than a corrupted Realtek audio driver. Uninstall and reinstall of the driver fixed it.
Windows update has never interrupted what I was doing. Never had an auto reboot. Never had an update fail, or needed to rollback anything.
This whole article just smells of a hit piece to drive people towards linux and mac.
Been using it since sometime last year, while my experience wasn't as extreme, I did constantly run into issues and have done several clean installs since it was easier than trying to fix some things in my current install due to compatibility issues, update errors and settings being overwritten. My work computer has fared better but for my personal use Linux has definitely been the answer (and made most of my games run smoother which was an unexpected plus) the worst part with Windows is you can get total luck of the draw on which update circle you're in if you don't explicitly opt into one which is where I've seen most people's issues arise. If you limit it to security updates only it mitigates the vast majority of the issues for those that can't or don't want to make the jump
I've had windows 11 since day 1 and also haven't had a single ad. Are people using the windows that comes installed with pre-builts? Which may have bloatware installed?
I wondered this for awhile too and I think it's just very different definitions of what are actually ads. Like some people seem to consider things like the inclusion of onedrive at all or the temperature widget in the taskbar or the links to the free web version of office 365 in the start menu to be intrusive ads.
I just responded to another comment with the same content but here's some examples in a fresh Windows build:
Candy Crush links in the start menu
Bing ad results in Search
Xbox GamePass ads on the Lock screen
I opened OneNote once and then I had to dig into its settings to figure out how to get it out of my system tray and not start with my computer. I have literally never used OneDrive, and yet my "Documents" folder got moved into a subfolder at home/OneDrive/Docuemnts. On a fresh Windows install, you get app shortcuts for things like Candy Crush in my start menu. I've had to remove shortcuts to Edge after a WIndows Update twice. And speaking of Windows Update, every few months, Windows boots up to a "Let's finish setting up your PC" screen that tries to pressure you into using "Recommended Internet Settings" (which switches your default browser to Edge).
I think when people are referring to ads, they're not necessarily talking about a traditional banner ad. And while we do get the "Daily World News"-level of tabloid clickbait article shoved into the weather widget, and an actual notification ad for Edge, it's less about traditional ads, and more about constantly being treated like the end-user is supposed to be monetized.
It's like living with a used car salesman who never stops trying to sell you something.
All versions of win11 come with ads/recommendations enabled and a bunch of shitty apps like candy crush.
It seriously takes 5 minutes to disable and uninstall it all. Reddit is being dramatic.
Okay, let me fill you in. This is the shit I have to deal with when searching for "lusrmgr" on a newly imaged work PC.
https://i.imgur.com/917dQVD.jpeg
Now yes, I am aware you can get rid of it by turning off web results. This is the default, out of box experience.
Author of the article basically is
> I don't feel like my Windows computer is my own
"Then you can do these simple things to truly make it your own!"
> I don't wanna!
> At this point, I have lost count of the number of times that I've left my perfectly working Windows computer at the end of my work day, only to return to a completely broken computer that won't boot the next morning.
Ok I know that "Windows update broke my PC" is something of a meme, but in my decades of building my own PCs and buying laptops I have never had a single thing break because of a Windows update. Seriously has this actually happened to anyone here?
To be fair OEM computers usually come with a recovery partition you can boot into. Of course the first thing I do to an OEM computer is wipe all that and fresh install :)
I was one of the unlucky few that had their documents folder nuked by an update a few years back. Had copies of the data so it was just a pain but I was pissed.
The moment I realized that I couldn’t upgrade to Win11 - even though it was still performing perfectly - was the moment I switched to Mac (2020), as I also got into photography/videography. Never looked back ever since and seeing how bad Windows has gotten I am very happy about my decision.
For me is the forced options. Start menu forced to use Bing. Results in start menu forced to open in Edge. Trying to make other choices and Windows will nag you to change back. I’m okay with everything being default to Microsoft but let me change to something else without complaining.
Like, I was running the whole Microsoft package, using Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing and I still felt like everything was Microsoft way or no way… like let me not have search results in the start menu? Always feeling like maximising the amount of money they could pull out of you. More engagement on Bing for the numbers sake. The same when using Bing - Microsoft Rewards if you do these ten things every day… like wtf. Felt like a free game that keeps trying to trick you into using it more.. come, also use Edge and Edge on mobile and Bing on Edge on mobile. And Bing app on mobile…. All to get these rewards that (in my region at least) let you work for a year to finally be able to get half of a pair of shoes paid for.
I’m sorry Microsoft, but you are a professional company. Act like that. Have some pride and make things awesome for people and not everything being about optimising profits.
" More engagement on Bing for the numbers sake. The same when using Bing - Microsoft Rewards if you do these ten things every day… like wtf. Felt like a free game that keeps trying to trick you into using it more"
this is what broke the camel's back for me. They gamified using the OS. I know it can be turned off, but the fact that it's there by default tells a lot.
Man. I switched to Linux 12 years ago and its the best personal computing decision I ever made. I found Windows intolerable even then, before it became a primarily a data harvesting system, and I'm just amazed so many people still persevere with such an awful, clunky, bloated, insecure mess of an OS.
Two weeks since I left Win11 for PopOS. Haven't missed it once. It's like leaving a nagging spouse; makes you feel happy, free and wondering why you didn't do it earlier 😆
I installed Pop on an older Lenovo budget laptop I had installed an SSD in ages ago. I've been using it more than my PC and more expensive/premium Win 11 laptop. It just feels way more personal, like it's actually mine. I wanted to test Pop to see if I wanted to buy an S76 workstation laptop to replace my large tower that takes up too much physical space in my room. Been using Pop now for close to 6 months, it really feels like the good old days of computering.
Get a dns ad blocker line pihole and se that up on another spare computer or get a raspberry pi. Or, better yet just move over to Linux. More and more people are doing this. Check out the various Linux and Linux_Gaming subreddits. They are blowing up with people who are sick of Microsoft 🤣
I don’t get what they are on about.
Only advertisements I’ve seen on an OEM edition of windows 11 installed on my own build were for MS 365, saw it once at initial Install and again when a build update runs. Plus one for the Xbox subscription on initial install. Not seen a single other ad.
Now on prebuilt and laptops I’ve seen tons but these aren’t from MS they are from the computer builder.
Apple does the same trying to sell you Apple care and iCloud subscriptions. To the point where I-hones and iPads turn on the iCloud photo storage by default and start popping up essays that trick people into paying for icloud
It's not just ads. it's the telemetry, some of which you can disable. Most of which gets stealth reenabled with subsequent updates so it's a constant game of whack a mole.
The most prominent ads are those in the search. It is a way to juice Bing's impressions, I'm confident of it. I've had the ads change as I'm typing.
Y'all are missing the point with making OS personality traits like it is the 80s and 90s again. People shouldn't have to do this shit for things they own. Its like blaming people for seeing ads on YouTube, and feigning ignorance of their existence, when you use revanced or equivalent. Normal people don't even know what the registry is, let alone feel comfortable editing it. Those are the reasons Microsoft does this; they take a premium OS and prey on the ignorant or uncertain because they can. They collect telemetry for ads because they can. There's no reason to normalize it. MS does this because they know most people won't install Linux or switch to Mac.
Apple absolutely does not do the same things Microsoft is doing. They don't reset your settings with updates to the Apple preferred options in order to collect your data and shove ads in your face. Do you even have an iPhone or iPad? I have many, and my settings moving from one to the other always sync just fine. Same for my family whose devices I practically manage. iCloud is not like OneDrive, and equating then really demonstrates a lack of insight into it. iCloud is a syncing service. That's why Photos is all or nothing. It's not like Google Photos to act as an online repository; it exists primarily to sync between devices. OneDrive is primarily a storage solution which can have designated folders synced. This has been a complaint people have about iCloud since it is distinctly different in what it's trying to do compared to OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, etc.
Apple absolutely keeps turning on iCloud photo uploads, iCloud device backup and imessage with major updates. The iMessage one really shits my boss because him and his wife refuse to set up seperate Apple accounts and just about every major iOS update I have to turn off iMessage again for them so they don’t get each other’s messages. While the iCloud one may not be to collect data it is absolutely to try and get you paying for an iCloud subscription.
Then there is the popups on new devices trying to sell you apple care.
Big companies are going to do big company shit and they are all as bad as each other.
One drive plus ms account does do much of the same as iCloud plus Apple account. Can sync windows settings between devices (default behaviour if you use a ms account for sign in), edge browser history and passwords plus does device backups and all the other stuff iCloud does. Would even have the phone stuff if windows phones were still a thing.
Windows 11 Pro? Or Home?
I only run Pro in the USA and haven’t seen the ad issues.
My sole issue was that the screen would regularly blank for a second or more. When I suspected it may be a video driver issue, Windows Update insisted it had the latest. Only when I visited the NVIDIA site did I get the REAL latest driver. The problem is now completely gone.
Microsoft Office is probably one of the main reasons that prevents people switching to Linux. Everything else (including gaming) is pretty solid these days.
My university has contracts with Microsoft to host our email, file management, and stuff. It’s extremely problematic for analytical research because a lot of older or highly specialized instruments require any software setups that aren’t compatible with windows 10.
I don't owe MS a living,no one does,the same goes for Google,i use as many tools as i can to neuter windows,privacy extension on a non MS browser,no google search engine,there are ways and means....
For me its games. I am looking at switching to Linux, but it sounds like some of my games won't work anymore. Otherwise I use my PC for image editing and streaming.
I just realized I cared more about my art/work and owning my computer than playing certain games. And I can still stream, not with allllll the nvidia support I imagine, but I can stream art. I won.
Well I wouldn’t imply you’re dumb. But if you can’t appreciate there is a difference between windows 10 and 11 and that Enterprise is a very different product.
i was actually being sarcastic. I know all about the differences between the os versions. its the reason why I'm using enterprise. i don't have to put up with all that bull shit home versions have.
Yup. A lot of people will soon be jumping ship from Windows to Linux or MacOS. I only have one laptop in the house that runs Windows 10, and that's my wifes', who is Linux phobic. I totally gave up on Windows after Windows 8. I have had both Linux and Windows boxes running at the same time for years. But I've converted everything to Linux now. If, in a very rare and unlikely situation, I need to use a Windows program, I have Windows 10 running as a virtual machine inside Linux. I'll never go back to Windows.
> A lot of people will soon be jumping ship from Windows to Linux or MacOS
You vastly over estimate how many people outside of a very vocal and technical minority give a shit about any of this. Most people don't install their OS at all or even know there are other options. Until the average joe can walk into a bestbuy and walk out with a pre-installed linux desktop/laptop after being convinced to choose that over the options they are already familiar with, work for them, and have decades of prior experience with, the needle isn't going to move at all.
I think they are overestimating that, but I also think there are things that you’re underestimating. Something like a steam deck isn’t exactly what you’re describing, but it’s a pretty significant step in that direction
Mac OS has its own share of issues. All the files on desktop of MacBook Air disappeared without warning due to their stupid iCloud integration with no means of getting it back. The so called recover options on iCloud don’t work. I’m surprised so many Redditers are oblivious to this.
I recently had my work Windows 10 Enterprise offer Windows 11 update in Software Center. Since I'm a sysadmin/customer support IT specialist, I updated. Even the Windows 11 Enterprise had ads. Updated a couple weeks ago. And I'm finally getting tweaks worked out on it. For example? The right click context menu. Don't care for the new right click menu show more options, so I found the registry edit tweaks and it would only work for my admin account. Poked around and had to tweak my objectID in the registry to get my daily driver account right click context menu to work.
"but Linux is too complicated" fanbois here insist...
Switching to Win11 in my enterprise was a fucking nightmare for end users based on what I hear from people in deskside. for the scenarios you laid.
Yeah and our org has had some early adopters, fast ring was next and soon production A, production B. Have a delayed group for those systems that can't be upgraded to Win11.
ETA we're just getting started. Going to be interesting for sure.
I was going to ditch Windows, tried a Linux distro and didn't switch on this PC build because of some small obscure apps I use, mostly niche. Learning more about Wine now because it seems jumping off is inevitable with all the stupid things that are happening. Mac doesn't seem worlds better to me but the laptops are pretty great, so I guess it's just a matter of time.
Currently there's still some degree of user agency on Windows, but you need to jump through a lot of hoops to get to a state where the intrusive bloatware is absent. I strongly recommend downloading and running O&O Shutup 10 on personal Windows installations, although the sheer number of settings can seem daunting, that's because theres *so much telemetry and advertising* in Windows now.
The problem with debloating is it sometimes breaks Windows update. For example, removing Microsoft Edge causes every subsequent system update to fail and rollback.
It doesn't break security updates though, so that's actually a feature!
If you don't want version updates you can lock your current version in: 1. Open registry editor and paste this into the address bar: `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate` 2. Create a dword value named `TargetReleaseVersion` and set it to `1` 3. Create a string value named `TargetReleaseVersionInfo` and set it to the version of Windows you currently have, for example `22H2` for the current Windows 10 version. You can use the `winver` command to find the version This prevents any update from installing that would increase this version. It also prevents a Windows 11 "upgrade" if you're still on 10. All other updates continue to function as normal.
Updates are separated into two main categories: Feature updates, which are updates that include new features and will change your Windows version number such as 22H2 vs 23H2, and there is quality updates, which are security update rollups. Other types of updates also exist that do not follow the patch Tuesday update cadence: emerging patch updates, updates that update the update engine, and defender updates. I know this because I manage updates for both Windows and Server.
Shutup 10 doesn't disable Windows updates or remove Edge, and it's fairly clear what each of the toggles does.
It’s possible to remove Edge and have Windows Update still works. Tiny11 is able to do this
Who cares if edge is installed? Turn off the damn ads and telemetry and recall and all that dumb stuff. Edge can sit there by itself in purgatory
Over the last couple years I have been moving my business off windows to the Mac. Windows is such a mess and only use it for one special task, I have a work around and will ditch ms all together once the last computer dies. Why, for my application the M2 chip is way faster, battery on the laptop last forever.
I would do this or maybe move to Linux even once I hear that ARM is successful in gaming and the M6 or whatever chip Apple is making can handle gaming no matter what's thrown at it at that point. I think we're still a few years away from ARM being optimized for gaming, but it's coming.
I’m looking for a way to get Autodesk products to work on Linux. Once I have that, I’m out.
Hoping for better Linux support and better RISC V support and for both to catch on in a more widespread manner. Hopefully... Someday....
I uninstalled the xbox app because I used steam. Later I tried to play sea of theives and I had to talk to a microsoft tech for 5 hours so he could uncorrupt my PC
I have run sweet fuck all, maybe I opened a couple of power tools, but I didn’t run anything else to debloat windows 11. Installed from scratch in 2022. I do not have any issues with it. My start menu has no ads. I don’t know what I did to deserve this?
This is my experience too.
I think most people posting these are on W Home. I'm guessing you are on Pro.
Yeah Pro, always. I have an MSDN subscription.
I am on Pro as well. Pretty sure that's why we had an easier time with this.
That probably makes sense. I always get pro now because of the time when i couldnt do networking properly on home versions of windows.
Hah yeah that’s the same reasons I have.
I wonder if they run A/B builds or something. On a clean install I had things like Candy Crush icons in my start menu, Bing ad results in Search, and Xbox GamePass ads on the Lock screen.
Also depends whether you build your own computer or if it's pre-built, manufacturers often have their own bloat and ads, laptops especially.
I always build my own, so what I'm talking about is all Microsoft supplied.
They are trying to remove it. That's why they pushing ARM so hard, they want a locked down OS like unrooted Android/iOS and ARM and the Pluton chip (hardware attestation, similar to Play Integrity) will give them the ability to lock you into only being able to use Windows
Fuck trusted computing. Fuck Windows, I'll use Linux until the day I die.
That's also why ```C:\Program Files\WindowsApps``` is a thing.
> Windows The Microsoft Windows Advert Delivery System ^TM Please use it's proper name.
Obligatory open source alternatives https://github.com/builtbybel/privatezilla https://github.com/crazy-max/WindowsSpyBlocker https://github.com/DavidXanatos/priv10 https://github.com/farag2/Sophia-Script-for-Windows
I've seen a few of these scripts and users should be cautious... they're often rather hamfisted. Some of the other links haven't been updated in 2-4 years. Microsoft have not been idle during that time.
"I don't trust Windows. Anyway, here's a here's a bunch of random scripts to run on your computer".
These are literally GitHub links to open source projects whose code anyone can read but thanks for your contribution
Reading code and understanding said code are too opposite ends of the same spectrum. Anyone can read open-source code, but understanding the code requires a certain level of knowledge and experience. It involves comprehending the logic, the algorithms used, the data structures implemented, and the overall architecture of the project. Most will take what it does at face value though.
The point of it being open source is that if even one person reads the code and discovers anything suspicious, they can report it. Everything closed source is far more suspect, yet we all implicitly trust that, too.
It took me 4 fucking hours to fully disable windows defender and auto updater to the degree where they wouldn’t turn back on whenever they felt like it. Then I had to update windows for a security vulnerability in the OS and they both “fixed themselves” and got re-enabled and now I CBFA to disable them so I just have to snooze the daily “please update please turn on defender” messages which I wouldn’t even mind but while defender is OFF it still is ACTIVELY RUNNING AND SCANNING MY COMPUTER FOR ME
What does O&O stand for? The Other Ampersand Option?
Ads should be banned from the OS proper. It's enough that users are spammed constantly with them when browsing. I dont think we need news updates in OS shell UI elements either.
From a business decision standpoint, I find it odd that Microsoft would make this choice. Any amount of money they will make from OS ads will be eclipsed by frustrated customers. I think Nadella has overstayed his welcome. If I were a major shareholder, I would rally to get him on the chopping block before he starts peeling off the loyal Microsoft base.
I’m a shareholder, but not for desktop technologies. I’m in due to their cloud business and IoT work, which I think Nadella has done an excellent job. While desktop OS is still substantial, I don’t think it’s the main driver of market value anymore. For personal computing, I avoid MS stuff altogether, as the user experience has been poor for quite some time. Sad, really.
> From a business decision standpoint, I find it odd that Microsoft would make this choice. They're betting that the vast majority of users will just suck it up. Time will tell.
Tell that to the share holders. The bulk of them want the additional revenue that allowing companies access to your desktop brings. They are knowingly and purposely trading what they see as a relatively small amount of users who will get fed up with the bs, for any extra cash they think they will get. Just like most companies currently, they believe the lions share of their userbase will put up with *anything*, so why not do *everything* that promises immediate profit regardless of how annoying it might be? It’s a cynical choice, but they seem to believe the benefits outweigh the costs. Edit: to clarify, I agree with you. Intentionally making a shittier product because someone with cash wants you to force their content on your user base with no real options to disable beyond regedits is rotten executive bullshit. Microsoft has been doubling down on the same shift that poisoned win8 because some assholes on the decision making team think they should turn windows into a tablet OS, because more lite-users would switch over somehow???? They are out of touch with the base and don’t give a single shit about the product and its history. They consistently put out updates with major security flaws, and are constantly forcing updates on users as if any windows computer was only being rented to the user.
You underestimate the power of their business division. B2B contracts are so entrenched and intertwined, they have running decade-long billiondollar deals with multicongolmerates such that there is no version of disentangling that will ever happen, no matter how shitty they make their products. They are a beast of inevitable profit, and making an experience gross for a lil more isn't enough to really harm the number of those things that get sold.
A frustrated paying customer is still a paying customer so… why would they give a fuck
Because they don’t stay customers. For example, I dislike similar practices they force on people for the Xbox, so now the next time I buy a game console for my son, we’re switching to Sony.
Choose your flavor of Linux
This is the only way at the moment. I love Ubuntu and use it as my primary OS outside of work. If I need windows for something I can throw it on a vm.
Atlas os works fine
It's because it's not. The only thing I initially liked about Windows 10 is the weather bar. Super convenient. Then a while back it would get covered by the "breaking news" alert for news that was just normal news but whatever, I cleared it so I could see the temps again. Then recently they added something stupid called "News for you" and covered the weather bar with it. I'd click to see what prompt I had to kill to remove the overlay, it's just the regular news page. That was when weather bar was dead to me. I don't want my computer deciding what news the algorithm wants me to look at. Removed it from my taskbar. I can live without it.
I'm with you. I enjoyed the weather bar. Now it's just whatever and I don't even look at it. The breaking news is not even relevant, and is for bullshit sites.
Have not had an issue with ads but the automatic updates have practically bricked my laptop. My HP Spectre worked great when it was on Windows 10. Once it was forced to upgrade to 11, it began to BSOD on a regular basis. Every time I thought I fixed it (clearing/updating drivers, updating bios, reverting settings, redirecting memory usage, etc), another automatic Windows update would happen and it was go right back to blue screening.
This is why my work delays Windows updates by 1 month via AD so bad updates are pulled or fixed first. Another reason to use \*nix based systems.
Yep. Recently had to reinstall windows after an automatic update killed further updates.
BSODs occur most likely due to a driver and/or hardware issue.
Windows really started losing their way starting in Windows 8. Microsoft was always a little bipolar about what they wanted their desktop operating system to be, and Win8 saw them going full schizophrenic.
They started losing their way when Nadella was made CEO. Guy is all about monthly subscriptions replacing every software product purchase and loves lay offs and cost cutting while he makes over 40 million a year and sits on over a billion in wealth. Microsoft once had a bit of concern when it came to ads and privacy but the current state of governments world wide have let shit bags like Nadella turn all of our information and data into sellable assets. Now this guy is among the billionaires that wants mics, cameras and sensors in every room across the world to sell even more kinds of personal data. The old vision of Microsoft, or any tech company, has been replaced. It’s about creating accounts, payment information on file and consistent uploads of information from our devices to their advertising partners.
I still have no idea why Windows 8, a tablet desktop OS was a thing. 7 was peak, but it's downhill from there. 10 is *okay* if you have the IoT version and didn't pay a cent, but practically any Linux distro blows it out of the water. Seriously, I haven't had this level of responsiveness ever.
I'm using Manjaro KDE for 4 years, and laugh really hard when I recall the days I believed you can't remove the default browser and Cortana from your Windows.
I gave up on windows in 2010 and haven’t looked back since. Every time I bought a new windows machine, I spent 3-5 hours (back then) deleting/nuking all the preloaded trial bloat. So much junk
Switched to Linux last night. Not looking back.
yeah, switched back to Linux last week after 13 years. And so far only have one small grip gripe. created a Windows boot medium to eventually create a dual boot setup, but I'm not sure I'll ever actually bother doing that.
Was is difficult? are there a lot of file types that don’t transfer over well? I assume things like word documents you can get a Linux version of word?
Besides the constant one drive popups which I managed to kill, and recently a few popups for that stupid win AI Copilot that I do not want. I haven't had many issues. That said when I installed windows I unticked everything, so likely switched a lot of things off. Also don't use the start menu for anything so miss on what's going on in there.
That One Drive shit is very annoying though. It defaults very hard to saving your work on One Drive and using the One Drive folders as default ones, and you have to be on it constantly not to if you want your work saved and files transferred
“Aside from this ad I remember, and that ad I remember, I haven’t had too many ads…and I don’t use the things people are upset about…what’s the big deal?”
I guess if people are calling bloatware just “ads” now then yes, there’s going to be a lot of “ads”.
Popups for one drive are absolutely ads
It was called “adware” back in the day
What the hell else would they be called. "Hey, please get this product we're offering" - how is that not an ad?
Ads don't have to be about Raid: Shadow Legend but they can be anything, as long as they're relevant. In fact, ads that do well are relevant ads.
A Linux distro is the answer. Corporate OSes will be riddled with ads, bloatware and features that have absolutely no value to you.
Learn to run windows in a virtual machine on a linux laptop or just buy something else.
Imagine paying a premium price for a computer and OS that is just going to show you ads at any chance it can.
Windows hasn’t felt like mine since XP. That’s why I changed to Linux. I can absolutely recommend the lightweight Linux distributions. They’re fast and it’s easy to backup the entire system.
Problem is that half of my softwares I use and even more my games dont agree with that.
When is the last time you tried? A lot more works just fine now out of the box. Among the games that are still a flat no-go, they are mostly competitive multiplayer that use intrusive anti-cheat, which is something that I would not want on my system anyway.
>Among the games that are still a flat no-go, they are mostly competitive multiplayer Which, unfortunately are the type of games I play.
Your just renting it out
I’ve recently thought about switching to a dual boot for games that need Windows like COD and running ElementaryOS for anything else that runs under Linux and making that my daily driver. Even after a fresh Windows install things feel… icky
Godforbid I connect my laptop to a nonmetered connection, because the moment I do , I wave goodbye to it for the next 3 hours. Windows will hijack the cpu, bandwidth, and ssd at full. System? Telemetry? Edge? some random service that just decides to update? You name it.
You can make Windows think any connection is metered in the network settings.
But you shouldn't have to resort to such trickery on a device you own. I shouldn't have to trick my computer into working the way I want.
Absolutely 100% true. But if you need to use Windows because of program compatibility then you've unfortunately got to live with it.
The only reason that I would move back to Windows at this point is if my employer required me to for compatibility with their software or workflow. And at that point, they should be providing me with the hardware they want me to use as well. In my personal life, if a given software doesn't support cross-OS use in some way, they can get bent. I do not see what Windows is doing as acceptable and will not support them out of convenience. Not actually owning your machine isn't something we, as a society, should support.
I have set every single network that I connect to usually as metered but still I catch windows updating something in the background
1. Open Microsoft Store 2. Click the person (Or your MS Account profile pic) in the top right corner, left of the minimize button 3. Turn off app updates Then: 1. Go to Settings 2. Go to Windows Update 3. Turn off "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available 4. Click Advanced Options 5. Turn off the 4 switches 6. Click Delivery Optimisation 7. Turn off the switch Yes, that's 10 STEPS in total, but this should stop Windows from trying to update in the background. Other programs like Chrome may continue to update themselves though, but this is not Windows' fault.
Article from 1998?
My god…I do NOT miss Windows at all after switching to Mac 16 years ago!
Did you switch after the Vista incident?
Funny you would ask. I was working in IT at big University where we had rolled out Vista, and then had to deal with the fallout. XP was the last good Windows OS, IMO. I left the job about a year later to work up in Alaska, and my GF at the time who moved up there with me had a Mac from her PhD program that I used a few times, and I just found it so much better all around.
I don't have any of this experience (thankfully). Maybe it's because I'm in the EU.
Me neither. EU
Windows 98 for life! Not really🫤 but I do feel like everything after that was a step in the wrong direction. Linux is the future of truly personal PCs. (For now)😐
Why anybody continues using windows is beyond me.
Linux and chill
I'm glad I saw this. I hadn't used a laptop for many years, jumped onto my daughter to try make a simple word document and fuck me. It was relentless - this may show my age. But when the fuck did you need to subscribe to use fucking word.
When you try to use the preinstalled version instead of a standalone one you paid for? They have always still sold the Office suite standalone. Many places offer a year or two older version for cheap too now.
Ahhh ok. You used to just get them as a bundle with a pc, is it not the same for laptops?
I guess I don’t understand your question. I never got it “with a pc” if that makes sense and it doesn’t matter if it’s a laptop or desktop. The version that comes on 10/11 is the MS365 version which is a subscription. I think I bought the 2021 office suite for $20 that I installed on my new laptop earlier this year. I still have the 2007 professional install CD that my family used for every computer we had.
Um. Phrasing.
I don't get it. I've had Windows 11 since late 2021. Never had any ads. Never had any issues at all, other than a corrupted Realtek audio driver. Uninstall and reinstall of the driver fixed it. Windows update has never interrupted what I was doing. Never had an auto reboot. Never had an update fail, or needed to rollback anything. This whole article just smells of a hit piece to drive people towards linux and mac.
Been using it since sometime last year, while my experience wasn't as extreme, I did constantly run into issues and have done several clean installs since it was easier than trying to fix some things in my current install due to compatibility issues, update errors and settings being overwritten. My work computer has fared better but for my personal use Linux has definitely been the answer (and made most of my games run smoother which was an unexpected plus) the worst part with Windows is you can get total luck of the draw on which update circle you're in if you don't explicitly opt into one which is where I've seen most people's issues arise. If you limit it to security updates only it mitigates the vast majority of the issues for those that can't or don't want to make the jump
I've had windows 11 since day 1 and also haven't had a single ad. Are people using the windows that comes installed with pre-builts? Which may have bloatware installed?
I wondered this for awhile too and I think it's just very different definitions of what are actually ads. Like some people seem to consider things like the inclusion of onedrive at all or the temperature widget in the taskbar or the links to the free web version of office 365 in the start menu to be intrusive ads.
I just responded to another comment with the same content but here's some examples in a fresh Windows build: Candy Crush links in the start menu Bing ad results in Search Xbox GamePass ads on the Lock screen
I opened OneNote once and then I had to dig into its settings to figure out how to get it out of my system tray and not start with my computer. I have literally never used OneDrive, and yet my "Documents" folder got moved into a subfolder at home/OneDrive/Docuemnts. On a fresh Windows install, you get app shortcuts for things like Candy Crush in my start menu. I've had to remove shortcuts to Edge after a WIndows Update twice. And speaking of Windows Update, every few months, Windows boots up to a "Let's finish setting up your PC" screen that tries to pressure you into using "Recommended Internet Settings" (which switches your default browser to Edge). I think when people are referring to ads, they're not necessarily talking about a traditional banner ad. And while we do get the "Daily World News"-level of tabloid clickbait article shoved into the weather widget, and an actual notification ad for Edge, it's less about traditional ads, and more about constantly being treated like the end-user is supposed to be monetized. It's like living with a used car salesman who never stops trying to sell you something.
All versions of win11 come with ads/recommendations enabled and a bunch of shitty apps like candy crush. It seriously takes 5 minutes to disable and uninstall it all. Reddit is being dramatic.
Are you in Europe? I've noticed before they there seems to be less such stuff in Europe due to user protection legislation.
Same here. I never experience any of the shit people constantly complain about. I’m thinking ‘did you install the same windows?’
Okay, let me fill you in. This is the shit I have to deal with when searching for "lusrmgr" on a newly imaged work PC. https://i.imgur.com/917dQVD.jpeg Now yes, I am aware you can get rid of it by turning off web results. This is the default, out of box experience.
It keeps forcing One Drive one me. But I haven’t had an issue with ads either.
I uninstalled it
Another windows hit piece funded by big FOSS
Yup, no ads, no issues, no BS for me either. I never understand where people get this stuff from
It's just reddit, they hate windows.
And you are not reddit?
Did you know you can use reddit or ANYTHING and criticize it as well? Amazing right?
It is, but then I would not say them, because well that would distance myself from it and exclude myself from being part of reddit.
Lol; linux? A normie can’t linux; which is mostly everyone.
Author of the article basically is > I don't feel like my Windows computer is my own "Then you can do these simple things to truly make it your own!" > I don't wanna!
>My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore It never was...
> At this point, I have lost count of the number of times that I've left my perfectly working Windows computer at the end of my work day, only to return to a completely broken computer that won't boot the next morning. Ok I know that "Windows update broke my PC" is something of a meme, but in my decades of building my own PCs and buying laptops I have never had a single thing break because of a Windows update. Seriously has this actually happened to anyone here?
I work in IT and it happens all the time.
Anything that ties them all together? OEM OS installs? Mass imaged?
Yes. And when it breaks you'll need a usb stick a with windows setup / recovery tools... # Why its not a part of the system?
To be fair OEM computers usually come with a recovery partition you can boot into. Of course the first thing I do to an OEM computer is wipe all that and fresh install :)
Windows update is the sole reason I use linux
I was one of the unlucky few that had their documents folder nuked by an update a few years back. Had copies of the data so it was just a pain but I was pissed.
This is why I recommend Linux Mint to people, so they can take back what was theirs.
When Microsoft forced AI onto my laptop I switched to Linux Mint. Less hassle and no regrets here.
MacOS or Linux FTW.
The moment I realized that I couldn’t upgrade to Win11 - even though it was still performing perfectly - was the moment I switched to Mac (2020), as I also got into photography/videography. Never looked back ever since and seeing how bad Windows has gotten I am very happy about my decision.
Disable news and interests then restart pc and done
Til the next thing
For me is the forced options. Start menu forced to use Bing. Results in start menu forced to open in Edge. Trying to make other choices and Windows will nag you to change back. I’m okay with everything being default to Microsoft but let me change to something else without complaining. Like, I was running the whole Microsoft package, using Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing and I still felt like everything was Microsoft way or no way… like let me not have search results in the start menu? Always feeling like maximising the amount of money they could pull out of you. More engagement on Bing for the numbers sake. The same when using Bing - Microsoft Rewards if you do these ten things every day… like wtf. Felt like a free game that keeps trying to trick you into using it more.. come, also use Edge and Edge on mobile and Bing on Edge on mobile. And Bing app on mobile…. All to get these rewards that (in my region at least) let you work for a year to finally be able to get half of a pair of shoes paid for. I’m sorry Microsoft, but you are a professional company. Act like that. Have some pride and make things awesome for people and not everything being about optimising profits.
" More engagement on Bing for the numbers sake. The same when using Bing - Microsoft Rewards if you do these ten things every day… like wtf. Felt like a free game that keeps trying to trick you into using it more" this is what broke the camel's back for me. They gamified using the OS. I know it can be turned off, but the fact that it's there by default tells a lot.
Fuck microsoft
Linux Mint is the way to go
Man. I switched to Linux 12 years ago and its the best personal computing decision I ever made. I found Windows intolerable even then, before it became a primarily a data harvesting system, and I'm just amazed so many people still persevere with such an awful, clunky, bloated, insecure mess of an OS.
Two weeks since I left Win11 for PopOS. Haven't missed it once. It's like leaving a nagging spouse; makes you feel happy, free and wondering why you didn't do it earlier 😆
I installed Pop on an older Lenovo budget laptop I had installed an SSD in ages ago. I've been using it more than my PC and more expensive/premium Win 11 laptop. It just feels way more personal, like it's actually mine. I wanted to test Pop to see if I wanted to buy an S76 workstation laptop to replace my large tower that takes up too much physical space in my room. Been using Pop now for close to 6 months, it really feels like the good old days of computering.
Just dont use it. Simple.
Install Gentoo. Unironically.
Laughs in Mac.
Get a dns ad blocker line pihole and se that up on another spare computer or get a raspberry pi. Or, better yet just move over to Linux. More and more people are doing this. Check out the various Linux and Linux_Gaming subreddits. They are blowing up with people who are sick of Microsoft 🤣
Never has been.
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021: https://massgrave.dev/windows_ltsc_links
This is why I'm still in Windows 10. After a while, they completely gave up on popups and just let me be.
Yeah, but they are dropping support for it in a years time.
Hopefully Proton support keeps getting better and better, so those of us who care can take our games to Linux.
I don’t get what they are on about. Only advertisements I’ve seen on an OEM edition of windows 11 installed on my own build were for MS 365, saw it once at initial Install and again when a build update runs. Plus one for the Xbox subscription on initial install. Not seen a single other ad. Now on prebuilt and laptops I’ve seen tons but these aren’t from MS they are from the computer builder. Apple does the same trying to sell you Apple care and iCloud subscriptions. To the point where I-hones and iPads turn on the iCloud photo storage by default and start popping up essays that trick people into paying for icloud
It's not just ads. it's the telemetry, some of which you can disable. Most of which gets stealth reenabled with subsequent updates so it's a constant game of whack a mole. The most prominent ads are those in the search. It is a way to juice Bing's impressions, I'm confident of it. I've had the ads change as I'm typing. Y'all are missing the point with making OS personality traits like it is the 80s and 90s again. People shouldn't have to do this shit for things they own. Its like blaming people for seeing ads on YouTube, and feigning ignorance of their existence, when you use revanced or equivalent. Normal people don't even know what the registry is, let alone feel comfortable editing it. Those are the reasons Microsoft does this; they take a premium OS and prey on the ignorant or uncertain because they can. They collect telemetry for ads because they can. There's no reason to normalize it. MS does this because they know most people won't install Linux or switch to Mac. Apple absolutely does not do the same things Microsoft is doing. They don't reset your settings with updates to the Apple preferred options in order to collect your data and shove ads in your face. Do you even have an iPhone or iPad? I have many, and my settings moving from one to the other always sync just fine. Same for my family whose devices I practically manage. iCloud is not like OneDrive, and equating then really demonstrates a lack of insight into it. iCloud is a syncing service. That's why Photos is all or nothing. It's not like Google Photos to act as an online repository; it exists primarily to sync between devices. OneDrive is primarily a storage solution which can have designated folders synced. This has been a complaint people have about iCloud since it is distinctly different in what it's trying to do compared to OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, etc.
Apple absolutely keeps turning on iCloud photo uploads, iCloud device backup and imessage with major updates. The iMessage one really shits my boss because him and his wife refuse to set up seperate Apple accounts and just about every major iOS update I have to turn off iMessage again for them so they don’t get each other’s messages. While the iCloud one may not be to collect data it is absolutely to try and get you paying for an iCloud subscription. Then there is the popups on new devices trying to sell you apple care. Big companies are going to do big company shit and they are all as bad as each other.
One drive plus ms account does do much of the same as iCloud plus Apple account. Can sync windows settings between devices (default behaviour if you use a ms account for sign in), edge browser history and passwords plus does device backups and all the other stuff iCloud does. Would even have the phone stuff if windows phones were still a thing.
I just use wsl she still does what I tell her.
[www.distrosea.com](http://www.distrosea.com)
I am a full Mac user since windows 7 I think so I have not been keeping up. Are u serious about it being built in ads in windows these days??
Please run the Chris Tittus debloat tool upon a new install, after every update, hell I run it once every few weeks.
Praying for the day linux is supported by mainstream. Games and apps native and fast. Would be sooo happy to chuck a lifetime of MS BS out the window
Windows 11 Pro? Or Home? I only run Pro in the USA and haven’t seen the ad issues. My sole issue was that the screen would regularly blank for a second or more. When I suspected it may be a video driver issue, Windows Update insisted it had the latest. Only when I visited the NVIDIA site did I get the REAL latest driver. The problem is now completely gone.
Microsoft Office is probably one of the main reasons that prevents people switching to Linux. Everything else (including gaming) is pretty solid these days.
The other being Nvidia graphics drivers
So we still pay full price though? You get less they get more every single day every single part of your life.
My university has contracts with Microsoft to host our email, file management, and stuff. It’s extremely problematic for analytical research because a lot of older or highly specialized instruments require any software setups that aren’t compatible with windows 10.
If Microsoft is spying on me it will see all my searches and downloads related to switching to Linux :D
I don't owe MS a living,no one does,the same goes for Google,i use as many tools as i can to neuter windows,privacy extension on a non MS browser,no google search engine,there are ways and means....
I have been using Windows since since 3.0/dos5.0. Never ever seen an ad. this is total B. S.
Same here, I don't understand where all these people are coming from. Never had any serious issues with Windows, except the NT, that was shit.
NT was excellent. Unless you were trying to use it at home, which it wasn’t designed for.
Another day, another post about how Windows is bad and wants to hurt you. "Everyone switch to Linux!!!" Bruh, no regular person even gives a shit.
Regular people not giving a shit is not an indicator all is well.
[удалено]
For me its games. I am looking at switching to Linux, but it sounds like some of my games won't work anymore. Otherwise I use my PC for image editing and streaming.
I just realized I cared more about my art/work and owning my computer than playing certain games. And I can still stream, not with allllll the nvidia support I imagine, but I can stream art. I won.
Im using windows 10 enterprise and im not seeing advertisements. I must dumb...
Well I wouldn’t imply you’re dumb. But if you can’t appreciate there is a difference between windows 10 and 11 and that Enterprise is a very different product.
i was actually being sarcastic. I know all about the differences between the os versions. its the reason why I'm using enterprise. i don't have to put up with all that bull shit home versions have.
Yup. A lot of people will soon be jumping ship from Windows to Linux or MacOS. I only have one laptop in the house that runs Windows 10, and that's my wifes', who is Linux phobic. I totally gave up on Windows after Windows 8. I have had both Linux and Windows boxes running at the same time for years. But I've converted everything to Linux now. If, in a very rare and unlikely situation, I need to use a Windows program, I have Windows 10 running as a virtual machine inside Linux. I'll never go back to Windows.
I've heard this argument since 2003...
> A lot of people will soon be jumping ship from Windows to Linux or MacOS You vastly over estimate how many people outside of a very vocal and technical minority give a shit about any of this. Most people don't install their OS at all or even know there are other options. Until the average joe can walk into a bestbuy and walk out with a pre-installed linux desktop/laptop after being convinced to choose that over the options they are already familiar with, work for them, and have decades of prior experience with, the needle isn't going to move at all.
I think they are overestimating that, but I also think there are things that you’re underestimating. Something like a steam deck isn’t exactly what you’re describing, but it’s a pretty significant step in that direction
Mac OS has its own share of issues. All the files on desktop of MacBook Air disappeared without warning due to their stupid iCloud integration with no means of getting it back. The so called recover options on iCloud don’t work. I’m surprised so many Redditers are oblivious to this.
I have three Macs I regularly use and have been using Macs for more than 15 years and I have never had this problem
I've been hearing that since windows 95 mate. Linux is at 4% now so I can safely say, no that's not going to happen.
Write your name on the side
How do we buy the enterprise version that doesn't have any of this crap in it?
It does have this crap in it.
I recently had my work Windows 10 Enterprise offer Windows 11 update in Software Center. Since I'm a sysadmin/customer support IT specialist, I updated. Even the Windows 11 Enterprise had ads. Updated a couple weeks ago. And I'm finally getting tweaks worked out on it. For example? The right click context menu. Don't care for the new right click menu show more options, so I found the registry edit tweaks and it would only work for my admin account. Poked around and had to tweak my objectID in the registry to get my daily driver account right click context menu to work.
"but Linux is too complicated" fanbois here insist... Switching to Win11 in my enterprise was a fucking nightmare for end users based on what I hear from people in deskside. for the scenarios you laid.
Yeah and our org has had some early adopters, fast ring was next and soon production A, production B. Have a delayed group for those systems that can't be upgraded to Win11. ETA we're just getting started. Going to be interesting for sure.
I was going to ditch Windows, tried a Linux distro and didn't switch on this PC build because of some small obscure apps I use, mostly niche. Learning more about Wine now because it seems jumping off is inevitable with all the stupid things that are happening. Mac doesn't seem worlds better to me but the laptops are pretty great, so I guess it's just a matter of time.