Is it now worth trying Windows 11?

[Bryn]

The first thing to do on a windows 11 machine is to disable automatic updates!

Creating a local account set up is actually more important, although it's trickier to do than in 10.

Also, since my last post in this thread, I have tried out the OS... but on a loaned laptop as part of my college studies last year. It's alright, but it would be very different if my next computer ran it. I wouldn't take the chance.

[ptluis]

And BTW windows 11 is full of telemetry, spyware, after removing all this useless trash the OS is nice, but the concept of cloud dependency is a no no.

All the garbage that was piled onto every corner of windows 11 on my new laptop almost made a grown old man cry. They even added "personalization/crap" to the search bar which in my case showed up as a zucinni with related search suggestions.  TVs manufacturers are getting in on the trend.

"Ad fatigue — LG TVs start showing ads on screensavers"
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/09/lg-tvs-continue-down-advertising-rabbit-hole-with-new-screensaver-ads/

It's possible to block ads on Android systems but after some time you experience freezes, slowdowns and all kind of strange things. This is because the OS is built on a collect and send users data to certain servers around the globe. After you allow your Android device to be fully free to do what it was created for (spy on you) and send the telemetry data it collected, your device starts to operate fine again. The same with iOS and all "modern" OS's. To be free of all of this you need to remove all of Google services and of course lose all the "inteligent" automation you're getting used to. Now with AI people become more dumb and machine dependants up to the point where humans are no longer needed.

[ptluis]

The first thing to do on a windows 11 machine is to disable automatic updates!

Creating a local account set up is actually more important, although it's trickier to do than in 10.

It's not so difficult you just have to disable the Microsoft account, depending on your windows 11 version you can do it on installation directly or if your version won't allow it like the home for eg, you can access the cmd line and from there disable it. but it's easier to create a Microsoft account and after the OS is installed, create a local account and remove the Microsoft one. Of course you will loose the ability to use the cloud and all Microsoft dependant services. The store for eg, but its possible to use it with a local account, although I prefer to buy and install specific software and not go from the store.
What people don't realize is that windows 11 is a rental service. You are just renting the OS, not like the previous versions where you buy a license and it was stuck to your PC hardware. By renting it Microsoft is allowed to modify it whenever they want, and the support period is really short. Since it's cloud dependant eg office only fully work  if you keep paying it. and if you don't have internet access well too bad for you.

[coromonadalix]

the enterprise version in 10  was able to kill more crap than pro or home versions

11   not tried

with some very good utilities,  you can kill a lot of crap out of 10 11 ... telemetry service,  geo-location,  privacy  ...

you wont kill all of them, but reduce a lot of "unneeded traffic"

windows is is not a rental    .... it is a SERVICE, since 10, now on 11 they go further with added publicity ... AI crap  etc ...

by default by buying a licence,  you automatically accept what M$  will do ...   

same for tv's   same for many other thing,   you have to battle your way out ...

[Bryn]

While some people are clinging on to Windows 10 to dear life, much like those still stuck with Windows 7 (and heck even XP, despite a 0.4% in the market share), PC gamers are probaby the most reluctant on switching, and well I don't blame them.

[radiolistener]

Trying Windows? The mice wept, pricked themselves, but couldn't stop eating the cactus 



Just install the Linux and use it

[Karel]

Trying Windows? The mice wept, pricked themselves, but couldn't stop eating the cactus 

Just install the Linux and use it

There's no perfect OS.
Apart from the learning curve (and the need to unlearn windows!), Linux comes with bugs and problems as well.
But it's true that the alternatives (windows, Mac, BSD) are worse.

[Infraviolet]

"Just install the Linux and use it"
Absolutely, but you can expect to need Wine under which to run Windows programs, and in the (50/50 chance maybe) event any Windows programs you need don't run under Wine you'll need to put Windows inside a VM instead.

A VM is a less satisfying solution than Wine, but atleast that way you can isolate Windows and just use it for the things that need it, whilst having a stable and trustworthy system as your actual computer.

I've been on Linux Mint for about 8 years now, there's some non-ideal settings and a few things that are mildly buggy (like Mint 19 always closed all your file browser windows, after freezing their GUIs for a few seconds, whenever you ejected a USB stick, issue hasn't occured since installing Mint 21), but I've never had any serious crashes except in circumstances where hardware components were failing and needed replacing. That's a lot better than can be said for Windows.

[Gyro]

I faced this dilemma about a year ago. I was running W7 on my trusty old thinkpad and saw no reason to change H/W (and learning curve) to go to W11. At the same time, my illicit W7 extended security updates were becoming more and more troublesome. I picked Mint too, because it was supposed to be an easy beginners transition and potentially has the most W7-like UI, fine by me.

After a few weeks, for general stuff, I didn't really notice that I wasn't running Windows. I was already using Firefox, Libre Office etc. so not particularly tied (actually quite averse) to Microsoft stuff.

In contrast, I prefer Virtualbox VMs to Wine. They are completely separate environments and apps always work. I can completely deny whatever access I want (internet obviously). At the same time it's easy to copy files in and out (even drag and drop) and doesn't disturb whatever Linux apps I have running. The VMs only take a few seconds to hibernate and restore. I have a W7 x64pro VM for general stuff and an XP x32pro VM for my old test gear. I've had no problems with USB access to stuff. With W12 on the horizon, I'm actually quite relieved to have one less nagging thing to worry about.

[nctnico]

"Just install the Linux and use it"
Absolutely, but you can expect to need Wine under which to run Windows programs, and in the (50/50 chance maybe) event any Windows programs you need don't run under Wine you'll need to put Windows inside a VM instead.

A VM is a less satisfying solution than Wine, but atleast that way you can isolate Windows and just use it for the things that need it, whilst having a stable and trustworthy system as your actual computer.

I never had much luck with Wine but running Windows (XP and 7) in a Virtualbox VM works like a charm for me. When (not if) Windows destroys itself into an unbootable state, it takes 20 seconds to restore the image to the most recent snapshot, start the VM and go back to work. Normally you'd be fighting with the Windows installer for at least a day.

[Karel]

Wine seems to get better every year. I use it for a couple of tools like some Texas Instruments software tools
(BQ series battery gauges, Filter Pro, etc.), LTspice and  configuration software for Leo Bodnar's Precision GPS Reference Clock.
As always, try before you buy because YMMV.

[Helio_Centra]

Well they are ending support for Windows 10 in a year. I switched to Linux and never looked back a few years ago.

[SiliconWizard]

"All your base are belong to us."

[gmb42]

Installed the upgrade to 24H2 on Friday (Win 11 Pro), all is good and I can now type

Code: [Select]

sudo rather than

Code: [Select]

gsudo in the Terminal, so hurrah for the major improvement in my life.

[SiliconWizard]

 

[langwadt]

afaiu with rufus you can make an installer, without the need for an MS account, without data collection and without requiring secure boot and tpm

[Ranayna]

afaiu with rufus you can make an installer, without the need for an MS account, without data collection and without requiring secure boot and tpm

I don't think that a rufus medium will be able to disable the data collection.
The rest is true though.

But i have heard of occasional problems with these installations, potentially caused by the way rufus modifies the image.

[ptluis]

afaiu with rufus you can make an installer, without the need for an MS account, without data collection and without requiring secure boot and tpm

I don't think that a rufus medium will be able to disable the data collection.
The rest is true though.

But i have heard of occasional problems with these installations, potentially caused by the way rufus modifies the image.

Rufus won't remove telemetry, the ways to do it is remove it manually from iso installation image, block through firewall, or unistall modules after full windows installation. The problem that could arise after are due to dependencies of the missing modules.

The win 11 or 10 versions that come cleaner although not 100% are the LTSC and the IoT

Regarding OS, what's best depends on what you're doing with a computer and the software you'll be using. Linux is not better than windows just like Windows isn't better than linux. It all depends on the user feeling comfortable with the OS and their needs.

But the way windows 11 is constantly updating and messing things is not a proper way of evolving an OS.

[paulca]

Throw a virtualization program of your choice on your current machine, create a win11 vm, and test all of these software packages running on that newer os.

Indeed.

Windows already boots via HyperV at the low level.  Windows 10/11 have had that arch for a while now.  IIRC.

So it's not like you will be adding anything radical.  Just install the HyperV client and spawn a new subsystem (virtual machine).

One disadvantage of this to note.  No license upgrade will be available.  So the Windows 11 VM will complain after a time that it's not genuine and yes... MS do require full licenses on VMs.

[Ranayna]

Windows already boots via HyperV at the low level.  Windows 10/11 have had that arch for a while now.  IIRC.

Only if certain Windows Features are enabled. Hyper-V being the obvious one, but a couple of optional security features like core isolation do that as well.
If these are enabled, you are right: The host is essentially a virtual machine. Albeit one that has exclusive use of the graphics hardware: proper 3D accelleration will not work in Hyper-V virtual machines.

[SiliconWizard]

Apparently, they are adding AI to Notepad.