I love the irony of how this article is plastered in so many awful video ads that is almost unreadable.
Huh? There are ads on that site? I guess it's on you that you're browsing the web without an adblocker.
My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
61–70 of 678 posts
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#62For the past few years I've had this thought in the back of my head . If I use a Samba server as a domain controller, how much cruft and hostility can I shave off a standard Windows 11 Pro installation with GPOs. I keep kicking around the idea of trying to do it as an exercise in absurdity.
If you have Pro, you don't even need the Samba server, you can just edit group policy locally.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#63Windows is the SF of operating systems. I first moved to SF because I wanted to be there, not because it had a job for me. It was amazing. Regular people lived there and did interesting things and raised the next generation. You could enjoy the city because it was a city built for people and that was amazing. Then tech completely took over. I noticed my friends that had kids move first. They were the canaries in the coal mine. The city stooped being a place that made people want to put roots down, they were just there because of the job, so people have stopped moving there and started moving away. When you can work from anywhere why work in a place you don't want to be? I became one of the people that left and I don't regret it, unfortunately.
Microsoft and their operating systems are exactly the same. I started using MS operating systems with DOS 2.0. I was hooked. Every new version really was an upgrade. I couldn't wait for each new release because they were all amazing and truly 'upgrades'. I used their stuff because it was good, not because I had to. Slowly however things started to change. Each new 'upgrade' came with things that didn't help and didn't improve. One day I realized they were upgrades, just not upgrades targeted at me. My machine slowly but surely became less and less mine. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore and jumped on the Linux bandwagon. The last two machines I have purchased haven't even made it to the windows startup screen before I wiped them and, just like SF, you would have to pay me a lot of money to move back.
I hope SF and Microsoft learn a lesson from this: If you aren't raising the next generation because they love your product then you are creating a group of people that will leave as soon as they get the chance.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#64People need to get over the in OS ads. They’re easily removable honestly. Personally I’ve never seen windows look this good in years. The whole system shell looks really good and well designed these days. On top of that the included features like wsl2 and hyperv are great.
I disagree that we should just "get over" ads, I fucking paid cold hard cash for a Windows license after all. It's either ads with a free license, or no ads with a license bought and paid for. No fucking double dipping. That said, most if not all the nonsense can easily be disabled or removed so I agree with your overall position.
But Microsoft is subsidising cost of the immense infra and development cost by showing you ads in excahnge for a cheaper license.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#65I'll probably be building a new desktop in the next year or two, and I'll try running Debian on it first. (Or maybe a SteamOS fork.) I don't want to run Windows 11 on anything, and Windows 10 doesn't fully support new CPUs anymore, and official support for everything stops October 2025.
Forcing ads into something is a sure fire way to get me to stop using a product.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#66I can't even remove 'Recommended' from the start menu, not even on a Pro for Workstations. Every time I search on the start menu there is a web search, impossible to turn off. How is that acceptable? I install Edge Beta to test something, and the I uninstall it. All of the sudden my search provider in my normal Edge is reset. And the nagging everywhere. No I don't want 'back-up' my files (OneDrive is not backup, it's…
https://privacy.sexy is what you want/need!
Works well to disable various telemetry, bloat and other baddies.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#67I can't even remove 'Recommended' from the start menu, not even on a Pro for Workstations. Every time I search on the start menu there is a web search, impossible to turn off. How is that acceptable? I install Edge Beta to test something, and the I uninstall it. All of the sudden my search provider in my normal Edge is reset. And the nagging everywhere. No I don't want 'back-up' my files (OneDrive is not backup, it's…
For some consolation: Windows Autoupdates can be disabled and likewise driver installs in general via Group Policy, which is available if you use Pro or above.
Windows updates can be disabled on any edition with my "I wasn't asking" approach of moving C:/Windows/system32/wua*.dll somewhere else. You can put these dlls back when and if you want to install updates.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
MacOS is going through the same thing. It’s not nearly as bad, but Apple keeps pushing their services and being more in your face about it. I don’t mind them trying. But don’t keep asking, or ask again on every update, or badge settings because I haven’t my added to my wallet, or keep telling me how much better a family plan is when I’m single. It’s not better, it’s a waste of money. I can’t imagine switching off mac…
Wait until you run a PiHole and see all the telemetry and dns requests that are made to *.apple.com even when you are not signed into iCloud.
That's a fair point. I just find that Windows is far more aggressive in throwing their latest feature or "desired user behavior" (example #2 below) in your face. Examples include:
* Cortana. Nobody should have been forced to use a modern version of Clippy, but at the OS level, and one named after a video game (AI) character. It made the whole OS feel like a joke - to me, at least.
* Tricking/forcing people to sign in with Microsoft/Outlook credentials, so their Windows account would now be tied to MS online credentials.
* Tricking/forcing users to upgrade into Windows 10. This happened to countless people, including to someone in my family.
* Displaying literal ads in the Start Menu
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#69Windows is the SF of operating systems. I first moved to SF because I wanted to be there, not because it had a job for me. It was amazing. Regular people lived there and did interesting things and raised the next generation. You could enjoy the city because it was a city built for people and that was amazing. Then tech completely took over. I noticed my friends that had kids move first. They were the canaries in the…
Remember windows 7? Holy moly it was so good. It was like Jesus came down and designed an operating system.
Been on macOS for nearly a decade now. Ironically it still has some things that are objectively worse. Looking at you, lack of alt tabbing.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#70Update: This Debloating tool seems promising: https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools
It’s one of many I was able to find!
My favourite version of windows was Windows 2000. It was a true get shit done and stay out of the way experience. I believe the enterprise server versions retained some of that appeal (might still).