I agree with the sentiment but this particular website is so chokefull of ads, it’s hard to take the complaints seriously
My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
231–240 of 678 posts
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#232Use LTSC, it's marketed for "enterprise" but it's functionally identical to the regular versions with the bonus of advanced configuration that lets you disable AV, forced updates, telemetry, ads, etc.
Where can I buy a license / key for LTSC? I looked on Microsoft's site but all it says is to contact their sales team. Did you have luck with that process? Usually when a company says 'contact sales' that means it is very expensive.
It seems like Microsoft are afraid to make it easily available because if word got out every enthusiast and power user would switch leaving them without the ongoing ad revenue.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#233About a year ago I dumped Windows from my personal PC for good. I ran a Linux desktop at work for a decade, but my Steam collection get me with at least a bit of a tether to Microsoft. But Valve finally made Linux gaming a reality. I hope more people can make the switch someday because I'm quite happy with the system (Pop!_OS is my distro of choice these days).
My last version of Windows was 7. After that I used a MacBook for work for a few years, and I somewhat missed windows for gaming (but mainly used a PS4 during that time so I got by). Then, a few years ago, I switched exclusively to Linux (I’ve usually had a dual boot or a second machine running Linux, but it was rarely my exclusive OS), and haven’t looked back. I’ve since also got a Steam Deck which has completely replaced my PS4, while I also play a few games like Crusader Kings on my Linux laptop.
Gaming is what kept a lot of people on windows over the years, but thanks to valve and the proton team, Linux gaming works as well as Windows gaming (and some people say better than — I certainly don’t have to deal with all the crap Microsoft tries to put into windows).
Some people refuse to use Linux because they’re afraid of having to tinker with it, but that hasn’t been my experience in over a decade. Things have generally just worked for me.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#234Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have absolutely none of these problems on my Windows 11 pro for workstations desktop. My computer is very much my computer and I seem to have full total control over everything. I'm not sure what I do differently than everyone else but that's just how it is.
It's because people fuck with the registry, run those decrapifier scripts etc. They completely mess with the guts doing nonstandard things and eventually it turns into a mess. Ask me how I know. After I started administering fleets of Windows machines, I learned that if you don't fuck with it, it's fine! If you need to make changes, use group policy. Don't like OneDrive? Don't use it! Uninstalling it is going to fuck…
> Don't like OneDrive? Don't use it! Uninstalling it is going to fuck things up.
OneDrive in the end is a component designed to exfiltrate documents. Wanting to remove a security vulnerability should not brick a device. Asking people to not use it is not a solution because you are prompted to send your documents over the internet to a third party every single time you save a new file.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#235The first time I needed to install Linux on my computer was last week because Wireshark didn’t support 802.11 packet capture on Windows or WSL. So, I installed Ubuntu on my Surface Laptop 3, and my experience had been quite terrible. (Disclaimer: I’m a former Windows engineer, but I’ve also been using Linux since Slackware 3 occasionally) * Setup started in 100% HiDPI scaling, making everything impossible to read. Ev…
[flagged]
What do you mean by “learn to install and use”? I installed and used it and wrote about the issues in the process. Did you mean “learn not to complain about your problems”? :)
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#236Earlier quoted context omitted.
This illustrates just how ridiculously screwed up Windows is now. No one should have to resort to registry hacking or the many scripts or hacks available to regain control over basic UX, privacy, or usability selections. It is absolutely absurd.
While I agree with you, the registry is the windows way of hiding away config files. It's either the GUI, or it's the registry. Linux alternatively uses config files directly meant to be altered by the end user. It's less user-friendly, but better than the registry. The real crime is having a registry in the first place instead of a .config directory.
Kinda. I wish they had a standard format for the config file. Instead every file has its own special syntax, sigh
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
What software specifically is preventing you from moving, if you don't mind me asking?
I am chained to Windows (not the OP) all over the place. CAD programs, e.g. SolidWorks, Alibre, SketchUp, eDrawings, Fusion 360? Windows. CAM programs, e.g. BobCAM, MeshCAM, MasterCAM? Windows. Office? Windows (LibreOffice is not a functional replacement - you can’t risk having documents being sent to clients looking bad). FileMaker, Act! Pro, other desktop databases? Windows. Router control software, e.g. Mach3, Mac…
> Adobe anything (GIMP is worse than a joke)? Or, if you don’t like Adobe, Affinity? Windows.
They run on mac
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Every time I search on the start menu there is a web search, impossible to turn off. How is that acceptable? YMMV, but this is what I used to disable web search on my Win 11 Pro workstation: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer] "DisableSearchBoxSuggestions"=dword:00000001
On Pro it would be better to use the group policy editor. As a bonus this also ensures the setting survives updates, which is not always a given for raw registry edits.
(Unsolicited related advice)
If gpedit.msc gives you unexpected results (I.e. policies just don’t seem to work) then do two things:
1. gpupdate /force 2. Download the latest ADMX templates; newer versions of Windows often introduce similarly-named - but still distinct - policy templates, for unwanted “features” in older versions, just like Start Menu web-search and forced-restarts for updates.
Lastly, while Windows LTSC is really what Microsoft should make available for everyone, don’t forget that Windows Server is still Windows LTSC too - so if you’re outside the MSDN Subscription Garden-of-Eden, you can still get Windows Server tricked-out as a real LTSC Workstation OS.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#239The first time I needed to install Linux on my computer was last week because Wireshark didn’t support 802.11 packet capture on Windows or WSL. So, I installed Ubuntu on my Surface Laptop 3, and my experience had been quite terrible. (Disclaimer: I’m a former Windows engineer, but I’ve also been using Linux since Slackware 3 occasionally) * Setup started in 100% HiDPI scaling, making everything impossible to read. Ev…
All good points but you were likely asked for encryption during setup, you just didn't notice (it's at the partition step). You are correct that it's impossible to do after the fact whilst the system is live. LUKS is also not very resilient. Bitlocker stores several copy of its headers in case of sector damage. With luks2 you're SOL.
Basically, I just picked “dual boot” and how much space I wanted for Ubuntu partition. Don’t remember any question about encryption.
Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
I have absolutely none of these problems on my Windows 11 pro for workstations desktop. My computer is very much my computer and I seem to have full total control over everything. I'm not sure what I do differently than everyone else but that's just how it is.
It's because people fuck with the registry, run those decrapifier scripts etc. They completely mess with the guts doing nonstandard things and eventually it turns into a mess. Ask me how I know. After I started administering fleets of Windows machines, I learned that if you don't fuck with it, it's fine! If you need to make changes, use group policy. Don't like OneDrive? Don't use it! Uninstalling it is going to fuck…
If uninstalling it breaks things, at least one of these must be true:
1. It should not be uninstallable and MS screwed up by making it so.
2. The uninstaller is broken and MS screwed up by making it so.
Either path is MS’s fault, not the user’s.