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My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

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Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#241

Post by tavavex »

trynumber9 wrote: post #211
naizarak wrote: post #206

Use 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.

I'm pretty sure that individuals can't just buy any Enterprise edition, this one included. Everyone, or almost everyone who's running LTSC outside of enterprise settings is doing so through "other, mysterious ways" that I'm not sure I can mention on here. There may also be unrelated scripts that can strip a normal install of Win10 into something resembling LTSC, but I might be misremembering.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#242

Post by DrSiemer »

accrual wrote: post #103
OptionOfT wrote: post #14

I 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…

> 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

It's frankly offensive that this utterly pointless "feature" can't just be disabled. Starting Photoshop used to be windowskey, "ph", enter. Now, by default, it will give you an Edge Bing search for "ph"...

But even if you wait a few seconds before confirming, you'll get some garbage like Windows Photos, even though that's literally never been used.

At least the start menu got a lot faster with the net search disabled, but dropping usage based ordering is just another sign that Windows is NOT aimed at power users anymore.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#243

Post by gaudystead »

WWLink wrote: post #156
flakiness wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I think that's why Windows gets worse. They just don't care anymore. I have wanted to like Windows and hoped Microsoft to get serious against these consumer-centric companies like Apple and Google, to use their cloud revenue to pump Windows up. That hasn't happened.

> Microsoft to get serious against these consumer-centric companies like Apple and Google Microsoft can't do that. It's not in their DNA. Every time Microsoft has tried to make something consumer-centric it ended up flopping eventually. Sometimes things lasted a surprisingly long time! But their consumer-focused stuff like Zune, Xbox, even their keyboards & mice, eventually all kinda lost focus. Windows mobile was a…

RIP Zune. It was my favorite music player, especially being able to control it without looking at the controls. Tech industries have developed alternatives, but the intuitive features built into the Zune are something I've yet to see be matched. I suspect they moved some of those same UX engineers to the Surface & phone departments, but MS marketing departments seem to have control over things more than the actual UX designers, aaaand it all went to shit.

I sincerely wish more people were able to enjoy the UX that their clever engineers designed, but I suspect their marketing departments were the downfall of those efforts.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#244

Post by bowsamic »

AlotOfReading wrote: post #166
lokar wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t understand the complaints about the software updates (IME they are all letting me know it will happen tonight unless I stop it). I asked me one time about safari. Over the life of each computer.

Macbooks won't apply updates unless you leave them plugged in overnight. If you do the totally normal thing of not charging a full battery, you get to enjoy the riveting experience of watching a slow update screen 30 minutes after you next use it.

That has never happened to me

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#245

Post by hulitu »

rsanheim wrote: post #111
nikau wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not justifying the shitty antics of MS, but most of the junk can be turned off by registry settings which most large organisations automate via GPO

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.

> No one should have to resort to registry hacking

Tell that to UX developers. It is the same in web browsers.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#246

Post by p1dda »

Every problem has a top-level part and you only have to look at its main contributor: Bill Gates, to see where the problem comes from. Microsoft is based on cut-throat greed as its most fundamental principle. It overshadows everything else including all the friendly, intelligent and hard-working people that contributed to its products.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#247

Post by hot_gril »

dylan604 wrote: post #172
nine_k wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not everyone has multiple desktop computers at home, especially powerful ones. (With an Apple device to top it up.) But hardware is more affordable than ever (unless you want a really powerful GPU). What's worse is that you have to separate the tasks between OSes, you can't easily have a default computer for everything, with everything relevant locally available. It's fine if you keep Windows for gaming, and want gam…

Why do you need multiple computers when you can have multiboot and use one computer to run different OSes?

Cause it's not fun having to reboot every time you want to run a Windows program, especially if it means dealing with Windows nagging.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#248

Post by lofaszvanitt »

sandreas wrote: post #221
OptionOfT wrote: post #14

I 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…

Here are some things I found helpful using Windows at work (at home I use Fedora): Debloat / Software Management: https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil Command line software management (Scoop): https://pilabor.com/blog/2021/12/automate-windows-app-setup-... Comparison (Scoop/Chocolatey/Win-Get): https://daftdev.blog/2024/04/01/chocolatey-vs-scoop-vs-winge... I would also recommend starship ( https://starship.rs/…

Why do you even need those? Software and hardware should be under the human, helping, not hindering.

Re: My Windows Computer Just Doesn't Feel Like Mine Anymore

#249

Post by TheLoafOfBread »

BarryMilo wrote: post #227
bongodongobob wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't. Do. That. Leave it alone, that's why Windows is breaking for you. You keep fucking with core components. It's not Linux. You can't do that and not suffer consequences.

Thus proving OP's point: it's not your computer.

If you remove glibc in Linux, it will start breaking too.
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