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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

#91

Post by accrual »

> 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.

Has this happened to anyone else? I've never experienced an official Windows update rendering a system unbootable. I've certainly broken Windows before, especially when messing with the MBR, dual booting, changing system files for customization etc., but never with a random Tuesday patch.

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

#92

Post by nine_k »

donatj wrote: post #82

I used Windows from about 1993 to 2006. In 2006 I was given a Mac Mini as a thank you for completing an unpaid internship. I fell in love with macOS and have basically been a macOS user since. At the start of the pandemic I bought a PC to game on. 16-core Ryzen, 64 gigabytes of ram. I'd been kind of pleasantly surprised with WSL and just general improvements in cohesiveness. It's still got that Windows jank under the…

The best gaming machine indeed runs Linux, and is called Steam Deck.

I don't like macOS, but I'd take it over Windows without much hesitation. MacOS is like an authoritarian but tidy country. Windows is more and more like a corrupt third-world country :(

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

#93

Post by sillysaurusx »

zeppelin101 wrote: post #78
sillysaurusx wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

This app has solved alt-tabbing for me: https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/ .

Thank you, but I specifically mean the windows XP alt tabbing era. Pressing alt tab should always go back to the previous window in focus, not the previous app. This one looks app-based too, sadly.

Pressing alt tab tab should go back two windows of focus, and alt tab tab tab should be three, etc. It was the best feature and now I regularly lose vim windows and terminals because switching windows seems to ruin the tabbing order. It’s never history-based anymore.

I’ll try it out though.

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

#94

Post by [deleted] »

sillysaurusx wrote: post #69
jmward01 wrote: post #63

Windows 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.

[deleted]

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

#95

Post by hypeatei »

FredPret wrote: post #76

- no more solitaire - cortana - ads… ADS… in the OS - forced updates - windows live accounts (or is it microsoft.com? wait, no, I think it’s office.com?) - two system settings screens - major new versions after “last version of Windows ever: 10”

Oh man, the absolute clusterfuck of settings screens is irritating. OS settings interface isn't a fucking micro service project; it's like technically, yes, they're updating the same things underneath but I don't want to spend mental energy thinking about the best way to update network settings in

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

#96

Post by windows2020 »

We're basically at Vista again, but in a different dimension. This time instead of performance, it's invasiveness, and erosion of both discoverability and general cohesiveness.

Windows 11 installs all sorts of stupid stuff and turns it on.

I feel like I only know how to use Windows 10 and 11 because I know about all the old dialogs from old versions.

I struggled today on a Windows 10 computer with Wi-Fi and ethernet to turn on/off Wi-Fi due to mixed meaning of tile highlight state. Maybe it's just me.

And when Windows 11 installs updates and says "You're almost there" I say, "no, you're almost there and why are you doing this now."

I'm optimistic that eventually leadership will change and this will be corrected. Edit: or somehow a new OS will be developed that's backwards compatible with Windows.

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

#97

Post by MBCook »

zeppelin101 wrote: post #74
MBCook wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I bought my first Windows computer in about 20 years a few months ago. It’s got 11 on it. It's an insanely tiny very low power thing that was almost as cheap as I could get. I just needed a Windows PC around and it fit my needs. Totally fine for basic stuff. But wow. I’ve seen articles about how it was getting worse, new things MS has done, pulled back on, and put in later. I was used to all the stupid advertisement…

Thank you for sharing your story. I'd like to add that it's very much possible to disable many of these annoying things. But doing so: 1) requires some research 2) can cause your system to become unstable (e.g. if you run a script that tweaks many settings in the registry) 3) those settings may get reset with a major Windows update 4) you hardly need to do this on MacOS. Myself, I have my ways of dealing with all of…

It is, I did it. It just took a while.

There were system settings for the start menu things and the search bar. All the preloaded crud like Candy Crush, which I got the impression was more of a placeholder(?), was removed easily enough through the add/remove software panel. There was a preference somewhere to get Edge to shut up too.

I think I might’ve had to Google something to find one setting. None of it was really too bad. It’s just a bunch of wasted time that I shouldn’t have had to deal with.

And it feels like the OneDrive pop-up comes back every once in a while after a system update. But that’s easily dismissed too.

Nothing came from my OEM, it was just a bog standard Windows install. All the junk comes with windows. As the user, none of this was for me.

I view some of the stuff Apple does as an attempt to help me by selling me something, though not all of it. I don’t want it to happen. It’s annoying. But it somehow feels more appropriate than what Windows does.

Preloading Candy Crush? I mean come on.

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

#98

Post by nequo »

wvenable wrote: post #39
OptionOfT wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! But I don't want to disable driver updates. I just don't want it to install older versions.

Maybe they know something that you don't or it's just a glitch.

But shouldn’t they inform you and let you opt out of the downgrade even if they know something?

Ubuntu at least asks if you want to proceed with a package update, you can look at the changelog to see what the update is about, and you can mark packages to be on hold and skipped for updates.

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

#99

Post by thot_experiment »

NikkiA wrote: post #83
gjsman-1000 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

Most of these will run in a VM just fine. I have a barebones 'just installed' win10 image that I use to clone a new VM for each new app I add. Solidworks, NX, Cadence, Altium and ISE all work fine with no problems because of 3d acceleration or such. Admitably my impetus for this was conflicting FlexLM emulators cough , but there's no reason it can't work just as a way of keeping things organised and clean on a host O…

You can with a tremendous amount of effort create a brittle config that will run some of that software acceptably, especially if you're sailing the high seas. In a real world situation it's an absolute no-go.

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

#100

Post by [deleted] »

gjsman-1000 wrote: post #37
airstrike wrote: post #8

Earlier 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…

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