I HATE the direction Windows is going - how to fight it?

Feature

The ads are bad, the pop ups for anti virus or whatever else are getting worse with each iteration. I keep having to remind myself how to do a backup without signing up for Windows paid online storage system. Settings are harder to find in general. Putting programs like Word and Excel on there that aren’t paid for but are still the .docs first option to open those files, or gaming apps that are pre installed and keep trying to update when i don’t game.

Lots of my work equipment connected by network or USB don’t connect well or at all on newer windows when a laptop with Windows 10 connects just fine.

What do you do to fight this stuff (besides using a different operating system). I always use open office for word but aside for that, it feels like a losing battle. Eventually windows is going to try to get you to pay monthly to use the operating system or something similar. i can just feel it.

in windowsby Visforvinyl

186

80%

11d

lolmanic

10d

You and I really don't matter in the big scheme of things:

[Image]

So unless enterprise starts to kick up a stink, it won't have that much of an impact

https://www.kamilfranek.com/microsoft-revenue-breakdown/

Breaddy_

10d

Kinda weird that LinkedIn is close to Windows on revenue. I bet that it is highly more profitable to them, considering an operating system development costs

neppo95

10d

I mean, who buys Windows these days?

Fall-Fox

Alot, of people do. You probably too. If you buy a laptop or desktop you also pay for the windows license.

Moderator removed comment

BeneficialProgress

tons of people especially in corporate environment.

TheButlr

Windows Pro is bundled in with 365 licenses these days, and most larger companies will already be buying these licenses. 365 business premium, M365 E3+, etc.

Grumblepugs2000

Enterprise gets their own version called Windows LTSC which has all the crap removed. Unfortunately you can't legally use it for personal use (ie you need to pirate it)

dadnothere

107

10d

Microsoft does not pay attention to the opposition. Currently the best way to combat it is to move to Linux. Vote with your wallet, if the number of users drops so much, Microsoft will be interested in doing something that users like.

jkpetrov

10d

This. Even Mac OS is more tolerable and not littered with spam.

segdy

10d

I used to be an Apple hater (I’m still not a fanboy) but I’ve switched to macOS recently and not looking back. I used to like windows but starting from 10 it became intolerable

NatoBoram

10d

It's small things, but I do appreciate how small and hidden the Safari ads are compared to the Edge ads on major upgrades

Logisticman232

10d

Just install a different browser?

xroalx

10d

I think they're talking about the fact that Windows will give you an unskippable full-screen prompt telling you to use OneDrive, Edge, Office and whatnot on some updates, and you can't just close it, you have to click through it.

It used to be the case there was a big "X" that would just get rid of it, but now, you have to go through "No", "Nope", "Really no" to get rid of it.

Logisticman232

10d

Fair enough, I hate that shit too.

j_mcc99

10d

Cough Firefox

spacenglish

10d

“Even Mac OS”? Having used both and being originally a Windows fan, I just feel windows keeps stagnating with layers and layers of duplicate functions, UIs, ads, complexity and other quirks. Now I find Mac to be the superior OS.

jkpetrov

10d

I agree. I meant not only Linux, but even Mac OS is better than windows. And it's also written by a greedy corporation unlike Linux.

There were times (xp, 7) when Windows was a lot more user friendly system. Still clunky but passable.

Fe5996

Windows Vista

10d

Fully agree.

Word of advice, don’t jump the fence if you don’t know or don’t have proper alternatives for your use cases.

GCRedditor136

10d

if the number of users drops

That will literally never happen, because Microsoft survives off millions of corporate customers rather than home customers. The majority of companies are happy with Windows and have no desire to move to Linux.

fuzzytomatohead

Windows 10

10d

I'll throw in that although MS' enterprise customers use Windows because their buying from MS, a lot, if not most servers actually run a server version of some Linux distro due to the simplicity, low resource consumption, and better management capabilites.

Teh_Credible_Hulk

10d

+1 for this. Unless the OP has a specific need for a software suite thats MS specific, Linux is an obvious alternative. Voting with your wallet is the only thing corporations will care about. Linux is def different and will have a bit of a learning curve but so is jumping from Win10 to 11. Gaming can be a little hit or miss sometimes (but overall very doable) but productivity on Linux is very mature. Theres no reason not to give it a try other than not wanting to have to learn something new.

GCRedditor136

10d

Linux is def different and will have a bit of a learning curve but so is jumping from Win10 to 11

What? The difference between learning Linux after Windows is VASTLY different and more difficult than switching to Win 11 from Win 10.

rainformpurple

10d

I moved my 70-year old mother to Linux Mint a month ago and she hasn't called me ONCE for computer related problems - and she's not very computer literate.

When she was running windows, she was calling all the time about every little thing and everything was a fucking nightmare.

My only regret is I didn't do this 5 years ago.

Otto500206

Windows 10

10d

What she does on her computer, just browses the internet? :)

rainformpurple

10d

Scanning, printing, writing, email, netbank, image processing.. So yeah, not super heavy duty stuff, but enough to have issues with Windows. And then there's the privacy and telemetry part of it, which was what really drove her away.

Rowan_Bird

Windows Vista

10d

"vote with your wallet" is so stupid because nobody does that! a few people not buying windows licenses does nothing when businesses and manufacturers still do, and people still fucking use it.

There's no "vote with your wallet" here, that's not just how this works.

SocietyTomorrow

10d

To a degree, it still matters to Microsoft. Windows 10 and 11 phone home often enough that they know exactly how many installs are active compared to the licenses sold to manufacturers. It's why they started "threatening" Windows 10 users to buy a new PC or upgrade to 11 if it was supported because they would be vulnerable when 10 goes EOL.
They're not admitting to it, but all this telemetry and tracking they do is probably leading them to enough revenue for it to be worth expanding it (which is one reason Recall seems like a privacy and PR train wreck waiting to happen) so the less people actively using Windows will become quite apparent to them.

Rowan_Bird

Windows Vista

10d

still though, most normal people are gonna still be using Windows and businesses aren't gonna switch either.

Recall was already a disaster, it's not "waiting to happen" if it's already happening.

rokejulianlockhart

10d

Then vote with your vote. Certain German municipalities have tried to switch to Linux, but reverted when a new mayor appears and is lobbied by Microsoft.

soentypen

10d

In Switzerland, several public institutions have already tried to switch to Linux/FOSS only, but this has failed almost everywhere. However, it must be mentioned that this was not due to Linux or FOSS in general, quite the opposite, but rather due to a lack of know-how and catastrophic project management.

rokejulianlockhart

10d

Indeed. Management of such a transition need to be completed by someone both skilled at large-scale deployments and knowledgeable of the minutae of using it. Additionally, KDE Plasma (the sole GUI that would feel comparable to Windows Explorer) in my opinion only became suitable in the latter stages of Plasma 5.

Rowan_Bird

Windows Vista

10d

there's nothing you or I could do, you'd have to get virtually every business, school, computer manufacturer, and government to switch to something else.

you can't do that.

WheresTheSauce

10d

Do you have any idea how “voting” works

pyeri

10d

if the number of users drops so much, Microsoft will be interested in doing something that users like.

They actually may not unless they are enterprise users. Consumer grade laptop Windows may be higher in sales or numbers but business workstations and enterprise usage is what brings Microsoft the most revenue. Unless those enterprise folks speak up, nothing will change despite folks like OP voicing their concerns over this.

The only way here is either you switch to a Linux Desktop or the open source project ReactOS evolves enough that it becomes a fully fledged binary compatible Windows alternative.

dadnothere

If the home user changes, they will also force educational institutions to change to adapt to their students. The same in the business environment. Windows is not used because it is cheaper...

TuanDungN-090211

10d

The best thing to do now is to show Microsoft how bad their decision and they will fix that to bring back user and get back their profit. I am personally a Windows lover, but since MS started to add ads to Windows, I am thinking again about my choice and switching to Linux.

Hunz_Hurte

10d

The problem is, the number of users will never drop nearly enough because of all the enterprises and professionals that are stuck with windows.

hw2007offical

10d

Switch to macOS or Linux, microsoft clearly doesn't care much for its users anymore :/

Kantry123

10d

Copilot man, I don’t like AI stuff, just want a Computer that i can control

TopUnderstanding5305

10d

I haven't actually seen any ads in Windows. I hate where Windows is going for different reasons.

Terrible UI (Windows 11).
Bad GUI (Windows 11).
Frutiger Aero was abandoned (Windows 8 and up).
Made for people that are under 7 years old and cannot understand all the "complex" and "hard to understand/use" features (Windows 11).
Microsoft is updating what already exists and adding more things (my interpretation of fraaaaa4's suggestion).

Anyone can suggest additions to this list.

fraaaaa4

Add abandoning updating what it already exists, instead favouring to add and add layers upon layers.

While this approach is surely safe, and has the advantage of less breaking stuff, it has the massive disadvantage of being far heavier, far more difficult to manage, a million times more janky if not done well (which is 99% of the time), and sometimes, just plain not needed and detrimental sometimes.

Let’s look at explorer, from two different POVs: - Microsoft’s POV (add stuff on top of existing stuff): all the dialogs don’t have dark mode, control panel doesn’t have dark mode, Windows Tools has a partially working dark mode (while its predecessor had full dark mode). Loading takes a lot more because it needs to load the window, everything that’s under, and then the new toolbar pasted on top (and this is not present very easily: just go to control panel and go up one click, and all this façade collapses; all of this just doesn’t exist in dialogs. They introduced dragging files to the breadcrumbs bar as an incredible new feature (existed since 2006, didn’t need to even go away in the first place). New details pane design with zero functionality compared to the previous one

modders POV: depending on whether you like the ribbon or not, you can enable it or not. The copy/paste dialog has an updated dark mode design with WinUI-like buttons and new animations. All dialogs have consistent dark mode and design with the rest of Explorer. Explorer takes ~1 second to load if not even less, control panel is fully dark mode and with updated design. all the features from previous versions of explorer completely untouched, just with a new coat of paint (including WinUI-like controls, modern details pane while keeping the functionality, accent color support, mica support, rounded controls everywhere. So all functionality and performance completely maintained). All with just two extra apps (AccentColorizer, MicaForEveryone), and by using Microsoft’s own theming engine.

Tbh, been using the 2nd for one year-ish now, absolutely loving Explorer looking and performing.

-peas-

I get the "Use our weather app" popup below my top taskbar every few weeks on W10. I don't trigger it in any way. At least it's only that so far, but it's unacceptable regardless.

failf0rward

10d

I got rid of Windows. 11 was the last straw for me.

_nism0

10d

Either use shell programs or move to Linux. Microsoft don't care.

double-you-dot

11d

Where are you seeing ads within the OS? I’ve heard this complaint many times but I don’t think I’ve ever encountered any. It could just be that I disabled it with a GPO long ago.

Reasonable_Degree_64

10d

Here, loll

[Image]

Reasonable_Degree_64

10d

It's not new, look at a fresh installation of Windows 95

[Image]

nodiaque

10d

None of these just pop-up out of nowhere. You have to press on specific stuff to get these pop-up.

pkop

10d

They shouldn't exist at all, and they do exist in areas where other functionality resides so "not clicking" isn't really a solution.

Phosquitos

10d

MS is constantly advertising their products all the time and whatever action you do in the OS, is quite easy to inadvertely trigger them. Even in Edge, sometimes I have random new tabs created by MS sending me to their msn page or some xbox game. It gets super annoying. I took the time to cancel many of them through options and register, so my OS doesn't look like a tabloid from UK.

Halio344

10d

That’s odd, not even once have I had an ad or Edge tab pop up on its own.

pharan_x

10d

This isn't true. They're putting this stuff in all sorts of places. Start menu search results. Settings app. Notification center. Lock screen. File explorer.

And there's an occasional full-screen prompt they have every couple of months (maybe from specific Windows updates and it looks a bit like the Windows first-time-setup wizard) that asks for you to set your Windows settings, which among other things prompts you to get Office 365 or whatever.

And they put a little orange dot in places where they shouldn't be that makes it seem something about the OS needs your attention, but it's just an ad for OneDrive. It won't go away until you click it and it keeps coming back even if you dismiss it. One of those places is the profile button in the start menu.

Your OS shouldn't be passive-aggressively nagging you about subscriptions.

blazershorts

10d

"It only happens when you use the OS" lol

nodiaque

10d

It doesn't stop you from doing anything, it doesn't interrupt anything. In this screenshot, many are from software that you have to actively click on them and run. You don't get any office prompt to register unless you click on office (and you have a trial version which is normal to ask for licence, have nothing to do with Windows and always was like that). I guess you could click on Norton or McAfee that often come bundle in pc and says there's ads for these also since they ask for licence after the trials?

Samething with OneDrive, until you click on them, you won't get any of these prompt.

The only one in that screenshot that you might see, cause it's not always there, is the one in the start menu that prevent absolutely nothing. It doesnt hide a feature, doesn't stop you from doing what you want and it's a reminder that a built-in feature isn't enable, a free one. Since I use a Microsoft account, I never see this. Neither I see the office one since I have a valid licence on my account.

I guess Apple is better? I get ads in the os for cloud file saving subscription, apple tv which has nothing to do with my computer, and time machine. And there's more but I don't recall. Oh and in iTunes, there's no ads? There's a lot.

If these are ads, they exist in every os even Linux, and it's been in nearly all os for the last 20 years if not more. There was things like that in xp. It's nothing new, it's not pulling random ads from an api. It's showing you either feature that are disable that you can activate for free or telling you that a software that is installed is running on a trial licence and not a registered one; something all software do since software shareware exist. It's not ads, it's information.

You are just proving my points and the one of many others

Tocksz

10d

found the microsoft share holder, go away.

ImpostureTechAdmin

10d

When's the last time you ran through the OOBE for windows? 3 full screen ads. OneDrive, Office suite, and game pass.

Opening the damn start menu in win 10 gives you ads.

Also, you're acting like 90% of ads aren't just info. Just because it's first party software doesn't mean it isn't an ad.

k3rz0rg

Which no valid user wants. Don’t remember this unwanted functionality on xp, vista, 7. I know the world has changed but the end users lost the control over their purchased products as well.

peterl9248

Still waiting for the option to change the lock screen widget to a sport other than MLB, which I've never watched in my life.

peterl9248

Still waiting for the option to change the lock screen widget to a sport other than MLB, which I've never watched in my life.

peterl9248

Still waiting for the option to change the lock screen widget to a sport other than MLB, which I've never watched in my life.

Reasonable_Degree_64

Are they like random like the one that appears beside the start button on the taskbar ? Sometimes I have the NHL logo and and other times it's a soccer ball.

peterl9248

I still can't believe it's not personable.

Reasonable_Degree_64

Yeah I don't really use the logon screen but many times a day I look at the widget in the taskbar to see the temperature outside and it's the annoying NHL icon.

themanbow

10d

By definition, many of the responses you’ve got to your comment are legitimate examples of ads.

Most of the counter-arguments here amount to “If it’s not intrusive, it’s not an ad.”

The argument’s not about whether or not the ads are intrusive. The argument is about whether or not there are ads in the OS.

Personally, the ads don’t bother me if they’re not intrusive, but let’s face it: the examples people have mentioned are not wrong.

Bricknchicken

11d

If you're on 11, just open settings and you'll be greeted by three ads for Microsoft services.

TuanDungN-090211

10d

Especially when you get the new useless "Home" menu in the Settings app.

vzoltan

11d

This. What is OP talking about?

User deleted comment

11d

vzoltan

11d

Right now I'm using Win11 both on my corp device (corp account) and on my private device (local account only) and cannot recall ads, backup issues, USB troubles or whatever the OP mentioned.

It just works.

farbtoner

10d

What would you call that? What would you call app suggestions on a digital storefront? What would you call a popup about additional services you can sign up for?

It’s by definition advertising. It’s less obtrusive than some ads we are stuck dealing with, but it’s still an ad.

Moderator removed comment

11d

Murky-Breadfruit-671

i just saw one on my work laptop, whole screen and i don't even remember what it was for but I could get 50% off!!!! whooo hoo! that's the only "windows ad" i can say i've seen, and i was a little surprised when i had logged out for lunch, signed back in and there it was. we're domain login too, it's not on a windows account, it was a little off putting to me but i will never convince the boss to switch everything over so i'm just leaving it be

Phosis21

10d

I literally never have any of these issues. No pop ups, settings are a few keystrokes away every time, USB works just fine, and I get free Office 365 from work.

I dunno, OP. Git gud, I guess.

Learn shortcuts, learn how to disable stuff you don't like, it's easy peasy.

I use Mac, Windows and Linux every day. I find they all have their pros and cons, but Windows is easily the only OS that lets me do everything with no fuss.

My wife loves Apple and god love her, I guess, but I don't find it useful for anything but web browsing and light productivity tasks. I suppose if I were more active in video/audio editing or art I'd be more impressed.

Hot-Ring9952

10d

You fight it by abandoning it.

Your question is moronic in itself. "I HATE how the new mcdonalds hamburger tastes, how do I fight it?". Yeah by not going there.

YeetedSloth

10d

It’s not really that simple, it’s more like saying “all good as of late is terrible because the companies that control all of the worlds food are cutting costs at every corner.”

I mean sure you could go to your local farmers market and find exactly what you need every time you need to eat, but it’s incredibly inconvenient, and not realistic for a lot of people. (Using Linux.)

Or you could hire a private chef to make all of your food for you, and make sure he uses the best ingredients (using Mac) and pay the premium for it.

There are other options and it’s entirely possible, but no amount of boycotting is going to hurt Microsoft. Everyone that ever sees this post ever could boycott windows for the rest of our lives, and they wouldn’t even notice. Let alone change anything.

Teh_Credible_Hulk

10d

Agreed! Your outrage and uproar is only as strong as your convictions. If you're not willing to leave Windows, and MS knows that, then it doesnt matter what you do.

pharan_x

10d

Conviction and integrity are important, but these aren't the tools to solve this specific problem.

Microsoft's main Windows customers are enterprise, with hundreds and thousands of installs. Their customers are also laptop makers who want a "complete solution" for regular people who don't give it a second thought. Regular people don't choose their OS. They just want to get a computer to do their stuff and aren't enamored by the idea of computers. Microsoft makes Windows just bad enough that it goes under the threshold of these people caring and that's what keeps them at viable scale. People who are annoyed enough by Windows to leave, are just collateral damage.

The tools to solve this is to raise a stink in a way that people who can hurt them can understand: regulators. investors. IT managers. big customers. Convince them of the truth that Windows is rotting and will continue to unless they do something. Convince them that they should be using something else, if you can imagine something else they could realistically use. Support people who are making good alternatives.

mjolle

10d

I'm getting ready to build a new desktop pc, which is gonna cost a pretty hefty penny. Building for photo/video editing and gaming alike, working from home requires MS Teams. All our stuff is Apple nowadays except for my desktop, which is Windows.

I don't really see any viable option than Windows if I want everything the way I'm used to, within reason. Not extremely keen on getting a high end Apple computer really. I like the sense of DIY that comes with windows/pc. I add another hard drive or some ram when I want. Can't do that with Apple, and I'm unsure of whether any Linux iteration can run all the programs and games that I'm used to?

k3rz0rg

10d

I never thought of even considering Mac OS or Ubuntu until MS deployed their recall+copilot. Now I’m actively thinking of getting a MacBook Air and installing Linux on my existing machines and laptops.

3nt0

10d

If you want Linux, consider Linux Mint. It's a much better drop-in replacement for Windows - and it avoids some of the shitty things that Ubuntu has been doing recently.

^overriding ^system ^commands ^to ^promote ^their ^own ^proprietary ^package ^manager

k3rz0rg

10d

THANK YOU! I was looking at that and downloaded the installer , your suggestion made my decision of installing that more concrete!

3nt0

10d

Perfect! I've been daily driving Linux Mint for a few months now, and genuinely the only issue I've had is that I own a couple games on EA, and the launcher didn't work properly.

There is definitely a workaround for it, but I've not looked too much into it because I wasn't too bothered about those games specifically. And it's only an issue for games that were bought directly through EA - playing EA games on Steam works just fine, even if they use the EA launcher.

ETA: you can run the entire OS off a USB before installing (it should be a pretty clear option when you boot from the USB.)

Also, make sure to look up how to check your Windows license key, if/when you're planning on deleting Windows entirely. There are ways of activating it without a key, but it might be best to make a note of your license key before you delete the OS entirely.

DigitalDunc

10d

I’ve been daily drinking mint since 17.1 and have very few complaints, funnily enough, one thing I did notice is that open source software works better rather than worse when you switch. This makes me think that MS and Apple would break competing software to make it look bad.

k3rz0rg

UPDATE: I got myself a 850x 1tb just for Linux mint and installed it on that, tried on usb drive before that as well with the help of belena Etcher.

Here’s my take on mint:

My laptop speakers started to sound much better for some reason, I didn’t realize that they could sound better lol. It installed nvidia driver by itself but with or without that, graphics is buttery smooth, it is rendering 240hz without issue. All browsing experience is smooth and load time is much faster than my win 11. It has pretty much everything that I need for my daily use. Nord vpn was bit of an issue since it doesn’t have gui but that’s ok, I learned the terminal commands for that. For other issues, I believe, in this world of internet, there’s always a solution/workaround can be found there.

The few stuffs which I found would be helpful are, my laptop backlight does not work on Linux, not sure if there’s a fix for that or not. Touchpad gestures on browsers like swipe to go back or forward doesn’t work although I have gesture enabled from the settings.

There’s a learning curve and some issues but it’s a good beginning for me with Linux. Not sure if windows will fix themselves and not sure I’ll be back to that anytime soon!

3nt0

Sounds great! Linux is generally regarded as smoother/faster, as it has a lot less going on in the background. In fact, it's been reported to be faster at emulating Windows software than Windows is at running it natively.

Like you said, the tradeoff is often that some stuff doesn't work properly, but I've found that the solution on Linux is often a couple of commandline prompts, whereas Windows tends to be a regedit or some weird 3rd party utility.

Not sure how to help you with browser gestures though. Still, glad to hear you're enjoying your start with it.

k3rz0rg

Browser gestures is not a big issue at all since the mouse back forward buttons work just fine. Only if I could turn the keyboard backlight on, still googling to find some info on that. My laptop is Asus Zephyrs M15, it doesn’t have those funky Christmas lights but just white only, helps me to work in low light.

3nt0

Only thing I can think is that you might be able to engineer a workaround by checking the BIOS? If your laptop has a custom BIOS (i.e. made by Asus rather than some generic one) it might have a setting to keep the backlight on whenever the laptop lid is open, for example. Other than that, I'm not sure.

k3rz0rg

Well, it comes with the ASUS ROG bios, and I haven't seen any setting for that at the bios level. Lol I didn't know there's hotkey for backlight which are fn + up / down and apparently all the hotkeys with the common functionalities work except this issue, hope future update / version will solve this issue.

k3rz0rg

Thanks for the detail info. I no longer play any games on pc. I used to do all those OC, benchmarking, gaming and all back in the days but unfortunately I no longer have time and patience anymore for those and ended up being console player (Xbox & PS). I use PC for the general purpose which I’m sure I can do on Linux mint without some big corp stalking me and throwing ads on my face stealing my data. I’m planning on going Mac for my editing and audio recording tasks.

I do have the keys for my pc (I bought usb stick installer) and have the cmd commands for the laptops so I think I’m good on that.

I’m thinking of getting a 1 tb nvme for the new os for laptops since those have become cheaper nowadays instead of going through all those multiboot hassle, however, I’ll check on that portable install using usb as well.

Flint_Ironstag1

10d

Exact same fuckery is going on with MacOS too, so I feel your pain. ProxMox, FreeBSD, or TrueNAS - maybe even Ubuntu are in my future.

jc1luv

10d

Leave it. I’m on windows 10 and hope that win12 is a decent upgrade. But I’m not too worried, I’m super comfortable using Linux and if I really have to, macOS. Hopefully won’t come to that. Win10 until 2030!!

Broad-Assistant3476

10d

I fought this by ditching Windows and installing Linux... it was a scary move, I been using windows since 3.1 came out... it's so far doing everything I need.. I hope my luck keeps up...

6tBF4Cg4qqAAZA

10d

[GIF]

I think you know what to do.

Grayccoon_

10d

You’re tired of windows ? You’re tired of all these laptops with poor battery life, engine spinning fans and bulky or bad quality build ? Linux seems tempting but you’re afraid of it or afraid of support ?

Go buy yourself a MacBook with Apple chips. Actual useful working features, private, no ads, consistent UX, insane battery life, lightning fast, light, beautiful, excellent build quality. No jet engine sounds and as much supported as windows.

PralineGold6868

10d

👌👌

Padashar7672

10d

I have windows 11 and i have no pop ups or ads. After i installed windows it took maybe 5 minutes to disable all the crap. There are tons of premade checklists online with step by step instructions on how to adjust everything to make it non intrusive. It's a very solid OS when you set it up right.

Unlikely_End942

10d

Microsoft are definitely losing the plot. The amount of crap features they are wasting time shoehorning into Windows (Recall anyone?) while ignoring blindingly obvious UI issues (the Control Panel / Settings mess that has been dragging on for years now, the craptacular Start menu, various annoyances with File Explorer, just for a few examples).

I just want someone to go back to basics and write a nice solid OS that does a few things really well, not feel like I'm fighting a losing battle for control of my personal data every time I log in.

Clearly all the big companies really care about is finding new and exciting ways to data mine the hell out of consumers and sell it to the NSA and marketing companies.

Unlikely_End942

10d

Oh, and what is with the so many background processes that run automatically these days whether you ever use them or not - like XBox, Teams, etc. I don't want all this shit...can't they at least have it inactive until it is first used or you opt in?

rb3po

10d

I agree with many of the people here, that you can change operating system, but I do know some tricks to make it much more tolerable.

My main trick is that every time a configure a new Windows computer, I wipe the factory shipped version of the OS, and install a fresh install of windows behind as blocking DNS like Ad Guard or NextDNS.

Doing so basically cuts out all the crap that makes Windows insufferable.

After that, I make sure to use always use an ad blocking DNS on the system. This ensures that the computer remains ad free, and that it has the ability to send less telemetry.

This makes an insufferable OS sufferable :)

razorfox

10d

Just buy a Mac.

HIRIV

10d

Recently installed win 11 and multiple different Linux distros. Windows install was horrible shit

MiniatureGod

10d

I hate to be that guy but maybe switch to linux? Or at least switch back the older windows. I've done both of these, linux as my main driver and windows 7 for other stuffs. It's the best of both worlds, never gonna touch that disgusting windows 11 ever again.

j_mcc99

10d

Get a raspberry pi 3 or newer and get pihole running on it as a dns server. Use that to block all the telemetry garbage baked into windows 11.

Get Explorer Patcher to get back control of the start menu and task bar.

Go through every setting with a fine tooth comb and disable everything you don’t need. One step beyond that, get Center for Internet Security’s Windows 11 hardening baseline and try to adhere to it.

Actually found it wasn’t that bad after proper tuning and hardening.

Technolongo

11d

None of what the OP is describing has ever happened on any of our PCs. We use Windows 10/11 24/7. It always works.

xwin2023

10d

This is happened only for Linux fans

ForLackOf92

10d

Well good for you.

vzoltan

11d

I'm using Windows for 30+ years, but genuinely have no idea what you are talking about...

-peas-

Me too, but I see ads and popups now all over Windows and it's constantly bothering me about Windows 11 almost every time I sign in.

vzoltan

but I see ads and popups now

I guess that's the question here: What ads and what popups? Why is it that I don't see any of those? What's different in our use cases?

NorthVT

10d

Me too, I’m so confused by these complaints.

fraaaaa4

10d

Lack of coherence, lack of meaningful updates in areas that need a desperate update (talking more about visuals), lack of meaningful implementations (seriously, so many things, especially on the visual side, could’ve been implemented in a far more beautiful way, a far more performant and far more efficient too).

Just an example? WinRE, which all they did was change the ICOs inside its DLL, leaving the entire DirectUI interface completely untouched when, at the same time, in just a few months a community managed to do an entire redo of that interface and making it look like WinUI, without any additional software, just by changing the code that was already there. If a community of enthusiast did it in months without any documentation or source code, why Microsoft can’t do that in two years (and sadly, there are things like these that are far far worse…)?

thefpspower

10d

"why doesn't Microsoft do things in janky ways that break everything but can be done quickly"

Well little student, maybe they have to do thing properly so it doesn't break every enterprise product and is able to be iterated on for the future.

If you think you can replicate winUI with little code I have a bridge to sell you, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Asleeper135

10d

You fight it by not using Windows. It's a losing battle because most people can't (or won't) fight it with you.

pi-N-apple

11d

Lol

Windows is better than its ever been. If you don't want to use Office, uninstall it.

The fact you can't remember how to do your own backups is not Microsoft's fault.

Everything that works on Windows 10 will work on Windows 11, I've had no compatibility issues.

guitarlisa

The fact that OP can't figure out how to set program defaults is not Microsoft's fault either. I have never, ever had an ad pop-up in windows. If I am looking for settings, I type the first three letters in the search bar and there it is. I can't figure out if OP is just so advanced that they run into issues that I would never run into them myself, or if OP is just so idiotic that they can't figure out how to do the tiniest thing to configure their computer.

ChickenNoodleSloop

10d

Just because you haven't had comparability issues doesn't mean there aren't any. Win11 bricks tons of software and drivers for whatever dumb reason. Not even compatability modes fix some of the stuff I need for work.

NorthVT

10d

WTF are people talking about with the ads. I constantly hear about them in explorer, on the lock screen… literally everywhere in the OS, but I’ve been using Windows 11 for over a year and have not seen a single one. WTF are you all doing to be confronted with ads? I’ve asked this multiple times but have never received a straight answer. I don’t get it.

GCRedditor136

10d

I've never seen ads on Win 11, either.

Satekroket

10d

Are you using Enterprise or Education? I think those versions have less ads.

Devatator_

10d

Same as this guy and I use Home. I'm fully updated (at least I think) and I don't see anything. Settings too is clean

NorthVT

Just pro.

DF2511

The only ads I see are either the one on the settings home page, and the pop up that sometimes comes on asking you to continue to set up your account (which is dismissible either by going through it once, or in the settings). Yet this was the same as on windows 10. I don't think I've seen any of the others. I'm just using Pro as well. I am using the English International edition though if that has anything to do with it.

thefrind54

Windows 11 - Release Channel

10d

See. I don't know about others, but I STRONGLY agree with what you just said.

The best part is, you can't really do anything much about it. Switch to Linux or MacOS? Yeah, but you can't exactly live without a Windows VM just in case. That's how reliant on Windows we are.

jurkajurka

10d

You used to be able to skip every other version of Windows, ie. ME, Vista, and 8. I think Microsoft hated that and is now forcing everyone to upgrade to 11 to receive support/updates.

A2-Steaksauce89

10d

I just got the notification on my pc a few days ago that windows 10 will not receive more updates soon. Unfortunately my pc doesn’t support windows 11 so I’m screwed for now. Hopefully windows doesn’t break

goncasFTW

10d

Linux :)

british-raj9

10d

It's up to you. You have to weigh the pros and cons with each OS. Mac I'm sure is good, but you need to fork out $$$ to buy a Mac. You could tolerate Windows 11(or a prior release) with its pros and cons. Could get a chrome book. Just use an android tablet. Could switch to Linux Mint or Fedora (free😉) . I run Win 11 on one PC that I game on, Fedora on my laptop with Libre office or Google docs. The use case is also important to consider the best OS for your application. The best part is you have lots of options.

earthman34

10d

I've used Windows 11 for ages and have never seen an ad.

AsparagusFirm7764

10d

I think this is sounding a whole lot more like "I have a me problem with Windows" than anything else.

The ads aren't bad, I don't see em myself. I have an adblock on my network to kill all that stuff, and even when I'm places I don't, it's not bad.

Backups are incredibly easy to do, and if you need to remind yourself how to do that, it's, again, a you problem. The sky is the limit on backup options, and it's never required you to get a Microsoft backup option.

Settings aren't hard to find. They're in "Settings". And then when you need to find one specific one, you use the search bar. It's incredibly easy to find.

Operating systems come with applications not everyone wants on them. A lot of people do want them though, so if you run into that situation where you don't want the program natively installed, then just uninstall it. It's not the end of the world; it's like saying "I moved into a house and the types of faucets that come with houses are so annoying"... No sir, you just don't like them, that's fine.

Can't speak for your work equipment, but if it's something specific to your job, chances are your job just hasn't updated the drives, that's a your job problem, not a Microsoft problem; your job should be creating drivers that are compatible with the current supported operating systems.

DumbestFrog

Windows 10

10d

[Image]

spuriousJelly

10d

Unfortunately, there is no way to fight it, this is the natural evolution of Windows.

You're probably from a time when Windows was different, maybe Win 7 or XP, those days are long gone and not coming back.

I hate to say it but as it stands you either move to Linux or get with the program. Microsoft won't change or listen because it controls 70% of the market and kids are already used to the new trend.

RamBamTyfus

10d

Either install the corporate version of Windows, or abandon Windows and install a Linux distro.

NotDotBack

10d

Sorry bud, you can't stop it them, but you can stop using them. Give Linux or macOS a try. From personal experience, Linux is great, Arch user btw.

Breklin76

10d

Don’t use it.

rocketstopya

10d

Prefer and support open source software. Try to use Linux. Or stick with Win 10 offline.

pewteetat

10d

Get the US government to officially go to Linux for all federal government systems. Also have the US government require all private sector businesses who have (or want) contracts to use whatever the Fed uses. OS and applications.

Then wait.

Wait for MS in its greed to lock Windows down so tight that it literally becomes Linux-level inconvenient to use. At that point there isn't really much pain in making the jump, and now you have the average home user market. MS has conveniently achieved this about 90%.

Then wait.

Wait for the alarm clock to go off and wake up. Windows will never get any better than it is today, it will only continue to get worse. MS has seen the writing on the wall (put there by Google) and jumped on the your-data-is-my-revenue bandwagon.

strangerzero

10d

Switch to Apple. I did and don’t regret it.

Phate1989

10d

Don't buy computers with windows on them, or run Linux until MS changes their stance good luck bud

Elbrus-matt

10d

simple: if you hate the new windows version don't use it/update and switch to linux,done the same with w11,really liked how windows was back in the xp/vista/7 days but know it's really a mess,not bad w10 but i hate the decision to kill lumia and wp. Simply learn something different and use a vm if you really need some special programs that you can't run on linux,don't look into mac os,good things never comes from there.

cipricusss

10d

Open Office ? I hope you mean Libre Office.

cipricusss

10d

You should use Linux. If you need Windows, install it in dual boot. On the other hand I think there are hacks against all the popups. Use other browser like Firefox.

Splashboy3

I will literally be an apple ecosystem slave before I pay monthly to use my own fucking computer.

Swallow my fuckin balls microsoft

hpst3r

My last Windows machine at home got wiped a few weeks ago; they're all running Fedora now.

Hobbit_Holes

10d

Where are you guys getting ads and antivirus popups? I have yet to see either of these in 20+ years.

ConfusedHomelabber

Windows 10

11d

Join the Linux community! The more people switch from Windows, the sooner Microsoft will recognize their flaws and return to making a truly decent operating system.

GlowGreen1835

🍰

11d

Microsoft does not care about home users. They're all about business and Azure (I consider Copilot kinda part of Azure) and azure is unrelated to Windows in this context, and business users are never going to use Linux, it's just not going to happen. I use Ubuntu at home so even though I'm a baby Linux user, I get it. But as an O365 admin, I'll always have a job.

ConfusedHomelabber

Windows 10

11d

That excuse is getting old. Most people could easily switch to Linux Mint—it's simple, similar to Windows 7+, and packed with modern features.

Forget about downloading printer drivers or buying Microsoft Office 365. Linux Mint handles printer drivers automatically and supports OpenOffice or LibreOffice.

Sure, some people need proprietary software, but even that can often be managed with virtualization. Most home users can switch to Linux Mint without major issues. The worry about software compatibility is outdated.

If you need proprietary software, push developers to support Linux. I'm committed to this change—I've already switched my city hall, elderly care facilities, and local schools to Linux Mint. They're more efficient now, and we're reducing e-waste by keeping older machines running longer.

Advancing tech is great, but we also need to extend the life of our older hardware!

screwdriverfan

10d

I agree, however linux makes it difficult to switch. Microsoft is seen as convenient and a lot of people are very familiar with the workflow of windows. Switching to linux changes things and there's a learning to curve.

Also, check the link below (timestamped at 15:32). Luke explains the core issue of linux really well. Like... if it's bothersome to somebody as tech-savy as luke, imagine your average joe out there.

https://youtu.be/vmZtB18qR6I?si=aoicYHiT8_ddWV64&t=932

lolmanic

10d

Most people aren't enthusiasts and as Apple has shown they are happy to pay a premium for things that just work. Great you enjoy the power side of things, most people don't give a shit

lolmanic

10d

Yeah, of that 12% I would gather not even half of them give a crap as much as us enthusiasts

[Image]

hyp_reddit

10d

this sounds like a you problem. i have w11, good knowledge in IT as i have been working in the field for 20+ years so in theory i know what i am doing, and have none of these issues, especially the ads

User deleted comment

guitarlisa

Interesting. I personally have never seen an ad or popup. Given your experience managing PCs, I wonder what the difference could be between the many of us who never have them, and the many of us who apparently do have them? Could it be some kind of malware that is not Windows?

StonyShiny

10d

Move to Linux. That's the only way to do something about it. Microsoft doesn't care and it's users don't care as you can see in this thread, going as far as pretending it doesn't exist.

dookieshoes88

10d

Sounds like a skill issue. I have none of these issues.

Exxiler

10d

What are you talking about?
Ads? Where?
AV pop ups? Where? And you can always use focus assist.
Finding settings is an easy search when you don't know where to look for the actual setting.
You can always change the default apps for any given file extension.
Gaming apps? If you don't need them, delete them.

Anyways, the easiest method to fight against something is literally not using it.

Flimsy-Mix-190

11d

I don't know what ads you are referring to. You might be mistaking recommendations, suggestions or notifications for ads, all of which can be turned off in settings. Yeah, some settings are cumbersome to find but a quick search will point you in the right direction. You should also take some time to patiently go through all of the settings and familiarize yourself with any hidden ones.

You can try a bloat remover like Bulk Crap Uninstaller to remove apps and programs that you don't use, like the gaming ones that are bothering you. There are other programs and tweaks out there to remove bloat from Windows 11.

You can use LibreOffice instead of Office if you are having issues but really, all you have to do is a simple search on Reddit and you would be able to use Office without any issues.

As far as your USB connections are concerned, it sounds like some type of hardware issue. Maybe update the drivers for those devices.

You can bypass Windows forcing you to log into an account. Again, searching Reddit or the web is your friend for helping you with this.

As far as Microsoft moving towards a subscription based service to use Windows, I wouldn't be too concerned about it. I am sure there will be ways to bypass that too.

Other than that, you would have to use another operating system but be prepared to have issues there too.

m0rl0ck1996

10d

How to fight it? lmao

Born yesterday? I needed the chuckle, thanks

On a serious note if you troll youtube on how to get rid of windows "features", you might find some help.

Or you could become king of the universe and buy microsoft.

YouCanTrustMeOnThis

10d

Return to a usable Start menu - Classic Start Menu or StartAllBack

Disable spying and annoyances - O&O ShutUp10++

Don't use Edge

rbartlejr

10d

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10 can resolve a lot of your issues.

mreijerkerk

10d

You are not alone, my wild guess is that all the computer Enthusiastics are

cius_warren

10d

Lol what are you talking about its been garbage for a minute.

Sorry-Point-999

10d

How can you fight it? Get gud. Install an Enterprise version of Windows and pick an EU country for your location. If you insist on using a consumer version of Windows (that includes Pro) MS is gonna treat you like one.

fabrictm

10d

With your feet…if you catch my drift

angryscientistjunior

10d

Organize. Get people together who feel the same,and maybe know people who work at Microsoft that you can talk to.

Others say use Linux, I say organize people to develop a Linux flavor that works & feels EXACTLY like the Windows you want. One that strikes exactly the perfect balance between user friendly and configurable.

RamBamTyfus

10d

Two solutions may be to install the corporate version of Windows, or abandon Windows and install a Linux distro.

sing2nite

10d

Use NextDNS and opt out Microsoft ads. No more ads. You are welcome.

Malek_Deneith

10d

The reality is that you can't "fight" this stuff, as in you have no way to force a meaningful change. The only way to make that happen would be for significant amount of users to jump ship to another OS, but: a) as things are right now you won't convince enough people to do that, b) even if you could convince enough people it's questionable would Microsoft even care considering these days their money is in cloud services not OS sales.

So what's left? Well, the one thing that you still have is ability to change things for yourself. As in, you can decide which you find more bearable: dealing with what Microsoft is doing with Windows, or dealing with having to learn new OS/find new apps to replace ones you've been using on Windows.

AlvynTC1

10d

I fought with this by not allowing myself to buy or pay anything Microsoft related any more. Microsoft cannot go into my home (exception is work laptop). I am not using anything Microsoft related in personal life. I think there are better alternatives. I have originally switched to Linux several years ago and I was satisfied. Only because I have some spare cash and wanted to tried MacOS, I bought Mac which I am using now. I appretiate the consitency, but since I see how Apple is driven now, I am really think to switch back to Linux, when I am gonna buy new laptop in following years. I think there is no other way to fight Microsoft, Apple or Google. Just to stop using their services.

koken_halliwell

10d

Just leave. Bye!

[deleted]

10d

Guess what, there is a barcode scanner at my workplace that didn't work with Windows 10. Even it's so buggy on 7.

G1ngerBoy

Wait for W12 as its the one that if it follows Microsofts trend should be good?

At least I'm hoping they stick to their regular trend.

GumSL

Lay down and take it.

We can't make Microsoft change their mind.

Aggressive-Donuts

I wonder if company’s will make the switch when they realize Microsoft can spy on every single one of their trade secrets. Time for Linux?

outlander7878

I keep using Windows for tax software and a few games. Otherwise I run Mint Linux. There are lots of great Linux distros freely available, and if you don't game they may be right up your alley.

Sparc343

Simple ~ LINUX

Literally that's the ONLY answer, to answer the TITLED question. Furthermore, I find it funny that if you actually read everything you wrote, you did specify "besides using a different OS"; clearly showing that you actually already know that is the ONLY true answer. Well, it is. If you want to "fight" windows; the ONLY answer is - DO NOT USE IT

Sparc343

I say this because I myself, someone who has literally NEVER paid for windows (directly OR indirectly). I can say that with 100% certainty because I have always built my own PCs and always "bootlegged" windows. Well, I am literally so fed up with windows too that I have determined it is NO longer worth STEALING!

I have since changed ALL my machines/computers over to various Linux distributions! Even nicer thing is there's going to be pretty much a distribution for pretty much any purpose you could have. IE: I could throw Ubuntu Studio on one machine, for my "creative needs". I could throw Nobara on a machine for my "gaming needs". I could throw Debian on my "server machines"! Unlike windows, which is so damn generic you pretty much have to "fine tune it" no matter what you're using it for! Such a PITA really!

Linux is just SO much better! In Every way!

Alaknar

10d

Settings are harder to find in general

This is one of the most stupefying things I hear people say about Windows. In what reality is the absolute monster of a chaotic mess of Control Panel better than what we have now..?

Putting programs like Word and Excel on there that aren’t paid for but are still the .docs first option to open those files

So, let me get this straight - you get the option to open these files using the free, online versions of paid-for programs... and that's a bad thing?

gaming apps that are pre installed and keep trying to update when i don’t game

Are you sure about that? Last I checked these were only placeholders in the Start menu that aren't even installed.

But even if: right-click -> Uninstall.

Or, if you're doing a fresh install, select "International" as your Region. Apparently you won't get anything like that then.

Lots of my work equipment connected by network or USB don’t connect well or at all on newer windows when a laptop with Windows 10 connects just fine.

Have you tried updating your hardware drivers?

Eventually windows is going to try to get you to pay monthly to use the operating system or something similar

Well... Yeah. That's how capitalism works. If you have the perfect product that everyone has, you've effectively killed your business, because without constant, infinite growth of your income, your shareholders are sad. So you HAVE TO figure out new and new ways of increasing income. Literally every listed company will either go under or eventually face the exact same problem.

And, other than switching to Linux (or, lol, fixing capitalism) there's nothing we can do about it.

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