My new PC will be delivered this week. I've never used 11. I've had 8 all this time. I spent the extra money to get Windows 11 Pro in the hopes I could avoid more annoyances that way. I just wasn't willing to jump into Unix.
I just want the desktop and not whatever new horrors Windows tries to force on you since 8. I have a Charms Bar killer app for 8. Why anybody would want super annoying non-desktop crap is beyond me.
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What can I do to eliminate annoyances - bloatware, spyware, etc.
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What should I do to protect my privacy from Microsoft? I want to turn everything off that reports to the fucking MS mothership.
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What apps, utilities, etc should I install? I'd like to use non-MS apps and utilities instead of whatever garbage comes with Windows.
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What apps, utilities, etc should I avoid?
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What am I forgetting to ask?
From using a Windows 11 PC at work:
The window manager / start bar is inundated with nags to try copilot. The settings to disable this are buried in strange places.
The login screen displays MSN news headlines, half of which are pitches to try copilot.
The new right-click context menu in the desktop / file browser is an abomination and requires a registry key to return to conventional behavior.
Windows will do everything in its power to spy on you. Changing the settings once at install time is insufficient. It will periodically try to trick you into reverting to defaults. This makes it impossible to set up a computer for a family member and hand it over.
Beware the new "Microsoft Recall" "feature," which periodically takes screenshots of your desktop, OCRs them, and sends it to train copilot.
As far as utilities go, I mostly stick to the same free software applications I use on Linux. There are some Windows staples though, like 7zip, Chocolatey, Notepad++, etc.