Windows 11 market share falls despite Microsoft ad blitz

The Register ^ | Dec 2, 2024 | Richard Speed

[TomGuy]

I came across the following guide for Linux Mint and Ubuntu:

Easy Linux Tips Project:
Easy tips for Linux Mint and Ubuntu, both for beginners and for advanced users.

[sushiman]

My old can’t be killed Dell upstairs runs Win 7 . Downstairs Lenovo Win 10 .

[lefty-lie-spy]

Windows is useless. Get the new Mac Mini M4 Pro.

[Rocco DiPippo]

Thanks! I just set it up. It was installed with Mint.

[mad_as_he$$]

bkmk

[linMcHlp]

Ufortunately, Apple is not doing any better at software quality control.

[Openurmind]

“It was installed with Mint.”

Yep, after trying everything notable out there in the Linux world I came back to Mint as my distro of choice. It comes boxed with just about everything you will need for a full experience and is the most stable. You made a good choice.

There will be some quirks to get used to, like having so many different ways to download stuff, This is because Linux has a long history of improvement over the years but you can still download all the old stuff the old way with the terminal and .deb files that auto install when you double click them. Unlike Windows at least it is all still available and Linux will still run that old stuff.

But for the most part Linux is pretty much straight forward and operates like Windows 7. But also embrace the terminal, because it can do a lot more for you than than the graphic interface. At least the basic commands needed now and then. Like purging an app by command line to make sure it is ALL gone if you uninstall it. If you ever run into any quirks you have problems with PM me...

Welcome aboard the Linux train! Once you get settled in and learn the true power and freedom of it compared to MS you will never look back! I have been full Linux now for almost nine years and I will never have reason to go back. I can live fine without that “one” MS game or app first. Linux world has about everything covered once you take the time to adapt to the Linux replacements for MS apps. :)

[minnesota_bound]

Microsoft is now allowing older pc’s that they said before that do not qualify to get Windows 11.
They want to spy on as many people as possible. Windows 11 has a program called “Recall” that takes snapshots of everything you do and stores them on your hard drive. They “promise” not to upload that information. They “promise”...

Microsoft now allowing Windows 11 on older, incompatible PCs
Despite years of warning, it’s now officially possible to install Windows 11 on PCs that don’t meet requirements. Dec 9, 2024
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2550265/microsoft-now-allowing-windows-11-on-older-incompatible-pcs.html
Not even a week ago, Microsoft doubled down on its policy that requires PCs to have TPM 2.0-compatible hardware in order to install Windows 11. But now, in an unexpected and puzzling move, the company is issuing instructions for installing Windows 11 on incompatible PCs.
______________________

Microsoft says “Recall” is only for the latest pc’s but things change. See above. So this will too. They also force you to encrypt the pc with Bitlocker if you use “Recall” which is on by default and Windows 11 will encrypt the pc by default even if you do not have “Recall”. I use to do internal support for a company and if you can’t log in or Bitlocker gets corrupted then you lose ALL your files and you have to reinstall Windows. They used Microsoft OneDrive for backup that stores your files on THEIR computers but does not backup all files.

BTW Microsoft has a way around Bitlocker as was revealed when “CrowdStrike” happened in July. Microsoft has a recovery tool that gets around Bitlocker in Safe Mode. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/intunecustomersuccess/new-recovery-tool-to-help-with-crowdstrike-issue-impacting-windows-endpoints/4196959 but it does not work for all cases. If you decrypt you always have to worry that Microsoft will encrypt at the next Windows update. I will not use Bitlocker!

Microsoft Rolls Out Controversial Recall Feature for Windows 11 Beta Testers - November 22, 2024
https://www.pcmag.com/news/microsoft-rolls-out-controversial-recall-feature-for-windows-11-beta-testers

[minnesota_bound]

#6
3 Ways to Create a Control Panel Shortcut on Windows 10/11
https://www.minitool.com/news/control-panel-shortcut.html

How to Create a Control Panel Shortcut in Windows 10
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/71740-create-control-panel-shortcut-windows-10-a.html

[minnesota_bound]

Try the Start11 (also for Windows 10) Start Menu.
From the screenshots below you can see how much better it is. Just $9.99
https://www.stardock.com/products/start11

[dayglored]

> Microsoft now allowing Windows 11 on older, incompatible PCs

NO MICROSOFT IS NOT DOING THAT

That PC World headline is a LIE.

Microsoft actually says (and requires that you agree to this):

"If you proceed with installing Windows 11, your PC will no longer be supported and won’t be entitled to receive updates. Damages to your PC due to lack of compatibility aren’t covered under the manufacturer warranty."

This is what is known as a "FYBYOYO" (fib-yo-yo) statement. It stands for:

"F*ck You Buddy, You're On Your Own"

Microsoft is simply underscoring their lost-standing position -- you install Win11 on an older, incompatible computer, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN, NO SUPPORT.

The implication that Microsoft has changed its position is FALSE. "Allowing" implies that Microsoft has any control over what you install -- of course they do not, the hardware is in your hands. But they have control over whether you can use it safely. And without Windows security updates, you are vulnerable to all manner of attacks.

"FYBYOYO" -- Microsoft

[Rocco DiPippo]

On it for a week now and really digging it. It’s blazingly fast and not a single hiccup all week. And none of this endless Windows Updates bullshit either. Thanks for your offer of assistance. If I get stuck I’ll definitely PM you. The online resources regarding Linux are mega - I’ve been poking around the Linux forums to get a feel for things.

[dayglored]

Postscript to the above screed.

Case 1: You like Windows 10 but after next October, you don't get any more Windows security updates. Or you pay MS $30 and you get updates for another year, then that's the end. Does Win10 stop working? No. But you become highly vulnerable to every future malware attack.

Case 2: You want to upgrade to Windows 11, but you have old/incompatible hardware. So you accept Microsoft's FYBYOYO terms and force an upgrade from 10 to 11. You don't get any Windows security updates. Does Win11 stop working? No. But you become highly vulnerable to every future malware attack.

If you want security for a while longer, stick with Win10 until it runs out. If you want to get to Win11 sooner than later, you drop security sooner and make the leap.

In neither case do you have a secure computer. The LIE in the PC World headline is the implication that you have a normal, supported Win11 computer. As it explains further down in the article, that's no truer now than it was a week or a month ago. Microsoft has not changed their position.

As Admiral Ackbar said, "It's a trap!"

[Openurmind]

Yep, absolutely. One thing about Linux, there is a whole crew out there like myself who want to screw MS back as best they can. lol

So they are always up for offering to go out of their way and help with it. The free support group is absolutely un-matchable. :)

[minnesota_bound]

#20 Speed up Windows - Disable Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry
This will stop Windows from slowing things down.

Several ways on how to disable it with screenshots:
https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager-software/fix-windows-10-microsoft-compatibility-telemetry-high-disk-usage.html

Description from Microsoft: Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry is a system component within Windows that collects data about your computer’s hardware and software to help Microsoft identify and address compatibility issues, improving the overall user experience by optimizing Windows performance for your specific system configuration; essentially, it gathers information on how well different programs and hardware work together on your machine to identify potential problems and fix them in future updates

Data collection:
It gathers details like installed applications, drivers, hardware specifications, and how they interact with each other while you use your computer.

Purpose:
This data is then sent to Microsoft to help them identify compatibility issues between different software and hardware combinations, allowing them to develop better compatibility fixes in future Windows updates.

Privacy concerns:
While the data collected is generally anonymized, some users may have privacy concerns about the level of detail gathered by this system
_______________

Your Anti-Virus may be slowing Windows down
In Task Manager on my computer, it was showing under the CPU column 80% to 100% in use when my Bitdefender Total Security was running. I did a search and found several possible answers but these complaints went back several years so I decided to uninstall as it looked like Bitdefender was not going to fix the issue.

I now use Windows Security which is an app built into Windows 10. It includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus, a antivirus tool that protects you against viruses, ransomware, and malware.

[minnesota_bound]

If webpages do not load quickly like Amazon and Yahoo when I use Firefox then this is a fix:

Disable unused Network adapters
Start button> Network & Internet> Change adapter options
Or use Search: Control Panel> View by: Large icons
All Control Panel Items> Network and Sharing Center
Click on Change adapter settings on the left side.

I have 5 items listed:
Ethernet Realtek PCI GbE Family Controller - Startech PCI adapter card that I bought when my speed was low.
Ethernet 2 Spectrum 1GB - * Intel Ethernet Connection 1217-V - onboard the Gigabyte motherboard.
Ethernet 3 VirtualBox Host-Only - VirtualBox software.
Ethernet 4 Killer E2200 Gigabit Ethernet controller - * onboard the Gigabyte motherboard.
Wi-Fi TP-Link adapter - a plug in wi-fi adapter. Not needed now as Spectrum adapter has wi-fi .

GIGABYTE Z97X-UD5H motherboard.
* RJ-45 LAN Port (LAN1) top port - I use this one, seems faster on speed tests.
Intel(R) Ethernet Connection I217-V

* RJ-45 LAN Port (LAN2) bottom port
Killer e2200 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (NDIS 6.20)

The solution is to disable in my case: Ethernet, Ethernet 3, Ethernet 4, Wi-Fi
You just click on each one and then above click on Disable this network device.
Restart the computer. Amazon and Yahoo open like other websites now.

Next use FREE software like TCPOptimizer
https://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php
The file and the documentation is at the link above.

All I had to do was move the slider all the way to the right side and click on the Apply changes button then restart the computer.
The speed increased.

[Angelino97]

I tried some of the things in that link. But it seems to be about Win 10, and not all the advice is compatible for Win 11.

I don't have an anti-virus, apart from what came with Win 11.

I'm shocked at how much more intrusive Win 11 is than Win 7. I had to register/log in to begin using Win 11.

Win 98 came on a CD-ROM that I owned, and didn't even have to register it.

[Poser]

If you want your Windows 7 games back, go here to winaero.

You should keep it in your download folder because Windows updates sometimes delete the games again. I love me some Spider, FreeCell, Hearts, Mahjong and Minesweeper.