I have enough of it, what are my options?

[Confuscious]

Since the last upgrade of Windows 11, I gave up and look for someting else.
Windows is forcing the EDGE, Photos, and other software trought my throat and the is no way to disable the them or chose for a different program.
Every time I want to open a picture, a movie, or a website with a different program, Windows ask me if I am sure of my choice and rethink about using their crappy program with lots of advertissements.

Not only Windows, but many big software companies are going the same road.

Chrome has now occupied almost my full hard disk storing all kind of crapware to trace my habits and publish their crap.
Google is going the same way and I only use their email because I have the same email address a long time.

I want to opt for another operating system which is user friendly and don't force their crapware down my throat.

Linux of Android?

What are my choices?

[Pipi Olly]

I was in the exact same situation one year ago.

Deleted Windows and installed Ubuntu.

Can't complain.

Canonical has made some tremendous improvements to its OS over the years. Really stable. I don't regret switching and, after a year of Linux, it's pretty safe to say that I won't go back to Microsoft crappy OS anytime soon.

[gearbox]

Ubuntu....use a LTS version like 22.04

[QuantumQuandry]

Strange, I use Windows 11 and I don't have those issues you seem to be facing.  I just tell it what program to open files with and it does.

 

I love Chrome.  Must be a pretty damn small hard drive to fill up from a browser...

Edited October 21, 2023 by QuantumQuandry

[Woof999]

Option 1: Learn how to use modern versions of Windows properly. For example, it is absolutely possible to uninstall Edge from Win 11. Just Google (or use your next favourite search engine if you're really that p$ssed at Google) for it. You might need to get more familiar with the command prompt to achieve a few things, but if you think Linux will negate that need, think again

[retarius]

Go off grid. Build a Faraday cage in your house to make sure no Windows or other undesirable rays get into your home, then use the computer at the library for ll your needs. Buy a second hand 1988 folding Nokia phone....the best phone ever made. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by retarius

[connda]

Linux my friend.

Start by downloading a Linux version ISO image. 
https://www.linux.org/pages/download/
Burn it to a thumb-drive using an app like Rufus or Universal USB Installer or LinuxLive USB Creator.  Set your system boot order so it will boot to the USB drive. Need suggestions to start with?  Ubuntu or Linux Mint.  Both have in-depth, online forums and Newbie threads.

Then take a drive of a few Linux versions.  Like what you see?  You can install it so it dual-boots with your current Windows.

But - after you get tired of that arrangement, consider buying a new computer with 1 TB SSD (or 2 TB) and only installing the Linux version you like.  Then study how to set up and run your Windows in a Virtualbox Virtual Machine.

Use Windows when you have to, enjoy Linux most of the time.

Also, buy a 2 TB USB 3.0 hard-drive and back up everything you currently have.
If you go to Linux, learn to make disk images using Clonezilla Live.  By this point you'll probably have enough knowledge that you have separate partitions for your system files (root) and user files (home). 

Edited October 21, 2023 by connda

[Lacessit]

I recently purged Windows 11 from a new laptop, and installed Linux Mint instead. Far more user-friendly, and far less likely to have viruses attacking every day.

[Confuscious]

10 minutes ago, connda said:

Linux my friend.

Start by downloading a Linux version ISO image.  Burn it to a thumb-drive using an app like Rufus or Universal USB Installer or LinuxLive USB Creator.  Set your system boot order so it will boot to the USB drive. 

Then take a drive of a few Linux versions.  Like what you see?  You can install it so it dual-boots with your current Windows.

But - after you get tired of that arrangement, consider buying a new computer with 1 TB SSD and only installing the Linux version you like.  Then study how to set up and run your Windows in a Virtualbox Virtual Machine.

Use Windows when you have to, enjoy Linux most of the time.

Also, buy a 2 TB USB 3.0 hard-drive and back up everything you currently have.
If you go to Linux, learn to make disk images using Clonezilla Live. 

I was planning to do the opposite.

Run Linux on my hard drive and use a pen-drive version of windows for exceptional things,

[Countryman]

ASEANNOW , is getting nearer to  the bottom everyday with posts like this,

and others like it , the TicToc of forums ...

[Chris Daley]

Step 1 - set your computer back to the factory reset.

Step 2 - use msconfig to remove programs from the background and start up.

Step 3 - set the visual options to ''performance''.

Step 4 - use powershell and regedit to force remove more of the trash like ''xbox game bar''

Step 5 - keep most files on an external hardrive

Step 6 - uninstall the anti virus software like ''mcafee'' because windows already has one built in

Step 7 - defragmentate the hardrive

 

This is my basic todo list these days.  Windows is steaming pile of <deleted>.

[freeworld]

1 hour ago, Confuscious said:

Linux of Android?

What are my choices

Firefox for a browser.

 

Use one of the many Linux distros (with persistence) from a USB.

 

This way you get to keep windows as the main OS and use linux.

 

To be honest I do not have any problems in windows, just go into settings, harden the safety security settings and toggle/turnoff most of the other stuff in settings.

Edited October 21, 2023 by freeworld

[The Fugitive]

Agree that Linux Mint is the easiest Linux distro for a Windows user to migrate to. Easy to install, very logical instructions and everything works just as it should. However, many people have voiced the same complaints as the OP. There are such things as 'Community Editions' of Windows Operating Systems available for free download from well known, long established websites with experienced and most helpful contributors. I am presently using a superb fully updated edition of Windows 11 X-Lite with all the nuisances removed, very responsive and idles as light as Windows 7.   

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In Windows 11, go into the main Settings menu, then Apps, then Default Apps...

 

In that last screen is the ability to tell Windows what specific programs the user wants to use by default for all kinds of different purposes.

 

And once a default app/program is selected there, opening any associated file types in the future will automatically launch that default program.

 

So you can always get exactly the browser you want, exactly the email program you want, exactly the photo editor-viewer you want, etc etc.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Pouatchee]

3 hours ago, Confuscious said:

Windows is forcing the EDGE, Photos, and other software trought my throat

dowload a copy of iobit professional uninstaller... uninstall app.

right click on any leftovers and click uninstall.

same problem widows 10. FIXED

[huahinjoe]

I was a Windows fan for a long time but I'm suggesting to look into Macbook Air, pretty much pleased with it in the past 12 years, good hardware-software combination, maybe you could sell your old pc and buy a new or second hand Mac, I only had to change battery and charger by myself so far in the past 12 years, and it's working superbly for the tasks I needed for personal and work related stuff.

[eisfeld]

2 hours ago, Chris Daley said:

Step 7 - defragmentate the hardrive

Is this the 90s? Are we still using rotating spindle hard disk drives for the OS? 🙂

[connda]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I recently purged Windows 11 from a new laptop, and installed Linux Mint instead. Far more user-friendly, and far less likely to have viruses attacking every day.

Exactly.  MS Windows is a resource hog.  The mass of multiple programs running in the background by default sucks the life out of your computer and opens multiple vectors for hacks and attacks.

Linux is not perfect, but it is well written, well maintained, Open-Source, secure when compared to Windows, and the system updates continually, not primarily on "Security Update 2nd Tuesday of the month" and the Update Manager updates the system in seconds....not minutes or hours.  It also offers a number of different desktops that don't drastically change between versions. 

Linux Desktop Environments examples:
    XFCE
    GNOME
    KDE Plasma
    MATE
    LXDE
    Enlightenment
    Deepin
    LXQT
    Cinnamon

I despise when software company mutilate their User Interfaces in order to make them "more intuitive."  Example, Adobe Acrobat just rolled out an abortion of a new User Interface.  For now you can roll back.  If they force it on customers I'm going to defect.  Linux Desktop Environments stay fairly stable.  If they don't - go to another desktop that does.  Microsoft does it every time the roll out a new version. <gag>.

And best - Linux is FREE.

[transam]

I haven't got EDGE on my PC.......

2 hours ago, Countryman said:

ASEANNOW , is getting nearer to  the bottom everyday with posts like this,

and others like it , the TicToc of forums ...

You have made 58 posts in 10 years, and you're complaining..........🤣

[transam]

1 hour ago, Pouatchee said:

dowload a copy of iobit professional uninstaller... uninstall app.

right click on any leftovers and click uninstall.

same problem widows 10. FIXED

It will reinstall..........🤭

[Pouatchee]

50 minutes ago, transam said:

It will reinstall

I have no issues. it hasn't reinstalled in months, so rather than putting this fix try it first cos it works for me

[Pouatchee]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

Is this the 90s? Are we still using rotating spindle hard disk drives for the OS? 🙂

I defragment every week ... it is no longer called that it is now called trimming

[transam]

1 minute ago, Pouatchee said:

I have no issues. it hasn't reinstalled in months, so rather than putting this fix try it first cos it works for me

I have used ASC Pro for years, if your Windows updates, it reinstalls Edge. Something like that. There is a program to block Edge, can't remember what it is, Google will know.  

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

I defragment every week ... it is no longer called that it is now called trimming

Trimming is for SSD's, defrag is for HDD's......

[Confuscious]

4 hours ago, QuantumQuandry said:

Strange, I use Windows 11 and I don't have those issues you seem to be facing.  I just tell it what program to open files with and it does.

 

I love Chrome.  Must be a pretty damn small hard drive to fill up from a browser...

Strange.

I fail to understand why some people feel the urge to respond to threads with utterly crap.

If you Google about Chrome you will see that A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH CHROME.

Why you don't go join these people and spew your crap there?

 

[QuantumQuandry]

18 minutes ago, Confuscious said:

Strange.

I fail to understand why some people feel the urge to respond to threads with utterly crap.

If you Google about Chrome you will see that A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH CHROME.

Why you don't go join these people and spew your crap there?

That's not a very nice attitude.  I was polite.  I didn't say, for example, "You don't have the I.Q. to operate a speak-and-spell and shouldn't be allowed to own a phone, much less operate a computer".  For a guy named after a philosopher, you are quite the smooth-brain.

 

Do you think that because you can Google issues with Chrome, it means everyone has them?  Do you think that if everyone had them, people would still be using it?  Or that it wouldn't completely dominate the browser marketshare?

Edited October 21, 2023 by QuantumQuandry

[Seppius]

https://windowsreport.com/debloat-windows-11/

 

Easy to use, turn off everything you don't want, but need to do it after every W11 update

[Confuscious]

10 minutes ago, Seppius said:

https://windowsreport.com/debloat-windows-11/

 

Easy to use, turn off everything you don't want, but need to do it after every W11 update

The problem with the latest windows 11 update is that every time windows detects that you have been changing applications that are not allowed to be removed, Windows puts them back.

[NextG]

33 minutes ago, Confuscious said:

Strange.

I fail to understand why some people feel the urge to respond to threads with utterly crap.

If you Google about Chrome you will see that A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH CHROME.

Why you don't go join these people and spew your crap there?

 

https://bits.avcdn.net/productfamily_CCLEANER/insttype_SLIM/platform_WIN_PIR/installertype_ONLINE/build_RELEASE

 

https://github.com/MoscaDotTo/Winapp2

 

Install the first and then refer to and install the second. It should avail you of the options to clean the File System folder and what may not be cleaned under Windows > Advanced via the initially supplied CCleaner  options. 
 

 

[Daffy D]

To disable a lot of unnecessary or unwanted programs try a small free program called O&O ShutUp For Windows 10 & 11:-

 

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

 

 

Any changes can very easily be reversed with just a click.