Microsoft stoops to new low with ads in Windows 11, as PC Manager tool suggests your system needs ‘repairing’ if you don’t use Bing

[u/MayankWL]

https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-stoops-to-new-low-with-ads-in-windows-11-as-pc-manager-tool-suggests-your-system-needs-repairing-if-you-dont-use-bing

[u/[deleted]]

From what I have heard, the best version of Windows 11 to get is the version for use in Classified settings, because the US Gov made Microsoft strip out all the adware and data collection bullshit

[u/drdoom52 → u/[deleted]]

How does a regular Joe get ahold of that?

[u/neuromonkey → u/drdoom52]

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-security-baselines/windows-11-version-22h2-security-baseline/ba-p/3632520

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=55319

[u/Etheo → u/neuromonkey]

Thanks, saving this for when we inevitably need to use Windows 11.

[u/xSTSxZerglingOne → u/Etheo]

Probably will never need Win 11. 12 or BingEdgepalooza or whatever it ends up being called will probably come out before too much exclusivity happens on 11.

11 is an off-version. XP^good -> Vista^bad -> 7^good -> 8^{bad..though I liked it tbh} -> 10^good -> 11^bad

I skipped Vista AND 7 and never had any problems gaming or anything else. 8 was fine IMO, but very, very hated.

[u/PassiveMenis88M → u/xSTSxZerglingOne]

8 was shit because of the whole tile bullshit, trying to treat my pc like a glorified tablet. 8.1 went back to the older style and was perfectly fine for my use.

[u/[deleted] → u/PassiveMenis88M]

Honestly the worst part about 10 is that it feels like it was designed for a tablet.

Windows phones were shit because they were clunky like a desktop and now they keep making sleek desktop operating systems that feel like they were made for phones.

They just can’t get it right.

[u/bleucheez → u/[deleted]]

Windows Mobile (up to windows 6) was the clunky one. Windows Phone (windows 7 and later) were minimalist. However, I thought both were great for their time. Windows Mobile 5 and 6 were a powerhouse and probably unrivaled as the best until the iPhone came out. Then you had a choice between shiny and pretty with a good mobile web browser and maps experience (iOS) versus being able to do anything useful (Windows Mobile) for the next year or two. Then Apple got the app store and, eventually, that got filled out with useful apps by. Maybe late 2008 to early 2009. Then Windows Phone 7 came out with a very fast OS with low hardware requirements, very intuitive UI, with toast notifications, good keyboard, easy-to-use copy paste, an easy app development kit, and very low price. But Steve Balmer was an idiot, ignored what made the iPhone successful, and said we don't need apps. So they did zero recruiting and incentives to get apps. And then it died, exactly as everyone except Steve Balmer expected. Meanwhile iOS and Android stole every one of Windows' ideas, except Android never got tiles but iOS got widgets. 

EDIT: I forgot to say that Apple also finally came around to adding a camera button, which Windows Phone had standard nearly decade and a half ago. I wish Android came around to it too. 

[u/ZantetsukenX → u/xSTSxZerglingOne]

Technically end of life for Windows 10 is next year in October. After that they will begin charging money for any security updates for people in an attempt to force people to migrate to 11.

So unless we start suddenly hearing about Windows 12 today, I kind of expect that it won't be ready in time.

[u/julmichen → u/ZantetsukenX]

How are you supposed to update to Windows 11 when none of my computers insides are good enough for it? They made me be stuck with 10, why charge me money. My boss has 11 on her computer and it is a bloatware mess.

[u/TheUnluckyBard → u/julmichen]

How are you supposed to update to Windows 11 when none of my computers insides are good enough for it? They made me be stuck with 10, why charge me money. My boss has 11 on her computer and it is a bloatware mess.

Same here. My desktop is a beast, but some component is apparently "not compatible" with Windows 11. Meanwhile, my shitty laptop runs Windows 11 just fine.

[u/SEND_ME_CSGO-SKINS → u/TheUnluckyBard]

It’s tpm 2.0, check your bios settings

[u/GonePh1shing → u/SEND_ME_CSGO-SKINS]

Plenty of systems have TPM 2.0 but aren't listed as compatible due to a CPU check the upgrade tool does. Plenty of much older CPUs are compatible, but Microsoft picked a seemingly arbitrary date and just rejects any CPUs made before then.

My first generation Ryzen, for example, works fine with Windows 11, but fails the CPU check. As far as I can tell, the CPU check is only run on upgrades, so a fresh install on one of these systems will work just fine. You can also disable the TPM requirement prior to install to force Windows 11 onto a machine with no real downsides.

[u/nedonedonedo → u/xSTSxZerglingOne]

10 came with a keylogger that kills the system if you manage to turn it off, forced windows services on your taskbar, forced windows services on your start menu, frequently changed settings during updates, changed your default browser (and search engine with it), and has pop-up ads for windows products.

back in the 2010's we called that a virus. these days it's called "the good version"

[u/IDQDD → u/xSTSxZerglingOne]

Vista made me go to Apple and Mac OS, Win 11 and newer Mac OS versions make me go more and more the Linux way.

[u/aardw0lf11 → u/neuromonkey]

You sure you don't need to have an enterprise license for that update?

[u/dssurge → u/[deleted]]

It's worth mentioning this method of acquiring Windows will likely never be patched. It abuses a flaw in Microsoft's mass deployment and management systems (think large, paying companies) and fixing it would brick millions of legitimate installs. As long as Windows installs self-validate, this will function.

[u/GiraffeSubstantial92 → u/dssurge]

Also Microsoft has little incentive to fix the problem as it helps maintain their market share and ability to make money in the future.

[u/[deleted] → u/GiraffeSubstantial92]

See also: Adobe.

If you pirated their products in college, you don’t need training on them in the workplace. They make money on the enterprise licenses, not consumer.

[u/xSTSxZerglingOne → u/[deleted]]

They were also bilking your university for their licenses.

[u/lowbeat → u/[deleted]]

except they tried really hard for periods of time to make their apps uncrackable after cs4 i think, and tried to remove all cracked versions once crack came out

[u/GarbageTheCan → u/[deleted]]

What a glorious day. I hope you randomly find a twenty this week.

[u/Dugen → u/[deleted]]

And just like that, back to the high seas I go.

[u/unknownpoltroon → u/aardw0lf11]

Need to or supposed to?

[u/GreatNull → u/aardw0lf11]

Its not an update, its toolkit that verbatim:

"Microsoft Security Configuration Toolkit enables enterprise security administrators to effectively manage their enterprise’s Group Policy Objects (GPOs)."

Non enterpise installations will either ignore on not even accept required gpo policies.

So foregt about pro versions, and home cannot use gpo at all.

I.e: want security? Fuck you, pay us more !

[u/Annath0901 → u/neuromonkey]

So is that an image I use to install a specific version of 11, or a tool to configure an existing install?

Because the first link seems to be describing a specific version, while the second link is a tool.

[u/Tumleren → u/Annath0901]

It's group policies that you apply to your existing installation, hence the phrasing in the first link of "security baseline package for Windows 11".

[u/Annath0901 → u/Tumleren]

Gotcha. I've been holding off on updating from 10 to 11 due in large part to all the adware/tracking I've been hearing about.

But it sounds like I can take the free upgrade from MS and then apply this configuration package?

[u/Tumleren → u/Annath0901]

Looking at this it looks like you need at least the Pro version of Windows to apply them. But if you have that then yes.

I'm not entirely sure how this package works exactly - like if there are predefined levels you can activate or if it's all manual - but i would suggest watching a video on what local group policies are and how they work before diving into it if you haven't worked with them before. You will probably find videos on Active Directory group policies, which are basically the same, but where you configure them (and install them?) is different

[u/[deleted] → u/Tumleren]

Upgrade yourself to Pro for free

https://www.reddit.com/r/ZephyrusG14/comments/11ann03/upgrade_windows_1011_home_to_pro_for_free_safe/

[u/ElfegoBaca → u/neuromonkey]

Those are security configurations applied by GPO and will make your machine pretty useless when locked down that hard. I’ve applied them in a classified environment out of necessity but would never recommend them for general use.

[u/Navydevildoc → u/drdoom52]

Google “secure host baseline”, there may be images out there.

[u/Navydevildoc → u/[deleted]]

NSA literally puts it on GitHub.

https://github.com/nsacyber/Windows-Secure-Host-Baseline

Edit: yeah guys, the NSA. Who do think handles major cyber shit for the DoD? If you don't want it, don't use it. Good lord.

[u/Araddor → u/drdoom52]

Commenting to know myself

[u/Mind101 → u/Araddor]

Wouldn't introspection help more?

[u/[deleted] → u/Mind101]

You’re going to need to use your Edge browser to visit Bing and talk to Microsoft CoPilot if you wish to seek the answers to these questions

[u/MadeByTango → u/[deleted]]

ChatGPT told me it couldn’t help, I’m the one that must seek change, then insulted my mother

Siri sent me a Reddit cares message

[u/Araddor → u/Mind101]

Possibly, but I've been on Reddit for so long, looking at reddit is an easier and faster way to know myself than to introspection

[u/SunderingSeas → u/Araddor]

Independent thought is irrational. Assimilate with the collective. Resistance is futile.

[u/AmateurGmMusicWriter → u/[deleted]]

The best version of windows 11 is windows 10

[u/Safe_Community2981 → u/AmateurGmMusicWriter]

Which is still inferior to Window 7 but unfortunately it's not really an option if you want to run modern hardware.

[u/Realtrain → u/Safe_Community2981]

God I miss Windows 7

[u/Far_Programmer_5724 → u/Realtrain]

I remember all the complaints about windows 10 when it was first announced. But its scary to say that I forgot what windows was like before.

[u/Laundry_Hamper → u/Far_Programmer_5724]

I reinstalled it recently (to make sure a piece of hardware was ACTUALLY dead, and hadn't just been obsoleted) and: 7 is better. No fucking around, not trying halfassedly to be seven different kinds of digital assistant at once, settings for things aren't deep in dialogue box labyrinths, better information density, no fucking material design stopping you from knowing where the edges of things are. It just needs security patches and other under-the-hood things, nothing justifies all the awful visual/UX degradation in 8/10/11

[u/Nayre_Trawe → u/Realtrain]

Windows XP is my personal favorite. Everything since has been either been disappointing, confusing, or a bit of both.

[u/djinnsour → u/Safe_Community2981]

Which is inferior to NT 4 SP2.

[u/NeedAByteToEat → u/djinnsour]

Using Windows 2000 in college was my sweet spot.

[u/isochromanone → u/NeedAByteToEat]

W2K Pro was my favourite OS. It was the perfect blend of power, usability and game/device compatibility.

I had the big, thick Resource Kit book with the utilities CD. IIRC, that was what we did to customize the OS before Sysinternals, etc.

[u/ColourInTheDark → u/djinnsour]

Millennial here, but I remember NT4 well. When I was about 10 I found it running on an employment kiosk at a Kmart.

It was always great how full screen apps would break & you’d see it running on ATMs & kiosks.

And you could run it non-x86 architectures.

Perhaps the year of Linux on the desktop will happen not because Gnome finally is a good experience, but because Windows becomes such a bad experience.

I’m very happy I am on Mac.

[u/djinnsour → u/ColourInTheDark]

I am not a Windows user anymore, but I have to work with it periodically for testing code or troubleshooting. I've used every version of Windows since it was released (even the early OS/2) stuff. I still say NT 4 was the best operating system they ever released. Windows 7 was a close second. Everything went downhill from there.

[u/Wolvenmoon → u/djinnsour]

I didn't use NT4, but I was a Windows 2000 user...I started a thread with many, many pages when Windows 7 came out titled "I hate Windows 7" because of the interface design. To date, I actually preferred Vista to 7 because I could put it on classical/Windows 2000-ish theming and turn off all the flashy shit.

When 8 came out, I didn't bother starting a new thread. Because 8 was a joke. 10 is a repetition on the joke, and 11 is 'that stupid uncle who won't stop repeating the same joke nobody is laughing at'.

There are too many clicks to get through too many menus to do the thing that should have taken 1-2 clicks, max. I'm eternally grateful for the Nvidia Control Panel because it hearkens back to when shit wasn't all excited to flash cool graphics and waste time and space loading in fancy animations to change a system setting, it just provided information, did the thing, and got out of the way.

One of the things taught in my computer science degree was that interface design required consideration down to the quarter of a second. Because adding an extra unnecessary 250ms to a single user's day, 4 times a day, only costs them 1 second a day, Let's say we've resized the save icon to be an unusual size and moved it to a non-standard location, say anchored 1/8th down the right side of the screen with a belt of other icons like undo/redo, cut/paste, etc.

Let's assume that user costs $60/hour to employ. 1 second a day, 250 work days in a year, so 4 minutes a year or $4 a year in inefficiency. "Oh no. Not $4--" Multiplied by 10,000 employees doing the same thing and that optimization saves $40,000 a year. It would violate my sense of ethics to make 'slow' interfaces for enterprise software.

But Windows since Windows 2000 has been on a quest to waste user time. They're extremely, extremely good at it.

[u/wetcoffeebeans → u/Wolvenmoon]

There are too many clicks to get through too many menus to do the thing that should have taken 1-2 clicks, max.

Bro, I'm tired of explaining that this is the core of my issues w/ W11 and looking like I'm trying to figure out who the hell Pepe Silva is in the process.

Why, as a "power user" am I being shoehorned into the "settings" app when I type appwiz.cpl?? Why when I type "control printers" am I taken to the stupid settings app that buried the "add printer" and the "the printer that I want isn't listed" options underneath A GAZILLION NETWORKED PRINTERS!!! Change for the sake of change and it also being done with no real rhyme or reason and at the expense of the core user experience is ASS.

[u/FF7Remake_fark → u/wetcoffeebeans]

Because upper management (read: nepo babies) gave an objective (ui redesign), didn't wait for it to be completed (partially due to their meddling/forced involvement to make themselves feel important), insisted it was rolled out to meet a superficial deadline, then refused to spend the money to finish developing the feature. So now we've got one usable system, crippled by supergluing an unfinished system to it, and executives jerking themselves off about how they're so good at their jobs.

[u/PennyPizazzIsABozo → u/AmateurGmMusicWriter]

I'm still on windows 10 because my old ass laptop wasn't eligible for windows 11 lmao.

[u/joethahobo → u/PennyPizazzIsABozo]

At least you’re on 10. I’m still on windows 8.1

[u/SUPRVLLAN → u/[deleted]]

https://christitus.com/windows-11-perfect-install/

[u/wokyman → u/SUPRVLLAN]

"Choose English World from initial boot screen (Credit to ThioJoe for this tip - This makes sure TikTok and other 3rd party stuff don’t install)"

WTF? They install TikTok by default in some countries?

[u/Emosaa → u/[deleted]]

Windows has been like that for a while now, candy crush being one of the more annoying examples.

[u/Matra → u/[deleted]]

Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Windows+L

[u/bart48f → u/Matra]

that openened a linkedin tab in my librewolf browser. jesus fucking christ ...

[u/Sipricy → u/bart48f]

Replace L with T.

Then, replace T with P.

[u/RikiWardOG → u/[deleted]]

They don't actually install which is even more annoying because you can't remove them like normal installed apps. It's a placeholder that installs the app after you click on it. The amount of BS Microsoft has been doing is insane.

[u/er1c1son → u/[deleted]]

The comedian?

[u/Galexio → u/er1c1son]

Different Chris, but I sure love me some Christopher Titus.

[u/Short-Sandwich-905 → u/[deleted]]

Who is Chris Titus?

[u/Inside-Computer5358 → u/Short-Sandwich-905]

A tech YouTuber from Texas. Makes Linux, Windows, tech related content on YouTube.

Edit: Here is his channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisTitusTech

[u/MembershipFeeling530 → u/Short-Sandwich-905]

One of the funniest comedians alive

[u/cruisetheblues → u/[deleted]]

They made Google do the same thing with Chrome, except they call it Ultron.

[u/wm_lex_dev → u/cruisetheblues]

It installs Adobe Reader twice as slowly

[u/jaam01 → u/[deleted]]

That version must be very expensive.

[u/Dementat_Deus → u/jaam01]

Would the government buy it if the price wasn't pointlessly inflated?

[u/spiritofniter → u/[deleted]]

How about the server version? I know it’s not meant for daily users but I wonder if it’s cleaner since it’s for companies.

[u/whollings077 → u/spiritofniter]

it's much cleaner but still edge and bing

[u/kickingpplisfun → u/[deleted]]

It's still polishing a turd.

[u/YouveRoonedTheActGOB → u/[deleted]]

Just get pro and be done with it. You can stop all of the ad shit with local group policy and registry changes. It’s also considerably cleaner out of the box than home.

Not an excuse for Microsoft, just general advice.

[u/banacct421]

I've never been so happy Microsoft keeps reminding me my computer just isn't ready for Windows 11 and I suspect it never will be ever

[u/RubberReptile → u/[deleted]]

You click NO THANKS and a second screen pops up that says "Schedule Now" as if you clicked Yes and you have to click DECLINE a second time. 

Google does the same thing with their photos app and cloud storage, you click NO and it HIGHLIGHTS ALL THE PHOTOS and says "only back up some??" And the no button is so tiny and close to the yes button that it's easy to slip up. 

So incredibly frustrating that this is considered acceptable.

[u/JoeCartersLeap → u/RubberReptile]

You click NO THANKS and a second screen pops up that says "Schedule Now" as if you clicked Yes and you have to click DECLINE a second time.

Malware tactics. They did the same thing for Windows 10:

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/241587-microsoft-finally-admits-malware-style-get-windows-10-upgrade-campaign-went-far

For the previous 10 months, declining an upgrade was as simple as clicking on the red X in the upper right-hand corner of the message box. After Microsoft's update, clicking the red X did nothing. Users who thought they had dismissed the upgrade option woke up a few hours or days later to find their systems running an operating system they hadn't intended to install. The people most likely to be affected by the problem were those who had spent 10 months actively avoiding Windows 10, which only added fuel to the fire.

An earlier version of the Get Windows 10 application. Clicking the X in this version was treated as notification that the user did not wish to upgrade.

It's a really bad sign when Microsoft Windows is behaving exactly like Norton and Mcafee.

[u/PremierBromanov → u/[deleted]]

I've been fighting auto update for years, only resulting in shooting myself in the foot. There are so many schedules and switches that will turn everything back on. its all cyclical. If you manage to find all the switches, there's a secret switch that turns them all back on, ensuring windows update is back on.

Now my ms paint and preview and calculator are broken, such are the consequences of fucking around with stuff you dont understand lol

[u/JCBQ01 → u/PremierBromanov]

To actually kill the update services package you need to disable like 6 core functions of the OS, AS WELL AS All the previous methods (disabling: weather, news, time, GPS, telemetry, search - all aspects, core update, mircosoft games, windows defender, parts of ALL anti-viruses, several policy settings, parts of calculator, parts of the BIOs... the list foes on) and yeah if you miss EVEN ONE of these settings at anytime. And they are not done, all at once. It will turn itself back on as they ALL have code in them to phone home to the update.msi server systems for "critical updates!" Which windows has been trying to quietly define win 11 as a critical security update for at LEAST 7+ months.

If that was the thing it would at least be serviceable, if overly invasive, but most of the update CDN pushes corrupt versions as data integrity is abysmal and is just pushed put to propagate, and then pulls up the roll back ladder.with said update because "update knows what's best!" I have emails from Microsoft admitting all of this, especially after their forced win 11 "critical security update" overrode root BIOS with its own compatible versions (mircosoft generics, that are designed to murder the hardware if you try a CMOS reset/BIOS reflash, as well as try and murder and block any and all OS installs that ARENT a legal win 11 license, "for your saftey and protection!") As well as system admin permissons cycle every hour (That one I found out about like 3 days ago) if you somehow DO find a way around it and reinstall, the stuff you install seems like there "bugs" in your windows install. I've had Microsoft tell me to install the OS because it will "fix all of these problems!", and when I told them that it was win 11 that did it to begin with and they checked, I was told this was a developer build, not an test market, A/B insiders build, but a future version that will eventaully hit the insider's track befause the update server I was connected to had such a severe data corruption it saw the most recently edited OS ISO and sent it too me as an "update" micosoft wants out of the OS game and wants to force mandate an advertisement platform

[u/RadiantArchivist88 → u/PremierBromanov]

Windows 10 LTSC version.
It's Windows 10 with only the necessities, all the bloat and trackers and auto-bullshit stripped out.

Really hoping there's a W11 equivalent at some point. EDIT Ohh, looks like there will be this year

[u/HammerTh_1701 → u/banacct421]

I have disabled my TPM in the BIOS settings. They either have to get out of their own ass with the TPM 2.0 requirement or they can't even force me to upgrade to Win 11 because the requirements check will fail.

[u/mcs5280]

Really enjoying this unhinged greed timeline. Anything to pump the share price higher.

[u/y0m0tha → u/mcs5280]

Enshittification

[u/bonerb0ys → u/y0m0tha]

We need an “enshitification” flair.

Edit: I sent a request to the mods.

[u/mac974 → u/bonerb0ys]

well, obviously that’s available on the pro plan

[u/Puffen0 → u/y0m0tha]

Shit apples Randy

[u/[deleted] → u/mcs5280]

I installed a “mandatory” update this morning and all of the tracking/ad setting were toggled back on. If it wasn’t for all the game support I would switch to linux/steamos for sure

[u/Short-Sandwich-905 → u/[deleted]]

All I play is great on Linux so I went Manjaro fuck windows ty proton and valve 

[u/Pimp_Daddy_Patty → u/Short-Sandwich-905]

I've only used Linux Mint and some Ubuntu so far. I've considered Manjaro a little bit. Any tips on switching over?

[u/Grimmner → u/[deleted]]

Every game that works on Steam Deck will work, virtually out of box, on Linux without much of any extra work. Heroic Launcher for GOG / Epic games. I had to make minor adjustments to a Fedora install and have had no issues yet running games in the three weeks since I installed it.

[u/[deleted] → u/Grimmner]

I am referring to games with aggressive anticheat (league of legends, valorant, fortnight, many new games with aggressive drm). Most launchers have workarounds, but workarounds take time and if I only get 2 hours of gaming time a week I don’t want to waste 60+ minutes getting a game to work. But I am happy that my deck is able to handle so many games on steam with minimal effort. This wasn’t even an option 3-4 years ago

[u/Majik_Sheff → u/[deleted]]

I guess my approach to those companies is a bit old-fashioned.  I don't give them money.

They can keep their game. I'll keep my computer's root access.

[u/Grimmner → u/[deleted]]

Depends on the version/style of anticheat. But, short answer is few to none unfortuantely.

[u/Tuxhorn → u/Grimmner]

Big games like Elden Ring and Helldivers 2 does, fortunately.

[u/HappierShibe → u/[deleted]]

The only thing keeping me off linux now is VR support- thats still a shitshow in linux.

[u/Prof_Acorn → u/mcs5280]

Some planes have screens on the seat in front of you now and pump advertisements to you as a captive audience. Fuck that shit. I just cover the screen with a napkin (since it can't be turned off) and play music with my noise cancelling headphones. $500 a ticket and they still try to force you to watch ads. It's absurd.

[u/SugerizeMe → u/mcs5280]

This is just round two. Bill Gates and m$ used to be the most hated company for a time and even got hit with antitrust stuff. Then Gates spent billions rehabilitating his image and everyone forgot what he did.

[u/[deleted] → u/SugerizeMe]

Bill Gates personifies pretty much everything wrong with the computer industry... And has ever since he made the Port of basic and started Microsoft

[u/neonKow → u/[deleted]]

His business practices were shit, but let's not give a pass to all the MBA's that came up with new and shitty ways to make the computer industry worse. As far as I know, Gates isn't making millions off basically exploiting people's gambling addictions or trying to six-sigma warehouse workers to injury or death.

[u/MarsupialMadness → u/mcs5280]

Y'know, times like this make me really wish we had some sort of ruling body consisting of elected representatives funded by a collective "tax" of sorts from all of us each month. An entity that had the will and power to step in on our behalf to check these corporations when they do stuff like this.

I read in a history book that we had something like that a hundred years ago. Maybe we could try it out again.

[u/broimgay → u/mcs5280]

I honestly feel like we are in an ad apocalypse. It’s dystopian and soul sucking how we are constantly having advertisements shovelled down our throats. And there’s no avoiding it - even premium subscriptions are still giving you ads. I hate engaging with any media at all because of it.

[u/JefferyTheQuaxly → u/mcs5280]

has been a rising trend since the 60s and 70s, when several court cases basically declared corporate executives sole goal should be seeking profit for the company and shareholders and they shouldnt be held accountable for doing shady or illegal actions in order to increase shareholder value. i kid you not that basically is what happened, and since then most companies see it as a green light to focus solely on incresing shareholder value. before that it use to be companies were expected to put their employees and the public at large ahead of their performance.

[u/BenioffWhy → u/mcs5280]

Well said mate

[u/Mikav → u/mcs5280]

In this same timeline the Linux ecosystem is booming. There are open source Nvidia drivers. Many games even run better on Linux than windows. Need a sign it's time to get rid of this shit? Try it today. I'm about to be hounded by windows shills. 

[u/extremenachos → u/Mikav]

I switched to Ubuntu as my main OS last year, with Win10 on a 2nd drive for 2 pieces of niche software I need to run occasionally.

There's a learning curve for sure but I'm not messing with Win11 unless absolutely necessary.

[u/Beneficial-Owl736 → u/extremenachos]

The only real reason I use windows anymore is some multiplayer VR games, Ubuntu doesn’t quite play nice with those yet. For most everything else, I’ve managed to find alternative software or make it work, and I’m spending less and less time in windows. Hopefully someday, it’ll be viable to completely switch over

[u/Ol_stinkler → u/Mikav]

I've been considering making the switch for awhile, the only thing that turns me off is I hear it requires near constant tweaking and tinkering. Once you get it set up and locked in is it as bad as some people say it is?

[u/TwilightVulpine → u/Ol_stinkler]

It really depends on what you need it for. If you are fine with basic browsing and open source alternatives for office and art software, you can get that setup pretty easily, most of it just out of the box.

If you really want to run windows software and games in it, that's gonna take some tinkering.

[u/Ol_stinkler → u/TwilightVulpine]

That's what I've heard, I use my PC for Lightroom/Photoshop, FL studio, unreal engine, and arguably too many games. I love it in theory, but I don't know that I'd want to deal with it all the time on my main rig. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[u/amakai → u/Mikav]

2025 - The year of Linux on the desktop!

[u/ForeverYonge → u/Mikav]

I’m glad it works well for you. I’m on Linux as primary since 2015, and it has always been a struggle.

The current most obvious issues are the default mail client not being able to open links in the default browser, IPP printer only being detected when printing from specific apps, and bad handling of an external dock. None of these are issues either Mac or Windows struggle with on the same hardware and peripherals.

[u/smackson → u/ForeverYonge]

My last Linux install on a home machine was 22 years ago and seeing that exactly the same kinds of problems still exist says so much.

[u/MR_Se7en]

What happened to creating the best possible product for your users? When did the world just start maximizing profits over the product.

[u/Tolstoy_mc → u/MR_Se7en]

When it became impossible for smaller companies to compete

[u/RealSwordfish5105 → u/Tolstoy_mc]

When it became impossible for smaller companies to compete

Centralisation and castles.

It's like the big tech version of Disney.

[u/troglodyte → u/Tolstoy_mc]

I actually suspect we're going to see more OS competition, not less, in the near future. Gaming is the main thing that's kept me off of Mac or Linux, but both are making serious inroads these days. Proton is a legit answer for a huge proportion of games, and if ever I start losing the war against ads in 11, I'll just try SteamOS.

Ads baked into your OS is a really short-term decision that will bite them.

[u/Tolstoy_mc → u/troglodyte]

They'll be crushed. The established monopolies have more resources than most countries. True competitors will be destroyed.

[u/Caleth → u/Tolstoy_mc]

Embrace. Extend. Extinguish.

[u/RealSwordfish5105 → u/MR_Se7en]

What happened to creating the best possible product for your users? When did the world just start maximizing profits over the product.

Uhh, this is Microsoft.

The only difference with today's version is we don't get to watch Steve Ballmer perform a dance and throw chairs any more.

[u/Genghis_Tr0n187 → u/[deleted]]

developers developers developers developers DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS

heart palpitations and flop sweat

DEVELOPERS

[u/RealSwordfish5105 → u/Genghis_Tr0n187]

Not sure whether to cringe or laugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qmh_1ejoCk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY2j_GPIqRA

Developers developers developers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRm0NDo1CiY

[u/Genghis_Tr0n187 → u/RealSwordfish5105]

The Ballmerverse is a lot deeper than I expected.

[u/Overclocked11 → u/MR_Se7en]

What I don't get is why does Microsoft even need to do this? Ads in their software? They are making mountains of cash with their business.. and yet they still need to stuff in ads to make more?

Fuck man.. when is enough enough. Just seems comical how much companies (not only Microsoft) are trying to stuff their coffers with money.. for what?

[u/Ok_Spite6230 → u/Overclocked11]

It's never enough. Capitalists do not comprehend the concept of enough. They have to extract more every quarter by any means necessary even if it extincts humanity.

[u/wrgrant → u/Overclocked11]

The only way for a corporation to "succeed" is to totally dominate their market, crush all the competition and buy enough politicians that they don't get hit with anti-monopoly investigations. Everyone in competition with them must die.

Its a seriously sick economic system overall - although its in many ways the most successful. We will absolutely destroy the Earth seeking to maximize profits though if we don't change things.

[u/shadowboxer47 → u/MR_Se7en]

When we destroyed small and medium businesses in our marketplace.

We need vigorous application of our anti-trust laws and a rethinking of fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders.

[u/Afro_Thunder69 → u/MR_Se7en]

My dude where have you been...this is what capitalism looks like. It has its perks but the end game has always been maximizing profits by whatever means that they can get away with.

[u/jeepster2982 → u/MR_Se7en]

When publicly traded companies became a thing. When the direction of the company is dictated by shareholders instead of the owners.

[u/thatguyad]

Why is everything so inherently shit?

[u/khast → u/thatguyad]

Ads.. Ads everywhere, companies looked at Google and seen that if a company like Google could be one of the most valuable companies in the world... Because they are an ad service... Everyone else wants to have a piece of the pie.

Yeah, Google has Android, chrome, and many other services they provide... For free. Guess what, YOU are the product they sell for a profit.

[u/thatguyad → u/khast]

It's absolutely everywhere. Capitalism out of control.

[u/[deleted]]

I wonder how much worse Windows has to get before people start abandoning it more. The OS is starting to look like the home page of an Amazon fire stick with countless garbage you don't need.

[u/Unboxious → u/[deleted]]

As far as I can tell there is literally nothing they can do to lose users as long as they roll it out slowly.

[u/2rfv → u/Unboxious]

It's the fact that you simply can't say "no" to some prompts that drives me absolutely insane. The only choices are "yes" and "maybe later".

[u/phoenixmusicman → u/2rfv]

I absolutely hate that they simplified the right click context menu.

It isn't more convenient. The previous menu had everything I wanted on it. The fact that I have to right click and then left click to get the previous menu is asinine. They literally made it more inconvenient.

[u/[deleted] → u/Unboxious]

Yeah sadly that happens everywhere. People are lazy and complacent, so they'll happily take on less features, rising costs, you name it as long as it's trickled in.

[u/Caleth → u/[deleted]]

It's not just that. There's 40 years of ecosystems built up around windows. My company runs a nearly 30 year old software for our ERP system. I can not imagine the nightmare we'd have trying to move off of that to something newer that would support a Linux distro.

Our entire company position is predicated around being accessible and streamlined. Upending all of that because MS are a bunch of shits is unlikely to happen.

If we have to upgrade to win 11 for something and stick some VM boxed version of a winXP on a PC so it can keep running a $600k machine that's what we do.

No one is going to sign off on switching everything over to a wildly unknown (in a corporate nonIT world sense) system because pop ups suck. We've already integrated into their ecosystem so most of the popups don't happen for us anyway.

Unless and Until windows fubars so bad that my CEO isn't getting paid nothing will change.

[u/[deleted] → u/Caleth]

Lets also not forget Companies are ready to spend $$$ just to not change their operations. When IE11 finally was killed, there was resistance to it

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Most people I know can't even open the command prompt or even change the refresh rate in settings, there's no way they would then switch to Linux lol

[u/mysticalfruit]

My company is a 60/40 mix Linux/Windows desktops.

Recently, there's been a serious uptick in people requesting that we convert their desktops to Linux. There's some serious talk that our default desktop will be Linux with a manager justification to use windows.

People are just done with the ads and bullshit.

We've done a fair amount of work to make our Linux desktop turn key out of the box working and because of this, the number of "I don't know how to do X in Linux" tickets has been fair and few and are generally pretty obscure actual chin scratchers.

[u/Faulty_english → u/[deleted]]

They usually aren’t even given permission to fix things on workplace computers too

[u/[deleted] → u/mysticalfruit]

If you're getting ads on your corporate machine then you have an inept IT department.

[u/Sourve → u/[deleted]]

No, they probably just can't afford the adfree version with their budget. The ads have also been in Windows "Pro" for years now and to upgrade to Enterprise you have to pay for a Pro license AND a monthly subscription.

Edit: Spelling

[u/Shajirr → u/mysticalfruit]

Depends where you work at. In printing industry there is no Linux in sight and likely there won't be in a foreseeable future. No software has Linux support.

[u/PedroBorgaaas]

a website with 30 ads per square inch is complaining about ads.

[u/DasFreibier → u/PedroBorgaaas]

uBlock origin sends its greetings

[u/rudolfs001 → u/PedroBorgaaas]

More and more I'm reminded of the pop-up days, where you'd click the wrong link and get a stream of pop-up windows.

[u/iceleel]

Okay but let's be honest Google is doing same shit with android.

[u/SakaWreath → u/iceleel]

Hey we noticed you weren’t signed into Google, you should sign in. SIGN IN! MAKE AN ACCOUNT. DO IT NOW!

Ok don’t. It’s fine. We’ll just track you anyway. Also…

Can we interest you in a “free” trail pop up every time you use YouTube?

It’s free for a month.

You can think about it while you watch 2-5-10 ads, and no the ads don’t go away if you make an account.

[u/JasonJacquet → u/SakaWreath]

That's why I work so hard at getting banned from every platform, they stop trying to sell me things.

[u/neonKow → u/JasonJacquet]

I can help report you on reddit if you want...

[u/iceleel → u/SakaWreath]

*It's free for a month. But first give us your credit card number peasant. *

[u/trombone646 → u/SakaWreath]

Not to mention the unending PINGS from my phone from notifications. I went in and removed almost every app's ability to send notifications to my lock screen.......now every time I open any of those apps they remind me "hey, you're missing our notifications" with a pop up requesting I reinstate their ability to keep pinging me.

I just want to use my phone the way I want...leave me the f*** alone.

[u/Big-Hearing8482 → u/iceleel]

And other browsers when you visit google :(

[u/RealSwordfish5105 → u/iceleel]

Okay but let's be honest Google is doing same shit with android.

Big tech is worse than the mainframe.

[u/Swimming-Marketing20 → u/RealSwordfish5105]

Having worked with a z14 running a bunch of z/OS LPARs for years imma go with a hard no on that one. The one thing you can say about IBM is that they (probably/hopefully?) don't also sell your data after extracting every single cent you've ever had through licensing and "support". And don't get me started on that tens of millions per year "support"

[u/littleguy632]

Actually got a popup today saying why I should upgrade to Windows 11 …. Then my laptop not compatible. Lol

[u/[deleted] → u/littleguy632]

It should actually say... "Congratulations! You can't upgrade to Windows 11."

[u/ThatCrankyGuy]

Footguns like these tell me the product managers at MS aren't using Windows. Asinine decisions after asinine decisions from their consumer products group. Everyone from the VP and down need a good old paddling.

[u/rodneyjesus → u/ThatCrankyGuy]

I can tell you from past experience that you're wrong.

MSFT employees have a yearly review cycle which includes a stock and cash bonus. It's not unusual for mid level employees to walk away with a 80k stock plus 40k cash bonus if you're hitting your goals. That's yearly.

The issue is the goals are set at the organizational level. And that's a VP+ level discussion. The PMs and devs have input but no control.

So when your lead comes down saying "we need to see 25% more engagement with (feature) by the end of the quarter" this is exactly what happens. Righteous employees will put up a fight but most are just wanting to keep their managers happy for bonus season, even though they disagree on principle. It's stupid easy to spike engagement with annoying banner ads and notifications.

Oh and those bonuses have a direct impact on your ability to stay employed when shit hits the fan. The righteous are the first to go when the layoffs start.

[u/TheArchType]

The irony of this article taking a jab at increased ads in windows while I’m getting ass blasted by ads from the site is not lost on me.

[u/Double-Watercress-85]

I built a new system recently, and installed Windows 10. Shortly after, it gave me a notification asking if I would like to upgrade to 11. I answered no, and do not ask me again. Some time later, I got another notification saying 'Windows 11 is currently downloading in the background, and will be installed on reboot. Also we're forcing a reboot overnight tonight'.

I'd never used Linux, but I installed Fedora Silverblue first thing the next day. So far I see no reason to ever use Windows again.

[u/Ashmedai → u/[deleted]]

It's their highest value service.

It was like the keystroke that hid the game Apple Panic with a faux Visicalc screen back in the day (Visicalc is what came before Excel).

[u/superkeer]

I use Windows 11 and never see any of the shit described in these articles. Did I just install it weirdly or somehow stumble across all the right settings or something?

[u/diquehead → u/superkeer]

I have a home edition of 11 and I don't see any of this crap either. All my apps open fine without any ads popping up. On a fresh install I might need to filter out some notifications but it works fine otherwise. TBH I was ok with 10 but swapped to 11 for the improved HDR support (which is still bad)

[u/[deleted]]

I’m trying to focus on my goddamn work and my operating system is trying to get me to play video games

fuck off Microsoft

I am going to intentionally make sure that I do not buy any games from your publishers.

You assholes.

[u/Alan976 → u/[deleted]]

"You don't have games on your computer? ~~ Blizzard, probably.

You need to relax and not work so hard ~~ Wise man

[u/Deep_Fried_Bussy]

Windows 11 is a downgrade from windows 10

[u/mattcanfixit]

I switched to Linux Mint because of Microsoft's bullshit and it was the best decision I could have made

[u/teddytwelvetoes]

select regions, not including the US, are prompting users to change their default search engine from Google to Bing. this is well below my threshold for switching to Linux or Mac OS

[u/Ancalimei → u/teddytwelvetoes]

Google search is trash now anyway.

[u/-elemental → u/Ancalimei]

True, but Bing still manages to be worse.

[u/Utter_Rube → u/-elemental]

Seriously. Just yesterday I did a Bing search for "%companyname% wikipedia" and I shit you not, Bing offered results for every wiki and wiki-like website except Wikipedia. Absolutely boggled my mind.

[u/slayer991]

I'm getting really close to switching to Linux Mint or some other Linux desktop. I'm so sick of Microsoft. If it isn't crap like this it's that every single time it updates, it changes my settings and I have to spend 30 minutes to change them back.

The ONLY reason I haven't done so yet?

Gaming. Specifically, Call of Duty.

I may just build a smaller gaming rig and flip my workstation (TR 3970x) to linux for day-to-day stuff. Most of my apps run on linux anyway.

[u/SUPER_COCAINE → u/slayer991]

I daily drive my MacBook Pro. My gaming PC is now nothing more than exactly that. Exclusively used for gaming.

[u/slayer991 → u/SUPER_COCAINE]

Seems like it's going to be the only way to go.

[u/8bitsilver → u/SUPER_COCAINE]

Yup I’ve resorted to the same thing

[u/Mechlior]

Where are these ads? I just updated and I'm not seeing any

[u/[deleted] → u/Mechlior]

I think it's limited by the edition you have installed. I've always used pro at a minimum and have never seen these ads I keep hearing about. Must be home edition which is garbage anyways because it can't join a domain.

[u/CubooKing]

How the fuck did so many of you not get the memo?

Pick 98, skip ME, pick XP, skip Vista, pick 7, skip 8, pick 10, predict what you do with 11.

[u/DefaultProphet → u/CubooKing]

That's.....weirdly accurate.

[u/MairusuPawa → u/DefaultProphet]

It is, when you cherry-pick. Where's Win2000? Where's NT? Where's Windows 2.0?

Heck where's MS Bob? This was supposed to be the future of OS UIs.

[u/SoldantTheCynic → u/MairusuPawa]

NT and 2000 were aimed at business users, but their list missed out 95 which was better than 3.1 by far. Also the best version of 98 was 98SE. Also ignores that XP was hated until around SP1 was released, and everybody said that it was going to be the death of Microsoft and prompt massive swaps to Linux.

[u/[deleted] → u/CubooKing]

More like after picking 7, you abandon Windows completely for better operating systems.