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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
How does a regular Joe get ahold of that?
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
Thanks, saving this for when we inevitably need to use Windows 11.
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. XPgood -> Vistabad -> 7good -> 8bad..though I liked it tbh -> 10good -> 11bad
I skipped Vista AND 7 and never had any problems gaming or anything else. 8 was fine IMO, but very, very hated.
That's an old version so I wouldn't because you'd be behind security patches
You sure you don't need to have an enterprise license for that update?
You don’t need a license for any version of Windows.
https://massgrave.dev
Need to or supposed to?
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 !
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.
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".
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.
Google “secure host baseline”, there may be images out there.
Comment deleted by user
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.
Commenting to know myself
Wouldn't introspection help more?
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
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
The best version of windows 11 is windows 10
Which is still inferior to Window 7 but unfortunately it's not really an option if you want to run modern hardware.
God I miss Windows 7
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.
Windows XP is my personal favorite. Everything since has been either been disappointing, confusing, or a bit of both.
Which is inferior to NT 4 SP2.
Using Windows 2000 in college was my sweet spot.
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.
I'm still on windows 10 because my old ass laptop wasn't eligible for windows 11 lmao.
At least you’re on 10. I’m still on windows 8.1
8.1 is unsupported for quite some time now, you should probably switch.
I'm still on 10 because I refuse to upgrade.
I love that my hardware keeps me from ever being hit by a sneaky or "accidental/bug" upgrade. Protection from Windows 11 is literally part of why i am putting off upgrading/replacing it.
Comment deleted by user
https://christitus.com/windows-11-perfect-install/
"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?
Comment deleted by user
The comedian?
Different Chris, but I sure love me some Christopher Titus.
Who is Chris Titus?
A tech YouTuber from Texas. Makes Linux, Windows, tech related content on YouTube.
Edit: Here is his channel - https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisTitusTech
One of the funniest comedians alive
The only one I know is the comedian...does the "other" Chris Titus release good stuff? I'm out of the loop on him.
They made Google do the same thing with Chrome, except they call it Ultron.
It installs Adobe Reader twice as slowly
Wasn't Ultron an April Fools hoax?
Not at all.
Google Ultron is a real thing. It's what NASA uses.
brb gonna update my adobe reader.
That version must be very expensive.
Would the government buy it if the price wasn't pointlessly inflated?
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.
it's much cleaner but still edge and bing
It's still polishing a turd.
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.
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
Today at startup, I was greeted by a bright, full-screen, animated plea from Microstoft to upgrade my laptop to Windows 11. The "No, thanks." button was hunkered down to the bottom left corner of the screen. I've had to fight this "upgrade" off for about year now.
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.
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
It's a really bad sign when Microsoft Windows is behaving exactly like Norton and Mcafee.
"But my bonus depends on metrics!"
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
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
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
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.
Really enjoying this unhinged greed timeline. Anything to pump the share price higher.
Enshittification
We need an “enshitification” flair.
Edit: I sent a request to the mods.
well, obviously that’s available on the pro plan
Shit apples Randy
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
All I play is great on Linux so I went Manjaro fuck windows ty proton and valve
I've only used Linux Mint and some Ubuntu so far. I've considered Manjaro a little bit. Any tips on switching over?
Does that let it work with PC only games?
Just pick a flavor for the user interface I like KDE; and then activate AUR in the App Store settings for you to have access to community Apps etc.
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.