Is it time for a new ride instead of an upgrade?
Is it time for a new ride instead of an upgrade?
Install StartAllBack (the license costs $5), and now Windows 11 looks like the old 10 with rounded corners. The task bar gets realigned, buttons on the taskbar aren't merged together anymore, you can customize the start menu, and the file explorer changes too. I highly recommend this tool for anyone using Windows 11. This doesn't excuse Microsoft's changes, but at least there is a way to undo them. There are other options that do similar things, like ExplorerPatcher and Stardock's Start11. If you want the old context menu back, use a registry fix. Most of Microsoft's bloat (which Windows 10 also had) can be uninstalled or disabled. You might still be able to use it without a Microsoft account, but Microsoft certainly won't make it easy. The old mail app being retired and forcibly replaced with Outlook (the new one) is bad news. I get not wanting to upgrade; if it were possible, I'd still be on 8.1. But Windows 10 will be left behind by Microsoft first, then eventually by other developers.
I never had any security issues with Windows 7. I didn't need updates or bug fixes every week back then. Even on the older versions like 8 and 9, there were only a few little things to fix. Now, for some reason, I'm wondering why Microsoft insists on forcing people onto Windows 10 and 11. They say they will break their software if you don't update to 11, just like how Windows 7 did with the 8th generation of computers back in the day.
I admit I know my way around computers, especially when it comes to windows. I don't think every single time Microsoft releases a big anniversary update, I want that and just let it sit there without using it. Security updates are different though; I keep all my software patched up on them. I have a couple of machines running the very first release of Windows 11 with only security patches applied. Nothing wrong with that setup for me. Other computers have 23-H2 or even 24-H2, but I still prefer the week one version of Windows 11 because it has less bloat and feels solid and stable.
I also liked Windows 7 before I put service pack one and two on my systems. Once I did that, Microsoft stopped making those heavy updates just for my own good, which saved perfectly functional computers from breaking down too fast. Same thing with XP; putting the service packs on killed those forced updates and it ran fine then too.
I didn't like service pack three for Windows XP though. Now we are at OMG 10 being shut off with updates coming in October, and I think that is a disaster where the sky is falling. Just be prepared to have your back up ready if clean installation of Windows 10 happens with all updates already made in a safe place before October rolls around. Keep that as your master copy going forward. Since Microsoft no longer makes service packs like they did on XP or Windows 7, you have to do extra things and just make one yourself from a fresh copy of Windows 10 that is fully updated right before October and that's what we can really do best with.
Getting to know where all the buttons are missing in Windows 11 was a little bit of a search and find task at first, but then some worked and once that was done, Windows 11 has been a great experience overall. Windows 11 also runs better on older unsupported CPU's than Windows 10. Go figure!