One “simple trick” and your next Windows install will be blissfully free of bloatware.
Basically, install Windows as you normally would, but when asked for Time and Currency format, select English (World) instead of your country.
Then let the installer do its thing. Eventually, you will see a window with an ice cream cone on the floor with the words “Something went wrong” and the error message “OOBEREGION.” This cryptic message means that the “out of box experience” (OOBE) didn't launch because it didn't know which region to launch.
Click Skip, though, and Windows will install just fine. You won't be prompted to buy Microsoft 365, you won't be prompted to pay for a OneDrive subscription, and your Start menu won't be cluttered with apps.
After the install. Create admin and user accounts not tied to ms. Use the user account normally, and when you need admin you enter the second account details.
Use Sophia script to clean up all the advert apps bundled with win11.
I wish I could find a script to remove the advert features from edge for when I have to office. Mozilla Firefox is your day to day browser.
Use chocolatey.org to install ur apps. When you do updates, one command can do it all.
Check start-up scripts, and ensure there is nothing that doesn't need to be there. Teams no, zoom also no.
Isn't it ironic how you need instructions now to install Windows with a bearable level of bloat? Kinda like installing Arch just for uninstalling/skipping instead of installing.
I actually managed to excise Edge from my system entirely, so pressing F1 in explorer doesn't launch it anymore.
Dsspite some people warning that Edge was needed for some "core web functionality" it has broken nothing except the handful of places where they want to force you to launch a link in Edge. In that case nothing happens, but that's not a big deal since I know how to use search engines to find information, which is the only purpose those features served.
It took quite a few steps but I got there. There are a few extra steps to stop it coming back in the next update but you can do it.
I grew up on Windows, but Microsoft is seriously pushing me towards Linux. Gaming is all that keeps me here. I have a Steam Deck and I love what Valve is doing for gaming on Linux, so I hope that gets better and multiplayer games become possible.
I'm of the opinion that MS will eventually get this right, but it won't be called Windows 11 by the time it does. The redesign, efforts into command-line and WSL, they are moving in a positive direction, but the ads, bloat, spyware, needs to go. If they can release Win12 or whatever its called with the simplicity of Win11, have the features of Win10 (and finally put a nail in the old interfaces from XP and before), they could have another solid performer like Windows 7.
they are moving in a positive direction, but the ads, bloat, spyware, needs to go
They're going nowhere. It's making money, Microsoft is using that income to offset development cost instead of just selling the OS at a flat reasonable rate. It's part of the Windows business model now.
Windows is entrenched, they own most of the business world, they will never face serious kickback for their design decisions. Not at this point. Not until Gen Z gets old enough and numerous enough to start pushing workplaces to adopt Apple, and that's an even worse direction.
This isn't ever going to change. The only thing they'll do is give tools to Enterprise editions for businesses to control the install, and only via Azure, at a price point far too high for the average user. Anything less than Enterprise will be locked down and monetized to hell and back.
Effectively, if you're not a business, you will not have true control over Windows. Users no longer get to be admins. You have to pay for that privilege.
It also talks about just setting your region again after the install to get the windows store working again. Most of the other bloat still stays away though.
Reminds me of the PC Master Race people that comment on Console related posts. Like, cool we get that you're insecure about your platform of choice, we don't need to be reminded.
I would rather go for Linux but when Windows needed I'd go for LTSB/LTSC version, choose this oobe during install, after install run christitustech debloat script, activate through github script and in register turn off auto download/install updates. 1.4GB ram idle usage while having all you need.
I exactly do this. It switches every services to manual and turn off so many notification bloat. After doing this windows never bothers me. Every app , games, hardware like capture card just works on windows.
But i use linux on my laptop because linux is good for browsing and wordprocessing.
the irony is that the only reason ever for "Windows needed" is because some obnoxious asshole decided they want to force others to use Windows. There's literally nothing that Windows can do better. There is only a quasi monopoly and probably bribes to companies to release no builds for other platforms (e.g. for games).
Some may have that problem. Check https://protondb.com to be real sure of it though. Pretty much every game I've wanted to play has been compatible on Linux. If you really can't even with WINE then you could boot windows from a separate drive.
If you really need to use Windows for some reason--for instance, my job requires me to use software that isn't available for Linux (or, for that matter, Mac)--what you want to look for is a long-term service channel release of Windows. They're difficult for end users to find, but It's more or less just the OS, and not much of anything else. Updates are security only, not features. You'll typically need a Windows license, and then will have to buy an additional Win LTSC license on top of your existing license.
This falls a little flat to me. I've been using desktops since the IBM 8086 clones of the 80s; I don't recall ever seeing anyone that was passionate about Windows (or MS-DOS before that). Perhaps there were, but I don't remember them. Microsoft products were just kind of the default after a little while; people used them because it was convenient. Plenty of people are deeply passionate about Macintosh, or whichever Linux distribution they like, but I just don't see that in Windows. Most people seem to use it because that's what they have to use in order to play games, or run work applications.
But hey man, if Windows is really your jam, but you don't like the bloat, then you go right ahead! You are more than welcome to like what you like, and it's really not my place to tell you that you're wrong. I use Windows 99% of the time because I've got, uh, fuck, 35 years (?!?) of experience using Microsoft products, and the documentation for Tails is really, really spotty. (OMG, I just realized that I went to college the first time using DOS 6.22; I didn't even have Windows 3.1.)
To clean install Windows 11, first, create a bootable USB drive using the Windows Media Creation Tool. Boot your PC from the USB drive, select your language and region, and click "Install Now." Enter your product key if prompted or choose to activate later. Follow the on-screen instructions, format your desired drive, and complete the installation process.
I'm not sure I follow, this is just a regular install. Are you saying you don't agree with the article and want to have Office 365 and all that other stuff installed?
I've created a powershell script for fresh installations that removes all the unnecessary preinstalled garbage and copies a cleaned up startmenu layout file to the appdata subfolder of my user and the default user because in a professional setting, people shouldn't see tiktok and Disney+ and shit like that.
Fuck Microsoft. In private, I've switched to Linux and couldn't be happier.
See my other comment, it's not worth posting a script for that. The garbage removal is also just using winget remove or remove-appxpackage to get rid of OneDrive, the preinstalled Teams, Xbox stuff and so on. You'll write that yourself in 5 minutes.
This is gonna be a very simple patch for Microsoft to eliminate
Consider permanent solutions such as automated scripts (learn how to read scripts or ask the ai overlords to do it for you and verify)
But if you’re reeeally over windows shit it’s a good time to consider swapping OS or even doing a dual boot with a steam os just for gaming but dual boots with windows can get hairy and you run the risk of getting fawked up
It has been ages since I installed Windows 11. Does it require (as in, you can't continue without) an internet connection be enabled at an earlier stage in the installation process?
If not, then MS can patch all they want, if you have the installer on a USB drive already, they can't force you to update it and the installer won't fetch a patched OOBE installer with the internet disabled.
It tries to, however you can bypass the 'Let's get you connected' screen. Since you'll probably need to manually install the wifi drivers, you can start that way with internet disabled.
If anybody needs the actual method:
Shift + F10 at the Connection Screen, then in the command prompt, type: OOBE\BYPASSNRO
It'll restart and you'll have to go through a couple windows again (keyboard layout, language, etc.), but then you'll be set. One thing to remember, once you log in with your account and get the internet going (if you decide to), Onedrive will immediately start trying to sync and download everything. Literally the first thing I do is quit one drive and uninstall it so it won't!
Do not recommend Tiny10/11. They are modified Windows ISOs and we have no way of knowing what actually was modified and if there's anything malicious under the hood.
Besides it also completely breaks a bunch of actually useful features.