Consider carefully before you take the leap
Published on December 28, 2021 By Daiwa In Personal Computing

This was the subject of a reply of mine to Tatiora's October post on Windows 11 Updates that I think merits a separate thread.

I've been advised by my tech support company to not install Windows 11 under any circumstances.  A major reason for that is that I (and my office network) deal with protected health information and Windows 11 is not only not HIPAA compliant but opens your computer to all kinds of background third party access.  MS has decided to go the way of Facebook and make you the product which they will sell as the primary method of sustaining their business.  The 'upgrade' may be free but orders of magnitude more intrusive, mostly silently of course (the fine print applies when you click Agree).

Windows 11, per my tech, also is a major step toward forcing all your application purchases and subscriptions into the Microsoft Store, a la Apple.  They are steadily making it harder & harder to install anything from outside their controlled ecosystem.  They actually trialed this approach with a version of Windows 10 called Windows 10S.  I learned of this when we purchased a Surface which turned out to have that OS for a dedicated purpose servicing a biometric device early this year.  Initially I thought the "S" meant a version specific to the Surface but it turns out the "S" means Store, as in Microsoft Store.  Our tech had to force an install of a regular version of Windows 10 before the software for the biometric device could be installed (it obviously wasn't available on the Microsoft Store).  There were also incompatible drivers for things like our network printers & Bluetooth devices.  The latter issues are probably cleaned up a bit in Windows 11, but beware.

A good example of where this will likely lead is the recent behavior of Adobe regarding Adobe Acrobat Reader DC which is the subject of another post here.  They already have the ability to reach into your computer uninvited and steal paid-for software from you.

Enjoy the brave new world of computing and Happy New Year!


Comments (Page 9)
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on Jan 18, 2022

PhoenixRising1

At the end of the day protecting your PC really comes down to the same practices it always has. i.e. don't be stupid.

But 'stupid' needs others to protect them, it seems...

on Jan 18, 2022



Quoting PhoenixRising1,

At the end of the day protecting your PC really comes down to the same practices it always has. i.e. don't be stupid.



But 'stupid' needs others to protect them, it seems...

Unfortunately, some of the most brilliant minds are on the wrong side when it comes to cyber security.  TPM is just another egg to crack and therefore a bit of a false sense of security.

on Jan 19, 2022

naroon1

when WB11 Arrives and i can Skin Blinds in my own colour scheme.

Why? The default look and feel of Windows in dark mode beats any skins I have ever seen.

PhoenixRising1

kona - Have you posted a request in the MS forums about the folders icons. I do know that they removed them as part of the process of making Windows 11 faster then 10. In the forums I havent really seen that request.

Not gonna waste my time. I have a belief that since Windows 11 adaption rates are so low MS will extend Windows 10 support for a few more years much like they did for Windows 7. Besides I am looking at switching to a Mac here in a month or so. Until then I will run 10. 

on Jan 19, 2022

kona0197

Why? The default look and feel of Windows in dark mode beats any skins I have ever seen.

Oh come on, Kona .....you're on a Skinning site and you're saying Skinners cannot do better than Microsoft?  We've been doing it better than them ever since before Windows was invented...

on Jan 19, 2022

kona0197

Why? The default look and feel of Windows in dark mode beats any skins I have ever seen.
Cursing in the church, are you?    

on Jan 19, 2022

PhoenixRising1


Quoting naroon1,

Have to agree with Jafo on this one, MS has shot themselves in the foot with it's Win 11 requirements, but as in all things, MS acts and others react. For a while now there has been a Registry patch doing the rounds on the net allowing PCs without TPM Modules etc to use Win 11, but this kind of thing is not for all users and will possibly create issues later on when the encryption for passwords etc comes into it's own.



Microsoft's policy in regards to hardware requirements and security has made my head spin. First off they put out details themselves how to use a registry patch to bypass TPM and state that they would not try and stop people form upgrading their PC using this method.. Great a green light from Microsoft themselves! A week later they state that people better not try this method because Microsoft will refuse to update any PC that uses this registry patch that they themselves showed off. I think now Microsoft changed their statement from they wont update PC, to they might not but probably still will.

Hardware requirements are just as confusing. They keep changing the minimum requirements and hopefully they will figure out what they are doing here. There are still a lot of PC's that are very capable of handling security requirements that are not yet allowed an update. This needs to be fixed and Microsoft needs to figure it out and allow the right number of PC's in. Holidays are over.

Yes, this is an area Microsoft has really fumbled. I was lucky enough to have my pc pass the "requirements"

PhoenixRising1  , I did not mean the MS patch were there was confusion over the ability to update. Even before Win 11 was released officially, there was a patch removing the need for the TPM Module and other requirements etc...

I had an I7 Laptop that failed the requirements and used it myself on that machine and the OS has updated on it without issues, but this patch may fall into the realms of things we do not talk about even though it was widely posted on Reddit and Github, my reply was more connected to MS Acts and Others RE Act.

I think those official requirements will change as it was one of the worst "set of things" needed for an OS ever.

Still seeing almost weekly releases of "Win 11 De bloater" and similar programs to help the less experienced users deal with the privacy issues, i am still undecided if Win 10 support will continue past Oct. 14, 2025 as 3 and a half years is a long time for things to happen with Win 11 opening up which machines can use it, if i had to make the call, i would say No.

 

Each to there own Kona, that is what makes our world so special, different opinions, I personally have gone too far down the custom route to ever go back to any Default look or feel, but can understand how others love the simplicity of the default. Hope your Mac is all you hope it to be. I can offer No opinion on Macs as my hands on time with them has been too few, unless you consider shopping for PC Parts on a IPad, but when it is up and running, please report back to us and share "What is good and Bad".

on Jan 19, 2022

kona0197

Besides I am looking at switching to a Mac here in a month or so. Until then I will run 10.

Yikes you are going to get cornered in that market space and lose all customization and all access to stardock products. At least with Windows you can stray to other companies such as Stardock to make things better.

Don't mind me. I have a long standing dislike for Apple products

on Jan 19, 2022

kona0197

Why? The default look and feel of Windows in dark mode beats any skins I have ever seen.

Boy Howdy, as a Skinner (Master) I take exception to that comment....     

on Jan 19, 2022

naroon1

I think those official requirements will change as it was one of the worst "set of things" needed for an OS ever

I agree. The TPM Chip should be the ONLY requirement for Windows 11. There is no question, Windows 11 requirements will go down as a fumble when we talk about the OS years from now.

naroon1

patch may fall into the realms of things we do not talk about even though it was widely posted on Reddit and Github

The good thing about Github is that it fixes everything. There are so many talented coders there. Ironically it is now owned by Microsoft.

on Jan 19, 2022


Oh come on, Kona .....you're on a Skinning site and you're saying Skinners cannot do better than Microsoft?  We've been doing it better than them ever since before Windows was invented...

Sorry there Jafo. I haven't skinned my computer in a very, very long time. I don't know why, I just find the default black taskbar just works for me. 

don5318

Boy Howdy, as a Skinner (Master) I take exception to that comment.... 

I meant no offense. I should have said for me, I prefer the Microsoft look, but I know others do not. I respect all the skinners on this site, what you all do is amazing.

PhoenixRising1

Yikes you are going to get cornered in that market space and lose all customization and all access to stardock products. At least with Windows you can stray to other companies such as Stardock to make things better.

I haven't installed a Stardock product in over 10 years. I did buy Start 11 just in case I end up using Windows 11. Besides, Apple Mac OS has more then enough eye candy and I don't want to use Windows 11 unless they change a few things to make it feel more like Windows 10. My biggest grip is no icons shown inside folders when in medium or large folder view. 

on Jan 19, 2022


Oh come on, Kona. We've been doing it better than them ever since before Windows was invented...
WORD  

on Jan 19, 2022

Thumbnails can be put back in from good ol' github or majorgeeks

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_thumbnail_generator.html

This is why I like windows over Apple. I have a lot of control over my PC.

Honestly, I did have some issues myself with Windows 11 out of the box. The start menu, the taskbar... But there is also a solution to all the problems with the exception that skinning on Windows 11 is still a bit difficult

on Jan 19, 2022

kona0197

Why? The default look and feel of Windows in dark mode beats any skins I have ever seen.

Then why do you waste your time here?

 

on Jan 19, 2022

DrJBHL

Then why do you waste your time here?

It's not a waste of time. There is more to WC then just skinning. I have many friends here and once upon a time, long ago, I made a few skins myself. I enjoy the discussions we have here about various subjects.

I always skinned Windows 7. When 10 came out I just didn't get around to skinning it and more or less just got used to the plain black taskbar. 

on Jan 19, 2022

PhoenixRising1

This is why I like windows over Apple. I have a lot of control over my PC.

Yeah but I have an iPhone and I'm pretty deep in Apple's ecosystem at this point. More then likely, due to how insanely priced Macs are, I'm be getting another HP All-In-One with Windows 11. Just gonna have to buckle down and learn to love it. I do have my copy of Start 11 so that will help. 

 

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