Technology @lemmy.world Uninvited Guest @lemmy.ca 8mo ago

Help me navigate the world of debloated/custom Windows 11 Installs

I've never had to use Windows 11. I have Windows 10 on my main machine and toy around with different Linux distros on my spares.

Now that I'm building a computer for my folks, I'm faced with the real problem that Windows 11 is going to be a big shift for them (also using windows 10) and it's going to contain so much crap (Copilot, Start Menu ads, etc) that is going to ruin the experience/overwhelm/turn them off.

I've read, with passing interest, about the myriad of "debloated" Windows installs, but never took a serious look at what is going on and what is good. Here's where I hope c/technology can point me in the right direction. Thanks!

Edit - I should have known to expect the Linux suggestions despite specifically asking about modifications to Windows. Linux is not an option due legacy software compatibility - they do more than use a browser.

43 comments

I think there are two options personally.

The Windows 11 LTSC version just leaked on Chinese forums. I wouldn't use that ISO but would wait for the official release. Seems like the "best" version of Windows.

Use Chris Titus' WinUtil on a normal install: https://github.com/ChrisTitusTech/winutil. He has put a lot of effort into this tool and it works great.

If you want to go full try-hard you can do it yourself. Buy NTLite and go to town on stripping stuff out. You'll probably break something but it is fun to play with.
- Oh nice! A new tool! Do you happen to know how this compares to win10privacy?
  
  Never used that tool so I can't really say :(
- You should be able to download the Win11 LTSC direct from MS (pretty sure that's where I got mine).
  
  That's supposedly a time/feature limited version, but if you use the licensing script (also from Microsoft), it will permanently activate it.
  
  I have it activated in a VM I'm testing.
  
  Someone else mentioned the Windows 10 LTSC, good to know there is one for 11 as well. I'll go research these a bit more, thank you.
  
  The machine I'm fixing up has an embedded license. Think I'll need to toy with the activation script?
Any debloating you do will probably be reversed by updates eventually. Have you considered installing Linux on their computer as well assuming they use it for just web browsing. Maybe just get them something that runs ChromeOS even 🤷🏻
- Still not wrong though.
  
  "Any ~~major~~ issue with windows" FTFY.
  
  I get the support for linux, but the evangelism is a bit much sometimes.
It’s not a big shift. Just move the start menu to the left and make their account a normal user account while yours is an admin.

Help clean up their pinned start menu items.

That’s all they need.
I run O&O Shut Up 10 on every install of Windows 10 and 11 I need to suffer through. There's still a bit of manual config to remove search bar and other GUI stuff but it's a pretty great, free tool.

You also might want to script it to run on boot as Windows loves to revert changes after updates as another commentor noted.
- Thanks! I'll investigate that one.
Here's a really nice script to debloat a new Windows install. I bought a new Windows 11 laptop and this made it super easy:

https://github.com/Raphire/Win11Debloat
- Appreciate it! What happens to the script's modifications during a Windows update?
  
  I haven't had the laptop long enough to know what happens after updates. However, if Microsoft wants to reset any of the changes or reinstall software or features, they will regardless of what methods or tools you've used to debloat. I like this tool because it's easy to run and can be done periodically (like after major updates) without much hassle. And it's open source on GitHub which I very much appreciate.
Frankly, the way MS has been heading for the last decade, you either get OK with their official bloat and trackers or you switch to Linux. Anything else is just lying to yourself. That's why you are getting those recommendations.

I'm also suspect of legacy software (not proprietary, but legacy) being supported in Windows 11 that wine can't handle. The only stuff I've ran into that won't run is DRM laden trash, and if that's the case I wouldn't classify it as 'legacy' if their call home servers are still running and supported.
- Not sure how you see catering to the needs and abilities of the elderly as lying to myself.
  
  I don't live with my folks, I'm not providing day to day tech support, they install and uninstall their own software, I can't just set it up once and it stays static for them, and they aren't going to learn the ins and outs of WINE.
  
  You're trying to rewrite the parameters of the ask and posturing while you're doing it.
  
  I’m not providing day to day tech support
  
  This is the problem. Debloating Windows is a tug of war with Microsoft. Many here have pointed out you'd need to likely re-run the scripts after Windows Updates. After getting over the initial hump, you are likely going to be needed less day by day going the Linux route (or give up on them actually using a debloated and tracker free Windows).
  
  Either:
  
  Your parents are sharper than you are giving them credit, and they'd likely pick it up pretty quick.
  
  They really are as unsavvy as you say and should not be downloading and installing whatever software they think they need on Windows, and would likely be safer on any Linux distro with a gui package manager.
Rather than debloat, you could look at Win10 LTSC IoT edition. The only thing i think you might want to add back in, is the Store (maybe). It will activate with MAS, and gets security patches till 2032.
- And no monthly updates, just the 2x/year security updates, which means stuff doesn't break randomly.
- Thank you, this is an interesting approach. I'm presuming MAS is an activation toolkit?
  
  The machine I'm fixing up is a business unit with an embedded license - think I'll need to bother with activation?
Lots of others mentioned tools to remove the junk. Once you've done that it's mostly identical to windows 10.

Just be cautious if you use tools like Microsoft office or Xbox, some of the more zealous tools can break that. Additionally after major updates you may need to apply the fixes again.

If you can avoid the home edition, in favour of the professional edition you'll have more control over your PC.

Since you're familiar with Linux, the new LTS edition of kubuntu is available. I've had a lot of success with using it for my parents and elderly customers. So it might be worth exploring that possibility. I themed it to look like Windows XP for 1 of my customers and he's quite happy with it.
- On a sidenote, what theme did you use for Kubuntu? I've scoured the webs for all kinds of themes and none do it justice.
  
  This was a few years ago, so I don't remember the specific theme. However, KDE's default tools for managing themes are poor and a 3rd party tool such as Kvantum is essential for success. Most theme packs expect it and if you try to install them using the vanilla tools they often won't get you what they show in the screenshots on the kde page.
Take a look at https://github.com/LeDragoX/Win-Debloat-Tools

I've used it twice on friends' pc.
Ive installed ReviOS on my media pcs and have been very happy with it. You install over top of a clean windows install and it takes care of all debloating automatically.
- Thanks, I'll learn more about this one. What happens to the modifications during Windows updates?
  
  I set it to pause updates...theres probably something on their website to say how to handleit you want to keep them on
Linux is not an option due legacy software compatibility - they do more than use a browser.

I think you'd be surprised. But obviously this isn't what you're looking for.
I saw no mention of winaero tweaker which is the tool I used on my latest windows 11 install.
My go to used to be creating a iso with the tiny11 script, and use Titus debloat tool.

I hate to be that guy, but the used part is cause I switched to Linux, no dual boot.

I would recommended you to take a look into that, cause Windows, going down this path, ain't getting any better.
- Thanks I'll give that one a look.
  
  Linux is not an option for my folks.
This is such an amazing thread. Thank you to everyone giving good answers!

99/100 posts in Lemmy that mention windows issues are insanely unhelpful moshpits of Linux evangelists jibbering over and over about the solution to every windows problem being "install Linux."

So thank you for these awesome, genuine solutions.
If all they do is web browsing and office, why not try Linux Mint first? It’s not as big of a leap as it used to be.
Not reading the whole thread, but ltsc or looking into ameliorated playbooks seems like the right answer
- I had forgotten about ameliorated windows!
  
  I probably won't use it for my folks (LTSC looks like the ticket there), but I'll definitely play around with it myself.
Deskmodder has a few.

43 comments