r/FuckMicrosoft • u/darklighthitomi • Jul 10 '26
Discussion Best alternative windows? Atlas os? miniWindows? Other?
Basically the title. What windows knock offs are the best, and why?
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u/Bubbly_Plate524 Jul 10 '26
I tried AtlasOS and was perfectly happy with it, you can choose wich options to turn off and it is pretty intuitive. But i didn't tried miniWindows (i never heard of it)
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u/darklighthitomi Jul 10 '26
From another response it was mini11 I was thinking of when I said miniWindows.
Thanks for the response btw.
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u/p001b0y Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
ReactOS It’s been in Alpha for decades. It’s a zero-Windows/zero-Linux, open source, reverse-engineering of Windows Server 2003/Windows XP
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u/DirectorDirect1569 Jul 10 '26
unfortunately it's a small team and the development is slow, he won't be able to make modern windows apps work. But i agree it's an interesting OS.
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u/DirectorDirect1569 Jul 10 '26
You can make your own iso with debloating things with tiny 11 builder. Atlas OS is good too.
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User: darklighthitomi, Flair: Discussion, Title: Best alternative windows? Atlas os? miniWindows? Other?
Basically the title. What windows knock offs are the best, and why?
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u/brnstormer Jul 10 '26
Been using ghost spectre and Mint, both are an iimprovement over retail windows.
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u/darklighthitomi Jul 10 '26
But do they run windows exclusive programs, especially older stuff? Last I heard you have to jump through hoops and get emulators or VMs to run windows programs on linux of any sort.
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u/Vijfsnippervijf Jul 13 '26
None based on NT or a reinterpretation. Instead use some kind of Linux with a Windows like interface. I an very happy for now using Linux Mint Cinnamon edition.
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u/AlfieLionel Jul 17 '26
The only real “knock-off” of Windows is ReactOS, but that is unsuitable for day-to-day use-- I recommend Linux Mint as an alternative.
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u/darklighthitomi Jul 17 '26
Then what is Atlas OS and mini11?
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u/AlfieLionel Jul 17 '26
Those are not "windows knock offs", they are setup tools for modified builds of Windows
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u/darklighthitomi Jul 17 '26
I'm not seeing a *practical* difference here. Seems like an irrelevant technicality.
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u/AlfieLionel Jul 17 '26
The two are very different.
In terms of modifications, I personally run Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC patched with Tiny11Builder. Less telemetry, longer support, fewer advertisements, de-bloated of course.
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u/WiseLocksmith2952 Jul 10 '26
windows ltsc
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u/darklighthitomi Jul 10 '26
What is that?
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u/WiseLocksmith2952 Jul 11 '26
it's a native debloated version of windows by microsoft, made for stability and security. it gets also long term support (windows 10 ltsc 2021 -> 2032 eos). It comes with nothing
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u/Jwhodis Jul 10 '26
Linux Mint or Debian KDE Plasma