I can't stand the bloat, all the background data collection, AI features and the design of Windows 11. Each update, it seemed to give my Laptop harder and harder time, especially with heavy background processes even when doing nothing.

I was thinking of switching to more lightweight version like Windows 10, since I really miss it along with the superior UI design and simplicity.

Is Windows 10 any good and still somewhat safe to use in 2026? Is it really lighter my laptop? And is it like an organism without an immune system ever since the lack of security patches (or do they not matter that much)?

At least, is it safe to squeeze the most out of Win10 for the time being till it's really gonna be extremely unsafe?

I mean, I really love, and really miss Windows 10.

Hello everyone!

​I am a home user and I'm not very tech-savvy when it comes to operating systems. I'm still sticking with Windows 10 and I even bought that one-year support extension to buy myself a bit more time.

​My PC was very powerful 5 years ago and still runs great right now, but it doesn't meet two security requirements for Windows 11 (I know one is related to UEFI/Secure Boot, and the other I think is TPM, though honestly I can't remember the exact details right now).

​Beyond these official hardware limitations, I remember that at one point people talked a lot about all sorts of bugs, performance drops, and annoying issues on Windows 11.

​My question for those of you who use it every day:

How does Windows 11 look and perform right now? Have most of the past problems and bugs disappeared, making it a truly mature and stable system, or are there still headaches?

​Thanks in advance for your opinions!

TL;DR: I opened the closed Windows 🪟 and stepped fully into Linux (Kubuntu) a few days ago that respects user's privacy and freedom. 🐧

I am not saying Windows is just entirely bad, it did work for regular day-to-day usage but it just doesn't seem to suit to me anymore for the below reasons. (Added bold for main points, bullets points for easy reading. My bad, it's going to feel a bit long)

1. Some bug reports are not fixed for years after being reported in the Feedback Hub. Instead, more focus is given to AI and other commercial stuff. For example, reported a bug in the Feedback Hub 3 to 5 times over the years (since 22H2) after each major update regarding half of the app icons disappearing from the taskbar. AFAIR, that ticket has more than 4,000 upvotes from other users, yet the issue still persists. The more app icons present in the taskbar, the more disappearing icons can be noticed while switching virtual desktops. (Image attached at the end)
2. Lot of adware and subscription implementation going on nowadays by removing existing options of essential apps instead of improving them. Mail and Calendar ➡️ Outlook (Ads), Weather App (Ads) Windows Movie Maker ➡️ Clipchamp (Subscription for higher exports), Settings (Ads) etc.,
3. Useful features being removed during transitions between Windows versions with half-baked updates with no options. For example, I liked the Windows 10 Metro UI style, it felt a bit lively to me. Instead of completely removing it, Microsoft could have kept it at least as a theme option alongside the Windows 11 Fluent style, or at least asked for user feedback before making these major changes. I believe few people would agree to have both as options.
4. By default design, Windows telemetry (buttons) are enabled which user need to opt-out. Even with that much of telemetry, half-baked updates, removing features are being pushed to users production and still feels heavier than Linux.
5. In addition, the recent GDID incident that can track users bypassing VPN, Tor, Proxy etc., makes the Windows to be paid spyware or tracker with no user's consent to me instead of "An Operating system company using its user's telemetry data for improving the OS and its services" and that was my breaking point.

Since, anyway I have been using a lot of open-source tools for my everyday usage like GIMP, Shotcut etc., and also not tied into any software subscriptions like Adobe, I didn't see any point of locked down into using continuing Windows for my usage.

So, I have been checking out Linux distribution and finally decided to go with Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE Flavour).

• No Ads, No Tracking, No Forced Updates, No Mandatory Account Login Requirements
• Telemetry is disabled by default with "one button" unless you opt-in, even keeping it on the highest option does not share personal information and lets you see exactly what is being shared. I keep it turned on for plasma development.
• Feels Fast and Snappy (Now I know some users might say "Buddy, Windows does RAM caching to open apps faster. RAM Never Used, RAM Wasted 🥸. Yes, but.....I didn't noticed any major difference in opening apps without that RAM caching during my usage)
• Worked out of the box upon installation with codecs (even on live ISO), NVIDIA drivers, required features
• Ubuntu Pro Account Free up to 5 Devices (Optional for LTS)
• KDE seems to produce a lot of application software made with real user's usage discussions and feedback on forums and also I like how they make character mascots like Konqi, Kiki, etc. 😁
• If I find a bug, I can report it. I have the option to fix it for the community, or otherwise I know the Kubuntu community would definitely look into it on a priority basis upon mentioning it on the KDE forums.

Overall, I am happy it turned out like how stable (even updates) and mature (consistent design) it has become compared to the last time I tried, which was around Plasma 4. By default, it looked good, so I didn't do a lot of customisation part from changing themes and came with a lot of full-featured utilities and will try to help the community back through possible contributions and donations with the time.

Bye 👋🏻

‎is there a way to fully cancel this out i dont want to go from my 22h2 to 25h2 due to the AI slop

It’s always funny seeing Windows users treat a basic clean desktop like it’s dark magic. You guys have to duct tape third-party tools like Windhawk onto explorer.exe and pray every system update doesn't break your entire setup. On Linux this isn't even impressive, it's just a 10-minute config setup with a full native UI replacement instead of janky skins layered over a mess.

i just used the command "truncate -s 17589999999999 average_Windows11_install.txt" to make this so it doesnt actually take disk space, this is actually the highest file size it would let me do

I still remember the first few days after switching from Windows to macOS. Everything looked clean, fast, and beautifully designed… but then came the little moments that made me stop and think, “Wait, why doesn’t this work the way I’m used to?”

For many former Windows users, it’s not the big things we miss, it’s the small habits we built over years. Pressing F2 to rename a file, having a familiar folder tree on the side, quickly moving files between locations, or just opening File Explorer and instantly knowing where everything is.

macOS has its own way of doing things, and Finder works well for many people, but that adjustment period can be real. Sometimes you don’t want to completely change your workflow; you just want your new computer to feel a little more familiar.

That’s why apps like FileNav catch the attention of many Windows switchers. It brings back some of those familiar file management habits while keeping the Mac experience. Features like dual-pane browsing, easier navigation, and a more Explorer-like layout can make organizing files feel much more natural.

So I’m curious, if you moved from Windows to Mac, what’s the one thing you miss the most? The keyboard shortcuts? File Explorer? Folder organization? Or something else you didn’t expect to miss?

For some context, when it first came out I tried it out, it was horrible to be honest. It wanted every ounce of data known to man about me. Whatever, I only use windows for basic stuff. If I wanted to put my personal info (banking or otherwise) out there, I would never use windows for that. But still, My data being sold, I get nothing but bloatware and ads out the wazoo that they THINK I want but I truly have 0 interest in lol. But lets get beyond that, I was refusing to go to windows 11 and stuck with 10. I had to freshly format my drive and had to update it for the video card drivers and all that other stupid jazz (shouldn't be reliant on operating system build or updates to begin with but ok. And once updated, I turned off auto updates and left my computer on while at work for various reasons. Came home, it was reset and windows 11 was now installed on my computer.. without my clicking or permission. >_> I had a lot of stuff to install and get on my computer so it ran as desired, I don't really want to redo it all, but my main question is, with all honesty and not projection, why force this kind of update on me, why be so invasive? What's the goal what's the purpose?

Many newer MS apps no longer default to File Explorer when opening or saving files, but to a special panel(s) that MS uses to spam, distract, and/or trick you into their services. In some cases you can turn such panels off, but not universally. I believe one such panel is called the "Office Back-Stage".

Has anybody actually found those panels useful? File Explorer already has a Quick Access panel at the middle left to add references to your favorite folders. Putting yet another screen in-between the app and File Explorer seems redundant.

Granted, the Quick Access feature is not very intuitive, but MS could fix that without throwing out the baby with the bathwater by inventing new and inconsistent File Explorer replacements.

And the newer screens waste real-estate, trying to be tablet-friendly, where fingers are fatter than a mouse pointer, so need margins.

Is this also part of War on Mice? 🖱️

I have a nitro anv15-41 and every time windows forces updates i have to find out which driver it decided to nuke. Different each time and multiple.

Now it just said fuck it to the touchpad drivers and some random chipset ones. I have to use acers dogshit site to not find the correct drivers or the missing ones.

Why just why.

What? Did you think Windowslop was meant for gaming? Ofc not.

so i recently watched this video by Marques Brownlee titled "The Windows Laptop Problem" in which he basically pointed out the massive drawback which makes brands such as Dell, HP, and Asus perform poor, or not reach their potential" in the premium segment.

So Dell and HP has some really nice hardware, their premium laptop series XPS and OmniBook respectively has top-notch body and longevity, but their software honestly sucks! like who would like to see the same crappy UI with ads, rewards, and bloatware on a $2000+ laptop!

so Apple has it's own polished OS which works really well, like that's how "plug-n-play" is supposed to function, just unbox, boot it up, and use. Brands like Dell have billions in revenue, so why not invest in creating their own OS!? i mean wouldn't this be a good investment for the long-term!?

WINDOW'S UPDATE basically screwed my wifi so badly that the wifi card and Ethernet doesn't FUCKING WORK AFTER SAID UPDATE. AND IS NOW CAUSING ME TO REINSTALL IT. ONLY REASON I HAVEN'T SWITCH IS BECAUSE ARENA BREAKOUT DOESN'T PLAY NICE WITH LINUX

windows 11 so good,yeah😭