HarryTri

What about Windows XP (the search assistants)? Weren't they Microsoft Agents too?

If you have Google Messages (you can probably do the same with any other SMS application) you can set sound on for it's notifications and disable the sound for any other notification, if this is what you want. You just have to config the notifications by app.

Of course there is Firefox ESR 115 also (currently the 115.30 version).

I have Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable (x64) - 14.0.23026 and Microsoft Visual C++ 2015-2022 Redistributable (x86) - 14.30.30704 on Windows 8, I had no problem in installing them.

And remember that Windows 8 has no telemetry.

There are also the well known Avast, AVG and TotalAV, with their free versions.

I'm not sure but I have the impression that RW DL discs don't really exist.

O&O Shutup Windows 10 helps with the telemetry as far as it can (with Windows 11 doesn't help much due to the lack of telemetry options, which of course doesn't mean the lack of telemetry itself).

You can also try installing with an unmodded ISO to check if the same thing happens.

Firstly you must check which is the maximum RAM that your processor supports (usually 32 or 64 GB). You can use HWiNFO for this (look at Central Processors>your processor>Memory Ranges>Maximum Physical Address Size.

In the task scheduler go to \Microsoft\Windows\Setup and deactivate everything there.

Opera still works on Windows 8 (the latest version). Isn't Opera chrome-based too?

The only sure way is to not use them at all. There are ways to fight telemetry (e.g. O&O shutup Windows 10 - a helpful program) but you can never be sure that your system isn't "leaking".

Why not? on Windows 8 you can do it with disc manager or Diskpart (I don't take an oath for the OP OS, but he should have a look at it).

Which editor?

Maybe it has to do with the Android version, the newer the version the harder to have something working on it.

Don't forget that there is always the option of using a virtual machine for Windows 8 or any other legacy OS.

Doesn't Windows 10 have VSS enabled by default?

Avira is a relatively small in size and light in performance impact antivirus software. The free version doesn't have web protection but there are some browser add-ons (I use Avira Browser Safety with Firefox).

With Macrium Reflect it isn't necessary.

Yes, I mean how you halved the cores and threads?

How did you do it? And... does it worth it?

Just delete the empty partition and then expand the other one with diskpart.

@ray5450 Try to disable System Restore and enable it again after rebooting. If the problem continues (no restore points although the scheduled task) then there must be something wrong with the Windows installation and if I were you I would consider reinstalling Windows. By the way, do you use any antivirus program? I used AVG but abandoned it when it started messing up with the OS functionality (now I use Avira). Avast must be pretty much the same with AVG since Avast owns AVG too. Anyway, you can try disabling your antivirus program for three days and check if it makes any difference.

You can use local user accounts on the later versions of Windows too. As for the second statement which is probably made for Windows 10 I totaly agree with you.