Andromeda43

My own secret to my success with Windows 11, is just a repeat of what I've done with every OS going all the way back to '98. I don't get my ISO's from MS. Then after I install the OS, I clean out any Bloatware, widgets and apps that I don't want or need. Then I have my own set of Tweaks that I apply. OH, and I also disable any MS Auto Updates. They can just be TOO dangerous. Then I can sit back and relax, and enjoy my Windows OS without all the hate and discontent that I see voiced on these internet forums. Yes, Windows ME, Vista and 8.0 were all mistakes, probably released too early. They all had problems, that as a working PC tech, I had to deal with, even when I'd not run them myself. Thank Goodness, those OS's are all just History now. One big add on to Win-11, is the Classic Shell, which I've been using since Windows 8.1. It does make the GUI more user friendly. Cheers mates, and Merry Christmas,

Telemetry? What telemetry? Has anyone else just plain turned MS Updates OFF? I personally used "StopUpdates10.exe". Somehow, that just seemed Obvious to me. Call it years of experience with Microsoft. NO, I don't trust them. Then I used the 'Revo Uninstaller' to get rid of every program and app in Windows that I did not want. Windows 11 is SWEET, once you get rid of the MS BS (as I call it). Cheers Mates! Andromeda

OK, why are y'all going on and on about an OS that is just history? Vista is so 'Yesterday' , to me it's just a bad memory. Without going in to all the gory details, I can only say that I hated it. My entire time with Vista was only in Minutes, not even days. As a working Computer Tech, in my own business, at the time, I had my choice of what OS to run on my own PC, and I chose to NOT run Vista. Today, Sept 2023, I'm retired and still able to choose what OS to run, and I elect to run Windows 11/Pro/64 acquired from a source other than MS. With a minimum of tweaking and tuning, Win-11 is one sweet OS. And it runs faster on my OLD equipment than any previous OS that I've tried. Cheers Mates! Andromeda

JFYI The program mentioned earlier, is NOT the only one that can shut OFF MS Updates. I use "StopUpdates10.exe" and my Defender Firewall is still active. https://greatis.com/stopupdates10/download.htm I really like this program, because it gives me the option of turning MS Updates back ON any time I wish. So far, I've not had the need to do this. It's been several years since I've seen or heard of any specific Virus. So I no longer run a specific AV program on any of my 12 PC's. However, tracking cookies continue to be a big security problems, and I eliminate those with "SuperAntiSpyware". https://www.superantispyware.com/?tag=SUPERANTISPYWARE I kept forgetting to run the scan, so I bought the program so I could set it to automatically scan daily at a prescribed hour. I just get busy working several different forums, and forget to do my PC maintenance. My Bad! Cheers Mates, Andromeda

To answer the very first sentence of your opening post, Yes, Windows 11/Pro/64 can be made to install regardless of TPM or any other MS imposed restriction. The secret, which is actually no secret anymore is: Once you've downloaded the Windows 11 ISO from a trusted source, you must use "Rufus" (latest ver.) to burn ISO to a Flash Drive, accepting the options that Rufus gives you. Then the Flash Drive can install Win-11 to just about any PC, even those way too old to meet Microsoft's parameters. I've done this many times already, and it works just great.

I have yet to find any program that does not give me the option to select my own data storage location. That's not always obvious, but nevertheless optional. If I encountered such a program, I would probably consider finding a like program that would give me more choices. So far, I don't have the problem. I store all my data files in folders on my D: drive. One Drive, is not required in any instance.

I found Win-11/Pro/64 to be like a ball of modeling clay. Totally tweakable, maleable, fixable, whatchamacallit. It took me no time at all to fix the crazy task bar, and then get rid of that crazy Blue Thing on the desktop. Just about every tweak you could want is already built in to the OS, if you have the experience to find it. Right clicking on the task bar, takes you right into "Settings" where you can Tweak to your hearts desire. If that's not enough for you, there is always the Classic Shell, and beyond that the "WinAero Tweaker". I never did like the looks of Win-10, so I upgraded directly from Win-8.1 to Win-11/Pro/64 in one move. And y'know what? Win-11 runs faster on my old PC, than 8.1 did. Forget the12 step program, for upgrading to Win-11. Some will make that sound so complicated. It's really only a three step process. 1. Download the Win-11 ISO from a trusted source, not necessarily MS. 2. Burn the ISO to a Flash Drive, of sufficient size. >8GB Using the latest ver. of Rufus, and accept all option, from the option menu. 3. Boot up your PC with the Flash Drive and Install Win-11. All compatibility restraints and security questions will have been remove by Rufus. The rest is just up to you, and how far you want to go, making Win-11 yours. I've gone through the above process 16 times now. It just gets easier every time. I hope you all have had a Great Memorial Day, Andromeda

Sirs, I'm really old school, and just plain OLD, so I may do things a little bit, outside of the box. But that's the result of 40+ years of experience. When I first set up Windows 11 for the first time, one of the first things I did was to permanently Delete One Drive. Then there were a whole list of worthless POS's that also hit the bit bucket. Win 11 is like an apple....once you get rid of the peeling, the core and the worm, it's a pretty nice OS. I've found it to be "A Keeper!". I have it running FAST on a totally incompatible PC, about 8 years old. The very idea of having even one of my precious Data Files anywhere but under my personal and 100% control, gives me Cold Chills. I won't even let them share the OS partition. I keep them all in folders on the D: partition. Then for data backups to external drives, all I have to do is copy the data folder to an external drive, using a little Batch File and XCOPY. (I told you , I'm old school) So when I read questions about One Drive, and there have been many, it makes me just a little bit ill. And my only answer is, "Why? Why? Why?"

Going way back, in the life of Windows 7, there have been problems with Windows Updates. As a working Computer Tech, I've been called on to FIX PC's that have been trashed or otherwise compromised by an automatic Windows Update. Some PC's were so badly damaged that a total RE-Install of Win-7 had to be performed. As a result, I turned OFF Windows Update on all those PC's as well as my own. I'm still using Windows 7/Pro/64 today, and Windows Update remains "Disabled" and my Windows 7 runs just fine. So what's the big deal about getting windows update? If you look, you can find Windows 7 available on the web, complete with all the latest updates, Media Player, and Internet Explorer. No spam, no viruses, and NO BS. "Life is more fun, when you know how it works" ! :cool:

If your computer is a "Busy" one, having to use a three day old restore point could be a disaster!!! From 40 years of experience, I know from which I speak! But do it your way. I suspect you will regardless of others admonitions. Good Luck,

I was sitting right here, at my PC keyboard on day ONE when Mozilla released Firefox ver. 1.0 I downloaded it then and I've used only Firefox since then. I see no reason for all the Blah, Blah, Blah about Firefox. I have it set to download updates automatically, and just don't worry about it. It works! And with "https://www.startpage.com" as my home page and search engine, I stay safe and happy. Y'all have a great day now, Y'hear?

Remember the "X Files", where the announcer would say "The Truth is out there" ??? Well, the truth is that you can set up Win-10 without ever having an MS account, and you don't have to even use a password if you don't want to. And by using the new "Classic Shell" you can make Win-10 look and feel just like Win-7. Two important things to do after the initial install, to tighten up Security, is Disable WUDO and turn OFF Cortana. Doing those two things will make Win-10 much more private and secure. I've installed Win-10 over fifty times so far, and I've done the above mentioned things on every install. My customers love it! Cheers mates!

It seems like eons since I logged in here, and the first thing I read is this topic, which by the way is near and dear to me. I discovered the true value of a fresh restore point, when needed, years ago. I think I was running Windows 98 (or some such) then. Anyway, on Windows 7 the syntax for making a new restore point is different than on some of the other OS's currently in use. Here is the syntax that I use for Win-7. Set SRP=GetObject("winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore") CSRP=SRP.CreateRestorePoint("Hacked the registry", 0, 100) I put these two lines in a script with the extension of .res Then I put the script in my "Startup" folder, so it runs every time I boot up my PC. You can set the amount of hard drive space that is reserved for Restore Points, so they don't just take over the entire HD. Nothing is worse, than needing a fresh restore point and not having one. Good Luck Mate! :cool:

I'm forced to agree with the title of this thread (topic). However, it's the Soup of the Day, and it comes pre-installed on every NEW PC today. Personally I don't like the looks of it when first installed. So I do what I have done with every MS OS, for several Decades. I tweak and tune it to suit my own tastes and needs. That includes installing and customizing "The Classic Shell", which can make Windows 10 look and act pretty much like Windows XP or Win-7. It's a FREE program, and I never set up Windows 10 without it. Just a thought, and an option for those who don't like the looks and feel of the natural Windows 10. It's totally fixable! Andromeda

To maintain some form of Continuity between the several OS's that I have installed on 20 different PC's..... I just use the same old Backup/Restore program that I've been using since the Windows 98 days. (1998) And that program is "Ghost 11.5" which I run from a CD or Flash Drive. It runs in DOS, and will backup any OS from '98 to Win-10 Pro/64. I've never trusted the MS backup, because it's pretty useless when your hard drive has totally crashed. Even back in the DOS days, the Microsoft Backup was pretty lame. Cheers Mates! Andromeda