Windows 11 Slapping a Watermark on 'Unsupported' PCs (gizmodo.com) 184
An anonymous reader shares a report: Did you force your PC to install Windows 11 despite it not meeting the official requirements? Microsoft might start nagging you for doing that -- or at least reminding you that what you've done is against the intended use of its operating system. The January 2023 Windows 11 update is pestering folks who forced the update on their PCs with a persistent watermark on the desktop warning that system requirements haven't been met. The story is circulating among Windows blogs, though I found a couple of instances of folks complaining about the watermark on the official Microsoft support forums.
The watermark says "system requirements not met" and is emblazoned on the desktop's lower right hand corner if the operating system notices that it's running on hardware that doesn't meet the minimum requirements. It's possible the culprit is the dedicated security processor, or TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) chip, used by services like BitLocker and Windows Hello. Microsoft requires this module before upgrading. It's why many PCs were rendered un-upgradeable when Windows 11 was announced. Most new CPUs and motherboards have capability for it built into them, but the feature wasn't a guaranteed inclusion prior to the Windows 11 launch.
The watermark says "system requirements not met" and is emblazoned on the desktop's lower right hand corner if the operating system notices that it's running on hardware that doesn't meet the minimum requirements. It's possible the culprit is the dedicated security processor, or TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) chip, used by services like BitLocker and Windows Hello. Microsoft requires this module before upgrading. It's why many PCs were rendered un-upgradeable when Windows 11 was announced. Most new CPUs and motherboards have capability for it built into them, but the feature wasn't a guaranteed inclusion prior to the Windows 11 launch.
Step 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
Next, completely preventing local accounts on ALL Home and Pro versions.
Then, the $10 a month charge to log into and use your computer.
Which everyone will happily pay for.
Re:Step 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem isn't Microsoft's business practices, the problem is the complete lack of anti-trust enforcement to prevent those practices. But to fix that we'd need to drastically change who we vote for and why, eliminating a lot of pointless social issues to focus more on economics and civil rights.
But a large percentage of the population can't tell the difference between a pointless social issue and a civil right's issue, let alone an economic one. So here we are
Re:Step 1 (Score:5, Informative)
I don't think they'll be happy, but there aren't a lot of alternatives. Linux still has plenty of drawbacks and Mac isn't much better than what you described.
Of all three platforms, mac is the only one that really annoys me. Just so many damn hoops you have to jump through just to do basic shit. Even something as simple as trying to float a small window over another full screen window is a PITA, namely because the OS still carries a really old design paradigm around the idea of using only one application at a time. Oh, and finder is a total POS of a file manager tool. But cue the iFans losing their shit over discovering that somebody out there is not worshipping apple, and proceeding to tell me that I'm holding it wrong because it's on the user to bend their workflow to the needs of the holy 80s era UI concepts that everybody else has long since abandoned.
Re: Step 1 (Score:3, Insightful)
Sorry you're triggered.
I like macOS OK, but it's certainly getting worse as Apple tries to jam it into a phone OS headspace. Spare me this, please. It used to be so easy.
I actually like Finder better than Windows Explorer or the file management tools I've seen on Linux. Aside from really crappy management of search (both index search and file tree traversal - and failing to differentiate these for user is an #epicfail), it does all I want, and no more.
I've used Mac's since the 90s, but don't drink the Kool-
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I like macOS OK, but it's certainly getting worse as Apple tries to jam it into a phone OS headspace.
One thing that always struck me as particularly bad was the settings app in iOS. Bad layout, settings are usually put in places that make no damn sense, etc. Then apple went and put it on macos. And as if that's not enough, on Ventura now the dock nags you 24/7 to sign in to icloud, regardless of whether you actually want to (I neither want nor need.)
I actually like Finder better than Windows Explorer or the file management tools I've seen on Linux. Aside from really crappy management of search (both index search and file tree traversal - and failing to differentiate these for user is an #epicfail), it does all I want, and no more.
My major gripes with it, aside from what you mentioned already, is that with windows explorer and similar tools on linux (I've used many) is that they all have
Re: Step 1 (Score:2)
Don't know if you've tried this, but:
1. Open terminal
2. Type "cd "
3. Drag a folder into the terminal window
4. [Enter]
You're in the folder.
It'd be nice if you could do so from Finder. I'm surprised no one has made an automator or AppleScript or hack for it.
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Huh? This already supported [google.com] with a custom hotkey.
1. System Preferences
2. Keyboard
3. Shortcuts
4. Services
5. New Terminal at Folder
The reverse from a shell to open Finder is:
Re: Step 1 (Score:2)
Good to know, thanks.
I've never really known what to make of "services" in macOS. Where they appear on context menus, only useless things seem to be on offer.
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> Another problem is that you can't just open a terminal session directly from the path you're in with finder. Literally every other file manager I've used has this feature.
This is already [google.com] supported.
The magic search words are:
New Terminal at Folder, and
New Terminal Tab at Folder.
Re: Step 1 (Score:2)
That's nice, I guess. Though why does it have to be so damn buried? In explorer, you just right click on any folder, or the field of any folder you're already in, and it's right there.
Anyways these are far from the only annoyances with finder.
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1. The context menu is a hack (a much appreciated one by me, but a hack just the same) on macOS - it started to get really popular when people started to use non-Apple mice with (what was named) OS X. It's a full citizen of the OS now, but there's not supposed to be essential function hidden away in there on macOS. There's buttons for the must-haves.
2. I got no "circle and 3 dots" icon on my Mac. Not sure what you mean. Admittedly I'm a few releases behind the latest, because the latest macOS makes me want
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I'm not sure how long the menu has been there, I am on Monterey and the only way to do 'New Folder' in the finder window is to click on an icon that is a circle with three dots at the top near the right of the finder window. I hadn't seen it before and I only know its
Re: Step 1 (Score:2)
Well, I dislike greatly what macOS is becoming, but for me it's been very good for a very long time. I'll move off completely to Linux when I'm able.
Might try [CMD]+[SHIFT]+n for a new folder. I don't think I've hit the button in a long time.
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I actually like Finder better than Windows Explorer or the file management tools I've seen on Linux.
What's wrong with Krusader?
Re: Step 1 (Score:3)
Yeah, I think the experience was near peak for me at around Tiger.
My problem isn't UI (Score:2)
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I don't think they'll be happy, but there aren't a lot of alternatives. Linux still has plenty of drawbacks and Mac isn't much better than what you described.
Of all three platforms, mac is the only one that really annoys me. Just so many damn hoops you have to jump through just to do basic shit. Even something as simple as trying to float a small window over another full screen window is a PITA, namely because the OS still carries a really old design paradigm around the idea of using only one application at a time.
???
Are you thinking of iOS? The Mac platform hasn't had a notion of running only a single app at once since the advent of MultiFinder in 1987, and no, there aren't any single-application design paradigms carried over from that era.
The reason full-screen apps suck in macOS is because the concept of a full-screen app was bolted on relatively recently, and some of the default settings don't make a lot of sense. As a result, you have a lot of annoying behavior by default, such as it being almost impossible to
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Are you thinking of iOS? The Mac platform hasn't had a notion of running only a single app at once since the advent of MultiFinder in 1987, and no, there aren't any single-application design paradigms carried over from that era.
Yeah, there certainly are. The design cues are pretty obvious too if you've used other OSes. For example, why do they still only have a single menu bar visible at one time? Why aren't they attached to the window? Or better yet, why are they still there at all? Other OSes have basically gotten rid of them at this point, the only notable exception being some really complex applications like photoshop keep them around.
Switching workspaces to a full-screen app window's workspace absolutely must change the active app to that app, because otherwise you would think you're interacting with that app, but your keystrokes go to some other app.
I think that in itself IS the problem. On modern desktops, a "workspace" will frequently invo
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Of all three platforms, mac is the only one that really annoys me.
Your rant is mostly about the user experience, but my gripe with macOS is primarily against the hardware. You're locked in to a single vendor, who has been designing their machines to be increasingly non-user-serviceable in both the aspects of upgrades and repairs.
My partner has one of the older Macbook Pros with the Touch Bar (he received it from family as a gift, Apple's machines are typically outside of our budget). After a few years, the LiPo battery inflated, warping the case of the laptop. Apple qu
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I'm going to ignore the weird statement about "really old design paradigm around the idea of using only one application at a time", the mac was doing multitasking when pcs where still running dos. Thats a *silly* claim.
And personally think full screen is great on the mac. Its uniform, works great with multitasking. Yes its single window, but thats kind of the whole point. "I want this window to be the entire screen". Otherwise its hardly "full screen" isnt it?
The file manager is fine, its just a case of pr
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
"The problem isn't Microsoft's business practices, the problem is the complete lack of anti-trust enforcement to prevent those practices."
Enforcement doesn't "prevent" illegal practices, it brings accountability to those who engage in illegal practices. The problem remains the illegal practice; the problem is Microsoft, a secondary problem is our unwillingness to hold MS accountable.
"But to fix that we'd need to drastically change who we vote for and why, eliminating a lot of pointless social issues to foc
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Reaganism isn't even a foundation of Republican thought now [...] Tribalism is the tool that Corporate rule uses to neuter the only true threat, an informed voter.
One tribe literally has deliberately been attacking education since Reagan in particular to (in so many words) "avoid the creation of an educated proletariat." You decry tribalism, but the majority of the work done to compromise our public education system was done by a specific group. They are certainly not the only ones who have done it harm, but they have done far more damage and not acknowledging that is not simply avoidance of tribalism, it's acceptance of abuse — IOW, enablement.
Just as importa
Re: Step 1 (Score:3)
Before Carter stepped into office, there wasn't a federal department of education - in fact Reagan ran hard on the idea to stop the Dept of Ed.
Before you argue about the absolute need to have a federal Dept of education, remember there are also state, county, and in some cases local school boards to oversee education.
I challenge any parent or teacher/school administrator to walk in to any public school classroom and point to something the federal Dept of Ed provided. Per-child funds and free lunch programs
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So you don't think a country like America operating in the modern age of 2023 should not have some sort of nationwide body to set curriculum standards and some degree of homogeneity on education practices and goals? Is there another developed nation on earth that goes the full local route successfully with zero top down oversight?
I am not asking on whether the Dept of Ed is doing good or bad at its job, just whether something like that should exist at all.
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Is there another developed nation on earth that goes the full local route successfully with zero top down oversight?
Canada doesn't have anything like the Department of Education.
Here's a short run down on it, https://openpress.usask.ca/und... [usask.ca] first paragraph,
Re:Step 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
I personally have yet to see the TPM be used for DRM, though I have seen it used to enhance both my personal security and enterprise security. A really good use for it in particular is EAP-TLS; basically offering a nearly ironclad guarantee that the physical PC that is connected to the network is what it claims to be.
Re: Step 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Step 1 (Score:3)
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As a note, it seems every article on this topic is paywalled to limit the subject from being discussed...
Your system needs a TPM 2.0 to read them. :-)
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There's your documentation on what's coming.
Nope. That's documentation of what is possible. If you fear everything that is a possibility then you should set your computer on fire and burry it in a deep hole because everyone is out to get you and you're not safe.
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The world was a vastly different place in 2007 when PlayReady was developed. How many people even keep physical media around? How many are using a PC to play BluRay off a PC drive? How many are looking to rip it? How many people watching a streaming service (do streaming services even use it?) are looking to rip the content locally?
I think most providers don't use it because the "problem" it was trying to solve never actually materialized. The effort to stop the 1% of people doing something nefarious and
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A follow up question would be, what DRM do you have in mind?
Personally, I think SGX was (and fortunately it is past tense now) probably the worst thing that's ever been tried. Basically it provided zero benefit to the consumer while simultaneously taking control away. My biggest concern was that somebody could slip malware into it (think the Sony rootkit) and there would literally be nothing you could do about it. Intel claimed that it wouldn't be used for DRM, but lo and behold...
Good thing SGX was too bro
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Consoles and locked down environments like that... different story. However, on PCs, the TPM has been a very positive thing. It allows for encryption without a password or key needed, which is good for security, it ensures that someone can't modify a boot file, and if combined with Secure UEFI, can stop something like NotPetYa in its tracks.
Since a TPM doesn't actively step in during the boot process (Secure UEFI does, but that is different), it doesn't really matter if it is there or not.
In fact, it woul
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I personally have yet to see the TPM be used for DRM
If you build it, they will come.
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I'm familiar with it. I was fighting that stupid thing when it came to trying to get cable tv to work with my hdhomerun.
So you know what I did? I cancelled cable tv and switched to piracy. Problem solved, and I don't lose any sleep over it. Cable companies are assholes anyways.
Re: (Score:2)
Say what you will but while it's your computer running their software. You always have a chance to NOT use their software.
Ah yes (Score:2)
I recall when UEFI was announced here and everyone claimed it would kill the ability to run Linux.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
I recall the two laptops sitting in my closet with linux installed, unable to boot.
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What models?
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I tried every permutation of BIOS settings that seemed relevant. These things are old now so I’m not too worried about it.
DRM Dominatrix. (Score:2)
You’re on the right path but I suspect this has more to do with Microsoft forcing consumers and hardware manufacturers to support features required by heavy handed PlayReady DRM restrictions.
See right now most content providers don’t use the most heavy handed controls available because they risk locking out tons of potential consumers but if Microsoft can force adoption they can become the preferred DRM solution and then in Microsoft fashion start exploiting the ubiquity of their DRM to start sh
Re: (Score:2)
Slippery Slope fallacy. Also nobody will pay $10 a month to use Windows when they know they can get it for free (because they have already been using it for free). Business (Microsoft's biggest customers) simply won't update to a version that requires additional charges even if they can get a better bulk deal.
Plus we are in the smartphone era. Lots of people would just shift over to use a smartphone completely for their personal computing use iff this happened.
Windows emulation on Linux is better than ever
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Slashdotters have been predicting Microsoft Doomsday shit like this for decades now, and very few (if any) of those predictions have come to pass. I remember predictions about how Windows Vista new audio system was rewritten because Microsoft soon wouldn't let you play unlicensed MP3 files. How about when Office 365 came out? No more straight-up purchasing Office, right? We're renting everything! Nope, you can still simply buy Office. And Windows 10 was going to be pay-per-month rental software, or so
Re: Step 1 (Score:4, Interesting)
What is the actual issue here? You knowingly installed Win 11 on an unsupported system and MS is putting a watermark in the screen alerting you to this fact? That's a problem?
The motivation for this is likely the used/refurb market, where an unscrupulous seller will install Windows 11 on a computer that is not officially supported to an unsuspecting buyer. The non-technical buyer will see Win11 on the computer and assume it is supported.
This is how MS handles evaluation/inactivated OS.
Re: (Score:2)
Conspiracy theory. That would be like social media charging for account featur... oh... frack!
Not a problem! (Score:2)
Re: Not a problem! (Score:2)
Thanks for sharing, your comment added immeasurably to the conversation.
makes no sense (Score:5, Insightful)
not having TPM enabled is among the best of ways to avoid getting windows 11 shoved down your gullet, why on earth would anyone voluntarily do this?
bullshit like this from MS is going to be what really breaks their stranglehold on the consumer OS market; you can only continually abuse your customers if they have no viable alternative.
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
why on earth would anyone voluntarily do this?
How many reasons do you want?
1. People don't give a shit about the anti-privacy anti-account war.
2. The system works perfectly fine for the overwhelming majority of people.
3. It's new, people like new, except if you're on Slashdot in which case you're upset at any change in your life.
4. Older systems are about to reach EOL.
5. Eventually application support will disappear as well.
Full disclosure: I voluntarily installed Windows 11. The world didn't end. Nadella didn't come and kick my dog. My PC didn't plot
Re:makes no sense (Score:5, Informative)
Windows 11 is functionally no different than Windows 10
False. The right-click menu is funtionally different than in 10. What used to be a semi-logical display has been replaced wth a varied menu depending on where you are, not to mention words have been replaced by pictures. Of all the things which didn't need changed, Microsoft had to force what are essentially emojis down our throats? A simple word such as Cut, Copy, or Paste was too clear, apparently.
Then there is that shit called a Start menu. As has ben stated countless times before, every iteration of Windows hides things from users, and this is no different. Similar to the right-click menu, complexity has been implemented.
Printers? They used to be located in one easy to find location called Devices and printers. Now one has to burrow down through several menus to find them in a location lumped together with bluetooth devices, and you still have less funcitionality to do things than in 10. Again, instead of one simple right-click menu for properties, print queue, setting as default, etc, is now spread out in multiple areas which are not close to one another.
Windows 11 is even more shit than 10. It's one of those abominations which makes one wonder if this isn't some elaborate joke being played on us becaue no one with any sense of organization or functionaly can consider it to be useful.
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Always keep in mind that there's a sucker born every minute. And remind yourself that apathy and convenience are huge roadblocks for change.
And unfortunately for me, since those suckers also make up part of my customer base, sooner or later I will have to have a
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I agree in theory but we gotta stop pre-loading assumptions if we want to change minds on this stuff.
digital ownership through subscription services
Market has spoken, people love Spotify, Netflix. even Adobe Creative Cloud is a wild success. Gotta present something easier with less friction to people. License keys and transfering them off hardware is not it, needs a 3rd option.
SaaS
Again, wild market success. Salesforce, Shopify, Zoom, Slack, etc. Business like tools that easy to admin and productive, software ownership principles re not top of mind, or
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Most people won't do anything until it comes back to bite them in a way people warned them for years about what's printed into the user agreement they signed but they wouldn't listen and then act like they got the wool pulled over their eyes. Because the same logic could be applied to any kind of highly addictive but poisonous drug that people spend money on to ruin their live. It could be applied to all kinds of gaming, pyramid schemes, and whatever other scam someone c
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bullshit like this from MS is going to be what really breaks their stranglehold on the consumer OS market; you can only continually abuse your customers if they have no viable alternative.
In the first place, what makes you think that anything short of Microsoft dying will break their stranglehold? If Win10 being forced on folks didn't do the job, nothing will.
Secondly, what is the "viable alternative" you seem to think exists? Linux is great for many of us here, but non-tech folks for the most part don't know what it is or why they should care. Mac doesn't seem to be gaining market share. Chromebook sales fell more that 60% in Q1 of 2022. And if you think Microsoft are being abominable shits
The Evil Empire (Score:2)
They are just being Mr. T pitying the fools... (Score:2)
I wish they would stop almost forcing their free upgrade on me. Windows 10, while sucking compared to Windows 7 UI wise, is nicer than Windows 11 (even with Classic Shell).
Windows Update coming... Do you want to upgrade your operating system?
From the "I told you so" department (Score:5, Insightful)
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As is, I've already migrated some of my peripheral machines to linux, and am about three pieces of software from abandoning future releases of windows altogether.
Good to know there are options to extend the service life of windows 10, but it is increasingly looking like the juice isn't worth the squeeze for MS.
Re: From the "I told you so" department (Score:2)
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That's nice.
The question becomes what do you do after even Windows 10 LTSC isn't supported. You can put off the inevitability of moving to 11, in which you are essentially pissing into the wind or hoping windows relaxes its requirements; and the only difference between your "I told you so" with people running unsupported hardware now is timeframe.
Or you can look for alternatives.
But I will take your advice and still think you are a dickhead.
Wrong. (Score:2)
"Always Install Updates Immediately", they said... (Score:5, Insightful)
See, to all the critics and detractors who think that deferring updates is irresponsible, I present to you exhibit A as to how this mindset came about.
Back in the XP era, updates were generally just security fixes. They were pretty well documented, and they also had a tendency to mitigate security issues and other minor things...update-immediately was generally good advice.
On Linux/BSD operating systems, it's still generally this way. Sometimes higher level applications can be a bit more hit-and-miss (SoGo's Activesync implementation tends to involve some luck on a per-version basis in my experience), but overall, still a good idea to patch quickly and regularly.
On desktop Windows, however, we get this crap. More incessant and pointless notifications, more reset user settings (could MS respect people NOT wanting Edge to be their PDF reader?!), more appy-apps from the app store that paid for placement in the start menu, more nags to use OneDrive and create an MS account...and sometimes, there actually is a vulnerability patch baked into these monolithic updates.
Of course, Windows 11 itself was deployed in this manner to lots of people, and MS doesn't exactly have a way to officially say "I don't want Windows 11" that it'll respect permanently. Disabling the TPM and Secure Boot in the BIOS settings make a machine 'ineligible', and it's pretty effective...but then you've disabled the TPM that makes Bitlocker work, and Secure Boot is still a helpful security measure, so that's a troubling tradeoff that shouldn't be necessary; a "don't update Windows 11 until I check this checkbox" should exist, but doesn't.
So yeah, programs like Stop Updates10 [greatis.com] are sadly necessary, and it's a sad state of affairs that OS patches for desktop Windows seem more like a game of Russian Roulette than a consistent source of improvements and security fixes.
MS doesn't care about security patches (otherwise they'd allow an itemized list of them as they did in years past), and neither do its customers (otherwise they would pressure their upstream software vendors for a Linux version of line-of-business software). So, we have the tense situation we presently have: MS continuing to abuse their update channel in order to implement a business model.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Back in the XP era, updates were generally just security fixes. They were pretty well documented, and they also had a tendency to mitigate security issues and other minor things...update-immediately was generally good advice.
Windows updates broke windows XP on a bunch of occasions, including breaking windows update. It was never a good idea to install Windows updates immediately. Everyone has to be a goddamn sysadmin to run Windows without blowing it up, but somehow it has a reputation as being user friendly.
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technically you can use Rufus to setup an install USB flash for Win11 that doesn't require TPM, doesn't require an MS account, and even ignores the 64GB disk requirement.
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technically you can use Rufus to setup an install USB flash for Win11 that doesn't require TPM, doesn't require an MS account, and even ignores the 64GB disk requirement.
Which makes sense if you have to do a whole bunch of installs. Otherwise you hit shift-f10 during the install, run regedit in the live installer, create 1-5 dwords depending on which checks you want to bypass, and set their value to 1.
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I honestly want to know... (Score:3)
What is the appeal of an OS that you pay for the following privileges:
1. uses YOUR resources (disk, cpu, bandwidth) to gather all manner of personal and business information
2. nags you constantly to use further Microsoft services, upload your data to their cloud FOR YOUR PROTECTION
3. nags you constantly to download and install more Microsoft crapware.
4. Is Butt Ugly to look at.
5. What? Watermarking your screen to embarrass or harass you into hardware upgrades?
5. Help me out here: what did I miss.
Why are you dependent on a steaming pile of shit?
That you pay thru the nose for the privilege of being nagged, surveilled, and annoyed. I don't get it.
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You don't pay for the OS with money, you pay for it with your personal data.
Re:I honestly want to know... (Score:4, Insightful)
1. Unless you are a software dev or use a specific software that will run on Linux/OSX then you have to... CAD, graphic design, video editing lots and lots of software requires WIndows just to get work done. I use Solidworks as well as a number of tools in the AV industry side of things that are Windows only
2. Like or not the Windows interface is "default" for many people. The file system structure, network setup, control panel are all things are familiar with for decades. Yes most Linux distros "look" similar but things are not in the same place, don't use the same terminology, don't react in the same ways. There's a reason there are dozens of Youtube videos just to explain how the Linux filesystem works and even then it's kinda hairy. I have always maintained desktop Linux would get some more traction if there was a distro that just copied the Windows interface, warts and all. It's not "good" per se but just like there may be a better way to operate a car than 2 pedals and a wheel no one is going to want to move off that idea.
3. Compared from OSX/Windows installing new software or drivers on Linux is something of a nightmare if you are not already aquainted with the process or it's not in the distro package manaer. Even Linus himself has stated this is desktop Linux biggest drawback. Watch most normies eyes glaze over with the words compile from source or figure out which package manager you need for your distro. Yes I can have a dozen people explain here how it's easy, etc etc, but it's not and it's very easy to get yourself into a situation that is hard to unfuck yourself from.
4. Any windows user who is more tech savvy knows how to turn off all those negatives. None of my Windows 10 installs nag me about services, extra software, telemetry is disabled, the interface is exactly how i want it and I haven't touched Win11 with a 10 (heh) foot pole. Again, this is just familiar, i can take a fresh Windows install to exactly what I want in on principles not that they are difficult to deal with.
Basically for most people it's "good enough" and Linux is nowhere close to a viable alternative for 80-90% of the casual population. Yes you taught your parent/grandparent/sibling to use Mint and that's great but you are the slim minority.
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1. I get that your applications, the work you want to get done, should drive the process of which application software to choose, and therefore which OS to use... the point being if you're balls deep in an application area, good examples which you've mentioned (CAD, video editing, Adobe BS, etc) you have sunk costs and workflow know how you could find, basically impossible to walk away from
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1. you don't have to frame everything in such a loaded manner. I'm not "balls deep" in some unworkable morass i can never escape from, all the tools i use (and windows) works just fine for me, i have my workflow and it stays out of my way, my systems are all stable and fast. Even if Solidworks and all those tools shipped over to a Linux version I would have to be presented an overall better setup than I have with Windows and my personal expereince with desktop linux is less than great.
2. When I say "file
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(other than games)
What is the appeal of an OS that you pay for the following privileges:
1. uses YOUR resources (disk, cpu, bandwidth) to gather all manner of personal and business information
2. nags you constantly to use further Microsoft services, upload your data to their cloud FOR YOUR PROTECTION
3. nags you constantly to download and install more Microsoft crapware.
4. Is Butt Ugly to look at.
5. What? Watermarking your screen to embarrass or harass you into hardware upgrades?
5. Help me out here: what did I miss.
Why are you dependent on a steaming pile of shit?
That you pay thru the nose for the privilege of being nagged, surveilled, and annoyed. I don't get it.
Aside from games (which I DO use):
I need Visio and Project, due to corporate.
I used to need some other programs (most notable Huawei's Hedex) that are Win only.
And that is the reason why I have a bootcamp partition on my SSD (accesible from Parallels)
And while I also need Word/Excel/Powerpoint, that is well served by my MacOS.
While this does not reflect on the merits of the OS itself, the OS is a means to an end, and that end is to run programs/apps. You go where the programs/apps you need are.
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Why are you dependent on a steaming pile of shit?
For most users, it's because the steaming pile of shit came preinstalled on the computer, and usually works well enough for what they're trying to do.
What I don't get (as has already been mentioned earlier) is why anyone would go through the hassle of installing an unsupported version of Windows on their hardware. Something like that typically wouldn't be supported in a corporate environment, and if you're a home user trying to extend the lifespan of your outdated PC, why not consider Linux instead?
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pro level application software
How long before a viable alternative arrives? (Score:2)
I switched to Linux as my main OS around when it was clear that Windows 95 was going to end MS-DOS (so late 1995 to 1996). I eventually came back to Windows 2K as a part-time OS for games and a handful of apps that didn't have good Linux equivalents. (yes, I skipped over 95, 98, ME, and XP). But I'll be honest, I'm willing to invest a LOT more time into learning to operate a computer than an average person.
So what alternatives are out there for the people with a low tolerance for complicated Unix bullshit?
Re: How long before a viable alternative arrives? (Score:2)
After a very long time with Debian and Ubuntu, I installed Linux Mint on a used laptop, and was surprised at how clearly the desktop UI was laid out. This should be a contender. If I could get an actually good design suite (I can only hope for the Serif tools...) and a usable and useful RAW image flow (no, I've tried the ones you're about to mention), I'd move my main machine over tout suite.
And in response... (Score:3)
I slap Linux on every PC.
God, deliver me from Microsoft Hell once more.
Gee, I used to think they were getting better.
not sure I care (Score:2)
10 works fine and I don't see a reason to move to 11. Different from 8, which we couldn't wait to dump.
That said, I wonder if anyone has figured out how to circumvent the watermark.
Side note, the only thing I still need Windows for is Adobe Creative Cloud. By the time 10 reaches end of life, maybe I can find a different solution.
Rather have a watermark than Win11 refusing instal (Score:2)
Imagine the PR Nightmare. Ramdom persons complain in online forums and social media about Win11 being unstable/insecure/"whatevur"
After much work, money, man-hours (and distraction from other issues) trying to diagnose the failure, MS discovers that the machines having said problem did not meet the minimum requirements.
This watermark (and the watermark telling you that your Win11 is not activated) are there for a reason...
I'd rather have a Watermark reminding me that my machine does not meet the minimum req
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Your missing the point though. The "requirement" in question is TPM2 , which is 100% unnecessary and in no way affects user experience. Its just DRM.
And its stupid DRM. My PC has a Ryzen 9 DD4/ Nvidia 3080 card, 128GB of ram and 4TB of SSD. Its an ultramodern beast. And for some utterly unknown reason Windows 11 thinks its incompatible because... well I'm not sure why actually, but its convinced it doesnt have TPM (Linux sees the TPM2). I just did the registry hack and installed anyway because I like the ne
On A Running Win11 ??? (Score:2)
"system requirements haven't been met" for Win11 on a PC running Win11 ?
M$ never cease to amaze.
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Oh, really? Thanks and no, thanks!
Nowadays (Score:3)
16 GB of RAM seems to be the usability minimum these days. I've used computers with 64KB (kilobases) of RAM, you can't tell me todays computers have made me 250,000x more productive or entertained.
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I would say 8GB for the average user, 16GB for someone who wants to run more than a couple programs at one, 32GB for anyone who wants to do anything serious like run diffusion model image generators, virtual machines, video editing, etc. Also, 4GB for a phone, you can actually tell the difference between 3GB and 4GB now. What a world.
My first computer was a C= 16...
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I'm sure we can tell you that. I'd be genuinely curious as to how e.g. a n AV1 decode runs on your 64kb machine.
If all you ever do is run the calculator app and post on Slashdot then yeah 64kb is enough. Maybe. Actually you wouldn't even be able to make this post.
IMO It's to Inform Users that Buy a Used Computer (Score:2)
I've seen laptop computers for sale on ebay that have processors that aren't "officially" supported by Windows 11 being sold with Windows 11 preinstalled. So this would be a good thing so a non-tech savvy purchaser would know that the computer has an "unsupported" version of the OS installed on their computer.
I agree that for the people that went to the trouble themselves of circumventing the checks, it's just annoying. But as long as it's a notice just pasted on the desktop, I'm fine with that.
Dick Move (Score:2)
TFA is funny (Score:2)
Back in December, a Microsoft Independent Advisor suggested what many other how-to pages do: change the registry file so that Windows thinks everything is kosher. Note that this has its downsides, like voiding the software warranty on your machine.
It said, "software warranty". :-)
About the actual article... (Score:3)
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Not for me (Score:2)
This is probably only checking certain requirements like the mentioned TPM2.0, I'm up to date and not noticing any warning even though my CPU is not supported.
I bought a TPM dongle for my motherboard. It only cost like $40. If this annoys anyone they might try adding one themselves if they don't have TPM support.
I only updated since I tend to keep my PC s for 14 years (7 as a main PC, then another 7 as a backup/media center). Windows 10 will be out of support then so I figured I should update to 11. My exis
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fields (Score:2)
Microsoft doesn't see the global shitstorm coming for them.
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I believe there are options to keep a supported Windows 10 for corporate customers going until 2029. So "when Windows 10 goes EOL" for these outfits is 6 years off, and perhaps their "extremely viable hardware" might need replacing by then. Perhaps Ubuntu will still exist in 6 years. Perhaps you will still be in business in 6 years. Who knows?