I helped my 77 year old mother purchase a new laptop, and I want to be sure to get all the bloatware off of it, and set her up with with some better privacy options. I am aMac guy at home so I haven’t done this kind of thing for many years. (I use Windows at work, so I’m quite familiar and capable, but obviously I have to rely on IT knowing what they are doing (they don’t)). I did make sure to get the pro version of Windows 11. I’m going to set her up with Proton mail I think. This is the computer that is coming:
(Forgive me if this is not the correct place to post)
Wipe the operating system entirely and reinstall it from scratch. That would do a lot of it. And if the only thing she’s really going to do is browse the internet, you might consider installing mint instead.
If you’re staying with windows and re-installing anyway (recommend this), make a ‘data’ partition, then link my documents, pictures etc. To identical folders on the data partition. Save user files on the data partition only.
That way, next time to reinstall it’s not a big deal at all, just relink the data folders. Your data is never touched and re installing is easy.
Or use Linux ;)
Edit: Something like this.
+1 pick Windows 10 / 11 Enterprise and/OR LTSB for a cleaner experience. Setting Windows as English (International) also seems to still get rid of a ton of garbage. https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/ is also a great tool to mass disable telemetry and bullshit Windows components. Then set Windows to only security updates. You may also want to read this about what connections Windows makes and how to disable what you don’t need further.
This is the answer. If she is more comfortable with windows there are stripped down versions of 7 and 10, maybe even 11 that will have even less of the crap that msft throws in.
Unfortunately that stripped down versions are very unsafe because of removed antivirus features and sometimes they even include malware. I don’t recommend that for a casual user who doesn’t know what safety on the internet is
They aren’t actually that dangerous. You can always reinstall any thing you need. Plus you can create your own assuming OP is savvy enough.
Well yea that’s true. But viruses are still really hard to avoid on Windows
Oh contrare mon frare. They are extremely easy to avoid if you have any common sense. Don’t download and run just any old exe, use script blockers on browsers, etc. I used to run avast and malware bytes, etc but for at least a few years now windows built in protection has been enough.
If OP is asking these questions it means they are probably capable of getting her setup with a system that is a bit cleaner and stays clean assuming she doesn’t start downloading random weird porn shit or something.
I don’t think she understands how to define official/fake websites and that kind of stuff. That’s the thing. Linux will be a better choice here
Your making an assumption and your infantilizing someone you’ve never met. It’s entirely possible that she is old enough that even if she did have the ability to discern this stuff that she’s more likely to fall for shit, but it’s also possible that she can learn how to spot stuff and avoid it. It’s been awhile since I have played with Linux, is it really ready for prime time? Especially if someone had spent decades using windows?
Hahahaha
LTSC comes direct from Microsoft, and does NOT have defender removed.
Edit: just tested again, and an old version had Defender, but my newest download from MS doesn’t. Go figure.
LTSC is usually in a grey legal area on personal desktop PCs
I highly recommend Chris Titus’ tool to debloat and switch off/remove unnecessary components.
You can also switch off Windows Updates and only allow security updates.
It is multiple tools in one place. Super useful and reliable.
Used this last week. Great asset for making windows a little more bearable
Thanks!!
SO MANY OPTIONS. Anyone have any recommendations?
There are recommended selections in there, and they are good from what i remember
Definitely wipe everything and reinstall, although if the install media is supplied by the PC manufacturer you’ll want to delve into the install options to ensure minimal bloat is getting reinstalled.
Also this post is two hours old and no Linux evangelists have told you to uninstall windows yet. This is progress folks! I’m ready for your downvotes once you’ve finished with your waifu pillows.
Install linux mint of mx linux for her. Been doing that to a lot of grandma’s with great results.
Get a 16gb thumb drive and download windows media creation tool
Laptop usually have proprietary drivers for wifi/ethernet/Bluetooth so visit manufacturers site for those drivers
Delete all partitions on the drive and create a single large partition (windows will make 3 that’s fine)
Keeping new versions of Windows secure is a fool’s errand. Sure you can uninstall the bloatware, disable the telemetry, etc., but there’s nothing to keep Windows from using an update to put it right back on.
If you want your Ma’ to not have to worry about any of that, then it’s time to switch to Linux. Mint is a good variety for people coming from Windows.
I am totally on board with this, but I cannot convince her to learn something new at this stage of the game. I have tried.
Mint looks quite similar, and if she asks “Microsoft applied an update and now the start menu looks different.”
If all she does is browse the internet and read emails, she’ll never know the difference. You could even set up the splash screen to display the Windows logo or just disable it all together.
She Blogs on WordPress also
Automatic updates can also destroy her work in case she happens to fill an online form or edit a document without autosave. The active usage time thing is there but ehh you can’t set all 24 hours as no-reboot time unfortunately
Windows asks you a few times to update now or later, gives you a timer of three hours and offers you to open the closed documents again without having to use autosave.
I don’t like the forced updates either, but if you lose anything to them it can be classified as "on purpose ".
With the right settings on Pro, you can get it to give you a week’s warning before an update is forced, with multiple subsequent warnings if you don’t restart in the meantime.
Never heard of a timer or opening documents. Maybe it’s a new feature idk
To begin with you would need to configure the machine to the desktop disabling all what can be disabled.
Then I’d check something from here and remove only what can be deemed safe.
Having somewhat answered the main query if mom does not do anything that makes windows a necessity I’d highly suggest installing something like this and set yourself up for unattended remote control so you can assist if seen necessary.
I like the remote control idea! She does do WordPress, not sure which interface.
Could put rustdesk on it.
Linux is an awful answer. See my other comment as to why.
I will agree with you it’s not the one stop solution but I recommend it due to having triaged it on my own.
Yes they gave me the mandatory eye roll and sighs as to why I installed Linux but aren’t bothered with updates, ads, malware, tracking and whatnot. They want to watch a movie or do some work it just works and doesn’t bog them.
Also I emphasise that I can’t recommend it for CAD/Graphic/Professional workflows that are tailored for windows sadly.
Checkout things like WinDebloat, Privatezilla, Winaero Tweaker, Bulk Crap Uninstaller, and LoveWindowsAgain. There’s some overlap between them (as they were built for different purposes), but they all pretty much kill telemetry at the service or installed level (as in remove the components providing telemetry).
Yea, it’s BS you have to do this. And screw MS for this crap.
You could also download Win10/11 LTSC, which natively doesn’t have some of this crap, but also doesn’t get feature updates automatically - just system/security updates 2x/year - so you won’t deal with problems caused by updates.
And you can still run the apps above to reduce what’s left.
Also, go grab MAS on github. It’ll help if you have any problems with activating. It’s a script Microsoft tech support uses.
I doubt whether “debloating” could reduce stability or not. I’ve never done that and have no intention to do it for my 88 year old grandfather’s windows. I’d have strict applocker rules on, though
