How to declutter, quiet down, and take the AI out of Windows 11 25H2
20 comments
·November 8, 2025awesomeusername
jeffrallen
2025, the year of Linux on the desktop. :)
sharts
Probably better by now to just drop windows. Other ecosystems seem fairly mature by now and running the one off windows application when necessary seems to be getting easier all the time.
moepstar
Indeed, leaving Windows behind for the odd application is easy.
With the depreciation of my late 2017 Intel iMac 5k incoming, i however wonder how to ditch macOS for Linux and keep the one odd Mac App I kinda depend on - ideas welcome!
If you’re wondering, the App is MoneyMoney and keeps track of all bank accounts automatically, sorts all spendings into categories etc.
There simply seems to be no equivalent, and running Mac Apps on Linux just doesn’t seem to be a thing yet (at least in a half-viable way I know of, and yes, I at least read about Darling).
Again, if anyone does have a pointer (running macOS virtualized? What’s the status there?) would be much appreciated..
Edit: oh and i fully intend to keep using the iMac, its an i7 with 64GB RAM and the 5k display is still so gorgeous to look at.
bm3719
Why bother? If you run updates, it'll randomly crap on all your custom settings anyway.
You win, MS. I thought I could keep a Windows box around for the occasional game and as an emergency backup for when I need random peripherals to "just work". I give up. The current Windows box (which I barely use anyway) is my last one.
jazzyjackson
You upgrade to professional and edit the local group policy settings and this is no longer a problem
Microsoft is user hostile and all but there is a good product in there somewhere
kgwxd
My gaming PC was the only one left running Windows. 10 Pro which I paid $200 for just a few years ago. Last time I booted it up, Minecraft wouldn't work, and I couldn't update anything, even the game. Funny, no other games had issues continuing to support Win 10.
I put Arch on it last week and couldn't be happier. My 3080 is working just fine. Rocket League is even better on Proton than native Windows; turns out Java MC is a nice switch from bedrock, and my kid that I play with agrees, so we'll play that version together instead.
I have a tiny partition with unregistered Win 11 just for Roblox now. I tired to put MC on there, in case we wanted to do bedrock once in a while, but now the MC launcher is, for some reason, tightly coupled to the Microsoft Store, and if you're not logged into that, you can't play MC, not even the Java Edition, so that's the end of Windows MC for me.
frameset
Whilst I appreciate you can do this, and some people have programs they need Windows for, I am sick of fighting my OS.
One thing I realised when I switched to desktop Linux was just how quiet it was.
It just sits there until I want to do something. It doesn't try and trick me into changing my default browser, or put adverts in my program launcher, or harvest my data.
It just runs my programs when I ask it to.
ryandrake
I'm tired of fighting my software in general, not just my OS. I only wish it was as easy to "declutter, quiet down, and take the AI out of" my other software as it apparently is to do with Windows. I'm tired of all the pushiness, nudging, pressuring, and coercion. Software products should not be trying to change my behavior.
ivanjermakov
This is really uncommon outside of bigtech/VC startup companies' products. The only "misbehaving" Linux programs I can name from the top of my head are google chrome and postman (both which I no longer use).
This problem is unfortunately also prevalent in websites and it's even harder to evade.
exe34
I feel like that also happens on Linux tbh. Gnome has very specific ideas of how everything should be, and anything they let you do through plugins today, they will take away tomorrow.
Of course, you have the option of not using gnome. I myself use xmonad and don't bother with desktop environments anymore.
andrew_lettuce
I think there's a fundamental difference between software with strong opinions and software that fights and tricks you. I definitely use some applications "wrong" but I recognize and accept that's on me. The programs don't really care, but Windows feels like a lawn mower that hates me, or Larry Ellison.
pcdoodle
I tried Gnome 5 years ago and all we could do is point and laugh at it. I tried it recently with a new framework laptop "official support" and all, still a horrible OOBE and I don't feel like I can trust them.
derac
I recommend IoT LTSC
bitwize
Microsoft will just cotton onto the workarounds, block them, and force the crudware back in in an update.
The only way to win this game is not to play. Use a different OS. It will hit Microsoft where it hurts.
Although that may hasten Linux's demise, since it is only by Microsoft's good graces that Linux is allowed to run on PCs in the first place. Linux is Zion (The Matrix)—not a true resistance, but controlled opposition that reinfirces dominance. Once it gets too big, the Architect can wipe it and start again.
doublerabbit
I've used Revision [0] which tightly strips Microsoft rubbish out of the OS on my mother's new build. Rather then relying on GitHub PowerShell scripts
I was skeptical at first but after having a phone call with her today and telling me it just works. That made me happy
Marsymars
That is a very opinionated tool - it doesn't just uninstall some bloat, it disables Windows Updates, Windows Defender, memory compression, automatic BitLocker, core parking, switches to dark mode by default, adjusts the time the OS waits to kill apps, adjusts cursor acceleration, etc. (And it has an open issue of "default settings cause overheating during sleep".)
I've been Linux only for around 15 years personally, but I don't push it on others.
A few weeks ago I told the company our few Windows machines are going to be sunset-ted. No push back (other than a request to have one for the odd thing - but will do that in a VM. Even the devs who have always been on Windows are up for it.
At home my kids use computers for playing and making games. Windows was the path of least resistance. I realized it'll make essentially no difference to them to switch to Linux. And boy do kids adapt quickly.
So thanks MS, sincerely. I've never both worked and lived completely Windows free, but your encouragement to drop Windows has made me realize how painless it is, and I should have done it years ago.
Edit: One guy is on mac. And always will be. No issue there IMHO