Windows 11. Anyone going to install it? Plus discussion and observations, experience etc.

[Reorte]

14 minutes ago, Hroth said:

I don't use OneDrive because its one of the first Microsoft offerings that gets disabled when I get a new windows computer*.  I'm not particularly fond of the idea of keeping important information in the "cloud".

 

For backups, I prefer external hard disks that I can store securely.

 

* See above!

Automatic backups to a remote location aren't a bad idea, although personally I've got nothing much that I'm enough fussed about to bother doing that with (and I imagine it's a bit of a pain without a fast connection). I certainly wouldn't use it as the primary place I keep data.

[Hroth]

18 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Lenovo have a bad reputation for filling their computers with bloatware.

Many don't recommend them for that reason.

 

The one I got was remarkably clear of 3rd party bloatware, the main problem was battling the Microsoft stuff.

 

[melmerby]

2 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

The one I got was remarkably clear of 3rd party bloatware, the main problem was battling the Microsoft stuff.

 

Maybe they learnt a lesson that too much rubbish puts people off?

 

Re: MS stuff.

I have set my machines up the same, in that they are very similar to Win 7 with all these silly tiles and pop up suggestions switched off.

[spikey]

A pox on MIcrosoft!  They've had the confounded cheek to install Windows Edge on The Lady Wife's venerable laptop, and going to uninstall it in "Programs" is a waste of time for it gives me no option to unstall it.  

 

How can we rid ourselves of this unwanted program?

[AyJay]

When I had a Windows xp machine, I installed onto it a tool for digitising my vinyl record collection. Worked fine, I could also use it to edit audio files on the computer and listen to them through the audio output.  Then I got a Windows 7 machine; worked fine on that too!  Then one day, Microsoft decided that It needed to be updated with Windows 10. After that, no audio output. Also, the tracks of an album converted into wma format, insisted on playing on my player in the alphabetical order of the track name. The producers of the app were as bemused as me and messing with the file properties did no good. B****** Microsoft !!!

Now I have to keep a Windows XP machine (disconnected from internet) available in case I buy any more vinyl. 
Absolutely fuming 😖😖😖

[Hroth]

27 minutes ago, spikey said:

A pox on MIcrosoft!  They've had the confounded cheek to install Windows Edge on The Lady Wife's venerable laptop, and going to uninstall it in "Programs" is a waste of time for it gives me no option to unstall it.  

 

How can we rid ourselves of this unwanted program?

Its virtually impossible to eradicate*.  Its uninstallable in settings/apps, it insists on installing a shortcut on the desktop and replaces the shortcut when that is deleted.  I've seen a suggestion that you can rename its home directory to stop it running, but others say that Microsoft will merely reinstall it.

 

All you can do is firmly insist that the browser of your choice is the default browser!

 

* There are possibly some registry invocations that can eradicate it, but I don't know what they are...

 

[spikey]

9 minutes ago, Hroth said:

Its virtually impossible to eradicate ...

 

 

I had a feeling that might be the case.  Thank you for confirming it.

[Chris Turnbull]

A Google search has thrown up this page.  I don't know if it works or even if it's wise but you could give it a try.

 

https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/how-to-uninstall-microsoft-edge/

 

There may be other solutions available if you do a search.

 

Chris Turnbull

[Hroth]

It's one of the less opaque methods I've seen and It might be worth a go, but not everyone is happy using the command line AND changing Registry settings. I suppose that's why Microsoft do it!

 

The other thing I've noticed is that very few suggestions reference Windows 11, describing how to de-Edge Windows 10 instead.  Details may well have been changed to prevent the same techniques being used in 11.

 

I suppose someone will have to have a go....

 

[Izzy]

I think the problem with Edge is that Microsoft have embedded it into the search engine. I did completely un-install it with my previous W10 laptop, well as far as possible, but as said with the next update it gets re-installed in the background so with the new W11 one I’ve given up and try not to enable Edge if I can, using Firefox. 
 

This wanting to ape phone and tablet configuration is the worst aspect of W10/11 I feel - besides the folder structure/multiple listings. But as with so much it’s take it or leave it. I’ve tried such as Linux but just can’t get on with it. I do have a Mac Pro with IOS but that’s my limit, and I sometimes struggle with that!

 

Bob

[Reorte]

Didn't Microsoft get in to a lot of trouble in the past for doing with Internet Explorer what they're now doing with Edge?

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

Ive followed this guy for a while and what he does works for me.....

 

[Ian J.]

20 minutes ago, Reorte said:

Didn't Microsoft get in to a lot of trouble in the past for doing with Internet Explorer what they're now doing with Edge?

 

They did. However, the computer environment has changed since then, and there are now many competing devices using iOS and Android. Microsoft probably feels much less likely to be targeted for anti-trust now.

[melmerby]

23 hours ago, AyJay said:

When I had a Windows xp machine, I installed onto it a tool for digitising my vinyl record collection. Worked fine, I could also use it to edit audio files on the computer and listen to them through the audio output.  Then I got a Windows 7 machine; worked fine on that too!  Then one day, Microsoft decided that It needed to be updated with Windows 10. After that, no audio output. Also, the tracks of an album converted into wma format, insisted on playing on my player in the alphabetical order of the track name. The producers of the app were as bemused as me and messing with the file properties did no good. B****** Microsoft !!!

Now I have to keep a Windows XP machine (disconnected from internet) available in case I buy any more vinyl. 
Absolutely fuming 😖😖😖

Can't understand the problem.

I've got loads of audio files in several formats (7000 or so in Mp3, WMA, WAV & Flac) ripped from my Vinyl and CD collections.

I've always found many ways to play/edit them in Win 10 & Win 11.

I use Mp3tag to ensure they all have a track number as part of the file name, that way they always play in album order.

e.g.

 

 

Many programs ignore the track number when listing the files but still play them in album order e.g. Nightingale, Creative Central  & Creative portable mp3 player, VLC media player etc.

[Ian J.]

+1 for Mp3Tag. I use it in combination with an old WinAmp Pro version for ripping CDs in my Win7 virtual machine, running on a host Linux Mint install.

[melmerby]

20 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

+1 for Mp3Tag. I use it in combination with an old WinAmp Pro version for ripping CDs in my Win7 virtual machine, running on a host Linux Mint install.

It's great for finding the info if you have a disc with incomplete track listings, as with some magazine cover discs. (the info was in a long gone mag.)

The likelyhood is  that someone has uploaded the details and Freedb/Gnudb recognizes the disc and fills in the blanks.

Creative Central (for Windows) also does that but using Gracenote.

[Ian J.]

WinAmp Pro used to use Gracenote, but being as old as it is the licence to Gracenote ran out years ago. Having said that, the 'new' owners have put out a newer version of the application, but I'm loathe to install it as I have no idea if they've put in changes that try to sell stuff, etc. The biggest issue I have with the version I have is that it can't handle higher definition sound files properly. I can't remember if that's a bit depth or sample rate problem though.

[tigerburnie]

Having replaced my pc, it came with Windows 11 pre loaded, when I powered up it said the full package wasn't loaded and it promptly did the deed, it then asked me to set up various apps and other gubbins, so I just kept pressing next setting up nothing and it works perfectly, not sure what all the fuss is about to be honest, idiot proof, well at least proofed from this idiot.

[Izzy]

A while back I said I was having a problem with my W11 laptop in that the notifications windows kept on constantly popping out at times making using it impossible when this started happening. I couldn't solve it no matter what I did and eventually came to the conclusion there was something amiss with my laptop that was causing the issue. That or I was somehow getting static on my hands that was screwing with the touchpad. More recently I had to use my wife's laptop and had the same issue with that so felt it was definately me.

 

Now we have a Dell desktop my wife mostly uses which came with W10. It's worked perfectly with no issues. Recently we decided that perhaps with W10 coming to an end it might be wise to upgrade it to W11 while it could be done for free. Since than my wife complains that it now does exactly the same as my laptop with the notification windows and is equally unusable when this occurs.

 

This seems to indicate that it is a W11 issue, but what it is has us foxed. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

 

Bob

[Chris Turnbull]

Which Dell desktop are you using?  I have a Dell Inspiron 3981 and have no such trouble. 

 

Chris Turnbull

[Izzy]

It’s a Dell 3470, 128SSD boot drive, 1TB HD docs. But considering it’s now happening on three different machines with W11 being the common factor we now believe that is the problem. 
 

Bob

[DIW]

Try this:

Click on the square logo thing in the taskbar.

If it is visible, click on the 'Settings' cog. If not, where it says 'search for apps, settings and documents' type 'Settings' and one of the first suggestions it gives is Settings app. Click on that.

Now the settings dialogue window thingy should open. On the left side column click 'System' (it may have opened on that already).

When it is in 'System', in the right-hand column click 'Notifications'.

There is all sorts of stuff you can play with in there to reduce the number of messages popping up in the bottom right of your screen but in the first instance I suggest that you utilise the second item in the new right-hand column, called 'Do not disturb'. Set the slider to 'On', and cross your fingers.

Close the Settings window and cross your remaining fingers.

Hope this helps!

Dave

 

[Izzy]

Thanks, but we’ve tried messing with the notification settings with no result. Strangely it’s the do-not-disturb one that often kicks it all off by turning itself on! I’m beginning to consider it’s a touchpad driver conflict issue since the desktop wi-fi keyboard also has one, we don’t use a mouse. Just puzzled why no one else seems to have this problem, only us. Hm.

 

Bob

[melmerby]

It must be something in the settings as my Win 11 machine (home built) doesn't do it.

 

Is it possible something has been "agreed to" accidentally during set up?

If so it should be reversible.

MS does keep trying to push things onto you, so I always decline any optional features.

Like using an account to sign on with. I do have an MS account* but I'm not going to use it to sign on, so stick to a local account.

If anything's any use I can always add it later.

 

* you can link the licence to the account which makes swapping licences from one machine to another a doddle.

[Chris Turnbull]

Have you tried restarting in Safe Mode?  If the problem persists in Safe Mode then you have a Windows problem.  If the system runs well in Safe Mode, the problem lies with a driver, a start-up service or some other programme loaded beyond the Windows basics.  If you do decide to try Safe Mode then stick to the mildest form, Diagnostic mode.

 

Please note: Safe Mode is not for the faint-hearted.

 

Chris Turnbull