Win 11 total disaster

Question

Windows 11 has been an absolute disaster for me ever since the day I decided to install it. Today Windows broke my wifi module with an update and I can't take this anymore. If this trajectory continues I promise you I will spend countless hours of time and money into learning Linux and ditching Windows for good.

Installation:

What happened to the gigachad Microsoft that allowed you to install any Win OS in three clicks? I distinctively remember all I had to do was create partitions, format the drive and click install. It was easy, user friendly and respectful of the consumer. In my most recent Win 11 installation process I had to click through at least 20 bloatware ads for products and features nobody wants. I spent more time clicking no, opt-out, remind me later and cancel than I've spent actually installing the system. Who asked for this? Why are you shoving XBOX Game Pass for £9.99 in my face when I'm performing a clean OS installation?

Features:

What happened to the gigachad Microsoft that let you search for your actual files on the system, no matter how obscure and random it might have been? Are you looking for x9776t571io.dll? Hero you go my friend. I do not want to search the web when I'm looking for a file, if that's what I wanted I would be on Google.

I equally don't care about Cortana in the slightest. I have never used it and I never will. Same goes for co-pilot. I do not care about a subpar AI, I will just Google stuff.

Why can't I open two separate file explorers at the same time with ease, like I was able to 20 years ago? Why do I need to go through extra menus, right clicks and windows keys to have two file browsers open? Who asked for this?

Why are you so desperate to sell me OneDrive? I do not care and I never will. If there are sensitive files that I would like to back up the last thing I will do is upload it to some random data centre in Uzbekistan. Why would I introduce another layer of vulnerability when I can just back them up on a £5 pendrive on demand?

Why is my search bar full of random bloatware? This looks like an actual pop-up malware from 2006. Why does my search bar need to tell me to download Bubble Shooter HD?

Why do I have random widgets running in the background, hidden behind bloatware on my taskbar? I never asked for a weather app, never asked for pollen information, traffic incidents, ATP Indian Wells (whatever this is???) and I certainly did not ask for eBay shopping widgets. Why are these on my system, running in the background, taking up bandwidth and processing power? It's not that it affects my computer as I'm running the latest rig but the whole principle is just wrong. It should not be on my system in the first place. I can for sure guarantee you that nobody derives any utility from this feature so it should not exist in the best case scenario and you should ask for permission before bloating the system in the worst case scenario.

Windows **Updates:**Why do you need to roll out almost daily updates that ALWAYS break something on my system? Every single update breaks my headphones, introduces me to some wonderful new bloatware advert and reminds me to finish setting up my pc. Which of course means upselling subpar products that nobody wanted or asked for. What happened to the gigachad Windows that rolled out major and meaningful updates without any issues? I can't remember a single occurrence where an update bricked my headset from Win98, XP, 7 or 10. I need to reconfigure files and software settings every time there's an update. And why or how can a simple patch break my wifi module when I click Yes on your permission setting pop-up???? What kind of user experience is this dear 10x project manager?

Also why can't I install the OS anymore without online connection and an account? I mean yea I could in theory bypass it with the cmd by disabling the networks to force create a local user but who asked for this in the first place? What benefits me here as the consumer exactly because I'm pretty sure when I logged in with my account and performed a clean install, the OS suddenly asked me to activate Windows again so it's not an ease of use verification feature for sure.

**Usability:**Windows 11 is super counterintuitive and difficult to pilot. I was editing registry files when I was 12 and setting up virtual LAN networks to game with my friends but I swear to you, I can't for the life of me find basic settings at times. I mean Jesus Christ when I open Settings the home page tells me to try Microsoft 365 and Cloud Storage but all I'm doing is looking for the Control Panel. But of course, every single icon and menu looks the same so you have to read everything individually now in the modern minimalist grey background but of course Control Panel is not a listed feature anymore so now you have to directly search for it while staring at the ads. Why? Why do I need to watch ads on my own paid for OS when you, me and everybody else knows that I will never buy OneDrive, Game Pass or any other 365 products when I'm inside SETTINGS.

On top of this, every three days I get an uncancellable reminder to set up OneDrive. Do you understand how mad it is that there is no cancel or X button, only a remind me later?

**Final thoughts:**Spare me the LinkedIn cringe please, I don't lose my patience very often. I am baffled by Microsoft's new slop practices, telling me to buy 365 in settings after it keeps breaking my system Jesus Christ. You need to lay off your 10x marketeers and your 10x project managers who never used a personal desktop a single day in their lives. We love watching their day in the life TikToks we can see how much of a great talent pool you've managed to build lately.

Either way, if you want to disrespect consumers and mindlessly upsell that's fine, give me a barebone light version of Windows that wasn't made for children, you know the same product that managed to secure you market dominance in the first place. I swear to god I will preorder it the second you include it in your offers.

Answer 1

Hi sir has your system it's support

Answer 2

"I couldn't agree more. My experience with Windows 11 over the past two-and-a-half years has been a continuous nightmare of time-consuming, labor-intensive, and nerve-wracking struggles. I've frequently needed third-party assistance to repair system-induced damage. My once-organized filing system has devolved into a digital disaster, with files constantly shifting or disappearing, despite my persistent efforts to organize them.

Beyond the technical issues, I've noticed an aggressive, almost extortionist push towards Microsoft products. I held out on upgrading to Windows 11 for as long as possible, enduring relentless prompts. Then, one day, my PC simply ceased to function. I lost everything – thousands of files, well over half a terabyte of data. This was after repeated warnings from Microsoft that I might lose personal data, which would be unretrievable.

When I contacted Microsoft, demanding they help me recover my files, they stated they were gone and unretrievable, reiterating their warnings. Their solution for recovery? 'You need Windows 11.' It felt like a deliberate breakdown of my system to force a purchase. This is no different than a shady character demanding payment for the return of your own stolen property.

Remarkably, I did manage to recover my files – nearly a million and a half of them – but the refiling process is still ongoing, and my struggles continue daily. It feels like every action I take is met with obstacles, always accompanied by an 'easier' alternative: purchasing Microsoft 365.

Frequent pop-ups and interferences, often disguised as Google products, incessantly redirect me to Microsoft's versions, making them the default for my tasks. It's an insult, cheap and ridiculous. And every time this happens, I'm offered 'help' – a solution that involves fully committing to Microsoft 365 to avoid future issues. It’s a transparent shakedown: 'keep buying, or keep losing.' This constant pressure is a profound letdown.

This behavior, in my opinion, is a blend of schoolyard bullying tactics and corporate strong-arming, leveraging their monopolistic power. However, with the rapid advancements in technology and AI, more viable alternatives will inevitably emerge. When those platforms appear, Microsoft will face a mass exodus of clients who, like me, have suffered through their 'Windows 11 series.'

Microsoft seems more interested in extorting users than providing a quality product. They interrupt workflows and hinder productivity, constantly interjecting with prompts to purchase their services. Instead of spending resources on designing manipulative pop-ups, why not actually showcase the value of your products? This shortsighted approach will leave them isolated when better options arrive. They will only have themselves to blame for alienating customers with these virtual forms of malicious strong-arming and extortion. People need to be held accountable.

Consider the vast number of users, from elders to less tech-savvy individuals, who simply click 'yes' to these prompts. Microsoft must be generating billions from this audacious strategy. Instead of strong-arming, they should have teams dedicated to intelligent, soft-sell product presentations. Earn my money, don't demand it by crippling my system and forcing me to abandon my preferred tools. This modern-day mafia tactic, like a street vendor with a baseball bat, is beyond insulting.

This cannot last. Online reviews confirm my experience is far from unique. While I rarely complain, I can honestly say that for the past four months, roughly half of my daily work and creative output – out of seven hours online – has been consumed by fixing, adjusting, and troubleshooting issues directly caused by Windows 11. When you take away half a workday from people with financially driven malarkey, you will lose them. When options emerge, Microsoft will be to blame.

My computer is still in a state of disaster recovery, with ongoing efforts to patch various issues. Every road leads back to buying Microsoft 365, but I refuse to succumb. I will put in the extra hours of repair on principle.

To Microsoft: This is a significantly lower bar than expected from a company of your size and stature. Whoever is behind these marketing strategies needs to be sacked. You are losing your grip on your product and your connection with your clientele. We, the users, are your product, and when you screw that up, you're out."

Answer 3

I assure you it won’t take countless hours and days learning Linux. You actually spent more time writing your post about how bad Windows is than it would take to do a full Ubuntu Linux install.