To get started with W11

[koopa990]

From what I know, I want to use Rufus for installing and setting up Windows. Then use Chris Titus tool to remove/disable some intrusive stuff. 

Also, should I go with Window LTSC instead of Pro/home edition? I am asking because I have games that requires Xbox connectivity service. Including MS store too?

[Dedayog]

25 minutes ago, koopa990 said:

From what I know, I want to use Rufus for installing and setting up Windows. Then use Chris Titus tool to remove/disable some intrusive stuff. 

Also, should I go with Window LTSC instead of Pro/home edition? I am asking because I have games that requires Xbox connectivity service. Including MS store too?

I use Win11 Pro and XBOX without issue.  

 

I also just installed it from the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. 

 

 

[koopa990]

Just now, Dedayog said:

I use Win11 Pro and XBOX without issue.  

 

I also just installed it from the Microsoft Media Creation Tool. 

 

 

Just want to use 11 without any of the intrusive stuff like telemetry 

[Dedayog]

1 minute ago, koopa990 said:

Just want to use 11 without any of the intrusive stuff like telemetry 

You can turn that off in settings, if you trust that they actually do it.

 

Conversely, if you use Rufus... can you trust it won't be engaged behind the scenes in a future update?

[whispous]

I think you're overthinking it. You do not need to use Rufus, in fact, doing so to get a vanilla install of Windows 11 can only introduce potential timewasting.

Just install it using the Media Creation tool to make the USB stick, and then think of de-clutter from there.

[koopa990]

1 minute ago, whispous said:

I think you're overthinking it. You do not need to use Rufus, in fact, doing so to get a vanilla install of Windows 11 can only introduce potential timewasting.

Just install it using the Media Creation tool to make the USB stick, and then think of de-clutter from there.

Anything I can do or use afterwards?

[Dedayog]

4 minutes ago, koopa990 said:

Anything I can do or use afterwards?

I turn off telemetry in settings, then adjust Updates to my schedule as well as turn off Windows installing drivers thru updates.

 

Cortana/Copilot... off

 

Location.... off

 

Advertising... off

 

You can do all that in Windows setup as it installs, just turn it all off.

[podkall]

2 hours ago, Dedayog said:

You can turn that off in settings, if you trust that they actually do it.

 

Conversely, if you use Rufus... can you trust it won't be engaged behind the scenes in a future update?

There's other programs, and there's things updates can't unblock, like Host entries.

[Lurking]

So you don't trust MS, but you trust a random tool put up (and likely not maintained) by a random guy on github? 

Even if that guy is legit and the tool is good, what if someone takes over that github page and injects their malicious code and now you give it root access? 

 

Anything such tools do you can do yourself. But then you know what it is you do. I've read many tests of similar tools and in some cases they speed up your PC by disabling security features. I also had used such tools (like shutup 10 etc.) just to end up having problems weeks later and then spending days to figure out what setting i had to revert that the tool had changed. and in my young XP years I used ccleaner to "optimize" my PC, just to have to re-install Windows. After some "optimizations" I got really fast installing Windows.   

 

And anything that tool changes may be undone by a future W11 update anyway. At best those tools are snake oil. 

 

I made myself a cheat sheet with the settings I need to change manually on a new Windows installation. it is one page and takes maybe 20 minutes. 

 

[koopa990]

Reviving this thread...

 

What about windows LTSC? I'm not going to run into general  problems if I have LTSC? Like missing dependencies and stuff. I know I may have to reinstall MS store and Xbox stuff for games. I also heard I can simply install the missing stuff, if needed, without issues 

[Lurking]

3 hours ago, koopa990 said:

Reviving this thread...

 

What about windows LTSC? I'm not going to run into general  problems if I have LTSC? Like missing dependencies and stuff. I know I may have to reinstall MS store and Xbox stuff for games. I also heard I can simply install the missing stuff, if needed, without issues 

AFAIK an LTSC will stay static at a specific version and just get security/bug updates and not new features that come with the new annual updates (i.e. 25H2). So if you install 24H2 LTSC, that is what it will be for 5 or 10 years. I don't know if that could become a problem if in 2 years you get a new GPU or something that may want 25H2 or so. 

 

There is an Enterprise and IOT LTSC version. I think IOT has 10 years till EOL. 

 

The problem you may run into, MS doesn't officially sell those to normal people. So you have to get more creative to activate them. I don't know if regular keys work. Probably not. 

 

i think already going to Enterprise would be a benefit since at work where we use Enterprise, MS doesn't include all the widgets, news spam etc. I bet if they sold Enterprise as the normal version, many people would be happy with Windows for not getting all the spam. 

[koopa990]

14 hours ago, Lurking said:

AFAIK an LTSC will stay static at a specific version and just get security/bug updates and not new features that come with the new annual updates (i.e. 25H2). So if you install 24H2 LTSC, that is what it will be for 5 or 10 years. I don't know if that could become a problem if in 2 years you get a new GPU or something that may want 25H2 or so. 

 

There is an Enterprise and IOT LTSC version. I think IOT has 10 years till EOL. 

 

The problem you may run into, MS doesn't officially sell those to normal people. So you have to get more creative to activate them. I don't know if regular keys work. Probably not. 

 

i think already going to Enterprise would be a benefit since at work where we use Enterprise, MS doesn't include all the widgets, news spam etc. I bet if they sold Enterprise as the normal version, many people would be happy with Windows for not getting all the spam. 

So it's potential driver issues if I were to upgrade something? 

[Lurking]

5 hours ago, koopa990 said:

So it's potential driver issues if I were to upgrade something? 

In Windows (unlike Linux), drivers are separate from the Kernel and you usually install them separately. So no new drivers might not be an issue. 

 

But you could miss out on some modifications W11 implements with 27H2 or so. It probably isn't an issue for years to come, though. Especially if you don't buy a new GPU in 2029 and you still are on 24H2. but i suspect if you buy a new MB in 2028, you would install the 28H2 as your LTSC and don't re0use an old 24H2 or so. 

 

 

The LTSC are meant for static systems that don't change a lot. if you get the newest hardware all the time, it may be less suitable.