Windows 11 22H2 is almost here. Is it ready for the enterprise?

The second coming of Windows 11 is almost upon us. Is it worth chancing an upgrade? We took a look at the latest release preview of 2022's take on Microsoft's flagship operating system. Windows 11 launched in October 2021 with some controversial changes. The first was a considerably reduced list of compatible hardware ( …

[Wade Burchette]

Local account

"Slightly more worrying for consumers, however, is that users will require a Microsoft account in order to set up a Windows 11 system."

A workaround that once worked, no longer works for 11 Home. My workaround was after the first restart to disconnect the ethernet cable; if you had WiFi only, do not check the box to automatically connect. Being the morally bankrupt people that they are, Microsoft took that away in 11 Home. Still haven't tested it in 11 Pro. Still, the "net user" commands still work to create a local account.

I suggest everyone here continually send Microsoft negative feedback about forcing people to use a Microsoft account. I repeatedly do this, and always say it is high priority. Furthermore, I do not use language that would cause it to go straight to the bin. But I do make it a strong point to tell them how morally wrong this is, and there is no ethical justification for it. All of need to spam Microsoft's feedback about this.

[43300]

Re: Local account

I knew about this with the home version, but the articule implies that it's also the case with the pro / enterprise versions in the new release. Can anyone confirm? A very bad idea if so - there are a number of circumstances where I need to set up work computers with local accounts.

[D@v3]

Re: Local account

I have just this week had to rebuild a machine, so clean install from media, not an upgrade, and wasn't given the option to have a local account. We do all have 'windows' accounts, but it's a pain having to link new devices to a 365 account, before you can join it to the domain, instead of just using a local account.

We are in the process of deploying a load of new hardware anyway, as it is time for a refresh, (laptops and some desktops), so we are taking advantage of that to phase a rollout of 11.

So far, very few issues. Some of our users are extremely technophobic, and many of them haven't even noticed the change, so I'm not sure what kind of people the article is expecting to need to retrain to use a slightly different GUI.

The biggest annoyance for us so far has been that 11 was delivered as an 'update' so the users are able to do it without our interaction. Fortunately very few have (so far).

[43300]

Re: Local account

Is this the current pro / enerprise version of W11? If so then there definitely is an option, although they make it difficult to find!

We manage most of our computers through either WSUS or Intune, both of which allow us to hold the machines at W10 and the W11 update isn't offered. There are a few standalone ones, but fortunately most of them don't meet the W11 hardware requirements!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Local account

I heard _rumours_ that the 'no local account' rule will be enforced ALSO on pro. Obviously enterprise is a different story, but _I bet_ MS are working hard on how to solve this... problem.

[hoola]

Re: Local account

They don't need to for Enterprise as pretty much everyone is using Azure AD with M365. It is already there.

There will be some exceptions but if they are big enough they will be able to get some sort of workaround.

[Lon24]

Re: Local account

Is there any point reminding them that despite not liking Microsoft's decision - you haven't gone away.

I haven't heard of any major enterprises jumping ship so they can continue to use their existing hardware fleet. The message to Microsoft is they can upset you in so many ways for there own benefit without losing market - except, perhaps against ChromeOS in education.

Enterprises escaping the Microsoft trap is hard and expensive in the short term. Probably harder and more expensive as time goes by. Few will take the certain pain now for any future benefit elsewhere.

Significant shift in Windows share of the corporate desktop will only come when new disruptors with no Windows heritage grow to become significant global corporations. But then these will probably be using server AI apps to displace the need for any wetware driven desktop. Hence windows can maintain its share of a declining market while trying to grab that cloud based server market to maintain and even enhance revenues.

[aerogems]

Re: Local account

Can't say for sure if this will go away in the update, but at least on the current Win11, you can create a local user once you've installed and then just ignore the other account, or use it as the backup admin account. It's an extra couple of steps, but if you're already ripping out the ethernet cable, you're clearly motivated enough to do this.

[hoola]

Re: Local account

Whilst I understand where you are coming from consider the following for the average consumer:

Most people will already have an account if they have a mobile phone (Google or Apple accounts) so a Microsoft account is just another sign-up

Many will already have an M$ account from X-Box or Office so again, it is not an issue

Most people using Windows 10 will have setup an M$ account if they did not have one as that was the most obvious route.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Local account

that workaround no longer works around, but a few others still do (narrow search to those in 2022). For now. I went through that 'extra-special' steps (cmd) the other day, following one or two videos on youtube. 11 Pro, by the way. On pie. Just because I could. As expected, the 'experience' was as expected (shit), and from there, it went downhill.

Sadly, from general experience with human species: 99.99% of users, when MS 'asks' them to enter their MS account details while setting up, they will do it. Or - will open one there. Mission accomplished.

p.s. I presume a good few / a few good lawyers will get a decent bonus when their 'enraged' clients take MS to court over this and win. Fast forward 10 years, MS pays and fast forward another 10 years, MS change the option to set up to yet another near-impossible-to-find, at which point a good few / a few good lawyers...

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I do not use language that would cause it to go straight to the bin

I have no metrics, just gut feeling but... methinks they ALL go to the bin. It's like with barocco style, all those appendices that once served a purpose (feedback, suggestions, common sense) are a window(s) dressing. They already know that you already know that when you enter this MS... store, the reality inside is... different. So, what are you gonna do about it? Well, enter / open MS account of course!

[X5-332960073452]

Re: Local account

Last time I set an 11 laptop, the shift + F10 option for command prompt and running task manager to kill network flow had been prevented.

Got to the MS Acc setup, typed fuckoff for user and microsoft for password, oops something went wrong, local account was then offered

[BobChip]

MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

They've B***DY gone and done it again!

My move to Linux a decade ago was triggered by MS dropping support for (1) a large format - 1.5 metre roll feed - technical drawing printer which we used for CAD output, AND, simultaneously, (2) my personal Minolta 35 mm film scanner. Neither were supported in a Win 8 environment, but, believe it or not, both worked still perfectly in an Ubuntu environment, with the manufacturers producing Linux drivers. We were talking about £ 000s of kit here, not something to be casually replaced.

About 3 years ago (I'm now retired) my Minolta scanner died, and after some research I replaced it with an Epson V600 - not quite as good as the Minolta for film scanning, but still good enough for my needs, and properly supported by Epson with Linux drivers (plus Vuescan for Linux systems as well). I still work with an ex-colleague who also uses a V600, but in a Win 10 environment. He has just been told that the Win 11 upgrade he is being pushed to install will NOT support his Epson scanner. "advice" is to get a new machine that Win 11 will play nice with - at least £650! What are MS playing at? This is modern kit, not a relic of the dark ages.

We have arranged a visit when I will see just how much of his kit will play nice in Linux - it is all looking good on paper so far - and will probably end up with me moving him onto Mint 20.3.

It is bad enough having MS trying to "own" your whole machine, but he is determined to make sure that they do not get to own his whole budget as well!

[aerogems]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

Kinda sounds like the device maker stopped updating their drivers for Windows. For you the end result is the same, but it's not really something Microsoft has control over. You can yell and scream at Microsoft all day, but it's kind of like yelling at a goldfish for losing a foot race.

[ChrisC]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

"but it's not really something Microsoft has control over"

Depends on whether or not the problem is caused by changes MS have made to the way drivers interact with the system - in theory, so long as you can still physically connect the peripheral to the PC, then it ought to be possible to continue using the original drivers to drive said peripheral so long as the OS lets you, because the hardware hasn't changed, the original drivers haven't changed, so the only thing left that could change and break stuff is the OS. At which point the ball would very definitely be back in MS's court.

Problems can also arise due to MS messing around with how Windows deals with new devices when they're first connected, which can make it harder than it ought to be to even attempt to install older drivers - when I tried connecting my old Canon Pixma inkjet to my new W11 laptop, as soon as I plugged in the USB cable (noting that at this point I hadn't tried to pre-install any of the old Canon drivers I still had lying around), 11 was automatically enumerating it as being something other than a printer rather than simply deciding, as it ought to have done, that it actually had no idea what it was I'd plugged in and leaving it listed as an unknown device in need of manual driver installation. You know, a bit like how older versions of Windows used to behave when new stuff got connected. Again, that's on MS and MS alone.

[Snake]

Re: Blaming MS...because it's fashionable

"... then it ought to be possible to continue using the original drivers to drive said peripheral so long as the OS lets you, because the hardware hasn't changed, the original drivers haven't changed, so the only thing left that could change and break stuff is the OS. At which point the ball would very definitely be back in MS's court.

Problems can also arise due to MS messing around with how Windows deals with new devices when they're first connected, which can make it harder than it ought to be to even attempt to install older drivers...

Why? Is this any different than any other OS, where a new version of the OS can / may demand new drivers?? Especially since it is well known that Windows moved away from universal drivers in W10, required driver signing, and updated many APIs?

[aerogems]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

Counterpoint: Microsoft needs to be able to make changes to the driver model to address concerns such as security or increased functionality. USB didn't even exist until around the Windows95/98 transition period, AGP SATA didn't come along until after that, PCIe after that... It's Microsoft's job to publish the necessary information people need to write/update drivers to the new API, which they have done. It's then the device makers who need to take that info and make sure they have working drivers.

However, since drivers tend to be something of a black hole for device makers, who make money off selling hardware, not writing software, it frequently happens that the company doesn't want to sink money into updating the drivers after they stop selling that particular bit of hardware.

However again, if Microsoft never updated their driver model to address new types of hardware that didn't exist previously or security concerns, people would complain about that. If malware authors could exploit security flaws in the driver model to get ring 0 access to the system, people would rightfully be upset about that. So, which set of competing concerns should take priority? What is the proper balance to strike between all of these interests?

[ChrisC]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

"So, which set of competing concerns should take priority? What is the proper balance to strike between all of these interests?"

How about prioritising the needs and desires of the users, especially given how much effort MS have put into trying to encourage/coerce/hoodwink people into switching first to 10 and now to 11, rather than being happy to just leave them alone to use whichever older version they were happy with?

Make the default mode of operation safer and more secure by all means, but don't take away the ability of users to use older drivers if they choose to do so. Stick the option to enable this in the back of a locked filing cabinet in a disused toilet etc. etc. if that's what it takes to prevent the unwary from stumbling across it and unknowingly opening up their system to all manner of attacks, just make sure the option is at least available *somewhere* for those who are very much aware of what it means to enable it.

[aerogems]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

Which set of users? People who think exactly like you? People who think like random bloke on the street? Enterprise users? And what happens if the only way you can make something more secure is by breaking compatibility?

Think of it like the evolution of restrictions on software. First there was the DOS days where every app had full and complete access to the entire system and could directly access the hardware. This is good for game developers, since the closer to the "bare metal" they can get, the faster they can make the game run. However, this also made it really easy for malware authors of the era to practice their craft. So along comes Win95 (we'll ignore the NT line for now) and Microsoft starts strongly encouraging developers to use this shiny new driver model instead of directly accessing the hardware. They can't actually enforce that rule, because the DOS underpinnings of the OS won't allow it. So, a lot of developers just sort of ignore it and keep on doing what they've been doing, and malware is still able to spread pretty easily. Then comes XP, where Microsoft finally took the DOS line of Windows out behind the shed and put it out of its misery. XP is based on the NT lineage which was intended more for the enterprise and enforces the "thou shalt not access hardware directly" commandment with an iron fist. Now all of a sudden all the apps that would bypass Windows and access hardware directly won't run. Microsoft has been telling them for the last 3 or so Windows releases to expect this change, but they chose to ignore it, but of course all the end user sees is that they upgraded their OS and now all of a sudden Favorite App X doesn't work, so they mistakenly blame Microsoft when they did everything they could (within reason) to keep app devs from doing that sort of thing. Along the way since then, Microsoft has made further refinements, which sometimes means breaking things. You can't replace the insulation in your house without ripping out the walls first.

Also, it's good to remember how things have progressed. In the DOS days, device support was generally built into the app. So you might get a new printer and then find that WordPerfect doesn't know how to communicate with it and you're stuck either going back to the old printer or shelling out for an updated version of WordPerfect (assuming there was one). Then comes WindowsNT and 95 and the whole effort to get people away from directly accessing the hardware resulted in the driver model as we think of it today. Now even older apps could potentially use newer hardware, but it also kind of shifted the burden of driver development from app makers to hardware makers. As ne'er do-wells are prone to do, they've found ways to exploit this privileged access over the years and Microsoft has spent a lot of effort plugging those holes, but sometimes you have to just rip everything out and start from scratch, which is largely what they did with Vista and part of why everyone hated it so much. All that cheap ghost shift hardware from China suddenly didn't work. It's sort of like having your wisdom teeth pulled. It's a painful and deeply unpleasant experience, but one that is ultimately necessary.

And as for your suggestion about letting people toggle some kind of switch. That would just end up being exploited by ne'er do wells. You might use it responsibly, but what happens when driver makers just get lazy and decide to tell everyone to enable this option to make their hardware work? Driver development is usually outsourced to the lowest bidder of an outsourcing firm anyway, which is why they usually look like the sort of thing you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. And unless you could somehow sandbox the entire process, which would probably break functionality, it'd have to be an all or nothing sort of proposition. If even one device needed that enabled, it would have to be enabled for all of them. Which makes your system open season for ne'er do wells. So, again, you may use it on some air gapped computer in a back room somewhere, but can you say for absolute certain that every other computer user would do the same?

I understand your position, no one likes having to toss out perfectly functional hardware that they had to mortgage their first born to buy, but Microsoft has to take a much more expansive view than just your particular use case and try to find a balance between a large number of competing desires and requirements.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

Only Microsoft thinks that feature complete drivers need to be updated over and over and over... But of course if you're going to keep buying thier software over and over and over....

[Tim99]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

I used to purchase a lot of scientific equipment. I noticed that after the Windows 8 debacle some manufacturers stopped using Windows for instrument control. Now many embed a small web server, which can talk to Windows, an iPad, Chrome etc. Typically the generated data is still manipulated by Windows, but is stored in a defined format, with a simple storage and transmission protocol to/from the equipment. I have personal experience of some equipment that never went back into full service after a Windows update borked the network stack causing a catastrophic failure of a high vacuum system.

[david 12]

Re: MS dropping peripherals support - AGAIN

The problem is the cost of getting driver signing from MS. Also just the inconvenience of getting the developer account, but mostly the straight out cost of doing so.

Windows 10 and 11 just don't allow ordinary users to use unsigned drivers, and if you want signed drivers, there has to be enough paying customers.

[Anonymous Coward]

plus Vuescan

If you use already Vuescan or Silverfast they are going to support older scanners on Windows as well.

On the other hand support in Linux for high-end photo printer is abysmal - once again you need a separate solution like TurboPrint with the risk of losing a lot of features.

Anyway you don't have to to rely on Windows messages for supported hardware - it just means it doesn't have a driver ready - but the V600 is supported by Epson under Windows 11

https://epson.com/Support/Scanners/Perfection-Series/Epson-Perfection-V600-Photo/s/SPT_B11B198011?review-filter=Windows+11#drivers

So difficult to check on Epson site?

[ChrisC]

"users will still need retraining before venturing near the user interface – for reasons known only to Microsoft"

It's not just MS - this is a recurring theme with many UI redesigns across a variety of products from different companies. Seems to be a case of UI designers in general not being content until they've changed things sufficiently that the users *have* to pay attention to the changes one way or another, rather than simply continuing to use the new UI without giving it a second thought...

*scene cross-fades to a design studio somewhere in central London*

"I say Tarquin, the latest focus group study shows our users are able to navigate the new UI almost as quickly as the old one, am I reading this report correctly?"

"I know Lavinia, I know, something's gone terribly wrong here, what can we do to make their lives miserable again?"

"What ho Tarqs, Lavvie, wouldn't it be a splendid wheeze if we, you know, just move *everything*?"

"And change the colours to be less contrasty whilst we're at it?"

"What about removing some of the visual cues users rely on to know which parts of the UI can be interacted with?"

"My god, I think we've got it! Quick, get those changes pushed into production - no, skip the test phase, this is TOO important to delay - and away to the wine bar we go for a celebratory drinkie-poos"

*credits roll*

Yes yes, I know, hideous stereotyping of graphics design people there. But you know what, after suffering the effects of their handiwork in various products I use on a daily basis over the past few years, my ability to be nice to them is practically exhausted, and I now regard them as fair game for whatever levels of ridicule and scorn get thrown their way by users fed up beyond our capacity to cope as we struggle with UI design changes that offer so much less than they take away.

[Jellied Eel]

WTF?

Similarly, Windows 11 22H2 will also try to install its updates when the local electricity supply is coming from renewable sources, assuming it has access to data feeds with that information.

So of all the potential improvements possible for an MS OS, it wasted carbon on virtue signalling?

It's a huge assumption given AFAIK that information doesn't exist, and there aren't really any plans (other than maybe marketing) to supply that data. 'Smart' meters don't do it, they're just there to allow 'demand management'.

Even if the data were available, it'd lead to interesting situations. So-

http://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/index.php

Wind has been low due to the err.. weather. So MS issues a critical update, power manager sees you're running on gas, and postpones the update. On the other hand, I guess MS could collect a lot of detailed power supply and usage data. Given the current energy crisis, that could be rather valuable.

[DS999]

Re: WTF?

How much power can an update even use? If knowing when your utility power is coming from renewable sources is actually possible I'd be all for implementing it, but with things where that really matters like charging electric cars. Probably less power would be used to update my whole city's worth of Windows PCs than to fully charge one Tesla.

Now for those who have solar panels and don't have net metering, using renewable power when you have it can save you money. But unless you are at work, you probably don't want your PC updating when the sun is shining.

[Jellied Eel]

Re: WTF?

How much power can an update even use?

Good question. And I've been thinking about this. So I guess it depends. Especially on my assumptions.

So assume I'm environmentally friendly. I know that leaving things on stand-by means it's still using power. So I hit DBRB when I'm done. So Win11 already allows 'off-peak' updates, ie you can schedule between say, 3-4am. PC can wake from sleep, do it's thang, and sleep again. Except when it doesn't, but MS is as MS does*.

So how then would the PC know 97% green electrons are available NOW! and it should wake up, update, and shut down again. So I guess if electro-sensitives want to take advantage of this new, green feature, they'll end up using more energy to keep their PC's in sleep mode. And much more if the update doesn't return their PC to sleep, or shut down.

So I think the answer would be some small fraction of a penny or cent. A more interesting question is the value to MS. So it would know the timing. It would know your energy supplier. It could combine data to give you a nice notification that the last update cost you 0.003p, but if you switched to Bulb Energy, it would only have cost you 0.0027p!**

I'd be all for implementing it, but with things where that really matters like charging electric cars.

That's coming. Kind of. So new UK home charging installations are supposed to be run via a seperate 'Smart' meter. The 'smart' being the ability to go 'nope!', or charge a higher tariff. Fuel duty has to be replaced with something. And if 'smart' consumers decide to just plug into their normal supply, telemetry & black boxes mandated to all new cars would report the duty evasion.

Now for those who have solar panels and don't have net metering, using renewable power when you have it can save you money.

That's really the use case for solar, ie use the energy you're getting for 'free' while it's available. But it's probably also a use case where the feature won't work in Win11, Even though your solar panels are generating 100% 'renewable' energy, there'd be no way to signal that to the PC. Ok, with some creative engineering that may or may not be to code, you can. So run solar to a UPS, run PC off that, and have a changeover so you're not using grid power whilst solar is available. So then if the PC's set up on a 'solar only' power segment, if it's got power, it's on renewable.

(why you'd want to go to those lengths is a seperate question. It won't be compatible with Win11 though.)

*I think PCs afflicted by the MS virus develop insomnia. You put them to sleep, but sometimes they'll wake again and wait patiently for their user input.

**Terms and conditions apply. Price indicated is for our special introductory tariff. After your initial 30min trial, you will be re-enrolled in a 720 month, variable tariff contract. Lubrication not included. So when 'renewable' subsidies are ended, your 100% renewable contract may result in frequent power cuts and far, far higher prices.

[MatthewSt]

Re: WTF?

7kwh for home car charging (11-22kwh if you're lucky enough to have 3 phase). A lot of home chargers now support being remotely guided to charge during "green" times. No harm in PCs doing the same thing though. It's not always about renewable, but the supply and demand too.

Have a look at something like https://carbonintensity.org.uk/ for details

[hoola]

Re: WTF?

So why do I want my PC deciding when to start up and then install updates or running in some sort of comatose state so that it knows when to patch,

I just don't believe it will have any net benefit but will permit yet more data gathering.

I refuse to have a Smart Meter, they don't save power. I already know what is on and in the case of my Microserver, how much power it uses.,

My parent's were forced down the Smart Meter route when an ancient meter with a rotating wheel had to be changed. For a while they were afraid to turn stuff on because the stupid panel showed all sorts of horrendous costs and red bars. In the end I removed the stupid display and they they forgot about it.

Of course turning on the toaster, kettle or microwave uses lots of power, it is just intermittent..........

[aerogems]

I'm committed either way

I just got a shiny new 12th Gen i7 system, so I'm committed to the Win11 ecosystem like it or not. I'd probably see a pretty significant performance decrease and lose access to the primary selling point of the 12th gen Core chips. Guess it's a good thing I really don't mind most of the changes to Win11. I actually like some of the file manager changes, like putting cut/copy/paste/delete functions as easier to access buttons at the top of the right-click menu. I wish they'd add the functionality for it to remember which virtual desktop it was on when being restored, but I only tend to reboot to install updates, so minor annoyance. The rest doesn't really bother me. I was using the Ctrl-Shift-Esc keyboard shortcut to get the task manager for so long I never even noticed the option in the taskbar until seeing El Reg mention it. I almost never use the start menu, having trained myself to use the search function which has come a long ways since Win8. A lot of people might be happier pinning Windows Tools to their start menu.

What I want to see more of, however, is Microsoft ripping out elements that have been around since the NT 3.1 days and put in native WinUI 3 replacements. I'm not a fan of the current visual style, but once you have everything running on the same graphics API you could add in functionality akin to GTK+ themes to change the visual appearance without messing with underlying functionality.

[R.O.]

Re: I'm committed either way

Committed?

Me, not so much. I have literally been with Windows since 3.1, but no more. As soon as allowed I am off to a MacBook Air.

The final straw was I couldn't use my microphone or camera unless I signed in with a Windows 11 MS account. F*** That! It's simply too much. (I did find a work around, later.)

Why have menus become multi tiered train wrecks?

But, there have been many more straws over the years. Why is simply looking at the firewall log a multi-step process every time you want to see it? What about these updates that break things instead of fix things?

Why did MS decide it was for my own good to erase my HTACCESS file every time I updated? (Apparently that doesn't happen anymore btw. ) On and on and on.

Meanwhile, MS marches ever onward towards a rentier capitalist predator economic model with subscription fees.

Anyway, I am done.

Maybe macOS is as dreadful as Windows, but at least I will have a fresh start and will the benefit of blissful ignorance for a year or two.

[Richard 12]

Re: I'm committed either way

macOS is far worse*.

Everything you listed above has been happening on macOS for longer.

With the added "benefit" that Apple force all developers to upload a copy of all their software so they can examine it before it is allowed** to be installed on any other Macs.

* By your definitions

** While it is still technically possible to avoid, it requires the end user to reboot their Mac in a test mode. Which they won't do.

[Anonymous Coward]

What is it with people ?

Rather than move to another platform, they stay with the one they dislike and think whining and wishing it better will make it so.

Almost the same way people would rather vote Tory in the hope they change than prompt the change by voting for someone ( anyone !!!) else.

[DS999]

Re: What is it with people ?

Because for the typical consumer there is really only one feasible alternative to Windows PCs, and you can't buy $300 Macs like you can buy $300 PCs.

For the people here, Linux PCs are technically feasible. But if they need to run Windows software (or are gamers) it isn't a good option.

Having never owned a Windows PC (Linux user since 1997) has the advantage of keeping me from ever getting into computer gaming and saving me a lot of money not buying higher end PCs with beefy graphics cards - not to mention the games themselves!

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What is it with people ?

You were so close to an up vote, but you couldn't help yourself and had to get in a pointless political jibe.

[ITS Retired]

Re: What is it with people ?

I moved to Linux. Don't even miss Microsoft. Reading articles and comments like here reinforces that I made the correct choice.

[BPontius]

Re: What is it with people ?

The comments only show people are unwilling to change or accept change, unwilling to learn.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What is it with people ?

it's the same with people as it is with people in all other areas, i.e. conveniance trumples inconveniance. People would rather drive than walk, they'd rather walk on flat ground, than go over hurdles. They/we'd rather click YES, FUCK ME NOW! (aka ACCEPT) when installing new soft, rather than read those 4646747 pages and find out why it will hurt. Let alone go to google search (where else), and find a soft that does more or less the same, but fucks you less. So, accept, accept, accept.

[Sub 20 Pilot]

Re: What is it with people ?

Some of us have specific programs that only run on Windows. No choice in the matter. Please get off your anally retentive high horse before you slag off people whose circumstances you have no clue about.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: What is it with people ?

Because people use applications, not operating systems.

[DrXym]

I hate the lack of task manager

It's very annoying to right mouse and not see that option. I made the taskbar align left and work more or less the same as 10 so I don't mind the default because I can change it. I think switching from spatially arranged tiles for a flowing list of favourite apps in the start menu was a terrible idea. I can live with it but I still hate it since I have about 30-40 apps all grouped in Windows 10 and it's all lost in 11.

[Falmari]

Re: I hate the lack of task manager

@DrXym Right mouse click on start icon calls up the WinX menu with task manager option hope that helps.

This task manager option has been there for years as far back as Win 7 and is really no different in convenience than right mouse click on taskbar.

[stiine]

Re: I hate the lack of task manager

Right-click taskbar to access the task manager was there for decades...

[BPontius]

Re: I hate the lack of task manager

Task manager is still available just right clicking on the start icon instead of the taskbar .Locate the task manager in Windows/System32 directory and pin it to the taskbar and/or create a short cut on your desktop. I still catch myself right clicking on the taskbar for it.

"Improvise, overcome, adapt." -Clint Eastwood, Heartbreak Ridge

[Gerhard den Hollander]

Much ado about nothing

I may be the odd one out here, but I was volunteered to be the Guinea pig to have his machine upgraded, but other than some cosmetic changed ( I like rounded corners, had them on Linux since kde2) and some changes to the start menu ( which don't really bother as I hardly use the start menu) I have not noticed anything much

[Potemkine!]

Is it ready for the enterprise?

Being ready isn't a reason sufficient enough to throw to the bin working perfectly working hardware, disorienting users and having to deal with all the usual problems of installing a new OS, losing a lot of time and money. I don't see there any killer feature worth the cost and the hassle.

Smart App Control

When something is called 'smart', beware the dumbness.

[Sub 20 Pilot]

For an OS that constantly requires gigabytes of downloaded upgrades and who knows how much wasted electricity worldwide to reboot / install / recycle etc. It is pretty laughable that they try to work out if you have a renewable electricity supply before inflicting crap on you.

If they had any thought for world emissions they would shut out 99 % of the crap that masqureades as a working OS and just let us pay for a system then bloody well use it.

[Beaten down IT GUY]

We have about 4000 desktops spread across 200 clients .. Windows 10 made Support in this environment a total pain in the butt .. Windows 11 is clearly worse ..

I remember the days when MS bragged about Total Cost of Ownership .. MS still is concerned with it .. Making it high as possible to line its pocket .. Maybe some day Linux will do to MS what MS did to Novel ..

One can dream ..