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.

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SoftTalker 21 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Is windows even really that important to Microsoft anymore? I get that most people still think of it as the flagship product but isn’t that azure and cloud now?

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Retz4o4 21 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Then what’s the best option? (Other than to not play)

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Wowfunhappy 21 hours ago | parent [-]

Windows LTSC.

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wkat4242 20 hours ago | parent [-]

LTSC is not as good as it used to be. There's no "all telemetry off" button, there's still a Windows store in the latest version. You still can't turn updates off. I guess you can do these things in group policies but it used to be much better in the gui.

Ps yes I'm using the IoT Enterprise LTSC. Not the non IoT

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Wowfunhappy 19 hours ago | parent [-]

It's true that you can't turn disable software updates without a registry edit, but those updates are purely security patches and nothing else. Although I do believe on principle that users should always be able to control updates, there's really not a lot to complain about here. (And you can control the updates, with a registry edit.)

> there's still a Windows store in the latest version.

There is? Not in mine.

I just double checked, I'm running Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024, which appears to still be the latest.

	▲	wkat4242 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'm running the Win10 version (the latest for that). I will doublecheck, I'm sure I saw the windows store. Mainly running it because my skylake NUC is no longer supported by Win11. And it still works totally fine for programming microcontrollers. And I do want updates, I just want to decide when to install them. Not that "install before next tuesday or we will do it for you" mafia bullshit.