The 2025 Operating System Thread

[lti]

I'm on Windows 10 primarily. I wanted to be on Linux by now, but every distro I've tried seems to be broken in different ways on my main desktop. They all work fine on other computers, so I don't know what's going on. The last one was Mint 22, which locks up randomly (requiring me to hold down the power button to shut it off). I really don't want Windows 11, so I'm going to have to figure out what's wrong or "just buy a new one" (which will never see Microsoft software). My plan now is to run Linux on my main desktop and have my laptop dual-boot Linux and Windows 10 (maybe 11 if I need to, but 10 is working for video capture - I don't want to break a working system).

Of course, there's still the old stuff running Windows 98 or XP. I might screw around with 2000 at some point. The one computer I had running 7 is with my mom now (dual-booted with Lubuntu for web browsing, which works great).

Its tragic how bad windows search became over the years, like seriously Microsoft if I wanted a result from the web I'd use my browser. Worse yet it's powered by bing! 🤢

What really annoys me is that the start menu in Windows 8 and later is complete shit (listing all icons in alphabetical order with huge blank space between them, requiring excessive scrolling - either spinning the scroll wheel for 30 seconds or trying to drag that stupid 3-pixel-wide scroll bar that everyone is using now), so searching for a program name was faster than trying to find the shortcut. Recently, that stopped working. Searching for the program name is now a 50/50 chance of actually opening the program or opening Edge and running a Bing search for the program name. I turned off the search bar so I wouldn't keep trying to use it like an idiot.

[R_J]

I marked the first dot just to view the vote so I voted for windows 11 by mistake, I use windows 7 mostly and windows xp for somethings

[sam_sam_sam]

Windows 7 for my battery testing machine I could even use Windows XP if I had a working and stable computer to run on it but right now I do not
I have one Window 11 machine right now I do not use it very much right now but when I get a new version of the 3D printer that has auto leveling then I will be using a lot more but this is down the road maybe in the middle of this year or a little bit later than this

To me Window 7 still has it where you can control most things in the operating system but after this version they hid just about everything I do not like this at all or almost impossible to find it

[left_cap]

You can remove the copilot app and kill the trending searches....not sure where else it would lay....but what do I know.... This message brought to you from Mint 22.... 😌

Its tragic how bad windows search became over the years, like seriously Microsoft if I wanted a result from the web I'd use my browser. Worse yet it's powered by bing! 🤢

[Topcat]

win11 now has mandatory AI asistant.
i look forward to people posting "i'm sorry, i cant let you do that HAL"

You can remove the copilot app and kill the trending searches....not sure where else it would lay....but what do I know.... This message brought to you from Mint 22.... 😌

[stj]

win11 now has mandatory AI asistant.
i look forward to people posting "i'm sorry, i cant let you do that HAL"

[Topcat]

Primarily Windows 10, that is what is on my main personal laptop and desktop (and will be at least until EOL and possibly longer). My work laptop has windows 11 🤮 (Enterprise) since I got a new one in October and they are putting windows 11 images on all new PCs. I've got one HTPC still running Windows XP (due to some audio/video software on it), one running Windows 10, and one running Ubuntu. My NAS is running TruNAS core, and have a laptop running Ubuntu and another running Mint. Of course, I have other retro and experimental systems running other OSs, but that is the semi-regularly used stuff.

10 and 11 are pretty much on par with being pukey.... GUI-wise, it boggles my mind why MS took away the ability to move the taskbar, I always like it vertically on the right side of the display....a feature that goes all the way back to windows 95.....why the fluck they thought it was a good idea to remove that ability I have no idea.

There is a project on MDL called: "Bypass Windows 7 Extended Security Updates Eligibility" it still works to this day...

Good to know... The only win7 systems I have left are not connected to the outside world, so I really don't worry too much about their security issues. My HTPC's are Win7.....forgot about them in the original post. They run WMC and with some mods play ISO's off my NAS....and can use any of those 'big green button' IR remotes....it's worked for ~15yrs without a single issue, never saw the need to change them.

[Per Hansson]

cant you just set the registry to identify as the embeded version still?

That only works for Windows XP

[stj]

cant you just set the registry to identify as the embeded version still?

[Per Hansson]

ORLY? Do tell...

There is a project on MDL called: "Bypass Windows 7 Extended Security Updates Eligibility" it still works to this day...

[Topcat]

Windows 7 on my main system and work laptop.
It is still possible to install security updates intended for Server 2008 R2 x64 on Win7 x64: it has extended support contract via premium assurance till January 2026

ORLY? Do tell...

[stj]

i voted.
penguin power.

[dmill89]

Primarily Windows 10, that is what is on my main personal laptop and desktop (and will be at least until EOL and possibly longer). My work laptop has windows 11 🤮 (Enterprise) since I got a new one in October and they are putting windows 11 images on all new PCs. I've got one HTPC still running Windows XP (due to some audio/video software on it), one running Windows 10, and one running Ubuntu. My NAS is running TruNAS core, and have a laptop running Ubuntu and another running Mint. Of course, I have other retro and experimental systems running other OSs, but that is the semi-regularly used stuff.

[Per Hansson]

Windows 7 on my main system and work laptop.
It is still possible to install security updates intended for Server 2008 R2 x64 on Win7 x64: it has extended support contract via premium assurance till January 2026

[Topcat]

What OS are you running these days? I am down to 3 Windows workstations and one Windows Server on my LAN, everything that doesn't have a windows-specific need has been moved to Linux. Printing abilities with my large document centers are Linux's kryptonite; the reason for 2 of the Windows machines. The third machine still has Win7 on it, and isn't connected to the outside world. It has tons of software on it I use for diagnostics and updating various hardwares. My main rig is still Win10 Enterprise, so I had to vote Win10 in the poll...but I have overwhelmingly more linux machines than windows now.

This poll is for PC's. I don't care about your phone.