Windows 11 is garbage

Rroff · 22 Dec 2023 at 23:24

GaryTheSnail said:
Really it does. Just use it how it is don’t customise it.

Why would I inflict a sub-optimal usage method on myself?

GaryTheSnail said:
I don’t need to I use their stuff without messing about. It’s others on here that should just go work for Microsoft. They can fix the problems that comes out every month, every year, every decade.

I mean I've at least competent Windows shell programming ability (as in the ability to create software in Windows using C++ using the Windows and Shell API, etc.) - I'd not bet against myself in terms of being able to fix most of these problems.

Rroff · 23 Dec 2023 at 02:54

On a kind of related note - this guy (previous MS developer) does some fascinating deep dives into building previous versions of Windows - you can really get a feel for the considerations they had when developing stuff which seems missing with the development of 10 onwards (he is also quite scathing at times of the approaches to 10 onwards).

ED209 · 23 Dec 2023 at 06:24

Armageus said:
Except on the occasions when updates break it, and you boot to no desktop
Happened twice to me with different updates before switching to StartAllBack

(But again it would be better if it wasn't just **** in the first place)

Yeah, I have had this a few times on my work laptop and I tend to not bother updating it anymore.

spile · 23 Dec 2023 at 06:38

It’s the inconsistency of settings/control panel and plethora of UIs that amazes me since it’s been years since W7 came out. They don’t seem to learn.

CaNsA · 23 Dec 2023 at 13:38

The thing that makes a good GUI and a good UX is less clicks to get where you want to go or do what you want to do.

I work in the tech space, everything on W11 has at minimum 2 extra clicks. Ignoring shortcut keys etc.

Also, stupid bloody copy/cut/paste icons..... Who thought that was a good idea.

Oh, and what happened to the good, simple volume mixer.
No more right click, volume mixer, simple UI.

ED209 · 23 Dec 2023 at 13:42

CaNsA said:
The thing that makes a good GUI and a good UX is less clicks to get where you want to go or do what you want to do.

I work in the tech space, everything on W11 has at minimum 2 extra clicks. Ignoring shortcut keys etc.

Also, stupid bloody copy/cut/paste icons..... Who thought that was a good idea.

Oh, and what happened to the good, simple volume mixer.
No more right click, volume mixer, simple UI.

I know what you mean, I do not work in IT but I deal with many PCs a day fixing issues with software or hardware problems remotely and the extra clicks add up over a course of a day lol

Drizmod · 23 Dec 2023 at 14:47

Actually the worst one I have come across is the removal of easy file association. In previous versions of Windows If I downloaded VLC player and went to settings to set up file associations to make all video files I click on to open in VLC it was literally a one click thing to do but now I cant do that in Windows 11 I have to go to settings > apps > Default Apps > VLC media player in windows and then select individually which type of file I want VLC to play!

Spleen Sauce · 23 Dec 2023 at 15:42

If it wasn't for gaming, I'd have binned it off entirely. For any productivity I tend to use my Mac.

Rroff · 23 Dec 2023 at 15:47

Drizmod said:
Actually the worst one I have come across is the removal of easy file association. In previous versions of Windows If I downloaded VLC player and went to settings to set up file associations to make all video files I click on to open in VLC it was literally a one click thing to do but now I cant do that in Windows 11 I have to go to settings > apps > Default Apps > VLC media player in windows and then select individually which type of file I want VLC to play!

Same with stuff like 7 Zip - pain now getting the file association with various compression formats setup correctly...

silvagti · 23 Dec 2023 at 16:48

I think the issue is that Microsoft has been forced to go down the advertisiing/storefront route and giving away the OS for free which seems to have turned it into an outright mess of pop-ups, ads and banners with nothing useful included to offset it.

Also, I don't know if monopoly rules are preventing it but, MS really need to start including better software like movie editiing, word processors, spreadsheets as it's really starting to look bare bones and lacking compared to what MacOS and Linux come with. Even Android/ChromeOS feels like it includes more useful productivity apps these days!For me the only advantage Windows 11 seems to offer over 10 is slightly better Window management on larger/multiple display.

I'm starting to find myself moving towards MacOS/IOS these days mainly because I'm starting to find the advertising funded model of Microsoft/Google really ruins them as an operating system. Whilst Apple is far from perfect I think they're business model (buy shiny expensive hardware and we'll include the OS/support as part of it) is more "honest" and better respects the privacy/time of it's users.

I think we'll see more users move towards ChromeOS and MacOS ditching Windows in the coming years if this doesn't change.

CaNsA · 23 Dec 2023 at 18:53

silvagti said:
I think the issue is that Microsoft has been forced to go down the advertisiing/storefront route

Doesn't explain why they're trying to make it feel like an android device.

They screwed up last time they tried to make mobile and desktop have the same gui.
Why are they doing it again.....?

ED209 · 23 Dec 2023 at 19:13

CaNsA said:
Doesn't explain why they're trying to make it feel like an android device.

They screwed up last time they tried to make mobile and desktop have the same gui.
Why are they doing it again.....?

Windows 8/8.1 was a nightmare and I avoided this until Windows 10 came out.

The UI on Windows 11 is terrible which is why I use explorer patcher to get the W10 look and quick launch back

mrk · 23 Dec 2023 at 23:28

Drizmod said:
The thing that annoys me a lot is the removal of "Show all system tray icons"

I mean you could just drag out of the flyout menu the icons to the main tray area and then all icons will always stay there. aka: Show all. I did this on day 1 and not a single time has another system tray icon not always shown in the main tray like it should have done:

Or just toggle here:

Ollie83 · 24 Dec 2023 at 04:40

Windows has always been garbage, this is no surprise

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Dec 2023 at 08:32

Ollie83 said:
Windows has always been garbage, this is no surprise

Are you a Linux user ?

Vertigo · 24 Dec 2023 at 09:02

mrk said:
I mean you could just drag out of the flyout menu the icons to the main tray area and then all icons will always stay there. aka: Show all. I did this on day 1 and not a single time has another system tray icon not always shown in the main tray like it should have done:

Or just toggle here:

I only discovered you could drag those icons around when I went searching for a solution after most of them disappeared from the above menu.

I have to deal with Microsoft stuff at work too and my personal mantra has always been "loads of functionality, zero usability".

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Dec 2023 at 09:10

Vertigo said:
I have to deal with Microsoft stuff at work too and my personal mantra has always been "loads of functionality, zero usability".

So out of the box with all updates do you not think it’s usable?

It’s probably a preference that people have that they want more stuff (which is fine) and things they used in the past are long gone.

I would personally say it’s usable once it’s been upgraded to 23H2 out of the box.

I’ve done a 23H2 usb boot for fresh format installs and now I don’t feel the need to shout at it any more. I did once upon a time though.

ED209 · 24 Dec 2023 at 09:27

GaryTheSnail said:
I’ve done a 23H2 usb boot for fresh format installs and now I don’t feel the need to shout at it any more. I did once upon a time though.

Does it still force you to create a Microsoft account or has it given you the option to create a local account?

Not had to install Windows 11 recently so unsure if this has changed.

Last time I did the command prompt option still worked.

Deleted member 77746 · 24 Dec 2023 at 10:19

ED209 said:
Does it still force you to create a Microsoft account or has it given you the option to create a local account?

Not had to install Windows 11 recently so unsure if this has changed.

Last time I did the command prompt option still worked.

Forcing you to create an account but I’ve got it so it allows me to create a local account as well from install.

You can still do the command prompt thing though.

Vertigo · 24 Dec 2023 at 10:26

GaryTheSnail said:
So out of the box with all updates do you not think it’s usable?

It’s probably a preference that people have that they want more stuff (which is fine) and things they used in the past are long gone.

I would personally say it’s usable once it’s been upgraded to 23H2 out of the box.

I’ve done a 23H2 usb boot for fresh format installs and now I don’t feel the need to shout at it any more. I did once upon a time though.

By "zero usability" I'm referring to Microsoft's interface design which is consitently awful. Nothing is obvious or intuitive and, whilst there's usually a way of doing something, actually finding out what it is is usually a nightmare.

Of course, once you get used to it and know where everything is, you're fine, but the "learning curve" is atrocious and very frustrating.

I thing the main gripe with Windows 11 isn't so much the few things that have actually been removed but rather the number of thing which have just been moved or changed for no apparent reason, which serves no purpose other than to frustrate users.
It's akin to your local supermarket rearranging the shelves every now and then just when you'd worked out where everything was.