Windows 11, how do I hate thee, let me count the ways...

eldergeek68 · Jan 9, 2025

Microsoft has abandoned us all after all our years of support. There hasn't been a worse operating system since Windows Millennium.
I'm one of the old Geeks. I've been here since 1982 on a Corona PC (and before that a Timex Sinclair). I've been one of the guinea pigs buying hardware and softrware and devoting my life and carrer to IT since then.
Please forgive my spelling and/or grammar. I have been retired for five years now. I am elderly, but still love technology, inspite of Microsoft. I still try to help my fellow elders with their technology issues, but Windows 11 makes it difficult to help even myself
Who let the Apple folks infiltrate Microsoft? Will you please STOP trying to be a freakin' MAC!!! We don't want to be a MAC. From someone who has, you can't administer a network or enterprise from a damn mobile device. Windows is NOT and should not be an OS geared for mobile devices. Do what you used to did best... be a stable OS with the best support there was.
I am going blind. Microsoft is not helping me. You can't even read anything on the screens for settings or administrative apps (if you still know how to get to them) because the fonts are so light, small and spread across pages instead of being on one screen before. Who in there freakin' mind thought you need to scroll across three pages to look at your display settings???? You should be sued under the Americans with Disability Act for what you have done to us. And we pay you for it!!!!
Look at my system specs. If Windows can't run on that reliably, tell me what the problem is. Don't tell me ever again to run DISM and SFC. I have to do that all too frequently these days.
I am not a gamer. In my last years of sight, I mainly use my PC for editing photos. Please give my hardware back to me! I absolutely hate what you have done to us Microsoft!

AND... I had to post this hear because I can't even see a way to post a new thread to the Mocrosoft Tech Community.

Dwarfr66 · Jan 10, 2025

Great whinge mate!

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 10, 2025

WIN 11 doesnt give me any issues and i modify it beyond recognition and forcing it onto machines that shouldn't support it so back to admin school for you i suggest.

glasskuter · Jan 10, 2025

This forum is in no way associated with Microsoft nor are its members. We are volunteers. But you must understand that microsoft owns the operating system and can do whatever they want to it. Users only have a license to use it. Neither is MS forcing you to use 11, or windows at all for that matter.
There were some things I didn't like at first, but with the help of this forum's tutorial section and taking the time to learn it, I am for the most part satisfied with 11....and I'm probably older than your are.

Hazel123 · Jan 10, 2025

Do you have a touchscreen? It’s easier to make things bigger quicker to get a closer view. Windows isnt as simple as it used to be but you can use it in a way that keeps it simple.

I’m with you on hardware there. I don’t want thin laptops - I want chunky ones with everything inside replaceable.

cereberus · Jan 10, 2025

Many regulars here started on the 60's long before Windows and learnt old school computing e.g. Fortran. So we do not really take much creedance on age.

I am sorry about you going blind but Windows 11 has a lot of improved narrative features for visually impaired persons.

In the end, it is not really the OS that is your key issue but there are perhaps some things you can do to improve your situation such as buying a large monitor or connecting to a 50 inch TV.

Then adjust the magnification to say 200%.

I used to rely on such technology as I was visually impaired (severe cataracts) but after cataract operations, my vision is near perfect now.

I also have issues as I am very severely deaf and I need hearing aids of course.

My pet gripe is Windows 11 (yet) cannot stream directly to my hearing aids like andoid phones can. However, I persevered and found ways to stream audio to my hearing aids (via mobile phone) so I could watch videos on a large screen but get good quality sound.

So rather than ranting which very rarely solves anything, why not take a different tack and lets tackle your issues slowly one by one - there are a lot of helpful people with a lot of experience of such issues as sight impairment.

Please note that all persons here are just unpaid volunteers but they will be sympathetic and try to help but in the end, you have to help us help you.

We cannot really change WIndows 11 that much but we can help you use it more effectively, or suggest alternative solutions.

First step would to be more specific about key issues you have, preferably including screenshots (accepting this may be difficult). Start with one or two key issues, and I am sure people here will help you.

Also a description of your pc setup would help e.g laptop or pc, monitors etc.

x509 · Jan 10, 2025

glasskuter said:
This forum is in no way associated with Microsoft

I wonder if Microsoft even monitors this forum. Back when I was in product management, I thought that user forums (and meetings) and support people and tickets were a great form of market research, from paying customers.

glasskuter said:
We are volunteers. But you must understand that microsoft owns the operating system and can do whatever they want to it.

Yes, but it is not like there are so many choices in the market. MacOS, maybe. Flavor-of-the-hour Linux distro. No freakin way. And since Microsoft Windows dominates the market, to get thje most ouf of our PCs we need to run Windows. It's on Microsoft to make that usage as easy as possible, not to satisfy some computer-science advanced project on how to make Windows difficult to use.

glasskuter said:
Users only have a license to use it. Neither is MS forcing you to use 11, or windows at all for that matter.

But see above.

glasskuter said:
There were some things I didn't like at first, but with the help of this forum's tutorial section and taking the time to learn it, I am for the most part satisfied with 11

As someone new to Win 11, me not so much yet. I already run Winaero, Explorer Patcher and UniGetUI (GUI-based package manager for winget and chocolatey).

glasskuter said:
....and I'm probably older than your are.

I'll see you and raise you five years. Do you remember Eisenhower as president? I do.

siliconbeaver · Jan 10, 2025

Windows 10/11 are OS for mobile device.
Windows 7 was last OS for computer. (pleas don't tell me it's dead).

I'm a computer guy, need a computer OS. period.
mobile device, touch screen , , , that's NOT good for my work.

antspants · Jan 10, 2025

Reads like user inadequacy to me. If you have issue with Microsoft Windows, instead of being “That Guy” try asking for help with things that you don’t understand or can’t work out. If there is a way, there are members to help you. That’s what this “independent, non Microsoft affiliated” forum is for.

eldergeek68 said:
Microsoft has abandoned us all

Don’t include me in your opinions, please.

cereberus · Jan 10, 2025

Way to go some guys here - replying with own personal W11 whinges derailing thread rather than actually trying to help OP.

Be sensitive to fact guy is going blind and this is possibly the root of his issues.

FFS - lets try and help the guy rather than turning this into another tedious Windows 11 slagathon.

MisterEd · Jan 10, 2025

I have been retired for over 10 years now. My first computer was a TRS-80 Model I in 1979. At work back then I used a IMSAI 8080 computer that used CPM 2.2. Note it was a clone of the Altair 8800 which many consider the first real home computer. I had many computers since then.

I bought my first PC compatible in 1995. It came with DOS 6.22 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Windows has gotten much more complex since then. However, it also works better overall with most things working OK 99% of the time. I couldn't say about Windows back in the 1990s. Don't forget that was before plug and play. People back then called Windows plug and pray because setting up Windows was very problematic.

Sure Windows 11 takes time to get used to. I upgraded my desktop from Windows 10 to 11 after 11 was released in late 2021. I quickly went back to Windows 10 because I didn't like Windows 11. In late 2022 I bought a new laptop. It came with Windows 11. Then I was determined to get used to Windows 11. A year later I liked Windows 11 enough that I went back and upgraded my desktop from Windows 10 to 11 again. That time I didn't go back.

Now every time I want to complain about Windows 11 I just think about how hard it was to use a computer in the early years. Then I just stop complaining and just figure out what I need to do. Also, in the early years there was no Internet to search for help. Now many times help is just a click away on the Internet.

antspants · Jan 10, 2025

MisterEd said:
Then I just stop complaining and just figure out what I need to do

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 10, 2025

cereberus said:
FFS - lets try and help the guy rather than turning this into another tedious Windows 11 slagathon.

I believe that's how he started this thread.

Marcus Vinicus · Jan 10, 2025

I am most sympathetic to the OP's frustrations because of his circumstances. They're genuine and he is asking for help. I do think though that the post would have been much improved without the first two sentences and with a different heading.

antspants · Jan 10, 2025

Marcus Vinicus said:
I am most sympathetic to the OP's frustrations because of his circumstances. They're genuine and he is asking for help. I do think though that the post would have been much improved without the first two sentences and with a different heading.

As much as I have empathy for this member, many of us have shortcomings, some potentially quite fatal. I can speak for myself and others I know in here.

However, I don't see one request for help, just frustrations aired, which is fine. Like in my earlier comment, I will mention again, one only needs to ask for help with specifics and good people like yourself will be all over it within their capacity to assist.

TairikuOkami · Jan 10, 2025

eldergeek68 said:
There hasn't been a worse operating system since Windows Millennium.

I actually liked ME, it was the first stable OS after 95/98. It was a precursor for XP.

eldergeek68 said:
I am going blind.

I get you, I am half-blind and I am like a feet from the monitor to be able to see anything.
I set monitor brightness to 50%, so it would not burn my eyes. High refresh rate helps too.
By the way, myopia can be "maintained" with exercises, sun supplements (lutein, zinc, copper).

eldergeek68 said:
Who in there freakin' mind thought you need to scroll across three pages to look at your display settings????

MS tries to dumb-proof Windows, it focuses on search, not categories, like CP god mode has.
You are expected to search for what you are looking for. It is dumb, but that is the general idea.

x509 said:
paying customers

Unless you pay for MS365, you are not paying, OS licence does not count, MS is basically giving it away for free.
MS365 support is really great, I had to deal with it only twice, but they really spent some time with me and helped.

eldergeek68 said:
I can't even see a way to post a new thread to the Mocrosoft Tech Community.

Pick a category you want WINDOWS, then select FOLLOW, then pick a space WINDOWS 11.

Clicking on Discussion spaces will allow you to Post a discussion.

eldergeek68 said:
Will you please STOP trying to be a freakin' MAC!!!

People want it, it can not be helped. Just like they want a automatic transmission, not manual. Newer is not always better. You might consider linux, great for editing, there are many distros to choose from and you can even try it out without installing. Linux is more hardware friendly and not as bad as it used be. If you think that 11 is bad, just wait for 12, it is shaping to be an ultimate AI junk.

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Hazel123 · Jan 10, 2025

I second the idea of getting a really large monitor. My Father had to do that as he got older. It's not really like a Mac stuff

That is much less intuitive IMHO!

There are positives - it's slick and fast - yes there are a lot of menus sometimes, but you can get it how you want and simplify it for the main tasks you want. You can even make it look like Windows 7.

How to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7

Give Windows a more retro look

www.techradar.com

hdmi · Jan 10, 2025

eldergeek68 said:
Who in there freakin' mind thought you need to scroll across three pages to look at your display settings????

Maybe you just need to grab a bigger TV?

Steve C · Jan 11, 2025

I've been retired 10 years but am not 'elderly'. You can use Winaero Tweaker to change the font sizes and other things
Winaero Tweaker.

I have no problems with Windows 11 on 4 PCs.

Windows 11, how do I hate thee, let me count the ways...

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