Stop the Slop: 8 Tools That Clean Up Windows 11

[mgilbert]

I've been trying to move to Linux the past few months, but keep running into limitations, like programs that not available with no good replacement--trust me, I've tried dozens. And I've tried over a dozen distros so far. Proton, Wine, Bottles are nice, but still hobbyist-level, not mainstream. The average user wants it 'to just work'.

I do some Android in Windows via Bluestacks. There are Android containers for Linux, but I have a couple of apps that either will not install or games that have audio but no video (makes it hard to play). And I haven't used a command line this much since my MS-DOS days. (yeah, I got started in computers in 1979, the pre-DOS era--anyone remember cassette tapes?)

So Android - ChromeOS / Chromebooks or ChromiumOS or FydeOS. I can get all my Android apps to run, but not the Windows type apps I need, they do not exist. I even tried FydeOS Linux (Crostini) to use EmuDeck and it installed quite well. Well, after enough terminal commands to get all the missing libraries installed. But ES-DE will not display because there is no real window manager in Crostini. A suggestion was to try install KDE Plasma, but I haven't tried that yet. And may not because...
I may abandon the Chrome variants for a few reasons: (1) the Files app is still barely capable--try to see Properties of used, fee space, and using a Linux one takes 8+ seconds for it to load; (2) It cannot keep a persistent connection to my NAS, I have to remove and re-add it most days; (3) (and this is a Real Biggie!) You cannot play 2 audio sources at the same time like listen to tunes while playing a game. In this era???
I left my Chromebook 5+ years ago and just stayed with Windows because of these exact same issues that are still prevalent today. Will Google's almighty ALOS fix all this? Maybe, but Android still has a lot of other limitations, especially on large screens.

And when one does want to leave Windows for Linux, which of the @ 500 distros should one pick? Oh, some like Mint and Zorin try to look Windows-like to ease you in, but in the end, they do not have the Windows 'feel'. Back to the command line.

Maybe the entire OS industry needs an overhaul? And as much as 'They' would like AI to be that, I do not believe the average user wants all that intrusion. They want to boot up and click on what they want to run without a lot of prompting and suggesting while they're trying to 'do their thing'.
/End /Rant

Thanks for this. I also go back to 1979 with computers. I started on a Burroughs mainframe using punch cards, and a Radio Shack MC10 using cassettes. People have been screaming, "Linux, Linux, Linux" at me for at least thirty years. It was ten or more years behind Windows back then, and it still is. I don't expect it will ever be a real alternative to Windows for end users, except for those with only the most basic of needs.

And for all those Windows haters constantly bitching about bad updates, etc., all I can say is that I've been using Windows since version 3.0 and I have yet to have a serious issue with it. If you know what you're doing, and keep your system clean and up to date, you're unlikely to ever have a real issue with it. It just works. Linux doesn't.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Applications is why you use the OS. You don’t just sit there staring at the desktop.

The more invisible an OS is, the better.

 

[lonetac]

Two words: Active Directory.

The world runs on MS for a reason in the professional world. And yes, I am talking off first hand from a fortune 500 company.

Do we have linux too? Yes. But you simply cant get around Active Directory for large corporations. Anyone saying otherwise is coping.

Im not talking your mom and pop organizations with like 1-1000 employees either. I know there are "solutions" but the reality is its not realistic for large corporations.

 

[mgilbert]

For debloating etc.... I found the best tool is Chris Titus's Windows Utility. Highly recommend that one.

However talking of moving off Win11...

I finally cracked it with Microslop about 1 month ago. I searched online to see what I could find in a linux distro that would at least support at least 75% of my game collection and still have a bare bones and fast system that wasn't riddled with AI slop, telemetry and spyware....

I ended up choosing CashyOS and honestly I'm not going to go back.

It was more than easy to use and with little learning curve required. Gemini AI or Claude will help you with any commands if you need them or guides, so its really easy to adjust.

I'm now using CashyOS as my daily driver. I'm converting all my machines at home to CashyOS and its so nice to have something that's so customizable, a menu system that just has the applications listed that also has a search function that works.

Steam works...it just works which still blows my mind. CashyOS boots really fast and you can update WHEN YOU WANT TO!... I could go on but if you're not sure about it...try running the live version off USB first to try but I highly recommend buying a new NVME and using that to install to so you can go back to Microslop on the old drive if you have to. Dual booting is messy with any distro so I don't recommend that.

Now, when I get to work and have to use Winslop 11 I die inside..... I've already started asking if I can format my work laptop and change over to CashyOS as most of my work applications are either just using RDP or Office sh!te that's web based anyways....

Get back to us when CashyOS can run Hindenburg Narrator, Adobe Audition, CAD programs, 3d modeling programs, all games...

 

[gamerk2]

Speaking as a SW Dev: Linux has *issues* if used beyond the limited set of circumstances where it works reasonably well.

I also note the end-goal is to eventually have an OS that does *nothing* but spin off applications in their own dedicated VMs, making the entire concept of an OS obsolete.

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

MS word and excel do not have a native Linux version. You cannot run them on Linux.

Windows version of those 2 used to work.
Outlook and some other not.

I’d rather spend more time doing what I booted the machine up for rather than troubleshooting something becaure an update bricked half my apps

Replacing actual working drivers with old ones?
Malfunctioning access to printers?
Crash of production servers due "security update"?

 

[LordVile95]

Windows version of those 2 used to work.
Outlook and some other not.

Which one then?

Replacing actual working drivers with old ones?
Malfunctioning access to printers?
Crash of production servers due "security update"?

Never had that, I have had Linux applications just die on me though through an update. It also was a palaver to get an Xbox USB dongle to work on Linux.

 

[wizardB]

You forgot DoNotSpy 11, the best anti telemetry proggy of the bunch.

 

[Suisam]

Get back to us when CashyOS can run Hindenburg Narrator, Adobe Audition, CAD programs, 3d modeling programs, all games...

Wow shields down man.... not saying CachyOS is perfect or for everyone however some linux distros have come a long way. My experience was positive, you never know it may be for you too? who knows.

It may not be that long before those programs will run natively and good healthy competition may mean we start getting some more robust, secure and faster OS's in the future and hopefully less bloatware.

Don't you think it would be better to have a choice of OS than being forced to use MS? I think its a good thing.

 

[LimyG]

Thanks, Howard for the article.

Also thanks to everyone who added extra tools/tips.

God knows we need it with W11.

Still on W10 pro, highly modified here.

BTW: I've spent a long time testing, tweaking etc W11 pro on a spare PC. Still there. Still hate it even though all AI, plus store, and (possibly) most telemetry is nuked.

It actually runs well, on an i9-9600k with old GTX 1080. But I wrecked all update functions in my meddling. Using LibreWolf as Default browser too.

Even with all that I just don't like it.

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

It also was a palaver to get an Xbox USB dongle to work on Linux.

microsoft & Linux ... What could possibly go wrong?

 

[LordVile95]

microsoft & Linux ... What could possibly go wrong?

There’s a bunch of adapters and accessories that don’t have Linux drivers and require jumping through hoops to get working. Unless it’s a big standard USB mouse and keyboard I wouldn’t have too much hope that it will work with Linux without issue.

The adage also works on macOS just fine.

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

There’s a bunch of adapters and accessories that don’t have Linux drivers ...

If it does NOT work with Linux ... you were scammed.

Edit: my fault. Forget to write that essential NOT into sentence. Need more coffee.

 

[LordVile95]

If it does work with Linux ... you were scammed.

Guessing you mean doesn’t but no Linux isn’t well supported and a lot of products even if they do work lack features.

 

[onebignerd]

Can you just stop with these "fight the flood with a bucket" kind of apps and move to Linux? I know it's hard leaving drive letters behind, but get on with the times.

So you moved to Linux because the Settings menus were too difficult to learn or some other trivial reasons usually given. There is a search bar in Settings, Start Menu, Control Panel and there are millions of webpages and thousands of books that will guide you through these configurations. I fail to see the difficulty or challenge in learning Windows 11 or the logic of it being easier to move to Linux.

I use a third-party app to change the Start Menu back to a Windows 7 version, Copilot is uninstalled, no ads, no pop-ups or nag windows, no surprise updates or reboots...etc. without using any debloat utility. In the interest of full disclosure I did buy a Enterprise version of Windows 10 about a year before 11 was released. So that spares me a lot of Microsoft's antics! Which is difficult to do now since Microsoft removed the ability to register with a personal email (gmail, hotmail...etc) on the bulk licensing website. There are other methods to download a new Enterprise image.

 

[RedGuard]

So you moved to Linux because the Settings menus were too difficult to learn or some other trivial reasons usually given.

I moved to Linux because my work was mainly on Linux. I needed the console a lot and my programming tools worked faster on Linux. Once I noticed Skyrim is working flawlessly with Proton I moved and never looked back.

 

[GrayDragon]

Open Shell Menu could be here too, I use it and it takes enough of the annoying things out that I'm OK with Windows 11. If I didn't have to use a lot of my time working I might do more but it's a good start for casual tweakers.

 

[rmcrys]

Can you just stop with these "fight the flood with a bucket" kind of apps and move to Linux? I know it's hard leaving drive letters behind, but get on with the times.

Can you please stop trying to impose Linux as it would fix issues? Just some "minor" examples of how wrong you are:

- many OEM use proprietary apps to control LED and other computer functions, that are not supported on Linux
- Nvidia drivers for Linux suck
- I have a eGPU with Nvidia graphics. It doesn't work (perhaps with some tweaking it may work more or less, but not even remotely as seemingly as on windows)
- lots of games still don't work, though SteamOS is improving that massively

 

[Melkor Unlimited]

So you moved to Linux because the Settings menus were too difficult to learn or some other trivial reasons usually given.

Doing setting in graphic environment may look "intuitive" and easy.
Do that on 100+1 devices after every patch delivery ... does not.

There is a search bar in Settings, Start Menu, Control Panel and there are millions of webpages and thousands of books that will guide you through these configurations.

Sound very "intuitive"

I fail to see the difficulty or challenge in learning Windows 11 or the logic of it being easier to move to Linux.

In Linux you do it once. And it wont change randomly.
In windows 11 you do ti for 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H2, .... and have to check it if something was not overwritten to some "deafult" status regardless your needs.

I use a third-party app to change the Start Menu back to a Windows 7 version, Copilot is uninstalled, no ads, no pop-ups or nag windows, no surprise updates or reboots...etc. without using any debloat utility.

And about that is the article.
You need a lot of 3rd party tools to make Windows to do what it was intended to do.

 

[onebignerd]

Doing setting in graphic environment may look "intuitive" and easy.
Do that on 100+1 devices after every patch delivery ... does not.


Sound very "intuitive"


In Linux you do it once. And it wont change randomly.
In windows 11 you do ti for 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H2, .... and have to check it if something was not overwritten to some "deafult" status regardless your needs.


And about that is the article.
You need a lot of 3rd party tools to make Windows to do what it was intended to do.

I have never had Settings change after Patch Tuesday updates or with version upgrades on my PC nor did the 100s of PCs on the Windows 11 Enterprise network where I last worked.

You had to learn and adjust to Linux, but Windows 11 is somehow insurmountable. The problem is with you not Windows 11, heaven forbid you have to make an effort or learn something in Windows!! I have used Linux multiple times and the GUIs in Linux are not any more intuitive than Windows!

Open Shell is used because I haven't liked the Start menu since Windows 8, I prefer the Windows 7 style menu. There are no other third party apps used to "make Windows do what it was intended to do". The Start menu is doing what it is intended to do, I don't like how\what it does.

 

[onebignerd]

I moved to Linux because my work was mainly on Linux. I needed the console a lot and my programming tools worked faster on Linux. Once I noticed Skyrim is working flawlessly with Proton I moved and never looked back.

Making the move to Linux worked for you but that does not equate to Linux being a fit for everyone. Let people use what works for them, be it Mac, Windows or an abacus!!

"You do your thing your way and I'll do my thing my way." -BBC 'Are you being served'

 

[ZedRM]

I have a simple rule: If it can't be installed and-or run offline and without powershell, it's not a valid option.

Chris Titus seems to pride himself on an being an "expert" yet fails to understand the important security concerns of running things always internet connected.

Win11Debloat devs have the same problem.

Hard pass for those two.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Would you put your money into bank runing on Windows?

Yes, the bank is FDIC insured.

Would you feel safe to put your card into ATM showing Windows XP screen?

I haven't used an ATM in like 10 years. There are credit cards, venmo, and cash well I just keep that in a safe not the bank.

Would you feel your retirement budget is safe counted on Windows?

A budget isn't something people generally steal. If you mean retirement money well yes I don't really care if one of the biggest banks in the world uses Windows or not. Also my real estate doesn't run an OS.

Windows is (not very) good to do some petty office work in corporates with big IT.
Microsoft office suite is not good enough to reliably work on microsoft file formats.

MS Office sucks, but too many people use it for me to not use it part time.

 

[Joeg1484]

Wow, It used to be Windows was easier to use than Linux, but now, you have what, 8, 10 apps designed exclusively to help you do what... Make Windows usable - What is this world coming to. My, how the mighty have fallen!

You should just do what millions of people around the world and most every other country on earth is doing atm... Migrate to Linux or Mac.

If you stuck in the Microslop ecosystems, then thats on you and only you can get out of it. I help companies migrate from Microslop to Open Source alternatives for their business workflow. Its easier than you think - most people are just lazy and dont want to make the jump. If this is you, thats ok, I mean, it should be about choice. So, if you want to keep running one of these 8 apps after every failed update from Microslop, then.... go for it.

Personally, I exited Microslop back when Windows XP came out. Hated the interface and the low quality code back then. Made a life in IT based on my decision, and now, 30ish years later, Im a Sr. Linux Solutions Architect for a very large, global company. Best decision I ever made!!! And you can make this decision too - It wasnt easy at first... Withdraw is a real thing, but over time, it got easier and easier.