Thinking of updating to Windows 11?

[Zipede]

With end of service approaching, I'm feeling the pressure to update to Windows 11. The reason I've held off for so long is because I couldn't be bothered with learning a new OS, particularly because I use my PC for an online business, but also because I felt it might affect some of my music setup.

I'm a hobbyist and my setup is pretty straightforward, I don't have a lot of studio hardware to worry about, everything just goes through a Presonus Quantum 2626, but I do have a huge number of vst.

So, are there any issues or pitfalls I should look out for, do any vst stop working or need re-registering? Will I have to go through setting up windows to optimise it for music again.

Please list the most common, or biggest headaches you've encountered below.

[dellboy]

I must have been on Windows 11 since it was released. I do not recall any problems switching over, everything just carried on working, and has up until now. The only differences that I recall are in regard to some start menu changes. Some people prefer the old menu. The other change is whether you want the start menu in the middle or to the left. It can be changed in the task bar.

[Pictus]

Please list the most common, or biggest headaches you've encountered below.

Windows 11 Version 24H2 running here without any problems, but check this
viewtopic.php?t=621326

[Zipede]

I must have been on Windows 11 since it was released. I do not recall any problems switching over, everything just carried on working, and has up until now. The only differences that I recall are in regard to some start menu changes. Some people prefer the old menu. The other change is whether you want the start menu in the middle or to the left. It can be changed in the task bar.

Thanks!

[Zipede]

Please list the most common, or biggest headaches you've encountered below.

Windows 11 Version 24H2 running here without any problems, but check this
viewtopic.php?t=621326

Excellent link thanks, I'll go through it.

[mabian]

Take a look at OpenShell regarding a start menu that actually works - and you can keep it the same between the different Windows versions, it's compatible with both Win10 and Win11...

[Scoops]

I'm old school, so hopefully that gives insight to my answer

Yes, went to Win11. No real issues, just a lot of annoyances
To avoid the annoyances, I just went into the settings page, and turned much of it off. One Drive, syncing with other computers sort of stuff. Deleted many of the microsoft apps as well. I don't need/want/desire solitare. And why do I need a camera on my computer? The X-box stuff is very annoying. I could go on

[legendCNCD]

Do a Fresh install. Win11Pro (the one which lets you stop updates etc. do not buy Home versions people) 22H2 still as this is audio machine and updates are not needed every months or even years. No update hassle, no problems. I also used NTLite to remove stuff one can add later on via Turn Windows features on or off, if needed.

No issues at all, no extra apps installed or running etc. No tuning for audio was needed(!) and everything runs smoothly at 64 samples until hitting 99% cpu usage

[mixyguy2]

Take a look at OpenShell regarding a start menu that actually works - and you can keep it the same between the different Windows versions, it's compatible with both Win10 and Win11...

Better yet, for those of us who have hated every start menu that came out after Win 7, you can "revert" with this: https://www.classicshell.net/downloads/

Re. Win 11, my system keeps bugging me to "upgrade" - pass. 11 offers me nothing other than a slightly different UI which I hated (we use it at work) and continued patches and updates which also probably offer me little if anything. It really should have been called Win 10.1. I so miss Win 7.

[sl23]

Personally, I never noticed any change from 10 to 11.
This is mostly due to my use of portable apps. Nothing is installed on C drive, even my VST collection is fully installed on D drive using symbolic links.

I use SyMenu so all my apps are auto updated, portable and use SyMenu as a launcher. So I never use the windows start menu, in fact, my reliance on anything other than the basic OS is super minimal.

I use a powershell script to create the symbolic links on a new PC so I literally copy or install the D drive and them run the script and I'm done!

I'd highly recommend this to anyone. Backups are a breeze and any issues with windows are extremely rare. Even them it's a simple reinstall of windows.

Products need re-registering, but that's the only downside for me .

[havran]

Please list the most common, or biggest headaches you've encountered below.

Some gripes from me, who only this week switched to Windows 11 Pro from mostly using Linux:*

The first installation took about half an hour (Windows 10 Pro would take about 20 minutes, and almost any Linux distro would take 10 minutes or less). However, I had to manually install the NVidia drivers afterwards.

One disturbing thing for me was this: Whether Linux or Windows 10 Pro, after a fresh install I'm used to having empty personal folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.); however, it turns out that Microsoft had a bunch of my files from a couple of years ago stored on the OneDrive site -- despite my history of exiting OneDrive and uninstalling it right after a fresh install -- and had synced those to my local folder. Well, I certainly did visit the OneDrive site to delete all of those files that Microsoft had uploaded without my explicit consent!

After mucking about and using a debloater tool, I thought it would be better to start over, but when I installed Windows 11 Pro the second time, that took about 75 or 80 minutes. It seems that the second time, installing the first big batch of updates as well as the NVidia drivers was included in that process.

I don't quite like how long it takes for all the taskbar/systray items to load after logging in, or that Windows 11 Pro uses 4GB of RAM before any apps are loaded.

I was able to mitigate that RAM usage somewhat with Wintoys, Chris Titus's WinUtil, and "OO Shut Up Windows" (which is included in WinUtil on the Tweaks page or available separately).

On the positive side, I like the look of Win 11 much better than that of Win 10. I have licenses for OneCommander and several Stardock shell enhancers, but am not using any of those at the moment, nor am I using the JaxCore or Windhawk shell enhancers.

In Win 10's taskbar settings, one could select "use small taskbar icons", which would have the nice effect of only showing the time (in a larger font) than both time and date. That is not currently possible in Win 11; however, in Settings one can hide the time-and-date from the taskbar and use something like ElevenClock to put just the time somewhere on the desktop (I have found that if one leaves it in its default position on the taskbar, it overlaps and hides some of the systray icons).

Some recommendations:

If you have an external monitor or monitors and would like a brightness controller in the systray: TwinkleTray (this also allows one to configure keyboard shortcuts, which are handy for adjusting the brightness when a movie or app is full-screen).

For installing a bunch of common apps in one go: Chris Titus's WinUtil.

This time around I have also been using UniGetUI (by the maker of ElevenClock), but haven't yet figured out how to install apps in batches instead of one at a time. Still very handy and useful!

As for optimizing for audio production, it seems that still has to be done according to guides from trusted sources on the internet. In Linux-land there's a python utility called rtcqs that will scan the system and suggest improvements, but at the moment it seems there is not anything similar for Windows 11 (or 10).
_____
* I had been planning to move completely to Linux by October or November of this year, but I have paid for some Windows apps that I would still like to use which cannot run well or at all on Linux, even with a compatibility layer like WINE or Codeweaver's Crossover, so that kind of tipped the balance toward (still somewhat grudgingly) prepping to use Windows 11.

In my case (I guess meaning both my situation and the tower case on my desk), I upgraded the hardware so that I could install Win 11 Pro (leaving aside hacks to bypass compatibility checks) but stuck toward the budget end: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and a Gigabyte B550 Eagle WIFI6 mobo. Please don't take those as recommendations -- those just seemed right for me spec-wise and budget-wise).

After a few days I also finally bought another pair of RAM sticks to bring the RAM up to 64GB, which is something I had thought about doing for a while.

Overall I spent about $270 USD on new components -- still much less than switching to a Mac with similar specs, and the previous CPU and mobo were already at least eight years old. So, I'm all set -- whether to continue with Win 11 Pro, go back to Linux, or maybe to try out whatever left-field OSes some vibe-coders trot out in the near future.

[havran]

For those who would like to install Windows 11 Pro (or whatever version) with just a local account and not a Microsoft account, this is what worked for me this evening:

Disable the network at the hardware level (e.g., unplug the network cable, or maybe some laptops have a network on/off switch) and start the installer going (e.g., from an ISO on a Ventoy, Rufus, or Balena Etcher USB stick).

If you are using a 24H2 ISO, when you get to the page that says there's no network, do this:

Shift-F10 to open a terminal. In that terminal run this command:
OOBE\BYPASSNRO

That will take you back to selecting the language and keyboard layout, but you will at least be able to set up an independent account.

After doing that, you can plug the network cable back into for the sake of getting drivers and updates during the installation.
_____

On my side, even when using a local account rather than a Microsoft Account to log in, I don't see how Windows 11 Pro is an appropriate OS for working professionals (or really anyone who values their time), for these reasons:

- Long boot time
- Long time to get ready after login
- So many distractions and suggestions, e.g., why isn't the weather widget just a weather widget without the news and other feeds?
- Non-consensual data harvesting and telemetry, which takes extra time to disable
- Time is money
- Data privacy

I seem to remember that Satya Nadella himself (CEO of Microsoft) said something like the Windows OS (which is not free, btw) is just a portal for upselling various Microsoft Services.

I really don't know why there hasn't been an effective class-action lawsuit re: OneDrive syncing or replacing personal files (sometimes with detrimental effects) without explicit consent and before one has a chance to shut it off and uninstall it.

After learning that Microsoft had a bunch of my files from a couple of years ago stored on its OneDrive site, I of course deleted all of those, and then also investigated my privacy settings on my Microsoft account. Sure, they allow you to opt out of this and that, but there's no general switch to disable all of that, similar to FaceBook/Meta -- but even worse, I think.

The obvious game of Microsoft (and Meta) is this: make it so complicated and time-consuming for the the average customer to disable all the telemetry and data-harvesting that most will just click through and essentially consent to personal-data theft/rummaging.

At the moment I'm writing from a local account on my third Win 11 Pro install on upgraded hardware, and after having written the above, I'm kind of thinking "to hell with it" -- even though I appreciate tools like WinUtils, Wintoys, and UniGetUI, I feel like I have been fighting with Microsoft to pare my Windows installation down to something reasonable, both resource-usage-wise and privacy-wise.

I'm on the brink -- despite the time I have spent this evening reinstalling Windows and then reducing its telemetry and unrequested "services" -- I'm thinking of blowing it all away for a 10-minute Linux install, even though that means some of my previously-purchased Windows apps won't be usable.

Well, I hope my experience and rambling might be helpful for someone else.

Be seeing you!

[legendCNCD]

Win 11 Pro: 5s boot, 1s from login to desktop with local account on my machine. I used rufus and ntlite to strip stuff away.

[metamorphosis]

For those who would like to install Windows 11 Pro (or whatever version) with just a local account and not a Microsoft account, this is what worked for me this evening:

Disable the network at the hardware level (e.g., unplug the network cable, or maybe some laptops have a network on/off switch) and start the installer going (e.g., from an ISO on a Ventoy, Rufus, or Balena Etcher USB stick).

If you're using a rufus'd USB, you don't need the technique you described - local accounts are enabled by default. Just don't opt to install updates in advance when you install, and unplug/disconnect the network.

Once installed, install all updates, then use my scripts (see sig) + win11debloat to make it more usable/performant post-install.
Still not as fast/good as Win10, but close.

[Tiles]

+1 to Rufus and to generate a bootable usb stick with local install. Then go through the windows settings and turn off what you dislike. You can also debloat the win iso with Tiny11 beforehand. It turned me a bit too much off for my flavour though.

I don't experience a really big difference to Win 10. After a few tweaks i felt immediately at home.