Call it WDS - Windows Derangement Syndrome

[herbie]

Third person this week refusing to upgrade to Windows 11. One was brand new system, they were mad no retailer carried laptops with no OS on them. One got the can't get 11 warning and didn't have $$ for a news system, another puked at the crapware and spying out of the box. I also did 3 that they broght to set up without all the crap and a local account only.

Quite amazing the BS most people will put up with. I added Libre Office set to Load/Save in MSoft format plus Gimp so they don't get hosed with monthly fees for common stuff, shit anti=virus and VPN nonsense either.

More and more like them. I warn people Geek Squad charges to set it up all wrong. One in store tech told us he was required to give them a MS account if they didn't tell him one, put the password on the invoice and actually refuse to do it at all unless they bought an anti-virus with the setup.
Disgusting business practice. Not even allowed to ask if they want a local account, just hose them and go click click click for $125
 

[SpankyMcFarland]

Sorry, can you give me a bit more background here? I am truly, madly, deeply clueless on these matters. Are these people at home or business or both or what? 

[herbie]

Should be obvious, they are people with computers for personal use.
Most Business users MUST accept whatever MSoft sells, it's just too hard to change. Besides, tax expenses and depreciation encourage them to just keep buying and paying more and more.
Like the corporate 15 computer installation I did in October. They HAD to get AntiVirus software, picked a useless one and bought 15 licenses without knowing each license was good for 3.
They HAD TO buy MSoft Office, Libre Office can't possibly be any good because it doesn't cost anything. And of course bought 15 licenses without ever knowing no one will ever use some of the features, that Office Outlook can't be configured to work with their ISP's email and that the Home version was good for 5 computers and did all they required.
Or they'd paid me to kill OneDrive on each one so their info wasn't copied to MSoft's cloud and to add Local Accounts rather than log onto MSoft ones.
It's one thing to worry about possible snooping into the pics your sister in law sent you, quite another to expose internal company correspondence and blueprints etc.

Granted, I push the scenario on everyone. Did you buy a computer and expect it to be yours or just rent it to pay monthly fees for everything and someone else controls it? Then pay me $75 to do that instead of Geek Squad $125+ to do the other.

Simple terms: Buy a new Windows 11 machine and you can't even set it up without having internet and signing up for a Microsoft account. 
There are ways, but it's not easy and they won't tell you. 
Once you do that, you've given them enough basic personal information.
Clicking on all the next steps blindly set you up even more so.
Then using that account you set up, it starts immediately saving your files on their server, a tiny space that quickly fills up so they can bombard you with ads that you must buy more for a monthly fee.
And it will pester you to use Edge instead of the browser you prefer and reset your saved choice with every update.

HTG all OSs work the same way, you point at what you want and you click. The names of the apps and programs may be different but they're all similar. Linux Mint is no harder to adjust to that moving from Win10 to 11 is.

 

[Michael Hardner]

Good stuff 👌 

[herbie]

There are ways to "fix" Windows 11 and most techies know them. It works OK and remains the OS with the most software available. especially if you're a gamer.
The problem exists with the illiterati who'll claim they're being forced to buying new computers when they're actually choosing to rather than adapt. And when they do act so helpless they can't see what this or that does (same as they've done with every new iteration) or find where something's gone even when it's easier than ever.

HTG I just had a 55+ business owner ask how he made his new laptop and printer type out his handwritten recipes for him!

[eyeball]

22 hours ago, herbie said:

There are ways to "fix" Windows 11 and most techies know them. It works OK and remains the OS with the most software available. especially if you're a gamer.

I've never ever regretted giving up on Microsoft and switching to google.  I'm not a gamer and my computer needs are probably minimal compared to most.  Navigation software would be about the most complex but these days plotters come loaded with everything you need...like most computer products though manufacturers just keep loading more and more crap onto them.  Touch the wrong thing on the screen and instead of zooming in the radar its suddenly displaying a list of local restaurants.  Not what I need to know when I'm cruising at 20 knots thru the fog.

KISS works for me.

[herbie]

Install any Linux distro, or a Mac. Screens on first boot pop up = found a printer adding it.... in my case they found all three.
Windows - another story. Go buy an HP printer and enjoy the "fun".
Win 10 spent more time 'calculating size of files' than it did copying or moving them. With 11 hope you know CTRL C, CTRL V so you don't have to hunt silly icons.

I always believed in at least TWO browsers, FFox as one. On Linux I use Chromium not Chrome or Edge that are just Google's and MSoft's interpretations of it. I still prefer Google Search even though it's crapified from what it once was. Most people still have no clue how to do a search on it. That old meme of Bart Simpson writing I will use Google on the chalkboard is still valid today.

If you want to use Windows, download a copy to a USB stick and run it on first boot to eliminate the OEM crapware all new systems come with. 

[herbie]

Just did an ancient Lenovo. It was built for XP. Refurned and an OEM Win7 added, they uograded to Win10 during the free period.

I shit you not, it took a full five minutes plus just to boot. Click anything at all and it took up to two full minutes for a response.
And she used it for BUSINESS and just bought a new system last week.

Wants to give it to hubby for email and web browsing... egt f*cking real it took 5 mins to open Edge and 5 more to render a page.
He's getting it back with Raspberry 386 OS and a 128 SSD. It boots to the desktop in under 20 secs. Opend and loads pages in Chromium or FFox in under 5 secs. And the LibreOffice loads and saves in MSoft formats.

That makes 3 switch to Linus this week. That one was so old it was 32 bit and can't even use modern Linux distros.

And this is another example of how CHEAP many businesses are. In spite of tax writeoffs!  They complained about being forced to buy an adapter to hook their new machine to one of their 15" VGA only 'new' flat screens....

BTW she was shocked I didn't remember her. She 'just' bought the old machine from me. My store closed 11 years ago and I stopped selling refurbed to Win7 machines a couple years before that.
My supplier sent Windows 8 Lenovos with ClassicShell for the last few years...

Edited November 23, 2025 by herbie

[August1991]

On 11/6/2025 at 2:18 PM, eyeball said:

I've never ever regretted giving up on Microsoft and switching to google.  I'm not a gamer and my computer needs are probably minimal compared to most.  Navigation software would be about the most complex but these days plotters come loaded with everything you need...like most computer products though manufacturers just keep loading more and more crap onto them.  Touch the wrong thing on the screen and instead of zooming in the radar its suddenly displaying a list of local restaurants.  Not what I need to know when I'm cruising at 20 knots thru the fog.

KISS works for me.

I disagree.

Let me explain.

1. Google/Chrome works.

2. Open? Linux is complicated.

3. Microsoft? You pay. But the software is open.

4. Apple? The software is closed. The hardware works. 

[eyeball]

1 minute ago, August1991 said:

I disagree.

Let me explain.

1. Google/Chrome works.

What?

I say again.

I've never ever regretted giving up on Microsoft and switching to google.

KISS...keep it simple, stupid

 

[herbie]

On 11/25/2025 at 6:14 PM, August1991 said:

1. Google/Chrome works.

2. Open? Linux is complicated.

3. Microsoft? You pay. But the software is open.

4. Apple? The software is closed. The hardware works. 

1. Do you mean the browser or the OS?

2, If you meant the OS or Android then you ARE using Linux. Windws is far more 'complicared'

3, the software is anything but open, it is the exact opposite

4. You are correct but it's derived from a Unix base so you're negating your own 2nd point. 

Further to your third point, you PAY to use MSoft software but it's still not yours. You are renting it in reality.
If you buy a new PC and follow the instructions to set it up, you just gave away ownership of the computer and everything on it forever.

[herbie]

Woman brought me her new Win 11 PC. It was a deal ! $299 CDN.

Biggest POS I've ever seen. Only 4 GB RAM... 64GB drive... Windows S version.

Can't install anything unless it's from Msoft store. BIOS can't be adjusted. Eventually I got to to recognize a Win11 Home install USB as a MSoft product, but 1st intall failed. @nd one the charger plug fell out... trying 3rd one. If that don't work I'll tell her to return it and go Full Karen Mode in Bestbuy for ripping her off.
I will try Linux... if that's possible. First time I ran into the S version, didn't know they could make Win 11 even worse.

[bush_cheney2004]

1 hour ago, herbie said:

I will try Linux... if that's possible. First time I ran into the S version, didn't know they could make Win 11 even worse.

 

"S version"....I think the "S" stands for "SUCKS!"

My sister-in-law is battling Win11 on her new top-of-the-line OLED  laptop and she can't believe Microsoft did this "to her".   Mandatory subscriptions, Co-pilot nonsense, relentless cloud storage badgering, updates that restore deleted bloatware and settings, etc.

So I explain what she is up against and tell her how not to be a victim.  Take control and explore alternatives.

[herbie]

Mint works great on it. Handles the Cinnamon edition fine. Win 11 Home just would not install.
Can't even get an ISO of S edition to add on my Ventoy stick, not that I want one.

I tell people if they're gonna blow $1200+ on a laptop, get a Mac. But where I live people are so cheap they squeak when they walk. Doesn't matter what they want or need, the cheapest POS is always what they buy.

[August1991]

On 2/21/2026 at 2:35 PM, herbie said:

Mint works great on it. Handles the Cinnamon edition fine. Win 11 Home just would not install.
Can't even get an ISO of S edition to add on my Ventoy stick, not that I want one.

....

Herbie, are you one of those Linux guys?

IMHO, you are the bane of modern democratic western life. You are a Karen. You are a fanatic. You are the 1 of the 20 who makes every HOA a nightmare. 

[herbie]

As you seem to be the follw the crowd and accpet what they sell you, it works okay so why bother to improve types.
Like the friend who joins us and orders chicken fingers at the Sushi palace and a burger at the peking Palace caz he hasn't 'needed' to try those weird foods in his 67 years...

Did you run out and buy a new laptop because your old one "couldn't" run Windows 11 according to that popup window? Clickety click click NEXT as you set up the new one?
Caary on that Macs are 'too expensive' and grab on of those $299 WalMart PCs?

Goog God understand what you read, I'm simply telling you you don't need to throw out your old computer, you can make you cheapo PC run way better with Linux. And won't gobble half the processing power of your new on collecting your personal data to sell and oestering you rent more features.It don't matter what you prefer, they ALL work the same, you point at what you want and you click it to make it go. From your phone, your computer or your car's dashboard.

Edited February 23 by herbie

[August1991]

On 2/23/2026 at 2:24 PM, herbie said:

...

Goog God understand what you read, I'm simply telling you you don't need to throw out your old computer, you can make you cheapo PC run way better with Linux. And won't gobble half the processing power of your new on collecting your personal data to sell and oestering you rent more features.It don't matter what you prefer, they ALL work the same, you point at what you want and you click it to make it go.

....

Typical anti-American/leftist/liberal/hate Trump word salad.

We Canadians get along.

Edited February 28 by August1991

[herbie]

Oh FFS what does your choice of OS have to do with someone's politics?
Or is someone advising people not to throw away their money now a commie in your books?

[herbie]

So what's this app all the Android users are loading that makes ads pop up so rapidly you can't even use your phone?
And why can no one remember the last thing they installed on their phone or computer before it acted up?
As mysterious and unknown as your password!

[John Johnston]

On 10/30/2025 at 5:27 PM, herbie said:

Third person this week refusing to upgrade to Windows 11. One was brand new system, they were mad no retailer carried laptops with no OS on them. One got the can't get 11 warning and didn't have $$ for a news system, another puked at the crapware and spying out of the box. I also did 3 that they broght to set up without all the crap and a local account only.

Quite amazing the BS most people will put up with. I added Libre Office set to Load/Save in MSoft format plus Gimp so they don't get hosed with monthly fees for common stuff, shit anti=virus and VPN nonsense either.

More and more like them. I warn people Geek Squad charges to set it up all wrong. One in store tech told us he was required to give them a MS account if they didn't tell him one, put the password on the invoice and actually refuse to do it at all unless they bought an anti-virus with the setup.
Disgusting business practice. Not even allowed to ask if they want a local account, just hose them and go click click click for $125
 

Microbloat. 

[herbie]

And they're predicting Windows 12 will be out later this year and so much worse. Modules, some subscription based....

[herbie]

The new Mac NEO is definitely worth considering.
Any PC at a lower price is under powered P.O.S. compared to it.

[John Johnston]

On 3/4/2026 at 7:34 PM, herbie said:

And they're predicting Windows 12 will be out later this year and so much worse. Modules, some subscription based....

Meh, I'm still in therapy since 2006's VISTA.

[herbie]

I was a resellet of ADSL years ago. Telus was selling packages on a 2 year term to people for less than prices wholesale to authorized resellers. They were also tossing in a free laptop which turned out to be obsolete Dells that their guys kludged a stripped down Vista that ran on the lame 256MB in those POSs.
We found if you cranked them up to 4GB and OEM Vista they ran fine. But back then slower than the 2nd coming was fine.
Windows 8 and 8.1 were the real abortions, I installed hundreds of Classic Shell to make them usable.
I'm not actually angry as I've made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years from people that just have to run Windows.
Windows Server? No way, I now recommend a younger guy who'll deal with that shit for only $125 hr including drive time and a $250 mileage fee. Have fun!

[LinkSoul60]

19 minutes ago, herbie said:

I'm not actually angry as I've made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years from people that just have to run Windows.

If these people are using for word processing I can see why they 'just have to have windows'.

Had windows from the beginning with both personal and business desk and laptops and always found it to be real user friendly, which may be because it was the only OS I knew.  I've had a Mac for ~4 years now and I still pause and/or have to look up how to do some tasks...which are nowhere near as often as I did when I was working.  Love it for the basic web browsing I use it for and have MS 360 for email/excel/word but if I still had the need for business use, I'd be using windows for sure.