Windows 11 - unnecessary!

[MickinMD ★]

Microsoft sent me a message each day for a while, asking me if I wanted to upgrade (for free) from Windows 10 to 11.

I finally did it overnight.

Now, I find I can only set up one row of icons on the taskbar - you can't change its height in W11.  The former 2nd row of icons now appears when you click on a "Taskbar Overflow Menu."

But you can't move the overflow menu icons around like you could with both rows in W10.  I had some things grouped together, like text and spreadsheet and related stuff, 3 icons below three other icons.  Now the 3 icons below can't be grouped with the others because it's on the Overflow Menu - which has a light background so you can barely tell what some icons are.

Worse, the "Help" menu tells you how to adjust the taskbar menu height, but it's a leftover artifact from W10. I spent a long time trying to do it!  The Microsoft site tells you it can't be done in W11 and some messages say Microsoft is considering fixing it - messages dated a year ago!

Oh well, I'll figure it out.  I'll probably have to unpin a bunch of icons from the taskbar - since I can't move the overflow ones around - and stick the ones I don't have room for in some order on the Desktop.

[bikeman564™]

My computer is to old to upgrade. Fuck Microsoft

[goldendesign]

7 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

My computer is to old to upgrade. Fuck Microsoft

Linux!

[bikeman564™]

Just now, goldendesign said:

Linux!

I'm thinking that. My processor is more than powerful enough, but it's not supported...whatever.

[goldendesign]

6 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

I'm thinking that. My processor is more than powerful enough, but it's not supported...whatever.

I like Mint for a simple windows style environment. 

[az_cyclist]

I upgraded on my HP Pavilion (I was going to be using Mailchimp in volunteering for the church).  So far I have not used it much, but dont see much in improvements.  That said, I dont have programs and apps that I use so I dont have the problem of downloading updates so they will work. 

My desktop is too old to upgrade to 11.  I will likely replace my desktop in 2023. 

[Bikeguy]

23 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said:

My computer is to old to upgrade. Fuck Microsoft

THIS  

My soon to be 10 year old Lenovo T530 ThinkPad works just fine.  Especially after I upgraded to a SSD.   

WoBG's 8 year old HP Envy desktop computer works fine too.  I should have swapped that hard drive to a SSD too.  But she 'insists' her computer is 'just fine' and don't change anything. 

I have until October 14, 2025 to figure out what to do.  

[Razors Edge ★]

11 minutes ago, Bikeguy said:

THIS  

My soon to be 10 year old Lenovo T530 ThinkPad works just fine.  Especially after I upgraded to a SSD.   

WoBG's 8 year old HP Envy desktop computer works fine too.  I should have swapped that hard drive to a SSD too.  But she 'insists' her computer is 'just fine' and don't change anything. 

I have until October 14, 2025 to figure out what to do.  

Windows 10 came out over 7 yrs ago, so it's hard for me to blame Microsoft for rolling out Win 11.  I do think you can and should just keep rolling with Win 10 as long as possible.  Going with that 2025 end-of-support seems fair to me, and I do wonder if they will also keep some level of critical updates flowing post-2025?

Regardless, get that SSD, clone the drive, swap it when your wife is out, and don't mention you messed with it.

[groupw]

Samsung SSDs have a great clone tool that works very well. I need to do that on my home PC. Hopefully the budget allows something new next year. 

[bikeman564™]

29 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Windows 10 came out over 7 yrs ago, so it's hard for me to blame Microsoft for rolling out Win 11. 

 

This isn't the problem. The problem is forcing people to buy computers. I think they're are in cahoots w/ 'puter &/or more likely processor companies. The computer companies then benefit.

[maddmaxx ★]

2 hours ago, MickinMD said:

Microsoft sent me a message each day for a while, asking me if I wanted to upgrade (for free) from Windows 10 to 11.

I finally did it overnight.

Now, I find I can only set up one row of icons on the taskbar - you can't change its height in W11.  The former 2nd row of icons now appears when you click on a "Taskbar Overflow Menu."

But you can't move the overflow menu icons around like you could with both rows in W10.  I had some things grouped together, like text and spreadsheet and related stuff, 3 icons below three other icons.  Now the 3 icons below can't be grouped with the others because it's on the Overflow Menu - which has a light background so you can barely tell what some icons are.

Worse, the "Help" menu tells you how to adjust the taskbar menu height, but it's a leftover artifact from W10. I spent a long time trying to do it!  The Microsoft site tells you it can't be done in W11 and some messages say Microsoft is considering fixing it - messages dated a year ago!

Oh well, I'll figure it out.  I'll probably have to unpin a bunch of icons from the taskbar - since I can't move the overflow ones around - and stick the ones I don't have room for in some order on the Desktop.

Taskbar overflow?  I don't mind double clicking on Icons on the edge of the main screen.  I have time you know.

[Bikeguy]

1 hour ago, Razors Edge said:

so it's hard for me to blame Microsoft for rolling out Win 11.  

1 hour ago, bikeman564™ said:

This isn't the problem. The problem is forcing people to buy computers

Exactly...  Why isn't W11 backward compatible with older computers?     They want to help sell computers.  

The 'excuse' is the computer 'needs' some kind of chip for security.  Nope..  That's not a good enough reason.   W11 should work without the security chip (or whatever it is... I read about this about 1 year ago).

Over the years I NEVER had to buy a new computer because a Windows upgrade would not work.  

[MickinMD ★]

I have had the screen display set to 150% because the 17" screen is often close to my knees while I'm watching TV and playing around on the laptop.

I reduced the display to 100% on Win 11 and that put almost all my Taskbar Icons on the main row where I could manipulate them.

I was able to pin to "Start" the few that wouldn't go on the Desktop and was then able to go back to 150% screen size with all the regularly used apps' icons on the taskbar without the overflow.

I also found simple instructions for enlarging the Taskbar to about twice its normal height - and enlarge its icons - by editing the Registry with a new "DWORD."  It's here.

Unfortunately, it doesn't allow me to do two rows of icons like Windows 10 did, but this works for me - I like the larger icons:

 

[Bikeguy]

I know there is no right or wrong way to arrange your computer desktop.

I guess I go for fewer icons on my desktop.   The stuff I don't use very often gets to live in the Start Menu.

[Ralphie ★]

5 hours ago, bikeman564™ said:

This isn't the problem. The problem is forcing people to buy computers. I think they're are in cahoots w/ 'puter &/or more likely processor companies. The computer companies then benefit.

I put an SSD in an ancient Dell Centrino Duo (weak CPU!) laptop and with Lubuntu it is incredibly fast!  

[jdc2000]

Windows 11 is still beta software.  Microsoft is still messing with it.  If you want to keep it, try Start11 or other software to restore functionality.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-organize-your-windows-11-start-menu-with-folders/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-replace-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-former-windows-user-experience-chief-has-issues-with-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/stardocks-start11-to-allow-users-to-customize-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/hate-windows-11-heres-how-to-make-it-work-more-like-windows-10/
https://www.zdnet.com/video/how-to-move-the-windows-11-start-menu-back-to-the-left-corner/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-how-to-move-the-start-button-back-to-where-it-belongs/
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-replace-the-windows-11-start-menu-with-stardocks-start-11/

[Razors Edge ★]

18 hours ago, bikeman564™ said:

The problem is forcing people to buy computers.

 

16 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

Why isn't W11 backward compatible with older computers? 

I'm not buying this argument as folks can keep their Win10 machines running past 2025.  Honestly, a 10+ yr old piece of "tech" is fair game, in my eyes, for replacement, but absolutely not required or forced.  You CAN stick to Win10 - MS or Dell or HP are not making anyone upgrade or cutting you off at some point.  There has been introduction of better security over the intervening years, and there have been improvements to chips, but there is not now and as far as I can tell, never will be, a requirement for folks to upgrade against their will.

Likewise, you can rest assured that the EU would come down on MS (or Apple) like a hammer if they ever started trying that nonsense.  

[bikeman564™]

5 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

 

I'm not buying this

 

Well buy it. If I want windows 11, I need to buy a computer. I don't want either.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 minute ago, bikeman564™ said:

Well buy it. If I want windows 11, I need to buy a computer. I don't want either.

But that's my point - you don't need to buy either.  You can keep chugging with what you have.  MS and Dell and HP and others only get their $$$ when you decide you want to buy.  Until then, like my older Dell desktop my wife uses, it stays Win10 and just keeps on running.  Unless the power supply dies and fries something, it will likely keep chugging along.  I tend to swap in a new HD every so often and keep the old one as a "back-up", but not so much anymore as I am a little better at keeping multiple back-ups on external drives and rotating through that system.  

I can think of no reason to "upgrade" to Win11, and ain't nobody making me!  

[Bikeguy]

2 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I can think of no reason to "upgrade" to Win11, and ain't nobody making me!  

OK... after October in 2025 when Microsoft stops sending out security patches to Windows 10, slowly over time there will be security risks 'discovered' in Windows10 that could be used to hack your computer. 

Will this happen?   No way to tell until it does happen.    Even that is still a small risk, but that was probably THE reason I upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10.    

Then again there is this.  10% of the users in the world still use Windows 7.  

https://www.maketecheasier.com/how-to-use-windows-7-safely/

 

[JerrySTL ★]

22 hours ago, bikeman564™ said:

I'm thinking that. My processor is more than powerful enough, but it's not supported...whatever.

Same here. I was going to upgrade the CPU but I would also need to update the motherboard to do that.

[MickinMD ★]

11 hours ago, jdc2000 said:

Windows 11 is still beta software.  Microsoft is still messing with it.  If you want to keep it, try Start11 or other software to restore functionality.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-organize-your-windows-11-start-menu-with-folders/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-replace-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/this-former-windows-user-experience-chief-has-issues-with-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/stardocks-start11-to-allow-users-to-customize-the-windows-11-start-menu/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/hate-windows-11-heres-how-to-make-it-work-more-like-windows-10/
https://www.zdnet.com/video/how-to-move-the-windows-11-start-menu-back-to-the-left-corner/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-11-how-to-move-the-start-button-back-to-where-it-belongs/
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-replace-the-windows-11-start-menu-with-stardocks-start-11/

Awesome list!  Thanks!

I was hesitant to "upgrade" my Win 10 computer with Win 11 because of problems a generation ago - hopefully they're minimal now.

I had a Win 95 computer and one of my chemistry student's father sent in for me "Windows Memphis" - the beta for Windows 98.

Every teacher and a lot of students stopped by my classroom and office to see it.  It was a definite small improvement, but some of my software didn't work well with it and the laptop itself had some problems - sometimes I had to cold-boot it 3 times before it loaded Windows in.  I had to play with the BIOS settings, etc.