Windows to Chromebook Conversion

pnichols wrote:
Gdetrailer,

I don't understand or am so far not concerned with much of the Windows 10 & computer issues you mention above.

I configured my computer's (actually several different computers) desired basic desktop screen around 25 years ago starting with XP. I've maintained and slightly refined it down through the years with XP, Vista, and now Windows 10. My concept was to have the "window into my computer" be the same regardless of computer, and it's operating system, or it's operating system revision. To do this has taken some learning and persistence. I still have a desktop computer at home running XP and it's opening desktop screen look and feel is just about identical to the opening desktop screen's look and feel on my newest Dell SSD Windows 10 laptop that we take on RV trips.

While you can "sort of" make Win10 "LOOK" like XPs interface, you are fooling yourself.

Without third party tools like "Classic Start" (which is no longer being developed due to MS "refreshing" Win10 every 6 months which constantly breaks third party tools) you simply are not able to "bring back" 50% of the look and feel of XP interface..

Not to mention MS has completely removed many of the under the hood tools like "regedit" (registry editor), gpedit (Group Policy editor) in Win10 HOME AND PRO versions, leaving only Win10 "Enterprise" version (corporate IT) to only get those tools.

You ARE at the mercy of MS and their twisted ideas of what you can do, how you will do it and when you can do it.

Each time a new creators version gets down loaded to your PC there will be some of those custom settings you set that one day no longer exist or work and you will have to do all that work again..

MS time line is to refresh your OS twice a year..

The operating system tweaking and adjusting that I do is to remove or disable all bloatware, unwanted applications, and unwanted behaviors. Once this is done, what I've been left with down through the years is a faster responding system with superior graphics and more convenient housekeeping - such as automatic residual software cleanup, automatic memory defragmentation, automatic WEB site filtering, automatic memory protection, automatic email blocking, etc.. I've not experienced any crashes with Windows 10 the couple of years that I've been using it - but I am very careful with what applications and programs that I actively use and leave running in the background.

Sorry, all the removal you have done is nothing more than temporary at best and superficial, plenty of talk on tech forums about MS bloatware that persistently comes back from the dead. Even IT Professionals are often mystified with many of these "unwanted behaviors" as you call it..

MS DOES reinstall unwanted bloatware and Apps all the time, they do that every monthly update and especially so with the Creators updates. Sure, it will let you uninstall them after the fact, but it is the PRINCIPLE involved of sneaking the junk onto your PC, but hey, read the MS license agreement, you did do that, right?

As far as I've experienced up to this point, Windows 10 has been the best operating system for precise user control of all of it's aspects so as to be able to custom configure it.

You have drank too much MS koolaid and are kidding yourself, you have much less "user control" over 90% of the OS, you lost control of how and when you get automatic updates, you can't refuse bad updates, they get installed anyway, it simply will do that when ever and then the next bootup you might find yourself a doorstop. Once that happens you better hope you can access the last system backup to restore. MS fired ALL of their QA staff, so there is NOBODY actually testing these updates, ALL of the "testing" is done via YOU and you are not being paid to do that testing, but hey, you did get the OS for "free", right?

It wasn't "free", you paid for it via giving up all rights to your own data.. Was it worth it?

You completely lost control of ALL of your "privacy", MS is gathering more data about you than you will ever want to know, about the programs you run, how often, how long, what websites you visit and much more that MS has not admitted to. You cannot shut any of that off fully and what minimal control MS has graciously allowed you is nothing more than fluff.. If you really want to put some more data back into your control, you need once again another third party tool like "O&OShutup".

Sadly, your view of being OK with invasion of privacy, loss of REAL control of your PC is a really sad commentary of lack of caring exhibited in many of todays world view. MS has tossed you a couple of bones in exchange for your soul.