Microsoft pushes full-screen ads for Copilot+ PCs on Windows 10 users
- Thread starter JournalBot
- Start date
The software isn’t the problem it’s the drivers and the hardware. We had old CNC drills on windows NT 3.5, that use proprietary 8bit ISA I/O cards. You aren’t supporting those with newer hardware or software.
Upvote
24
(24
/
0)
Apple updates MacOS every year and gives it a new name, these revisions are more like the Windows annual updates 22H1, 23H2, etc, than something like the jump from System 7 to Mac OS 8, and having to use a third-party tool to finagle updates onto unsupported hardware is not any better than using workaround to get Win11 running on old harder. If Apple doesn't official support it then the majority of consumer-grade users aren't doing it, Ars users are heavily biased towards being able and interested in working around manufacturer limits while the average home user is not.
Upvote
7
(7
/
0)
My 5-year-old Surface Laptop was moved today from Windows 11 to Ubuntu 22.04 (full wipe). Took less than 30 min. Granted, not gaming or using Office apps. But everything else works for all things Dev and ML. I happen to agree that it feels like my extremely sluggish Windows PC got a new lease on life. No Windows Hello, but that's a small inconvenience given no ads, no Copilot push and, IMHO, a much cleaner UX.
Upvote
3
(5
/
-2)
Wombling_Free
Seniorius Lurkius
Where are the ads in Windows 11? I've been using it for over 18 months at home and work, and I have yet to see an ad except for the few that get through uBlock Origin in my browser (Edge). I see no ads in the task bar or the start menu or in Explorer or on the desktop or... anywhere.
What am I doing wrong to miss out on all this vaunted advertising I hear about in W11?
Edit: Australian, for those wondering about location.
Last edited:
Upvote
-1
(6
/
-7)
This. Am stuck with Win 10 for the moment as I have to use Adobe CC for work. Run a mint VM, and a few others as well, on my win PC just to keep up with the linux scene, but it's still not viable to shift from windows. Libre office also makes a hash of excel pivot tables, which I need to use in some of my spreadsheets, so all that stuff needs to come up to scratch before most win users can shift over, but I can't see that happening any time soon.
Upvote
3
(3
/
0)
Also certification. Sometimes you just cannot change it without voiding the warranty, so even if it works you're not updating because if you lose the warranty and something breaks you're screwed. A multimillion dollar machine going down for a period of time and the vendor straight up not fixing it isn't going to fly. And if it's a medical device running a non-certified version will get you in just as much trouble, especially if something goes wrong.
Upvote
7
(7
/
0)
Personally, I’ve found W11 to be slightly superior to W10 for my use case. However the launch of W11 and the system requirements — and how they were communicated— (good luck Joe User knowing if they have TPM or how to turn it on!) was absolutely abysmal. Heck, it took me the better part of a year to figure out how to enable TPM and convert my boot disk so I could eventually upgrade.
So I’m not surprised there are swaths of people still on W10. MS really went out of their way to make the W10->W11 transition a bit of a shitshow.
So I’m not surprised there are swaths of people still on W10. MS really went out of their way to make the W10->W11 transition a bit of a shitshow.
Upvote
3
(5
/
-2)
So 8 years of support. Microsoft supports every version of Windows for 10 years, and the vast majority of computers can upgrade versions. You could be using a computer that launched with Windows 7 in 2009 and still be running up a fully up-to-date version of Windows 10 until October 2025 without any hacks or workarounds, for free.
I just recently recycled an old ThinkPad T61 from 2007 that ran Windows 10 perfectly fine. With 4+ GB of RAM and an SSD, if you're just surfing the web and using Office, that sort of computer can still be perfectly sufficient. The cheapest new computers are hardly any faster. If you move up to 2011, you can still play recent games on a Sandy Bridge PC with a modern video card. Heavily threaded tasks (video encoding, etc.) will be many times faster with a modern PC, but that's not what most people do.
This is why Windows 11's strict system requirements have caused such a stir. There are computers from 2017 or so that can't officially upgrade to 11, and will have only gotten 8 years of support on 10. That's typical for Apple, but terrible for Microsoft. As far as tools like OCLP, you can install Windows 11 on unsupported computers with some workarounds as well. But the average user is not going to be doing either of those things.
Upvote
8
(8
/
0)
I'm running a more than 10 year old PC with Windows 10 and a recent windows update actually installed CoPilot on my computer. I removed it but I thought that was supposed to be a Windows 11 thing? My hardware is certainly far below the standard that would support it. (quad core CPU + GTX 1050Ti).
Upvote
0
(0
/
0)
Nothing will make me less likely to upgrade from Windows 10 than obnoxious full-screen ads. The fact is, I only have a Windows 10 installation on my MacBook in order to play a couple of Windows-only games. I have no use of Windows 10 otherwise, and I certainly have no interest in Windows 11, CoPilot or Recall.
Upvote
2
(2
/
0)
I don't see a "fuck right off" option button on the full-screen ad. Weird. You'd think that would be the most popular choice.
Upvote
12
(12
/
0)
Sticking to the last supported version of MacOS on an older Mac is no different to sticking to the last supported version of Windows on a PC. The likelihood that the newest version of the OS is necessary to run all the software you need to run is vanishingly small.
Upvote
0
(1
/
-1)
Do you mean the store "recommendations" in the Start menu? Thankfully those can be disabled.
Or do you mean the full screen reminder to use a MS account?
Is there anything else?
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
We just updated and not only am I getting all this crap - including “news” feeds, ads, weather in parts of the world that I don’t care about - I don’t have access to the blocked content and sites that I really need, like gmail.
Upvote
-3
(0
/
-3)
Thanks friend! What linux distro should I get? I have used windows since 95 and some mac os x.
I miss pre xp windows, although I remember it was extremely unstable back in the day.
Upvote
0
(1
/
-1)
On one hand, the Windows 10 support duration is reasonable when compared to previous versions of Windows.
On the other hand, computers just work so well for so long these days. This is a huge departure from how things used to be. You can easily get 12 years or more out of a computer nowadays. This never used to be the case.
I purchased a computer with a 486 DX2 at 66MHz and 8MB RAM in 1994. The idea of continuing to use that computer in 2006 would have been laughable. By that time, you could easily be running a Core 2 Duo at 2.4GHz (36x clock speed) and with 2GB RAM (256x memory).
Yet the computer I'm typing this on is 12 years old, and is running strong. Its quad core Ivy Bridge i7 isn't the fastest CPU around, but it's more than fast enough for general use, and it has 16GB RAM, which is still credible by today's standards. There's no reason I couldn't keep using it for several more years.
I also have another computer sitting next to it that is 8 years old, and which is even more capable. A 3.9GHz Skylake processor, 32GB RAM... it's still perfectly usable for serious work. But Windows 11 isn't supported on it. I fully expect to get another 5-10 years out of that PC, even if it has to be via Linux.
With computers being useful for so much longer these days, there's no reason not to push to get well over a decade out of them. OS support cycles should recognize this new reality.
On the other hand, computers just work so well for so long these days. This is a huge departure from how things used to be. You can easily get 12 years or more out of a computer nowadays. This never used to be the case.
I purchased a computer with a 486 DX2 at 66MHz and 8MB RAM in 1994. The idea of continuing to use that computer in 2006 would have been laughable. By that time, you could easily be running a Core 2 Duo at 2.4GHz (36x clock speed) and with 2GB RAM (256x memory).
Yet the computer I'm typing this on is 12 years old, and is running strong. Its quad core Ivy Bridge i7 isn't the fastest CPU around, but it's more than fast enough for general use, and it has 16GB RAM, which is still credible by today's standards. There's no reason I couldn't keep using it for several more years.
I also have another computer sitting next to it that is 8 years old, and which is even more capable. A 3.9GHz Skylake processor, 32GB RAM... it's still perfectly usable for serious work. But Windows 11 isn't supported on it. I fully expect to get another 5-10 years out of that PC, even if it has to be via Linux.
With computers being useful for so much longer these days, there's no reason not to push to get well over a decade out of them. OS support cycles should recognize this new reality.
Upvote
16
(16
/
0)
Haven't tried this one myself but try Bazzite - https://bazzite.gg/
Gaming OS based on Steam and Fedora...
Upvote
2
(2
/
0)
Apple has no official level of support documented for it's computers. For some models, yes, it's 8. Some of the Intel Macs got 10 years of updates. Some of the more recent Intel Macs are getting less than 8 now because they are focusing on Apple Silicon Macs and releasing features that won't run on older Intel CPU/GPU. Gut feeling is that M1 Macs and newer will have a pretty long lifecycle (8-10 years) considering that Apple is even more control of the hardware and driver stack.
Upvote
6
(6
/
0)
SpankyFrost
Ars Centurion
Linux, blah! If gaming and hobby is all many of you do... good for you. There are literally thousands, perhaps millions that run certain critical programs that ONLY run on Windows. It is NO ONE choice but the manufacturer. And most of them will not touch Linux. My woodcraft business relies on software that is only windows and very critical to the business workflow.
Upvote
-4
(5
/
-9)
If they're recent-ish games, and you get them through Steam, you usually don't need to touch that. They mostly just work. Whatever heavy lifting is needed has already been done.
edit: a Deck-compatible rating is a near-certain sign that a game will run well under Linux. Sort of a one-stop shop.
Last edited:
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
If I'm to be honest here that sounds like an issue with whoever developed your software, do you have a communication with them? No?
I really hope they're not one of those windows development houses that have gone out of business years ago but you know that's a thing.
Still, plenty of businesses have managed to make Linux work for them. If you can't make that transition well... that sucks.
Upvote
-2
(2
/
-4)
How's Ubuntu for gaming?
I bought my first PC since my PC-AT286 during the pandemic. I guess I chose poorly because it's not capable of being upgraded to Win11. I bought it 95% for gaming, so $30 for another year of security updates doesn't seem worth it. I guess it'll be a $2000 "Raspberry Pi" where I just use it to play around with Linux variants.
Upvote
0
(0
/
0)
I bought mine based off an Ars article saying the best way to get a good gaming card was to buy a pre-built gaming rig, so it's got some OOOMPH, but I guess there's something about the motherboard that makes it incompatible? I dunno, I just hate to sell it or let it rot because it can't upgrade to Win 11 (and from what I read and hear, I wouldn't want to upgrade anyway).
Upvote
0
(0
/
0)
From my perspective, there's no NEED to do it now. Next October? Sure.
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
For those contemplating the Linux Switch and holding off due to gaming, there are two options.
1st is Proton from Valve and many Linux Distro's offer it
2nd is DosBox for older Games - Get them from GoG but check which ones use it. Again, DosBox is wide spread in Linux, meaning that many older Games from GoG simply work.
I actually look at the particulars on GoG games as they do list if it's a DosBox version. Makes it easy to ensure it'll simply run.
As to Proton, my primary Online online Game runs well under it though it runs better with the Vulcan/Dx Graphics layer and I don't have to worry about MS borking the game
1st is Proton from Valve and many Linux Distro's offer it
2nd is DosBox for older Games - Get them from GoG but check which ones use it. Again, DosBox is wide spread in Linux, meaning that many older Games from GoG simply work.
I actually look at the particulars on GoG games as they do list if it's a DosBox version. Makes it easy to ensure it'll simply run.
As to Proton, my primary Online online Game runs well under it though it runs better with the Vulcan/Dx Graphics layer and I don't have to worry about MS borking the game
Upvote
0
(0
/
0)
Thanks for the info. Any experience on games outside of Steam?
I'm curious about the following:
1. Are games that use Denuvo DOA on Linux? Especially kernel level stuff like Denuvo Anti-Cheat.
2. How easy is it to integrate or run games from Epic, Origin, GoG, or other less well-known launchers/storefronts (eg Humble, GamePass, JAST)?
3. What about stand-alone executables that expect to work by setting Windows Registry keys? Some Japanese Windows games do this for setup/configuration.
4. Mod launchers, do they cause problems? I use BG3ModManager for Baldur's Gate 3 and R2ModMan for Risk of Rain 2.
Appreciate any insight/experience anyone has on this.
Upvote
0
(0
/
0)
I don't know why it's not mentioned more often, but there's a different, better escape hatch. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC is not only far superior to Home and Pro versions, it gets regular, non-ESU security updates until 2032.
Even if I was opposed to piracy in this situation, Windows 11 sucks so bad I'd jump through the many hoops required to legally purchase it as a private person; which is difficult but not impossible.
Upvote
6
(7
/
-1)
I don't do that much Linux gaming, I actively avoid titles with Denuvo or launchers, and I haven't tried running anything from GOG under Linux, so you'd have trouble finding a person less qualified to answer. Everything I say here is mere hearsay, not actual experience.
1. I think Denuvo is no-worky, and many anti-cheats don't work in Linux. Apparently there's been substantial cheating from Linux users, so publishers are closing down access. Multiplayer titles on Linux are becoming iffy because of the assholes. Actual working anti-cheat on Linux would be a very, very heavy lift, because its kernel is very well understood, and not terribly security-focused.
2. I believe the Heroic Games Launcher is pretty good at GOG and Amazon games. Haven't actually tried it. On its own page, it doesn't say anything about other launchers, so I assume they don't work.
3. Good question. You might be able to get them running through Steam by adding them as outside launch items, but I'm not sure if you can do the normal Proton config that way. I've never tried.
4. I haven't heard anything one way or the other. I'd more or less expect them to work, since they're actively trying to make your life easier. They may well address issues on their end, rather than demanding that Proton adapt itself, like game publishers sometimes do. The Deck is very popular, so programs that are explicitly for user benefit seem likely to be early adopters of Proton.
Again: guesswork and hearsay. If anyone disagrees with me, assume they're right and I'm wrong.
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
11 LTSC is really pretty good. It has the inferior UI, but it's no worse than most Linuxes (Linuxii?), and doesn't have any of the other really abusive bullshit going on. For example, after adding the MIcrosoft Store (LTSC starts without it installed) Notepad actually asked me if I wanted to upgrade it, and I was able to refuse. Without ads, it's really not that bad. The main difference is that you have to move your mouse more to launch things from the Start menu, and unfortunately Open Shell (my preferred Start menu replacement) breaks badly under Win11, and doesn't look like it will be fixed.
I imagine 10 LTSC is fine too, but 11 LTSC is exactly identical to the current version of Windows, so you'll probably have less trouble with it. All programs should just run with minimal hassle. Avoid the Store as much as you can, though. Microsoft doesn't like LTSC, and anything you source from there could break at any time. Things you get from other sources, like Steam, should work beautifully, and won't unexpectedly break by, say, a sudden requirement for a kernel newer than 24H2.
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
No doubt 11 LTSC is better than 10/11 Home/Pro; but the UI is the biggest issue for me and the consensus on the LTSC subreddit has been it's significantly worse than 10 LTSC in many ways.
Having must-run software that doesn't work on 10 (almost always because of artificial restrictions or laziness) is a reason to use it, but otherwise? Not going to take a substantial downgrade just in anticipation I might someday want to run something it won't, can cross that bridge when it comes. Hopefully MS will follow their ok-shit-ok pattern and 12 will be better, and the 8 year window might be enough to wait it out.
I'd never touch the store or an online login for my local Windows desktop.
"Notepad actually asked me if I wanted to upgrade it, and I was able to refuse."
Big giant UGH that I'd even have to get asked if I want the newer crap version loaded with garbage they should have put in Wordpad had they not stupidly removed it, because Notepad is supposed to be dead simple and Wordpad was the intermediate step between that and Word. Plus zero trust it won't magically appear after an update. They took a standard Win32 edit control and not only replaced it with a RichEdit control like Wordpad had, but a proprietary version they won't let other programmers use.
Sad to hear OpenShell won't even work with it now; that certainly doesn't bode well for someone who likes writing custom shell extensions like me.
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
Perfectly fine. I would personally recommend Kubuntu (the KDE flavour) over Ubuntu (the Gnome flavour).
Denuvo is generally a non-issue.
"Anti-cheat" (more accurately "anti-tamper") is looking for deviations from expected Windows, and Wine is not at all Windows; those will all refuse to run unless running-on-Linux is specifically considered and allowed by the game dev, which means using VAC, EAC or BattlEye and explicitly allowing Linux. Some games have done this, some haven't.
Varies wildly depending on which specific store you're considering. GOG, Amazon and Epic are adequately covered by Heroic, for example, but Microsoft's Game Pass is entirely tied to Windows outside of a streaming subscription.
regedit has been implemented in Wine for a long time. It's not a registry, of course, it's simply a text file that pretends to be the registry, but it shouldn't be an issue. Worst case, you can simply set the keys yourself, but you probably won't have to.
Varies wildly depending on the mod. Replacing game files, for example, is a non-issue, whereas binary patching wrapped up in a Windows executable framework is more of a pain. Steam Workshop is entirely painless, and Nexus Mods has recently decided to go cross-platform (although I believe they're only up to three games so far). I've not personally tried either of the specific mods you mentioned.
Upvote
4
(4
/
0)
My experience suggests that's not true, at least if you have a relatively recent machine. It's running very nicely for me, better than Windows 10 did. Except for the UI, I quite like it, and I can live with the UI to get the other features and better HDR handling.
And the UI isn't that bad. Again, it's no worse than most Linuxes, and better than many. Without the ads, it's pretty usable, you just have to move your mouse more. I'm sure I'd despise the mainstream version, but the LTSC flavor is acceptable. After, um, maybe a month with it, I can find what I need with decent speed and minimal hassle.
I agree with pretty much everyone that the UI is a step back, but the LTSC flavor is only a little worse than 10. And the pain in running 10 LTSC will steadily increase over time, where 11 LTSC is just about zero actual hassle. Well, except for the sourcing it part, but that's the same for 10.
Upvote
0
(2
/
-2)
Microsoft board is trying desperately to stay with forced upgrades to show something for insane amounts of money burned in recent years, especially for OpenAI.
It is gonna fail, and users will be left with broken computers.
Maybe it is to move on. I am not gonna speech about how Linux is just much better, because it is. As anything it is also developed by flawed human beings, but they give you control. Control which you don't have right now.
It is gonna fail, and users will be left with broken computers.
Maybe it is to move on. I am not gonna speech about how Linux is just much better, because it is. As anything it is also developed by flawed human beings, but they give you control. Control which you don't have right now.
Upvote
2
(3
/
-1)
Then why did you post false information before, if you are not privy to such particulars?
Upvote
6
(6
/
0)
Anti Cheat works on Linux, but it is specially supported and enabled. Many titles have done that.
Many games who do their own networking sometimes silently update their watchdog systems to support Wine, and I think there is concentrated effort to provide official support.
Denuvo are increasingly used in first months or even weeks to protect most critical time for sales. Then it is removed and game suddenly starts working.
Overall developers treat Wine / Proton as they should be - it is compatibility layer. Also engine specialisation has helped a great deal.
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
Also I would want to point out, that if your goal is just pure entertainment and not chasing FOMO Linux has been good for years.
Only in last two we see titles even getting green check for Steam Deck with not big efforts to get it working.
Library of very good games that work on Linux is huge. Lots of them work so well you don't really notice or care.
Just do it. Don't worry, you not gonna miss out on anything.
Only in last two we see titles even getting green check for Steam Deck with not big efforts to get it working.
Library of very good games that work on Linux is huge. Lots of them work so well you don't really notice or care.
Just do it. Don't worry, you not gonna miss out on anything.
Upvote
-1
(0
/
-1)
Not the op, but yes, lineage os + root + fdroid + FOSS software is quite a massive amount of freedom. What exactly was your point?
Upvote
1
(1
/
0)
So our options now are the one with the ads and the AI spyware, the one that’s devolving to a tablet OS inside a walled garden, or the free hobbyist one?
I miss the choice and vibrant ecosystem of the 80s!
I miss the choice and vibrant ecosystem of the 80s!
Upvote
1
(3
/
-2)