Author Topic: New computers automatically downloading Win 11 (Read 8917 times)

sneakypete · « **on:** July 21, 2022, 04:23:07 pm »

BTW,does anyone know what to do about the dangers of buying a new computer with Win 10,and then having the SOB automatically start downloading Win 11 the first time you booted it up?

This happened with this piece of crap laptop I am using now. The only reason I picked this SOB over the others is it was loaded with Win 10,and the damn thing downloaded Win 11 the first time I booted it.

Or maybe partially downloaded Win 11. I seem to have some files missing,and the damn thing just reboots at random several times a day with no warning,and no improvements once it re-boots.

If I wasn't so cheap and afraid of having a new one do the same damn thing,I would have used this one for target practice a long time ago and already bought a new one.

BTW,ONLY computers selling for 500 bucks or less will even be considered.

corbe · « **Reply #1 on:** July 21, 2022, 04:28:39 pm »

@sneakypete

I'm not running Win 11 though I have played with it for hours. It's not bad as far as a M$ OS goes. There is a place, I believe in Settings, System/Recovery ~ Restore where you can back out of Win 11 and revert back to Win 10 within 30 days of initial Win 11 upgrade. Once you get Win 10 back on you can turn OFF the Win 11 upgrade in Windows Update ~ Settings/Update.

sneakypete · « **Reply #2 on:** July 21, 2022, 04:38:43 pm »

Quote from: corbe on July 21, 2022, 04:28:39 pm

@sneakypete

I'm not running Win 11 though I have played with it for hours. It's not bad as far as a M$ OS goes. There is a place, I believe in Settings, System/Recovery ~ Restore where you can back out of Win 11 and revert back to Win 10 within 30 days of initial Win 11 upgrade. Once you get Win 10 back on you can turn OFF the Win 11 upgrade in Windows Update ~ Settings/Update.

@corbe

Thanks,I will try to remember that. I have severe Chemo-Brain,and need to spend my time trying to remember what I am already supposed to know,not trying to learn new things.

You might be surprised at how long it took me to shut the damn thing down once Win 11 loaded. Why the HELL they would hide the freaking "off" button will always remain a mystery to me.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2022, 04:54:42 pm »

Quote from: sneakypete on July 21, 2022, 04:38:43 pm

@corbe

Thanks,I will try to remember that. I have severe Chemo-Brain,and need to spend my time trying to remember what I am already supposed to know,not trying to learn new things.

You might be surprised at how long it took me to shut the damn thing down once Win 11 loaded. Why the HELL they would hide the freaking "off" button will always remain a mystery to me.

@sneakypete

@corbe is right. Worst case, if it has been too long (over 90 days I think) you may have to scrub it off and reload 10... And immediately go to updates and shut off the win11 upgrade, which will try to once again automagically install.

As an alternative, there are aftermarket shell applications that will make win11 look like win10... I have messed around a bit with Stardock's Start11. Pretty easy, and pretty good. But it focuses mostly on the start menu - so under the hood, there is still a lot that is different. Personally, I recommend revert or reload and stay in Win10

Maybe you should find you a geek kid or a back alley tech to jigger things for you till the chemo-brain subsides. I mean no fault or foul... Just might get you on your way.

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2022, 04:57:18 pm »

This might affect me, so I have a hypothetical question. My main machine bricked so I had to send it to Dell for warranty repair. Since it's bricked it seem likely they will just send me a whole new machine, probably with W11 preinstalled. They usually do that if the Mommy Board is dead.

Is there a way to roll it back to Win10? I like W10 more than W11....

roamer_1 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2022, 04:58:59 pm »

Quote from: corbe on July 21, 2022, 04:28:39 pm

I'm not running Win 11 though I have played with it for hours.

Me too - Hate the new front end. If I am in win11 I keep a cmdbox open and navigate by command. I find the start menu to be unusable.

But it runs sweet. I will give it that.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:01:56 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on July 21, 2022, 04:57:18 pm

This might affect me, so I have a hypothetical question. My main machine bricked so I had to send it to Dell for warranty repair. Since it's bricked it seem likely they will just send me a whole new machine, probably with W11 preinstalled. They usually do that if the Mommy Board is dead.

Is there a way to roll it back to Win10? I like W10 more than W11....

Not if it is installed to Win11.
All you can do is rub it off and reinstall Win10 - You should not need a key... It should phone home and use the Win11 key. But like with Pete, the minute you can, you have to be sitting on Updates to shut off the win11 automatic update... Although, if you miss it, you can revert to win10 after the fact for a while

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #7 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:07:13 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 05:01:56 pm

Not if it is installed to Win11.
All you can do is rub it off and reinstall Win10 - You should not need a key... It should phone home and use the Win11 key. But like with Pete, the minute you can, you have to be sitting on Updates to shut off the win11 automatic update... Although, if you miss it, you can revert to win10 after the fact for a while

Yes, that's always my plan with a brand new machine. The first thing I always do after initial setup is to hit the Update Setting to freshen up the machine before I start opening any apps. I would be able to cancel a W11 upgrade.

But I fear there will be no W10 at all, it would come with W11 preinstalled.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:15:53 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on July 21, 2022, 05:07:13 pm

But I fear there will be no W10 at all, it would come with W11 preinstalled.

Right. If that is true, you will have to get Win10 installation media, get it on a bootable thumb (I can help with all that), rub off the current installation and install win10... Pretty painless btw. Once you have the boot thumb built, it's maybe 20 minutes to blow it off and reload.

ETA: If that model machine ran Win10, it can certainly run Win10 again.

Kamaji · « **Reply #9 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:25:36 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 04:58:59 pm

Me too - Hate the new front end. If I am in win11 I keep a cmdbox open and navigate by command. I find the start menu to be unusable.

But it runs sweet. I will give it that.

Since I am a real behind-the-curve type when it comes to Win OSes, what is the new Win11 front-end? I saw a few images, and it reminded me of the Mac OS interface. Is it really Mac-like, or am I just imagining things?

roamer_1 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:37:38 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on July 21, 2022, 05:25:36 pm

Since I am a real behind-the-curve type when it comes to Win OSes, what is the new Win11 front-end? I saw a few images, and it reminded me of the Mac OS interface. Is it really Mac-like, or am I just imagining things?

Yeah... Looks like that's what they were going for. Stock, it is centered and wide... but what I hate most is the poor use of 'favorites' pinned to the top, and burrowing down through the complete list of apps is literally unworkable.

To be fair, I am pretty addicted to the win10 start - I have three panels when start opens... The first is for favorites - a quick list of the stuff I use all the time... The middle panel is everything to do with PIM... Email, cal, and todo in wide format, with little icons for everything I use in office. and the third panel, weather and pictures, big and wide, with little icons all the way around them having to do with utilities - I SO seldom have to drill down that I almost never do.

Win11 is crap by comparison.

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #11 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:40:14 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 05:15:53 pm

Right. If that is true, you will have to get Win10 installation media, get it on a bootable thumb (I can help with all that), rub off the current installation and install win10... Pretty painless btw. Once you have the boot thumb built, it's maybe 20 minutes to blow it off and reload.

ETA: If that model machine ran Win10, it can certainly run Win10 again.

I'll let you know via PM if I'll need to do this. I agree the hardware has to be able to run W10, unless they send me a different model. I don't know why they would do that, though.

Kamaji · « **Reply #12 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:46:37 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 05:37:38 pm

Yeah... Looks like that's what they were going for. Stock, it is centered and wide... but what I hate most is the poor use of 'favorites' pinned to the top, and burrowing down through the complete list of apps is literally unworkable.

To be fair, I am pretty addicted to the win10 start - I have three panels when start opens... The first is for favorites - a quick list of the stuff I use all the time... The middle panel is everything to do with PIM... Email, cal, and todo in wide format, with little icons for everything I use in office. and the third panel, weather and pictures, big and wide, with little icons all the way around them having to do with utilities - I SO seldom have to drill down that I almost never do.

Win11 is crap by comparison.

Good to know. Unfortunately, at some point I will have to deal with a Win11 system - my wife is itching to get a new system for herself - so better forewarned.

To be perfectly honest, if it weren't for the need to have MS Word, Excel, and Edge for work (and MS Word for personal as well - the LibreOffice editor just isn't quite up to snuff yet), I would probably have gone full linux by now.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:48:08 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on July 21, 2022, 05:40:14 pm

I'll let you know via PM if I'll need to do this. I agree the hardware has to be able to run W10, unless they send me a different model. I don't know why they would do that, though.

No worries. you'll need a small sacrificial thumb ready... I dunno how small... probably a 4g would do... Hard telling because the sweet spot in thumbs nowadays is 8 or 16g thumbs, which I have laying around in bunches... I don't think I could find anything smaller than that around here.

Standard fare around here btw. I would rub it off just for giggles. I trust images alright I guess... but a by-hand reload means I know exactly what it is.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:54:39 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on July 21, 2022, 05:46:37 pm

Good to know. Unfortunately, at some point I will have to deal with a Win11 system - my wife is itching to get a new system for herself - so better forewarned.

To be perfectly honest, if it weren't for the need to have MS Word, Excel, and Edge for work (and MS Word for personal as well - the LibreOffice editor just isn't quite up to snuff yet), I would probably have gone full linux by now.

If you MUST go to Win11, try out Stardock's Start11... (for purchase... something around five bucks IIRC) It will give you back a workable Win10 start menu.

But I hear you - Since my business cratered during covid, I have thought many times of turning my house Linux. It is already a good argument wrt my media machines... And my personal stuff is half droid anymore and would talk nice to Mint or BSD... BUT, if I intend to stay a pooter tech, and especially in utilities (for HDD recovery and such) I am almost necessarily bound to Windows.

Bigun · « **Reply #15 on:** July 21, 2022, 05:59:30 pm »

@roamer_1

Isn't there something in bios that you can turn off that will prevent W11 from installing? I have two laptops that COULD run W11 IF I wanted to go in and change that secure boot thing.

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:03:41 pm »

For reference, this is the website to D/L Stardock: https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/

I may just use that right now. I'm on a W11 machine and I hate the new start menu, for all the reasons listed in this thread.

Oh, the lowest cost license is $5.99, for one machine only. Free 30-day trial.

Kamaji · « **Reply #17 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:05:31 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 05:54:39 pm

If you MUST go to Win11, try out Stardock's Start11... (for purchase... something around five bucks IIRC) It will give you back a workable Win10 start menu.

But I hear you - Since my business cratered during covid, I have thought many times of turning my house Linux. It is already a good argument wrt my media machines... And my personal stuff is half droid anymore and would talk nice to Mint or BSD... BUT, if I intend to stay a pooter tech, and especially in utilities (for HDD recovery and such) I am almost necessarily bound to Windows.

Yeah, if you're doing the tech deal, you gotta be up on what the market needs, and that's predominantly Windows. It's a little like when I used to try writing webpages back in the old IE days, if you wanted technical perfection, you were basically writing mostly for Opera, but if you wanted functionality, you had to write almost two separate pages, one for all browsers but IE, and then one - the production one - with all the IE kludge factors added in.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:09:34 pm »

Quote from: Bigun on July 21, 2022, 05:59:30 pm

@roamer_1

Isn't there something in bios that you can turn off that will prevent W11 from installing? I have two laptops that COULD run W11 IF I wanted to go in and change that secure boot thing.

@Bigun
Yes, if you have win10 and shut off secure boot or TPM, it would no longer bug you to install win11... But shutting off the win11 auto update will shut it off too...

As an aside, I have had many machines loaded with win11 There are ways to install it on most modern machines... But the FUD is that they will not update properly unless there is secure boot, TPM 2.0, and a supported processor. I keep fixin to lay up a permanent installation on inferior hardware just to see if it is FUD. But I really can't stand the interface. I always wind up throwing it away and reinstalling win10 within a week or two.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:15:28 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on July 21, 2022, 06:03:41 pm

For reference, this is the website to D/L Stardock: https://www.stardock.com/products/start11/

I may just use that right now. I'm on a W11 machine and I hate the new start menu, for all the reasons listed in this thread.

Oh, the lowest cost license is $5.99, for one machine only. Free 30-day trial.

It's pretty good - though YMMV... I have messed with it a bit, but I am by no means expert with it.

roamer_1 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:18:54 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on July 21, 2022, 06:05:31 pm

Yeah, if you're doing the tech deal, you gotta be up on what the market needs, and that's predominantly Windows. It's a little like when I used to try writing webpages back in the old IE days, if you wanted technical perfection, you were basically writing mostly for Opera, but if you wanted functionality, you had to write almost two separate pages, one for all browsers but IE, and then one - the production one - with all the IE kludge factors added in.

Yep. It's just how it is. I need to run the OS to know how to hack it... Same with Orofice. I worked myself into a trick bag there. Used to be an Excel guru and the same with Outlook... But MS pissed me off and I went to Open Office. Now I have trouble messing with Office. Gotta stay on top of that curve. In fact, I will be purchasing Office later this year for only that reason.

Bigun · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2022, 06:20:59 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 06:09:34 pm

@Bigun
Yes, if you have win10 and shut off secure boot or TPM, it would no longer bug you to install win11... But shutting off the win11 auto update will shut it off too...

As an aside, I have had many machines loaded with win11 There are ways to install it on most modern machines... But the FUD is that they will not update properly unless there is secure boot, TPM 2.0, and a supported processor. I keep fixin to lay up a permanent installation on inferior hardware just to see if it is FUD. But I really can't stand the interface. I always wind up throwing it away and reinstalling win10 within a week or two.

Thanks @roamer_1 either way works i suppose but since my machines came w/W10 and secure boot and or TPM turned off that is how they shall remain. (I have no idea if it's one or both as I have not bothered to look)

I do have one machine on W11 just for shits and giggles.

corbe · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2022, 08:27:24 pm »

How to Make a Bootable CD/DVD/USB to Install Windows

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/how-to-make-a-bootable-cd-dvd-usb-to-install-windows/ar-AAZPH7T?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=f366ed57907d488d8b8b781ea38dc164

@Cyber Liberty

sneakypete · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2022, 09:38:19 pm »

Quote from: roamer_1 on July 21, 2022, 04:54:42 pm

@sneakypete

@corbe is right. Worst case, if it has been too long (over 90 days I think) you may have to scrub it off and reload 10... And immediately go to updates and shut off the win11 upgrade, which will try to once again automagically install.

As an alternative, there are aftermarket shell applications that will make win11 look like win10... I have messed around a bit with Stardock's Start11. Pretty easy, and pretty good. But it focuses mostly on the start menu - so under the hood, there is still a lot that is different. Personally, I recommend revert or reload and stay in Win10

Maybe you should find you a geek kid or a back alley tech to jigger things for you till the chemo-brain subsides. I mean no fault or foul... Just might get you on your way.

@roamer_1

Thanks to the chemo,I am not capable of doing much that requires a lot of thinking and "meat memory".

I'm just going to set fire to this SOB and buy another one.

Also,I am going to make sure next time the damn thing has black keys with white lettering,instead of this damn silver all over crap.

Fishrrman · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2022, 09:42:19 pm »

sneakypete:
Buy one of the brand-new MacBook Air 13" laptops.
I assure you, it WILL NOT download any version of Windows!