3 ms·

I'm terrified to use any of these Windows debloaters or do anything that gets me too far away from the default intended way of how Microsoft wants a Windows ins

by hbn 9mo ago

I'm terrified to use any of these Windows debloaters or do anything that gets me too far away from the default intended way of how Microsoft wants a Windows install to be because it's always just a matter of time before an update breaks things or you get impossible to diagnose behaviour since you disabled something and a new "feature" was written expecting that something to be there. Microsoft can barely make Windows function when you're using it as intended. I don't expect them to make it work after I messed with their semi-functioning mess.

vee-kay 9mo ago
I am using Tiny10 for a debloated Win10 on my old PC last few years, and I faced no issues. Microsoft Office, Windows Updates, etc., all worked well. Of course, it is a sandboxed PC with VPN and good antimalware (Bit defender and MBAM) to protect it, as Microsoft has almost stopped giving Win10 updates (there's a workaround for an extension, but it may not be continued, as M$ wants everyone to migrate to crappy adware Win11). I had to reinstall Win11 on a newer PC, so I used Tiny11 for a debloated Windows installation, and it is working fine with the licensed Microsoft apps I use (Microsoft Office, MS Project, etc.) and other programs (game stores (Steam, GoG, Epic, etc.), video editing tools, programming tools, etc. But I don't really like Win11 as I had to do hosts blocking to block ads on it, and everything Win11 does feels a bit more clunky compared to Win10. I even had to use a Start Menu replacer app, as M$ enshittified/nerfed the Start Menu for Win11. As you rightly pointed out, these debloaters can be unsafe (if they are not open-source, so they are not validated for security issues and bugs; thankfully Winslop is open-source) and can cause Windows to misbehave. But I think such a debloater would be good for a dual OS setup (Linux and Windows). In 2026, I think I'll have to throw out Windows out the proverbial virtual window, and switch over to Linux on all my home PCs. I am running out of my patience with M$'s enshittification and nasty ads.

by hbn 9mo ago

vee-kay 9mo ago

I am using Tiny10 for a debloated Win10 on my old PC last few years, and I faced no issues. Microsoft Office, Windows Updates, etc., all worked well. Of course, it is a sandboxed PC with VPN and good antimalware (Bit defender and MBAM) to protect it, as Microsoft has almost stopped giving Win10 updates (there's a workaround for an extension, but it may not be continued, as M$ wants everyone to migrate to crappy adware Win11). I had to reinstall Win11 on a newer PC, so I used Tiny11 for a debloated Windows installation, and it is working fine with the licensed Microsoft apps I use (Microsoft Office, MS Project, etc.) and other programs (game stores (Steam, GoG, Epic, etc.), video editing tools, programming tools, etc. But I don't really like Win11 as I had to do hosts blocking to block ads on it, and everything Win11 does feels a bit more clunky compared to Win10. I even had to use a Start Menu replacer app, as M$ enshittified/nerfed the Start Menu for Win11. As you rightly pointed out, these debloaters can be unsafe (if they are not open-source, so they are not validated for security issues and bugs; thankfully Winslop is open-source) and can cause Windows to misbehave. But I think such a debloater would be good for a dual OS setup (Linux and Windows). In 2026, I think I'll have to throw out Windows out the proverbial virtual window, and switch over to Linux on all my home PCs. I am running out of my patience with M$'s enshittification and nasty ads.