Published on December 7, 2021 By kona0197 In WinCustomize Talk

So over the last month I have tried Windows 11 about 5 times. Each time I tried it for a few days. My computer is less then a year old and meets all the requirements to run 11. However, it's just not ready for me to use as a daily driver. Here's why:

* System colors. The taskbar is set in 11 to be all black. Yet it never shows up as a true black like in 10, it's always just one or two shades lighter. Using the latest video drivers from Intel for my Intel 610 integrated graphics card did not work. The system has no issues showing a true black in 10. 
*Taskbar icons. On 10 the 9 apps I have pinned to the taskbar show up as super detailed high definition icons. On 11 they look like 16 bit video game quality icons, grainy, and out of focus. This by far is my biggest gripe. 
* Fonts. I usually set the fonts to large on 10 because in my old age my eyesight is going south. In 10, everything is made bigger. In 11, even with the font upsized, the clock, trash bin context menu, and desktop text is so small I can't read it without turning on a magnifying assistant. 
* Folders. In 10 the contents of a folder or shown as thumbnails. 11 did away with that. While I am sure I could get used to it over time, I much prefer the folders in my File Explorer to show a thumbnail or two to give me a hint of what's inside. 
* Boot times. 11 boots quick, but going from the login screen to the desktop takes 3 times longer then 10. Not really a deal breaker, just very aggravating. 
* Start menu. I have no use for a Start Menu that just has pinned apps and recent documents. In 10 I get rid of the live tiles and shrink the app list down so when I click on Start all I get is a list of apps. I did solve this issue by purchasing Start11. 

So I'm just gonna use 10 for the foreseeable future until they fix the issues I have. I assume down the road a newer version of 11 will work better along with an updated video driver. 

Is anyone else sticking to 10?


Comments (Page 1)
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on Dec 07, 2021

Windows 10 was a very fined tuned Operating System on its own and functioned very well to meet the demands of the user. Windows 11 is more of a mixed bag. When Windows 11 does something right it nails it, when Windows 11 does something wrong it falls hard. But, for me Windows 11 is still the more modern OS and is going to do everything better once it is tweaked. The key word there is tweaked.

There are two programs I can absolutely not live without as a Windows 11 user

1. Start 11 (fixes the start menu giving several new options, later releases are promising taskbar fixes as well)

2. explorer patcher https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher (This gives you the option to do a few cool things, it can replace the Windows 11 task bar with the Windows 10 taskbar. It can also replace windows 11 file explorer layout with window 10's) Best of all it is 100 percent compatible with stardock software. Even when Start 11 releases a new taskbar of there own, you can still turn back on Windows 11 task bar and keep the file explorer in windows 10 style if that is still driving you crazy.

3. Turn off security features if you want faster. The main one I would recommend is at least turning off VBS. You could end up with a 25 percent boost on that one alone.

on Dec 07, 2021

I appreciate the advice. I'm not going to install Windows 11 again until most likely sometime next Summer. 

on Dec 07, 2021

EDIT   Tried this, didn't work.

* Folders. In 10 the contents of a folder or shown as thumbnails. 11 did away with that. While I am sure I could get used to it over time, I much prefer the folders in my File Explorer to show a thumbnail or two to give me a hint of what's inside. 

 

 

I know this isn't the best, but you can do it manually here.

on Dec 07, 2021


* Boot times. 11 boots quick, but going from the login screen to the desktop takes 3 times longer then 10. Not really a deal breaker, just very aggravating. 

Easy enough to bypass the login screen altogether, if you're the only user.

on Dec 07, 2021

Is anyone else sticking to 10?

No-brainer for me - I'm not going to buy a new machine just to run it, as long as Win10 is still getting patched.

on Dec 07, 2021

Fair enough,

The good part about Windows 11 is that it is actually better at release then Windows vista or Windows 8 was when they were released. The bad part is, that it still doesn't stack up to what Windows xp, Windows 7, or Windows 10 were when they were released. Every other release they seem to come up with this great new idea that doesn't really work the way they intended until it is fixed with the next release. Windows Vista had great new security features that bogged down the machine to almost unusable and wasn't fixed until Windows 7. Windows 8 had a great idea to incorporate both touch screen and mouse and keyboard but it transformed into this weird two different operating systems into one Frankenstein looking one. That was fixed in Windows 10. Windows 11 has a great modern look and further refines touch and mouse and keyboard pc's into one design, but it results in a stupid start menu and taskbar that isn't really that useful. So, I wouldn't expect those issues fixe by Microsoft until Windows 12. But..... I do think Start 11 may evolve nicely in that time and give better usability as it fully develops.

on Dec 07, 2021

RedneckDude this is what I am talking about. Thumbnails inside the folders, giving a hint of what's inside. Windows 11 doesn't do this. 

on Dec 07, 2021

PhoenixRising1

Fair enough,

The good part about Windows 11 is that it is actually better at release then Windows vista or Windows 8 was when they were released. The bad part is, that it still doesn't stack up to what Windows xp, Windows 7, or Windows 10 were when they were released. Every other release they seem to come up with this great new idea that doesn't really work the way they intended until it is fixed with the next release. Windows Vista had great new security features that bogged down the machine to almost unusable and wasn't fixed until Windows 7. Windows 8 had a great idea to incorporate both touch screen and mouse and keyboard but it transformed into this weird two different operating systems into one Frankenstein looking one. That was fixed in Windows 10. Windows 11 has a great modern look and further refines touch and mouse and keyboard pc's into one design, but it results in a stupid start menu and taskbar that isn't really that useful. So, I wouldn't expect those issues fixe by Microsoft until Windows 12. But..... I do think Start 11 may evolve nicely in that time and give better usability as it fully develops.

Slightly out, there.

Win10 was not good at release.

Vista was effectively 7 but without drivers.

7 was Vista but with drivers so you could actually use it.

8 was a dead-in-the-water attempt to force everyone to a touch screen interface that was intended for the Windows Phone...also dead-in-the-water.

8.1 was a panic attack trying to back-step a bit because the Windows Phone had failed.

10 was 'so good' it was going to be the last.  It clearly wasn't so good...because we have an '11'.

11 is a bit like the same role as 8.1...

One thing that can be banked on....12 will also divide people over whether it's worse yet again...or worth putting up with because it's NEW.

All my computers are currently on 10, except one.

...and that's the one I use...

on Dec 07, 2021

Jafo - You do make some good points. Particularly with Windows 10. I think at the time it was nice to get away from windows 8 and into something new for me. Surprisingly, I myself was pretty quick to leave Windows 10 behind for Windows 11 so I must have been craving something new.

Honestly, there is only one OS from Microsoft I skipped altogether and otherwise have always been an early adapter. The only OS I ever skipped was Vista. Windows XP probably brought the biggest upsides out of any upgrade I ever had at the time it was released, clearly Windows 10 didn't bring the same level of magic.

Edit. My first OS was Windows 95, So I suppose you could say I skipped everything before that

on Dec 07, 2021

PhoenixRising1

Edit. My first OS was Windows 95, So I suppose you could say I skipped everything before that


I got you beat there. My first OS I ever used was a Commodore 64 followed by the Apple 2. My first taste of Windows was Windows 3.11.

I'm old. :/

on Dec 07, 2021

PhoenixRising1

Edit. My first OS was Windows 95, So I suppose you could say I skipped everything before that

Yes, Ignoring CBM64 ...first-used OS [that wasn't Fortran] was Dos 2.

But you are right...skipping Vista was 'a thing' ...particularly for me...when I couldn't find a modem driver...so I could get online...and update the....wait for it....modem driver.

Every OS has been 'new and exciting'....the only difference is how quickly things faded into ennui...

on Dec 08, 2021


But you are right...skipping Vista was 'a thing' ...particularly for me...when I couldn't find a modem driver...so I could get online...and update the....wait for it....modem driver.

Oh boy, I had that problem wiped from my brain. And back then that was a big problem. Usually we had one pc, no smart phones yet and 2 options.

1. Wait a few days until you could get to another pc and hope they have "open" internet access or

2, and my personal fate, take out your old OS CD's and completely reinstall the old OS. Of course there was also several driver CD's that also needed installed separately to get the PC running. Next step search for driver's and hope and pray you find the correct one and save it. And then reinstall the new OS. Now if you have the correct driver you now have internet access. But if for some reason it is the wrong driver then repeat this whole process...

 

on Dec 08, 2021

So I'm just gonna use 10 for the foreseeable future until they fix the issues I have. 

Is anyone else sticking to 10?

Yes, I plan to stay with Windows 10 until its' EOL (end of life) date, which is October 2025.  All of the issues you describe are good examples of why I won't use 11.  There is simply no compelling reason to switch that makes it worth losing WindowBlinds, etc. 

on Dec 08, 2021

Victechnical

Yes, I plan to stay with Windows 10 until its' EOL (end of life) date, which is October 2025.  All of the issues you describe are good examples of why I won't use 11.  There is simply no compelling reason to switch that makes it worth losing WindowBlinds, etc. 

I haven't used Stardock software in more then 10 years. I prefer the look of the default Windows themes. Makes me wonder if I installed Windowblinds and choose a black skin if the skin would show up closer to true black then what stock 11 shows as true black. 

on Dec 08, 2021

I'm in no hurry to switch to Win 11 but I am interested in it and will give it another try in a few months.  As all of my desktop PCs were offline to to desk modifications, I did try Win 11 on my HP 2-in-1 laptop/tablet, but it ran so slowly and at times was totally unresponsive. 

Obviously it needs a better, more powerful machine,. but I'm in no frame of mind at this time to be setting up a new OS and installing all my programs.

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