[SOLVED] To try or not to try Windows 11, that is the question ?

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Isaac Zackary

Commendable
Aug 11, 2020
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Long story short, I sent in my Windows GO for repair (not W11 compatible) and Microsoft sent me back a GO 2 that is my first Windows 11 compatible computer (or tablet, technically speaking). Should I wait to install W11? There ain't a lot of memory on this computer (128GB) so would that be a reason not to switch? How hard would it be to switch back to W10 if I didn't like it?
 
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Colif
Top answer here might help with combine: https://superuser.com/questions/168...combine-taskbar-buttons-setting-in-windows-11

also has labels support

I have many icons pinned to taskbar anyway, so its not as empty for me
OX5LDSH.jpg
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USAFRet said:
I have 11 on one system, and 10 on all the others.
Moving back and forth seamlessly.

Hating Win 11 because its different is like hating the 2022 Toyota Camry, because they moved the cup holders.
Click to expand...
I didn't say I hate it. I just don't want to end up hating it when what I got now works fine. But I got to try it sometime unless I want to stay on Windows 10 perpetually. It sounds like it's not that different, so maybe I'll give it a go and see what it's like.
 
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USAFRet said:
No, not YOU. But many people do say that.
"I HATE Windows 11!!!"
Click to expand...
If it gets the job done, that's all that matters.

There are a few things I wish were different. I don't like having to watch commercials in order to play Solitaire, or have to pay a subscription for it, for an example. But I've tried Linux and Windows works much better for me. I don't think MacOS would be good either, especially for the price.
 
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USAFRet said:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-windows-92bf81e3-f34a-58b8-45b2-abe855aa64f2

https://windowsreport.com/best-solitaire-apps-for-windows-8/
Click to expand...
The Sollitaire Collection from Microsoft is what I've been playing. But that's the one with the commercials. If I disconnect the internet it only lets me play on the easiest level with no other options. The same with Minesweeper.

I'll take a look at the other ones and see if there are any that are any better.

Thanks!
 
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the snapping feature is getting more combinations in 22H2. I don't use it and if anything it seems its going to be harder to avoid. I tried to use it a few nights ago but it didn't have a layout I wanted to use.


Really, if you put start menu on the left hand side where it should be, the only times I remember its windows 11 is when I look at start. Its really easy to overlook differences. I have to load a VM of Win 10 just to remind self what else has changed. Guess I have used it since August.
 
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So I made the switch last night!

Overall, it seems to work just fine. The snapping feature seems to work just as expected too. I don't know what was going on with my dad's laptop, but mine seems to work close enough to Windows 10 to be able to position windows where I need them in the same manner. I do miss the old "cascade windows" feature that was also missing on Windows 10, and maybe even Windows 8.

Some things that I can't figure out how to do yet or I'd kind of like to go back to the way they were are:
  • Being able to organize my Start Menu with groups like in Windows 10
  • Being able to have taskbar icons display the name of the window on the taskbar itself instead of being just an icon only.
  • Being able to turn off windows combining into one icon on taskbar.
  • Not having folders in the all-apps menu caught me off guard and I thought some apps had been erased at first until I found them outside of their folders in other parts of the list.
  • I can't figure out how to get into Tablet Mode.
  • The volume/Wi-Fi/Battery/options menu is kind of hard to get used to.
  • What happened to the notifications icon and list? I'm kind of affraid that's going to pop out on me when I least expect it.
Nothing that's a dealbreaker, but just different and something to get used to.
For an example, I turn off things I don't use like Cortana and tasks and such, so I end up with a very wide open taskbar. I did put the start back on the left. On Windows 10 I could see the name of each task window, but here I just see an icon which could be a comination of several windows. That isn't as handy to me and takes an extra step of clicking on the icon to see all the windows that are open with that particular icon. It's one more step is all and a lot of wasted space on the taskbar IMO. But other than small things like that it works fine.

Edit: Oh! And some of the sliding gestures are different. If I'm using my Go as a tablet I can't figure out how to swich between windows very easily. Sliding from the left edge now opens a weird box with a clock on the top and a bunch of content I didn't ask for.
 
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Isaac Zackary said:
Some things that I can't figure out how to do yet or I'd kind of like to go back to the way they were are:
  • Being able to organize my Start Menu with groups like in Windows 10
  • Being able to have taskbar icons display the name of the window on the taskbar itself instead of being just an icon only.
  • Being able to turn off windows combining into one icon on taskbar.
  • Not having folders in the all-apps menu caught me off guard and I thought some apps had been erased at first until I found them outside of their folders in other parts of the list.
  • I can't figure out how to get into Tablet Mode.
  • The volume/Wi-Fi/Battery/options menu is kind of hard to get used to.
  • What happened to the notifications icon and list? I'm kind of affraid that's going to pop out on me when I least expect it.
Click to expand...
organise start menu - this is coming in 22H2
Taskbar names - i am not sure if this is coming back in win 11.
Combining - I think this is coming in 22H2
Tablet mode - seems it only works if you have a tablet - https://www.lifewire.com/use-tablet-mode-in-windows-11-5224864
Volume/Wifi - You only used it one day... some things take time
Notifications still exists, it will show above where the calendar is now
gLBFMf2.jpg

its just not always there if you don't have any. And it only uses space it needs

and if you miss any it shows the count at far right of taskbar
V31B0H5.jpg


Folders in all apps? I have folders in there now?
 
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Colif said:
organise start menu - this is coming in 22H2
Taskbar names - i am not sure if this is coming back in win 11.
Combining - I think this is coming in 22H2
Tablet mode - seems it only works if you have a tablet - https://www.lifewire.com/use-tablet-mode-in-windows-11-5224864
Volume/Wifi - You only used it one day... some things take time
Notifications still exists, it will show above where the calendar is now
gLBFMf2.jpg

its just not always there if you don't have any. And it only uses space it needs

and if you miss any it shows the count at far right of taskbar
V31B0H5.jpg


Folders in all apps? I have folders in there now?
Click to expand...
Ok, cool!

Tablet mode - seems it only works if you have a tablet -
Click to expand...
But the Surface GO 2 is a tablet... I'll have to read that article you linked.

Update: I just tried the StartAllBack app and it's pretty sweet. I like the option to have Windows 7 style start menu, even though it's not organizable. At least the documents and other folders and the side seem more intuitive than in Windows 10 and 11 (stock). The main thing I like is the labels on the taskbar that are back with this app. But for $5 per computer just to make the Windows 11 computer mostly seem like Windows 10, maybe I'd be better off going back to Windows 10 for now.

I can't tell you how much having 5 Excel sheets open and being able to just point and click once between all of them on a little tablet like this just feels so much more handy than having one little icon that I have to click or hover in order to see all the sheets that are open. Maybe I should just uninstall StarAllBack and try Windows 11 "as is" and see if I can get used to it first.

But man! The nostalgia of the original Start Menu! Maybe it's worth $5 for the app...
 
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Give it a chance. I don't know exactly when 22H2 is out, it can't be long now.

Main differences of 10 to 11 are its UI. If you just change it to look like win 10, what is point of using it?

Only thing I miss from win 10 is the ability to make additional toolbars attached to taskbar, as I don't show my desktop icons so as a way to see them, I had a desktop toolbar. Now... well, I have to unhide them if I use any of the apps that are only on desktop. That is fairly rare though so I just learned to live without them.
 
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Colif said:
Top answer here might help with combine: https://superuser.com/questions/168...combine-taskbar-buttons-setting-in-windows-11

also has labels support

I have many icons pinned to taskbar anyway, so its not as empty for me
OX5LDSH.jpg
Click to expand...
Thou art my saviour!

That works nearly perfectly, at least it does the labels and combining perfectly.

I have many icons pinned to taskbar anyway, so its not as empty for me
Click to expand...

I would rather have to click on one icon and then another to first start an app than to get to an app that's already open. If I pin a bunch of apps to the taskbar and have them combine then it takes more work to get to apps that are already open than to ones that aren't.

Apps that combine their icons become their own start menu: you have to click on the icon, then look for the appropriate app and then click. once more.
 
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Haven’t read through all of the thread but I work as tech support and for a Church organization, the headquarters, we’ve got over 100 people there. All of the new PCs I’ve been installing windows 11 and so far most folks including users who have been there a while seem to pick it up and work fine. I like it myself. They condensed a lot of the settings. Pretty much if you used windows 10 you should pick up windows 11 pretty easily.
 
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We'll I think I'll keep Windows 11. There's not really that much difference between it ane Windows 10. There are some things I liked better in Windows 10, but not enough to feel those things are necessary.

I was glad to see the "recent" folder in the start menu again. However I'm not so happy any more because it gives you no option to right click and choose what program to open up recent files with. I use different programs for the same file types, so right clicking to choose the program I need is important to me.

Hopefully these things become addressed and fixed later on.

P.S. As far as the Microsoft Solitaire Collection goes, I eventually just deleted it. The ads are enfuriating and not being able to play when there's no internet seems really stupid for an app that has always been a free feature of Windows. Instead I'm fixing up an old 486 computer and have a MS-DOS 6.1 on a set of floppies already installed. All I need now is Windows 3.1 and I'll be good to go.
 
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Isaac Zackary said:
Well I think I'll keep Windows 11. There's not really that much difference between it ane Windows 10.
Click to expand...
Yep, its pretty much the same. 22H2 make it closer again.

Isaac Zackary said:
I was glad to see the "recent" folder in the start menu again.
Click to expand...
do you mean in file explorer? I don't see a recent folder in start menu? or is that an add on?

set up a VM to run win 3.1
 
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A nice windows to entirely skip, no exclusive features unlike Win10, so no need to change a perfectly fine system either. GG, probably skip and switch to Win12 in the future, or when Win10 support is over, whichever happens first.
 
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Colif said:
Are you running Startallback still as the bottom half of my Start menu is just recommended.
Click to expand...

No, I was referring to the Recommended portion. Maybe it's not exactly the same as the recent folder but it seems to work about the same. Anyhow I disabled it altogether as it's frustrating not being able to open files from it with more than just one predetermined app.

Colif said:
Install windows 3.1 in a virtual machine on your PC. You can use something like Virtualbox
I have win 10 installed on one on this PC. Helps as some of the menus have changed between the 2.
Click to expand...

Ok, I might try that at some point. I need a PCIe or USB to Floppy adapter though as I have a floppy drive but no floppy connector on my main desktop PC, although I think I can get my disks converted to images on the 486 and then get them onto a USB stick actually, or just plug in a USB to IDE adapter and read them off the hard drive. I do have a floppy drive I would like to install in my main desktop as it has room for one.
 
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I haven't used the recommended files area myself, 22H2 lets you make it smaller so I will just reduce it.
I rarely use start menu. Just to turn PC off each night. The power button being in a different place compared to 10 is about only thing that reminds me its not 10 :)
 
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