After a full year of soft pushing out Windows 11 to users, and using it myself it’s time to answer the question is Windows 11 good?
In this article, I will cover my personal experience with the Latest Microsoft Operating System for the whole year that I’ve been using it.
For what it’s worth at this current time I’ve put in 10+ years in Information Technology but I am in no way an expert in anything, please continue to do your own research. If you want to discuss or want me to change something on this post, please join the discord to continue the discussion.
Windows 11 for Gaming
While Windows is used in many more ways than one. Gaming is always going to be a big one, and it appears that Microsoft has gone all-in on pushing “Xbox” onto their operating system. With Xbox Game Pass or “PC” Pass is a super hit with tons of games for no one to ever finish.
Microsoft dropped everything that was bad with Windows Live which introduced itself back on XP and Vista and now you just log in to your Microsoft Account and it pretty much works seamlessly now.
I want to point out, that if you have a Microsoft Account and you choose to use it for everything login, etc. Your experience with 11 will be much better as it uses the account for just about everything. I will go on to discuss this a little bit further when it comes to BitLocker.
It’s also not hard to switch to someone else’s “Xbox”/Microsoft Account the credential manager does a good job of remembering who is who.
If you had a good experience with gaming on Windows 10 then Windows 11 isn’t much different than that. The Xbox stuff does however have a bigger presence in 11 than it did on 10.
Windows 11 Bitlocker
If you buy a computer that comes with Windows 11 it most likely has secure boot and will require you to log in with a Microsoft Account (more on that in a bit).
Bitlocker will automatically be turned on if so. If you take off secure boot the hard drive will no longer boot.
I’ve also ran into many problems with Secure boot being off for multi-booting for Linux. This caused tons of problems with Windows 11. The time would never work correctly, Xbox Games would never launch, and Wireless drivers stopped working.
It honestly was strange.
Ever since reformatting and turning everything back on with a clean install of Windows 11, Secure boot, Bitlocker, and a Microsoft account the laptop has worked much better.
It has become clear that Microsoft wants more control over the computer its operating system is on. Which is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you have Bitlocker which will protect your hard drive from theft and your data. Then on the other hand you have problems I’ve run into.
Windows 11 No Microsoft Account
Microsoft is continuing to push the requirement for you to have a Microsoft Account (which is free) for you to log in to your Windows 11 Home edition computer or laptop.
My “Gaming Laptop” I think the Microsoft Account actually works ok with Xbox etc. But, we are not here to discuss that. We are here to learn how to create a local account.
Honestly, it going to become even more tricker the more Microsoft learns about the techniques everyone is using. The main one back in the day was simply unplugging your internet, or not connecting to a network at all, at least at a certain point during the installation process.
Here are some methods to try.
- Enter no@thankyou.com as the Email Address – You can put whatever you want into the password field. It should pop up and say “Oops, something went wrong.” Which will allow you to create a local account.
- Use Rufus to create a Boot USB and toggle “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account”. This should skip the Microsoft Account setup portion. (Rufus even includes other options you might find useful.)
- Extra Tip – You can create a Local Account after setting up Windows 11 for the first time using a Microsoft Account.
Windows 11 as a System Administrator or Tech Support
This is where Windows 11 really starts to drop the ball a bit, even more so than all the other requirements it takes to even run the OS.
It’s not that it doesn’t work well, its that Microsoft has decided to make it harder or take more “Clicks” to get to many of the options many of us are accustomed too.
Honestly, it is just easier to open the RUN command with Windows Key + R and type in Control Panel now.
You can search for it but is slow, and mostly likely you will get sent to the “New” or for a lack of better words the simple interface.
I get what Microsoft is trying to do here. They are trying to simplfy the system for normal every day users. Which credit where credit is due, someone that isn’t a power user shouldn’t have a problem with. The problem is Power Users such as myself it become tedious to do and access many features I’ve accessed for centuries.
Other than that, Windows 11 isn’t much different than Administrating Windows 10. A lot of Features/Packs are no longer in the Control Panel / Programs and Features now but now been added somewhere else.
For example, let’s take adding RSAT (Remote System Admin Tools) a very common tool used to do many Admin tasks is now added by going to System/Apps/Optional Features.
Back in the day, you had to download and install these from Microsoft. To uninstall you had to go to Control Panel/Programs and Features. All of this is now done in the Apps > Optional Features for Windows 11 Pro.
Windows 11 Good and is it worth it: Conclusion
So is Windows 11 Good and worth it?
I’m going to go with the maybe category.
It’s probably not really worth upgrading to at the moment. I don’t see where it does anything different than Windows 10.
However, I know there have been plenty of push-backs saying Windows 11 is crap/bad… in reality, it’s not that bad, and it’s not that different from 10. I’m always willing to take on the task of learning new operating systems though.
Windows 11 has tons of annoying things that comes with it. Such as the centered Start Menu/Button which you can change.
Another pet peeve of mine is now the new “Right Click Menu” of all the things I like about Windows 11. The Right Click menu is the one I hate the worst of all.
In an attempt to simplify again, they added more clicks again, to get to the old and menu you are used to you must click “Show more options”.
This is really annoying whenever it comes to renaming files.
Gone the edit button is and now you are prompted with some icons which can be hard to decipher especially at first glance. This has taken me some time to get used to but I’ve finally gotten used to it after a year’s worth of use.
Overall I give the Windows 11 Operating Systems a C-.
It’s nowhere as bad as Vista when it first came out, and nothing will probably ever be as bad as Windows 8.
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