this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
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Privacy

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I helped my 77 year old mother purchase a new laptop, and I want to be sure to get all the bloatware off of it, and set her up with with some better privacy options. I am aMac guy at home so I haven't done this kind of thing for many years. (I use Windows at work, so I'm quite familiar and capable, but obviously I have to rely on IT knowing what they are doing (they don't)). I did make sure to get the pro version of Windows 11. I'm going to set her up with Proton mail I think. This is the computer that is coming:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-thinkbook-16-g6-abp-amd-in-16-touch-screen-notebook-amd-ryzen-5-with-16gb-memory-512gb-ssd-gray/6565272.p?skuId=6565272

(Forgive me if this is not the correct place to post)

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[–] [email protected] 48 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Wipe the operating system entirely and reinstall it from scratch. That would do a lot of it. And if the only thing she's really going to do is browse the internet, you might consider installing mint instead.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

If you’re staying with windows and re-installing anyway (recommend this), make a ‘data’ partition, then link my documents, pictures etc. To identical folders on the data partition. Save user files on the data partition only.

That way, next time to reinstall it’s not a big deal at all, just relink the data folders. Your data is never touched and re installing is easy.

Or use Linux ;)

Edit: Something like this.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

+1 pick Windows 10 / 11 Enterprise and/OR LTSB for a cleaner experience. Setting Windows as English (International) also seems to still get rid of a ton of garbage. https://www.w10privacy.de/english-home/ is also a great tool to mass disable telemetry and bullshit Windows components. Then set Windows to only security updates. You may also want to read this about what connections Windows makes and how to disable what you don't need further.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Linux Mint is good for beginners. If Windows is a necessity, use the Chris Titus WinUtil script to configure and remove bloat.

[–] Reverendender 3 points 8 months ago

I tried to get her to go Mac and she is adamantly against learning any kind of new OS

[–] [email protected] -2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

This is the answer. If she is more comfortable with windows there are stripped down versions of 7 and 10, maybe even 11 that will have even less of the crap that msft throws in.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Unfortunately that stripped down versions are very unsafe because of removed antivirus features and sometimes they even include malware. I don't recommend that for a casual user who doesn't know what safety on the internet is

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

They aren't actually that dangerous. You can always reinstall any thing you need. Plus you can create your own assuming OP is savvy enough.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Well yea that's true. But viruses are still really hard to avoid on Windows

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Oh contrare mon frare. They are extremely easy to avoid if you have any common sense. Don't download and run just any old exe, use script blockers on browsers, etc. I used to run avast and malware bytes, etc but for at least a few years now windows built in protection has been enough.

If OP is asking these questions it means they are probably capable of getting her setup with a system that is a bit cleaner and stays clean assuming she doesn't start downloading random weird porn shit or something.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I don't think she understands how to define official/fake websites and that kind of stuff. That's the thing. Linux will be a better choice here

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Your making an assumption and your infantilizing someone you've never met. It's entirely possible that she is old enough that even if she did have the ability to discern this stuff that she's more likely to fall for shit, but it's also possible that she can learn how to spot stuff and avoid it. It's been awhile since I have played with Linux, is it really ready for prime time? Especially if someone had spent decades using windows?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)
  1. Here where I live people after 50 don't even know what the word "browser" means and of course they can't spot fakes that well
  2. As I understood from the post, she's not much of a computer user. If it's the case, the OS doesn't matter because she isn't used to any of them
[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

You aren't OP and again your assuming and infantilizing. Remember that it's those over 50, 60, etc that brought us the tech that evolved into what we are using now.

As for the spotting scams, fakes, etc, that not an age thing, that is something you have to be taught and learn from experience. There are 20 year olds who fall for the crypto spam and websites. This is why I suggest using noscript, ublock origin and maybe even a vpn that also blocks this shit. Though with the script blockers people need to be taught how to tell which domain is probably safe to enable. I sometimes have to go through and allow certain ones until the site works well enough to be usable.

For the record. I'm soon to be 43 and my wife is soon to be 54. My wife is less tech savvy than me but is definitely not an easy mark for scams and definitely knows more about computers than some people younger than her.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Hahahaha

LTSC comes direct from Microsoft, and does NOT have defender removed.

Edit: just tested again, and an old version had Defender, but my newest download from MS doesn't. Go figure.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

LTSC is usually in a grey legal area on personal desktop PCs

[–] [email protected] 16 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I highly recommend Chris Titus' tool to debloat and switch off/remove unnecessary components.

You can also switch off Windows Updates and only allow security updates.

It is multiple tools in one place. Super useful and reliable.

https://christitus.com/one-tool-for-everything/

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Used this last week. Great asset for making windows a little more bearable

[–] Reverendender 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

SO MANY OPTIONS. Anyone have any recommendations?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

There are recommended selections in there, and they are good from what i remember

[–] Reverendender 2 points 8 months ago
[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Definitely wipe everything and reinstall, although if the install media is supplied by the PC manufacturer you’ll want to delve into the install options to ensure minimal bloat is getting reinstalled.

Also this post is two hours old and no Linux evangelists have told you to uninstall windows yet. This is progress folks! I’m ready for your downvotes once you’ve finished with your waifu pillows.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Install linux mint of mx linux for her. Been doing that to a lot of grandma's with great results.

[–] n3m37h 11 points 8 months ago

Get a 16gb thumb drive and download windows media creation tool

Laptop usually have proprietary drivers for wifi/ethernet/Bluetooth so visit manufacturers site for those drivers

Delete all partitions on the drive and create a single large partition (windows will make 3 that's fine)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Keeping new versions of Windows secure is a fool's errand. Sure you can uninstall the bloatware, disable the telemetry, etc., but there's nothing to keep Windows from using an update to put it right back on.

If you want your Ma' to not have to worry about any of that, then it's time to switch to Linux. Mint is a good variety for people coming from Windows.

[–] Reverendender 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I am totally on board with this, but I cannot convince her to learn something new at this stage of the game. I have tried.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Mint looks quite similar, and if she asks "Microsoft applied an update and now the start menu looks different."

If all she does is browse the internet and read emails, she'll never know the difference. You could even set up the splash screen to display the Windows logo or just disable it all together.

[–] Reverendender 1 points 8 months ago

She Blogs on WordPress also

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Automatic updates can also destroy her work in case she happens to fill an online form or edit a document without autosave. The active usage time thing is there but ehh you can't set all 24 hours as no-reboot time unfortunately

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Windows asks you a few times to update now or later, gives you a timer of three hours and offers you to open the closed documents again without having to use autosave.

I don't like the forced updates either, but if you lose anything to them it can be classified as "on purpose ".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

With the right settings on Pro, you can get it to give you a week's warning before an update is forced, with multiple subsequent warnings if you don't restart in the meantime.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Never heard of a timer or opening documents. Maybe it's a new feature idk

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Checkout things like WinDebloat, Privatezilla, Winaero Tweaker, Bulk Crap Uninstaller, and LoveWindowsAgain. There's some overlap between them (as they were built for different purposes), but they all pretty much kill telemetry at the service or installed level (as in remove the components providing telemetry).

Yea, it's BS you have to do this. And screw MS for this crap.

You could also download Win10/11 LTSC, which natively doesn't have some of this crap, but also doesn't get feature updates automatically - just system/security updates 2x/year - so you won't deal with problems caused by updates.

And you can still run the apps above to reduce what's left.

Also, go grab MAS on github. It'll help if you have any problems with activating. It's a script Microsoft tech support uses.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

To begin with you would need to configure the machine to the desktop disabling all what can be disabled.

Then I'd check something from here and remove only what can be deemed safe.

Having somewhat answered the main query if mom does not do anything that makes windows a necessity I'd highly suggest installing something like this and set yourself up for unattended remote control so you can assist if seen necessary.

[–] Reverendender 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I like the remote control idea! She does do WordPress, not sure which interface.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Could put rustdesk on it.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Linux is an awful answer. See my other comment as to why.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I will agree with you it's not the one stop solution but I recommend it due to having triaged it on my own.

Yes they gave me the mandatory eye roll and sighs as to why I installed Linux but aren't bothered with updates, ads, malware, tracking and whatnot. They want to watch a movie or do some work it just works and doesn't bog them.

Also I emphasise that I can't recommend it for CAD/Graphic/Professional workflows that are tailored for windows sadly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

So why didn't you buy her a Mac? She not worth joining the cult?