Solved How long can I keep using Window 10?

Zalex108

There are some tools to Remove/Disable Features/Settings.
Either from Windows or 3rd Party.

NTLite would be one of the most popular among others for small companies and below.

About those XLite, for the moment I've tested a couple.

They work fine taking on count the extra steps related to Updates.

There are different versions, very lite for low end or players and some others with mostly everything W11 is built in.

They have couple of paid Apps like Menu already added and hidden settings ViveTool installed.

For the License,
Noticed one is activated (UltraLite), not sure now if Patched or Testing time.
The other, (XPro), has to be licensed.

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For some users with old HW those are probably much better that the Default W10/11 or use tools to remove "Features" and Apps they will never use or remove once installed.

Many Win Apps are already removed, mostly all.
And ISO is smaller and the install time shorter.

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I would recommend it for low end devices and techie users wanting part of the work already done, but advice to read the full info about what's removed.
Restore points for some versions are missing and I consider them important enough.

So this needs some work also to make them ready.

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Pesala

@Pathduck said in How long can I keep using Window 10?:

Winaero Tweaker:

I have installed that. Hopefully, that will prevent nags to update to Windows 11.

Zalex108

@Pesala

Do they appeared already?
If so, they would be already installed as a service/task and entry point at start up.

Then they have to be disabled.

Pesala

@Zalex108 I did a System Restore back to February 6th to avoid such issues.

Current Windows version is as in my forum signature.

I have now disabled windows updates from services.msc. Next time I reboot, that should fix it for a bit longer. Currently, updates are paused for seven days.

Pathduck

@Pesala said in How long can I keep using Window 10?:

I have installed that. Hopefully, that will prevent nags to update to Windows 11.

Yeah. I haven't seen any and I haven't even got that setting enabled. But I think I might've set it in some other "tweaking" app, maybe ShutUp10. I just wanted it to stop nagging, but not disable Updates.

One thing to note about such tweaks, they often use Group Policies, so you will see stuff like this:

It just means GPOs are applied to these settings, and sometimes the GPOs will stop you from reverting any settings manually outside the tweaking apps. Just important to know about.

Zalex108

@Pesala

Then this would be better for you

https://pitstop.manageengine.com/portal/en/community/topic/steps-to-block-the-upgrade-to-windows-11-notification-in-windows-10-systems-24-1-2022

Catweazle

@Zalex108 , remember that also in W11 GodMode still works, there you have ALL settings without the need of third party tools

1 Create a new folder in the Desktop or anywhere you want

2 Rename it to

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

Done, the folder icon had change it's aspect and when you open it, you see a list of more than 200 different settings, sorted by topics.
Yo can change it's name to anything else instead o GodMode, but not the part after the point.

Zalex108

@Catweazle

Yes

But those ViveTools aren't there AFAIK, are settings related to Tabs in Explorer, Transparency... And some others W11 specific.

Catweazle

@Zalex108 , that is also in the mencioned Optimizer, it's clear that GodMode only have the standard settings, but it's enough to declutter Windows and make it mor privacy friendly, which in most cases is enough. Transparencies and UI setting are already in the normal configuration, The original File Explorer is anyway better to use instead Double Commander (FOSS, double panel, file sync and a lot of more features (even more with plugins) than the one of Windows).
I use also Rainmeter, which permits to customize even more the Windows UI to your like, if you want, also FOSS. A lot of themes in the homepage and also in DeviantArt, if you don't want to create an own one, all these you can modify with scripts in clear text.

Zalex108

@Catweazle

They may share some settings but not all of them.

Windows themes are still at Windows Level...
The first thing I had to do was to download a Dark theme.

Not so cool as W7's yet.

As Explorer I use Q-Dir and QTTabBar.

Catweazle

My current desktop in Windows with dark theme and transparent task bar (by Rainmeter)

alt text

Eggcorn

@Pesala Why would you pause your Windows updates?

Catweazle

@Eggcorn , I think also that desactivate the updates isn't a good idea, because it incluyed security patches and Defender definitions, which are important. At least in my case I update frecuently, at least 1-2 times/month, it dosn't change anything in my privacy and other settings, I only desactivate that Windows update is automatic, apart of the telemetries, services I don't need and other crap.

Eggcorn

@Catweazle Hence, why I'm baffled as to why Peaala wants to pause his updates. I'd need to know why he's doing this, before I can give him advice.

Pesala

@Eggcorn When you get older, it becomes harder to deal with change. I do not fancy spending weeks adjusting, and risking that some of my vital programs like Veracrypt or Serif PagePlus will stop working.

Catweazle

@Pesala , the updates don't change this, it maybe had compatibility problems if you change from W10 to W11, but i don't think so. Normal updates of W10 don't change anything in the compatibility of your apps. As I say, mostly security patces, evtl, driver updates and last Defender definitions, nothing to do with changes in the compatibility.

Eggcorn

@Pesala By not updating, the change will be that your computer gets a virus! I strongly recommend that you do not pause updates.

Pesala

@Eggcorn That is just FUD.

Security and antivirus protection relies on keeping Windows Defender and Firewall up to date. Until official support for Windows 10 ends at the end of 2025 (or later) it will be secure.

Eggcorn

@Pesala If that were true: It'd be secure to use Windows 7 today, so long as you had a security system on it that was still getting updated (Windows Defender isn't the only security system out there). But even with an updated security system, the OS itself still has security holes that need to be patched as they're discovered.

At least, that's that conventional wisdom, and that's what all sources I've seen say. If you're saying that's not true, that OSs don't get security holes that need to be patched: The burden of proof is on you, you'll have to provide sources!

Catweazle

@Pesala , without Windows update, also Defender and Firewall are not updated and as @Eggcorn said, nor security patches of the system. Any software which works in W10 will still work after updates, it's irrelevant if you run v19Hsomething or use the actualized 22H2, W10 apps are working in W10, independient of the version, maybe even in W11 (which, apart from a few extra features, is essentially the same root system as W10). There isn't any compatibility problem in W10.