Step 1. stop using Windows.
Step 2. "sorry idk I haven't used Windows in 15 years."
Step 3. no more tech support requests.
this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2025
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Not tech savvy enough to use Linux without having a guide hold my hand the entire time. I also I hate change even if it's for the better.
u dont need a guide to use linux it's literally just an os like windows, ppl rly overstate how confusing it is
hating change is real tho that's the reason im still on windows most of the time too lmao 
I've used it a bit, I have mint dual booted atm and have run it on my server. I know basic stuff is not that much different, but I feel like I end up needing a lot more guides and debugging on linux then I do windows. Not familiar with the file system or terminal. Its not that I can't necessarily but it always feels harder. Maybe when I get my server back up and running and move my shit off onto it I'll give linux another try though.
Like, trying to run shit on the server is such a pain. Its satisfying and I like having it, but using the terminal and debugging shit, and then asking around and having some linux 
tell me some random fact that I would have had no clue about unless I asked to fix the issue is just a pain and I don't want that on my desktop. ~~yes you could use a gui on desktop I'm sure at least basic stuff is easier but I hope this makes sense~~
I get the same pain for Windows issues, except that Linux is made to be understandable because, as a volunteer effort, it depends on being understandable to reproduce itself. So you find well-reasoned answers in a wiki or a mailing list or a stack overflow post instead of a bunch of clueless guesses to reboot and run sfc scannow.
tldr use it in your desktop and it will become a lot easier on the server :)
I have mint dual booted atm and have run it on my server.
Bit of a jump in technical requirements there!
Imo Linux is one of those things where you just have to jump in. If you're just dipping your toes in, you'll never be familiar enough with it to feel comfortable, and you'll forget everything you learn between attempts. I switched to Linux in high school, and it was much less user friendly then. It doesn't take a degree, it just takes time. Nowadays I can't really use windows machines at all because they have changed so much since 7.
ah i gotcha that makes sense, i always had the opposite experience because i want to make things behave a specific way and windows gets really obtuse for stuff like that
You should try out bazzite on your main computer it's the most handsfree experience imo. I used to use windows like 5 years ago despite dabbling in Linux for decades, now I daily drive it. It's caught up a lot there's nothing that doesn't work now imo. Bazzites whole design philosophy is you shouldn't have to fuck with anything as an end user, their goal is to be as easy to use as android. Imo the Linux Mint advice is dated, and fun fact a lot of the devs working on bazzite and its subsystems are queer.
Ubuntu is made for people like us who are scared of computer yet hate Windows
I prefer pop os or mint
Someday I'll switch
i have friends that are trying to get linux gaming and stuff like jellyfin working and its the opposite problem where they'll tell me about the problems and i'll want to help but they'll be like "nah its ok i'll figure it out" oh ok 
Step 2a: "Windows always shit the bed after 2 years, which is why I jumped ship. Anyways, here's how to install Linux Mint."
Tell him to hit it with a hammer
i did this and it turned off way faster than normal, thank you
when ppl ask me questions like this i just give the answer that is most likely to solve the problem and if it does, awesome, if it doesn't i can go "aw man that's crazy"
A common reason that laptops become slow is that the thermal paste on the CPU dries up and then the bios underclocks the CPU to stop overheating. Replace the thermal paste and then the underclocking stops.
tysm for the advice, when I can actually turn it on I'll check if its overheating/underclocking. Hopefully repasting isn't too much of a pita
Also, if it is a budget laptop, replacing the hard disk with a solid state will make it like 10 times faster.
cuz they bought a budget machine 5+ years ago and then took the windows 11 upgrade.
i just tell people to buy a Mac and leave me alone, lol.