this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2026
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53
(CW: Windows 11) I guess this is happening now (hexbear.net)
submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by doublepepperoni@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
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I've put it off for a year but now my Windows 10 installation is downloading 11 seemingly without any way to stop it. There's apparently a way to stop updates by editing the registry but I don't have the WindowsUpdate folder there for some reason.

I also looked into extended security updates for Win 10 but enrolling apparently costs 25 euros. No thanks. I know there are versions of Windows that have security updates until 2032 but I'm pretty sure I'd need to reinstall Windows to make use of those, and if I were willing to redo this installation I'd just go with Linux instead. (Coincidentally, I installed Linux on a small SSD last year and I've been spending a lot of time on it lately instead of Win10. If SSD prices weren't completely fucked I'd get a new big one and make it my main/gaming OS)

I assume I will need to make some kind of decision about this at some point since it's not like Win10 is getting any more secure. Going through with the Win11 "upgrade" is probably the path of least resistance. I'd appreciate any tips to disable forced telemetry, AI features, OneDrive integration and any other anti-features this update is likely to foist on me. Also is it going to fuck with my dual boot? As far as I know my Linux SSD should be completely invisible to Windows but I don't trust Microsoft to not do something sneaky and invasive.

EDIT: I got my Win10 ESU updates sorted out with massgrave scripts! Windows 11 averted

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[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I thought disabling secureboot would prevent Windows 11 installation.

For extended security updates for Windows 10 you can just use massgrave.dev to unlock the license

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 9 points 5 days ago (2 children)

You mean this

spoiler

Upgrade Windows 10 Home, Pro, etc., to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (Keep Files & Apps) Click here for info

The IoT edition ISO is only available in English, but don't worry.

Download the Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 ISO from here in the same Windows language and architecture. The ISO file does not need to be the IoT version.
    To check the installed Windows architecture, open PowerShell and enter:
    Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_OperatingSystem | Format-List OSArchitecture
    AMD64/x64 indicates 64-bit; x86 indicates 32-bit.
    To check the installed Windows language, open PowerShell as administrator and enter:
    dism /english /online /get-intl | find /i "Default system UI language"
Right-click the downloaded ISO file and select Open with > Windows Explorer
A new DVD drive will appear in Windows Explorer, which means the installation image has been mounted successfully.
Now open Command Prompt as administrator and enter:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v EditionID /d IoTEnterpriseS /f
Quickly open the newly mounted DVD drive, run setup.exe, and continue until you reach the final confirmation screen. (Do not delay at this step, or the option to keep files and apps may not appear.)
Make sure it says "Keep personal files and apps" on the final screen. You can then continue the process and wait until it is finished.
You also need to activate this edition. Follow the guide here for activation.

and this?

spoilerActivation Methods

Method 1: PowerShell (Recommended)
Method 2: Traditional (Offline)

This method is the most convenient and works on Windows 8.1, 10, and 11.

Click the Start Menu, type PowerShell, and open it.
Copy and paste the code below and press Enter.

irm https://get.activated.win/ | iex

In the menu that appears, type the number corresponding to one of the Green options.

[–] Majestic@lemmy.ml 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Yes this is the way. Switch to enterprise or IOT enterprise and enable extended updates. Enterprise customers don’t get free upgrade to win11 so it’ll never happen on its own.

There are enterprise group policy settings to block updates as well or to allow delaying or scheduling them.

You can use MAS to switch to enterprise license without using an ISO and enable extended updates without a restart.

Only thing is once Windows has begun installing 11 it may or may not continue unless you block the download or delete the files. Switching to enterprise might cause it to fail and is worth a try but it could lead to odd behavior as well if it goes through. Try to stop the windows update service, clear the update files then start it again IMO.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

You can use MAS to switch to enterprise license without using an ISO and enable extended updates without a restart

What's this? That isn't mentioned in here anywhere. I'm already downloading the ISO stalin-stressed

Only thing is once Windows has begun installing 11 it may or may not continue unless you block the download or delete the files. Switching to enterprise might cause it to fail and is worth a try but it could lead to odd behavior as well if it goes through. Try to stop the windows update service, clear the update files then start it again IMO.

It said "Downloading -" and showed a percentage when I logged in. Now it says "Pending download." No clue what's going on

EDIT: I'm a dumbass. I re-read the page again. You don't need to use the ISO. Got my ESU activated stalin-approval

[–] AernaLingus@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I don't have any personal experience using them, but MAS refers to Massgrave's Microsoft Activation Scripts, which are used pretty widely.

edit: here's the information about Extended Security Updates

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago

Yes, and the latter page tells me to use the ISO

[–] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 8 points 5 days ago

Yes. Took me 5 minutes and I've been getting security updates for a year on that device.

[–] RondoRevolution@hexbear.net 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

As long as your Linux install have it's own bootloader Windows should be unable to fuck it up, it is only an issue with dualbooting when they share a single boot partition and they decide to fuck it up on an update, it doesn't remove you Linux install or anything like that, it just removes the entry for it which is scummy as fuck.

I'd recommend you try some hands-off distros like Bazzite if you want to have the least trouble possible on Linux, specially when starting.

[–] pucker4676@lemmy.ml 10 points 5 days ago

This is the correct answer. Keep your EFI partitions separate.

[–] RiotDoll@hexbear.net 17 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

I have Mint installed, and it's fine. It's fucking FINE. but i'll be honest, i've spent more or less my entire 3+ decades of life using windows machines and as close as mint+cinnamon gets to a win-10 vibe, it ain't windows. The nuances of linux piss me off, and computers have gone from a loving fascination into a very rocky hot/cold relationship where I mostly hate but feel bound to the technology for all kinds of intangible socio-cultural reasons.

I fully fucking despise windows 11. I just kinda hate having to learn everything and get comfy with Mint. So if those freaks at Microsoft wanna try to force the issue, that might be what I need to drastically improve my life and divorce myself from computer tech.

[–] imogen_underscore@hexbear.net 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

i think mint cinnamon is overhyped and is only really a good rec for shit hardware. switch to KDE Plasma for a polished windows-like experience

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Windows is bad, stop trying to be like it. Switch to GNOME and escape the windows-like experience completely.

[–] imogen_underscore@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

i strongly disagree with this personally! you do you though, it doesn't really matter to me what other people prefer and I'm not interested in arguing about such a subjective thing

[–] RondoRevolution@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Have you tried other Desktop Environments? I never tried Cinnamon, so I don't really know how much it looks and feels like Windows, but KDE by default is really, really close while also being fairly easy to customize to make it even more like Windows if you want, and should become a lot easier once they finish their new theming system.

You can also try other distros to see if they don't have the issues you have with Mint, there's even a site to test them on your browser if you're interested, called DistroSea.

I know it's unsolicited, but if you ever need recommendations, I'm an absolute shill for Bazzite and Solus.

[–] RiotDoll@hexbear.net 11 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (4 children)

It's not a Mint or cinnamon problem, it's a me problem. I literally don't want to learn this stuff right now. I sit down and try and i just have to sit with a decade+ of growing resentment for the stranglehold this tech has on my life. I don't want to give it more of my grey matter. I just don't.

I would literally rather move on.

If you can't fathom it, I am not trying to deride mint nor cinnamon - and maybe other desktop enviros are more suited to my tastes? but the fact is i don't care anymore. i dont want to cram my brain full of shit i resent, and microsoft insisting i move to a system with a worse UI, worse performance, and a nightmare of panopticon slopfest bullshit, it just makes it easier to go, "fuck this shit entirely" tbqh.

going all in on a linux environment to me feels like retreating to keep fighting on a battlefield whose war is practically over, and not in the favor of the side i'm fighting for. It's a retreat knowing encroachment won't stop and won't ever let me get away in truth.

I want to re-conceptualize my relationship to this technology; i see growing resentment @ tech on the left and while I don't think some kind of "destroy it all burn it all down" approach is prudent, I think about the virtues of going offline, and going to older tech while we still have it; you know, stuff that can compute and assist with certain tasks without being part of a giant panopticon network, deployed for things that exclude leisure and entertainment? That's how I'm thinking of this tbh

[–] into_highest_invite@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

i might be completely off-base in even making this comment, but might i shill gemini? (NOT THE GOOGLE THING). i hear a lot of the same rhetoric over there w.r.t. going offline and older technology. it's a more-or-less text-only network protocol so none of the surveillance and ad tech that's ruined the web. lagrange has an interface similar enough to a web browser so not much of a learning curve. sorry again if this is the opposite of the appropriate response but i've been looking for a place to talk about this on here because i would really like to see more communist blog posts there.

[–] RiotDoll@hexbear.net 2 points 3 days ago

don't feel bad for sharing this stuff. This is interesting to me.

if you're hoping it's a bullet that fixes the problem, eh, not for me, but I hope somebody gets something a bit more directly meaningful out of it - divesting from the teat of big tech in every way is a good thing

[–] Abracadaniel@hexbear.net 7 points 5 days ago

RiotDoll go on meshcore

[–] Owl@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago

I've been using Mint since 2013 and basically nothing about it has changed in that time. I hope this gives you some solace.

I've also seen more people switch to Linux this year than ever before, and a dozen people go full sicko mode and start doing self-hosting shit to get off of Google services, something I've never seen before. I think there really is a cultural shift happening. I hope that also gives you some hope.

But spending more time offline is generally a good idea anyway, tbqh.

[–] RondoRevolution@hexbear.net 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Oh I see, I get what you mean now. Yeah I can see how this sucks for you, I don't really have this relationship with OSes, but from what you said this must feel really shitty.

I want to re-conceptualize my relationship to this technology ...

Yeah if you can re-conceptualize it someday it could be like a new beginning into exploring computers altogether. Old tech is neat and if it's something you want to go for, that's honestly incredible, it's a part of the past that is cool to see and interact with, even cooler when you can repurpose it for your own needs.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Mint happens to be the distro I also have and yes, there are a few things that piss me off too. The archive manager sucks ass, it feels as bad as the default integrated Windows one, maybe even worse. I just want the Windows 7zip application with the explorer context menu integration, but apparently there is no port for Linux.

Also I just want to be able to download random zipped .exe files off github or some guy's website when I want to install some random program

[–] RondoRevolution@hexbear.net 5 points 5 days ago

You can install a different file manager, I personally like Dolphin (KDE's file manager), but there are other options too like GNOME Files for example.

I just want the Windows 7zip application with the explorer context menu integration, but apparently there is no port for Linux

You mean the right click extraction options that appear in a compressed file? KDE has that, I believe it should work by default on Dolphin if you have Ark (KDE's compresson/decompression app) also installed. It shows 3 options for extraction: Extract Here, Extract Here and Delete File, Extract to...

It's pretty handy, I tend to use the second option a lot.

[–] Carcharodonna@hexbear.net 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I know of a great way to stop it: Install linux. I replaced Winblows with CachyOS earlier this year and my experience has been pretty great so far.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago

Like I said, if I had an empty drive to start fresh on, I would do that and make that my main one. I do have a separate Linux installation but it's too small to game on

[–] da_gay_pussy_eatah@hexbear.net 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What, specifically, do you want to accomplish by staying on Windows in the first place?

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 8 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I just want to keep my files and programs as is.

[–] SickSemper@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago

mfs are like stoners, “no try Gouda, it doesn’t make you want to tear your hair out”

[–] imogen_underscore@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago

not very dialectical of you

[–] da_gay_pussy_eatah@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What programs, what files?

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

No DS4Windows on Linux for starters

[–] regul@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Linux kernel has drivers for Dual Shock controllers tho?

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Can it do macros that I can bind to the touchpad

[–] imogen_underscore@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago

steaminput can do this

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[–] sexywheat@hexbear.net 10 points 5 days ago

Lucky me, my pc doesn’t meet the minimum requirements

[–] mrfugu@hexbear.net 6 points 5 days ago

I turned it off because it kept me from receiving the w10 security updates but I was able to stop it by setting my computer to a “company/school organization” which restricted updates

[–] someone@hexbear.net 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Also is it going to fuck with my dual boot? As far as I know my Linux SSD should be completely invisible to Windows but I don't trust Microsoft to not do something sneaky and invasive.

If you're using full disk encryption in Linux, your Linux install should be safe from Windows reading it. Assuming there's no evil maid situation.

If you're not using full disk encryption, then Windows could read it.

In both situations it's possible (but unlikely) for Windows to damage the Linux install or the bootloader to prevent it from starting up. Just make sure you've got a good regular backup scheme.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Should I disconnect the Linux drive then? When I installed Linux I had my Windows drive completely taken out, then I moved the Linux drive on top of the boot list in the BIOS. I get a grub bootloader menu when I boot and I just pick which OS I want to boot into. AFAIK Windows has no idea it's even there though one time an update sneakily moved Windows back on top of the list which was easy to reverse.

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The fact Windows pissed around with grub means having separate drives would be the safest option.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Windows didn't fuck with grub (as far as I know), the Windows drive just got shuffled to the top of the list in BIOS

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago

Oh. Sorry for the misunderstanding then!

[–] someone@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago

Physical disconnection is guaranteed safe but can be an annoyance to do regularly. Full disk encryption that requires a password on bootup and regular backups of important files should be fine.

[–] kittenzrulz123@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

True full disk encryption is not possible on the grand majority of computers and even for the few without extreme tinkering and modification. I would even argue calling it FDE is inherently misleading since the boot partition and kernel has to be unencrypted.

[–] someone@hexbear.net 1 points 4 days ago

This is technically true which is why I mentioned evil maid attacks. But for most people who just want to prevent a normal Windows install from reading data from a normal Linux install, LUKS is good enough.

[–] veniasilente@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 5 days ago 
format /q c: && sudo apt install linux
[–] kittenzrulz123@hexbear.net 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My personal advice is keep using Windows 10 until ESU ends then switch to Windows 11, im not gonna lie to you and say its worth switching to Linux because considering your comments here and your use case it clearly isnt.

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Nah, I'd switch to Linux if I didn't want to hold onto all the crap on my Windows installation and will do so when possible

[–] kittenzrulz123@hexbear.net 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Keep in mind if you go into Linux expecting Windows minus Microsoft you will be severely disappointed

[–] doublepepperoni@hexbear.net 1 points 3 days ago

I already have a Linux installation I've been messing around with on another drive. It's too small for gaming though

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