Is Windows 10 or 11 better?
Good question and I am sure there are a lot of people out there wondering the same. I took Windows 11 out for a spin over the holidays, and I will share my observations here. For those of you who like to read the conclusions first, here it is… I ended up reverting back to Windows 10. Now Windows 11 is not horrible, but it definitely falls in the category of “I need this upgrade why?”
This is not an in-depth, technical Microsoft Windows 11 Review. There are many out there already, such as PC Mag’s review. There is not much in the upgrade that qualifies as a “must have”, some performance improvements and mostly visual updates. I love how they say it has “performance improvements” but also that you need a recent CPU… No this will be a more “emotional” review, as in “did I like this new version of Windows?”
Which version of Windows was the best one ?
There’s been many versions of Windows over the last 20 years, and I was fortunate, or unfortunate, to try most of them. My first computer had Windows 95 on it and so that is my baseline. I was told it was a big improvement over Windows 3.1, especially for gaming. And yes, yes it was! I basically got hooked on computers playing Command and Conquer. (still the best game soundtrack ever!)
If you are unfamiliar with all the different versions of Windows, head over to PC Gamer where they have a ranked list. Windows 10 is #4 and Windows 7 is #1. This list does not include Windows 11, but I doubt it would change the #1 spot. I agree 100% that Windows 7 is the best computer operating system to date. It was so good that I’ve actually spent quite a bit of time making Windows 10 look and act like 7! So, it’s not like I prefer 10 over 11, it’s more like, 11 is even farther away for 7…
How to tweak Windows 10 like a pro!
I always wanted to share my tweaks to make Windows 10 look and act more like 7. So here they are! If you like 10 the way it is, skip this paragraph. The first thing you will want to do is bring back the old start menu. I use Start 10 by Stardock which is available for $6.99 CND. Very reasonable price but there is also a free replacement called Classic Shell. Next on the list is installing OldNewExplorer which will make your File Explorer windows look and act like the ones from Windows 7. I absolutely hate the 10 version, no more ribbons and all that useless junk! I don’t want to go too in depth on this. There is a great article over at How-To Geek on more changes and tweaks.
Windows 11 Digital Forensics
For digital forensic examiners and investigators, the most important question is “what are the changes to the files system and structure”? It still uses the NTFS file system and the user folders are the same. I was going to acquire a Windows 11 machine and examine it to test for changes but I see that this has already been done by Eric Zimmerman. Eric is well known in the digital forensics community. He is a former FBI agent and teaches for the SANS institute. On June 15, 2021, he tweeted his test results of Windows 11. In short, the following artifacts had no changes: Prefetch, Lnk files, Jumplists, Recycle Bin, Amcache, AppCompatCache, Registry, and Event Logs. This is good news for examiners!
So should you upgrade to Windows 11 ?
If you have Windows 10 and your hardware supports 11, you will get notified that you can upgrade. Just click the buttons and off you go. Please note that you only have 10 days to revert back to Windows 10, so don’t wait till the last minute if you just want to try it out. The first thing you will notice is that the start menu is again changed and the interface kinda looks like MacOS from Apple. Really Microsoft? There’s a reason I have a Windows machine and not a Mac ? Anyway, first impression was definitely “I don’t like it”. Strike 1. The colours and look also do not feel very business-like. When Windows XP first came out, it was criticized for looking like something the toy maker Fisher Price would create! Well, Windows 11 is not far behind. Strike 2. The new file explorer windows have rounded corners now. Not a fan and there is no way to go back to square windows. Not quite another strike, but not helping. Strike 3 for me was the lock-down of the taskbar. I like to move it to the side on my laptop but now it is no longer possible? It can only be “hidden”. Seriously, like WTF? I hate when developers remove features just because they don’t use them. If it ain’t broke, don’t “fix” it.
Or should you skip Windows 11?
Conclusion, if your computer currently has Windows 10, there is no reason to upgrade to Windows 11 in my opinion. Windows 10 will be supported until October 2025 so no need to panic upgrade. If you buy a new computer and it’s your first computer, then enjoy Windows 11. Tweaks and tricks are eventually going to come out to customize the interface. I know Stardock has a replacement for the start menu (Start 11). If you are like me however, and prefer things “your way”, then wipe the hard drive and put a fresh install of Windows 10 on it. Then tweak it to look and act like 7 like a pro!
If you need any help with any of this do not hesitate to contact me. I will gladly help you free of charge! Because no one should suffer with an operating system they dislike… Oh and happy new year everyone!