This post started out as a question, but throughout two days of googling it became this compilation of links. I will tell you everything worth mention that I found, share my plan with you, and expect some critics (for the infos of course, please not for the silly hyperactivity of my ADHD brain over such a trivial matter 🥲). Tell me what do you think, is windows 10 enterprise LTSC IoT actually the best OS for piracy? Is it Windows 7 for best fps with games despite DirectX11 being outdated? Or maybe everything could be done through Linux + Lutris&WINE for example? I'm moving out from ubuntu mainly cuz I still don't know where to get Nvidia&Intel Drivers from 😂
So the windows community would infinitely shame you for using Windows 7 because it has no more security updates. Also I heard you neither have support for DirectX12 nor optimization for SSD, So windows 7 isn't optimized for ex: gaming even though most repacks were released for it. I don't know anything about Win8.1 and my experience with Win8 isn't good, so I disregard them here.
So it is Windows 10 or Windows 11, but both are bloated with ads, telemetry, useless apps, processes and services (why do I have Cortana!?) and forces you to update. Win10&11 presented what is called "windows as a service" instead of "as a product", a policy which sucks for us users.
But I heard about Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC, which has minimized telemetry and non of the annoying apps, I don't know about auto-updates though, but I heard it doesn't receive them often. I also learned that I better choose IoT version of the later for longer support (2032 vs 2027 for non-IoT LTSC). Now I have multiple choice of guides:
Downloading Microsoft's official copies, debloating and activating them:
1- the r/piracy guide which suggests these two files, which are both 2019 versions. But I'm happy to see the size is 3.78 GB, so I can burn the 64x on a DVD!
2- the r/WindowsLTSC Megathread which sites to this guide, which again suggests this friendly thread, and seems to be extensive and up-to-date. The friendly thread suggests tb.rg-adguard for downloading the iso. If you choose the options on this picture then according to the files.rg-adguard.net database you're downloading en-us_windows_10_consumer_editions_version_22h2_x64_dvd_8da72ab3.iso . Not Enterprise Edition, so I think we just disregard this particular part of the friendly thread and download from the pastebin in the Megathread.
--->cons: This is a bit extremely hard, especially since I'm on Linux rn.
3- Microsoft Activation Scripts developers also provide direct links to download , without the heavy guides. But will I be able to uninstall Microsoft Edge for example later? This one might be the easiest yet balanced route for now.
honorable mention: This Russian site, called nmclub, claims it offers 22H2 version of Windows 10 Enterprise IoT, but it is not LTSC I guess?
Modified Windows copies
1- Ghost Spectre Superlite which apparently doesn't have an official site, rather an official Youtube channel (which I linked) but it is constantly updated on the tech-latest.com website. the videos prove that the system supports android emulation well (I think, tbh I'm not considering this one, just included it cuz people who tried it speak positively about it)
2-Revi Os I heard it has an active Discord community and has a GUI tool that allow you to enable whatever you want,
3-Atlas OS (this one is open source and has a Github page and is said to give the best gaming performance and least resources usage, I'm really considering it!).
--->PS: as far as I understood, both Revi OS and Atlas OS are applicable on your installed win10/win11 using this open source project called ameliorated which itself had its' fixed Win10 1903 version.
4- Slimdown10: from the mydigitallife forum. The creator states:
The tool eradicates all cloud stuff, telemetry stuff, spying, tracking stuff, UWP bloatware, suggestions, ads, etc by removing them directly from DVD media (before installation, not after it). It also integrates latest updates and turns Windows Update into manual mode (no more forced updates). It is fully open source with no hidden stuff or blackbox features.
using Scripts
1- Win-Debloat-Tools Looks like the most maintained open source one out of them. Along with Sophia...
2- In this reddit comment, a user recommended to:
install Windows Enterprise or Pro, and use Sophia Script to remove the Bloatware that comes installed and use O&O ShutUp10 to disable the telemetry and spyware that is possible.
Because security updates are extremely ultra important when you are connected to internet.(?)
3- privatezilla: This one seems lightweight and easier to use, but not up-to-date, idk.
honorable mentions:
- This redditor from 2021 seems confident that the three tools he mentions, combined, fully remove telemetry?
- winutil: an open source supposedly "One Tool for Everything" as the title of the youtube guide by the developer says.
my plan:
- I will just download the r/piracy 64x ISO file,
- burn it on a 4.7GB DVD that I have (probably using ubuntu MATE's Disk Image Mounter) cuz I don't have a USB rn,
- Activate using MAS Tool,
- Download Drivers Manually,
- Maybe use either Win-Debloat-Tools or winutil if I feel deranged. ngl, they got me sold just by having gui and being open source
I expected a discussion about linux from the title not about which windows version.
I left that part for the comment section as an exercise, since it took me 2 days just to figure out which version of Windows 10 to download. Those who think windows 7, windows 11, ubuntu, manjaro, linux mint, Pop!_OS, Arch or fedora are all invited to share their stance, with mention to problems like: drivers, lightweight, internet connectivity, privacy ...ect.
sounds like a lot of work when you could just install arch or nobara and be done with it
I heard Arch uses something called Wayland, which doesn't go well with Nvidia
It depends on what you install. You can do an arch install without Wayland. I'm currently running x11 on Arch with Wayland also installed so I can switch back and forth at any time.
However, unless you like to spend time learning how Linux works, I'd just go with another distro like Nobara. It will have everything you want pre configured.
I've heard many of the Nvidia/Wayland issues have been resolved. I personally can't use it because I'm running an LTS distro with too many old packages. e.g. mpv does support Wayland now, but my distro is stuck on 0.34 and you need 0.35+ if you run Wayland.
I'm planning to hop distros again because of this.
I'm just gonna store this 4chan discussion here so I don't have to bookmark it. Ignore me please.
If you care so much about avoiding analytics and advertising why on earth are you "googling" your questions on the world's largest advertising and analytics website?
google is manageable for me, especially because of firefox extensions, but windows is unmanageable, ads on desktop and using my data plan (limited GBs) secretly. My problem is not with privacy, it stems from the performance of my pc and internet. Much like the problem with Denuevo. Also, I don't sacrifice performance for the sake of privacy, for instance I'd uninstall google apps from phone cuz they use resources, even little, but I won't use a VPN cuz it will make net usage slow.
I would recommend Manjaro. Very beginner friendly, has access to the AUR and a great community forum where you can find the answer to any question or problem. I took the leap years back from Windows to Linux and it was one of the best things i ever did.