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Comment by eiji | Hacker News Reader

Taskbar > Context menu > Cortana > ( Hidden / Show icon / Show search box )

A better option is to open "gpedit.msc", then open "Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components"

Then spend an afternoon going through each option, setting enabled/disabled for everything you don't want or don't recognize.

You can easily disable entire subsystems like Cortana, tips, telemetry, camera, biometrics, error reporting, games, Homegroup, Defender, Windows Store, and a whole bunch of other garbage.

Unfortunately I've had Windows 10 turn OneDrive integration back on even after disabling it. That was literally the nail in the coffin for me; I've since uninstalled Windows 10. I'm still using Windows 7 for games. Anything else is done on Linux.

When 7 goes end-of-life, I'll be 100% Linux.

"I'm still using Windows 7 for games."

I've heard this setup be described as a Wintendo. Not sure why, but that cracks me up.

I'm thinking of making my next desktop with a support for giving a virtual Windows machine access to a video card -- near native performance, but Linux for the host OS.

Yup, I'd strongly consider something similar. But I'd have to seriously consider the security implications: giving Windows access to the graphics card could end up being more hassle than it's worth.

GPUs' memory management isn't exactly security friendly.

-> https://arxiv.org/pdf/1305.7383.pdf

Crudely, gpedit.msc needs to be installed by hand in the home version of windows 10.

So, this should work - but only in the pro Version.

Which is priced the same as the home version if you buy it via other vendors.

Do they stay deactivated even after updates?

Yes, because they're intended for corporate IT to use.

Or the free O&O ShutUp10 tool provides a nice GUI to edit a lot of these settings (no more Cortana integration is one)... https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

After having mainlined Linux for so long i kinda forget how closed source platforms keep producing these seemingly magical utilities for tweaking all manner of things.

But then i get myself thinking of Gnome, and how i have seen similar tools sprout for tweaking it in recent years...

Just include disabling it in the script you run after install

https://gist.github.com/alirobe/7f3b34ad89a159e6daa1

This may work for highly technical users who also don't mind putting lots of configuration work into their Windows OS, but for the rest of 99.9% of home users out there, it doesn't help.

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