Windows 11 Reverted Back to Windows 10

On October 5, 2021, the computer named Stirling (see previous post) was upgraded (or downgraded) from the latest Windows 10 to Windows 11.

I did not find even one feature of Windows 11 that was better for me than Windows 10. Not one. More to the point, I did find at least one feature that was a lot worse - the loss of toolbars on the taskbar. Those toolbars were my way of configuring Windows for my own particular use, and made Windows much more efficient for me. I can't BELIEVE they took that away. I used those taskbar shortcuts ALL the time. Dozens of them, in hierarchical lists.

Other issues:

• System sounds were very quiet - too quiet. For example, if I plugged in a USB thumb drive, I would expect to hear a sound confirming the connection, but it was inaudible. Perhaps there was a way to fix that - I didn't look very hard.
• Disk drives were apparently set to spin down when not in use, because I had to wait for them to spin up on occasion (Stirling has 7 disk drives). I probably could have fixed that too, as each drive has its own settings.
• Context menus were flaky on my double-monitor system. Right-click menus would pop up and then disappear, often several times, before I could get them to stay put. Buggy.
• Much has been made of the taskbar icons in the middle of the taskbar. But this isn't an improvement - it's just different, and not even very different. However, it was easy to move them back to the left edge where I'm accustomed to finding them.

The amazing news is that everything worked. Every application, even some that were 20+ years old, and every command-line script worked as it had before. Same functionality, same bugs. So Microsoft broke the user interface, but not the inner engine. Note that this is expected, so it isn't an improvement or even a compliment, just a relief. Whew!

Because of the broken interface I reverted the computer back to Windows 10 yesterday. I didn't use Microsoft's method of reverting the operating system - I used my own, because I don't trust Microsoft that far. If they can't make the new operating system work properly, could they really unmake it properly? The procedure makes use of Macrium Reflect twice, though any backup that makes an image would probably work::

• Save the Windows 11 version of the C: drive to a spare drive, using Macrium Reflect, which would allow file-by-file restores if necessary.
• Save email (Thunderbird) to a spare drive. Also save calendar data (Rainlendar).
• Likewise save other files that had been changed in the interval between October 5 to October 10.
• Restore the very last Macrium Reflect image of Windows 10 to C:. An image of C: is made every night, as part of the automatic backup process. I used the image dated October 4, 2021, the night before Windows 11 was released by Microsoft and installed here.
• Update Thunderbird, Rainlendar, and the other files. 

Good to go! Windows 10 is back to normal.

One review suggested that toolbars were removed from the taskbar because of a security issue, but that doesn't make sense because you can still attach an executable to the taskbar. Duh.

I'm afraid that Microsoft has done it again - issued a new operating system in a hurry and therefore with guaranteed bad reviews. They certainly don't pay much attention to their early reviewers, and they don't seem to want to explain their reasons for anything. It will be quite a while before they live this down. But hey - they once again validated my overriding distrust of Microsoft. 

They're not actually evil people, but they are motivated by marketing considerations which have little to do with their installed base. They don't get much revenue from their installed base, so sales of new computers (hence operating systems) has to be their main concern.

There was a Windows 8, and then 8.1 Will there be a Windows 11.1?

2021 06 16                                                      SECURITY 

OK So far the new computer will have: 

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU, 16 cores & 32 threads 
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero, PCIe 4.0 and more 
• Windows 10 Pro, full version, USB 

  

But first some words about security: BitLocker is Microsoft's full-disk encryption facility, and it works. The computer must be and will be BitLocker compatible. It turns out that BitLocker has almost no impact on performance, even gaming performance, so that's not a downside. I think that the the mobo (motherboard) should probably have a header for a TPM (Trusted Platform Module), and the "Dark Hero" does. I'm not certain about actually using a TPM though, because I think that the CPU or the firmware may also provide the necessary BitLocker functions. If so, the separate TPM module would not be necessary. In fact, last I looked, new ones with the right updates were kind of hard to find. On a previous computer I enabled BitLocker with a tiny USB flash drive and no TPM. Important point: Even if the mobo is compatible and everything is in place, BitLocker doesn't have to be enabled. 

 

If you're not a BitLocker (or Microsoft) fan, or you don't have the Professional version of Windows, an excellent alternative is VeraCrypt, an open-source and thoroughly-audited facility which has both a full-disk encryption mode and a file-encryption mode. In fact, the best security may be found with a combination, where BitLocker is used to encrypt the whole disk, and the most precious individual files are further encrypted with VeraCrypt. Examples: A lawyer's client files, an engineering company's proprietary designs, the computer owner's social security numbers, bank accounts, and website logon passwords. I do use both BitLocker and VeraCrypt, plus several more. 

 

Please do not use the same password for BitLocker and VeraCrypt, or for anything else. That would entirely defeat the additional security. That's what a password vault is for, and there are some very good free ones.

 

In addition to BitLocker and VeraCrypt, there are other very useful encryption facilities. For example, I use Macrium Reflect to back up entire disk drives, and those output files can be encrypted. I'm sure that some of the competitive backup facilities can do the same. There is also a free and widely-used zipping app called 7Zip which is better than the Windows zipper in several ways, especially because its zipped output files can be encrypted. Here is a partial list of a few handy encrypting apps:

• BitLocker (requires Windows 10 Pro) 
• VeraCrypt (replaces TrueCrypt) 
• 7Zip 
• Macrium Reflect (or competitors) 
• KeePass (password vault, or competitors) 
• EFS (Windows "encrypting file system") 
• Lots more ... 

Macrium Reflect

Please PLEASE do not lose your BitLocker keys! Or your VeraCrypt passwords or PIMs, or any other encryption keys. There is likely no recovery except for your backups, and only then if the backups are UNencrypted or you know THEIR keys. Losing the keys is the same as a disk crash. Obviously, it's not a clever plan to keep the only copy of your encryption keys WITHIN the encrypted files. Please please write the keys on paper, or in a file within an UNencrypted DVD or flash drive, and keep that in a safe place, like a bank safe deposit box or your best friend's top dresser drawer, several miles away. Note: If you have more than one disk, you will have more than one key. You must save all of them. 

No matter what you think, the keys are not safe in the residence (or office) where the computer is located. Period.

 

Here is an only-slightly tongue-in-cheek list of risks to keeping the keys in the residence: Theft, computer virus, ransomware, fire, flood, lightning, hurricane, tornado, sinkhole, earthquake, termites, C-drive failure, other drive failure, smoked motherboard, smoked CPU, BitLocker failure, other encryption failure, Covid-19, another pandemic, asteroid impact, ultra-Plinean volcanic eruption, lunar cataclysm, black hole consuming the earth, gamma-ray burst, nuclear explosions, coronal mass ejection, sun going nova, or bad luck. 

 

The point is: Some of these could actually happen, and some WILL happen to some people who don't have their keys. Please don't be one of those. My residence is not safe, and neither is yours.

 

There is no rule against keeping the keys in multiple places. It's a really good idea. 

Backup is even (far) more important than encryption, and we have said little about it here. There is much more to be said about security, but saved for another time. 

The next post will get back to building a computer.