Windows 11 Is a Lost Cause. Truly Destined for the Garbage. Don't Upgrade from 10

The video transcript discusses the impending end of life for Windows 10, set for October 14, 2025, and the significant push by Microsoft towards Windows 11, which requires newer hardware due to its reliance on a TPM chip. The speaker, a Windows expert and privacy advocate, criticizes Microsoft for exerting excessive control over users and compromising privacy through features like BitLocker, TPM, and forced updates. The transcript emphasizes the growing dominance of Microsoft in cloud services and AI integration, urging users to consider alternatives like Linux to maintain control and privacy over their devices.

• Windows 10 is approaching its end of life on October 14th, 2025, causing concern among users.
• Approximately 40% of Windows users are still on Windows 10 and face challenges upgrading to Windows 11 due to hardware requirements like the TPM chip.
• Users feel pressured to upgrade to new computers to support Windows 11 features such as AI capabilities, raising privacy concerns.

"Many of you who are users of Windows 10 are likely in panic since Windows 10 is about to be classified as end of life by Microsoft."

• The announcement of Windows 10 reaching its end of life has created anxiety among its users.

"Likely the main reason you have not updated to Windows 11 is because you cannot. Your old computer is considered junk now because it doesn't have this thing called a TPM chip."

• Users are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 because their current hardware does not meet the new requirements, specifically the lack of a TPM chip.

• Microsoft is seen as exerting dominance over its users, leading to a perception that users do not fully own their devices.
• There is a growing sentiment that Microsoft is turning users into passive participants in their computing experience.
• The push towards cloud services and AI integration is viewed as a means to further control and monetize user data.

"Microsoft has basically been systematically exerting dominance over its users to the point that you question now if your machine is yours or if it is Microsoft and you're just paying for it."

• Microsoft’s strategies are leading users to question their ownership and control over their devices.

"You are not a Microsoft slave. You own your device. Take your freedom back. Dump Windows otherwise it will own you."

• Users are encouraged to reclaim control by rejecting Microsoft’s current direction with Windows.

• Windows 11 introduces features that pose significant privacy risks, such as mandatory Microsoft IDs and cloud-based services.
• The use of TPM chips and AI capabilities are seen as invasions of user privacy.
• Microsoft’s insistence on cloud integration is perceived as a way to ensure user dependency on their ecosystem.

"First is the push for this security chip called a TPM chip which is lacking on old computers and which I will tell you now is a huge risk to privacy."

• The TPM chip requirement is criticized for compromising user privacy.

"Windows has been forcing us to use cloud services constantly with features like OneDrive to ensure that you keep your files on Microsoft servers."

• Microsoft’s cloud services are seen as a strategy to control user data by storing it on their servers.

• The necessity of a Microsoft ID for Windows installation raises privacy issues as it ties user activities to a specific identity.
• The integration of services like OneDrive, Office 365, and Windows Backup further embeds users into Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure.
• Microsoft's cloud strategy has significantly contributed to its financial success and market valuation.

"It is extremely difficult to install Windows without a Microsoft ID. Basically, Microsoft wants you to log into them."

• The requirement for a Microsoft ID is seen as a method to track and manage user identities and activities.

"This growth in the cloud is Satya Nadella's claim to fame. So the idea of the Microsoft ID is to tie you to the cloud."

• Microsoft’s focus on cloud services under CEO Satya Nadella is a key factor in its business strategy and financial growth.

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of device anonymity and criticizes Microsoft for not respecting this aspect.
• Microsoft’s telemetry and device tracking practices are highlighted as significant privacy concerns.
• The speaker shares personal experiences of data loss due to Microsoft's system updates and partition overwrites.

"As a privacy expert, one of the main goals I have is to ensure that devices have anonymity. And you cannot do that if your device is currently logged into Microsoft where app and device telemetry ensures that they know everything you're doing on your machine."

• The speaker underscores the conflict between privacy goals and Microsoft’s telemetry practices, which compromise device anonymity.

"I have had multiple instances of Windows wiping out entire Linux partitions and even a data-only partition just because it didn't recognize the format."

• The speaker recounts personal data loss incidents caused by Windows updates, illustrating the risks of using Microsoft systems for those who value data integrity.

• Microsoft requires a TPM for Windows 11 updates, which is a security chip storing cryptographic keys.
• The TPM acts as a unique device identifier, similar to an IMEI on phones, raising privacy concerns.
• Microsoft’s integration of device IDs with cloud services and AI systems is seen as a potential privacy threat.

"One of the biggest changes that Microsoft made is to not allow updates to Windows 11 from Windows 10 if your computer doesn't have the security chip called a TPM, which is an acronym for Trusted Platform Module."

• The speaker highlights the necessity of a TPM for Windows 11 updates, indicating Microsoft's push towards enhanced security measures.

"Microsoft actually stores your Microsoft ID together with the device ID identifiers in the cloud tied to your Microsoft account."

• The integration of device IDs with cloud services is criticized for increasing privacy risks and user tracking.

• BitLocker is a Microsoft-exclusive drive encryption tool that affects the entire hard drive.
• The presence of BitLocker complicates the installation of other operating systems like Linux.
• Secure boot features and drive encryption present challenges for users seeking system flexibility.

"BitLocker is a new Microsoft drive encryption. It is a Microsoft-only product. It is tied to the full hard drive. So you cannot, for example, have a Linux partition freely."

• The speaker explains how BitLocker restricts the ability to freely partition drives, complicating dual-boot setups with non-Microsoft systems.

• BitLocker is enabled by default on Windows 11, causing issues when secure boot is turned off, as it locks the drive at the BIOS level.
• Recovery keys for BitLocker are stored with Microsoft and linked to the user's Microsoft ID, not just the TPM chip.
• Turning off secure boot without warning can lead to complete data loss if recovery options are not available.
• The integration of BitLocker with Microsoft accounts reveals a loss of user control over their data and device.

"First, Windows 11 Bit Locker was enabled by default. So the moment I turn off secure boot without warning the drive locked up and I basically had no access to the SSD drive."

• BitLocker is automatically active, and disabling secure boot can lock the drive, demonstrating the potential for unexpected data access issues.

"Apparently, when you log in using your Microsoft ID, the recovery key for your hard drive as stored in the TPM and the device ID are all now stored at Microsoft and tied to your Microsoft ID."

• The recovery process for BitLocker is tied to Microsoft, implying that Microsoft has control over the recovery of encrypted drives.

"This exposes how this supposed security protection is fundamentally tied to Microsoft control."

• The security measures are not solely user-controlled but are significantly influenced by Microsoft's policies and systems.

• Secure Boot is a BIOS setting that checks the signing key of operating systems, requiring Microsoft-approved signatures.
• While Secure Boot was originally seen as a security feature, it complicates the use of non-Microsoft operating systems and virtual machines.
• Disabling Secure Boot can lead to BitLocker issues, showing the interconnectedness of Microsoft's security features.
• The requirement for Microsoft keys in Secure Boot reflects Microsoft's pervasive control over system security settings.

"Secure boot is a BIOS setting and if enabled anytime you boot an operating system like Windows or a DRO like Ubuntu, the UP boot software will check the signing key of the product and see if it is an approved OS, meaning it is signed using Microsoft keys."

• Secure Boot relies on Microsoft-approved keys, limiting the flexibility and control users have over their systems.

"But the worst part about secure boot is that it totally messes up using virtual machines."

• Secure Boot complicates the use of virtual machines, requiring additional steps to align with Microsoft's security protocols.

"Secure boot is now tied to Bit Locker. If you turn off secure boot, Bit Locker will lock up and there's no direct recovery by turning secure boot back on."

• The interdependency between Secure Boot and BitLocker can lead to significant data access issues if not managed carefully.

• Microsoft enforces updates under the guise of cybersecurity, limiting user control over their operating system.
• Forced updates can disrupt dual-boot setups, particularly for users who primarily use non-Windows operating systems like Linux.
• Users can only delay updates for a limited time, forcing them to adapt to Microsoft's update schedule.
• The lack of user choice in updates reflects a broader trend of Microsoft dictating system use and control.

"Microsoft of course forces updates on you. All these are under the guise of cyber security of course and I'm sure all these cyber security experts will all chime in and say that I need all this."

• Updates are mandatory and framed as necessary for security, despite user preferences or needs.

"It just bugs me that someone else decides what I need and choices are kept from me."

• The imposition of updates without user consent highlights a lack of autonomy and choice in managing one's device.

"One of the well-known incidents was when Microsoft overwrote the boot instructions, which in my case is set up to be dual boot."

• Forced updates can lead to significant disruptions, such as altering boot configurations in dual-boot systems.

• The speaker discusses the lack of user choice in Windows 11, particularly in security updates and system management.
• Windows 11 is seen as limiting user control over their own devices, especially concerning partition management and operating system coexistence.

"I would like to be given the choice. Tell me the risk and I'll decide. But I guess it is no longer your computer when you run Windows 11."

• The speaker emphasizes the desire for user autonomy and the perception that Windows 11 restricts it.

"If you accidentally go into disk management and decide to view a Linux partition, which it will not recognize, you might accidentally overwrite the entire partition and lose everything."

• This quote highlights the risks associated with using Windows disk management utility, particularly for users with Linux partitions.

"You think in this day and age that Windows with its resources could recognize an ext4 partition, especially since it is zucking open source, but of course they do this intentionally."

• The speaker suggests that Windows intentionally does not support certain open-source partitions to maintain control over the user's system.

• The speaker describes Microsoft's vision of an AI companion that integrates deeply into users' lives, but raises concerns about privacy and data security.
• The AI companion is designed to observe and record user activities, raising significant privacy issues.

"We are on a mission to create a true AI companion. And to me, an AI companion is one that can hear what you hear and see what you see and live life essentially alongside you."

• This quote outlines Microsoft's goal for an AI companion that closely integrates into users' lives.

"Windows recall starts recording all your activity by screenshots every few seconds. Then the AI analyzes what's happening on screen and notates it and stores that information on the hard drive."

• The speaker details how the AI companion records and stores user activities, raising concerns about constant surveillance.

"Putting your entire life on a computer changes the way you use a computer. Suddenly, you have to be super interested in cyber security because you need to protect your device in ways you didn't have to do before."

• The speaker highlights the increased need for cybersecurity due to the extensive data collection by the AI companion.

• The speaker argues that Microsoft's cybersecurity measures compromise user privacy.
• There is a clear distinction made between protecting against external threats and maintaining personal privacy.

"All the cyber security protections put in by Microsoft are here to take away all your privacy."

• The speaker suggests that Microsoft's cybersecurity features are more about controlling user data than protecting it.

"If you're a follower of mine, you are at odds with this reasoning. So, install Linux and tell Microsoft to go zuck themselves."

• The speaker advocates for using Linux as an alternative to regain control and privacy.

• The speaker promotes a community platform and various privacy tools as alternatives to mainstream technology solutions.
• Emphasis is placed on community support and the availability of privacy-focused products and services.

"I'd like to invite you to visit our community site Braxme which has a growing community of privacy enthusiasts."

• The speaker encourages engagement with a privacy-focused community for support and resources.

"We have a store there with products ranging from the Bra virtual phone service, Braxmail, BytesVPN and other services like flashing an OS."

• A variety of privacy-enhancing products and services are available for users seeking alternatives to mainstream options.