6 things that represent my love-hate relationship with Windows 11

It seems like every other day, we’re roasting Microsoft for screwing up Windows with yet another brilliant addition. To be fair, that’s been the state of Windows 11 lately, as it deals out a deluge of ads, with Copilot features doing more harm than good, and is still riddled with annoying Windows updates. But, as much as we like to dunk on Windows, there are enough reasons to keep using it forever (besides habit, of course).

Personally, I’m not a “power user,” so you won’t find advanced productivity features in this list. I’m someone who’s simply looking for a stable OS that works as expected. And, barring the few pitfalls mentioned above, Windows 11 does that for me. So, let’s break down 3 things I hate and 3 things I love about Windows 11.

6 Same old Windows Update

What more can I say about this?

Everyone’s favorite Windows feature has to be on my list of things I could do without. Windows Update should technically be something that’s always improving the functionality and security of your Windows PC, without becoming intrusive or taking up too much of your time. You know, this is how it happens on your phone. While Microsoft is finally introducing the concept of checkpoint updates, it doesn’t address many other concerns plaguing Windows Update.

With checkpoint updates, the size of every new update should become smaller, occupying less of your precious storage space. However, this doesn’t solve the laboriously long reboot process that ensues after every update. Plus, there’s no way to avoid mandatory driver updates if I don’t want any.

Windows Update is one of the things I disable on my personal Windows 10 system, as I’m ready to face whatever consequences come with it (nothing bad has happened in years). Plus, I keep a regularly updated system image always at the ready, in case a rare event prevents me from booting up my system.

Disabling Windows Update on my Windows 11 work device, however, is not something I’m comfortable doing. I prefer to be a bit more cautious on that device, and I don’t use it full-time anyway, so it’s a win-win for myself and for the system’s security. Hence, it seems I’m stuck with Windows Update for the time being.

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5 Unwelcome Copilot features

I’m kind of glad I don’t have a Copilot+ PC

Microsoft has been all guns blazing when it comes to Copilot and the Copilot+ PCs it has been championing. What started as glorified Bing chat is now full of AI features meant to make our lives easier and Windows 11 more efficient. Whether that’s been the case for you is for you to decide, but I’ve tried to steer clear of any Copilot feature Microsoft keeps pushing on its latest operating system.

For generating AI images, I have tons of other apps I’ve been using since way before Copilot became a thing. I don’t use Edge, so anything Edge-related isn’t relevant to my use case. As for translations, transcriptions, and voice control, I don’t find any part of my work that requires any of those features. I understand Microsoft has to attempt to make Copilot this indispensable suite that everyone needs to use, but even the more advanced Copilot+ PCs don’t have much to do yet.

The controversial Recall feature has been taken down due to its over-friendly attitude toward user data, so Copilot+ isn’t as impressive anymore. I would argue that the bulk of the users Microsoft is targeting with its AI features aren’t really interested in them. Most desktop users don’t want Copilot coming in the way of how they’ve always used Windows. Microsoft either needs to bring new and useful functionality to Copilot, or somehow repackage it for mobile users (good luck with that).

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4 So many ads

Windows 11 is a case study for intrusive ads

Ads on Windows weren’t such a big issue just a few years ago. Windows 10 had a few ads, but they were way less frequent and universal than those on Windows 11. More recently, Microsoft has been testing users’ patience by trying to put ads everywhere, from the lock screen and Start Menu to within the Settings app. All of these ads were in addition to the “suggested apps” that Windows 11 already keeps pushing.

Let’s be clear about one thing — we’re not using ad-supported software here. This is an operating system people pay for, and expect the experience that should come with such a purchase. There’s no place for ads in such a program, let alone highly intrusive ads that occupy the entire screen, pushing users to buy the latest version. Opting out of everything on Windows 11 makes the OS less spammy, but it doesn’t get rid of every single ad.

For now, I can only ignore every suggested app and pop-up ad, and keep using the OS I’ve been using for years.

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3 Surprisingly capable Microsoft Defender

You really appreciate it after coming from a third-party antivirus

I’ve used many third-party antivirus programs over the years. That’s just how we were conditioned — “if you don’t use Norton, your PC will kill itself sooner or later.” So I used Norton, then AVG, then Avira, and then Malwarebytes. But, when I came across Defender on Windows 10, I was pleasantly surprised to know that I didn’t need a separate antivirus program. Windows was capable of protecting my PC on its own!

After a few years, I reverted from Defender to a third-party antivirus on my Windows 10 PC, as I wanted a more feature-packed suite. However, on my Windows 11 installation, I still use Microsoft Defender alone to ward off security threats and scan any suspicious storage drive or directory. Defender has undoubtedly been one of the best integrated programs Microsoft has ever worked on, and it’s one of the reasons I still like Windows.

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2 Virtual desktops

Work-life balance

Virtual desktops aren’t new to Windows 11, but I never used them when I was solely on Windows 10. If you’re not aware of this amazing feature, Windows allows you to use multiple desktops when you want to keep things distinct between your work and play environments. This uncluttered experience lets you retain the same icons on all the desktops, but you can open different apps on each one.

I know I’ve struggled to make sense of countless browser tabs, open programs, and screenshots when working on different projects. Rather than struggling with that, I can simply add a new desktop by pressing Windows + Tab, and use it as if I’m using a completely separate Windows PC (while still retaining everything I need on the first one).

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1 Shake to minimize windows

I use this way more than I should

There are many lesser-known Windows 11 features you might be using, but for me, the shake to minimize feature takes the cake. I have to admit that I became aware of it only recently. I’ve been using it every day since then. Instead of clicking the “Show desktop” button at the bottom right to minimize everything, then opening the window I want next, I now simply hold the desired window and shake it to minimize everything else.

It might not be the most advanced or fancy feature ever, but it comes in handy when I have multiple windows open and need to quickly switch between things while keeping my workspace visually focused. Besides the look and feel of Windows 11, this is one of the few features I actually like on the OS.

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For desktop users, Windows is here to stay

Like many other users, I know I’m never going to transition to Linux, probably not even macOS. Windows just feels too comfortable now — it’s been my home ever since I got a computer, started gaming, and began working. To break free from the OS now would mean breaking away from 24 years of tradition. I’ll keep calling out its faults and missteps, but that isn’t going to convince me to ditch it for something else, at least not on my desktop PC.