Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit | SwamyM's commentslogin

Anyone have a good guide to (re)install Windows without any of the bloat? Preferably using Group Policy vs registry changes.

I've seen Tiny11 referenced but haven't seen a good guide for it.


Install Windows 11 Education edition (which rips all of the AI shit out mostly with sane defaults for schools). If you need the ISO, Microsoft's default Win11 ISOs have it. Use https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/ to get a good autounattend set up to rip out the extra bloat and set up a clean install. Activate with Massgrave HWID. You're done.

I'll vouch for this. I have a USB drive set up with Ventoy, which has the ability to install its TPM certs when booting from USB. It has a couple Linux ISOs and one Win11. It also has a Ventoy config tying that ISO to an autounattended XML built from that exact site.

The result is an install with no copilot/cortana/widgets, a win defender that can be disabled, no auto updates at all, a local account only, no taskbar shenanigans, properly configured explorer, some registry tweaks, runtimes pre-installed, extra drivers if needed, and QoL settings tweaked how I want them.

The OS installs itself in a few minutes with no intervention after the disk/partitioning stuff which I kept manual. It ends up being faster than the Ubuntu and CachyOs installs from the same drive. Then 2mins with massgrave post install if I haven't provided a key already.

When it is set up that way, Windows is decently fast and stable. And I have some control over it, at least whenever I need to enforce something.


Wasn't aware that there was an Edcation version but that unattended installer site seem like a great way to install, without using a bunch of random Power Shell scripts.

I will disclose that it generates a lot of random Powershell scripts to do all the unattended tweaks and magic... but yes, it's still a great way to install.


Would love to see support for Google Voice messages in the future.


Or why GOP legislatures in states like Wisconsin or North Carolina remove powers from Governor, AG and other elected positions only when Democrats win but not when Republicans do?


For the Technical Account Manager and Technical Customer Success roles, do you require a technical background or is a willingness to learn enough to be considered?


We expect some level of experience (ie, you've written _some_ code or done a decent amount of SQL) but a technical background not required


Same with the Republicans in the US and the deficit, "small" government, etc.


While we are on the topic of Signal, does anyone know if it's possible to have a lock/PIN to open the Signal app itself that's different than your device lock/PIN?

Threema has this feature and it's reassuring to know that people can't open my chats when I hand my phone to someone. Or if I give the device lock/PIN to someone I trust for backup purposes but don't want them to have access to chats themselves.

Last I checked this was not possible with Signal (at least on Android).



Sounds like you want Molly


For anyone else that's not familiar, this is referring to https://molly.im/ which looks like it's a fork of Signal. And looks like it interops with Signal, so you can talk to your regular Signal contacts as well.

That's very interesting.

My only concern with it would be how sustainable it is in the long term. I am using Threema currently, which has a plan for enterprises, so that seems more reliable but it's lacking in features and usability.


> My only concern with it would be how sustainable it is in the long term.

Another concern should be: can you trust molly? Cryptographers have been auditing Signal... who is auditing molly?


In addition, it looks like third-party apps (there are a few) that interface with the official Signal client maybe against Signal's TOS. They haven't enforced it yet from what I can see but it's a possibility and that's a fairy large risk IMO.


This is something I am considering as well, so I am definitely interested in hearing feedback from other users that have gotten LASIK or have looked into it.

If it matters, I have slight astigmatism in both my eyes.


> 2: When I sort my photos on a Pixel, I sort them in folders. The "camera" folder is where the unsorted photos are. When I sit in a bus or in a cafe, I go through it and sort the new photos into folders. This seems impossible on iPhones. Everything stays in the main folder forever. You can add photos to albums, but that does not remove them from the main folder. So there is no way to know which photos I have already sorted.

This along with iOS dumping pictures from WhatsApp, etc. into your main pictures folder is such a huge deal breaker for me. If I am backing up my pictures to a hard drive, there is no easy way to select just the pictures taken on my phone. Seems like such an oversight but I suspect it's a way to drive people to sign up for iCloud storage.


> This along with iOS dumping pictures from WhatsApp, etc. into your main pictures folder is such a huge deal breaker for me.

This is WhatsApp's fault. "Settings > Chats > Save To Photos OFF" should fix it


That doesn't fix it, that just means I don't see WhatsApp photos.

I want the two photos in different places.


How does Android fix that?


Android has directories (folders), and it doesn't pretend they don't exist.

If you go to "Collections" -> "Photos on Device" it then shows separate folders "Camera", "WhatsApp Videos", "WhatsApp Photos", "Screenshots", etc, etc.


iOS 26 fixes this with an option to only show photos not in an album.

Additionally, if you are backing up photos to a hard drive you will be much better off using an app like PhotoSync. It has a one time payment and transfers direct to whatever you want with far less errors and more control than Apple’s terrible buggy disaster that is transferring photos by wire.


It’s actually already available in iOS 18! On the main Photos page, click the little filtering icon and select something like “Not in any album”


I can’t believe there isn’t a fix for this. I thought I was the only person with these problems. How have they persisted for so long?


The inability to sync albums as folders onto my Mac is my #1 complaint about iPhones. It's probably to sell iCloud.


Isn't that something WhatsApp is specifically doing tho? I haven't seen this behavior.


Yes. You can disable it in WhatsApp.


> That's terrible advice, please stop giving terrible advice like that. ICE need to have probable cause (about you specifically, by name, not just your street or zipcode or "people of your ethnicity/appearance" or "people in that store/restaurant/parking lot"), beyond a verbal "uhh we think you're here illegally". You have the right to ask them why. And the 4th Amdt still exists, for all people, so no they can't stop you in your vehicle or inside your own house without probable cause and a [signed, valid] warrant [naming you specifically, and signed by a judge].

This is technically true but in practice (as we've seen multiple times recently), if ICE wants to stop you or interrogate you or even arrest you, they will do so without a warrant.


Most of corporate America is still primarily using x86 systems.


Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: