Windows 10. You can make it behave a lot like older windows. During installation, you'll get a page or two of options related to violating your privacy. Turn them all off. When you get to the account setup part, if you don't want to use a Microsoft account, you can click a button that I believe is in the bottom left corner. The installer will try to get you to change your mind but if you are persistent you can set up a local account.
After installing, to make it look and behave more like older Windows:
- To restore the old-style start menu, install this: Open-Shell/Open-Shell-Menu
- To bring back missing desktop icons, right-click the desktop, choose Personalize. Open the themes section, then on the right is Desktop icon settings.
- Open This PC, choose the "View" tab at the top, then set these checkboxes:
- Right-click the taskbar, choose Taskbar settings, Enable "Use small taskbar buttons" and Combine taskbar buttons When taskbar is full.
- Right-click the taskbar and disable the search box, cortana button, people button, or whatever you don't want cluttering the bar.
- You can right-click on any pinned items and choose to unpin them.
- You can also add back the old "quick launch" bar by again right-clicking the taskbar, going to Toolbars, and choosing New toolbar. Add this folder:
C:\Users\YOUR PROFILE\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch. It will appear at the far right, so unlock the taskbar, drag it where you want it, and right-click inside it to uncheck "show text" and "show title". Delete the items you don't want from the quick launch, and add the items you do want.
That covers pretty much everything I do when I set up a new Win10 system.
