Windows: what runs, and what still leaves the PC
Windows 11 runs software that has no equivalent elsewhere. Required diagnostics are sent even if you refuse the optional ones. Home, and Pro for personal use, ask for a Microsoft account during setup.
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What to expect
Windows 11 is the system to pick for software or hardware with no equivalent. The setup account and the required diagnostics are the documented cost, not a footnote in a brochure.
Who it is for
Windows fits if a program, a printer or a game has no equivalent elsewhere. It fits poorly if you want a system whose reports to the vendor you can turn off.
What you gain
You get the wide range of PCs Microsoft advertises, and Windows 11 as the current version. Windows Hello can sign you in with a face, a fingerprint or a PIN. The product page is talking about apps and accessories built for Windows, not hardware designed for another system.
What you take on
During first setup, Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro for personal use require an internet connection and a Microsoft account. The published minimums are a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 4 GB of memory, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware capable of Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0. An older PC can be left out.
Privacy
Microsoft splits required and optional diagnostics. Required data describes the device, its settings, its features and whether it is working. Microsoft calls this the minimum for reliability and security. It is sent with one or more unique identifiers. Refusal is not offered.
Optional data adds websites you visit, device activity and, in a crash, memory state that can include part of the file you had open. Microsoft says refusing it leaves the device just as secure. The Diagnostic Data Viewer is there so you can look at what leaves. Chrome, a game or an office suite can still send something else.
The decision
Choose Windows to run what has no equivalent. Look elsewhere if you want to be able to stop what leaves the machine.
From the provider
Windows
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Sources for this article
Numbers connect each reference to the passages that use it. Dates show when the documentation was consulted.
- Windows 11 system requirements, Microsoft ↗support.microsoft.com ·
This article draws on the sources above. The exercises are for you to try on your devices; SecuFocus does not present them as tests carried out by its editorial team. Interfaces and features can change. Method and corrections.
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