Linux is of course the based solution but I feel you. Windows has gotten so fucking bad since 10, to the point where I feel like 10 was the first windows version I've personally used that has gotten WORSE during its life cycle.

95 and XP had popular service pack updates that improved things immeasurably.

Vista had a bunch of updates and service pack shit that largely solved a load of people's complaints with it by the end.

7 was goated with the sauce the whole time.

8 had 8.1 which was basically Win 10 lite. Not as good as 7 for most people but the .1 upgrade was the biggest improvement for a Windows version imo.

Now Windows 10 has just gotten shittier and shittier; It peaked around 2021. Even before I got onto Linux (and became biased) they were stuffing adware and toolbar shit into the desktop almost every update, and even with Win11 in full swing they've tried shoehorning AI crap into 10 anyway. What could've been another Windows 7 ended up being about as bad to use as 8.1.

Use the people's operating system, Comrade!

Fedora Linux Awaits

Ugh. I mostly main linux but on this gaming laptop it came with win 11 and I had to jump through hoops to downgrade it to win 10. This is the last time I windows.

I just thought I might want to run games natively. I don't.

I saw you said something bout Google Drive. You can sync google drive and one drive and all that shit on linux. Just need to find an application you like that provides that functionality and then do, you know, the thing. Eg. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Insync <- haven't used it but allegedly you can sync to the google and microsoft cloud storage shits using this tool, letting you basically mount them to your local filesystem.

Not saying you should use arch linux, their wiki is just usually very comprehensive as far as finding out how people solve various problems. A solution described on there can usually be applied to some other distro, with adjustments for that other distro's particular quirks and configuration.

Alternatively, and I hate to suggest this, but buying a second hand macbook will get you out of the microsoft ecosystem while being accessible enough that you don't need to learn and get used to a bunch of new things before you can confidently get back on with using the machine productively.

I tried changing the time format in windows 11 and I had to go through like 4 submenus

Had to "upgrade" our computers to win11 at work last month, everything runs worse and everybody agrees its utter garbage.

On the bright side this has helped me convince one of my coworkers to try Linux on their home computer.

Comrade, Were preparing to deploy W11 at work and I'm not excited by the prospect of attempting to gut all the bullshit found inside that monstrous turd of an operating system.

Linux is the only option.

Not because FOSS is glorious and the most communist your computer can be without violating the DMCA. Though it is also that, and you can seed generously from a machine running Linux.

Not because Linux is much better lately. It is BTW.

Not because using a system that is designed intelligently and respects you as a fucking adult and might not always be easy to use, but won't generally fight you, so solving problems feels collaborative rather than like youre a persecuted victim about to have everything you just learned and built crushed with the next patch feels really good and generally is an improving cool experience. Though, I mean, that should be enough on its own, right?

But because capitalism is in late stage decline and everything it touches is going to turn to shit and exploit you and surveil you and coerce you and infantipize the fuck out of you and you'll have to get on your knees and crush yourself in terrible ways to check your fucking email or you'll have to fight it tooth and nail every god damn inch fighting a different system each time you want to check your fucking email or see a naked picture of a hot person-even one they took for and sent to you directly.

Might I entice you to try maybe a Linuc or two?