I get it - using a MS OS can be rather painful these days. Here's what I've done to cope:

- Most of my everyday tasks have moved to a MAC as well as my iPad's and iPhone.
- A handful of my devices now have a Linux distro running on them

Generally all I use the MS devices anymore are for playing Games. For these devices extra special care is done including:

- MS domains are BLOCKED at my hardware firewalls. (not %100 effective)
- their Ethernet unplugged and/or Wireless disabled before shutting off
- If/when Internet access is needed (install or update game) it is duration limited
- Local LAN access is partitioned - no viable route to the Internet
- Regular MANUAL restore points are created just in case

Sadly the lame block lists and 'parental controls' found in most consumer routers are not robust enough to only allow access to your LAN resource (and NOT the internet) and ONLY allow access to Steam & nameserver domains (and not everything else). :(

Quote from: Hunter2020 on August 22, 2024, 21:34:35Due to forced updates, I never allow Windows 10 & 11 to go online.  I do it on a second partition with Deepin Linux.  Solves a lot of problems like Microsoft gathering user data, forcing broken updates onto your system etc.  Windows is only good as a permanently offline OS, nothing more!

But why don't you disallow your Linux installation to go online also?

Due to forced updates, I never allow Windows 10 & 11 to go online.  I do it on a second partition with Deepin Linux.  Solves a lot of problems like Microsoft gathering user data, forcing broken updates onto your system etc.  Windows is only good as a permanently offline OS, nothing more!