Hey future Vipul, this is Vipul from 2020. What you know is a drop, what you don’t know is an ocean. You will need this guide when you get a new machine pre-installed with Windows (Whatever latest version is there on the planet you live on). Hopefully, Linux also exists at that time and you want to escape through a dual boot to loving arms of open-source software. You can’t go full Linux because you occasionally use proprietary tools and like gaming on Windows. We will be going through prep for that, to lighten Windows up to run on bare-minimum before the dual boot. Let’s get started, we have a lot to cover.
Some context to begin with!
This guide is for future Vipul. If you are a fellow victim of the blue screen of death then go ahead and help yourselves. I intend to keep as little context as possible for myself to follow up in the future. If you like help somewhere or not understand what’s happening, be sure to let the present Vipul know of the fact down in the comments. He would be happy to help you out. Unlike Adam, who never gives enough context about anything to young Jonas. (That’s a DARK reference)
Part 0: Booting the new machine for the first time!
- Though the recommended way is to not give internet creds to Windows on the setup as it can slow down setup. But, I like to do that. It syncs up some settings and makes entry into the Windows account much easier.
- Provide no access to diagnostics, data sharing, location, or any of the other dials especially shut off Cortana. She was only great till Halo 4, I never liked Halo 5 Guardians.
- Windows will boot up as then and I don’t think there is much to do after then.
Part 1: The first couple of reboots
- Switch off Bitlocker encrpytion
- Create a restore point.
- Next, create a recovery drive and get it started. You will need a 16 gig pen-drive. With that done, proceed with extreme prejudice.
- If you went with Lenovo like you always do. Then, get Vantage running to install the latest drivers inside the system and tinker with the settings. Otherwise, install whichever laptop manufacturer utility is used to install drivers on the system.
- Put your connected networks under metered connection to stop background apps installing updates.
- Go into the registry editor, to stop the windows updater once and for all. We don’t update software that we don’t need to use unless there is a security update and Windows allows users to manually select what update to install. Then, probably I flip it back on.
- Disable the above bit too from services.msc
- Do a usual sweep through the Windows Settings, you already know how you like, couple of things to take care off.
- Disable Fast boot
- Make a custom plan for maximum performance in the battery
- Choose what closing lid does and power buttons do.
- Set the theme, make it bearable for rare visits.
- Night light strength needed is 33, or 46 on a Thinkpad
- Disable all background apps except the logical ones
- Disable all startup apps except logical ones.
- Disable performance animations, like this to get the maximum Vram out of the system for gaming plans later.
- Download VLC, Etcher, and Chrome/Opera for Windows as the bare minimum. Picasa is in the 5 Tb harddrive if you need it.
- Give your user all access, and name the system before leaving. Once you do performance updates it will will ask you to reboot. Go for it.
Part 2: Letting go of the dead weight
- Disable secure boot if you want to
- Enable fingerprint for Windows if it supports it.
- Delete most of the apps since you would never use it, delete whatever you can delete to make Windows lighter.
- Read this for more tips, https://www.windowscentral.com/tips-tricks-increase-pc-performance-windows-10
- Uninstall all dead weight https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/uninstall-restore-windows-10-builtin-apps
- Go Compact OS –> https://www.windowscentral.com/how-reduce-windows-10-footprint-your-pc This will save you 8 gigs
- In the same link, switch of hibernation to give you 4 additional gigs. There’s your swap building up. LOL.
Step 3: Prepare for Judgement Day
- Prepare your bootable pen drive, with Etcher. You use it because it gets the job done really well, not because you work for the company that has created it. I love Etcher.io nonetheless, check it out.
- Head to disk management, you know what to do there. That’s the end of the line.
- When everything is done, take a deep breath. Go through everything one last time. Chances are you will be visiting some months later to install updated drivers or run a game you want to play. Other than that, no point coming back.
- Plug in your Linux bootable disk, and go into advanced restart and liftoff from the Windows into Linux.
And, that’s mostly it. This blog will be extremely dynamic over the upcoming days as I switch over from Windows 10 to PopOS. Always wanted to write this, because I always have to consult my old settings to get things just the way I like it. This way at least I have been successful in documenting how to choke Windows run it in life support. Is there something more that can be done. Let me know, here’s the final results after all the steps.
Toodles. If everything works out for you without errors, then be sure to share this over on Twitter. As always, live in the mix, folks!
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