Despite Microsoft promoting Windows 11 as the future of computing, I recently downgraded to Windows 10 on my main PC and was pleasantly surprised. It’s not just about resisting change; here’s why going back to the older OS might actually be worth it.
1Windows 11 Felt Much Slower
While I didn’t notice much of a performance difference in sustained workloads or when using apps, Windows 10 felt noticeably snappier overall. On Windows 11, basic actions like opening an app or bringing up the context menu took just a bit longer, and over time, that slight delay became really frustrating.
File Explorer, though still perfectly usable on Windows 11, felt like a major downgrade in terms of performance, especially since I was coming from Windows 10 on the same device. Even with an SSD, navigating through folders took a beat longer, which added to my annoyance.
Another frustration was the slower animation speeds. They weren’t laggy, but they felt slower—like switching desktops, which was much quicker on Windows 10.
2The Context Menu Is Too Complicated
Windows 11 has prioritized form over function, resulting in a much more limited context menu that only displays a handful of options on the first right-click. Even basic actions like cut, copy, paste, and rename have been replaced with vague icons instead of simple text, which took some time to adjust to.
Because the choices are so limited, you have to click Show more options at the bottom to access all the available actions, which feels like an unnecessary extra step just for the sake of aesthetics. This added layer can be frustrating, especially when you’re used to the more straightforward and functional context menu in Windows 10.
3The Taskbar and Start Menu Are a Downgrade
One thing I couldn’t wrap my head around is why the taskbar prioritizes aesthetics over functionality, much like the context menu. For instance, you can no longer move the taskbar anywhere on the screen, as the only option now is to keep it at the bottom.
Another issue that really bothered me is how Wi-Fi, sound, and other related settings are consolidated into a single button. Instead of bringing up the relevant menu when you click an icon, it simply opens the Action Center, and everything now requires an additional click, which feels completely unnecessary.
It makes me question why a UI designed for touch devices is being forced onto a desktop-centric operating system.
The Start menu also suffers from similar problems. Instead of showing all my apps in a straightforward list or displaying something useful, there’s a whole section devoted to recommended apps and files. However, it’s never shown me anything I’d actually want to access quickly.
It would have been much more helpful if I could use that space to pin additional files or apps of my choice, but unfortunately, that’s not an option. This wasted space feels like a missed opportunity for more customization.
4Windows 11 Is Much More Intrusive
Windows 11 also forces you to connect to the internet during the initial setup and requires creating a Microsoft account to proceed. While there are ways to bypass these restrictions, they feel more like workarounds, and there’s always the risk that Microsoft will patch them in the future.
Microsoft also continues to push ads for Edge and other first-party apps and services throughout the system, which at times feels borderline like malware. Changing your default apps is more tedious as well. Instead of allowing you to set a default app for an entire category, such as your web browser, Windows 11 makes you manually change the default for each individual file extension. This adds to the growing trend of needing unnecessary clicks for even the simplest tasks.
While there are several features that Windows 11 offers over Windows 10, I’ve found solace in downgrading to Windows 10 for now. It’s clear that this isn’t a long-term solution since Windows 10 will only receive official support until October 2025, so eventually, I’ll have to upgrade to Windows 11. Hopefully, Microsoft will address some of the issues plaguing Windows 11 before I make the inevitable switch.
