WindowsSpyBlocker VS ExplorerPatcher

Windows Spy Blocker = This will add a bunch of Windows IP addresses to your Windows Firewall. The basic settings should not impede functionality. It should also allow you to switch ntp (how Windows sets it's Clock) to more open alternatives.

Telemetry is similar to Windows 10. However, you can stop most or all of this with the hosts file or a Pihole. Add this: https://github.com/crazy-max/WindowsSpyBlocker/tree/master/data/hosts

You can use WindowsSpyBlocker on Windows to change the NCSI, or you can change it yourself

Also, the New Oil recommends WindowsSpyBlocker so that may be another option for you.

You can use https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher to change the hotkey

> Windows 11 brings absolutely nothing on the table

It also removes a leg from the table, the one labelled 'usability'.

Attaching a 3rd-party leg to fill the gap helps (https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher), but it's not an ideal solution

ExplorerPatcher

I had more problems with it being wide, merging all app windows in a single icon, showing only icon rather then app title, and not being able to move to top of screen

That may be fixed with https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher which restores win10 bar, there's no builtin solution to any of the above afaik

Thanks for letting me know. I looked into it, and apparently it's still even possible to activate on later versions of Windows with registry edits and helper software: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/discussions/167

Not going to install something that seems so vague, but I do use ExplorerPatcher [1] on my Windows 11 machines to basically re-create Windows 10 UI and fix all of the annoyances I have with Windows 11. I've got the old right click menu, the old task bar, the old alt-tab interface, pretty much the whole thing. Only reason I use Windows 11 over Windows 10 is because Windows 11 seems to handle my triple monitor setup better, especially when waking up from sleep.

[1] - https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher