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Windows installer is slow, reboot-heavy, ad-filled and forces online accounts and privacy toggles.
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Linux installs fast, reboots once, skips ads and online accounts; local accounts are default.
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Most distros let you test-drive via live USB, handle partitioning, and auto-install drivers.
Installing Windows used to be a simple process back in the days of Windows 7 and 8, but Microsoft has made it a terrible experience in Windows 11. Linux, which had a reputation for being hard to install, takes 5 minutes to set up and install. Windows 11 takes ten times as long and forces you to jump through countless hoops just to collect more data.
The Windows installer is so frustrating
I recently did a fresh installation of Windows 11 for an experiment, and I was surprised to find out just how bloated and slow this operating system has become. It took 30 minutes to just install the operating system, and 20 minutes to go through the onboarding process. I had to solve 10 CAPTCHAs to confirm I'm a human being.
I started with the latest available ISO image available on the Microsoft website, but during the installation, Windows spent about 10 minutes downloading additional content. The installer ISO I downloaded was about 7.2GB, and I'm estimating the installer downloaded about as much content too. Most Linux distros weigh about 3–4 GB.
The computer rebooted several times during the process. When it finally installed after 30 minutes, I had to walk through an annoying setup process. Even during this onboarding process, the PC rebooted multiple times.
The installer wouldn't let me continue without logging into a Microsoft account. I even tried unplugging the internet to no avail. Eventually, I relented and created a new account. When I tried to log in with this new account, I was ordered to solve 5 CAPTCHAs in a row to verify I'm not a robot. I failed the first set, and I had to redo it all over again for a total of 10 CAPTCHAs.
After that, I had to toggle off the telemetry settings. Windows rebooted once again, and finally dropped me onto the desktop. The first thing I saw was an ad for WhatsApp. This whole process took the better part of an hour.
Compare that with ZorinOS , which took 7 minutes to set up and fully install. It rebooted once and dropped me onto the desktop.
I even installed Windows 8 just to compare, and it literally took 5 minutes to go from the boot menu to the Windows 8 desktop. In other words, 13 years ago, Windows took 5 minutes to install, and it now requires an hour. That's how bloated it has become.
Linux installers don't have a thousand telemetry toggles to disable
Instead of walking you through the setup after the installation, popular Linux graphical installers complete the setup first. Usually it's a few screens where you select a keyboard layout, timezone, installation destination, and a username and password. That's it. After that, the installation begins and the computer reboots once, directly onto the desktop.
Local accounts are the default
Microsoft has made it mandatory to use online accounts to set up Windows, so you have to log in to your Microsoft account to continue the setup. It's even patching workarounds that allow people to use local accounts despite the restriction. On the Linux side, there are no online accounts tied to the operating system itself. All you need to provide is a username and a password. Local accounts are still default for Linux installers.
There are no ads in the setup process
A lot of people even get ads for Microsoft's subscription services in the setup process. The setup process shows two ad screens for Microsoft 365, one for Microsoft cloud storage, and one for Game Pass . You have to click 'Skip for now' on each to get past. On the Linux side, there are no ad walls, no privacy toggles, or logging into online accounts.
Modern Linux distros offer easy-to-use partitioning features
Thanks to the excellent installers of Linux distros like ZorinOS, it usually just takes a few seconds to walk through the partitioning setup. You have the choice to manually partition your disks, but they can automate the process for you. The ZorinOS installer can even detect when a machine already has Windows on it and offers to install itself alongside Windows. It makes dual-booting Linux and Windows as simple as a single click. Even manual partitioning doesn't take long with these graphical partition managers, if you know what you're doing.
You can test drive the OS before installing it
With Windows, you only see the desktop after you've installed it on your machine, past those ad walls. That means if you run into any post-install issues, you may have to restart the whole process.
Linux does things differently. You can boot into what's called a 'live environment,' where the OS just runs off your USB stick. You can sort of 'test drive' the operating system and make sure everything is in order before committing to any changes. If there are any issues, you can take out the bootable USB and let your machine boot back into the existing OS. No permanent changes are made until you install the OS.
No need to hunt for drivers
If Windows doesn't automatically find the drivers for a hardware device, you have to manually hunt for the drivers online, download, and then install them. Linux handles drivers differently. Post-installation, if a device doesn't get its drivers, you just open the 'Additional Drivers' utility(available in most popular distros), choose drivers from the list it provides, and install them with one click.
Windows seems to take longer to install with every passing version. It's also getting bogged down with overcomplicated onboarding screens just to sell Microsoft subscriptions and force online accounts on its users. Linux distros install in a fraction of the time it takes Windows and with half as many clicks.
