AtlasOS, a redesigned Windows 10 version for gamers?

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Executioner

Gawd
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Anyone try this version of Win10? It strips Win10 down to a very bare bones install using version 20H2. Good for a lightweight PC running as a media center I guess, or with very limited internet access.

It also removes all security features, including Windows Defender. If you're going to use it for web browsing (or gaming), you probably should get a 3rd party AV.

You'll need a Windows key (like a Win7 key) or install on a system that was previously licensed for Win10 .

https://www.techspot.com/news/97095-check-out-atlasos-redesigned-windows-10-version-gamers.html

https://github.com/Atlas-OS/Atlas
 
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ZodaEX

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Furious_Styles said:
The biggest concern I'd have over this is stuff breaking when future updates are released. I don't want to reinstall windows if I don't have to.
Click to expand...

There's a trick to refuse new updates. All you have to do is lie to Windows and tell it that you're on a metered internet connection, then it won't force any updates.
 
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blackmomba

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Executioner said:
Anyone try this version of Win10? It strips Win10 down to a very bare bones install using version 20H2. Good for a lightweight PC running as a media center I guess, or with very limited internet access.

It also removes all security features, including Windows Defender. If you're going to use it for web browsing (or gaming), you probably should get a 3rd party AV.

You'll need a Windows key (like a Win7 key) or install on a system that was previously licensed for Win10 .

https://www.techspot.com/news/97095-check-out-atlasos-redesigned-windows-10-version-gamers.html

https://github.com/Atlas-OS/Atlas
Click to expand...
This is very interesting, thanks for sharing

Will be trying it out sooner or later
 
GotNoRice

GotNoRice

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Executioner said:
Anyone try this version of Win10? It strips Win10 down to a very bare bones install using version 20H2.
Click to expand...

So it's not only based on an old version of Windows (Windows 10), but a version of Windows 10 that is 2 years old?

The biggest issue with these customized versions of Windows is that things tend to break - because of the customization. But the people who use these already tend to have a bias against Microsoft, and blame Microsoft when things break rather than the real cause - the butchered and ghetto hackjob version they are running. It becomes a self-reinforcing cycle.

There is no need to "strip down" Windows. These days a 6-core CPU is considered a budget CPU. There are plenty of resources available for background tasks, etc.

Simply not updating Windows isn't a viable solution either, not as long as we're still on the same Internet as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
 
NattyKathy

NattyKathy

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Man, I remember doing stuff like this back in the day, stripping WinXP down to run better on single-core CPUs. Was a different time. NTLite was a neat tool.

I wanna see benchmarks before I can take this seriously. It's been years (over a decade maybe?) since I've noticed any kind of real performance changes by gutting basic features out of Windows. Not to mention the security risks. Love the idea, but it seems like an obsolete one.
 
Domingo

Domingo

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I game in Windows 11 (already a hair slower than Win 10) while running all sorts of shit in the background most of the time...and it barely affects my performance at all as-is. The Linus team did all sorts of tests on background tasks and they barely made a difference. I'm sure a lighter Windows probably helps low-end hardware, but I dunno if I'd say that's an OS targeted at "gamers" so much as a Windows for gamers with low-end hardware.
 
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blackmomba

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GoldenTiger said:
Open source doesn't magically mean it's safe.

Plus one to what GotNoRice said.
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No but it does mean It can be audited and probably has been by at least some of the 3k users that starred it. Which means the likelihood of it containing basic bitch malware like a keylogger such as what you suggested is pretty non-existent.

It's nice to see a project with balls trying to do something different honestly.

And I mean if you're using this of course you're bound to the dev that makes it with respect to updates, just like you are to Microsoft when you use their products.
 
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Okatis

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Also fwiw, star farming on Github is a thing. Not that necessarily this one is doing so (though little about the project inspires trustworthiness, personally) but just something to be aware of.

Unwittingly there are users granting OAuth logins (for unrelated sites/services) permissions to star projects, which some sites abuse to gain visibility/perceived legitimacy for Github repos, which I've seen reported by users discovering this for their own accounts in places like Hacker News.
 
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Algrim

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There are plenty of open source projects that have security holes because no one who knows what they’re doing has audited the source, even highly critical software such as OpenSSL that had a critical vulnerability for years.

I’m as much a fan of open source as anyone but don’t use it with blinders on thinking that just because it’s open means someone has bothered to audit.
 
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blackmomba

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Algrim said:
There are plenty of open source projects that have security holes because no one who knows what they’re doing has audited the source, even highly critical software such as OpenSSL that had a critical vulnerability for years.

I’m as much a fan of open source as anyone but don’t use it with blinders on thinking that just because it’s open means someone has bothered to audit.
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Big difference between a flaw in logic and overtly malicious code which is what the genius a few posts back was suggesting (keylogger). Did anyone even look at the repo at all?

In the past, many of the tools people put out to customize and personalize windows has been at best shady and most definitely closed source. This project at face value seems like a step in the right direction with respect to transperancy.
 
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SpongeBob

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Too bad they can't just create a piece of software that "cuts the number of running processes from 185 to around 35; RAM usage is greatly lowered as well, going from 1.5GB to 600MB" instead of running some wonky slipstreamed OS.
 
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ZodaEX

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SpongeBob said:
Too bad they can't just create a piece of software that "cuts the number of running processes from 185 to around 35; RAM usage is greatly lowered as well, going from 1.5GB to 600MB" instead of running some wonky slipstreamed OS.
Click to expand...

It's not wonky at all and runs noticable faster than with all of the stock bloat.
 
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SpongeBob

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ZodaEX said:
It's not wonky at all and runs noticable faster than with all of the stock bloat.
Click to expand...

Good to hear. Too bad M$ never listed to the multibillion dollar a year industry of gamers who have been asking for this forever. We'll force these idiots to upgrade their OS for new versions of DirectX and for some reason the dipshits in the gaming industry will just go along with it yaaaay.....
 
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Eulogy

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ZodaEX said:
It's not wonky at all and runs noticable faster than with all of the stock bloat.
Click to expand...
You seem to be championing this pretty hard. Can you share some data, screenshots, or anything to substantiate this?
 
HumanBias

HumanBias

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Since I use HDR and plan to take advantage of DirectStorage I fail to see how this is any benefit for gamers?
That Windows 10 is also going out of servie life is another big "nope" from me.
 
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OpenSource Ghost

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Just get NTLite and/or MSMG Toolkit, learn how to use them and create your own ripped version of Windows 10 or 11 that is specific to your needs and/or your system. You'd learn much more from doing that than from downloading a custom distribution. I also doubt Microsoft is going to somehow accept such distributions as legal...

The idea of reduced security due to custom imaging is also flawed. Minimalist/barebones approach is often desired for secure environments. Every OS feature/component can be an attack surface. By removing components to barebones/minimum, you improve security and its not necessary to disable common CPU mitigations like Spectre and Meltdown. Ease of use and GUI can also be improvement through component removal. In some non-gaming cases it is easier to just use headless CLI (Command Line Interface) distribution of OS if device using that OS has only one or very few purposes (such as running local DNS server on Raspberry Pi), but I definitely wouldn't be using Windows without GUI...
 
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ZodaEX

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vegeta535 said:
I wouldn't take this guy's word for anything. He still runs windows 7 for reasons.
Click to expand...

If you compare Atlus vs stock Windows you will see that it uses less RAM and gives you a higher fps in demanding games. The extra work to maintain it isn't for everyone but for those who care to put in the effort are rewarded with superior gaming performance.
 
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Eulogy

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ZodaEX said:
If you compare Atlus vs stock Windows you will see that it uses less RAM and gives you a higher fps in demanding games. The extra work to maintain it isn't for everyone but for those who care to put in the effort are rewarded with superior gaming performance.
Click to expand...
Prove it.
 
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TrunksZero

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I bet the difference is so meaningless low on mid to high tier modern hardware, and games, that the extra effort to be running this is a complete waste of time.
 
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