6 Things About Windows That Still Frustrate Me Every Single Day

Key Takeaways

Bluetooth issues on Windows are frustrating, causing latency problems and microphone malfunctions.
Windows is inundating users with intrusive ads, even full-screen ones for Windows 11 upgrades.
The Start menu is now cluttered with suggested apps and Bing search results, making it less functional.

I’ve used Windows for over 24 years now, and can’t imagine ever moving to a different operating system. I’m so used to how my PC is supposed to look, feel, and work that switching to something else is too big of a transition at this point.

But that doesn’t mean that I like every single thing about Windows.

You’d probably agree that Windows has tons of peculiarities and ‘features’ that we could do without. Whether it’s the weird behavior of the operating system with certain devices, or basic features that just don’t seem to work, I’ve learned to put up with many annoying things over time.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t complain about it, at least a bit.

Screenshot of Windows XP desktop showing Start menu and pre-installed games

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6 Windows hates Bluetooth

I gave up and switched to a 2.4GHz headset

Screenshot of Bluetooth devices in the Windows 11 Settings app and Quick Settings panel

Ever since I got a pair of Bluetooth headphones for my commute and travels, I’ve never been able to get them to work on my Windows PC. At first, I thought I might have better luck with Windows 11 instead of Windows 10; but nope, I still couldn’t get rid of the performance issues. The biggest problem I face is the awful latency when playing games or watching videos. My wired headset works fine, and even my new 2.4GHz model has no latency issues, but my Bluetooth headphones still suffer from nearly a full-second delay.

In the end, I decided some things are too elusive to fix, so forgetting about them is the smartest thing to do.

The other major issue is the microphone performance. No matter what I do and how many ways to fix Bluetooth on Windows I may try, I always hear people on the other end telling me that they can’t hear me at all or can only make out parts of what I’m saying. This issue even persists when I switch to my wired or 2.4GHz headset. Reinstalling Bluetooth drivers and repairing the headsets did nothing at all to fix the problems. In the end, I decided some things are too elusive to fix, so forgetting about them is the smartest thing to do.

5 Microsoft is shoving ads everywhere

It’s getting ridiculous at this point

If you somehow didn’t notice, Microsoft has been bombarding users on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 with more intrusive ads than ever. Recently, one of the preview builds of Windows 11 brought ads to the Start menu, highlighting Microsoft’s latest business model when it comes to the most popular operating system in the world. If “suggested apps” and “tailored experiences” weren’t enough, I also have to deal with ads in the Start menu and on the lock screen.

Windows 10 users also claimed they got full-screen upgrade ads for Windows 11.

Before that, some Windows 10 users also claimed they got full-screen upgrade ads for Windows 11, rudely interrupting work while pushing something they never asked for. What’s more, there’s no way to stop these full-screen ads either. The excuse in this scenario was the impending end of life for Windows 10, but that doesn’t justify intrusive full-screen ads that you can’t opt out of.

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More like ‘stop and turn back’ than Start

Windows Start menu on desktop searching for settings

In prior Windows versions, the Start menu used to be the go-to place for finding your favorite programs, Windows settings, or simply a folder. But today, it’s perhaps the feature I use the least, except for when I need to put my PC to sleep. Why do I have pinned apps in the Start menu? I don’t remember pinning them. And why are there so many ‘suggestions’ for downloading apps or using features that I never asked for?

Often, when I type in the name of a folder, it shows Bing results instead of searching the PC and showing the folder.

For me, even the basic search function is broken in the Start menu. Often, when I type in the name of a folder, it shows Bing results instead of searching the PC and showing me the folder I want. Last I checked, the latter is what Windows search is supposed to do. What’s more, there’s a relatively new icon at the end of the search bar which shows a deluge of online articles, game suggestions, and news that I didn’t ask for. This is becoming a recurring theme.

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Different iterations of the Start menu in different versions of Windows

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3 I still don’t want anything to do with Edge

And I blame no one but Microsoft

Much like the majority of people reading this, I find myself using every other browser except Microsoft Edge. I use Chrome for my business, Brave for my writing, and Opera GX for playing games and watching videos. I’ve even used Firefox occasionally in the past. But Edge is something I despise. Microsoft keeps Edge stuffed with bloat and forced features so that I find no reason to even consider it.

There’s the spammy newsfeed with cards for articles, weather, stocks, and icons for “popular” apps like Microsoft 365 and various shopping websites.

Firstly, the visual clutter whenever I open Edge is overwhelming. There’s the spammy newsfeed with cards for articles, weather, stocks, and icons for “popular” apps like Microsoft 365 and various shopping websites. Then, there’s the new Copilot addition to the browser that I personally don’t find any use for. If you want to stop seeing ads, you’ll have to go to the browser’s settings and turn off “Personalization & advertising.” There’s so much more to vent about too, but these ‘features’ are enough for me to keep avoiding Edge.

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2 Copilot is everywhere

I’ll be fine solo, thank you very much

The Copilot key on the Lenovo Yoga 7 laptop.

With Microsoft being one of the leading players invested in advancing AI (and more specifically, AI PCs) it was inevitable that something like Copilot would find its way into everything the company does. It’s now integrated into the Windows taskbar, activating itself whenever it thinks it can help. It is also available in the sidebar and the screenshotting tool. It’s even front and center within Microsoft Edge and in Windows 10 as well. All this forced Copilot hype isn’t something I’m into, and I’m sure many of you feel the same.

I don’t need an AI assistant to launch apps for me, change system settings, take quick screenshots, or be lurking around in my web browser.

Microsoft wants Copilot to be its AI centerpiece on Windows PCs, but it doesn’t know what to do with Copilot. If it was easy to opt out of using it, I would still be okay with the feature existing by default. But, with the Copilot key becoming part of Windows keyboards and AI being a big part of Microsoft 365, things will only get worse from here. I don’t need an AI assistant to launch apps for me, change system settings, take quick screenshots, or be lurking around in my web browser.

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1 A Microsoft account is now all but mandatory

Screenshot of Windows 11 setup asking the user to sign in with a Microsoft account

There used to be a time when you could easily bypass the creation of a Microsoft account during the initial Windows setup. But, Microsoft has made it all but impossible for the average user to do this now. Besides making it mandatory in Windows 10 Home and Windows 11 Pro editions, the company went ahead and removed some of the workarounds that used to let you avoid this before.

How else will it keep track of all your user data and spam you with personalized ads?

You now need to head into the Command Prompt at a specific point during the setup process if you really want to use Windows with a local account. How many people would actually be aware and go to the trouble of doing that? Microsoft really doesn’t like local accounts on Windows 11, because how else will it keep track of all your user data to spam you with personalized ads? Microsoft needs to revisit its existing strategy with Windows, and hopefully start to respect users for once.

Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop with the Start menu, Microsoft Edge, and Windows Update open

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A love-hate relationship with Windows

Like I mentioned before, I can’t imagine myself migrating out of the Windows ecosystem. Despite being imperfect, it’s been my operating system for over two decades now. And I’m mostly set in my ways. This is probably what Microsoft is banking on when thinking about introducing even more ads and AI features into the next Windows 11 updates and the upcoming “Windows 12.”

Despite users like me despising the current trajectory of Windows, things are probably not going to suddenly start improving. After all, Microsoft has a lot riding on Windows and its current approach. But, the same stakes should also push the Redmond giant to take stock of user feedback more seriously, before it goes too far and starts alienating its most loyal proponents.