Still Unbuilt

All 100 ideasDesktop and OS

#2 of 100 · Desktop and OS

Windows without the junk

A paid Windows edition with no ads, telemetry, bundled apps, forced updates or Microsoft account, just the core OS.

23asks, each re-read
22separate threads
10of 19 years
11since 2024
2011first asked

Asks per year

’08’101’12’141’162’181’2021’2248’2421’26

What the askers want

  • Would pay61%
  • Want it local or private61%
  • Object to subscriptions22%
  • Want it open source or self-hosted0%
  • Want AI to do it0%

Share of the 23 asks that say so, as judged by Jev.

What exists on Show HN

Never launchedNobody has launched this on Show HN.

Instead of: Windows, OneDrive, Edge, Candy Crush

The idea, as matched

A clean, buyable edition of Windows (or a tool that makes one) with no ads, telemetry, Copilot, OneDrive, bundled apps or forced Microsoft account and updates, LTSC-like, which people say they would pay for.

Jev first matched 25 requests to this idea; a second reader kept 23 of 25.

Every ask, newest first

Each line is an AI paraphrase of what the writer wanted. The link goes to their own words on Hacker News.

Reader’s note. Most wish Microsoft would sell it; few ask for a third-party tool.

  1. Jun 2026Wishes for a simpler Windows edition without the bloat layered on top of the capable kernel. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft Needs Windows Lite”
  2. Nov 2025Would gladly pay for a Windows version without the user-hostile junk. Read it: a comment in “Linux gamers on Steam cross over the 3% mark”
  3. Oct 2025Wants to buy Windows 11 LTSC with an Office build stripped of Copilot, OneDrive and fluff. Read it: a comment in “Making Every Windows 11 PC an AI PC”
  4. Aug 2024Would pay for a modern Windows 2000 Pro style OS, mainly for gaming. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft formally deprecates the Windows Control Panel”
  5. Jun 2024Wants a convenient tool to remove unwanted Windows features, including Edge, since only PowerShell exists. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft breached antitrust rules by bundling Teams and Office, EU says”
  6. Jun 2024Would happily pay Microsoft for a zero-bloat Windows that only supports sim racing and its hardware. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft removes documentation for switching to a local account in Windows 11”
  7. Jun 2024Would pay monthly for a modern Windows 2000 with no ads, telemetry, cloud login, store or bundled games. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft will switch off Recall by default after security backlash”
  8. Jun 2024Would pay for Windows with no preinstalled junk apps, local accounts allowed and no forced reboots. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts”
  9. Jun 2024Would pay for Windows without preinstalled games and LinkedIn, noting the good LTSC build is volume-license only. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft blocks Windows 11 workaround that enabled local accounts”
  10. May 2024Would pay for a stripped Windows Pro with only developer essentials, no AI, spyware or forced updates. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft should accept and give up Windows 11, throw everything at Windows 12”
  11. Jan 2024Would gladly pay five times the usual price for Windows without telemetry and forced updates. Read it: a comment in “Windows XP 2024 Edition is everything I want from a new OS”
  12. Nov 2023Wants a single Windows 2k mode that runs the OS lean, instead of tweaking many settings by hand. Read it: a comment in “De-crufted Windows 11 coming to Europe soon”
  13. Feb 2023Would pay for a non-trash Windows, suggesting a tuned gaming edition. Read it: a comment in “De-Bloated Windows 11 Build Runs on 2GB of RAM”
  14. Jan 2023Wishes for a genuine Pro Windows edition they could pay for that lacks forced shortcuts and nags. Read it: a comment in “Tell HN: MS forcing Edge shortcut on desktop”
  15. Jan 2023Would happily pay Microsoft for minimal Windows with window management only, no half-finished bundled apps or ads. Read it: a comment in “Debloating Windows 10 with one command and no internet scripts”
  16. Jan 2022Would pay yearly for Windows with stable UX, paid optional new features, and focus on speed and privacy. Read it: a comment in “The Windows 11 taskbar is an annoying step backward”
  17. Sep 2021Would pay inflation-adjusted full price for a Windows edition that respects users, and wonders about market size. Read it: a comment in “Mozilla has defeated Microsoft’s default browser protections in Windows”
  18. Jun 2021Would pay for a de-bloated LTSC Windows ISO with no telemetry, XP look and tiny memory use. Read it: a comment in “TPM Requirement Excludes Many PCs from Windows 11”
  19. Nov 2020Hopes for a way for ordinary customers to obtain and activate Windows LTSC. Read it: a comment in “macOS unable to open any non-Apple application”
  20. Jun 2018Wants a Windows that is just an operating system, without spam games, forced antivirus, updates and reboots. Read it: a comment in “Microsoft Is Said to Have Agreed to Acquire GitHub”
  21. Mar 2018Wants a basics-only Windows, like a minimal Linux distro that still runs games and office software. Read it: a comment in “Windows 7 patch for Meltdown enabled arbitrary reads and writes in kernel memory”
  22. Jul 2016Wants a Windows like XP SP2 with current security updates and an independently updating browser. Read it: a comment in “Windows 10: Microsoft launches intrusive full-screen upgrade reminder”
  23. Sep 2011Would pay for a barebones Windows they can add components to as needed. Read it: a comment in “Will Windows 8 Just Have One SKU?”

Building this?

Read ten of the asks above first, because they say what the existing launches miss. If you ship it, post it as a Show HN so the next run of this list finds it.

See all 100How the counts work

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