Back in the day my old instructor told the class the golden rule of technology and I haven't forgotten it since. If it is made by man, it can be hacked by man. This applies to everything in life I believe. Not just technology

if it wasnt for microsoft doing such a shitty job on windows, i would never of had found this amazing channel to help solve my laptop issues. i am now on linux

"once I have admin access to powershell... game over" *chills*

Went back with a dual-boot setup with PopOS on main drive and fully debloated Windows 10 on a separate one for very specific programs or old games. Most of what I need can be done on Linux and I truly feel like I own my machine instead of renting one from Microsoft.

Nothing is truly 100% safe anymore if its connected to the internet lol

Chris: "Be careful of some guy on the Internet telling you what to do with your system". Also Chris: "Wait! I'm "some guy on the Internet!!" :) Also: Remember that uninstalled programs often leave things active/running in Scheduler, and Task Manager's Startup and Services. Even the creator's uninstallers tend to do this up to Win10, so be alert (we need all the Lerts we can get) and watch for this kind of thing.

Great content Chris!!! Your script is the only thing I have felt secure running from WPS. I don't just run scripts in there willy nilly. You are correct about the concerns.

Haha I like how you said that the standard security suites won't help you! I've been speculative of this, in fact I think more often than not they act more like the malware they are meant to protect you from lol

Thank you, Chris. I rarely use windows and you reminded me why I should be using windows rarely!

Really? These clickbaits are getting out of hand nowadays it seems. Is Linux secure from people running malicious scripts with root privileges? Can't malicious scripts/programs put scripts under init in Linux aswell? Or maybe set up a Daemon? And the same goes for all the other moot points in this video. That is not to mention that the Regedit point is a joke in itself, anyone who is disabling Regedit is capable enough to not mess up random stuff there in the first place, you don't need to disable it to set a restraint on yourself or something. *If one is running random scripts on their system(whether with elevated privileges or not) no matter what Operating system it won't make a change.*

Chris, you are definitely a windows guy, but your the Trojan horse the Linux community needs. Love the content.

UAC should prevent most of these tools from making any changes, especially remotely. So unless you've disabled UAC (please don't do that!) then most of these scenarios should be prevented. Where most get into trouble is end-users downloading all sorts of crazy things from the internet and clicking links in emails. But not just end-users, also sysadmins working on Linux platforms. Remember log4j? That occurred because admins needed an easy to implement logging tool, and never took the time to configure it to turn off a bunch of features that weren't needed nor monitored, and bad actors ended up taking advantage of that. I've been in IT 11 years, and we have a saying... "The problem exists between the chair and the computer." Not saying you're wrong or that disabling some of these features isn't a good idea... but unless you have a very good understanding of what you are doing, you should double and triple check it before turning it off. Because after it breaks your computer you will now need to learn how to unbreak it.

From my personal experience no OS is truly secure enough unless you use Common Sense 2.0, be it Linux, Windows or BSD (MacOS, etc.), since every OS has ways for users to screw up, them being simple scripts that you can willingly run on your system or stuff that you can install. Because remember, the problem is always between the Monitor and the Chair, almost never inside the machine itself.

The hardware requirements for Windows 11 is still ridiculous

The wallpaper at minute 1:30 is from my a place in my country, it's called Puente de Inca, it's in the province of Mendoza, Argentina and when you go by car to Chile, you pass by there....

Task scheduler was in windows 95 plus! Named as Scheduled Tasks.

Hi Chris! Just wanted to ask if you could make a video about Linux in 32 bit systems and what's left of 32 bit support, if any. Would be really helpful! And there aren't many sources out there about the subject.

Kid wanted to know what he needs to know about working in IT. I told him that Harden Tools is your friend, Outlook is your enemy, vacations are not really a thing and there's not much money in it...unless you are Chris Titus.

I remember when Windows NT was advertising as meeting high security requirements*! *When not connected to a network and no floppy/CD drives installed. And in a locked room.

Great info as usual thank you for making a difference.

I installed Windows 10 on a spare computer last night and was disgusted by the number of privacy violations just from installing it. They're open about it. They DON'T care.

The Windows kernel is really old. Imagine running a Linux kernel from 1999 and constantly patching it. Its just not worth it. P.S.: i think that Chris should talk about FreeBSD too.

I use Windows 10 LTSC 1809 (2019) and I'm really happy with it. No Edge, no Windows Store, and no Cortana. And the Windows Updates? They're much easier to control. Unfortunately, I only have 7 years left with it. 2029 is when extended life support ends.

Microsoft is literally the same company that forced me to permanently move to Linux. Their Windows 10 had so many issues that I was disgusted and left it for ever. Thanks Bill for this amazing opportunity you gave me 😊.

Whatever you say Harry. I've haven't used Windows since 2008 and my digestion has improve beyond recognition.

I've got a whole new respect for you now. I've watched many of your Linux videos because they've been pretty insightful. Now I find out you are MS certified and you are admitting what I and likely many other Linux users/zealots have been saying for years. Not to say that Linux is perfect because it is not, but in comparison to Windows, its night and day. Well done and keep up the good work.

My advice for you is disable the Local Administrator account. The UAC stop working because there are no enabled user on Administrators group. You can enable It again on "failsafe mode". My father can't install viruses anymore.

I'm just curious, who the hell hides file extensions? I just can't imagine using Windows with my file extensions hidden - it seems nuts to me.

the best way to use windows is shut off internet access, close communication, airgap and play games, etc on it. Use linux for most other things, with safety in mind.

Thats why I keep my pc in S mode. Less attack vectors since powershell, cmd and registry access has been disabled along with Store apps only.

I noticed there are a few Power shell it seems it constantly having to update to the latest one. Why dosent all the PS update at the same time ?

I had an attack on my machine a few days ago I had to reinstall Win 11...I also use Linux im studying code then i see Microsoft deleted a bunch of my files i noticed my machine was running in the back ground and i seen the files were gone Why does Microsoft ad and subtract things in peoples computers ?

"Do not run it unless you know exactly what it is doing." - That pretty much summed up computer security.

What I hate about Windows is it wants you to enter your PIN/password if you add an email to your system but allows admin access by mere click of button.

I was in antivirus company as software developer, I learned so many things about windows. Both Good and bad also!! And started hating it, I left that company and doing different job now.

Also, don't run your user account with local admin rights.

Windows, it's not safe because the guest account is not allowed to log into Safe mode.

Every system has security flaws, some were found, and others not, we must be aware and above all be careful with what is installed on your system, be it REPOSITORIES, .EXE, .VBS, .BAT etc. Many users make mistakes in small things that can become big problems.

Linux has some real issues too, some packages used in pretty much every distro have had security issues that've been around for a decade or more. The difference between Windows and Linux though is that people get a false sense of security with Linux because the argument goes its more secure because people can see the code. And yet there's multiple vulnerabilities, both local and remote, that've been around more than a decade.

That's a good way to put it. Showing all the things available that can be used for you and against you is a good way to showcase how vulnerable a system really is.

Wow now that I think about it Windows IS more complicated than Linux.

Hello sir, i have a question that what is Linux CIS and it have a good future? @Chris Titus Tech

Task Scheduler is a new trick for me. Thanks.

That Windows wallpaper is eye searing!

Operating systems are like a car, they are only as safe as the person behind the wheel.

1:31 This amazing wallpaper is a real place in MENDOZA ARGENTINA "PUENTE DEL INCA" Excelent video!!!

Is anyone using Winaero Tweaker? I've been using this tool for about 3 weeks. I just disable telemetry, windows update and defender stuff.

Exactly what I needed for a while now, thanks as always Chris!

Also be careful, I am starting to run into fake sites made to look like Windows Defender just blocked a bunch of stuff when you tried to enter a website. Undoubtedly some sort of phishing or trojan. I know these sites are fake because I use Linux.

I don't know what you're talking about. Windows was never secure.

I have two nvme drives. One for Linux which I run full-time and consider my 'main box'. The other nvme drive has Windows installed on it and the ONLY thing I use it for is gaming since the games I am interested in run like crap on Linux (I'm looking at you New World).

I really don't understand who this is for. The person who understands all of this already knows this and has taken steps to be safe.

Great video this is exactly what I was wondering about. May not be your first vid on it but really liking this. Some of the best info for a windows user to review.

It never was

I use a vbs script to launch powershell scripts because that way you don't get a terminal window popping up at login.

Moved to linux when covid-19 came and started remote job at homeoffice, so maybe ill stay linux systems at home atleast :) have w11 on worklaptop

I just ended my last windows system and switched to linux on all my devices for permanent use. It still has windows installed, but only for the rare occasion I need it.

anyone using Win11 is already being exploited by Microsoft, just install Windows 10 AME Edition and a decent Firewall.

After years of broken updates, driver issues, and terrible OEM support on Windows PC, I took the plunge and used a Mac for the first time. Let's just say that it's quite possible to make an operating system elegant, easy to use, and highly functional. And that operating system isn't Windows.

task Scheduler has been around since Windows 9X

In the long term my approach is going to use Windows as a pure gaming system with some smaller apps as required, if the information isn't on the system in the first place then what can they do with it. It also means I can scrub the whole system at anytime and just re-install. Anything relating to personal use will be Linux based, unfortunately this would mean a 3 system setup. Personal use, Gaming and Gaming support (recording, video editing, etc) with a NAS to support all 3.

Nice video, Chris!!

Hey Chris thanks for all your content it really makes me enjoy computing. Can you do something about backup

It always baffles me how Linux, as an open source OS developed by teams/companies a fraction the size of Microsoft, has the reputation of being secure. You'd think it's the other way around especially with how big Microsoft's is

Windows has never been safe.

Gettin' bushy Chris. Looks good.

I just loved the "puente del inca" wallpaper

Digging the beard! Keep it up Chris!!

the other use for VBS scripts I used is Making Network Drives on Login if they failed the script would religion the Drive

Ah yes, the VBS scripts we used to write for our school computer labs when we were boys. Nasty little bastards we were.

To put it simply anything with an internet connection is not safe if there's a way for anything to get to your computer or device there's a way to hack it

I used to use a VBS script to lock up my account on the computers when I was in high school and prevent me from logging in on another computer. It opened notepad and would open a notepad when notepad opened. I did that to avoid doing school work or writing papers when I didn't want to.

I have always one, two or three com surrogate processes running in the background (at low cpu load 1% average) on taskmanager, and keeps reappearing even when the task ended. What to do?

Removing administrator privilages from users can protect aswell. But aswell it has downsides if you remove it.

I use Linux on my systems now. I started looking into Linux as an alternative OS when Windows Vista was released. Windows 10 is OK, However, Windows 10 slows down a lot as it ages. I cannot stand Windows 11. If this is the direction Windows is going. I am happy to continue to use Linux as my OS. Linux is fast, secure, and reliable. At this time I am using Linux Mint Debian Edition on my Desktop and older Mac Laptop that will not support any recent version of Mac OS. Linux Mint Debian Edition is working very well.

Thanks very much for your indications of ways windows can be abused.

They changed their naming. I have MCSE MCSA MCDST

I have been toying with the idea of switching over my main PC to Linux but I keep running into issues with compatibility with all of the mainstream streaming tools as well as AAA games. I use mint on the laptop I use for work and have even toyed with trying other distros. Just installing some of the OBS scripts I use take hours to install on Linux but 30 minutes on windows. And that doesn't including having to config them to actually work. I do live in hope though that one day the Linux ecosystem will get there.

Please enable your old script easier to remove cortana .etc. thanks

Will I be able to get rid of Windows Edge and Cortana through Powershell? If so, what are the commands to do so, and what are the further commands to keep them off my system? Geat video!

The Sky is Blue

All tasks are actually files u can give one full deny and it won't be able to make it or change it again.

Thanks Chris. One of the thoughts that occurs to me is the absolute massive amount of code that is MS-DOS + Windows (GUI). Incredibly difficult to secure something that big... Also, an older computer geek friend often mentions about how things would be better if DR-DOS + GUI was the mainstream OS... What do you think?

I thought Chris will show a day one exploit to get in a fully patched and freshly installed Windows system. However Chris is showing how you can do nasty things when you first run software with administrative privileges. It is like showing how a vault is insecure by opening it with the keys and say "you see, you can get in." I don't know much about Linux but I am pretty sure you can do the same kind of things if you are logged in with root access.

I also start my career on Windows. But when Windows 11 came out I switched to Linux. Best decision ever! All pc and laptops in my house runs Linux now. Win11 is a spy tool.

good day sir, can you add the hardening tool in your windows debloat script thanks

ASR rules are attack service reduction rules for defender

I tried install Hardentools on my pc and it would not install, does not seem to run.

is anybody else having issues with drivers having to be searched and installed on your computer... like my sound will cut out and i have to install the driver through the search this computer for a driver. is there a fix for this?

The only reason I still use windows on my gaming pc is gaming, and I moved to macOS for my workflow anyway, which I'm highly glad I did

8:20 Wait.... Is your User Account Control disabled???

I used to use CCleaner years and years ago. Slowly but surely it eventually turned to crap like so many utilities before it. Now I just use Bleachbit to remove temp files, broken registry keys, etc. That's if I run Windows at all. Lol.

I used to use Microsoft Windows meany years ago . A lot of its settings people should stay away from if you're not teach savvy .

He ain't lying, most of my windows 10 knowledge comes from here. I still use ctt's ps1 win10 debloat script.

0:30 what every pusher ever said

How can HardenTools disable Powershell? Isn't Windows now dependent on it to function properly? If you disable powershell.exe, how can you then install a legitimate program that needs it for the installation process? It would have been much better to provide the option to disable remote Powershell access.

regedit .. to solve stuff you wouldnt need to if this hadnt existed in the first place grou policy editor .. restrict stuff, forget about it and wonder later why users cant do certain stuff (and have a hard time solving it) After one mastered these they feel so tiresome to handle and nobody really gets why these exist in the first place. Only possibilities for failures (especially when you either migrate or upgrade)

Task scheduler is one of the 1st places I go on a fresh installs since WinXP

love this video. Question, what does chris means when he says internet suite? Internet Browers or anti malware software?

My whole network is protected with a fully configured and updated Barracuda. Those people told me, I'm ok, with security. But is that so? Btw, I love that upgraded toolbox. And I grew up with MS-DOS, now the powershell, it makes the workflow so much faster.