Switching My Zephyrus to Windows 11 Pro

When your backup laptop cannot afford to break, Linux is not the answer.

Four years ago, a fire in a nearby strip mall taught me a harsh lesson: my entire business lived on three Dell workstations. If something happened, I needed a backup plan. A laptop with all our data, ready to keep things running.

Since every other computer in the studio ran Linux, I grabbed an ASUS Zephyrus G15 and installed Linux on it. Fedora. Manjaro. Ubuntu 23.10. Eventually CachyOS became my daily driver: fast, responsive, tailored to the hardware.

But a backup laptop that breaks is worse than no backup at all.

The Update Problem

CachyOS was great until it was not. Monthly updates hit 5 GB or more. Every time I clicked update, I held my breath. What would break this time? If the backup laptop died on me, all those server logins and website files would go with it.

I tried Ubuntu 25.10 as a solution. Hardware worked flawlessly on first boot. Battery health charging extension worked. But apps took about two seconds to launch, which compared to my Mac Studio felt more like 10 seconds. Ubuntu's slowness was not a bug. It was the feature.

The Manjaro Disaster

Desperate, I installed Manjaro GNOME Minimal Edition. First boot took five minutes. Second boot: another five. Third reboot: it hung. I reinstalled without LUKS encryption. It still would not boot.

At that point, I was done with Linux on the Zephyrus.

The Switch

I reached for a Windows 11 Pro USB stick made with Rufus, no Microsoft account required. As expected, it installed normally.

Then I ran Chris Titus's Windows Utility to strip telemetry, disable unnecessary services, and lock updates to security patches only. Forty minutes later, I had a laptop that performed on par with CachyOS:

• Boot time: Slightly faster than Linux, around 10 seconds
• App speed: Firefox, VS Code, ComfyUI launched instantly
• Bluetooth: Stable connection to keyboard and mouse
• Virtualization: VirtualBox delivered full 3440x1440 on my ultrawide. GhostBSD VMs that maxed at 1280x720 on Linux now render at native resolution.

What a Long-Time Linux User Notices

I went in expecting to dislike Windows. Instead, I found an OS that understands productivity.

The minor frustrations exist: telemetry even after debloating, and middle-click paste is gone. But these are manageable. They do not stop me from doing my work.

Is Windows 11 Worth It for Linux Users?

For years I told myself Linux was "better" because it is open source. But better does not mean better for a business that depends on reliability.

Windows 11 Pro, once tamed, delivers what matters:

• Fast: Feels the same as macOS and GhostBSD
• Reliable: No uncertainty about broken updates
• Productive: VMs work, AI tools run smooth, backup laptop actually backs up

The Future

I have sold two of my three Dell workstations. No longer needed now that Windows and macOS handle everything. System administration is next to zero. Time spent troubleshooting: none.

Do I miss Linux? Sometimes, especially the flexibility of package managers. But less than I expected.

The best operating system is not the one with the coolest logo or the most open-source credibility. It is the one that keeps your business running. For the Zephyrus, that is Windows 11 Pro.