Advanced Plus Security Shadowra PC Config 2026/2027

[Shadowra]

Hello

My new setup for the past 3 months!

I switched to Linux because I got sick of Microsoft and their forced AI...
For gaming, I use ProtonGE and Nvidia GeForce Now

As for the router: I have a TP-Link GE230 Gaming router with Wi-Fi 7 capable of delivering 2.5 Gbps (but my fiber connection is currently at 1 Gbps—we’ll see if I switch back to 2 Gbps someday)

 

[Victor M]

we’ll see if I switch back to 2 Gbps someday

Only necessary if you add a wife and 2 more kids to the family.

 

[AlbinoSnoGoat]

Beautiful setup!

I have been running different Distros and testing a few extensively for the past year (on the side here and there for more than 30 years). MS has become such a nuisance!

From my experiences I can say that, I personally, have been using Fedora (GNOME), CachyOS (KDE), <--- My personal favorites, also MX Linux (KDE) - top tier for stability and community... Other mentions Ubuntu 26.04 LTS -eh I hate SNAP, and it needs to bake until the August point update. 24.04 great with great stability and 26.04 just isn't there yet. And several other Distros over the past many years (although I have never tried Nobara)...

I don't really feed into the politics of Linux as I feel different use cases and scenarios can always have different and better tools in some way. I however am not a fan of the SNAP push and some of the direction Ubuntu is going.

I have several different Laptops/Desktops from 3rd gen Intels to Ryzen 9's and Fedora IMHO has been the best overall experience... For my ROG Strix I prefer Cachy (which is also great on anything I have put it on) Im just a bigger user of Gnomes work flow etc.

My next Distro I am about to jump into is OpenSuSe Tumbleweed (GNOME)... I have high hopes!

Shadowra thank you for being one of the best contributors on here for a few years now... I dont't participate as much as I would like in commenting etc. But I always stay updated with your posts and security testing. <3

I still have Windows 10 on my STRIX because of a couple of FPS kernel level anti-cheat games that I refuse to give up.

 

[Divine_Barakah]

I can see that you conduct your tests on Windows LTSC that you customised and blocked telemetry. LTSC is stripped of many of the consumer bloat and processes that malware hooks into or exploits. This highly customised environment does not reflect what most users use.

 

[Kongo]

I can see that you conduct your tests on Windows LTSC that you customised and blocked telemetry. LTSC is stripped of many of the consumer bloat and processes that malware hooks into or exploits. This highly customised environment does not reflect what most users use.

Bro, are you having a bad day or something? I think you already pointed out multiple times that you are not a fan of his testing procedures. We get it.

 

[Shadowra]

I can see that you conduct your tests on Windows LTSC that you customised and blocked telemetry. LTSC is stripped of many of the consumer bloat and processes that malware hooks into or exploits. This highly customised environment does not reflect what most users use.

Everything works except for the telemetry.
Malware tends to latch onto processes and other junk; I did everything I could to make sure everything runs smoothly (that's why I wrote "Custom").

(Because we don't want Candy Crush on a VM.)

 

[Divine_Barakah]

Bro, are you having a bad day or something? I think you already pointed out multiple times that you are not a fan of his testing procedures. We get it.

I appreciate the concern, but on the contrary my day is going perfectly well except for fighting to make Panda work on my system

My reply has nothing to do with personal preferences or being a "fan" of anyone's content. I pointed out some structural realities and if doing so comes across as personal, that is certainly not the intention.

I did not know that the system used to conduct the test is running a heavily customised LTSC version until I saw this config and I pointed that out.

 

[Divine_Barakah]

Everything works except for the telemetry.
Malware tends to latch onto processes and other junk; I did everything I could to make sure everything runs smoothly (that's why I wrote "Custom").

(Because we don't want Candy Crush on a VM.)

What did you mean by "two snapshots one with MD and one without it" if I may ask?

And I believe you do know how LTSC version of Windows is different than that of consumer Windows Home/Pro

 

[Shadowra]

What did you mean by "two snapshots one with MD and one without it" if I may ask?

1st snapshot: Microsoft Defender is present and functional, with firewall, quarantine, SAC, and more

2nd snapshot: Only the firewall, UAC, AMSI, and quarantine are present. The Microsoft Defender engine is not in use (rule configured with DefenderControl)

And I believe you do know how LTSC version of Windows is different than that of consumer Windows Home/Pro

That's why I mentioned that it's custom
The base is an LTSC; I’ve added some things and removed others (for example, all telemetry features are disabled, and I’ve also removed a few features I didn’t need).
It’s pretty close to a Home edition, minus all the useless stuff from Microsoft (that’s why I don’t install a stock LTSC—I modify it).

 

[Divine_Barakah]

View attachment 298752

1st snapshot: Microsoft Defender is present and functional, with firewall, quarantine, SAC, and more

2nd snapshot: Only the firewall, UAC, AMSI, and quarantine are present. The Microsoft Defender engine is not in use (rule configured with DefenderControl)



That's why I mentioned that it's custom
The base is an LTSC; I’ve added some things and removed others (for example, all telemetry features are disabled, and I’ve also removed a few features I didn’t need).
It’s pretty close to a Home edition, minus all the useless stuff from Microsoft (that’s why I don’t install a stock LTSC—I modify it).

Thanks for the clarification. I believe it is unnecessary to use Defender Control to disable MD. When you install a 3rd party security app, it disables MD. That's a much safer approach.

Regarding LTSC,

Important Note: Microsoft explicitly discourages using Windows LTSC for general-purpose computing, standard office workstations, or personal gaming devices.

Windows LTSC: Is It Actually Better? The Ultimate 2026 Guide

Looking for the truth about Windows LTSC? Discover if this specialized edition is actually better than standard Windows in our ultimate 2026 guide

druino.co.uk

 

[Parkinsond]

Thanks for the clarification. I believe it is unnecessary to use Defender Control to disable MD. When you install a 3rd party security app, it disables MD. That's a much safer approach.

Regarding LTSC,

Windows LTSC: Is It Actually Better? The Ultimate 2026 Guide

Looking for the truth about Windows LTSC? Discover if this specialized edition is actually better than standard Windows in our ultimate 2026 guide

druino.co.uk

Advantages
Extreme Stability: No sudden feature changes that could break legacy software or custom configurations.
No Bloatware: Clean, lightweight installation out of the box with no unnecessary consumer apps.
Predictable Maintenance: No need to constantly test and deploy large annual feature updates.
Consistent UX: The user interface remains exactly the same throughout its lifecycle.

Extreme Stability: Agree; I have encountered explorer freezes when trying W11 Pro days ago; never happened with LTSC.
No Bloatware: Not that much, you can uninstall more than 70% of the bloat in Pro.
Predictable Maintenance: Agree.
Consistent UX: Not much; I have my start menu changed.

The article did not mention:
1- Less installation size on disk
2- Less RAM usage on start up

Regarding CPU usage, it is the same.

And the main advantage is getting security updates until 2034 if your are not going to use som latest versions of apps which may refues to run on 24H2.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Beautiful setup