You can turn the telemetry and Recall off in the Windows settings. The privacy & security tab has everything.

Copilot can be uninstalled with Revo uninstaller like everything else.

You can remove it. There is actually an “IoT Enterprise LTSC” edition that is fresh from the start, though it may not support the very latest hardware so install 11 Pro then use Revo uninstaller’s Windows apps tab to remove the junk.

I wouldn’t recommend it. Just install ExplorerPatcher to get the old UI back.

The amount of telemetry is essentially the same and most of it can be turned off in the settings.

If you’re using this laptop to do work, then Mint or Zorin can’t be beat. They have user-friendly interfaces, they have stable packages meaning updates are unlikely to break your OS, and you can still install new software through Flatpak and Snap.

Once installed, install Librewolf for web browsing, VLC for video playback, OnlyOffice for MS Office files, and any other software you need from the built-in software store. If you choose Mint then you need to turn on unverified Flatpaks in the software store for everything to appear.

Also, with the original 1 x 4 GB of RAM and mechanical hard drive, this laptop will be slow with a modern OS, so I recommend upgrading it to 8 GB RAM (2 x 4 GB is recommended for dual channel speed) and an SSD beforehand.

Use a VPN with a circumvention protocol like Stunnel. Windscribe has a ‘stealth’ mode using it.