Most of the time I use Linux Mint at home, but my machine does have dual-boot into Windows XP in case I need it, and I have a Vista laptop from work.

What REALLY pees me off about Windows is actually nothing to do with Microsoft - it's the way that suppliers of utilities (e.g. Flash, Quick-whatever from Apple, and so on) sneakily insert their software onto your PC without you knowing, or install their software the way THEY want, not the way YOU'VE already installed it.

For example, today I found McAfee anti-virus on my system, telling me that it had just updated itself. I didn't install it, so it arrived on the back of something else - it has now been uninstalled! Another sneaky trick is the one that puts the Google search add-on onto IE and Firefox, unless you de-select a checkbox as you accept the update.

Today I updated Adobe Acrobat - and found an icon on the desktop - I keep my desktop clear of all clutter, so why can't they check my current setup and install/update to the same configuration?

<end rant>

Sorry - I've just come back from 3 weeks in Hong Kong & Australia and had dozens of updates dumped on my computer... I'm feeling a bit peeved!
I also had quite a few updates for Mint - and, surprise, surprise - everything continues to be set up as it was before the update.

I don't feel an overwhelming desire to change back from Linux to Windoze...

[Edited on 9/10/10 by David Jenkins]

I believe a version of Google toolbar installs McCrapee with it.

i know the feeling david, i was cursing the same problem earlier. Google earth got blocked for one reason or another, and ive got a bloody pop up constantly asking to change IE8 settings with no option to 'piss off and dont ask me again'. There was something else that ive forgotten now, but i was screwing that its basically something thats worked fine for ages and now i have to mess about learning stuff and googling to put it back how it was.

Quite tempting to disable updates altogether.

Yet another reason to use osx