What should I know to make Linux Mint easier as a Windows user?

Timeshift is a useful tool on Mint for rolling back system changes if an update or configuration experiment causes trouble. Just remember that it is not a backup solution for your personal documents, photos, or other files. Keep separate backups for those. The Software Manager is fine for installing most applications, but learning a few basic apt commands later can be helpful. Give yourself a couple of weeks to adjust before deciding that everything feels worse simply because it works differently from Windows.

For the least hassle, start with the Software Manager and enable Flatpak support if you need apps that are not available as regular packages. You do not need to jump into the terminal immediately. Also, Linux is case-sensitive, so names like Downloads and downloads are treated as different paths. That detail comes up surprisingly often.

If the Cinnamon desktop is what feels strange, you can try a KDE Plasma-based distribution instead. KDE offers a layout and customization options that may feel more familiar to someone coming from Windows. That said, changing desktops or distributions is optional—Mint can work well once you spend some time learning its workflow rather than trying to make it behave exactly like Windows.

Try to approach Linux as a different operating system instead of adding layers to imitate Windows. The Software Manager should cover your everyday applications, and you can learn more advanced tools gradually. If you use Steam and its desktop shortcut refuses to launch, starting Steam from a terminal can sometimes work around a Mint-specific issue while you troubleshoot it.