There should be an option in the setting to choose the max file size for which to generate the thumbnails.

The BIOS should have a boot order option. You could set you USB as first priority there. Your USB may need to be plugged in to appear in this list.

Don’t you have an option to boot from usb in the BIOS?

Note that accessing the boot menus is not always with F12. Sometimes it’s also ESC, F1, F2 or DEL. You should try those.

I use Linux at work because Windows has too many “annoyances that will curb [my] productivity”. I can understand that it is not for everybody though.

2. MS word (yeah, I don’t like Libre and most of Libre Suit) it’s not as good as MS suite, of c, but it’s really bad.

Have you tried onlyoffice? Its interface is closer to ms office and an online version can even be self hosted and integrated with nextcloud or seefile.

It has apps for Linux and Android

https://www.onlyoffice.com/

Edit:

Here is the link to the standalone desktop app (not the online version): https://www.onlyoffice.com/desktop.aspx

And here is the link to the supported OSes for the desktop app (incl download links): https://www.onlyoffice.com/download-desktop.aspx

Finally, here is the link to the github repo of the desktop app: https://github.com/ONLYOFFICE/DesktopEditors