i use windows because its the only os i know how to use. i want to get into things like torrenting because free stuff is cool but im afraid to. ive heard of tails os, a os that boots from a flash drive, is that worth checking out or should i stick with windows?
what is your advice? what should i do?
As another commenter suggested, you should probably use Linux Mint for that purpose, since Mint is far easier to use, plus Tails resets itself upon shutdown so you'd need an external drive for permanent storage.
If you absolutely must stay on Windows, there's a project called Atlas OS that tries to strip a Windows installation of its telemetry and bloat, however there are privacy concerns with that, like up until a little while ago it actually disabled Windows Defender by default
if i go with linux or linux mint do i need a vpn or something or am i good without one? sorry if im being paranoid.
Your worry is the OS (Microsoft) spying on you or you ISP? If is the first you are good with Linux, if is the second then you need a VPN.