Whatever next?...


After injecting pop-up ads for Bing into Windows, Microsoft now bends to Europe on links
wrote:

Clicking a URL from a system service will actually open in your chosen browser. For some...

Microsoft has released a Windows 11 preview build that will open links generated by Windows system components in the user's default browser – but only for those in the European Union and a few other countries...

... And for everyone else...

Windows users outside the EU do have an option to change the behavior of their operating system, through an open source tool called MSEdgeRedirect. The software bypasses the microsoft-edge: handler and reroutes URLs to the default browser. Microsoft in 2021 made changes to Windows 11 that prevented the older EdgeDeflector tool from altering its link handling.

Despite this show of compliance, Microsoft hasn't abandoned controversial use of its operating system for marketing.

It's not malware, it's, er, a feature?

As noted over the past few months by Windows users on Reddit, Microsoft has been running a Windows component called BGAUpsell.exe that has been injecting pop-up ads into the Windows 11 interface...

All in yer face to get right up yer nose?!

Who in all insanity would put up with that???


IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

All in yer face to get right up yer nose?!

Who in all insanity would put up with that???

Hi Martin,

Not me! Recently, I have gone back into STO to play in the Star Trek world once a week. That is my limit to using Winders 11. Linux Mint for everything else...

Have a great day! :-)

Siran

---

CAPT Siran d'Vel'nahr - L L & P _\\//
Winders 11 OS? "What a piece of junk!" - L. Skywalker
"Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide." - T'Plana-hath

Hey M$, WTF are you uo to?
Do your damn updates BUT leave my settings alone.
I don't want to "continue" to set up my laptop.
Also, I don't want your crappy "free" trial of Office 365
or
Your update to increase your one drive storage. I don't use it.

Another Micro$haft blunder... Was it "accidentally on purpose?"
Microsoft investigating sudden Windows activation issues in upgraded PCs
Windows 10 and Windows 11 computers with a legal license key are suddenly deactivated.

The issue affects computers on which users have upgraded from Windows 7 or Windows 8 to the newer Windows versions free of charge. If you’ve subsequently replaced essential hardware components (such as the motherboard) on these computers, Microsoft may now suddenly deactivate its Windows 10 or Windows 11 license.

Hi Doc,

Uh, yeah, happened to me a while back. Motherboard died and the RAM too, upgraded to new mobo, CPU and RAM and now Winders 11 is no longer activated.

Not too much of a big deal anyway; I mainly use Linux Mint. Windows is only if and when I play an online game which is not very often.

Have a great day!

Siran

---

CAPT Siran d'Vel'nahr - L L & P _\\//
Winders 11 OS? "What a piece of junk!" - L. Skywalker
"Logic is the cement of our civilization with which we ascend from chaos using reason as our guide." - T'Plana-hath

An ongoing example of further 'whimsical bloat' bits of Windows?...


No Bing, no Edge, no upselling: De-crufted Windows 11 coming to Europe soon
wrote:

Some changes will arrive for non-EU users, too, but not the easy removals

Using Windows these days means putting up with many, many pitches to use and purchase other Microsoft products. Some are subtle, like the built-in Edge browser suggesting you use its "recommended settings" after each major update. Some are not so subtle, like testing a "quiz" that made some users explain why they're trying to quit the OneDrive app.

Those living in the European Economic Area (EEA)—which includes the EU and adds Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway—will soon get the volume turned down on their Windows 11 systems. To meet the demands of the European Commission's Digital Markets Act—slated to be enforced in March 2024—Microsoft must make its apps easier to uninstall, its default settings easier to change, and its attempts at steering people toward its services easier to avoid...

Oh what a merry game?...

IT is what we buy into...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

[quote]An ongoing example of further 'whimsical bloat' bits of Windows?...
No Bing, no Edge, no upselling: De-crufted Windows 11 coming to Europe soon
wrote:

Some changes will arrive for non-EU users, too, but not the easy removals.[

But will they cut out all or most of telemetry spyware out that phones home more often than E.T. did in the movie.

Somehow not heard of Windows 11?...

Microsoft Revives Aggressive Windows 11 Upgrade Campaign With Intrusive Popups
wrote:

Most people know that Microsoft really wants everyone to move onto Windows 11. But just in case there are some Windows 10 users still unaware of this fact, the company is once again nagging them to upgrade with full-screen, multi-slide popups...

Really!???

Whatever next?...


IT is what we allow it to be...
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

... once again nagging them to upgrade with full-screen, multi-slide popups...

1) Micro$haft obviously didn't learn from when users blocked the pop-ups in Windows 7 & 8.x with a simple registery hack or a 3rd party executable that accomplished same.

2) Don't see anything about if they will nag users with incompatible hardware.

After nearly 40 years of Windows, I now hate M$ with a vengeance.
I don't know what update caused the issue but could not click on computer or documents or any other icon as it opened up a web page - support microsoft & continiued to open further tabs,
Hitting red X failed every time & click on icon in the tasking then clicking close windows also failed.
Did a restore but keeping files etc.
Bad mistake, on resetting, issue continued so used recovery.
Worked for half a day before the issue returned.
Now resetting but removing all files.
Should that fail, then it's a case of factory reset next.

I hate looking at small screens like a smartphone for net access etc, much prefer a larger screen.
Thankfully, I got my Ryzen build done (Linux Mint)
Got say ( & I hate doing so), thanks to Linux as it resolved several issues with accessing online accounts.
Laptop & Win 7 rig held them all.

Can't wait to get Win 11 pro on the Ryzen (Will use F12 for boot options).

Windows 11.xxx something. Windows will be using the The near future update uses sse4 cpu the instructions set as a way of banning older cpu usage.
And the big elephant in the next version windows 12. You don’t own it. It is going to a subscription based usage. I consider this akin to vaporware. Don’t pay can’t use.

---

My laptop has Windows 11 on it. There are some things that they have improved significantly- such as the wireless and battery usage sections.
Then there are those that just downright p!$$ me off & no amount of searching has come up with a registry hack that will fix the mess. Why oh why is the clock/calendar tied together with the notification centre?????? And networking, sound, battery- WTF are they tied together??????? And then on the clock/calendar is this focus crap. I can't remove it or disable it or anything. I certainly don't need it (hell, i can't see why anyone would need it- and if anyone did actually need it, then they'd never use it), so it should be possible to get rid of it (or at least hide it).

And then the start area- it's back to Win8 again. Once again, there are no registry hacks that make it possible to clean up that mess & take it back to the previous Win8.1/10 layout. You can click on the All apps button to get it back to that older layout, but it's back to the default rubbish when you re-open that window. That huge, massively oversized window full of useless rubbish, and not the so much more usefull All apps layout.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

I have a few old rigs here that I can boot back into Win7 with, once I dust the cobwebs out of them, but everything here now runs Linux Mint to avoid all that later M$ B.S. and it suits me down to the ground these days for what I do.

Cheers.

Gee. I wonder why I’m still using 7 for? Lol.

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Win10 is excellent, you can set it up the way you want it. And it is more stable than XP/2k, Vista/7 were.
And Win11 does have plenty of improvements, but where they screwed it up- they really screwed it up big time.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

The problem with Win 10 is that 22H2 is the final version & will reach EOL on 14/10/25.

Okay, to start off, a nice free chuckle for the rest of the week.
Mark me down is the idiot of the week.
I forgot the KISS principle big time.
Spending a short time adding in a few expansion cards as well as a new optical drive (purcased along with all the components for the new build).
After reattaching the side panels booted up.
No joy, so disconnected & checked to see if I dislodge the power cables on the M/B.
Nope, only figured it out after an hour so so.
I forgot to switch it on from the PSU before booting. Doh!

Anyway, back to Win 11.
After use of a week in Linux switched to win to install & run Boinc as well as install device drivers, programs etc, the optical stopped working, powers up okay but would not read any disk.
Recognised in Bios no problem, so maybe thought the laser disk reader gave up the ghost. Happened a few times in the past the with amount of use I give them.
To play safe, booted into Linux. Same issue so though laser gone.
1 issue experienced with the Ryzen M/B is the fan headers - they're all 4 pin.
The Win 7 board also had 4 pin cheaders but worked round that by running the fans from a molex with fan connectors, worked well in the past from XP onwards, until now.
That option not working so purcased a pack of 4 pin fans.

So had a lot to add this evening.
Fans running great, Sata & usb 3 expansion cards also recognised & in use.
Sadly the new Blu-ray is not. Totally new & unusued yet even recognised in bios & both O/S not reading any disk.
My portable usb DVD RW purchased along with laptop last year, works perfectly in both O/S.

Major Wins 10/11 issue all external drives in enclosures keeps coming up with drive needs formatting, yet they are all seen by Linux.
WTH?
Can understand it happening to 1 drive but all 12?
It also happened to the 3 HD's pulled from Win 7 rig & added to this rig. Disconnected all 3 to prevent mishaps, too much media & data on them.

Sorry for my long post. There is 1 remaining issue with Linux & if I can get that resolved, it's bye bye Microsoft. I've even begun to get used to Open Office as my legitmate copy of Office 2010 will not install on Win 10/11.

... There is 1 remaining issue with Linux & if I can get that resolved, it's bye bye Microsoft. I've even begun to get used to Open Office as my legitmate copy of Office 2010 will not install on Win 10/11.

Rather than Open Office, try the more recent and updated Libre Office?

And you have 12+ drives in there?...

With that many, you might be hitting problems with HDD startup surge current or even with the BIOS running out of resource space to enunciate all the drives to the OS...

For example, for one of my systems here, I have a large number of drives spread over the motherboard SATA and also connected via an external enclosure. I must have the motherboard IDE disabled, AND leave at least one SATA unused, so that the system can boot whilst the enclosure is connected (with the gazillion additional drives in there).

Another 'fun' bit is that I've also had problems with SATA cables being too long (or too poor) to operate reliably...


Hope that gives some clues to try?

Good luck!

Happy crunchin'!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Thanks Martin.
1st, let's get the Linux issue out of the way.
It's the desktp users guide that keeps hijacking the browser. Have to keep an app (like Boinc opened & minimised) or Firefox minimised then click on the guide to close it.
The moment I close down the other app/s it crops up again.
I found what was causing the issue in Windows. It was Brother's SoftwareUpdate NotificationService.
With Win 7 it was easy, just use control panel unistall program (it appeared in the list) It doesn't appear in the list with later versions of Windows.
However, it does show up in task manger under processes.
4 files, 3 easily deleted the 4th the actual .exe file would not allow deleting, but it did allow renaming so called it crp. Worked a charm.

Now for the drives. Understood, however bios sees them all as does Windows, but each time trying to access get told they need formattiing.
Huh, they've worked find in Win 7 as well as previous enclosures used under XP.
As for power, all have their own power supply.
Linux does see them but no spare drives to copy the files to.
Not really bothered about those as they only music/TV shows & Films. All available on disks.
It's the drives pulled from Win 7 rig, labelled Data, Personal. backups 1~2.
Added internal to new rig, same formatting issue.

As for sata cables understood that as well, not an issue for me as have many cables & in fact tried several with no change.

Thanks again Martin.
Downloaded LibraOffice for Windows.
Love the immediate appearance.
Just 1 niggling issue but it doesn't really matter.
The final cell of 5 columns, 10 rows shows the the last cell larger than all the rest even though the typeface & font are all the same.

Now for Windows 10/11 users, remember the early days of Win 7 & the EU forcing M$ to give users the option to choose browsers?
Well the EU has done it again.
Forced M$ to give users the option to remove Edge.
M$ stated that they will finally acieve this for all the EU by March 6 2024.
Sadly, the UK is no longer part of the EU.
However, a Brit on youtube provided a tweak.
Add one registry key & change another & it seemed to have worked for him.
Did download the video but lost some weeks ago when I completely rset this week due to multiple issues.
Will search for it.
One of the keys changed geolocation for the UK (242) to 94 (Germany I believe}.