Microsoft has become a virus

[john70t]

This is not the operating system I originally paid for.

Today's Windows 10 update installed Edge again.
(This was supposedly uninstalled many times before until 'uninstall errors' occurred.)
There is no way to uninstall it.

Edge and Internet Explorer saves data even when not being used.
This is the very definition of spyware virus.

It also includes a taskbar pop-up which force-feeds me political "news".
That is not the definition of an operating system to make hardware work.

The only roll-back option is to reinstall everything from scratch.

Damn I'm pissed.
WTF just happened?

[oldE]

I haven't used Windows in years.
You could try Linux. Check out the Distrowatch site https://distrowatch.com/

They review all kinds of open source operating systems.

Disclosure: My son edits the site.

Best
Les

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by john70t

This is not the operating system I originally paid for.

Today's Windows 10 update installed Edge again.
(This was supposedly uninstalled many times before until 'uninstall errors' occurred.)
There is no way to uninstall it.

Edge and Internet Explorer saves data even when not being used.
This is the very definition of spyware virus.

It also includes a taskbar pop-up which force-feeds me political "news".
That is not the definition of an operating system to make hardware work.

The only roll-back option is to reinstall everything from scratch.

Damn I'm pissed.
WTF just happened?

I must agree.

[Tervuren]

I had to look up how to turn that "news" off.
I feel sorry for the people that get exposed to the kind of trash it was showing.
That wasn't real news.

[aap1966]

Originally Posted by john70t

This is not the operating system I originally paid for.

Today's Windows 10 update installed Edge again.
(This was supposedly uninstalled many times before until 'uninstall errors' occurred.)
There is no way to uninstall it.

Edge and Internet Explorer saves data even when not being used.
This is the very definition of spyware virus.

It also includes a taskbar pop-up which force-feeds me political "news".
That is not the definition of an operating system to make hardware work.

The only roll-back option is to reinstall everything from scratch.

Damn I'm pissed.
WTF just happened?

[NoRush993/951]

I recently switched over to Apple from Windows and regret not doing it sooner.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I'm in the market for a new computer.
What is involved with getting linux? Pros/Cons?
Can you just get something with it preinstalled? The biggest program I'd run is just photoshop.

I'm not a Windows fan for the same reasons. I'm not really an apple person either, but am open to anything at this point.

[sc_rufctr]

I've been using Linux for years.
- I doubt I'll ever use a Microsoft product for anything at home.

Microsoft is just too big. Something could have been done 20 years ago but not now.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

I'm in the market for a new computer.
What is involved with getting linux? Pros/Cons?
Can you just get something with it preinstalled? The biggest program I'd run is just photoshop.

I'm not a Windows fan for the same reasons. I'm not really an apple person either, but am open to anything at this point.

Linux is easy but it's not a step by step procedure like Windows.

And you can run Photoshop on Linux but I haven't done it.

Here's a good place to start: https://www.linuxmint.com

[berettafan]

OP i'm with you. Spent quite some time trying to figure out how to get that garbage off my computer the other day. Mother****ers.

[masraum]

I've always experimented with alternative operating systems. Over 20 years ago, when I was running Win 95, I got a copy of Win NT 4.0 and ran that. I think I eventually went to Win 98 and then had dual boot Windows and various flavors of Linux. I eventually dropped the linux and stuck with Windows. (Linux wasn't ready for prime time back then) I was happy with Windows and would defend M$ and Windows to folks. I've never liked IE and always used Firefox (from before it was Firefox when it was Netscape).

My last Win PC was running Windows 7 and it ran great (for 11 years, and is still running, I wiped it and gave it to my son). I'd go weeks and sometimes months without rebooting. I didn't let it auto-install updates. I didn't run any virus or malware protection except for the free Microsoft stuff.

When Win 8 and then eventually Win 10 came out, I did not upgrade, no interest. My wife got a Macbook Air. After tinkering with that for a couple of weeks before I gave it to her, I decided that my next PC would be a Mac.

A year ago, I got a 27" iMac, and couldn't be happier.

Windows was getting worse and worse with the spyware and tracking crap and the browser integration.

[id10t]

I work in education for IT stuff, so I have access to all the various versions of Windows, including the -N european versions that don't have the Movies, Music, etc. installed.

Mac isn't much better with their walled garden philosophy, and they are intentionally disabling features in the new OS X when run on x86 hardware and not the new Mx chips, even though the x86 hardware can do the task w/o issue.

I still only run Linux on my personal stuff, and have since 1999. Up until 3 years ago, I was Linux only at work as well, and am about to move back to Linux only again.

For those wanting to try Linux on the desktop/laptop, I would recommend downloading Mint (www.linuxmint.com), I like the MATE desktop version. Mint is basically Ubuntu with slightly different default install options and a much nicer default desktop set up ( the GUI isn't part of the OS in Linux - it is just another application....). You can run it entirely from a DVD so boot to it and make sure your hardware all works (some wireless cards can be problematic still), and if you choose to install it if it detects Windows on your computer it will offer to set up a dual boot system automatically for you.

[GH85Carrera]

I use several programs that REQUIRE Win 10 Pro.

Edge is always there, but unused. I just looked in task manager and since the last month Edge has run for 1 second total and used 0 data on the network.

I use Firefox for my browser. The only time I use Edge is for some sites to download files. Firefox wants to protect me from downloading from some government sites or sometimes my own One Drive folder. It is really annoying when I can't download a file my business partner put in our company One Drive account. Edge always lest me download it since it is all Microsoft.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by id10t

Mac is intentionally disabling features in the new OS X when run on x86 hardware and not the new Mx chips, even though the x86 hardware can do the task w/o issue.

What features?

Some of the security that doesn't allow deep access is a pain, but in the grand scheme of things, it's something that I can live with. Mac isn't perfect, but it's, for me at least, better than Windows has gotten to be.

[JackDidley]

Another linux guy here. About 10 years now. There are many distributions out there . I like trying new ones so its entertainment for me. I can do an install in about 5 minutes. Try that with Windows. Currently on a Puppy kick. Fast and easy to use . Only problem is sometimes it is difficult to get my printer working.

[David]

I tried deleting Edge too with no luck

[Scott Douglas]

My MS Win 10 has tried to update now for a couple of months. I don't let it update the 'features' so that has kept it wanting to do it again, and again, and again...maybe some day it'll learn it isn't going to happen and it'll quit.

[john70t]

I do a lot of gaming (Steam FPS, flight sim, jigsaw and sudoku mostly) and invested a lot of time and money into that gaming computer.
Gaming on it only. Nothing personal. It's a neutral box. That's what makes the political advert pop-ups on the desktop feel so especially invasive.

The gaming box was actually originally intended to run MSFS2020 flight sim.
That was my dream game which I'd been lusting after a long time.
Microsoft ruined that dream.

I'd been using the 32-bit FSX for a long time and purchased probably a thousand bucks or so in photoscenery addons and software upgrades. You can't find everything in one place on the net and just stick it together. Every product is different and most are lacking in some way. For instance every island for the Caribbean is sold by a different supplier and some like Guadeloupe are sold as part of a separate package. Many areas can only be found in gracious freeware. Piece by piece I spent so many hours downloading and sorting files in correct order and tweeking just right. There is no drag-n-drop and auto fix there. It requires moving hundred of lines one manual click at a time. I collected the north half of Africa, flowing through almost all the middle east including Iran (no Turkey or SA), all of Europe, all of North America including the Caribbean and almost all of South America. I could finally fly most of the world with photoscenery underneath it all.

I wanted more. I bought the deluxe version of MSFS2020 one night.

A lot of crucial info was deceptively missing from the website.
Microsoft advertises "You own the game".
But how do you "own the game" when it requires internet connection to use the software each time?

There was an error code "no applicable device found" or something when trying to start the product.
I tried to return it unused within 24 hours..as advertised.
They required a manual customer service 'review' before a refund could be issued.
They could not 'find' my purchase order number. It was also not listed anywhere in my X-box or MS-Store account history.
Emailed back and forth many times with an idiot rep who played dumb.
They would not return my money.
Good thing I had saved a screenshot of the purchase. That was the only thing besides small claims.

TLDR:
Microsoft turned the most-desired software purchase into a nightmare.
Then they played stupid low-class tricks.
They lost my consumer trust, and my future business.

[Brando]

I was on Pop_OS! for about a year but seeing as the video drivers are a few versions behind, I kept having issues on a top-tier nVidia card. Getting every game to function was a hassle if there wasn't a specific Proton library for it.

I'll stick with Win 10 for now but used extensive scripting in PowerShell to obliterate a lot of the bloat/malware. I suggest you do the same.

The biggest problem with Windows is that every application you install and run has your level of permissions. Admin user? Whole system is vulnerable. Every application wants to install its "service" that runs at login, always in the background. MS is literally Malware nowadays.

[rusnak]

Why does Win 10 keep logging me in as a new User? I can't even use my licensed software and I have to keep logging in as a new user on all of the websites that use passwords, Office, Adobe, etc etc. It was fine until around April or so.