I both love and hate Windows 10. The story of Microsoft’s new operating system – both the build -up, launch and indeed the following month, has been a mixed one to say the least. From the start, there was an undercurrent of mistrust between enthusiasts and journalists like myself and Microsoft, for the simple reason that so little information was being offered about various aspects of the OS. Forbes’ Anthony Leather examines where Microsoft went (and continues to go) wrong with Windows 10.
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Okay, maybe not ‘watching you’, but they are spying on you. Seems that Microsoft MSFT 429,03 +4,45 +1,05% was not content with just spying on Windows 10 users. They have pushed through some ‘Telemetry’ updates on Windows 7 and 8.1 which allow Windows to collect and send data back to Microsoft. Keep in mind if you have opted-out of previous ‘feedback/telemetry’ programs with Microsoft, these updates undo all that (including user privacy settings in the Windows hosts file). …(the updates) all add “customer experience and diagnostic telemetry” to Windows 7 and Windows 8. This is shorthand for monitoring how you use Windows…
Mozilla Future Releases has published the article Windows 10 and User Choice, which talks about some the changes that have occurred with Firefox as a result of Windows 10. Besides Windows 10 making Edge your default browser (unless you do a custom install), web searches using Cortana are done though Bing. The article goes on to explain how they have been able to workaround some these changes. But first, they talk about the UI change in regards to the search feature for the Windows 10 version of Firefox: User choice is a core principle with which we design our products….
This registry script works for Windows Vista and newer and adds a ‘Take ownership’ (Administrator) option to the context (right-click) menu in Windows (File) Explorer. Very useful for removing crap Microsoft has sneaked onto your computer such as the Get Windows 10 (aka GWX) propaganda as well as Windows 10 itself. You can run this script on files and/or folders which will give the Administrator ownership privileges to be able to delete said files and/or folders. Installation is simple, download and open the zip file then run the Take Ownership – Install.reg file. You will be presented with a couple prompts accept…
Okay, this is getting out-of-hand. All the Get Windows 10 propaganda (App in Windows 8.1, System Tray Icon and in Windows 10) that Microsoft MSFT 429,03 +4,45 +1,05% is bombarding Windows 7 and 8.1 users is bad enough. However, even if you declined the upgrade to Windows 10 and in some cases even if you removed the Windows 10 upgrade offer KB3035583, Windows 10 may already be on your computer…just waiting for you to (accidentally) install it. Yes, you read that right! Microsoft has taken it upon itself for those users in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 who are running Windows Updates…
Most people who were running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 before Windows 10 was released this past July who didn’t want it removed (and also hid) KB3035583 from their Windows Updates. But, what about people who bought a new Windows 8.1 computer or reinstalled Windows 7/8.1 AFTER Windows 10 was released? I ran into this scenario last week after a couple family members purchased new Windows 8.1 PCs (yes, you can still get Windows 8.1 PC’s) and the machines download and installed KB3035583. I thought this would be a simple fix, remove and hide KB3035583 and all would be well. As it turns…
People are still complaining about how Mozilla is removing support for NPAPI plugins (Silverlight and Java specifically) in the upcoming Windows 64-Bit release of Firefox (now tentatively scheduled for Firefox 42 in November) even though the move is not that unusual given the trend to move away from NPAPI plugins by other browsers. Microsoft’s Edge Browser (Windows 10 only) does not support Active X or any of the NPAPI plugins (Flash is integrated not a plugin). On Tuesday, September 1st Google released Chrome 45 which ended the browser’s support of NPAPI plugins as well. I found this out when I…
Note: I use the word ‘limit’ in lieu of ‘stop’ because Windows 10 Home users can not stop Security Updates, which there is really no reason as for the most part Security Updates have been trouble free. There are three different methods you can try, to stop Windows 10 from automatically installing updates (new drivers and software features). These updates have been particularly troublesome for ‘fast ring’ users and the patches to fix these broken updates have caused endless crashing loops. The method which use choose to use will depend if you are a Home, Pro or Enterprise user as well as the type…
Either Microsoft Microsoft Corporation 429,03 +4,45 +1,05% is going really too far with what they can do with your Windows 10 machine or else they were too lazy to modify the EULA and copied this section of the Windows 10 EULA straight from the XBox Live EULA” Section 7b reads: “We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the [Windows] Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorised hardware peripheral devices.” The forced updates are bad enough (especially when they are causing multiple crashing issues), but now…
Yep, you read that right. The update (KB 308148) pushed out on Friday, August 14th which was suppose to fix the botched update (KB 308146) is failing to install correctly and also resulting in an endless crash loop. Like the previous update there is no detailed explanation what this update does (besides causes crashing). According to Microsoft: “This update includes improvements to enhance the functionality of Windows 10.” So is Microsoft saying that crashing is now a functionality of Windows 10 and it has been enhanced with this latest update? via Forbes > Gordon Kelly