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Windows 10 - Deeper Impressions


xper

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Has Windows 10 reset your default apps back to Microsoft stock?

 

Since I updated Windows to the new OS I’ve found myself having to change the default apps back to my preferred choice on more than one occasion. Microsoft Edge in particular was a pain, once refusing point blank to relinquish the default web browser spot even though I had changed it in both Settings and Control Panel, and no one in their right minds would opt to use that half-baked browser as the default when there’s the infinitely superior Chrome and Firefox available.

 

Edge also desperately wanted to be the default PDF viewer, despite my having an actual PDF viewer installed, and sneakily reclaimed that spot too.

 

 

Isn't there some B.S. language somewhere during Win10 Setup about "personalize your PC," "make it yours" and so on?

 

Yeah, right.

 

--JorgeA

 

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Not new news.  We saw a reversion of a great many things - including privacy settings - with the 10586 in-place upgrade.

 

I've been doing detailed testing on in-place upgrades with build 14267 on top of 10586.

  • All the removed Apps come back.
  • All the disabled or deleted scheduled tasks come back.
  • All the disabled services get re-enabled.
  • Telemetry settings get turned back on (which may be expected, since 14267 IS an insider build).
  • Many registry settings get overwritten, such as tweaks to the desktop environment.

Microsoft quite clearly is sending the message "You will NOT have it your way; you will have it OUR way and you will like it!"

 

It is why I'm developing a re-tweaker script to help me get my system back to the way I want it quickly after these upgrade cluster jobs.  Though I do write comments in my scripts, it currently has 1437 lines in it!  It's not trivial!!

 

-Noel

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Not new news.  We saw a reversion of a great many things - including privacy settings - with the 10586 in-place upgrade.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Betanews blogger seemed to be implying that his defaults were getting changed even outside of an upgrade scenario, "just because" as it were.

 

That would make things even worse!

 

BTW, keep up the great work with the re-tweaker. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

--JorgeA

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Since Windows 8 emerged if feels like were taking a few steps back to older versions of Windows (3.1 and before) in terms of interface and rationalization lol. yes I said rationalization!

 

For sure a step back on the interface part. I'm not sure I understand the rationalization part? :unsure:

 

--JorgeA

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Today, I had some more personal experience with Windows 10, and I don't even know how to put in words how horrible this operating system is. A friend of mine tried to install a free trial of office 365 in his MS Account enabled Windows 10 installation (upgraded from Windows 8.1 w/ MS Acct) There was an issue with the installation, so MS telephone support instructed him to use system restore. Apparently, in doing so, his MS Acct password was corrupted, so he couldn't log into his account. So he calls me and I come over with my "NT Password Reset" CD that I use to get into locked accounts, and has worked all the way through Win8. I boot from the CD and it refuses to mount the NTFS volume because it thought it was hibernated. (most likely the fast boot) While working on that, I had another PC, so I Googled how to get to the WinPE command prompt, as with a UEFI box F8 doesn't work well. (I have gotten Win10 into WinPE on BIOS computers before though) After a little bit of searching, I found out that you can get into the advanced boot menu by SHIFT-clicking on Restart on the login screen. So I eventually get to the elevated command prompt... but the keyboard doesn't work. I tried numerous times, and got the same result. By this point, I was getting really p***ed off, so I decided to try the NT Password Reset CD again, and this time it mounted. I go in, clear the password for the MS account, enable the built-in Admin account for good measure, and reboot. Naturally, the MS Acct PW wasn't cleared, but at least I had the Admin account to log into. I log into the Admin account and reset the MS account password online (what the login prompts told us to do) and tried logging in with the new PW, but this time the error was that the PC was offline and we had to use the last good password. (NOTE: The PC WAS online, I had Firefox open with a webpage loaded in the Admin account) I was getting tired of this, and started backing up all of his files for a reformat. While the files were copying, I needed to use the Calculator for something, so I run calc.exe from the Run dialog, and what do I get? "The Calculator can not be started from the built-in administrator account, try logging in as a different user" (I ended up copying calc.exe from the WinXP box sitting next to this one) This is when I decided to just go home and get my Windows 7 DVD and install that instead. I think I spent 6 hours fixing an issue that wouldn't exist in Windows 7.

 

    I share your frustration, but most of it could have been avoided if you used a better, all Microsoft way of getting back into your computer instead of using the Linux disc.

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Betanews blogger seemed to be implying that his defaults were getting changed even outside of an upgrade scenario, "just because" as it were.

 

That would make things even worse!

 

That's entirely possible, and yes, I agree - worse. 

 

However, what other people do with random keystrokes and mouse clicks on their computers is anyone's guess.  It's difficult to take too seriously an "I don't know how or when this happened" kind of report.

 

Did a prompt pop up after an application installation by that user stating "you have new applications that can open web pages" and the user, who was typing an eMail, just blindly hit return?  Who knows?

 

I know *I* would make careful note of whatever had been done on the system between the time I saw expected behavior and changed behavior.  I would know if updates had been installed, the system had been rebooted, something unexpected popped-up on the screen.  And I know I don't have malware.  But then details matter to me more than some.

 

There's a reason I expunge all the Apps from my system and disable many of the jobs that seek to manage Apps.  I have yet to see *my* Win 10 test systems spontaneously change anything except during an in-place upgrade. 

 

Not surprisingly, the fewer mysterious jobs you allow to run, the less mystery there is.  It is just a Windows system after all under the covers.  Hack away the tangle of vines holding up all the garbage Microsoft has hung all over it and amazingly it starts to behave well.

 

All that being said...

 

I don't think people should have to resort to coding and buying 3rd party firewall software to protect themselves from the whims of the company that provided their operating system!

 

It's just all wrong.  We don't need a free OS for the masses.  We need a MORE EXPENSIVE operating system software from a company that cares MORE about what we need, and is willing to put in the WORK to provide it.

 

-Noel

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For sure a step back on the interface part. I'm not sure I understand the rationalization part? :unsure:

--JorgeA

 

originally I was going to use the word personalization, however, spell check had a better word. As for the word rationalization I am questioning Microsoft's decision making ability.  :angel

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Windows 10 Users Start Seeing Full-Screen Ads As Screen Savers

 

Just because you don’t have to lay out money for software, that doesn’t necessarily make it “free.” In the last few days, users of Windows 10 have noticed full-screen ads on their lock screen if they happen to be using “Windows Spotlight” to put pretty pictures there. Fortunately, you can banish the ads from your screen, without even having to pay.

 

Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 even more aggressively on the users of the positively ancient Windows 7 and 8, and there’s plenty to like about the upgrade, or so we hear. Some people find the prospect of lock screen ads irritating and intrusive, though: if you’re one of them, the “feature” is pretty easy to turn off.

 

There’s no setting in Windows 10 that says “hey, quit showing me ads.” It’s more subtle than that, of course. According to The How-To Geek, what you need to do is find the “Settings” menu, click on “Personalization,” and then find the section where you personalize your lock screen.

 

Well, I doubt this surprises anyone here, but I'll share it anyway.

 

This operating system disgusts me so much, I don't even know what to say anymore.

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Because they're not knowledgeable enough to know any better. You could take literally every techie in the world and even those that aren't techies, but have at least basic Windows computer knowledge, and they'd still be in the minority.

Edited by ptd163
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I was more directed toward techies and nerdies who investigate, patch, and do all kinda stuff to disable that monster

hence "why bother"

 

with their release cycles that "OS" will never be finished

too many undocumented garbage init

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I was more directed toward techies and nerdies who investigate, patch, and do all kinda stuff to disable that monster

hence "why bother"

And from the outside, this could even be counterproductive. :w00t::ph34r:

The more people provide ways (like ClassicShell, Aeroglass, various tweaks, service disabling, etc.) that allow people to make their Windows 10 if not good at least bearable, the less the good MS guys will have a reason to do something to better it.

I mean, let us assume that out of 100 Windows 10 users:

1 actually - and in good faith - likes it

9 are MS fanboys and will like whatever the MS good guys release

5 know enough to tweak it into a bearable (almost) experience and they actually tweak it

13 know enough to tweak it into a bearable (almost) experience but they cannot actually tweak it (corporate policies and what not)

25 don't know enough to experiment and make tweaks by themselves but can use the already made programs or follow the available instructions

20 don't bother to tweak it

27 do understand how bad the abomination is and hate it but are not expert enough to tweak it or to use another OS (for whatever reason)

MS could legitimately say that 1+9+5+13+25+20=73 people out of 100 are using the OS in a satisfactorily manner.

Without the nice tools and tweaks, that amount would be at least 25 less.

jaclaz

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So what?  As long as a different Microsoft operating system remains in use Microsoft still wins.  If they don't get you today, they'll get you next month, or next year.  Such is the dynamic.

 

I find it better to know the enemy and to be able to infiltrate than to run and hide and be ignorant.  And it's not like I'm sending them any money or data with which they can make money.

 

How many folks ended up with a bone stock Windows 8 or 7 or Vista or XP?  It really only matters what it can be molded into, not what it is.  If I weren't doing it, I wouldn't have the hands-down, no-holds-barred, best OS I've ever run on my desktop right now.  It just doesn't happen to be based on Win 10.  Yet.

 

Jaclaz your logic is that if we all simply demanded better, and didn't settle one bit that they'd be forced to do better.  What makes you think they actually can?  I believe Win 10 is the best anyone could possibly do with today's "engineers".

 

-Noel

Edited by NoelC
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