Author Topic: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights  (Read 30353 times)

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Offline BentaTopic starter

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This morning I turned on my PC to be greeted with a jubilant installation banner touting the "new Edge Browser from Microsoft". Only option presented: install the turd.
The following banners also only had the option to continue installing. Clicking the cross in the upper right corner to stop this only made the install move one step further.

What kind of behaviour is this? I've never used Edge and have no wish to do so, I have much better browsers installed.

It's intolerable to experience this type of Microsoft heavy-handedness. But OK, I only have one M$ machine for historical reasons, all others run Linux/Ubuntu.
The M$ machine will now be reconfigured as well. Bye-bye M$.

 
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Online coppice

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #1 on: June 18, 2020, 06:49:33 pm »
Only option presented: install the turd.
Ahhhh, who can complain about such an honest tag on a button.  ;)
 
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Online Bud

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #2 on: June 18, 2020, 07:11:31 pm »
Yes yes , i vividly remember how i turn on my Ubuntu linux PC one morning and the shit goddamn thing installed a new version with the Unity interface without even asking. So much for your beloved linux.
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Offline BentaTopic starter

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #3 on: June 18, 2020, 07:23:51 pm »
Yes yes , i vividly remember how i turn on my Ubuntu linux PC one morning and the shit goddamn thing installed a new version with the Unity interface without even asking. So much for your beloved linux.

Which means you had it set to autoupdate. Too bad... But that isn't even an option with M$. Just eat what they send you.


 

Offline hexreader

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #4 on: June 18, 2020, 07:25:52 pm »
Only option presented: install the turd.
Ahhhh, who can complain about such an honest tag on a button.  ;)
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Offline TerraHertz

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2020, 04:39:16 am »
This morning I turned on my PC to be greeted with a jubilant installation banner touting the "new Edge Browser from Microsoft". Only option presented: install the turd.

Well you did choose an open-arse policy when you installed Windows 10. Funny how Gates/Microsoft have the same strategy in such different arenas. What with Gates/Fauci found to have been funding the Wuhan phase of COVID development. Forced code updates, so much profit potential.

Glad to hear you're deleting it.
Probably should try to get that completed before WWIII starts (tomorrow?) You wouldn't want to have a Win10 system on your conscience at the end, would you?
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Offline james_s

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #6 on: June 20, 2020, 04:57:14 am »
Well you did choose an open-arse policy when you installed Windows 10. Funny how Gates/Microsoft have the same strategy in such different arenas. What with Gates/Fauci found to have been funding the Wuhan phase of COVID development.
WTF are you talking about?  :-//   Also you realize Gates has been retired from Microsoft for years?

Edge makes a pretty good downloader for Pale Moon or Chrome.

 

Online m98

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #7 on: June 20, 2020, 10:05:50 am »
Have you checked out the new chromium-based Edge browser though? It's quite good, performs better and consumes less memory than Google Chrome.
 
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Offline Mr. Scram

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2020, 11:07:52 am »
Have you checked out the new chromium-based Edge browser though? It's quite good, performs better and consumes less memory than Google Chrome.
Unfortunately both come with lots of "telemetry", which is a cute name for sending your every move to the mothership.
 
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Online m98

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #9 on: June 20, 2020, 12:02:16 pm »
Unfortunately both come with lots of "telemetry", which is a cute name for sending your every move to the mothership.
Just like Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari...
You can also disable most of the telemetry. I don't care what the browser does out-of-the-box. As long as I can configure it, it won't influence my choice.
 
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Online wraper

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #10 on: June 20, 2020, 12:10:41 pm »
What kind of behaviour is this? I've never used Edge and have no wish to do so, I have much better browsers installed.
Consider it an automatic update. There was Edge browser on your computer to begin with, it just got updated.
 

Online NiHaoMike

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2020, 12:52:08 pm »
Unfortunately both come with lots of "telemetry", which is a cute name for sending your every move to the mothership.
There's one thing to do with such unwanted "telemetry": feed it fake data to show them how much you don't like it. And don't give it any real data so they would have nothing to gain.
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Offline Siwastaja

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2020, 01:43:06 pm »
Yes yes , i vividly remember how i turn on my Ubuntu linux PC one morning and the shit goddamn thing installed a new version with the Unity interface without even asking. So much for your beloved linux.

It's not a huge newsflash that Ubuntu is the Microsoft of the Linux world, though.
 
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Offline SpecialK

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2020, 02:15:48 pm »

What kind of behaviour is this? I've never used Edge and have no wish to do so, I have much better browsers installed.


Never used it, but are certain other browsers are superior?  But yeah, if you have a preference it really does suck when your system always chooses another default browser.
 

Offline bingo600

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2020, 02:38:34 pm »
Yes yes , i vividly remember how i turn on my Ubuntu linux PC one morning and the shit goddamn thing installed a new version with the Unity interface without even asking. So much for your beloved linux.

Heh .. I switched to Linux Mint after 10.4 , as they threathened w. Unity.
Never looked back
 

Offline rdl

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2020, 03:01:02 pm »
All browsers and the companies behind them are not the same.

Google is in a league of their own when it comes to telemetry and tracking user activities. Microsoft is doing the best they can to catch up. Avoid those two and the real problem becomes where you are connecting to, not what you use to connect with.

Unfortunately both come with lots of "telemetry", which is a cute name for sending your every move to the mothership.
Just like Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari...
You can also disable most of the telemetry. I don't care what the browser does out-of-the-box. As long as I can configure it, it won't influence my choice.
 
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Online SiliconWizard

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2020, 04:26:36 pm »
Speaking of that...
"Microsoft Swiftkey" virtual keyboard got installed on my phone (Android-based) without me having ever actively installed or allowed it. I don't use it. I noticed it was there when it appeared in a recent update, and after the update, my phone battery started to deplete much faster than usual. I looked at the battery details, and this Swiftkey shit showed up as the number one source of power draw. Keep in mind I don't even use it, it's not selected as any of my input methods. I tried uninstalling it, but the phone says it's part of the system and can't be uninstalled. What kind of bullshit is that. I managed to "disable" it from the Applications list, and it stopped eating my battery, but it's still installed. :-+

I suggest anyone having a smartphone to check this out, Android or not, as it's also apparently available for iOS, and got updated recently.

Beyond the power draw issues, if you ever use this virtual keyboard, I suggest to be wary, as knowing MS's practices, I wouldn't be surprised if this app didn't "phone home" on a regular basis, possibly sending your inputs to some MS server one way or another.  :popcorn:
« Last Edit: June 20, 2020, 04:30:16 pm by SiliconWizard »
 

Online wraper

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2020, 04:37:26 pm »
Speaking of that...
"Microsoft Swiftkey" virtual keyboard got installed on my phone (Android-based) without me having ever actively installed or allowed it... I tried uninstalling it, but the phone says it's part of the system and can't be uninstalled.
That's impossible unless phone manufacturer included it in firmware update.
 

Offline themadhippy

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2020, 05:12:25 pm »
Quote
I switched to Linux Mint after 10.4 , as they threathened w. Unity.
I learned how to get rid of it and keep the classic old look.There other clever move was removing shortcuts from the desktop,erm no its my desktop i'll put wot i like on it.
 

Online SiliconWizard

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2020, 05:20:51 pm »
Speaking of that...
"Microsoft Swiftkey" virtual keyboard got installed on my phone (Android-based) without me having ever actively installed or allowed it... I tried uninstalling it, but the phone says it's part of the system and can't be uninstalled.
That's impossible unless phone manufacturer included it in firmware update.

Well, as that is obviously possible since it happened, yes it probably came as a "preinstalled" app - for what reason, only the phone manufacturer knows.
I just didn't notice it was installed until it got recently updated (because yeah, any preinstalled third-party app still updates separately from firmware updates) and started to eat battery.

This post confirms it's impossible to uninstall if preinstalled: https://support.swiftkey.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/115003098809-uninstal-swiftkey
(my phone is not a Sony but I guess it's a general statement. I wonder how many phones actually come preinstalled with this, but I suggest anyone to check this out.)

And then why a preinstalled, but non-essential app can't be uninstalled is fricking annoying. It may not be an MS issue per se (but as for MS, I still warn people about this app.)
The fact it was drawing a lot of power with also abnormal data consumption, although I have no proof of what it does, doesn't look good.
 

Online joeqsmith

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2020, 05:47:46 pm »
 :-DD  Years ago I wrote how I was using Wireshark and saw were even pressing a number key on the MS calculator causes the OS to send the data up to MS.   

I'm still using a WRT router to block all MS traffic.   To install the BLE software for Dave's 121GW,  I had to pull it from the store.  I let my guard down just long enough for them to push a new update which had additional IPs that had to be accounted for.   I have not changed anything after that.   10 still tries to send data non-stop but at least the PC is usable.

I had been using an old version of Firefox but recently was forced to "upgrade".   I pitched FF and tried Opera for a day,  until I learned it was sold off to China.  Then I tried Vivaldi and ran into problems with it that I wasn't smart enough to sort out.  So now it's back to FF and setting the admin rights to block its updates.    Too bad really as I like Vivaldi. 

Offline SilverSolder

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2020, 06:59:04 pm »

[...]

And then why a preinstalled, but non-essential app can't be uninstalled is fricking annoying. It may not be an MS issue per se (but as for MS, I still warn people about this app.)
The fact it was drawing a lot of power with also abnormal data consumption, although I have no proof of what it does, doesn't look good.


I have noticed the same thing with Android -  a whole class of applications that cannot be uninstalled?   :wtf:

Sadly, this seems to just be part of the "conspiracy" to force telemetry and tracking down everyone's throats - can you think of any other plausible reason? 

 

Online NiHaoMike

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #22 on: June 20, 2020, 07:36:14 pm »
Years ago I wrote how I was using Wireshark and saw were even pressing a number key on the MS calculator causes the OS to send the data up to MS.   
Time to compile a list of suspected "telemetry" so that we'll know where to inject fake data?
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Offline SilverSolder

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #23 on: June 20, 2020, 07:48:48 pm »
:-DD  Years ago I wrote how I was using Wireshark and saw were even pressing a number key on the MS calculator causes the OS to send the data up to MS.   

I'm still using a WRT router to block all MS traffic.   To install the BLE software for Dave's 121GW,  I had to pull it from the store.  I let my guard down just long enough for them to push a new update which had additional IPs that had to be accounted for.   I have not changed anything after that.   10 still tries to send data non-stop but at least the PC is usable.

I had been using an old version of Firefox but recently was forced to "upgrade".   I pitched FF and tried Opera for a day,  until I learned it was sold off to China.  Then I tried Vivaldi and ran into problems with it that I wasn't smart enough to sort out.  So now it's back to FF and setting the admin rights to block its updates.    Too bad really as I like Vivaldi.

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Offline SilverSolder

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Re: The impudence of Microsoft has reached new (criminal?) heights
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2020, 07:50:45 pm »
Years ago I wrote how I was using Wireshark and saw were even pressing a number key on the MS calculator causes the OS to send the data up to MS.   
Time to compile a list of suspected "telemetry" so that we'll know where to inject fake data?

The ultimate solution is probably to disconnect any "serious" computer from the Internet,  and have a separate machine just for browsing the Internet....   either that, or a separate firewall product that can completely block all communications with the surveillance capitalist mother ships.
 


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