Microsoft is annoying Windows users again and they just can't take it anymore

ZDNet ^ | Jun 6, 2021 | Chris Matyszczyk

[dayglored]

The latest episode of Microsoft Is Poking Me Through The Windows involves a pop-up message that appears in Windows 10's purpose-built notification center.

It reads: "Microsoft recommends different browser settings. Want to change them?"

I fancy most people would sniff: "Oh, do please run along. I'm perfectly happy with my settings, whatever they are, and I have a lot to do today, thank you."

Redmond, though, is undeterred. The notification adds that you'll get "Search that gives you back time and money." And "fast and secure search results with Bing."

Oh, yes. Bing, the MySpace to Google's Facebook, is still being pushed.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I use Brave, also. Do you know where it originated? A lot of their pictures seem to be from the Far East.

Brave Software was founded by Brendan Eich, the creator of Javascript, who was forced out as the CEO of Mozilla when news came out that he'd contributed to a campaign to ban same-sex marriages in California.

[dayglored]

> Not me, I got a MacBook Air and left Windows behind and I am happy.

IMO the MacBook Air is one of the best machines ever invented. Not for gaming or high-end engineering, but pretty much everything else does well on it.

[wastedyears]

I’ll continue to use Win 7 until nothing uses it.

[Captain Peter Blood]

What I like is the Safari browser and the fact it interacts with my iPad and iPhone.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yes you got the context correct.

I have nothing that is windows 10. Never will.

[Blood of Tyrants]

And you can’t uninstall MS Edge.

[daniel1212]

"And while the user does indeed have to stay within the terms of the EULA, they do not get to do what they want with it. For that, you need to eschew both Windows and MacOS, and install Linux or a similar non-proprietary, FOSS OS. "

Except that I do can more with Windows quickly (mainly with safe freeware) than with Linux and its freeware unless I basically take the time to basically learn a new language or spend more time than I have on forums. It can be done, and I am glad there is an alternative to Windows, and I run Linux on another desktop here, but I see no need to take more time to cross over (though I do like to experiment), and do not have the problems typical Window users express (which is usually because I took the time to learn how to overcome them), Thank God we are not stuck with one OS, or even government issue computers.

[100American]

I just tell them No and Go

[Pikachu_Dad]

No, I switched to Apple over ten years ago !

[daniel1212]

See How to Disable All Notifications.

Also, List of Tweaks available in [safe freeware] Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10

System Information

1. Shows general information about the system
2. Calculate and view Windows Experience Index
3. Option to open Advanced Recovery Options
4. Run System File Checker utility and DISM system repair utility directly
5. Introduces search functionality to easily locate your desired tweak
6. Extended Info Bar to show full description of the tweak
7. View detailed information about Windows Experience Index including all scores
8. New Favorites feature lets you access many sections of UWT easily.

Customization

Taskbar:

1. Remove Taskbar
2. Remove Taskbar Buttons
3. Remove Volume Icon From Notification Area
4. Remove Network Icon From Notification Area
5. Remove Action Center Icon From Notification Area
6. Remove Clock From Notification Area
7. Remove Battery Meter From Notification Area
8. Remove Notification Area
9. Customization of Taskbar Buttons Grouping
10. Customization of Taskbar Thumbnail Size
11. Customization of Taskbar Thumbnail delay time
12. Disable Windows Ink Workspace
13. Enable “Do you want to close all the tabs?” prompt in Edge
14. Hide Windows Defender Icon From Notifications Area
15. Show Seconds In Taskbar Clock (Customization->Taskbar)
16. Disable All Live Tiles (Customization->Universal UI)

File Explorer

1. Show Windows Version On Desktop
2. Enable Auto-Colorization
3. Disable Aero Peek Feature
4. Don’t Show Low Disk Space Warnings
5. Disable Info Tips For Shortcuts
6. Make Taskbar Button Switch To Last Active Window
7. Restore Last Opened Folders At Startup
8. Delete Pagefile At Shutdown
9. Disable AeroShake Feature
10. Hide Preview Pane
11. Disable Full Row Select Items
12. Disable AeroSnap Feature
13. Show Status Bar In File Explorer
14. Launch Folders In A Separate Process
15. Enable Check Boxes To Select Items
16. Remove “-Shortcut” Suffix For New Shortcuts
17. Tweak Drive Letters
18. Remove Shortcut Arrows From Shortcut Icons
19. Enable Auto-Complete And Auto-Suggest
20. Disable Taskbar And Start Jumplists
21. Check By Default “Do this for all current items”
22. Change Default Behaviour For Drag-Drop In Explorer
23. Choose which folder opens on starting File Explorer
24. Remove Duplicate Drive Letter Entry
25. Show User Folder in Navigation Pane

Universal UI

1. Disable Lock Screen
2. Disable Login Screen Blur Effect
3. Disable Changing Lock Screen Image
4. Enable User Switching On Login Screen
5. Enable and customize Slideshow
6. Enable first sign-in Animation When New User Account Is Created
7. Turn On SmartScreen filter for Windows Store Apps
8. Disable “Look for an app in the store” When Unknown Files are opened
9. Disable “You have new apps that can open this type of file” Notification
10. Set Notifications Display Time
11. Disable Toast Notifications
12. Lock Start Screen Tiles So That They Can’t Be Rearranged
13. Disable Bing web search.

Windows 10

1. Customize Power Options:

• Show/Hide Lock
• Show/Hide Sleep
• Show/Hide Hibernate
• Show/Hide Sign Out
• Show/Hide All Options

2. Disable/Enable Start Animations
3. Replace CMD with Windows Powershell On The WinX Menu
4. Enable Access To Camera On Lock Screen
5. Apps Use Light/Dark Theme
6. System Uses Light/Dark Theme
7. Show/ Hide “Frequent Folders” In Quick Access
8. Show/Hide “Recent files” In Quick Access
9. Enable/Disable New /Old Elements of Windows including battery fly out, date & time pane and Volume Control
10. Enable Share settings page in Settings.

This PC

Add/remove useful utilities like Power Options, Recycle Bin, Programs and Features, User Accounts etc. in “This PC”.

User Accounts

1. Display Last Logon Information On Logon Screen
2. Make User Enter Username While Logging On
3. Remove Shutdown Tasks From Logon Screen
4. Disable Updating Group Policy On Startup
5. Disable Switching To Secure Desktop While Elevating
6. Enable Virtualize File And Registry Write Failures To Per-User Locations
7. Enable Admin Approval Mode For Built-In Administrator Account
8. Enable Detections Of Application Installation And Prompt For Elevation
9. Enable Verbose Logon Messages
10. Require Users To Press CTRL+ALT+DEL To Logon
11. Change UAC Settings
12. Customization Of Logon Message
13. Customization Of What Should Be Done On System Failure
14. Enable/Disable Built-in Administrator AccountRremove Remove 3D Objects folder from This PC.

Performance

1. Waiting time to kill applications timeout during shutdown
2. Waiting time to end services at shutdown
3. Waiting time to kill non-responding applications
4. Auto-End Non Responsive Programs
5. Restart Shell Automatically After Some Error
6. Always Unload DLLs To Free Up Memory
7. Disable Automatic Folder View Discovery
8. Turn Off Search Indexer
9. Increase Priority Of IRQ8
10. Disable Smooth Scrolling
11. Disable Windows Time Service
12. Disable Tablet Input Service
13. Disable Windows Security Center Service
14. Disable Prefetch Service
15. Disable Superfetch Service
16. Disable Printer Spooling Service
17. Disable Edge/Tab Preloading.

Security & Privacy

Security

1. Disable Registry Editor
2. Disable Control Panel
3. Disable Task Manager
4. Disable WinKey Shortcuts
5. Disable CMD
6. Disable Color And Appearance Settings
7. Disable The Auto Logon Shift Override Feature
8. Disable Administrative Shares (e.g. ADMIN$)
9. Disable UAC
10. Disable The Ability To Shutdown
11. Disable The Ability To Log Off
12. Disable Internet Communication
13. Disable System Restore Configuration
14. Disable MMC Snap-ins
15. Disable Folder Options Menu
16. Disable Encrypting File System
17. Disable Explorer’s Context Menu
18. Disable Access To Taskbar Context Menu
19. Restrict Access To Taskbar And Start Menu Properties
20. Disable Changing Wallpaper
21. Turn Off User Tracking
22. Disable Display Personalization
23. Disable Windows Media Center
24. Disable Windows Update Service
25. Disable Windows Mobility Center
26. Disable Windows Store
27. Disable Windows Defender
28. Disable OneDrive

Privacy

1. Disable Telemetry
2. Disable Application Telemetry
3. Disable and Reset Advertising ID
4. Disable Cortana
5. Disable Taskbar Web Search
6. Disable Handwriting Data Sharing
7. Disable Windows Update Sharing
8. Disable Windows Feedback Requests
9. Disable Password Reveal Button
10. Disable Steps Recorder
11. Disable Inventory Collector
12. Disable Biometrics
13. Disable Wi-Fi Sense
14. Disable synchronization of settings.

Browsers section

Internet Explorer tab

1. Enable Menu Bar
2. Enable Suggested Sites
3. Enable Caret Browsing
4. Use ClearType Font
5. Disable Compatibility List
6. Customizing Homepage
7. Show Tabs Below Address Bar
8. Notify When Download Completes
9. Autohide the Tab Bar When In Fullscreen Mode
10. Always Load IE In FullScreen Mode
11. Check Executable’s Signature On Download
12. Allow Running Executable With Invalid Signature
13. Clear Cache On Every Exit
14. Warn On Closing Multiple Tabs
15. Allow Allocating Additional Bandwidth
16. Enable Do Not Track
17. Enable Auto Image Resizing
18. Enable Smooth Scrolling
19. Disable Active Scripting for Internet Zone
20. Disable Scripting of Java Applets for Internet Zone
21. Use Software Rendering Instead Of GPU Rendering
22. Enable Third-Party Browser Extensions
23. Show HTTPS Errors
24. Disable Script Debugging
25. Enable DOM Storage
26. Enable SmartScreen Filter

Microsoft Edge tab

1. Change Microsoft Edge default download location
2. Adjust Tab Preview Show Delay
3. Adjust Tab Preview Hide Delay
4. Disable Edge Tab Preview
5. Enable Do you want to close all the tabs prompt.

Context Menu

In Universal Apps tab, pin over 15 Modern apps to Desktop Context Menu including Microsoft Edge, OneNote, Store, Music, Mail, etc. Plus, customize desktop icons size.

In Desktop Context Menu tab, pin over 20 important Windows utilities to Desktop Context Menu including System Restore, Task Manager, Magnifier, etc.

In Desktop Context Menu 2 tab, pin Windows Defender > Open, Quick Scan, Full Scan, Settings, Update and various other tweaks. Pin drives to Desktop Context Menu. Also, Pin your favorite Settings sections to desktop context menu. You can also add these context menu items – Add Take ownership, Add Copy To, Add Move to Add Open with.

Apart from new Desktop Context Menu Tweaks -> Character Map, Control Panel and Windows Update, the following have been added in UWT 4.3:

1. Remove 3D Print With 3D Builder
2. Remove Scan With Windows Defender
3. Remove Edit With Paint 3D
4. Remove Cast To Device.

In v4.4:

• Include In Library, Restore Previous Versions Context Menu items added
• Give Access To, Share Context Menu items added
• Add Phone, Gaming Settings to the context menu

Additional

1. Use Autoplay For All Media And Devices
2. Use Small Taskbar Icons
3. Hide Inactive Icons From Notification Area
4. Turn Off Automatic Applications Termination
5. Customizing Blinking Cursor Width
6. Customizing Cursor Blinking Time
7. Customizing Scroll Bar Width
8. Enable the Network Adapter Onboard Processor
9. Restrict Access Over Anonymous Connections
10. Disable Recent Shares In Network Places
11. Disable Default Admin And Disk Drive Share Server
12. Hide Entire Network From Network Neighborhood
13. Prevent Network Auto-Discovery
14. Hide Computer From The Browser List
15. Enable NTLM 2 Support
16. Set Global Network/Internet Offline
17. Option To Add UWT 4 To Startup
18. Option To Integrate UWT 4 With Desktop Context Menu
19. Edit OEM Information
20. Enable Windows Photo Viewer
21. Export and import your Tweaks.

New tweaks in UWT 4.2 and 4.3 to support Windows 10 v1607 and v 1703:

• Use Increased Taskbar Transparency
• Change Inactive Title Bar Color
• Disable Quick Action Buttons In Action Center
• Change Microsoft Edge Download Location
• Disable Edge Tab Preview
• Adjust Edge Tab Preview Show/Hide Delay Time
• Disable App Access To Location
• Disable App Access To Calendar
• Disable App Access To Messages
• Disable App Access To Microphone
• Disable App Access To Camera
• Disable App Access To User Account Info

New tweaks in UWT 4.6

• Disable Login Screen Blur Effect. Navigate to Customization -> Universal UI
• Improvements in disabling Windows Updates in newer versions of Windows 10
• Disable Edge Preloading in the Performance section
• Disable Edge Tab Preloading in the Performance section
• Option to pin Cortana, Search and Apps in Settings. Navigate to Context Menu -> Desktop Context Menu 2
• Customize “New Menu” in Context Menu -> Other Context Menus
• Now change Registered Owner and Organization information in Additional -> Edit OEM Information
• Pin “Screen Snip” to Desktop Context Menu
• Reset Live Tile Cache in Customization -> Universal UI
• Waiting time to kill applications/services/non-responding applications needs to be a minimum of 1 second in the Performance section
• Tweak description line now doesn’t cut off the UI when the description is long.  When the description is long, use the Extended Info Bar to read it.

In the About tab, you will see links to Submit Bugs, Check for Updates, visit the home page and seek Support at our TWC Forums.

[ConservativeMind]

In the US by the former head of the Mozilla Corporation, after he was run out for supporting normal marriage with a donation.

[Buttons12]

I mostly use a Mac now, but with the Windows 10 I’ve never opened Edge. Don’t care much for any Windows offering.

[Revel]

Well it turns out that Firefox just had an update that completely changes the way it looks and works. Basically once the update is installed then Firefox becomes nothing but a disappointment. So I expect they will die out. I am not sure if Brave is going to copy the same garbage.

[Carriage Hill]

I’m there with you.

[Taxman]

I have been using the CCleaner browser for almost a year and I like it.

[Texas Fossil]

I’ve been using Pale Moon, Firefox offshoot, for a few years. Have not really had trouble with it. Seems pretty stable and secure.

They say they are security focused, they probably are.

I have bee too busy to get my Linux box running again. I need to get that done. I sure miss the simplicity.

[Bulwyf]

Every time I open the laptop, even though I don’t use edge, it keeps auto opening though I’ve tried to disable it. I need to find a way to permanently delete it. They do make it difficult the *#!@#%^.

[Bikkuri]

"The latest episode of Microsoft Is Poking Me Through The Windows involves a pop-up message that appears in Windows 10's purpose-built notification center."

Is English his second language, or am I reading this wrong?

[MinorityRepublican]

I haven’t seen Bill on TV in a while. He used to be a big deal. So what if he hung out with Epstein? Bill Clinton did the same thing.

[dayglored]

> Is English his second language, or am I reading this wrong?

It would have been easier to parse if he'd put quotes around his made-up title, e.g.

The latest episode of "Microsoft Is Poking Me Through The Windows" involves a pop-up message that appears in Windows 10's purpose-built notification center.

Other than that, it appears to me to be acceptable English syntax.