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Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

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Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#71

Post by shawndellysse »

Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #31
Sohcahtoa82 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd switch to Linux in the blink of an eye if I didn't have to worry about my games working. WINE is great and all, but it's still not 100% compatible.

Do you also own a PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, and a Nintendo Switch? Do you miss the exclusives on them? You'll survive without the handful of games you have to leave behind.

User: "I don't use product $X because it doesn't support $Y"

Dev: I'm gonna be a dick and make false equivalences because I personally am not affected by product $X not supporting $Y

User: ...

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#72

Post by TomMarius »

Sir_Substance wrote: post #58
falcolas wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's never that simple, especially for professional users and gamers. Those whose applications are only available for Windows. Sure, there are some open source alternatives, but they are only rarely as good, and even more seldom better, than their Windows counterparts.

>It's never that simple, especially for professional users and gamers. Those whose applications are only available for Windows. I'm both, and you're definitely wrong. 155 of my 343 steam games have direct native ports. I've just stopped playing stellaris and started playing KSP. I've been a linux gamer for the last three years and it's been a better experience, not worse. I dominate on ballistic overkill because the…

What about AutoCAD, Inventor, Photoshop, AfterEffects, Lightroom, ...?

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#73

Post by Feniks »

m_fayer wrote: post #21
Scramblejams wrote: post #4

It’s hard to believe that the loss of goodwill is worth whatever revenue Microsoft’s gaining from this, so I have to assume this is them dipping their toe into a strategy that attempts to make them more relevant to users. Maybe a reaction to the Windows app store’s lack of success? Thoughts?

Using their products, you can so easily taste how Microsoft is trying to become an "ecosystem", a "lifestyle brand", a "platform", and so on, and to use their OS as the relentless foot in the door for getting there. To me it's another nail in the coffin of general purpose computing. We've accepted that mobile devices/OSs are not for general purpose computing and expect that they come with a "lifestyle" to hawk, now o…

Microsoft is not, contrary to popular opinion, stupid. MS knew nobody was going to pay $€200+ for an OS anymore.

So they had to find another way to monetize Windows.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#74

Post by koonsolo »

devopsforlyfe wrote: post #52
m_fayer wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using their products, you can so easily taste how Microsoft is trying to become an "ecosystem", a "lifestyle brand", a "platform", and so on, and to use their OS as the relentless foot in the door for getting there. To me it's another nail in the coffin of general purpose computing. We've accepted that mobile devices/OSs are not for general purpose computing and expect that they come with a "lifestyle" to hawk, now o…

Linux is the only remaining OS for general purpose desktop computing that has a non-negligible market share.

When my old acer laptops hard drive crashed, I tried to get my hands on reinstalling Windows with my OEM license: no go. I installed Linux Mint.

My new laptop with Windows 10 became so slow I also switched to Mint. Couldn't be happier.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#75

Post by ThoAppelsin »

eitland wrote: post #63
ThoAppelsin wrote: post #36

This isn't really an issue that goes beyond your first 1 hour on your new Windows 10 computer. You delete them, and then they are gone forever. They do not re-install themselves, they only come with a new user account. They were annoying to me, only when I had installed the Windows 10 for the very first time, 2 years ago. I had several Windows 10 re-installations since then, and it really isn't worth nagging about th…

Just saw a game I'm absolutely sure I never installed voluntarily popping up on an old laptop yesterday or today. :-/

I have a laptop and a desktop running Windows 10 on my account. I use them both daily, one for entertainment, one for work. Both running on Pro and constantly up-to-date. I have been using one for exactly 2 years, and the other one for like 9-10 months.

I am completely unfamiliar with the experience you had, with no apps having been installed on my behalf without me explicitly installing it through the Microsoft Store, except for the ones I get after I reinstall the OS.

I also have a Windows Phone that I have been using for the past 2 years. Again, it gets some apps pre-installed whenever I reinstall the OS, but never otherwise.

Admittedly, PCs I think did once get some of them after one major update. I suppose it was one of the Creators Updates.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#76

Post by beached_whale »

I use Windows when I have to now. I used to use Visual Studio as it is really good. But since Windows 8 and more so Windows 10 they have started taking from me. I paid for Windows 10 Pro, but I am subjected to the task of repeatedly removing software, or adverts for software, that I explicitly said remove. This is repeated when major updates go through. Plus the extra data and processing to get a system that isn't using my resources for tasks that I did not ask it too. It is my computer, not theirs.

So I dual boot and 99% of the time sit in Kubuntu land and my computer is fast, responsive, and generally only doing what I ask it too. As it should be.

Microsoft found a way to take an i7-7500 with 32GB of ram and make it feel slow on a fast OS. Windows 10 can be fast.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#77

Post by edsouza »

aphextron wrote: post #69

To anyone wondering, all of that crap can be removed with PowerShell: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/easily-remove-bloatware-window...

I have done that before, but on the first anniversary update, they all come back. I will try it again, and wait for the next anniversary update to see if they come back again.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#78

Post by TomMarius »

ThoAppelsin wrote: post #64
mikhailt wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except on two separate machines, a Windows update reinstalled them for me. MS did said it was a bug but it happened a few times after that for me.

I think I also may have had some ads back with a major update (e.g. Creators, Fall Creators), but I don't remember having them back ever with the normal updates. In any case, it really is just a breeze to remove UWP apps, and they leave no trace either, so I cannot rationalize how it can be this so annoying to anyone.

That's right, only the major updates reinstall these apps (and introduce new ones).

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#79

Post by suby »

Stranger43 wrote: post #18
HenryBemis wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Unfortunately) HP has been loading their machines with crapware for about a decade now. :(

It's not just HP it's just about everything that comes out an retail store without an apple logo on it(unless you count itunes/facetime as unwanted software in which case it's just about everything). If you buy high end laptops from a business partner or directly from the vendor and make sure you get a pro(paid) version of windows things are better but the razor thin margins of the consumer market make it hard to avo…

If anyone wants a Windows laptop without bloatware, I think the best bet is through a Microsoft Store. They sell "signature edition" laptops which are supposed to contain Windows and nothing else. That's if the marketing is to be believed, anyway, I personally have never done this.

On another note, I got an XPS 13 from Dell with Ubuntu pre-installed. As far as I could tell, the only extra software on there was some drivers. I realize that the average person isn't going to want a Linux laptop though.

Re: Hey Microsoft, Stop Installing Apps on My PC Without Asking

#80

Post by TomMarius »

TwoNineA wrote: post #27
HenryBemis wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(Unfortunately) HP has been loading their machines with crapware for about a decade now. :(

Why is MS cramming down my throat some 3D Pain thing, Augmented Reality crap and other apps I don't care about? Edit: Oh and Camera app. On a desktop. Without even a webcam. What is the justification for that?

To be fair there was a Camera application at least since Windows XP, but it was hidden from the Start menu.
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