Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

pcgamer.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 75 posts

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#41

Post by whoopdedo »

vitus wrote: post #28

How is this not literally the same kind of monopolistic behavior (abusing dominance in one platform to gain an advantage in another) that Microsoft has gotten in trouble over in the past? Between injecting "hey edge is a perfectly good browser" when trying to download Chrome [0, 1], repeatedly clobbering default browser settings across OS updates [2], ignoring the default browser settings [3], and now injecting promp…

Because US vs MS (2001) was overturned and a slap-on-the-wrist settlement offered instead. Microsoft was never punished for tying MSIE to Windows.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#42

Post by pixl97 »

transcriptase wrote: post #19

And to think an entire chain of individuals were involved in designing and approving those popups at Microsoft, and not once did anyone bother to ask: “Maybe we should fuck off?” If you happen to be responsible and reading this the answer is yes.

The guy being thrown out of the window meme after questioning the rest of the committee is actually a documentary.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#43

Post by Rodeoclash »

transcriptase wrote: post #19

And to think an entire chain of individuals were involved in designing and approving those popups at Microsoft, and not once did anyone bother to ask: “Maybe we should fuck off?” If you happen to be responsible and reading this the answer is yes.

Microsoft needs to learn the meaning of consent. They're the software equivalent of a creepy guy in a bar offering "back massages" (i.e. Bing) to every girl he talks to.

"Would you like a back massage baby?" (Not now / Ask again in one week)

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#44

Post by wumeow »

cristiandima wrote: post #12

Recently installed windows 11 on a new pc, after many years of linux and mac. Question after question asking for consent to tracking and personalized ads. Why are personalized ads an install step of an operating system? And am I sure I don't want to buy an Office 365 and OneDrive subscription? Yes, yes, definitely yes, can I please use my computer now? Sure, I'll sign up for a Microsoft account (why?) but please let…

> LinkedIn

Press Shift + Ctrl + Win + Alt + L for a surprise

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#45

Post by nonrandomstring »

dylan604 wrote: post #30
transcriptase wrote: post #19

And to think an entire chain of individuals were involved in designing and approving those popups at Microsoft, and not once did anyone bother to ask: “Maybe we should fuck off?” If you happen to be responsible and reading this the answer is yes.

Is it possible that the team responsible for this isn't even in the US, so that maybe their position with their job isn't as tolerant of the coders doing anything but banging code?

Because people feel so angry with malware authors and scammers it's hard to accept that those people may themselves be under duress. In some places kids get invited to a "dream tech job" interview only to find the door locked behind them and a list of 100 computers to infect each day if they want food.

Not saying M$ do that, but given their ethics track record and the harm their substandard cruft wreaks, I'd only be mildly surprised to find out otherwise.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#46

Post by fallinditch »

Havoc wrote: post #25

The (weak) laptop i was using for travelling felt in need for an upgrade. Just browsing and vscode Stuck Linux mint on it and changed my mind. Haven’t quite built the momentum for main desktop due to some windows stuff I need but that was certainly eye opening. (Thus far only had cli nix experience)

Linux Mint saved me too. I had to upgrade my PC that was on Windows 8.1 because 8.1 was no longer receiving security updates. The process to upgrade to Windows 10 was painful and then it failed during the install and the PC became inoperative. I installed Linux Mint - very straightforward and easy, computer now works faster and is rock solid with no problems whatsoever.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#47

Post by Osiris »

neilv wrote: post #29

> Really, Microsoft? Most of us rely on Windows, it has an absolute stranglehold on the OS market, [...] It only has a stranglehold on you , if you or your employer let it. Personally, I did the hard switch from MS one day in grad school, in a lab where we had to meet with companies on an almost daily basis, but many students disliked how a particular software company behaved. (Besides company practices, the reps I s…

While I understand your point of view, I think you are over-simplifying.

I use Linux, macos, and Windows. I have specific reasons for using each for a specific use case.

I use Linux for work because I appreciate the ability to customize my interface exactly how I need it. But it's also a lot of work to get many different programs configured and working together.

I use macOS for iOS development and for my personal laptop when traveling because the battery life on the Mac is easily 5x what my Linux laptop gets.

I use Windows for gaming because I have Game Pass and I have no desire to spend hours or days fiddling with Linux to see if it's possible to run games with AntiCheat and other stupid DRM. So I have a Windows computer just for gaming.

I have no desire to pigeonhole myself into one system for purely ideological reasons. I consider myself pragmatic.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#48

Post by josephcsible »

transcriptase wrote: post #19

And to think an entire chain of individuals were involved in designing and approving those popups at Microsoft, and not once did anyone bother to ask: “Maybe we should fuck off?” If you happen to be responsible and reading this the answer is yes.

It's not really an entire chain. Only a small handful of big bosses (maybe only one) can really be held responsible. Everyone else basically gets told "if you don't go along with this, we'll fire you and get someone else to".

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#49

Post by Osiris »

The worst part is they we know that they can build a version of Windows without all this crap because the Enterprise editions can easily be configured without it.

Tools like litent, tiny11, etc, also show that its fairly trivial for MS to reduce the footprint of the OS.

It also feels to me like a bunch of independent teams working without a cohesive vision. Some tools like Notepad, Terminal, and WSL are getting built without any advertising garbage while other parts of the OS are overflowing with them.

Re: The new Windows update made me think I'd installed malware

#50

Post by neilv »

Osiris wrote: post #47
neilv wrote: post #29

> Really, Microsoft? Most of us rely on Windows, it has an absolute stranglehold on the OS market, [...] It only has a stranglehold on you , if you or your employer let it. Personally, I did the hard switch from MS one day in grad school, in a lab where we had to meet with companies on an almost daily basis, but many students disliked how a particular software company behaved. (Besides company practices, the reps I s…

While I understand your point of view, I think you are over-simplifying. I use Linux, macos, and Windows. I have specific reasons for using each for a specific use case. I use Linux for work because I appreciate the ability to customize my interface exactly how I need it. But it's also a lot of work to get many different programs configured and working together. I use macOS for iOS development and for my personal lap…

> I have no desire to pigeonhole myself into one system for purely ideological reasons. I consider myself pragmatic.

"Purely ideological reasons" aren't the only reasons to avoid MS. I could talk for hours about pragmatic reasons for avoiding them, and have. The Web has copious information about reasons to avoid them, for decades.

Given this, still dismissing it as "purely ideological reasons", and suggesting how MS can be a part of this healthy breakfast, might as well be PR handling on their behalf.

Post reply on HN