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How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

devblogs.microsoft.com

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Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#241
post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Genuinely curious what Microsoft products people actually like? VS code might be the only one I’ve ever heard of.

TypeScript

TS is more in the "mixed feelings" department, imho.

I would take Scala.js anytime instead. (If I would need to do front-end ever again).

https://www.scala-js.org/

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not being able to use the app store is pretty different from not being able to setup the computer.

Considering that on these Apple devices the Apple store is literally the only entry point for running actual programs on these devices, I would say it is indeed pretty equivalent to "not being able to setup the computer".

I don't know, almost everyone who has an iPad in my family probably never used an app store. They just use it for browsing, facetime and calendar management - and all these apps are preinstalled. I'm trying to think what I have installed on mine that isn't standard, and it's pretty much.....YouTube? I could browse that through the browser if I wanted to.

Like, my point is that these devices are fully functional out of the box even without an account(but yes, it sucks that you need one to unlock it fully)

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#243
post #51

Unfortunately it's not that simple. On my system with bridges for hyper-v and wireguard tunnels, the NCSI service happily ignores my default route and tries to establish connectivity through one of the other devices when resuming from sleep. It wouldn't be that bad if it was just the status indicator, but several apps refuse to work properly if "internet" isn't detected. The workaround is to disable every other adapt…

> I ended up binary patching the connection test service in memory to get it to always return true.

Well, this escalated quickly.

How is this executed? I would not know how to patch binaries in memory. Is this a common way to fix bugs under Windows so they have tools for that?

I'm used to just have the source, so I can recompile if ever needed.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue Microsoft management has been perfectly fine killing off things people like.

Genuinely curious what Microsoft products people actually like? VS code might be the only one I’ve ever heard of.

Excel

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#245
post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So it's not malicious Ahem. You literally just described a very clear-cut, textbook example of malicious. Yes it is absolutely malicious.

People are so quick to assume malice whenever a multinational conglomerate practices deception in pursuit of profit. Whatever happened to engaging in good faith?

The pursuit of profit, purely for the sake of profit and no other goal, is malicious.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#246

I'd love to know how Apple decides if a Wifi network is usable or not. For some reason my home network is flagged as a "Mobile" network and people connected to it can't update to the latest version of iOS etc. Is it because I've also created a Mobile Hotspot with the same SSID on a spare mobile phone I have, so my family can use their iPads out and about without having to connect to a new Wifi network? (i.e. I just w…

Android uses a vendor DHCP "option 43" set to ANDROID_METERED or something like that. If you Google for something like "iOS set wifi to metered", it looks like there's a user accessible setting.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue Microsoft management has been perfectly fine killing off things people like.

Genuinely curious what Microsoft products people actually like? VS code might be the only one I’ve ever heard of.

Windows Terminal (despite the drama with its devs) is actually pretty good.

PowerShell is excellent as a scripting language, and has deservedly been a huge influence on shells which have come after it.

WSL is extremely frustrating because it has so many bugs and gotchas, but I'd say it's pretty popular with its intended audience.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#248

Why do I get the feeling Raymond is the only human at Microsoft? Does he have some kind of special deal to be able to be one? Writing all these cozie Windows trivia blog posts. That I like. Why is he not smashed by some manager? Could everyone else do this if they liked?

On the Visual C++ side of things, STL (Stephan T Lavavej) is also well-liked for working at Microsoft while being allowed to sound like a human. He helps moderate the r/cpp subreddit, and some other MS-ers post there too.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, sorry, but I consider that malicious. The OS can create a local account but doesn't give you that option specifically to make you create a windows Live account. That is almost textbook definition of malicious for me.

What's may be more surprising than their malice is your surprise at their malice. These 'dark patterns' are so numerous now it's exhausting to remain duly outraged. I hope there's a future (or alternate universe) where dark patterns, such as this, result in economic loss rather than economic gain.

They might be a Linux desktop user or a free software person in general. If you stick to F/OSS you might still live in a world where that stuff is pretty much entirely absent, experientally.

Then the outrage comes in full force, as a kind of culture shock, whenever some external situation requires you to do something like set up a proprietary desktop operating system.

> I hope there's a future (or alternate universe) where dark patterns, such as this, result in economic loss rather than economic gain.

I agree. I wonder whether that can actually be achieved through end-user savviness alone.

Re: How does Windows decide whether your computer has full Internet access?

#250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not being able to use the app store is pretty different from not being able to setup the computer.

Considering that on these Apple devices the Apple store is literally the only entry point for running actual programs on these devices, I would say it is indeed pretty equivalent to "not being able to setup the computer".

Can you no longer install free apps from the App Store on a Mac without creating an account or signing in? I thought that used to work.
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