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Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

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Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#361

Post by chungy »

PeterisP wrote: post #275
Levitz wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Calling 10 "good" is a stretch. I'd still be using 7 if it wasn't for security updates. The snip tool and multiple desktops are the only things I use, and in exchange I have a truckload of stuff I have to disable to even make my OS usable, a useless search function and obscured menus, absolutely not worth it. I have no hope of win12 being anywhere near good and will probably switch to about anything else.

Well, it's clearly better than Windows 8.

Not so clear. Windows 8 with OpenShell installed is basically the same user experience as Windows 7; you can basically act like Metro never existed.

Windows 10 doubled down on Metro and much of the core functionality isn't available in the old control panel anymore. Even with OpenShell, it's a lot more janky than 8 is.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#362

Post by williamdclt »

ggfgg wrote: post #323
greggman3 wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be worse. You could be on MacOS where Cmd-Tab switches between apps not windows. I currently have 13 browser windows open (each with 3 to 15 tabs) and another 9 windows of other things (terminal, vscode, etc....) and IMO The Cmd-Tab vs Ctrl-Tab vs Ctrl-Up vs Ctrl-Down suck compared to Windows. I really want to easily switch to the previous window, not the previous app. Command + backtick doesn't work either.…

Honestly that sounds like you aren’t garbage collecting enough. I have perhaps 3-5 tabs open in one browser and 3-5 apps open at any time. Also working in VSCode, terminals and browser mostly. I coworker runs his windows box with about 100 tabs iOS. Sometimes. Just close some shit.

I tend to agree. I have one window from each app open at any time, and dedicated hotkeys to bring up each app. Having to guess how many cmd+tab I'd need to get to the app I want breaks my flow so I set up opt+h to bring up Firefox, opt+j VSCode, opt+k Slack etc etc.

But obviously, to each their workflow!

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#363

Post by bogwog »

vetinari wrote: post #246
dragontamer wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple's default web browser is Safari on iOS and no one ever sued Apple over it. At some point, you have to just recognize that the world is different today. The general market has accepted walled garden OSes with anti-competitive behavior towards common applications.

> Apple's default web browser is Safari on iOS and no one ever sued Apple over it. Apple doesn't have that kind of market share to warrant it. Tangentially, Apple products are aspirational, so they never won't have it, that would lose the appeal. Microsoft, on the other hand, pushes their products every way imaginable, and many of their users use them because they have to.

That's a weak argument. Apple is about 50% of the smartphone market in the US alone.

If you're looking for reasoning/justification behind why Apple got away with something like this, blame the government agencies for not doing their jobs.

IMO, it's slightly unfair that Microsoft got hit with that lawsuit back in the day. They 100% deserved it, but it put them at a disadvantage some years later against all of the other monopolists in the tech industry who were not being scrutinized for doing the exact same (and worse) things.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#364

Post by micromacrofoot »

greggman3 wrote: post #315
jccalhoun wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I updated to 11 on my laptop but kept 10 on my main machine. I see zero reason to update my main computer to 11. I was willing to give centered start button a try but the fact that you can't turn off grouping of applications in the taskbar is a deal breaker. If I have two firefox windows open I want to know it and to be able to pick which one I want without having to hover my mouse over the icon for a second while th…

It could be worse. You could be on MacOS where Cmd-Tab switches between apps not windows. I currently have 13 browser windows open (each with 3 to 15 tabs) and another 9 windows of other things (terminal, vscode, etc....) and IMO The Cmd-Tab vs Ctrl-Tab vs Ctrl-Up vs Ctrl-Down suck compared to Windows. I really want to easily switch to the previous window, not the previous app. Command + backtick doesn't work either.…

does cmd + backtick still work for switching windows on a mac? I seem to recall this shortcut

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#365

Post by dblohm7 »

drdaeman wrote: post #209
modeless wrote: post #196

Firefox should go all the way on this. Exploit bugs, modify binaries, whatever it takes. With user consent of course. If the user says they want Firefox to be their default browser, Firefox is justified in modifying the operating system to achieve that. Ultimately Microsoft is powerless to stop this except by using their antivirus to block installation of Firefox in the first place, and I'd like to see them try that…

This. Just like in the ol' good days, install an API hook (e.g. with Microsoft Detours[1]) that would patch relevant functions in-memory. Microsoft cannot block this because they'll be breaking lots of existing things (automation tools, gaming overlays, AV software even). And if MS would want to play it rough and start blocking hook DLLs with permission barriers, make this API patcher a kernel module. [1]: https://gi…

Firefox already does Detours-style API hooking -- I was its maintainer for several years.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#366

Post by IIAOPSW »

cronix wrote: post #22

So far in the last year or so, I've heard 0 reasons why I'd even need, want or benefit from Win11 over Win10. Tons of reasons in the negative column though. There isn't even anything to salivate over that might make you think it might be worth it to deal with the other tradeoffs. Hard pass.

Other than security updates, there hasn't been an enticing reason to update since XP. The fact that XP was still in use by so many people and orgs after it was officially no longer supported proves the point.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#367

Post by Spivak »

prox wrote: post #280
gentleman11 wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft already warns you that Firefox might be malware and that edge is more secure sometimes. It’s only one step away from a full ban. Decades ago, they got the monopoly treatment for this stuff

Isn’t Microsoft gonna get slapped hard by the EU as anti competitive practice? They are already got a fine for that when IE6 was around.

Maybe but if they can go to court and say that Firefox is malware because it’s intentionally breaking OS security features they’ll probably get away with it.

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#368

Post by [deleted] »

InitialLastName wrote: post #66
josephcsible wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, there's one very big reason you'll need Windows 11: that Windows 10 won't get security updates forever. After October 14th, 2025, you'll need to "upgrade" to it to stay secure.

That gives me four years for the tools that lock me to Windows to decide to port to literally any other OS.

[deleted]

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#369

Post by amyjess »

greggman3 wrote: post #315
jccalhoun wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I updated to 11 on my laptop but kept 10 on my main machine. I see zero reason to update my main computer to 11. I was willing to give centered start button a try but the fact that you can't turn off grouping of applications in the taskbar is a deal breaker. If I have two firefox windows open I want to know it and to be able to pick which one I want without having to hover my mouse over the icon for a second while th…

It could be worse. You could be on MacOS where Cmd-Tab switches between apps not windows. I currently have 13 browser windows open (each with 3 to 15 tabs) and another 9 windows of other things (terminal, vscode, etc....) and IMO The Cmd-Tab vs Ctrl-Tab vs Ctrl-Up vs Ctrl-Down suck compared to Windows. I really want to easily switch to the previous window, not the previous app. Command + backtick doesn't work either.…

I have to use a Mac for work, and I've been using WindowSwitcher as a cmd+tab replacement. I liked it enough I paid for it at the end of the free trial.

It's excellent, except I wish the mouse interacted it on click instead of mousover. Still better than the default.

(another tool along those lines I use is uBar, which is a Windows-style taskbar for macOS)

Re: Windows 11 Officially Shuts Down Firefox’s Default Browser Workaround

#370

Post by presentation »

micromacrofoot wrote: post #364
greggman3 wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It could be worse. You could be on MacOS where Cmd-Tab switches between apps not windows. I currently have 13 browser windows open (each with 3 to 15 tabs) and another 9 windows of other things (terminal, vscode, etc....) and IMO The Cmd-Tab vs Ctrl-Tab vs Ctrl-Up vs Ctrl-Down suck compared to Windows. I really want to easily switch to the previous window, not the previous app. Command + backtick doesn't work either.…

does cmd + backtick still work for switching windows on a mac? I seem to recall this shortcut

Yep switches windows for the active app, very useful
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