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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

#51

Post by PostThisTooFast »

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.

Windows has become a disgraceful pile of defects, in both design and function.

Combine that fact with the lack of fundamental applications (Windows doesn't even ship with a functional E-mail program), and you get a shitty, useless computing experience.

Mac or Linux. Windows is dead.

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

#52

Post by sydney6 »

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.

The most common reason i've heard has been: "Yeah, but it's so much more biutiful than Windows 10." But then again, this appears to work quite well for Microsoft.

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

#53

Post by LaGrange »

dontblink wrote: post #26
kunagi7 wrote: post #14

Brave also used this workaround. When workarounds are used by a few (EdgeDeflector), this methods usually pass under the radar... When a lot of users start using them they're quickly patched. Sadly, this fix shows that you can't bully the bullies in their own turf. But Microsoft should never forget the Antitrust lawsuit back in 2001.

Perhaps its time to consider a serious look at another one?

Because this time around, MS can point at the entire FAANG and say "why aren't you doing anything about _them_?" Which would be deflection, of course ("whatever, we aren't talking about FAANG right now") but politically strong enough, IMO, to make it scary to sue any of the big tech unless you're willing to go against all of them.

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

#54

Post by dorchadas »

dragontamer wrote: post #32
jagger27 wrote: post #20

United States v. Microsoft was 20 years ago. Is there nobody left at Microsoft who remembers that?

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.

They've changed it. I have Brave set as my default, for instance, and can change apps to tell them which one to open.

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

#55

Post by no_circuit »

Forcing the use of edge for features that should be browser-neutral like Bing web search from the start menu seems very wrong in terms of user choice. However, if this is Microsoft's version of "Electron" in order to implement parts of the OS, then blocking other browsers seems pretty reasonable. It makes technical sense because they can also directly provide a Windows Login cookie for linking to their apps on the web to make them PWAs for which the user would then already be authenticated.

Maybe all that needs to be done is change things like Bing Search to normal https URL, and maybe remove browser controls like the address bar or bookmarks so they can't be used as a "browser"?

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

#56

Post by NullPrefix »

causality0 wrote: post #46
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.

Good news, in four years I run out of reasons not to go back to Windows 7, an OS that doesn't treat me with naked contempt.

they pushed updates for windowns 7 to nag windows 10 upgrade

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

#57

Post by matt_heimer »

josephcsible wrote: post #5
Liquid_Fire wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's only for 'microsoft-edge:' URLs, used by certain Windows features (e.g. Bing search from the start menu, or opening the online help via a link in the Settings). Most other links will just be normal http:/https: links and will use your actual default browser.

But keep in mind the fact that any parts of Windows using microsoft-edge: URLs for any reason whatsoever is itself anticompetitive behavior.

Is it really?

If I have an OS and I want to deeply integrate the browser into the OS for use-cases other than general browsing of the web, why can't there be browser specific URLs to accomplish that?

Is there a complete list of microsoft-edge:// use cases? I know there is a News integration to the taskbar.

I love standards but sometimes you have edge use cases that the entire world doesn't need or can adopt. Why can't a browser have proprietary features along with URLs that make sure that a browser supporting those URLs be used?

How do you even QA or support a deep browser integration into your OS when the browser can be switched to a 3rd party one?

If those deep integrations (News, etc) also prompt you to change your default browser for general web surfing then yes, that would be anticompetitive behavior. Does it do that?

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

#58

Post by gjs278 »

bovermyer wrote: post #40

Microsoft is making me seriously reconsider using Windows for my Alienware gaming PC. Does anyone know if there's a version of the Alienware, Steelseries, and Razer control software for Linux?

https://github.com/dneto/senseictl

google from there for your specific product. this one worked for mine but I only needed basic things like turning off the LED

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

#60

Post by jjcm »

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.

I've been using Win11 now for about a week (so take this with a grain of salt) and one positive I've noticed has been a far better UX. OSX has made a ton of leaps and bounds for optimizing controls for how you use your computer, and it felt like windows 10 was lagging behind quite a bit in the last year. Windows 11 addressed a lot of these grievances.

Browser overrides like this are definitely in the negative UX column, but better bluetooth controls, a new consolidated settings panel, and smoother window management are all positives for me. FWIW I haven't hit a situation where I've been forced into edge (yet).

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