zlacker

The final straw for me and Windows was when I took the time to remove some annoying feature, cortana or edge, can't remember.

Then an update replaced my work.

It wasnt some 'uninstall program', but a multi-step process that involved registry editing.

I don't feel like I have control over Windows.

>>hospit+(OP)
You never had control over windows. Not since the ME/XP days. You don’t have control over MacOS either. The only OS you have any control over is Linux and even some of those you don’t.

>>hospit+(OP)
I think I mangled the ownership of the folder it tries to install edge in just to prevent it from reinstalling it every single time.

>>hospit+(OP)
I don't know if it's still happening, but for a while windows updates were helpfully "fixing" the EFI boot partition (or maybe it was a boot firmware thing, I never figured it out) by making windows primary and breaking my Linux entry .

My friends would be like "do you want to play games?" and I'd be like "yeah hang on while I make some boot media so I can recover afterwards."

>>gabere+g1
I suppose there was enough freedom from 95-XP, it didn't matter that much. I never had an issue perfectly customizing my experience.

Today I can't get rid of ads/news/cortana/edge.

>>__Matr+u5
This happened on my new PC. I dual-boot Ubuntu with grub2. After Windows update, it booted into Windows immediately and bypassed grub. The EFI had been "fixed".

I worked around this by installing Ubuntu on a second SSD, then I can use my bios menu to change the boot device.

>>__Matr+u5
This bullshit still happens with the latest version of Windows 11. I found that I had to demote Windows Boot Manager to a lower position in my EFI boot order, whereas removing it completely from my boot order and removing the boot entry cause Windows to install itself as first priority the moment it booted. I have not tried retaining the boot entry (skipping efibootmgr -b0000 -B) but removing it from the boot order (efibootmgr -o 0001).

>>hospit+(OP)
I think these two things help make Windows more usable.

* O&O ShutUp10++ – Free antispy tool for Windows 10 and 11 | https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

* StevenBlack/hosts: Consolidating and extending hosts files from several well-curated sources. Optionally pick extensions for porn, social media, and other categories. | https://github.com/StevenBlack/hosts

>>hospit+(OP)
I always love how Windows 10 shows Cortana using something like 0.1% or 0.2% of system CPU even after I disable it. Really what is it doing at that point?

>>__Matr+u5
Windows 10 updated my laptop's BIOS and in the process reset it to defaults. This basically bricked my laptop. Yeah I know how to go in and set a boot drive again, but not everyone should have to understand how that works.

>>__Matr+u5
SteamOS Linux does this too on Steamdeck, wiping out dual boot setups on updates.

>>sidewn+Ai
This is 100% on your laptop manufacturer.

>>__Matr+u5
Windows and GRUB will both compete for who gets to own \EFI\boot\bootx64.efi; but that file is only used when you tell your firmware "boot off this hard drive".

If Windows is removing another OS's entries from the boot list (displayed when you run 'efibootmgr -v' in Linux) then that's 100% deliberate anticompetitive behaviour from Microsoft; this list is where the entires like Windows, Fedora, and so on appear in the list of boot entries your firmware shows you.

>>sidewn+ki
Collecting telemetry to "improve your user experience".

>>hospit+z5
XP was the version that started pushing updates despite whatever you would configure and deny executing if you didn't jump through the correct hops.

You still had some amount of control on 95. MS had the power to take your control away at any point, but they didn't at that time.

>>hospit+(OP)
You don't. Windows even overwrites custom boot loaders on certain updates, to try to make your life miserable if you dual boot linux. It's a roughly twice-annual problem to solve

>>gabere+g1
I suppose they weren't as obnoxious/desperate about it in the past, though. I feel like past methods were more about lawsuits and software patents than about annoying every individual consumer that paid for your damn product

>>sidewn+Ai
That's almost certainly your laptop manufacturer's fault. Dell pushes BIOS updates via Windows Update on a regular basis, and I've never had the settings reset because of said update. (source: I administer 80 Dell desktops, 40 Dell laptops, and 8 Dell servers)

However, I do feel your pain, I don't understand why other motherboard manufacturers don't save your existing BIOS settings. Asus and MSI, I'm looking at you all... why can't you just ask me instead of undoing my work?

>>nyanpa+td
Yeah that smells like it. It's like excuse me, whose computer did you think this is?