Oh my god its literally called "user choice protection driver" eat my fucking ass microsoft ๐คฃ
this post was submitted on 08 Apr 2024
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Windows can go fuck itself, I'm sick of their shit. Teams kept opening links in Edge even though it's not my default browser. Found out that Teams specifically has a setting to ignore the default browser and use Edge anyway. The fuck is that about?
Then I wanted to turn off the web search in the Start menu and I had to do a fucking RegEdit! They're making it more and more complicated to not use their services, where's the anti-trust regulations when you need them?
Install Pro or Enterprise, or Tiny10 and then go here and run the Power Shell script: https://massgrave.dev/
And choose the first option. Takes a minute but then you'll be fully activated. If you don't trust the script, download it and check it yourself.
Then you can use the Group Policy editor to turn a bunch of crap off that Home users aren't allowed to. I use Winaero Tweaker to edit all these things with a UI. It works even on the Home edition except for the few settings that require the Group Policy.
This is the norm. They have settings in Group Policy for a lot of this (sans the teams opening in edge, that is absolutely utter horseshit).
The regedit you did (and most regedits to "fix" stupid default settings) is a manual version of the GP setting to just disable web search in the start menu.
If you don't use Windows with a Pro license, and you stay with Windows, next time buy a Pro license from a bulk OEM Pro License seller for cheap (or look up the latest way to spoof licensing and get it for free), and get access to Group Policy. It's effectively Control Panel/Settings menu on steroids for corporate sysadmins.
I swear that 80% of peoples complaints with Windows can be handled with Group Policy. Shit that it's locked away from the average user, but the average user literally can't tell the difference between web browsers if you make the shortcuts have the same icon.
I swear that 80% of peoples complaints with Windows can be handled with Group Policy.
One shouldn't have to go into the Group Policy screens just to restore basic functionality like 'use my default browser' and 'stop searching the web when I am searching my computer' and 'stop sending all my actions to your servers'. There is a reason people have been telling others to use Linux, rather than continue to put up with Microsoft's crap.
Honestly, don't buy Windows license. If you insist using that piece of malware, at least allow yourself a little bit of decency and just "pirate" it
Important part from the article:
Windows users can still change their default browser through the Windows settings.
Great how many people are going to do that
Almost all of them. Especially corporate customers on managed devices
I'm as pro *Nix as the next person, but be careful of viewing the world through rage coloured lenses. Just makes everything look like a red flag.
Your assuming everyone understands how default apps work. And you are forgetting that most people get intimidated by the popups trying to get you not to change the default.
It is complete enshitification if you ask me. There should be no reason why a application can't have a button to make it the default.
It's possible that I've been lucky, and my experience of end users when it comes to Windows lately have been using it since Windows 10 which strongly pushed the Default Apps configuration vs previous versions. The world is a big place after all
Maybe I'm just over reacting. But people like us deal directly or indirectly with the fallout of such madness. I hope that the DOJ goes after Microsoft at some point soon or at least scares them a little.
Certainly wouldn't hurt them, the fear of God never hurts an international company
Yeah Iโve seen malware that installs their own version of chromium and sets that as the default, Iโm assuming this will block that
Maybe I'm out of the loop but I've never heard that being a major issue.
I understand the need for security, but default is powerful, which is why the eu requires os vendors to provide a browser choice screens instead of letting the os vendors to pick their own default browser. Without coupling this restriction with a browser choice screen, this would guarantee to increase edge market share simply because it's the default.
"You will use Edge as your default browser"
They did this before with IE...
They are literally saying F you to literally everyone