Windows 11

[Bubble99]

I think the "killing" of the control panel is a good move and should happen. The settings app is what they were wanting to replace the control panel. One the major gripes I have with MSFT is the half-assed implementation. We've been dealing with overlapping tasks/services between the control panel and settings app far too long.

As for the "harassment" Since I'm a gamepass and office 365 subscriber, I don't see that, I guess I'm one of those consumers that just fall into what MSFT is offering. You can uninstall OneDrive completely, I don't believe its straightforward but I use a debloater script from Chris Titus: https://www.christitus.com/debloat-windows-10-2020/

Part of his debloater PowerShell script can uninstall/delete OneDrive

View attachment 1954723

Problem I have with scripts and hacks is it may well work for say 4 or 6 months than the next major update Microsoft patches the hole or find way around it to than force their business model.

As Microsoft is now service business model now days. When Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer was running the show they where use to the old businesses model. That why windows vista and windows 7 was so clean with out all the bloat and adware.

 

[Bubble99]

It feels like it's been 20 years haha. I was an Insider for Windows 10 (run in a VM on my iMac) and I sent them a "comment" about it, and I'm sure thousands of others did too. And still, there they both were on official release day...

There are still lot of older folks who like the control panel better than the settings. They should just give option for older folks to use the control panel and the millennials to use the settings and problem solved.

 

[TechRunner]

There are still lot of older folks who like the control panel better than the settings. They should just give option for older folks to use the control panel and the millennials to use the settings and problem solved.

Well, approaching 59 years old, I can safely say I wish they'd use one or the other

 

[maflynn]

Problem I have with scripts and hacks is it may well work for say 4 or 6 months than the next major update Microsoft patches the hole or find way around it to than force their business model.

Its not really a hack, but yes, you'll have to rerun it periodically, but only when you update to the next release, not every patch

 

[nickdalzell1]

There are still lot of older folks who like the control panel better than the settings. They should just give option for older folks to use the control panel and the millennials to use the settings and problem solved.

Pardon my ignorance but doesn't that option currently exist?

 

[diamond.g]

Pardon my ignorance but doesn't that option currently exist?

Not everything exists in both places.

 

[maflynn]

Not everything exists in both places.

That's why they've not gotten rid of the control panel, there are things in the control panel to manage servers and computers that don't exist in the settings. But with the said, that's on MS for failing that

 

[nickdalzell1]

The device manager, system options are still in Control Panel. A lot of 'advanced' settings are in control panel with mere links in Settings. I find myself using Control panel more because of that. I can't access monitor refresh rate settings in Settings by itself.

 

[mi7chy]

But Microsoft trying to kill the control panel and harassment of one drive, xbox and office 365 just to name some and wanting you to set up Microsoft account.

Yea Windows Vista and windows 7 did not have this bloat and harassment.

Why not uninstall OneDrive, Xbox, etc. if you don't use them? People coming from Windows 7 might not be aware of OneDrive backup/sync integration. Even if you don't uninstall OneDrive, you can turn turn off OneDrive backup notifications by clicking on the gear looking icon in the notification.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

There are still lot of older folks who like the control panel better than the settings. They should just give option for older folks to use the control panel and the millennials to use the settings and problem solved.

There are some "older folks", self included, who are quite happy to use the new style settings. Especially since it more closely matches the way that macOS and Linux manage settings.

Older folks indeed... Young whippersnapper...

 

[Bubble99]

Why not uninstall OneDrive, Xbox, etc. if you don't use them? People coming from Windows 7 might not be aware of OneDrive backup/sync integration. Even if you don't uninstall OneDrive, you can turn turn off OneDrive backup notifications by clicking on the gear looking icon in the notification.

You may have to use some thing like revo uninstaller or some other third-party uninstaller. As it is intergraded in the OS and is grey out.

But next up date will probably install it back. As One drive and Xbox is very intergraded. And Microsoft is adding new features every year.

 

[nickdalzell1]

You can't really remove all the MS bloat. Also, it will endlessly nag you about using a Microsoft Account if you haven't set it up with one. Similar to how Samsung phones nag you about using a Samsung Account.

 

[mi7chy]

You may have to use some thing like revo uninstaller or some other third-party uninstaller. As it is intergraded in the OS and is grey out.

But next up date will probably install it back. As One drive and Xbox is very intergraded. And Microsoft is adding new features every year.

OneDrive and everything Xbox except for Game Bar uninstalls without anything special. I need Office 365 but pretty sure I uninstalled the x86-64 version to install ARM version.

 

[grmlin]

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

the taskbar now works on both my monitors when it hides automatically. FINALLY!

 

[nickdalzell1]

I think the reason my boss clings to Office 2010 is because she hates subscription models as much as I do.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I think the reason my boss clings to Office 2010 is because she hates subscription models as much as I do.

Why don't you just buy the non-subscription version then? It's $250 digital from MS, but goes on sale for $150 from time to time.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Re what happens when IE is removed from Win 10.

I used to work for a company that made medical software for doctors' surgeries. It was written for Mac System 9. This was soon after OS X had come out, but you could still use System 9 (Classic Mac) SW via Rosetta.
I warned the boss that she needed to have it ported to OS X. Boss lady said "Apple will never abandon Classic Mac Software".
A few years later Rosetta disappeared. So did her company.

IE will go the way of Netscape Navigator. Companies that are welded to IE will go the same way.

Nahh. The computers will just stop getting updated. If you're lucky, they won't be on the internet either.

There's a lot of very very expensive hospital equipment (think MRI or CAT machines) and manufacturing machinery that uses legacy software, by companies that don't exist anymore, for systems that are no longer supported, etc...

 

[nickdalzell1]

If I could buy Office on disc for that I would. But digital software is never owned, still rented and like the cloud, can vanish in the event of a license error, or long term time without internet access. DRM sucks. Office 2010 was the last copy made that didn't need to phone home or use telemetry. If it were up to me we'd switch to LibreOffice.

 

[mi7chy]

Why don't you just buy the non-subscription version then? It's $250 digital from MS, but goes on sale for $150 from time to time.

Does Office 365 perpetual vs subscription exist even in corporate form? Usually don't mind running older Office versions (2013 still gets updates for example) but only Office 365 is available natively for Windows on ARM. Have to dig up and try older corporate Office key.

 

[diamond.g]

Does Office 365 perpetual vs subscription exist even in corporate form? Usually don't mind running older Office versions (2013 still gets updates for example) but only Office 365 is available natively for Windows on ARM. Have to dig up and try older corporate Office key.

For big enough customers yeah you can get away with having on prem vs using 365.

 

[nickdalzell1]

The funny thing is that you can still activate Windows XP by phone support!

 

[ackmondual]

I think the reason my boss clings to Office 2010 is because she hates subscription models as much as I do.

I don't hate them, but I don't like them either. I wouldn't have minded getting a Office 365 subscription. However, I purchased Office through the Microsoft Home Use Program back around 2016 or so. That's when you got standalone version of Office (as opposed to getting a discount on O365). I also opted for the install DVD, so I just used that and called it a day. My dad STILL has Office 2003 on a Windows 10 computer! One day, it stopped working. I guess it was just too old. He must've accidentally clicked on something, but could've just been a "phoned home" type situation. He's now on Libre Office.

Why don't you just buy the non-subscription version then? It's $250 digital from MS, but goes on sale for $150 from time to time.

If I could buy Office on disc for that I would. But digital software is never owned, still rented and like the cloud, can vanish in the event of a license error, or long term time without internet access. DRM sucks. Office 2010 was the last copy made that didn't need to phone home or use telemetry. If it were up to me we'd switch to LibreOffice.

Oh yeah, the stuff they sell online, even if it's a box that's delivered to you, includes no physical disc! It's probably just a license key (which shouldn't need a box anyways!)

 

[nickdalzell1]

If it's like the installation media for Windows 10 Home, it's a USB drive that has to phone home to Microsoft and download the bit that doesn't fit on the thumbdrive. Kinda like game CDs these days, merely a steam license key.

I want the era where the internet was not necessary to play games or install software to come back! Thankfully many of my favorite apps, games, and OSs are stored on physical media, or on stored, old PCs. Sadly I lack the collection of PC/XTs and early Sculley-era Macs. I was stupid enough to toss them all. I do still have my Plex server full of stuff from Dot and the Kangaroo to the entire first season of Hogan's Heroes.

Even the brand new HP Envy laptop that mom got for Christmas needed the Internet to 'finish' installing Windows 11. It refused to go anywhere without being connected to wifi first. It's a sad era when you can't even buy a freaking computer and use it without being online.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

If it's like the installation media for Windows 10 Home, it's a USB drive that has to phone home to Microsoft and download the bit that doesn't fit on the thumbdrive. Kinda like game CDs these days, merely a steam license key.

I want the era where the internet was not necessary to play games or install software to come back! Thankfully many of my favorite apps, games, and OSs are stored on physical media, or on stored, old PCs. Sadly I lack the collection of PC/XTs and early Sculley-era Macs. I was stupid enough to toss them all. I do still have my Plex server full of stuff from Dot and the Kangaroo to the entire first season of Hogan's Heroes.

Even the brand new HP Envy laptop that mom got for Christmas needed the Internet to 'finish' installing Windows 11. It refused to go anywhere without being connected to wifi first. It's a sad era when you can't even buy a freaking computer and use it without being online.

I remember installing Office from about a dozen floppy disks...

 

[nickdalzell1]

See now that I don't miss. MY first purchase was Windows 95 on floppies. I didn't have nor wanted to spend the extra $$ on CD-ROM drives then for my IBM PS/1 (which had a 5.25" floppy and 3.5" floppy). About 15 disks in the 16th was bad and wouldn't read, forcing me to shell out for the CD-ROM drive and a CD-edition of Windows 95, which I had to pay for AGAIN because the stupid store didn't accept refunds for 'open software', a policy I still don't understand to this day.

I would happily return to the era where the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM was all you needed. I am no fan of the Internet trying its hardest to collect my personal data. Even for things it shouldn't. I try the hardest to keep everything offline. I also miss the way PCs used to make sounds when work was being done. Gosh how I miss MFM hard drives, Award BIOS counting the memory up, POST beeps and MHz/GHz displays and turbo buttons. Imagine a modern system where the LED display reads GHz and # of cores, and the turbo button is a one-press overclock!

Just once let me hear Windows 10 booting off of an MFM drive!