This is a stark reminder about the dangers of signing your life over to saas. If you are in the EU you might want invoke your right to an electronic, transferable copy under GDPR
What's especially infuriating is the dark pattern that began with Windows 8 and has become worse in Windows 10: hiding that you can create a local account instead of using a Microsoft clown, er, cloud account.
The more I see things like this happening, the less I want to entrust anything important to MS, Google, Amazon, etc.
Yes, not only does Microsoft push their cloud account for login, they also spam ads in their notification bar. Going from memory, exact words may vary:
- "Install Microsoft Authenticator to log in with your phone"
- "Sign up for OneDrive to protect against ransomware attacks"
- "Do more with Microsoft Edge!" (this one shows up when you change your default browser)
There is also : "There must be a problem with your Microsoft account. Click here to fix it" alert on the notification bar.
The only problem with my Microsoft account seems to be that I didn't create one. Not a problem to me, but obviously a problem at Microsoft. |But then I'm only the guy who BOUGHT the computer and deliberately avoided creating a MSFT account. What do I know? Funny how there's no "go away and never bother me again" option on that alert.
more and more, Microsoft makes me feel like a visitor in my own home (computer).
> Microsoft makes me feel like a visitor in my own home (computer).
I think it started with XP. If you tried to avoid installing windows genuine advantage (by deselecting it during the update procedure), it would come up again, then come up with increased frequency. Until in my case, it somehow just started installing itself of it's own accord.
Not just the notification bar. I get spammed every time I start a game with little popups telling me various keys I can push to access Windows features while I'm in the game. (_Every_ time. The same notifications). I get spammed _during_ gaming with popups telling me to install Skype or some other Microsoft product. Plus all the spam on the lock screen about using a Windows phone (I haven't even _seen_ anyone with a Windows phone in five years).
Of all the obnoxious things with Windows 10 there was nothing that made my blood boil more than being in the middle of a competitive Overwatch match and have Windows pop up over my screen telling me to install Skype.
(The second place award goes to when I was using one of those early developer builds of Windows 10 and the license expired. Next time I booted the machine it booted into a blue screen telling me that, because it had expired, they went ahead and deleted a system file that made the OS impossible to boot. The exact details are fuzzy now, but that's the gist of it. I'm seriously not making that up. Important system file deleted; OS dead)
> I get spammed every time I start a game with little popups telling me various keys I can push to access Windows features while I'm in the game. (_Every_ time. The same notifications).
you can disable that, and it might actually improve your performance as well!
I think it was in Settings (the windows 10 settings, not the old control panel) / Gaming / Game Bar [disable] && Game DVR [ OFF ]
> I get spammed _during_ gaming with popups telling me to install Skype or some other Microsoft product. Plus all the spam on the lock screen about using a Windows phone (I haven't even _seen_ anyone with a Windows phone in five years).
never experienced that, nor do i use the lock screen @ home, so no clue there
It's one of those talking, singing, humming, weather-reporting, poetry-reading, novel-reciting, jingle-jangling, rockaby-crooning-when-you-go-to-bed houses... With stoves that say, 'I'm apricot pie, and I'm done,' or 'I'm prime roast beef, so baste me!' and other nursery gibberish like that... A house that barely tolerates humans, I tell you.
>Add your phone to Microsoft Authenticator to log in
It's not the same but I made the mistake of trying the Microsoft launcher on my Android phone. Maybe I was thinking it was the MS Authenticator app. What a disaster! It took me a while to figure out how to revert back.
For the curious to undo the MS launcher: settings > apps > click dots in top corner > Default Apps > Home Screen > Choose a different launcher
Oh I agree with you. I should have phrased it that it was more the way it was phrased by Microsoft that lead me down the garden path. I assumed MS meant something else.
But I do see many other people asking how do undo the MS launcher so it seems like I wasn't the only fool.
The MS launcher does look interesting but it was not what I wanted.
I just got a new pc and decided I wanted Office for it. I did not want to rent Office with an online subscription as I flat out do not trust that the pricing and offerings will be stable, and after jumping through many hoops (err, web searches) manage to buy "Office Classic".
But I still ended up needing a Microsoft account for the download. I was surprised to find I already had one (for the email I was using) , but I did and I was able to use it to download/install/validate the software.
Only later did I realize it was an account I created for my son to play Minecraft... hopefully he doesn't manage to get me banned from the Microsoft ecosystem.
Yes! I'm not sure which update it is, but a fresh install of Windows 10, you really have to think outside of the box to not sign up to their account. It's a shame no-one has put it up on the dark UI pattern hall of shame yet...
It's pretty scary that Microsoft and Apple are the only commercial options where it's even possible. With Google's various offerings, from Android to Chrome, it's not even an option.
In the future this can only exist if people pay for it, and clearly ... that's not going to happen.
Well first of all, you can't buy an Enterprise license (normally, but there are sketchy sellers who will sell you one).
Enterprise licenses give you full control of the OS via group policy in addition to all the things that Pro gives you. You can effectively turn off anything you want in the editor.
You also have full control of updates, so if that's what was keeping you away from W10 then... there you go.
Uhmm... too bad I can't buy an Enterprise edition. Would love to be able to disable all those things.
Then, does that mean that you can't edit those settings in the Pro version? (I know there are some utilities to do that, but I would prefer to do it natively)
Unfortunately this indirectly promotes usage of pirated software. I do believe companies that publish and develop software deserve to get paid, but if licenses can be pulled on such short notice, an individual user might opt to have a hacked version.
This doesn't seem relevant, as the comment you're replying to is talking about SaaS. You can't pirate SaaS. Though I do think your point is "valid" in the context of software licensing. Right or wrong, people _are_ driven to use hacked software when DRM or other arcane licensing technology is used. That'd be a relevant fact if we were talking about, for example, Windows. But this is about a Microsoft online account, not a software license.
A Microsoft account is not about SaaS. It's about logging on to Windows, opening the Office that you installed on your computer, or opening a saved game in Minecraft.
It's also used for putting files on the cloud and renting VPSes, but those uses are much less common.
Is OP saying that, with his Microsoft account locked, he can't even use his computer?
Because, you know, there are ways around that. And worst case, you can boot with a Linux LiveCD, and copy all of your stuff to a USB drive. Unless you've used Bitlocker, anyway.
Sure it is; Microsoft is very heavily invested in a SaaS model now. Of course, some of it is SaaS that is locally installed or at least has a substantial locally installed component, but it's still a SaaS model as opposed to a physical media with attached no-interaction perpetual license model.
I use a hosted email provider, but I didn't sign my life over. I registered a domain and have control of the dns, so they are just a provider, not a master. I could move in a couple hours and retain my email address.
The more I see things like this happening, the less I want to entrust anything important to MS, Google, Amazon, etc.