back to article Microsoft nicks one more Apple idea: An ad-supported OS

Microsoft's Department of Annoying The Users has been quiet since the end of the GWX scheme. The Department's Greatest Hit so far has been the "Get Windows 10" promotion, which involved a pervasive popup reminding Windows 8 and 7 users to upgrade. This co-opted a number of sophisticated malware techniques to get the message …

  1. Number6

    My solution is that I don't use OneDrive so disabling notifications from it is not a problem for me. I never registered an account so it can't even guess where to upload stuff. Not that I wouldn't put it past them to sync stuff to the cloud with a unique ID that can later be assigned if I ever did register.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      My solution is that I don't use OneDrive

      My solution is that I don't use WIN-10-NIC .

      (your solution is still a good start, though)

    2. DJV Silver badge

      OneDrive

      I tried it for a short while. It failed several times so now the only thing I do with OneDrive on any machine, is to remove or disable it.

    3. Mage Silver badge

      My solution

      I just handed back another laptop, unwanted Win10 from Win7.

      I fixed it by putting on Linux Mint + Mate with customised "Redmond Theme", Noscript + Classic Theme restorer in Firefox (disabled PDF view in browser), and I took pity and changed most of the sillier defaults in Libre Office (though they arn't as silly as Windows defaults for last 25 years).

      Added Skype and Wine and Mono.

      The PDF viewer works better than Foxit or Adobe (the save page as image is nice).

      How many ordinary folk use more than browser, email, basic "office" features, PDF viewer, image viewer etc?

      (I also made Caps Lock be both shift keys and Caps Lock Key be "compose").

      1. cookieMonster Silver badge
        Thumb Up

        Re: My solution

        More or less did the EXACT same about 6 months ago.

        No regrets so far.

        1. dan1980

          Re: My solution

          "More or less did the EXACT same about 6 months ago. No regrets so far."

          No indeed.

          But what about in 2 years, when Chrome stops supporting Windows 7 and you can no longer visit certain websites? Sounds far-fetched but I've seen it happen with XP and then Vista. Some work in Firefox but others just don't.

          You have a choice now, but some day down the track you won't and it's not going to be any better then. And yes, you can use another OS, but what if you actually can't? (For whatever reason?)

          Technically-savvy people can almost always get around things like this and set up virtualisation and dual booting to compartmentalise their tasks but the vast, vast majority don't have the knowledge and/or resources to do so.

          Like it or not, this is the road down which post of the population is being directed.

          Sorry - I am not feeling well today and the trajectory I see the IT industry taking fills me with depression and cynicism.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Unhappy

            Re: My solution

            "Sorry - I am not feeling well today and the trajectory I see the IT industry taking fills me with depression and cynicism."

            That's why I want out.

            Once we made things, now we let others make them, while we support them. Soon we won't make or support them.

          2. MCG

            Re: My solution

            I can't honestly say I've run across any websites that work in Chrome but not in Firefox. URL, please?

          3. F0rdPrefect

            Re: My solution

            @dan1980

            "But what about in 2 years, when Chrome stops supporting Windows 7 and you can no longer visit certain websites? Sounds far-fetched but I've seen it happen with XP and then Vista. Some work in Firefox but others just don't."

            The only websites I've ever seen that didn't work in Firefox used ActiveX or Javascript, hence I didn't want to use them anyway.

            Would be happy to be proved wrong on that.

            1. dan1980

              Re: My solution

              Often, they are sites offering SaaS - 'cloud' applications. It's not always that they won't work in Firefox so much as the vendor insisting that they only support usage via Chrome and any bug that occurs will not be investigated unless it occurs using Chrome as they develop and test for Chrome.

              I have clients that use Chrome, IE and Firefox all together, depending on the site. IE for a SaaS platform using Silverlight, Chrome for another SaaS platform (because that is what is supported) and Firefox for some government sites which require plugins that aren't usable on Chrome.

              The fact that you, as an IT-savvy person doesn't want to use that site is irrelevant (no offence) to the rank-and-file employees who have to.

              Sure, in a sysadmin's perfect world, we could dictact which browsers and add-ins can be used and everyone else in the company would seek our nod of consent if they wanted to use a site. But that's just not reality for the overwhelming majority of companies.

              If you work somewhere where you can overrule a SaaS purchasing decision because you don't approve of the browser requirement then congratulations. But I have never worked anywhere like that.

              The point is that browser compatibility is an annoyingly shifting landscape of vendors and versions and add-ins and compatibility and support can be fickle and equally annoying. If you've never been in the situation I described then, again, congratulations, but I have and I am sure I am not alone.

      2. SouthernLogic

        Re: My solution

        Excellent. As a life long MS developer, I did the same thing. Cannot stand the decisions MS has made since Bill left and the os is degenerating into crap ware run by the marketing department.

  2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
    Big Brother

    But will Apple file suit against MS?

    I expect the Cupertino spaceship is not amused at MS implementing something they clearly invented (not).

    Either way, Ads like this are the lowest of the low.

    As has been said in BetaNews, Windows 10 is just an ad carrying vehicle and spyware combined.

    https://betanews.com/2017/03/12/disgustingly-sneaky-windows-10-ads/

    The sooner it is consigned to history the better.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

      Apple has NEVER sued anyone for violating a patent that they don't use themselves. If you disbelieve that, instead of voting me down, how about providing proof? I've been asking for an example of this here for years and no one has come up with any, because they don't do it. They will sue the hell out of you if you violate a patent they are using, but they could care less about stuff they don't use in their own products.

      But it may be irrelevant, as their implementation would probably be different than what is covered in the patent, and Apple and Microsoft have patent cross licensing agreements which might cover this.

      1. VinceH
        Headmaster

        Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

        "They will sue the hell out of you if you violate a patent they are using, but they could care less about stuff they don't use in their own products."

        I'm just going to leave this here.

    2. Mage Silver badge

      Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

      It's not a real patent. It should be chucked out.

      Though it's USPTO and USA, so probably it won't. :(

    3. Avatar of They
      FAIL

      Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

      Careful. Windows 10 may be consigned but MS is on a roll (downhill very fast) so windows 11 will only have more.

      You meant to say hope MS is consigned to history so lessons learned will include no spying and no ads.

      Then again we live in a post truth trump, snoopers charter era. So spying, malware pumping ads and you renting your OS are here to stay.

    4. Sebastian A

      Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

      From that article: "Does Microsoft think we're stupid?"

      No. It doesn't think we're stupid. It *knows* enough of us are stupid enough to put up with this. The others, who aren't stupid enough, can get lost for all it cares. We're not the target audience anymore. We never were. They don't care if we rant and rave and switch to Linux. We were never profitable. We expected improvements, stability, security. None of those things make Microsoft money.

      The sheep, those are where the money is. They put up with ads, shovelware, and blatant scams. They're the ones who "upgrade" to a "pro" version when faced with a nag screen. The ones who accept all the optional programs with an install. The ones who never check the privacy settings.

    5. Montreal Sean

      Re: But will Apple file suit against MS?

      @Steve Davies 3

      Be careful what you wish for.

      Microsoft will not release another version of Windows.

      The next OS they release will be "Microsoft Ads 1"

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Ads...ads...ads....

    How long before someone figures out how to infect a machine with malware using these ads ?

    Looks like adding another attack-vector to me...

    If you can infect a browser... why not an OS ?

    Maybe it's time for an AdBlocker...

    1. oldcoder

      Re: Ads...ads...ads....

      Windows already is malware.

      So malware on malware?

      1. MrDamage Silver badge

        Re: Ads...ads...ads....

        > "Windows already is malware."

        Incorrect. Malware tends to be fast, efficient, well coded, and supported by its developer. Windows cannot claim any of these.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Ads...ads...ads....

      In this case, the OS *is* the infection

  4. Christian Berger

    There used to be a joke...

    ... that on Windows 97 error messages will have ads.

  5. Spacedinvader
    Facepalm

    Wait...

    So you get the ads even if you already have the service they are selling?

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: Wait...

      Yes.

      C.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: Wait...

        Works for cable TV, right?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    See MS *does* love Linux

    And is doing everything it can to push everyone towards it.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: See MS *does* love Linux

      *sigh* I so wish it were true, but I fear the alternative [that "ads in the OS" become "the new normal"]

      /me thinks of the TV screen from 'Idiocracy' that has 3/4 of its area COVERED in moving advertisements, while the middle 25% of the screen has the actual content in it...

      OW MY BALLS!

      1. Mattknz1

        Re: See MS *does* love Linux

        Idiocracy wasn't a comedy - it was a prophesy.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: See MS *does* love Linux

          "Idiocracy wasn't a comedy - it was a prophesy"

          Nope. It was a documentary. From the Future!

      2. cd / && rm -rf *

        Re: See MS *does* love Linux

        "/me thinks of the TV screen from 'Idiocracy' that has 3/4 of its area COVERED in moving advertisements, while the middle 25% of the screen has the actual content in it..."

        I offer you this.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: See MS *does* love Linux

      Seems so; it was the GWX fiasco that prompted me to push W10 into a dual-boot option that's only (rarely) used if there's no other way of doing something. Which means that "Unfortunately the only way to disable the promo blaster is as follows:" isn't really the case for me any more. :-)

    3. a_yank_lurker

      Re: See MS *does* love Linux

      The only ads I see are in a browser, do not see with the OS but then I use Arch Linux.

  7. davidp231

    Don't forget the "suggested apps" that crop up in the Start abomination. Thankfully easier to turn off.

  8. Martin 47

    Unfortunately the only way to disable the promo blaster is as follows:

    Trust me there are other ways.......

  9. Justin Clift

    Ublock Origin for Windows OS?

    Hopefully someone is developing a good "Ublock Origin" for this kind of OS AdwareMalware.

  10. TRT Silver badge

    I came across this today...

    https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/03/salt-found-to-improve-red-wine-flavour/ about Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s former chief technology officer.

    So they have a history of "improving the consumer experience" through radical departures from received wisdom, it seems.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Captain DaFt

      "https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2014/03/salt-found-to-improve-red-wine-flavour/ about Nathan Myhrvold, Microsoft’s former chief technology officer.

      So they have a history of "improving the consumer experience" through radical departures from received wisdom, it seems."

      So he's addicted to Cooking Sherry then?

      1. jake Silver badge

        Don't laugh.

        A little bit of salt (not enough to taste it directly!) will improve the flavo(u)r of all kinds of things. I put it into homemade ice cream, just as one example.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    SpamOS?

    If Microsoft really wants to give this idea a try, they should start with Windows Mobile and Lumia phones. It would be an Extinction Level Event for Windows Mobile.

    1. Bob Vistakin
      Facepalm

      Re: SpamOS?

      This *Windows Mobile" you speak of. Now 99%+ of smartphones run either iOS or Android, would it be helpful to ask Nokia to piss on this burning platform to finally put it out of its misery? It wouldn't take long.

  12. DailyLlama

    I presume

    That as I'm being forced to watch adverts, the cost of all their services will be drastically reduced?

    1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

      Re: I presume

      Like making the OS free at point of use?

    2. David 132 Silver badge
      Flame

      Re: I presume

      Oh, absolutely, and Microsoft are super keen to ensure that you get value in return for all the ads.

      Windows 10 Pro, for example, is a $2700 value - but because of the ads, and the telemetry, and the fact that you have so generously agreed to volunteer for the mandatory beta testing, they can bring it to you for the low, low price of only $100.

      Over a $2600 saving! Just for watching a few¹ adverts!

      ¹ -dozen²

      ² - well, hundred³

      ³ plus a few zeroes, ish

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I presume

      anything, repeat ANYTHING that gets past my Ad screening and blocking goes on my blacklist and is never ever bought.

      I hate all Adverts with a vengance and would love to nuke all Ad agencies and ad slingers.

      Yours,

      Grumpy Old Man.

      1. I Like Heckling Silver badge

        Re: I presume

        Same here... I script block any site that slings ads and then block the entire domain in 2 blockers... If some nasty site does manage to slip through a pop over/under/tab all I tend to see is a blank page.

    4. Mage Silver badge

      Re: the cost of all their services will be drastically reduced?

      I thought that in fact most of the running copies of Win10 where given away free.

      I wonder what the % piracy of Win 10 is compared to Win98 and WinXP?

      1. Richard Plinston

        Re: the cost of all their services will be drastically reduced?

        > I thought that in fact most of the running copies of Win10 where given away free.

        No. Not even close.

        About 250million PCs and laptops are sold every year with the majority being forced by Microsoft to have Windows 10 on them. These are not free, the price of W10 is part of the computer price and this is passed to MS. These new PCs and laptops are the bulk of the 'running copies of Win10'.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: the cost of all their services will be drastically reduced?

          Not only that, there's also a concerted effort to impose planned obsolescence onto earlier versions of Windows.

          It's one thing if Microsoft stops supporting and stops updating those older versions of Windows. It's another thing if third-party software vendors stop providing updates on older versions of Windows... and it has nothing to do with technological reasons. I'm convinced that Microsoft had somehow bribed, pressured or 'nudged' them to do so.

          It's basically a mass genocide of Windows versions before Win10. Either Microsoft wants to force most users onto Win10 and achieve a critical mass of users so as to brag to shareholders, or Win10 'software as a service' (and the very interesting EULA changes) pave the way for a future subscription-based revenue stream.

    5. P. Lee

      Re: I presume

      >That as I'm being forced to watch adverts, the cost of all their services will be drastically reduced?

      Haha! No.

      It just pays for more advertising.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    the only way?

    "Unfortunately the only way to disable the promo blaster is as follows:"

    No - I can think of several other ways. But I guess it depends whether you still want to run Microsoft windows afterwards.

  14. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    Adverts, etc.

    I saw another, sort-of-related, story on /. today about the pervasiveness of adverts in Windows 10, and it made me think...

    I don't think I've ever had ads imposed on me by Windows on any of my Win10 machines - nothing in Explorer, nothing in the Start Menu...not anywhere.

    I can't recall switching them off (from what I read, you can't switch them off anyway). It's got me wondering how come I'm leading a (thankfully) ad-free existence while other people seem to be getting ads foisted on them all the time.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Adverts, etc.

      "I don't think I've ever had ads imposed on me by Windows on any of my Win10 machines - nothing in Explorer, nothing in the Start Menu...not anywhere."

      Have you managed to remove or disable Cortana by any chance? Ad-pushing is, I believe, the only REAL reason that this abomination exists - given its symbiotic relationship with Bing!

      1. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

        Re: Adverts, etc.

        I think you could be onto something with Cortana. I saw no use or purpose to it, so disabled it. (using Home edition)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Adverts, etc.

        Not using a Microsoft account when using Win10 is the key step in disabling Cortana. Many of Win10's features e.g. Onedrive, Cortana, Microsoft app store require a Microsoft account to function.

        Of course, there are various other tweaks and patches which have been generously contributed by the techies to get rid of the telemetry stuff in Win10. These should be used in addition to not using a Microsoft account.

        The only negative drawback is not using Skype... which may be annoying for people who do video calls often. But there are alternatives out there which are better than Skype. Also, you might be able to use Skype without linking it to a Microsoft account.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Adverts, etc.

      Which version are you running? I'm quite sure they won't show in Enterprise, and probably in the Education version as well.

      1. GrumpyKiwi

        Re: Adverts, etc.

        Indeed. Windows 10 Pro takes a great deal of my time to rip out all those unwanted store apps that I don't want users touching, let alone trying to use. Then it tries its damn hardest to restore them. As a non-subtle hint that I should be using Enterprise, it's like a rino horn up the jacksie.

    3. Chemical Bob
      Coat

      Re: Adverts, etc.

      > It's got me wondering how come I'm leading a (thankfully) ad-free existence...

      I'll bet it's because you never, ever use the internet.

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: Adverts, etc.

        I use TehIntraWebTubes. I never see ads.

    4. Jez Burns

      Re: Adverts, etc.

      Same here - I purchased an OEM Windows 10, switched off Cortana, set all phone-home options to 'nope', decided never to go near Onedrive and have never seen any adverts..

  15. Dr. Ellen
    Black Helicopters

    Starve the beast

    A much easier way to avoid ads is to avoid Windows 10. I'm happy with 7, and getting practiced with Linux.

    1. Mark 110

      Re: Starve the beast

      Windows 10 is fine stays out of my way. Rarely does anything annoying.

      On principle I would like to use Linux instead. Itss just that everytime I try I end up forced to a command line to try and do what I want to do and invariably fail. Just too old to learn a new languagge to do simple thingss (though Spanish lessons are coming along a treat - but thats a bit different to sitting on my own swearing at my computer and resorting to rum to help the giving up processs. Spanish is a bit more social).

      1. King Jack
        Trollface

        Re: Starve the beast

        @Mark 110 You like the spying and phoning home? I guess it must be ok then. Baaa!

      2. Avatar of They
        FAIL

        Re: Starve the beast

        Lol, Used windows 10 once and found myself in the DISM. Powershell by another name, trying to add windows features.

        Windows has a command line now and we ain't talking DOS, if you haven't had to use it then you are lucky. It is there and needed if you want to do something "extra"

        Needless to say windows 10 didn't last as I couldn't understand why my new laptop had me in a command line and removing adverts for mirror.co.uk.

        Minty penguins all round. Ain't no adverts here.

        1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge
          Stop

          Re: Starve the beast

          Powershell by another name, trying to add windows features.

          Ah yes - PowerSHeLL. The monstrosity that came about then Microsoft engineers first got exposed to the linux CLI and thought "How can we take every broken feature in the Linux CLI and port it to Windows? And make it worse?"

          They then proceeded to do things like random capital-letter sensitivity and huge processor use.

          Run away. Run away now.

  16. InNY

    But,

    will they allow Apple and/or Google to buy advertising space on Windows 10?

    1. MD Rackham

      Re: But,

      Better yet, buy the space to advertise Windows 7.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: But,

      They already did for Apple. Windows 10 itself is one of the most effective ads for Apple gear and macOS. Maybe for ChomeOS too, after all, if you really want to be utterly spied, there cheaper alternative, and you're being spied by the original, not a copy.

    3. Mage Silver badge

      Re: But,

      Eventually, when they aren't selling Windows, but can make money from Adverts. They do want to be Google.

  17. Hans 1
    Facepalm

    In other words, the only way you can blot out Microsoft's adverts is by turning off the service that delivers important, even critical messages from OneDrive too – such as telling you synchronisation has failed, or your cloud storage is full, for example.

    Yeah, but those who use OneDrive will not mind the ads, anyway, right ?

    I am astounded at how MS has since 2001 consistently tried VERY HARD to make Windows non-worthy for real business work. Ok, 7 to 8 really was an incredible leap forward, more so than 8 to 8.1 or 8.1 to 10, the funny thing is, each time, they try some new way ... I do not really think it is the department to p*ss off users, more like, Self Destruct HaraKiri Division ...

  18. Hans 1
    Mushroom

    At least now we know what the data-slurping is for .... targeted ads!

    Anonymized Usage data MY FSCK'ing r's, it is data for targeted ads .... LYING b@st@rds!!!!!

  19. LosD

    Errrr... I'm pretty sure it is enough to disable "Get tip, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows" in the "Notifications and actions" settings (at the very least I don't see the ads, and I haven't disabled sync providers).

    Of course, that shouldn't even be necessary. I paid for Windows 10, I shouldn't have to jump through hoops avoid spam, phoning home and similar malware ('cause that's what it is!).

  20. thomn8r

    The Jobs' version would disable system features at boot time until the user had seen the advertisement, which could be "visual or audible."

    To paraphrase HHGTTG, death was too good for him.

    1. DropBear

      There are people who equate power over other people with a carte blanche licence to do to them whatever they see fit. They live simpler lives than most, unencumbered by any kind of moral concerns. The rest of us all, we're just Non-Player Characters in the great game they are the heroic protagonist of. If they could, they'd probably be deeply offended that we don't just stop existing and de-spawn when their game ends. I don't think they ever realize the real name of each of them is Ozymandias...

  21. Len Goddard

    Never seen this

    Maybe because I replaced the start mess with Classic Start Menu, File Manager with MultiCommander and both M$ browsers with Palemoon.

    And I don't have an M$ account, I use local login.

  22. Polardog

    I have a legacy Windows 7 installation for some older games. Everything else is now done via fedora. I won't buy any games now that aren't Linux ready.

  23. patrickstar

    My first reaction upon seeing that "suggested apps yaddayadda" (Netflix ads, WTF!) in Win10 was that it's almost like they believe noone uses computers for anything serious anymore.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      they believe noone uses computers for anything serious anymore.

      deserves its own title

      obvious implications obvious.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Re: they believe noone uses computers for anything serious anymore.

        Guess the average mobile phone user gave them the idea...

      2. David 132 Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: they believe noone uses computers for anything serious anymore.

        noone uses computers for anything serious anymore

        Too busy, that's why.

        Noone presents a weekly show on SiriusXM satellite radio.

        Noone was Herman (of the Hermits).

        The word you're looking for is "no-one" </grammar-pedant-mode>

  24. 45RPM Silver badge

    I don't like the idea of advertising in the OS. I don't like the idea of advertising in any software. But the prevailing opinion is that software, not being tangible, isn't worth anything. It's a race to the bottom, and it's the professional software developers who are being squeezed.

    So what should we do? Put advertising, however unwanted, in the software that we write? Starve? Or are users going to start ponying up and paying for the tools that they use?

    The free model works for Apple because Apple sells hardware, which pays for all that development work - with cash to spare. The free model works for Google because they can sell data scavenged from their users (oh, and advertising besides). The free model works for some Linux distros because they sell vastly expensive support contracts to enterprise. But other than that, it's a bloody bad time to be a developer.

  25. Mark 110

    Might be time to try . . .

    . . . Linux again.

    Last time I tried I had two big niggles and a small niggle:

    - lack of an acceptable DLNA server - I've fixed that now by buying a NAS box. Which works great using Plex. The Linuux desktop version of Plex was pants. Wht the f**k did it want to run fullscreen - I didn't want it too.

    - unable to get the screen on my Yoga to autorotate. I don't use it as a tablet very often - but I do. I died a death in the command line trying to get that to work last time I tried.

    - lack of native Office install - I would have had to use Office 365 web apps. Microsoft might come around on this one eventually if tthey keep forcing people onto Linux. They did it for Macs.

    Oh well - I don't use IE. I'm not going to see the ads.

    1. 45RPM Silver badge

      Re: Might be time to try . . .

      They did it for Macs…

      I could argue that Office was Mac first, Windows second. Certainly, Excel and PowerPoint were Mac first, Windows second. As was a GUI version of Word. So the circumstances are a little different from those for Linux.

      On my Linux box I use LibreOffice. After all, if you're going to break from Microsoft then you might as well go the whole hog. I use Office 365 on my Windows PC - and it works nicely enough with LibreOffice.

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Might be time to try . . .

      "lack of native Office install"

      Wine.

      1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

        Re: Might be time to try . . .

        "lack of native Office install"

        Wine.

        Don't mind if I do old chap. Cheers! Bottoms up! Hic

    3. Terry 6 Silver badge

      Re: Might be time to try . . .

      mark 110 You don't like Libre Office? I seldom, if ever, use my MSOffice anymore. Outlook kept me on it for a while. But no more. Now it's just there for the odd niggle of formatting. I could manage happily with just Libre Office

    4. Chemical Bob
      Windows

      Re: Last time I tried I had two big niggles and a small niggle

      That happened to me once when I drank from a bottle with no label.

      At least I *think* that's what happened...

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft + Samsung too...

    Just dream of becoming Facebook... Google... Why? Creating products takes time / effort, whereas Slinging Ads / Slurping just takes gullible end-users....

  27. J. R. Hartley

    Urgh

    Windows really is an abomination. It's almost like they are purposely killing it. Win7 and Office 2007 are definitely peak Windows. I miss the Amiga.

  28. Anonymous Coward
    Windows

    Thanks Microsoft!

    For making up my mind. Win10? No way, ever. You guys have fun now.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Tipping Point

    The Cumulative Effect of everything slurps, is I buy nothing now. No smart TV's, no IoT, no Android Smartphones, and certainly no Win10 infested sh*t.

    For now at least its possible to buy basic non-smart TV's and basic feature phones, and we can safely ignore smart IoT, after all who needs to spend 1,2,3,4 grand on a Smart Fridge etc. But you can't ignore Windows-10 slurping even on Pro / Enterprise judging by comments on the Reg recently.

    Tech is at a serious tipping point. Even if you're in a coma you can't ignore how few benefits there are versus the risks from surgically invasive Tracking, Snooping, Ad-Slinging and leaks to Hackers / Cybercrims / Spies...

    1. Timmy B

      Re: Tipping Point

      "The Cumulative Effect of everything slurps, is I buy nothing now. No smart TV's, no IoT, no Android Smartphones, and certainly no Win10 infested sh*t."

      You're that paranoid and still go on the internet? Go figure.....

      1. jake Silver badge

        Re: Tipping Point

        I don't have any of that, nor do I intend to any time soon^w.

        I don't call it paranoia, I call it pragmatic. Life's too short.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I no longer Help anyone

    Who buys Windowns-10.... And I used to help loads of users on lots of forums over many years. The population must wake up. People need to ask their local / online store, why don't you stock Linux alternatives...??? Its time!

  31. Frank N. Stein

    Sure, it takes effort to disable the Windows 10 crapware, but I've done it, and others have too. We'll see what they bring with that "Creator's Update". It would be interesting to see what happens if you DO NOT up date to that.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      Re: I've done it

      You may well have 'done it'.

      Ask yourself if the average user could do what you did?

      The answer is certainly a big fat NO.

      Us smartarses here can do all sorts of tricks that just bamboozle the average user. There is no way that that can do that. So they are left to suffer at the hands of the Ad slingers unless we can persuade them to move platform.

  32. Timmy B

    I had a bit of a search...

    ...and it seems that this is currently only happening in the beta for the creators update. May well explain why the vast majority of sites that mention this are, like the reg, just pointing back to the same reddit article. I use Windows 10 all day every day at home and work and the only adverts I see are in browser windows and they are pretty infrequent.

    I do also find it interesting that several people on here have complained about Windows and how much they hate it and then put down a long list of hoops they have to jump through to make their chosen Linux look and work just like it.

    I welcome your downvotes,

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "only happening in the beta for the creators update"

      Well, it's important that bugs like that surface and people talk a lot about them, so they can be squashed before they reach production... <G>

    2. Avatar of They
      FAIL

      Re: I had a bit of a search...

      Make a good point, people jump to Linux and immediately make it look like windows. Not sure why myself as I like the cinnamon look as is.

      Like the Golf adverts in the UK they used to have, where they made a point of people buying a car that was like a golf, but wasn't a golf.

    3. jake Silver badge

      Re: I had a bit of a search...

      Ah, but Timmy, one only has to jump through those hoops once with Linux (and the list isn't really all that long). With Redmond, you're stuck with many other hoops for life.

      Choose wisely; you're only on this dampish rock for a finite amount of time.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I had a bit of a search...

        Just once: until PulseAudio decides that the USB mic you used yesterday doesn't exist and makes the HDMI interface in your video card the default sound device. Linux may not have ads, but it is still very competitive with Windows when it comes to the makings of a bad day.

        1. Number6

          Re: I had a bit of a search...

          Yes, it has some annoying quirks with sound like that. My favourite (given that it's my son's PC affected and not mine) is where his favoured USB audio device sometimes presents itself as stereo speakers, sometimes as mono microphone and sometimes as both. I've told him to bring up the config page and repeatedly unplug and plug it back in until it does what he wants. I suspect there's a weak point in the Linux USB stack for dealing with combo devices.

  33. imanidiot Silver badge
    Windows

    It's almost like...

    MS hates it's users. It doesn't want to sell OSes anymore.

  34. Nick Ryan Silver badge

    Registry

    For those that like to mess with the registry:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

    DWORD:ShowSyncProviderNotifications, set value to 0

    Of course in classic Microsoft ass-hattery, and as noted in the article, this will also disable important sync provider messages. Scumbags.

  35. MrKrotos

    I have had enough of W10, previously I have got on okay with it but in the last 2 days the experience has shown me its no good.

    Been running W10 on a laptop happily for 3 months, then it auto installs the CU for 1607 which kills the USB! No way to rollback, no way to fix.

    MS answer: “Just reinstall it”

    My answer: “How about I fuk W10 off and just use Windows 7 while I learn Linux?”

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    What kind of idiot?

    So you pay good money for a bad OS and then, instead of letting you do what you want to do, it interrupts you with ads. I could understand this if they were giving away the OS (although I'd probably choose not to use it rather than suffer the ads). I might even use the thing and suffer the ads if they were PAYING me to use it. But what kind of idiot would pay money to endure somebody else's advertising?

    Hmmmmm. *Looks out of window*. Oh, most people are wearing clothing THAT THEY PAID FOR and the clothing is advertising something. So, there are plenty of idiots who are stupid enough to pay Microsoft money in order to watch adverts, because there are plenty of idiots who are stupid enough to pay EXTRA to advertise somebody's product when the advertiser should be paying them to wear it.

    I've just had a thought. Tattoovertising. Why pay money for twuntish tattoos when you can spend twice the amount to have a tattoo that advertises something? I'd get paid by the advertiser and the punter. I'd need a really good name for the tattoo parlour. How about "Twattoos"?

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Ads vs spam... there's a difference

    I remember when Microsoft rebranded Hotmail to Outlook, and all I saw henceforth were ads featuring other Microsoft products and services.

    I surmised that Microsoft was filthy rich enough to not need additional ad revenue from external sources, and there's no better promotion than self-promotion to a captive audience.

    We saw that come into fruition with the 'Get Windows 10 now!!!' spam. Once upon a time people would install Lavasoft AdAware or Malwarebytes to deal with that kind of 'promotion'.

  38. Hidden Manna
    Facepalm

    You guys are full of it !

    If you want to use WIndows 10, what's the big deal?

    1. Use a local account - eliminate 80% of the annoyances right there.

    2. Go to privacy settings and untick everything - 10% more

    3. Use a hosts file or adblock - 7% more.

    4. Customize a bit - you do that anyway - organize the Start menu how you want it etc.

    Right there and you already have a mostly decent system. Or just use 8.1 with a Start menu package. The hysteria is too much. You all are quite adept and can fix any of these systems to how you want them, so what is the big deal? On day One of the clean install you should have it already all how you want it (as far as one can), it's not like you are clueless.

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: You guys are full of it !

      Until Redmond turns it all on again (and adds more) in the next update.

      Who is full of it, again?

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