2y ago

Windows will let european users uninstall many system components such as Bing or Edge soon

blogs.windows.com

Previewing changes in Windows to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Economic Area

geteilt von: https://lemmy.world/post/8371095

Long post and well worth the read, but the interesting part to me is this:
Windows operating system and apps
Customers using Windows have always used a combination of operating system functionality as well as apps, but now Windows will clearly identify operating system functionality in places like Settings, Start, and Search:
Settings > System > System Components will show notable operating system components.
Start menu’s All Apps list has been renamed to All and operating system components are labeled with “system”.
Under Search, search results will show operating system components labeled with “system”.
All apps in Windows can be uninstalled. Of course, apps can always be installed again from the Microsoft Store and internet. Settings > Apps > Installed apps continue to show all the apps installed on the PC and we’ve added the ability to uninstall:
Camera
Cortana
Web Search from Microsoft Bing, in the EEA
Microsoft Edge, in the EEA
Photos

PC Master Race @lemmy.world

Carighan Maconar @lemmy.world

2y ago

Windows will let european users uninstall many system components such as Bing or Edge soon

blogs.windows.com /windows-insider/2023/11/16/previewing-changes-in-windows-to-comply-with-the-digital-markets-act-in-the-european-economic-area/

86 comments

So, they went to the trouble of keeping a different set of functionalities just for Europe instead of unshittifying Windows for everyone. Wow.
- So it must be worth a lot of money to force al of that stuff on users right?
  
  Nobody would be using their ad-bloated software otherwise
- You can use Linux for free which has never been shittified.
  
  How quickly they forget. Canonical added Amazon ads to Ubuntu 10 years ago. They walked it back after huge backlash, but don’t believe that any corporate-backed Linux is immune to “shittifying”.
  
  Linux distributions and/or components have been, and will be, shittified repeatedly. Not as badly as commercial operating systems, but pretty bad anyway.
  
  Because it has never been good enough for the average terminal-averse user to begin with.
- Hmm... but the registry hooks for those uninstalls must be in there even if the option isn't surfaced in the UI right?
  Maintaining different UI options is one thing, maintaining completely different OS versions is another... and it seems like it would be prohibitively complex and expensive to do that.
  Probably all you'd need is for someone with the EU version to export a backup of the relevant parts of their registry, and distribute that so anyone who wants to can have the same uninstall options. The trick would be keeping it that way through Windows updates.
- Well, they are no longer allowed to milk victims in the EU thanks to good laws. That does not mean they cannot exploit those who are not protected.
  
  Don't worry, they'll invent a new way of milking in no time.
- $$$ > $$
- That sweet sweet data collection $$
"system components" is a weird way of spelling forced bloatware.
- Well... dependencies can still exist, which would justify the "system" marking. For example, different programs' WebViews depend on Edge nowadays, though maybe it is possible to isolate having that rendering engine without having the full browser program.
  
  Microsoft already has a webview software that deals with that, which afaik already also comes with Windows, and is independent of Edge.
  Edge, the browser proper, is in no way a dependency of anything else.
  
  For example, different programs’ WebViews depend on Edge nowadays
  I.e. the programmer could not care less about adherence to standards. Or, in other words: The software is buggy.
Why yes, Microsoft, I do live in Europe, why do you ask?
I'd like to see this on android too. That shit is the worst. I know we can root and remove it or disable it. It should not be there in the first place and it should definitely be removable.
- fyi a lot of preinstalled crapware can be uninstalled just by using adb, no need to root
  
  It shouldn't need to be removable through adb either.
  How many regular users do you think would be capable?
- The big issue here is that it’s both the carriers and the manufacturers who make money off the crapware that’s preinstalled. Many Android phones are generally cheaper by hardware spec compared to iPhones specifically because someone is making money of the preinstalled crapware.
  
  Don't kid yourself, phone cost exactly as much as the company selling them can charge. They don't lower the price because they are making money off the crapware. It only increases their profits.
  Android phones are cheaper than iPhones because people are willing to pay more for iPhones.
  
  Your carriers install crapware?
  Never seen it happen, but I also don't buy into the scam that is carrier phones subscriptions.
- I am running DivestOS, a degoogled hardened version of Android.
  You can remove as many apps as you like, BUT then, you have no access to your banks, to services etc. We are literally talking about modern slavery on Android if you are Google free.. Without Google's Safety net, most banks and subscribtion based applications are not working. You are enforced to have Google on your phone. Or have 2 devices. One for big brother, one for your personal use.
- Kinda why I went with a Pixel phone. Just pure stock Android and nothing else.
  
  Idk, most people don't need half of Googles' apps either. Can you remove them on a Pixel?
Uninstalling Windows entirely has improved my sanity immensely.
- I would too if anti cheat worked on Linux
  
  I'm glad to see it improving lately, together with proton, but it's not ideal yet, for sure.
  For people who want to follow the progress of anticheat on Linux: https://areweanticheatyet.com/
  
  I'm not an expert on it, but I imagine it's probably not the most complex task in the world to program those anti-cheats with Proton in mind. With increased Linux gaming (thanks Steam Deck!) It's probably worth it, financially.
- Same
- You just switched it out with a different devil.
  How are those drivers?
  Is your audio working?
  
  Drivers? Do you mean the kernel modules that get automatically loaded without a problem on each boot?
  My audio works really well. Why wouldn't it? The ALSA days are long gone and pulseaudio has matured enough to work great, even with Bluetooth.
  I even got Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator working, I'm never going back to an OS that breaks its own photo viewer app with an update. Twice.
  
  Both are great, everything just works* on my Linux install, thanks.
  I don't use Nvidia. Because their drivers suck. So validity on your drivers comment.
If the EU could force them to allow us to fully disable tracking as well, that would be great.
We’ll be updating  Windows 10, version 22H2 and Windows 11, version 23H2 PCs in the EEA to be compliant by March 6th, 2024.
Not just Win11, but Win10 as well. Nice.
- Well, they kind of have to I would guess.
- It just so happens I will be reinstalling my windows partition and "moving to Europe" in March of next year too!
"I'm from the government and I'm here to help" is a very good thing when the government gives a shit about the people it governs.
- Slow down
  It's the same Union that wants to ban cryptography in instant messaging apps. Sometimes they get it right, sometimes...well
"Let" more like forced by the eu
Windows uses the region chosen by the customer during device setup to identify if the PC is in the EEA. Once chosen in device setup, the region used for DMA compliance can only be changed by resetting the PC.
Uuh. I hope I have that set to my actual location despite using en-US as display language.
Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it should be correct.
I hate when apps use your format settings instead of display language to decide the language they display. Having to reset the Windows installation would be a much bigger hassle though.
- I've often fixed these settings post installation. I guess doing it right the first time is important now.
Wish they would also do that with Win10.
- That step they don't have to go makes me think with Windows 12, the whole process will likely start from 0. They will try to implement everything again, waiting for courts or politics to take some decisions after years.
  
  That's the circle of shit, but they were forced well before Windows 10 is EoL'd, that's good
- Another post linked an article by windowscentral which states that these changes will also be rolled out to Win10
Can I please pay full price on just Windows without any “telemetry”?
- I get your point but in software development some telemetry data ist very helpful and also nessesary to improve or fix your software. Microsoft though and almost all tech companies are collecting much much more than needed.
  
  Telemetry isnt a substitute for actual bug reports, and if a company wants to know how their software is being used.. then they can always just ask? or just do some actual user testing?
- You could by the Pro license then modify Group Policy to restrict telemetry down to the bare minimum.
Bing is a sytem component now?
Cortana and Microsoft Bing are going right out the window, Microsoft Edge will have to stay as a necessary evil to deal with moronically designed websites. Hear, hear!
I wish this would make sense, but if I want to watch Netflix in better quality than 720p then I have to use Edge and Geforce Now won't work decent with Firefox either. They do already have systems in place that will make it hard to decide to not have Edge on your PC if you live in the EU. I still only use it for these special cases and Firefox for everything else, but damn do I hate it.
- That's a Netflix issue, not a Windows one.
  Netflix requires not only extremely specific DRM, they also have a whitelist of what containers are allowed to see the higher resolution. It's a whole problem on Android too.
  It's not Microsoft somehow forcing you to use Edge, it's Netflix.
  In other news, my Jellyfin server's web UI works even if you're using outdated Firefox versions on Hannah Montana Linux.
  
  outdated Firefox versions on Hannah Montana Linux
clicks to uninstall Edge
Are you sure you want to uninstall? Edge is recommended for best experience!
clicks continue to uninstall
You are about to uninstall a key system component which might affect the computer behavior, are you sure?
clicks continue to uninstall
Does your administrator confirms?
nothing's happens, PC stuck
Window Doesn't Responding
awkward long silence
Uninstalled.
1 month after
We have just improved Edge experience for you!
can't find skip button, angrily confirms
- Is this real?
  
  Nope, just joking

86 comments