Game ad notification on Windows...
Have to use Windows for work (I've asked), the ads have been getting worse and worse on my work laptop. Today got a game ad notification... That's clearly too far, right? Like I have to clear notifications, so I have to see it
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That's because your IT department hasn't turned all that crap off with group policy.
Tthe problem is now if you have the store disabled basic shit, like the ability to open .heic files is broken or use stuff people want like sticky notes is broken.
We turn off most of what we can’t but having the store enabled causes all sorts of stuff.
Also windows 11 has ads baked in even with the store disabled. Plug in a Logitech mouse, get a pop up for their software. Open the picture viewer and get an ad to install some video editor that isn’t clear whether it’s a Ms product or not.
No to mention basic things like copy paste and edit are now weird icons because I guess they think most users are illiterate.
Most of the 11 UI changes are not for the better. Having to beta test it for work is frustrating and I run an IT shop.
Omg I loathe those icons. They are so much harder to use than words, cuz I still have to hover over them to make sure it’s the right thing.
Windows 11, in general, feels so shit after being on Ubuntu.
But I see Linux has decent touchscreen support now so as soon as I’m done at this job, that sucker is getting formatted 😈
MS goes out of their way to make shit harder than it needs to be.
For example. The store, they have a store for business where you can simply whitelist known apps buts it’s a PITA to setup AND they have been threatening to decom it for ages
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-store/microsoft-store-for-business-overview
Want to add safety/security features like secuirty keys. Well if you do it on a non domain joined machine you can just sign into a m365 account to enable a passkey or yuibijey as a second factor.
Want to do that in a business environment. Congrats now you have to deploy a windows CA and issue user certificates to tie to this. Even if you are signing the machine into m365 with ADAL.
They go out of their way to add complexity and failure points.
I read a thing just the other day about essentially that. Not that specific issue, but the way their timekeeping works (by default) and is a disaster (literally) when it fails.
https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/08/windows-feature-that-resets-system-clocks-based-on-random-data-is-wreaking-havoc/
That is crazy. According to a comment on that article, most BIOS uses UTC (as does Linux, obviously), but Windows uses localtime for some reason, so it converts UTC to localtime after boot, then back to UTC when it needs to do little things like networking or TLS.
Yes, it used to break dualbooting, since it reset the clock each time, it was driving me mad.
The solution was simple - erase the ntfs partition.
Now that I don't use windows anymore, I really want to see how crappy of an OS they can make it. It's fun to watch.
Christ that explains why I can’t open pictures on my work pc, thanks
Funnily I get confused with the copy paste icons than with just text.
To that I would argue why should IT need to waist their time turning that crap off. IT should be off by default.
It shouldn't even be part of an OS at all. I haven't purchased Windows in probably about twenty years but if I did I would expect that if I pay for software, it's not going to come and try to keep selling me more crap. This is just one of the reasons I use Linux.
And people just get on with it and download these chappy things that turn things off in group policy editor, like u shouldn't need to download an app to not get ads on something u paid for
Do you not purchase laptops? I have no option than to buy windows every 4-6 years along with the laptop.
We only ever buy second hand laptops. When our teen bought his brand new PC, it came installed with Windows. I asked the shop, when enquiring about customisation, if it could come without Windows but was told that it had already been installed and even if we opted to wait for one that wasn't built yet, the mount of money they charge for OEM Windows is very little so we wouldn't save much anyway.
Outside of donating, Linux distros don't cost anything so it's not like paying for an OS on top of paying for an OS.
My recent purchase had both win 11 home and office pre installed. Most consumer laptop with decent spec dont give OS as option in my country.
We are collectively paying for it to get that discounted price. Retail win 11 pro sells for 10% the price of a mid range office laptop without gpu.
It's one group policy setting, that you only have to set one time.
You're not wrong, but there's a million little things you only have to do once, and this is one more.
Yeah, there are a lot of things that need doing. That's why people have jobs in IT.
A classic parable of the broken Windows.
Oh no, I have to do things.
My point isn't how simple it is to turn off, my point is why is that turn on by default in the first place? Last I checked to join a Window's domain you need a Professional/Enterprise version of Windows. This is software intended for a business environment not only that, it also costs much more as well. Yet here we are by default my Profession Windows install comes with Candy Crush and Game Pass ads. Great job Microsoft you have done it again.
It's fucking disgusting that it even exists on the consumer version bundled for $2 to OEMs with terrible computers.
Let alone the premium versions.
This is the only argument I find makes sense. It would definitely be elementary for Microsoft to have those consumer features turned off by default in the Pro/Pro for Workstations/Enterprise/etc editions.
I think turning IT off is illegal.
It's fine as long as you turn it back on again afterwards. It's a standard troubleshooting procedure.
Microsoft Certified Reboot Specialist
The fact that you need a group policy to turn this kind of garbage off is ridiculous.
Yea, I work in a windows shop. All this shit is turned off for any device in our domain. No BYOD either.