Has Windows Become Spyware? | Hacker News Reader

Has Windows Become Spyware?

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57 pointsTeeMassive19 comments

" With the recent problems being encountered by Windows users all across the country, people are begin to ask themselves if windows is a virus. In response to the high demand for an answer to that question a study was done and concluded the following.

1. Viruses replicate quickly.

Windows does this.

2. Viruses use up valuable system resources, slowing down the system as they do so.

Windows does this.

3. Viruses will, from time to time, trash your hard disk.

Windows does this

4. Viruses are usually carried, unkown to the user, along with valuable programs and systems.

Windows does that too.

5. Viruses will occasionally make the user suspect their system is too slow (see 2) and the user will buy new hardware.

Same with Windows, yet again.

Maybe Windows really is a virus.

Nope! There is a difference!

Viruses are well supported by their authors, are frequently updated, and tend to become more sophisticated as they mature. So there! Windows is not a virus."

I basically agree, but more than anything I appreciate the big "FW: FW: FW: RE: FW: WG: FW: A computer expert reviewed Windows 11 and this is what he found" energy. Simpler times.

The increase in Windows telemetry over the years has been well documented and the general point of the video is valid enough.

But navigating to these API’s domains in a browser and discovering a site clearly not intended for general consumption by users is an odd angle to focus on.

Similarly, the comparison to XP seemed unhelpful when considering the eras each OS was born in, i.e. even though I’m no fan of unnecessary telemetry, it’s also unsurprising that a modern OS will have more reasons to attempt a connection to the Internet than an older OS.

More telemetry is generally not a good thing, for many reasons that have nothing to do with crappy homepages and retired operating systems.

> But navigating to these API’s domains in a browser and discovering a site clearly not intended for general consumption by users is an odd angle to focus on.

It's more than that. Those websites had nothing to do with improving user experience and more often then not were dedicated to tracking and/or marketing.

I mean yes... but with Pro & Enterprise you can make a local account and you have access to the local group policy editor to change whatever you want.

Even basic install with local account, uninstall the store apps shit that come preinstalled (DO keep the MS store installed), get Ublock Origin on Edge and also download Firefox to use and its fine imo.

You could also use:

O&O ShutUp10++ https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10 and/or Winaerotweaker https://winaerotweaker.com/

OR if you REALLY want you can use Windows 10 IoT LTSC and it is REALLY stripped down Windows 10: https://archive.org/details/en-us_windows_10_iot_enterprise_...

https://old.reddit.com/r/Windows10LTSC/comments/qw1qrs/ltsc_...

Is that a lot of work and tweaks etc? Yes, but imo so is getting a Linux Desktop distro exactly right, and part of the fun for me, like ricing.

Cocks gun always has been

Did you watch the video? He shows the xp capture and it connects to exactly two domains. So there is a difference between xp and 10

PUP - possibly unwanted programs.. makes your system slow to a crawl like a virus.. all to send data to a company from a box I bought.

Super frustrating - open a win 10/11 laptop - wait.. wait.. try to click and open.. still wait.. keep waiting.. eventually open up task manager to see what's dragging it down.

Especially bad if you are running a spinning hard drive and not an SSD - omg! why did I even get a pentium chip?

The drive can't keep up with all the system / telemetry / msoffice oneclick something running (and I NEVER have used office on said box) - all the things

- this is one of the main bad effects of a virus on your system - making it super slow and hard to get things done.

It's almost like a cyrpto mining malware - uses up your cycles and slows you down to help them mine some gold.

Is there a way yet to install and use Win11 without a Microsoft account?

Yes? Have been since release.

With Pro and Enterprise, you can hit "Sign in options" and make a local account:

https://fossbytes.com/create-local-account-windows/

I did this when 11 first came out on a VM in VMWare Workstation to test around in it. So it's been there since release.

Other methods that seem like they work for Home version:

CMD method:

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-install-windows-11-hom...

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-windows-11-without-mi...

Type a fake email into the email field:

https://winaero.com/how-to-install-windows-11-with-local-acc...

Now you can make the Windows 11 install ISO with Rufus and it will auto make a local account:

https://www.neowin.net/news/rufus-320-is-out-with-bypass-for...

Whilst I think Win11 is a steaming pile of bad decisions I do not know why you were downvoted for a legitimate and reasonably factual answer. I have two machines (unfortunately) in the environment running Win11, and a VM, and they all use local account options, and once logged in, you can disable the nag to switch to a Microsoft account. My feelings on "but I shouldn't have to disable the nag" aside, a technical user can easily achieve this.

> I do not know why you were downvoted for a legitimate and reasonably factual answer

I agree the comment shouldn't be downvoted, but it's probably due to the "Yes?" At the beginning, which can be read as snarky.

It is not obvious to users that they need to disconnect Ethernet and intentionally not connect to WiFi when setting up (who wouldn't want to connect to their own WiFi on their own computer?), so a possibly snarky "yes, of course, duh" is probably drawing out the downvotes.

I realize this.

It is partly due to the Windows, for lack of a better word, "h8ers" that will recommend a Linux desktop that may/will require just as much or even more "fiddling" to install/customize/make work etc. That harp on a thing like this.

Partly due to being older but still immature when it comes to online interactions, internet is less "real" to me and I tend to be snarky if I know I'm technically right x)

We should get more people to get their hands on customized Windows build, I have been using customized(read: debloated) Windows 7 and 10 since years ago, and only have noticed that Windows really suck hard when I use somebody else's computer.

Haven't watched the video, but my gosh, what was MS thinking with MS Edge?

You open the browser... and it's just horrendous!

Sponsored links and trashy news. It's horrible

MS still have little to no taste it seems :-/

They're not targeting people like you or me with it. They know Edge's opening is what the people that wouldn't install Chrome/Firefox as their first and only action with Edge want.

What if I just put all these sketchy domains into hosts file?

Yeah, more than 20 years ago.

Spyware or malware or adware. The beyond-obnoxious badgering to log in, log in, LOG IN!!! with your "Microsoft account" to do ANYTHING renders the OS totally unacceptable in my house... and I regret replacing my parents' computers with new Windows machines plagued with that offensive behavior, along with crippling UI defects (some MS apps ignore the system-wide font-size setting, for example) and missing fundamental applications (like a competent E-mail program).

I was a software developer of large Windows-based systems for over a decade, before going to work for Apple. I regarded Windows as a sharp knife, and Mac OS as a child's safety scissors. Today, Windows is a depressing, hopeless mess and Mac OS is what I rely on daily to get stuff done. I hope rumors of Apple introducing touchscreen Macs are wrong. Doing so would require degrading the OS UI for a stupid, failed idea... leaving no good mainstream desktop OS.

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