Microsoft to force Windows 11 24H2 on Home and Pro users
theregister.com
theregister.com
At some cross-over point of course mircosoft becomes the larger threat actor.
I still have a single windows laptop for VR. Steam VR games don't quite seem to work ok for me on proton yet, sadly. (Most other games do, fortunately). Since that particular laptop only makes very limited network connections, an update is plausibly a net negative for me already.
I'm sort of surprised there's no straight-forward "block windows updates" firewall for the raspberry pi or so, or is that what pi-hole is for?
At least for Windows 11 Pro and above, this is as simple as disabling automatic updates in Group Policy.
Yes, it does work. And it should continue to work because Group Policy is an enterprise feature that Microsoft does not want to violate.
Home users are SOL, though.
>Almost a year ago, Windows 11 23H2 was rolled out in the same way – the company's support lifecycle means Home and Pro users must be kept up to date, whether those users like it or not, in order to receive support.
Consumer editions are released every year, and are only supported for 2 years, so it makes sense to upgrade people around half-way through that cycle.
It would be nice if users could simply opt out of "support," whateverTF that means. It sounds like something I don't want, if it means forcibly installing software.
security patches
>It sounds like something I don't want, if it means forcibly installing software.
HN readers might be competent enough to avoid malware even with vulnerable systems, but people like your aunt need all the help they can get. That includes a operating system that doesn't have EoP exploits that allow malicious code to escape from browser sandboxes. Forcing updates by default is probably a good thing. Disabling updates isn't hard if you're technically inclined, and if you can't you're probably better off having a patched system than being mildly annoyed that you have to restart your system every month for updates.
You have fallen victim to Microsoft intentionally blurring the line between security patching and software changes. A security fix should never be bundled with or uninstallable without a UI/feature change unless that change is critical to fixing the vulnerability.
That's a nice thought but in practice it's infeasible to keep different branches for different UI/feature sets around in perpetuity. Consumer of Windows only gets 2 years of support, which is short compared to Ubuntu's 5 years of support for LTS (10 years if you pay them), but you can get similar support periods through enterprise contracts. It's also longer than mobile platforms, which only offer 1 year (if that).
So fixing a big here, introducing a bug there. /s
They have been doing exactly that since Windows 98. Windows Update used to only auto install security/bug patches and features were optional installs.
Microsoft also has an entire line of POSReady/WEI that gets only critical security fixes with zero other changes. This version of Windows is what runs on ATMs and self checkout machines.
That's literally the one thing I still use windows for. ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42797284 )
I prefer convenience over the hoops of dual boots and Linux, but even I spent a half-day setting up a dual boot and configuring it with my Steam games.
Far easier next step: Wiping the Windows drive and make it my work and experiment Linux instance.
Side benefit: Building and fiddling with Llama.cpp will be infinitely easier.
I've got mixed feelings about the type of updates that happen, at the same time with security updates ... I feel like required updates can be justified as far as consumer editions go.
[1] https://www.techopse.com/microsoft-reverses-non-negotiable-t...
I was able to add it at one point but then MS added new barriers and I haven't attempted since.
Unless you use a tool like Rufus to patch the Windows 11 installer and remove all (artificial) checks, because then suddenly Windows 11 will even install on 10 year old PCs with a in place upgrade.
[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/mi...
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-upda...
Granted x86-64-v2 includes the original 2008 Intel Nehalem ("Core" series) and AMD Bulldozer (2011) but it's not unreasonable to assume that they'll slowly "ratchet" up the requirements over time
We shall also extend this to Microsoft employees: Got an pld car or electrical screwdriver ? You shall update it every two years because it is "out of support" and "insecure".
Need to find a spare weekend to transition to Linux at some point
I hate this take, UIs changing without user consent or control is just plain WRONG.
It has a Gen2 i5, 16GBs of RAM, and an SSD. A fine machine for a home user, but Win11 won't install and in the end I just reverted to its original Win7.
It would be fine with any Linux. I tested Ubuntu Mate and it ran fine.
It was the last straw. I will never again meddle with Windows.