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My grandfather's Windows 10 is constantly switching his default browser to Edge after updates. The poor bastard is very aware and anxious of his own cognitive d

My grandfather's Windows 10 is constantly switching his default browser to Edge after updates. The poor bastard is very aware and anxious of his own cognitive decline, so when his computer starts behaving differently for no reason, he thinks he is to blame. Microsoft is literally making my grandfather doubt his mental capacity. I realise they're not doing this deliberately, but when companies behave unethically, it has unexpected consequences. It's a similar story with his Antivirus software, which is constantly trying to convince him he needs to upgrade his subscription with useless browser extensions and other unnecessary features. Windows is a fucking minefield for old people man. And don't even get me started on how insanely impossible internet banking is for old people. His bank's idea of two factor authentication is to send him a TXT with a code, which he has to reply to with said code, as well as another code on his computer screen. He's got a flip phone for crying out loud! You know, one of those phones where you have to keep tapping 1 to get an A? His bank has literally made internet banking impossible for him. What's he supposed to do, get a taxi to the bank every time he needs to pay a bill? I realise protecting old people from bank fraud is extremely important, but did they ever test this crap with old people to see if it's workable??

LinuxBender 6y ago
to keep tapping 1 to get an A That is called a T-9 phone. I have one and people can pry it from my cold dead hands. I paid $12 for it. It can do voice, text and simple jpg pictures. I would prefer it could only do voice and text. It can idle off the charger for weeks on end. Malware? It doesn't even know what to do with it. Just shows up as garbled text. Spam? Default ring and message tone is silent. Phone is registered to a fictional movie character. I empathize with your grandfather. I hope Microsoft see your message and consider reflecting inward. The pessimist in me does not believe they will however.
jjeaff 6y ago
You could upgrade him to Windows 10 Pro. I haven't had any issues of things changing. And you can get an upgrade code on ebay for $10. I believe they are usually licenses that came with a pc that has been disposed of or where a different OS was installed. Some people claim these are fraudulent. But some sellers have years and many thousands of sales under their belt. I have had my $10 license for windows 10 pro for 4 years now without so much as a blip.
- alexhaber 6y ago
  I have a Surface Pro (2017), which comes with W10 Pro by default, and I can confidently say that Windows 10 Pro still nags the user. The most prominent example is the full screen nags that, although can be skipped, use dark patterns to trick the user into changing settings. Since I use windows with a local user account, instead of a Microsoft account, it often nags me to switch. Even when using a Microsoft account to sign in it still nags to set a pin to log in, instead of just using a password. I haven't found any setting to disable these permanently. Windows 10 LTSC is probably the best option, although I haven't tried it personally.
- panarky 6y ago
  What if it's an enterprise license that gives the seller's enterprise the ability to administer your machine?
  - shajznnckfke 6y ago
    I just installed Windows Pro on a new machine the other day with a key given to me by a friend. During the install process it asks if you want to use a personal account or domain account to log in. My guess would be you’d have to pick the domain account for the machine to be remotely administered. I’d be surprised if an existing windows install could be taken over merely by putting in an upgrade key.
hashbig 6y ago
Buy him a Chromebook or an iPad this holiday. No one deserves this.
polishdude20 6y ago
I had a similar experience the other day with my dad. He forgot his Amazon password and they sent him a link to his flip phone which can't open links. I had to get him to send me the message so I could open the link on my phone and give him the number.

LinuxBender 6y ago

to keep tapping 1 to get an A That is called a T-9 phone. I have one and people can pry it from my cold dead hands. I paid $12 for it. It can do voice, text and simple jpg pictures. I would prefer it could only do voice and text. It can idle off the charger for weeks on end. Malware? It doesn't even know what to do with it. Just shows up as garbled text. Spam? Default ring and message tone is silent. Phone is registered to a fictional movie character. I empathize with your grandfather. I hope Microsoft see your message and consider reflecting inward. The pessimist in me does not believe they will however.

jjeaff 6y ago

You could upgrade him to Windows 10 Pro. I haven't had any issues of things changing. And you can get an upgrade code on ebay for $10. I believe they are usually licenses that came with a pc that has been disposed of or where a different OS was installed. Some people claim these are fraudulent. But some sellers have years and many thousands of sales under their belt. I have had my $10 license for windows 10 pro for 4 years now without so much as a blip.

alexhaber 6y ago
I have a Surface Pro (2017), which comes with W10 Pro by default, and I can confidently say that Windows 10 Pro still nags the user. The most prominent example is the full screen nags that, although can be skipped, use dark patterns to trick the user into changing settings. Since I use windows with a local user account, instead of a Microsoft account, it often nags me to switch. Even when using a Microsoft account to sign in it still nags to set a pin to log in, instead of just using a password. I haven't found any setting to disable these permanently. Windows 10 LTSC is probably the best option, although I haven't tried it personally.
panarky 6y ago
What if it's an enterprise license that gives the seller's enterprise the ability to administer your machine?
- shajznnckfke 6y ago
  I just installed Windows Pro on a new machine the other day with a key given to me by a friend. During the install process it asks if you want to use a personal account or domain account to log in. My guess would be you’d have to pick the domain account for the machine to be remotely administered. I’d be surprised if an existing windows install could be taken over merely by putting in an upgrade key.

hashbig 6y ago

Buy him a Chromebook or an iPad this holiday. No one deserves this.

polishdude20 6y ago

I had a similar experience the other day with my dad. He forgot his Amazon password and they sent him a link to his flip phone which can't open links. I had to get him to send me the message so I could open the link on my phone and give him the number.