13 ms·

I've been using Windows for about two years. Just this morning, when I booted into Windows, the boot loader (or whatever you call the part before Windows is ful

I've been using Windows for about two years. Just this morning, when I booted into Windows, the boot loader (or whatever you call the part before Windows is fully loaded) prompted me saying I need to finish setting up. The only options were "accept" or "remind me in 3 days", so I accepted. Then it asked me to change my default browser to Edge. Apparently "finish setting up" means "we don't like that you are using Firefox".

EvanAnderson 5y ago
It sounds like you got a major Windows 10 update. They're, basically, an in-place OS reload.
gordaco 5y ago
This happened to me last week as well. I assume that this shit came with any of the recent updates. It really infuriated me, especially the usage of the word "need" and the fact that the dialog doesn't offer an option like "no, and don't bug me with this ever again". Fortunately, after hitting the "remind me in 3 days" button, I looked a bit and found an option that does make it go away forever. My Windows is in Spanish, so I don't know the exact name of the configuration settings in English, but you can find it in the Win+I configuration dialog. Look for "notifications and actions" (or something very similar), and there, look for a checkbox whose text reads something like "suggest ways to finish device configuration to get the most out of Windows". In fact there are six checkboxes in that screen and every single one looks like an annoyance, so I disabled them all.
- Traubenfuchs 5y ago
  Windows forces some kind of setup flow with major updates now it seems.
- amelius 5y ago
  At least you didn't get a "Windows needs to restart and update" in the middle of a presentation ...
josephcsible 5y ago
That behavior is definitely abhorrent. I wonder, though, if you could get the message to go away for good by accepting the change and then immediately changing it right back after.
defanor 5y ago
> Apparently "finish setting up" means "we don't like that you are using Firefox". I've noticed the same thing on an Android tablet recently, just with Google Play in place of Edge (and F-Droid in place of Firefox). That's unpleasant, but unfortunately not that surprising: dark patterns and other annoyances are quite common, particularly with commercial products.
- slim 5y ago
  did it uninstall f-droid ?
  - defanor 5y ago
    It did not: actually it'd keep asking to "complete setting up" without F-Droid installed too, just as long as Google Play is not configured.
- GekkePrutser 5y ago
  I haven't noticed this on my Android but I never even sign in to Google Play on them anymore. I just install F-Droid and Aurora store (for those apps which aren't FOSS). I think this stops a lot of Google's skullduggery. Of course a google-free ROM is even better for privacy but I think this is a nice middle ground. The good thing is that this way firebase notifications still work, but are not linked to my account (similar to using MicroG). But it hasn't complained about F-Droid, not asked me to 'continue setting up' or anything. I do this on a OnePlus and a Samsung. YMMV of course.
  - defanor 5y ago
    I've observed it on Samsung, Galaxy A8; sounds like it varies from model to model then. And it didn't complain about F-Droid in particular, just its setup routine involves configuration of Google Play (signing in with Google).
- zo1 5y ago
  Had Android give me a notification to prompt me to uninstall "Vanced Manager" because it is (can't remember exact wording they used) dangerous or malicious malware, or could make my device unsafe. If I didn't know the details, I'd have "trusted" Android(Google) blindly to know what's best for me and would have uninstalled immediately.
antisthenes 5y ago
Unacceptable. How should I tell my employer that I am no longer able to use Windows and that I will be unproductive if I am forced to do so?
- kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 5y ago
  Well, that depends on your company. Approaches will vary from what you typed above, to "I quit."
- synicalx 5y ago
  I don't agree with what MS is doing here, but "I don't like being asked to use a different browser" is going to be a hard sell to your employer if they don't already have Macs as standard. If they do offer Macs though then I'd say just ask them for one and say you'll be more productive. It shouldn't be a big deal for any reasonable employer, I'm sure they could find a new home for your current device as well.
gentleman11 5y ago
Last week, a windows update wiped out the boot loader for my Linux install right before I needed the Linux laptop for an event. I had to cancel since I didn’t have time to repair things It does this every 6 months or so. Windows is malware
- nicce 5y ago
  On top of that, if you have dual boot and you boot into Windows, it always sets boot order to be Windows first from BIOS/UEFI.
- sreevisakh 5y ago
  That is unusual for a modern system that uses UEFI. The windows bootloader may set itself as the default EFI program, but other bootloaders should remain in the EFI partition. It's just a matter of changing the default back to Linux bootloader. If windows does wipe out other bootloaders, then it's something serious to be discussed. Are you sure that's what happened?
  - gentleman11 5y ago
    It’s not listed as a boot option in the uefi and never is. I always have to go in and do a repair after these updates
    - sreevisakh 5y ago
      That may be the fault of the UEFI implementation. Many are terrible - especially from the big OEMs. I keep rEFInd as my boot manager and let it deal with the rest. I also find a way to recover rEFInd if an OS sets its own bootloader as default. It may take trial of up to 5 different methods to find one that actually works.
- Grimburger 5y ago
  I had this happen a lot on my dual boot system. After the fourth time I snapped and deleted the windows partition, it's too risky to have a computer that may or may not boot at the whims of forced updates. MS ignores the problem too despite numerous complaints spanning years, when dozens of people are saying it's due to a Windows update and they insist it's something else it's probably fair to say this is Won't Fix for them.

EvanAnderson 5y ago

It sounds like you got a major Windows 10 update. They're, basically, an in-place OS reload.

gordaco 5y ago

This happened to me last week as well. I assume that this shit came with any of the recent updates. It really infuriated me, especially the usage of the word "need" and the fact that the dialog doesn't offer an option like "no, and don't bug me with this ever again". Fortunately, after hitting the "remind me in 3 days" button, I looked a bit and found an option that does make it go away forever. My Windows is in Spanish, so I don't know the exact name of the configuration settings in English, but you can find it in the Win+I configuration dialog. Look for "notifications and actions" (or something very similar), and there, look for a checkbox whose text reads something like "suggest ways to finish device configuration to get the most out of Windows". In fact there are six checkboxes in that screen and every single one looks like an annoyance, so I disabled them all.

Traubenfuchs 5y ago
Windows forces some kind of setup flow with major updates now it seems.
amelius 5y ago
At least you didn't get a "Windows needs to restart and update" in the middle of a presentation ...

josephcsible 5y ago

That behavior is definitely abhorrent. I wonder, though, if you could get the message to go away for good by accepting the change and then immediately changing it right back after.

defanor 5y ago

> Apparently "finish setting up" means "we don't like that you are using Firefox". I've noticed the same thing on an Android tablet recently, just with Google Play in place of Edge (and F-Droid in place of Firefox). That's unpleasant, but unfortunately not that surprising: dark patterns and other annoyances are quite common, particularly with commercial products.

slim 5y ago
did it uninstall f-droid ?
- defanor 5y ago
  It did not: actually it'd keep asking to "complete setting up" without F-Droid installed too, just as long as Google Play is not configured.
GekkePrutser 5y ago
I haven't noticed this on my Android but I never even sign in to Google Play on them anymore. I just install F-Droid and Aurora store (for those apps which aren't FOSS). I think this stops a lot of Google's skullduggery. Of course a google-free ROM is even better for privacy but I think this is a nice middle ground. The good thing is that this way firebase notifications still work, but are not linked to my account (similar to using MicroG). But it hasn't complained about F-Droid, not asked me to 'continue setting up' or anything. I do this on a OnePlus and a Samsung. YMMV of course.
- defanor 5y ago
  I've observed it on Samsung, Galaxy A8; sounds like it varies from model to model then. And it didn't complain about F-Droid in particular, just its setup routine involves configuration of Google Play (signing in with Google).
zo1 5y ago
Had Android give me a notification to prompt me to uninstall "Vanced Manager" because it is (can't remember exact wording they used) dangerous or malicious malware, or could make my device unsafe. If I didn't know the details, I'd have "trusted" Android(Google) blindly to know what's best for me and would have uninstalled immediately.

antisthenes 5y ago

Unacceptable. How should I tell my employer that I am no longer able to use Windows and that I will be unproductive if I am forced to do so?

kQq9oHeAz6wLLS 5y ago
Well, that depends on your company. Approaches will vary from what you typed above, to "I quit."
synicalx 5y ago
I don't agree with what MS is doing here, but "I don't like being asked to use a different browser" is going to be a hard sell to your employer if they don't already have Macs as standard. If they do offer Macs though then I'd say just ask them for one and say you'll be more productive. It shouldn't be a big deal for any reasonable employer, I'm sure they could find a new home for your current device as well.

gentleman11 5y ago

Last week, a windows update wiped out the boot loader for my Linux install right before I needed the Linux laptop for an event. I had to cancel since I didn’t have time to repair things It does this every 6 months or so. Windows is malware

nicce 5y ago
On top of that, if you have dual boot and you boot into Windows, it always sets boot order to be Windows first from BIOS/UEFI.
sreevisakh 5y ago
That is unusual for a modern system that uses UEFI. The windows bootloader may set itself as the default EFI program, but other bootloaders should remain in the EFI partition. It's just a matter of changing the default back to Linux bootloader. If windows does wipe out other bootloaders, then it's something serious to be discussed. Are you sure that's what happened?
- gentleman11 5y ago
  It’s not listed as a boot option in the uefi and never is. I always have to go in and do a repair after these updates
  - sreevisakh 5y ago
    That may be the fault of the UEFI implementation. Many are terrible - especially from the big OEMs. I keep rEFInd as my boot manager and let it deal with the rest. I also find a way to recover rEFInd if an OS sets its own bootloader as default. It may take trial of up to 5 different methods to find one that actually works.
Grimburger 5y ago
I had this happen a lot on my dual boot system. After the fourth time I snapped and deleted the windows partition, it's too risky to have a computer that may or may not boot at the whims of forced updates. MS ignores the problem too despite numerous complaints spanning years, when dozens of people are saying it's due to a Windows update and they insist it's something else it's probably fair to say this is Won't Fix for them.