4 ms·

How do I make Windows 11 think I'm in the EU?

layer8 3y ago
Region settings, possibly: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/adjust-region-settings-on-windows-11/ https://www.groovypost.com/howto/adjust-region-settings-on-w...
- capableweb 3y ago
  Probably a combination of different inputs, like timezone, regional, GPS (if computer supports that) and figuring out public IP. Knowing Microsoft, they'll try their hardest to avoid flagging a computer as within EEA if they possibly could.
  - leshenka 3y ago
    hopefully the "inside EEA" flag will be stored somewhere in registry
    - wistlo 3y ago
      Or better yet, a registry flag to enable browser choice.
      - layer8 3y ago
        That’s what the “default browser” setting is for. Microsoft just deliberately choses to ignore it in some parts of Windows, and instead hardcodes Edge.
  - pluijzer 3y ago
    I wonder how this works, if I buy a laptop in the EU as a EU citizen and travel to for example the US, I still expect them to adhere to the rules where I bought it.
    - capableweb 3y ago
      I don't think that's how regulations apply in general. Usually they're scoped to the geographical location + your sovereign status, but not just your sovereign status. For example, I don't think it's realistic to expect a US citizen traveling to a EU country having to follow US regulations and laws, nor the opposite. So I'm not sure it would apply in this case either, but I'm not even sure what regulation/law made Microsoft add this change to the update in the first place. If we can figure that out, I guess we could figure out the real answer to your question without guessing.
zecg 3y ago
I can recommend https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect
Liquix 3y ago
When you're at the point of tricking your operating system into thinking you're in a different country in order to make it function properly, it may be time to try a new OS. GNU/Linux has excellent compatibility with 95% of windows software through wine
- candiddevmike 3y ago
  I used to run Debian, but gaming was always worse than Windows for me (new AMD graphics card, yes photon is great but it's not a replacement for me). My end users are all on Windows too, and I could never properly emulate their experience on Debian (short of _emulating_ Windows). WSL2 works really well for my needs. I get the best of both worlds. I also hate all of the data collection and dark patterns.
- jwells89 3y ago
  That last 5% is killer, because it’s just enough to make rebooting into Windows a pain in the rear, and much of it is the type of software that refuses to run in VMs due to things like anticheat.
  - Pannoniae 3y ago
    The games with kernel anticheat are exactly the user-hostile games you wouldn't want to play anyway. (PUBG, Valorant, Fortnite, etc.) Normal, enjoyable games don't have kernel anticheat.
    - hardware2win 3y ago
      Bullshit as hell. Cheaters are serious problem.
    - _cenw 3y ago
      You're missing the point. These are all games you likely play because your peer group does. Also, the experience on Wine/Proton isn't always the best. If you have high-end hardware, you probably want features that just don't work because of your GPU driver of implementation gaps in Wine/Proton.
janandonly 3y ago
When you're at the point of tricking your operating system into thinking you're in a different country to make it function properly, it may be time to try a new OS. macOS has excellent compatibility with 95% of windows software through Parallels, and also respects your choice of browser. I have Firefox, Chrome, Tor Browser and Brave running next to my current browser of preference, Safari. But switching back and forth is easy, and macOS respects my choice when I change the settings.
- hellcow 3y ago
  MacOS, run by Apple, the same company that mandates the Safari engine on iOS? The same company that fights tooth and nail against allowing non-“approved” apps to run on their devices? Let’s not delude ourselves to thinking that two of the richest tech companies in the world are all that different. Both are working against your interests to monopolize their turf. The group that truly puts users first is FOSS: Linux and BSD.
  - janandonly 3y ago
    I was talking about a full OS, macOS. Not the sealed and sandboxed iOS that you are trying to shift the focus to. Please, name me one, just one, software that I should want to run on macOS but can't? > Let’s not delude ourselves to thinking that two of the richest tech companies in the world are all that different. Both are working against your interests to monopolize their turf. I never said they were. All I was talking about is free choice of browsers, which I have on macOS.
- vultour 3y ago
  Except you can't just try the new OS, you also have to spend thousands of dollars on "compatible" hardware.
  - skydhash 3y ago
    Thousands? The OS is specifically tied to the hardware. You buy the hardware and the OS is free of charge. They don’t sell separate licenses.
runjake 3y ago
You bypass a lot of Microsoft anti-user crap by setting your Windows during install to en-gb and then set your OS language to “English Worldwide” so presumably you could install Windows 11, set region to “English $SomeCountryStillInEU” and set your language to “English Worldwide”.

Region settings, possibly: https://www.groovypost.com/howto/adjust-region-settings-on-windows-11/ https://www.groovypost.com/howto/adjust-region-settings-on-w...

capableweb 3y ago
Probably a combination of different inputs, like timezone, regional, GPS (if computer supports that) and figuring out public IP. Knowing Microsoft, they'll try their hardest to avoid flagging a computer as within EEA if they possibly could.
- leshenka 3y ago
  hopefully the "inside EEA" flag will be stored somewhere in registry
  - wistlo 3y ago
    Or better yet, a registry flag to enable browser choice.
    - layer8 3y ago
      That’s what the “default browser” setting is for. Microsoft just deliberately choses to ignore it in some parts of Windows, and instead hardcodes Edge.
- pluijzer 3y ago
  I wonder how this works, if I buy a laptop in the EU as a EU citizen and travel to for example the US, I still expect them to adhere to the rules where I bought it.
  - capableweb 3y ago
    I don't think that's how regulations apply in general. Usually they're scoped to the geographical location + your sovereign status, but not just your sovereign status. For example, I don't think it's realistic to expect a US citizen traveling to a EU country having to follow US regulations and laws, nor the opposite. So I'm not sure it would apply in this case either, but I'm not even sure what regulation/law made Microsoft add this change to the update in the first place. If we can figure that out, I guess we could figure out the real answer to your question without guessing.

zecg 3y ago

I can recommend https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect https://github.com/rcmaehl/MSEdgeRedirect

Liquix 3y ago

When you're at the point of tricking your operating system into thinking you're in a different country in order to make it function properly, it may be time to try a new OS. GNU/Linux has excellent compatibility with 95% of windows software through wine

candiddevmike 3y ago
I used to run Debian, but gaming was always worse than Windows for me (new AMD graphics card, yes photon is great but it's not a replacement for me). My end users are all on Windows too, and I could never properly emulate their experience on Debian (short of _emulating_ Windows). WSL2 works really well for my needs. I get the best of both worlds. I also hate all of the data collection and dark patterns.
jwells89 3y ago
That last 5% is killer, because it’s just enough to make rebooting into Windows a pain in the rear, and much of it is the type of software that refuses to run in VMs due to things like anticheat.
- Pannoniae 3y ago
  The games with kernel anticheat are exactly the user-hostile games you wouldn't want to play anyway. (PUBG, Valorant, Fortnite, etc.) Normal, enjoyable games don't have kernel anticheat.
  - hardware2win 3y ago
    Bullshit as hell. Cheaters are serious problem.
  - _cenw 3y ago
    You're missing the point. These are all games you likely play because your peer group does. Also, the experience on Wine/Proton isn't always the best. If you have high-end hardware, you probably want features that just don't work because of your GPU driver of implementation gaps in Wine/Proton.

janandonly 3y ago

When you're at the point of tricking your operating system into thinking you're in a different country to make it function properly, it may be time to try a new OS. macOS has excellent compatibility with 95% of windows software through Parallels, and also respects your choice of browser. I have Firefox, Chrome, Tor Browser and Brave running next to my current browser of preference, Safari. But switching back and forth is easy, and macOS respects my choice when I change the settings.

hellcow 3y ago
MacOS, run by Apple, the same company that mandates the Safari engine on iOS? The same company that fights tooth and nail against allowing non-“approved” apps to run on their devices? Let’s not delude ourselves to thinking that two of the richest tech companies in the world are all that different. Both are working against your interests to monopolize their turf. The group that truly puts users first is FOSS: Linux and BSD.
- janandonly 3y ago
  I was talking about a full OS, macOS. Not the sealed and sandboxed iOS that you are trying to shift the focus to. Please, name me one, just one, software that I should want to run on macOS but can't? > Let’s not delude ourselves to thinking that two of the richest tech companies in the world are all that different. Both are working against your interests to monopolize their turf. I never said they were. All I was talking about is free choice of browsers, which I have on macOS.
vultour 3y ago
Except you can't just try the new OS, you also have to spend thousands of dollars on "compatible" hardware.
- skydhash 3y ago
  Thousands? The OS is specifically tied to the hardware. You buy the hardware and the OS is free of charge. They don’t sell separate licenses.

runjake 3y ago

You bypass a lot of Microsoft anti-user crap by setting your Windows during install to en-gb and then set your OS language to “English Worldwide” so presumably you could install Windows 11, set region to “English $SomeCountryStillInEU” and set your language to “English Worldwide”.