Last week, I turned on my PC, installed a Windows update, and rebooted to find Microsoft Edge automatically open with the Chrome tabs I was working on before the update. I don’t use Microsoft Edge regularly, and I have Google Chrome set as my default browser. Bleary-eyed at 9AM, it took me a moment to realize that Microsoft Edge had simply taken over where I’d left off in Chrome. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

  • wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    10 months ago

    Alternatively, buy or 🏴‍☠️KMSpico🏴‍☠️ yourself a pro license, and use group policy so it’s one and done. Microsoft has built in tools for almost all of this that don’t get rolled over by updates.


    Getting tired of people claiming that it’s impossible to decrap Windows.

    Obtuse? Sure! Features that shouldn’t be hidden behind an upgraded license? Hell fucking yes!

    Impossible? Fuck no, hell no.

    Learning basic Windows admin stuff, especially just the debloating/configuration things, is comparable in difficulty to switching to Linux.

    Don’t get me wrong, I love Linux and less reliance on Microsoft is awesome, but 90% of complaints about Windows come from people who don’t know how to configure it, how to use the tools Microsoft offers to decrap it, and how to make it work for them. They’ll hit similar problems with most Linux distros as soon as you go deeper than basic “office suite and web browser” usage.

    • voxel@sopuli.xyz
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      10 months ago

      you should use MAS instead of Pico
      https://massgrave.dev
      also, gpos are just templates for the registry, you can just look them up and apply manually (ehich is actually faster than finding anything in the official gpo editor)

      • Zworf@beehaw.org
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        10 months ago

        Well yes but GPOs overrule registry settings (if a user or the OS flips a registry setting, the GPO will switch it back on the next reboot).

      • voxel@sopuli.xyz
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        10 months ago

        you don’t need to write protect them, except options related to ms defender. (which can be removed as “malware” by the defender)
        they won’t get reset.

          • voxel@sopuli.xyz
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            10 months ago

            fuck gentoo, spending an entire week compiling shit is not something i want to do
            I’d rather stick with arch or fedora

            • 1993_toyota_camry@beehaw.org
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              10 months ago

              As a gentoo user, I’m always confused when people think gentoo is about multi-day compiles. Rebuilding the whole system takes a few hours (not that I ever need to do that), and binary packages are available for the big stuff if you want it. It’s basically just arch with more configuration options.

              Not insisting you or anyone should run it, but it’s not as ridiculous as people seem to think.

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      if its comparable in difficulty, why not just switch to a system that does what you want on the first place?

    • Zworf@beehaw.org
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      10 months ago

      I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just saying I shouldn’t have to decrap a piece of software I actually paid for. Over and over. Also, whenever they introduce some new crap it usually comes with new GPOs that also have to be enabled to remove it again. It’s like whack-a-mole.

      Obtuse? Sure! Features that shouldn’t be hidden behind an upgraded license? Hell fucking yes!

      This is what I was saying really. This crap should never have been there in the first place as it’s consumer-hostile.

      Impossible? Fuck no, hell no.

      I never said this :) I said it was annoying having to do it every time. Yeah I have pro. And I know what GPOs are. But really, you can’t expect an average consumer to do this. Also, it’s less work to just change things back manually every time than to figure all the GPOs needed. It’s really just super annoying that it happens in the first place. I expect software I buy to be made to help me, not work against me.

      And I never mentioned Linux in my post even though I use it myself. I know this is not a suitable alternative for the majority.

    • Norah - She/They@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      10 months ago

      If you’ve got a few windows machines on your network and some sysadmin skills, you can run a Zentyal server to set up the GPOs. Syncs across your machines, and you can add a new one at any time that will also get de-shittified instantly.

    • RachelRodent@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 months ago

      I think, my reason for switching stemmed from me getting bored if decrapifying windows and wanting to hsebsomething awesome to begin with