You can’t get rid of it, you can only hide it: Microsoft imposes controversial Windows Backup on users::Like it or not, the Windows Backup app installed in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is here to stay, with Microsoft calling it a “system component” that can’t be
Yup, that ai generated image kills me more than the news.
“YouTube face” is annoying enough scrolling through videos, but it’s even more unnecessary here!
AI generated porny chick
Tbf that’s my favourite kind of AI generated person
Could be real but filtered and low res. The lack of symmetry on the nose is unusual for AI. The teeth do look a bit weird though.
The article lists it as generated by midjourney
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coming soon: Monthly subscription to use windows with the justification that it uses an online service in order to work
I can’t wait for the eventual warning pop-ups and emails, warning me that my onedrive is almost full (70%)
You can just say no to the tool and keep using whatever local backup you have.
Honestly I hope, would be a big boom for Linux which I already use
This year is the year of Linux, just like every year before it.
You joke but this
what do you mean by this
do u think a cloud pc (with constant server costs) shouldnt be a monthly fee?
I think this is likely the “new only Windows option” in the not so distant future. I think it shouldn’t exist.
And what will be the host from which you will run Cloud PC? Linux, macOS?
What sick moronic idiot would want a cloud pc that’s accessible via… a pc
Their primary use is enterprise not private consumers. Think of virtualized OS accessible over internet that you can manage/protect and provide for example to some random consultant. Or just provide more powerful PC on low end HW.
It’s costly though and not sure it ever gained traction because there always were alternatives like Citrix Desktops.
Maybe there’s a use case, but I’m anti-cloud and always will be. I struggle to think of a situation I couldn’t do better with in-house (or even air gapped) VMs of my own.
Anyone who watches 365 uptime knows that Microsoft’s cloud is a fragile laughing stock. They use a Twitter account because their own status portal is so laughably trash and unreliable. If you don’t believe me I don’t blame you. Here it is.
The day I trust any cloud platform (Especially Microsoft) is the day I promise to jump off a cliff.
I have a confident guess about what Microsoft runs theirs on… it ain’t Windows.
I would say windows IoT would be the most likely to be prepackaged with new systems, since it’ll likely be a rolling changeover.
I’d expect that within 5 years that pretty much all home and business PCs running windows will be thin clients
Can’t imagine it being the case, thin clients have existed for a very long time and Cloud PC is nothing revolutionary just an additional offering from Microsoft.
Not to mention private consumers will not pay subscription for OS that in long run is a lot more expensive and worse HW that they probably already have.
ugh ew thin clients that probably will work even worse
Still $129 for the initial license key, too
It’s been a thing for years already for enterprises
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I don’t see a problem with subscriptions for commercial software. Fixing bugs and security issues after release is an ongoing effort that costs money, so a one-time purchase isn’t really economically viable in the long run. I honestly wouldn’t feel comfortable using unmaintained software that might contain known but unfixed vulnerabilities.
As someone who advises on and implements software at work that would be sorta ok if these companies charging several thousand a year would actually fix bugs and provide proper support. Zendesk is a pretty big display of this: feature requests lay dormant in their support pages, the only way you can get support is through a chat where the rep will point you to an article you already read most of the time, updates that ever obfuscates settings into a dizzying amount of menus in the admin panel, and so on. All for a minimum of $55 a month per seat if you want email and calling. The issue is costs are sky high for practically no value
Have you checked how much money Microsoft have recently? Their current model doesn’t appear to be a problem for them.
You’re arguing a completely different point. Windows isn’t Microsoft’s only product by a long shot, so I don’t see how their money (whatever you mean by that, specifically) is the answer here. Also, every few years there’s a new Windows version which again costs money - almost like a subscription with bigger installments at longer intervals.
For those of you who are now worried about you win10 or 11 install:
- This is only for those using MSA account with windows 10 or 11
- You cannot uninstall the backup tool, but you can disable taking backups
Lastly, this article had 0 sources and was misleading
MacOS has had time machine for over a decade.
How is this different except for the fact it’s not our Lord and Savior Linux?
I don’t remember Time Machine backing up to someone else’s server.
iCloud does, and if memory serves you can’t remove that either. But like iCloud, you can simply not sign in.
You can always finely control what goes into iCloud and what does not.
Time Machine backups have to be opted-in if you want to save it to iCloud.
You have to enable iCloud to upload to it. I’ve been uploading to local encrypted disks for years
So the same thing here.
Reason #2720183 to use Linux.
Imagine how much better the computing landscape would be today if we actually prevented MS from doing anticompetitive and often straight-up illegal stuff in the 90s to gain their monopoly
Actually I kinda don’t want to, because we might not have been quite as driven to get Linux to the point it is at
That would require government oversight and accountability. Best I can do is regulatory capture and the continued gutting of American anti-trust law.
I know everyone hates the automatic response of “just switch to linux” in response to Microsoft’s BS. BUT, it’s really so true - more people need to just do it and get over their fear of linux. It has been a totally stable easy option for a long time now.
Install an easy distro like mint and you’re literally up and running in a gui environment in like 10 minutes. Your grandmother could run it no problem. For the gamers out there - a good chunk of your stuff just works these days, and you can always dual boot windows for that game that doesn’t perform well (even better just get a small cheap 2nd hard drive and you can’t screw it up).
Thank you to all the people who contribute to linux and have given us a totally viable alternate.
It’s just not that easy for a majority of people. It still takes some work and knowledge to do just about everything. From picking an distro, installing it and then running different programs. And games are far from perfect.
Linux doesn’t have a backup option?
Linux has so many options it’s ridiculous. It doesn’t force you to use them or to upload sensitive data to Microsoft’s servers—and therefore the NSA’s—though.
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Is that a question, or are you just keen for everyone to know you uptalk?
Linux can do literally any backup plan you want, to anywhere you want, with the click of a few buttons. You almost have too many options that all work great.
Doesn’t r sync also ship with like everything? Ya I know - a scary command line - but anyone online could help you in one minute. Ask a few questions, ok here’s this crazy long command that looks scary, but it’s really not that bad. Just run this command when you want to do a backup and your good. Come back here if you need help restoring (hint boot into another live environment and swap the source and destination and run it backwards)
Linux backups are cake.
Holy shit. Just not “no” when it asks if you want to set up backup, and keep using what you already use.
It’s less difficult than falling over.
Use local accounts only and do not login to a Microsoft account.
Edit: In my situation, I used an MS account during a reinstall and disabled backups and logged out quickly after. There are methods to still do an offline install, from what I understand.
Disabling backup is annoying, but not hard.
You could also use Linux. I mean you’re starting to hack your machine just as much as a Linux user.
You also can’t use a work or school account, according to Microsoft:
Important: You must use a personal Microsoft account with Windows Backup. Work or school Microsoft accounts won’t work.
There is also no way to use the backup app with local storage, like an external hard drive; you can ONLY back up to OneDrive with this.
EDITED to clarify: for now, you can still back up to another drive, but it’s a different process and the “advanced settings” needed to do so are buried several layers deep.
I’ve been on Windows since 3.0 (not 3.1) and MS-DOS, back when DR-DOS was a thing and IBM’s OS/2 was a rising star, and the joke about how if operating systems were airlines, Linux would be the one where all the passengers bring parts and tools and build it on the runway themselves.
Oh, how the turns have tabled. Today, I installed Debian 12 with GNOME DE on an old 2010 MacBook, and then installed Budgie Desktop on top of that as an optional profile. It fucking screams on 13 year old hardware, lol. I’m not even done trying out all the distros and DEs I want to try out; that’s just one. When I’m done playing with that I’ll blow it away and install a different distro instead. And I didn’t pay a penny for any of them.
There is literally no reason for me to stay on the sick, bloated advertising delivery/data collection system that is Microsoft Windows.
I’ve grown up with windows (started with windows 95 in elementary school) and have been a Linux user since 2009. Watching windows decline and the Linux desktop grow and mature has been quite the ride. I’ve been distro-hopping for years and have finally settled on Debian Testing. It does exactly what I tell it to do. It helps me accomplish whatever task I’m doing and then gets out of the way.
Windows on the other hand is the polar opposite of that. Constantly nagging you to use OneDrive. New panels and “experiences” popping up out of nowhere. Unskippable OOBEs after a major update that force you to navigate some dark pattern if you have the audacity to resist using a Microsoft account. The telemetry that you know is running under the hood 24/7. Hands and knees begging you to use Edge to open PDFs?!?! Using windows today is like using Clippy - the operating system.
Linux has come such a long way, and outside of some proprietary edge cases, I can no longer imagine using Windows as a daily driver
Yep.
Windows 10 was the window into what was to come and how microsoft wanted to ruin windows in the future, Which was further
ruined“refined” in 11.I’m on linux to stay now, now that I’ve ironed out most of my problems, the only issues I have anymore are manufactured and artificial issues, like Amazon refusing to stream in anything higher than 360p because my system isnt “secure”, or like AMDs stupid convoluted AMDRewards system not working.
Yes. When I first booted up Linux Mint – the first distro I had tried since Red Hat came on a dozen or so 3.5" floppies – I couldn’t believe it. I was expecting something a LOT less developed and shiny, but no – and Mint is one of the lighter ones. That’s why I’m trying so many, including ones I already know I won’t use as a daily driver, because they’re all fully fledged, completely operable computing environments.
If it hadn’t been for MS Office I’d have done this long before now, especially when I got into a mandatory-Windows-Upgrade-and-break loop a couple years ago. But I absolutely despise the newer Office versions; they seem to break more with each release. If I have to go back to older versions to run it on Linux, that’s just one more favor the FOSS community will be doing for me.
Clippy - the operating system.
Jfc, lol. At least Clippy wasn’t all up in my shorts and sending the data back to the mothership. Gotta ask, though, given your age: did you ever get to use Microsoft Bob? You probably don’t remember all the commercials; it was Faith Ford hawking MS Bob every time you turned on the tv. But using it, omfg. You boot up into a “living room.” I shit you not. MSBob was a . . . really fucking weird five minutes, lol.
As a non windows user, can someone explain to be what all the fuss is about? It sounds like people are grumpy that they’re being shown a feature that they can’t use or don’t want to use, and MS is going to let people hide the UI for that.
What is wrong with this solution? Are people not going to be happy until every spec of the feature’s code is stripped from the OS?
It’s another way of trying to force users into using OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud service, and paying for the privilege. It’s not a big deal for the tech savvy, but it’s a great way to capture subscriptions from those that are not. Using it also requires a Microsoft account.
The thing is, if you can’t uninstall it, then Windows will repeatedly try to shove the feature into your face, until you enable it again
I got a pop-up that said:
“Hey we have backup to OneDrive now! Do you want to turn it on?”. [Yes/no/don’t ask again]My options were remind me in 1 week, or remind me in 30 days
Can confirm, I get that on my school computers everytime I boot. Even if I click 30 days. There are no never option
Yes, it’s worth noting that some companies will do A/B tests, where one user is offered one choice, and another gets a different one. It’s possible for the two of you to have had a different experience.
I haven’t had any pop-up about this.
What’s wrong with having a built-in backup feature?
I don’t keep important data on my PC and a back costs space for no needed reason and why add bloat if you don’t need it have it as an option great but forced why (edit also who knows what they are doing with the backup it’ll probably be rolled into OneDrive then guess what Microsoft has even easier access to your data)
There’s nothing inherently wrong with having a backup software, but Microsoft has a terrible track record with every other “system component” that can push data to MS Cloud about making the software nag-ware to make you cave and buy more Microsoft products just to make the warnings go away, sometimes for an inferior product. See note at OneDrive, Cortana, Edge, and Bing just off the top of my head without doing any research.
So for me, I have several computers all protected by Synology backup. It goes to an appliance I own and control, not the cloud. This setup can be used to completely restore the entirety of a computer with the exception of firmware even if the main operating system is so fried automatic startup repair doesn’t work.
But, in the past, despite having a 24 hour recovery point with this system (every night it backs up any data that changed since the previous backup, including core OS files), Windows backup would be default still nag me about setting it up. It wouldn’t bother to even try to detect a third party backup tool in the same way that Defender does for third party security software. I had to run some specific setup options to make Windows backup go away (and I can’t remember since it was some years ago, but it may have involved removing the component). By comparison on my older Mac, when I turned off Time Machine to use Synology backup, I think I got one warning about shutting it down then it didn’t say anything else.
Windows could do that whether or not it’s installed.
But they said they’re going to allow the user to hide it.
Are people grumpy about burning hard disk space for a feature they don’t use? Every operating system is littered with convenience features that not everyone enables. Why does this feature strike a nerve?
I think you’ll find a number of… specific OS users, let’s call them, who will tout that they can uninstall anything from their OS without complaint or warning. Same response as being unable to completely uninstall internet explorer back in the day.
It sounds like people are grumpy that they’re being shown a feature that they can’t use or don’t want to use,
That’s the problem right there. They’re trying to sell you a new feature. That’s an ad. Ads have no place in an operating system.
When does something become an OS feature and when is it an add-on? Consider the use case. If you need to make a backup or restore data from one, by having this as part of the OS it is always available. It’s line having vi installed; it comes with every Linux distro, but a lot of folks use Emacs. It makes sense that this should be a system component.
Windows bad. Linux good. Now go find a study with content that fits this narrative.
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How dare they include a backup application! Monsters.
And they say Apple fanboys are the most annoying
If you’re a fanboy of any OS you’ve lost the plot
And they say Apple fanboys are the most annoying
Honestly, they often still are more annoying, IMO. After all, it’s not often that you see a Windows user being snobby about their OS, generally it’s just used by default because of work or it came with their PC and they haven’t bothered changing, or gaming.
Thankfully gaming on Linux is almost better than on Windows these days, it’s exciting to see!
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So? Sure you can’t get rid of it but also you don’t have to use it.
Despite what this article is trying to imply you’re not actually forced to do any backups, so Microsoft are not seeing your information. Also it’s probably be encrypted anyway, but who knows.
You don’t have to use it, so this entire article is basically a big while load of nothing.
Why should I waste hard drive space that I paid for to store a component that I neither require nor utilize? If I’m already on a machine that is pretty close to my drive limitations (and I am), why should I simply accept further reduction in my computer’s capabilities?
This was the same argument Microsoft made about Internet Explorer during the antitrust lawsuit. Yet somehow, when faced with the possibility of a forced split, they managed to find a way.
Realistically, you’re probably not utilizing a good 90% of your operating system’s features on Windows. Is this backup crap good? No, but it’s also a drop in a bucket.
Sure, but stuff like defrag, etc. are there for good reasons, and I’ll be glad to have them if I ever do need them. Onedrive and Backup are literally only there to make Microsoft money, and having them on my system will never be of benefit to me.
By using Windows, you probably already opted in to these things from accepting their EULA. It’s a shitty practice, but it’s well within their purview.
What’s in the EULA? That the software is installed, what are you complaining about exactly?
If you don’t use the software it’s irrelevant.
I’m not complaining about anything. I agree with you that it’s irrelevant, just turn it off
I’m not trying to claim they aren’t allowed to do it. The fact that it’s legal doesn’t make it right.
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People do have control over their devices You have the control to not use the application.
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It might be a preview of whats coming though, MS would conceivably at some point move to a cloud based OS completely at some point
Pretty sure the next thing we’ll see after 11 is cloud desktop, judging by the scuttlebutt
thats their plan they’ve stated elsewhere.
You should read EULA every once in a while.
“We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to”, for example, “protect their customers” or “enforce the terms governing the use of the services”.
With Windows10 you already accepted that they will collect and share data. What is good faith to them remains to be seen but as a rule of hand I don’t trust them for anything. In short, yes… Microsoft is seeing your information.
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Spoken like a true Stockholm syndrome Windows user.
I’m sorry I don’t care about what you care about as much as you do.
You got to love all the ads that are now a part of windows
I consider everyone still using Windows by now to be masochists of the worst kind.
Who would want to have backups of important files on a Microsoft server? Probably located in the USA, where it’s contents are free game for the snooping agencies? If you are not a US citizen (and even that is no real protection) they will hoover every byte about you “just in case”.
Not masochists, just people with very different needs, privacy concerns and overall tech knowledge than you. Not sure why this is hard to understand by some folks.
Yep. The general “I don’t care what I’m doing” crowd. Serves them well that they simply ignore the facts steamrolling them.
I think you’re the one ignoring the fact that Windows is the right OS for some people. Everyone has different needs and limitations. There’s not one OS that is the right solution for everyone, just like there’s no Linux distribution that is right for everyone.
While it might be the right OS for some people, it is actually the worst choice for the majority. And I would say that for those people for whom it is the best choice, it just is for the wrong reasons.
From my personal perspective, the right way to steer people into Linux is to highlight the key features you feel are the best. You don’t need to say Windows is bad, only that Linux is amazing. If you just tell people they’re masochists and wrong they’ll just ignore you. Have a nice day!
I’m waiting for the inevitable Lemmy comment from an engineer or sys admin that tells me to install Linux.
Well I’m neither of those. I’m not a tech bro and I don’t really understand computers well or what a tick tock does. I’m just an old dude who’s been using standard desktop stuff since windows 3.1 and DOS before that.
You should install Linux unless you absolutely need either commercial architecture software or Excel for specific things.
MS is the devil and windows sucks balls. I use windows on a work machine and it is objectively worse than most Linux flavours.
Start on Mint or KDE Neon if you’re coming from windows.
As they say, don’t knock it till you try it.
I mean you seem to understand the solution but keep doing it wrong anyway
Windows has fallen billions must install TempleOS
Well have you installed Linux yet?
Got it on some stuff in the house, but my daily driver another OS in the *nix family.
Well, it is only consequential. I mean, the guys know.
Same people who already use OneDrive since that’s all “backup” means here.
Yup. $100/year for all the office apps/programs plus 1TB of backup for all 6 people in my family. Decent deal IMO since I’m paying at least that for PS+ yearly.
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You can’t get rid of it, you can only hide it
Not exactly true, there are ways you can remove system components, what they really mean is that Microsoft Doesn’t want you to and will fight you as much as possible to prevent you from doing so. The biggest barrier in doing it is that you’ll have to figure out your way through it on your own because it’s “not supported” and most people won’t give help or support for these kinds of modifications.
