For a change, a Windows update screwup does little more (or so it
looks) than leave a junk folder behind <https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-update-drops-empty-intepub-folder-in-system-leaves-users-scratching-heads-after-april-update>.
On Fri, 11 Apr 2025 01:20:30 -0000 (UTC), I wrote:
For a change, a Windows update screwup does little more (or so it
looks) than leave a junk folder behind
<https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/windows-update-drops-empty-intepub-folder-in-system-leaves-users-scratching-heads-after-april-update>.
Now Microsoft is saying that empty junk folder is key to some strange
new Windows security feature <https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-warning-dont-delete-that-weird-inetpub-folder-already-did-heres-your-fix/>.
What happens if you’ve deleted it? Microsoft says don’t just recreate
it yourself: instead, you must go through the rigmarole of turning IIS
on and off again, to recreate it properly.
You may wonder what Microsoft is up to these days, that it has to
resort to such roundabout and baffling voodoo-black-magic measures all
in the name of “security”.
I expect some at Microsoft are wondering, too.
It's almost as though [Microsoft are] turning the [Windows] operating
system into a beta.
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:41:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote:
It's almost as though [Microsoft are] turning the [Windows] operating
system into a beta.
See my entire thread “Dimdows Decay Syndrome Continues”.
Eventually, the amount of compromises you need to make to use Windows outweighs the amount of sacrifices you make by moving away from it.
On Apr 15, 2025 at 8:35:53 AM EDT, "CrudeSausage" <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:
Eventually, the amount of compromises you need to make to use Windows
outweighs the amount of sacrifices you make by moving away from it.
Which explains why Windows - which 25 years ago had 95% desktop share in the U.S. - is now down
to 65%. Macs are up to 23.5%.
Linux, Chrome and Unknown make up the rest, with roughly 4% each. None of which were even a blip (or in the case of Chrome, did not exist) 25 years ago.
The move away from Windows is real, and ongoing. MS knows this, and is probably putting less resources into Windows as a result. At least, it certainly LOOKS that way.
To be fair, there are obviously many more PCs in use today than 25 years ago.
So in real numbers, there are many more Windows PCs in use today than 25 years ago. But the point is, there are now several viable options other than Windows.
Which has never been true before.
There was a very strong interest in Linux between 1998 and 2002, but a
lot of the people who ended up trying it out didn't stick with it
because it wasn't as intuitive as they were hoping for.
On Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:56:58 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote:
There was a very strong interest in Linux between 1998 and 2002, but a
lot of the people who ended up trying it out didn't stick with it
because it wasn't as intuitive as they were hoping for.
It has matured a bit in 25 years. Very few members of Gen Z have any knowledge of installing Linux from floppies. Or floppies, for that matter. Since Linux phones aren't really feasible they may never have heard of it.
Fedora 42 is out. Among other things they tweaked the emulator from the
Asahi project and claim the ARM install can run i86 software. It would be interesting if they're better at it than Microsoft.
On 2025-04-15, CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:
On 2025-04-15 00:20, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:41:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote:
It's almost as though [Microsoft are] turning the [Windows] operating
system into a beta.
See my entire thread “Dimdows Decay Syndrome Continues”.
I'm trying to be as objective as possible in referring to Windows, but
the reality is that there are significant problems with continuing to
use it even if you're sold on their product(s). Anyone with an AMD
laptop is not going to have a satisfactory experience as a result of the
fTPM stuttering. Anyone who buys movies and TV shows or subscribes to a
streaming service and intends to watch content on an external monitor is
not likely to be happy that the monitor shuts off as a protection
against piracy. If the constant updates taking a long time don't bother
the user, they might be annoyed that these updates introduce new folders
or bugs that they are asked to simply ignore. If all of the above isn't
bothersome, the user might be annoyed that the system slows down or
becomes unstable because the system files managed to corrupt on their
own requiring an SFC or DISM repair. If nothing else, people might get
annoyed that their personal photos and videos get locked out because of
some 0-day the company managed not to protect against or because of bit
rot. At some point, people need to admit that such things are no longer
acceptable in 2025 and move on.
Eventually, the amount of compromises you need to make to use Windows
outweighs the amount of sacrifices you make by moving away from it.
And now it looks like Microsoft's Recall is back (after a backlash forced them to can it about a year ago). Supposedly yo have to "opt in" this time, but who trusts Microsoft to keep their word or not change the license agreement down the road?
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/04/microsoft-is-putting-privacy-endangering-recall-back-into-windows-11/
On 2025-04-16, CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:
On 2025-04-16 08:40, RonB wrote:
On 2025-04-15, CrudeSausage <crude@sausa.ge> wrote:
On 2025-04-15 00:20, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
On Mon, 14 Apr 2025 20:41:07 -0400, CrudeSausage wrote:
It's almost as though [Microsoft are] turning the [Windows] operating >>>>>> system into a beta.
See my entire thread “Dimdows Decay Syndrome Continues”.
I'm trying to be as objective as possible in referring to Windows, but >>>> the reality is that there are significant problems with continuing to
use it even if you're sold on their product(s). Anyone with an AMD
laptop is not going to have a satisfactory experience as a result of the >>>> fTPM stuttering. Anyone who buys movies and TV shows or subscribes to a >>>> streaming service and intends to watch content on an external monitor is >>>> not likely to be happy that the monitor shuts off as a protection
against piracy. If the constant updates taking a long time don't bother >>>> the user, they might be annoyed that these updates introduce new folders >>>> or bugs that they are asked to simply ignore. If all of the above isn't >>>> bothersome, the user might be annoyed that the system slows down or
becomes unstable because the system files managed to corrupt on their
own requiring an SFC or DISM repair. If nothing else, people might get >>>> annoyed that their personal photos and videos get locked out because of >>>> some 0-day the company managed not to protect against or because of bit >>>> rot. At some point, people need to admit that such things are no longer >>>> acceptable in 2025 and move on.
Eventually, the amount of compromises you need to make to use Windows
outweighs the amount of sacrifices you make by moving away from it.
And now it looks like Microsoft's Recall is back (after a backlash forced >>> them to can it about a year ago). Supposedly yo have to "opt in" this time, >>> but who trusts Microsoft to keep their word or not change the license
agreement down the road?
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/04/microsoft-is-putting-privacy-endangering-recall-back-into-windows-11/
I can imagine Recall being offered on machines which bundle a processor
specifically to handle AI demands. However, anyone who doesn't purchase
such a computer shouldn't be forced to have it running on their machine.
Either way though, I'm with you: I don't believe that Microsoft will
keep it disabled by default. I am convinced that they would rather slow
down the machines of those who don't have such a processor and extract
more private data than respect the wishes of their users. If there were
ever a time to consider a migration to Linux, this would be it. Both
Apple and Microsoft have demonstrated that their data collection is a
higher priority than our privacy.
Big Brother needs to be fed more and more information. Can't have "thought crimes" going unpunished.
| Sysop: | Keyop |
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