Windows 11 Strikes Again With Annoying Pop-up That Can't Be Disabled 88
An anonymous reader writes: Windows users are being notified that their systems aren't backed up with the built-in Windows backup solution. A corresponding message appears with the advice that it's best to make backups so that all data is stored "in case something happens to the PC." It almost reads like an indirect threat, but Microsoft is actually just pointing out the option to store file backups on its own OneDrive cloud service. And it's also advertising more storage space.
Nooooo (Score:3)
Re:Nooooo (Score:5, Insightful)
That is actually an interesting question despite the obvious sarcasm.
It makes the Big government angry because they are bundling services with the OS (ala internet explorer and teams lawsuits)
It makes the users annoyed because of popups
It increases load on their servers, for a product most people use for free or already have bundled in their office suite from work or other wise already have.
Hope the upsell is worth it!
Re:Nooooo (Score:5, Insightful)
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>It makes the Big government angry because they are bundling services with the OS (ala internet explorer and teams lawsuits)
1. The government hasn't been angry about that ever since Microsoft read between the lines and started greasing palms
2. The government actively wants its subjects to upload their data to a service they control
Re: Nooooo (Score:3)
It's not greasing palms or bribes, it's legal if you call it tipping
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when did that ever happen?
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alot. alot alot. like every person i know despite me telling them they need a backup solution. Buisnesses, freinds, family etc.
Including my best friend who i love and respect and is a very bright person who still despite repeated reminders, keeps all his kids photos in one spot without backup. They are important enough to him that he keeps his old computers around, but apparently not enough to copy them once to another location with right click copy.
People are too busy to manage their own data. this is a ni
Re:Nooooo (Score:5, Interesting)
Because they need all that data to train their AI and AI is where they see the bulk of their future revenue streams.
In the case of Windows, you've gone from being the customer to being a source of data for their AI engines.
Re: Nooooo (Score:2)
Basically like Google and any social media? Got it!
Re: Nooooo (Score:2)
Time to switch to Linux!
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Mod parent funnier.
So just like on macOS and iOS (Score:1, Interesting)
Same has been happening on macOS and iOS for a while now.
Wonder whom is copying who this time 'round.
Re: So just like on macOS and iOS (Score:2)
Itâ(TM)s only a pop up once though, after that itâ(TM)s just a badge in Settings.
Re: So just like on macOS and iOS (Score:4, Informative)
Itâ(TM)s only a pop up once though, after that itâ(TM)s just a badge in Settings.
Yeah, an (adware) "badge" that keeps coming up every few weeks as "recommendations" (read: ad).
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To get rid of it, one would need to completely sign out of iCloud.
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I do that. But my iphone and ipad will remind me CONSTANTLY that I should log in. Which I don't do because I haven't memorized my password and it's not near where I am when this happens. It really seems to make my devices unhappy, and yet I am slightly happier for it.
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Haha so it would still BADGEr you (read: adware) to sign up for their siloed "services".
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Or a helpful reminder that you really should have moved to Linux a few years ago.
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For once... (Score:3, Insightful)
...Microsoft has the right idea. Thing is, they implement it incorrectly... as usual.
Re:For once... (Score:4, Informative)
Naa. They just want your data in their cloud so they can use it to train AI and target ads.
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Naa. They just want your data in their cloud so they can use it to train AI and target ads.
Or to scan for child pr0n so thy can look like a good BIG CORP when they roll you over to the Federales.
Re: For once... (Score:4, Funny)
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Microsoft doesn't even know how I use their OS. How can they know if it's been backed up? I'm running Windows in UTM VM and I back up my host OS.
Nice data ya got there! (Score:5, Funny)
It'd be a real shame if sump'n happened to it...
No, I don't really think Microsoft is threatening people's data - just their autonomy, privacy, and sanity. "We're from Microsoft, and we're here to help". As if. And just like the government, Microsoft has a habit of saying "By the way, you don't have a choice regarding whether or not to take the 'help' we're 'offering' you..."
They need a "leave me alone" mode (Score:5, Insightful)
Many of us have been running Windows since it was merely a layer sitting on top of MS-DOS. Regardless of why we don't want the solutions that Microsoft has been pushing on us, we don't want Microsoft cloud accounts, we don't want Microsoft backups, we don't want Microsoft AI. Just leave us the hell alone to run the programs that we have to use Windows to run.
At one point Microsoft's embedded system and cash register version was popular simply because it didn't alert at all, it was expected that it was being taken care of by an IT department and pestering the end user was counterproductive. That model needs to return.
Re:They need a "leave me alone" mode (Score:5, Insightful)
And many of us ditched Windows years ago for Linux.
Now *I* don't have to worry about my computer deciding to update and reboot when I'm way from my desk for more than a few minutes.
Now *I* don't have to worry about a BSOD because some third-party vendor has a failed update of their security software
Now *I* don't have to worry about being nagged about backing up, upgrading or whatever
Life as a Linux user is much nicer than it was as a Windows user I have to say.
Re: (Score:1, Troll)
And many of us ditched Windows years ago for Linux.
Now *I* don't have to worry about my computer deciding to update and reboot when I'm way from my desk for more than a few minutes.
Now *I* don't have to worry about a BSOD because some third-party vendor has a failed update of their security software
Now *I* don't have to worry about being nagged about backing up, upgrading or whatever
Life as a Linux user is much nicer than it was as a Windows user I have to say.
Yep. It is called CHOICE, something Linux tends to be famous for until the likes of the SystemDeath crowd convince every distro to join The Borg by using systemd.
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Eh, even on my OpenRC Gentoo box I'm using Dbus and PulseAudio. Both packages from Systemd.
It's always an issue. KDE just pushed an experimental RDP server (which is amazing btw) but the compile output comes with a systemd service file and OpenRC doesn't resolve the problem because the rdpserver needs to be a child process of the wayland session so you need dbus to spawn it for you.
There is literally no alternative without a lot of hacks. That's why most distros switch to systemd.
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PulseAudio and dbus both significantly predate systemd. They are not part of it last time I checked.
I would assume that the experimental thing probably just hasn't implemented support for non-systemd systems yet. Probably because it's experimental...
Just saying.
Re: They need a "leave me alone" mode (Score:3)
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"Life as a Linux user is much nicer than it was as a Windows user I have to say." ...as long as maintaining your system is your hobby, and you're uninterested in playing most games.
Sure.
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And many of us ditched Windows years ago for Linux.
I had nothing running Windows for more than 25 years. Unfortunately as my hobbies have shifted I found myself having to use software that requires Windows. Linux is still my primary OS, the Windows box is only for specific things, but it's still quite annoying that I'm being nagged.
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Same here ... been using Linux exclusively for
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It’s called LTSC and Microsoft don’t like to talk about it.
Some of us need windows because there is no equivalent software available for linux.
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Never mind that OneDrive was not designed as a "backup" product. It was designed as a cloud file storage and sharing product. It's as much a backup product is as copying key files manually to a thumb drive. If Microsoft indeed thinks it is about backup, I shudder to think what might happen to their code base if they use it as their own internal solution ("quick we need last month's source back!" "Can't do that chief, we forgot to implement incremental backups, and the source code was never copied to Desk
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> At one point Microsoft's embedded system and cash register version was popular simply because it didn't alert at all, it was expected that it was being taken care of by an IT department and pestering the end user was counterproductive. That model needs to return.
There is, it's called Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC
https://massgrave.dev/windows_... [massgrave.dev]
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Regardless of why we don't want the solutions that Microsoft has been pushing on us, we don't want Microsoft cloud accounts, we don't want Microsoft backups, we don't want Microsoft AI.
As if what you want has any relevancy at all. Don't like it, don't use it. You don't matter even a little bit. Stop using it. Go ahead. LOL
(not that it matters, but what you want does matter to me, but to Microsoft, you are less than nothing. If you are complaining, then they are doing it right, because it isn't about you, it is about Microsoft, and neither your nor I matters even in the slightest bit to them.)
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Now? When wasn't it?
Re: Windows 11 (Score:5, Informative)
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Nice local data you have there.. (Score:2)
The more I hear of this, the happier I am using linux.
Crapware. Nothing else. (Score:2)
That is what Windows is turning into more and more. Engineering was never really good and now they start doing crap like that.
Windows LTSC FTW (Score:5, Informative)
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Legal channel licenses for it are legally unobtainium. Also doesn't stop everything.
Easier to just run stripped down pro ISOs that nuke these "features".
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Re:Windows LTSC FTW (Score:5, Interesting)
Just grab a stripped ISO from the source you trust the most. That is actually legal, and microsoft offers instructions on how to make you own if you know what you're doing.
I like GhostSpectre's ISO offerings personally, because he has a lot of performance focus. And because he offers a solid tool to just restore things that are removed if you happen to need them. And that enables you to do a lot things without needing to install microsoft's tools. He even offers a tool to install UWP apps without installing Store. His youtube channel is full of handy tutorials on how to do things like that.
https://www.youtube.com/@GHOST... [youtube.com]
So unlike with LTSC, you have options to be able to do things that aren't available in LTSC.
And because he's been doing it for half a decade, without ever getting any suspicious activity found in his ISOs.
But there are quite a few others with similar reputations. YMMV. If you're really afraid of custom ISO providers, you can unironically make your own. Microsoft provides tools for it.
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Re:Windows LTSC FTW (Score:5, Informative)
You do not need to do that. You install a custom ISO once. Then you get normal updates. It will not update systems that you do not have installed, because pre-requisites aren't there.
And you update to next major release from a new ISO release when they come. That's when windows update reinstalls the whole OS regardless, so you do nothing different. You merely use a different image as a source of installation, getting a stripped ISO instead of a default one that microsoft offers you.
Re:Windows LTSC FTW (Score:4, Informative)
Legal channel licenses for it are legally unobtainium
Not really, but it _is_ tricky. You need to buy 5 licenses (worth about $300), and then you'll be eligible to buy an LTSC license.
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It's like modern gaming. "Buy this gamepass, then this super game pass, then this uber game pass. And then we'll give you an opportunity to buy the ultimate game pass".
Monopoly Re:Windows LTSC FTW (Score:2)
Must buy a set of properties and 4 houses on each before you can buy a hotel.
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The hotel however is in the cloud.
Re:Windows LTSC FTW (Score:4, Insightful)
Yep on Windows 10 LTSC and I love it.
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If you value your sanity use the LTSC or LTSC IoT editions of Windows.
How can sanity-valuing users do that, legally?
Most sources I have found say "LTSC is a long term support channel version of windows that technically has no legal way for regular people to use due to licensing." or something similar but equivalent.
I have a Windows 11 Pro license. Can I somehow legally convert it into an LTSC license?
If yes, I would love to learn how. If no, your advice is not very useful, unfortunately.
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Can regular consumer users get those?
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By piracy which works fine and can be done quite safely with some study. Information wants to be free.
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I meant legally. :P
Re: Glad I stuck with Windows 10. (Score:2)
Couldn't you just disable your TPM in the UEFI, so that Windows sees your system as incompatible with Win11?
Re: Glad I stuck with Windows 10. (Score:2)
I foresee (Score:3)
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I sense a great disturbance in the bowel.
Stop apologizing and rationalizing. (Score:5, Insightful)
It almost reads like an indirect threat, but Microsoft is actually just pointing out the option to store file backups on its own OneDrive cloud service.
No, it reads like a threat because it is a threat. Microsoft wants all your data in their cloud. They need it. They desperately cling to the hope that all users will put all data in their cloud so that their AI training can source *ALL* the data. Those of us that have had viable backup strategies in place for decades don't need constantly pestered over the fact that Microsoft is lustfully stroking itself at the thought of sucking up all our data. We, as the end users, don't give a toss. Fuck off, Microsoft. Get the fuck out of the way for once and let us use the god damned systems we are PAYING YOU for. I'm tired of being pestered every time I dare leave the WIFI on my system that Microsoft has wants and needs. Sorry, nagging, shitty, abusive business spouse, you stopped caring about my needs a long time ago. And I'm sick to death of hearing about yours.
Why do I say it is a threat? Because this is Microsoft. And Microsoft's MO over the last few years has been to push notices at us, then push option switches with each update, then finally remove the "don't fuck with me" option altogether. They're warning us what's coming, and too many people are shrugging it off with, "But it's just a minor annoyance." Paranoid? Or not paranoid enough?
I can't wait to be completely rid of Windows. If I could get my last couple music plugins working on Linux, it'd be a done deal. This type of Creeping Digital Death (apologies to Metallica) where they slowly remove control and take more of it for themselves while patting us on the head and telling us it's for our own good is not a healthy path forward for anybody. Microsoft may think they've got the world by the balls, but I have a feeling even as big as they are that the world will find a way to kick them back into reality if they keep this shit up.
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Microsoft may think they've got the world by the balls, but I have a feeling even as big as they are that the world will find a way to kick them back into reality if they keep this shit up.
I want you to be be right, but I feel like they've been keeping this shit up for over 20 years and they're no closer to the kick now as they were then.
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Ahh, the phrase that every Linux user has said for the past few decades:
"If I could get my ***Insert-common-thing*** working on Linux, it'd be a done deal."
If your backup solution did not turn this off (Score:2)
.. is not the fault of microsoft. Is it?
What do you mean you have no third party backup solution?!
Are you doing your backups using manual xcopy like a caveman/woman?!
What do you mean you are not doing backups?!
PS: I use time machine against my sylology NAS (and back up the nas to a portable 2.5" drive) for backups, may as well use any of the myriad solutions available (some from synology themselves) to back up a windows client there too, is I do not like microsoft's included one. The important thing is to b
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What do you mean you are not doing backups?!>
What makes you think that I have something to backup? I have an old laptop with 4GB of RAM that I use just for watching YouTube videos and playing the occasional game of solitaire. Windows is somewhat sluggish, in the future I may need to either replace the operating system or the computer itself. To be fair I am logged in to Chrome and YouTube with my Google account and Windows has my Microsoft account. It is useful to be able to pause a video on a device and resume on the laptop, that only requires sign
Re:If your backup solution did not turn this off (Score:4, Informative)
Microsoft never really created a proper backup solution. They have created several not-quite-there annoying products that tried to to backups; except in almost every release they'd deprecate the old product and introduce a new product (untested, unproven, incompatible with older backup formats). There was their time that full disk imaging was their solution; later the migrated to only folders in "Libraries" being backed up; now it's in the cloud and sucking at your ISP's teats, on by default, removing files from your local drive by default ("you haven't used this file for awhile, we'll just delete it to save space, but don't worry it's somewhere in the cloud.").
Compare to Apple's Time Machine. It backups up everything. Backup to local drive or networked drive. It does real incremental backups, efficiently using hardlinks. It does not use any proprietary file formats, or any format for that matter, and you can browse the backed up files any way you want, command line or gui or shell script. Suitable for enterprise use, or for home use by a computer novice. It does not bug you to buy extra space, or to buy an upgraded version. It does not need the internet. And if for some reason Time Machine is ever removed by Apple you can still access your existing backups for all time.
The difference is that Apple decided to make a useful product, whereas Microsoft included a shitty solution in order to hinder the third party tools market.
Yeah, it'd be too bad... (Score:2)
Seriously, I may already be sharing all the content I create with Microsoft just from using Windows, but I'll be damned if I store my stuff on Microsoft's cloud. There's a line I won't cross, even if it is pointless.
They'll keep trying (Score:2)
Until they eventually succeed. The only way to block them is legislatively. They're asking for it.
storm in a teacup really (Score:1)
microsoft wants your dataz. /. want your clickz.
pcworld and
they seem to work well together.
get a grip. i've been dismissing every single cortana and onedrive and whatnot sexual advance for ages, it's not a big deal, we areused to because we want to use computers, software or the internet in this time and age, and that's what it is: a fucking marketplace, has been for a while now. are you really that bored to to pull all this drama because one mediocre reporter wrote an inane filler piece about a triviality
Nice laptop you've got there. (Score:3)
Be a shame if someone waved a powerful electromagnet over it.
(Damn SSDs!)
Documents and Documents (Score:2)
Many applications store more than just your documents in Documents. For example Ableton, FL Studio, Xfer Records, U-He, Native Instruments, all install much of their data in your Documents folder. Microsoft's 'backup solution' will then want to back all this up to OneDrive. And then your other machine that has OneDrive will want to make this visible. The thing with e.g. the Image-Line folder is that almost all of the content in it comes in the installer and doesn't need backing up. Same with your Ableton li
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Microsoft sucks. But in this particular case, the fault isn't theirs. Programs should not (ab)use the "Documents" folder to store their internal data. Microsoft has designated other folders for this purpose. Second, Microsoft doesn't force the user to backup their "Documents" folder to Onedrive. Users can manually organize their important documents in various folders and still use Onedrive to backup them.
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Instead of constantly backing up tens of gigs of garbage like saved games and other junk, I just back up my vital personal stuff manually/semi automatically/automatically depending on the time of day and where I'm backing up to.
disk2vhd (Score:3)
Sad how much the included backup solutions have diminished over the years. You used to get a fairly competent backup based on backup exec then things kept getting worse and worse with each passing release. They eventually managed to nerf features and break basic backup to the point where I just started using disk2vhd for system backups. Metal restores are easy and if I just want a file I can always mount the image.
I do really like the shadow copy facilities of the OS yet all of the cloud shit and intentional degradation of basic backup features is sad to see. The combination of rolling back features and harassment if you don't use their bullshit services should in my view incur legal liability on anti-trust grounds.
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Can't you just use the Windows 7 Backup feature in Windows 10/11? I use it and it generates vhdx files.
This kinda substantiates your point that Microsoft's backup options just keep getting worse. Windows 7 Backup > File History > Windows Cloud Backup.
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Can't you just use the Windows 7 Backup feature in Windows 10/11? I use it and it generates vhdx files.
Used to be able to then it started barking about there not being enough free space on the recovery partition to create volume snapshot and stopped working after one of the windows updates.
Nice data you have there... (Score:1)
6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. (Score:2)
This message will annoy people who don't want it, but, if my mother doesn't call me after losing her files, I argue it's better overall.