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submitted 2 years ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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

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[-] spez@sh.itjust.works 107 points 2 years ago

Yup, that ai generated image kills me more than the news.

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[-] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 90 points 2 years ago
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[-] Nindelofocho@lemmy.world 82 points 2 years ago

coming soon: Monthly subscription to use windows with the justification that it uses an online service in order to work

[-] spudwart@spudwart.com 24 points 2 years ago

"Embrace Extend Extinguish"

[-] georgette@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

I can't wait for the eventual warning pop-ups and emails, warning me that my onedrive is almost full (70%)

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[-] techognito@lemmy.world 66 points 2 years ago

For those of you who are now worried about you win10 or 11 install:

  1. This is only for those using MSA account with windows 10 or 11
  2. You cannot uninstall the backup tool, but you can disable taking backups
    1. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/back-up-your-windows-pc-87a81f8a-78fa-456e-b521-ac0560e32338

Lastly, this article had 0 sources and was misleading

[-] Moc@lemmy.world 62 points 2 years ago

Reason #2720183 to use Linux.

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[-] Mossheart@lemmy.ca 49 points 2 years ago

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?

[-] Dadifer@lemmy.world 43 points 2 years ago

I don't remember Time Machine backing up to someone else's server.

[-] TurboDiesel@lemmy.world 15 points 2 years ago

iCloud does, and if memory serves you can't remove that either. But like iCloud, you can simply not sign in.

[-] gestalt@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

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.

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[-] dosse91@lemmy.trippy.pizza 45 points 2 years ago

It's always sad to see users being mistreated like this but what never ceases to amuse me is the amount of time that Windows users are willing to waste in order to remove all this trash from their systems and have a usable experience, only for it to be ruined again with something worse with the next update. At this point, they either don't know that alternatives exist or they have Stockhom syndrome or something.

I used to do that A LOT and you can still find all my old guides on my website as a testament to that, they were soooo long, it took hours to do a "clean install", they took days to write, and even then I would run into so many issues because of Windows Update... One day I realized that I was doing more work to make Windows usable than the average Arch user and I just gave up. Linux wasn't ready for gaming yet so I had to dual boot for a while, but thankfully that's not a problem anymore. I couldn't be happier.

[-] NAXLAB@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

I'm aware of all of this, but most of the software I use is Windows only. Recommending GIMP/whatever seems like enough to a proud Linux user, but it really just doesn't cut it. I'm savvy enough to get rid of all the stuff I hate about windows or switch to Linux, but I'm comfortable enough to stay with wondoes

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[-] pirrrrrrrr@lemmy.dbzer0.com 43 points 2 years ago

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.

[-] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 38 points 2 years ago* (last edited 3 months ago)
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[-] remotelove@lemmy.ca 36 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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.

[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 13 points 2 years ago

Is that possible on Windows 11?

[-] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 18 points 2 years ago

Yes. When installing and it asks for your email address just use no@thankyou.com then type anything in for the password. It will fail then you can enter a local account.

[-] planish@sh.itjust.works 12 points 2 years ago

BRB, buying thankyou.com and enjoying my several million computers.

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[-] SeeJayEmm@lemmy.procrastinati.org 35 points 2 years ago

Who cares? Windows has included a backup app of some sort since NT. The only way this is more than click bait would be if they were forcing you to use it.

[-] OrderedChaos@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

I have not used it nor have I seen prompts for it yet. But if it follows their usual pattern it'll be very in-your-face about it and give every indication there is no choice but to use it which will be the same as required or forced for most users. It's evil/deceitful practice in my opinion. I'm irritated every time Microsoft teams updates I have to disable and block it with Simple Wall firewall app.

[-] lukecooperatus@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 years ago

It's definitely not in your face. I've been using Windows 11 in some fashion ever since it was released, and I didn't even know there was a backup app. I just ran it now to look at it, and it's pretty tame. It syncs app installs from the Windows Store (which you don't even need to use ever) and some settings like accessibility. I've long since removed OneDrive, which is what it looks as if the backup app uses to sync folders, so it's disabled for me.

I'm not sure the backup app even does anything on it's own, really. It seems like it's just displaying some settings from other apps in a central location. 🤷‍♂️ This seems like a non story to me.

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[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 33 points 2 years ago

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?

[-] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

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[-] xuniL@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 2 years ago

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

[-] pirrrrrrrr@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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]

[-] RadialMonster@lemmy.world 16 points 2 years ago

My options were remind me in 1 week, or remind me in 30 days

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[-] my_hat_stinks@programming.dev 13 points 2 years ago

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.

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[-] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 years ago

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.

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[-] echodot@feddit.uk 28 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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.

[-] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 21 points 2 years ago

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.

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[-] Treczoks@lemmy.world 23 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

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".

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago

I’m waiting for the inevitable Lemmy comment from an engineer or sys admin that tells me to install Linux.

[-] 0ddysseus@lemmy.world 10 points 2 years ago

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.

[-] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 years ago

I mean you seem to understand the solution but keep doing it wrong anyway

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[-] pathief@lemmy.world 12 points 2 years ago

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.

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[-] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 11 points 2 years ago
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[-] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 10 points 2 years ago

You got to love all the ads that are now a part of windows

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this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2023
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