OneDrive: Still the elephant in the room.

The GPE has this option in Admin Templates for those who don't want OneDrive integration, the wording suggests it also stops other apps from using OneDrive, maybe Office etc?

I use One Drive a lot, whether at home or away, and on my Android phone. My old photos from my 7 year old MacBook Pro, has also been transfered to One Drive. As have said, if you don't like it, uninstall. Yes, I have saved all photos and documents to a thumb drive.

It is very convenient, when visiting relatives to bring up photos from One Drive. I require it!

By giving you "Convenience" they have lured you into a sense of false security, while they steal your identity.
As a Computer security fanatic, of many years, I find Onedrive a horrible security hole. Immediately after I install Windows xx, I remove OneDrive, Cortana, WUDO and anything else that could create a Security problem on my PC, and that includes Windows Updates.

Good Luck, Mate,
TM

TechnoMage2021 said:

By giving you "Convenience" they have lured you into a sense of false security, while they steal your identity.
As a Computer security fanatic, of many years, I find Onedrive a horrible security hole. Immediately after I install Windows xx, I remove OneDrive, Cortana, WUDO and anything else that could create a Security problem on my PC, and that includes Windows Updates.

Good Luck, Mate,
TM

Click to expand...

Having my computer hooked into the internet is a "convenience" too, and by using websites and the like I risk identity stuff being stolen as well.

I'm less of a tinfoil hat kinda guy. I take precautions to ensure that things that are PIFI related aren't stored openly in the cloud. And for things that I have which could have sensitive data in them, I will utilize the encrypted Personal Vault for these things. The end user has to make the determination to decide whether they are comfortable with the risks versus the rewards.

And I don't have nearly enough time to analyze and critique all of the Windows updates. I'm not going to use Windows on the Internet without patches being applied.

cereberus said:

This is a load of codswallop - learn how to install Windows with files set to be stored locally. Then uninstall it.

I have pcs set up like this and onedrive never impacts them even with updates.

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Thats fine if you are a windows Geek. I am not and my computer came set up with the dreaded thing installed. Most people would like to remove it. It wont be long before Microsoft reveals the plan behined this scheme and its not to give you a safe cloud backup. It wont be long before Microsoft is charging you by the key stroke to use its products. A bit like the king of London ia now planning to charge driving there by the mile.

I have unlimited web space for peanuts a year so can save lots to it. Why should i have to pay Microsoft for space i don't need

This is amazing.
When I started this thread I was just a "Member". Now I'm a "Thread starter". I've come to learn how much I don't know and (more importantly) how much it is everyone else seems to know; AND how much there is I don't want to know, that it's unlikely I'll ever rise higher in this forum's ranks. (I'll never be a Guru...no matter...)


I believe Microsoft has (at least partially) revealed its plan in Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft Cloud.pdf (used to be available for free - look it up) and, to put it in a nutshell, I believe they want everyone to put EVERYTHING on the cloud--the CPU/monitor will be reduced to merely a view of the cloud; so that Microsoft would have access to everything--which it could sell... More importantly, Microsoft will be able to charge us for any amount of time we might need to access ((ir)regardless of what we want to do with it) our insignificant part of the cloud.

Regardless, now, months after I first suffered the ravages of OneDrive, I'm still suffering through it's constant re-apparition. Before uninstalling it I copied everything it had (in Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Pictures, Videos) into a local copy of it. Despite the fact I've removed it from all of my systems, every single time I do a system update, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I SAVE A FILE Microsoft tries to send me to OneDrive, and makes it annoyingly-difficult for me to do anything else.

Just using Win11 is horrendous. I'm encountering program changes in the Microsoft 365 that are totally unexpected. Where else can you encounter (note the larger drop down menu) when trying to structure a simple email.

Example #2) What about bringing up Microsoft Word 365 because you're trying to sensitively create a 6-line poem you want to send to a family member who's husband just died using a particular font (because you were brought up in a time that understood font design to be an art) and finding that the majority of fonts available to you through Microsoft are now on the cloud and, besides bearing totally unfamiliar names, and besides being unavailable to preview (using the Font window in MS Word) unless you commit to choosing the font first--IN OTHER WORDS taking what used to be a 15-minute process and making it a 3-hour debacle.

This kind of thing is happening constantly. You can't count on anything happening the way you expect. Just because some hot-shot (probably an executive hot-shot) decided he/she knew better... just went and decided to (command an underling) change things...

jro11 said:

This is amazing.

My first legacy.
​

When I started this thread I was just a "Member". Now I'm a "Thread starter". I've come to learn how much I don't know and (more importantly) how much it is everyone else seems to know; AND how much there is I don't want to know, that it's unlikely I'll ever rise higher in this forum's ranks. (I'll never be a Guru...no matter...)

I'm glad to find that most of my forum friends are on this thread...​

I believe Microsoft has (at least partially) revealed its plan in Microsoft Azure and the Microsoft Cloud.pdf (used to be available for free - look it up) and, to put it in a nutshell, I believe they want everyone to put EVERYTHING on the cloud--the CPU/monitor will be reduced to merely a view of the cloud; so that Microsoft would have access to everything--which it could sell... More importantly, Microsoft will be able to charge us for any amount of time we might need to access ((ir)regardless of what we want to do with it) our insignificant part of the cloud.

Regardless, now, months after I first suffered the ravages of OneDrive, I'm still suffering through it's constant re-apparition. Before uninstalling it I copied everything it had (in Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Pictures, Videos) into a local copy of it. Despite the fact I've removed it from all of my systems, every single time I do a system update, and EVERY SINGLE TIME I SAVE A FILE Microsoft tries to send me to OneDrive, and makes it annoyingly-difficult for me to do anything else.

Just using Win11 is horrendous.

Click to expand...

Congratulations on your first legacy.

My personal regard for this One Drive conundrum is vast become one of apathy as of late. I already know that complaining about the issue never gets the issue fixed. Today I decided to give Windows permission to run updates on Win 11 and I think you already know what the result was so I won't challenge you to venture a guess.

I don't know if you are a fan of science fiction but there is a book series out called Cyber Seed and you can find the audio version of it on YouTube. The book is free. The tactics employed by the Corporate Mogul antagonist in the book are typical of much of what Microsnot has offered us in the past and largely much of what they are doing today. Yes, you can still uninstall One Drive but there is no guarantee that it won't be back. After all, One Drive is an integral part of the OS. Fortunately, there are options. You can always run with Linux, or, you can run with a rogue version from a rogue website like GetintoPC and take your chances with that. No matter what you do you will always be the one who is liable. I keep reminding people that this is why there is a EULA agreement. No, it isn't there to protect the user.

Knowing this then, the user 'pays their money and takes their chances'. I have learned to take my medicine and roll with the punches. Methinks that many of those in the know have likewise adopted a sardonic sense of humour and have simply opted out for this approach. Nobody is forcing any of us to use Windows so we either put up or shut up or move on. There is also the option of using an older, out of date OS that requires no more updating and have away at it. I rather doubt there is much risk or liability involved in modifying something like that. I am compelled to say that I still enjoy using my Windows 7 Ultimate immensely for this reason and several others.

I would imagine it would be easy to say 'codswallop' to any issue one has with any version of Windows and it behooves me to say that the most annoying ones are among those that return incessantly when the issue was once thought solved. I would even venture that there are still those among us who practically worship Windows for whatever reasons and I will leave them to their delusions as I have better things to do with my time apart from debating the matter. As with any corporation Windows exists to serve the bottom line: Profit. This isn't a matter of morality or ethics. This is a matter of money. Decency is only secondary at best.

Personally, my view is that Windows is still a handy collection of tools and I will do with it whatever I wish when it is on my privately owned PC. I am not wilfully, or deliberately messing around with anyone else's data and I reserve the right to edit the registry if I wish. If this means I lied to that fat cat corporation then so be it. They lied to me also. In the Grande scheme of things I am small potatoes and Microsnot has much bigger fish to fry. I also struggle with your challenge in the font department. There are certain fonts that I simply must use that were independently designed for use with MS Word that I have incorporated in some of my manuscripts. My solution to this is to simply roll with the punches because alas, MS Word requires that I use a Microsoft account and that is where the BIG MEANIE gets it's claws in through the door.

In the infamous words of Billy Boy Clinton, "I feel your pain." So you have my condolences and I would encourage you to work on that sardonic grin, pip-pip, stiff upper lip and all, to make the best of it and roll with the punches because Windows isn't about to change any time soon. Keep your surgery tools handy and have fun! Make a game of it and don't let anyone steal your sense of humour.

*posting tip - When you criticize Windows with humour make certain that you make it absolutely clear that you are doing just that. Some people are liable to take it personally and think you're poking fun at them. I'm not saying that you're doing this, I'm saying that I've done it and I didn't know what the problem was until I realized they were taking my jokes about a product personally.

Well I always say that anything you buy is worth what you pay for it at most and seldom not worth any more. I paid nothiong for Windows 11. Make what you like of that. So take this text with a pinch of salt but its true.
They made a big fuss of windows insiders. At least they pretended to do so.
What they were looking for was how to screw you up.
My email no longer works in windows. I refused to pay for 365 as I never ordered it. Luckily office 2013 still works and there are free ones available. Before there was office i used a word processor (forgot its name) where if i needed to edit a line i first typed the line number and then the number of the letter that i needed to change. Now while i am writing this a window keeps dropping down the middle of my screen with a lot of garbage oin it. No idea what its for as it does not stay long enough to read.
Which idiot came up with that? Even editing this page has a different set of controls. My new machine came with everything that was on the old machne's drive and the contents are covering what used to be my home screen. Its a 1900 wide screen and every inch is covered with folders. When i open them they contain nothing but files with frames in them. Makes no sense to me. No way to move them into a new folder to tidy up my screen,
So I am going to plug in my now redundant in windows 50 gigabyte hard drive and hopefully move everything on to it and delete my back up.
Linux used to be a good system a few years back but at 81 and a computer programmer since before Microsoft hijacked the computer world I will find a way around it. In 1983 or thereabouts before there was the internet as its known today i owned a BBC computer. Using that, a long extension lead and the switch hooks of a public street phone box and using some routing codes that i had as a telephone engineer I managed to get into the Nasa website in the USA. Downloaded a couple of images and left a short message. A day or so later when they found it, it was in every newspaper world wide. Started a tv program that published a new URL on the BBC on a Sunday and there ws a prize for the guy who hacked into it first. Guys were good then and the fastest ever took about a minuite to do it. I was not that good. The net company was called Prestel and we used acoustic modems that fitted the old BT 706 handsets. Nobody in the industry ever thought that people would hack into web sites.
end of rant. I will now try to complete my tax return ofr 2022-2023. It wil take me a day and a half to do and the government will charge me about the sanme as last year when i paid £1.20, What a waste of time. But now I am off topic. Hope you enjoyed my rant.
Did you see that pig flying past your window?

Hwalker 1 said:

Well I always say that anything you buy is worth what you pay for it at most and seldom not worth any more. I paid nothiong for Windows 11. Make what you like of that.

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i thought you bought a new computer. The cost of the OEM copy of windows was certainly included in the price of the laptop. Just sayin.

Hwalker 1 said:

Luckily office 2013 still works and there are free ones available.

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Yeah the old versions still work. You can even buy standalone versions of new versions if you want. There are plenty of office alternatives around. Office 365 is just an option, not a requirement.

Hwalker 1 said:

Linux used to be a good system a few years back but at 81 and a computer programmer since before Microsoft hijacked the computer world I will find a way around it.

Click to expand...

Um Linux is everywhere in the world today. In the datacenter, and the cloud systems, it's practically the de-facto standard.

I completely removed One Drive from my system. Two reasons. First my upload on a good day is 0.8 Mbps so my use is somewhat throttled. Second is a trust thing, I don't really trust Microsoft (or anybody else out there) to leave my data alone. There's nothing special about it but it's mine.
Edit: grammar - missing "it"

Graulges said:

I completely removed One Drive from my system. Two reasons. First my upload on a good day is 0.8 Mbps so my use is somewhat throttled. Second is a trust thing, I don't really trust Microsoft (or anybody else out there) to leave my data alone. There's nothing special about but it's mine.

Click to expand...

100% totally valid reasons.

"We are all just prisoners here, of our own devices"!!!

Edwin said:

"We are all just prisoners here, of our own devices"!!!

Click to expand...

I can leave........ but oh the pain!

Am I unusual in liking OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc? They all work seamlessly with Windows (all versions, but especially well with Win11) and the ability to find, access and amend a file wherever I am and irrespective of the device I use an absolute boon. I often find I need a file, and don't have a PC, but whomever I am visiting will have and I can access the file without issue, I can even edit it. I can even access the files on my phone, and the ability to share files with anyone, anywhere is excellent - and all this without a single cent or penny, being paid for anything!

Keep it up Microsoft - you are doing an excellent job with a great OS, and huge amounts of free online storage.

wimorrison said:

Am I unusual in liking OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc? They all work seamlessly with Windows (all versions, but especially well with Win11) and the ability to find, access and amend a file wherever I am and irrespective of the device I use an absolute boon. I often find I need a file, and don't have a PC, but whomever I am visiting will have and I can access the file without issue, I can even edit it. I can even access the files on my phone, and the ability to share files with anyone, anywhere is excellent - and all this without a single cent or penny, being paid for anything!

Keep it up Microsoft - you are doing an excellent job with a great OS, and huge amounts of free online storage.

Click to expand...

Totally agree with you - most of the "cloud" whingers never actually take time to use learn how to use them properly.

An earlier poster said "Thats fine if you are a windows Geek. I am not....".

Does nobody want to learn any more how to do things or do they expect to connect their brain to the internet and have all knowledge downloaded directly LOL.

I have learnt a lot here from the tutorials and trial end error. I actually find the term "Geek" a bit offensive.

Of course, there is always the "MS are out to get us" brigade as well. They just love to chip in at every opportunity with absolutely no evidence to support their statements. They are as bad as the Linux trolls.

Onedrive (or any cloud service) are great tools if you invest time how to use them (and are not irrationally paranoid about cloud services).

In the end, it is blooming simple - use them if you wish, nobody is forcing you to use them.

I accept MS are rather agressive how they push it but not really any different to Google always telling me to use Chrome as default etc.

wimorrison said:

Am I unusual in liking OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc? They all work seamlessly with Windows (all versions, but especially well with Win11) and the ability to find, access and amend a file wherever I am and irrespective of the device I use an absolute boon. I often find I need a file, and don't have a PC, but whomever I am visiting will have and I can access the file without issue, I can even edit it. I can even access the files on my phone, and the ability to share files with anyone, anywhere is excellent - and all this without a single cent or penny, being paid for anything!

Keep it up Microsoft - you are doing an excellent job with a great OS, and huge amounts of free online storage.

Click to expand...

Nope not just you. I used dropbox and google drive previously. Switched to Office 365 back around 2017 when I was between jobs and lost my home use program eligibility from Microsoft. Honestly for me, Office 365 is a no-brainer. And I recently became eligible for a 30% discount from work on my Office 365...so it's $69 for me for the family account. I think it's great.

cereberus said:

Totally agree with you - most of the "cloud" whingers never actually take time to use learn how to use them properly.

An earlier poster said "Thats fine if you are a windows Geek. I am not....".

Does nobody want to learn any more how to do things or do they expect to connect their brain to the internet and have all knowledge downloaded directly LOL.

I have learnt a lot here from the tutorials and trial end error. I actually find the term "Geek" a bit offensive.

Of course, there is always the "MS are out to get us" brigade as well. They just love to chip in at every opportunity with absolutely no evidence to support their statements. They are as bad as the Linux trolls.

Onedrive (or any cloud service) are great tools if you invest time how to use them (and are not irrationally paranoid about cloud services).

In the end, it is blooming simple - use them if you wish, nobody is forcing you to use them.

I accept MS are rather agressive how they push it but not really any different to Google always telling me to use Chrome as default etc.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what a cloud whinger is but I certainly took the time to learn how to use the cloud much to my chagrin.

I'm not a windows Geek but I suppose it could be said that I'm a bit of a computer Geek. Am I supposed to be offended by this? Admittedly, I've learned a lot from this forum as well but I don't consider myself as a member of the Windows team. I'm merely a user. I'm okay with that too.

The MS brigade is definitely "out to get us" and they're doing an excellent job of it as some here have suggested. After all, if they didn't get us they wouldn't have us here, right now, discussing these things and using their product. Out to get us?? Man, they already have us. The real question is, can they keep us? My own capacity for masochism amazes me sometimes.

I only wish One Drive would get off of my cloud and stay off when told to. I'm learning that this is not always as easy as it seems.

Nobody is forcing any of us to use anything. This is why I make the marriage comparison. You can always divorce Windows. There will likely be some consequences should you decide to leave, but that's the price of clicking that "accept" button. Once you do that you agree to roll with the punches and embrace the good, the bad, and the downright oglee.

I agree that MS isn't really any different than GOOGLE. They're both evil and they're both mighty handy.

Jeebus!!!
This could go on for decades!!!

Edwin said:

Jeebus!!!
This could go on for decades!!!

View attachment 78124

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It already has.

I still don’t understand why it’s a problem that people like mysef just don’t trust our stuff being online. Why would you, is what goes through my mind. But I have said before, I respect that people want to use it. It’s a choice, not an argument.