Windows future direction and your privacy.

Ok guys so Im paranoid - but does it make me wrong?

Look at the civilian world a minute. How often do you see the words "Its for Charity". Personally it makes my flesh crawl. Not because I am a mean inhumane SOAB but because of the uncontrolled abuse of the whole system, its shoebox accounting (throw your money in here) and how little of it filters thru to recipients. I think you know what I mean without further labour.

Now turn to my present concern in the PC (consumer) world. Enterprise folks have their own world which is far removed from mere mortals. Remember the happy days of XP and W7 where you had control and most things were simple (but spoiled of course by a pandemic of virus hacking - but lets not go there). Yes M $ did a lot with Defender in W8.1 to make our experience so much more robust when connected to the Web.

All good stuff you would say - I guess.

But now we have a new invasion starting with W10 and a whole new mindset. That word SECURITY. Its now used to cover up all manner of subterfuge in the pursuit of the World Market. Note how the Big Two are converging in their ambitions. M $ started at the hardware level and is determined to move belatedly into the Cloud. Google started at the Cloud level and has moved into the hardware domain (Android). Have you noticed how the Google One Account has moved in to secure logins. Everywhere you are pestered to use a login/user name/password and second level - your personal phone number for a one-time code. I must have this interference a dozen times a day and its driving me mad. Worse now with this new EU directive you have to positively accept cookies and their (ab)use for every site you visit - and you need to see how devious the whole procedure can become by examining "non essential use". If you are a busy exec (or a Prosecco riddled housewife) how do you cope with all this interference and waste of time.

All of this in the name of your Enhanced Security .

We know thats a lie - its really about mining all your data and gaining control of you.
Evidence - the Nerd sources (on a Forum near you) have noted that M $ W11 onwards will no longer allow you the freedom to operate your m/c under a Local Account. You will be obliged (post W10) to create and sign in to your M $ Account (in the cloud). M $ thereafter has monetising access to your m/c for data mining etc. You will comply (or you will be shot).
For me this has all come to a head as I move into W11 and uncover all the evil intent. I am in a mortal struggle trying to disengage with Google - its a tortuos affair after decades of exposure. Now M $ wants final control of my pc.

Yeah whatever - you may say. Milo Minderbender inc knows whats good for you - surely - where's my parachute?

Now, herein, we have a fount of smart Nerds - no question. But IMHO it is in the wood-boring beetle nature of Nerds to tunnel into an OS woodwork, get under the floor boards. No one is looking from above at where its all going.

We need those skilled in the arts to get above tree level and question what is really going on with our machines. These are and certainly going to be at the very core of our lives. In the future you may face being marginalised if you havent complied. Can you see my message here.

This is where I need help from those who can see the big picture. Are there any of you out there?

BrianS said:

Everywhere you are pestered to use a login/user name/password and second level - your personal phone number for a one-time code. I must have this interference a dozen times a day and its driving me mad.

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Two factor authentication is the standard anymore. I've been working for a very large Fintech company for 6 years now and two factor requirements are everywhere. Not only that, but I have 4 personal accounts. 1 for everyday logon to my machine, 1 for admin control of my machine, 1 for production servers and 1 for non-production servers. All have varying degrees of complexity requirements. I'm probably 2 factor logging on at least 30 times a day.

Is all the effort worth it? Yeah, I think so. I got a pop up once showing that I was attempting to RDP into a server at work when I was not. I reported it and found that our internal pentesters were using my account. I reported it and validated the assumption that if an account can get compromised, two factor can be the saving grace to knowing about it.

BrianS said:

We know thats a lie - its really about mining all your data and gaining control of you.
Evidence - the Nerd sources (on a Forum near you) have noted that M $ W11 onwards will no longer allow you the freedom to operate your m/c under a Local Account. You will be obliged (post W10) to create and sign in to your M $ Account (in the cloud). M $ thereafter has monetising access to your m/c for data mining etc. You will comply (or you will be shot).

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I'm still running with a local account on my Windows 11 and Windows 10 boxes. But I also have it tied into my Microsoft Account for OneDrive and Office 365 because both of those things work out very well for me. Your mileage/desires/wants/needs may differ from mine and therefore this might not be a good fit. Some people hate subscriptions. For me though, for the normal $99 a year for the family account, I get the ability to install office on any of my devices, (mac or windows in my case), for me and 5 other accounts. And all 6 accounts get 1TB of onedrive space. We predominately use that as a backup location for all of our cell phones pictures and videos. Since I don't have a need for all 6 of my accounts, I share one with my dad and can also offer one to a friend. They can chip in and help me with my annual costs. And I get a promo through my work account, so my family plan only costs me $69 a year. Pretty darn cheap for 6TB of online cloud space and Office on everything and anything.

Good news is that you aren't required to use Microsoft Windows. (maybe you are required to at work, but it's not required at home). There are alternatives out there, you can try out Apple Mac OS, or any number of linux distros to find something that more fits in with your particular requirements.

I do respect your desire to look into question what's going on. We all have differing opinions and will most likely never truly agree on 1 solution, but it's great to have the banter and think it out.

Oh, I see the big picture,. I also see the direction the world is going but I know there's not a damn thing I can do about it, so rather than letting paranoia rule my every day life, I change what I can and roll with the rest. If one allows it, one's mind can make one's life very miserable. I'll continue on until it becomes impossible to bow to all the demands Windows puts on the user in the name of security. Then, if I've still got enough of my wits about me to even operate a computer, I'll switch to a Linux distro. I've been playing around with a Linux VM to be prepared if it comes to it.

I bought my first and only new computer in my entire life to conform to the hardware demands of Windows 11. I won't be buying another one. If it becomes where our Brink or other gurus can't give me workarounds to things like using a local account or getting rid of onedrive integration or the other crap I detest, then I'll move on. Microsoft won't miss me when I'm gone.

Use Linux.

@pparks1
thanx for your input. Clearly you belong to the class of skilled Enterprise IT pros and I wouldnt dare to trespass on your domain. You have issues well covered and of course ready access to other pros for support.
Simple domestic home guys have no such facility (nor the need for such draconian security measures ie dont store vital info on your pc) Keep it so you've nothing worth stealing on your pc - is my take.
If you are a small time but public figure then you are vulnerable to malicious hacking from political enemies. Thats where Privacy protection becomes a serious issue eg planting fake damaging pix and dox etc. Security vs Privacy two different animals IMHO

NavyLCDR said:

Use Linux.

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Unless you're a gamer or not computer savvy enough - it's not that simple for 95% (or more) of computer (Windows) users...

BrianS said:

Simple domestic home guys have no such facility (nor the need for such draconian security measures ie dont store vital info on your pc) Keep it so you've nothing worth stealing on your pc - is my take.

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Things like 2 factor are useful though to a standard home user. If your amazon user account got compromised, wouldn't you want to get a pop up on your phone saying somebody was trying to logon, versus getting charges to your credit/debit card for the things people ordered. Or worse, they change your password on you and then you are locked out of your own account and then are arguing with Amazon that you ARE the actual owner and the other side is the nefarious side.


The thing with hackers is that many are just script kiddies without a bunch of super know how into what they are doing, nor are they often targeting a specific person. They are just casting out a huge net and gaining access to what they can get to. maybe they are trying to install a bot net to ddos a website. Maybe they are trying to get credit card numbers to make malicious purchases. Maybe they are trying to compromise your password manager to find out your bank information so that they can transfer out your money and drain your accounts. Who knows? but the point is that they aren't coming after you or I because we are CEO's of businesses and thy know we have substantial funds, they end up on our devices because it's just what they found.

Along the security line of thought here, for awhile now about every 2 or 3 weeks, I get an authorization code on my email from Microsoft telling me that someone is trying to log into my account. They say that if it's not me to disregard as they may be doing it in error. I disregard.

@glasskuter
If one allows it, Google can make one's life very miserable.

Yup I with you there Bro. My current torture is trying to sort out and extricate decades of Gmail involvement> has shown me how vulnerable you are to trust a rampant Corp with your personal data. Since switching machines and moving to W11 all my past email stuff has become difficult to access and I may have lost some. I used Thunderbird for all my accounts, but thats unreliable in syncing with Gmail/Hotmail. I thought I could keep a copy of everything on my local HDD. Doesnt seem to me to be that simple. Also your local copies (if you get them right) can only be read thru Gmail/Outlook (sign in with the Account/pw/phone again). There are 3rd party readers but whether you get the right thread structure - is mute. Its work in hand and gives me the terminal schwepps.
BTW home boys are even pushing you to use cloud storage - Woah there think about it - where are you in +10 years say? See how much has changed in the last 10 years

mackie said:

Along the security line of thought here, for awhile now about every 2 or 3 weeks, I get an authorization code on my email from Microsoft telling me that someone is trying to log into my account. They say that if it's not me to disregard as they may be doing it in error. I disregard.

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yup same for me and with Google tell me to check my security yada yada. Its all keep strings tight on you IMHO

@pparks1
Maybe they are trying to get credit card numbers to make malicious purchases. Maybe they are trying to compromise your password manager to find out your bank information so that they can transfer out your money and drain your accounts.

Yes agreed, but if you dont keep your vital data on you pc it cant be stolen?

As for banks, I keep separate accounts for small stuff, house bills etc, only every small balance available. No access to savings or serious money. So my exposure to big fraud is very limited a few 100 $ maybe vs small risk. I can live with that. Amazon hacking - hmm dont buy much but will look into whether they stor cc details. Ebay I use Paypal - seems secure but they only have access to small banks accounts.

BrianS said:

[Yes agreed, but if you dont keep your vital data on you pc it cant be stolen?

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True, but I would guess that your average joe might use their computer for doing things like their tax return. Get ahold of that, and you get a SSN and then your identity can be compromised. Other people may keep scanned copies of receipts/paperwork etc which can have personally identifiable information that could be used to compromise their identity. i think many people have stuff on their computer which could be considered vital. I don't think you will find many who have computers 100% devoid of any type of private information. It sounds like a good idea, but probably less than practical in the real world.

BrianS said:

Amazon hacking - hmm dont buy much but will look into whether they stor cc details. Ebay I use Paypal - seems secure but they only have access to small banks accounts.

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Just used Amazon as an example. But i would bet that lots of average joes' have credit card details stored in their personal accounts to make future purchases easier. I don't think many are pulling out their wallets every time they purchase something. And for that measure, lots of places ask for the 3 digit code on the back when the card is selected, so help protect people against being able to use the card like this.

BrianInEngland said:

Unless you're a gamer or not computer savvy enough - it's not that simple for 95% (or more) of computer (Windows) users...

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Then it doesn't do much good to complain about Windows, unless it makes a person feel better, I suppose.

I do a lot of personal 'Business' on the internet, like paying my CC bills. I used to just log into my Pay Pal account, make my payment, print my receipt and log out. Well, for the last year, or so, it's not been that simple. Every month when I try to log in, I put in my ID and password and then a screen comes up demanding my Mobile Phone number....problem is "I don't have NO freakin' Mobile Phone Number". But there is no option to get off of that screen, without a Mobile Phone Number. OH, I could put in someone else's number but then they would get a text message with a secret code to put in, to continue the Log In. Arggg!

So, I've spent hours on the phone, talking with so called "Service" reps, that can barely speak English, trying to explain to them that if they want me to pay on my account, then for Goodness sakes let me log in. As you may well guess.....that gets me nowhere. They have no Power to do anything.
So I wind up calling another phone number, and being confronted by an AI that says they can take my payment over the phone for a service fee of $10. So in total frustration, I allow the AI to take my payment. They already have my bank account # and everything else needed for them to take my payment. At no time, through all this, do I get to talk with a real, breathing, bleeding, human being.
I'm at the point of just refusing to make another payment till they get it through their thick skulls, that I don't own a freakin' Mobile Phone, and just let me log in like I've done for Years!
End of rant!

NavyLCDR said:

Then it doesn't do much good to complain about Windows, unless it makes a person feel better, I suppose.

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Totally agree. The whole Windows privacy nonsense is so tedious now. People should do the maths. There is over a billion users of Windows roughly eighth of the world population.

Who seriously thinks they are important enough to come to attention of authorities?

Only a moron would think that his viewing of adult material is of slightest interest to powers to be.

Only J. Arthur Ranks perpetuate this privacy BS!

@TechnoMage2021 @cereberus
Well there's support for my point guys. Our lives are being run by over blown SECURITY measures. None of it will work without a Window Account or Gmail log in credentials. COMPUTER SAYS NO you are stuffed.

My school uses the popular Canvas and I have the Canvas app loaded on my phone. When I log in on my phone it sends a text message to the same phone with the code as a "Two Factor" authentication method. Really? The intelligence part of that artificial intelligence is pretty weak.

school?

BrianS said:

@TechnoMage2021 @cereberus
Well there's support for my point guys. Our lives are being run by over blown SECURITY measures. None of it will work without a Window Account or Gmail log in credentials. COMPUTER SAYS NO you are stuffed.

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What on earth are you rabbiting on about?