Since I’m still a week behind, this article caught my attention. It covers the fact that with the February update of Windows Update, we all got universal control protected driver (UCPD) to supposedly lock down the browser and programs like Adobe to open PDF files.
I don’t remember reading this in Brian’s coverage or anywhere else until today.
Bleeping computer is speculating that it could be a change to comply with the March deadline for a new UAE law allowing user choice in the European Union.
We all need choice on what program we want to use, Microsoft. If we don’t want to use Edge to open links, that should be our fucking choice, not yours!
While some programs like Adobe are meant to run PDF files, Malware could in theory change that and you locking that is cool. But for fucks sake, why didn’t you tell us what you’re up to and the fact that the only way to change this was through the GUI of the default programs pannel?
Someone wrote two programs to do things for their convenience, none of which work unless you start fucking with shit. The article goes in to this detail on what the programmer had to do to get one of their programs to work.
The article is titled New Windows driver blocks software from changing default web browser and comes to us as I said from Bleeping Computer.
Let us know what you think.
Wow jared.
I haven’t had you so fired up.
I do think that software especially third party stuff shouldn’t change things without users permition.
Saying that, sadly microsoft has shown little compassion for itts user base.
From its so called phone support to its updates.
For all its supposed insider access, and a bunch of stuff some of which I have experienced, the friendly bill gates era is truely over.
And microsoft is just another of those fucking corperate bastardial cunts we as users need to deal with on a daily basis.
For example I bet you a pack of dried mango that all this eu locking shit won’t stop microsoft changing things for itts own means, even if its sued for it it seems to stand up to what ever nuclear attack thats chucked at it and I doubt it cares.
I do think though being a user of the default program stuff that I like the idea of changing stuff for whatever reason.
However in some cases, winamp, comes to mind, and 7zip, etc there are reasons to have the programs be able to change things or the user able to change things.
I mean if I can change it all in 1 place fine.
7zip allows me to change extentions for everything for either admin or singlue user and it would be nice to have a way to just associate everything at once for all and such and forget it.
Of course that means some glaring microsoft files like zips, etc would have to be changed.
Then there are programs that play zips for media archival purposes, it would be nice if tthere were a way to be able to sttill do this without changing the main action for normal archives to try to play in winamp or vlc.
Luckily I can kill the zip plugin and thats fine but still.
Pdfs can play in chrome and adobe but yeah if adobe is loaded that is what I’d prefer.
The issue is that microsoft will happily change it for itself.
If we suddenly can not change everything microsoft says you can’t because it needs control for its own reasons then thats a potential bust.
Actually that and a few other things is why none of the users in the network, remote and internal bar 1 and several technical friends I have have not and will never upgrade to windows above 10.
At least till we have no choice and even then, I will upgrade, maybe when my system breaks but if I get another system unless its not a laptop, I will be making sure to get a custom build and then I will be making sure to get legally or otherwise windows 10 and at least for the near future load it on.
Windows 11 has had a lot of issues and maybe not so much now but just like steam and other things the early issues into the medium term colour user actions including mine.
I don’t like or trust 11 because its had so many issues I don’tt want a potential nightmare on my hands.
I’ve already had to tweak and hack win10 so it runs with context menus and the like and I understand win11 has mangled the interface more for us users.
Now for the systems I admin I can get past without accessing the majority of the interface but on mine while thats mostly true I do need at least for a quarter of my day full shell access to open in this location and a few other extra menus and such.
I do write a gym log and I do beta test and a few other things above a normal user.
Windows 10 has its issues but unlike 11 I am free to do what I like when I like.
In fact I have 3 brousers here edge and chrome, chrome because tests and such and firefox naturally.
Now begrudgingly when win10 dropps support I may switch the main system to 11, it can run it but I put a block on it because its pro and the user doesn’t need to.
At least I will when I have no fucking choice in the matter, ie software no longer supports it.
Its a main system so I guess I will have no choice, I am not going to compromise my security just like that, but at the same time I am in the fortunate position I don’t have much to essentially none old software.
I have been weeding thatt out accross the network over the last 5 or so years.
In factt most stuff worked till I reloaded the main system a couple years back.
Some really old photo software screwed up windows and I didn’t expect it.
It worked so I never questioned it.
Luckily thats now in the bin, the system is rebuilt and I was able to switch that software to already available and opensource software which is now loaded.
I do feel for those that are in the lurch though.
I have for example worked on a government project where while everyone ran windows 10, they were still running windows xp, in a vm, to access certain devices on super computers.
When I asked them why are you using such old and insecure shit their responce was pritty much that it had cost them several million to install the devices and all the extras for their experiments.
It would cost the same if not more to pull em, and buy new hardware just to use the systems for their functions.
I somettimes don’t think some of the big companies appreciate how some of that goes and I doubt users do necessarily.
Of course I am always interested in what the other side is doing.
And while it was true, I could just sit on my workstation or be connected to the system and let someone else handle the grunt work I have always been interested in the entire project even though my part in it was so small at the time.
Even now I struggle with was.
Just like old windows, my own time at that project is ended.
Though at least for me it ended because I’d been used to the natural end stage and I was no longer needed.
Still thats another story for another day.
I will end on the note that while the eu stuff does help us I don’t know if full trust on any big corps is a good idea.
Of course it would be different if I was in one of them so maybe that changes if I ever am in 1.
But for a user point of view any new feature from ai to program changes is just another extra for a user.
My first reaction to most things is to find my way out of it.
I don’t need it I don’t want it and I certainly don’t want it to fuck my life.
Then again I may find I have to or find it usefull.
For example I was like that with ai.
Ai is the next big thing and it may be worth cash to a pioneer like myself.
In fact while there isn’t cash just yet I start a new contract round july for 4 months and I hope its the first of many.
Maybe there will be proffit in becoming one with the borg, maybe.
But not if we are forced.