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Microsoft Tests New Tool To Remove OEM Crapware (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Windows 10 already includes ways to clear out applications and data to repair misbehaving systems or prepare them to be sold, courtesy of the Refresh and Reset features added in Windows 8. Microsoft is now adding a third option: a new refresh tool. Currently available only for Windows Insiders, the new tool fetches a copy of Windows online and performs a clean installation. The only option is whether or not you want to preserve your personal data. Any other software that's installed will be blown away, including the various applications and utilities that OEMs continue to bundle with their systems. Ars Technica points out that the tool isn't perfect. For example, "it installs a preview build from the fast track, but Microsoft notes that the new tool can sometimes install a version older than the one currently installed. When this kind of version mismatch occurs, the option to preserve your files is removed."
... it's not doing its job very well, now is it?
"Microsoft tests new tool to uninstall Windows"
FTFY.
Microsoft had probably had this 'tool' in house for decades, as part of automated testing.
So, basically giving users the original OS disk? Like they did in the early days? I guess this is a good sign, moving away from the current model of "media free" on the HDD images, with no recourse to removing all of the crapware.
--WooooHoooo--
Google it, run it once, delete it afterwards. It worked well in the past for me.
At least HP's. You CAN, if you are one twisted som-bitch, put the crap back on, but otherwise, you get a clean install. Out of the box you still get the smell. Dell used to let you order a system without the smell, but it cost you.
What about drivers?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
After a couple of decades of using Linux, I now think that Linux needs a tool like this way more than Windows does.
It's one thing when it's some non-Microsoft hardware vendor adding to the default Windows installation. Like this story shows, at least there's some hope of getting back to a usable base system.
But it's a different case with modern Linux distros where the distro maintainers themselves have been bundling what a lot of users consider to be "crapware". Systemd and GNOME 3 are great examples of this. Systemd is now included by default by nearly all of the major Linux distros, typically without any option during the installation process for using a different init system. So by default you're forced to use systemd, even if you don't want to. It's exactly the same as bundled "crapware". It's a similar situation when it comes to GNOME 3, which most users absolutely hate, although at least there's sometimes the Linux distro installers allow a real desktop environment like Xfce or KDE to be used instead.
If you want to use Linux but don't want to use systemd, you're forced to use a niche distro like Devuan, Gentoo or Slackware. Or you're forced to try to hack it out of your installation, which is error prone and can impact future updates. Of course, neither of these is an option for somebody who wants a usable, reliable Linux installation without systemd.
The only other option is to move away from Linux, to something like FreeBSD, OS X, or even Windows. That's exactly what we're seeing many long-time Linux users doing. They're using FreeBSD on their servers. They're buying Macs and using OS X. Some have even gone back to Windows. It shouldn't have to be this way. Debian, for example, should allow the user to choose the init system. That's not just the right thing to support, it's the Linux way!
"Microsoft releases buggy, tempremental tool to solve a problem caused by their own ecosystem, can delete all user data"
This happens on average 3 times a week.
Tried to install a "clean" windows install:
Install Windows ISO
Network on MB not working - go to linux PC and download 200Mb network package - transfer over USB stick
Sound not working - download 500Mb driver package
Video not optimal - download 500Mb driver package
Install Microsoft office - get another DVD
Download Firefox
Download vlc
more hard ware unrecognized - download 1gb of other drivers:
-chipset drivers
-hardware monitoring drivers
Download 500Mb of BT,WiFI drivers and install
My Recent Linux Mint "Clean" install experience:
-Insert DVD and install
-Install Linux Mint
-Video Works out of box
-Sound works out of box
-Network works out of box
-WLAN works out of box
-BT works out of box
-Firefox already installed
-apt-get install vlc
-configure qemu - run windows for office in virtual environment
I will admit, the install for WIndows on the virtual size was dead easy. MSFT software works great on virtual hardware, it's simple, has the drivers built in and can't mess up your real hardware / files.
The count:
Linux: 1 DVD + a few hundred mb of downloads
Windows: 1 DVD, Driver DVD, a few Gb of download for drivers IF the network works
A new tool to remove crapware? You mean it removes Windows 10 and puts Windows 7 back?
That'd be amazing.
The "Anniversary update" will expand the tile "suggestions" from five to ten. Microsoft doesn't want the OEM's to compete with their own bloatware and "suggestions". So, you can make their life better. Just be prepared to constantly remove their freemium apps that you uninstalled, but that they keep reinstalling. Windows 10 is horrible in this respect.
I have heard that Lenovo has embedded bloatware into the BIOS of systems, and it uses official protocols so that Windows 8+ will automatically install that software. Will this step do anything against such software?
in an effort to prevent OEM keys from getting loose MS and OEMs figured out how to embed the key into the "bios" so yes currently a Generic Copy of WinX can be used to install and OEM copy of WinX (some OEM files will be grabbed when it can get online)
Reinstalling Windows doesn't really count as a "tool" for removing crap/ad/malware - More like burning the house down to get rid of mice.
Perhaps more importantly, Windows comes with quite a bit of stock crapware; I have to suspect that Microsoft would reinstall all of that, meaning that after using this "tool", you'd need to spend a couple hours disabling all the various telemetry hooks (not to mention the time it takes to install all your non-MS apps again).
Instead, people would do far better to just run something like Deep Freeze, where every time you boot you revert to a known good state of your own choosing.
Of course to users this sounds superficially like a great idea. Dump the dozen bits of crap installed on a new PC and put it back to a clean OS install.
In reality, MS wants to eliminate the data harvesting competition. OEMs add crapware because they get paid to add it. Crapware installers pay for this because they want you to buy their crapware, but even if you don't it's worth the cost to gather data on you and your computer, sometimes for years when naive users don't ever uninstall it.
Microsoft's move is into the data harvesting business -- win 10 telemetry, azure, office365, and now linked in. Third party crapware doesn't just degrade the product (its always done that, and they never cared) but now it produces independent data sets that compete with Microsoft's data sets.
The "solution" they propose is kind of like a symbiotic parasite, guarantee our exclusive data harvesting and will make your PC have fewer problems.
OEM's spend money to put the crapware on the machine. Client buys said brand because of recognition and this tool removes that. That will probably piss someone off. The reason you got that subsidized PC for cheap was BECAUSE of the OEM crapware Lawyer time.
There's a ton of preinstalled crapware in Windows 10 that I'd like to get rid of.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Want to solve the problem? Yank the "windows certification" of every single PC seller and maker that adds crap to the install and make them pay full retail proce for every copy of windows they sell on their machines.
Suddenly the problem of added garbage goes away overnight. And I mean it, it will stop by 8am the next business day you announce that.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
...and coercive. And backwards. Unnecessarily complex, too.
The simplest solution is best: Allow a second form of the Control Panel | Program and Features, with a check mark box in front of every entry. Now, let the Administrator use that view to click on all items that should be removed, and do it all in one session (with as many automatic reboots as necessary). The code can figure out the dependencies and adjust the order to do the independent stuff first, and so-on down the tree.
An example is at http://www.techattend.com/unin...
Only M$ could come up with this inverse of the logical approach so it will, inevitably, trash things you wanted to keep! Because, of course, M$ knows better than any user how "best" to manage the users' own computer systems.
And, again, M$ declares: "We are the King of the O.S. world; you mere customers are only objects to be manipulated to our satisfaction!"
They should also let users easily remove all of the Microsoft crapware
solved.
Why did this story not say to remove oem spyware? Oh, nm.
Microsoft is doing this because they want more visibility for their crapware. I have to occasionally use MS Windows at work. My fresh from MS install has all kinds of very non office crap. Candy crush, groove, xbox, etc. Then they do a relentless push for things like edge. I opened edge and typed chrome, what comes up, not a download for chrome but some crap about edge.
Over the years I have worked with fairly cutting edge companies. It boils down to a simple fact: if the company is using windows, they aren't cutting edge and they tend to shuffle along until someone eats their lunch. If they are cutting edge about the only people using windows are the accountants.
So why does Microsoft allow crapware to be installed in the first place?
This sounds like something that would be very useful immediately after you get your new computer plugged in.
How would MS deal with this if the OEM has physical access to the hardware and does need to provide drivers and supporting software for many combinations of components?
All they can do is make life complicated to all their sales channels and have more machines sold without a "MS approved" sticker. Not a winning proposition. It is best to sell Surfaces without crapware, and Xboxes with Windows 10 compatibility. Essentially, to be more like Apple and Google and sell vertically integrated product/services.
How would MS deal with this
Simple, Microsoft sez: If you license Windows, no crapware. If you do install crapware, you are breaking the legal agreement and you lose your right to license Windows.
Apparently anti trust lawsuits from the OEMs.
they want to remove the competition.
Wouldn't it just be nice to forget Windows entirely? We need to move on...
I think than MS likes to sell loads of licenses and the make a software fix rather than having the extra costs from policing every OEM under the sun. :)
It would be good if Google could clean the Samsung et. al muck off phones through some kind of app.
Go Linux!
Because Microsoft is a software company.
Let's face it, if the story here were that Microsoft is forbidding the installation of any software by vendor even if value added or wanted by the end user, even in cases of specific requirements (think education software, think automated delivery of the OS and apps) then we'd all be asking for their heads for abuse of their monopoly.
The cure is worse than the disease. Also where do you draw the line? No pre-shipment of software? What about drivers? What about software to interface with the drivers?
I think than MS likes to sell loads of licenses and the make a software fix rather than having the extra costs from policing every OEM under the sun.
Microsoft should care about the Windows brand not being associated with crapware. Although with the recent events showing that Microsoft is making Windows 10 look like malware, I would have a difficult time convincing anyone that Microsoft does indeed care about the Windows brand.
. :)
Never mind.
They used to say that the best gamekeepers were former poachers.
Of course with Nutella's tribe of buggerbastards there's no "former" about it. They're no doubt trying to play both ends against the middle.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
$$$?
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
When will someone come out with a piece of software to remove MICROSOFT'S CRAPWARE?
Then I realized... they did, a long time ago. It's called "LINUX".
Fuck Microsoft, Fuck Gates, Fuck Windows, etc.
Does this mean win10 will uninstall itself?
To remove Windows 10?
...it would need to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 7.