I've been using Windows for about two years. Just this morning, when I booted into Windows, the boot loader (or whatever you call the part before Windows is fully loaded) prompted me saying I need to finish setting up. The only options were "accept" or "remind me in 3 days", so I accepted. Then it asked me to change my default browser to Edge. Apparently "finish setting up" means "we don't like that you are using Firefox".
This happened to me last week as well. I assume that this shit came with any of the recent updates.
It really infuriated me, especially the usage of the word "need" and the fact that the dialog doesn't offer an option like "no, and don't bug me with this ever again". Fortunately, after hitting the "remind me in 3 days" button, I looked a bit and found an option that does make it go away forever.
My Windows is in Spanish, so I don't know the exact name of the configuration settings in English, but you can find it in the Win+I configuration dialog. Look for "notifications and actions" (or something very similar), and there, look for a checkbox whose text reads something like "suggest ways to finish device configuration to get the most out of Windows". In fact there are six checkboxes in that screen and every single one looks like an annoyance, so I disabled them all.
Last week, a windows update wiped out the boot loader for my Linux install right before I needed the Linux laptop for an event. I had to cancel since I didn’t have time to repair things
It does this every 6 months or so. Windows is malware
That is unusual for a modern system that uses UEFI. The windows bootloader may set itself as the default EFI program, but other bootloaders should remain in the EFI partition. It's just a matter of changing the default back to Linux bootloader.
If windows does wipe out other bootloaders, then it's something serious to be discussed. Are you sure that's what happened?
That may be the fault of the UEFI implementation. Many are terrible - especially from the big OEMs. I keep rEFInd as my boot manager and let it deal with the rest. I also find a way to recover rEFInd if an OS sets its own bootloader as default. It may take trial of up to 5 different methods to find one that actually works.
I had this happen a lot on my dual boot system. After the fourth time I snapped and deleted the windows partition, it's too risky to have a computer that may or may not boot at the whims of forced updates.
MS ignores the problem too despite numerous complaints spanning years, when dozens of people are saying it's due to a Windows update and they insist it's something else it's probably fair to say this is Won't Fix for them.
My work around for this is to load a live usb, unflagged the EFI partion used for MS (remove boot/esp flags). Proceed to install, and reflag the MS EFI partition afterwards. Works a treat, and keeps my installs separate.
Another option, is to run windows or linux as a guest VM. You can setup a near native quest VM with device passthrough, such that you only ever have to boot your host OS but can drop down into a fully fledged guest when needed.
I'm doing both as methods as a way to slowly offload from windows to linux
The easiest way to avoid this which admittedly might not be possible on your laptop is to have Windows on a completely separate drive and to install them with only one drive in at a time. Then you can just use the laptops boot menu to pick. It's also a pretty quick fix in most distros with a live CD but yeah it's ridiculous that every Windows feature update will blow up the bootloader.
Just because you didn't have an issue doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Sibling comment by sreevisakh is correct though, it actually getting wiped is unlikely on UEFI systems.
Idk, considering it's my job and I've build dozens if not 100. Parent is doing it wrong. Windows doesn't just randomly wipe the bootloader/UEFI, sorry.
Dollars to doughnuts, parent was fiddling around and broke it.
> Apparently "finish setting up" means "we don't like that you are using Firefox".
I've noticed the same thing on an Android tablet recently, just with Google Play in place of Edge (and F-Droid in place of Firefox). That's unpleasant, but unfortunately not that surprising: dark patterns and other annoyances are quite common, particularly with commercial products.
Had Android give me a notification to prompt me to uninstall "Vanced Manager" because it is (can't remember exact wording they used) dangerous or malicious malware, or could make my device unsafe. If I didn't know the details, I'd have "trusted" Android(Google) blindly to know what's best for me and would have uninstalled immediately.
I haven't noticed this on my Android but I never even sign in to Google Play on them anymore. I just install F-Droid and Aurora store (for those apps which aren't FOSS).
I think this stops a lot of Google's skullduggery. Of course a google-free ROM is even better for privacy but I think this is a nice middle ground.
The good thing is that this way firebase notifications still work, but are not linked to my account (similar to using MicroG).
But it hasn't complained about F-Droid, not asked me to 'continue setting up' or anything. I do this on a OnePlus and a Samsung. YMMV of course.
I've observed it on Samsung, Galaxy A8; sounds like it varies from model to model then. And it didn't complain about F-Droid in particular, just its setup routine involves configuration of Google Play (signing in with Google).
I don't agree with what MS is doing here, but "I don't like being asked to use a different browser" is going to be a hard sell to your employer if they don't already have Macs as standard.
If they do offer Macs though then I'd say just ask them for one and say you'll be more productive. It shouldn't be a big deal for any reasonable employer, I'm sure they could find a new home for your current device as well.
That behavior is definitely abhorrent. I wonder, though, if you could get the message to go away for good by accepting the change and then immediately changing it right back after.
