Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

If I told you that my entire computer screen just got taken over by a new app that I’d never installed or asked for — it just magically appeared on my desktop, my taskbar, and preempted my next website launch — you’d probably tell me to run a virus scanner and stay away from shady websites, no?

But the insanely intrusive app I’m talking about isn’t a piece of ransomware. It’s Microsoft’s new Chromium Edge browser, which the company is now force-feeding users via an automatic update to Windows.

Seriously, when I restarted my Windows 10 desktop this week, an app I’d never asked for:

Immediately launched itself
Tried to convince me to migrate away from Chrome, giving me no discernible way to click away or say no
Pinned itself to my desktop and taskbar
Ignored my previous browser preference by asking me — the next time I launched a website — whether I was sure I wanted to use Chrome instead of Microsoft’s oh-so-humble recommendation.

Did I mention that, as of this update, you can’t uninstall Edge anymore?

It all immediately made me think: what would the antitrust enforcers of the ‘90s, who punished Microsoft for bundling Internet Explorer with Windows, think about this modern abuse of Microsoft’s platform?



But mostly, I’m surprised Microsoft would shoot itself in the foot by stooping so low, using tactics I’ve only ever seen from purveyors of adware, spyware, and ransomware. I installed this copy of Windows with a disk I purchased, by the way. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I like to think I still own my desktop and get to decide what I put there.

That’s especially true of owners of Windows 7 and Windows 8, I imagine, who are also receiving unwanted gift copies of the new Edge right now:


And I’m not surprised that some angry Windows users are already railing against the fact that this came as part of a forced Windows update, which Microsoft has already had a damn hard time justifying without invading people’s desktops as well. It’s going to be harder to buy the argument that forced updates are necessary for security when they’re pulling double-duty as an intrusive marketing tool.




Heck, we can’t even get Americans to wear life-saving masks in public right now.

Microsoft isn’t trying to hide most of this, by the way: it lays out the so-called “First Run Experience” in this update changelog. So I figured I’d see if the company might say more. Here is a list of questions I sent Microsoft, which the company declined to substantively answer on the record or on the background:

What were the goal and reasoning here?
Why does Microsoft feel that this is appropriate?
Was it a success, and if so, by what metric?
What does Microsoft’s telemetry show users are doing in response to being confronted with Edge pins, desktop icons, auto-launch, and reset default apps?
Would Microsoft do this again?
Will Microsoft stop this now, and/or change anything about this update?
What is Microsoft’s philosophy on dark pattern software design?
The only justifications the company could provide me are that, technically, the new Edge is replacing the old Edge that already comes with Windows 10; Microsoft wants you to use the best, most secure version of its browser; and you can still say no — though in this case, a “no” involves force-closing Edge, reaffirming your default browser choice, and having to spend a minute deleting unwanted junk on your desktop.


Time to reaffirm the browser choice I already made years ago.
Here’s one more question: Microsoft, do you think this behavior makes Windows users actually want to try Edge?

THROWING AWAY POTENTIAL GOODWILL
Because if I’m being honest, after the initial shock wore off, I found Edge easy enough to ignore. The experience mostly just left a bad taste in my mouth.

Before, I had actually been interested in this new Chromium-based version of Edge! I had been planning to check it out. I’ve been toying with Firefox and Opera for weeks now, considering a potential migration away from Chrome.

Now — as a user, not a journalist — I can’t help but feel like I should ignore Edge on principle. And if there is a sizable fraction of users who feel the same, somebody inside Microsoft is facepalming hard right about now.

https://www.theverge.com/21310611/microsoft-edge-browser-forced-update-chromium-editorial

I refused to use it. I don't like someone taking over my computer and forcing a download on me that I

never asked for or want.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Use another O.S. I will say one thing about Windows 10. It takes care of the need to upgrade from one Windows O.S. to another. Remember Millenium? Terrible!! BTW, I have tried Edge and it seems to be faster than Firefox which does not seem to upgrade at all lately.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

The post is too long for my attention span today.
I did the update and just denied it's request. It pinned to the taskbar. I unpinned it.
It is now in the background just as it was before.

steve L Loc: Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

Ditto !
I have used Opera for years, and thus, excepting for the OS, stay away from the MS baloney !!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

When Microsoft tried to force Win 10 on me, I refused, and instead switched to Linux.

Haenzel Loc: South Holland, The Netherlands

????

I've never had any problems....

since I've made the switch to Linux Lite.........!!

No more forced updates, no privacy issues, no conditions to accept, no bsod, no revving fan, no charge, no restarting in case of updates, no extreme waiting for updates to install, no driver issues, no virus or malware issues (never used or needed anti-virus)

Super fast installation, ultra stable, great free software center, very responsive, runs smoothly on old hardware, great free MS Office alternative : LibreOffice. Great software for Photography: Darktable, Gimp, Rapid Photo Downloader, Digikam, Shotwell, RawTherapee.

I really wonder why people still use Microsoft (or software you have to pay for...)

Harry0 Loc: Gardena, Cal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXorDbmEJVE

I used Opera when it came out- and it was in German.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

So far I don't like this "update". Maybe I'll learn to like it but for now, it has added one or two clicks for just about everything I do with Edge.

Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

It's not about what is good and what is bad, I just don't like having a download forced on me

without my permission. Google did not force any download on me, I asked for it.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

I have found the opposite. Firefox is updating on me every few days. Whenever I start it it comes up with 'waiting for updates to install' about every 3 days.
And you may not think that doing nothing with Edge will help. About once a month at startup, at the moment, I get a popup asking me if I want to change or personalize my settings. When I can be bothered I will find out how to get rid of that.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

I found out the same thing the hard way. I went into the registry and started a search for everything concerning ms edge and deleting those entry's. Now every time I use Firefox I get a pop up bar at the bottom of the screen asking me to download edge and install it. So they know what is going on even when I delete something. They are way to intrusive!

John Sh Loc: Toronto, Australia

I still can't understand why anybody would have GOOGLE's Chrome on their computer. It's a licence for google to collect even more information for it's marketing team. Try and stop it downloading when it's bundled, there's no known way to do so. You have to have it install by itself then uninstall it. That's what I call taking over.

anotherview Loc: California

Thanks. I unpinned it, too. I'm sticking with Chrome.

jerold222 Loc: Southern Minnesota

I have never had any problems with Edge trying to take over my computer. As for browsers, I have always been a Firefox user, but it was getting slow and clumsy. I saw an add for the Brave browser, it is based on Chrome but all the tracking has been removed. I really like the way it works and blocks a lot of tracking and adds. Some web pages don't like it, but I just skip them as not worth my time if the want to force add on me.

Bayou

Windows has always had a native web browser, Internet Explorer. It was always terrible and few used it.

Now Microsoft has finally gotten on board with the rest of the world and developed their own version of the popular open source "Chromium" browser....Edge. Google's Chrome browser is also based on Chromium, as well as Brave, Opera, and several others.

Microsoft plans to transition away from Internet Explorer to the VASTLY better, Edge, and is rolling it out in updates, just as it has always done with new versions of Internet Explorer over the years and with ALL previous versions of Windows.

It has never been particularly easy to uninstall the native Windows browser, so there's nothing new about that.

If you don't like it, just remove any shortcuts or taskbar pins, and set the default browser to whatever browser you prefer.