Microsoft: Difference between revisions

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In 2025, Microsoft re-released ''Recall'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Corbin |date=Apr 25, 2025 |title=Windows Recall Is Finally Rolling Out After Controversal Reveal |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/windows-recall-is-finally-rolling-out-after-controversal-release/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=How to Geek}}</ref> with claims that the tool has resolved the security flaws and it coming disabled by default.<ref>{{Cite news |last=LeClair |first=Dave |date=Apr 11, 2025 |title=Microsoft Recall is rolling out following major controversy — what you need to know |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/microsoft-recall-is-coming-for-real-this-time |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=Tom's Guide}}</ref> However, despite integrating better security, having this feature enabled continues to pose privacy risks for consumers, as it is only a matter of when a vulnerability is discovered for the problems both consumers and businesses initially had with the tool to resurface,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Nick |date=May 5, 2025 |title=Turn Off Windows' Recall to Protect Your Privacy |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-disable-recall/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=How to Geek}}</ref> especially since it is difficult for users to inspect the screenshots that are taken by the tool.

==== Family Safety ====

====Family Safety====

A feature seen within ''[[Windows|Windows 11]]''<nowiki/>'s parental controls is Family Safety. A key problem shown from this feature is that it can questionably ban certain applications from properly running on the device, with no notice to the administrator in charge of the device. In '''June 2025''', this feature banned the string "Chrome",<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=u/Witty-Discount-2906 |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Chrome won’t open (Windows 11) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1l2c552/comment/mvt1w2a/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> which blocked the web browser [[Google Chrome|''Chrome'']] from functioning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=Jun 20, 2025 |title=Microsoft is blocking Google Chrome through its family safety feature |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/690179/microsoft-block-google-chrome-family-safety-feature |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref> Schools in particular use this feature on devices given out for students to complete classwork remotely, and as [[Google Chrome|''Chrome'']] holds the majority market share of web browser usage, (65-70%)<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2025 |title=Browser Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |website=Statcounter}}</ref> there has been mass reports of students being unable to complete their classwork strictly due to this flaw.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Priestley |first=Peter |date=Jun 4, 2025 |title=Microsoft Family Safety Blocking Chrome Browser |url=https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_11-wintop_famsafety/microsoft-family-safety-blocking-chrome-browser/40023ef5-177b-4eed-a857-80ed15afa3a5?rtAction=1749008739548&page=1 |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=Microsoft Answers}}</ref>

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Beginning with [[Windows|''Windows 11'']] version ''24H2'', Microsoft no longer supports Windows Mixed Reality, and all support for the platform will end '''November 1, 2027'''. This affects device models from manufacturers including ''[[Samsung]]'', ''[[HP Inc.|HP]]'', ''[[Lenovo]]'', ''[[Acer]]'', ''[[Dell]]'', and '''''Microsoft''''' - including their own flagship device, '''''Microsoft''''' ''HoloLens''. Users who wish to continue using these devices must either use [[Windows|''Windows 10'']] or block the ''24H2'' update from being installed.<ref> https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/hp-reverb-g2-windows-11-24h2-not-working-need-help/dd90e232-1f28-4655-aafa-685285017d59 </ref>

=== Forced Telemetry (Windows 10 and above) ===

Windows 10 and up are configured to send telemetry by default. Users can only switch it to a reduced mode, but there is no way to disable it completely without resorting to tools and techniques beyond what most normal users have the technical knowledge to implement (disabling services, setting registry keys and group policies, blocking communication using firewalls etc.) and automatic system updates are know to re-enable some of the corresponding components without warning.

Only users of certain editions like the Enterprise version have options to switch it off, but a study conductedby the German ministery of information security in 2018 suggests that even this does not stop telemetry data collection completely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schulz |first=Hajo |date=2018-11-20 |title=BSI untersucht Sicherheit von Windows 10 [German] |url=https://www.heise.de/news/BSI-untersucht-Sicherheitseigenschaften-von-Windows-10-4227139.html |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Heise Online}}</ref>

Telemetry covers a wide variety of system information as well as a multitude of user interactions. Microsoft can configure remotely which and how much data and is collected from a particular system. This can go up to a level where all key presses are transmitted in real time. This makes telemetry very intransparent and difficult to monitor since the kind of data being collected could change at any moment without notice.

This raises concerns of privacy and security, especially for international users in light of the United States Cloud Act. Moreover, it is not uncommon for end user editions of Windows and Office to be used even in medical facilites in certain countries.

Telemetry collection is also associated with excessive disk usage and SSD wearout. Particularly the DiagTrack and CompatTelRunner components are known offenders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khanse |first=Anad |date=2025-10-10 |title=Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry High CPU; How to disable CompatTelRunner.exe |url=https://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-compattelrunner-exe-on-windows-10 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=TheWindowsClub}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=FRIEDMOZART |title=100% Disk Usage - Please Help ! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/5hpym1/100_disk_usage_please_help/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Reddit}}</ref>

Given the scale of Windows and Office deployments, the collective energy consumed by collecting, transmitting, storing and processing al this data across the globe is also an environmental concern.

==References==

[[Category:Microsoft]]

@@ Line 85: / Line 85: @@
 In 2025, Microsoft re-released ''Recall'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Corbin |date=Apr 25, 2025 |title=Windows Recall Is Finally Rolling Out After Controversal Reveal |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/windows-recall-is-finally-rolling-out-after-controversal-release/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=How to Geek}}</ref> with claims that the tool has resolved the security flaws and it coming disabled by default.<ref>{{Cite news |last=LeClair |first=Dave |date=Apr 11, 2025 |title=Microsoft Recall is rolling out following major controversy — what you need to know |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/microsoft-recall-is-coming-for-real-this-time |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=Tom's Guide}}</ref> However, despite integrating better security, having this feature enabled continues to pose privacy risks for consumers, as it is only a matter of when a vulnerability is discovered for the problems both consumers and businesses initially had with the tool to resurface,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Nick |date=May 5, 2025 |title=Turn Off Windows' Recall to Protect Your Privacy |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-disable-recall/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=How to Geek}}</ref> especially since it is difficult for users to inspect the screenshots that are taken by the tool.
-==== Family Safety ====
+====Family Safety====
 {{Main|Microsoft's anticompetitive practices}}
 A feature seen within ''[[Windows|Windows 11]]''<nowiki/>'s parental controls is Family Safety. A key problem shown from this feature is that it can questionably ban certain applications from properly running on the device, with no notice to the administrator in charge of the device. In '''June 2025''', this feature banned the string "Chrome",<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=u/Witty-Discount-2906 |date=Jun 3, 2025 |title=Chrome won’t open (Windows 11) |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1l2c552/comment/mvt1w2a/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> which blocked the web browser [[Google Chrome|''Chrome'']] from functioning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=Jun 20, 2025 |title=Microsoft is blocking Google Chrome through its family safety feature |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/690179/microsoft-block-google-chrome-family-safety-feature |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=The Verge}}</ref> Schools in particular use this feature on devices given out for students to complete classwork remotely, and as [[Google Chrome|''Chrome'']] holds the majority market share of web browser usage, (65-70%)<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2025 |title=Browser Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/ |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |website=Statcounter}}</ref> there has been mass reports of students being unable to complete their classwork strictly due to this flaw.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Priestley |first=Peter |date=Jun 4, 2025 |title=Microsoft Family Safety Blocking Chrome Browser |url=https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_11-wintop_famsafety/microsoft-family-safety-blocking-chrome-browser/40023ef5-177b-4eed-a857-80ed15afa3a5?rtAction=1749008739548&page=1 |access-date=Jun 20, 2025 |work=Microsoft Answers}}</ref>
@@ Line 109: / Line 109: @@
 {{Main|Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) discontinuation}}
 Beginning with [[Windows|''Windows 11'']] version ''24H2'', Microsoft no longer supports Windows Mixed Reality, and all support for the platform will end '''November 1, 2027'''. This affects device models from manufacturers including ''[[Samsung]]'', ''[[HP Inc.|HP]]'', ''[[Lenovo]]'', ''[[Acer]]'', ''[[Dell]]'', and '''''Microsoft''''' - including their own flagship device, '''''Microsoft''''' ''HoloLens''. Users who wish to continue using these devices must either use [[Windows|''Windows 10'']] or block the ''24H2'' update from being installed.<ref> https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/hp-reverb-g2-windows-11-24h2-not-working-need-help/dd90e232-1f28-4655-aafa-685285017d59 </ref>
+=== Forced Telemetry (Windows 10 and above) ===
+Windows 10 and up are configured to send telemetry by default. Users can only switch it to a reduced mode, but there is no way to disable it completely without resorting to tools and techniques beyond what most normal users have the technical knowledge to implement (disabling services, setting registry keys and group policies, blocking communication using firewalls etc.) and automatic system updates are know to re-enable some of the corresponding components without warning.
+Only users of certain editions like the Enterprise version have options to switch it off, but a study conductedby the German ministery of information security in 2018 suggests that even this does not stop telemetry data collection completely.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Schulz |first=Hajo |date=2018-11-20 |title=BSI untersucht Sicherheit von Windows 10 [German] |url=https://www.heise.de/news/BSI-untersucht-Sicherheitseigenschaften-von-Windows-10-4227139.html |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Heise Online}}</ref>
+Telemetry covers a wide variety of system information as well as a multitude of user interactions. Microsoft can configure remotely which and how much data and is collected from a particular system. This can go up to a level where all key presses are transmitted in real time. This makes telemetry very intransparent and difficult to monitor since the kind of data being collected could change at any moment without notice.<!-- Citation needed -->
+This raises concerns of privacy and security, especially for international users in light of the United States Cloud Act. Moreover, it is not uncommon for end user editions of Windows and Office to be used even in medical facilites in certain countries.
+Telemetry collection is also associated with excessive disk usage and SSD wearout. Particularly the DiagTrack and CompatTelRunner components are known offenders.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Khanse |first=Anad |date=2025-10-10 |title=Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry High CPU; How to disable CompatTelRunner.exe |url=https://www.thewindowsclub.com/what-is-compattelrunner-exe-on-windows-10 |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=TheWindowsClub}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=FRIEDMOZART |title=100% Disk Usage - Please Help ! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/5hpym1/100_disk_usage_please_help/ |access-date=2025-06-21 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
+Given the scale of Windows and Office deployments, the collective energy consumed by collecting, transmitting, storing and processing al this data across the globe is also an environmental concern.
 ==References==
 <references />
 [[Category:Microsoft]]