Microsoft: Difference between revisions

During some ''Windows'' updates, the preferences users have set on applications that they have installed, will end up being reset to their default settings.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/n1hoz0/windows_please_stop_changing_my_settings_with/ "Windows: PLEASE STOP CHANGING MY SETTINGS WITH UPDATES"] - reddit.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref><ref>[https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/windows-10-updated-and-reset-all-of-my-settings/529ffb03-edd4-4be2-9412-50e3271fa8fe "Windows 10 updated and reset all of my settings and preferences."] - answers.microsoft.com - 2025-01-29</ref><ref>[https://www.minitool.com/news/windows-settings-are-reset-after-reboot.html "Windows Settings Are Reset After Reboot? Best Fixes Here!"] - minitool.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> Users have reported that this issue goes as far as resetting permissions for apps,<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/y0ksm0/why_are_my_settings_changed_after_every_update/ "Why are my settings changed after every update?"] - reddit.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref><ref>[https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/why-do-updates-remove-personalization-settings/0f1badb2-7486-4d31-b687-39913795aa8f "Why do Updates Remove Personalization Settings"] - answers.microsoft.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> which can be extremely risky for insecure software. <!-- From evidence I have found from the Discord server and my own experience, the frequency happens in larger amounts for older hardware. Preferences I set up for Greenshot, VisualStudio, Aseprite, and more get reset and it has even corrupted my data for WinAMP. I will refrain from directly mentioning it in this article until I find more public documentation.

- James -->

====Forced Arbitration====

Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, [[wikipedia:WordPad|WordPad]], a word processor included with every version of Windows since [[wikipedia:Windows_95|Windows 95]] was removed and would not be included with future clean installations. Microsoft recommended users to use [[wikipedia:Microsoft_Word|Microsoft Word]] for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf, and [[wikipedia:Windows_Notepad|Windows Notepad]] for plain text documents like .txt. Microsoft Word is included with Microsoft 365 for $69.99 a year, or with Office 2024 with a one-time purchase of $149.99.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Oct 4, 2024 |title=RIP: Windows 11 Update Officially Removes WordPad |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/rip-windows-11-update-officially-removes-wordpad |access-date=2025-09-03 |website=PC Mag}}</ref>

Increasingly difficult to use a local account rather than a Microsoft account for installation and use of Windows.   

[[File:MSInstall.png|thumb|An image of a Windows 10 installation, to illustrate the effort required to make an account unattached to a Microsoft account.]]

Numerous [[dark patterns]] have been implemented in the form of vague language and a confusing user interface, which hides the option to create an account without a Microsoft account under sub-menus and small text. This implementation, first launched under Windows 10 in 2015, continues into the [[Windows 11]] installation process. In March 2025, Microsoft announced that the creation of a Microsoft account would be mandatory when downloading Windows 11, claiming that the decision would tighten security and streamline the user experience.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-28 |title=Windows 11 Enforces Mandatory Microsoft Account for Setup: What You Need to Know |url=https://windowsforum.com/threads/windows-11-enforces-mandatory-microsoft-account-for-setup-what-you-need-to-know.358519/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=Windows Forum}}</ref>  On occasion, Microsoft accounts have been unilaterally disabled by Microsoft.  The default experience with a Microsoft account and trusted computing is that if something goes wrong with the computer, you are likely to lose all your data.  Experienced users know to backup credentials to minimize this risk, however Microsoft sets most users up for failure.

In early September 2016, Microsoft shut down ''Xbox Live Indie Games'',<ref>[https://www.polygon.com/2015/9/9/9297959/xbox-live-indie-games-shutting-down "After seven years, Xbox Live Indie Games is closing down for good"] - polygon.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> and in late July 2024, Microsoft shut down its storefront for ''[[Xbox|Xbox 360]]'' games.<ref>[https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/08/17/xbox-360-store-will-close-july-2024/ "The Xbox 360 Store Will Close July 2024, But You Can Keep Playing Your Favorite Games"] - news.xbox.com - accessed 2025-01-29</ref> These shutdowns have made it impossible to obtain new copies of, or in some cases, play, hundreds of games within the legacy ''[[Xbox]]'' library.

{{Main|Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) discontinuation}}

Beginning with [[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 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>