Tag: windows 10

The release of Windows 10 saw a fundamental shift towards Microsoft accounts. While users got to choose between local and Microsoft accounts in Windows 10, it was clear that Microsoft’s intention was to get customers to use online accounts.

It integrated new features into Windows that required an online account. From OneDrive over the synchronization of settings to the ability to restore an account password.

Microsoft shifted into a higher gear with the release of Windows 11. It enforces the creation of a Microsoft account on first setup now for Home and Pro systems.

Many workarounds do not work anymore, but there may still be options to deal with the user-unfriendly behavior. Still, most users may not know about these and that forces them to create the Microsoft account.

It is possible to create local accounts after the initial setup phase and delete the Microsoft account, but Microsoft has scattered warnings across the system in that case.

Microsoft highlights the advantages of local accounts

The support page “Change from a local account to a Microsoft account” on Microsoft’s official support website lists the advantages of both local and Microsoft accounts.

Here is what Microsoft has to say about local accounts (via WinFuture)

A local account is created on the device and doesn’t require Internet connectivity to sign in. It’s independent of other services, and it’s not connected to the cloud. Your settings, files, and applications are limited to that single device

While that is meant to be discouraging, may of the users who prefer local accounts may beg to differ.

The key here is that local accounts are not known to Microsoft. They work offline and files stay on the local system by default. Users may still sync files using first or third-party tools, but this is completely optional.

Wonder about the advantages of using a Microsoft account? Here are the key features of using a Microsoft account, according to Microsoft:

When you sign in to your PC with a Microsoft account, you’re connected to a Microsoft cloud service, and your settings and files can sync across various devices. You can also use it to access other Microsoft services

So, some settings and files sync when a Microsoft account is used. Using a Microsoft account may also give users access to services that require it.

Closing Words

To break it down: if you prefer privacy, you may want to consider using local accounts. If you prioritize convenience, or use multiple Windows devices, you may find that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

What about you? Do you prefer local or Microsoft accounts on Windows devices?

DoNotspy11 is a long-standing privacy and tweaking application for Windows. The first update of 2024 introduces new features and compatibility with recent Windows releases.

It is a small tool that you may use to modify Windows settings with ease. It addresses one of the main issues that privacy-conscious users have with Windows: the scattering of privacy-related preferences and policies.

Instead of having to use the Control Panel, Settings app, Registry, Group Policy Editor, and some other tools to improve privacy, it delivers everything in a single easy-to-use interface.

Word of Advice: Windows may throw a SmartScreen error when you try to run the program on your device. This is not because it is malicious or faulty. SmartScreen displays also when a program is new.

Another great privacy tool is O&O ShutUp10++, which I reviewed some time ago.

A short DoNotspy11 Intro

DoNotSpy11 displays all applicable privacy tweaks in the interface. It uses color codes to highlight the safety of tweaks. The following colors are used:

• Blue — These are safe settings that should not have any ill-effects.
• Orange — It is necessary to read the description, as they may impact other features among other things.
• Red — Usually not recommended to change.
• Gray — These settings have not changed since the last use of the application.

The program suggests to create a System Restore point whenever changes are made. This allows you to go back to the previous state in case something does not work anymore. I never ran into this problem while using the app, but a backup option is always welcome.

Just check or uncheck the available options and hit the apply button in the end to make the change. It is easy to undo changes manually or through System Restore points.

DoNotSpy11 1.2.1.0 Changelog

The update introduces ten new tweaks, including a new Windows AI category. It also adds general compatibility with Windows 11 version 23H2 Moment 5 and Windows 11 version 24H2, which will be released later this year.

The final change adds high DPI support, which should improve visuals on high DPI displays.

As for the tweaks, here is what is new:

1. AI: Disable Recall (Snapshots) (from build 26100)
2. Apps: Disable Access to Cellular Data
3. Apps: Disable Access to Eye Tracking
4. Apps: Disable Access to Motion / Activity
5. Edge: Disable Control Copilot Access to Browser Context
6. Edge: Disable Spell Checking Provided by Microsoft Editor
7. Edge: Disable Website Typo Protection
8. Edge: Hide App Launcher on Microsoft Edge New Tab Page
9. Start: Disable Recommended Section
10. Start: Disable Website Recommendations in Recommended Section

Three tweaks have been updated. The first two add options to disable Copilot and the Copilot taskbar button on Windows 10 devices. The third changes the disable background applications recommendation from blue (safe) to yellow (read comment).

You can check out the full changelog here.

Do you use tweaking tools to improve privacy or other features of Windows devices?

The first O&O ShutUp10++ update for Windows 10 and 11 of 2024 is now available. It is an excellent privacy tool to improve privacy through an easy to use interface.

You can check out my full review of O&O ShutUp10++ for in-depth information.

O&O ShutUp10++ 1.9.1437

The new version of the free application is available already. It was released about a week ago. New and existing users may download it from the official project website.

The update introduces new privacy options and also quality of life improvements. As far as privacy options are concerned, here is what is new:

• NEW: Disable remote assistance connections to this computer
• NEW: Disable remote connections to this computer

You find these two new options under Local Machine > Miscellaneous at the very bottom of the page.

The remaining changes improve usability of the app. Whenever you make a change, you receive a prompt to create a system restore point. If the feature is disabled, O&O ShutUp10++ may now launch the Control Panel in this case to rectify this.

Existing users may also notice that the start of the app is faster than before.

The configuration file is saved to the start directory now, and it is automatically migrated from previous versions. The file is called OOSU10.cfg and you find it in the same directory that you run O&O ShutUp10++ from. This makes it easier to migrate the configuration to other systems.

The application supports making bulk changes. It distinguishes between recommended, somewhat recommended, and all settings. A click on any of those under Actions displays the number of changed preferences now.

Tip: while these actions sound useful, they are applied immediately. It is better to make changes manually instead.

1. Select View > Group by Categories to disable the grouping of settings.
2. Click on “recommended” in the table to sort by recommendation state.
3. Go through the list from top to bottom and make the changes manually.

Closing Words

O&O ShutUP10++ is an excellent free application for Windows to improve user privacy on the system. It is updated frequently to introduce new privacy options, such as disabling Copilot.

Do you use privacy tweak tools or system optimization tools? Which do you use and prefer?

Microsoft configured non-managed Windows 10 systems to restart automatically after the installation of updates. This can be a huge problem for users. If you run certain processes or have important apps up and running, Windows 10 may restart regardless of that.

This happens after a certain inactivity period. Sometimes, this may result in users losing access to work or being thrown out of games or other apps. While some may reload, like Office apps, others may not reload to the state they were in prior to the initialization of the restart.

The following sections offer step-by-step instructions to stop Windows 10 from restarting the system automatically after the installation of updates.

Stop automatic restarts using the Group Policy Editor

Note: the Group Policy Editor is only available for Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. In other words, it is not available for Home editions. Please skip this section and check the Registry section below for instructions to enable the same policy on Home devices.

1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Type gpedit.msc and select Edit Group Policy from the results. This opens the Group Policy Editor.
3. Follow the folder structure on the left and go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update.
4. Double-click on No auto-restart with logged on users for scheduled automatic updates installations.
5. Set the policy to Enabled.
6. Select OK.
7. Double-click on Configure Automatic Updates under the same Windows Update folder.
8. Set the policy to Enabled.
9. Set the policy to Auto download and schedule the install.
10. Click ok.

Tip: you can also set the second policy to Notify for download and auto install to prevent any automatic downloads of updates or installations of updates.

Stop automatic reboots using the Registry

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type regedit.msc and select Registry Editor.
3. Confirm the UAC prompt, if it is displayed.
4. Go to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU.
5. If a key does not exist, right-click on the previous key and select New > Key. Name it accordingly.
6. Right-click on AU and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value. Repeat the steps six times:
   • Name the first AUOptions. Double-click and set its value to 4.
   • Name the second NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers. Double-click on it and sets its value to 1.
   • Name the third NoAutoUpdate. Double-click on it and set its value to 0.
   • Name the fourth ScheduledInstallDay. Double-click on it and set its value to 0.
   • Name the fifth ScheduledInstallEveryWeek. Double-click on it and set its value to 1.
   • Name the sixth ScheduledInstallTime. Double-click on it and set its value to 3.
7. Close the Registry Editor.
8. Restart the PC.

How do you handle updates on Windows devices?

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the price that organizations have to pay to extend Windows 10 support after October 2025. What Microsoft did not say was how much consumers will have to pay to keep their Windows 10 systems supported.

The Windows 10 operating system will reach end of support in October 2025. This means, that Microsoft won’t release security updates or any other form of update for the operating system after end of support.

There is a way out though. Extended Security Updates allow organizations and home users to continue using a patched system. Microsoft established ESU when its Windows 7 operating system ran out of support in 2020. Organizations could extend support by up to three years through extra payments.

To extend Windows 7 support, they had to pay $50, $100, and $200 in the first, second, and third year. Consumers were ignored back then, as Microsoft did not make an Extended Security Updates offer.

Windows 10: extended security updates

Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would also get Extended Security Updates. Unlike Windows 8, which ran out in 2023 and did not receive any, Windows 10 is widely used.

It is the most used Windows operating system today and hundreds of millions of users will still use it in the second half of 2025.

Extended Security Updates are available for organizations and consumers this time.

Microsoft announced the price that organizations have to pay yesterday. The company bumped the price significantly to $61, $122, and $244 respectively. Summed up, it means that organizations have to pay $427 to extend Windows 10 for three years for a single machine.

Other options are available, but they depend on the use of update management systems or Microsoft 365.

And consumers?

No information was provided. Price and conditions are unclear. Microsoft provided the following comment:

Final pricing and enrolment conditions will be made available closer to the October 2025 date for end of support.

It is almost certain that Microsoft knows the conditions and set the price for extended security updates for consumer machines already.

Keeping customers in the dark may give Windows 11 a push. Most Windows 10 customers are probably unaware of ESU and that the option will become available in 2025.

These may update their machines to Windows 11, if compatible, or even buy a new PC with Windows 11 as a consequence.

If Microsoft would tell them now that they could extend support for their current machine by up to three years, for this much, it would certainly slow down Windows 11 adoption further.

Consumer pricing is a wildcard. Clearly, Microsoft won’t charge consumers more than it charges organizations. Apart from that, anything is possible. From doubling the price each year or a fixed sum per year, to linking ESU to a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Would you pay for extended security updates for Windows 10? If so, what is your limit?

If you share a Windows PC with others, you may have noticed that users may appear as signed in after you log in to the operating system. A click on the Start button and another click on the user profile icon may reveal this.

Should not Windows sign out users when the system is shut down? Windows used to to this prior to the release of the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10.

When you shut down Windows then, all users were signed out automatically. You may have gotten a prompt reminding you that users were still signed in, but you could shut down the system and all signed in users were signed out as part of the process.

This changed with the release of the Fall Creators Update for Windows 10 in 2017. All Windows releases since then behave in the same way, including Windows 11.

Microsoft’s explanation for the feature

Updates for Windows require user specific processes that need to run before the installation of the update completes. These require that users are signed-in.

Previously, users had to wait for the completion of these processes after update installations.

Winlogon automatic restart sign-on is the official name of the feature introduced in the Fall Creators Update. Microsoft describes what it does in the following way:

When Windows Update initiates an automatic reboot, ARSO extracts the currently logged in user’s derived credentials, persists it to disk, and configures Autologon for the user. Windows Update running as system with TCB privilege initiates the RPC call.

In other words: Windows copies the current user’s credentials, copies them to disk and enables automatic sign-in for the user. The user will be signed in automatically after the final update reboot. The device is locked to protect the user’s session.

Managed and unmanaged devices are treated differently. Managed devices need TPM 2.0, SecureBoot, and BitLocker. Device encryption is used on unmanaged devices, but it is not a requirement.

How to sign out all users on shutdown in Windows

Microsoft introduced a new option in the Fall Creators Update that triggers the functionality. It is enabled by default.

Here is how you change the behavior on Windows 11:

1. Select Start and then Settings.
2. Go to Accounts.
3. Select Sign-in options.
4. Scroll down to “additional settings”.
5. Toggle “Use my sign-in info to automatically finish setting up after an update” to Off.

The path is slightly different on Windows 10 devices. You need to go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in Options instead. There you find the preference under Privacy.

All users are signed out when the system is shut down from that moment forward.

Group Policy

You may also make the change to the configuration using the Group Policy Editor (not on Home editions, and requires Windows 10 version 1903 or newer):

1. Open Start.
2. Type gpedit.msc and load the Group Policy Editor result.
3. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows sign in Options.
4. Double-click on Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart.
5. Set the policy to Disabled.
6. Close the Group Policy Editor.
7. Restart the PC.

Registry

You can also make the change in the Registry. This works on Home editions as well:

1. Open Start.
2. Type regedit.exe and select the Registry Editor result.
3. Confirm the UAC prompt with “yes”.
4. Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
5. If the Dword DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn does not exist, do the following:
   • Right-click on System and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
   • Name it DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn.
6. Double-click on DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn and set its value to 1 to disable the feature.
7. Restart the PC.