Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10

Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by aw3c2 on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:15PM (#18470057)

So, my uncle needs a new computer and he needs Windows 10 on it. How can I make sure that he is not being spied on and psychologically manipulated by ads right from the beginning? Is there a professional version of Windows 10 with none of those shenanigans I keep hearing about?

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by Someone1234 on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:28PM (#18470181)

After installing Windows 10:

Go to Settings -> Privacy, and slide many (most?) things to off. Including Diagnostic & Usage Data to Basic.

Settings > Personalization > Start and slide "Occasionally show suggestions in start" to off.

Settings -> Personalization -> Lock Screen and slide "Get fun facts, tips, and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen" to off.

Settings -> System -> Notifications & actions -> "Get tip, tricks, and suggestions as you use Windows" and "Show me the Windows welcome experience after updates and occasionally when I sign in to highlight what's new and suggested" to off.

Go to Cortana (Taskbar) -> Settings (Gear Icon) -> "Taskbar tidbits" to off

I wouldn't use the built in "Mail" app with or without ads, it is terrible. Just have him simply not use it.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by otippat on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:36PM (#18470256)

And then do it again after most updates to the system.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by Someone1234 on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:53PM (#18470455)

Fortunately they stopped doing that. It was definitely a problem with the first two-ish feature updates for Windows 10 however.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by vezycash on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:42PM (#18470334)

Just use Spybot Anti-Beacon software and do most of the above steps in a click.

Edit: Sorry. It's now a paid software. Checking for free alternatives. Found one: shutup10

Lastly, install Unchecky. It'll automatically uncheck options for additional unwanted programs, adware, toolbars... when installing software.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by Someone1234 on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:55PM (#18470470)

Be careful with those scripts/software. Many of them essentially break Windows 10 by design.

If you stay within the Settings UI then you are working within Windows 10's supported design. When you run a script that disables a system service (e.g. Cortana) things start to get quirky/broken.

Several of those break Windows Update for example.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by wvenable on Friday November 16, 2018 @01:08PM (#18470574)

> Several of those break Windows Update for example.

Some people might consider that a feature /s.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by cheeseomlit on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:22PM (#18470117)

Not really, at least not for consumers. There are 'decrapifier' scripts you can run, but all that shit just gets re-installed on the next major build update anyways in my experience.

https://community.spiceworks.com/scripts/show/4378-windows-1...

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by swebs on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:48PM (#18470414)

https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by slivanes on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:18PM (#18470083)

I'm curious as to why he needs Windows 10?

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by smacktoward on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:23PM (#18470134)

You can’t and there isn’t.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by burntcookie90 on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:19PM (#18470085)

I'm wondering the same. My dad got a Surface Pro 6 last week and I had to go and make sure every toggle I could turn off was turned off. It's insane.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by PascLeRasc on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:46PM (#18470381)

Does he need 10? Windows 7 still works fine, so does Elementary OS if that works.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by einr on Friday November 16, 2018 @01:37PM (#18470836)

If you use Windows 7 on modern processors (Ryzen/Skylake), Windows Update stops working so you won't get security updates.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by kakarot on Monday November 26, 2018 @06:03AM (#18532468)

I have an Intel 6700K and WU works fine for me.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by aw3c2 on Saturday November 17, 2018 @08:20AM (#18475411)

Yes of course, otherwise I would not have asked.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by garaetjjte on Friday November 16, 2018 @12:21PM (#18470112)

There is LTSC, but available only in volume licensing.

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Re:Microsoft Is Putting Ads on the Mail App in Windows 10 by crankylinuxuser on Friday November 16, 2018 @01:34PM (#18470815)

Volume license is slang for "Torrent", right?

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