The Windows and Windows Software Megathread

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Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

StratGoatCom posted:

After this trash fire, I'm never reupping game pass anyway. so not a biggy for me.

"Secondary fuckery" can include parts of the OS breaking, like the taskbar: I had it stop displaying thumbnails when hovering over programs and right-click didn't work in the taskbar.

So I'd highly recommend running the troubleshooter just in case, potentially resolving a future landmine.

# ? May 30, 2021 19:07

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# ? May 29, 2024 09:03

StratGoatCom: Aug 6, 2019; Our security is guaranteed by being able to melt the eyeballs of any other forum's denizens at 15 minutes notice

If you mean the apps one, already did.

# ? May 30, 2021 19:25

Fame Douglas: Nov 20, 2013; by Fluffdaddy

Klyith posted:

The Windows Store fucks itself up with no help from outside, I wish you'd stop saying this poo poo.

Sorry your tweaks caused the Store to fail.

# ? May 30, 2021 22:18

Internet Explorer: Jun 1, 2005

Fame Douglas posted:

Sorry your tweaks caused the Store to fail.

Don't be an idiot.

# ? May 30, 2021 22:43

beuges: Jul 4, 2005; fluffy bunny butterfly broomstick

Outlook/Mail question: I have a Gmail address set up in Outlook on my Mac, and it gives me the option to use the Focused inbox. I set up the same gmail account in Outlook on Windows and there�s no Focused inbox option. I also have this account set up (along with some others) in Outlook on my iPhone and iPad and the focused inbox works on those as well. I�m also perfectly happy to use the ordinary Win10 Mail app but it doesn�t let me enable focused inbox there either.

Is there any way to force Outlook or Mail on Windows to enable Focused inbox for my Gmail account?

# ? Jun 2, 2021 07:56

Medullah: Aug 14, 2003; FEAR MY SHARK ROCKET IT REALLY SUCKS AND BLOWS

Are there any ways to shortcut muting/unmuting a specific program? I leave games going in the background and some of them don't have "mute when focus is off" options.

Edit - Nircmd did it.

Medullah fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Jun 7, 2021

# ? Jun 7, 2021 18:40

Minidust: Nov 4, 2009; Keep bustin'

Are there any screen saver utilities out there that would run independently of Windows 10 settings? I have an old CRT monitor for games that doubles as an extra work monitor... I'd like to use a traditional screen saver for it, but the work computer settings don't allow it. I've even tried removing some registry keys, which works temporarily, but is aggressively reverted by I guess the group policies on the computer (not sure if my terminology is all correct here).

# ? Jun 9, 2021 15:24

Submarine Sandpaper: May 27, 2007

Computer policies will happen on all restarts. You're option is to contact your IT to get an exception or change in policy or do your reversion every day.

Don't install some Screensaver or pointer or whatever program you have. Personal or work computer. That poo poo is dumb.

# ? Jun 9, 2021 15:50

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

Minidust posted:

Are there any screen saver utilities out there that would run independently of Windows 10 settings? I have an old CRT monitor for games that doubles as an extra work monitor... I'd like to use a traditional screen saver for it, but the work computer settings don't allow it. I've even tried removing some registry keys, which works temporarily, but is aggressively reverted by I guess the group policies on the computer (not sure if my terminology is all correct here).

Get autohotkey, then paste this code into a text file and name it screentimer.ahk or something. WaitTime is how long in minutes before it runs the screensaver.

code:

; change to number of minutes you want here:
WaitTime := 10

#SingleInstance Force
#Persistent

SetTimer, IdleCheck, 1000
Return

IdleCheck:
if (A_TimeIdle > (1000 * 60 * WaitTime))
{
	SetTimer, IdleCheck, Off
	RunWait, Mystify.scr /r
		;runwait pauses script execution until the program exits, using the screensaver's natural self-termination after user input
	SetTimer, IdleCheck, On
}

# ? Jun 9, 2021 16:46

OgNar: Oct 26, 2002; They tapdance not, neither do they fart

Less Fat Luke posted:

Yep slipped into mine too over the last week. "News and Interests", on by default:

Disabling this unwanted 'feature' screws up peoples clock area.
For me I either get the time cut off with no show desktop button, or other icons from the taskbar are shadows over top the time that go away if you hover your mouse, or the entire area is just completely gone and can't be brought back unless you hide then unhide the taskbar.

There are various articles on it so far
https://www.windowslatest.com/2021/05/31/kb5003214-update-is-causing-issues-with-windows-10-taskbar/

# ? Jun 10, 2021 22:58

The Lord Bude: May 23, 2007; ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

I turned it off immediately and I�ve never had an issue.

# ? Jun 12, 2021 01:53

VagueRant: May 24, 2012

I was able to hide it and had no issues so far... although knowing to click the option "News and interests" for what shows mainly as a weather widget was not intuitive!

# ? Jun 13, 2021 07:40

SuperTeeJay: Jun 14, 2015

I've put a clean install of Windows 10 on an NVME drive and, when right-clicking on an object in Explorer, it is taking up to a second for the context menu to appear. (It's instantaneous when right-clicking on an empty space.) Google Drive is the only third party software in the menu so bloat shouldn't be a problem. It seems likely I've just never noticed this delay before but is it typical?

# ? Jun 13, 2021 12:21

tuyop: Sep 15, 2006; Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted; Fun Shoe

SuperTeeJay posted:

I've put a clean install of Windows 10 on an NVME drive and, when right-clicking on an object in Explorer, it is taking up to a second for the context menu to appear. (It's instantaneous when right-clicking on an empty space.) Google Drive is the only third party software in the menu so bloat shouldn't be a problem. It seems likely I've just never noticed this delay before but is it typical?

Yeah this has been the way with file explorer for me forever, on nearly every computer I try.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 15:45

GreenNight: Feb 19, 2006; Turning the light on the darkest places, you and I know we got to face this now. We got to face this now.

Do you both have OneDrive in the add/remove programs list? Windows may be trying to connect to it when you do what you�re doing.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 18:33

SporkOfTruth: Sep 1, 2006; this kid walked up to me and was like man schmitty your stache is ghetto and I was like whatever man your 3b look like a dishrag.

he was like damn.

I just got a new Win10 laptop, and it's been...longer than I'd like since I've set one up. What are the basics I should do to avoid having to create a Microsoft account or whatever (I've heard this is maybe mandatory now?) and decrapify the system as much as possible on first boot?

# ? Jun 13, 2021 21:36

Medullah: Aug 14, 2003; FEAR MY SHARK ROCKET IT REALLY SUCKS AND BLOWS

SporkOfTruth posted:

I just got a new Win10 laptop, and it's been...longer than I'd like since I've set one up. What are the basics I should do to avoid having to create a Microsoft account or whatever (I've heard this is maybe mandatory now?) and decrapify the system as much as possible on first boot?

Assuming it's a prebuilt laptop with Windows already installed, the only way you can avoid the Microsoft account step is making sure you don't connect it to the internet. Not "turn off internet", you have to skip the step when it wants to connect to wifi...if you already did that, you're outta luck.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 21:50

doctorfrog: Mar 14, 2007; Great.

If your comfort level isn't real high for tweaks, I'd just use the laptop and complain to this thread when something specific annoys or concerns you.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 22:00

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

SuperTeeJay posted:

I've put a clean install of Windows 10 on an NVME drive and, when right-clicking on an object in Explorer, it is taking up to a second for the context menu to appear. (It's instantaneous when right-clicking on an empty space.) Google Drive is the only third party software in the menu so bloat shouldn't be a problem. It seems likely I've just never noticed this delay before but is it typical?

This is generally a problem with an explorer Shell Extension. You can see what stuff has installed shell extensions with ShellExView by Nirsoft. There are instructions for how to use it here.

That instruction page also has a registry tweak that makes the context menu not wait for items in SendTo to populate -- if for example google drive is in the SendTo, it might cause a delay while it checks for a network connection to google.

SporkOfTruth posted:

I just got a new Win10 laptop, and it's been...longer than I'd like since I've set one up. What are the basics I should do to avoid having to create a Microsoft account or whatever (I've heard this is maybe mandatory now?) and decrapify the system as much as possible on first boot?

If you've already connected to internet you may be SOL as Medullah said, but have no fear. You can make a new local account afterwards and just disable / delete the MS account. (Having your PC linked to a MS account isn't the worst thing in the world, even if you don't want it for normal use.)

here's instructions for making a new local user and "hiding" the MS one:

1. Create a new local administrator account, using MMC
--- a. win+r run -> "lusrmgr.msc"
--- b. open the Users folder, then use menu Actions -> New User...
--- c. type name, password, uncheck must change password at next login and check password never expires, create
--- d. now from the list of list of users, right click the new one and select Properties
--- e. select Members Of tab
--- f. Add, type "Administrators", click Check Names and it will change to (PCName)\Administrators, click OK
--- g. OK

2. restart PC and log into that new account.

3. Disable the old account:
--- a. open user manager again
--- b. open Users, right click the MS account, Properties
--- c. check Account is disabled

Klyith fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Jun 13, 2021

# ? Jun 13, 2021 22:16

CatHorse: Jan 5, 2008

SuperTeeJay posted:

Google Drive is the only third party software in the menu so bloat shouldn't be a problem.

Uninstall Google Drive restart and check.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 22:35

SuperTeeJay: Jun 14, 2015

Thanks all - simply turning off Drive fixed the problem, so I used ShellExView to disable its entry in the context menu. Drive is now running without slowing the menu down.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 23:38

tuyop: Sep 15, 2006; Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted; Fun Shoe

GreenNight posted:

Do you both have OneDrive in the add/remove programs list? Windows may be trying to connect to it when you do what you�re doing.

Yeah but I use iCloud onedrive and google drive all the time so I guess I�m just out of luck there.

# ? Jun 13, 2021 23:53

MonkeyFit: May 13, 2009

What's the best way to maximize read speed and program/game loading times? I currently have a single 980 Pro 2TB that everything including windows runs on. I have one PCIE 4.0 m.2 slot where the 980 Pro is, and a PCIE 3.0 m.2 slot that is empty. Could I benefit from installing a 512 NVME and putting Windows on it, and only running Steam from the 980 Pro?

# ? Jun 14, 2021 00:08

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

MonkeyFit posted:

What's the best way to maximize read speed and program/game loading times? I currently have a single 980 Pro 2TB that everything including windows runs on. I have one PCIE 4.0 m.2 slot where the 980 Pro is, and a PCIE 3.0 m.2 slot that is empty. Could I benefit from installing a 512 NVME and putting Windows on it, and only running Steam from the 980 Pro?

No, windows isn't going to be generating significant drive load independent of the game files while a game is loading.

Current NVMe drives are, for most desktop pc user purposes, faster at supplying data than the CPU is at processing & loading it. This was true even of late-gen PCIe 3 drives, let alone a PCIe 4 drive like the 980 pro. So with that drive your only way to speed up loads would be to buy a much faster CPU.

One thing that can work is exempting your game directories from windows defender, so that while loading a game defender isn't also scanning the files as they're being read. It's making your security worse, and I would be very specific about which folders you target. Not the root steam directory, only the folders of individual games like steamapps\common\GameName.

And even then, it's often not that much help. Game loading is generally the last thing on the optimization list for devs, if at all. AFAIK loads are often single threaded, meaning you have plenty of spare cores to keep the AV scanner ahead of the game.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 02:36

MonkeyFit: May 13, 2009

Excellent. Thanks for the response.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 03:09

The Lord Bude: May 23, 2007; ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

The whole avoiding a Microsoft account thing is 99% spergy neckbeard bullshit. Just use your computer. Log in with a Microsoft account. When you do things the way Microsoft intended instead of going to heroic lengths to break your computer things just work better and you can get on with your life without worrying about nonsense.

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

# ? Jun 14, 2021 04:02

Last Chance: Dec 31, 2004

Haha,

# ? Jun 14, 2021 04:16

Blue Footed Booby: Oct 4, 2006; got those happy feet

The Lord Bude posted:

The whole avoiding a Microsoft account thing is 99% spergy neckbeard bullshit. Just use your computer. Log in with a Microsoft account. When you do things the way Microsoft intended instead of going to heroic lengths to break your computer things just work better and you can get on with your life without worrying about nonsense.

No.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 04:42

GreenNight: Feb 19, 2006; Turning the light on the darkest places, you and I know we got to face this now. We got to face this now.

Microsoft has said windows 10 is eol in 2025. I fully expect a MS account will be mandatory for Windows 11 or whatever is next. Internet connection will be required to even finish the setup.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 04:56

Klyith: Aug 3, 2007; GBS Pledge Week

The Lord Bude posted:

The whole avoiding a Microsoft account thing is 99% spergy neckbeard bullshit. Just use your computer. Log in with a Microsoft account. When you do things the way Microsoft intended instead of going to heroic lengths to break your computer things just work better and you can get on with your life without worrying about nonsense.

thanks for your input Mrs Cathy Jackson

# ? Jun 14, 2021 04:57

Internet Explorer: Jun 1, 2005

Klyith posted:

thanks for your input Mrs Cathy Jackson

I'm sad we didn't get a follow up to that story.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 05:00

xzzy: Mar 5, 2009

I use a MS account on my Windows system and the only issue I've had was after doing a reinstall on a new hard drive it started syncing 100gb of data files I restored into Documents into my 2gb OneDrive folder. The only way to stop the error spam was log into the web interface and manually purge everything after turning off syncing. So heads up if you ever go that route, a default W10 install tries to put everything in the cloud except programs and the windows folder!

Other than that I like it. I enter my password less and it merges with my Xbox and I like that.

Not gonna go on some weird rant demanding people use it though.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 05:15

Arivia: Mar 17, 2011

The Lord Bude posted:

The whole avoiding a Microsoft account thing is 99% neckbeard bullshit. Just use your computer. Log in with a Microsoft account. When you do things the way Microsoft intended instead of going to heroic lengths to break your computer things just work better and you can get on with your life without worrying about nonsense.

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

The Lord Bude did not abide, sayeth 2007 GBS.

# ? Jun 14, 2021 07:18

SporkOfTruth: Sep 1, 2006; this kid walked up to me and was like man schmitty your stache is ghetto and I was like whatever man your 3b look like a dishrag.

he was like damn.

So, I had one other que-- :stare:

This post inspired one more question:

xzzy posted:

I use a MS account on my Windows system and the only issue I've had was after doing a reinstall on a new hard drive it started syncing 100gb of data files I restored into Documents into my 2gb OneDrive folder. The only way to stop the error spam was log into the web interface and manually purge everything after turning off syncing. So heads up if you ever go that route, a default W10 install tries to put everything in the cloud except programs and the windows folder!

Say I've got my older system/Win10 install and I want to restore my documents/half-built-out development environment for R/python/etc.
(The dev environment is kind of poo poo, but I have, for example, in progress repositories with iffy remotes for my personal projects.)

Imaging the whole drive with Macrium seems to be overkill (and defeats the purpose of getting a a system that's not 6 years old), but what's a recommended "next best option"? Backup the drive onto an external and copy as needed? Sit down with both systems side-by-side, and download new stuff with a packaging system like chocolatey?

# ? Jun 14, 2021 17:13

xzzy: Mar 5, 2009

For me, if it's a hard drive swap I put the old drive in an external enclosure so I can drag stuff over that I decide I want to keep.

If it's an in place reinstall (and W10 can do this on its own so this shouldn't be necessary anymore) I drag the folders I want onto some external storage then copy them back in after the install (and hope I don't forget anything).

# ? Jun 14, 2021 17:24

Ynglaur: Oct 9, 2013; The Malta Conference, anyone?

With the death of Google Cloud Print, is there anythung as easy to setup with would allow someone not at home to print on their home printer? Microsoft Universal Print looks promising but seems to require an Azure tenant and Active Directory.

# ? Jun 25, 2021 15:15

tuyop: Sep 15, 2006; Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted; Fun Shoe

Ynglaur posted:

With the death of Google Cloud Print, is there anythung as easy to setup with would allow someone not at home to print on their home printer? Microsoft Universal Print looks promising but seems to require an Azure tenant and Active Directory.

Probably just WireGuard and a printer shared on the network, imo.

# ? Jun 25, 2021 15:21

Thanks Ants: May 21, 2004; #essereFerrari

Ynglaur posted:

With the death of Google Cloud Print, is there anythung as easy to setup with would allow someone not at home to print on their home printer? Microsoft Universal Print looks promising but seems to require an Azure tenant and Active Directory.

Get a printer that supports sending documents to an email address

# ? Jun 25, 2021 21:49

Dylan16807: May 12, 2010

GreenNight posted:

Microsoft has said windows 10 is eol in 2025. I fully expect a MS account will be mandatory for Windows 11 or whatever is next. Internet connection will be required to even finish the setup.

What have you done!

# ? Jun 26, 2021 06:03

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# ? May 29, 2024 09:03

Scythe: Jan 26, 2004

What's the current recommended ad blocker for Edge?

# ? Jun 26, 2021 23:10

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