https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/new-windows-driver-blocks-software-from-changing-default-web-browser/
Microsoft is now using a Windows driver to prevent users from changing the configured Windows 10 and Windows 11 default browser through software or by manually modifying the Registry.
Honestly a good change. Defaults should be handled by the OS. If a software wants to be your default, it should ask the OS to present the selection screen and allow the user to choose the option.
Yeah, this is a ragebait headline (and I'll admit that it caught me). This is actually in line with what you see on Android and most Linux distros. It's also likely that Microsoft doesn't want you to easily change from Edge, but still. This is better than allowing an application to silently change which applications open things on your computer.
They could simply present a popup with "Change Default web browser to Chrome? You can change this later in settings."
While there at it they also should remove the "recommended" label and popups, the onedrive ads and Teams integration.
Unless the OS screen adds tons of clicks and popups to click though to change the default. Not to mention its kind of funny how easy it is to switch back to Edge. This is a anti competitive feature pretending to be a security feature.
man i remember doing that once. it basically tells the user: we can force you to waste your time. keep that in mind next time you want to exert free choice. end of story: told my boss i demand using Linux, he said ok. I'm happy now fellow pingus 🐧
As long as that applies to all browsers equally. I don't know the current state of things but if I remember correctly, Firefox already circumvented the earlier default protection method, because Microsoft made it so that their own Edge browser didn't require those extra steps that were forced upon all other browsers.
After reading the article it seems likely this is still the case. They said operating system links still open in edge even when you have another browser configured, so Microsoft is still putting Edge in a privileged position. I guess we just have to wait and see how privileged it ends up being.
From what I hear Edge is so privileged you can't remove it... well, you kinda just can't remove it.. but even if you can circumvent that the system starts fucking up because it needs it for those OS links.
Edge is so privileged you can't remove it... well, you kinda just can't remove it..
That will have to change with the DMA becuase otherwise M$ will get ...a really big slap on the wrist or something.
Yeah, and if that was why it was being done, that would be awesome.
It isn't being done because it's a better policy.
Apparently this is done to block browsers like opera to change the default browser without user consent, but I think this just makes it more complicated to change the default browser. Maybe they’ll add a pop up if an application tries to change it, allowing users to accept, but I don’t think that’s likely
Honestly, this might be a good thing in that case. I didn't like when my default browser randomly changed
Ideally, this would also stop browsers (ex. Edge) from using dark patterns to try and trick you into changing to them
I'm sure Edge is exempt, and will continue to switch itself to the default browser whenever it feels like it.
Malware. Opera was bought by loan scammers so this doesn't surprise me one bit.
Edit: comment from an old reddit post:
From Kenya here. When you fail to pay Okash loan on time they will call random contacts on your contact list and tell them to tell you to pay your loan back
This is where Opera is now.
Maybe once the DOJ is done tearing apart Apple they will start finding other targets
You don't need to be a lawyer to say something is illegal. In this instance I'm talking about the antitrust case in the 90s against Microsoft which declared that restricting features of desktop OSes to certain apps to be illegal.
That case went no where for the most part. Microsoft managed to get out of the penalty box somehow
Important part from the article:
Windows users can still change their default browser through the Windows settings.
You mean the windows setting sthey keep changing and burying the easy to use features with bloated garbage and 12 menus deep?
I still to this day right click the sound icon in the taskbar and and click sounds to modify my sound settings rather then that mess of shit they call 'sound settings'
The point is that the 20+ year old Sounds settings are still much easier to use than the new bullshit settings UI that keeps changing all the time.
I can't find shit in the Windows 8/10/11 settings and still use the old settings wherever possible.
Until it gets overridden by an update. Not to mention most users won't click though the popups telling users Edge is better
Having had win11 installed for approximately a year, my default browser (Firefox) has never been changed by an update.
Count yourself lucky then. I run Windows 11 in several VMs and unless you spend a bunch of time turning off all the popups its unusable. You still can't get rid of Edge in the start menu (it always opens edge when you mistype) and Edge always says "recommended"
On top of that Edge always has a ton of things to click though before you can close it.
Questionable: should've been replaced with an API call that shows user a pop-up like "do you want to change the default browser to $browser_name?". Rn it's just breaking stuff for the sake of keeping internet chromesplorer.