Windows Updates (Out-of-Support MS Office Detection)

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juverax
Posts: 355
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2018 5:19 am

Windows Updates (Out-of-Support MS Office Detection)

#1 Post by juverax »

Microsoft Updates checks for unsupported MS Office installs:
https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/21/ ... unt_update
The detection runs silently, and it is unknown what Microsoft does with the information it has collected.
Read carefully including the comments, where readers explain why they disable Windows updates.

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Midas
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Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Sol3

Re: Windows Updates (Out-of-Support MS Office Detection)

#2 Post by Midas »

Ever after Windows 7, MS Update has steadily turned itself into a usually mandatory but non-trivial user nuisance, IMHO. This is yet another installment on that path. Caveat emptor.

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nickoftime
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Re: Windows Updates (Out-of-Support MS Office Detection)

#3 Post by nickoftime »

I totally agree with Midas. If I may add my comments to the conversation...

IMHO, Microsoft continually monitors for software installed on your PC to help further target-market their products, especially if you use an alternative product. MS Office has turned into a bloated, non-intuitive piece of garbage spyware in a areas including the current Windows OS.

The bottom line is (or my Declaration of Independence, if you will):
1) I will use whatever Office suite suits me, even if it's an older version of MS Office or a non-Microsoft product
2) I don't care about their T&Cs, end-of-life support model, or their AI collection strategies
3) I will hack Windows and disable as much spyware as I can identify, including disabling updates and their anti-virus crap
4) If I'm using something that is out of support, that's my problem - the reward outweighs the risk and that is my decision, not theirs

Maybe they should focus on making their product more intuitive, less costly, and stable, all while giving user the functions they need to be productive instead of designing spyware/bloatware and taking key features away from their products. This is clearly a symbol of mismanaged priorities and lack of clear vision toward the user base. I blame that on their incompetent leadership and lack of foresight.

My focus is supporting the smaller developers (especially those who contribute their titles on this site), who understand user needs, and are the most innovative. In short, they really get it.

As far as big tech in the 2020s; it's all spyware and bloated garbage, especially Google, Microsoft, all of the social media, etc.

Enough of my rant - after 44 years in IT, it may be time for me to retire :)

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Midas
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Re: Windows Updates (Out-of-Support MS Office Detection)

#4 Post by Midas »

I feel your pain, nickoftime. :(

Coming from a whole different quadrant but documenting the same trend of total disregard for user resourcefulness and comfort, take a look of the rather extensive "Why?" section of helloSystem's -- a FLOSS would-be alternative to MacOS -- page on Github...
Because we used to like the Mac, since 1984. But it's increasingly getting... difficult.

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