Microsoft's 'Recall' feature can't be uninstalled after all

At this point, I think they are actively trying to drive us away.

This is where we say switch to Linux, right?

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I always wonder where the line is for the majority of people, maybe there isn't one and they know it. You've got to hand it to Microsoft nearly 30 years and they still have the majority.

I did it! I did it over the long weekend. Been using Windows since 3.1 (albeit only switched fully from MSDOS when Windows 2000 came out).

I did a test run on my laptop during time away from home/desktop over the summer, using Linux Mint, to see if I can do work and school on an unfamiliar system exclusively. On Mint I never had to open the terminal and everything worked right out of the box. Cinnamon is very similar to Win10 too. Heck, I can't even remember the installation procedure, it was so hands off and easy.

After two failed attempts of Arch on the same laptop, I've managed to install it with help of archinstaller on my main desktop. No idea what I'm doing, but I got it up and running to a state where I can do both work and school.

FUCK Windows and the constant nag it does everywhere. Good riddance.

Off is the direction in which I would like Microsoft to fuck if they think I'm gonna have a deep learning AI spy on my computer activity.

This just makes me want to switch to Linux.

What was it, not even two months ago when they said they "listened" to us and that they wouldn't go forward with Recall? And we all said they would still roll it in later when the dust had settled? Yup, we were right.

False. The hard drive where Windows lives will soon find itself exiting my window

A tool you control serves your interests. But when someone else controls it, they serve their own.

Not use Windows 11 you say? Install Linux you say?!

Even if you can't cleanly remove it, you can probably delete a few system files and break it. It's not like the whole thing will be baked into kernel32.dll.

Hmm, I wonder if there could be an exploit where Recall is covertly turned on, so it can be used to exfiltrate data. Not a good idea to basically have a surveillance rootkit sitting passively on your system, with no ability to remove it, just waiting to get abused by attackers. But using this proprietary garbage OS nowadays isn't a good idea in general and there is a much better alternative.

I hope enough companies realize the inherent danger to their IP this feature brings. Or that the government realizes the inherent danger to CUI data and forces there to be an admin level lock of the feature so normal users can't just turn it on.

I and many others can't just switch to Linux because we are required to use company laptops/desktops that are admin locked.

Who else has ever invented such a powerful spyware?

Serious question. Because usually Microsoft are not the first ones with anything, it is very likely that there is a predecessor.

Now I am quite disturbed because I don't know how and where we are being spied on already in such an infamous manner!

Didn't they say the same thing about Internet Explorer, it was part of the OS and can't be uninstalled or disabled...

Then, antitrust legal action against Microsoft and it turns out they can enable it being removable. Whoops!

Windows Recall + Kernel level anti-cheat. How could it possibly go wrong, amirite?

I'm in the process of switching to Linux on my main rig; still got a lot of shit to figure out but it'll be worth it in the end.

And no, I'm not being a Linux fanboy, I'm just tired of being Microsoft's bitch.

Well, not without also uninstalling Windows...

Install Linux, it's easier, leaner, faster than windows shit, it's also free, does actual security, and won't ever spy on you.

Send in the down votes

I wonder if the advent of Windows 11’s “best” features will become known as “The Great Defenestration”

As soon as support for windows 10 is over I'm out. My new laptop had Windows 11 pre-installed so I switched it to Linux a few days ago after I realized Copilot installed itself without asking me. I'm using my laptop as a test run before I get it on my desktop so I can figure out which distro I wanna use when the day comes.

I actually want this feature, but I want to own the data. There are some OSS projects writing basically identical things but they aren't too popular (https://github.com/jasonjmcghee/rem seems to be the most popular I could find, but I wasn't able to get the cross-platform version running on my machine).

I also wrote the dumbest possible clone of this feature in bash, the basic data gathering steps are actually pretty easy to do. I'd build this into a real program but I've just been too busy lately with other projects: https://jackson.dev/post/cloning-windows-recall-in-30-lines-of-bash/

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You guys do know you don’t have to use Windows?

I'm glad I just setup Linux two weekends ago. It was simple to install all of my hardware worked well. I only miss a couple of minor features like the LED software and my overclocking software.

And those really aren't that big of a deal since I haven't had a failure to play a game so far.

It was at least 20 years since I tried Linux, and the changes are wild. I didn't even choose a simple distro and haven't even had too difficult of a time.

We can't uninstall our own keylogger, sorry!

It also can be not installed to begin with. Fuck MS and all their bullshit. Next year, 5% of pc gamers will be on Linux and it will keep growing from there.

Fedora KDE or Linux Mint is the way

Sure it can, you just uninstall the entire OS and replace it with Linux.

They see a pile of cash and can't resist. The only way it'll truly stop is if users boycott everytime they try to bring it back, which will be neverending.

Im so glad I switched fully to Linux. I used to dual-boot, but my Windows partition broke so I stick with Linux. Only regret is why I didnt do it years ago.

Does your PC have an Intel or AMD CPU? Congrats, you don't have to worry about Recall. At least for now, it only works on Copilot+ PCs with ARM processors.

Reading MS description of Recall, I am struggling to come up with a scenario where it would be any use. Sounds like the backspace button would work almost as well at a fraction of the resources needed.

Switching to Linux would be difficult, when I'm the only one in team willing to change.

People feel comfy as it is and don't feel a need to change. They say it requires "extra work".

There's a lot of talk about switching to Linux (I use Arch, BTW) but for anyone looking for a new computer, macs are going to look real good. Still user friendly, excellent build quality, and Unix core. A Mac mini can be had for about 500 bucks. I've got an M2 MacBook Pro from work and I am super happy with it. Limited gaming tho, but I got a steamdeck for that.

If it was listed incorrectly as a feature that could be turned on or off and it was a bug, then the bugfix would seem to be making it listed correctly as a feature that can be turned on or off.

"...can't be uninstalled..."

Well sure it can, you just have to switch to Linux!

You can probably disable it with a custom install, like Cortana

Just finally switched my gaming PC to Linux mint. It works flawlessly. I can even re-use the steam game files I downloaded on Windows. Never going back.

Ok, has anyone got DCS World on VR working on Linux? I really want to ditch my Windows gaming machine, I already don't use it for anything serious, but this is getting ridiculous.

Regedit the shit off your systems

Challenge accepted...

As a small business, I need MS office & 2 other pieces of software that have no Linux versions. Rightly pissed off that I'll have to upgrade my main machines to Win 11 by Oct 25.

debloat it :troll:

The day FL studio works natively (potato puter) on Linux is the day I fully switch no questions

If I had a dollar for every dork in the comments telling everyone they run Linux...

Another thread about microsoft which is brigaded by the Linux fanboys. Just create a thread about Linux to suck each others dicks in.