Windows 10 starts to auto-block unwanted apps (PUAs)

[Tabbykatze]

Personally I'm sticking with my view especially with how many false positives I've had and the frankly annoying (and arguably lacking in real information) process of allowing stuff in defender so we'll just have to disagree and see where the future goes. I still would like a choice before they make changes like this and that is the bigger issue to me personally.

Either way hopefully it won't be abused to block things like EdgeDeflector which overrides the 'forced' use of edge from things like the built in mail app and could arguably be seen as a bit of software that has 'taken over' your pc.

Settings > Windows Defender > Potentially unwanted app blocking > Action: Off.

I really don't see what your fuss is about, Ubuntu (the most commonly used desktop flavour) and Mac have a built in Mail app, Edge isn't forced use except for the built in search (granted, they could shut the hell up when I tell it "NO").

[Saracen999]

I really can't see the fuss. Another damned if they do damned if they don't. To override it you have to click through a few warnings, and for 99% of users it's better that way.

This will never make you have to use the Windows Store as pointed out. That just wouldn't work, as pointed out again....

Us Hexites are NOT average users. There are literally hundreds of millions of other users that this will benefit

I think I was the one that mentioned HEXUS, so I'll jut point out, that's pretty much what I said.

As for "the fuss", the thing that does somewhat hump me off is them silently deciding to change the default settings. Ask first. Or at least notify me you're faffing with my system settings, MS. And I'd stress the "my" bit in "my system settings". Not yours, Microsoft, My damn PC, m'kay?

Is it this setting? Not in particular, no. It's the principle in their penchant for doing things like this, and doing it silently. It makes me wonder .... what else are they screwing about with in my settings without me knowing? What, in their infinite wisdom, and raging arrogance, else are they messing with, after I've set/checked my settings?

Because if they mess with this because they think (right or wrongly) that it's a good idea, and without even telling me, how do I know when and if they mess with anything else?

Butt the bleep out of my config, Microsoft.

[sinhaomar]

Everyone who does not like the option easyly can go in and set off the option.

[Saracen999]

Everyone who does not like the option easyly can go in and set off the option.

And then next week, MS can apparently decide to turn it back on again.

If you know it's there you can turn it off, and if you do know it's there, and that MS have changed it for you, that the setting you thought was applied has been changed by MS without notifying you that they are changing your settings, you can turn it off again. That is what is so annoying.

I have been through a whole bucketload of settings, and turned off (or checked it was off) if I don't want it on. What I don't do is check it all daily, weekly etc to see if MS decided to change it. Do you?

[Wrinkly]

Microsoft are the only 'security' company that think qBittorrent is malware, funny that.

Beat me to it.

[markzero]

If they want to get serious about PUAs they can retroactively flag most of the junk that gets pre-installed by vendors on home systems. On the other hand, if they let vendors whitelist, that list will get abused. Not to mention that Candy Crush, in a vanilla Windows install, is a PUA.

[Rubarb]

Cheeses me off how they think they can control what you can do on your own computer.

That said tho, if they can add it we can hack it out, just as a lot of us did with telemetry and even windows lite paches.

[hexxer]

Yet another ahole move by Microsoft.

[spacein_vader]

I see this as a good idea that's been poorly communicated personally.

First I knew about it was when I updated qbittorrent (ironically to download a Linux ISO,) and it gave me the warning. I clicked through to the "thanks for the warning, install it anyway" option and got on with life easily enough. Left it enabled in case it picks up anything truly nefarious though.

Ideal solution would be a pop up after the update installed saying "we have this new safety feature, would you like us to switch it on?" nobody could grumble at that.

[lodore]

I really can't see the fuss. Another damned if they do damned if they don't. To override it you have to click through a few warnings, and for 99% of users it's better that way.

This will never make you have to use the Windows Store as pointed out. That just wouldn't work, as pointed out again....

Us Hexites are NOT average users. There are literally hundreds of millions of other users that this will benefit

I can't see the big fuss either. More security in a default windows install is a good thing. This should of been enabled by default years ago. It used to require you to edit the registry to enable it or on pro versions you could use GPO or local security policy editor. Enabling it by default and being able to amend it in the settings it a good step.

Most antivirus products have enabled this by default for a number of years. I know that some vendors do ask if you want to enable it during install. Last time I used Eset it asked during install and explained what it detected. I am sure Kaspersky did as well last time I used it. PUA can be a heated topic as it can detect legitimate tools which could be used for other purposes such as remote access software, process monitor tools etc however I personally prefer these applications to be detected and I can then choose to exclude them if I want to use them. PUA are not generally False positives.

[souper]

I use and will continue to use a little program called Unchecky when installing softwares.. Works for me !

[Saracen999]

This is a good change to make, and isn't a step in the wrong direction at all.

....

Up to a point, I agree. I just think it's being done in the usual high-handed MS way. That is, silently, without user approval, or even knowledge.

Part of my concern is the psychology of it. Even the HEXUS thread title falls into it .... a PUA is not an "unwanted app". That misses the crucial "potentially" bit.

A couple of comments above refer to Eset etc doing this sort of thing (which is good) but also explaining it, which is even better. In making silent setting changes, MS not only peeve knowledgeable users, but miss an opportunity to deliver a bit of carefully phrased education to the less knowledgeable. Yes, a PUA could be an obnoxious and even dangerous "unwanted" app, but it is also sometimes the reaction to intended and beneficial activity. Before just silently changing settings, maybe MS ought to put up an explanation poiting out that it certainly can be a sign of danger, butcan also be normal, and at least giving the user the option to approve the setting change (which can be default), or not, and a non-lurid account of what they're doing/recommending, and why.

I've spent too many hours over the years trying to wor out wh this or that is happening, only to find some setting has been changed by something (and by no means always MS) that's caused the problem. Over the weekend, it turns out something decided a .tar file was an image format my photo editing software should handle, not the compressed tarball it actually was (with a security certificate in it). I don't know what (though I have suspicions) changed the file association, but it sure wasn't me.

[cheesemp]

I see this as a good idea that's been poorly communicated personally.

First I knew about it was when I updated qbittorrent (ironically to download a Linux ISO,) and it gave me the warning. I clicked through to the "thanks for the warning, install it anyway" option and got on with life easily enough. Left it enabled in case it picks up anything truly nefarious though.

Ideal solution would be a pop up after the update installed saying "we have this new safety feature, would you like us to switch it on?" nobody could grumble at that.

I would! I'd have at least 2 phone calls from the parents and in laws asking if it was ok or had they been hacked. I'd also probably find someone else I knew, thought it was dodgy and hit no (and then later got the junk). Ultimately Windows is a consumer OS, the same as Android and iOS. They have had way tighter restrictions for a long time. Heck this is lighter than Androids setting that allows for installs outside the app store.

If you want an OS where you are 100% in control go use Linux (and even then something like ubuntu probably does similar security decisions as it is also aiming to be a consumer OS). Microsoft want an OS that is, at least on paper secure by design and this is part of it.