Category: Microsoft

Tech talk

Microsoft Windows 11- Just Saying No

Published on by dgkaye83 Comments

I’ve had this post in draft for a while as it caught my attention before I went on winter blog break. I wanted to share my thoughts on Windows 11 and see what other bloggers felt about it, or if people are aware of just how invasive Windows 11 is.

I have had the Windows 11 update sitting in my updates for over two years now on my computer. I have zero plans of downloading it. My dilemma is what I’m going to do when my extended protection for Windows 10 runs out next year.

I’m going to preface my thoughts by mentioning, when Windows 8 rolled out, most PC users, including myself, didn’t like it at all. There were tons of glitches and the new ‘touchscreens’ began with Windows 8. But with all its glitches, I also refused to download it. It seems that I wasn’t alone in my thinking as many rebelled it. But, within a year, Microsoft quickly came out with 8.1 and that became a gem for me. Although I was hesitant again when it came to Windows 10, I waited a good year before purchasing that version, hoping their glitches were under control. Enter Windows 11.

Ever since Windows 11 became available, weird things would happen on my laptop. Microsoft’s Edge browser squeezes its way into things while I’m researching, and their A.I. – copilot, follows me around like a leech. Oh, I got rid of those problems by following my tech helpers on Youtube. You would be amazed at how deep we have to go to get rid of bloatware and apps that are hidden deep in our computers – and phones. But what I also learned from these tech gurus is HOW INVASIVE Windows 11 is.

digital devices

I’ve been reading about how many Windows users refuse to download Windows 11. The A.I. integration is over the top. It spies on everything we do and write in Windows 11 – to the point that hospitals and big corps are concerned and looking to find alternatives, such as Linux to change their operating systems for customer and patient privacy issues. Imagine you’re in a hospital and all your private health information is exploited by Microsoft. This leaves many, like myself, wondering where I’m going to move to after Windows 10 protection ceases.

.

Some of the drawbacks to Windows 11 are:

Their recall option feature – this tracks everything we say and do on our computers like surveillance. It also takes intermittent screenshots of OUR WORK every few seconds, and it’s anyone’s guess what they are used for – besides telling them what kind of ads to tailor for us. They are stored for A.I. analysis and UNPROPERLY encrypted.

Apparently, the ads are out of control, permissable by Microsoft for third party spies, so they can make more money off us by selling our privacy. Happily pre-installed, courtesy of Microslop.

Most updates wreak havoc on computers because of bugs.

Copilot A.I. is baked into the system, so A.I. follows us around EVERYWHERE.

I don’t know about you peeps, but surveillance spyware and unwanted bloatware doesn’t interest me. I’m not sure if I want to learn a new computer language with Linux or even Mac, so until something better comes along, I’m not moving from Windows 10.

And my all-time pet peeve is watching a squiggly A.I. mark follow me around pages while I work, trying to put words in my mouth that aren’t mine!

I did have to laugh as I was researching Windows 11 and someone listed all the nasty things about it, they created a word – ‘enshittification’ for baked in ads and A.I. following us all over the pages.

Many businesses in the EU have already moved over to Linux because of privacy concerns.

As I mentioned above, I’m staying with my Windows 10 as long as I can keep protected on it. After that I’m most likely going to learn and use one of the Linux operating systems.

What about you people? Are you familiar with the invasiveness of Windows 11? Are you using it?

Listen below to discover why Dell is done with ‘Microslop’- PC sales down because of invasive A.I. Over 53% Windows users not upgrading to 11 and all the flaws built into it.

.

Through all my searching, I came across a blog by Kevin Tech Guy who shares info about Opatch, a security update site that will continue Windows 10 updates for a nominal annual fee for those of us not wishing to move to Windows 11

https://www.kevinthetechguy.ca/p/dont-want-to-upgrade-to-windows-11

If you’d like to learn more about Opatch, you can visit their blog

https://blog.0patch.com/2024/06/long-live-windows-10-with-0patch.html

I hope you’ve found this post helpful and it gives you something to think about before accepting Windows 11 upgrade.

©DGKaye2026

Spying beware

Big Brother AI and I’m sick of it! Turn it off!!!

Published on by dgkaye95 Comments

Today I’m going to share about some of the AI I’ve discovered trailing me around – everywhere, on my laptop apps. This sneaky Big Brother spy is courtesy of Microsoft. Sure Google and all other tech ‘cousins’ have their spy methods, but Microsoft, I find extremely invasive.

I noticed this tiny moving icon following every time I work on a Word document. Usually, I continue on my work as I let the words flow and ignore it, but I got tired of ignoring it.

I also noticed a few months ago, this menace of an icon would also pop up with every email I wrote in my Outlook email too, and so I decided to investigate what the heck is following me around.

It turns out that Microsoft has its AI spies out now on all of its apps. This menace is called Copilot. What a name right? A hijacking pilot to attach itself to everything we write so it can steal our words and messages from our personal emails, and our Word documents to incorporate into AI.

I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of being spied on everywhere. And I most certainly don’t appreciate Microsoft helping themselves to MY WORK to steal and use for their own purposes – especially from my books.

So, I spent a few hours one day last week, caught up in the web of searching for cures for this invasive menace. It turns out that Microsoft has incorporated this ‘spy’ into Word documents to prepare for renewal subscriptions. They are so kind to give us this free spy to steal our work, and upon renewal time for the app, they will add another fifty dollars on renewal fee just for the pleasure of having it! But alas! I found the cure to eliminate the pest from my Word documents! Sadly, there is no removal of the spy in my email.

Below you will find the information on how to TURN OFF enabling of this spy. As the post suggests, turning off on one Window’s device will turn it off on all Windows apps – EXCEPT EMAIL.

Clear the “Enable Copilot” checkbox on Windows devices

  1. In your app (for example, Excel), go to File > Options > Copilot.
  2. Clear the Enable Copilot checkbox.
  3. Select OK, and then close and restart the app.

Have a look at the tutorial page and it will show you how to turn off both in Windows and Mac.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-turn-off-copilot-in-microsoft-365-family-and-personal-subscriptions-bc7e530b-152d-4123-8e78-edc06f8b85f1#bkmk_privacy

I’ve also provided a link below for those who have subscriptions with Microsoft with information about our subscriptions. Please note, if you are using their software and are on auto-renew (like I WAS), you have the option to NOT CHOOSE to be billed for this auto-installed app, you must take yourself off auto-renew and choose the original package.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/switching-to-microsoft-365-personal-and-family-classic-plans-58342e83-38e7-4cda-b63b-88604a8fb7ef

This now only leaves me with the other troublesome spy – in my email. Sadly, as my internet search had no advice, mostly complaints from other users with no fixes in forums I searched, I learned from another Microstealsoft article I came across that ‘they are sorry to announce, but they have no way yet to remove the Copilot thief from the Outlook email’. There is no way to disable the thief until Microsoft comes up with a fix. Can you believe this? They infiltrate our personal documents by inserting their spy, which they have no means to remove it.

If you’d like to read more about what Google is doing to charge for using their AI, see the link below:

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2581179/microsoft-follows-google-with-price-bump-forced-ai-365-bundles.html

Are any of you enjoying this invasive AI building itself right into our software? Is there anyone here techy enough to offer up a method to remove the Copilot spyware from Outlook?

©DGKaye2025

Writer's Tips

December Best Curated Writer’s Tips – Book Categories, Creating a Title Page, #Formatting Fixes, #Microsoft and A.I., Blue Sky Social

Published on by dgkaye47 Comments

Welcome to my best curated Writer’s Tips for December. In this edition, Anne R. Allen talks about finding the right category to list our books under, Diana Peach shares some crafty Microsoft Word page creator tips, Nicholas Rossis shares some helpful tips on Book formatting, Deborah Jay is sharing the importance of a simple click to stop Microsoft from sharing our Word documents with AI, Kathy Steinemann shares a tutorial on how Bluesky app works.

.

Anne R. Allen shares some great tips on finding the right categories where our books belong

https://annerallen.com/2024/05/genre-comps-categories-and-labels/#comment-40779

.

Diana Peach is at the Story Empire sharing with us how to spruce up our book’s Title Page using Microsoft Word

How to Make a Fancy Pants Title Page Using Word

.

Nicholas Rossis is also at the Story Empire with an informative article on how to fix and/or avoid Book Formatting errors

The Biggest Book Formatting Mistakes Self-Publishers Make – and How to Fix Them

.

Deborah Jay (via Kathy Steinemann) is sharing an important tweek for authors using Microsoft Word to disallow AI from helping themselves to our Word documents

#MicrosoftWord users beware! Another #AI grab

.

Many writers (like myself) have and are weaning off Twitter and moving to Blue Sky Social. Kathy Steinemann with a tutorial on how to use the Bluesky app

https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/bluesky-starters/comment-page-1/#comment-19744

.

.

If anyone here is on Blue Sky Social, please look for my handle and connect with me. @DGKayewriter.bsky.social.

©DGKayewriter.com2024

Writer's Tips

Writer’s Tips – May Edition – #WordPress Hacks, #Microsoft Word, Info Dumps, #Troll Inquisition

Published on by dgkaye68 Comments

Welcome to my May edition Writer’s Tips. This month I’ve found some helpful posts for WordPress Settings by Hugh Roberts, how to convert a Word document for ebook by Jane Friedman, Deborah Jay talks about Info Dumps in writing, and Anne R. Allen warns us about the Troll Inquisition on writers.

.

Hugh Roberts has a great tutorial on using WordPress Settings in our dashboards

How To Use This New Easy Feature For Your Blog’s Settings On WordPress.

.

Jane Friedman shares how turn a Word Document into an Ebook

How to Turn a Microsoft Word Document Into an Ebook (EPUB)

.

eborah Jay talks about avoid Info Dumps in WritingDeborah Jay talks about Info Dumps in Writing

Thoughts on #InfoDumps anyone?

Deborah Jay talks about avoidinInfo Dumps in Writing

Author Debrah Jay talking about Info Dumps in Writing

.

Anne R. Allen – how Foreign Robots are attacking Authors – The Troll Inquisition

Nobody Expects the Trollbot Inquisition! Are Foreign Bots Censoring U.S. Authors?

.

©DGKaye2024

Note: please excuse the large spacing between some of these articles. It seems WordPress block editor has a mind of its own and won’t allow me to fix without erasing parts of my post.