It’s time to do the right thing, Microsoft
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I upgraded to Windows 10 Pro x64, and I faced all the problems Jon listed above and more, making my OS completely unusable!
No, this is not misinformation. You're just lucky you've never faced it!
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I have no problems using the browser I want, nor any other programs.
The picking of standard applications is generally improved in Windows 10, because not every program can just change that setting and it is all organised in one central place, that is quite user friendly to use.
I think Vivaldi has a pretty tech savvy user base, so I don't think Vivaldi suffers too much from the problem, that a build upgrade may reset your standard browser. So I think this article is mostly a PR move to bring Vivaldi to the headlines - and at least on tech sites it worked.
This is just my humble opinion, lest someone feels attacked by it. I think Vivaldi has a long way to go yet, and bigger problems than the standard browser setting on Windows 10 (that supposedly no one in their right mind would want to use, anyway
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I got this eventually, normally when updating some of the browsers I use (Viv, FF, Maxthon or Chrome). And from out of nowhere, when I click on a link, Edge starts… ¬¬
Annoying, but I think is the standard behavior from MS... I'm not surprised at all... Apart from that, Win 10 is great in my opinion. It is very stable here and when something got wrong, I normally resolve it quickly. No complaints specifically in this matter.
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Ubuntu and Mint (and probably others) are certainly usable by non-techies if there's a techie around to get things set up.
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My problem with Windows updates is even worse than the browser default, which was a quick fix. I seldom use W10, but when I do it's on my PC that dual-boots to W10 and Ubuntu. Every time Microsoft has done a major update (about once a year), the update destroys my dual boot, making the computer boot directly to Windows without even giving a Linux option. Although I'm more technically inclined than the average user, reestablishing the dual boot for me is no trivial matter.
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"Microsoft has made it complicated for a non-technical user to bring their old default browser back."
Sorry, but that is just wrong.
I'd never set it myself (I use Vivaldi on windows10 but have left Edge as default so I get to see how it is). So, having never set it but knowing that windows10 doesn't typically make things difficult, I had a look. Here's how complicated it is:
- Type "default browser" into the "Ask me anything" box
- Select "Choose a default web browser", which is the very first item in the results list
- Click to see all the possible browsers (in my list, vivaldi, firefox, chrome)
- Select the one you want.
Fiendish, eh.
I have some sympathy for the argument that Microsoft shouldn't reset the default, so it would be better if the argument wasn't diluted by dark suggestions about them purposely making their users' lives hard. The search (and voice control) stuff in windows 10 is many steps ahead; if you don't know how to do something, you usually just have to ask.
For the record - I use Windows 10 at home, Windows 7 and Centos Linux at work and I have a Mageia installation as a VM on my windows 10 tablet. I'm happy with all of them - horses for courses.
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Also related: "Microsoft has made it complicated for a non-technical user to bring their old default browser back" is not exactly true (Maybe yeah for a 72 y.o, just like any other computer-related task). In reality, for average Joe you just press Start, type "Default Programs", press enter, there you find big fat "Web Browser" text, one click away from making your browser of choice as a system default.
Then again, I had a good time imagining my tech savvy grandma rocking with Vivaldi, a browser for power user.
I am going to be down-voted like crazy for saying this:
but I was never a big fan of Jon's virtue signaling against MS as "big baddy monopolist" corporation. This traces back to Opera era that led into the Browser Ballot thingy.
I get it unfair competition is bad for consumer, but I can't help to felt the impression it's simply a childish whining from losing player. After all anyone just need to build a better browser to win, right? -
I know browsers are supposed to yield to "Default Programs" now for handling protocol and file association, but I liked the way Opera Presto did it with an "always check" option (that you could turn off) and checkboxes for each protocol and file type/extension, right in the preferences UI. It was great. The only thing Opera Presto didn't do when you chose to reassociate in its preferences was to validate and repair registry keys (and file paths in them). You had to run the installer again to fix the keys and paths in them. I think it'd be great if Vivaldi would do all of that itself.
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Oddly enough, since I bought this laptop w/Win10 pre-installed, I have neve had an issue with either my default browser or lost file associations. I guess in this one sense I have been 'Lucky'.
When I got it I installed my Anti-Virus, and a few security tools then Firefox and made it my default browser. It has never changed.
I have also installed Vivaldi (of course) O12 to use as a mail client and Sea Monkey to evaluate their browser on a 64bit machine.
Other than some audio software, math software and an office suite I really have had no issues except for the abominably long update process.
Going back I do not ever recall ever having an issue using Opera (ver. < 15) as my default browser either. -
You won't ever get the US to go after monopolies as they used to do.
Corporations and money control EVERYTHING here that's why it is an oligarchy not capitalists.
People should have remembered that from IE having to de-link from OS. If not for EU doing lawsuit it NEVER would have been done. It's old saying Give a camel an inch in your tent he will eventually take a mile, the whole tent. Going on again it's all for show any meaningful regulation. -
This is not a problem here in Canada. MS does not try to change my browser. Maybe the European version does it tho' given the drubbing Europe has given MS for being a control freak that would be surprising!
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Did MS possibly do the right thing with the latest Insider build?
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/13840/windows-insider-builds-and-the-default-browser -
For me the default browser has been reset to Edge each and every time MS releases a significant Update.
There's been times when the "Default Applications" window has prevented me from changing it from Edge at all.
It happens for the video format associations too. MS, I never want to use "Films and TV"!
Also I am unable to change the email handler to Thunderbird, it just stays as "Mail".
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@rseiler said in It’s time to do the right thing, Microsoft:
Did MS possibly do the right thing with the latest Insider build?
https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/13840/windows-insider-builds-and-the-default-browserYes, I think I can confirm this now, since today another Insider build (15031) didn't touch Vivaldi.
So, look for this problem to disappear (for those not on Windows betas) as of the April 2017 Creators Update. Well, at least updates to that build once you have it installed.
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@nsane: It seems, then, than this issue happens with Major updates. This means that I will get my default browser switched in the Creators update, which will be around March/May.
But it does not happen in every single minor update.
Regardless, it does happen. I'll try to contact some Microsoft developers if this issue happens to me after installing the Creators update - thanks everyone for your feedback!!
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@whizzwr: MS was shit in Opera days. I don't want to sound like a shill, but MS has improved very, very much in these last 5 years. UWP is awesome. What they're doing with Windows 10 in general is pretty great and they're enabling a lot of people (like myself) to have a free Windows license if we're students or run a business.
Since they don't make the most money out of the OS (they're mostly cloud now), I'm predicting that they might considering bridging Linux some day, or even make a fork of it. They already have VS Code which is Open Source.
I support Jon regardless! I'm a fan
Come chat about Vivaldi in the unofficial Discord Server, we have an :olli: emoji: https://discord.gg/cs6bTDU
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Microsoft has never done the right thing for users or competitors.
The right thing for them to do was create a monopoly situation so they didn't have to do right thing and extort everyone in the process.
Just because Microsoft has been forced to change due to real competition in the mobile phone market where it has little influence, don't expect any favours in the PC market. -
People have been attacking Microsoft for 30 years. Sometimes it made sense. But this is just silly. It's not difficult to set one's defaults in Windows 10. Given the number of really annoying and just wrong things with Win10, why is setting a default getting any time at all?
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@wdjb said in It’s time to do the right thing, Microsoft:
People have been attacking Microsoft for 30 years. Sometimes it made sense. But this is just silly. It's not difficult to set one's defaults in Windows 10. Given the number of really annoying and just wrong things with Win10, why is setting a default getting any time at all?
It should also be trivial to retain a user's defaults and given microsoft's past is easily interpreted as an unnecessary deliberate hurdle.
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@wdjb: Actually, yes, sometimes it is. Sometimes Win10 will not even show you all of the relevant apps that could be default for a file or protocol, and not offer you to browse to them, either - but only offer "the store."
