Microsoft is now using a Windows driver to prevent users from changing the configured Windows 10 and Windows 11 default browser through software or by manually modifying the Registry.
Are tech illiterate people intentionally using 3rd party software to change their default browser? Genuinely asking because I have always manually set my default on a new device.
Not necessary, the browser can offer you to change it and link to ms-settings:defaultapps to get the user at the exact menu where they can make the change.
Where they now have to click on the right combination of 8+ browser choice menus (and Microsoft keeps adding more by splitting out various custom protocol handlers) and select the correct browser in all of them.
And then they’ll still wonder where their bookmarks and saved passwords and shit went and get mad that it “looks different” when Edge inevitably opens up again randomly when they click something else, and then they click that popup to make Edge the default to make that popup go away (because Edge is allowed to make itself default with one click, but nothing else is), and then they call support and yell
No they’re not. And the tech literate people that will see that they can disable this protection and continue as normal.
Microsoft doesn’t always do good things, but I think this is fine. If you open firefox it’ll ask you if you want to set your default browser, and it won’t regedit for you. It will open up the proper windows menu that lets you set firefox as the default.
Not letting malware change your settings by default is a GOOD thing. It is also a good thing that advanced users can disable the feature.
The only bad thing about the story is the lack of transparency. Having to find out about it by breaking tools is bad. It would be better if they had a changelog for these updates that say what they do so admins can see if their tools will be affected.
Are tech illiterate people intentionally using 3rd party software to change their default browser? Genuinely asking because I have always manually set my default on a new device.
The install wizard of Firefox/Chrome/etc. presumably counts towards “3rd-party software” here…
The web browser would offer to do it for you. Know it can’t. The Unser knows has to navigate through the settings.
I won’t be surprised if Microsoft still makes it possible for edge to change the default without the user going into the settings.
Not necessary, the browser can offer you to change it and link to
ms-settings:defaultappsto get the user at the exact menu where they can make the change.Where they now have to click on the right combination of 8+ browser choice menus (and Microsoft keeps adding more by splitting out various custom protocol handlers) and select the correct browser in all of them.
And then they’ll still wonder where their bookmarks and saved passwords and shit went and get mad that it “looks different” when Edge inevitably opens up again randomly when they click something else, and then they click that popup to make Edge the default to make that popup go away (because Edge is allowed to make itself default with one click, but nothing else is), and then they call support and yell
Source: I’ve taken those calls in support
No they’re not. And the tech literate people that will see that they can disable this protection and continue as normal.
Microsoft doesn’t always do good things, but I think this is fine. If you open firefox it’ll ask you if you want to set your default browser, and it won’t regedit for you. It will open up the proper windows menu that lets you set firefox as the default.
Not letting malware change your settings by default is a GOOD thing. It is also a good thing that advanced users can disable the feature.
The only bad thing about the story is the lack of transparency. Having to find out about it by breaking tools is bad. It would be better if they had a changelog for these updates that say what they do so admins can see if their tools will be affected.