According to the latest reports, Windows 11 has made an independent choice by automatically turning on OneDrive folder backup for Desktop, Pictures, Documents, Music, and Video folders without your permission. This signifies that, whether you approve or not, everything is becoming coordinated with the cloud.
This action from Microsoft fits into a larger pattern where big tech companies cleverly (or not so cleverly) promote their services and subscriptions to users. It isn’t only about Microsoft; there have been instances of Google doing something similar with Google Photos and its storage plans.
Keep an eye on your settings, particularly when you have just finished setting up a new device or updating your operating system. Companies such as Microsoft constantly seek methods to link users with their environments—sometimes without permission.
When you download something without permission, you’re a criminal
When MicroShit does it, it’s a feature
Gotta get scrapping all that data to train copilot+++
This one never really gets old anymore.
Oh it was your data? Oops! Embarrassing! Anyway, introducing MAIS! Microsoft AI system!
Every new “feature” I hear about in Windows Privacy Invasion Goes to 11, the happier I am that I switched to Linux. It’s been mostly smooth and games have just worked. Though I know that much of that is because of Proton.
Funnily, or sadly enough, OneDrive integration is one of the things I miss from my windows days. It’s just extremely convenient how it’s integrated into explorer and office. And how well the smart/ on-demand sync works. I can’t find a setup to replicate this on Linux.
That being said I don’t intend to go back and this move is insane.
If you are willing to self-host, I’ve found Nextcloud integrates well in Linux. I had been using it before I made the switch and it worked out just fine afterwards. I originally set it up to have a cloud-sync option for my phone, which didn’t mean passing everything through Google first. But, it also proved to be a handy way to sync files on my desktop as well.
It just shows up as another folder on my system and Libre Office is happy to work on files from there (with some permissions fiddling due to flatpak).Yes, but I can’t get the virtual file system/on-demand sync to work properly. It turn off every time I reboot. I gave up after a while since it’s experimental for now anyway.
That’s interesting. I’ve not had that sort of issue. On my phone (Android), my son’s laptop (Windows) and my desktop (Arch Linux) the NextCloud clients all sync perfectly and run at start up. Granted, knowing that the Linux landscape is fractured, I wouldn’t be overly surprised if the client had issues on some flavors of Linux.
The client works fine, it’s just the virtual file system option that turns off after a reboot.
My apologies, I was not familiar with the difference. I’m going to have to test this when I am back at my system. Looking at the docs, it does seem to be experimental in Linux. But it seems odd that it would turn off automagically.
ExpanDrive is not free (as in libre or beer), but it’s great for OneDrive integration with the filesystem. Been using it for this for a few months now with no issues. Just my two cents.
Thanks! I looked at it but I would like to stop giving money to MS. So my plan is to ultimately move away from OneDrive.
Have you played with NextCloud
…only if you HAVE onedrive account it can reach.
This is a fantastic use case for NOT using a Microsoft account and instead a local account. No Microsoft authenticated account, no Onedrive.
until you can no longer log on with just a local Account. or your Data gets backed up for you anyway. Enshittification is one exec decision away
Looks like I’m installing Linux tonight.
Did you?
Yeah. Which one did you go with?!
Apple does it too if you sign in in the Settings. iCloud gets booted up the moment you sign in and everything goes to the iCloud
I thought part of the apple agreement was that all your data is on their servers. Isn’t that why my media messages from Android to Apple phones look like shit, because Apple only sends shit through their servers and refuses to adapt the industry standard for mobile data?
They turn iMessage on by default when you sign in because signing into your account and signing into iCloud purposefully conflated. Its very sneaky and arguably just as bad as the whole Microsoft local accounts lol. Also iCloud backups didn’t use to be e2ee and iMessage backups which also weren’t e2ee because the iCloud backups werent e2ee and held the keys to all the iMessage. Funny stuff.
To sign into your account locally and avoid iCloud, you have to sign in in the AppStore on both iOS and MacOS. Its fhe only way. On Mac, iCloud is activated by signing in the Settings place (same as iOS) or that Apple Media Account/Services modal they pester you with constantly.
This is to say, they turn it on by default under the facade that every Appl user would want to have all their private communications redirected through their servers via iMessage (its free and blue message so cool) and then there’s multiple backdoors to your conversations even tho its said its e2ee and only accessible to you
Part of agreement
C’mon, seriously, nobody reads those. They’re way too long and they get updated all the time. Its easier to disabke iCloud and use real proper apps like Signal. I avoid the Appl native apps like the plague. Their privacy nutrition labels should all be No Data Collected or only like Disgnostic stuff but basically every one captures UserContent and other invasive data.
Remember when Word and Excel Autosave did what you expected it to?
“All your base are belong to us”
Obligatory just switch to Linux plug
Please backup all this copyrighted material
How does one block this?
Microsoft is an abusive ex. It will keep abusing you because it knows no other way. You can waste your days trying to fight against it, trying to figure out how to disable and remove whatever new privacy invasive anti-consumer bloat Microsoft decides to roll out that Tuesday.
Or you can leave and switch to Linux and waste time there instead. Tux is all about that respect and is handsome to boot. He might be a bit sensitive and break down rarely so you might need to spare a few to make sure he’s ok, but it’s nothing a little love can’t handle. And he’s only going to get better and stronger as he grows. You might even look forward to receiving updates (wow, I know). A stark contrast from your abusive ex.
It is shit but it’s easy to turn off.
How?
Right click Onedrive Icon, settings, sync and backup, Manage Backup, turn off what ever you don’t want backed up. At that point all your desktop / document content will disappear (looks like Microsoft linked the normal and Onedrive folders, which is a useful trick occasionally) so move everything out of Onedrive back into your normal folders
