Microsoft strikes again

[Arab Nights (imported)]

So my computer did one of those Microsoft updates. Now the right 20% of my screen is like a permanent search on Microsoft Bing window no matter is I am on Yahoo, Google or whatever. Right now I am looking at red buildings on an island in Sweden whether I like it or not and have for days. Any suggestions how to get rid of it?

Thanks.

[Valery_V (imported)]

So my computer did one of those Microsoft updates. Now the right 20% of my screen is like a permanent search on Microsoft Bing window no matter is I am on Yahoo, Google or whatever. Right now I am looking at red buildings on an island in Sweden whether I like it or not and have for days. Any suggestions how to get rid of it?

Thanks.

On one of my computers, which is running Windows 11, the update went through without incident.

[Arab Nights (imported)]

All I can say is simething has changed. Timing is suspicious, but maybe it was getting in and trying to re-set things so I could submit things to a professional group who requires Google Chrome and pop-up blocker disactivated. But I hate to miss the opportunity to bitch about Microsoft.

[Arab Nights (imported)]

Found in lower right corner 'enable autohide' button which worked.

[Paolo]

Try this:

https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

I've got it on both of my Win 10 computers. It disables a lot of the crap that no one in their right mind ever uses.

It might get rid of the search box.

[WheelyCurious]

The other option - GNU/Linux in the distribution of your choice... (I use Debian, but there are LOTS of choices...)

Nothing like software that is Free as in Freedom (and often as in Beer) and that comes w/ source code so that you can actually LOOK at what it's doing (or get someone else to) and fix what you don't like, or just find something different...

WheelyCurious

[Paolo]

I installed Linux on an old XP laptop, Mint, with 2 gig of memory. I studied it and tried to use it for a month. It drove me batshit crazy!

I guess I'll continue to suffer with Windows.

[Valery_V (imported)]

I installed Linux on an old XP laptop, Mint, with 2 gig of memory. I studied it and tried to use it for a month. It drove me batshit crazy!

I guess I'll continue to suffer with Windows.

Thanks for the warning!

I thought about using Linux, but something kept me from doing so.

The interface is what scares me the most...

[racerboy (imported)]

My understanding is that Linux is a variant of Unix, and for those who are not used to it, Unix can be quite intimidating. On the other hand, nobody is quite as productive as a Unix person using one of the Unix command line interfaces (Unix calls them "shells"), of which there are at least three: the "Bourne shell" developed by Stephen Bourne, the "Korn shell" developed by David Korn, and the "C shell" named for the C programming language which it is supposed to resemble. Linux has its "Bourne again shell" (Unix developers seem to love puns) which incorporates features of both the Bourne and Korn shells.

Windows is catching up: it now has two: the command shell ("cmd.exe"), which is like DOS (for those of us old enough to remember) but with major enhancements, and "powershell," introduced, I believe, with Windows 7. Apparently powershell can do a lot of things that cmd.exe can't do, but much more verbose in its syntax. Most Windows users, however, use the Windows graphical interface, "Windows Explorer" (not to be confused with their "Internet Explorer" which they are currently trying to replace with "Edge").

Unix also has a basic graphical interface, "X Windows," which is pretty much the basis for all later Unix and Linux graphical interfaces, including "Gnome," "CDE," and "KDE." I have to admit that after working on Unix computers for years, I am most familiar with their Bourne and Korn shells, and I'm so old I still use "cmd.exe" for most of my work in Windows (to which I have added a package of Unix-like commands such as "grep" and "vi"). I have bee told (no real experience) that Gnome and KDE both include a number of applications such as you might find on an Android phone or tablet.

As I understand it, transitioning from Windows to properly set-up Linux with a graphical interface is like transitioning from Microsoft to Apple or vice-versa. There are many similarities, but enough differences to make for a steep learning curve at first. Once you get over the learning curve, it's just another way of interacting with your computer.

[Valery_V (imported)]

It turned out to be a problem for me to find the appropriate drivers for my scanner and printer