New Windows driver blocks software from changing default web browser

Some people are saying this is good, but Microsoft recently changed my default search engine to bing "In case it was accidentally changed or changed by another program". I have zero faith they won't abuse this, they are becoming ever increasingly pushy about using edge and switching to bing.

Posts like these reveal how many reads the article.

This is a good thing done by Microsoft. They make sure that 3rd party software can't change the default browser without the user knowing.

They will get prompted with the choice screen showing all installed browsers. And when they make their choice, even Edge wouldn't be able to prey people into clicking a button that makes it the default instead.

Luckily I've changed my default OS to Linux

Lin...ux?

Didn't they already lose a court case about doing that?

This is horrible. I run several different environments of VMware Instant Clone VDIs and use the SetUserFTA to help a users default browser and other file extension defaults to persist for a user from session to session on a non-persistent VDI. Now it’s broken.

Thanks a lot Microsoft. 😤

Meanwhile, if you use Microsoft Teams & Outlook with the Teams add-on installed ... and you are wondering why your email links are suddenly opening in Edge instead of your default browser, disable the Teams add-on in Outlook and rage for a moment at the stupidity.

Teams is forcing Edge browser to open links in new Teams and by extension, in Outlook. Setting the default browser to open links within Outlook settings just leads to un-clickable links. The only way to fix it is to disable the Teams Outlook add-on.

Yes, same old Microsoft. Anyone who thinks they have changed in any way since the days of forcing Internet Explorer as the default are sadly and woefully mistaken.

I’m not sure that a protection against changing the default browser with third party programs (maybe without the user knowing) via the registry is the evil thing being depicted here.

The way I read this article is that this is a move for compliance with the new digital markets act and I’m not seeing the maliciousness.

Willing to be wrong, I haven’t used Windows regularly for like 20 years.

At least not in the EU, there Windows should even allow you to uninstall EDGE. MS in the EU is way different, less restrictive and more private than MS US.

I understand that software directly and silently changing the default software can be a security issue. But it's only because it happens silently. Does Windows allow for showing a system prompt that confirms the change to the user? If not, then that's just plain ol' anti-competitive. Especially with how pushy Edge and Bing can be.

Presumably one can still set default in settings. I'm not giving up Firefox yet.

So the fix is to manually set your default browser. No more can programs do it for you.

I mean, it's not hard, and it stops most malware from doing it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Windows isn't ready for the desktop. Just use Linux.

Shocking. Never expected this behavior from such a helpful and heart warming company like Micro~.sft /s

Does that mean Teams will finally stop opening links in Edge when that's not my default browser?

(only tangentially related) what does 'driver' mean in windows lingo? I thought it was hardware-related stuff but I'm probably wrong.

To anyone saying "just use GPOs", here's a quote from the SetUserFTA page:

Microsoft offers a solution with GPO, but it is Computer-based and not User-based – and rather complicated. this means, you can not associate your Users on the same Server/Client with different file types. for example:

you have a PDF viewer and a PDF editing software on your XenApp server. Now you want that a certain group opens their PDF’s in the editor and the others only in the viewer (for licensing reasons for example). this is NOT possible anymore and Microsoft states “it is by design” and “this is a security measure”.

Said solution:

1. Set up a reference computer
2. Install applications
3. Go to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs and configure default apps associations.
4. Export/import the custom default app association with dism.exe

[...]

As some recommended applications can manage more extensions with each new Windows 10 version available, it's a good practice to refresh your XML. For example, in Windows 10 1703, Microsoft Edge registers the epub extension. If you're using an XML file from Windows 10 1607, epub is missing. As a result, you will get an app reset notification for epub.

[...]

Configure a policy for your domain-joined computer: file association will be configured at each logon. User will be able to change file association, but at the next logon file association will be configured using XML file. This policy works only for domain-joined computer.

This is just about the most convoluted, annoying way they could come up with for doing this, doesn't help people whose machines aren't part of AD and isn't scriptable. If they were mainly concerned about security they'd have an option for not allowing the user to change these preferences even temporarily on domain-joined machines.

Looks like Microsoft is going to war

Is this why Windows has started opening all my chromium apps in edge? They fuck up constantly and it's really making me want to ditch windows.

If I understood Jack audio as well as I understand Voicemeeter, and if I could get my damn push to talk button working properly in Solaar I'd be done by now.

If anyone has a solution to the edge thing please help.

Google gets to do this on Android. Apple gets to do this on iOS.

The unfortunate reality is that MS is catching up to the bad apples in bad behaviour.