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Poxy Google 👎

Rudolph Hucker

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I hate their shitty web browser. I've had to get the missus to stop their trending searches and AI ******** popping up all the time. Now I keep getting that bloody discover thing that I don't want and, they make it so complicated to ditch their crap and pick a new browser that they have less control over and is more basic. They have literally infected this phone with their software that I had no choice over and, no mere mortal can dispose off.
The sooner they are cast into the pit, never to return, the better 🤬

...... Yes - I'm a grumpy ******* this morning 🤷😄
 
There are a good few browsers out there that are much better than chrome or edge. Duckduck Go, Firefox, Mulvad, Brave etc, that have a much higher priority to your online experience, not slowing down your computer with popups and add/tracker blocking and also your privacy to an extent.

You'll find countless videos on YouTube about this.
 
After recently switching from Windows 11 to Linux Mint, I can't tell you how much cleaner and uncluttered it is. The computer runs faster because there isn't anywhere near as much taking up of your computers resources and Windows constantly pushing things in your face and making it hard to find the features you want because they are buried within menu's/apps.

It doesn't take much adjustment, it's like giving your PC a spring clean.
 
Brave browser might be the best choice for simplicity. Not used it myself, but it has certain amount of blocking built in. Although they do have some sort of crypto token thing in the browser they use to show certain ads and fund themselves. I don't know anything about it, you might be able to disable it completely, I am not sure.

My choice would be Firefox and then within Firefox settings "Extensions" search for and add the "uBlock Origin" extension. It will by default block most adverts, privacy invasive tracking stuff, and malware. uBlock is auto updating and very configurable if you want to delve deeper but the default settings and default block lists should suffice for most.

Chrome made their browser incompatible with ad blocking extensions (I wonder why 🤔) and a lot of browsers use the chrome "engine" (Chromium) so Firefox and Firefox-based browsers are I think now one (if not the only?) choice for this sort of extension-based blocking.
 
My choice would be Firefox and then within Firefox settings "Extensions" search for and add the "uBlock Origin" extension. It will by default block most adverts, privacy invasive tracking stuff, and malware. uBlock is auto updating and very configurable if you want to delve deeper but the default settings and default block lists should suffice for most.

Thats what use on my mobile with DuckDuck Go as the default seach engine.
Was initially disappointed using DDG after Google but after 3-4 year break I briefly used G as a second search source- it's become awful.

DDG has fairly recently added AI - as my homepage the first thing I do on my PC is go into the settings and turn off AI, instant answers, search assist, location, advertisments and turn on 'Hide AI Generated Images' :LOL:
 
Thats what use on my mobile with DuckDuck Go as the default seach engine.
At the risk of heading off-topic... I recently switched from DuckDuckGo to Startpage. Liking it so far (turn off or block "Promotional messaging" if it's not already blocked by uBlock) plus they have a "Visit in Anonymous View" option which means sites you are not sure about Startpage will open the site themselves on their servers (your device does not connect to the site in any way). Some sites won't work in the anonymous view but it's a nice feature to be able to use now and again.
 
Where is "the constantly pushing" in windows 11 as I see nothing? I see no popups on the desktop or in the programs I use.

There is however plenty of ads on most websites if you don't have any kind of blocker installed.
Oh it does, like "let's finish setting this up" and forcing updates etc. Edge and Copilot like to try and prioritise themselves full of clickbait "News".You don't actually realise how many unwanted tasks that Windows pushes on you until you get rid of it.

It so nice to have a computer that once you have set things up as you wish to use it, just sits there awaiting your next instruction and not the other way around.
 
After recently switching from Windows 11 to Linux Mint, I can't tell you how much cleaner and uncluttered it is. The computer runs faster because there isn't anywhere near as much taking up of your computers resources and Windows constantly pushing things in your face and making it hard to find the features you want because they are buried within menu's/apps.

It doesn't take much adjustment, it's like giving your PC a spring clean.
I did the same when Windows10 went out of support. It's like having a speedy new PC again.
 
Oh it does, like "let's finish setting this up" and forcing updates etc. Edge and Copilot like to try and prioritise themselves full of clickbait "News".You don't actually realise how many unwanted tasks that Windows pushes on you until you get rid of it.

It so nice to have a computer that once you have set things up as you wish to use it, just sits there awaiting your next instruction and not the other way around.
nope. none of that apart from the persistent 'quality updates, set update to ask before downloading anyway.


@PestWeForget I don't get any of the things you talk of so I don't know how you set your installation up for it to happen.

default settings grr.

Simple to stop much of it 'hide' Bing news feed from the task bar, really do you need to know the weather outside your front door or celebrity pap.

Prevent co-pilot and paint AI from starting up via Group Policy editor gpedit.msc and anything you don't actually want to start automatically. from services.msc
Don't log into a Windows/ MS account. Don't use MS Edge and disable MS edge update, it doesn't like that.
I'm trying to get rid of MS Edge Webview2 and its search/indexing functions as they are a using some RAM.
Something to do with Office 365 which I never installed
 
I made u really STUPID mistake , i was going to try to install linux mint, but got talked out of it as im struggling with memory at the moment. so what did i do!!!!! downloaded windows 11 😭😭😭😭😭, everything is in the wrong place ,the photo app is rubbish and the pics all spread out ,i cant add pics now from my laptop to AGF, when i try the pics just are not there. plus more . if some kind person near ish me would help me i would be forever greatfull.
 
I made u really STUPID mistake , i was going to try to install linux mint, but got talked out of it as im struggling with memory at the moment. so what did i do!!!!! downloaded windows 11 😭😭😭😭😭, everything is in the wrong place ,the photo app is rubbish and the pics all spread out ,i cant add pics now from my laptop to AGF, when i try the pics just are not there. plus more . if some kind person near ish me would help me i would be forever greatfull.
Whereabouts are you Billy?
 
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