Gareth HalfacreeNov 24, 2023

Dear Microsoft. Here is a list of things I want the Start Menu to do:

* Show my installed programs
* Search my local files
* Provide access to system settings

Here is a list of things I do *not* want the Start Menu to do:

* Show the weather for a randomly-selected town near my network's public IP infrastructure
* Show tabloid headlines
* Show programs I *don't* have installed
* Search the web via Bing
* Show adverts(!)
* Attempt to engage me in conversation with a hallucinating LLM

Thanks.

Show threadTerrorBite 🦁Nov 24, 2023

@ghalfacree I got rid of all of those unwanted "features" out of my Start menu by just completely uninstalling Microsoft Edge, including the Edge WebView which all of those extra features rely on (because of course they do – funny how so many of today's anti-features are web-based). Be aware that a normal uninstall of Edge won't remove the WebView component.

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EDIT: to achieve this, I used Edge_Removal.bat from this repository: https://github.com/AveYo/fox

GitHub - AveYo/fox: Firefox stuff

Firefox stuff. Contribute to AveYo/fox development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub
Show threadFreakus
@TerrorBite don't suppose you've a document detailing how to safely accomplish that do you?
Nov 24, 2023 at 11:46amWeb
Show threadZeta SyanthisNov 24, 2023

@Freakus @TerrorBite
@ghalfacree

If you have a router/firewall that supports it like pfsense, DNS-blocking bing.com solves all of this without even having to screw with Windows. :)

Show threadTerrorBite 🦁Dec 8, 2024
@zetasyanthis @Freakus @ghalfacree update: I had to reinstall WebView2 because the new version of Satisfactory Mod Manager wouldn't work without it.
Show threadTerrorBite 🦁Nov 25, 2023
@Freakus see the edit to my parent post