@ciaranmak But you can uninstall it and it's only available on Copilot+ PCs, not everywhere

https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/27/24255721/microsoft-windows-recall-ai-security-improvements-overhaul-uninstall

@ciaranmak Which update is this? When was it pushed?

...Oh they still say you need an AI enabled PC for it? That's why I haven't seen the update I guess?

Also why use the command line when you have the settings under "settings"?

@ciaranmak the fun wack-a-mole every patch tuesday begins!

Also how to delete the snapshots it's taken:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/privacy-and-control-over-your-recall-experience-d404f672-7647-41e5-886c-a3c59680af15

@ciaranmak

My next machine is going to be an old machine with Linux installed. This is just ridiculous.

@ciaranmak isn't that how you uninstall it?

If it wasn't a servicing package (dism), then vendors and companies would have a much harder time excluding it from their images.

It would be more accurate to say that it's a Windows component that's enabled by default but can be removed by the owner of the system.

@ciaranmak Hopefully O&O ShutUp10++ adds support to disable it as well. Not that I use Windows that often or do anything worth securing there, but I don't want this just out of principle.

Edit: First point on their feature list is "Disable Windows Copilot+ Recall"

@ciaranmak

we are all thinking about #hackers using it. what about bosses at work, abusive husbands, spying parents, people outing trans people...

it gets worse and worse the more i go

@ciaranmak As with Cortana (also rubbish) before it I would take ownership and rename the C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.Cortana_(somehash) to (old_name).OFF.

Same should be possible with Copilot crap. Only problem would be that occasional updates would restore the directory and one would have to disable it again. I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft refuses to honour disabling Copilot.

@ciaranmak

I disabled it with: download Linux, install Linux, throw Windows out, use Linux.

W11 was my final motivator to overcome my fear to try to break free from Microsoft. Luckiky i had already started to find and use Linux friendly alternatives for everything and only Ubuntu itself is now what i need to get used to.

But the the tips to disable Recall will be useful with my mother's PC which switched to 11

@ciaranmak

… or install Linux. This would solve the problem once and for all.

@ciaranmak

I really like that @Microsoft
gives new reasons to switch from @Windows
to anything else from time to time :)

@ciaranmak I would suggest a permanent fix, no risk that a update re-enables the spyware

https://www.linuxlookup.com/linux_iso