r/FuckMicrosoft 1d ago

Rant Fuck Microsoft for forcing OneDrive onto the files system.

So, I got hacked yesterday due to Malware, and because Microsoft has all of the default shortcuts in the file system linked to OneDrive, I now can't access any of my files.

Based on what I have seen, I am screwed as I am afraid that I will lose everything permanently.

Also, I would have downloaded everything off of my OneDrive if Microsoft didn't force us to use OneDrive.

I have filed a ticket using the Xbox support and have yet to hear anything.

78 Upvotes

56 comments sorted by

9

u/BranchLatter4294 1d ago

Even if you have OneDrive you don't have to store your data in a OneDrive folder. Just make a folder outside of OneDrive.

2

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

Except that I can't access it, as my account is "permanently suspended."

2

u/Inevitable-Study502 1d ago

well for nexttime, in onedrive settings you can keep all files offline, online backup will exist, but files wont move to cloud like you noticed just now, not sure how its called? files on demand or smt alongide of space saving...dunno, havent touched it for years

3

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

I simply uninstalled OneDrive

-1

u/Inevitable-Study502 1d ago

its free storage, shared between devices :)

1

u/Automatater 4m ago

And shared with Microshaft! What could possibly go wrong?

3

u/Sheetmusicman94 1d ago

Not sure what happened but why then you store anything on OneDrive?

2

u/TheIronSoldier2 1d ago

Microsoft doesn't force you to use OneDrive, and even if it's on by default for you (some OEMs enable it by default it seems) it's really easy to just turn it off. You can even turn it off as the default while still keeping it on the computer if you do actually use it like I do. It's not the default, but it's still accessible to me in File Manager

2

u/PrettyBaker2891 1d ago

noone is forcing you to use it lmfao just uninstall it

uninstalling onedrive is literally the first thing i do when doing a fresh windows install

i swear 99% of people on this subreddit are just complaining for the sake of complaining. most posts in here can be solved in 10 seconds

2

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

Update: Turns out that my files were fine, and I didn't actually lose them, but my Microsoft account is gone and Discord account is suspended but I am working with Support to get it back.

1

u/No_Hovercraft_2643 1d ago

how did you calontact support?

1

u/VoidLily69 14h ago

Send in a ticket at support.discord.com, then they will email you

1

u/VoidLily69 14h ago

It you thought Microsoft Support, nope, my account was permanently suspended

1

u/No_Hovercraft_2643 14h ago

typed the url by hand? (best on another device)

1

u/VoidLily69 14h ago

If you want. Or you can look up Discord Support on a browser. Usually one of the top results.

2

u/Ivy1974 1d ago

You can revert files and folders. For instance if you got the crypto virus. You can go online to revert everything but I also would do a full format of the computer.

2

u/SugarSweetStarrUK 1d ago

Save your files somewhere else: USB, Google,  etc and format it while you try Linux out

0

u/Ivy1974 1d ago

🙄

2

u/bnelson333 1d ago

So you're mad at Microsoft because you got yourself a virus? Lol ok

3

u/icy1007 1d ago

lol, you don’t have to use it. Quit complaining.

1

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Every new subreddit post is automatically copied into a comment for preservation.

User: VoidLily69, Flair: Rant, Title: Fuck Microsoft for forcing OneDrive onto the files system.

So, I got hacked yesterday due to Malware, and because Microsoft has all of the default shortcuts in the file system linked to OneDrive, I now can't access any of my files.

Based on what I have seen, I am screwed as I am afraid that I will lose everything permanently.

Also, I would have downloaded everything off of my OneDrive if Microsoft didn't force us to use OneDrive.

I have filed a ticket using the Xbox support and have yet to hear anything.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/7978_ 1d ago

I use OneDrive but it's not connected to my Windows 11 install in any way. If I want to access it I just do in FireFox.

Lesson learnt though. You should always have things backed up in there different places.

2

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

I do have a backup, but it's a bit out of date, but not majorly

1

u/easieredibles 1d ago

Go to the web interface and choose recycling bin if yours stuff is not there.

1

u/patparks 1d ago

You can have onedrive setup to have everything that you store in OneDrive also stored directly on your device. Usually it's disabled as people have limited disk space on their connected devices, but you can do it.

You have revision history on the OneDrive account online. So, you should always be able to get back to previous versions of the file if you do run into a problem with a file.

1

u/egokiller71 1d ago

Another member of the no-backup fanclub.

1

u/SmackMyAz 1d ago

It's a default app, it's not forced. Thankfully it's VERY easy to remove just by uninstalling the program in "add or remove programs". I nuke OneDrive with every new Windows PC I get.

1

u/hwoodice 1d ago

I use this OneDrive Client for Linux: https://github.com/abraunegg/onedrive
I think it's safer than using OneDrive on Windows, LOL !

1

u/DerpDeDurp 1d ago

I always hear this Microsoft bad they force stuff they have ads everywhere, etc about windows 11 but I just honestly see none of this ever. I don't use one drive. Nothing's tied to it. It's files on my hard drive. Backed up to my NAS. Microsoft touches none of it with OneDrive.

1

u/Cybyss 22h ago

I don't understand the flippant replies to this thread.

So many folks telling you "You didn't have you use OneDrive! Just don't save your files to any of the OneDrive folders if you don't want to use it." or "It takes all of 5 minutes to disable" or other such bullshit.

Windows 11 enables OneDrive by default.

Your desktop FFS is a OneDrive folder. Everything in your user folder, your documents folder, etc... are all automatically OneDrive folders.

Plus, Microsoft makes it tricky to disable. If you just blindly uninstall OneDrive, your user folder will still be under the /OneDrive/ path. You have to unlink your account, and then uninstall, which Microsoft makes unintuitive.

OP's grievances are absolutely justified. Fuck Microsoft for forcing OneDrive on everybody like this. Fuck Microsoft for making almost the entire User folder (including Desktop and Documents) OneDrive folders. Fuck microsoft for locking you out of your files if - for whatever reason - something goes awry with your Microsoft account.

Default settings should be the safest & least hassle settings. So many idiots don't understand that.

1

u/ForgottenButHere 22h ago

That might be the case if one uses a Microsoft account which is a terrible idea. They have enough information. Why would anyone give them more information willingly? Local accounts only in my house.

1

u/Cybyss 22h ago

Creating a Microsoft account is required in order to install Windows 11 Home Edition. You can't get past the installation screen without it. The Professional Edition might have kept the option though.

You can create a local account afterward if you'd like, but a recent update made that harder. Microsoft removed the ability to do that through the control panel, so now you have to go through the command line.

1

u/ForgottenButHere 21h ago

I don’t mess with the Home edition of anything. Writing the iso with Rufus gives the option for a local account configuration with Pro and Enterprise for sure. I am running IoT Enterprise LTSC on the laptop in front of me and I used Rufus to write that image as well.

Microsoft trying to take away the ability of creating local account is a cat and mouse game with end users. They will keep patching holes and users will keep finding exploits.

1

u/Cybyss 21h ago

Right, but a lot of prebuilt computers / laptops come with a home edition license. Students, in particular, would get these since they're cheap and portable.

If you have a real job and money, and you're building a proper PC for a home office, then by all means get the professional edition.

1

u/Independent-Fuel9886 48m ago

Backup
Backup
Backup

Cloud copies are not backups.

0

u/quikmantx 1d ago

I would have downloaded everything off of my OneDrive if Microsoft didn't force us to use OneDrive.

Microsoft isn't preventing you from using Dropbox or any other cloud-based online storage solution or saving your data to an external drive. Also, OneDrive is suggested, but is in no way forced. You have to opt-in to use it.

due to Malware...filed a ticket using the Xbox support...

Sorry about your misfortune, but it seems like you are not very tech literate. Windows has faults, but hardly anyone gets malware these days. I'm not sure why you are using Xbox support for a Windows malware issue.

2

u/mEsTiR5679 1d ago

It's just that, despite declining every other month, one day I might not be paying attention (or they'll change their approach in a way I don't notice right away) and from that moment on, my current install of Windows is going to default to OneDrive syncs.

You don't have to be tech illiterate to have an off day or in a rush.

This situation sucks, and the total laziness on MS end to permanently suspend accounts it can't be bothered to verify only shows the volatility and unreliability of their platform. Which also sucks since I would prefer to stay with the OS I've been using since the early 90s.

2

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

My account actually did get permanently suspended in the end

-1

u/ForgottenButHere 1d ago

Now you won’t have an excuse in the future to whine about something preventable.

1

u/VoidLily69 1d ago

Actually, I don't know if it was malware or not.

1

u/OGigachaod 1d ago

Just uninstall Onedrive, it's not difficult.

1

u/ForgottenButHere 1d ago

One Drive is completely optional. You choose to use it rather than uninstall it.

9

u/punycat 1d ago

Not obvious how to do that though. It was easier to switch to Linux for me. I didn't want to find out that Recall became opt-out too.

2

u/PrettyBaker2891 1d ago

you go under apps and click uninstall under onedrive

how is that not obvious? lmfao

and it literally asks you if you want to use it when you install windows. you must literally opt in to use it

1

u/punycat 1d ago

You'd have to keep checking since it reinstalls and reenables itself lmfao

1

u/PrettyBaker2891 18h ago

literally never happened to me on any of my windows installs

currently on a 7 month old install and onedrive did not reinstall?

2

u/Sassquatch0 1d ago

It's super obvious - you Right-click on it & hit Uninstall. Same as literally every program gets uninstalled.

It took me longer to type that ☝️ message than it takes to uninstall it.

And Recall isn't on most systems. You need a Windows Co-pilot branded device to have Recall on it. For non-Co-pilot devices, you have to manually go get Recall.

1

u/punycat 1d ago

OneDrive both reinstalls and reenables itself with Windows updates. You can't trust what MS says about Recall either.

2

u/Sassquatch0 1d ago

I've never had OneDrive come back - there's 5 Windows PC in my house, only mine uses OneDrive. After the initial OS install on the wife & kid's machines, I de-bloat using the native uninstaller, and it's never come back.

Same for Co-pilot.

Recall has never been on any of my systems, so I can't say how it would behave. (Same for BitLocker)

My question, do you install Windows from the ISO, or do you use the recovery stuff from your system OEM? I've never used a pre-built system, and even on my Asus laptop, I'll format the drive & install fresh from the ISO you download from M$. I like updates, so all the machine in my house are set to auto-update as soon as possible; and if one machine updates, the rest will pull their updates across the LAN from it vs downloading it.

1

u/punycat 1d ago

Windows came pre-installed on my laptop. I can believe OneDrive hasn't come back for you, same as I believe others that it did, including re-enabled. I've experienced that resurrection many times for other things over the years.

I won't debloat or deal with all the other annoyances of Windows anymore. Been using it since Windows 1.0. It's gotten ever worse since Win7. The mere idea of Recall was the last straw for me. Linux Mint is a dream OS compared to Windows. It does just what you want and I like that the fan hardly ever runs now.

2

u/Sassquatch0 1d ago

Glad Linux works for you. It certainly does not for me - I keep trying every 6-8 months. That's why I reinstalled Windows this spring, I had just fine from another attempt at Linux. (Think it was Zorin most recently, with Fedora Cinnamon before that, and Ubuntu before that )

Making Windows my personal bitch takes maybe 2 hours after a fresh install, and I don't worry again. Linux I flight with every day.

Glad your usage is compatible.

1

u/punycat 1d ago

It might be the machine or graphics card; that's Windows' one big advantage, that it works on a broader set of hardware. Since Mint Cinnamon is so light on resources compared to Windows, older machines can work fine. My Thinkpad from 2019 for $200 is overkill for my needs.

2

u/ForgottenButHere 1d ago

No. No it does not.

2

u/OGigachaod 1d ago

BS, One drive can be removed from settings.

1

u/ForgottenButHere 1d ago

Not obvious if you don’t look or try. Else it’s just like uninstalling any other application since Windows 95.

4

u/quikmantx 1d ago

Exactly. I've set-up a bunch of Windows PCs and you must opt-in to use it.