Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Basic Information
Release Year	1985
Product Type	Software, Operating System
In Production	Yes
Official Website	https://windows.com/

Windows is a product line of proprietary graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. The first version of Windows was released in 1985 as a GUI for MS-DOS. Later, in 1993, Windows was released as a standalone operating system running on the Windows NT kernel. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sectors of the computing industry – Windows (unqualified) for a consumer or corporate workstation, Windows Server for a server and Windows IoT for an embedded system. Windows is sold as either a consumer retail product or licensed to third-party hardware manufacturers who sell products bundled with Windows.

A forced link to a Microsoft Account is required to use the OS. Users can no longer create local accounts since Windows 11 without using any third-party software to modify the OS.

Since Windows 10, updates are forced and cannot be disabled, only postponed.^{[citation needed]}

OneDrive does forced file synchronization without user's consent and redirects basic personal file addresses to OneDrive's addresses.

Telemetry and data collection has increased since Windows 7. ^{[citation needed]} Since Windows 10 the telemetry is forced and cannot be disabled completely without modifying system component with third-party tools.

An AI-powered tool named Recall has raised several privacy and security concerns due to their ability to take constant screenshots of the whole screen after a certain period of time. These screenshots could contain sensitive user's info, such as passwords or credit card info that can be taken and used against the user.

Windows operating system comes pre-installed with an active license on most new desktop computers. Windows licenses can also be acquired by doing an one-time purchase.

Since Windows 10, the operating system started to include bloatware and integrated ads about Microsoft services on system tools like Settings or File Explorer. Users also might get ads on the lock screen, desktop and as notifications.

According to StatCounter, Windows is the most used operating system on desktop computers as of February 2026 (67%). Its two main competitors are OS X (MacOS) (11%) and Linux operating systems (3%). ^[1]

Windows 10 and 11 are configured to send telemetry by default^[2][3]. Users can only switch it to a reduced mode, but there is no way to disable it completely without resorting to tools and techniques beyond what most normal users have the technical knowledge to implement (disabling services, setting registry keys and group policies, blocking communication using firewalls etc.)^{[citation needed]}. Automatic system updates are know to re-enable some of the corresponding components without warning^{[citation needed]}.

Only certain editions like the Enterprise version have options to switch it off, but a study conducted by the German ministry of information security in 2018 suggests that even this does not stop telemetry data collection completely.^[4]

Telemetry covers a wide variety of system information as well as a multitude of user interactions. Microsoft can configure remotely which and how much data and is collected from a particular system^{[citation needed]}. This can go up to a level where all key presses are transmitted in real time. This makes telemetry very intransparent and difficult to monitor since the kind of data being collected could change at any moment without notice.^{[citation needed]}

This raises concerns of privacy and security, especially so for international users in light of the United States Cloud Act^{[citation needed]}. Moreover, it is not uncommon in certain countries for the home editions of Windows and Office to be used in places like medical facilities^{[citation needed]}.

Telemetry collection is also associated with excessive disk usage and SSD wearout. Particularly the DiagTrack and CompatTelRunner components are known offenders.^[5][6]

Given the scale of Windows and Office deployments, the cumulative energy consumed by collecting, transmitting, storing and processing this data across the globe is also an environmental concern.

In 2015, users reported their Windows 7 and 8.1 computers with automatic updates enabled were upgraded to Windows 10 without the users' notice, by enabling by default the option to upgrade to Windows 10. If the process of upgrading to Windows 10 starts, any attempt to stop it could make the computer unusable.

Microsoft then replied claiming the option to upgrade to Windows 10 was enabled by default because of a "mistake". ^[7]

Beginning with Windows 10, end users can no longer selectively choose updates. Instead, updates are automatically scheduled when a computer is inactive or before the system is shut down.^[8] This has also led to some systems being rendered unusable because of bugged updates that cannot be avoided.^[9][10] Some users have resorted to disabling updates in Windows registry editor,^[11] though this prevents them from receiving security updates, which can make their systems vulnerable to attacks.

During some Windows updates, the preferences users have set on applications that they have installed, will end up being reset to their default settings.^[12][13][14] Users have reported that this issue goes as far as resetting permissions for apps,^[15][16] which can be extremely risky for insecure software.

Since Windows 10, some applications that the user might not want to install come pre-installed in the system were pre-installed in a copy of Windows. An example of a bloatware application that came pre-installed is Candy Crush. This may also force users to agree to licensing terms, for instance when interacting with forcibly installed software to remove it.

Some non-essential applications like the Microsoft Edge browser cannot be uninstalled without using third-party tools.

When Windows 10 is installed from the ISO that can be downloaded from Microsoft, the EULA explicitly mentions forced arbitration.^[17]

In response to the criticisms aimed at the hardware requirements associated with Windows 11, Microsoft has opted to provide consumers with the option to take advantage of their Windows 10 ESU program. The Windows 10 ESU program will allow users to continue receiving security updates for 1 year, but not without a cost (unless you live in the EU ^[18]).

For those outside of the EU, the cost associated with entering the Windows 10 ESU is one of the following:

• Enable Windows Backup to sync device settings to your attached Microsoft account.
• Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
• One-time $30 (or equivalent) payment.

Source for Windows 10 ESU cost options: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/extended-security-updates

Main article: Microsoft Windows 11

Microsoft updated their system requirements to include Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM) support as a mandatory requirement for upgrading to Windows 11. This would require either a TPM-compatible CPU, or a separate TPM-dedicated chip to be installed on the motherboard, however some users were able to circumvent this requirement by editing the registry.^[19] This change resulted in many customers selling or discarding their otherwise functional computers and hardware that did not meet the new system requirements.^[20] Microsoft has been frequently reminding users of Windows 10 to upgrade their hardware to be compatible with Windows 11,^[21][22] which has caused many users frequent agitation.^[23]

Some advocacy groups, such as the End of Windows 10 campaign , have encouraged users with older PCs to switch to Linux instead.

Main article: Microsoft Copilot's recall feature

In 2024, Microsoft unveiled Recall for Copilot+ PCs, marketed as a way for users to search through what they have done on their computer by recording their screen. This sparked controversy,^[24] especially among security experts^[25] who worried about the security of screenshots,^[26] since it could easily document private information like social-security numbers, bank-account information, and passwords, as well as user browsing behavior. A Python script was developed, called "TotalRecall", that collects the screenshots and descriptions of these recordings,^[27] proving the danger of Recall. This feature was delayed after backlash from users.^[28]

In 2025, Microsoft re-released Recall,^[29] with claims that the tool has resolved the security flaws and it coming disabled by default.^[30] However, despite integrating better security, having this feature enabled continues to pose privacy risks for consumers, as it is only a matter of when a vulnerability is discovered for the problems both consumers and businesses initially had with the tool to resurface,^[31][32] especially since it is difficult for users to inspect the screenshots that are taken by the tool.

Main article: Microsoft's anticompetitive practices

A feature seen within Windows 11's parental controls is Family Safety. A key problem shown from this feature is that it can questionably ban certain applications from properly running on the device, with no notice to the administrator in charge of the device. In June 2025, this feature banned the string "Chrome",^[33] which blocked the web browser Chrome from functioning.^[34] Schools in particular use this feature on devices given out for students to complete classwork remotely, and as Chrome holds the majority market share of web browser usage, (65-70%)^[35] there has been mass reports of students being unable to complete their classwork strictly due to this flaw.^[36]

Currently, Microsoft has neglected to inform users on rolling out a fix in the future,^[37] and the only solutions available to users is to either rename the executable on the affected device^[33] or disable "Block inappropriate browsing" inside the Family Safety settings.^[36]

Starting with Windows 11, version 24H2, WordPad, a word processor included with every version of Windows since Windows 95 was removed and would not be included with future clean installations. Microsoft recommended users to use Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf, and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt. Microsoft Word is included with Microsoft 365 for $69.99 a year, or with Office 2024 with a one-time purchase of $149.99.^[38]

Increasingly difficult to use a local account rather than a Microsoft account for installation and use of Windows.

Numerous dark patterns have been implemented in the form of vague language and a confusing user interface, which hides the option to create a local-user without a Microsoft account under sub-menus and small text. This implementation, first launched under Windows 10 in 2015, continues into the Windows 11 installation process. In March 2025, Microsoft announced that the creation of a Microsoft account would be mandatory when downloading Windows 11, claiming that the decision would tighten security and streamline the user experience (see Deceptive language frequently used against consumers).^[39] On occasion, Microsoft accounts have been unilaterally disabled by Microsoft. The default experience with a Microsoft account and trusted computing is that if something goes wrong with the computer, you are likely to lose all your data. Experienced users know to backup credentials to minimize this risk, however Microsoft sets most users up for failure.

Main article: Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) discontinuation

Beginning with Windows 11 version 24H2, Microsoft no longer supports Windows Mixed Reality, and all support for the platform will end November 1, 2027. This affects device models from manufacturers including Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, and Microsoft - including their own flagship device, Microsoft HoloLens. Users who wish to continue using these devices must either use Windows 10 or block the 24H2 update from being installed.^[40]

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