The new feature downloads and installs a fresh copy of Windows, killing any pre-installed apps bundled in by PC manufacturers.
 |
| (Image: ZDNet) |
The software giant has built a tool designed to "refresh" systems with a new copy of Windows 10, which takes aim at preinstalled junk apps, the security flaw-ridden apps that come bundled with almost every new consumer PC.
The tool was first released in May, but is now included as part of Microsoft's second "fast-ring" test build of Windows 10 Anniversary Update this week.
In an updated community page, Microsoft said the feature will reinstall a fresh copy of the operating system, which excludes necessary hardware drivers, as well as support applications -- known as "bloatware" or "crapware."
These preinstalled apps are often included on new notebooks, desktops, and even some Android devices. It's generally added by the device maker, and is often embedded deep in the operating system, making it difficult to remove. Making matters worse, they're often full of security flaws, putting the device owner at risk. Recently, a security firm discovered that every single PC maker installed bloatware that included at least one major security flaw, which could lead to device compromise or data theft.
Even Microsoft has taken heat in the not-so-distant past for its part to play.
Microsoft says its own line-up of Signature products are the "safest" devices, with claims on its website that device owners can "forget" about preinstalled bloatware. But the same security researchers found that these supposedly bloatware-free devices "also often included OEM update tools, potentially making their distribution larger than other OEM software."
Their report concluded that buying a Signature edition PC may be "beneficial," but users are "not guaranteed to protect end users to flaws in OEM software altogether."
Microsoft is expected to release Windows 10 Anniversary Update later this year.
~ Zack Whittaker
0 comments:
Post a Comment