Why are there red crosses all over my desktop?
Discussion
Mac user here but used Windows in a job which I had for many years. IIRC a red cross was on something that was a link to something else and, for whatever reason, the link was broken. If the fileservers went down the disk icons for the servers would have red crosses on them. Anything that's on your desktop with a red cross on has most likely become un-linked from whatever is supposed to launch or open when you double-click it.
OneDrive is the public face of the absolute worst that BigTech has to offer. The BigTech corporations are all desperate to 'own' your own personal data. Read the small print of the 'I agree' boxes that you so naively click on a regular basis. Microsoft. Google. Apple. Amazon. They are all at it.
I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
hutchst said:
OneDrive is the public face of the absolute worst that BigTech has to offer. The BigTech corporations are all desperate to 'own' your own personal data. Read the small print of the 'I agree' boxes that you so naively click on a regular basis. Microsoft. Google. Apple. Amazon. They are all at it.
I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
On the one hand you say you know what you're doing, on the other you clearly don't.I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
hutchst said:
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actu
I use Windows (10 Pro, Server 2012, 2016 and 2019) 7 days a week, for both my work (control systems software) and at home.It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actu
My PC boots in seconds, it never hangs, I don't sign into a corporate network, it does not force me to save my files to OneDrive and it does not ever not save a document that then disappears.
Basically, everything you have said is just in your head.
hutchst said:
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
Why don't you just change the default file save location if Word/Excel etc ? You can set "save to computer by default". hutchst said:
OneDrive is the public face of the absolute worst that BigTech has to offer. The BigTech corporations are all desperate to 'own' your own personal data. Read the small print of the 'I agree' boxes that you so naively click on a regular basis. Microsoft. Google. Apple. Amazon. They are all at it.
I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
You been talking to Raj from Microsoft support in Mumbai haven't you I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
Fore Left said:
hutchst said:
OneDrive is the public face of the absolute worst that BigTech has to offer. The BigTech corporations are all desperate to 'own' your own personal data. Read the small print of the 'I agree' boxes that you so naively click on a regular basis. Microsoft. Google. Apple. Amazon. They are all at it.
I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
You been talking to Raj from Microsoft support in Mumbai haven't you I now do almost all of my personal computer stuff on linux. I have a home network file server that does the same job as proprietary cloud storage. And before you tech genuii preach to me about the dangers, I know how to back it up.
But I still run Windows, and Office, on a couple of (dual boot) machines, for business purposes. I run fully licensed retail versions of both Win10 and Office '16 on both machines. Yes, I do reformat the internal drive on every new computer that I buy, and install a newly bought retail OS and Office suite, instead of the 'free' OEM version. Around £250 for the pair on each machine. £500 total. Even though I only use Microsoft products maybe once a week. I don't want to be have to be 'online' to use software that I've paid for.
That's just background, for what it's worth.
The purpose of my post is that every time I boot one of my computers into windows I have to wait for a totally unacceptable time for it to hang before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
It tries to divert any files that I create in Office to OneDrive, to the extent that I lost a hugely important document a couple of months ago. I saved it, but because I wasn't signed in anywhere, it just vanished. Gone forever, like magic. It has twice in the last 2 years replaced my perfectly legal copy of Office '16 with Office365 during routine Win10 updates, and demanded my credit card details before allowing me acess to my own files.
The era of actually owning anything is rapidly disappearing into history. This is PistonHeads. How many people actually buy a new car these days? For money?
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
Of course, any savvy user knows how to bypass both of these - but some resident experts seem to not bother as they prefer to complain about things instead of actually fixing them.
I don't use OneDrive as I have no need for a 3rd cloud storage solution, but have no problems using Dropbox for business (from both W10 and MacOS) and iCloud for my personal Apple device syncing/backups.
Hints
- If Office defaults to OneDrive: change it in your Office preferences + and disable OneDrive from your start-up items or uninstall it completely)
- Windows installer 'encouraging' you into creating a Microsoft account: simply disconnect your wifi/ethernet when doing a new install to create a local account.
RammyMP said:
LeadFarmer said:
hutchst said:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FREE LUNCH
I shoplifted a tuna sandwich, can of coke and bag of crisps from Boots the other day, so I dispute your claim.hutchst said:
...before warning me that I haven't signed into my corporate network (I don't have one, I'm self employed) and then that I haven't signed into my school network (WTF, I'm 64).
Eh? Have you got a 2nd hand machine or something??If so, just rebuild it. Stick a new OS on it as it sounds as though it has been configured for a corporate or school network.
M
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