Problem with Micorosoft Account

[GeoffF100]

I have started to get an annoying message and notification on Windows 10 that I have a problem with my Microsoft account. Grrr... I have deliberately avoided having one set up, and definitely do not want one to be set up. Can I get rid of this message?

[Infrasonic]

I have started to get an annoying message and notification on Windows 10 that I have a problem with my Microsoft account. Grrr... I have deliberately avoided having one set up, and definitely do not want one to be set up. Can I get rid of this message?

Install Linux?

When did the message appear? Patch Tuesday was this week so maybe an update changed something?

[Midsmartin]

Two minutes on Google says that this message is caused by "shared experience" and the fix is to disable that feature.

https://bigtechquestion.com/2021/02/14/ ... ification/

They note that major Microsoft updates have a habit of sometimes resetting things you'd previously turned on or off .

[GeoffF100]

Thank you for that Midsmartin. I did not get a Nearby Sharing toggle, but I did get a Share across devices toggle. I have turned that off, and ignored fix problem. Hopefully, the problem will go away, for now at least.

In the longer term, I expect that I will have to move this machine over to Linux. I would like to hold out to the next LTS release for the 'buntus. Banking T&Cs used to insist on an up to date virus checker. Hopefully, that is no longer true now that tablets and Chromebooks are so widespread.

[Infrasonic]

https://www.safetydetectives.com/best-antivirus/linux/

[GeoffF100]

https://www.safetydetectives.com/best-antivirus/linux/

So what is your recommendation? I do not worry on my Xubuntu machine that does not access financial accounts.

I looked at Santander T&Cs. No mention of anti-virus. Everything has to be verified with codes sent to my phone anyway, and I also get email notifications for large transactions. I have to jump through many hoops to transfer large sums of money to own accounts with small banks.

[Infrasonic]

https://www.safetydetectives.com/best-antivirus/linux/

So what is your recommendation? I do not worry on my Xubuntu machine that does not access financial accounts.

I looked at Santander T&Cs. No mention of anti-virus. Everything has to be verified with codes sent to my phone anyway, and I also get email notifications for large transactions. I have to jump through many hoops to transfer large sums of money to own accounts with small banks.

I use the dedicated phone banking apps with fingerprint access these days because of all the 2FA faff via a browser+SMS (which isn't that secure anyway)..https://www.howtogeek.com/709373/why-sm ... or-secure/

If banks T+C's don't insist on AV then I'd just go with the free recommendations from the link. I remember years ago when my main bank insisted that I download some additional piece of security software that was known to be cr*p so I never did it, probably negating my cover for fraud - I've always kept minimal amounts in current accounts and had other systems of my own to minimise fraud, so far so good!

[GeoffF100]

The top recommendation for home users on your link is being discontinued next year. I have over a dozen bank accounts, and most of them (term accounts) do not have phone apps. I looked at the link. If I use Microsoft with all the Microsoft security, I should be fireproof. They have to argue that I have been negligent in assuming that Microsoft was competent. The same would apply for Google on a Chromebook, but I use Gmail and would not want that on the same device that I use to access online financial accounts.

[Infrasonic]

The top recommendation for home users on your link is being discontinued next year. I have over a dozen bank accounts, and most of them (term accounts) do not have phone apps. I looked at the link. If I use Microsoft with all the Microsoft security, I should be fireproof. They have to argue that I have been negligent in assuming that Microsoft was competent. The same would apply for Google on a Chromebook, but I use Gmail and would not want that on the same device that I use to access online financial accounts.

Chromebooks also have a Debian Linux container (Crostini) facility. I run Brave browser with security settings wicked up via its built in TOR facility and Signal E2EE zero knowledge messaging. It's also possible to configure modern lean VPN's like wireguard...https://www.wireguard.com/ but that's getting into techie territory. Third parties are starting to release wireguard based VPN apps that can just be installed and run and it's going into the Linux kernel.

[GeoffF100]

It is another four years before PCs undergo their mass extinction event when Windows 10 loses support. It do not use my five year old Windows machine much. I expect that I can soldier on with it for the next four years.

[GeoffF100]

That solution did not work. I am still being pestered. I tried pressing the Fix It button, but I was asked for my Microsoft account. I am not willing to disclose that for obvious reasons.

[raybarrow]

Hi,
I get 'Your Hotmail Account needs attention' when we get major updates on Windows 10. I just end up reentering the password and that's it, till the next update which may or may not upset it. It's what you have to get used to with Windows "Microsoft knows best!", but annoying when you haven't actually changed anything yourself.
Ray.

[GeoffF100]

I am worried that if I give my Microsoft account, Windows will set up the Microsoft account log in that I am trying to avoid. The simplest security solution is not to have that information on the machine. I do copy files to OneDrive, but I log out when I have finished doing that. Perhaps I am worrying unnecessarily. Perhaps Microsoft does not store my password on the PC, and perhaps it does not leave me logged into OneDrive or my Microsoft email account (which is my recovery address for Gmail) when I shut down.

[Midsmartin]

Windows will not log you in with a Microsoft account unless you select that option specifically in settings. And you can in any case reverse that simply by selecting "log in with a local account instead".

I tend to think the easiest fix in the absence of other ones working may be too supply your password. I don't believe anything bad can happen. I think you worry too much.

[Midsmartin]

Another thing that can sometimes help authentication problems is to delete cached credentials. These are stored in the "credential manager". Just delete any entries that night relate to the offending account.

Having read more of the thread, your idea of logging in and out of OneDrive manually seems to make no sense. I think you are being a little paranoid. If you wanna to user OneDrive then leave it logged in as intended. If you really mistrust then, then presumably you'd be better using a different storage/backup offering anyway.

[Infrasonic]

Another thing that can sometimes help authentication problems is to delete cached credentials. These are stored in the "credential manager". Just delete any entries that night relate to the offending account.

Having read more of the thread, your idea of logging in and out of OneDrive manually seems to make no sense. I think you are being a little paranoid. If you wanna to user OneDrive then leave it logged in as intended. If you really mistrust then, then presumably you'd be better using a different storage/backup offering anyway.

Agreed.
There are independent E2E encrypted zero knowledge cloud services out there for the paranoid or people with genuinely sensitive data that needs protection - like ID or financial details/passwords et al.

https://www.cloudwards.net/best-zero-kn ... -services/
I've got sync.com and Internxt cloud storage accounts.
For messaging I use Signal. (It isn't as flexible as something like Whatsapp but Facebook moderators/AI can't snoop on Signal...).
All E2EE and zero knowledge.

If you are using Microsoft or Google or any other large cloud ecosystem without your own E2E encryption then just accept the fact that your data is never truly private and don't put anything really sensitive on there.
That goes for email, cloud storage, messaging - the lot.

[GeoffF100]

OneDrive is just one of my backups. It provides a backstop if my house burns down. I back up any files that I have changed once a month to various media. I do not have any sensitive data, but I cannot afford to lose my financial records. I will need them if HMRC ever raises an issue on one of my tax returns. (They have not done that so far.) I will also need them if I ever have to prove that I came by my wealth honestly. Selftrade demanded that of all their customers a few years ago.

[Infrasonic]

OneDrive is just one of my backups. It provides a backstop if my house burns down. I back up any files that I have changed once a month to various media. I do not have any sensitive data, but I cannot afford to lose my financial records. I will need them if HMRC ever raises an issue on one of my tax returns. (They have not done that so far.) I will also need them if I ever have to prove that I came by my wealth honestly. Selftrade demanded that of all their customers a few years ago.

Understood, it's the same for all of us with savings/investments and tax returns to do - getting a balance between ease of access and security.

OneDrive does have an encrypted 'personal vault' facility that has limited file numbers with the free service (3 I think) - but you could always zip together your backups into one file and upload that. Paid for OneDrive doesn't have file limits on the vault.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microso ... l-storage/

[GeoffF100]

I cannot encrypt my financial records. They have to be easily accessible when I die or if I lose my marbles. I usually update them once a month. That may be just downloading a few PDFs that I feel obliged to keep. One of my backups is with Windows File History. The longest interval between backups that I can set with that is one day. Windows keeps pestering me to reconnect my drive, which I do not want to do. It comes out once a month and is promptly locked away again after I have backed up. Windows is a pain in the bum.

[GeoffF100]

Windows will not log you in with a Microsoft account unless you select that option specifically in settings. And you can in any case reverse that simply by selecting "log in with a local account instead".

I tend to think the easiest fix in the absence of other ones working may be too supply your password. I don't believe anything bad can happen. I think you worry too much.

Thanks for that. I clicked the fix it button. The problem has gone away, and nothing bad has happened.