Back in January Microsoft encrypted all my hard drives without saying anything. I was playing around with a dual boot yesterday and somehow aggravated Secureboot. So my C: panicked and required a 40 character key to unlock.
Your key is backed up to the Microsoft account associated with your install. Which is considerate to the hackers. (and saved me from a re-install) But if you've got an unactivated copy, local account, or don't know your M$ account credentials, your boned.
Control Panel > System Security > Bitlocker Encryption.
BTW, I was aware that M$ was doing this and even made fun of the effected users. Karma.
MS abused its monopoly in the 90s. The Clinton administration was too lenient, then the Bush admin kowtowed completely. Now, there's largely no chance for another operating system to compete.
Why so! and what Clinton and Bush have to do with an operating system that is used globally!? I think you overestimate MS
I'm not sure how to explain the concept of walled gardens to people who grew up with four websites. In the 90s, most software was "shareware", you could try it out for as long as you wanted, but businesses were expected to buy licenses.
MS used it's dominant operating system to drive web browser competitors out of business. This is illegal. The whole concept of capitalism is built around competition, but MS used it's power to stifle ' innovation. The Clinton administration beat MS in court, then the Bush Administration dropped the case before the appeal was heard. If they hadn't done that, instead had broken up Google, Meta, Apple, and the lot of them, the world would be a lot different now.
Right wing politicians will always be in favour of big corporations, they pay good money
And big corportations will always pay good money, so long as it makes/saves them money in the future