Folks, with the new updates that've come down recently, Microsoft has installed its "Copilot" AI app on your machine. It cannot be removed.
But it can be disabled. Here's how (courtesy of the excellent Pihko Misit, aka @smokepaw.bsky.social over at Bluesky). I've just done this to my own desktop machine, and all's well with it now.
Here's what to do:
(1) You need to have Admin rights for the machine and be logged in to the administrator account.
Now, right-click on the Start menu (Windows logo on the Taskbar.) A menu pops up; about half way down it you'll see Terminal and Terminal (Admin). Click on the Terminal (Admin) option.
(2) A DoS-like box will open. (For those of you who've never interacted with a Windows terminal window before, it looks like this:)
On the command line (i.e. the first empty line), copy and paste this:
reg add HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot /v TurnOffWindowsCopilot /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Then hit Enter.
If successful, you'll see a line pop up saying so. Congratulations! But you're not quite finished.
Now you need to close all programs and fully shut down the machine. A restart isn't enough, it needs to be fully powered down and started back up.
"And now," Pihko says, "ou have a NSA-like AI spy dormant on your machine. Stay vigilant, odds are it'll turn back on with future updates! Big Corporate wants you to be compliant. Don't be!"
'old bright songs of their childhood' - aka Maedhros and Maglor (Tiny Edition)
Inspired by a little moment in @thelordofgifs' the fairest stars where Maglor sings childhood songs to Maedhros and Maedhros believes himself to be back in Valinor for a moment.
@tolkiengenweek - another one for 'family' since their relationship is one of my favorite sibling relationships in Tolkien's legendarium đź’—
Bonus sparkly 'Song' version that I wasn't really sure about under the cut:
this is your gentle reminder to stop fighting against your adhd and instead structure your life around it
buy a pack of chapsticks and put one in the pocket of all of your coats and jackets because you always forget to bring one and chapped lips is sensory hell
leave important things where you can see them. if they go in a box or a drawer you will forget they exist
put any appointments or deadlines in your phone calendar As Soon As you get them. set a reminder for a week before, a day before, an hour before, as many as you need as often as you need them.
when that little voice in your head says "i dont need to write that down, ill remember it" that is the devil talking!!! write it down anyway!!
plan for down time. have a few hours at the end of every day to just do fun stuff like engage in your hyperfixations. even if you didnt get all of your work done that day, have the rest anyway. you probably spent the whole day beating yourself up for not doing what you Should be doing, so you still need the break.
if you never eat vegetables because its too much effort to chop and cook them, get the frozen or canned shit. it doesnt go off for ages and you just have to microwave it. theres no point buying fresh vegetables if they just keep going off and being left to rot in the bottom of your fridge
if you struggle to decide what to have for dinner every day, take the decision out of it. choose a set of meals and eat those on rotation until you get sick of them, then choose some new ones and do it again.
its not stupid if it works! our brains literally have a chemical deficiency. you are allowed to accommodate yourself. go forth and stop making your life more difficult than it has to be because "this shouldn't be this hard". it is hard, so make it easier.
perhaps ripping this one little piece of skin off my lips will at last render them plump and moisturized
having one of those executive function days where everything is too many steps
Things that run in the House of Finwe:
Good hair
Being dramatic
Fits of craft-related madness
A love of jewelry
Choosing violence
Impressively good hair, even by elvish standards
The willingness to fight a Vala
Stubbornness
Heroic deaths
Being infuriatingly good at things
Hair that is suspiciously perfect even after crossing the Helcaraxe, hanging from Thangorodrim for thirty years, thousands of years of being a beach hermit, etc.
Unexplained, vaguely mystical powers
Autism
The seven sons of Fëanor were Maedhros the tall; Maglor the mighty singer, whose voice was heard far over land and sea; Celegorm the fair, and Caranthir the dark; Curufin the crafty, who inherited most his father’s skill of hand; and the youngest Amrod and Amras, who were twin brothers, alike in mood and face.
Feanorian Week - Day 2: Maglor
Maglor moodboard
The Silmarillion characters: (18/?)
Characters’ moodboards: (178/?)