Do you have Windows? Do not install this update under any circumstances

Microsoft decided to use Windows drivers to block some applications that affected, among other things, the appearance of the operating system. The change was introduced in updates to Windows 10 (KB5034763) and Windows 11 (KB5034765).

Windows blocks some applications

The change was noticed by Christoph Kolbicz, who is an IT consultant. This happened because two programs he created – SetUserFTA and SetDefaultBrowser – stopped working. The first one allows you to change which program should open files with specific extensions, and the second one allows you to set a different default browser.

This does not mean that Microsoft has completely blocked the ability to change the default browser. You can still do this, but only from Windows settings. However, changes cannot be made using third-party applications.

A similar situation occurred with the StartAllBack and Explorer Patcher programs, which change the Windows 11 interface to look like Windows 10. Each installation attempt results in a block message due to security and performance issues. Interestingly, Microsoft targeted very specific applications, because all you need to do is change the name of the installation file to complete the entire process without any problems.

It is not known why Microsoft decided to introduce this type of blocking. Some have suggested that this may be related to the Digital Markets Act, which would make sense if you were to change your default browser. However, disabling applications that change the operating system interface looks like a simple malice of the company from Redmond.