News: 0177140801

  ARM Give a man a fire and he's warm for a day, but set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life (Terry Pratchett, Jingo)

Microsoft Launches Windows Recall After Year-Long Delay (arstechnica.com)

(Friday April 25, 2025 @05:24PM (msmash) from the PSA dept.)


Microsoft has finally [1]released Windows Recall to the general public , nearly a year after [2]first announcing the controversial feature . Available exclusively on Copilot+ PCs, Recall continuously captures screenshots of user activity, storing them in a searchable database with extracted text. The feature's original launch was derailed by significant security concerns, as critics noted anyone with access to a Recall database could potentially view nearly everything done on the device.

Microsoft's revamped version addresses these issues with improved security protections, better content filtering for sensitive information, and crucially, making Recall opt-in rather than opt-out. The rollout includes two additional Copilot+ features: an improved Search function with natural language understanding, and "Click to Do," which enables text copying from images and quick summarization of on-screen content.



[1] https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/microsoft-rolls-windows-recall-out-to-the-public-nearly-a-year-after-announcing-it/

[2] https://it.slashdot.org/story/24/06/14/0318213/microsoft-postpones-windows-recall-after-major-backlash



this story won't die (Score:1)

by Big Hairy Gorilla ( 9839972 )

until you do

you won't switch, so spread your legs suckers.

Re: (Score:2)

by el84 ( 10322963 )

You obviously hadn't heard that - after literally decades of waiting - this is finally the year of linux on the desktop! Yay.

I would like to thank Microsoft (Score:3)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

For making this exclusive to co-pilot plus PCs.

Really surprised they made this opt-in. The real goal here is to get access to every single computer on the planet for the purposes of training their AIs.

The big problem right now with llms is that they are mostly trained on the internet and the internet is currently being flooded by AI slop. And that means that AIs are going to be trained on their own slop potentially leading to a degradation.

If you could basically spy on every computer on the planet and train your AIs from them then you would have a massive massive massive competitive edge over every other company.

Re: (Score:2)

by drnb ( 2434720 )

> For making this exclusive to co-pilot plus PCs.

I'm planning on building a new desktop this Sumer. I'll be using the last NON-Ultra core generation. A plain Core I7 not a Core Ultra 7. LGA 1700, gen 14?

Re: (Score:2)

by PhrostyMcByte ( 589271 )

Recall is performed offline. They aren't sending anything into the cloud.

Re: (Score:2)

by Random361 ( 6742804 )

Yet. Oh, except for that OneDrive integration they crammed down peoples' throats.

Re: I would like to thank Microsoft (Score:2)

by zawarski ( 1381571 )

Yeah. Still does not make me feel great about sharing my porn habits that easily. Not that I have anything reason to be ashamed, my porn liking are very generic, American male stuff - age appropriate big boobed blondes, etc.

Re: (Score:2)

by Anachronous Coward ( 6177134 )

I don't see why MS needs this to train their AIs.

Anyone not paying attention (i.e. most people) already have all their personal files stored on OneDrive. And most of the rest do it consciously and don't have a problem with it.

Re: (Score:2)

by Big Hairy Gorilla ( 9839972 )

There is no reason to believe that "having access to every single computer on the planet for the purposes of training their AIs", will offer a source of training data that is better than the internet. AI generated slop is based on what's on the internet, and the content on the internet comes from those same users and computers... can't see the difference. We know this is a recursive cycle.

I would suggest that the concept that all data is good data is naive. It's a kind of DEI type of idea, that all ideas ar

What a terrible name ... (Score:3)

by drnb ( 2434720 )

What a terrible name. Whenever I read something like "Microsoft Launches Windows Recall" my initial interpretation is it's a recall of a defective product. A patch rollback or something. Then this new spyware comes to mind as a secondary thought.

Re: (Score:3)

by mick232 ( 1610795 )

They should have called it Windows Total Recall.

Re: (Score:2)

by drnb ( 2434720 )

> They should have called it Windows Total Recall.

I don't know. I'd start wondering if I am going to have to buy air from Microsoft. :-)

FFS (Score:3)

by hamburger lady ( 218108 )

just like microsoft to give the product a name that makes everybody think it's defective

After so much effort... (Score:2)

by neilo_1701D ( 2765337 )

After so much effort and hoo-ha, Recall is finally released.

Even then, it has two problems:

1. Who asked for this feature?

2. What problem does it actually solve?

In the year+ since this feature was announced, I've never heard a single compelling reason for this to exist. In the meantime, this story, [1]Employee Monitoring App Leaks 21 Million Screenshots In Real Time [slashdot.org] came along to remind us why this feature is really a bad idea.

[1] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/04/24/2057241/employee-monitoring-app-leaks-21-million-screenshots-in-real-time

Fascism, anyone? (Score:2)

by gillbates ( 106458 )

Windows Recall is the feature every fascist authoritarian wanted, but was too embarrassed to ask for.

From crushing political dissent at the source to providing evidence of *ahem* "crimes", Windows Recall will soon be the go to application for law enforcement and intelligence agencies throughout the world. From [1]arresting judges [apnews.com] to deporting [2]students with dissenting opinions [apnews.com], there's no limit to the privacy it can invade.

This is by far the most impactful feature Microsoft has released yet, and the assis

[1] https://apnews.com/article/immigration-judge-arrested-7997186bbca5730e70a25f2347e631f6

[2] https://apnews.com/article/rumeysa-ozturk-deportation-tufts-7459607d8585cf0a624fb943a4738be3

News from tomorrow: (Score:2)

by Gravis Zero ( 934156 )

> Spyware found to use Microsoft Windows' Recall feature to steal credentials and bypass antivirus checks

Everyone please remember to act surprised when it happens.

Some settling may occur.