The Only Safe Place to Buy a Windows PC is the Microsoft Store

The Only Safe Place to Buy a Windows PC is the Microsoft Store

Lenovo’s been shipping Superfish on their PCs for months. This is a security disaster, and it shows how little PC manufacturers actually care about your PC’s security. There’s only one way to ensure your new PC is actually safe to use.

Superfish is just the tip of the iceberg. PC manufacturers include all kinds of junkware on their new PCs, and there are probably other horrifically vulnerable bits of junk software on other manufacturer’s PCs. The Windows hardware ecosystem is sick.

Yes, the Microsoft Store
While Apple’s Macs obviously come clean of any additional junkware, Google also forces Chromebook manufacturers to not tamper with the software. But Microsoft doesn’t seem to care that PC manufacturers are packing their PCs with software that slows them down and installing root certificates that destroy a computer’s security. If you buy a computer from a typical retail store, an online shopping site, or direct from a manufacturer — well, you have no guarantee it’s not packed with software like Superfish.

But Microsoft does care about “Signature PCs” that you can buy from the Microsoft Store. When you buy a computer from the Microsoft Store — either one of Microsoft’s physical stores, or the Microsoft Store website online — you’re guaranteed to get a “Signature Edition” of that computer. Microsoft controls the software that ships on these PCs, and they strip out the worst stuff to ensure you have a clean copy of Windows with only useful utilities and drivers.

So, if you want a safe Windows PC, buy it from the Microsoft Store. And yes, Microsoft offers a wide variety of Windows PCs, not just their own Surface line.

No, we’re not bought and paid for by Microsoft. But, if you want a Windows PC, you might as well get it straight from Microsoft and prevent those Windows hardware manufacturers from messing things up too badly. Microsoft will only guarantee you a clean copy of Windows if you go through them.


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http://www.howtogeek.com/210249/the-only-safe-place-to-buy-a-windows-pc-is-the-microsoft-store/