Microsoft Recall is now an explorer.exe dependency

Recall integration with Explorer

• Thread centers on reports that Recall is now an Explorer dependency; some note it’s not a hard DLL dependency but more of a “dark pattern” integration that’s hard to fully disable.
• Others say disabling Recall via DISM currently works and preserves the modern Explorer UI, though people fear it could be silently re‑enabled by future updates.
• Comparisons are drawn to past tying of IE to the OS and to other hard‑to‑remove Windows components.

Privacy, surveillance, and security concerns

• Many see Recall (periodic screenshots plus AI search) as “spyware‑like,” especially since it records sensitive screens (PHI, legal work, trade secrets).
• Even if data is local, users object to CPU usage and attack surface; people recall earlier versions storing screenshots in an unencrypted DB.
• One comment cites Microsoft documentation that Recall uses a local model in a virtualized secure enclave with TPM‑encrypted storage; others immediately question how long that will remain unbreakable, given past security issues.

Debloating and mitigation strategies

• Numerous tools/scripts are recommended: O&O ShutUp10++, various Win11 “debloat” scripts, privacy.sexy, Blackbird, winutil, Ameliorated builds, and switching to LTSC/IoT Enterprise SKUs.
• Some warn these scripts often break Windows, especially feature updates and Windows Update itself.
• There’s irony noted: users worried about Microsoft telemetry still run unvetted privileged scripts from random repos.
• Others argue consent matters: they’d rather risk self‑inflicted damage than accept unasked‑for features like Recall and Copilot.

Linux as alternative

• Large subthread: “just switch to Linux.” Some report successful full‑time moves (often with Steam/Proton and Lutris), saying Windows now feels hostile and ad‑ridden.
• Others push back: Linux still lacks key commercial apps (Adobe suite, high‑end CAD like SolidWorks/Revit, some photography tools, vendor device software, robust VR support). For these users, Windows remains mandatory.
• Several advocate dual‑boot, GPU‑passthrough VMs, or “Windows To Go” external SSD installs so Windows is used only when needed.

Gaming, VR, and hardware support

• Proton is praised for near‑complete game support, but anticheat systems and niche peripherals (steering wheels, VR headsets like Valve Index) remain pain points.
• Experiences conflict: some report Rocket League and various VR titles working fine under Proton/SteamVR; others describe broken compositors, calibration issues, and missing drivers/TrueForce features.

Developer experience and user attitudes

• Some developers say Linux is the best environment for server‑side/web work; others find Windows (especially with Visual Studio/.NET or WSL) equally or more productive.
• Several note that most ordinary Windows users neither know nor care about these issues; power users feel “trapped” by app/driver lock‑in and increasingly see Windows as indistinguishable from malware.