I've recently had various things popping up on my screen about Google
Drive.

The first one was a fairly big rectangle about Google Drive Desktop,
which invited me to click on it.

When I did, it warned me that if I had not downloaded this app from
Google I should not use it, but should download the genuine Google
app. As I had not downloaded anything from Google, and it did not say
what "this" app was, I ignored it. Do I delet or uninstall this.exe,
or thisapp.exe, or something else? And if I go to Google,m which app
am I supposed to download from there?

Now it has started telling me to switch from "Backuop and sync" to
Google Desktop, whatever that is.

But when I click on it nothing happens, so I've taken to ignoring that
too.

Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
on it?

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On 10/20/2021 3:28 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> I've recently had various things popping up on my screen about Google
> Drive.
>
> The first one was a fairly big rectangle about Google Drive Desktop,
> which invited me to click on it.
>
> When I did, it warned me that if I had not downloaded this app from
> Google I should not use it, but should download the genuine Google
> app. As I had not downloaded anything from Google, and it did not say
> what "this" app was, I ignored it. Do I delet or uninstall this.exe,
> or thisapp.exe, or something else? And if I go to Google,m which app
> am I supposed to download from there?
>
> Now it has started telling me to switch from "Backuop and sync" to
> Google Desktop, whatever that is.
>
> But when I click on it nothing happens, so I've taken to ignoring that
> too.
>
> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
> on it?

Example of a happy user, seeing this in September of this year. No replies.

https://support.google.com/drive/thread/126479255/get-organized-with-google-drive-for-desktop-popup-removal?hl=en

Here's another.

https://support.google.com/drive/thread/121189269/google-drive-for-desktop-is-coming-soon-popup-notification-wont-go-away-when-dismissed?hl=en

"Oh, I see. It's *supposed* to be a nagger, because they're trying to
get us off the "old" Backup & Sync app and onto their new app.
The old one is going away Oct 2021. I wish their messaging (marketing?)
was clearer. ref: https://www.popsci.com/diy/google-drive-software/
"

Paul

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
> I've recently had various things popping up on my screen about Google
> Drive.
>
> The first one was a fairly big rectangle about Google Drive Desktop,
> which invited me to click on it.
>
> When I did, it warned me that if I had not downloaded this app from
> Google I should not use it, but should download the genuine Google
> app. As I had not downloaded anything from Google, and it did not say
> what "this" app was, I ignored it. Do I delet or uninstall this.exe,
> or thisapp.exe, or something else? And if I go to Google,m which app
> am I supposed to download from there?
>
> Now it has started telling me to switch from "Backuop and sync" to
> Google Desktop, whatever that is.
>
> But when I click on it nothing happens, so I've taken to ignoring that
> too.
>
> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
> on it?

The 'Google Drive' (for desktop) program [1] is a 'replacement' for
the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program.

Did you have the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program installed?
Check in your Programs folder in your Start menu, or better on the
Programs page in Control Panel.

If you have it, but don't want to use it, nor its 'Google Drive' (for
desktop) replacement, you could consider to uninstall it and hopefully
that gets rid of the nags.

FWIW, I have and use 'Backup and Sync from Google' and do not intend
to switch to the 'Google Drive' (for desktop) 'replacement' (which it
isn't), unless I'm forced to (i.e. it gets uninstalled or stops
working).

[1] I wish they would call these things 'app's. They're not 'app's,
they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen - thingies which infest
Windows 8/10/11 systems.

On 10/20/2021 11:30 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

> [1] I wish they would call these things 'app's.

Typo? Did you mean "wouldn't"?

> They're not 'app's,
> they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
> are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
> Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen

Yes, Microsoft has given new meaning to the term "apps," alas.

As far as I'm concerned, "app" is short for "application," and
"application" is short for "application program," as distinguished from
utility program. But I'm well aware that many people use the term
differently, so I avoid using "app," lest I be misunderstood

--
Ken

On Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:08:36 -0400, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
wrote:

>> Now it has started telling me to switch from "Backuop and sync" to
>> Google Desktop, whatever that is.
>>
>> But when I click on it nothing happens, so I've taken to ignoring that
>> too.
>>
>> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
>> on it?
>
>Example of a happy user, seeing this in September of this year. No replies.
>
>https://support.google.com/drive/thread/126479255/get-organized-with-google-drive-for-desktop-popup-removal?hl=en
>
>Here's another.
>
>https://support.google.com/drive/thread/121189269/google-drive-for-desktop-is-coming-soon-popup-notification-wont-go-away-when-dismissed?hl=en
>

OK, that answers the first part of my question -- that others are
experiencing the same thing.

But what is supposed to happen when you click on it?

> "Oh, I see. It's *supposed* to be a nagger, because they're trying to
> get us off the "old" Backup & Sync app and onto their new app.
> The old one is going away Oct 2021. I wish their messaging (marketing?)
> was clearer. ref: https://www.popsci.com/diy/google-drive-software/

All that site brought up was:

This Connection is Untrusted

You have asked Firefox to connect securely to www.popsci.com, but we
can't confirm that your connection is secure.

Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted
identification to prove that you are going to the right place.
However, this site's identity can't be verified.
What Should I Do?

If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could
mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't
continue.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
wrote:

>Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
>> I've recently had various things popping up on my screen about Google
>> Drive.

<snip>

>> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
>> on it?

> The 'Google Drive' (for desktop) program [1] is a 'replacement' for
>the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program.
>
> Did you have the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program installed?
>Check in your Programs folder in your Start menu, or better on the
>Programs page in Control Panel.

Yes, I had it, and I used it, even though it was clunky.

It would back up USB flash drives when I plugged them in, but it never
let me choose when to back it up, which was a huge nuisance, because
it would try to do so as soon as I plugged it in. But I plugged it in
to copy files from my desktop to my laptop or vice versa, and since
the files it was trying to back were being copied and overwritten it
tended to get confused. A decent program would ask first when it wass
convenient to back up. Perhaps the new Desktop thingy does that, but
|I don't know, because it doesn't tell me what it is or does, it just
tells me to click on something that does nothing.

> FWIW, I have and use 'Backup and Sync from Google' and do not intend
>to switch to the 'Google Drive' (for desktop) 'replacement' (which it
>isn't), unless I'm forced to (i.e. it gets uninstalled or stops
>working).

It sounds as though it has stopped working, or is about to.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
wrote:

>[1] I wish they would call these things 'app's. They're not 'app's,
>they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
>are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
>Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen - thingies which infest
>Windows 8/10/11 systems.

Well, no, it doesn't sound like an app, though until Google decide to
give us some actual informative information about it, who knows what
it is.

Word Procvessrs are apps

Spreadsheets are apps.

Games are apps.

Photo manipulation programs are apps.

Byt programs that do file management on a computer are not apps, but
utilities. And Backup and sync are file managemnt tasks, not
applications.

Apps are the programs that I use to create or modify the files that I
want to backp and sync.

Applications are what you use a computer FOR, just as you use a
toaster for making toast. You don't use a toaster for fitting plugs,
or cleaning or repairing it.

Apps are indeed programs, but not all programs are apps.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
> On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
> wrote:
>
> >Steve Hayes <hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:
> >> I've recently had various things popping up on my screen about Google
> >> Drive.
>
> <snip>
>
> >> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
> >> on it?
>
> > The 'Google Drive' (for desktop) program [1] is a 'replacement' for
> >the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program.
> >
> > Did you have the 'Backup and Sync from Google' program installed?
> >Check in your Programs folder in your Start menu, or better on the
> >Programs page in Control Panel.
>
> Yes, I had it, and I used it, even though it was clunky.
>
> It would back up USB flash drives when I plugged them in, but it never
> let me choose when to back it up, which was a huge nuisance, because
> it would try to do so as soon as I plugged it in. But I plugged it in
> to copy files from my desktop to my laptop or vice versa, and since
> the files it was trying to back were being copied and overwritten it
> tended to get confused. A decent program would ask first when it wass
> convenient to back up. Perhaps the new Desktop thingy does that, but
> |I don't know, because it doesn't tell me what it is or does, it just
> tells me to click on something that does nothing.

IIRC, I have had popups pointing to Google Help Centre articles for
further information.

Anyway, just click on the 'Backup and Sync from Google' icon on the
Taskbar (assuming it's not hidden), click on the three vertical dots and
click Help.

That will open

'Google Drive Help'
<https://support.google.com/drive#topic=14940>

which - amongst many others - mentions the item

'Moving from Backup and Sync to Google drive for desktop'

If you go to that page, you'll see a link to another page:

'Learn more about how Drive for desktop is different from Backup and Sync.'

That should give you the information you're looking for.

> > FWIW, I have and use 'Backup and Sync from Google' and do not intend
> >to switch to the 'Google Drive' (for desktop) 'replacement' (which it
> >isn't), unless I'm forced to (i.e. it gets uninstalled or stops
> >working).
>
> It sounds as though it has stopped working, or is about to.

Mine still worked yesterday. Fingers crossed, knock on wood and all
that jazz.

Ken Blake <ken@invalidemail.com> wrote:
> On 10/20/2021 11:30 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:
>
> > [1] I wish they would call these things 'app's.
>
> Typo? Did you mean "wouldn't"?

Yep, typo. As you have previously confirmed, shit happens. :-)

> > They're not 'app's,
> > they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
> > are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
> > Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen
>
> Yes, Microsoft has given new meaning to the term "apps," alas.
>
> As far as I'm concerned, "app" is short for "application," and
> "application" is short for "application program," as distinguished from
> utility program. But I'm well aware that many people use the term
> differently, so I avoid using "app," lest I be misunderstood

On Thu, 21 Oct 2021 12:06:21 +0200, Steve Hayes
<hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:

>On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>>[1] I wish they would call these things 'app's. They're not 'app's,
>>they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
>>are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
>>Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen - thingies which infest
>>Windows 8/10/11 systems.
>
>Well, no, it doesn't sound like an app, though until Google decide to
>give us some actual informative information about it, who knows what
>it is.
>
>Word Procvessrs are apps
>
>Spreadsheets are apps.
>
>Games are apps.
>
>Photo manipulation programs are apps.
>
>Byt programs that do file management on a computer are not apps, but
>utilities. And Backup and sync are file managemnt tasks, not
>applications.
>
>Apps are the programs that I use to create or modify the files that I
>want to backp and sync.
>
>Applications are what you use a computer FOR, just as you use a
>toaster for making toast. You don't use a toaster for fitting plugs,
>or cleaning or repairing it.
>
>Apps are indeed programs, but not all programs are apps.

When it goes on a cell or tablet. "Real" computers run programs.

KenW

On 10/21/2021 5:50 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Oct 2021 05:08:36 -0400, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>
>>> Now it has started telling me to switch from "Backuop and sync" to
>>> Google Desktop, whatever that is.
>>>
>>> But when I click on it nothing happens, so I've taken to ignoring that
>>> too.
>>>
>>> Has anyone had a similar thing, and had anything happen when you click
>>> on it?
>>
>> Example of a happy user, seeing this in September of this year. No replies.
>>
>> https://support.google.com/drive/thread/126479255/get-organized-with-google-drive-for-desktop-popup-removal?hl=en
>>
>> Here's another.
>>
>> https://support.google.com/drive/thread/121189269/google-drive-for-desktop-is-coming-soon-popup-notification-wont-go-away-when-dismissed?hl=en
>>
>
> OK, that answers the first part of my question -- that others are
> experiencing the same thing.
>
> But what is supposed to happen when you click on it?
>
>> "Oh, I see. It's *supposed* to be a nagger, because they're trying to
>> get us off the "old" Backup & Sync app and onto their new app.
>> The old one is going away Oct 2021. I wish their messaging (marketing?)
>> was clearer. ref: https://www.popsci.com/diy/google-drive-software/
>
> All that site brought up was:
>
> This Connection is Untrusted
>
> You have asked Firefox to connect securely to www.popsci.com, but we
> can't confirm that your connection is secure.
>
> Normally, when you try to connect securely, sites will present trusted
> identification to prove that you are going to the right place.
> However, this site's identity can't be verified.
> What Should I Do?
>
> If you usually connect to this site without problems, this error could
> mean that someone is trying to impersonate the site, and you shouldn't
> continue.

If I hold my mouse over the lock symbol on the left of the address bar,
it shows "Verified by Let's Encrypt", which is a provider of free certificates.
They must have a hundred thousand web sites using that. The certs need to be
updated every three months or something (on the web site end for the three month
thing). The certs make https: protocol work. part of the "HTTPS Everywhere"
campaign.

The first report of trouble, was October 3rd, 2021 in eternal-september.support.
This is my result when I checked my ISRG cert.

http://al.howardknight.net/?STYPE=msgid&MSGI=%3Csjdc1l%24ogq%241%40gioia.aioe.org%3E

The certificate diagram is here.

https://letsencrypt.org/certificates/

This tells you what clients have a problem or don't have a problem.
When the table tells you about Windows, the reason it tells you about
Windows, is because a number of browsers rely on the *platform*
certificate store. A couple of browsers rely on a *browser* set
of certificates.

https://letsencrypt.org/docs/certificate-compatibility/

"Platforms that trust ISRG Root X1

Windows >= XP SP3 (assuming Automatic Root Certificate Update isn’t manually disabled)
macOS >= 10.12.1
iOS >= 10 (iOS 9 does not include it)
iPhone 5 and above can upgrade to iOS 10 and can thus trust ISRG Root X1
Android >= 7.1.1 (but Android >= 2.3.6 will work by default due to our special cross-sign)
Mozilla Firefox >= 50.0
Ubuntu >= xenial / 16.04 (with updates applied)
Debian >= jessie / 8 (with updates applied)
Java 8 >= 8u141
Java 7 >= 7u151
NSS >= 3.26

Browsers (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Opera) generally trust the same root certificates as the
operating system they are running on. Firefox is the exception: it has its own root store.
Soon, new versions of Chrome will also have their own root store.
"

Now, you can do a basic check of your browser situation. Here, I'm checking
Thunderbird, and because Thunderbird contains a whole/intact Firefox engine,
it has the same cert store design as Firefox. Mine happened to not be
expired at the time.

https://i.postimg.cc/x8X4b3Pp/tbird-cert.gif

Note that certificates alone, are not the whole story. When they use a more advanced
crypto than the software supports, maybe a certificate cannot be checked. As
a made up example, let us say a subsystem changes from SHA1 to SHA256, and
the client software happens to not have a SHA256 calculator onboard or accessible
at the system level. Then a certificate could exist, could be updated by an
automatic process, but the maths are missing for it to work. This is how
WinXP might die on a bed of warm coals, too old for the training.

There are so many sites depending on Let's Encrypt for certificate services
(which are free), that when the bottom falls out of LE for some reason,
it's *almost* impossible to repair. We need http: sites carrying the
files necessary, to make a bucket brigade to cart the cert files onto
the platform/client and fix it. For example, I was able to find
a copy of curl.exe on a http: site, that could be used to fetch
needed files, because without that, just about every other tool
on the platform is broken at the same time (maybe wget doesn't work).
It's really pretty amazing how fragile this ecosystem is, teh Internets.
"https everywhere", what a horrible idea, broken plumbing *everywhere*
when a single cert expires.

This whole invention only has one purpose. Shovel dirt on Windows XP.
Shovel dirt on Firefox 19. Force users to use Windows 11 and
Firefox 92. Force users to buy new computers. Force users
to buy new shirts. You get the idea.

Huge, bloated, slow softwares. For this is progress... Enjoy.

Summary: Someone in another news group (WinXP group), claims:

"(You'll need ISRG Root X1, ISRG Root X2, Let’s Encrypt R3 and
Let’s Encrypt E1)"

These are certificates you can download from lets encrypt web site
and install on the client software with the error. This assumes the
client (likely Firefox) maintains its own certificate store. Windows
itself has a service that checks in every once in a while, for new
certs for the OS to use. Root certs I would guess.

It could well be that the ISRG one is expired, and even if
one of them could be fixed, that might be enough to get some
operations working in the browser.

Paul

On 10/21/2021 6:06 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> [1] I wish they would call these things 'app's. They're not 'app's,
>> they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
>> are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
>> Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen - thingies which infest
>> Windows 8/10/11 systems.
>
> Well, no, it doesn't sound like an app, though until Google decide to
> give us some actual informative information about it, who knows what
> it is.
>
> Word Procvessrs are apps
>
> Spreadsheets are apps.
>
> Games are apps.
>
> Photo manipulation programs are apps.
>
> Byt programs that do file management on a computer are not apps, but
> utilities. And Backup and sync are file managemnt tasks, not
> applications.
>
> Apps are the programs that I use to create or modify the files that I
> want to backp and sync.
>
> Applications are what you use a computer FOR, just as you use a
> toaster for making toast. You don't use a toaster for fitting plugs,
> or cleaning or repairing it.
>
> Apps are indeed programs, but not all programs are apps.

My preferred definition is this:

Apps are written in html/js (Javascript)

Programs are written in x86 object code, file type PE32 or PE32+ (for 64 bit ones).
These are also referred to by such terms as "Win32".

Note that both can use somename.EXE in certain folders.
But the .EXE in an Apps folder is fake. If you double-click,
the screen "flashes for 20 milliseconds". The Apps .EXE is a fake
and exits immediately, because it has no real payload to run.
The Apps .EXE file is *not* intended to run the normal way,
it cannot be used in Start : Run like that, nor does it
work from Command Prompt that way.

Inside the Apps .EXE file is a "manifest" that says what
to load by the real system loader. Such a system loader is
present on Windows 8/8.1/10/11, but version checks might
prevent operation on any one of those.

Apps can come from "Microsoft Store". There is a chain of custody.
if the Apps folder is corrupted, it is automatically downloaded
again from the Microsoft Store and repaired. That's what distinguishes
an App delivered by a Store, versus an App which is delivered by
some other means. I think developers are allowed to temporarily
sign the Apps stuff they work on, so they can run their baloney without
it having to come from the Store.

Apps are a defenseless pile of html/js, with a sugar coating
of certificates and signing, to prevent abuse and exploitation.

Paul

On Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:55:43 -0400, Paul <nospam@needed.invalid>
wrote:

>This whole invention only has one purpose. Shovel dirt on Windows XP.
>Shovel dirt on Firefox 19. Force users to use Windows 11 and
>Firefox 92. Force users to buy new computers. Force users
>to buy new shirts. You get the idea.

Yes, that's pretty obvious.

Planned obsolescence.

And those of us who can't afford all that will be going back to
mailing lists, or even going back to using computers as stand-alone
devices -- no Internet.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On Thu, 21 Oct 2021 12:06:21 +0200, Steve Hayes
<hayesstw@telkomsa.net> wrote:

>On 20 Oct 2021 18:30:15 GMT, Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid>
>wrote:
>
>>[1] I wish they would call these things 'app's. They're not 'app's,
>>they're *programs*. (Especially) In a Microsoft Windows context, 'app's
>>are the - mostly full-screen, primitive, silly looking, dumbed-down -
>>Metro/Modern/UWP/<whatever> - mostly full-screen - thingies which infest
>>Windows 8/10/11 systems.
>
>Well, no, it doesn't sound like an app, though until Google decide to
>give us some actual informative information about it, who knows what
>it is.
>
>Word Procvessrs are apps
>
>Spreadsheets are apps.
>
>Games are apps.
>
>Photo manipulation programs are apps.
>
>Byt programs that do file management on a computer are not apps, but
>utilities. And Backup and sync are file managemnt tasks, not
>applications.
>
>Apps are the programs that I use to create or modify the files that I
>want to backp and sync.
>
>Applications are what you use a computer FOR, just as you use a
>toaster for making toast. You don't use a toaster for fitting plugs,
>or cleaning or repairing it.
>
>Apps are indeed programs, but not all programs are apps.

I think "App" is a word invented by APPle for things you get at the
APPle store. Like Kleenex and Bandaid it became generic. Some folks
started using it for any software they got from anywhere.
In my opinion "Apps" go on devices that fit in your purse and probably
run on IOS.

I am old school tho. I remember when we IPL'ed computers.