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Caught red-handed, one computer vendor has admitted that it covertly disables the automatic-update feature of Windows Update, forcing users of some, perhaps all, of its Windows computers to download and install critical updates manually. Of course, many won’t, and they will leave themselves open to hackers and malware. Here's what you need to know...
Don't Touch My Windows Update!
To answer the question posed in the title of this article: Samsung. But don’t think this doesn’t apply to you because your PC wasn’t made by Samsung. The hardware maker’s excuse for this breach of customers’ security (not to mention its contract with Microsoft) has implications for all Windows users. I’ll explain after outlining how Samsung’s deliberate weakening of users’ security was discovered.
A colleague was troubleshooting a client’s Samsung computer; Windows Update “no longer worked,” the client said. He quickly found that Windows Update was set to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.” The only worse setting is “Never check for updates.” He reset Windows Update to the preferred setting, “Install updates automatically.”
But when the PC was rebooted, the setting went right back to the “let me choose” option! Thinking the client might have a malware infection, we ran some expert diagnostic tools to see what was going on.
We found the culprit in plain sight: an executable file actually named Disable_WindowsUpdate.exe forced Windows Update to the dangerously user-dependent setting every time the machine was rebooted. But it wasn’t malware stealthily injected by an anonymous hacker.
We discovered that Disable_WindowsUpdate.exe was digitally signed by Samsung, and was part of the Samsung’s SW Update Tool. Every computer hardware vendor bundles its own system maintenance software with its machines. These proprietary programs duplicate many functions built into Windows, and many people consider them to be bloatware that can be removed without repercussions. But there’s one important difference between Windows Update and proprietary maintenance toolkits.
Why Would Samsung Disable Windows Update?
Samsung’s SW Update Tools fetches certain updates from Samsung’s servers, not the Windows Update server. Drivers for Samsung USB 3.0 ports, for instance, are different from the generic USB drivers that Windows Update installs. Samsung’s drivers are written to get the best performance out of the USB 3.0 hardware that Samsung has designed. A generic Windows driver may not work at all with some highly engineered hardware; you must use the manufacturer’s driver.
Samsung says that automatic Windows Updates were overriding some of Samsung’s proprietary drivers with generic ones. The result was that come hardware features might no longer work, or would not run as well as designed. So the company “gave users the choice” to skip automatic Windows Updates and use SW Update Tool instead.
The dastardly thing is, Samsung doesn’t tell users what it’s doing. One could go nuts resetting Windows Update to “automatic” and wondering why in the world it keeps reverting to “let me choose…”
Microsoft is not at all happy about Samsung’s interference with the default, automatic mode of Windows Update. Legal fur could fly, but right now the two companies are “discussing the issue” behind the scenes.
Samsung must have been pretty exasperated with Microsoft, too, or it would not have committed such a serious breach of its OEM agreement to force the issue of incompatible Windows Update drivers. I expect the two tech giants will work out a deal whereby Samsung’s latest proprietary drivers get into the Windows Update database faster. Then Samsung won’t have to disable automatic Windows Updates.
If Samsung’s excuse for disabling automatic Windows Updates is true, then drivers and other software may be “corrupted” – overridden, actually - by less effective generic software installed by Windows Update, at least in some cases.
Blame on Both Sides
It’s probably unrealistic to expect Windows Update to deliver the latest version of every proprietary driver that might be needed; there are legions of such drivers. But instead of blindly installing GENERIC drivers that OVERRIDE proprietary drivers, Windows Update should defer to an OEM and tell you, “There may be a better driver available from the maker of your device.” I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Samsung and other OEMs could do a better job of uploading their latest proprietary software updates to Windows Update, too. But then you’d have little reason to visit their sites where they can sell you something more.
For now, Samsung is bowing to pressure from Microsoft and tech news outlets. Last Friday, Samsung promised to issue a patch through the Samsung Software Update notification process "to revert back to the recommended automatic Windows Update settings within a few days." As of this writing, that patch has yet to appear.
I know some people advise turning off Windows Update, or picking and choosing which updates to install. I feel this is dangerous, and ill-advised. The chances of being negatively affected by a Windows Update patch are increasingly small, while the chances of missing something important by not using it are high.
My advice is to you, regardless of who built your PC, is to check and make sure that your Windows Update settings are set to "Install updates automatically." Click Start, then Windows Update, then "Change settings" to verify.
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The extent of W10's spying is even worse than most of us could have imagined ….. Now we know why it was “free”. Get a beverage, this is a rather lengthy post!
With this sort of disclosure, perhaps there will be enough reaction that will convince Microsoft to roll back the invasive spying. Seems that in regards to spyware, Enterprise may have some edge over the other versions.
30 Ways Your Windows 10 Computer Phones Home to Microsoft
How to protect yourself against Windows 10’s controversial new Wi-Fi Sense feature
There is absolutely no question that the response to Windows 10 has been overwhelmingly positive. Yes, people are running into some problems after they update — here are some of the most common Windows 10 problems and solutions — and yes, there are some privacy concerns that you should absolutely pay attention to if you don’t want Windows 10 to spy on you. But for the most part it has been smooth sailing.
Well… sort of.
Microsoft added a new feature to Windows 10 called Wi-Fi Sense. It’s a very smart feature that allows trusted users to connect to a Wi-Fi network without needing to know the network’s password, and it’s the first time that technology like this has been available so widely.
That said, there are some obvious and serious security implications that have been a big concern for many of Windows 10’s early adopters and critics.
First things first: What is Wi-Fi Sense? “Wi‑Fi Sense automatically connects you to Wi‑Fi, so you can get online quickly in more places,” Microsoft wrote on its website. “It can connect you to open Wi‑Fi hotspots it knows about through crowdsourcing, or to Wi‑Fi networks your contacts have shared with you by using Wi‑Fi Sense.”
The follow excerpt from Microsoft’s Wi-Fi Sense FAQ page will fill in a few key blanks:
Wi‑Fi Sense connects you to Wi‑Fi networks around you. It can do these things for you to get you Internet access:
Automatically connect you to open Wi‑Fi networks it knows about by crowdsourcing networks that other people using Windows have connected to. These are typically open Wi‑Fi hotspots you see when you’re out and about.
Automatically connect you to Wi‑Fi networks that your Facebook friends, Outlook.com contacts, or Skype contacts have shared with you after you’ve shared at least one network with your contacts. When you and your contacts share Wi‑Fi networks with each other, you give each other Internet access, but don’t get to see each other’s passwords. No networks are shared automatically. When you first connect to a network that you decide to share, you’ll need to enter the password, and then select the Share network with my contacts check box to share that network.
The initial settings for Wi‑Fi Sense are determined by the options you chose when you first set up your PC with Windows 10. You can change your Wi‑Fi Sense settings any time by selecting Settings > Network & Internet > Wi‑Fi > Manage Wi‑Fi settings, and then changing one or both of these settings under Wi‑Fi Sense:
Connect to suggested open hotspots
Connect to networks shared by my contacts
There are two main problems here. First, Wi-Fi Sense means people you don’t know can connect to your secure Wi-Fi network without even knowing the password. Second, Wi-Fi Sense creates a direct connection between two computers that the user of the host PC does not initiate. Today, that connection is safe and secure… but as a version of Murphy’s law modified for the digital age states, anything that can be hacked, will be hacked.
So let’s cut to the chase: How can you disable and block Wi-Fi Sense?
There are a couple of things you’ll need to do. First, on your Windows 10 computer, open the PC’s Settings and then click Network and Internet followed by Wi-Fi. Under Manage Wi-Fi, disable all of Wi-Fi Sense’s features.
Next, you’ll have to protect your home Wi-Fi network and ensure that other users with Wi-Fi Sense cannot connect to it. In order to do this, you’ll have to rename your network’s SSID so that it ends with “_optout.” So, for example, if your network’s name right now is “MyISPstinkz,” you’ll have to rename it to “MyISPstinkz_optout.”
Alternatively, you can set up a guest network that visitors will be able to access, but you’ll need a router capable of supporting multiple wireless networks.
A more complete "to do" list translated from Russian (I think).
In order to prevent all spying, it is necessary to change dozens of items:
Before installation
• Do not use the Express setup. Use manual config. as opposed to merely accepting the defaults.
• Do not use the Microsoft account. Create a local one.
After installation
• Start> Settings> Privacy, cut down EVERYTHING!
• In the same section reviews the diagnosis and choose Never / Background Information.
• Settings> Software Update> Advanced Options> Select how to obtain an update, and remove the first item
• Destroy Cortana. Just click on the search icon next to the start-up and later in the settings.
• (Optional) You can also turn off the search network.
• Rename your PC. Search> Type "on the computer"> Rename
For advanced
• Right-click on Start> Command Prompt (Administrator)
Register (it is possible to copy, Win10 finally is able)
• Next Group Policy. Run (win + R)> gpedit.msc (the admin rights needed) go at Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Components Windows> Build data collection and preliminary assembly> Allow telemetry - Disabled
This is true for versions of Enterprise. But Pro users will also find it helpful.
• In the same place in the policies of the Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Components Windows> OneDrive> Disable OneDrive file storage> Turn
• Computer Configuration> Administrative Templates> Components Windows> Windows Defender> knocked him> Enabled. I have to say, I have not found this item at home. Therefore I turned off in the registry.
the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows Defender option DisableAntiSpyware change the value to 1
• Through the registry editor (Run> regedit) are on the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ DataCollection, AllowTelemetry parameter is set to zero.
• prescribes nishtyaki in Hosts. Hands. Right on Start> Command Prompt (administrator), write to notepad C: \ Windows \ System32 \ drivers \ etc \ hosts, and enter all hosts addresses:
Program to disable snooping in Windows 10. The program also disables task, Keylogger; adds all services reception reports in Microsoft hosts file that allows you to disable ads in Skype. Optionally, you can remove some integrated applications from the tens.
Destroy Windows 10 Spying is a portable app that can block anonymous data being sent, remove apps that can't be removed the standard way and more. I liked that it can remove some of the Windows default programs that can be removed under Apps & Features, an annoyance I immediately discovered since I prefer to "slim" down windows.
What's new:
Fix to update KB3081424, after which Windows Defender detects the program as a Trojan.SpyRemover.w32
Added command line arguments
Fix encoding in Russian OS
M$ can disable pirated games and unauthorised hardware in win 10.
By signing EULA, you have allowed Windows 10 to disable counterfeit games and hardware that are not authorized.
According to the Microsoft’s new Services Terms effective August 1st, Microsoft can stop you from using unauthorized hardware or from playing counterfeit games. Microsoft services such as Office 365, Outlook.com, Skype, OneDrive, Xbox Live, MSN, and Bing are also covered by the new services terms.
The terms are also applicable to software using a Microsoft account, which would mean that it would also have an effect on most Windows 10 users. Majority of the users use Microsoft’s latest OS with an account from the Redmond company, even though when they have an option to use it without an account.
Microsoft now clearly states in the terms that the updates released could have some serious effects. In the terms, the company states it might, “download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices.”
Further, there is no clarity on what the company means when it says unauthorized hardware peripheral devices. It could mean that the company may disable e.g. Xbox controllers that are uncertified by Microsoft. There is more clarity on counterfeit games, as this is pirated software.
Non Windows 10 users could fall prey to these new terms. The Microsoft’s new terms are also applicable to updates to Skype, OneDrive app, OneNote app, Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Games, Windows Live Mail, Maps, and Windows Movie Maker.
There has a lot of murmuring and talks hovering over the privacy settings of Windows 10 from the time of its release. For instance, when the operating system is installed, it uses the default express settings, which according to some users contain some settings regarded as privacy concerns, such as the use of Cortana, the use of a Microsoft account, automatic updates, and the accumulating of telemetry and privacy by Microsoft.
i haven't taken it yet cause i hadn't made up my mind weather i was ready for it. i only got my 8.1 like a little over a year ago anyways. and i had no idea they could do this
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Windows 10 jettisons SafeDisc and SecuROM, may phone home about cracked games
Windows 10 jettisons SafeDisc and SecuROM, may phone home about cracked games
18 August 2015 - 04:56 PM
From ExtremeTech: Windows 10 jettisons SafeDisc and SecuROM, may phone home about cracked games
By Joel Hruska on August 18, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Two new bits of information have surfaced regarding Windows 10 and its various DRM and phone-home strategies. First, there’s news that looks great at first glance — Windows 10 no longer supports the much-hated SecuROM and SafeDisc. The downside of this news is that Windows 10 can no longer play those titles if the DRM hasn’t been patched out by the original developer.
This revelation comes from Microsoft’s Enthusiast Marketing Manager for Windows, Boris Schneider-John, who told German publication Rocket Beans the following:
“Everything that ran in Windows 7 should also run in Windows 10. There are just two silly exceptions: antivirus software and stuff that’s deeply embedded into the system. And then there are old games on CD-ROM that have DRM. This DRM stuff is also deeply embedded in your system, and that’s where Windows 10 says ‘sorry, we cannot allow that,’ because that would be a possible loophole for computer viruses.
“That’s why there are a couple of games from 2003-2008 with SecuROM, etc. that simply don’t run without a no-CD patch or some such. We can just not support that if it’s a possible danger for our users. There are a couple of patches from developers already, and there is stuff like GOG where you’ll find versions of those games that work.”
Mixed blessings
On the one hand, good on Microsoft for patching potentially dangerous loopholes in system security. While these programs weren’t actually rootkits, they embedded themselves in a manner similar to rootkits, and existed at a very low level within the system itself. Security researchers, as a result, are anything but fans of the technology. Gamers uniformly loathed them.
No more of this? Hurrah! But can we get backwards compatibility?
On the other hand, however, this means a number of games, some released quite recently, will no longer work without new patches or game cracks. While SafeDisc hasn’t been used for several years, a number of games shipped with SecuROM, including titles like Fallout 3, Dragon Age II (EA attempted to camouflage this by calling it Sony Release Control), Oblivion, BioShock, the released version of Final Fantasy for PC in 2012, and dozens more over the years.
We therefore arrive at a hilarious moment in which Microsoft is advocating that people download game cracks for legally purchased content, chase developers for updates (despite the fact that many of the studios in question may have closed), or repurchase games on platforms like GOG, which don’t use DRM.
The other method of allowing these games to play in Window 10 is to disable the driver signing security feature, but this basically kills the entire security model around driver signing for the purpose of playing an older title. It may work in the short term, but we can’t really recommend shutting off part of the entire operating system’s security model to do so.
Meanwhile, in other news: Windows 10 reserves the right to scan a system for counterfeit games
Windows 10’s EULA has been attacked for its vastly expanded spying permissions that it grants to Microsoft, but one quote from a related EULA, the Windows Services EULA, apparently escaped notice until now. As discovered by Alphr, Section 7b of the Windows Services EULA states the following:
“Sometimes you’ll need software updates to keep using the Services. We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices. You may also be required to update the software to continue using the Services.”
This isn’t explicitly tied to Windows 10, but covers services like Skype, Office, Xbox Live, Bing, and Cortana. Whether or not the company would ever agree to scan for pirated software on behalf of other vendors isn’t clear, but they’ve explicitly given themselves the ability to do so — and it’s hard to imagine that the likes of the MPAA and RIAA won’t leap at the opportunity to bully them into performing such checks. Users with pirated copies of Office may not want to install them, either, since that software is likely governed by Microsoft’s Windows Services EULA. This EULA wasn’t explicitly tied to Windows 10, but it took effect on August 1, immediately after Windows 10 had shipped.
Xbox’s Windows 10 integration could take a hit if gamers balk at such policies.
It seems likely that this kind of arrangement will apply to games distributed through the Xbox Live service and available on PCs. It may also apply to any applications that are sold in the Windows Store and to Microsoft applications. Microsoft may not scan systems on an active basis for unauthorized software but could, for example, download new copy protection checks that would invalidate cracked copies of Office or other games already installed.
Classic gamers may choose to stick with Windows 7, assuming they don’t have a vintage DOS box or Windows 98 system hanging around, but this compatibility issue should’ve been disclosed prior to launch. As for whether or not MS intends to start scanning systems for pirated software, we’ll have to wait and see.
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According to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), its new operating system Windows 10 has had had a relatively successful launch so far. Not everybody is pleased with Microsoft's new OS, however, and many of the complaints involve the new, no-privacy-at-all privacy policy associated with Windows 10.
A growing number of one group of web users -- bit torrent sites -- has gone so far as to ban access to their services to those who use Windows 10 because it is a privacy risk.
More on torrent sites blocking Windows 10
Torrent Freak reports that several well-known torrent sharing sites are now preventing Windows 10 systems from accessing their services. Apparently the owners of these torrent sites have concluded that Windows 10 collects and sends back to much identifying data back, which Microsoft then unfortunately shares with its "strategic partners".
The torrent sites involved implemented software checks so that Windows 10 users cannot access or their trackers. Of note, a BitTorrent tracker is a server that torrent sites utilize to set up communication between peers using the BitTorrent protocol. Trackers are designed to permit two-way communication for file exchange to complete a download. Not being able to access trackers essentially means that Windows 10 users will not be able to use BitTorret to anonymously exchange files.
It looks like torrent tracker iTS was the first to put the ban in place. When the iTS software detected a Windows 10 system, users were redirected to a YouTube video “Windows 10 is a tool to spy on everything you do.” Critics say one of the biggest privacy problems with Microsoft’s latest and supposedly final OS is that the system apparently shares virtually akk data with MarkMonitor, a "brand protection" company connected to the U.S. copyright system.
Statement from torrent tracker iTS
iTS explained why they felt they had to ban Windows 10 users from their service:
Many of you might have heard or read about the terrible privacy policy of Windows10 recently. Unfortunately Microsoft decided to revoke any kind of data protection and submit whatever they can gather to not only themselves but also others. One of those is one of the largest anti-piracy company called MarkMonitor. Amongst other things windows 10 sends the contents of your local disks directly to one of their servers. Obviously this goes way too far and is a serious threat to sites like ours which is why we had to take measures. Since last thursday windows 10 is officially banned from iTS.
From TorrentFreak: Torrent Trackers Ban Windows 10 Over Privacy Concerns
By Ernesto on August 22, 2015
Opinion
The level of Windows 10 paranoia reached new heights this week when reports suggested that Microsoft would wipe torrents and pirated software from people's hard drives. Nonsense, of course, but all the recent privacy concerns were enough to have the operating system banned from several torrent trackers.
win10Since the release of Windows 10 last month many media reports have focused on various privacy intrusions.
The WiFi password sharing feature, for example, or the extensive sharing of personal data and information back to Microsoft’s servers. The list goes on and on.
While we’re the last ones to defend these policies, it is worth pointing out that many other large tech companies have similar privacy violating policies. Reading rants about Windows 10 privacy on Facebook is particularly ironic.
This week things took a turn for the worse. Slowly but steadily reports started pouring in that Windows 10 has a built-in piracy kill switch. If we were to believe some of the reports, Microsoft would nuke all torrents downloaded from The Pirate Bay.
The truth is nowhere near as dystopian though. The controversy originates from a single line in Microsoft’s Service Agreement which allows the company to download software updates and configuration changes that may prevent people from “playing counterfeit games.”
This change isn’t limited to Windows 10 but covers many services. Also, there is no indication that this will ever be used to target third-party games, which is highly unlikely.
Still, the recent privacy concerns have some torrent tracker staffers worried. During the week TF received reports informing us that several private trackers have banned Windows 10, or are considering doing so.
The staffers at iTS explain that Windows 10 is off-limits now because of the extensive amount of data it shares. This includes connections to MarkMonitor, the brand protection company which is also involved in the U.S. Copyright Alert System.
“Unfortunately Microsoft decided to revoke any kind of data protection and submit whatever they can gather to not only themselves but also others. One of those is one of the largest anti-piracy company called MarkMonitor,” iTS staff note.
“Amongst other things Windows 10 sends the contents of your local disks directly to one of their servers. Obviously this goes way too far and is a serious threat to sites like ours which is why we had to take measures,” they add.
While this may sound scary, Microsoft has been working with MarkMonitor for years already. Among other things, the company helps to keep scammers at bay.
There is no evidence that any piracy related info is being shared. Still, the connection is raising red flags with other tracker operators as well. More trackers reportedly ban Windows 10 and others including BB and FSC are consider to follow suit.
“We have also found [Windows 10] will be gathering information on users’ P2P use to be shared with anti piracy group,” BB staff writes to its users.
“What’s particularly nasty is that apparently it sends the results of local(!!) searches to a well known anti piracy company directly so as soon as you have one known p2p or scene release on your local disk … BAM!”
The same sentiment is shared at FSC where staff also informed users about the threat.
“As we all know, Microsoft recently released Windows 10. You as a member should know, that we as a site are thinking about banning the OS from FSC. That would mean you cannot use the site with the OS installed,” FSC staff writes.
While a paranoid mindset is definitely not a bad thing for people in the business of managing a torrent community, banning an operating system over privacy concerns is a bit much for most. Especially since many of the same issues also affect earlier versions of Windows.
Luckily, the most invasive privacy concerns can be dealt with by configuring Windows properly. Or any other operating system, application or social network for that matter.
Instead of banning something outright, it may be a good idea to inform the public on specific dangers and educate them how they can be alleviated.
Microsoft Retrofitting Windows 7, 8.1 With Windows 10's Privacy-Invading 'Features'
Microsoft Retrofitting Windows 7, 8.1 With Windows 10's Privacy-Invading 'Features'
from the unavoidable-Redmond-umbilical dept
Last week we noted that while Windows 10 has generally seen good reviews in terms of spit and polish, there's growing concern that the OS is too nosy for its own good, and that the opt-out functionality in the OS doesn't really work
. Even when you've disabled a number of the nosier features (like Windows 10's new digital assistant, Cortana), the OS ceaselessly and annoyingly opens an array of encrypted channels back to the Redmond mother ship that aren't entirely under the user's control.
Now some of the information being transmitted is purportedly harmless, and some of the problems appear to be overblown (like for fear of it reporting user piracy activity)
,
but an operating system you can't fully control is still undeniably stupid and annoying. And it's a curious choice for a company intent on moving beyond the fractured Windows adoption of yesteryear and encouraging the lion's share of Windows users to hop on to a new platform.
Making matters worse, Microsoft now seems intent on retro-fitting its older operating systems (specifically Windows 7 and Windows 8.1) with many of the annoying, chatty aspects of Windows 10. GHacks has noticed that four updates
to the older operating systems, described as an "update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry," connect to vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com. These addresses are hard-coded to bypass the hosts file, and ferry all manner of personal information back to Microsoft.
Fortunately, it appears that users in this instance can configure Windows firewall and routers to block the traffic, and users can avoid much of the snooping by opting out of the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP):"The concern with the new Diagnostic Tracking service is much the same as with Windows 10's tracking: it's not clear what's being sent, and there are concerns that it can't be readily controlled. The traffic to Microsoft's servers is encrypted, sent over HTTPS, so it can't be easily examined. While the knowledge based articles describing the new service list the DNS names of the servers that the service connects to, there are reports that the service ignores the system HOSTS file. As such, a traditional and simple method for redirecting the traffic doesn't work.
However, we're not sure just how big an impediment this is in practice; in our testing of Windows 8, the builtin Windows Firewall, for example, is more than capable of blocking the traffic, and this appears to be working entirely as it should. Disabling the service is also effective for those who don't trust its behavior."Still, it's annoying that Microsoft continues to insist on expanding this kind of OS behavior, without making opting out simple and comprehensive. And it certainly doesn't exactly deflate arguments by folks like Richard Stallman, who consistently argue that Windows is effectively malware
. More than anything though, it's a continued advertisement for Linux and operating systems that the end user actually has some degree of control over.
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
i found that last week but i kept forgetting to post it on here. i already posted it on my site. but what you do is just do what i do change your setting to manual. and that's messed up that they started doing that at all
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Windows 10 Activities
The Czech edition Aeronet conducted a detailed analysis of the activity of Windows 10, wins the most interesting:
The system every 30 minutes sends to Microsoft all the text that you type (not only in the search). So if you, for example, somewhere wrote about vacation, you will be shown relevant ads.
* Every 30 minutes, it also sends your location and connected network.
* If you dial a phone number in the browser Edge, it is sent to the MS within 5 minutes.
* If you are in any place, for example, wrote the name of a movie, Windows will automatically start scanning your media, and send information about them to Microsoft
* After the first connection webcams Windows also sends information about this to the MS. Most likely, your photo.
* All that you say is automatically sent to Microsoft, even if you disable or remove Kortana. The fact that it is sewed to the core system.
* Blocking IP over hosts will not help: in the address zahardkozheny DLL'ah. PS If you all do not like, then look for a free alternative to Windows, such as different distributions of Linux. Most popular: Linux Mint, Ubuntu,zorin There is no surveillance, no viruses!
Thanks Microsoft!!
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Windows 10 automatically sends emails about child account activity
Users are unhappy that Windows 10 automatically sends emails about child account activity
Windows 10, just like its predecessor Windows 8.1, allows for the creation of child accounts that can have limitations imposed upon them. It's a feature that many parents take advantage of, but as more and more people start to upgrade to Windows 10, increasing numbers are complaining about the way in which Microsoft monitors account activity and sends out regular emails about that activity.
The account activity email is optional in Windows 10 -- just as it was in Windows 8.1 -- but it is switched on by default. While many parents like the idea of being able to place restrictions and limitation on a child's Windows account, the "creepy" email that many are seeing for the first time is viewed as a step too far.
Living in an age where concerns about surveillance are greater than they ever have been, having these emails enabled by default is seen by many as a sinister form of spying that they are not comfortable with. On Boing Boing, Windows 10 user Kirk was disturbed to receive an email out of the blue letting him know what his son had been using his computer for:
This weekend we upgraded my 14-year-old son's laptop from Windows 8 to Windows 10. Today I got a creepy-ass email from Microsoft titled 'Weekly activity report for [my son]', including which websites he's visited, how many hours per day he's used it, and how many minutes he used each of his favorite apps. I don't want this. I have no desire to spy on my boy.
The main thrust of the complaint is not the existence of the feature per se, but the fact that Microsoft has not been entirely transparent about what happens to limited accounts during the upgrade to Windows 10. The revelation led to a lively discussion with opinion divided about whether the emails were a good idea or not.
Kirk has a message for younger users of Windows 10:
If you have Windows 10 now, your parents might be getting the same kind of report I did. Don't assume your own computer has your back.
Do you think the emails should be opt in or opt out?
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
really why? there has always been an option where you have had a padlock in a sense on your computer to keep your kids off porn for example. and in short it helped them stay away from those sites. cause if they tried to type it, nothing would show up i forget what happens, but it's a safe guard. why do we need anything further than that? why do parents also need to know everything their kids do every hour of the day. you know not all kids do bad things.
plus you don't trust your kids they won't trust you either. so until they break that trust and have to earn it back, they should be able to have that lock on their computer and that should be enough. if you don't have on your computer than just keep your kids away from it. or if need be just put the lock on your puter as well. it's as easy as that.
why do any of us need watching anyways? if we wanted to call our wives or girlfriends whatever why do they need a record of it anyways? or if we are going to the bathroom why do they need to know this? or where you are 24/hrs a day. if it's a criminal that goes out and kills people and they watch him with survelilance that's different. but if it's an every day joe who stays out of trouble with the law and just wants to go to work every day and come home and relax. what more do they need to know? if i say my favorite color is pink it's not but if i say it is why is that anyone's business? but than what do know.
i'm not into politcs at all, i just know BS when i hear it. kinda like why do the schools need to watch out for your kids when they are at home, what about the parents it's their job not the schools, if they are off school property it's the parents job. but again what do i know
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Top Five Gripes About Windows 10
Here are the main gripes about Windows 10:
1) It shares your personal information by default. Windows sends Microsoft everything you say to Cortana. It also collects your name and nickname, your recent calendar events, the names of the people in your appointments, and information about your contacts. You can turn it off, but it will take 13 privacy screens to do so.
2) It borrows bandwidth from your personal internet connection. It's a feature called Windows Update Delivery Optimization, and it's actually a potentially brilliant way to help Windows 10 users update their PCs faster by connecting to millions of different people instead of just Microsoft. But Microsoft isn't upfront with customers about it. To turn it off, you'll have to navigate to a submenu ("Choose how updates are delivered") of a submenu ("Advanced options") within the settings app.
3) It can share your wireless password with your friends. It is a new feature call WiFi Sense. Microsoft enables WiFi sense by default on Windows 10, it doesn't share your networks by default -- you have to choose to do that.
4) Even if you disable data sharing, it will still send info to Microsoft. Even if you disable Cortana and bing searches, typing anything in the start menu will send info to Microsoft.
5) It can scan for counterfeit games. "We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices."
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Microsoft kills patch notes, will no longer explain most Windows 10 updates
By Joel Hruska on August 21, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Comment
Microsoft
When Microsoft debuted Windows 10, it began offering significantly less information about KB updates in any given package. Instead of getting a clickable link that provided more than a bare sentence of information, users have to manually search for KB articles based on the given name. While this isn’t difficult, it’s an example of how Redmond has made it a bit more difficult to know what the OS is doing or why it’s doing it. Now, the company has stated that this obfuscation isn’t an artifact of a rushed launch — the company will not explain feature updates unless it deems them significant.
Over the past few weeks, Microsoft has drawn increasing fire for its update policies. To date, Microsoft has released three KB Cumulative Updates (CUs) — KB 3081424 (August 5), KB 3081436 (August 12) and KB 3081438 (August 14). All are described in precisely the same way: “This update includes improvements to enhance the functionality of Windows 10.” All three cumulative updates contain an unexplained bug that traps some PCs in an endless reboot cycle, according to InfoWorld. Some users, who successfully installed the patch, have begun having trouble accessing the Windows Store and downloading updates from it. Others, who had problems with the store after the first CU, have reported that the second or third fixed their problem.
WU Update
Windows 10 Update
These cumulative updates are different from previous Windows Update releases in Windows 7 / 8.1. In the past, each KB was downloaded and applied individually, if Microsoft detected that the update should be offered to your system. Now, each cumulative update contains all previous updates. In theory, this allows for a streamlined download and installation process. In practice, it’s causing major problems. Microsoft no longer distinguishes between most security updates, feature updates, and bug fixes. It also gives no information about what bug fixes or feature updates do, which makes it nearly impossible to troubleshoot any given problem.
The Register reached out to Microsoft, hoping for clarification on what level of patch notes the company planned to issue in the future. According to Microsoft, “As we have done in the past, we post KB articles relevant to most updates which we’ll deliver with Windows as a service. Depending on the significance of the update and if it is bringing new functionality to Windows customers, we may choose to do additional promotion of new features as we deploy them.”
Comparing KB articles
Microsoft’s response states that the company will continue to offer KB articles with additional information and implies that this is business as usual. We can test this theory by examining a recent Windows 7 KB article and comparing it to what Redmond is offering with Windows 10. First, here’s the description for optional Windows 7 KB 3075851.
This article describes an update that contains some improvements to Windows Update Client in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. This update also resolves an issue in which certain Windows Update operations fail when you install Windows Update Client for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2: July 2015 (3065987) on Windows 7 Embedded editions.
That’s dry, but descriptive. If you have an issue with Windows update failing while running Windows 7 Embedded Edition, KB 3075851 applies to you. If you don’t, it doesn’t.
Here’s the KB file for Windows 10 KB 3081438. This is a cumulative update, which means it contains security fixes, feature updates, and bug patches.
This update includes improvements to enhance the functionality of Windows 10.
Microsoft wants people to believe that its level of disclosures haven’t changed, that it’s simply continuing on as before. It’s not true. Over on Reddit, user bileci picked up on the fact that KB 3081444 also pushed a kernel update to the operating system, without disclosing that it did so.
A troubleshooting nightmare
Going forward, there’s no way for users to tell which Windows patch caused a problem, if any. Microsoft may offer the ability to uninstall patches, but without some coherent method of determining which patches need to be uninstalled, there’s no way of telling what’s causing a problem. Short of using software products that monitor the registry and file system for every single change, it may not be possible to determine what changed or why it changed in every instance. Furthermore, what happens when a business or individual needs a security patch, but the feature update bundled along with it causes problems or breaks another aspect of the system? I’ll be the first to acknowledge that such issues are rare, but rare and “doesn’t happen” are not the same thing.
Microsoft’s stripped down communication model is essentially, “Trust us.” The company has yet to demonstrate that it deserves that kind of trust, and its decision to roll all updates together and say nothing about their contents could catastrophically backfire.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
gong through and reading some of this i hadn't read before, my question is leaving out people who torrent i don't torrent and haven't for years. but the question is NOT everyone torrents right, what about like i said before business and so forth who make their living being private. such as law firms who are by law ordered in so many words to keep their info to themselves which makes sense.
when they use their puters that's not them being able to do that is it? my point is i don't think it's going to be just people who torrent or download anything that's NOT going to like this. and i'm waiting for something bad to happen for it to backlash at Windows so they will have to pull this BS that they are forcing upon us.
i changed my updated to manually. what stuff is safe to download anyways? i heard security should be safe. but what else is safe?
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
UPDATE TO, AND “FIX” WIN 10, How-to, the manual version
UPDATE TO, AND “FIX” WIN 10
You do not need the “Get Windows 10” KB3035583 update installed. Save the download bandwidth! (Or uninstall it from Programs and Features in Control Panel). Instead, go to: /https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 and download the Media Creation Tool. From there, you can create a 32-bit or 64-bit iso for virtual drive mounting, or making a DVD. Or if you have several machines to do, and some have no dvd drive, a flash drive can be built (I chose the combination 32/64-bit combo bootable flash install). If that doesn’t work for any reason and you have an iso, get Rufus (there’s a portable version as well) from /http://rufus.akeo.ie/. It is brilliant and free!
I upgraded several machines via the online option, and many more with the flash drive. Both take an hour or so to complete, with the emphasis on the speed of your connection and obtaining the ~4 GB of files needed.
Either way, the upgrade can start from within Win 7 SP1 or Win 8.1 by clicking on the “setup” icon within the file structure, or by booting from the dvd or flash drive. You will need about 20 Gb of free space on the hard drive “C” for this to work. No worry here, Win 10 cleans up its temporary files, but will leave a Windows.old folder and a hidden folder called $Windows.~WS which holds the install files. Back up your personal files, even if you are choosing the option to save everything - files, installed apps, and settings.
I have upgrade installs on fairly new machines, one a custom built Win 8.1 I7 desktop with UEFI bios, 16 GB of DDR and a 250 GB SSD, through 3-5 year old Dells and HP’s with Win 7SP1 (one HP started as an XP box), down to my 5-year-old minimalist Acer Aspire netbook with a dual core 1.3 GHz Atom, 2 GB of ram, and a 40 GB SSD. All told, about 20 so far, and looking at 15 ASUS Slates at work in the next couple of weeks. I upgraded the first of these Slates this weekend, and it presented the only different step in what is nearly a hands-off process. It stopped and asked me to remove the flash drive so it would not hang and keep trying to boot from the flash drive after the formal setup started.
Let’s install and “fix” this new OS.
First, unless you really want to use the One Drive cloud storage, do not create a Micro$haft account. Use a local account - if your original user account is local, it will remain that way. One page at the beginning of the install asks that Express Settings be used. Don’t. Find the barely highlighted manual settings and uncheck everything except “smart screen filter”. Uncheck it as well if you do not want Micro$haft watching your surfing with IE and Edge. Or install Firefox or Chrome and ignore the built-ins.
Now let it do it’s circle dance. It will reboot a couple of times.
Once it is finished (the normal yadda yadda of setting things up at the end) you will begin on a generic start/login screen with your user account name, and a blank to enter your password (if you had one on the previous account login). If you had no password, it will continue on to the desktop.
The Win 10 desktop is pretty straight forward, mostly blank except for the recycle bin (unless you carried over your settings). If you carried settings, all icons and folders should be right where you left them. The Start button is back, sort of - a white window in the lower left corner. There you will find a fairly standard set of links and commands, and also a leftover from Win 8, live tiles. You can turn these off or change the size, and even uninstall the associated app, all from the right-click. All installed programs are shown in an alphabetical list under “All Apps”. Most used and recently installed are shown at the top of the left side list, and pinned “placeholders” are on a jump list shown from the arrow at File Explorer. Also back is a real Power button. The Start Menu can be resized, dragged up and to the left or right.
The real customizing comes under the Settings icon, accessed both from the Start Menu, and also from the right side notifications pop-up dialog box. Much of the Control Panel is now in these Settings folders, though some functions overlap. Pundits believe that eventually most if not all of the Control Panel will be moved to Settings over time. You can still easily get to the Control Panel through an Explorer window if you check, “Show all folders” in Folder Options (in Windows 10 click on View -> Options -> Change folder and search options. Then click the View tab and under Advanced settings, scroll down to the bottom and under Navigation Pane check “Show all folders”). Or enable Control Panel on the desktop via Personalization settings – see below.
Open Settings, and here’s a list of the multitude of things to “turn off”.
Under System:
Notifications & actions - turn them all off - it’s bad enough that our phones annoy us all day long.
Multitasking - leave all alone - the window snapping is very handy.
Tablet mode - normally off if a keyboard is detected, turn on if you have a tablet-style laptop or something like my ASUS Slates. Other settings while using as a tablet are available including hiding the taskbar and icons. I leave that off.
Power and Sleep - standard settings like the Control Panel for screen blanking and sleep, and the Additional power settings brings up the regular Control Panel power settings.
Storage - shows the options of storing new data to the computer, or to the cloud One Drive. Change as needed. It will also choose flash drives, external hard drives, and memory cards, if plugged in and listed.
Offline Maps - something new, a Bing-based application. I don’t use this, so I turn it off.
Default Apps - all standard apps are by default the new tiled “modern” apps. These can be changed to defer to the programs you like to use. In the case of photos, the original Windows Photo Viewer should still be there in an upgrade, and has more options than the new one. Editing programs, such as Paint, Photoshop, Corel, and others all install correctly and will show as options. For music and videos, players such as VLC and Media Player Classic work well, and install without problems. Win 10 hides Internet Explorer in favor of Edge, or your other browsers such as Chrome or Firefox. Change to what you want as the primary.
Under Devices:
Printers & scanners - just like the Control Panel, except an added button for deferring downloading drivers and apps over metered connections (hotel room, etc.)
Bluetooth - has more settings than previously shown in Win 7 or Win 8. Check and use as needed, or turn off.
Connected devices - shows monitors, speakers, microphone, etc.
Mouse & touchpad - mostly the same as previous versions.
Typing - adds a new set of controls - spelling, text suggestions, spacing, and auto-punctuation, for both physical and touch keyboards. Set as you feel you need.
Pen - shown on all installs, touch or standard. Set as needed, turn off if no touch exists. Doesn’t show on a VM install!
AutoPlay - set the default actions for inserted flash drives and memory cards. I like “open folder to view files”, but safer is “ask me every time”…
Under Network and Internet:
This combines several functions from the Control Panel. The important one is Manage Wi-Fi Settings. I suggest turning off “Connect to suggested open hotspots”. If you disabled everything in “Express Settings” Wi-Fi Sense will be turned off - this is a major sticking point right now - your Wi-Fi security settings and passwords are shared with anyone whom you network with - Facebook, Twitter, all the social places. Turn it off. Without a Micro$haft account, this is greyed out. In an upgrade setup, all previous wireless connections show here as well, with options to manage.
Data Usage is handy - it shows you how much traffic, wired and wireless, you use each month.
VPN, Dial-up and Proxy are as before.
Under Personalization:
Background, Colors, Lock Screen, Themes, and Start as before, but with some confusing listings. Screen timeout and Screen saver settings are under Lock Screen. Advanced sound, Desktop icons, and Mouse pointer are under Themes. Start lets you add the standard folders to the Start menu.
Under Accounts:
Disable “Sync your settings” unless you are using One Drive.
Under Time & language:
Very similar previous versions, with one addition - Speech. Accents and two default voices now are standard.
Under Ease of Access:
Narrator, Magnifier, High contrast, Closed captions, Keyboard, Mouse are somewhat enhanced. Adjust as needed.
Other options adds new Touch feedback settings, one which is handy for presentations.
Under Privacy:
It’s a big black hole. I turn off nearly everything except access for Voice recorder and Calendar. Look into every link and window. There are a bunch of things here that do not need to run. I turn off Feedback and set Diagnostic data to basic.
Background apps - I turn off everything except Alarms and Clock and Calendar. Xbox is here - use if you want. Remember, it too calls home, and may require other things to be enabled.
Under Update & security:
Windows Update is replaced here, and there are not a lot of options. Go to “Advanced options” and “Choose how updates are delivered” and uncheck the “Updates from more than one place”. This causes all updates to come from Micro$haft only, and not from a P-to-P or torrent cloud, which WILL eat up bandwidth without telling you. Also set “Install updates” to the middle of the night so it won’t interrupt you. It’s basically now impossible to customize updates like we used to be able to.
------------------------------------
If all of the differences annoy the crap out of you, do these changes, then get a copy of Start10 from Stardock and install it to override a lot of the stock Start settings and make things act “normal”. Another alternative is the free Classic Shell (classicshell.net).
If you like Win 10, and want to keep going with it, go to the All Apps -> Windows Administrative Tools -> Disk Cleanup and run it, including Clean Up System Files. Check everything. It will remove the 30-day rollback to your previous OS, plus all the other junk from the setup and all the previous OS files. I shrank the ASUS Slate install to 1/2 of its first installed size. I noticed similar drive space savings on several other upgraded rigs.
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Last edited by jenkins4; 12-10-15 at 21:29.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Beware, Microsoft plans to push Windows 10 on even more Windows 7 and 8 systems
Microsoft wants computer systems that run Windows 7 or 8 to be upgraded to Windows 10, there is no doubt about that The company projected that more than one billion Windows 10 devices will be running the new operating system in the next couple of years which is an ambitious goal even if you consider that this includes mobile devices and the Xbox.Windows 7 and 8 users who want to upgrade can do so easily, but those who don't, fight an seemingly endless battle against Windows 10 upgrade patches that prepares their systems for the upgrade.
This led to situations where Windows 10 was already downloaded to a PC despite the user being unaware of it.Two weeks ago, Microsoft pushed the Windows 10 upgrade forcefully to some systems and stated later that this happened by accident.A recent post on the official Windows Experience Blog indicates that the accident may soon become reality for millions of Windows 7 and 8 systems.
Microsoft plans to deliver Windows 10 as an optional update "soon in order to make it easier for users to find it.Optional updates are not installed by default but listed in Windows Update alongside recommended and important updates.
Then early next year, it plans to re-categorize Windows 10 as a recommended update which is a significant change as it will initiate the upgrade process automatically on systems configured to install recommended updates automatically just like important updates.While users will receive a prompt when that happens, so that they are not surprised that a new operating system has been installed on their device, it may be the safest to disable the automatic installation of recommended updates if you don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 on a computer running an older version of Windows. Microsoft notes that the upgrade can be rolled back in the first 31 days.
It is likely that users will be caught in the cross-fire when the change goes live. For some, it will make it easier to upgrade to Windows 10 -- there is no doubt about that. But for those users who don't want Windows 10, it may mean that Windows 10 will be downloaded to their system depending on the configured update settings of it.Considering that the response to Microsoft's Windows 10 upgrade accident was anything but positive, it is likely that the reactions this time will be even less so.
Control Windows Update
windows automatic updates
To verify the current update preferences on Windows 7, do the following:
Tap on the Windows-key.
Type Windows Update and hit enter. This should open the Windows Update interface.
Select "change settings" on the left side.
Uncheck "give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates" under "recommended options".
If you want, you may also switch from "install updates automatically (recommended)" to "check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" to be on the safe side.
On Windows 8, you need to do the following instead:
Swipe from the right edge of the screen, click on Settings, then Change PC Settings and finally on Update and recovery.
Select "choose how updates get installed".
Uncheck "give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates".
Optional: Change how updates are delivered under "important updates".
Other Windows 10 upgrade changes
Microsoft announced other changes coming to Windows 10 upgrades. The company's own Media Creation Tool will be upgraded soon to allow the creation of combined 32-bit and 64-bit installation images which administrators can install on any number of "genuine PCs" regardless of whether a previous version of Windows is installed on these devices as a valid Windows license will be accepted during installation.
For non-genuine versions of Windows, Microsoft plans to launch an experiment in the United States first which provides users of these systems with an opportunity to purchase a genuine copy of the operating system directly via Windows Store or by entering an activation code.
Microsoft planning to automatically offer Windows 10 to existing PCs
Windows 10 will be downloaded to Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines next year.
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Thank You jenkins4 for continuing to update myself & our members on this..
I dont have the time to check updates on what MS/& their Shenanigans are all about..
I thought it was maybe one should change one's browser supply between any of the Mozilla Browsers that you recommended before = Seamonkey, Waterfox, etc
Every darn time I seem to have probs when using ANY MOZILLA Browsers..
BOTH my PC's are much slower, & have a continual 'round blue circles', which makes me think >do my PCs have probs??
NOPE!
Maybe I selected months ago, to have no Auto UPDATES from MS.. /NOR ACCEPTED the NEW W10/9/8/ NOR ANY W7 UPDATES..
+ NOR Use CHROME, as a Browser...=== Now as I have chosen NOT to do so...
Maybe as the US owned companies of MS + GOGGLE in their combined efforts ............. etc...
NEVER PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN 1 Basket, eh jenkins4?
..
I'm advised to check out 'LINUX MINT'...
Apparently LINUX have overcome the problems they had yrs ago, when they first started, when so much software would not work with them, because of MS control..
Lets see jenkins4...
Perhaps, when you have time, you could start a NEW thread & advise me & our members on LINUX .. HERE;
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Thanks Ladybbird I have heard some people say they are going to check LINUX out as an alternative to microsoft windows and I have heard a few of them say they have come a long way and are really liking it but just haven't found the time to really look into it yet but hope to when I do find some time though.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenkins4
Thanks Ladybbird I have heard some people say they are going to check LINUX out as an alternative to microsoft windows and I have heard a few of them say they have come a long way and are really liking it but just haven't found the time to really look into it yet but hope to when I do find some time though.
That would be terrific jenkins4. A friend of mine said its much better than MS crap & LINUX MINT actually speeds up his internet !!!! which is great as our net service here is rubbish..
Post the info about it in the Gen. Downloads, but any offers in VIP ONLY please, so the 'Leechers' dont benefit. Its the least we can do to thank the few regular donators that help us keep this site going....
Thanks again for all your brilliant helpful posts/threads....
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
I am actually thinking about doing a $1,000.oo upgrade of my PC so that I can run Linux on my current set-up. Also if I want to run MS10 I need to UpGrade as it won't run properly on my current motherboard.
.
You know it is just a little thing according to MS ... Like really do I really really need to access the Internet? ... Of cause NOT MS ... Internet ??? I hardly even use it ... Actually what is the internet MS 'cause I think that I don't really even have that program on my PC. LOL
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Windows 10 update 1511 comes with a litany of bugs...
Here's another one to avoid! Rolling back to Windows 7 may be the only option for many... and if they keep forcing spyware updates to that, then all bets are off. The whole idea of Microsoft acting out “No need to adjust your computer, we are the ones in control” smacks ever more like a “Twilight Zone” episode.
Or am I thinking of HAL?
The classic phrase: “I’m sorry Dave – I can’t let you do that” comes to mind!
Anyway...
Microsoft’s Threshold Windows 10 update (v1511) comes with a litany of bugs:
Microsoft rolled out a massive Threshold 2 earlier this week as the first major update for Windows 10 that comes with significant improvements for both the operating system itself and the pre-installed apps. However, as always, the Microsoft engineers seemed to have bungled on a number of things. The update, which is supposed to be error free, brings additional woes to the Windows 10 users.
First and foremost, this massive 20GB update reinstalls the bloatware the Microsoft had shipped with Windows 10. Many users had removed apps that were shipped preinstalled in Windows 10 using the PowerShell commands, but after installing Threshold 2, all of them are brought back on your PC.
Second bug has been called the 44% bug by Gordon Kelly of Forbes. Many users who update are reportedly getting stuck at 44%. InfoWorld user Waseemulla S asked about this in the official Windows Forum and Microsoft moderator Softie Anannya Podder explained it may be to do with SD card issues:
“We’ve observed that some devices that have an SD bus with an SD card inserted while installing the Windows 10 November update will stop responding at 44%, and we are currently investigating the issue.”
Apparently, if you are advised to remove the SD card before updating Windows 10, however, those who use an SD card to make up for a lack of disk space will have to either free up space on their SD cards or buy a new higher capacity one to install the 20GB update.
Third bug with the update is that it deletes installed programs when it updates. Reddit user, supernoodles2011 noted on a Reddit thread that Threshold 2 is deleting a number of installed programs as it upgrades. A reddit user has noted that the deleted apps are found in Windows.old folder created by the update in the root drive and can be brought back from there. The apps being deleted are given below :
CPU-Z
Speccy
8gadgetpack
Cisco VPN client
SATA drivers
SpyBot
RSAT
F5 VPN
HWMonitor
PC meter
Java Eclipse Mars
Steam
Origin
Adobe CS
Android Studio
and many more.
For Lenovo Laptop/PC owners there is good news. Windows 10 Threshold 2 update apparently removes certain preinstalled software that was otherwise not removable.
Bug 4# The Windows 10 update is resetting your default Apps. The update also resets the file associations to default, so even if you installed Acrobat Reader to open PDF documents, Windows 10 Threshold 2 still uses Edge as the default option. A post on reddit reveals that Threshold is resetting the default apps on Windows 10 computers that are installing the updates, although such a change isn’t mentioned during the setup process. Microsoft has been guilty of this before, but your choices can easily be restored by going to: System > Default Apps and resetting it according to your choice.
In addition to above bugs, the Threshold 2 also creates a 20GB “windows.old” folder at the root of your C drive which will eat up your space if you dont delete it.
Also recent Windows 10 will have to queue for the Threshold 2 update according to Microsoft. The Microsoft FAQ page says that,
“If it’s been less than 31 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, you won’t get the November update right away; this will allow you to go back to your previous version of Windows if you choose. After the 31 days have passed, your PC will automatically download the November update.”
This could however be a blessing in disguise for these users as the Windows 10 Threshold 2 is filled with bugs which users could possibly avoid.
Coming on the release of information stating that "... Microsoft intends to make its Windows 10 updates... fall under critical category", the very same updates that exploit and send the personal information, and computer usage data of the user/owner of the Windows 10 machine and make them vulnerable to the massive information gathering that Microsoft feels it is entitled to, you have to, or at least should ask yourself, "Do I need these updates?" There is no data on what exactly these updates (all of them) do, either singly, or if you use them altogether. This could be the set of updates that reveal everything to Microsoft, except your brand of shampoo, although you could safely assume that Microsoft is working on that little problem, if there is a dollar to be made, and a machine to be had.
Microsoft has released patches for two critical security vulnerabilities that affect every supported version of Windows. The software giant released the patches Tuesday (November 10, 2015) as part of its monthly release of security updates. All users running Windows Vista and later - including Windows 10 - are affected by two flaws, which could allow an attacker to install malware on an affected machine.
The patch, MS15-112 addresses a memory corruption flaw in Internet Explorer. If exploited, an attacker could gain access to an affected machine, gaining the same access rights as the logged-in user, such as installing programs, and deleting data.
Users must be tricked or convinced into clicking a link, such as from an email or instant message, which opens a website that contains code that can exploit the flaw. The software giant's new Edge browser, which runs exclusively on Windows 10 machines, is also affected by the flaw, and has its own separate bulletin, MS15-113. Windows server systems - including users running the third-preview of Windows Server 2016 - are also at risk, but its enhanced security mode helps to mitigate the vulnerability.
The other patch affecting all versions of Windows, MS15-115, fixes a series of flaws that could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on an affected machine by exploiting how the operating system handles and displays fonts. Some of the flaws can only be triggered if an attacker logs on to the affected machine, but some can be triggered by the user visiting a web page that contains exploit code.
Quote:
Microsoft said the two flaws were not being publicly exploited by attackers.
The company said another critical flaw, MS15-114, is a flaw in Windows Journal that affects Windows Vista and Windows 7. The vulnerability can allow an attacker to remotely execute code on an affected computer if a user opens an exploitable file. Users running lower user privileges are less impacted. Microsoft also released eight other other patches - MS15-116 through to MS15-123 - for "important" issues relating to Microsoft Office, .NET Framework, and Skype.
November's patches will be available through the usual update channels.
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10 v1.5.0.35
Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10 v1.5.0.35
Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10 is a small utility designed to block and stop the various tracking (aka telemetry) issues that come with Windows 10.
Seeing the bunch of incomplete or broken scripts to disable tracking in Windows 10, and the tools that install adware or worse in exchange for their function, we wrapped disabling tracking up in a small tool that's free and clean. Might or might not become part of the next Spybot, since it's similar to immunization, but it's needed now, and it's still work in progress as more and more information evolves.
Change Log:
* Implemented /silent
* Added Office 15 (2013) Telemetry immunization (Group Policies & Scheduled Tasks)
* Added Office 16 (2016) Telemetry immunization (Group Policies & Scheduled Tasks)
* Hosts file block IP default changed from 127.0.0.1 to 0.0.0.0
* Added own group policy for hosts file read only flag
* Added own group policy for hosts file block IP
* Added own group policies for hiding each immunizer
* Added OpenSSL libraries to installer
* Added OpenSSL credits to About dialog
* Added own scheduled task
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Turn Off Suggested Start Menu app ads in Windows 10
If you have updated your Windows 10 to Version 1511, OS Build 10586.14, you will notice some Windows Store app ads being displayed under Suggested in the Start Menu. While they are merely some app suggestions, if you do not like them you can disable them or turn them off. These Suggested entries are shown in the same place where otherwise you see Recently added apps shown. If you have not added any apps recently, Microsoft will suggest Windows Store apps to you.
This post shows how you can disable or turn off the Suggested ads of Windows Store apps in Windows 10 Start Menu. You can turn off a particular app suggestion or turn off all suggestions.
Turn Off Suggested Start Menu app ads
Right click on the Suggested app. You will see the context menu offer you two options:
Don’t show this suggestion
Turn off all suggestions.
Make your choice and click on the entry.
There is another way and that is through the Settings.
Open Start Menu > Settings > Personalization > Start.
You will see a setting – Occasionally show suggestions in Start.
Move the switch to Off position.
The app suggestions will no longer be shown.
Drag your Start Menu from its edge to reduce the gap which now appears because of this.
Microsoft has said that they will continue to offer ads in Apps on Windows 10. Beyond that, they do not have plans for advertising in Windows 10. Start content is programmed by Microsoft to help customers learn and discover new features and apps to enhance their Windows 10 experience; app publishers are not paying to be featured.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
This app is no longer available notification in Windows 10
If you installed the November Update and upgraded Windows 10 to Version 1511, you may have received a This app is no longer available notification in your Action Center. Windows 10 will directly uninstall installed programs that it feels will not run, due to compatibility reasons.
This app is no longer available
When this happens and you see a message in the Notification center, it is the Windows Program Compatibility Assistant which it at work.
During the upgrade process, Windows scans for programs, that will not work on this version of the OS, after the upgrade and removes them. Although you may see their Program folders, their registry and other settings do not get backed up, as a result of which they stop working.
Clicking on the small arrow for more details, will show you details, why the application was uninstalled.
Clicking on Learn more takes you to the following web page, which doesn’t tell you much really and refers (still) to the Insider Preview.
If you miss the notifications, you may open the hidden Windows.old folder on your C Drive, where you will be able to see the removed programs.This happened to me, even though I was using the latest versions of the software. I reinstalled them and got them working.
If you see these notifications, you should download the latest versions of the apps and reinstall them. This should help you get your removed apps back on your system.
If the new build is not working for you, you can always go back to an earlier build of Windows 10.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Compact OS feature in Windows 10
Windows 10 includes a new feature called Compact OS. Using the built-in compact.exe tool, you can reduce the size of the operating system & run it from compressed files, similar to WIMBoot. This post talks about the Compact OS feature in Windows 10 and tells you how to compress the OS files to save the precious hard disk space.
Before talking about the compact feature in Windows 10, let’s take a quick look at the WIMBoot feature in Windows 8.1. The feature was brought in Windows 8.1 to let users save space on devices with lower memory. Windows 8.1, as such, takes about 9GB. If users implement WIMBoot, the device space occupied shrinks to 3GB.WIMBoot stands for Windows Image Boot. Instead of decompressing all the operating system files, it decompresses files as and when required and then again compresses them back to the INSTALL.WIM. The Install.wim file is about 3GB in size and allows plenty of space to be stored. Using this method, you don’t need a recovery file as the WIMBoot file (Install.wim) is used for restructuring the operating system when needed.
Windows 10 Compact OS feature
The WIMBoot feature discussed above is brought to Windows 10 with some modifications. The best part is that with Windows 10, you do not need a separate recovery file for a System Reset. Thus, around 6GB space is released for your apps and software.
The OS files are there and you will see that the operating system creates restore points at regular intervals or before downloading Windows 10 updates. The system restore points take up space.
Windows 10 will take around 3.x GB of space if compacted. Let’s say 1GB is allocated to System Restore. That way the operating system will take up a little more space. It is a good thing that Windows 10 allows you to set up how much storage do you wish to set apart for System Restore. Thus if compact Windows 10 takes up 3GB and you’ve set up 1GB for system restore, the total space occupied by the OS would be 4GB + space for page file.
You can set up the page file to be constant using System > Advanced Properties so that you know exactly how much space is the OS using.
Then there are Windows 10 updates installed on regular basis that will take up space. Thus, 4.x GB for OS with restore points and page file combined and another one or two GB for updates. Even with that, you are saving approx. 4 GB with the compact OS in Windows 10 – including page file, system restore points and Windows updates.
You can compact the Windows 10 OS while installing it or even after you have installed it. There are plenty of methods to compact Windows 10. I am mentioning two easiest methods below.
Using DISM command
This command will help you compact OS even as you are installing it. First format the hard disk and partition it as you want. Then apply the image file using the DISM command:
Once the image is applied to C drive, you use BCDBOOT command to specify the bootable partition:
BCDBOOT C:\WINDOWS
That done, reboot the computer to compact the OS.
Using COMPACT command
You can use the Compact.exe command if you have already installed Windows 10 on your computer. To enable Windows 10 system compression, type the following the command:
Compact /CompactOS: Always
Turn off Compact OS feature in Windows 10
You can simply use the Compact command to turn off the compact feature until you need it again. Use the following syntax:
Compact /CompactOS: Never
The Compact OS feature in Windows 10 is easy as you can see. Note that it might take up to 20-30 minutes when you run the COMPACT command to compress or decompress the files.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Windows 10 fails to update to v 1151: Error 0xC1900101 – 0x30018
If you have failed to upgrade Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 to Windows 10, or if your Windows 10 update to version 1511 has failed with error codes 0xC1900101 – 0x30018, then this post may shed some light on the subject.
We couldnt install Windows 10 0xC1900101 0x30018 SYSPREP
The message you see could be: We couldn’t install Windows 10. We’ve set your PC back to the way it was right before you started installing Windows 10. 0xC1900101 – 0x30018. The installation failed in the FIRST_BOOT phase with an error during SYSPREP operation
This problem was first noticed around August 2015, when users wanting to upgrade Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 to Windows 10 had faced this problem. Microsoft had responded to this issue, stating that: We are currently working with our partner companies to help update problematic drivers whenever they are identified. We understand that the inability to easily identify the incompatible driver can be incredibly frustrating and we are sorry for the inconvenience.
However, it appears that some users are facing this issue, even when they try to update Windows 10 to version 1511.
The Sysprep or System Preparation Tool is basically meant to automate the deployment of Windows operating system. Given this bit of information, here is what you may try:
1] Run System File Checker and DISM to repair corrupt System Image.
2] Some software like DAEMON Tools, TuneUp, Folder Locker software, etc, are known to interfere. Uninstall them and see if it helps. Make sure you unlock your folders first. Also disable your antivirus software and Firewall temporarily.
3] Remove all connected USB devices – this excludes the keyboard.
4] In case you are well-versed with the Windows OS, then you may take a look at these hidden log files. They may offer some direction to work on:
5] If nothing helps, if you received this error while using Windows Update, use the Media Creation Tool and see if that make the installation go through.
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System Restore Manager is a freeware portable utility which allows you to completely manage your Windows system restore points and customize its options.
UPDATE 18.02.2011: System Restore Manager v2.0 has been released. Change log here.
System Restore Manager
Using System Restore Manager, you can:
Create a Restore Point on the fly, by clicking the Create Button
Restore your Windows PC to a prior restore point. Just select a Restore Point from the list and click the Restore Button. This will Restart your computer and launch the Restore Process
See all the available restore points
Selectively remove Restore Points you don’t want and save the one’s you want. Just select a Restore Point from the list and click the Delete Button
Select a Drive and change the maximum amount of disk space to use, System Restore can use. On Windows 7, the default is 5% of available disk space.
Change the System Restore Point Creation Interval. On Windows 7, the default is 24 Hours
Change the Restore Point Time to Live. The default is 90 days,on Windows 7.
System Restore Manager has been developed by me for the Windows Club and has been tested on Windows 7. If you wish to give feedback please visit TWCF.
Download links: For French version | For German version.
The application has a Donate button and if you feel that this application is worth supporting, just click the Donate Button. The donations go to the developer and no part of this donation will come to The Windows Club.
Create System Restore Point, Restore computer using System Restore in Windows 10 / 8 / 7
These links may also interest you:
Troubleshoot: System Restore not working
Guide : Customize Windows Vista System Restore Options.
Related Posts:
Selectively delete System Restore Points with QRM Plus Manager
Windows Vista System Restore Customization Options
System Restore Points deleted or go missing in Windows 7 / 8 / 10
Create System Restore Point, Restore computer using System Restore in Windows 10 / 8 / 7
GameSave Manager: Easily backup, save and restore game progress
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10 released
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10 has been released. This tweaking software adds several new tweaks for the new operating system. Those of you who have upgraded to Windows 10, would definitely want to use it to judiciously tweak your Windows 10 and personalize your computing experience. With judicious tweaking, it can make your system faster, more stable, personal and more secure with just a few mouse clicks.
While you may be able to access all these via the Windows 10 Settings app, the Registry Editor or the Group Policy Editor, Ultimate Windows Tweaker makes things easier for you by offering all useful tweaks from its single UI.
This tweaker is just 495 KB in size and includes over 200 tweaks. Like its predecessors, UWT 4.0 sports a clean minimalistic UI, offering links in the left panel, and tabs on the top, in some categories. Hover over any tweak and helpful tool tips will tell you what the tweak does.
What is new
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10 adds several new tweaks. Here are the highlights:
Seeing the concerns being raised about privacy issues, several tweaks have been added under a new Privacy section.
Many new tweaks in Context Menu for Store Apps to support Windows 10.
The empty.ico file is not required now for “Remove Shortcut Arrows From Icons” to function properly
It calculates Windows Experience Index from the main page. Click on Run assessment to recalculate the WEI.
You can Run DISM command to fix corrupted system image
You can now pin Drives to Desktop Context Menu
Many new tweaks to customize Windows 10
Newly designed interface with command link buttons
Hover over a tweak, and get the description at the bottom of the tweaker.
All the tweaks have been neatly categorized as follows:
System Information: When you open UWT4 you will get to see some basic information about your system like Operating system version, Build, System Type, Processor, Installed RAM, Computer name, User name and the WEI Score, etc. You also have a buttons to open Recovery Options, run DISM, run the System File Checker or create a System Restore Point.
Customization: Under this category you will be able to tweaks settings of your Taskbar, Thumbnails, File Explorer and the Modern UI. You can opt to use Light or dark theme for OS or apps, disable Start animations, use default or change Battery Date & Time flyouts or change the Volume Control, show or hide Frequent folders or Recent files, etc.
User Accounts: Under the User Accounts tab, you will be able to change your User Account settings, Logon information and sign in options. You can also change the User Account Control settings here.
Performance tweaks: The Performance tab offers tweaks to optimize Windows 10 to best suit your requirements. While most of these settings are best left at their default values, this panel gives you quick access to change them, should you wish to.
Security tweaks: Harden your Windows 10 by changing some settings. If you want to restrict access to some Control Panel applets like Windows Updates you can do so easily. There is a new Privacy tab, where you can disable Telemetry, Biometrics, Advertising ID, Bing search, Cortana, Windows Update sharing, Feedback requests, password Reveal button, Steps Recorder, Inventory Collector and Application Telemetry.
Internet Explorer: Tweak your Internet Explorer 11 when you open this section. Tweak IE’s appearance and behavior.
Context Menu tweaks: Add Windows Store apps, features and useful functions to the right-click context menu. Add Scan with Windows Defender, Clear Clipboard, all built-in default Windows Store apps and more to the context menu.
Additional system tweaks: Under this category, you will see some additional system and Network tweaks. You can also set UWT to behave the way you want it too. By default, when you apply a tweak and click Apply, UWT4 will automatically restart explorer.exe to apply the tweak. Change its behavior if you wish.
About tab: Here apart from the License Agreement, you will see some useful links. If you need to submit bugs, visit the About page and use the Submit Bugs link. If you need support, you can use the Support link or visit our TWC Forum. Clicking on the Check for Update button will inform you if any updates are available. You can then visit the home page to download the latest version.
How to use Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4
It is completely portable and does not require to be installed.
Once you have downloaded the zip file, extract its contents and move the program folder to your desired location. Pin its executable file to your Start Menu for easy access. Do not separate out the contents of the download as it is important that the contents stay in the same folder.
Create a system restore point first. You can use the Create Restore Point button which UWT offers. We insist you create one, before using the tweaker, so that you can revert back should you feel the need to.
Tweakers are meant for users who what they are doing. We recommend that you do not over-tweak your system at one go. It is our experience that many people just apply all the tweaks at one go, but don’t remember which tweak was responsible for some change they wish to reverse. We suggest you apply tweaks for only 1 category every day, see how your system performs, before moving on to apply more tweaks.
To apply the tweak, check or uncheck the box as the case may be. Once you have selected one or more tweaks, click on the Apply button. Some tweaks may apply instantaneously. If just an explorer restart is required, your explorer will restart automatically, and the tweaks will be applied. If a system restart is required, when you exit the application, you will be reminded to restart your computer.
Features:
Easy to use user interface
Tool tips offer you guidance as to what the tweak does.
Offers accessible buttons to create a system restore point and restore default values
Tiny tool, super lightweight at just around 495 KB
Power-packed with 200+ meaningful tweaks
Portable tweaker. Does not require to be installed. To uninstall it simply delete its program folder
Does not contain any adware, nor does it push crapware – and we promise not to, ever!
Report Bugs by simply using the button in the About tab. Else visit this page.
Support available at TWC Forum.
Checks for available update. Click the button in the About tab to do so. If any are found, download the latest version from this home page.
List of Tweaks: Go here to see the complete list of over 200 tweaks available in UWT4.
Image Gallery: To see its user interface and all that it has to offer, check out the image gallery of UT4.
Like the other 75+ freeware released by us, Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 (UWT4) is a clean freeware and does not include any 3rd-party offers nor does it push crapware.
UWT has received rave reviews and coverage in the online and offline media and has been labelled as the best system tweaker for Windows.
NOTE: Some security software may report it as being suspect. This is because the tweaker changes Windows system setting. Rest assured that it is a false-positive. You will have to add it to your exceptions list and allow it, if you trust us.
Download
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4.0.1.0 for Windows 10 has been developed by Paras Sidhu, for TheWindowsClub.com. It supports Windows 10, 32-bit & 64-bit and Internet Explorer 11. It requires.NET Framework 4 to work, which comes pre-installed in Windows 10.
Windows 7 & Windows Vista users should continue to use Ultimate Windows Tweaker 2.2, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 should continue to use Ultimate Windows Tweaker 3.
Facing Windows 10 problems? Our FixWin 10 for Windows 10 will help you fix issues with a click.
Related Posts:
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 3 for Windows 8
Ultimate Windows Tweaker v 2.2, a Tweak UI for Windows 7 & Vista
Metro UI Tweaker for Windows 8 Released
Tweak Taskbar Button & Thumbnail sizes with W7 Taskbar Tweaker
Tweak & customize Internet Explorer with Tweak IE
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Oh it gets even better... This article from GHacks...
Quote:
Windows 7 and 8 users have been plagued by "upgrade preparation" updates but left alone otherwise up until recently when it comes to this new level of data collecting.
This changed recently with the release of several updates for both operating systems that step up the game.
KB3068708 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry - This update introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. By applying this service, you can add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights. (Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1)
KB3022345 (replaced by KB3068708) Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry - This update introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to in-market devices. By applying this service, you can add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet been upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights. (Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1)
KB3075249 Update that adds telemetry points to consent.exe in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 - This update adds telemetry points to the User Account Control (UAC) feature to collect information on elevations that come from low integrity levels. (Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1)
KB3080149 Update for customer experience and diagnostic telemetry - This package updates the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. This service provides benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights. (Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1)
If these updates are installed on the system, data is sent to Microsoft regularly about various activities on it.
Microsoft lists two host names in KB3068708 that data is received from and sent to:
It's important to use the numerical IPs because those resolve through more than one server (for example, the settings one resolves through onesettings-cy2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net!!)
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Seems that the W10 upgrade files are showing up on people's machines via Windows Update, basically unannounced.
Quote:
Windows 10 installer could be on your PC whether you want it or not
By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for ZDNet
Microsoft is pushing the Windows 10 installer files to users who have not requested them just in case they decide to upgrade.
An eagle-eyed reader of The Inquirer spotted a folder containing the multi-gigabyte Windows 10 upgrade files on their PC.
Microsoft was quick to confirm that the Windows 10 installer files are being delivered via the Windows Update mechanism.
"For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they'll need if they decide to upgrade.
"When the upgrade is ready, the customer will be prompted to install Windows 10 on the device."
If you plan on upgrading then this is a handy feature, but if you're happy with your existing Windows installation then this spirited (and somewhat forceful) move brings with it a number of potential downsides:
It consumes bandwidth while it is being downloaded (and this could be happening over a capped or metered connection if the user hasn't identified the connection as such)
The users gets no say in whether these installer files are downloaded
It consumes several gigabytes of disk space once downloaded
It nags you to upgrade on each reboot
Microsoft has produced documentation on how to manage and disable the Windows 10 upgrade (/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3080351), although I doubt that this is something that many regular users would come across.
I understand that Microsoft wants to make the jump to Windows 10 as pain-free as possible for its users, and I'm also aware that the company wants to get as many people using the operating system as possible. There's also taking things too far, and this feels as though it crosses the line from being helpful to taking advantage of user's bandwidth and storage (not to mention seeming too desperate for conversions).
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
GWX Control Panel
GWX Control Panel - rid yourself of the upgrade nag.
Check this free tool out - GWX Control Panel. Written by a real geek - seems to do the job. This way you can rid yourself of the prying "upgrade me" that W10 has become.
Get the standalone - requires no install, just a reboot.
On his blog he states that if it shows back up later, after new updates, run it again, and if it doesn't work, he should have a new version soon to fix that.
This guy is also an audiophile, and has a tool to fix VST plugin problems.
Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Big Brother on You PC- The "Free" Windows 10
An Operating System that gathers data on everything you do
By Mark Blackwood
August 10, 2015
Microsoft launched the latest version of its Windows operating system (OS) on July 29, promoting the event as the largest software update ever. Unlike previous releases, the new version has been offered by Microsoft to all domestic users as a free upgrade. Over 14 million users are reported to have downloaded and installed it within the first 24 hours of its release.
One question that remains unanswered, however, is: out of the 14 million who upgraded in the first 24 hours, how many had the time to read and study the 45 page privacy policy and service agreement in the End User License Agreement (EULA) prior to installation?
Following the customary corporate fanfare that generally accompanies a Windows OS release, reports rapidly emerged about marked changes to the company’s privacy policy and service agreement. The new agreement, by default, effectively gives permission for Microsoft to monitor users’ activities via the use of keylogger type spyware.
Spyware is software that enables the information about a computer and the activities that take place on it to be transmitted covertly from their hard drive to another computer. A keylogger is a type of spyware or surveillance software created to log every keystroke made on the infected machine.
A keylogger like the one in Windows 10 can record instant messages, emails, search requests, credit card details, the contents of documents and spreadsheets, or anything else that is typed on a keyboard. The log file created by the keylogger can then be sent to the designated receiver, in this case Microsoft.
According to the Guardian, the default settings of Windows 10 also permit Microsoft to control a user’s bandwidth in order to “upload data to other computers running the operating system, share Wi-Fi passwords with online friends and remove the ability to opt out of security updates.”
The main reason Microsoft wants to monitor its users en masse is to monetize information about them and their habits. With 90 percent of the world’s laptops and PCs running a Windows operating system, the company’s monopoly position gives it a huge potential for harvesting data on its customers and emulate the likes of Google and Apple.
According to Heini Järvinen, Community and Communications Manager at European Digital Rights, “Microsoft basically grants itself very broad rights to collect everything you do, say and write with and on your devices in order to sell more targeted advertising or to sell your data to third parties. The company appears to be granting itself the right to share your data either with your consent ‘or as necessary’.”
Many users, when installing Windows 10, will not know how to configure it to prevent the automatic installation of the new default software. Moreover, the vast majority of PC and laptop users download and install software without fully reading the EULA.
Web developer Jonathan Porta described the tactics used by Microsoft during the installation process of its OS, “Everything about this screen is urging me to just accept the default configuration and get on with life. … With all of these settings on these two screens enabled I might as well relocate my computer to Microsoft headquarters and have the entire company look over my shoulder.”
What makes Microsoft’s new operating system all the more concerning is the corporation’s close relationship with the National Security Agency (NSA) and FBI, which have been engaged in the systematic and illegal violation of the democratic rights of computer users for years.
In 2014, NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden described the aim of his employer as wanting to “collect it all”—in other words, capture the entire content of the world’s Internet activity in order to analyze and profile all potential opponents of the American government, above all, political opposition from the working class.
Snowden revealed the depth of collaboration between the NSA and Microsoft (and other IT corporations) as they sought to monitor and collect data on users of Microsoft products. Documents sent via Outlook.com, Skype and SkyDrive were monitored. Microsoft even worked with the NSA to create a backdoor to its own encryption software to ensure the agency’s fullest possible access to user data.
Rather than be greeted with excitement for being a free operating system upgrade, the question that should be asked by everyone is why is a corporation like Microsoft, with such history, is so willing to give out this operating system for free.
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems
Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems
Windows 7 runs on 55% of all the computers on the planet, but according to news this week that is actually a bad and potentially dangerous thing. Says who? Actually Microsoft MSFT -1.82%…
Speaking to Windows Weekly, Microsoft Marketing chief Chris Capossela explained that users who choose Windows 7 do so “at your own risk, at your own peril” and he revealed Microsoft has concerns about its future software and hardware compatibility, security and more.
“We do worry when people are running an operating system that’s 10 years old that the next printer they buy isn’t going to work well, or they buy a new game, they buy Fallout 4, a very popular game, and it doesn’t work on a bunch of older machines,” Capossela stated. “And so, as we are pushing our ISV [Independent Software Vendor] and hardware partners to build great new stuff that takes advantage of Windows 10 that obviously makes the old stuff really bad and not to mention viruses and security problems.”
He also stressed it is “so incredibly important to try to end the fragmentation of the Windows install base” and to get users to a “safer place”.
There’s only one problem with Capossela’s statements: they are complete rubbish.
Windows 7 is no less secure than Windows 10 (it will be supported until 2020) and no less compatible with new hardware and software. In fact its far greater market share means it is developers’ priority and has greater compatibility with legacy programmes and peripherals. If Fallout 4 won’t run on your Windows 7 computer, it will be upgrading your components not installing Windows 10 which fixes that.
As for fragmentation, the only issue that creates is for Microsoft and its target of getting one billion devices running Windows 10 within 2-3 years of release. And this is where the true motivation for Capossela’s statements become clear:
“We think every machine that is capable of running Windows 10 we should be doing everything we possibly can to get people to move to Windows 10…We are going to try to find that right balance, but we just know there’s a lot of people out there who constantly kick the can down the street without a little bit more of a, frankly, a push.
And so, there’s no doubt with a base as big as ours, it is hard to move anyone to a new model without angering some people. We don’t want to anger anybody, but we do feel a responsibility to get people to a much better place, and Windows 10 is a much better place than Windows 7. We will always give you a way out, but we’re trying to find the right threat balance.”
This phrase – “threat balance” – is telling. Microsoft has been cranking up the pressure on Windows 7 and Windows 8 users to upgrade and, in my opinion, the ‘balance’ was replaced by ‘threat’ a long time ago due to mandatory Windows 10 downloads, automatic upgrade attempts and now Capossela’s claims which add up to nothing more than deliberate misinformation designed to unsettle users.
At its core Windows 10 is a very capable operating system with immense promise but it is also overly controlling and I can respect those Windows 7 and Windows 8 users who choose to stay where they are. And this is the part Microsoft has forgotten: technically it keeps giving users a choice, but by enforcing nagging pop-ups, cutting opt-out options and spreading groundless fear for the average user it appears there is no choice at all…
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Re: MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Microsoft: Windows 10 Redstone Features “Will Change Everything”
Redmond starts teasing new Windows 10 features
Windows 10 Redstone is already an exciting update for the core operating system, given the fact that it’ll bring browser extensions to users, but it appears that Microsoft is working on something that’s even more exciting than that.
Although development has already started behind closed doors, Microsoft executives are now teasing some of the new features on Twitter, thus trying to suggest that something unexpected will come. Something “that will change everything,” as they say.
"“You are all gonna freak out!”"
First of all, it’s Rich Turner, Senior Program Manager on the Windows team, who has posted a teaser and who says, as Neowin notes, that he got to “play with the new Windows 10 features and you are all gonna FREAK Out when you see this.” While he hasn’t provided any new details regarding these features, it’s very clear that at least an early version has been created, and the chances are that he’s not talking about browser extensions.
Scott Hanselman, Principal Program Manager and Community Architect on the Azure Application Platform and Tools group, has also joined the teasing frenzy and revealed that these features “are going to CHANGE EVERYTHING.” Again no details, but Turner has added that more specifics will be provided during the BUILD developer conference kicking off this month.
“These features (I know what this is because I'm helping) are going to CHANGE EVERYTHING. No joke. You can't even,” Hanselman has tweeted.
While it’s clearly too early to speculate on what exactly Microsoft’s officials are referring to, there’s no doubt that Redstone is going to be quite an exciting release for everyone on Windows 10.
Redstone is projected to make its public debut in June, but work has already started, and insiders are getting preview builds to try out new features. An upcoming build is likely to bring support for browser extensions, one of the features that are also supposed to be part of the final release later this year.
Quote:
Redmond starts teasing new Windows 10 features
Windows 10 Redstone is already an exciting update for the core operating system, given the fact that it’ll bring browser extensions to users, but it appears that Microsoft is working on something that’s even more exciting than that.
Although development has already started behind closed doors, Microsoft executives are now teasing some of the new features on Twitter, thus trying to suggest that something unexpected will come. Something “that will change everything,” as they say.
"“You are all gonna freak out!”"
First of all, it’s Rich Turner, Senior Program Manager on the Windows team, who has posted a teaser and who says, as Neowin notes, that he got to “play with the new Windows 10 features and you are all gonna FREAK Out when you see this.” While he hasn’t provided any new details regarding these features, it’s very clear that at least an early version has been created, and the chances are that he’s not talking about browser extensions.
Scott Hanselman, Principal Program Manager and Community Architect on the Azure Application Platform and Tools group, has also joined the teasing frenzy and revealed that these features “are going to CHANGE EVERYTHING.” Again no details, but Turner has added that more specifics will be provided during the BUILD developer conference kicking off this month.
“These features (I know what this is because I'm helping) are going to CHANGE EVERYTHING. No joke. You can't even,” Hanselman has tweeted.
While it’s clearly too early to speculate on what exactly Microsoft’s officials are referring to, there’s no doubt that Redstone is going to be quite an exciting release for everyone on Windows 10.
Redstone is projected to make its public debut in June, but work has already started, and insiders are getting preview builds to try out new features. An upcoming build is likely to bring support for browser extensions, one of the features that are also supposed to be part of the final release later this year.
"You are all gonna FREAK OUT": Microsoft program managers tease new Windows 10 features
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Microsoft Releases Mysterious Windows Update with No Details About What It Does
KB3103709 is specifically aimed at Windows 8.1 users
KB3103709 is one of the updates released by Microsoft as part of this month’s Patch Tuesday rollout, but as compared to the typical Windows patch, this one comes with zero information about its content or purpose. So while users are being offered this update, nobody can tell for sure what it does.
Specifically, KB3103709 is only offered to computers running Windows 8.1 and is listed as optional, so users need to manually select it when installing updates via Windows Update. But if they do, it’s nearly impossible to say what it changes, although Woody Leonhard of InfoWorld says that at least one user claimed that a Windows 10 upgrade popup was spotted after installing the update.
Windows 10 is offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs and Microsoft uses patches shipped via Windows Update to let users know about their promo, to prepare computers for the upgrade, but also to “nag” them every once in a while to make the move.
On the other hand, there are some posts that KB3103709 is actually related to Microsoft’s Active Directory Services given some of the files included in the archive, but with a confirmation from Microsoft, it’s nearly impossible to tell this for sure.
"The Windows 10 upgrade push"
It wouldn’t be the first time when Microsoft rolls out a patch that’s supposed to bring more upgrade notifications on computers running an older version of Windows.
Previously, the company has implemented a popup notification system in an Internet Explorer security patch offered as recommended, with users of the browser getting a message to upgrade to Windows 10 whenever they opened a new tab.
But for the moment, it’s not clear if this update is related in any way to the Windows 10 upgrade push, so we’ve reached out to Microsoft to ask for an answer and will update the article should an answer be provided.
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Microsoft Releases Windows 10 Emulator Try it from your Browser
See the top Windows 10 features in your browser
Microsoft has just launched what it calls a Windows 10 emulator that’s supposed to show you the advantages of the new operating system and let you see them in action to decide whether an upgrade is worthy or not.
Although it’s called an “emulator,” this new website is more of a portal that contains details about Windows 10’s features, showing info and videos that present the most important options in the operating system at work.
You can thus get to meet Cortana, find out more about the new Start menu and pretty much everything else about Windows 10 from this page, and Microsoft believes that all of these should help you make a decision on whether you should install the new OS or not.
There are 11 topics on the website, and each comes with at least one video, so you should easily figure out what Windows 10 is all about. Of course, a genuine emulator that would actually let you try out Windows 10 in your browser would have been a much better idea, but this clearly involves more work, and Redmond just wanted to go the easy way.
"1 billion devices running Windows 10 by 2017"
Microsoft has a goal of bringing Windows 10 on 1 billion devices by 2017, so every little thing matters when it comes to its efforts to convince more users to upgrade.
Back at Build 2016 developer conference, the company revealed that there were 270 million devices upgraded to Windows 10, and while it emphasized that this is the fastest adoption Windows version ever, it looks quite difficult to reach the aforementioned 1 billion devices goal.
Windows 10 remains available free of charge to users of Windows 7 and 8.1 until July 29, and enterprises should also begin the transition later this year, so Microsoft expects adoption figures to continue growing in the coming months.
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Microsoft reportedly installing Windows 10 without consent -- again
We all know that Microsoft is using increasingly aggressive -- and desperate -- tactics to get people to upgrade to its newest operating system. A month ago it switched the update status from 'optional' to 'recommended', and last week it snuck Windows 10 advertising into a security patch.
So what dirty trick is next? Well, according to Reddit, it’s installing the OS without user consent -- and without much warning -- and hiding the decline button to make it much harder to abort the process.
One Redditor describes the situation like this:
Yep, went afk and saw this message box that said something like "Your update is ready! Restarting and installing in 13 minutes". If I made myself a meal or watched TV, I would have had Windows 10. Oh, and the best part is how they hid the "Decline" button in the more info button.
Another user says:
Yep this happened to me this morning. Working and all of a sudden Windows closed all my programs, logged me out and started the upgrade. I quickly shut down my computer and was able to stop it but my son wasn't so lucky. Same thing happened to him today.
It is very concerning that they have this kind of access to push these updates without our consent. What else is being pushed through our computers or being pulled off in the background without us knowing?
It’s likely, of course, that these unwanted installations have happened due to Windows 10 now being a recommended update. If your system is set to install all recommended updates -- y’know, for security purposes -- then you’ll receive Windows 10.
If you have been a victim of Microsoft installing an unwanted operating system on your PC, there is good news -- you can easily uninstall Windows 10 and go back to Windows 7 or 8.1, provided you act within 30 days.
You don’t mind wasting your time removing an operating system you never asked for, right?
Of course, it’s fair to say Microsoft will, at some point, put Windows 10 on your PC again, probably using some other underhand method to sneak it on there.
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Microsoft to patch Windows 10 photo importing
Microsoft will release an update for Windows 10 on the next Patch Tuesday (May 10th, 2016) that fixes a photo import issue in the system's official Photos application.
The bug prevents some memory card readers from working properly when the Photos application is being used (which it is by default).
Particularly, SATA-attached readers, which you find used by multi-slot readers and on many laptops, don't work from within the Photos application while USB connected readers, USB Card readers or direct USB connections, work fine.
Support threads on Microsoft's official Answers forum highlight the frustrating issue with users stating that they cannot import photos to their Windows 10 device from their camera or card readers.
The memory card readers are listed by the Windows 10 operating system and many users help themselves by importing photos using the operating system's File Explorer application instead.
While that gets the photos on the PC, the transfer rate when using File Explorer is a lot worse than the transfer rate that the Photos application gets. The reason for this is that the Photos application uses a new API which improves transfer speed during imports significantly.
A transfer test of 1700 photo and video clips using an iPhone 6s connected to devices running Windows 10 using File Explorer and the Photos app, and the import tool on Windows 7 highlights the issue:
* Explorer copy/paste took 15 minutes 4s
* The old Vista/Win7 import took 4 minutes 17s
* The Windows 10 Photos app took 1 minute 35s
It shows that the new Windows 10 Photos api improves the import transfer speed significantly, and that Explorer transfers are roughly 10 times slower on Windows 10 when compared to the Photos application import, and four times slower when the import tool on Windows 7 is being used.
The patch corrects the SATA card reader bug that Windows 10 users experience when they connect certain memory cards readers to PCs running the operating system.
The patch is already live on Insider Builds of Windows 10.
Photo importing on Windows 10 had quite a few problems associated with it (all listed fixed by now, on May 10th, or with the Anniversary Update this Summer):
* A firmware bug in Nikon and Fuji cameras that prevented them from working properly when connected to Windows 10. The issue has been resolved by now.
* An upgrade bug that removed access rights to the Documents folder which affected the Pictures folder thus preventing photo imports.
* Early device compatibility issues prevented the Photo app to work with some devices.
* SATA card readers don't work with the Photos app (will be fixed this Patch Day).
* There is still an issue where the Photos app displays all card reader slots, even those without a media inserted, which might confuse users as they will see G:\, H:\, I:\, J:\ etc on multi-slot readers.
* Last, the new Apple “Live Images” – which really are a JPEG + a short .MOV, are identified as videos in the Photos app thumbnails where you can select/deselect pictures to import.
The last two issues are corrected in the API and will be available with this Summer's Anniversary Update (already available on recent Insider Builds).
Takeaway: If you want to import photos on a device running Windows 10, use the official application as it is a lot faster this way.
Last edited by jenkins4; 29-04-16 at 02:58.
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MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
Windows 10 Spying Functions
MSoft. W7/8/10 SPYING On Pirates =FIX/ RESOLUTION
PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL
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