Windows Telemetry Rolls Out 527
ihtoit writes: Last week came the warning, now comes the roll out. One of the most most controversial aspects of Windows 10 is coming to Windows 7 and 8. Microsoft has released upgrades which enable the company to track what a user is doing. The updates – KB3075249, KB3080149 and KB3068708 – all add "customer experience and diagnostic telemetry" to the older versions. gHacks points out that the updates will ignore any previous user preferences reporting: "These four updates ignore existing user preferences stored in Windows 7 and Windows 8 (including any edits made to the Hosts file) and immediately starts exchanging user data with vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com."
Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Bollocks. Go wash your mouth out with SOAP.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Interesting)
surely they know what they're doing and it's all for a better customer experience.
Oh, absolutely! Windows 10 is great!
So far, Windows 10 has reminded me repeatedly that I should: (1) Consider getting Office 365! (2) Consider installing Skype! (3) Should collect and use Bing Rewards! (4) That I should look into getting an Xbox! (5) That I should buy things from the Microsoft Store!
If I didn't like to play PC games, I'd have gotten a Mac instead. Microsoft is displaying some of the most ballsy behavior I've seen since the 1990's. The outright obnoxious behavior and contempt they're showing for their users astonishes me. I feel like the old anti-competitive, monopolistic Microsoft is back.
So much for Windows 10 being a good release. *sigh*
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Informative)
Pretty sure the commentor is talking about the live tiles that are installed and active by default. I didn't take kindly to tiles showing me Justin Beiber tweets and Candy Crush Saga.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Informative)
Nope.
I installed the pro edition via the upgrade offer from Win7. I got the "Get Office" app preinstalled, and it periodically advertises Office 365.
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Sounds like minor annoyances. My favorite MS fiasco from the 1990s is the OS/2 2.0 fiasco for example.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Insightful)
7 was good. 8 was crap. they skipped 9. the 'good' version we should have had and went right to 10. which is crap.
the pattern still holds and will not be fooled by the numbers.
so now we have to wait for 11. but there won't be an 11. just forever updates to 10 sticking that windows store deeper into your ass.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Interesting)
No kidding. Windows 10 is basically taking a page right from Microsoft's 1990s playbook and then amping it up to eleven. It is a blatant attempt by MS to leverage Windows to try to lock people into their other software and services, all of which except for XBox would be rightfully be abysmal marketplace failures.
- Attempting to force excrement like Cortana, their "cloud" service crap, the shitty Windows store, subscriptions, etc. down user's throats by basically attempting to tie them into the OS.
- For good measure, rename what should really just be called Internet Explorer 12 into Edge, and act like people won't notice.
- Spyware ingrained into the OS on every level, and sticking basically advertisement shit right onto the miniaturized start screen that they are trying to pass off as a start menu.
- Holding DirectX 12 hostage, because most power users would otherwise not bother upgrading from Windows 7. Then basically backporting the Spyware into Windows 7 in an attempt to get the holdouts to say "I may as well upgrade since they're spying on me anyway.
This is the same shit that almost got MS broken up in 2000. They should have been broken up then, had justice actually been done. The United States no longer has the cojones to go after Microsoft again, but I hope that the EU catches on and smacks MS down hard for this. Not holding my breath though.
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St Fu and install Linux.
I'm still running XP on a >10 year old desktop that's still healthy, and at this point in time I have absolutely zero intention of upgrading the OS for any reason. If the box dies and I have to rebuild it, it'll have some flavor of Linux on it, and damn the consequences. The one or two applications I have that don't have a Linux version will just have to run through WINE I guess. I'm not putting up with this bullshit. Microsoft can go fuck themselves.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact that someone, somewhere, sucks worse is not a defense. Also, no other company is:
1- As far reaching.
2- Trusted with as many DESKTOP (read, vastly more important than "some webapp" or "some phone") hardwarez.
Microsoft doing this is vastly worse than when other companies do it. Especially because almost everyone bitching about this actually uses Windows to at least some degree, and often doesn't use the other things, or carefully monitors their exposure to them. No safe computing will save you from a malicious OS.
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It would be fun to see Microsoft hauled up in court for keylogging computers at a hospital. I wonder how many HIPAA violations all the telemetry would accumulate in a single eight-hour workday on just one computer.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Interesting)
I know this is stupid. But one of the things I don't like about Windows 10 is how it talks to me. Christ I must be getting old but I HATE the fake "I'm trying to talk to you like a friend" language that seems to pervade the system.
One that actually made my blood boil was the "restart needed due to updates" language. I'm paraphrasing here but it was something like "Hi, I need to schedule a restart of windows to complete the upgrade. I was think about a time you don't really seem to use your computer much. How does 3am sound?"
I obviously have some wiring wrong but that just annoys me so so much.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not even sure it is particularly condescending as it is overly familiar / fake. It is also the pretending my machine is a person.....
Actually I just went and found the exact wording. "We'll schedule a restart during a time you usually don't use your device (right now 3:30 AM tomorrow looks good)."
Firstly, who the fuck is we? Is this like the royal We? Or does the fact that my computer has a multi-core cpu now mean that it has multiple personas inside that need to agree and they are on a par with humans?
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft and the NSA ;-)
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Funny)
There was an old joke from communist times.
"Why do we need two layer toilet paper?"
"One layer for you , the other for the KGB archive"
After the changes
"The toilet paper now has 3 layers!"
"It's for your comfort and the extra copy for the NSA archive"
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Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Funny)
Or does the fact that my computer has a multi-core cpu now mean that it has multiple personas inside that need to agree and they are on a par with humans?
"Windows 10: Your computer, run by committee"
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Ok Teckla, you have been called out by an AC to prove you experienced the actions you claimed.
Be here behind the school at 6 o'clock with the proof, or be branded a liar for eternity!
Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Informative)
Citations or screenshots please. I have Win10 on three PCs I use all the time and have not seen any of the bs you're talking about.
You're lucky. For those not so lucky, they can Google how to disable some of the bad behaviors.
As a freebie, here's how you disable the Office 365 advertising in Windows 10:
Start > Settings > System > Notifications & actions > Scroll down to "Show notifications from these apps" > Get Office > Off.
Microsoft knows non-technical people aren't likely to find and disable this kind of obnoxious behavior, so they'll be stuck with obnoxious "Get Office 365!" notifications forever. As well as the other things I mentioned.
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Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Interesting)
Google "Get Office Notifications" and you'll see that plenty of people ARE getting those notifications. Perhaps you have a different edition or missed an update.
Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Informative)
Do you already have a version of Office? Maybe it only nags those without a copy installed. I have Win 10 on multiple laptops. It took a month or two, but surely enough -- office 365 pop up in the notifications tray on all of them. I turned off those notifications the second they started. It could have been from an update (wouldn't be the first time they put a nag notification on my tray -- that's how I got Win10 to start with from the Win8 upgrade nag tray icon)
Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Interesting)
GP probably purchased a pre-built PC from Best Buy, loaded with whatever Bloatware they felt like cramming in there. I have Win10 installed on a PC at home as well, and haven't seen anything obnoxious.
Fresh install of Windows 8.1 after I swapped mechanical hard drive for SSD. I downloaded the Windows 8.1 ISO from Microsoft.
The Windows 10 install was the automated one. The Office 365 notification app is well known on the Intarwebz. Google it.
Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Insightful)
The real issue isn't so much the telemetry, it's: "Why is there a 'Get Office' app in my OS anyways?"
Let's call it what it is: when it was "Get Bonzi Buddy" or "Install The Ask Jeeves Toolbar!" it was malware. The "Get Office" app is also malware, and the people who designed it, developed it, and ordered its incorporation into the OS should all be shunned.
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Just report this to all the AV companies out there to get all these obnoxious things listed as unwanted applications.
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I'm not sure what you expected. As far back as Windows 95 they were shipping adverts on the desktop, installed by default. Probably before then, but I wasn't using Microsoft software that far back. Mostly crappy dial-up ISPs that went out of business a few years later, so the pre-installed software didn't even work any more.
I'm not saying it isn't a shitty thing to do, I'm just saying that it's hardly surprising. XP and Vista had MSN links... Maybe 7 was clean, I forget now. 8 tried to make you sign in with
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Right click the tile. Uninstall.
When I researched the Office 365 advertisement notifications in Windows, I came across quite a few people saying that Windows Update was reinstalling the "Get Office 365" app and re-enabling the advertisement notifications. They suggested leaving it installed and just turning off notifications for it.
Anyway, my problem is solved, thanks. I'm more worried about Microsoft appearing to go back to their old, obnoxious, anti-competitive, monopolistic behavior.
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It loves to re-install things you remove.
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Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:5, Informative)
Citations or screenshots please. I have Win10 on three PCs I use all the time and have not seen any of the bs you're talking about.
Is three citations enough? Or do you require more?
http://www.pcworld.com/article... [pcworld.com]
http://www.howtogeek.com/22632... [howtogeek.com]
http://www.addictivetips.com/w... [addictivetips.com]
Re: Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Informative)
> Citations or screenshots please.
Fuck off citation-needer AC shill. It is well documented that these things are an absolute shit parade. At this point, the burden of proof is on any apologists.
But, here's some articles, shillfuck!
The lockscreen assault...
http://www.extremetech.com/com... [extremetech.com]
http://www.theverge.com/2015/4... [theverge.com]
OP claimed that he's getting advertised Office. You claim he needs proof. While this debate rages, here's tutorial on how to make Microsoft STOP advertising Office. Which, of fucking COURSE it does.
http://www.howtogeek.com/22632... [howtogeek.com]
Presumably, the "Get Skype" app is the one to disable to stop the Skype stuff he complains about.
Oh, and if you NEED Skype, here's how to disable ads in Skype. Uh, this worked a year ago? I don't know if it is current.
http://community.skype.com/t5/... [skype.com]
Shills shilling, shills shilling, shills shilling.....
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Not this I think.
Re:Oh, they're a big company, (Score:4, Insightful)
There, fixed it for you, since they're backporting all the shit people hate about Windows 10 to the previous OSes.
Isn't it lucky that as a Windows 7 user I can just choose not to install those updates, then?
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To be honest, SQM is quite old (dates back to at least Office 2003), but the hosts file bypass does makes me feel bad if it is true. I just realize that a lot of the trolling is about the EULA and privacy policy though.
Run for the Penguin (Score:5, Interesting)
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Fuck Microsoft (Score:3, Insightful)
I am sure that I won't be alone in having thiose feelings
Dear Sataya,
My computer is MY COMPUTER. Not yours. Not Yours to suck data from. Not yours to suck data from to sell to Advertisers.
I have stopped using any of your products and will NEVER ever use them again until you change your data slurping policy.
Yours,
An Ex Microsoft developer.
Fuck Microsoft (Score:2)
Re:Fuck Microsoft (Score:5, Insightful)
No, Microsoft Fucks you!
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In Soviet America...
Firewall (Score:3)
Can't these addresses simply be blocked in the firewall?
Re: (Score:3)
gHacks article was later updated to mention that.
Re:Firewall (Score:5, Informative)
Yup. Or as hosts entries in your router, assuming it serves DNS up.
The article says they ignore /etc/hosts, but that is on the Windows PC itself. A wifi router running dd-wrt and using dnsmasq reads the hosts file of the router before passing queries on up the chain.
Go to the Administrative tab, then the Commands sub-tab and enter:
echo "127.0.0.2 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com settings-win.data.microsoft.com" >> /etc/hosts
Then run the command. Of course, this is assuming your DNS entries on your PCs are set to your local router and not something else like Google's DNS or your ISP's DNS.
Re:Firewall (Score:5, Informative)
Your options are limited if you can't trust the network stack in the OS to do your bidding. One relatively safe way might be to block direct connectivity at the router and set up a secure proxy on the lan for use by non-microsoft browsers and anything else that needs connectivity. Windows won't have direct net access but firefox will work fine. Of course, this would require the rest of your networked software to support the secure proxy as well (most games don't for instance).
Otherwise, the dns and ip blocks could be defeated at any time with new updates regardless if done in etc/hosts or on the router.
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dd-wrt uses dnsmasq, not bind.
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Yep. Until they change. Or until you take the laptop out without your firewall box. Or until MS goes past your crappy windows based firewall. etc. etc. etc...
Just use Linux.
waiting for the ddos (Score:4, Interesting)
against those 2 hosts M$ has setup to receive the data.
Or some script kiddies to figure out that format the data is in, and flood M$ with fake data :)
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So you're claiming that telemetry data for hundreds of millions of users, made by the largest software company, who owns the second largest computing cloud, has just two hosts assigned for collecting that data. That is totally credible.
Veering aside (Score:2)
Where you went at the end was a good point, but I thought you were going somewhere else initially - "telemetry data for hundreds of millions of users" is effectively Microsoft DDOS'ing itself already, not many people could really generate significantly more traffic to the collection sites already beyond what it will naturally be getting.
... and Windows becomes less and less helpful (Score:5, Insightful)
.
I have a notebook that is used mainly for web browsing and email. Linux Mint was installed on that notebook (replacing Windows 7) over this past weekend.
It's been a couple of years since I had looked into Linux Mint, and I was very surprised at how far it has come. While I foresee the need to do a few more tweaks with Linux Mint in order to make it more comfortable, I see no need to revert to Windows on this notebook.
What really pissed me off about the data harvesting that Microsoft is doing with these updates is how Microsoft callously has ignored any wishes I had previously stated regarding my preferences for not harvesting data from my computers.
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"The more you tighten your grip, the more systems will slip through your fingers."
Re: (Score:2)
> What really pissed me off [..] is how Microsoft callously has ignored any wishes I had previously stated regarding my preferences [..]
Are you sure you used the correct e-mail address?
Re:... and Windows becomes less and less helpful (Score:4, Insightful)
> "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."
Please, Microsoft, explain the benefits that are provided. You want to know why some of us wear tinfoil? Because words like "experience," "benefits," and "improvements" have been twisted into precisely the opposite of what they used to mean.
> Included in this update: ...Reduces the network connections on a Windows system that doesnâ(TM)t participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
If the customer has opted out, not one motherfucking byte should be transmitted. Not even the DNS query for the telemetry servers. What part of THE USER HAS OPTED OUT does Nadella not understand?
And just to amplify that "not one motherfucking byte" concept -- NSA doesn't give a shit about what I fap to, PLA doesn't give a shit about my 8-bit microcomputer geeking, and FSB doesn't give a shit that I think Putin is a dick -- the point remains that even things as innocuous as error reporting have been, and will continue to be, used as attack vectors [threatpost.com] by state-sponsored actors.
The user must, at all times, be able to make the tradeoff between usability and security, because once again, Microsoft has erred.
Re:... and Windows becomes less and less helpful (Score:4, Interesting)
What else is new? Every couple months I have to deal with forms from my banks and credit cards asking if they can share my person info for marketing purposes. Never mind that I've told them no every single time. Every year they ask again, and require me to re-state "no", sign it, and stuff their irregularly-sized response sheet in one of my envelopes (no pre-addressed envelope provided), pay for postage, and take the time to drop it in a mailbox. And if I forget to do it, that is assumed to be equivalent to me giving them permission to sell my info to advertisers. Because the law says they're supposed to assume I want my private info to become public unless I explicitly tell them no every year.
The hosts file bypass makes me feel bad (Score:3)
The hosts file bypass makes me feel bad if it is true, but thank MS for listing the hostnames at least.
Re:The hosts file bypass makes me feel bad (Score:4, Informative)
Windows has been bypassing hosts since at least 2000 for Windows Update. Makes sense, don't want a DNS hijack to break that. What worries me is that they feel the need to protect telemetry in this way.
What is in this data that needs protecting?
Info from the actual article (Score:5, Informative)
I know, I am crazy, I actually READ the article. And this info is in there:
Now they have been launched the positive news is KB3075249 and KB3080149 have been classed as ‘Optional’ in Windows Update. This means they won’t install without Windows 7 and Windows 8 users giving them express permission to do so (a key difference to Windows 10).
On the flip side KB3068708 is classified as ‘Recommended’ which means Windows 7 and Windows 8 PCs with Windows Update set to automatic will install it by default. That said for the update to appear in the first place you will need to be a participant in Microsoft’s Customer Experience Improvement Program, an opt-in program which already has you agreeing to send user data to the company.
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...Microsoft’s Customer Experience Improvement Program, an opt-in program...
I've read about instances where the "opt-in" was not really at the customer's discretion or direction.
.
I've also experienced first-hand where Microsoft has changed update settings on my computers so that the tracking updates would be downloaded and installed, even though I had previously explicitly said that I did not want that to happen.
So the problem with the article you cite is that it seems to think that Microsoft actually follows preferences that are set by customers on customer PCs.
Re: (Score:3)
Is the article correct?
According to the settings in OneNote, I'm not opted in to CEIP, but I can still see KB3068708 in the update list. Additionally, it is Optional, not Recommended.
Perhaps what the article meant is that it only shows up in Recommended if you are enrolled, and is Optional otherwise.
Most most (Score:2)
One of the most most controversial aspects of Windows 10
I guess that could be a typo...
Very easy to get rid of... apk (Score:5, Informative)
IMPORTANT ONE IS GROUP POLICY (gpedit.msc):
Go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System
Internet Communication Management, Internet Communication Settings
ENABLE (to turn it on, it is a disabler)
"Turn off Windows Customer Experience Improvement Program"
---
TO REMOVE THE BOGUS OPTIONAL TELEMETRY HOTFIXES MANUALLY:
Open command prompt
Type powershell
issue these commands
---
TO SEE WHAT ONES ARE INSTALLED:
get-hotfix -id KB3035583, KB2952664,KB2976978,KB3021917,KB3044374,KB2990214
---
TO UNINSTALL THEM (these for sure, per url next below):
wusa /uninstall /kb:3035583 /uninstall /kb:2952664 /uninstall /kb:2976978 /uninstall /kb:3021917 /uninstall /kb:3044374 /uninstall /kb:2990214
wusa
wusa
wusa
wusa
wusa
per http://www.ghacks.net/2015/04/... [ghacks.net]
---
DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH (these uninstalled properly):
KB3068708 (Telemetry)
KB3075249 (Telemetry)
KB3080149 (Telemetry)
KB3022345 (Telemetry)
KB2977759 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB3021917 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparatioon + Telemetry)
KB3035583 (Windows 10 upgrade preparation)
---
I GOT "NOT INSTALLED ON THIS COMPUTER" ON THESE INITIALLY SINCE I HAD IE11 installed (PROBABLY ONES FOR IE9/10/11):
KB3075249
KB3080149
KB2505438
* KB2670838 (See IE 9/10/11 notes below)
KB3044374
KB2990214 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
KB2505438 (Although it claims to fix performance issues, it often breaks fonts)
KB2976978 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation)
---
I GOT "NOT INSTALLED ON THIS COMPUTER" ON THESE (*PRIOR* TO PULLING KB2670838 which is IE 11):
* KB2670838 (This update often breaks AERO on Windows 7 and makes some fonts on websites fuzzy. A Windows 7 specific update only
(do not install IE10 or 11 otherwise it will be bundled with them, IE9 is the max version you should install to avoid this).
THESE RE-APPEAR AFTER UNINSTALLING IE11 RIGHT ON RESTARTING & CHECKING WINDOWS UPDATE:
* KB2952664 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation prior to IE9/10/11 install)
* KB3021917 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation prior to IE9/10/11 install)
* KB3068708 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation prior to IE9/10/11 install)
* KB3092627 (Windows 10 Upgrade preparation prior to IE9/10/11 install)
---
run cmd as administrator
sc stop Diagtrack
sc delete Diagtrack
---
*Task Scheduler Library:
Everything under "Application Experience"
Everything under "Autochk"
Everything under "Customer Experience Improvement Program"
Under "Disk Diagnostic" only the "Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector"
Under "Maintenance" "WinSAT"
"Media Center" and click the "status" column, then select all non-disabled entries and disable them.
*services.msc:
"Remote Registry" to "Disabled" instead of "Manual".
APK
P.S.=> And "There ya go"... apk
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Did an APK post just get modded UP? Did I not survive the trip to the bathroom?
Re:Very easy to get rid of... apk (Score:5, Insightful)
So much for the (bogus) argument that Linux is harder to install and maintain; that Linux requires too much command line work to get it working.
Re: (Score:3)
I used the script here from Github: https://github.com/WindowsLies... [github.com]
Reading the bat file seems to take care of most of what is listed above. I did notice one of my scheduled tasks in the Media Center entries was still enabled after running the bat file, but I hope this helps.
Foreign Windows Version (Score:5, Interesting)
There will be one, right? Or will Microsoft's executives risk arrest and charges of espionage when they travel overseas?
Re: (Score:2)
Any country those execs will want to visit are already owned by the US.
Like they'd get a say in how their own laws are enforced. :^)
Any good router suggestions? (Score:2)
Can anyone suggest a good home router that will allow me to block all traffic to the IP addresses of vortex-win.data.microsoft.com and settings-win.data.microsoft.com (not sure if hosts is being ignored and the URL addresses are still being resolved or if the IP addresses are hard-coded in the malware). I would like multiple options and the ability to compare price and other features as well. The ability to statically lock a mac address to a local IP address (through DHCP) is a must (amazingly not all route
Re: (Score:2)
And once some people have this properly configured, please report your experiences.
Will Windows just throw up a bunch of nag screens? Will it become crippled? Or perhaps refuse to run altogether?
Re: (Score:2)
no issues blocking the 2 hostnames. I use a linux box as my router/firewall in my home network, and have blocked em. Neither my Win7 or Win10 boxes complain a bit.
Re: (Score:2)
Or perhaps refuse to run altogether?
It damn well better not refuse to run all together. Not unless Microsoft discloses that Windows now requires a full time Internet connection. I think that I still have the right to take my computer to a location where I don't have Internet access and still expect a crappy Microsoft experience.
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Microsoft Care (Score:5, Insightful)
marketing speak: "customer experience" (Score:2)
They didn't say that the 'customer experience' would be a good one. Sounds almost like airlines touting their coin-operated lavatories as somehow adding to the 'customer experience', as nobody forgets the experience of not having a couple of spare quarters at 40,000 feet and three hours to go until to landing.
Can someone post a fix? (Score:2)
Class Action Suit! (Score:2)
Please someone sue, we'll be sharpen our axes and lighting torches.
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Never again ... (Score:2, Interesting)
Solutions (Score:3, Informative)
I was looking at this recently; this should turn off and block much of it:
Turn off CEIP, Uninstall updates, and then hide telemetry updates to prevent re-install:
http://www.pcworld.com/article... [pcworld.com]
Note: my "CEIP" setting was opted-out, but I still received two of those updates. So the "you don't get these updates if you're not in CEIP" assertions are incorrect, at least in my case.
Turn off CEIP reporting services:
https://pubs.vmware.com/view-5... [vmware.com]
I kept having that "Update Windows 10" (GWXUX) service crash, so I turned it off using the registry update at the end of this article, leaving myself the opportunity to reverse the process and upgrade later if desired:
http://www.howtogeek.com/21885... [howtogeek.com]
If you want to block windows 10 telemetry using a quick and dirty private DNS server, along with ad and malware blocking, install dnsmasq on a computer (maybe a raspberry pi if you're going for cheap, I'm using a VM on a test bed computer in bridged mode for this experiment): ...and block using an amalgamation of HOSTS files from here:
https://www.linux.com/learn/tu... [linux.com]
https://github.com/StevenBlack... [github.com]
It's a python script that gets a few HOSTS files on the net and de-duplicates them into a mega crap-blocker list. The resulting list includes tens of thousands of DNS lookups that will be blocked at the perimeter of your network, so it could cause some web pages or software to break they depend on sites blocked by these lists. You can prepare you own windows 10 specific HOSTS file using entries from http://someonewhocares.org/hos... [someonewhocares.org] and those listed in articles about this issue if you feel paranoid. Windows can side-step your hosts file, but not your DNS server!
Stating the obvious: you'll want to leave the quick and dirty DNS behind your firewall/router, not expose it to the Internet.
Bypass the Hosts file .. (Score:2)
Automatic updates disabled (Score:2)
The second MS started pulling this Windows 10 shit weeks ago (and I discovered they had downloaded 4GB to my hard drive), I disabled automatic updates and uninstalled the offending KBs. Touch wood I haven't had MS install any crap to my Windows 7 box since then.
Telemetry co-opted by malware (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm just waiting for the first malware that will co-opt all the telemetry to spy on users...
So glad I'm not on Win10 (Score:3)
I'm so glad I'm not on Win10. With any luck, I never will be.
This blatant crap of tracking every click, every mouse movement, every site, etc etc etc is mind boggling in the fact that they would even propose doing this, let alone brag about it.
"Telemetry"? I think the word they really want is "spying".
How much are they paying me? (Score:3)
Glad as hell I opted for Linux instead of Win7 (Score:4, Insightful)
XP EOL'd and I was considering going to Windows 7 (which was a pretty good release, until now), but just before I pulled the trigger, Windows H8 rolled out and the shit storm that followed convinced me that Microsoft left the rails and wasn't listening to its users anymore.
I feel like I just stepped aboard one of the Titanic's lifeboats just before the band started playing "Nearer my God to Thee." Whoever is still aboard the HMS MS is properly fucked.
Actually, I think most don't care, and they will happily part with all their data, public and private. They won't regret the decision until it fucks them, at which point they can't roll it back.
Using Linux Mint now - try it!
Re:Suicide (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Suicide (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
You fail to see the wall being built around you.
So your objection to the possible MS garden is that the wall isn't as high as the one already around the Apple work farm?
Let me simplify it for you: MS/Apple both send data back home.
You are going to be be shot in the leg. That's not optional.
Apple also cuts off your hand. MS doesn't. Yet. They might later, but not yet.
Do you want to "risk" MS cutting your hand off later, or are you advocating rushing over to Apple now so they can do it for sure now?
Re: (Score:3)
Don't worry. Both Microsoft and Apple can handle your divide by zero.
Re:Time to switch to Linux... (Score:5, Insightful)
There will be new "updates" from Microsoft, so, no, unless you go examine every update thoroughly in a VM or something before installing, or stay at your current patch level forever, you're not safe.
My question is how much of this is Microsoft's own idea and how much is being pushed by NSA. Windows 10 consumer versions not having the ability to turn off automatic updates, for example, seems like it's tailor made for the three letter agencies to use to install "special" updates on targeted computers - quite possibly those that show specific files or keywords in "telemetry" searches.
Backing away from Microsoft seems sensible, but it's not going to solve the problem of a police state with panopticon wet dreams.
Re: (Score:3)
I've just watched this documentary
https://youtu.be/U1Qt6a-vaNM [youtu.be]
and it just reminds me how evil this is, and how we should be resisting it. If we could be bothered that is.
Re: (Score:3)
This is kind of old news and there are more updates [alaya.net] that are recommended to uninstall, as well as scheduled tasks and services.
Re: (Score:3)
If you uninstall them, and they reappear on your update list, you can hide the specific updates so that they stop appearing in the update list, and won't get installed unless you specifically go back, unhide them, and then run Windows Update again.
Re: (Score:3)
tinfoil hat reply: Cant turn of update on the xp machine
Apparently someone doesn't understand how to disable a service in Windows. Or, somehow failing that, Deny 'read and execute' privs for System for the affected files. Or, if you want the real Nuclear option, hack the registry to remove the Automatic Updates service completely from the OS. Don't tell me it can't be done, either, because I've done all the above at one point or another. In Win10? Couldn't tell you if it'd work, or if it'l slap your hand and put everything back. I won't know, either, because I w