Author Topic: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns (Read 80475 times)

xtabber · « **Reply #50 on:** August 13, 2015, 11:04 AM »

According to this article in Ars Technica, Windows 10 sends information identifying individual systems to Microsoft whenever one is online, regardless of privacy settings.

This really isn't all that much different from how Android and iOS operate, but you expect that from phones and tablets that depend on the cloud for much of their functionality. A personal computer is a different matter altogether.

Innuendo · « **Reply #51 on:** August 16, 2015, 10:44 AM »

This really isn't all that much different from how Android and iOS operate, but you expect that from phones and tablets that depend on the cloud for much of their functionality. A personal computer is a different matter altogether.
-xtabber (August 13, 2015, 11:04 AM)

I think you answered your own question. I think if Microsoft has their way then personal computers *will* have to rely on the cloud for much of their functionality. If you doubt me, ask yourself why can't we pick and choose which updates on Windows Update? Why does every update come across in one blob under the label "Cumulative Updates"? Even if you click the "WTH, MS!!! What did you just install?" link, you're redirected to a web page that has a non-sorted list of everything that's been updated since Windows 10 was released with no easy way to tell exactly what just got installed on your PC.

JavaJones · « **Reply #52 on:** August 16, 2015, 03:15 PM »

So why are we OK with our phones working this way (at least more of us) and not our desktop operating systems? Yes, this is a Devil's Advocate question, but objectively speaking is it really illogical to ask?

- Oshyan

phitsc · « **Reply #53 on:** August 16, 2015, 03:37 PM »

I'm not ok with either. I'm actually really pissed about the whole situation.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #54 on:** August 18, 2015, 06:21 AM »

So from the Invasion of Privacy department, this looks a bit damning (full article):

Section 7b of Microsoft's Services EULA (under “Updates to the Services or Software, and Changes to These Terms”) warns users that Windows 10 “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.”

Frankly I'm not sure WTF to think about this...(other than various unpleasantries)...so I'm open for suggestions.

anandcoral · « **Reply #55 on:** August 18, 2015, 06:41 AM »

I think MS had made the mobile team to work on desktop versions. May be cost cutting from mobile development.

These chaps assume that the "program" will always have the net connection, location, voice etc. (true for mobile device). So they code that way.

I am saying this from my 20 years experience in our organization. Our company put one team on another type of project and it takes another six months to figure out and clean up why a DBF/NTX database program crashing if the machine do not have net connection.

Or MS is saving on developers money by making same Win10 code to run for both mobile and desktop. My desktop location says Mumbai due to ISP server, though the desktop is at far east Kolkata. Let me see what Cortana offers me in "my" location she sees.

Regards,

Anand

Curt · « **Reply #56 on:** August 18, 2015, 08:08 AM »

Let me see what Cortana offers me
-anandcoral (August 18, 2015, 06:41 AM)

does this mean that the previous problem has been solved?

What should I do ? Wait till "Get Windows 10" enables "Upgrade" option ?
I am afraid to click "Get started" in "Windows update"
-anandcoral (August 16, 2015, 11:42 AM)

anandcoral · « **Reply #57 on:** August 19, 2015, 03:11 AM »

does this mean that the previous problem has been solved?

What should I do ? Wait till "Get Windows 10" enables "Upgrade" option ?
I am afraid to click "Get started" in "Windows update"
-anandcoral (August 16, 2015, 11:42 AM)

-Curt (August 18, 2015, 08:08 AM)

Yes.

Since I did not got any reply on that, I clicked on "Get started". It turn out that it will start downloading the Win10 updated then. I prayed to GOD to give stable connection for at least 3 hours to get it done, as I found out on each disruption of net connection, the Win10 download starts from zero.

The Cortana mesg I wrote while still in Win8.1, as my location shows far west at Mumbai in IP search.

Regards,

Anand

myarmor · « **Reply #58 on:** August 19, 2015, 03:18 AM »

lol, I got an advertisement/mail for O&O Shutup10 just now..with the subtext "Free Antispy tool for Windows 10...".
Somehow it doesn't make me want W10 more than I did.

tomos · « **Reply #59 on:** August 19, 2015, 03:32 AM »

Shutup10
-myarmor (August 19, 2015, 03:18 AM)

lol is right. Shutup10

phitsc · « **Reply #60 on:** August 28, 2015, 01:33 AM »

now also on Windows 7 and 8.

http://winaero.com/b...7-and-windows-8-too/

ewemoa · « **Reply #61 on:** August 28, 2015, 04:43 AM »

Woa...thanks for the heads up.

On a related note, is there a convenient tool to help with preventing the installation of a specific set of updates?

Deozaan · « **Reply #62 on:** August 29, 2015, 11:35 AM »

On a related note, is there a convenient tool to help with preventing the installation of a specific set of updates?
-ewemoa (August 28, 2015, 04:43 AM)

Can't you just not select that update in Windows Update? I mean, you'd need to know the KB number(s) to be sure you don't install them. But other than that, I think Windows Update itself makes it fairly easy to not install an update if you don't want it.

You can even hide it using the context menu so it doesn't prompt you to install it later.

xtabber · « **Reply #63 on:** August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.

Deozaan · « **Reply #64 on:** August 29, 2015, 03:32 PM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.
-xtabber (August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM)

If that was a reply to me, I was talking about Windows 7 & 8 when I said simply choose not to install the telemetry updates.

Innuendo · « **Reply #65 on:** August 29, 2015, 06:25 PM »

If that was a reply to me, I was talking about Windows 7 & 8 when I said simply choose not to install the telemetry updates.
-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 03:32 PM)

You'll have to forgive his confusion because it looks like this thread is about Windows 10 and everyone is talking about that OS except you.

Deozaan · « **Reply #66 on:** August 29, 2015, 07:11 PM »

You'll have to forgive his confusion because it looks like this thread is about Windows 10 and everyone is talking about that OS except you.
-Innuendo (August 29, 2015, 06:25 PM)

Yes, except for the last 3 posts before his.

Innuendo · « **Reply #67 on:** August 30, 2015, 11:02 AM »

Yes, except for the last 3 posts before his.
-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 07:11 PM)

And that's what I get for skimming. Apologies and back to my corner I go.

xtabber · « **Reply #68 on:** August 30, 2015, 11:07 AM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.
-xtabber (August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM)

If that was a reply to me, I was talking about Windows 7 & 8 when I said simply choose not to install the telemetry updates.
-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 03:32 PM)

What makes you think this was a reply to you?

I did not quote your posts and this thread is about Windows 10 Privacy.

Deozaan · « **Reply #69 on:** August 30, 2015, 01:10 PM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.
-xtabber (August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM)

If that was a reply to me, I was talking about Windows 7 & 8 when I said simply choose not to install the telemetry updates.
-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 03:32 PM)
What makes you think this was a reply to you?

I did not quote your posts and this thread is about Windows 10 Privacy.
-xtabber (August 30, 2015, 11:07 AM)

I wasn't sure if it was a reply to my post, hence the "if that was a reply to me" part of my response. But here are three reasons why it seemed there was a decent chance that your message was a response to mine:

Your message came just after mine. Sometimes people don't quote the person they're replying to if their response comes immediately after the one they're replying to.
My message was about disabling specific updates. I didn't specifically mention Windows 7 or 8 because I was responding to a message that was about Windows 7 & 8.
You said Windows 10 doesn't allow disabling updates. This is a thread about Windows 10 privacy, not about Windows 10 automatic updates. So I wondered why would you be talking about updates except in reference to the last few posts in this thread which were about Automatic Updates for Windows 7 & 8?

That was when I realized that my message was ambiguous because this is indeed a Windows 10 thread and a few of us were talking about Windows 7 & 8, so I tried to clarify in a friendly way. But I apparently failed at that because I seem to have offended everyone along the way.

The only reason I'm still talking about this is because you specifically asked me to explain why I thought your post was a response to mine. So that's what this is: An explanation of how things went from my perspective.

I didn't mean to offend. My apologies to both you and Innuendo if I did.

Innuendo · « **Reply #70 on:** August 30, 2015, 06:26 PM »

I didn't mean to offend. My apologies to both you and Innuendo if I did.
-Deozaan (August 30, 2015, 01:10 PM)

I'm impossible to offend so no apology to me is necessary. You & I have been co-existing on this board for nearly a decade so I think we've known each other enough that any minor misunderstandings aren't worth giving much thought to given the communication medium & the inherent flaws it possesses.

DC has always been a place to exchange ideas & say what's on our minds. There's bound to be a crossed wire or mixed signal from time to time.

wraith808 · « **Reply #71 on:** August 30, 2015, 06:59 PM »

I didn't mean to offend. My apologies to both you and Innuendo if I did.
-Deozaan (August 30, 2015, 01:10 PM)

I'm impossible to offend so no apology to me is necessary. You & I have been co-existing on this board for nearly a decade so I think we've known each other enough that any minor misunderstandings aren't worth giving much thought to given the communication medium & the inherent flaws it possesses.

DC has always been a place to exchange ideas & say what's on our minds. There's bound to be a crossed wire or mixed signal from time to time.

-Innuendo (August 30, 2015, 06:26 PM)

You're awesome, dude!

ewemoa · « **Reply #72 on:** August 30, 2015, 08:10 PM »

Can't you just not select that update in Windows Update? I mean, you'd need to know the KB number(s) to be sure you don't install them. But other than that, I think Windows Update itself makes it fairly easy to not install an update if you don't want it.

You can even hide it using the context menu so it doesn't prompt you to install it later.
-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 11:35 AM)

This is what I currently do -- and it's ok for one machine.

Do you see where this is going?

bit · « **Reply #73 on:** August 31, 2015, 02:10 AM »

"It’s not just Windows 10, Windows 7 and 8 are also tracking you – here’s how to stop them"
quote:
So, what can you do to stop it?

First, you can avoid installing these four updates altogether. If they have already been installed, they can be uninstalled from within the Control Panel (here’s a guide), or advanced users can type the following four commands using an elevated command prompt:

wusa /uninstall /kb:3068708 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3022345 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3075249 /quiet /norestart
wusa /uninstall /kb:3080149 /quiet /norestart

[edit (my note): I can bring up a Command Prompt, but don't know what prefix to use with the above uninstall commands.]

Once the updates are uninstalled, use the Windows Update mechanism to “hide” them (here’s a guide) so that your operating system doesn’t try to reinstall them.
end quote (more at the page).

edit: my vintage 486 keyboard has no Windows key with which to call up the uninstall a program window that shows the four unwanted Windows updates on my Windows 7 Pro OS.
So far, I am still trying to bring up that uninstall window without success.

How about a nice DC coding snack macro to do it all automatically for Win 7, 8, and/or 10?

xtabber · « **Reply #74 on:** August 31, 2015, 06:14 PM »

I didn't mean to offend. My apologies to both you and Innuendo if I did.
-Deozaan (August 30, 2015, 01:10 PM)

I was definitely not offended. I just wanted to make clear that my post related to the original topic, not to your post, even if yours appeared just before mine in the thread.

And yes, the focus of the thread has drifted from privacy to upgrades & security, although privacy and security are pretty closely related when you're hanging out in the cloud, as Microsoft wants us to do.

I consider the inability to turn off automatic updates in Windows 10 to be a threat to both my privacy and my security - enough so that I would not install Windows 10 on my main work system unless Microsoft changes that policy.